I've got big news... after more than 10 months of (very impatiently😬) waiting - our 501c3 has been accepted and the Bold Springs Kitchen is an official non-profit entity!!! I'm not sure if you can tell from my overuse of exclamation points but I'm over the moon excited about the doors that this will open up for the community kitchen. 🤗 I feel like I owe you a brief recap of the Bold Springs Kitchen since it's been a while since I've blogged about this former school cafeteria building, located on the Grace Monroe church campus that we're planning to renovate into a community kitchen. * One of the goals for this project is to create a shared kitchen space for members of our community who want to either launch or expand their food based business. We believe that providing an affordable, rentable, licensed commercial kitchen space that is accessible to entrepreneurs will help generate economic growth and development throughout our community. * We also want to create a space where we can educate our community about food preparation through culinary classes. We have an amazing studio kitchen planned with the most incredible 19 foot kitchen island organized into individual cooking stations. We want to invite members of the community to gather here and take a cooking classes or use the space to work as a group to prepare food to share with members of our community who might be struggling with food insecurities. * The expansive space is also going to be used for community events. The large open room will be the perfect place to host church events, community groups, small gatherings and private parties. I'm just so excited by this project and all of the possibilities and potential that it has to make a positive impact on this community. I have a big vision for the space but I also have to keep in mind that the reality is that the building is in desperate need of ... well, everything. 😅 New flooring, walls, roof, windows, doors, bathrooms, heating and air conditioning systems, electric, plumbing, appliances and kitchen equipment for starters.😬 The list of things to be done in this building seems to grow longer everyday but for now I'm celebrating the fact that we've achieved the the first step to getting all of these things accomplished, which was to get our 501c3 approved. If I've learned anything from going through the process of trying to organize the renovation of an abandoned 1950's school building into a community kitchen, it's that patience is vital. A trait that I've not been particularly good at exhibiting in my life.🤪 Even my bread baking and cake decorating would probably benefit from having a little more patience in my life. Today I wanted to share a special shortbread recipe. Mine features a sprinkling of mini chocolate chips but you could easily swap out the chocolate for nuts, dried fruits or sprinkles. Or just enjoy the sweet buttery cookies without any mix ins at all. Just a simple, crispy treat without all the fuss. 😋 Chocolate Chip Shortbread 1 cup butter, room temperature 2/3 cup sugar 1 and 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 cups flour 1/4 cup cornstarch 3/4 cup mini chocolate chips coarse sparkling sugar
Cool 15 minutes in pan. Remove using parchment paper and cut into 8 wedges. Ciao!
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If you've ever wondered what spring break is like in Ohio - let me tell you - it's a wild ride.🤣 We drove through rain, snow, sleet and hail on our 12 hour journey from Georgia to Ohio last Friday and we were welcomed with brisk 34 degree temperatures when we arrived in Streetsboro. We walked through a blizzard on Friday to pick up our lunch and we played pickleball in t-shirts on Saturday afternoon. #ohioweather 🤷🏻♀️❄️☀️ The weather may have been crazy but it was all worth it because I got to spend time with my favorite 28 year olds, view the eclipse from the path of totality AND celebrate my dad's birthday!!! My parent's threw the best eclipse viewing/birthday party ever. I don't know if I had more fun watching the eclipse or watching everyone else view it through their paper glasses.😎 This was such a fun weekend and in classic Italian style - there was LOTS of food. Before we even made it to party day - we were indulging in cannoli cookies. This recipe is brought to you by my sweet daughter in law. Before our trip, I asked her what her favorite cookie was and this is what she said. Thank you crumbl cookie for the inspo. 😅 This was my first attempt at a cannoli cookie and I was afraid that they might get soggy if I made them too far in advance. My solution: pack the cookies and the filling separately and assemble them just before serving. These cookies were a big hit. If you've never tried a cannoli cookie before - you'll want to check out this recipe. 😋 Cannoli Cookies 1 cup butter, room temperature 1 cup powdered sugar ½ cup brown sugar 1 large egg, room temperature 1 teaspoon vanilla ½ tsp almond 2 T marsala wine zest of half of 1 large orange 3 cups flour 2 teaspoons baking powder ¼ teaspoon salt 3 Tablespoon cornstarch ½ teaspoon cinnamon ¾ cup mini chocolate chips FROSTING ½ cup heavy cream, cold 8 ounces full fat Ricotta cheese, strained overnight 6 oz cream cheese, room temperature 1/2 teaspoon almond extract 1 ½ cup powdered sugar ½ teaspoon cinnamon pinch salt ¾ cup mini chocolate chips Strain ricotta cheese overnight. There are 2 ways to do this. Wrap it in cheesecloth and suspend over a bowl overnight in the refrigerator OR spread ricotta over paper towel lined baking trays and press out moisture with additional paper towels on top.
