Baked Vanilla Custard With Nutmeg: A Last Minute Holiday Dessert

Last Saturday afternoon, I was trying to come up with an idea for a festive Holiday dessert. After looking through my new cookbook, I realized that I neither had the time nor the ingredients to bake, cool, and decorate a cake for dessert that evening. So, I kept flipping through the pages, when I stumbled

English Popovers: A Christmas Tradition

It was 1940 in Hamstead, England. Audrey Lloyd was a British girl in her teens, attending St. Christopher boarding school.   Life changed quickly however, when The Second World War began. Audrey was forced to leave England, and relocate with her family to Brazil. It was there, in Rio, that she met a young American Naval

Virginia Feature: Oatmeal Fig Squares

Bring on the Holidays! Thanksgiving and Christmas are just around the corner. So it’s time to start planning your Holiday menu. Peppermint, gingerbread, chestnuts, and figs are just a few of the flavors that make the season bright. The scent and the taste of these Holiday delights bring back great memories of family gatherings from

Virginia Feature: Halloween Elmo Cupcakes

When my daughter was nine months old, I went back to work. As I was making the transition from full time mom to part-time working mom, my husband and I searched high and low for dolls to comfort her when we were away. Like so many parents making that transition, we tried stuffed giraffes, bear

Virginia Feature: Mini Pumpkin Cupcakes with Friends

It’s pumpkin season! Pumpkins, sweaters, and the return of good TV, mark the beginning of fall. After spending the summer months bathing in the summer sunshine, pumpkin treats help ease us out of our flip-flops and back into the school routine. In French, we call this, “La Rentrée.” This year, to kick off pumpkin season,

Virginia Feature: Cinnamon Sweet Potato Muffin Recipe

Fall is in the air! After a summer of record heat and humidity, the cooler temperature is a welcome change. The green leaves are starting to turn gold, and cinnamon flavored treats are front and center at markets and coffee shops. Fall is also the peak season for one of the world’s most versatile vegetables,

Virginia Feature: Lulu Makes Crusty Yogurt Baguettes with her Nani

Homemade bread from scratch was a staple in our house when I was growing up. I can remember coming home from school to the comforting scent of Mom’s freshly baked bread, still warm from the oven. With a few unlikely ingredients like yogurt and honey, Mom’s Crusty Yogurt Baguette is mildly sweet. It is soft

Virginia Feature: Homemade Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups

Chocolate is a treat associated with feelings of affection. Smelling and eating chocolate can create sensations of happiness and love. With it’s slight caffeine content, chocolate even has the power to stimulate the mind, and sharpen one’s focus. Needless to say, after becoming a sleep-deprived parent, I always have a stash. Even though chocolate is

Virginia Feature: Baked Beignets Dipped in Chocolate

“Beignet,” the French word for donut, is made out of fried dough with a dusting of powdered sugar on top. There is nothing quite like the scent of sweet fried dough. When I was a student in Avignon, on my morning walks to school, the air was filled with the smell of warm beignets, fresh

Virginia Feature: Watermelon Pops

Inspired by the French way of making small delicious treats out of very few ingredients, these fresh watermelon pops, or Purée de Pastèque, hit the spot on a hot summer day. This homemade popsicle idea was first introduced to me by my Mom. When my baby was about nine months old and teething, my Mom