Culinary Adventures with Camilla

This year I'm participating in a Christmas cookies event and a most of the event sponsors sent out product to try. Two of the sponsors were completely new to me and I loved what I received...so much so that I've already ordered three times on my own from one of them, Sprinkle Pop .  When I saw their  Día de los Muertos sprinkle mix , I couldn't resist. I ordered that and some sugar skulls for a batch of Halloween cookies. Last night I baked cookies late into the evening and wrapped them up for the robotics team, Jake's office, and a few lucky friends.  And a quick note about the frosting: I know they look colorfully toxic, but these were made with vegetable and fruit-based food dyes. I'll write more about them later as they, too, are a #ChristmasCookies sponsor. But I will share that I love that the colors are made from fruits, vegetables, and spices. No Red No. 40 here!   Ingredients  makes approximately 60 cookies Almond Cookies

I saw a post yesterday that a blogging friend of mine - Dee from On the Move - In the Galley - had succumbed to cancer this month. I rarely use the f-word, but, I seriously wanted to scream 'F--- you, cancer!' Her husband shared on social media: "I am sad to tell all Diane's close friends that my beloved wife and friend of forever passed away on October 16, 2018 of Sarcoma. She asks all of you to take only a moment or two to remember her and her Galley, and then move forward in your own world of international cooking. Create something special for the "Onthemove-in the Galley" and friends to enjoy and send a taste to Dee. She will still be in the Galley!! - Ron Parypa, Husband Still Close At Hand in the Galley" I spent some time re-reading her posts and decided to make one of her more recent posts: Flakey Scallion Pancakes . I had made them before, starting with this recipe   while Dee used this one as her starting point. My Enthusiasti

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf Trefethen, one of the  #MerlotMe   event sponsors. Complimentary wine was provided for this post and this page may contain affiliate links. However, all opinions expressed here are my own. It's still October! And I am still making my way through the bottles of Merlot sent to me by the #MerlotMe sponsors. You can read the post I did for the #WinePW #MerlotMe event a couple of weekends ago: So Many Merlots, So Many Pairings . This Merlot comes from the Trefethen Family Vineyards* in the Oak Knoll district of Napa Valley and is a blend of 95% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Malbec. I loved that this wine was silky yet vibrant, fruity yet earthy.  The first sniff - and taste - had me thinking about roasting mushrooms, but one of my trio doesn't care for mushrooms. I know, I know: whose kid is that!? Certainly not this fungi-lovin' gal! But, oh, well, the earthiness in the wine led me to pesto next. Wh

Earlier this month the boys were on Fall Break from school. We had a robotics tournament on the first weekend and the second weekend, we worked on Halloween costumes. But we didn't travel anywhere and my parents couldn't take them to Hawaii with them because they weren't getting home in time for the boys to be back at school on Monday. And since Jake and I were both working, the boys scheduled bike rides and park playdates with friends who live nearby. One afternoon, they headed to the park and came home to for a Filipino dinner. Their buddy J said that he had never had lumpia, but he was game to make some. I sent a few home with him that evening and his mom called me the next day to thank me and tell me that she remembers going to festivals at the DLI (Defense Language Institute) with her dad when she was a kid. He'd let her pick her where she wanted to buy lunch and she always picked the Filipino booth. So, she was very excited that J had learned to make

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of  González Byass, an   #InternationalSherryWeek  sponsors. Complimentary wine was provided for this post and this page may contain affiliate links. However, all opinions expressed here are my own. A couple of weeks ago, Jeff from FoodWineClick! shared an opportunity with the #WinePW (Wine Pairing Weekend) crew to receive samples of Sherry. Since my experience with sherry is next to nothing, I was excited to taste and learn more. Really, whenever I think of sherry, I think of cooking  sherry. I was thrilled to be proven incorrect. The Sherry I received two bottles of Sherry from González Byass* and really wasn't sure how to pair it. I am still definitely in the novice-Sherry camp; but I can happily say that both Jake and I are fans!  After reading the tech sheets from the sponsor, I wanted to pour the Sherry with a wine-braised chorizo (similar to this one ) and some other small Spanish nibbles. I settled on

My parents' birthdays are five days apart. Well, two years and five days. Kinda funny that Jake and I  also celebrate our birthdays within a week - again, two years and a week. So, our family birthday celebrations are slightly easier to schedule because we have joint dinners for them and for us. This year, my parents were in Hawaii for my dad's birthday; I scheduled a party when they came back. Happy birthdays to Nonna and Nonno! While they were in Hawaii, I asked my mom if they wanted lasagna or paella for their party. She didn't even hesitate...and she didn't ask for my dad's input either. "Paella!" she declared. Perfect timing, too, because I knew I needed to post a paella dish for this week's #KitchenMatrixCookingProject. Before I get to our paella party, here's what the other gals are sharing this week... An InLinkz Link-up For years, my paella pan languished in the cupboard, collecting dust. Then a friend fr

When I heard Chef José Andrés being interviewed on NPR last month, his story was intriguing and compelling, so much so that I went home and ordered the book - We Fed an Island: The True Story of Rebuilding Puerto Rico, One Meal at a Time by José Andrés* - immediately.  I'm including a link to the broadcast because, honestly, I think you must hear his story, but you can skip the book. The story is so important and what he accomplished was phenomenal, but I found the book tedious and difficult to read. On the Page José Andrés is a chef, humanitarian, and founder of World Central Kitchen. He arrived within a week of Hurricane Maria devastating the island of Puerto Rico and set about trying to feed everyone he possibly could. Andrés rallies huge support from volunteers and organizes a network of kitchens around the island to provide chicken and rice as well as ham and cheese sandwiches to everyone struggling to live without food, clean water, electricity, and othe