Down sizing.........

From regular size muffins to mini muffins.............One of my New Year's resolutions.
This recipe is delicious and quick to make. It will surely please all children young and old. Perfect for people on diets too, after all it is about portion control right?
I have no idea how many calories these are I just know that the chocolate chips are definitely an anti oxidant and to me that's worth a lot and probably cancels out most of the calories. In fact any time I can buy and eat chocolate covered dried fruit, I do. Eating fruit daily and chocolate can only contribute to my overall good health. So between down sizing and eating healthy foods, I feel that it's a win win situation. Without much ado, please let me introduce you to my new best friend : Mini chocolate chip muffins AKA naked mini cupcakes. Please let me know how addicted you become once you eat a dozen of these.....

http://www.yummly.com/recipe/Chocolate-Chip-Mini_muffins-Recipezaar?servings=48

And voila....Bon Appetit !

What to do on a snowy day ?

But of course bake or cook. Have you ever tried some unique tasting cupcakes? I have, only because I made them then sold them a few years ago at Whole Foods. They had an inside market day for home made foods. It was a great experience and I sold many cupcakes each week. Like everything in life, I love experiencing new and interesting things, especially when it comes to baking & cooking.
Here are a few recipes, if you'd like your palate to experience new tastes.These were my favorite, Chai tea cupcakes. Have you ever had them? If you love chai tea, I guarantee you'll love these....http://www.madebymelis.com/2008/04/chai-tea-cupcakes.html

Another favorite is the "impossible not to love"  black & white cupcakes. No one will refuse this one, I promise. Here's the recipe : http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Black-and-White-Cupcakes-108319

I hope you enjoy these as much as all my friends and family do...Bon appetit !

Seriously, the most decadent baked French toast ever.....

French Toast.....pain perdu

"This dish does have its origins in France, where it is known as "ameritte" or *pain perdu* ("lost bread"), a term that has persisted, in Creole and Cajun cookery; in Spain it is called "torriga" and in England "Poor Knights of Windsor," which is the same name for the dish in Denmark, "arme riddere," and Germany, "arme ritter." At one time or another in America it has been referred to as "Spanish," "German," or "nun's toast," and its first appearance in print as "French Toast" was in 1871. "
---The Encyclopedia of American Food and Drink, John F. Mariani (p. 134)

We had company over for brunch and I wanted to try something new. I did some research and decided to check  The Pioneer Woman's website in case she had it. Not surprising she did. I compared a few other recipes and decided to try hers. She is amazing and even has her own show now. I can understand why.......You can make it with any stale bread but I made it with challah bread. I soaked the bread and liquid all night, before baking it the next morning.
So whether you're making this dish for yourself or company you will never eat regular French toast again.

Here is the link for it :
http://thepioneerwoman.com/

I would love to hear from you if you make it............
Bon appetit !

Mini Pastry Canoli Cups................to die for

 Because so many people have asked me for the recipe I've decided to put it here on my blog. Please note that I did alter a few things from the original recipe from the  Pillsbury's site. The only other change I would recommend is that you double the cream filling recipe. I found that the one they give in the recipe doesn't make enough.

• 20 min
• total time 45 min
• ingredients 9
• servings 48

  Ingredients

Filling

1 container (15 oz) whole-milk ricotta cheese

1/2 cup powdered sugar

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Cups

1 box Pillsbury® refrigerated pie crusts, softened as directed on box

3 tablespoons turbinado sugar (raw sugar)

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Garnish

1/4 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips

Additional powdered sugar

Steps

1 In large bowl, beat all filling ingredients with electric mixer on medium speed until creamy. Place filling in 1-gallon resealable food-storage plastic bag; refrigerate while making cups. Or you can spoon it instead when ready to fill.

2 Heat oven to 350°F. On lightly floured work surface, unroll pie crusts. Sprinkle each crust with turbinado sugar and cinnamon. Lightly roll rolling pin over sugar and cinnamon to press into pastry. With 2 1/2- to 3-inch round cutter, cut out pastry rounds. Lightly press each pastry round into ungreased mini muffin cup.

3 Bake about 7 minutes or until pastry cups are golden brown. Cool completely in pans, about 15 minutes. Remove from muffin cups to cooling racks.

4 Just before serving, remove filling from refrigerator. Cut 1 bottom corner off bag; pipe scant tablespoon filling into cooled pastry cups. Sprinkle with chocolate chips and powdered sugar. Serve immediately. Store any remaining pastry cups at room temperature and filling in refrigerator.

