Holiday/8 recipes

This Christmas pudding has plenty of delicious fruit and nuts, but it's really simple to make - just plan ahead and then make the warm vanilla-bean custard on the day.

Buttermilk Christmas Pudding recipe

Nothing is better than a warm pumpkin soup at your Thanksgiving menu.

Turkey topped with creamy fresh Chavrie and tangy, sweet cranberries. Just perfect for Thanksgiving!

Very tasty indeed! Super quick and easy to prepare yet somewhat sophisticated and rich tasting. A wedge of lemon went nicely with the quesadillas.

This colorful chutney is a wonderful rendition, particularly during the holiday season. You can store the finished product in the refrigerator for 2-3 weeks. Many thanks to AquaExerciser friend, Lorelyn, for sharing this delicious concoction!!

A basic pie crust recipe for sweet pies.

This refreshing drink packs a punch!

Pumpkin Cake recipe

An Italian Christmas is not complete without this high-domed cylinder of fruit-studded sweet bread.

Sweet-juicy watermelon cubes, peppery arugula leaves, salty and creamy feta cheese are tossed with a light balsamic-olive oil vinaigrette. A great summer salad that adds some refresh-ness to your BBQ.

A delicious recipe for the perfect Thanksgiving dinner.

Eat heartily, accompanied by much loud Italian conversation. In fact, I typed this accompanied by much loud Italian conversation. My parents were here, and both were shouting instructions over my shoulder. They disagreed about the arrangement of the lettuce - my mother said that the hole in the middle of the platter was necessary; my father insisted that it wasn't, saying you can just dump the tuna on top of the lettuce. I finally had to give up on this reply until they went home. So now, in the peace and quiet of the aftermath, I've finished it. Hope you had a wonderful holiday.

Easy and delicious chicken wraps are packed with goodness and yumminess.

A simple salad with big health credentials: avocados are an excellent source of good fats, and more recently have been shown to also inhibit inflammation when eaten in combination with foods that typically trigger it. They are also a rich source of potassium (which balances sodium to keep blood pressure levels stable) and vitamin E, an important antioxidant.

Have these delicious yet healthy whole wheat pancakes for breakfast, topped with maple candies pecans, fresh pineapples and kiwi fruit.