12 Days of Cookies – A bon appétit cookie extravaganza! Triple-Chocolate Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies…

This wonderful event, in it’s second year, is the brain child of Andrea of Andrea's Recipes, but is being organized and ran by Sandy of At the Baker's Bench. How I got asked to be involved with this incredible group is beyond me but all the thanks goes to Kelly of Sass & Veracity and after last year I sure earned my way in the hard way! There are 10 of us that have decided to do The 12 Days of Cookies – A bon appétit cookie extravaganza. We will be choosing, baking, tasting, blogging and sharing with you a cookie a day for the first 12 days of December. These cookies are coming from bon appetit's Holiday Cookie-a-Day Slideshow. These ar

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Cranberry Pear Relish

You know it's fall when those cranberry commercials pop up on the tv! Thanksgiving isn't complete unless cranberry sauce is on the table and so I had to include something prepared with cranberries on our Regional Thanksgiving menu. I was actually surprised to learn that the state of Wisconsin is a major cranberry producer in the United States. With that, the following recipe represented the state of Wisconsin and involves a great variation of cranberry sauce.This recipe is extremely simple... and can be done well in advance. I found that the more it sits, the better the flavors. Even better is that this recipe doesn't require any cooking! All you need

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Stephanie Lynn Keil on Curing Autism

I most definitely want a cure for those most profoundly disabled; I want a cure for my most disabling aspects. Autism has ruined my life, like it has ruined many others: I can't lie.And no, I don't believe the self-diagnosed have any right to speak for the most profoundly disabled or really for anyone with autism.Stephanie Lynn Keil, Curing Autism, A Grand Illusion, November 30, 2009Stephanie Lynn Keil is a person with an autism disorder who speaks honestly and from a very personal, non ideological perspective. Like Jonathan Mitchell and Jake Crosby she wants to be cured of her autism. Like them she will not likely be interviewed by the New Yorker,

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Mirabel Garden, Salzburg

Check out this SlideShare Presentation: Mirabel Garden, SalzburgView more presentations from Dennis Labadarios.

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Butternut Squash & Sage Dinner Rolls

Dinner rolls are a great addition to the table to any holiday feast. Rather than serving up the usual white or wheat rolls, I wanted to prepare something more flavorful and colorful as well. Continuing with our Regional Thanksgiving theme we prepared this year, I looked to the New England state of Connecticut for inspiration.Connecticut has major crops in winter squash including acorn, butternut and buttercup squash. For the following recipe, I used butternut squash and fresh sage to prepare a yeast dough for my rolls. The squash adds such a beautiful orange hue and subtle sweetness to the dough and the sage gives it a nice herbal touch popular in Th

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November 29, Unbelievable Weather! Conor and Dad Take Advantage

This has been an unusually warm November. Today the temperature is starting to drop but it is still warm for late November. With some sunshine Conor and Dad decided to go for a good hike across the bridge to downtown Fredericton and home. A great outing but near the end Conor was feeling a bit cool. We were happy to get back indoors.autism var addthis_pub = 'AutismRealityNB';

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Bourbon Sweet Potatoes with Candied Pecans

Sweet potatoes are a favorite on Thanksgiving and are a must on a traditional holiday table. To make things a little more interesting, this version won't include any gooey marshmallows. Instead, I made the following recipe with some Kentucky bourbon whiskey and candied pecans. This dish represents the south of our Regional Thanksgiving this year and as they say, a little alcohol makes a party!My favorite Kentucky bourbon whisky is Maker's Mark. This added a really nice flavor that was used for the flavorful and sweet topping. For added texture and crunch, I also made some candied pecans which I chopped up and topped the dish before baking. You can als

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Wild Rice & Portobello Salad

Mushrooms... such a delicious fungus! To highlight the Pacific Northwest in our Regional Thanksgiving menu this year, I wanted to prepare a dish using Chanterelle mushrooms, a mushroom variety that's found in this region of the country. However when I went to the store, I had a heck of a time finding chanterelle mushrooms. Typically, they are available from September through February but I had no luck finding them at the grocery stores I went to. So as a substitute, I used portobello mushrooms. It worked just as well with a rich, meaty flavor. The salad was hearty enough to be a meal all in itself! This dish is also one that can be easily made in adv

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An Open Letter to Dr. Steven Novella Concerning His Positions on Vaccines and Autism and Dr. Novella's Reply

UPDATE: See end of this comment for Dr. Novella's replyDear Dr. NovellaI am a parent of a 13 year old boy with Autistic Disorder. I also have a blog site on which I commented unfavorably on your response to the possibility that the IACC might recommend some vaccine autism research. I ask your response to a few questions if you have the time and are inclined to respond.One is your apparent opposition to any further research exploring possible vaccine autism connections. I am not an "anti-vaxxer". I have never attributed my son's autism to vaccines. Until recently I accepted the official view that vaccines play no role in causing autism. More recently

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CANNOLIS WITH CHOCOLATE MASCARPONE CREAM AND PISTACHIO CREAM SAUCE

HOLY CANNOLI, REDUX!So, I’ve made them before and I’ll make them again, the Italian Cannoli, that delightful little tube of crispy, flaky, delicious pastry filled with luscious, sweet cream, flavored as you like, often studded with chopped chocolate or nuts or candied fruit. My first try at Cannoli was a roaring success, so I was delighted to discover that Cannoli was this month’s Daring Baker’s Challenge. I would have the chance to try a new and improved filling and enjoy this wonderful Italian specialty once again.My first Cannoli: December 2008As you know, I fly over a hop, skip and a jump to London today for a foodie weekend!It’s Food Blogger Conn

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Daring Baker Challenge: Cannoli!!!

The November 2009 Daring Bakers Challenge was chosen and hosted by Lisa Michele of Parsley, Sage, Desserts and Line Drives. She chose the Italian Pastry, Cannolo (Cannoli is plural), using the cookbooks Lidia’s Italian-American Kitchen by Lidia Matticchio Bastianich and The Sopranos Family Cookbook by Allen Rucker; recipes by Michelle Scicolone, as ingredient/direction guides. She added her own modifications/changes, so the recipe is not 100% verbatim from either book. I was so excited about this challenge!  I even did it the weekend before it was due and anyone that knows me knows that this is unheard of.  I absolutely loved these. 

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Pecan Cornbread Dressing

The state of Georgia is well known for pecans, even moreso during the month of November!To highlight the state of Georgia on our Regional Thanksgiving menu this year, I came across the following recipe. I prepared the recipe as follows, using vegetable broth instead of chicken broth since we had some vegetarian guests to cater for our dinner. I also have to admit that I prepared cornbread from a mix (Trader Joe's brand) to save myself from time. You're welcome to use store bought cornbread, but if you are able, homemade is always better. The Trader Joe's brand I used for this recipe worked deliciously since there were some whole corn kernels in the mi

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