Back to School Send Off

My friends are heading back to school in a few weeks and held a lovely back to school send off party this afternoon.

valentines toddler trail mix cups

Valentine's day is tomorrow, and I am finding that this holiday (like most of the others) is becoming more and more centered around my children. This is absolutely ok with me. It makes things a lot more fun. It also makes them a lot more work. (sigh) On the to-do list for the two girls is: Valentines cards for two classes and treats for the preschooler's class party.  (The older child's school prohibits any home-made goodies. I know, I know...where's the fun in that?)

Pinterest has lots of cute ideas floating around for just about any occasion.  I tweaked a trail mix idea to make it toddler friendly and HeartDay colors.

Ingredients used: pre-popped popcorn, Yogurt Burst Cheerios, Goldfish Colors (just the red ones), dried sweetened cranberries, M&M candies, strawberry gummy nibbles, and cherry vanilla yogurt bites.

the best rain out

Friends, it's been a while. For that, I'm sorry. I'll try to take a few moments and fill you in on the latest catering escapades from my kitchen.

But, first, I must tell you about two blogs of which I have recently become aware (and how this awareness came about).

My husband and I were scheduled to go ice skating with some friends this evening. Mother Nature had other plans, as a major weather system moved into the area bringing buckets and buckets of rain with it this afternoon. So, our party headed for the nearest pub. (Logical, right?)

Over a great dinner and wonderful conversation, I discovered that two of my friends had started blogging in the last few months. Both of their blogs are food related, and you should definitely check them out!

www.foodandgladness.com (one post features some GORGEOUS pictures from a recent Italy trip)
www.weeklyadmeals.com (shows you how to combine meal planning and grocer's weekly specials for savings)

In other news, my kitchen has been as busy as ever. I'll show you some highlights of the last few months.



Tie Dye Buttercream over Pink Velvet Cupcakes




Dark Chocolate Mousse with fresh raspberries and cream




Moroccan Carrot Salad Endive Cups




Goldfish Cupcakes

kitchen sink cookies

Ok...I'll admit that the title of this recipe does not quite whet one's appetite. But after you taste the cookies, you won't care what they're called! This recipe is from my favorite Junior League of Springfield (MO) cookbook, Sassafras. Go out and get yourself a copy; it's full of GREAT recipes.

The recipe's descriptor line says, "Get out your biggest bowl to mix this batter." They are not kidding. I have a couple of commercial sized salad bowls that are just big enough for one recipe. I needed to make LOTS of cookies this past weekend, and I was wondering just what to mix the dough in, and I thought that I could use about 3 of the big salad bowls, or I might just hose out the plastic kiddie pool! (kidding!!!) I decided on a double batch, which yielded 180 small/medium sized cookies. Don't fret: the recipe divides easily, and it will freeze beautifully.

Kitchen Sink Cookies ('cause you throw in just about everything but the kitchen sink!)

2 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
2 cups sugar
2 cups vegetable oil
4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
4 cups corn flakes
2 cups (7 ounces) flaked coconut
12 ounces chocolate chips (pick your favorites)
1 1/2 cups quick-cooking oats
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

Yield: about 90 cookies

Preheat oven to 325. (I have found that my oven needs to be at 350.) Cream sugars, oil, eggs and vanilla. Stir in flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Add corn flakes, coconut, chocolate chips, oats and nuts. Mix well. (At this point in the recipe, you need to know that this is a heavy batter/dough. Use a strong wooden spoon to do all this mixing. Your arms just might be a little tired afterwards!) Drop from a teaspoon onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake 10 to 12 minutes.

back-who-igans?!?

I had the pleasure of making some cupcakes for a sweet little friend who turned the big 2 last week. She had a Backyardigans inspired party, and I had to do some online investigation to figure out how to make fitting cupcakes.

The inspiration

I made strawberry cupcakes and had a lot of fun with simple buttercream frosting!!!

another fond farewell...

I don't know what it is about my cooking that seems appropriate for farewells, but oh well...

Here's the latest from today

Amaretto cupcake with buttercream icing

Mini bacon cheeseburger spears

Bruschetta with ricotta

the word of the day...

Macerate (according to the food dictionary at epicurious.com): to soak a food (usually fruit) in a liquid in order to infuse it with the liquid's flavor.

Here's a peek at some macerated fresh fruit salsa!

farewell fiesta

Last evening, I helped throw a farewell party for a lovely young lady, who, in a few short weeks will be moving to the Yucatan in Mexico and getting married. Naturally, the hostesses for this party wanted to celebrate her upcoming move south of the border with some Mexican flavors...with a Vegan twist. All but one of the dishes (two if we're counting dessert) were Vegan-friendly. The hostess who opened her home for the fiesta had perfectly placed windows, and I had some fun snapping photos before the guests arrived.



Artichoke



Veggies Galore



Cheesey Black Bean Enchiladas



Corn, Tomato and Onion Salad


Our menu for the evening:

tortilla chips, freshly made salsa and guacamole
tons* of fresh veggies with garlic hummus
grilled chicken fajitas with caramelized peppers and onions
cheesey black bean enchiladas
corn, tomato and onion salad (my favorite!!!)
tres leches cake
fresh fruit salsa with cinnamon sugar pita chips

* slight exaggeration