Last night I hosted what has to be my favorite Foodbuzz 24×24 dinner party. This was my fourth time hosting and according to my friends, I out did myself. Thanks to Foodbuzz, I was able to put together a yummy spring filled meal for my friends.

I knew my main goal for the party was to have everything finished by the time my first guest arrived. I spent a good amount of time planning and lots of time Friday and Saturday pre-cooking and prepping the meal. Due to “scheduled track maintenance” on the DC metro everyone was fashionably late which gave me just enough time to pour the drinks and put the finishing touches on the night.

Menu:

the food

• chicken satay skewers with coconut milk peanut dipping sauce
• bacon-wrapped shrimp with pineapple
• veggie spring rolls with hoison peanut dipping sauce
• assorted sushi: california rolls, veggie rolls, & salmon cucumber rolls
• beet salad with herbed goat cheese
• melon & prosciutto bites
• cucumber with herbed lox spread
• tomato bruschetta
• phyllo cups with brie & strawberries

the drinks

I wanted to plan a few “spring” beverages. Nothing says spring like the Kentucky Derby and Cinco de Mayo! My friend Whitney also brought ingredients for a delicious St Germain champagne cocktail. I’ll be adding that to my arsenal for future parties!

• mint juleps with mint simple syrup
• white sangria with strawberry & peaches
• pink vodka punch

I loved the menu I was able to put together. There is nothing better than fresh produce and spring in the air. I love all the colors of spring and that everything is in bloom. I tried to put as much color into the food as possible. I added as much veggies to the spring rolls and I loved the bright red strawberries. Even my sushi had some spring colored soy wrappers. They brightened up my table display and were just as easy to work with as standard seaweed nori. I was able to find them at Harris Teeter and though they were a tad pricey I think it was definitely worth the splurge.

Luckily I had more than enough food for all my guests. In the past I’ve made plenty and it’s been devoured in about ten minutes. Last night everything was portioned great and there was even enough for my brother to finish off the leftovers!

The night was a huge success and the best part was the homemade photo booth! We had a few props and I put my brand new tripod to use. I may live in a studio apartment but I managed to make my own photo studio with a white sheet and willing participants. It turned out great! See for yourself!

I had a great time and so did my guests! Thanks Foodbuzz for helping me host my Spring Fever Cocktail Party!

Happy Friday!!

Today is my oldest cousin’s birthday and his favorite thing in the whole world is strawberry milkshakes. Here ya go Bryson, a strawberry shake just for you. It was delicious. I hope you liked it

This doesn’t really need a recipe. I just used some Hagen Dasz vanilla frozen yogurt, a little milk, and fresh strawberries. ZOOM! in the blender for 30 seconds… and smoothie!

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend and if you are having as great weather as the DC area I hope you get to spend some time outsideeeee!

Today is Pi Day! Happy March 14th!!

I was on the hunt for a pie plate this weekend at Home Goods and they didn’t have any that struck my fancy. Luckily I have a pretty tart pan that I used for my pie today. This fruit tart came out so delicious and I’m pretty impressed with skills on the custard… I’ve never made one before and this came out really well for my first try. I also have some leftover waiting for me at home in the fridge.

I cheated a little and used a store-bought crust. This saved me a lot of time but if I were making this on the weekend I would definitely go the extra step and make it myself. You can add all the different fruit toppings you like. I would definitely try out raspberries and kiwi in future editions. I can definitely see using this custard recipe again in the future for many desserts!

Recipe

via The Tasteful Life

Note: I believe the original recipe makes enough for 2 tarts. I had leftover custard and only used 1 cup of mixed whipped cream to lighten it up.

