Afternoon tea shower

Today I'm sharing some information for hosting the most darling afternoon tea shower! At the beginning of the month another neighbor and I hosted a baby shower for yet another neighbor. We decided to host afternoon tea and enjoy each other's fellowship along with a fun shower activity. All the details are below!

We hosted the shower at two o'clock in the afternoon. This allowed us to provide an array of savory and sweet tidbits but not have to worry about anything too heavy. This works perfectly for a tea spread! Our savory items included pimento cheese and crackers, chicken salad cups, and cucumber sandwiches. The sweet items included mini vanilla cupcakes, sweet orange knots, meringue cookies, and strawberries.

The Savories

For the pimento cheese and crackers, I served my favorite go-to store brand. It's Palmetto Cheese spread and it's always a winner at parties. Served along with wheat crackers. This pimento cheese is a great shortcut. I was tempted to make my own but I was making everything else and thought this would help me out!

For the chicken salad cups, I made chicken salad. My chicken salad of late consists of chicken pulled from a rotisserie chicken and shredded, tossed with diced celery and pickles, a little dijon mustard, salt and pepper, and mayonnaise. I spooned the chicken salad into phyllo cups that I warmed / crisped in our toaster oven according to package directions. I prepped the chicken salad the day before the shower but filled the cups the morning of. 

For the cucumber sandwiches, I used a white loaf from a local bakery (but honestly think Wonder bread would've been better) and removed the crusts. I peeled and thinly sliced one cucumber. For the spread I mixed equal amounts of mayonnaise and soften cream cheese with electric beaters (probably ended up with about 3/4 cup of the mixture but I added more after initially mixing it together because it didn't look like enough). Once they were incorporated I added freshly chopped dill and salt and pepper. I spread the mixture on each side of the bread before layering the cucumbers and cutting the sandwiches into thirds. The sandwiches were prepared the morning of the shower.

The Sweets

For the sweet orange knots, I found these while browsing Pinterest and they were a hit! Here's the recipe. I made these the morning of the shower.

Orange knots from Little Dairy on the Prairie 

Makes 16 knots

Ingredients

   For the knots

1 16 oz. can refrigerated biscuits

3 tbsp butter, melted

2 tbsp granulated sugar

1 tbsp orange zest

   For the glaze

½ c. powdered sugar

1 tbsp freshly squeezed orange juice

1 tsp orange zest

Directions

  Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Mix granulated sugar and 1 tbsp of orange zest together in a shallow bowl.

  Cut each biscuit in half. Roll each biscuit into a rope. Tie each rope in a loose knot. Tuck the ends underneath the knot. Place on parchment paper lined baking sheet.

  Brush tops of knots with melted butter. Dip buttered tops in orange sugar mixture.

  Bake for 8-10 minutes. Watch carefully so sugar doesn’t burn.

  While knots are baking make an orange glaze. Mix powdered sugar, orange juice and remaining orange zest together.

  While knots are still warm brush them with orange glaze. Let cool for about 2-3 minutes. Serve.

  Orange Knots may be stored in an airtight container and served the next day. They are best warmed in the microwave for about 10-15 seconds.

For the meringue cookies, one of my go-to make ahead cookies you can find the recipe on the blog here. These were prepped the day before the shower. They need to be left in the oven for a few hours (they're made by placing them into a preheated oven and then turning it off) so it's easy to make them right before bed and you'll wake up to these wonderful dessert bites.

For the mini vanilla cupcakes, I've started making this recipe this year to replace buying boxed cake mixes! It's tasty and really highlights the vanilla flavor. Here's the recipe and here's the link to the buttercream frosting we recently shared and I've been making it to go along with the homemade cupcakes. The frosting was tinted pink because a baby girl would soon be making her arrival!

Yellow Cupcakes from Betty Crocker
   Yield 24 cupcakes or 48 mini cupcakes
Ingredients
2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup butter, softened
1 1/4 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2/3 cup milk

Directions
   Heat oven to 350F. Place paper baking cup in each of the muffin cups. Grease and flour muffin cups or spray with baking spray with flour.
   In a medium bowl, mix flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
   In a large bowl, beat butter with electric mixer on medium speed 30 seconds. Gradually add sugar, about 1/4 cup at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping bowl occasionally. Beat 2 minutes longer. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after addition. Beat in vanilla. On low speed, alternately add flour mixture, about 1/3 of mixture at a time, and milk, about 1/2 at a time, beating just until blended.
   Divide batter evenly among muffin cups, filling each about 2/3 full.
   Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown (for cupcakes and 17 to 20 minutes for mini cupcakes) and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans 5 minutes. Remove cupcakes from pans; place on cooling racks to cool. Frost with desired frosting.

