Verão! Verão! I have been saying the same words over and over to my husband lately!  He gives me a gentle look and a warm smile every time. Of course he knows me too well, to know that I am terribly missing Brazil this time a year. Summer has  begun there and winter is in full…

How close these homemade Larabars are to the real ones? Well, let me tell you what I have discovered. On a recent 4 day road trip to Arizona I had to pack quickly and found myself a little unprepared when planning our meal choices for the journey. I am usually very conscious about what to eat…

A good sun light was all I needed to take a few pictures of this new recipe I was reviewing the other day. I can’t quite understand Colorado weather, and I find it difficult to predict. “Be prepared to have all seasons in one day”, someone said to me, and I did not know what to…

I wanted to make my own jam for quite some time, and probably spent too much time thinking about it, and never actually did anything. I could not understand why I was so intimidated about making jam. The other day while looking at this adorable recipe book about rustic desserts, I may have found my…

The advantages of cold weather are great but my longing for warmer days to come are greater. A few winters ago, my boys tried to convince me that pajamas are  the best choice of clothes for winter. They gave me very good arguments to prove their point and to incorporate that idea  in our household…

People in my house get very excited when they see me opening a can of sweet condensed milk. The first thing my two boys ask me is: “Are you making brigadeiros today?”. In case you have no idea what I am talking about It’s okay, keep reading and you  will learn about this sweet little treat that has a big place in…

Some say that Feijoada is the National Symbol of Brazilian Cuisine. This dish breathes culture, flavor and colors of Brazil. The story I grew up hearing about Feijoada was a good one. African slaves with their amazing creativity and little resources use the scraps of pork and bovine meat, parts that the European masters would…

Last week I walked through my local grocery store, and finally found a deliciously looking selection of  tropical fruits, pineapples, papayas, mangoes, plantains and more. Even though our selections of tropical fruits here in America are limited and most of them comes from another country, I am very grateful with what I can find. Growing up in…

I had to introduce these delicious treats to my children in a very early age. If you are a Brazilian or have visited Brazil enough times, you know what I mean. Brigadeiros are part of the culture in Brazil. They are the icon of every birthday party and more important than the birthday cake itself. There is…