Custard

• 1 cup plus 2 tbsp of Milk
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 Egg Yolks, slightly beaten
• 1/2 cup of sugar
• 1 1/2 tbsp of flour
• 1 1/2 tbsp of corn starch

1. In a bowl mix sugar, cornstarch, flour, and the egg yolks until smooth. This mixture will be very thick.
2. In a sauce pan heat the milk.
3. Temper the egg mixture by whisking 1-2 tbsps hot milk into the eggs.
4. Pour the egg yolk mixture into the sauce pan and whisk constantly until smooth.
5. Continue to whisk while bringing it to a bubble.
6. Simmer for 2 minutes stirring until it becomes smooth and thick.
7. Stir in the vanilla extract.
8. Pour into a bowl and press plastic or wax paper to the surface and chill.

Whipped Cream

• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1. Whip heavy cream until peaks begin to form.
2. Add extract and sugar.
3. Continue to whip until firm.

Once your custard is cooled off in the refrigerator you can take the whipped cream and slowly fold it into the custard. Put back in the fridge until your pie crust is cooled down from baking and ready to be filled.

Fill the crust with the custard and decorate as you please. I bet chocolate chips would be a great addition as well

Enjoy your pie!!

Happy Birthday, Casey!

Today is one of my dear friend’s birthday. Her favorite type of food is Mexican so in her honor I have perfected the homemade taquito. Taquitos are one of my frozen guilty pleasures. I tend to steer clear of the frozen food section (unless I’m getting some well-deserved Ben & Jerry’s) because I know I can make everything in there and make it healthier.

I made taquitos a while back and I’m not sure what I did differently because I used the same recipe, but these came out MUCH better than I remember. This is definitely a great alternative to the fried frozen variety. I highly recommend giving these a try. Double the recipe, make extra and freeze them for when you need a fix.

Now a trip down memory lane…

Casey and I met freshman year in our dorm. I didn’t hang out with her too much until we found ourselves in the same sorority sophomore year and the rest is history. We were inseparable with another pair of our sisters and we try and get together as much as possible since she lives a few hours away. Lucky for me, Casey is coming to visit in a few weeks for a JMU wine night fiesta!

Love you chica! Enjoy your day!

Recipe

via Annie’s Eats

Ingredients

• 3 oz. cream cheese, softened
• ¼ cup salsa
• 1 tbsp. freshly squeezed lime juice
• 1 tsp. chili powder
• ½ tsp. cumin
• ½ tsp. onion powder
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 tbsp. chopped cilantro
• 1-2 green onions, chopped
• 2 cups shredded cooked chicken
• 1 cup shredded Mexican cheese (cheddar, pepper jack, etc. would also be good)
• 10-12 6-inch flour tortillas
• Cooking spray
• Kosher salt

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 425˚ F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the cream cheese, salsa, lime juice, spices, cilantro, green onions, chicken and shredded cheese. Mix thoroughly until well combined.
3. Place a tortilla on a work surface. Spoon 2-3 tablespoons of the filling mixture down the middle of the tortilla.  Roll the tortilla up tightly around the filling. Place seam-side down on a baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining tortillas and filling, spacing the assembled taquitos evenly on the baking sheet. Spray the tops lightly with cooking spray and sprinkle with a pinch of kosher salt.
4. (To freeze before baking, transfer the baking sheet to the freezer and chill the assembled taquitos 30-60 minutes.  Transfer to a freezer-safe container or plastic bag.  To bake from the freezer, simply add a few additional minutes to the original baking time, until the filling is warmed through.)
5. Bake 15-20 minutes, until crisp and golden brown. Serve with sour cream and salsa, if desired.

It is dangerous how easy this recipe is. I follow Macheesmo pretty regularly and Nick provides some really great recipes from Tex Mex to desserts of all flavors. He posted this recipe around the holidays with an Andes Mint topping. I made them with Hershey Kiss Candy Cane Kisses then and they were delicious. I had a work birthday this week and thought this would be the perfect recipe to bring back. Toppings and fillings are pretty much endless.

My coworkers have a special affinity for all things chocolate and peanut butter so I crushed up some Reese’s cups and let them melt when the blondies came out of the oven. I spread them out like a frosting and refrigerated the pan overnight and cut them up into squares in the morning. These are a big hit and are super easy to whip together. Try them out ASAP!

