Winter is here and that means it is time to cook up some comfort! With a polar vortex looming around New England this week, pulled pork and herby biscuits are calling our name.  This slow cooked, bone-in pork butt is loaded with flavor thanks to a tasty rub and a bottle of our good friend Sam Adams.  Did I mention, prep time is under 5 minutes???  Let your slow cooker do the finessing for the next 8 hours and enjoy the benefits.  Our Herby Olivio Biscuits are beautifully flak

Whether you are staying close to the fire this New Year’s Eve or planning your next Game Day Menu, this heritage dish speaks Winter Comfort all the way.  This is an early New England dish with a name the kids will love to say.  “Come on Kids!  Get your Rinktum Ditty!” I mean, I love it already:) Traditionally made with butter, we modified the recipe to use Olivio and goodness of Mediterranean Olive Oil.  No one ever said comfort couldn’t be healthy too, right?  Think Grilled

Eggs Benedict is synonymous with “Today is Special”!  It is always my birthday breakfast of choice and what I lean to on the big holidays and special occasions.  No surprise, it is on the menu this Christmas Morning (along with my favorite Stickiest Brioche Pecan Rolls)!  But this year, in the interest of closing out 2014 on a note of good heart health, the decadent Hollandaise has been made with Olivio Buttery Spread and the goodness of Mediterranean Olive Oil.  Imagine, sla

In the spirit of recipe development, Santa’s plate is loaded this year.  I have always loved Russian Tea Cookies.  Oh, how the buttery pecan balls imploding a burst of powdered sugar in my mouth pleases me so!  Our Cardamom Almond Snow Balls are a variation of this Holiday favorite.  Ground almond flour replaces the traditional pecans and the goodness of Olivio Buttery Spread sneaks in the healthy benefits of Olive Oil while still giving you the rich buttery flavor.  A pinch

AJ’s Mom is pulling out all the stops this year for Thanksgiving.  As she is a master of the bird and the sides, I thought this year I would mix things up and bring some breakfast treats to keep us going as we baste and braise.  This Apricot Nut Bread was one of my Great Grandmother Muddy’s stand-bys from Dallas, Texas.  I love discovering a forgotten family favorite and cleaning it up with modern ingredients.  For example, the original recipe calls for shortening.  Olivio Bu

Candy Apples are a favorite treat for us this time time of year.  While these Candy Apple “Nachos” are still finger lickin’ good, we have taken some of the commitment out of biting into a whole apple by serving these as wedges with all of you favorite fixings.  We made Olivio’s Salted Caramel for a healthy twist on this typically indulgent sweet treat and the kids had fun sprinkling healthy toppings like toasted coconut, roasted pecans, oats, flax seeds and raisins on top.  T

Part savory custard,  part polenta, think of this as “Soufflé Americana”.  Delicious and hearty, the corn meal is wonderful staple of the season.  The chives and buttermilk brighten this nostalgic side and the goodness of Mediterranean Olive Oil in the Olivio Buttery Spread keep your heart health in mind.  Now that is something to be thankful for:) Spoon this bread directly from the baker to your plate for a delicious Thanksgiving side that will belly up beautifully to your t

Note: “Compound” does not mean “complicated”.  Infact, these delicious additions to your Holiday spread are anything but… Easy and packed with flavor and the goodness of Mediterranean Olive Oil, we made our Holiday assortment of compound butters this year using Olivio Buttery Spread.  Whip with a variety of herbs, fruits and spices, reshape  into logs using waxed paper and chill until firm enough to slice. Sweet or savory, these festive spreads make a fabulous side that brigh

We love having friends and neighbors back to our place to warm up after a chilly night of Trick or Treating in the neighborhood.  These Spookalicious Wings make for the perfect casual snack that will certainly please the kid in all of us.  Sweet, sour and packed with a little heat, these are made with the goodness of Mediterranean Olive Oil using Olivio’s Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Olivio Buttery Spread.  As a Mom, I love seeing the kiddos get some delicious protein even on a

There is something so warm about gifting a loaf of bread.  For the holidays, we constantly have Pumpkin Bread batter in the mixer and loaves in the oven.  This recipe comes from a long time family friend, Ilsa from Bainbridge Island.  A gracious entertainer and wonderful cook, Ilsa’s recipe will yield enough for you and three for “them.”  This batter keeps well in the fridge, too.  If you are like me and want to take full advantage of your little ones “nap time”, mix up this

