Grandma Eleanor’s Beef & Spinach Ravioli

Ravioli Making

So today is the day that we introduce the newest members of our family to our family tradition of making homemade ravioli. This year my niece AND nephew each got married! What a crazy year for my sister and her husband as their busy household welcomed two new members and experienced the hustle and bustle of dating and marriage. Only to be followed up with the quiet days of being (almost) empty nesters. They still have one lovely teenage daughter at home.

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Pumpkin Risotto (Risotto alla Zucca)

Mmmmm, Pumpkin Risotto! It was one of my first acquired recipes while living in Italy and one of my favorites! The Autumn, with its sunny days and cold nights is the perfect time to enjoy this Autumn vegetable while it warms your home and your family. Pumpkin Risotto is like eating macaroni and cheese, the color is orange and the texture creamy. The addition of butter and parmesan at the end adds that cheesy goodness that we all crave.

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Oven Roasted Herb Chicken and Potatoes (Arrostito Pollo al Forno con Patate) with “Keto” version

Roasted Chicken (Pollo al Forno)

What could be more homey than a chicken roasting in the oven with the smell of rosemary and thyme wafting through the air? The promise of a hearty meal soon to be set at the table. In our modern era of convenience foods the smells of a slow cooked meal are almost extinct. But this smell conveys the feeling of family and love and contributes to the families feeling of well being.

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Eggs Benedict with Hollandaise Sauce

Eggs Benedict

Its Sunday morning and the perfect time to catch up from the hectic week and enjoy some down time. What better way than a slow and easy breakfast with friends or family? Ahhh, a lazy Sunday morning with a lingering cup of coffee and soft poached eggs under a blanket of  velvety, decedent Hollandaise Sauce. It is a sign of true love and friendship when you get up early and prepare this beautiful breakfast to the delight of your loved ones.

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The Cherry Tree

My parents on their wedding day 1965

I love when the cherries ripen and summers bounty begins with a flurry, the first fruits of the season! My parents planted this cherry tree in their back yared 50 years ago when their dreams were just beginning and their lives together were new.  Now my dad is gone and my mom holds down the Homestead. Like the tree they produced beautiful fruit in the form a family that continues to grow to this day.

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