Palmabella's Passions

Christmas has always been my favorite holiday. I usually go WAY overboard with 5 Christmas trees, every room decorated (that includes two guest rooms, all the baths, and the casita where I see my clients), cards and a holiday poem, thousands of cookies and candies, dinners, and LOTS of presents (both mailed and under the trees). Last year I wrapped 88 gifts. I obviously also shopped for those gifts. That is pretty over-the top for people with no parents, siblings or kids!

This year, while we are not completely skipping Christmas, we are simplifying and reducing the excess from our holiday. There will be no gifts, no cards, ONE tree (the Italy tree), and I will still bake to my heart's content! That is my favorite part of December! Friends may get homemade goodies, but no commercial gifts are changing hands. We don't need a thing, and neither do our friends. All of my friends, except one, have agreed to no exchanging of gifts. I will have time to do something I've always wanted to do as a Christmas project (more on that later). We are "adopting" a family through a local charity, and providing a young family with food, clothing, and a few toys and holiday stockings to give them what they could otherwise not afford.

We have been invited to spend Christmas with several special people, but we are going to do something different there too. We're not quite sure what yet.I had hoped to spend Christmas in Rome this year, but that will have to wait for another holiday season. I am looking forward to a relaxed, stress-free month ahead.

I needed to bring a dessert to work on Wednesday to celebrate two of my interns passing their licensing exams. Licensed Marriage Family Therapists and Licensed Clinical Social Workers jump through MANY hoops during their preparation for licensing! After a Masters degree, they need 3000 hours signed off under supervision (that's me), and THEN they prepare for two grueling exams. All of this takes YEARS while they are paid a pittance.

Congratulations to Alicia for passing her second exam. She is now a full fledged LMFT. She still meets with me while the Board of Behavioral Sciences processes her FEES and send her a real license in the mail with her license number! Paulina is on the social worker tract, and just passed her first test. We call her a "LC", which is half way to LCSW!

I decided to bake an Italian Apple Tart from Dolce Italiano by Gina DePalma. This is a fabulous fall dessert with a pastry crust, apples, a custard-like filling, and a crumbly topping.

It is a real winner! If you don't already have a copy of Dolce Italiano, go get one NOW!

First, let me say how crazy it made me that our host website was having tech difficulties, so I have not been able to blog for three days. To those who called, concerned that I had died or was in the hospital, it was just a website problem, so thanks for your concern. Ever the loyal blogger, I will go back and post what I had planned for the missing days!

Last week we had a busy weekend with friends. Pam and Carroll kicked off the season with a "Welcome Back" Party last Thursday evening. Welcome back from WHAT, you ask? Every November is when the "snowbirds" return to the desert for "season". They typically have another home is a cooler or snowy or rainy location, and spend winter and early spring in Palm Desert, La Quinta, Rancho Mirage, Indian Wells, or Palm Springs (all within 30 miles). This return from November to April or May is both good and bad for those of us who are "year-rounders". While we are able to deal with the heat of the summer, and most of us schedule our vacation sometime from May through September when it is HOT, we do enjoy the lack of crowds, traffic, and being able to walk into restaurants without reservations most nights. The change is dramatic! The city of Palm Desert alone, goes from 32,000 residents in the summer to 82,000 during "season"! The same trend is true for the rest of the valley cities, which tend to double from November to May!

Pam and Carroll started things off with a lovely cocktail party with fabulous entertainment. Marilyn and Randy of Rodeo Drive Music, sang from 4-&:30 while we enjoyed cocktails and appetizers. Then we all moved to Tea House Wine Bar for a delicious dinner! Pam and Carroll are gracious hosts who arranged every detail for a memorable evening!

Friday and Saturday, we spend with our old friends, Lynn and Gary from Carmel. I met them 20 years ago when we all lived in San Carlos. We have spent some delightful weekends visiting their Carmel home, and they have been to the desert a coupe times over the years. This week, Gary joined his golf buddies for a week of golf, and Lynn flew in for the weekend. We had lots of fun catching up on our lives, and planning a spring weekend in Carmel!

Sunday, we went out for burgers and beer with Jan and Les. It was quite a social weekend!

I haven't cooked for days! I need to get back to my kitchen!

This wonderful recipe is from Fine Cooking: Sweet Cakes.
Since we seemed to be on a roll with ginger this week, I decided to try this no-bake dessert. It is creamy, and delicious with bits of candied ginger.

12 oz. gingersnap crumbs (about 2 1/4 c.)
5 T. unsalted butter, melted (I reduced this)
8 oz. cream cheese at room temp
1/2 c. plain low-fat yogurt (I used light sour cream)
2/3 c. sugar
1/2 t. vanilla
1/2 c. minced candied ginger
1 lb. marscapone cheese
1/3 c. heavy cream

Spray a 9" springform pan. Dust pan with a little sugar, and knock out any excess.
Combine gingersnap crumbs with melted butter. Sprinkle half of crumbs in bottom of pan, and pat down evenly.

With an electric mixer, beat cream cheese, yogurt, sugar, vanilla, and candied ginger until smooth. Scrap down sides of bowl. Add marscapone and cream, and beat until mixture is thoroughly combined (don't over beat).

Carefully spoon half the mixture over gingersnap crust. Sprinkle half the remaining crumbs evenly over marscapone cream in pan. Top with remaining marscapone mixture, and finish with remaining crumbs. Gently tap pan on counter to eliminate any air bubbles. Cover with plastic wrap, and chill overnight.

Run a thin knife around edge, and remove springform. Cut into slices and serve.

It is official! I'll be back in Bologna the end of May 2010. I am booked for three weeks of private Italian language classes. I will be in an apartment in a city I love that has fabulous food. Since Brad will not be with me, there will be no excuses for speaking English. I will be forced to put my skills to use, and have daily lessons and practice. I better start NOW, reviewing what I do know!

Brad and I will return later in the year for our vacation to Italy.