Margherita's Notebook: A Novel of Temptation by Elisabetta Flumeri & Gabriella Giacometti

This was a fun novel to read.  First published in Italy, it's due to be published in the United States this summer.  I was able to read a preview copy, and it set me up to read more of what I call "lighthearted" romantic foodie novels for the summer.  I can't help it.  I have such a soft spot for this type of genre.  They are my go to when I need a mental break and some space between heavier reads.  

Margherita's Notebook is about, you guessed it--Margherita.  She's a young woman who is living in a dismal apartment in Rome with her husband Francesco and her menagerie of pets.  Married for five years, she has moved away from her hometown of Roccafitta  to Rome in hopes of her husband finding his dream job.  Instead, he struggles to find a job and Margherita isn't doing what she loves most:  cooking.  

Margherita finds out her husband has been unfaithful, and packs up her pets and moves back to Roccafitta, her hometown.  She moves back into her father Armando's home, and is so happy to be back in the town she loves.  Cooking is Margherita's way of working through problems, and right now she has to find a job.  A chance encounter between an octopus and a very handsome man send her world into a tailspin.  Nicola is quite the hottie; a ruthless businessman, with eyes like chocolate that send a zing through Margherita.  He's also annoying, and eats frozen food.  Needing a job, Margherita agrees to make suppers for Nicola while he woos local landowners into selling their properties for a huge wine making production.  

This is a novel of crisp visualizations, flowery expressions, and lust.  It is very much an Italian novel, and I loved the unapologetic burst of passion, life, and love it sends to the reader.  My only issue was Margherita's marriage.  It was never discussed with Nicola, and while her husband does make a brief appearance to try and win her back, it seemed that maybe she should have just had a relationship that didn't work out instead of a marriage.  

The cast of characters are lively and fun, and of course there is the woman who wants Nicola--his assistant, Carla.  She's all business, except when she's fantasizing about Nicola.  And she doesn't like Margherita.  

I certainly enjoyed my trip to Italy, the fabulous food, and the peek into small town Italian life.  A perfect summer read.  

Rating;  7/10 for pure escapism, and a novel that makes you itch to get in the kitchen.  

Available in paperback and e-book at the end of July, 2016.

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No-Bake Pineapple Cheesecakes

No-Bake Pineapple Cheesecakes are fun to make and are a refreshing twist on the traditional Pineapple Upside Down Cake, merging two favourites in one delicious dessert!

I’ve done it again. I created a hybrid of two favourites into one. Like that Blueberry Lemon Cheesecake Cake and the Carrot Cake Cheesecake, only this one is much more simple and in a glass with zero baking.

It’s no secret how much I love cheesecake. Everything about the flavour of cheesecake completes my soul with every bite. But sometimes, I don’t have the time to be baking and then waiting around all night to HAVE my beloved cheesecake. Which explains all of the No Bake Parfaits I have on this blog.  And also explains why so many people are constantly making them and sharing them with me over on Instagram.

This is one of those recipes you can have in 30 minutes — including chill time — from start to finish. And perfect for warmer weather and Summery nights!

Everything you love about cheesecake in an individual serving glass, with each spoonful delivering a buttery graham cracker base, a creamy ‘cheesecake’ centre filled with juicy pineapple pieces, and a pineapple ring with a maraschino cherry to complete the Upside Down Pineapple craving.

The first time we tried a Pineapple Upside Down Cake was at an end of year work party, and from there I was hooked. I understood then the popularity of that cake. My husband didn’t get it, which is no surprise since he doesn’t really get any of my food affairs. 

BUT! To make that cake into a cheesecake-like dessert? Well, he liked this so much that he ate them all, which meant I had to make them all again for everyone else. Not that we minded.

To be honest, the second time around it landed in a big parfait bowl, which we shared while watching Friends. Don’t judge me.

I think these no bake cheesecakes are, dare I say, even better than the actual cake! Don’t shoot me.

If you’re on the hunt for a quick dessert and can’t for the life of you figure out what you want, (or need. Either one, really), then this is a dream come true. If you like pineapple. And cheesecake.

For more delicious no-bake cheesecake recipes, be sure to check out this No-Bake Nutella Cheesecake and No-Bake S’mores Cheesecake from My Baking Addiction.

No Bake Pineapple Cheesecakes

Yield: 4 servings

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

Print Recipe

Ingredients:

For the Base:

• 1 cup graham cracker crumbs
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar

For The Filling:

• 1 8-ounce block cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 8 ounces canned pineapple, crushed or finely diced and drained
• extra pineapple slices, to garnish
• Maraschino Cherries, to garnish

Directions:

1. Combine together the graham cracker crumbs with the melted butter and sugar. Set aside.
2. In a larger bowl, beat the cream cheese, cream and sugar with an electric mixer on medium-high speed setting until smooth and creamy. Fold in the yogurt, pineapple, and vanilla and mix well to combine.
3. Divide the crust mixture among 4 individual serving glasses and press into the base of each glass.
4. Repeat with the cream cheese mixture; cover and refrigerate for 15-30 minutes to chill.
5. To serve, garnish with the additional pineapple and a maraschino cherry in the centre of the pineapple ring.

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Bring on the Outdoor Reading Space! Upcoming Reviews for May

I have been so busy!  I started a 6 week work out program and it's taking up three nights of my week...that's three nights I don't get to read.  I work out, go home, have a protein recovery drink, take a bath, and crash into bed.  I'm lucky to squeeze in 3 pages before I shut off the light.  