The Beverages

Our tea shower obviously featured a variety of tea bags to choose from but also an infused water! This was a great addition to offer to the teas. The water was infused with strawberry, lime, and mint. We had the various tea bags set out in a serving bowl and then a kettle of hot water ready to go. All the teacups were set out on the serving table. Between the other host and myself we had a mix and match assortment of teacups that really set off the shower!

The Activity

What new parent to a newborn doesn't need some diapers?! And diapers with cute messages at that! The other host put everything together for this activity and it turned out really well. She had various cut out shapes to write "Midnight Messages" to the new parents and craft tape to attach to the diapers.

The new parents welcomed their baby last week and we wish them all the best as they embark on this new adventure!

Blue Party

March Madness is just getting started! Have you been enjoying all these tournament games? Before tournament games can begin the regular season must first come to an end. Anyone tied with the Blues Rivalry (AKA Carolina and Duke) will know that the last regular season game is always a Battle of the Blues. This final Carolina/Duke matchup is typically 3-4 weeks past the first meeting of the season.

Today's post is all about the viewing party we hosted for the first matchup which happened to fall on my birthday! Here's the Paperless Post invite we sent to our neighbors:

If you're hosting some sort of basketball viewing party over the next month then take note! This is an easy prep spread and the dip can even be made ahead. We served everything on our ottoman in the living room so we could all seat ourselves on the sectional and not miss any of the basketball action. We had a serving tray to corral the plates and napkins as well as the chips and dip. Then we placed our large bamboo cutting board next to it which completed the spread.

The spread included chips and spinach-artichoke dip, shrimp cocktail, and crackers with salami and goat cheese. We first made the spinach-artichoke dip as a holiday appetizer a few years ago and it's become our go-to dip when we're not serving salsa with chips. You can find the recipe here. I made it the day before our party and warmed it before tipoff. I'm fairly sure the whole dish was polished off by the end of the game. For the shrimp cocktail, I purchased raw shrimp that I shelled (left the tails on) and then quickly boiled for a few minutes until opaque and pink. They were served with a prepared cocktail sauce. And the crackers with salami and goat cheese should need no explanation. 

As I said this viewing party was coinciding with my birthday and a birthday isn't complete without cupcakes! I attempted Carolina and Duke cupcakes but I put too much blue for the Carolina ones... oops. All were still tasty!

As with all Carolina-Duke games only one of us goes to bed happy. Fortunately we split this season so it we were happy and sad. Hopefully there won't be any tournament matchups!

Don't let the Madness be too maddening. And if it is just have a cupcake. 

Dinner club cocktail party

Last weekend was the weekend of parties for us! We hosted the dinner club on Friday night for a casual holiday cocktail get together, attended a wedding on Saturday, and then hosted a holiday open house on Sunday. We're featuring a roundup of the dinner cocktail party today and then the holiday open house tomorrow! If you've still got some holiday hosting to do hopefully this will give you some ideas.

We co-hosted the cocktail party with another couple in the dinner club. And you know what that means?! We only had to do half what we usually do for a party. Love co-hosting! Patrick and I were responsible for a few savory dishes, the desserts, and the wine. Our wonderful co-hosts provided the majority of the savory dishes including cheese fondue and the other drinks. They brought over a festive holiday punch that really set the mood for the party. Check it out...

Doesn't it look wonderful?! We had holiday music playing in the background and enjoyed everyone's company. Knowing we had a party just two days after this one I made sure I was super organized going into the weekend. I tried to do as much prep beforehand as I could. I made a google doc with all the recipes that I would need to be making for the cocktail party and the holiday open house. Then I had a to-do list broken out into each day beginning with Thursday for what I could make ahead and when to do it. Check out the document here (link) if you'd like to check out any of the recipes.

Here's a brief rundown of what we prepared for this party:

Veggies and dip - Mix equal parts of yogurt and sour cream; combine with ranch seasoning packet. I doubled the dip so I could have it for both parties. We served with broccoli florets, carrots, cherry tomatoes, and celery.