We celebrated Max’s 1st birthday in the heart of October with this quintessential fall dish!  Creamy mascarpone polenta warms INGREDIENTS: Serves 4 For the Pork Chops~ 4 boneless Pork Chops, sliced 1″-1 1/2″ thick 2 tsp Kosher Salt 1/2 tsp cracked pepper 2 Tbs Olivio Pure Olive Oil 3 Tbs Olivio Original Buttery Spread or Olivio Spreadable Butter 4 sprigs Thyme 2 Tbs Apple Cider Vinegar 2 cups Apple Cider For the Mascarpone Polenta~ 4 cups 1% Milk 1 cup Corn Meal 2 tsp Kosher

If a donut and a muffin had a baby… DUFFIN: noun, a breakfast treat (or any time you need a pick-me-up snack) made with the ingredients and flavor of a donut, prepared with the technique of a muffin; fabulous and better for you! Baked, not fried and basted with Olivio and cinnamon sugar, these Mulled Cider Duffins satisfy any Leaf Peepers craving 🙂  Mini muffin trays make the perfect mold for these “Duffin Holes”.  The batter comes together quickly.  Make the night before an

Pure Olivio olive oil and organic pumpkin puree are the secret to a dream like moist density in this fall spice cake. Topped with a to-die-for Maple Cream Cheese frosting and a little Heath Bar Crunch? Well yes, these are called Fall Heaven Cupcakes for a reason! Tip: I always substitute Pure Olive Oil when a recipe calls for canola or vegetable oil. Pure Olive Oil has a very mild flavor but is loaded with wonderful health benefits like Omega-3s. Also, it ensures an added lev

This hearty salad is a nod to fall, from here in New England to travels along the Mediterranean.  The creamy butternut squash is roasted with aromatic cumin, sweet paprika and the goodness of Olivio’s Extra Virgin Olive Oil then tossed with hearty lentils, refreshing mint and an earthy goat cheese which balances out the exotic.  Toasted almonds add the perfect crunch and a splash of red wine vinegar brings everything together over a bed of spicy arugula.  Grab a hunk of home-

Crisp Autumn air is a call to the kitchen for me.  The delightful yet chaotic summer schedule is replaced by a welcomed structure and my little family finds a fresh routine.  My orange clove candles are lit, cider is mulling, the millet is planted at the front door and I’m diggin’ harvest season!   Living on the Northshore in Massachusetts, farm stands are brimming full of appetizing staples of a successful harvest season.  As a nod to Summer-come-Fall, I thought I would shar

A better Brownie substituting butter for Olivio Spreadable Butter with Olive Oil I’ve been making these Brownie Bites all summer using my Mom’s company-pleasing Virginia Belle’s Brownie Recipe and substituting Olivio Spreadable Butter for the Sweet Cream Butter.  Typically, this recipe is made in an 8×8 ceramic baker but I found a silcone baking form at TJMaxx a couple months ago that yields these adorable “bites”.  In fact, they remind me of Thomas Keller’s signature Chocola

I’m 34 weeks pregnant and love the extra 300+/day calories the pregnancy books all agree I should be consuming!  It’s September in New England and peaches are ready for  pickin’.  This Peach Cake is a dense and moist homage to the dog days.   The majority of the peaches are roasted off in the oven with lemon zest and granulated sugar to capture the sweet and heady intensity of this nostalgic stone fruit.  The roasted peaches are tossed with panko or amaretti cookie crumbs bef

AJ and I are lovin’ our morning smoothies.  This Blueberry Avocado Smoothie has become another one of our regular favorites.  I can’t wait to pick and freeze my own berries this summer!  The avocado adds a beautiful creamy texture and the mint makes this a refreshing *spa~like*  way to start the day:)  Surely summer will be here soon! INGREDIENTS: (yields 1x 12 oz smoothie) 1 cup organic blueberries, frozen (packed with antioxidants, reduce belly fat, urinary tract health, vi

Blasted Broccoli with Bagna Caudo and Marcona Almonds Blasted. Broccoli.  Just the name alone makes me feel like an empowered, bad-ass, healthy-greens-eatin’ Goddess.  Resolutions, I see you and raise you an extra side of ruffage.  Hear me chew!  This dish was inspired by a side AJ and I had with my folks at the Agate Pass Cafe in Suquamish, Washington over the holidays.  There’s nothing like coming up from a couple hours on the docks squid jigging to a hot meal with Northwes

AJ and I are detoxing!  As if there is any question, I love to eat:)  I’m not one to “diet”, I don’t like feeling deprived and, while no saint, I keep a balanced nutritious diet.   However, a couple weeks ago, I woke up groggy and realized the “moving parts” in our lives were starting to swallow me, leaving me fatigued, moody and *gasp* staring at a dull and pimpled complexion in the mirror. ACTION TIME:  The objective of our detox is to increase our energy, sleep more soundl