Get the latest recipes from Suestonebender http://www.grouprecipes.com/people/suestonebender This is one of my favourite ways to chase the winter cold out of my kitchen and warm it with the heady aroma of figs and exotic places. The fig sauce is my own creation, so if it's not yummy, fire me ~laughs~ http://www.grouprecipes.com/46375/tuscany-roasted-fig-sauce-over-chicken-breasts.html I have Grave's Disease. It's an incurable condition that attacks many organs, most notably your thyroid and often your eyes. Since having radiation therapy to kill my thyroid a little more than a year ago, I've suffered a steady decline in my eyesight. Macular degeneration is something I knew I was at risk of, because the rogue antibody in my blood continues to attack other organs. I'm keenly aware of the effects that my diet has on many things, and try to prepare meals that are not only comfort food but system boosters. There's a growing body of evidence to suggest that the lutein in spinach actually helps prevent cataracts, and can both prevent and even improve macular degeneration. I have to be careful, because I'm on blood thinners for another side-effect of Grave's Disease, that being blood clots. Spinach and other dark green leafy vegetables are high in vitamin K, which thickens the blood and can counteract the effects of Coumadin and thinners. The trick is not to avoid these wonderful vegetables, but to be consistent in the amounts you consume, so I try to include spinach in my pasta sauces and other entrées in order to keep the balance right. Besides being the stuff that Popeye legends are made of and that spawn kids' culinary nightmares, spinach is a delicious, earthy vegetable that makes wonderful comfort food foundations. This recipe is one of my favourites. I love a nice hearty rustic meal, and the roasted potatoes, eggs and cheese makes this so earthy! Hope you enjoy it as much as I do ... http://www.grouprecipes.com/45117/winter-spinach-potato-casserole.html From our Valentine's Day Tryst newsletter {February 8, 2008] My mum was everything good about the sterotypical woman in the kitchen sharing love through the palette. The night before Valentine's Day she would make a big batch of homemade shortbread cookies and cover them with pink icing, pressing a cinnamon heart into the middle of each, sending my brothers and I off to school with dozens upon dozens for our classes. In the morning she would make cinnamon rolls and shape them like hearts. I have an absolute weakness for Cinnabons because they remind me so much of my mum's cinnamon rolls, and cannot walk by those shops without stopping to getting one to share. While my mum's not with me any longer, I've only to make a pan of these and sit down with a cup of tea made with the chocolate mint leaves she grew in her garden, and she's right there with me again. Because a lot of us have busy work lives during the day, I'm including my "cheater" notes for those who wish to use their breadmaker to make the dough creation a bit simpler. A dozen of these will let you share the love without murdering your wallet quite the same way that the Cinnabon's do. From my kitchen to your's, full of that good old fashioned kinda lovin' from mum ... http://www.grouprecipes.com/45112/heartshaped-cinnabon-rolls.html This is heaven on a plate: an exquisite lemon desert on fine pastry sprinkled with confectioners sugar. Culinary orgasm. http://www.grouprecipes.com/45058/torta-della-nonna.html Mrs. Rob gave my mother this wonderful pastry recipe when she was first married back in the 1950's. It's one of our family heirlooms, having past through 2 more generations since it was first handed down, and having come through generations before that. It's great with a double crust apple pie, mile high peach pie, or two homemade chocolate or butterscotch pies. Some people will tell you to only use cold or ice cold water in a pastry recipe, or the dough will get tough. However, the boiling water used in this recipe has led to nothing but the finest flakey pastry you've ever tasted. [makes 2 crusts] * See my Rustic Harvest Apple Pie Recipe for something decadent and comforting to wrap this around. http://www.grouprecipes.com/45032/flakey-pie-crust-pasty.html My family hails from Waterloo County, with a rich German Mennonite history, and some of the most delicious food you've ever tasted in your life. One of our family's favourite comfort foods was the homemade apple pie that my mother used to bake for Sunday dinner after church each week. Her recipe came straight from a Mennonite favourite, and continues to be passed down in our family. This pie was especially good when it was made out of the apples we helped pick during one of our annual fall outings to a local orchard. There's nothing better than picking a crisp, fall day to make a family trip to the orchard and pick a bushel of Macintosh apples together. It's a great way to reconnect with your kids. (No batteries required.) Wonderful when served with a dolop of french vanilla ice cream, or a slice of old Canadian cheddar cheese. http://www.grouprecipes.com/45030/rustic-harvest-apple-pie.html