It doesn't get much better than pasta and cranberry desserts......

Tagliatelle with bolognese sauce......tagliatelle, this fantastic, broad egg pasta, much better than plain ol fettucine. The sauce was originally a recipe from Food & Drink magazine, however I have altered it to a certain extent. Now the additions of thyme and pesto may not be authentic to some, we loved the finished result. It was a very soul-satisfying meal, and the kids could not get enough of the pasta. Not a noodle remained in the end....

Tagliatelle with Bologese Sauce

½ cup dried porcini mushrooms

1 cup boiling water

One 796 mL can tomato puree or sauce

¼ cup olive oil

1 cup finely chopped onion

½ cup finely chopped carrots

½ cup finely chopped celery

1 tsp chopped garlic

1 tsp dried thyme

12 oz (375 g) ground beef

12 oz.(375 g) ground pork

Salt and freshly ground pepper

½ cup red wine

1 cup beef stock

1 tbsp tomato paste

¼ cup whipping cream

Pinch nutmeg

1 lb tagliatelle

½ cup grated parmigiano Reggiano

1/4 pesto

1. Soak mushrooms in boiling water for 20 minutes. Strain and reserve mushrooms and liquid separately. Finely chop porcini mushrooms and reserve.

2. Heat oil in a large sauté pan over medium-low heat. Add onions, carrots and celery and cook gently for 10 minutes or until vegetables are very soft and beginning to brown. Stir in garlic and parsley and cook for 3 minutes more.

3. Add beef and pork and sauté until meat looses its pinkness, about 5 minutes. Add reserved mushrooms and season with salt and pepper. Add wine and boil until wine is mostly evaporated and mixture is saucy. Stir in stock, mushroom soaking water, tomato paste and tomato sauce.

4. Bring to boil, reduce heat to low and cover. Simmer for 1 hour. Re-season and add whipping cream, pesto and nutmeg. Simmer, covered, for 10 minutes longer or until flavours are combined.

5. While sauce is cooking add tagliatelle to a large pot of boiling salted water and boil for 5 minutes or until tagliatelle is al dente. Drain well.

Cranberry streusel frangipane

This was fantastic dessert I tried out last night. It sounded so amazing, I could not resist. As with every single recipe I make, I modify, modify, modify until it suits me. I changed little with this beauty from Taste mag, it is divine served warm with whipped cream.....the kids ate the whole thing save two skinny slices for Dave and I.....cranberry bliss.....

Massively good food, so naturally I found that my double workout was truly in order several days this week to compensate. Run 40 minutes plus 30 minutes pilates....I ache from those, but my core has suffered over the holidays. I always fear my cooking will fall by the wayside and that true gourmet fails to exist when trying to eat healthfully, however, this weekend on my brunch mission I came up with a muffin recipe which is truly the best of both worlds.....I think this is my best yet. I was inspired by Little Bear of all things, Josh, Lauryn and I snuggled on the bed while the rain poured outside, watching Little Bear and Emily attempt their own cupcake recipe....fruit, nuts, a sardine.....and can you believe they did not turn out? But Mother Bear then baked a batch which i swear I knew exactly how they tasted just by watching her, and I wanted to duplicate that taste. They were spot on. My instincts did not fail me, and once again I wish I lived next door to little bear.

Now if the rain will just ease to a mist, I will go run along the water....more pictures to come....

A beach in Malibu....it is not as warm here right now obviously, but its just as beautiful...I love the ocean being just a short walk from my home....