Breaking Bread

I know, you might be confusing yourself and thinking this is the Betty Crocker website. 

Nope, it's just me.

Pretending to be Betty.

Pretty convincing, yes?

Well if you've been around these parts for a long time now {God bless you if you have}, you know that recipe posts on this little space of mine have been few and far between. I'm usually in the group that prefers to have people who know what they're doing prepare my meals. 

Up until about a year ago. Then I decided to give the cooking thing a try in an attempt to stop being so wasteful spending money on going out for every meal and also to try to live a healthier lifestyle. 

I found this recipe from The Comfort of Cooking on Pinterest a few weeks ago, and thought I'd give it a whirl with my big kid kitchen accessories.

Side note: what is it about pastel colored Kitchen Aid mixers that makes you feel like an unstoppable force in the kitchen? I have no idea either. But it sure makes my inner domestic goddess' ego shine.

So one Saturday, I surprised even myself and whipped out a beautiful loaf of bread that left that incredible fresh bread smell wafting through my kitchen for a few days. You all, it even tasted good. Like made me never want to buy a loaf of bread from the grocery store {ever} again kind of good. The one thing about this recipe I would have done differently is add just a wee bit less salt. But otherwise, oatmeal wheat bread perfection, if I do say so myself.

Making Martha proud since 2014. I knew I'd grow a few domestic skills eventually. Maybe by 30 I'll be able to sew a button on a shirt.

From the Old Country

 I've found heaven.

In the right-off-the-boat-from-Italy kind of way.

I first heard of DiFiore Pasta Company from my mother who knew the wife of the owner in high school. She was always posting scrumptious sounding Italian delicacies on Facebook, and each week, my mother and I would look through the mouthwatering pictures and declare that we have to make a trip down to Hartford ASAP. So {finally}, after months of saying we were going to investigate, we finally made our way down to the Italian heartland of Hartford. Y'all, this place is what Italian dreams are made of.

For starters, they have a vinegar and olive oil bar. Hello, people. That fact alone sold me. I could have been happy having the nice people working there filling bottle after bottle of olive oil for me.

Not to mention the freezers full of homemade ravioli, tortellini and stuffed shells that were filled with mouthwatering ingrediants such as buffalo chicken, lobster, and sausage, onions and peppers. Oh and if you are a cheese addict like me, the piles of mozzarella and pepperoncino asiago might make you weep.

Pasta: Very well may be some of the best I've ever had. Even compared to meals I had in Italy. Although frozen, the quality of the pasta and ingredients is noticeable when you take the first bite. Let's just say I don't ever want to go back to the regular store bought pasta again.

Sauce: Wonderful. I had the puttanesca and pesto sauces and fell completely in love with them both. Can't wait to get my hands on some of their others.

EVOO/Vinegar: I took home a raspberry balsamic vinegar and rosemary infused olive oil. I'm almost out of both after only a month and a half {which obviously means I have to make another trip. Stat. Soooooo delicious, I could just dip a loaf of bread in both for every meal and be satisfied.

Bottom line: If you ever find yourself in Connecticut,  DiFiore, its worth the visit.