Pipe or spoon filling into indented cookie. Top with a second cookie - indention down - and roll edges of filling in chocolate chips. Ciao!
It's Holy week and Easter might just be my favorite holiday of all. ✝️ It doesn't matter that my kids are adults now - the Easter bunny will always make a stop at our house to hide eggs and put together themed baskets.🐰 I think that the reason that I love Easter so much is because it's not about the baskets or the chocolate - it's about the reason for the holiday. What better reason is there to celebrate than the resurrection of Jesus? Holidays are also great excuses to gather family and friends together for a big feast. Whether it's brunch, lunch or dinner for 2 or 32 - Easter feasts are always special. My family prefers the traditional Easter ham and my daughter can't seem to let the day pass without a plate of deviled eggs but I'm more of an Easter brunch kind of girl. Waffles, chocolate croissants, fruit skewers and homemade sticky buns - you get the idea. The kind of recipes that I only make on special occasions. Surely I'm not the only person who has a collection of recipes that they make exclusively for "company" or on special holidays. My special occasion recipes land in this category for one of two reasons. The first is because they take an excessively long time to make. The second, and more common reason, is that they're foods that I don't feel like my family has given the appropriate amount of recognition to.😅 Do you think it's too much to ask that the recipient of a special recipe should "oooh and ahhh" for a minimum of 10 minutes after consuming something that takes over an hour to prepare? 😂 Cannolis ended up in my special food category for both reasons.🤣 Cannolis were always a special treat that our parents let us pick out from the bakery or the Italian grocery when we were kids and not something that we ever attempted to make at home. If I'm being honest, I had some serious hesitations about tackling such an iconic Italian dessert but since I don't have access to a great cannoli source where I currently live, I had to figure out to make them for myself.😅 Cannolis Shells 1 3/4 cups flour 1 1/2 Tablespoons sugar 1/4 teaspoon salt 3 Tablespoons butter 1/3 cup marsala wine 1 egg 1 egg white vegetable oil for frying Filling 32 ounces whole milk ricotta 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar 3/4 cup mini chocolate chips 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
Dip ends in chocolate if desired. I also experimented with an orange almond filling. Ciao!
