Bangers and Mash Hand Pies

One of the most beautiful Royal couples will marry today.

I became interested in the Royal Wedding pre-martial interviews when Prince William was interviewed.

He touched my heart with his words about his mom, Princess Diana.

He talked about the great love he will always hold for her and how he thinks about his mother Princess Diana every day in her teachings, as much was taught to him by her in his role of who he became as an adult and stood Prince.

Today he still carries those values with him and isn't a day that goes by he doesn't think of her.

Kate Middleton, his Princess bride-to-be, said she wanted to model after her in this new life she will begin and take after his mom's memory and role model.

Such a tearful moment in time to think his mom was only 36 years old at her untimely death.

If you would like our tribute recipe for these Bangers and Mash Hand Pies the printable recipe is at the bottom just scroll down and hit print.

Sfogliatelle

These wonderful Sfogliatella Italian Pastries are usually made around Easter time in our family.

These pastries are a bit time-consuming but the taste and the results were fabulous.

A flaky dough that looks like clam shells. Takes a little more practice, while making these to get them right!

I have to say out of the 30 pastries only one was worthy enough for a photo so they won't all look perfect but they sure are delicious!

The dough is my Grandma's recipe and the filling is what I adapted to my own taste, you can add what your Region of Italy prefers in taste.

Scroll down for this recipe there is also a printable recipe at the bottom for your convenience.

Curt's Lemon Reggiano Lemon Fried Chicken Guest Post

My son Curt made this yummy lemon chicken for me for my birthday dinner. It was fabulous. I won't make lemon chicken any other way from now on! Come see why below!

Italian Lamb Meatballs

Lamb Meatballs infused with Italian herbs and spices are actually a fantastic way to use ground lamb and so flavorful.

These lamb meatballs can be served as an appetizer with cucumber saucem delcious shaped into patties with tomato sauce for a burger, or just as a meal served on top of rice.

If you were looking for a way to use up ground lamb, this is the perfect addition to your recipe collection.

The little meatballs are perfect for hosting a party and a wonderful finger food.

Scroll down to the recipe to print this off and to avoid any ads just hit print.

Our Italian Traditional Easter Dinner

Here is a Traditional Easter Dinner we have made every year since before I was even born.


Mom made the same menu every year that we looked forward to that consisted of Soup, Lasagna, Lamb, Rice, and lots of yummy desserts.


Take a stroll through our family traditions and pick out something you think you would like to try for your Easter menu.

Puttanesca Sauce with Pasta

Here is one of my favorite childhood pasta dishes mom would make called Spaghetti Alla Puttanesca which is a flavorful pasta dish very popular in Italy.


The original Neapolitan ingredients are simple using fresh plum tomatoes, capers, kalamata or black olives, garlic, and oregano.


Although the original recipe from Naples, the capital of Campania, uses tomatoes, black olives, capers, anchovies, onions, garlic, and herbs, usually oregano, parsley, and sometimes basil however I have written the recipe the way mom made it, time and time again you will find each Region cooks differently.


This sauce is made to taste exactly like mom made, and she adapted it many ways to our taste over the years, especially around Lent or Christmas holiday, mom's family was from the Bari region of Italy.


Bari is the largest urban and metro area on the Adriatic. It is located in Southern Italy, at a more northerly latitude than Naples, further south than Rome where my Grandmother on my dad's side was born.


Although you can use your favorite bottled sauce to save time, mom always made her sauce from scratch and so do I for the best results.


The recipe is truly super simple to make served originally with spaghetti which again we use whatever we like or had on hand.


When it comes to authentic, most Italians love to discuss the correct ingredients for traditional or an authentic style dish.


As I mentioned regional versions have several recipes or opinions on this Italian popular dish will become a topic of conversation on whats right and wrong.


Two things that have been brought to my attention are in this dish no grated cheese is ever used if with anchovies (because in Italy no cheese on seafood) and no basil just oregano which is weird since oregano is only found on pizza in Italy, not sauce so who knows it's a region thing and becomes very confusing.


Here in America, we adapted our recipe, as mom lived in the U.S. all her life but her mom from Bari.


