For some reason this year I’m already in the holiday spirit and it’s not even Thanksgiving time yet! I’m just counting down the days until I can throw my Christmas tree up! Today I even made my Christmas card list! Anyway – the point is – I’m already craving the turkey and cranberry sauce and roasted veggies…. mmm! Since my craving is a biiiit premature I decided to create something that isn’t exactly turkey dinner – but it sure hits the spot. And to give it a twist, I substituted crust for gnocchi!

As I write this – I’m stranded at Bradley International in Hartford, Connecticut. Thank god for wireless internet. I came home for the weekend to see my mom – and let me tell you – it is officially my favorite time of the year!! It really doesn’t feel like it down in Miami but the leaves are falling, scarfs are necessary and Christmas music is playing in the stores! Fa la la la la… la la la laaaa.

Here’s a great recipe for you to bring into the office to get extra brownie points for your end of the year bonus (haha), make for a holiday party, wrap up and give to the neighbors, bribe someone with… or just eat by yourself with a fork and gallon of milk.

Carol Phillips is the President of her consulting firm, Brand Amplitude, LLC, adjunct professor of Marketing at The University of Notre Dame and all around awesome woman for trying to get into our heads and see what makes our generation tick.  She recently wrote a blog post on her website about how millennial woman (Gen Y) are so interactive in social media and web content creation that our recommendations/trendspotting efforts/opinions actually have a disproportionate amount of clout in the blogosphere.  One study by MRI actually says the Gen Y women even …

Do you ever come home from a long day at work and not know exaaaactly what to cook but you know that you want something that tastes somewhere between white truffle macaroni & cheese and basmati rice?  Anyone?  Anyone?  Alright – so maybe that’s a unique craving… but in any case – this recipe really hits the spot and is a perfect side to almost any dish.  It’s so flavorful that I’ve made it as a meal by itself on many occasions.

2 tablespoons EVOO (or just a big drizzle)
1 cup dry orzo
1.5 – 2 cups low …

Gnocchi was always a bit of a mystery to me. I ordered it in restaurants and just stared at it like some great culinary feat that I was too intimidated to try. Never before had I Googled some thing so seemingly simple (directions = BOIL) and gotten so many different results. I gave up after a few lunchtime Google sessions…. until a few weeks ago.
I was browsing through the grocery aisles talking to my best friend on the phone when I came face to face with a …