Enjoy .Buon Appetito.....

My Kitchen Aid mixer is tired....very tired

This year I decided to not bake 14 different kinds of cookies. After all who needs all those calories ?
I did make an all time favorite : chocolate espresso cookies and I also made Russian tea cakes, Florentine Lace cookies and Brown sugar chocolate chip cookies..........all quite decadent and I suppose all favorites. As if that wasn't enough I made some cupcakes with butter cream frosting adorned with pretty little Holiday decorations.
If I died after our Christmas meal, I'd die happy.
I also tried a new dessert this year because I saw a picture of it on facebook, and it looked wonderful. So wonderful I wanted to dive into the photo itself.
 They are mini cannoli pastry cups. In fact I just finished straining the riccota cheese over night in order to make the cannoli filling. I cannot wait to taste them tomorrow, after I fill the cups I'll cheat and taste one. I wouldn't want to serve the family AKA my guests anything that didn't taste good.

PS> Before posting this blog, I must make a confession : I am truly ashamed of myself. I couldn't resist, I just had to fill two pastry cups with the cannoli cream.............All I can tell you is that I could eat these at every single meal for the rest of my life and be very content............they are light and just sweet enough. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go make one more.......I pray I have some left for tomorrow.

I love escargots !

Day 14 : Dr. Dukan diet

Slower than an escargot being chased by a chef !
All the thyroid tests have proven that I have a very lazy metabolism. you see, I wasn't using it as an excuse after all...
 I have worked so very hard for the past 2 weeks at not having any cookies, cakes, starchy vegetables, or alcohol and yet have only lost 6 LBS. Yes I'm healthier and yes I don't crave any carbohydrates at all. Although a small bag of oreos would be a nice treat....just kidding (well not really).
This diet makes sure you aren't hungry at all. I can eat as much protein as I want and on the alternate days where I can eat vegetables, I really go to town. In fact the day after my protein-vegetable day I always show a 1 LB weight gain. They say it's normal because the vegetables hold a lot of water. I try not to be discouraged when I step on the scale, but being human and who I am, I cannot deny that it has happened.
I admit that this is the first time I have not veered off, a diet. Even at parties and dinners with friends I have stuck to it faithfully. I'm ok with this....really.
I actually do have some sweets....for example the Dukan muffins and pancakes (galettes). They seem to satisfy me just as much as a piece of chocolate cake with a chocolate ganache dripping down the sides.
Ok, so I'm lying. Please forgive me.
After the initial 4-5 days, called the attack phase I started alternating as the plan calls for: vegetable + protein day then a pure protein day and so forth and so on. This will continue until I lose all the weight I want to lose. After that I'll enter 2 more phases which will slowly allow fruits and other carbohydrates into this day to day living diet plan.
I was thinking this morning, while on the treadmill that I really should have been born in an a very wealthy family. It would have been just as easy to get my jaws wired temporarily and go to Bora Bora until the wires came off. Then spend another month there eating fresh fish and local vegetables. I think I would have been cured of the illness that they call Food Addiction ! I doubt they use additives and preservatives over there. And I'm pretty sure I'd start meditating while sitting on a beach staring out into turquoise water.
Well, that's it for today. I need to go devour some chicken.

Day 5 on the Dukan Diet - Big Girls Don't Cry

The weekend went by too fast, doesn't it always ? I spent it mostly outside keeping busy not focusing on salad, cheese, pate, French bread, vegetables and wine, the things I miss most about being on the "attack phase" of this plan. Three more days and I will be able to incorporate vegetables every other day.

This attack plan made meals easy, in a sense it made them much less work.
Saturday night was rough. Out to dinner with friends at a nice restaurant, The Public House 49 in Patchogue www.PublicHouse49.com . It was hard enough not ordering a cocktail when everyone else did, but I made due with a diet coke ( I never have that, so it was a treat) I needed a change from the plain seltzer I dink every day. I had no trouble skipping the appetizer as I do very often anyway.

My main meal was a beautiful Prime aged Rib eye, a super tender steak, served without sauce Bearnaise. Yes I almost cried. The rest of the plate was filled with perfectly cut thin fries, which I had none of.....not even one ! So I quickly dispersed them to the others dining with me.