Recipe

Adapted from Macheesmo

Ingredients:

• 1 cup unsalted butter
• 2 cups brown sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 1 Teaspoon vanilla extract
• Pinch of salt
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• Butter, for dish

Optional: Chocolate Chips, candy topping of choice

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and butter 9×13 baking dish
2. Melt the butter and sugar together over medium low heat in a sauce pan.
3. Whisk the mixture and allow to cool to room temperature.
4. Add eggs and whisk together.
5. Add vanilla extract and combine.
6. Add flour and whisk together.
7. Add any chocolate chips if using.
8. Bake for 30 minutes and test for doneness using a toothpick.
9. After finished baking top with any candy of choice. Topping will melt so you can do half when it’s hot and half later when it cools down for a different texture.
10. EAT! These will go fast, I promise!

This. It will be in my possession next week. The kitchen Gods at RueLaLa were smiling on me yesterday my friends. With a push from a coworker I pulled the trigger and purchased the coveted Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer. It was less than $200 and I couldn’t pass it up. I will now be spending this weekend rearranging my kitchen so that this can fit somewhere on my one foot of counter space.

I will also be spending way too much time looking for recipes that are meant to be made in this mixer. If you have any recommendations I’m all ears! Stay tuned. I know I’ve been bad about posting but I’m hoping this will be the push that I need to get back into the kitchen to whip up some fun new treats. Luckily my coworkers love to eat as much as I do because I plan on bringing in all the goodies to share so I don’t gain 50 pounds eating bread and bake goods

Send my your stand mixer faves!

This post is a little delayed but I believe that it doesn’t have to be Super Bowl Sunday to delight your mouth with Buffalo Chicken Dip.

I had a relaxing Sunday all to myself last weekend and I couldn’t think of a better way to enjoy the game than making myself some spicy, creamy, delicious dip.

Frank’s Red Hot Sauce is the way to go here and they even put the recipe for the dip on the bottle. The recipe is super easy to put together and if you find yourself hosting a get together or need something quick to whip up and bring to a party I highly recommend this dip. I like to eat it with Fritos scoops but it’s pretty delicious on any surface you can find.

Recipe

via Frank’s

Ingredients

• 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup blue cheese salad dressing
• 1/2 cup FRANK’S® REDHOT® Original Cayenne Pepper Sauce or FRANK’S® REDHOT® Buffalo Wing Sauce
• 1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese or shredded mozzarella cheese
• 2 cups shredded or cubed cooked chicken

Directions

Grease a small baking dish with butter or oil spray. Mix all ingredients together in a small mixing bowl. Pour into prepared baking dish. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes until hot and bubbly. EAT!

Safeway had a sale on blueberries this weekend so I bought them. Instead of eating them plain like a normal person I decided the best way to eat these was to stuff them into some baked goodies. I knew Joy the Baker would have something fabulous and boy was her recipe spot on. I’ve been having some troubles with the baked goods lately and I knew she wouldn’t let me down.

Browned butter should be made for everything. I declare it so. The smell of browned butter in my kitchen was so amazing, I wish my blog was scratch and sniff so you could know what it’s like. But then I guess you could just make these muffins and you would could smell it too.

Recipe

via Joy the Baker

Ingredients

• 7 Tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/3 cup whole milk
• 1 large egg
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups fresh blueberries
• 1 over ripe banana (optional, I had one on my counter so in it went!)

Directions

1. Put a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Line muffin pan with paper or foil liners
2. Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat.  Keep an eye on the butter.  Melt and cook down the butter until little brown bits appear in the pan.  The crackling will subside and butter will begin to brown fairly quickly after that.  Keep a close eye.  Remove from heat, let cool slightly.
3. Whisk milk, egg, yolk, mashed banana, and vanilla until combined.  Add the browned butter and stir to combine.
4. Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl  Add milk and butter mixture all at one and stir gently to combine.  Gently but thoroughly fold in the blueberries.
5. Divide the batter among muffin cups and spread evenly.
6. Bake until golden and crisp and a wooden pick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean, about 18-20 minutes.  Cool in pan on a rack for 15 minutes then remove from the pan.  Serve warm or at room temperature.

