Sugar & Spice by Celeste

*** I hope that you are all having an absolutely wonderful weekend, and Happy Memorial Day to all my readers here in the USA.  So far, we're having a terrific holiday weekend, because my little sisters came to visit us - Suzanne and Maranne (they're twins!). They are AWESOME, and we had such a great time.  We spent a lot of time in the kitchen while they were in town, so get ready for some great posts coming up soon...One of which I am super excited about.  Guess what...We filmed the first ever instructional cooking video to be shared here on Sugar & Spice by Celeste!  I think you'll find the video funny and informative, so stay tuned for that. First up, I'm excited to share with you a recipe we created for Fresh Cherry-Dark Chocolate Ice Cream.  I found a gorgeous bag of red cherries at my local grocer, and I simply could not resist buying them.  I didn't really have a specific plan in mind for them at the time, but I figured I'd come up with som...

***It's not often that a recipe is worthy of re-posting.  I think I've only done that once or twice in the entire time I've written this blog.  However, this is one of those rare occasions.  Back in 2009 when Brad and I went to Europe, we had the most amazing Quiche Lorraine at the incredible Les Deux Magots cafe in Paris.  It was delicious and was served alongside a yummy salad of fresh greens (Quiche Lorraine sur Salade Verte).  Oh, it was heaven on a plate!  It also didn't hurt that we were sitting on the patio of one of the most famous cafes in Paris, after all...haha.  The atmosphere and people-watching in that particular area are hard to beat. I'll never forget the elderly lady that was sitting at the table right next to us (the tables were situated pretty close together).  She was dressed to-the-nines, was all by herself, and was just the quintessential, classy Parisian lady.  I wish more than anything that I had tried to strike up...

***We all need an arsenal of easy side dishes that are exciting but uncomplicated and perfect for busy week nights.  Couscous is such a great option because it cooks so quickly, and you can literally flavor it with almost anything.  It's like a blank palate that's ready for you to create something fabulous with! This dish comes from Ina Garten's new cookbook, How Easy Is That?   What an appropriate title...don't ya think?  I've always loved Ina's fresh approach to old favorites.  I use her recipes often, and this couscous recipe is something I'll be coming back to all the time. The toasted pine nuts add such a wonderful flavor...nutty, fragrant, and delicious!  I know that pine nuts can be a little expensive, so I can picture any nut making a good substitute.  Perhaps toasted pecans or almonds? Bon Appetit!*** Couscous with Toasted Pine Nuts Source:  How Easy Is That?   by Ina Garten   Ingredients: 2 tablespoons unsalted butter ...

On Wednesday, April 27th, an outbreak of deadly tornadoes hit the state of Alabama.  These horrific storms have killed at least 250 people in my state of Alabama alone.  I feel so incredibly blessed and lucky to have survived these storms with my house fully intact.  I was in Tuscaloosa, AL all day long on the day the mile-wide tornado came through.  I watched it approach Tuscaloosa LIVE on TV...I will absolutely never forget that sight.  I beat the storm only by about 1-2 hours.  As it approached, I had a sick feeling in my stomach and tears in my eyes.  Watching a monster that big approach a city, you know that there will inevitably be casualties.  All you can do at that point is pray that those families get out of the path of destruction in time.  Words just simply cannot describe watching that horror unfold. Once it finished it's devastating path through Tuscaloosa, our local weather station announced that it was then headed straight...