Vanilla Bean Muffins with Raspberry Jam

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I made these delicious muffins last weekend to bring a very dear friend of mine who just got out of the hospital. My friend is one of the most inspiring women I’ve ever met and I truly admire her courage and perseverance. She is a very strong woman, yet such a soft & kind soul. She is one of those people who works very hard to help others locally and around the world. She is very active as a human rights advocate…and just simply a lovely person. When she was injured in an accident last month, I was truly devastated….

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Rich Chocolate Semifreddo with Salted Almonds

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My mom always puts together the best Sunday dinners. But they are always so much work for her; especially on the day that is supposed to be her day to take it easy! This week I decided that it would be nice if I made dinner, so she could relax a bit and be spoiled. I opted to make zucchini ricotta roll-ups baked in homemade marinara sauce for dinner and then a chocolate semifreddo with salted almonds for dessert. Semifreddo means “half cold” in Italian. In this case, the semifreddo was a chilled creamy, chocolate mousse. The main reason I…

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Broccoli Salad with Feta and Golden Raisins

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Recently, my book club members and I had our annual summer BBQ. My friend Cheryl was kind enough to host our BBQ potluck. All the members brought delicious food! I totally pigged out and probably gained 5 pounds by the end of the evening. *hah* We always joke that we are a food club first & book club second. We always have the best treats at our meetings! One friend of mine brought a delicious oriental salad to our BBQ. Another friend brought taco dip; one of my weaknesses! We also had Death by Chocolate trifle for dessert (amazing!) and…

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