Note:

Joy also made a crumbly topping on her muffins but I chose to leave them out. If you would like those directions see below.

• 3 Tablespoons cold, unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 1/2 tablespoons sugar

To make the topping combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and rub together with your fingertips until crumbly.  Sprinkle evenly over the batter in the cups.

Enjoy! These were awesome and my co-workers loved them

P is for Party. P is for: pasta, pepperoni, pinot, prosecco, pizza… prune juice?

About a month ago a friend of mine called me in an emergency restaurant reservation crisis. She needed more people to accompany her to Graffiato to keep her table for dinner that night. My boyfriend and I were more than happy to oblige as Graffiato is dishing up some of the best home-style Italian in DC these days. You might recognize the name Mike Isabella from Top Chef (DC & All Stars). On the All Star season finale he made a dish with pepperoni sauce and Gail Simmons flipped out over it thought it was the best thing she’d ever eaten. Lucky for us DC-folk, Isabella is pumping out this sauce on the regular and is more than happy to share the recipe with us mere mortals.

The pepperoni sauce was the base for my January 24×24 dinner. I decided I would make tons of it so that my guests could pour it on everything. Best. Idea. EVER. Help me re-live the fiesta and enjoy the photos!

A big part of throwing parties is the preparation. Even though the dinner only lasts a few hours it’s important for me to have everything planned out ahead of time. I went grocery shopping on Thursday and started setting up Friday evening. I made the sauce the night before as well. The sauce turned out to be a bit more involved than I had initially thought. I persevered and made a few desperate phone calls to make sure I wasn’t losing my mind. The key for the sauce was pureeing it in my blender and then passing it through a sieve to make it smooth. Once I had the sauce under control I felt a lot better about the meal ahead.

I prepared for my guests: pizza (with the sauce), gnocchi, pasta, roasted veggies, and breadsticks. This was my first time trying home-made gnocchi and I think it came out pretty well. I’m interested in trying it out again when I’m not as stressed. The texture was good and I liked it just plain in olive oil with parmesan too. Everything I made was pretty simple so that the sauce could shine.

I couldn’t leave my friends without dessert so I served up some mini cupcakes and prosecco gelatin parfaits with marscapone whipped cream. The parfait is super easy and I thank Claire Robinson for her 5 ingredient dishes.

Below are a few of the recipes I used. Enjoy!

Pepperoni Sauce

via Graffiato/ Mike Isabella of Top Chef

Ingredients

• 8 oz pepperoni, sliced
• 4 oz yellow onions, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 tsp chili flake
• 1 tsp fennel seed
• 4 oz crushed tomato (san marzano)
• 4 oz chicken stock
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp salt
• 1tbsp cider vinegar

I doubled this recipe for my party and I ended up using a whole can of tomatoes and extra tomato sauce because it was very spicy.

Directions

1. In a large pot sweat the onions for 5-7 minutes in olive oil
2. Add garlic and sweat for 2 minutes
3. Add pepperoni and cook for 3 minutes then add spices and cook for another minute
4. Add crushed tomatoes with the juice and cook for 5 minutes
5. Add chicken stock and simmer for 40 minutes
6. Puree in blender, season with salt and pass through a fine sieve, add vinegar.

You will end up with a lot of “pulp” from the sauce. Once I had strained the first batch I then added in more smooth tomatoes and sauce to make it less spicy and make the batch larger. This will keep in the fridge for a few days in a sealed plastic container.

