A simple pasta for a 30-minute meal.

I received some bow-ties died with squid ink for Christmas, and they made a lovely pasta for a quick meal on a busy night. These bow-ties were boiled according to the instructions on the package and then tossed with a saute of:

• 1/2 yellow onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 green pepper, chopped
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• sea salt
• fresh ground black pepper
• grated parmesan cheese

This is heavenly.

On our holiday trip to Oregon, we were given some delicious homemade treats, such as canned smoked salmon, canned tuna (a family favorite), and a 100th anniversary cheese wheel from the Tillamook Cheese Factory.

Real, fresh caught, cooked, canned-in-its-own-juices, tuna.

Canned smoked salmon, smoked by a family friend.

My new dipping bowls, featuring artichokes marinating in olive oil from Italy (far right), roasted garlic puree (far left), and caramelized yellow onion with fig balsamic puree (front, center).

Crusty bread for all of the toppings.

A simple salad with mesclun greens, tomato, and shaved carrot with a drizzle of caramelized onion balsamic dressing (made from my caramelized onion spread, which is just onion and olive oil, cooked on medium low until caramel in color and then blended. I added some fig balsamic vinegar, which was another kitchen gift I received, sea salt, and pepper to make the dressing).

The table- with my walnut and cherry baked brie, 4 yr old cheddar, marinated olives, sparkling water, and wine.

Baked Brie is a lot of fun to eat and really easy to make. I think I’ll bake some more often.

First, carefully slice off the top crust on your cheese wedge.

Then cover it with your topping. I used one cup of coarsely chopped walnuts that I toasted on the stove for 5 minutes in walnut oil over medium-low heat. I let them cool and then tossed them with a handful of dried tart cherries.

Cover your brie with the topping and bake at 325 until it is melting in the middle- 7-10 minutes depending on your oven. Enjoy with crackers or crusty bread.

French toast seemed like a logical breakfast after baking so much Panettone.

I sliced my muffins and mini loaves and soaked the slices in a mixture of 3 eggs, 1/2 cup rice milk (or regular milk), and 1 tsp vanilla extract. Pan fried them on 300, sprinkled with cinnamon, flipped them, and enjoyed my breakfast with pure maple syrup.