Wine lovers looking for a quick getaway to one of Europe’s most beautiful regions should consider the Mosel Wine Region of Germany. The heart of the region is a mere 3 ½ hour drive from Amsterdam and a short 1 ½ hour drive from Dusseldorf.  A rental car is highly recommended to fully enjoy all [...]

As someone who grew up with a sister addicted to Nutella, I find interesting the idea of being able to whip up a batch of the decadent chocolate-hazelnut spread within just a few minutes. Ingredients: 2 cups raw hazelnuts 1 cup confectioners’ sugar ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder, such as Scharffen Berger or Ghirardelli 3 [...]

I’ve used this meatloaf recipe by Martha Stewart for many years and always have great results.  Don’t omit the carrots! Ingredients 4 slices white bread, torn into pieces 1 3/4 pounds ground beef 3/4 pound ground pork 1 medium yellow onion, peeled and cut into eighths 2 cloves garlic 2 stalks celery, cut into 2-inch [...]

Last week, my guy and I had a craving for Thai Tom Yum/Ka Gai soup.  We used to get this tangy and spicy soup as take-out back when we lived in South Florida, but haven’t found a place we really like in the ‘burbs of Northern New Jersey. I decided to try to make the [...]

This simple batter is best made the day before and refrigerated.  Great stuffed with hazelnut spread and raspberries. Ingredients: ¾ cup flour ¾ cup milk 2 tbs sugar ½ tsp salt 2 tbs vegetable oil 2 eggs Vegetable oil for frying Directions: Stir together flour, sugar and salt in a medium bowl. Add milk, oil [...]

I’ve purchased this Kim Crawford wine several times for casual dinners where I didn’t want to spend a ton of money but still wanted to enjoy a decent glass of wine. I wasn’t disappointed again last night when I uncorked, um, unscrewed, another bottle. We paired this bottle with Thai food and found that it [...]

Saw this simple recipe in the November 2009 issue of Living and thought it’d be perfect for Thanksgiving and holiday pies, like my maple syrup pie. Ingredients: 2 ounces (4 tbs) butter, softened 3 tbs sugar 1 large egg 1 cup all-purpose flour 1 tsp salt Directions: Stir together butter and sugar in a medium [...]

Chocolate craving getting the better of you? Try these fast and simple treats! Ingredients: 48 Ritz Crackers 1 cup chocolate chips, milk or dark 1/2 cup peanut butter chips 1/2 cup (approximately), creamy peanut butter Directions: Spread peanut butter on a cracker and top with another cracker, making 24 ‘sandwiches’. Melt chocolate and peanut butter [...]

This is a very traditional pie served in eastern Canada around the holidays called ‘tarte au sucre’.  Believe it or not, vanilla ice cream is served with the pie to ‘cut through the sweetness’!  Bon Appetit! Ingredients: 1/2 cup condensed milk 1/2 cup whole milk 2 tsp. butter, softened 1 tbs. flour 1 cup brown [...]

This recipe is ‘simple-as-pie’.  While it’s tender and flaky, it’s not difficult to roll out. Ingredients: 1 cup butter (2 sticks), chilled & cut into tablespoon-size pieces 1/3 cup water, chilled 3 tbs sugar 3 cups flour Directions: Combine the sugar and the flour in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle [...]