Verona, as we all know, loves to eat from appetizer to dessert and, ladies and gentlemen, we are headed into the best time of the year for desserts: cookie time. We all have our favorite holiday cookies. Grandma’s gingersnaps and spritz, mom’s pignoli, pizzelle and mocha-nut butterballs (seriously, how could you not like a...
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I shouldn’t have been surprised when Thanksgiving arrived on the third Thursday of November; it always does. Every year. Same time. What I had trouble with was efficient dinner planning that also involved avoiding poultry. Enter: my Crock Pot. With increasingly busy afternoons and less time to plan ahead for dinner, I have a...
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The days leading up to Thanksgiving can be busy and stressful. There are school parties and feasts, a half day the day before, and possibly guests coming in from out of town. Even with good planning, Thanksgiving morning can be one of those days where as I’m just about to stuff my turkey, one...
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I love Creme Brulee. It happens to be one of my favorite desserts, which is amazing because it’s a custard style dessert, and I usually have texture issues with such things. Maybe it’s the really sweet crunchy top. Anyway, the idea of actually making it myself scares me to death. However, thanks to this...
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I usually start my Thanksgiving celebration with a Bloody Mary. However, I think this year might be the year to change this up a bit for a Caramel Pear Martini. I received this recipe from Tia D’Addario of Tia’s Food of Love when I started to put together the Fall Flavors series. However, once I made it,...
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What would Thanksgiving be without mashed potatoes? In my family, it would have meant three past Thanksgivings when my children (each at approximately 1 year old) would not have had anything to eat. They would have also been a lot cleaner after the meal. Mashed potatoes remain a Thanksgiving favorite and a staple each...
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Traditional sides to any Thanksgiving meal are usually stuffing and cranberry sauce. What I love about making homemade cranberry sauce is that it can be done a couple of days ahead saving time and space on the big day. I think I’ve actually come to prefer cranberry sauce warm rather than cold- the flavors...
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I love Thanksgiving dinner, and with a little planning it can be one of the easiest meals to make. What can make the meal tricky is the timing. Allowing ample time for defrosting your turkey, if you get the free frozen one from ShopRite like I do, cooking your turkey, letting the turkey rest,...
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Every year as I plan my Thanksgiving menu, I always start in the same place. My stack of cooking magazines. Fifteen years worth, at a minimum. I enjoy it, and since Thanksgiving is for family I also find it comforting. For years, I watched my mother do the same thing and Thanksgiving dinner was...
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Fall has definitely hit Verona. Aside from smelling fireplaces going at night, there are the leaves piling up in my yard and the warmth of the sun on a cool day. The change in temperature is only part of our transformation this time of year. Food is clearly another aspect of fall and brings...
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