Thankfully no one had dessert. I think that would have pushed me over the edge !
I don't remember ever NOT cheating on any diet so this was an occasion that merited a medal (made of chocolate). I was skeptical about going out to a restaurant in the first place since I knew it would be difficult and also because Dr. Dukan strongly discourages it during this phase, which is restricted to protein and some dairy. But that will all change in a few days.

Last night, Sunday, my hubby made me delicious grilled turkey burgers Moroccan style. Filled with my favorite spices : cumin, parsley, garlic, allspice and cinnamon. I made a mint & garlic Greek yogurt sauce to accompany them. I must confess, I didn't miss the buns at all.

Today will be a fish day, because I am not a huge red meat eater to start with and I need a change. After all it does take 2 days for red meat to be digested (so they say).

To lengthen your life, shorten your meals.  ~Proverb

Day 3 -July 20th

Just for fun I weighed myself this morning and was very excited to see a loss. But the excitement quickly turned to doubt, so I weighed myself 2 more times to make sure my eyes weren't going on me, or better yet the floor wasn't slightly crooked/tilted which would have altered the result (so I moved it a few inches away ). Same result, so I guess it's official, I lost 2.7 LBS since Wednesday.
 My breakfast consisted of a galette made with Greek yogurt, oat bran and 2 eggs, again stuffed with fat free cream cheese, which was very tasty and satisfying, especially with 2 cups of strong coffee.
Later in the morning, as a snack I made my new concoction: 2 tablespoons of non fat cottage cheese mixed with 2 tablespoons of Greek yogurt and a sprinkle of cinnamon on top.
After working outside today in the horrible heat, I really wanted to sit and have a beer before going out for dinner with friends. I saw it as a reward...what could be wrong with just 1? But then I reasoned with myself and actually talked myself out of it. That my friends, has never happened ! Kudos to me...
For lunch it was a simple plate of London broil and some grilled chicken from last night.
It was enough until about 3 pm, when I actually was in the mood for 3 slices of rolled up ham.
So it seems like I am satisfied with less food, and I am able to drink a tremendous amount of seltzer throughout the day without feeling starved.
Tonight might be a challenge, because this diet discourages people to go out to dinner during the attack phase. But I will prevail and conquer my fear. Hopefully.............

I didn't cheat.....

Day 2 July 19th,

It's amazing I made it through day 1 without cheating. Even knowing there were ice pops in the freezer calling my name.

Lunch yesterday was a lot of cottage cheese and a chicken breast which I ate with 2 tablespoons of Greek yogurt mixed with some curry. Dipping the chicken in the curry mixture was delicious and tasty. Thank goodness I am allowed spices. During the afternoon I had some more cottage cheese and a few slices of low salt ham. I was surprised that it held me over until dinner time.

About 2 hours before dinner I was looking for a new recipe for my steak and found :The Dukan Cuban Skirt Steak recipe.

 I marinated a nice size skirt steak in a large baggie. My marinade was lime juice, lime zest, onion & garlic powder, scallions, soy sauce, cumin, oregano, red pepper flakes and 1 truvia (natural derivative of stevia). I took it out of the refrigerator about 20 minutes before putting it on the grill. I can tell you that it was full of flavors, and the most tender ever. I probably could have had 10 LBS of it but I didn't !
For dessert I mixed a few tablespoons of Greek yogurt with 1 tablespoon of natural oat bran ,some cinnamon and one truvia, just to appease my sweet tooth.

I drank a lot of seltzer (plain) all day long as recommended and did my 20 minute workout on my treadmill.

It was a great day because I didn't feel deprived or tired, or irritated.

This morning I made the Dukan galette and it was delicious, especially since I added some cinnamon, and chia seeds in it. it's made with Greek yogurt and oat bran plus 2 eggs. Once cooked I added a little low fat cream cheese and ate it like a sandwich. This was quite satisfying along with my coffee. Now off to do a workout on my treadmill. Until tomorrow my friends...............