Chicken salad and crackers - Always good to have some protein offerings at any party! For this chicken salad I took the meat off a rotisserie chicken and shredded it. Then I added a dollop of mayo, spoonful of dijon mustard, handful of almonds, some diced pickles, and salt and pepper.

The brownies were a box mix. You really can't go wrong with a box mix for brownies in my opinion.

Red velvet trifle - I googled quite a bit and ended up following the recipe from Melissa's Southern Style Kitchen which puts a white chocolate spin on it. Check out the Red Velvet White Chocolate Cheesecake Trifle recipe here (link).

And finally there were some blackberry cheesecake bites - This was my favorite dessert! I followed Pioneer Woman's recipe (link)t and it couldn't have been easier.

Cheers!

Snacks on cutting boards

Patrick and I often find ourselves turning to our bamboo cutting board whenever we need an impromptu casual platter. It's really the best of both worlds - for utility purposes, you can prep on the board and then bring it right out of the kitchen for serving and for aesthetic purposes, you'll find that the bamboo elevates your presentation of said simply prepped ingredients.

In the past two weeks we've used our bamboo cutting boards as snack / luncheon platters.

Last weekend we had friends coming into town and were pit stopping at our house before continuing to their hotel. They were arriving around 4pm and I thought to have something on hand for them when they got here would be a good idea. I picked up a brie wedge and had the rest on hand - sliced salami, pear, and crackers. Slicing the pear required the most work here since I placed a cheese knife with the brie and made everything serve yourself! After the pear was sliced and the cutting board assembled I brought it to the living room and set it on the ottoman so we could all chat and relax on the sofa. Perfect!

Then last weekend Patrick and I had a nice brunch at the house and with plans to fix dinner we turned to the pantry to put together an antipasti platter for lunch. I had picked up salami at the grocery store that day and everything else was from the refrigerator or pantry. There were pickled beets, crackers, dark chocolate covered pretzels, salami, cheddar cheese slices, and dilly beans. We've always enjoyed keeping fruit and cheese on hand for afternoon snacks but now I'm also making more of an effort to have more substantial items for us. We typically have "snack-y" lunches on the weekend and this is a great way to do that.

For this particular lunch we picked up the bamboo board and headed outside! It was a gorgeous fall day and it was nice to sit outside and enjoy each other's company over a simple lunch.

Pimento Cheese

Whoa - you may be looking out for our Meal Plan Monday post and finding a pimento cheese recipe. Have no fear! We were detained over the weekend and are doubling up on Meal Plan Monday next week. In the meantime enjoy this pimento cheese recipe and we promise it is worth a Meal Plan Monday absence.

This recipe was shared with me by Christine and originates from a family that she babysat for! We promise this recipe is worth the hassle of grating cheese. We've made it on two different occasions in the past few months and it's always well received.

Pimento Cheese
Makes about 4 cups
Ingredients
1 and ½ cups of Duke's mayo
4 ounces of fine diced pimento
1 teaspoon of Worstershire sauce (I did a little more than this and the onion below)
1 teaspoon of finely grated onion
¼ teaspoon of cayenne pepper
1 lb sharp cheddar

Directions
Gently combine everything but the cheddar. Then grate the cheddar, half of it on the fine grate panel and half of it on the course grate panel (the finely grated cheese will meld into the mixture, the coarsely grated cheese will add texture to the spread). Note - use a very sharp cheese, one that crumbles easily, has a dry texture.
Combine cheese with mixture and let rest for at least four hours.

Thumbprint Cookies

These cookies had caught my eye on Pinterest and I was really looking forward to making them. I had purchased the ingredients a few months ago (almond butter and raspberry jam - two things not normally in my supply) for a specific event but then decided I didn't need to make them. Honestly, I can't remember all the details and circumstances now but the point is I had almond butter and raspberry jam hanging out in my pantry ready whenever I was ready to make these thumbprint cookies!

Last weekend Patrick and I organized a block party for our neighbors! In May I invited a few neighbors over who were interested in sharing ideas for how best to plan the block party. As soon as I set up the planning meeting I knew these cookies would be the perfect offering along with some cheese and crackers and sparkling grape juice. Read on for the thumbprint cookie recipe.

