Easter is Coming!

Wow!  The past couple of weeks have been trying and a true test for us here.  The good news is that the daughter is on the mend.  We definitely have a long road ahead, but considering what she has been through she is doing darn good!  That being said it is time to get back to the world and start living each day with more than just trips to the hospital.

The hospital food isn't too terrific (down right nasty to hear her tell it) so we have been bringing her some treats every day.  Dad even made her a spice blend to add to her food to make it at least palatable.  And since Easter is upon us shortly I have been thinking about things to make that she would love.  With all that has been going on I wasn't even going there, but my brother said that I should make some of her faves and bring them to her.  I'm thinking that even though she won't be here for dinner Stuffed Artichokes are a must, maybe Pizza Rustica (an Italian Cold Cut and Cheese Pie for Pat) along with her favorite Easter dessert, Grain Pie (Easter morning tradition in our house starts with a slice of Grain Pie and a hard boiled egg) .  Now for those of you not familiar with this pie, it's something that is out of this world!  There is one big difference in the way Mom made the Grain (Wheat) Pie versus the standard recipe......Anisette!  Yup, you read that correctly.  The traditional recipe calls for Orange Blossom Water but Mommy always used Anisette.  So as I said, don't mess with tradition!

Another Easter dessert standard in our house was Chocolate Rice Pie (a personal favorite of mine).  This is a very unusual pie and not one you find in many Italian-American households.  It's rich and more of a bitter sweet chocolate flavor, but absolutely amazing with an ice cold glass of milk or Espresso!  Maybe I'll make just one of those for me!  We will see.  So for now I am in the planning stages and will be off to the market for supplies.

I'll posting some of these recipes over the next couple of days, so please check back tomorrow for more updates!

Fresh Strawberries - Not a Big Fan

Okay, I can hear a lot of moans and groans out there.  It's true, I am not a big fan of fresh strawberries.  Don't get me wrong, I like strawberry ice cream, strawberry jam (even made homemade jam once) with peanut butter on toast, chocolate dipped...those are all wonderful, just not plain strawberries.

I found some beautiful organic strawberries at Fresh Market and just had to buy them.  I was thinking of treating myself to some homemade crepes with Nutella and Strawberries.  And for those of you who have chosen to forgo wheat flour, I give you Rice Flour Crepes.  I'm also going to use them for dinner with the leftover Baked Chicken from the other day and freeze the rest for when Pat gets home next week!

Rice Flour Crepe

Rice Flour Crepe
(approximately 12 - 8" crepe)


1 1/3 cups Whole Milk, room temperature
3 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
1/4 tsp salt
1 tbsp. sugar
3 lg. eggs
1 cup Rice Flour


Combine all of the ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth.  Refrigerate for 15 minutes to 3 days.
Preheat an 8"skillet over medium high heat.  Spray lightly with vegetable spray or butter.  Pour in 3 tablespoons of crepe batter; tilting pan to cover the bottom evenly.  Allow to cook for approximately 1 minute or until the bottom browns lightly.  Carefully flip and allow to cook for just a few seconds more, until barely brown.
Transfer to a plate and cover lightly with a towel.  After cooling the crepes may be wrapped securely and refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 3 months.  Thaw in refrigerator before using.

Note:  Don't be upset when the first couple don't come out just right.  It sometimes takes a couple of tries to get the correct pan temp or get a groove going for cooking them.  Just put some butter on them and enjoy!

For the Nutella Crepe:

While still warm, spread bottom side of crepe with Nutella, add sliced strawberries to 1/2 of the crepe.  Fold top over, then fold into quarters.  Add additional sliced strawberries a sprinkle of Confectioner's Sugar or a dollop of whipped cream.

Crepe with Nutella filling and Strawberries

Judy Scott