Food interrupted.............it's going to be tough

Dear blog,

I need accountability, so I am putting this out there....on my public blog to be exact !
Too much wonderful food has forced me to evaluate my life and make drastic cuts and changes in the way I eat and drink....at least for a while. I also don't want to be an unhealthy looking MOTB (Mother Of the Bride). That date is creeping up on us quickly and I honestly am so excited for my daughter and future son in law!
Like everyone else in the world I have tried a few diets, and I have tried changing portion sizes as well. Since no Dr. will wire my jaws shut I have to change my ways.
 I'm not going to blame my darn thyroid anymore for all this extra insulation I have (although it's been quite practical to do so). For health reasons and for visual reasons I'm going to follow Dr. Pierre Dukan's diet or way of life. I have researched it for days, read articles, and listened to numerous videos, clips and experts talk about this French Doctor.  And frankly, there's nothing wrong with his ways. This Doctor was introduced to me by two co-workers who like me post food pictures on their social media walls every day. I noticed that their plates were mostly filled with protein and vegetables. So I asked them a few questions and after a few messages back and forth I decided that being French I should give my French neighbor a shot. With that being said I must admit that when I lived in Paris, France I was always thin, yet I ate cream sauces with each meal and had desserts every day. However, I walked everywhere, and I was younger (102 years ago) AND didn't have a thyroid that was dysfunctional. Oops I mentioned it again....
Anyway those Parisian days are long gone and so are the days before having kids and commuting by car to get the smallest item such as milk. Life has changed in many ways obviously, including the way I have been eating for the past 20 years or so. Indulging in rich foods and drinks around the world and here in the US is (was) a hobby and way of life. Unlike many who eat to live, I live to eat.
 I suppose it all started at a very young age with my mother, who was French and was a fabulous cook, she always prepared healthy new dishes that opened my nose & palate to new smells and tastes. I am lucky she was so adventurous and talented in the kitchen.
I was always taught to finish everything on my plate, and like any well raised kid, I listened.
 Except....I finished everyone else's food too......

So today is day 1 of the Dukan diet.
I'm 3 hours into it and so far so good. I've had 2 cups of coffee and fat free half & half, 2 hard boiled eggs cut into 12 pieces (looked like a lot of food on my plate) and 1 cup of low fat cottage cheese. By the way in my opinion it's always nicer to use a pretty plate and to make the food you prepare esthetically beautiful. I love food that is plated in a beautiful and appealing way.
As Dr. Dukan recommends, I also walked at a fast and sweaty pace on my treadmill for 20 minutes.
Tomorrow, I'll write again.........let's see how today goes.

Summer recipes

I am guilty ! Of not blogging enough...so I'm going to start again......Hope everyone is enjoying the summer !

Here are some refreshing appetizers and a delicious dessert to have for your next BBQ or dinner party.
The first skewer is made of a grape tomato or a 1/2, a slice of cucumber and a chunk of feta cheese.
The 2nd skewer is 1/2 a grape tomato, a small piece of melon wrapped in a little prosciutto, a grape tomato, a mini mozzarella ball, another grape tomato then repeat first 2 steps.
The delicious and ever so tasty dessert I make often (it's a palate pleaser) is individual strawberry cobblers and the recipe is just as
easy.
http://snappygourmet.com/2012/05/10/individual-strawberry-cobblers/

if you have any questions about these recipes or any others please contact me.....Bon Appetit !

Bastille Day

Bastille Day is the French National Day which is celebrated on July 14th of each year. In France, it is formally called La Fête Nationale (The National Celebration).  It celebrates the anniversary of the storming of the Bastille fortress-prison on  July 14th 1789. It was seen as a symbol of the uprising of the modern nation, and of the reconciliation of all the French inside the constitutional monarchy which preceded the First Republic, during the French Revolution. Festivities and official ceremonies are held all over France. The oldest and largest regular Military parade in Europe is held today, the 14th of  July, on the famous Champs Elysees Avenue in Paris in front of the President of the Republic and important foreign guests.
And if you're a French expat, Bastille Day is the perfect excuse to show up at your embassy and stuff your face with free food and drink, too bad I cannot make it there today......Can I have a rain check ?
So where can I go to have my escargots smothered in garlic oil ? How about some smelly cheese on a fresh baguette just taken out of the oven? I would also enjoy a flute filled with my favorite chilled Champagne Veuve Clicquot while eating decadent chocolate truffles made with 72 % cacao.......and while we are at it, how about a stack of crepes Suzette ? Perhaps someone will invite me, the day is young and I'm available.
In the meantime here's the recipe for Crepes Suzette should you want to try it.
***Crepes:***
1 cup flour
4 large eggs
1 1/4 cup milk
1 pinch salt
1/2 stick unsalted butter
vegetable oil for oiling pans
***Sauce:***
1/2 stick unsalted butter
3 tablespoons sugar
1 orange, juice and grated rind
1/3 cup orange liqueur (such as Cointreau or Grand Marnier)

Whisk together or combine the flour, eggs, milk and salt in a blender or food processor. Blend just until smooth. Add melted butter and combine. The batter should be the consistency of light cream. Let sit in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour or overnight.

