Havarti Crab Dip over Andouille Grit Cakes

So we're on to round two of my recipe experimentation for the Flay-vors of Washington contest. I've adapted an old recipe from a dear family friend--Lynn Hennessy. Her Crab Toasts have always been a favorite in my family, but I thought I would add a new twist. Instead of serving the crab dip on a crostini or cracker, I'm going to try making grit cakes with some Andouille sausage. I think the sausage will add a nice texture to the grit cakes, which will be an interesting alternative to the more traditional english muffin that the original recipe calls for.

Havarti Crab Dip

1 stick butter, softened
8 oz. Havarti cheese, shredded
6 oz. lump crab meat (I'll be using Dungeness Crab for the real deal, but testing with some local crab from Publix for my first try)
1 1/2 tsp. mayonnaise
2 small garlic cloves, grated
1/2 cup cream cheese
1/2 tsp. salt

Mix all ingredients, blending well. Set aside until grit cakes are ready.


Andouille Grit Cakes

1/2 sweet onion, chopped
1 cup cooked Andouille sausage, chopped
2 T. butter, melted
1 (14oz) can chicken broth
3/4 cup half & half
1 cup Quick-cooking grits
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

In a large skillet over medium heat, saute onion in butter until tender (about 15 minutes). Add Andouille sausage, chicken broth, half & half; bring to a boil. Stir in grits and salt, reduce heat, cover and simmer about 10 minutes, until thickened. Pour into an 8x8 baking dish; cover and chill at least 8 hours.

Cut grits into squares. Brush with olive oil and broil in oven until crispy on both sides (about 5-8 minutes on each side).

Top grit cakes with crab dip and sprinkle with cayenne pepper.

Yeah, the pictures don't look like much, do they? I had trouble getting a really clear shot...of course, I'm still learning how to play with my camera so that could be why.

*NOTE: After this round of testing, we decided to try the grit cakes again in a larger baking dish so that they made a thinner layer. I used a cookie cutter to cut them into circles, and omitted the olive oil before broiling. It made a huge difference--they really got golden brown and crispy, and worked much better as a base for the dip. I've still got a little work to do on the crab dip...it's good, but not WOW. I'm thinking (hoping...praying...) that the Dungeness Crab will make a difference. I'll pick it up on my way home from the lake and try again!

Happy Vidalia Onion Season!

I always know that summer is here when the sweet, delicious Vidalia onions arrive in the grocery store. FINALLY I can make my grandmother's oh-so-easy but sinfully delicious Vidalia Onion Dip that I've been craving since last summer. We have it at practically every family get-together. In fact, I'm making it at our lake house this weekend for her 91st birthday (Happy Birthday, MaMa!). My family will be lucky if I don't eat the whole dish...

You can find a great recipe almost anywhere, but MaMa's comes from an old favorite--the Good as Gold cookbook, courtesy of Ashland Place United Methodist Church. No self-respecting Southern woman should be without it (or at least in my family).

The great thing about this dip is that there is room for experimentation--use a different cheese, add another spice, etc. Just don't take it too far and mix in something like artichokes and ruin the whole thing. The onions deserve all the glory.

Serve with tortilla chips, crackers or even veggies. I like to spread mine between two layers of french bread and make a Vidalia Dip Sandwich. Don't knock it 'till you try it--I'm talking "weak-at-the-knees" good. I wish I had a great picture for you but once again, my insatiable appetite overpowered my need to take pictures.

Vidalia Onion Dip

3 large Vidalia Onions, chopped
2 Tbsp. butter
8 oz. shredded sharp Cheddar (sometimes I add a little more--I love cheese)
1 cup mayonnaise
1 Tbsp. fresh minced garlic
1/2 tsp. Tabasco or other hot sauce (adjust this to your liking)
Salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat; add onions and saute until tender.
2. Mix together the shredded cheese, mayonnaise, garlic, Tabasco, salt and pepper.
3. Add onions to cheese mixture; blend well.
4. Pour mixture into a lightly greased 8x8 baking dish.
5. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes; let stand about 10 minutes before serving.

Happy Eating!

Update on the Flay-vors of Washington

So my first attempt didn't quite turn out how I anticipated...and by that I mean it was terrible.