She adapted to her own taste and the dish was always delicious and how her mom taught her, so in closing make Puttanesca the way you're taught and Region you're from, we have suggestions below, which turn it into a gourmet meal we substitutions and adapted additions!


Scroll down to get this easily printable recipe with step-by-step instructions.

Easter Crackled Eggs

Easter Crackled Eggs are terrific for so many occasions and not just Easter, however, we love these colors when making our favorite recipe for Deviled Eggs.

The little cracks seep through with lines of color and make the eggs look so pretty and perfect for an Easter appetizer buffet table or even for a gender reveal baby shower party.

These are the talk of the party especially when hosting or bringing to a potluck and we even have a list of Natural dyes for those who don't want to use the gel food colors or little bottles of food coloring.

All of them will work to make the most beautiful crackled lines for the prettiest tray of edible Easter eggs, you've ever seen.

Sometimes we just leave them unpeeled and let our guests enjoy the surprise of color inside! These are such a fun project for the kids also.

I was so excited to see the insides of these, they really were beautiful! I love the color blue, but you choose your favorite!

Also, one other thing, try using flavors like soy sauce, and koolaides, soak overnight if you want to pick up flavors!

Scroll down to my easy instructions on how to make poached eggs Italian style.

Easter Italian Breakfast Casserole

This Italian Breakfast Casserole has layers of sausage, ham, eggs, and cheese for the perfect breakfast, lunch, or even dinner!.


I love all-in-one breakfast casseroles and this one has cubed Italian bread in it so like I said everything is in there for breakfast, meat, bread, eggs, and fabulous!


The casserole can even be made ahead and taste great reheated so it's perfect for any holiday but we always seem to have all the ingredients we need around Easter leftovers.


We called it Easter Italian Breakfast in our home because we really made this with all the leftover Easter Bread from the holiday and it was perfect for repurposing all the meats from appetizers and dinner on Easter Sunday.


Mom always had leftover Homemade Easter Bread, baked sausage, and even home-fried or leftover potatoes that can go into this casserole, and if you don't happen to have escarole use spinach.


Just check out our suggestions and tips below to substitute whatever your family likes because this baked breakfast casserole can be plain and simple or loaded with everything in it.


The golden brown melted cheeses on top like mozzarella or provolone make this over-the-top delicious.


If you love easy recipes you may also like to try our Homemade Sausage and Cheddar Biscuits, they're so yummy.


Scroll down to make this absolutely perfect breakfast everyone will rave about!

Amazing Perch Fish Fry

Perch is a delicious fish to eat just about anyway, we just love it coated in flour, crackers and fried.

Perch is a white, flaky varietyand similiar to walleye, pike, crappie, in the freshwater world of fishing.

Although you can use just about any kind of fish we prefer perch fresh when we can catch it but haddock, seabass, and of course walleye (any northern fish will be great for this recipe).

The lemon butter-crusted topping is so delicious, and what makes the flavors unforgettable.

If you love seafood you may also like to try our Baked Lemon Dill Chilean Sea Bass

If you're a fisherman then you've probably had this or at least know what perch is, we just love it.

Scroll down and print off the recipe to give it a try.

Homemade Dough for Quiches or Fruit Tarts

Use this easy recipe to make the pastry shells for brunch quiches and for fresh fruit tarts. This tart pan has a removable bottom for easy serving.

Cauliflower and Mashed Potato Croquettes

1 head cauliflower, cut into florets, trimmed of as much of the stems off as close as possible

2 large russet potato, peeled and cut into 1″ cubes boiled and mashed

1/4 cup sour cream

1 clove of chopped garlic minced fine

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, oregano, parsley, and basil

3 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese

1/2 teaspoon each, salt and pepper

1 container or package of Italian flavored breadcrumbs or panko


Fill a large pot with water and boil cauliflower and potatoes till tender. Drain well and add to a large bowl. Add sour cream, parmesan, herbs, garlic, salt, and pepper, and add to the food processor, heavy-duty mixer with a flat beat bar or even by hand until smooth and well-combined but still a little chunky.

