I love to cook.  In fact, when I was a little girl, it was my dream to own a restaurant.  I even received a partial scholarship to Johnson and Wales Culinary Academy.  My parents talked me into attending a  “normal” four-year University (thank you Mom and Dad), on the condition that if I still had the burning desire, they would send me to culinary school in Italy after graduation.

After working in various eateries throughout college, the dream became less and less appealing.  They sexiness of owning a restaurant was overshadowed by the seven-day schedule, long nights, and various personnel issues.  Luckily, before my mom passed away, we were able to enjoy a week at Casa Ombuto Culinary School in Tuscany.  This is a memory that I will have for a lifetime, and one that I would like to someday share with my girls.

So, for now I try to enjoy cooking at home.  As my husband will tell you, it doesn’t happen nearly as much as any of us would like, but with two kids, a full time job, a husband and this little blog I hardly have time to order take out.  When I do have the opportunity to cook, or when we have guests over I love looking for new ideas.  I recently stumbled upon La Cucina Italiana— and I was so excited to share it with all of you.    Here were some favorites:

Roasted Lamb (How perfect is this for Easter???)