ITALIAN BISCUIT COOKIE

This recipe is for an Italian Biscuit Cookie or as my husband likes to call the " Dream Cookie."  You may be wondering why he calls these cookies the "Dream Cookie"?  These cookies are so good you feel like you are in a dream?  The sugar, butter and almond flavoring combine together and literately melt in your mouth.  Add the buttery & creamy icing to the top and you feel like you have died and gone to heaven!!!!  I found these biscuits on Pinterest and they were called "Spring Biscuit Cookies".  Let me tell you....you can make these cookies in the spring, you can make them in the summer, you can make them in the fall, you can make them for Easter, Christmas, Birthdays....etc....No matter when you make them or where you bring them I promise you they will be gone, gone, gone! I have made them for Easter & Mother's Day and I tinted the frosting pastel colors or left them plain white and sprinkled pastel sugars on them.  This time around I made them for a trick-or-treat broker open house (yes, we are trying to sell our home).  As you will see I tinted the frosting a light orange, placed a candy corn in the middle and wrapped them up as a "thank you" goody bag.  I doubled the recipe and brought some over to a friends house as a gift for Halloween and brought extras to my parents Halloween party.  Make these cookies once and you will make them again, and again, and again!  People will request you bring these to their parties!  These are the types of cookies you will not be able to eat just one.  You eat one and then you just keep eyeing the platter of cookies and sooner rather than later you just go ahead and grab another...because they are just that good!  Believe me..or rather believe me husband when he says these truly are a "Dream" Cookie!

MOTHER'S DAY - Part 3

Ok...so I made a lot of food for Mother's Day and now I cannot find the time to post all my recipes.  Bare with me because I know I will not have enough time to post them all in Mother's Day - Part 3 and there will be a Part 4 coming your way.  In this post I am going to try and focus on the remainder of my salads:  Eggplant Caponata & Orecchiette with Fresh Mozarella, Grape Tomatoes, and Garlic Chives.  Coming up in Part 4 I will post my recipe for Red Potatoes Roasted with Garlic & Dijon Mustard along with my Flatbeads: Tomato & Basil and Artichoke & Green Olive.  If I have enough time I will also post my desserts:  Lemon Layer Cake w/ Raspberry Curd & Whipped Cream and Cherry Baby Cakes, which by the way were to die for!

MOTHER'S DAY - Part 2

We hosted a Mother's Day party this past week-end and I came up with a menu where I could make everything before my guests arrived.  There is nothing worse than a host or hostess that works and works and works and does not take at least a few minutes to enjoy her guests.  So that being said.....here is the menu with recipes following for our special Mother's Day Party:

Speciality Cocktail: 
    - Viognier Fruit Spritzer (see Mother's Day - Part 1 post for recipe)

Dinner:
   -  Grilled Lemon & Oregano Chicken (see Mother's Day - part 1 post for recipe)
   -  Honey & Orange Marinated Pork Tenderloin Kabobs
   -  Orange Salad with Basil & Feta
   -  Fresh Bean & Bell Pepper Salad
   -  Orecchitte w/ Fresh Mozerella, Tomatoes & Garlic Chives
   -  Red Potatoes Roasted with Garlic & Dijon Mustard
   -  Eggplant Capanata
   -  Flatbeads:  Tomato & Basil  and Artichoke & Green Olive

Dessert:
   -  Lemon Layer Cake w/ Raspberry Curd & Whipped Cream
   -  Cherry Baby Cakes
   -  Store bought Brownie Bites

MOTHER'S DAY - Part 1

When planning a big party I always wonder how many things I can do ahead of time so that when my guests arrive I too can sit and relax and enjoy the party.  It never happens quite like that, but by planning ahead and choosing recipes that I can make 1 to 2 days before the party, it really helps me enjoy my day a bit more as well.  That and I can actually talk to my guests.  For Mother's Day this year I am having about 16 adults and a handful of kids.  I have decided to make Grilled Leom-Oregano Drumsticks, Rosemary & Orange Pork Kabobs and a ton of very fun, flavorful and colorful make ahead salads.  This post I have included the recipe for the Grilled Lemon-Oregano Chicken Drumsticks & also my speciality cocktail for the day, Viognier Fruit Spritzer.  "Viognier" is a special wine that comes from a special grape that is limited in its making.  The grapes are grown in a special region of France & also California.  The taste is a very exotic fruit with flavors of peach and citrus.  Once you have this wine....you will not go back to a Chardonay!  As soon as I make these recipes on Sunday I will post  pictures!