Need an easy, cheap and good cookie recipe? This cream cheese cookies recipe is right for you (HM)

Easy, cheap and good cookies recipe?!? Yes, it's possible and that's exactly what this post is all about! I have been back in the US since last Tuesday and I really really really wanted to do something yummy to restore my Happy Monday (HM) tradition. However, I'm also not back in full baking mode yet and over the weekend I had to make the June Daring Bakers' Challenge, which already took a lot of time. I wanted something good and quick for my Monday morning. A simple treat! 

The Daring Bakers' Challenge June 2010: Pavlova

The June 2010 Daring Bakers' Challenge was hosted by Dawn of Doable and Delicious. Dawn challenged the Daring Bakers to make Chocolate Pavlovas and Chocolate Mascarpone Mousse. The challenge recipe is based on a recipe from the book Chocolate Epiphany by  Francois Payard. 

I was very happy when I read about this challenge because I have never made Pavlova before. I like the fact that the Daring Bakers' Challenges always make me do some dessert that I've never experimented with before! The two downsides of this challenge were that neither Wally nor I like meringues (and the base of the Pavlova is a big meringue!) and that I was going to be in Italy most of the month. In other words, I knew I was going to make the Pavlova at the very last minute and I usually don't like rushing through new things. 

Carrot Cookies from my Mom's Recipes Notebook

These are my last three days of my vacation in Italy and the weather is definitely not on my side. I went to the seaside with my mom for three days and we had some sun but but today it's pouring! And the forecast for the last two days of my visit is not more encouraging.

Greetings from Italy! (part 2)

Oh yes, I'm still in Italy! Wally stayed for 12 days but I will be staying for another week from today. Our holiday/honey moon was wonderful. We had a blast both in Verona with my family as well as in Florence and Tuscany. I did my undergraduate in Florence, so I know the city pretty well. However, it changed a lot in the four years I haven't been there. It was lovely going back with my  husband, walking around the city without the rush I used to have during my studying/working years. We also took a couple of trips outside the city of course to get immersed in the Tuscan countryside, which, as always, is stunning!

Greetings from Italy!

Wally and I are finally in Italy! This is practically our honeymoon :)

We left on Thursday and we arrived in Milan on Friday. We spent the day in Milan and then we headed to Verona, where my family lives. On Sunday we went to the house of my brother girlfriend's dad (phew! long connections) where some of the people from the valley made the cheese in the morning and all the guests eat the cheese in the afternoon. The cheese, and the polenta, and the salami, and the rice, and sooooo many more delicious things. But above all typical Italian desserts. I finally got to eat the patries and cakes I grew up with again. Yummy!

Here are a few pictures...just to make everybody envious :)

Cannolo...my favourite Italian pastry.