• Fresh Beet Pasta

    Last month we bought our first pasta machine, and we are having so much fun trying all kinds of pasta shapes and flavors. So we decided to have some friends over for lunch to help us test out this recipe. We found this easy fresh pasta beet dough at Martha Stewart‘s site.  We had to up the baking time on the beets and add much more flour than her recipe suggested to achieve a perfect dough texture. INGREDIENTS 8 ounces red or golden beets (about 2 medium), without greens 2 teaspoons olive oil Coarse salt 2 large eggs 1 large egg yolk 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for…

  • A Simple Autumn Tablescape

    Autumn is my favorite season; I love the colors, the weather, and seeing the amazing cycle of nature. Last Friday, my husband and I went apple picking in the Virginia countryside, a few hours from DC. We picked some pink lady apples for my Apple Rose Pie (I’ll post this recipe very soon) and also bought some beautiful pumpkin gourds and huge fall mums, which I trimmed a little and spread in a few mini vases around our dinner table.

  • Bagels, Lox & Chive Cream Cheese

    Everytime we go to NYC, a breakfast stop at Russ and Daughters is  a must.  There’s nothing better than their Gaspe Nova Smoked Salmon with Cream Cheese on an Everything Bagel. Yum!! I decided to bring that NYC style breakfast to our home last weekend and made my own version of R&D bagel sandwiches. All you’ll need is:  Lox ( I really like Trader Joe’s Nova Salmon) Cream Cheese Chive or Scallion (I mixed both into the cream cheese) Capers Tomatoes Red onions (optional)

  • Zucchini Pasta

    Zucchini noodles (aka zoodles) are an easy and delicious pasta alternative for any Paleo, low-carb or gluten-free diet, or just someone trying to get a few more veggies in their diet. You’ll need: about 1  medium-sized zucchini  squash per person mandoline slicer with a julienne blade or this julienne peeler garlic, extra virgin olive oil, and salt Directions: In a large skillet over medium heat, add olive oil. Add the minced garlic, cook for about 3 minutes while you prep the zucchini. Wash and dry the zucchini. Slice zucchini squash using mandoline or julienne peeler. Lower the heat and stir occasionally for 4-6 minutes. Occasionally check the texture until it…