Fusion Chicken with Coconut Milk

It has been several months since I blogged and I’m rather glad so many want this recipe that it got me back into doing a blog. Now I have a couple more lined up. One I actually wrote in April! I named this Fusion Chicken because it’s got Chinese, Thai, and Indian seasonings. Please let me know if you have a better name. Leave it in the comments for  me. I’ve been making this chicken for my husband and I for the last few months. It’s a recipe that started with a modified Jaime Oliver recipe of Chicken in Milk that used coconut milk. That appealed to me more. I tried that one but Ron (hubby) didn’t like the cinnamon in it. It wasn’t thrilling me but I liked it. read...

You Are Enough Just As You Are!

Everyone needs to stop right now disapproving of the way they look, especially the young people of today. No, you don’t need to look like the models or the photos in the magazines or like the movie stars. Truth? Most of the movie stars don’t look like their own movie star image without the hair, the makeup or the clothes. Maybe a couple do. Just like there are a few common people who look pretty spectacular whether they wear makeup or not. There was a video on the internet that shows how they make the models look better than they are. The photos we see don’t represent real people at times. read...

Life Long Passion for Food Part 4: Pasta Fagiole Recipe

Due to a request on my previous post about Italian food and specifically Pasta Fagioli, this post is about how to make the soup.  I wrote about a funny anecdote about Ron first tasting pasta fagioli at my mom’s place. There is more. We stayed at my mom’s that night and the next morning, my mom asked us what we wanted for breakfast. Ron says “Do you have anymore of that soup left?”. I about fell over. Did my mom ever love that! And of course she had some soup because she cooks for a gazillion! At that point, I knew that if Ron and I split up, my mom would go with him. read...

A Life Long Passion for Great Food

I always tell people I came out of the shute as a foodie. I have always loved food, good food. At the age of 10, I began begging my mom to teach me to cook. She finally gave in and by 12 I was making dinners for my mom, sister and I. Maybe it was a survival tactic, I don’t know. I suspect it may have been.  I firmly believe that food has a big impact on your health, too. My mother, who was Italian, did not measure things. When she taught me how to make her fantastic salad dressing, I remember her response when I asked how much oil (always olive oil) and vinegar (always red wine vinegar) do you put on the salad. She said “Your eyes and your hands will know”. Yes, that’s verbatim. read...

Italian Shops: My Childhood Memories

Someone today reminded me about Italians and their love affair with food! It’s almost a given for most Italian families. I’ve heard of a few who didn’t have that growing up and I always felt sorry for them. For me, that was the best part of growing up in an Italian family. It’s hard to describe growing up in an Italian family to those not reared by Italians: The flying arms, the loud voices, the cries of Mangia, Mangia! The grandparents lived with us. They were part of the family and the shouts and cooking. We did have milk deliveries but we had Italian stores, like DeVitis and Sons, to buy our olive oils, vinegar, tomato paste, salamis, pepperoni, cheeses. The smells in those stores cannot be described. Walking through those doors, the smells made you take a big deep, deep breath, put a smile on your face and a song in your heart because you knew you were going to get some amazing things to take home and cook except for the pickles in the big barrel. You could pick out a pickle and eat it right there! read...

Reconnective Healing: Energy Therapy with Results Part 2

In an earlier blog, I wrote explaining how Reconnective Healings increase immune system  by causing changes in your blood. As a result of my talk at the networking group, I’ve continued reading about the experiments that have been done. In this one, I want to tell you about one of the earlier experiments. One of the scientists was curious to see if Reconnective Healing had any effect on plant life. Dr. Gary Schwarz of the University of Arizona began working with Eric Pearl very early on and continues his studies of this healing process. read...

Summer Vacation or Future Preview?

I was 19 and on a  train for my first California trip. It would be one lovely summer  to care for my cousin’s small son and fix breakfasts on weekdays. Evenings and weekends were mine to do as I pleased and I had use of their car if needed. Whoopee! How could I refuse. It took 2 or 3 days of travel from Ohio. I don’t remember much of the railroad travel. I do remember my first meal in California  however! I was picked up at the LA Union station and taken to my cousin’s house in San Fernando Valley. There I found a dining room table set with a tablecloth, cloth napkins, wine glasses, and candles. I had never seen that in a home before! read...

Foodie Vacation – Always!

I’m a foodie.  Seems like I’ve been one forever so maybe I came out of the chute that way.   I know I bugged my working single mom to teach me to cook and soon I was making home cooked meals at age 11 or 12. I never stopped cooking. My love of food continued and grew. So it’s no surprise to anyone who knows me that any vacation is going to include great food, preferably gourmet food.  Luckily my husband loves food too.  He’d have to love food or I wouldn’t have married him.  I stopped dating a guy because he didn’t eat onions! read...

Buy Wines from Local Wine Clubs

This is part two of our Central Coast wine tasting tour in our own county.  Part 1 was at the Four Brix Winery. I had met winery owner, Chris Brown, from Cantara Cellars at a networking fundraiser.  As soon as we walked in,  I saw Chris at the tasting bar.  The introductions took place and the wine tasting began. Cantara Cellars buy grapes from Lodi region of California.  So you won’t find a Pinot Noir wine here which happens to be one of our favorite wines.  However, we do like many  other varietals. read...