Almond Butter Thumbprint Cookies from Eating Made Easy
Makes about 36 cookies (I halved the recipe)
Ingredients
1¼ c all-purpose flour
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
¾ c almond butter
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
⅔ c packed light-brown sugar
1 large egg
1½ tsp pure vanilla extract
¼ c granulated sugar for rolling
½ c jam of choice

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Gently combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
Beat butter and almond butter with a mixer on medium speed until smooth. Add brown sugar, and beat until fluffy. Add egg and vanilla extract, and beat until incorporated, scraping down sides once. Reduce mixer speed to low and add dry ingredients. Mix until just combined.
Roll small spoonfuls of dough (about 1 Tbsp) into balls, then roll each ball in white sugar.
Place balls 2 inches apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes.
Remove cookies from oven, press down in the middle of each cookie with the handle end of a wooden spoon or a teaspoon, then return to the oven for another 5 minutes.
Cool completely on a cooling rack.
Place jam in a bowl and stir until smooth. If jam is not at room temperature, microwave for ~20 seconds to loosen it, then spoon a small amount of jam in the center of each cookie.

The cookies were a hit as was the block party! Block party post coming soon.

Outdoor Luncheon

At the beginning of May Patrick and I hosted a few of his coworkers for an outdoor luncheon. It was a gorgeous spring day and we were able to have the luncheon on our back deck. The weather was lovely, the food was the perfect complement to spring weather, and the company was very enjoyable.

Patrick and I made a caprese salad (grape tomatoes, fresh basil, marinated mozzarella, and balsamic), this watermelon-and-goat cheese orzo salad, and chicken salad with mini croissants. We had fresh strawberries and pimento cheese with crackers as an appetizer as well. Our guests contributed meatballs and a variety of fruit.

We set up our small outdoor table to be used as the buffet table. This is great for two reasons - 1) the food is outside with the people so everyone can help themselves as they wish and 2) the food is outside with the people and not inside with the cats so the cats can't help themselves as they wish.

The centerpiece of where we were to dine included flowers and our drinks. We had bloody Mary fixings and a cocktail available.

We look forward to hosting many more meals on the deck! It's such a joy to sit outside and listen to nature while partaking in good food and good company.

Asparagus fries with turkey burgers

When spring rolls around the smell of neighbors' grilling in the air reminds me that burgers make a good warm-weather meal, and I suggest them for the meal plan. Not being grill enthusiasts ourselves means we just cook the patties on our cast iron grill pan, and not being beef enthusiasts means the burgers are made out of ground turkey. We spruce them up with some finely chopped and sauteed veggies, cheese, and mustard, and they're always delicious when I don't burn the burger that badly.

Whitney prepared a lemon dijon crusted asparagus fries recipe which turned out perfectly. The asparagus was tender with a crispy coating, and the aioli was really flavorful. We had a side salad as well, possibly made out of the greens we grew on our deck. Spring is so much fun!

Lemon dijon crusted asparagus fries from running to the kitchen blog
Ingredients
Asparagus Fries
1 bunch of asparagus, washed, ends trimmed and cut in half
1 egg
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
1 tablespoon lemon juice
¾ cup panko breadcrumbs
zest of 1 lemon
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper

Lemon Dijon Aioli
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
2 tablespoons plain Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
salt & pepper

Directions
Asparagus Fries
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil and spray with baking spray. Combine egg, dijon and lemon juice in a shallow bowl, whisk together. Combine breadcrumbs, lemon zest, red pepper and salt & pepper in a dish and mix together. Coat asparagus first in egg mixture and then in breadcrumb mixture. Line up on baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes until breadcrumbs have turned golden brown and asparagus still has some "bite" left to it. Serve warm out of the oven.

Lemon Dijon Aioli
While asparagus bake, combine all ingredients in a small bowl and whisk together.

Beer & Cheese Party

It's finally here! The notes on our Beer & Cheese Party! Since my birthday was snowed out in February I really wanted to put some extra effort into our next party which would be celebrating Patrick's birthday! Our birthdays are about two weeks apart. Fortunately Mother Nature minded her manners at the beginning of March and we were able to carry out Beer and Cheese party as planned.

I had a lot of fun planning this and Patrick had a lot of fun picking out the beers! We decided we wanted to present our guests with a taste of NC so all of our beer and cheese were selections from the good ol' state of North Carolina. The cheese monger at our local Whole Foods was simply fabulous. He was actually responsible for the pairings; I told him about the party, what beers we had selected, and said "you can just give me a NC cheese and tell me which beer to pair it with and I'll be a happy customer."