I first heard about Gary Chapman's book The 5 Love Languages from a pastor during our premarital counseling. I feel like there's a lot of truth to his theory but I also feel like he's made a glaring omission. Anyone else feel like food is the 6th love language that suspiciously got left out?🤷🏻♀️ I suspect that there is a large percentage of the population who feels love... through food (and coffee.) 😅 There's a special kind of love that comes from a crafting a loaf of freshly baked bread from scratch.🥖 Carefully measuring out ingredients, waiting patiently while it rises and then breathing in the amazing aroma that fills the house while it bakes. And that all happens before that first bite of chewy, warm bread - heavenly is the only way to describe it. I grew up eating fresh Italian bread so I feel like the roots of my bread love run deep. I enjoy the process of making bread almost as much as I enjoy eating bread and I've experimented with making all kinds of different kinds of breads. Sourdough, French, Italian, Cuban, bagels, brioche, challah, panetone, flatbreads, focaccia, pita, baguettes, babka, cinnamon swirl, English muffins, dinner rolls, hot cross buns, soft pretzels, crescent rolls and croissants. I actually have 68 different yeast bread recipes on my blog! 😳😂 Safe to say - bread is my love language. The one thing that was missing in my recipe index was a Gluten Free Bread recipe. I'm not a Gluten Free eater so I needed a good excuse to come up with a great recipe for my fellow bread lovers who can't tolerate gluten in their diets. That reason came this week with a dinner invitation from a Gluten Free friend. What better thing to bring to a dinner party hosted by a friend with celiac than a loaf of homemade gluten free bread?🍞 Gluten Free Bread Gluten Free Flour Blend 24 ounces white rice flour 7.5 ounces brown rice flour 7 ounces potato starch 3 ounces tapioca starch 3 Tablespoons nonfat milk powder Bread 100 grams warm water 20 grams honey 2 1/2 teaspoons yeast 20 grams psyllium husks 375 grams water 15 grams olive oil 480 grams gluten free flour 12 grams salt
Bake 1 hour at 425. Remove lid and bake another 15 minutes. Have I mentioned recently how I'm thankful for friends who are willing to be guinea pigs while I perfect my recipes?🤣 I have no idea why my loaf came out of the oven so flat. It was nice and rounded going in and then - splat - it flattened like a pancake.🤷🏻♀️ Anyone with answers or better yet ... solutions to my flat bread issue - feel free to reach out to me. Thanks.
Ciao! I took another little blogging hiatus but I had a good reason this time - I was soaking in the sun in the Bahamas. 😎🏖️ It wasn't my first trip to the Bahamas but it was my first time in Marsh Harbor. If you've never been before and you have the opportunity - I highly recommend a visit. The beaches, the water, the food, the PIGS! 🤣🐷 The trip was even more special because I got to share my Bahama experience with my husband, my parents and some very special friends. Friends who also happen to spend a considerable amount of time working on the island. They were the most amazing hosts and tour guides that we could have asked for. I'll attach some more of our Marsh Harbor pictures at the bottom of this post but for now - I'll just share my favorite food picture from the trip - grilled lobster salad. 🦞😋 Needless to say, after a week of dining on fresh grouper, mahi, shrimp, conch fritters and Caribbean lobsters our dinners back in Georgia this week have been a bit of a letdown.🙄 Coming home to an empty refrigerator didn't help either.😅 I don't know if I've ever been so thankful to see a bag of Lagonstino tails in my freezer as I was this week. With lobster on my mind, this quick and easy Langostino Pasta dinner was just what I needed to help me reaclimate to this landlocked town that we call home. Langostino is a particular type of crustacean that looks like a small lobster. It's not the same species as lobster but they have a very similar texture and taste. I got my Langostino at Trader Joes but I've also seen it in the frozen seafood section at my local grocery store. If you enjoy the taste of shrimp and lobster, you'll probably enjoy Lagostino tails. They're sold fully cooked which makes them super easy to add to salads, pasta dishes, soups and casseroles. This yummy lagostino pasta tossed a white wine and lime sauce and a sprinkle of fresh basil and red pepper flakes is one of my favorite ways to enjoy these delicious crustaceans. Langostino Pasta with Fresh Basil 1/2 pound pasta 1 Tablespoon olive oil 1 garlic clove, minced 1 cup dry white wine 1 lime 1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes 1/2 pound langostino tails, cooked 1 Tablespoon butter salt and pepper 1 cup parmesan cheese, shredded
Spoon into bowls and sprinkle with additional parmesan cheese. Granted, it's not grilled lobster salad on the beach but there's something almost as special about a sitting at my own kitchen table, across from the love of my life, eating my favorite lagostino pasta. 😆 And for those of you interested, the aforementioned photos from our trip. Ciao!
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