Ok, ok, maybe not terrible. But bad enough that I shed a small tear in frustration and asked why in the world I thought I cook anything more complicated than spaghetti, to which my mom replied, "1. It's only your first try, 2. This is what "recipe developing" is like, and 3. Calm the heck down."

I felt a little better.

While I think we had a good idea going, we just didn't get the flavor we were looking for. I tried two different versions. Both had a Gorgonzola cream sauce as the base (that I didn't actually make--I got to borrow it from our chef at work for experimenting), which ended up being the most prominent flavor. One version was topped with a roasted pear, the other with diced apples and pears that had been sauteed in white wine, and both were finished with toasted walnuts and Gorgonzola crumbles. Now on paper, it sounds delicious (or at least, to me it did). But in real life? Ehh (shrug). Both my mom and grandmother loved the overall dish, but agreed that the Gorgonzola sauce overpowered the fruits (which were supposed to be the highlighted flavor). Granted, I didn't know what I was doing. But still--it prompted me to explore other directions/ingredients. Hors d'oeuvres are what I do best, so I think I'll stick to what I know.

We're headed back to the lake this weekend to celebrate my grandmother's 91st birthday (yeah, she's a rockstar) so I'm going to enlist my family as guinea pigs once more. This week the Washington-state ingredients are dungeness crab and sweet onions. Here's to hoping I don't cry this time!

Flay-vors of Washington

So I'm about to do something that will either be really great or really stupid. I'm entering a cooking contest to win a chance to cook with Bobby Flay. I'll wait while you laugh...

I've only won one contest my entire life. It was a coloring contest. I was in first grade (I think) and was home sick on the day the picture was due. My neighbor offered to turn it in for me, so I rushed upstairs to finish it (I was such a procrastinator, even then) and practically threw it out the door. And I won. It was ridiculous, really. But I did get a nifty little savings bond that I'll be able to cash in about 30 years from now.

Anyway, I found this contest on the Food Network site. It's called the "Flay-vors of Washington Recipe Contest" and it's sponsored by Columbia Crest, the award-winning winery in Washington state. Contestants have to submit an original recipe inspired by a Columbia Crest Grand Estates wine, using at least one Washington-state ingredient, AND a short video presentation of the dish. Two lucky finalists will be flown to New York to prepare the dish for Bobby Flay and a panel of judges, and one incredibly lucky winner will get some amazing prizes and the chance to cook with Bobby Flay.

I'm going to the lake tonight to hang out with my family (lucky for me they're all great cooks), so I've coerced them into helping me experiment. I'm fairly certain this will be a disaster (particularly the video part), but I'll let you know what we come up with.

Cheers!

Italian Eggs Benedict

I'm actually spending this Mother's Day alone. Husband and I are a few years away from kids (so we think--God might have other plans), both sets of parents are out of town, and my sister and her husband will be spending time with his family.

Husband played in a golf tournament in Montgomery yesterday, and then headed to Troy to hang out with his family (I had to work late last night so he said I didn't need to make the trip), so I had the house to myself. Despite my laundry-list of chores a mile long, I decided to make brunch. For myself. At 1:30pm.

I'm not sure where this craving came from, but I really wanted to make Eggs Benedict. Maybe it's because that's what my dad usually makes on special occasions. Or maybe it's because I already had most of the ingredients and didn't want to go to the store (it was raining--I hate grocery shopping in the rain). Either way, I craved it. So I made it. Or at least, I made a slightly skewed version of it.

For you dear readers who don't know me very well, I love all things Italian. I'm convinced I must have Italian blood in me somewhere (though my Scotch-Irish ancestry begs to differ). Italian food is my favorite thing to cook, eat, stare at, think about...you get the picture. So naturally, I decided to add a little Italian flair to my brunch-for-one. Plus, I had some Pancetta that I got on sale Friday night and I was anxious to cook with it for the first time. Add to that some fresh parmesan, eggs and Bisquick and ta-da! Italian Eggs Benedict with Pancetta and Rosemary Parmesan Biscuits. Sounds yummy, huh?

Now, obviously I have cheated a little bit. I did not make the biscuits from scratch. I mean, why let all that good Bisquick go to waste? I just doctored up the recipe a little bit to give the biscuits some extra flavor. I also opted for simple drop biscuits, as opposed to kneading, rolling and cutting the dough. Drop biscuits look more homemade to me, so I can pretend I made them from scratch. Like I'm playing a trick on myself.

