Giuseppepaolo

I have a thing for freezer jam. A lifetime love affair actually. If my taste buds had them, they'd drop to their knees with each bite. It's the fresh fruit flavor that gets me every time because freezer jam is never heated which means the fruit isn't cooked. You mash, dice, mix and pour. The only heated ingredients are the water and pectin. And it's super easy to make. No special equipment needed other than your clean sterile jars. Peaches are in season right now....juicy and bursting with flavor. Perfect for making jam. Add a bit of ginger and you've taken things to a whole new level. Fresh, sweet and zingy. Did I mention easy? (just want to make sure that sinks in). Wash and peel your peaches and you're ready to roll! Here's a little ginger tip before you get started. Use the edge of a spoon to scrape the skin off your ginger. Want another tip? Keep your ginger in the freezer. Not only does it prolong the life, but frozen ginger grates super easily! Ginger...

One of my chicas from work walked in with a huge bag full of what she called 'Mexican limes' (a.k.a. key limes). I'm not talking about one of those plastic bags from the grocery store. I'm talking about a huge thick plastic bag. I have no idea how many pounds it was (multiple) but I do know that I ended up with more than 6 cups of juice! Her request? "Can you make a key lime cheesecake?" I'm thinking....Ummm...sure. But I've never even tasted, let alone made a key lime pie. How will I know if it ends up right? I have nothing to compare it with. There begins the challenge. I searched through several recipes. Read numerous reviews. Omitted any recipe that called for flour. Is that weird? I've just never made a cheesecake with flour. I don't understand why it would even be required. In my mind, something isn't right. Am I being a cheesecake snob? Do I need to be enlightened here? Please fill me in if I'm being ignorant about this. Anyways....

Happy 4th of July.  I'm sure most of you are preparing for the biggest BBQ day of the year. Let me help you out a little with a deliciously tender BBQ Pork Tenderloin that I butterflied and stuffed with pineapple and cheddar cheese curds. Yes, I said curds. It wasn't planned. But became a must. I didn't realize my block of cheddar was gone (hate when that happens), but I did spy a packet of cheddar cheese curds. The substitution actually worked out better than I thought, and maybe better than the regular cheese would've. Surprisingly, the curds melted beautifully and just enough. A recently received a couple of coupons for Stubb's BBQ Sauce. Stubb's is no stranger in my kitchen. I've been using it for a few years now, I love the consistency of their sauces. Not so thin that it runs right off your food, yet not so thick that you feel like you're applying a layer of frosting to your steak. I usually buy the Original recipe, knowing I like and trust it for...

Funny how food can take you back in time. So much so, that it seems my taste buds have a better memory than my mind does. Some good and some not so good. Raspberry Crunch is definitely a good one. This recipe was handed down to me from Sir Sportsalot's grandmother many many years ago. She used to make it with cherry pie filling, I just happen to have a thing for raspberries. But when it comes right down to it, here's something about the crumbly cake topping that I just can't seem to get enough of. I dunno if you've ever payed attention to what cake mix smells like before you bake it. Sweet, rich, enticing...demanding you to lick the bowl. But something happens in the oven and it changes. Maybe that's why cakes aren't my favorite dessert. They just don't taste the way the batter does. Raspberry crunch fixes that. This is one of the most simple recipes you'll find. It's versatile simply by changing the pie filling and has minimal ingredients. When I fi...

I'm so excited to be teaming up with Sunday Supper and Gallo Family Vineyards to celebrate Valentine's Day. This year Valentine's Day falls on a Saturday which is kinda fun. It can be an all day event and not limited to just a nice special dinner. Valentine's can start with a lazy morning of brunch in bed along with a glass of sweet wine. I'm not talking about a full fledged brunch. Sometimes it's nice to have a delicate treat that doesn't require utensils. Finger food can make us feel indulgent and decadent. We all deserve to experience that every now and then. These aren't doughnut holes and they aren't cream puffs. These little gems are deep fried biscuits, that once bitten into expose a delightful filling of cream cheese and strawberries. When you deep fry biscuit dough, it becomes a wonderful thing indeed. Crispy, crunchy on the outside and delicious and puffy on the inside. The perfect little host for tasty surprises. Strawberry Love Bombs  ma...

We are in the height of honey dew melon season (along with watermelon and cantaloupe). I love them all but when you get a good one...nothing can beat the beautiful sweetness of a good honey dew. I recently had 2 honey dew melons and knew I couldn't eat them both on my own before they went bad. Sir Sportsalot and my youngest daughter aren't fans of it. My oldest daughter is, but she's so busy I hardly see her. With that in mind, I wanted to make something that would preserve the melon so nothing would go to waste. I cut one of the melons open and was so disappointed. No flavor what so ever. Can't use that in ice cream. Honey dew has such a delicate flavor as it is, that it would've been completely lost in the cream. Thank God the second one was amazing! Plus this recipe only uses 2 cups so there was plenty leftover for enjoying on it's own. Honey Dew Lime Ice Cream Printable Version Makes about 5 cups 2 cups chopped honey dew juice from 1 lime (or 2 if your lime ...

One of the best things about summer is the abundance of fresh fruits and vegetables. The gardens are filled with ripened produce and the farmers markets are loaded with whatever you can't / don't grow. But soon enough, it all comes to an end. (boo-hoo) No fear! Sunday Supper is hear! Today it's all about saving summer! We have how-to's on dehydrating, freezing, making sauces, jams, pickling, oh my gosh...there's so much you can do to save those summers flavors. I recently made Grilled Fig Onion Glazed Pork Tenderloin and afterward I was bummed cuz I won't be able to make this year round. Figs aren't always in season. And that's when it dawned on me....I can make a savory jam with the very same ingredients I used to make the glaze....voila! My summer flavor has been saved for the whole year! Savory Fig and Sweet Onion Freezer Jam makes about 10 cups of jam Printable Version 1 tsp light olive oil 1 1/2 cups thinly sliced sweet onions 2 tsps white balsamic...

Figs, Figs, and more figs! That's what it's all about when you attend a Figology-Fest sponsored by California Figs Just a few quick nutritional value and fun facts: they are high in fiber and a natural energy source. Fat, sodium and cholesterol free! I personally think they are underrated. Of course those who love them, rate them highly but I don't think figs aren't 'out there' enough. Sure you see dried figs here and there and if you go to a specialty store, you'll find fig jams and spreads. But there's so much more you can do with them! For instance...make an amazing glaze And use it to smother a pork tenderloin that's been stuffed with Brie cheese and a bit of the glaze. Are you drooling yet? I used three different kinds of figs for this glaze. There's Mission, Brown Turkey and Calimyrna figs. Use whatever you can get your hands on. It's all good! Fig and Onion Glazed Pork Tenderloin Stuffed with Brie Cheese Printable Version 2 tablespoons...