The Glory of Homegrown Arugula

We've been enjoying our 'crop' of arugula for several weeks now. It is an indescribable pleasure to walk out of your house, snip greens that you grew from seed and dress them simply with good olive oil and balsamic. Not to mention the incredible taste.

Celebrate Our Flag - With Flag Cake!

My annual Flag Cake tradition continues. This glorious sheet cake, decorated like the American Flag (or a creative interpretation thereof), is easy to make and a great addition to the Fourth of July festivities. Adapted from Ina Garten's recipe in The Barefoot Contessa Family Style (Clarkson Potter/Publishers 2002), this is a sour cream white cake batter, topped with incredibly decadent (and thick) cream cheese frosting. But hey, there's fruit, so that's healthy! Actual size - 18x12x1-1/2.