Autumn in Phoenix is a time to reconnect. Everyone scatters to their cooler locations during our hot summers, but when the temperatures begin to fall, the sidewalks roll out and the town becomes lively again. We had missed seeing many of our friends the last few months and decided to have a gathering to celebrate…
We are up in the cooler mountains for the July 4th holiday week. The temperatures have soared in Phoenix so we are truly enjoying the higher altitude. Since the homespun Bull Frog Loop parade goes right by our cabin, we typically host a patriotic brunch set up in the kitchen ~~an easy spread so our…
We are headed to the mountains for the holiday next week. Even though the cabin is comfortable, it doesn’t have all the dishes or entertaining items I have here at Bella Terra. Therefore, I need to plan ahead and determine what I can work with. What’s so nice about mountain life is that it is…
As the 145th annual Kentucky Derby occurs this weekend, we are celebrating with mint juleps and Derby Pie. This is my first Derby pie and it was easy to make. The recipe describes it as a thick, gooey chocolate chip cookie meets a warm buttery pie for a heavenly and decadent Southern dessert. Using a pre-made pie…
There is something satisfying about a stunning dinner table. It makes your guests feel special and honors the meal soon to be presented. Unfortunately, in our household we don’t do it enough. We can rarely get our senior in high school to be hungry at standard meal times. I love setting a proper table, and…