Roll into Italian flavored breadcrumbs.

Drop on a piece of parchment paper in mounds. You can also place them into oil sprayed cupcake tins topped with  Italian flavored breadcrumbs. Bake at 350 degrees till browned and crispy on top.

Dad's Favorite Pineapple Turnover

Well actually Dad loves pineapple pie, or turnovers. Today I was thinking of him, oh I miss him.. Dad, otherwise known as Carmen Macho Man, (he lifted weights until he was 79 - 1/2 years old) loved certain foods and oh boy, was this one of them. Pineapple pies, raspberry pies were equal to his favorite coconut raspberry cake. He actually was astounded one day when at age 15, I surprised him with his favorite pineapple turnovers. You see I was a bit lazy, I hated to fuss with all that crust, so the biggest turnovers were born! He loved them~

So this one's for you dad, hope you're shining down with a big smile from heaven.... love and miss you always!

1 pastry crust rolled in a circle 1/4 inch thickness or use store-bought
1 1/2 cups of crushed pineapple ( I used fresh)
1/4 cup of sugar plus 1 teaspoon
3 tablespoons of corn starch
I put fresh pineapple chunks in the food processor and pulse till medium fine little chunks. Stir in the sugar. Take the 3 tablespoons of cornstarch and mix with 1 or 2 tablespoons of water till smooth. Add to the fruit and sugar. Microwave in a glass bowl for around 2 minutes till the mixture thickens.

In the meantime roll out dough. I pour the mixture in the center of the circle. Fold the edges coming towards you until held together by pinching. Use a fork to close all around.  Brush with milk, dot with butter, sprinkle regular sugar on the top, and bake until brown, on 350 for around 35 minutes or so.
When cool, make a glaze of powdered sugar and water (thick) and drizzle over the top.

Florida Rock Shrimp Boiled, Broiled, or Fried

Absolutely our favorite seafood here in Florida, these little gems taste a lot like lobster!

Florida Rock Shrimp is the perfect shellfish here.

Rock Shrimp are sweet and the best thing that's the closest taste to lobster.

Florida Rock Shrimp very different from regular shrimp.

Their bodies are rock hard when cooked and dipped in butter they taste like little lobster tails!

Dipped in herb butter just broiled after cleaning is my favorite way to serve these.

Nutter Butter Banana Cream Pie

Here is an all homemade banana pudding with a crunchy crust made with those popular brand cookies call Nutter Butters.

The banana has always gone famously with bananas with flavors and since our family is a big fan of that famous cookie flavor, this was a winner pie right out of the gate!

The pie crust is a buttery crunch, the pudding is smooth as silk and then a few more cookies crushed on top make this a gourmet delight.

If you're a fan and love easy pies to make that are homemade then try this pie, if not then use your favorite instant brand pudding and make this one semi homemade.

Nutter Butter cookies usually are gone the first day I buy them however I have also managed to make a Nutter Butter ice cream with them that I snuck a few in from time to time in the summer!

We prefer a whipped cream that is sweetened to top our pie but again tailor this with a whipped topping if you're in a hurry but this pie and flavors is off the charts delicious.

Scroll down to the bottom and hit print for this delicious homemade pudding with that popular cookie crunch crust!

Crispy Coated Baked Haddock with Grape Tomatoes

This Crispy Coated Baked Haddock with Grape Tomatoes is one of the easiest one pan meals and I love this crunchy flavorful topping.


The grape tomatoes are covered in cheese and baked with lots of flavors and this fish is tender and moist with a delicate flavor.


I just love making this for friends and family dinners it's really colorful on a bed of pasta with tomatoes added for a side dish.


This coating is with flour and breadcrumbs flavored perfectly for making this a super crispy coated fish.


You can add any other side dish as this fish is great on a bed of spinach or another green if you want to cut some carbs.


If you love seafood you may also like to try our Seafood Medley and Seafood and Crab Lemon Scampi recipes.


If you can't find haddock in your area try some of our many suggestions below to substitute like cod, halibut or another white fish you prefer.


Scroll down and print off the recipe.