It is that wonderful time of year again. The time when the weather is cooling off, and I can bake to my heart’s content to warm the house and our bellies. There is nothing I love eating more than a fresh baked slice (or two) of bread. Just the smell of freshly baking bread brings so much joy and comfort.

Today, I am partnering with Barilla and Mom’s Meet to share a recipe that I created in the autumn kitchen. I made some pesto swirl bread to go with a pasta dish, and four out of five members of my family LOVED it. One is… well, super picky. She liked it alright, but didn’t love it and go back for more. So, take that as you’d like. My husband, who was honestly really unsure of how good it would be, LOVED it. As Rachel Ray would say, here is our cast of characters:

I am going to share the recipe right here, and then move on to some step by step pictures and information. You are welcome.

Here are some of my best bread baking tips. The temperature of your water will make or break your yeast. Too hot, and it will kill your yeast. Too cool and it will not activate. Think of a warm bath. What temperature of bath water would you draw for your children? You want it warm, but not hot. That is the ticket. Once you’ve combined your water, yeast, and honey/sugar, it should get foamy. If it isn’t foamy after 15 minutes, throw it out and start over. It’s better to throw out those ingredients than so many more if your bread doesn’t rise. It also saves you a lot of frustration. If you have a drafty, old kitchen (just me?) that isn’t warm enough for bread to rise, turn your oven light on and place your bowl inside. This will create just enough warmth for your dough to be nice and cozy. Just don’t forget and preheat the oven with it inside.

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I know, it does not look very appetizing. Stick with me here. Spread your Creamy Genovese pesto evenly on the rolled out bread and start rolling it up. My father-in-law once told me that he was always amazed at how some of the grossest looking foods could be the best tasting. He was eating green chili chicken enchiladas that I made. He wasn’t wrong.

Make sure you keep all of the edges all tucked to the bottom so that it will not come undone. Fold all of the edges under and pinch them closed the best that you can.

Here is the delicious bread after baking. It smells so good. I wish you could scratch and sniff. You are welcome to try, but I don’t think it will work.

I like to remove my bread from all baking pans after it has cooled for about five minutes. If you leave it in, the bread can get really moist and end up gummy and gross. Pop it out onto a cooling rack or wooden cutting board and cover it with a towel. You can wrap the towel around it completely if you want to keep the bread really soft.

Roll that beautiful swirl footage.

We ate this bread as is– just warm and fresh from the oven. It would also be delicious with some butter and garlic toasted in the oven. A creamy pesto swirl garlic bread? Yum.

Barilla Creamy Genovese Pesto is ready to be consumed right from the jar. You don’t have to heat it up at all. You can stir it into fresh pasta, spread it onto sandwiches or toast, marinate meats and vegetables, and use as a dip for veggies and pita chips. It is so versatile.

Barilla respects the ingredients. It is imported from Parma, Italy. To preserve the color fo the basil and the aroma of the Italian Cheese, Barilla minimizes the handling of ingredients. It is prepared in as little as three hours from start to finish– from ingredient preparation to tightening on the lid. That is awesome.

Just a little of the pest goes a long way. One jar mixes best with 16 ounces of pasta. (Get the cute little mini bowties!) How fun would this be on spaghetti for halloween with olive eyeballs in your green pesto pasta?!

You can buy Barilla Creamy Genovese Pesto at Target, Publix, Stop & Shop, Meijer, ShopRite, Hy-Vee, Albertsons, Safeway, Vons, and more. Visit momsmeet.link/barillalocate to find a store near you.

Did you know that pesto is usually bought and used in the same day? Sixty-six percent of shoppers consume pesto within three hours of purchasing it. It is so easy to stir into some pasta, serve with some salad and voila! You have a meal.

If you try this bread, be sure to come back and tell me what you think!

Happy Baking!

Olive Oil is one of my favorite cooking oils. Ten and a half years ago, my dad underwent open heart surgery. His cardiologist said that his children needed to be proactive NOW so that we can take care of our bodies and try to keep from getting heart disease. I immediately started looking into what I was eating. I was using really unhealthy oils to cook with, and that is where I started first. Olive oil became my new go-to for cooking. Not only is it so good for us, but it is also so delicious. I was happy to make that switch!