The beers getting chilled in the fridge.

I purchased some brown packaging paper that I used as a table covering. This allowed me to write on the table about the pairings. At one end of the table I wrote a "welcome" note and some tips for tasting. And here's what was on the table:

WELCOME to our Beer & Cheese Pairing Party
“One of the main reasons beer and cheese pair so well together is due to beer’s heady carbonation. The high content of fat in cheese allows it to take over your entire mouth. The carbonation in beer acts as a palate cleanser.”

Tips for tasting
Find a balance - You want to make sure your cheese will not overpower the beer and vice versa.
Take texture into consideration - The texture of different cheeses makes them amenable to particular beers. You don't want to overwhelm your palate with too many bold flavors.
Have fun with flavors - You can pair similar flavors or pair beers and cheeses that contrast in flavor.
Timing your tasting - Typically, the best way to taste your beer and cheese pairings is to start with the lightest beer and work your way up to the heaviest or darkest.

After the welcome portion of the table we placed the beers around the table from lightest to darkest color and intensity. This was so someone's palette wouldn't be overwhelmed with flavor at the very beginning. We encouraged everyone to try the beer and cheese as paired but then make their suggestions for other pairings!

And here are the notes for each beer and cheese pairing.

BEER: “Endless River” Kolsch-Style Ale by Mother Earth Brewing, Kinston
Clean, crisp beer with a slight fruity flavor and aroma. Expect a slight tang in the finish
CHEESE: Hickory Grove by Chapel Hill Creamery Aged cheese; full flavored, natural washed rind Trappist style cheese.

BEER: “Wildflower” Belgian-Style Witbier by Natty Greene’s Brewing Company, Greensboro
Belgian-style witbier with a sweet and tantalizing taste. The flavor is defined by spices, rather than aromatic yeast or hops. Chamomile, coriander, and sweet orange peel are the spices that create its distinctive flavor profile. Crisp, light-bodied brew.
CHEESE: Smoked Farmer Cheese by Chapel Hill Creamery
Fresh cheese; naturally smoked. Smoky and tangy, this cheese is intensely flavored.

BEER: “Bad Penny” Brown Ale by Big Boss Brewing Co, Raleigh
Slightly sweet with a caramel and dark fruit finish. A show case of fine English malts, floor-malted the old way. Big Boss uses pale, chocolate and crystal malts to produce a complex but easy drinking dark ale. Very reminiscent of northern English ales.
CHEESE: Chocolate Lab by Looking Glass Creamery, Fairview
This is a washed ring cheese made from pasteurized Jersey cow's milk in a patterned basket mold. The wheels are washed every other day by hand with a brine solution to develop the classic intensity and pungent flavor of this style of cheese. When ready, the wheels are coated with a mixture of sea salt and crushed cocoa nibs from French Broad Chocolates to impart a rich and rugged finish to the rind.

BEER: “People’s Porter” Porter by Foothills Brewery, Winston-Salem
A robusty English-style brew with a dark, ruby hue. Complex chocolate, caramel and toffee notes give way to an herbal bitterness, finishing with a pleasant hint of espresso.
CHEESE: Gouda by Goat Lady Dairy, Climax
Using traditional Dutch methods the curd is washed and cooked before pressing in a vat under the whey. This gives the cheese a remarkably smooth, creamy texture and sweet buttery flavor. It is aged for 4-8 months or more. As it ripens, it develops brothy and umami notes with a nice caramel finish.

BEER: “Death by Hops” Double IPA by Olde Hickory Brewery, Hickory
This double IPA was hopped with 5 different West Coast hops and was twice dry hopped with different combinations of the hops. The result is an amazing aroma of ripe juicy fruit mixed in with a bouquet of spring flowers. Death By Hops was brewed to a high level of bitterness and therefore leaves a lingering bitterness.
CHEESE: Calvander by Chapel Hill Creamery Aged cheese; inspired by asiago. Aged at least 7 months. During the aging process, the cheese develops a natural rind with a leathery texture. This rind covers an assertive, flakey paste with balanced flavors of butter, herbs, and walnuts with a piquant tang. As it ages, it becomes increasingly spicy and firm.

 Can't have a birthday party for Patrick without some chocolate cupcakes! I followed this Smitten Kitchen recipe for the cupcakes.

We really had a lot of fun celebrating with everyone at our Beer & Cheese Party! If you came to the party and you're reading this, thanks for coming!

