Birthday, Valentine’s Day, Any Celebration Brownies

Reposting the recipe for my most favorite brownies courtesy of my dear friend Brenda. They’ve come to be known in our family as daddy’s birthday brownies because my husband loves anything baked with extra chocolate (this one calls for an entire bag of chocolate chips) and the recipe is so simple that my daughters can…

Read More

Three Cheers for Ice Cream, Candy and Jen Vellano

I’ve been busy working on some exciting new ventures which I’m looking forward to sharing in 2022. One of them is a new collective of local women entrepreneurs, business owners, founders, philanthropists and investors gathering to support each other, share resources, and mentor the next generation. For now we’re calling the group Westchester Women Making…

Read More

Composition of a perfect Thanksgiving salad

Thanks to vaccines and boosters we are resuming our longstanding tradition of traveling to Chicago to be with my family for Thanksgiving this week. For the past several years we’ve gathered at my dad and stepmom’s home where our blended family each gets assigned a dish to be responsible for. Surprising to none, I’ve been…

Read More

The case for homemade granola

I admittedly have a weakness for granola. Maybe it’s the combination of savory and sweet, or that it feels like I’m making a “healthyish” choice for breakfast but I find it incredibly addictive and absolutely delicious! After years of trying different brands there is not one that I’ve found that I like more than my…

Read More

Simple Butternut Squash Soup

Butternut Squash soup is one of my all-time favorites especially this time of year. I love how healthy yet filling this soup is, served with bread its the perfect fall lunch or accompaniment to dinner. I’ve toggled between different recipes and have finally landed on one that I keep coming back to because of its…

Read More

Tis’ the season for baking with apples!

Fall is definitely in the air as temperatures are starting to drop up in Bedford and we’re just starting to see hints of leaves changing colors. Farmers markets are filled with all varieties of apples yet my favorite still remains a classic honey crisp. With the kids back in school I’ve been in the mood…

Read More

Even a “failed” garden can produce a delicious meal

When we bought our place in Bedford, one of the things I was most excited for was having a real vegetable garden. We were lucky, I inherited a space that had raised beds already built into an enclosed space, protected from critters in a sunny patch of lawn. I approached the spring with lots of…

Read More

Summer Gazpacho

Gazpacho is one of those dishes that I often order in restaurants throughout the summer but rarely make myself at home. A recent NY Times Cooking article titled,”Best Gazpacho” inspired me to try my hand at it at home using as many vegetables out of my CSA as I could. The Times ran a beautiful…

Read More

Skillet Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread

Next my series “What to Cook with my CSA” is a delicious chocolate chip zucchini bread made in a skillet. It’s the perfect way to use up vegetables in your fridge and makes a perfect dessert, snack or breakfast. Try spreading a slice with peanut butter while it’s still warm out of the oven. The…

Read More