Lightly oil 1 (6-inch) crepe pan and set over medium heat. Pour about 1/4 cup batter into pan and swirl until the pan is coated. Cook crepes until the top begins to look dry, about 60 seconds. Turn and cook the other side 30 seconds, wiping the pan with an oiled paper towel if crepes begin to stick.

Sauce: In large skillet, melt the butter. When foamy, add sugar and stir until dissolved. Add rind and juice; bring to a simmer. Turn heat to lowest settings. Fold each crepe in half and place 2 at a time in the warm sauce. Using tongs or spatula, fold crepes in half again. Repeat until all crepes have been added. Work quickly so the first crepes do not absorb all the sauce.

Bon Appetit and Happy Bastille Day !

A Bientot.

Dinner & Movie Date with a twist

I came home from work at about 1 pm and decided that it would be nice to take my honey out for a nice dinner date and perhaps a movie. So I proceeded to ask him if he would like that. Of course being agreeable, in general, I knew that he would say yes. The only twist I told him is that he would have to pack an overnight bag. He looked at me and asked why since it was a dinner & movie date. I explained that you never know where you'll end up in life or what may happen. He seemed content with that response and started to pack.
Within 3 hours we had packed, had asked the kids to feed/water & walk the pets and  were on our way to the airport.
I checked us in at the kiosk without mentioning our destination and proceeded to  the "private club" the airline has because I had a one day pass. Wow, how nice to be away from the maddening crowds in the hallways. I felt like I was in my own living room, except for the fact that there was a waiter who came over to take our drink order, (wish I had him at home) anyway, we relaxed for 1 1/2 hours until flight time. Once we arrived  at the gate I could no longer conceal the destination from him, unless I covered his eyes with a bandana or something and  I didn't think that would go over too well. Besides the fact that the gate agent would be making announcements soon.
He looked at me in disbelief after seeing DUBLIN on the gate screen. He was thrilled and excited as well.
The flight was short and easy to Dublin, especially in business class. Before leaving the gate area we had a glass of champagne and picked our dinner from a very nice menu.
After our dinner & drinks (I told you it was a date) we watched a movie and dozed off for a few hours.
Once in Dublin, we wasted no time, we went to the hotel I had booked and unpacked our change of clothes. It was early morning in Dublin and the air was crisp. We took the hop on hop off bus in order to see all the sights. We got off at the Guinness factory and then again at the Temple Bar area. We passed Trinity College and many other beautiful sites. We stopped at O'Neill's pub to have some Shepard's pie which was very rich and filling, and also had a plate of fish & chips, (not Irish but we wanted it anyway) . Of course we had to have Guinness beer with that. The pub was full of people being loud, drinking, eating and laughing. The energy was contagious, and gave us a sense of renewal. So off we went to explore a little while longer, until we no longer walk, eat, drink or keep our eyes open.
After a short night of deep sleep, we headed to the airport to catch our flight back to the US of A.

It was an unforgettable dinner & movie date.

Home Made Whole Wheat Bread................

The new start to my mini blogs ...or if you prefer, my tweets on steroids

Apparently according to my Facebook page, there is mass hysteria about some zodiac mix up, or change of signs. Social media has everyone panicked about their zodiac tattoo . Imagine having the wrong sign on your, well, wherever you have it, body part. What a tragedy !
Imagine all these years of looking for a specific partner with a specific "sign", finding him/her and now learning that he/she is the WRONG sign..... oy vey! What do you do? And all the years you spent reading someone else's horoscope.....what about the jewelry that has your sign on it...do you sell it ?
http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2011/01/13/no-your-zodiac-sign-hasnt-changed/?npt=NP1
When you are done , you'll see there's no need to break up or call your tattoo salon. You can cry over spilled milk but not over zodiac issues.here's to a fabulous 2011 year !
http://www.horoscopes-love.eu/year-horoscopes.php
Now back to baking..................

Roasted Root Vegatable Soup

Baking has started....expresso biscotti with a hint of orange zest

Finally !