LoMo & a snack

Have you heard of a farmers market on wheels? I'm not sure how popular they are in other regions. I imagine they exist elsewhere. Well the Triangle area has a farmers market on wheels - known as the LoMo Market. They've been operating for about two years and are a great resource for neighborhoods. Here's a blog post write up from a local community blog that features LoMo Market. The post has lots of good pictures of the truck itself. Unfortunately I didn't take any pictures when we visited because the sun had already set.

The LoMo Market comes to our neighborhood once a week and I really want to start using them more in the next few months before our CSA starts back. They also have more offerings outside of what our CSA does so maybe I will continue to stop by throughout the spring and summer.

We visited this week and purchased eggs from Latta Farms, a loaf of wheat bread from Guglhupf, farmers cheese from Chapel Hill Creamery, and local beets. So much goodness for our taste buds!

After we returned from our LoMo Market adventure we decided to have an appetizer with the bread and farmers cheese. I had some apple butter in the fridge to add to it. Delicious!

Remember to take advantage of what your community offers in terms of supporting local farms!

Pork tenderloin

We're getting to the end of sharing our holiday meals - I promise! Aside from the pictures being slightly festive with Christmas dishes and place mats these meals are all hardy options to make throughout the winter. This particular dinner was made when we hosted a local couple that we're friends with. We usually don't entertain with appetizers but I had a busy day and knew that dinner wouldn't be on time so thought we should have something on hand when our guests arrived.

APPETIZER

Sharp cheddar cheese ball, creamy Toscano cheese, 

summer sausage, pita chips and olive variety.

ENTREE

Pork loin rubbed in sage, salt and pepper with olive oil

Roasted butternut squash, quinoa, and arugula

Roasted Butternut Squash, Quinoa, & Arugula from Naturally Ella blog

   Serves 4

Ingredients

2 c ¼"-cubed butternut squash

2 tsp olive oil

¼ tsp black pepper

¼ tsp sea salt

1 tbsp honey

¼ c diced scallions

1 c cooked quinoa

¼ c pecan pieces

2-3 c arugula

⅓ c crumbled feta we used goat cheese

Directions

   Preheat oven to 425˚. Toss butternut squash with olive oil, black pepper, and sea salt. Spread into a single layer in a roasting pan or on a baking tray. Bake until butternut squash is tender and lightly browning, 30-35 minutes.

   Remove from oven and toss butternut squash with honey and scallions until butternut squash is coated. Add in quinoa and pecans and stir.

   In a large bowl, combine arugula with butternut squash mixture and feta. Drizzle with olive oil and toss everything together.

DESSERT

Preacher cookies and eggnog cake

Crafting + Snacks + Marianne

Marianne is a great friend I have around who's always up for some crafting or keeping me company while Patrick is out of town. We're obviously doing a little catch up in this post because Patrick was last out of town at the end of July for a bachelor party.

I invited Marianne over for dinner and we each contributed to the meal. She brought over ingredients for a delicious summer favorite - caprese bites. We stacked up fresh basil, mozzarella, and tomatoes then drizzled balsamic glaze over them. I made a fruit salad - cantaloupe and blueberries tossed with finely chopped fresh mint. Then we did an orzo with sauteed artichokes, onions, and peppers. All so simple and light... just what you want for July!

Then a month went by and we decided we should meet up for an afternoon crafting session complete with snacks. Marianne brought over brownies and I had us a fruit and dip platter. I served strawberries and watermelon next to a ricotta-vanilla mixture with chocolate chips.

My craft project on this particular day was labeling our pantry OXO pop tops. I printed out what everything was on card stock then applied them to the containers with fabric tape. Marianne worked on homemade cards! 

Love the new labels! They add a nice pop of color to the pantry!

Do you have tips for pantry organization?

Housewarming

After Patrick and I moved, we felt that it was only fitting to host a housewarming party! We invited over friends, family, and neighbors! This was a great way to meet and mingle with new and old friends.

We planned the event for mid-day Saturday which happened to coincide with our anniversary weekend. It was very special to celebrate our first anniversary with our nearest and dearest loved ones. It was almost like a mini-wedding celebration!