When I was given the chance to try this 100% Italian extra virgin olive oil from flavor your life, I jumped at it. “The Flavor Your Life campaign aims to educate North American consumers about authentic Extra Virgin Olive. We are debunking misconceptions while empowering consumers – and sharing the delicious culinary culture that’s been growing for untold generations.” This quote was taken directly from flavor-your-life.com . This is a mission I can get behind!

Extra Virgin Olive Oil is a cold pressed oil, which allows the nutrition to stay true. Other oils are pressed using heat or chemicals, which is certainly not ideal. It has less than 1% acidity, which is excellent for heartburn sufferers such as me. Probably the best of all is that extra virgin olive oil has a high smoking point. That means you can use it in virtually anything from a salad dressing to baking. It is so much more versatile than one would think. The trick for keeping your 100% Italian extra virgin olive oil pure and delicious is to store it in a cool, dark place when you aren’t cooking or creating with it. I have a small cabinet where I store all of my cooking oils to keep them at optimum flavor.

So, why European? This is 100% Italian extra virgin olive oil. Olive trees have been held high in Europe for centuries. Aristotle wrote about olive trees in the Athenian Constitution in 300 BC. That is thousands of years for olive trees to be loved and cared for. The farmers have evolved hundreds of varieties of olive trees. They know the best way to grow olives for the highest and most delicious yield.

The specific extra virgin olive oil I tried is Le Stogioni d’Italia, which means “Seasons of Italy”. The name represents the connection of land and nature, which are the heart of their entire business. Knowing that this company has great respect for their farmers makes me want to be a lifelong customer. Supporting farmers is something that I am all about. They have a completely traceable supply chain, which is incredible sustainability. That is something that many of us have a goal of being–sustainable. It is harvested in Italy. It is gluten free, vegan, and has no additives or preservatives. Hallelujah! Amen. It has a really robust flavor, which I am a huge fan of. I love flavorful olive oils. One 500 mL bottle typically retails for $19.99.

I am going to share a bit of a different recipe for 100% Italian extra virgin olive oil. When I first started brainstorming what I was going to create, I thought PASTA! I. Love. Pasta. If you haven’t gathered my love of carbs from my other blog posts about food, you haven’t been around long enough. But, then my mind went elsewhere. Story time.

After Scott (my husband, for those who don’t know) and I had our first baby, we didn’t go on a date for quite some time. Scott knew that my parents were going to be in town, so he asked them if they would baby sit. They, obviously, said yes. So, we got into the car, and I tried not to cry all the way to the restaurant. Leaving your first baby is HARD. He had done his research and found this beautiful Italian restaurant for us, knowing that pasta is my favorite food and I find it so romantic. We ordered, and the waiter brought out a loaf of warm crusty bread and dishes of herbed olive oil to dip the bread in. I was on cloud nine.

I decided to create an herbed 100% Italian extra virgin olive oil to share it with you all today. I cannot compare it to that dish from the restaurant– which I am still convinced had some sort of magic contained inside because I cannot get anywhere close to it. I sure do try. But, I did create a pretty delicious dip with a bit of a kick to it. I really wanted this 100% Italian extra virgin olive oil to be the star. If you haven’t tried something like this, I invite you to give it a try and fall in love with the flavor beautiful oil.

For this recipe you will need:

1/2 cup 100% Italian Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 teaspoon of rosemary
1/2 teaspoon of oregano
1 large clove of garlic
1 pinch of salt

Combine all of your ingredients into a mason jar and shake it up. You can start dipping right away, but I recommend letting it sit for at least 4 hours so that the flavors really meld together. The more crusty the bread, the better! I’ve actually dipped soft bread sticks into this and loved it also. I just love this appetizer any way. It would also make a delicious marinade for chicken. I do want to say that a fresh clove of garlic does add quite a bit of spice. If you do not like a lot of heat from spicy things, I suggest omitting the crushed red pepper.

If you are looking for more recipes for using 100% Italian extra virgin olive oil, you can go to the Flavor Your Life website to be inspired. This olive oil and apple cake is on my list to try.

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