But, the wonderful spring weather here in Iowa has been lifting my mood, and making me itchy to be sitting outside on my porch reading. With a May chock-full of social activities, I'll be squeezing in reading where and when I can!  Without further ado, here are upcoming books I'll be reviewing in May:

The reviews are in no particular order, and of course there may be a few additions in the mix.  Stay tuned!

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Key Lime Pie Bars

Key lime pie bars with a thick, creamy filling and a coconut cookie crust. With a gluten-free option.

When I started working on this recipe, I figured that the world already had enough key lime pie recipes with graham cracker crusts. It’s definitely a delicious combination but I thought I’d try something different, which is how this coconut cookie-like crust came about! If a graham cracker crust is more your speed, use the crust in these cookie dough cheesecake bars.

The crust is super easy to put together but it does require one extra step you don’t typically find in other crust recipes, which is to toast the coconut before mixing it in with the other ingredients. It’s so worth taking the extra few minutes to do that! Unsweetened coconut tastes almost like nothing, at least in my opinion, until you toast it and then it’s transformed into something heavenly.

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Blueberry Sweet Rolls

Blueberry Sweet Rolls make Mother’s Day something truly special. They’re light and sweet, with a fantastic crunch from Fisher’s sliced almonds.

This is a sponsored post on behalf of Fisher Nuts. All opinions are my own. Thank you for continuing to support the brands that make My Baking Addiction possible.

Are you ready for Mother’s Day? We sure are around here!

I’ve been thinking up delicious combinations for days, knowing I wanted to make a special sweet roll for brunch. Yeah, I know, Mother’s Day is all about the mom, right? But in my case, I like showing my daughter how much it means to me that she came into the world too.

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Parc Riviera – Final Phase of the newest waterfront community in Richmond

Coming off the success of 4 sold-out phases, Parc Riviera is releasing its final phase of condo residences.  The newest phase will be a 6storey condominium called Monaco.  With various views to select from (mountain, water, or city) and featuring children’s play area, gym, hot tub, and pool, Dava Developments has built a thriving community in a peaceful yet convenient area of Richmond along the Fraser River and looks forward to adding to its growth with the latest release.

The post Parc Riviera – Final Phase of the newest waterfront community in Richmond appeared first on Vancouver New Condos.

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3 Common Types of Safes

Safes should be specifically chosen based on the types of assets that they will protect and the types of threats that these assets face. There are common types of safes which are covered by the articles below:

Diversion Safes

An inexpensive but effective way to hide your valuables is a diversion safe. These safes do not look like the typical steel lockbox safe. Instead, diversion safes are disguises like a hollowed-out book or soda can. Diversion safes look like containers designed to hide your valuables in plain sight. Common diversion safes include fake brand name containers for soda pop, canned fruit, home cleaners, or even novels. Diversion safes have removable tops or bottoms so that you can put your goods in them, and the safes are weighed so that they appear normal when handled.
Diversion safes cost much less than normal safes. A soda pop diversion safe, for example, usually costs under $20. A faux wall socket to store money and jewelry costs around $10. A fake fluorescent light container, which can hold more belongings than most diversion safes, costs around $20. A popular and effective diversion safe is a fake stone to hide an extra home key in outside, usually costing around $10. Compare these prices to $50 for a small home safe. Unlike more expensive home safes, however, diversion safes are not fireproof.
Diversion safes are a great gift for college students living in the dorms or with nosey roommates. Many types of diversion safes are for sale on the Internet. Source: Ezine

Fire Resistant Safes

Fire proof safe boxes are precisely like safes aside from these could be saved in amazingly hot temperatures simply in the event that your house sets blazing while you are away for the day or traveling. You will in all likelihood need to put things that can’t be displaced in there. An best quilty fire safe will ensure your things from home intrusions, for example robberies, yet it won’t secure your things in a fiery breakout on the grounds that your assets can effectively be liquefied and the outside of the safe might be dissolved simultaneously. Having a fire proof safe will ensure your home from robberies besides, so it may make more sense to purchase one simply on the off chance that debacle strikes in your home while you are away.
Style may additionally be something you are acknowledging when taking a gander at the distinctive safes. You may need to discover a certain style that might mix in with your home so a cheat might not recognize it or provided that you have individuals coming into your home, they might not perceive it either. You may need to check whether a certain store has one in an alternate one color furthermore the one you in all probability have on the grounds that you don’t need anything to emerge. Source: Patch

Wall Safes

Being hidden, a wall safe has an obvious security advantage over other safes – people don’t know where it is without spending time looking for it. The safes are also bolted to the wall, so it cannot easily be removed without accessing the bolts, and the bolts are hard to get at because the external flange gets in the way. Often, thieves like to be able to grab the safe and go, that way they can take their time opening the vault. But with wall safes this is very difficult, they must take the time to open on the premise, and a lot of time is something most thieves just don’t have.
Though it may seem a bit intimidating, and obviously is easier to install when a house is being built, installing wall safes into an existing home is simple. Most are designed to fit between two wall studs, and come with a template. Just mark the wall according to the template, cut and install. Because of the external flange that rests on the outside of the wall, no finishing work is needed. Source: ArticlesFactory

If you want to know more about safes, please contact us here.

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