And because it was our first anniversary I decided to surprise Patrick with a Daisy Cakes red velvet cake. You may recall that our delicious wedding cake was made by them. Our wedding cake was split with a vanilla tier and red velvet. At the wedding we missed out on the red velvet tier and I wanted to make up for that. Here's the cake:

I found the cutest wedding couple figure from Etsy and purchased it as an anniversary topper

Below are some food / set up pictures with some notes on the layout. I have the recipes I used saved in this google document that you can access. I like to plan the food in various rooms to promote movement and mingling!

In the living room I had a card table set up with snack-y finger foods. This included a fruit platter, chips and dip with guacamole, veggies and dip, and mini quiche (to be placed on that white platter once warmed).

In the kitchen I had all the more substantial lunch-y foods. There was a broccoli salad, deviled eggs, orzo with watermelon, arugula, and feta salad, chicken salad with Mom's sourdough rolls, and finally pimento cheese and crackers. I also had drinks set up here. At one end of the table were pitchers of water and iced tea. There was some chilled white wine and beer in the beverage tub,

On the counter in the kitchen I had the crockpot warming bbq from Q-Shack and cole slaw with rolls.

In the dining room I had the desserts table. Patrick made banana pudding, his mother (who flew all the way in from Chicago from the occasion) made vanilla cupcakes with chocolate buttercream, and there was the Daisy Cakes red velvet cake. My mom had also brought up blonde brownies which were on the coffee table as welcome nibbles. My grandmother brought peanuts as another welcome nibbles too - thanks for all the contributions!

You may noticed that there are little identifying signs for the food. This isn't something I normally do but since we were inviting neighbors who we had never hosted (we did knock on doors and personally pass out our invitations) I wanted to make sure anyone with a food allergy or intolerance would feel like they could enjoy themselves at our party. 

You may also note that it was a lot of food and it was! We didn't require RSVPs from the neighbors so wanted to make sure there was plenty for everyone. We had about 25 folks stop by for the housewarming and called it a success!

The housewarming party was great motivation to have the house organized! There were a few boxes stashed in closets that have yet to be unpacked... working on that this week! 

Dupree says "I like to read the paper with dad"

Jalapeno Poppers

Are you ready for some March Madness??? These jalapeno poppers will be the perfect addition to a viewing party! They are adapted from this Skinny Taste blog recipe.

If you know me then you might be wondering why I made these! The answer, of course, is they were a request from Patrick and I like to be as obliging as possible when it comes to requests my loving husband makes even if I am less than enthusiastic about said request.

I did attempt to eat one of these and they were tolerable. I made half the poppers spicy by leaving in most of the seeds and membranes and then the other half were stripped of all seeds and membranes (these were ones I could tolerate). Before I made these I asked Patrick how spicy he wanted them and he said some seeds and membrane would be okay... buttt not all of the spicy ones got eaten so be ware!

Beer Battered Jalapeno Poppers

   Ingredients
6 jalapenos* 

4 oz cream cheese, room temperature

1/3 c shredded cheese
garlic powder

bread crumbs
paprika

2 eggs

splash of beer
*Be very careful when handling the jalapenos. Make sure to wash your hands immediately handling them and not to touch your face before doing so otherwise there may be some tears shed.

   Directions
Prep the jalapenos.
   Slice the jalapenos in half. For spicier poppers, leave in seeds and membranes. For the least spicy poppers, remove all seeds and membranes. To distinguish between spicy and not spicy poppers, I removed the stems from non spicy poppers.
Make the filling.
   Mix together cream cheese, shredded cheese, and a dash of garlic powder (1/2 tsp or so). Smear on the halved jalapenos.
Assemble dipping station.
   In a shallow dish, combine the eggs with a splash of beer. In another dish mix the bread crumbs with a dash of paprika.
Bake.
   Bake in a preheated 350F oven for 20-25 minutes. Serve immediately.

Happy March Madness!! Are you ready to fill out some brackets?!

Mom's Birthday Luncheon

We love my mom! She celebrated her birthday back in the middle of January and we invited her up to Durham for a luncheon in her honor. It was so nice to bring out the colorful Chirp linens and entertaining pieces to brighten the room during the cold bleak month of January. I tried to put together a menu of things she loves since she was the guest of honor! Read on for her menu and more details.

The Table

The bright Chirp table linens allow us to use our everyday white bone china; this transitional ensemble can be dressed up or down. We are able to use our crystal stemware to dress up things! 

Aren't these napkin holders the cutest accessories?!

