In Attesa Di Primavera... Waiting For Springtime...

Longing for winter weather which will never happen... but,  it's not nice to complain.  Our weather is amazing, many  people can only dream of it,  but... I guess we can't always have what we want... I try to create  a winter theme,  but,  it's not easy,,, In the meantime,  I enjoy spending time in my Potted English Garden,  and of course,  my kitchen.

A Cake For A Dear Friend... Una Torta Per Una Cara Amica...

The Birthday gatherings with "the girls" continue... It's so fun to get together and celebrate our closest friends with food, cocktails, gifts and sometimes a craft.  Spending the better part of a day just having fun with the girls.  As I often do,  I made the cake... This one for Yuri... I decided on a "Naked Cake"... Pink Champagne Cake,  three layers, with Raspberries macerated in Chambord, topped with Chocolate Ganache and Buttercream.  I decorated with Sugared Roses and Homemade Vanilla Meringues,  to match the party theme that Jody did which was Champagne and Roses...

Happy Valentine's Day...

Sweet things for Valentine's Day...

Piaceri Autunnali... Autumn Pleasures...

It is beginning  to feel like Fall... no colored leaves yet,  just that lovely breeze... a perfect time for  gardening with some added Autumn touches in my new container garden...and of course for spending lots of time in the kitchen, using favorite seasonal ingredients in beautiful colors... love purple in the Fall and decided to use some in the kitchen... Gnocchi from purple potatoes.  A first attempt at that turned out great,  taste wise,  but I wanted a vibrant purple color, in spite of the addition of fresh lemon to the potatoes after putting them through the food mill,   they turned out lavender,  not purple,  still gorgeous.   Next time I will try a different variety of purple potato in hopes of getting a deeper hue.  I always give purple cauliflower a big squeeze of fresh lemon to return it to it's bright purple color after cooking it,  and that keeps it beautiful. It's also time to make some cozy Fall crafts... It's much to early for Halloween,  but some fall touches are a must.

Cose Che Amo… Things That I Love…

Beautiful food,  and beautiful presentation has always been so important to me,  just as it always was for Dad.  Right now,  more than ever,  I am really loving the roses in my garden… the English ones in particular… they are so happy right now.  The colors seem more spectacular than ever,  Anna says they've never been prettier… I have to agree.  The beautiful shapes,  and the different fragrances just amaze me… adding Roses to my Lemon Swirl Cheesecake,  and to Linda's Birthday Cake was an easy way to make something delicious,  pretty…