What to do with leftover Italian bread?

Stuffed French Toast 

After Christmas, I had so much food that nobody ate the loaf of Italian bread.  Day old Italian bread is perfect for French toast but who wants plain French toast; not me.  I whipped up a little cream cheese with powdered sugar to sweeten it a bit.  I cut a slit in each slice of bread that didn't go all the way through to the other side.  I stuffed each piece with cream cheese and a raspberry compote that I had (you can use your favorite jam flavor).  I then soaked each piece in a mixture of almond milk (because I ran out of real milk), egg beaters (because I ran out of eggs), vanilla and some cinnamon.  Spray a grilling pan with cooking spray and cook until golden on each side.  Serve with a sprinkle of powdered sugar and some real maple syrup.

Christmas Cocktail

Christmas Sangria

A great way to start a holiday party and leave people talking about it.  It's festive with red cranberries, red and green apples, and a sprig of fresh rosemary.  It's sparkling and it's wine, a great combination.  It's also light enough to appeal to most wine or cocktail drinkers.  

Sangria Recipe

6 Cupcakes of Christmas

I used to make so many Christmas cookies and every year it seemed that I added a few more kinds.  Last year I started my own tradition with the 12 cupcakes of Christmas.  Twelve different fillings, frostings, cupcakes, and toppings was a little much so this year I tried 6 different kinds.  Each one was chosen with some part of Christmas or the holidays in mind.

#1 Toasted Lemon Meringue

This cupcake was made with the ski slopes and white fluffy snow in mind.  A fresh lemon zest cake, with homemade lemon curd filling, and meringue topping toasted with a pastry chef torch.  They're topped with fondant skis and a skier made out of sugar (I did cheat and buy that part).

#2 Cranberry Orange 

This may not be the most common Christmas treat but someone I associate the two whether it's in my Mom's cranberry orange bread, the oranges my Great Aunt used to give us for Christmas, or the orange ball cookies that my husband loves.  This cupcake is like a muffin with fresh cranberries and orange zest.  The frosting is a cream cheese base with cranberry and orange juice added to the two different colors; the flavor came out bold and delicious.  

#3 Peppermint White Chocolate

This flavor combination reminds me of peppermint white chocolate bark which comes out seasonally and I love.  You have to like peppermint because this cupcake definitely was bursting with that flavor.  The frosting had real Ghirardelli white chocolate melted right into it.  For a garnish, I topped it with a handmade white chocolate snowflake and peppermint Andes candies pieces.

#4 Hot Chocolate Marshmallow

On the bitter cold winter days in Syracuse, not just children like to enjoy a cup of hot chocolate topped with marshmallows.  These cupcakes are actually infused with dark hot chocolate and topped with a homemade marshmallow frosting.  I garnished them with a piece of a candy cane striped straw and mini dark chocolate chips.

#5 Dark Chocolate Cherries

Candies and truffles are a popular gift during the holidays.  This cupcake will certainly appeal to a sweet tooth and dark chocolate lover.  It's a chocolate porter cupcake filled with cherry pie filling, topped with dark chocolate buttercream and garnished with a dark chocolate dipped long stem cherry.

#6 Red Velvet

The color of a red velvet cupcake just makes me think if Christmas; it's perfect for the season! I filled these with a cream cheese filling, topped with whipped buttercream, and garnished with holly berries made from melting chocolates and m&ms. Simple and sophisticated. 

Deconstructed Cheesecake

Cheesecake in a Glass

I love trying classic recipes but in new ways.  This treat is great for a dinner party, it's quick, and it's pretty.  The base is crushed graham cracker mixed with a little melted butter.  The cheesecake filling consists of 2-8oz cream cheese and one can sweetened condensed milk whipped together.  For the toppings, use your favorite berries.  I used a bag of frozen mixed berries cooked down in the stove with a little lemon juice and cornstarch mixed together.  Cook until the berries turn into a jelly-like consistency.  Assemble in your favorite wine glass or other glassware with graham cracker first, then a few dollops of cheesecake mixture, then berries, and topped with your favorite nuts or slivered almonds (if desired).  So cute and so easy!

Flavorful Minestrone

Chickpea and Sausage Minestrone

I'm not usually a fan of minestrone especially when it's loaded with kidney beans or just vegetables.  This version is healthy but packed with flavor.  I make sure to dice up the veggies really fine since I've never loved cook carrots.  I also used ditalini pasta instead of shells because it's what I had in the house.  Along side the soup, I served Parmesan toasts made by toasting English muffin halves under the broiler for a few minutes.  I topped them with a small amount of mayo, fresh Parmesan, and black pepper and broiled until the cheese melted.  The best part of this meal is that the whole thing take under 30 minutes.

Soup Recipe

Breakfast Anytime!

Eggs and Bacon "Breakfast" Pizza

I put quotations on breakfast because this is the perfect pizza for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.  Normally breakfast pizzas have a scrambled egg topping, but this one has the ooey gooey goodness of sunny side up eggs minus the work it usually takes to make them. This pizza is quick and easy to assemble, and even I used a pre-made crust for once.  It would be perfect for a protein boost at the start of your day or after a vigorous workout.  Give it a try!

Eggs and Bacon Pizza Recipe

Perfectly Fresh Chicken Parm

Chicken Parmesan with Oven Roasted Tomato Sauce 

I've never liked chicken Parmesan because its usually just breaded chicken in canned sauce with some "fake" mozzarella cheese in top.  This is so different and so amazingly good!  The big difference is fresh ingredients.  You roast your own tomatoes for the sauce and use fresh mozzarella and basil for toppings.  There's no reason to ever use anything but fresh again and the little bit of extra time it takes is so worth it.  The panko breading is light and adds a nice crispness to the outside of the chicken.  An Italian perfection made by an imperfect Irish girl.

Chicken Recipe