Bake + Cook = Love to Entertain

My name is Theresa. I'm a wife and mother of two sons 20 and 23 years. My father Leonardo is of Italian descent and his mother Nonna Josephine was a wonderful cook and baker. I had the privilege of being brought up with her Italian food and baked goods. I have always had an interest in learning to bake, especial the Italian biscotti, cookies, crostata, canolli and cakes my Nonna made. When my children were in school full-time, I got an opportunity to bake with my Nonna in my friend's Italian restaurant for 2 years. She taught me the old fashion Italian way..."a little this, a little that!" My biggest challenge was getting the correct measurement of ingredients for each recipe we baked. She kept those secrets in her head! I soon started a little catering business out of the restaurant and called it "La Nonnas". We specialized in Italian desserts. I catered for the restaurant we baked at, other restaurants, holidays, weddings, birthdays, bar and bat mitzvahs. We baked and packed decorative cookie tin gifts for Pharmaceutical Companies, Doctors, hostess gifts, you name it...we were busy. I was soon approached to open a bakery. And we had La Nonnas Bakery for two years. It was a busy, wonderful time for me and I learned my strengths and weaknesses. I'm creative and a skilled good baker, but wasn't a great manager. I probably would be today, but was not then. I still have customers that I bake for and keep in touch with. I bake for the holidays, family and for my friends. I'm still approached with business opportunities, but I decline each one. I think blogging is a great avenue to share my Italian desserts/food and family traditions. I will be blogging with friends. We will be posting our baked goods, food preparation, artistic cakes, entertainment ideas. My blogs focus will be on "Tradition" and keeping it alive through the history of the recipes and pictures you see. Keeping tradition alive through food, keeps our loved ones alive. When I bake one of my Nonna Josephine's biscotti recipe...she comes alive in my head. I hear her correcting (and yelling) at me...and I remember her proud look when I accomplished some of her difficult recipes and made them just like her!