Garlic Cheese Bread

This bread is so easy to make because it is all done in my food processor. 

The mixing and kneading is finished in just a matter of minutes.

I love to knead bread however there are days when time is short and I could use the extra minutes to check something else off my list. 

Not only does this loaf of bread look beautiful but it tastes amazing too.

Melted cheese, garlic and fresh parsley from our garden all rolled up in the middle. What could be better than that? And it was perfect with our Lasagna and Copycat Olive Garden Salad. 

Apparently, I was so distracted by the wonderful bread that I forgot to take a picture of the lasagna. That's okay...

...because it is all about the bread anyway!

YUM.

Have a Wonderful Weekend!

Sunday Supper :: Italian Menu

The last few months of 2021 were busy with holiday festivities and various weekend events and commitments so our regular Sunday family gatherings had been put on hold. Finally this month the schedules began to clear and we were able to resume our Sunday tradition. We kicked off our first Sunday Supper of 2022 last week with an Italian themed dinner.

Our meal started with small bowls of Zuppa Toscana. We loved this soup so most of us had a second helping before dinner was served. Since it was such a hit bigger bowls might be a better choice next time. 

Homemade bread sticks were served with our crab dip appetizer, which is a favorite and quickly disappeared once  it came out of the oven,  as well as with the soup and our traditional Lasagna dinner. 

Tossed green salad with Italian dressing always pairs well with Lasagna so salad it was.

Tiramisu cupcakes topped with chocolate covered coffee beans { and a surprise in the middle } were on our dessert menu.

These amazing two layer cupcakes also have a mascarpone filling hidden in the center which is so good.

They are topped off with vanilla cream cheese frosting and a sprinkle of  chocolate and, as mentioned above, a chocolate covered coffee bean. 

Oreo Cupcakes also made it on the menu. We happened to have Oreo’s on hand so while I was at it I decided to make those too. These cupcakes have an Oreo on the bottom and one on the top and crushed Oreo’s mixed in the cupcake. If you like Oreo’s it doesn’t get better than that!

All in all, our Italian dinner was a great way to kick off our 2022 Sunday Suppers. 

Happy Tuesday!

2+ week Low~Iodine Diet begins

Sunday afternoon we shopped and prepared for a new way of cooking meals for the next 2~plus weeks. We also planned our Sunday meals with lots of the foods that are forbidden such as cheese and ice~cream. I made homemade cinnamon rolls to go with our sausage, eggs and hashbrown breakfast and for Sunday Supper, which we dubbed "the last supper before LID", lasagna was requested along with salad, homemade peasant bread and cookie dough ice~cream for dessert! 

The new diet started yesterday with lots of distilled water which we stocked up on since it will be used for cooking, coffee and everything in between.

On Sunday we also picked up fresh meats and vegetables and the other items on the approved list. We decided to shop about every three days to be sure the produce and meats are nice and fresh.

A very thoughtful and fun surprise was delivered to the house late Sunday afternoon. This beautiful plate full of colorful fruits and vegetables was put together and dropped off by L&L. 
 ~ XOXOX ~

Sunday night the lunch and snacks were prepared for the next day; oatmeal made with distilled water, homemade jam to mix with the oatmeal, distilled water for drinking, carrots, apples, peppers and celery along with coffee made with distilled water. 

For dinner Monday night we all had grilled chicken and lots of veggies.

Lime jello is on the approved list so I made jello {with distilled water of course} for dessert and to take in lunches. 

I think we are off to a good start. 

Have a wonderful day!

Meals on Heels ~ Lemon Layer Cake & more

A few days after Easter it was our turn to deliver another Bake & Take meal. This time my meal planning started with dessert which is fun. Since we had recently stocked up on lemons for baking this month we had plenty on hand so I decided to use some to make this yummy Lemon Mascarpone Layer Cake as the finale to their meal.  

An eight inch two layer cake seemed about the right size and would leave just enough leftover batter for another small two layer cake for us, which is always a bonus. 

Lemon inside and outside the cakes. It doesn't get better than that. 

Topped off with vanilla frosting. 

I try and bake everything the afternoon of delivery so that it is fresh, hot and ready to eat when we drop it off. Since the cake would need time to cool I mixed that up right after I got the carrots marinating for the carrot salad.

Next were the bread sticks. Once the dough was rising I moved onto the lasagna. 

The two lasagnas were made and ready to bake just about the time the cakes came out of the oven so everything was on schedule. As I usually do, I doubled the meal so our dinner was covered too.

By that time the cake layers were cool enough to start assembling and then I realized I was out of cake boards. Unfortunately, there was not enough time to run out for one so I needed a plan B. Since I was in a pinch I considered using a paper plate and then I had another idea. I asked Mr. Wonderful if he could quickly cut me one from a board in his shop. "Piece of Cake", he said. 

Sure enough, he had a perfect wood scrap and made not only one for this cake but 5 others in varied sizes as well. "Go big or go home" is his motto. After washing and drying the new cake board and covering it with foil I frosted the cake and finished with little time to spare. 

We packed up everything in our cooler on wheels, except for the cake of course, which I carried, and we made our delivery...and on time too.

I love when a plan comes together! 

Happy Saturday!