Everyday I have the same routine like most of us. I wake up, prepare strong coffee, and sit at the kitchen table checking my emails. And like most people I have quite a few different ones, so it takes a while. I start with the main one , that is not work related, only because I am a little "anal" and like to delete the hundreds of emails that could get me into deep trouble AKA "Great shopping deals" . Even though I am not a shopper at heart, I much rather do it in my PJ's VS at the mall, if I have to shop at all.
So, much to my surprise upon opening my emails, I found one that I was waiting for my whole life .....
One that had the perfect offer. A Groupon offer. Do you get them? They have daily deals. Some are excellent.
Today's deal a day? Pole dancing. yes you read it here first. My dream class. A class every woman dreams of taking. A class every man WANTS his wife/girlfriend/partner/lover to take. It's the equivalent of becoming a gymnast in a much shorter amount of time and for much less money.
I think the pole dancing company is very smart to offer a "pay for one intro class, see if you like it, then sign up for more" deal.
Do you know why I will never buy more than the introduction class? Because I cannot even imagine hoisting myself up a pole let alone spin around one while sliding down, all while keeping one leg out, the other leg twisted around the damn pole, and holding on to dear life, without coming down with a hard landing.It would be like a 747 landing without a landing gear ! And let's not forget that since my head is heavy, I would still have to control the whip lash effect, trying to prevent it from slamming the floor and then getting a concussion.
And how many tries does one get in an intro class? is it a pass fail intro class? Are you accepted in the class if no ambulance is called to the scene?
My theory is that the intro class would definitely work for me, because there would never be another class due to severe injuries sustained. So I would in essence save money.......
And one more thing. The next  Groupon which is tomorrow should be : 50% off your next Emergency Room visit !

why...oh why...?

If I can drink, dance and party like a 20 yr old, why can't I sleep late like one?
that's my question today....

I went to a wonderful party 2 nights ago that someone from my company had organized. There were many young co-workers than there were "older" people, which gave a lot of energy to the party. It reminded me of my disco days (one of my co-workers was a DJ).We ate great food, starting with various cheeses on platters decorated simply with a sprig of rosemary, accompanied by many varieties of olives. As I was sipping my sangria I was dreaming that I was back in Madrid sitting at a cafe people watching. I miss all the tapas bars in Spain ,where olives come with your drink, so I was happy to indulge in tasting them all. The only thing missing was the spit bowl, for the pits. Ever notice the word SPIT has the word PIT in it?  Yes indeed these were REAL olives not want to be olives like the canned ones they sell here. I figured I could just store them in my mouth like a squirrel for a while until someone talked to me or until my mouth was full of pits..."pit"iful...right? After all they are tiny right ?

The Sangria had a beautiful color and tasted amazing, loaded with citrus fruits floating about.The wines were wonderful as well, from Chardonnay to a home made wine, but eventually people were doing shots. One of the guys was making a weird concoction then lighting it. It was basically layered with various liquors which gave it a nice look.They are not not for the faint of heart or stomach. I certainly stayed away. I much preferred to watch people do them, especially the ones that were flambe.....note to oneself, always extinguish flames before pouring down your throat.

As the DJ played his music hips were gyrating to the beat of the music, we "in the not 20 anymore" group tried our best to keep up with the music that was mostly foreign to our ears, all while trying not to injure ourselves or look like complete idiots dancing.  I truly believe that the National association of orthopedists would have been proud of us. Too bad we had never heard that type of music before......but we made it seem like we did this every Friday night ! There were many songs that I recognized but that had been totally modified. I think I should have had a little more to drink to render my body more flexible.
It was a great night spent getting to know co-workers that I normally would not have gotten to know because we are always "running around" and usually only have small conversation when time permits.
I am off to go buy some sort of orthopedic shoes that I might be able to dance with instead of the 4 inch heels I wore, because I look forward to our next meet, greet, eat, drink, dance and be merry evening out.

Something new

Mixing ground turkey with mushrooms, onions and Picadillo, sazon para carne Molida.....the smell is awesome and strong.......the neighbors can probably smell it........ Not exactly the typical smells one would find in a house while putting Christmas decorations up so might as well put some salsa/latina music on......No cinnamon, or hot chocolate with marshmallows aromas here tonight. But the tree looks great, and the mini white lights remind me of a small romantic restaurant I once went to in Paris.  They had white lights on all year...something I should think about doing perhaps.......after all I always wanted to have a French bistro.

There's always a beginning

Just as in any meal there's always a beginning and an end. The easiest to tackle is the beginning right?
I will now eat lunch and ponder on a beginning for my new blog.
I will always speak from the heart and tell it like I see it. I am no wall flower, as they say.....