Roasted Potato Gnocchi

via Graffiato

Ingredients

• 4 Idaho potatoes, washed
• 2 egg yolks
• 4 tbsp parmesan
• 1 1/2 cup flour
• 1 tsp salt

Directions

1. Preheat overn to 400 degrees.
2. Prick each potato several times with a fork. Place on a baking sheet. Cook for 1 hour.
3. Remove from the oven and let cool until you can handle them.
4. Slick them in half lengthwise and scoop out the flesh from the skin and pass through a ricer into a bowl.
5. Stir in salt, parmesan, yolks and 1 cup of flour. Stir enough to combine, do not overwork the dough.
6. Roll out into logs and sprinkle with flour so that it doesn’t stick. Cut into one inch pieces.
7. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
8. Add gnocchi and let cook for 1-2 minutes, until they float.

I didn’t have a ricer so I used my hand mixer to mash the potatoes before I added the cheese, egg, and flour.

Prosecco Gelatin Parfaits

via Foodnetwork

Ingredients

• 1 bottle Prosecco (750 ml)
• 3/4 cup sugar, divided
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 (1/4-ounce) packets unflavored gelatin
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 pint mascarpone, room temperature

Directions

1. Put the Prosecco, 1/2 cup of the sugar and 1/2 cup water in a large saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes to burn off some of the alcohol. Remove from the heat and slowly whisk in the gelatin until completely dissolved. Pour into a 9 by 11-inch baking dish, cool to room temperature, then refrigerate to set up for at least 4 hours.
2. In a large bowl, whip the cream to medium stiff peaks. In another bowl, whisk the remaining 1/4 cup sugar into the mascarpone until smooth. Add 1/3 of the whipped cream to the mascarpone to lighten, and then fold in the remaining whipped cream.
3. Cut the Prosecco gelatin into 1 by 1-inch cubes and put a layer into the bottoms of 4 parfait glasses. Divide 1/2 of the cream mixture among the glasses on top of the gelatin, and then repeat with 2 more layers, ending with a final dollop of the cream.

I hope you all had as much fun as I did! Thanks to all my friends for making it such a fun evening! Can’t wait for the next party!!

Today is one of my best friend’s birthdays. I’ve been lucky enough to celebrate the past 5 birthdays with her as we are two days apart. Chick Fil A is her favorite food, so in honor of my dear friend Kelly’s birthday I bring you the Chick Fil A Chicken Sandwich.

This is doubly delicious as I now know the secret to making this at home and I can share it with all of you!

So without further ado I bring you the best chicken sandwich you will ever eat:

Recipe

via fromaway.com

Ingredients

• 2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts (or the thinly sliced kind OR perfect portions pounded out a bit)
• Kosher salt and ground pepper
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• Peanut oil, for frying (I used vegetable oil and they were just fine, though I would like to try peanut oil next time!)
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup milk
• 3/4 cup all purpose flour
• 1/4 cup whole-wheat flour (I left this out)
• 1 tablespoon dry milk (I left this out)
• 1 tablespoon powdered sugar (I used granulated sugar)
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1 sour pickle, cut into eight slices
• soft hamburger buns, split
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

Directions

1. Place each piece between parchment paper, and pound to uniform thickness with a rolling pin. Season the chicken with 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon paprika.
2. In a shallow baking dish, whisk together egg and milk. In another baking dish, whisk together flour, dry milk, powdered sugar, baking soda, dry mustard, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon paprika, and 1 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Meanwhile, heat about two inches of oil to 325 degrees in a heavy-bottomed pot or cast iron skillet. While oil heats, slice pickle, and set aside.
3. Working in batches, dip chicken in the egg mixture, turning to coat, then dredge in flour mixture and shake off any excess. Fry the chicken in hot oil, using a candy thermometer to monitor oil temperature, until golden brown, about 4 minutes. Drain on paper towels.
4. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Spread the cut side of the buns with some butter, and lightly toast in the skillet, buttered-side down. To assemble sandwiches, spread grilled buns with more butter, dip 2 pickle slices in jarred pickle juice to moisten and place on the bottom bun. Top with a piece of fried chicken and the bun top.

Serve to your honey and devour!

Happy birthday Kel! I hope your day is as wonderful as you are!