I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving! What made ours even warmer was the gorgeous weather in Charlotte. It felt like spring time! This was a very special Thanksgiving because my parents and sister and her family all relocated to Charlotte earlier this year. We had a great potluck spread and my sister hosted. [...]

There was a time when extra overripe bananas meant the pleasure or pressure to bake. Once I made the banana ice scream recipe from the Vitamix cookbook, I realized that bananas were just as useful frozen as any other frozen fruit. This is an easy way to preserve those spare bananas without them sticking together! [...]

The North End neighborhood of Boston is the city’s oldest residential area. It is famous for Italian eateries. I don’t know that you can go wrong with any of them! The salads and pastas were authentic and rich at this establishment. La Galleria 33 http://lagalleria33.com 125 Salem St. Boston, MA 02113 (617)723-7233