The Meal

Appetizer: Balsamic strawberry goat cheese crostini

Salad: Crunchy apple salad with seared scallops

Entrée: Black bean soup with cheesy crusty bread

Dessert: Eggnog ice cream with dulce de leche and ladyfingers

Balsamic strawberry goat cheese crostini adapted from cooking for keeps

Ingredients

2 cups strawberries, thinly sliced 

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar 

1 tsp brown sugar 

2 tbsp basil, cut into a chiffonade 

Pinch of salt 

Pinch of black pepper 

½ baguette, cut into ½ inch slices 

4 ounces goat cheese 

Directions

   Preheat oven to 375 degrees. 

   Combine strawberries, vinegar, sugar, basil, salt, and black pepper together in a small bowl. Let set for 30 minutes to an hour. 

   In the meantime, place crostini slices on a large rimmed baking sheet. Bake until slightly crisp about 8 minutes. Let cool. 

   Spread goat cheese on toast and then layer balsamic strawberries over. Sprinkle with more basil.
Since fresh basil is not in season I substituted a basil goat cheese spread for the goat cheese.

Crunchy apple salad with seared scallops adapted from wholesomely homemade

   Ingredients

6 large scallops 

1 green apple, cut into matchsticks

mixed greens

2 tbsp evoo

juice of half a lemon

salt and pepper

   Dressing Ingredients

juice and zest of half a lemon

3 tbsp evoo 

salt and pepper to taste 

Directions

   Heat oil in pan on medium-high heat. Season scallops with salt and pepper and lay them clockwise, so you can remember which ones to flip first.

   Flip scallops when they turn golden brown on the bottom. When both sides are a nice golden brown color, add lemon juice to pan, making sure to coat the scallops with the lemon juice.

   Place mixed greens and apple sticks in a bowl. Combine dressing ingredients, mix well and add to salad.

   Plate scallops with salad and garnish with extra lemon zest. 

Cheesy crusty bread from the comfort of cooking

Ingredients

3 cups unbleached all purpose flour 

1 3/4 teaspoons salt 

1/2 teaspoon Instant or Rapid-rise yeast 

1 1/2 cups water 

1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

Directions

   In a large bowl, whisk together flour, salt, yeast, and cheese. Add water and mix until a shaggy mixture forms. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and set aside for 12 - 18 hours. Overnight works great. 

   Heat oven to 450 degrees. When the oven has reached 450 degrees place a cast iron pot with a lid in the oven and heat the pot for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, pour dough onto a heavily floured surface and shape into a ball. Cover with plastic wrap and let set while the pot is heating. Remove hot pot from the oven and drop in the dough. Cover and return to oven for 30 min. After 30 min remove the lid and bake an additional 15 min. Remove bread from oven and place on a cooling rack. 

Black bean soup from chef pablos

Ingredients

1 medium onion 

2 garlic cloves

2 celery stalks 

¼ red bell pepper 

1 tbsp cooking oil 

1½ cups chicken broth 

2 – 15oz cans black beans 

½ tsp ground cumin 

½ tsp salt 

lemon juice (approx. ½ a lemon) 

Directions

   Chop the onions, celery and bell pepper and mince the garlic. 

   Add the oil to a large pot over a medium high heat. Add the vegetables and saute until your onions are translucent. 

   Add the chicken broth and raise the heat to high. Add your black beans along with the salt and ground cumin Bring to a boil. 

   Reduce heat to a slow rolling boil and let cook for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

   Using a potato masher, work the beans until you’ve reached the desired consistency. Add the lemon juice and let simmer for about 5 minutes. 

   Serve in individual bowls with your favorite garnish (sour cream, chopped green onions, etc.) 

Eggnog ice cream from allrecipes

Ingredients

2 cups eggnog 

2 cups heavy cream 

1 10oz can sweetened condensed milk 

1 teaspoon vanilla 

Directions

   Mix eggnog, heavy cream, condensed milk, and vanilla in a large bowl. Pour the mixture into an ice cream maker and freeze according to manufacturer's directions until it reaches "soft-serve" consistency. Transfer ice cream to a one- or two-quart lidded plastic container; cover surface with plastic wrap and seal. For best results, ice cream should ripen in the freezer for at least 2 hours or overnight.
We served the eggnog ice cream over a dessert shell brushed with coffee and drizzled dulce de leche over everything.

The Birthday Girl & Her Presents

What are some of your favorite foods you like to have for your birthday?!