COOKING FOR A BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION

My daughter was having the gang to celebrate her husband and Mom's birthdays. Both on the same day. So the cook made a hearty meat sauce to put on the tortellini. Chicken thighs and legs, hot and mild sausage along with potato chunks sprinkled with rosemary were cooked in the oven. While the food was hot, it was transported to her home. Easy food but good. A salad and appetizers were additions to the event. Barb bought a bottle of prepared Sangria for the ladies present! Of course cake and coffee for the b-day celebrants.

                       Fruit with whipping cream for dipping topped off the evening!

PIZZA AND MORE PIZZA ALONG WITH CAKE

My little granddaughter turned 2 on Thursday. So a quick pizza dinner and cake to share in the event at her home with the other grandchildren was fun. Then her birthday party with friends at a playground setting Friday with more pizza, fresh vegetables and dip, fruit and cake. Celebrating was more important than staying on my diet. So today no more pizza and just the veggies and dip. Well maybe- Barb did bring some pizza home from the party!!

JUNE IS THE BEGINNING OF FRESH PRODUCE FROM MY CANADIAN GARDEN

June birthdays are over. Lots of cake and celebrations. Loving the barbecue season. Mostly steak and chicken but I am barbecuing my baked potatoes too. The garden has given me a first feed of zucchini. The parsley, oregano and basil are growing well and have been used in some dishes. I made a simple tomato sauce with the fresh basil on Saturday night to put on our spaghetti. My bean plants have flowers on them so it won't be long before I can write about eating beans fresh from the garden. Hopefully my painful knee will be better after Friday-getting a cortisone shot. Then maybe it will be on to some farmer's markets just in time for the beginning of fresh produce.

If not Barb threatens to go without me!

GNOCCHI FOR A DAUGHTER'S BIRTHDAY

With my daughter's birthday next week, I thought a quick Sunday lunch was a good thing to do. The kids are going away for her real birthday so an early celebration would do.So I boiled 1/2 bag of potatoes to make a few gnocchi for it. Well I needed to knead and knead the dough plus add lots of flour. I called my helper or sous chef as she likes to be called to help with the shaping and finishing of them. Barb said we will be here until midnight but actually once we got rolling, it was 9 p.m. Barb also commented- there is enough for several Sunday lunches. 

Of course we needed to have a few with a quick dinner during the week.
Gnocchi are a great side dish or can be the main event. For the Sunday meal, there will be a variety of chicken. Everyone likes chicken! Lots of veggies. Haven't decided yet on the final menu! A cake! I'll probably let you know how the event went.
If you need the recipe for gnocchi, just hunt in my list of posts and you will find it.
#gnocchi#redsauce#potatoes#potoatognocchi#birthdaycelebration#kneadthedough#Sundaydinner#souschef

GRANPA-IL NONNO COOKS FOR JANUARY BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS

With my wife Barb's and son-in-law Domi's birthdays January 22, my daughter Natasha always has a family get together to celebrate. So last Saturday January 18, this cook offered to make most of the meal to help with the preparations. Keeping the mess at my house!! Making chicken legs and breasts sprinked with rosemary-rosmarino, hot and sweet sausage as well as a hearty ground beef red sauce-sugo to fulfill the protein requirements the aroma in the kitchen was great for the senses.

The sauce was added to the tortellini with cheese-formaggio, as the pasta dish for all. Everyone in our family group love vegetables so I made broccoli, mushrooms-funghi, rapini, peas-piselli and roasted potatoes-patate.

Natasha made a large bowl of Greek salad along with boccincini and olives on the table as appetizers. Lots of healthy eating.

Of course no birthday celebration would be complete without a cake or two accompanied by a large platter of fruit!

Happy Birthday Barb and Domi! Buon Compleanno! Now to have another event so this cook can show off his culinary skills!

BREAKFAST OUT TO CELEBRATE TWO MOMS

I could have made breakfast for my wife and daughter. However, we went to Sunset Grill, one of those all day breakfast places for our Mother's Day breakfast with my wife, Barb and daughter, Sonya and her family- husband-Andrew and my two grandsons Tyler and Brody. Eggs-one over lightly with peameal bacon, home fries, toast and jam is always a good choice. Barb likes the French Connection with French Toast, sausage, scrambled eggs and home fries. She never eats it all but takes half home and nibbles on it all day. Like breakfast and lunch plus snacks for her. It is a fun breakfast place to go. We have had many times at various Sunset Grills throughout York Region. Of course, my home cooking is better but it is nice to be served sometimes. Later in the day, we went to our other daughter-Natasha and husband-Domi and grandchildren-Sophia and Damiano for cake and coffee. Not being a mother, I rather enjoyed Mother's Day. Did not have to cook!!!!
#mother'sday#SunsetGrill#breakfastoutwithfamily#peamealbacon#sausage#scrambledeggs#FrenchConnectionspecial