Anyway, here is the recipe for you:

1 cup Bisquick
1/3 cup milk
1/8 tsp dried rosemary (I would have preferred fresh, but had dry on hand)
1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan
2 slices Pancetta
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 egg

Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees. Mix Bisquick and milk together until soft dough forms. Stir in the rosemary and parmesan, blending well (be careful not to over-stir, this will make the biscuits tough). Drop spoonful of dough onto ungreased cookie sheet (this recipe will make about 3 medium biscuits--I halved the original recipe since I was only baking for myself). Bake for 8-10 minutes. While biscuits are baking, heat 1 tbsp. olive oil in 8" saute pan over medium heat. Fry two slices of Pancetta until crispy (about 5 minutes). Remove from pan and drain on paper towel. In the same pan used for the Pancetta, fry one egg until edges are set and the center is slightly cooked (or until desired doneness). When biscuits are done, cool slightly on wire rack. Cut the biscuit in half horizontally. Place egg on bottom half of biscuit, top with Pancetta and the other half of the biscuit.

Now I'm sure you all have noticed something my recipe is lacking. The essential ingredient to Eggs Benedict--hollandaise. Well, I've never made a hollandaise before and I've heard it's kind of tricky. So I thought I would save that task for another day. I did, however, find a delicious recipe that I want to try when I'm up for the challenge--Michael Chiarello's Olive Oil Hollandaise. I think it would be the perfect touch to my version of Eggs Benedict. I'll keep you posted!

Italian Margaritas, Bite-Sized Snacks and Decor

My mom and I absolutely love the Italian Margaritas at Johnny Carino’s (one of my favorite “chain” restaurants–casual, fun atmosphere and terrific food). So I decided to try my hand at re-creating the delicious, sweet taste of their signature drink for my Cinco de Mayo celebration.

I cheated a little bit and used a Bacardi Margarita frozen mixer instead of making the entire thing from scratch, but the end result was so good that no one seemed to mind!

Italian Margaritas

1 10 oz. can Bacardi Margarita frozen mixer
3/4 cup Tequila of choice
6 cups ice
1/2 cup Amaretto
Margarita salt OR coarse sugar
Lime

Follow the directions on the Bacardi package (essentially, combine the mixer with the tequila, amaretto, plenty of ice, blend until smooth). Rim your glass with some lime juice and dip in margarita salt or sugar, whichever you prefer. Pour margarita into glass, garnish with a lime and enjoy! Feel free to adjust the amaretto to your taste. I happen to love the sweet, almond flavor so I’m apt to add a bit more. This makes about 4 servings.

Mini Cilantro Salsa Bites

Hors d’oeuvres just don’t get any easier than this. I took some Tostitos Scoops and filled them with my favorite Southwestern Black Bean and White Corn salsa (Sam’s Choice–who knew??), then sprinkled some fresh cilantro on top. Quick, easy, yummy–what’s not to love?


Decor

Speaking of things I love, let's talk about Pier 1. They never cease to amaze me with their great products and even better prices. I refrained from going crazy (easy for me to do) and picked up just a few pieces to complete my festive display. A colorful, striped platter was the perfect backdrop for my tiny snacks and I couldn’t resist these martini-shaped candles. Adorable AND functional. What more can you ask for?

These Gerbera daisies were on sale–three bunches for $10! I picked out the brightest of the bunch–orange and hot pink. Used in a vase or on a platter, they added color and fun to my table.

Fabulous At-Home Fiesta

I don’t need an excuse to throw a party, but Cinco de Mayo sure is a good one! Not only is it fun, but it’s EASY. Throw together some chips n’ dip, quesadillas and a pitcher of margs (margaritas) and call it real! This year, I’ve got some super-simple ideas that will be sure to impress.

Individual Mexican Layered Dip

I learned this trick while interning at Southern Living during college. My dear friend, Kate Graham, and I had the opportunity to work on a video shoot for Wal-Mart. We spent two days buying groceries and cooking utensils in massive quantities, became best friends with the Wal-Mart employees (and left 10 lbs. of butter in the photo stylist’s van…overnight…in July), and learned fun new recipes and behind-the-scenes secrets. It was a blast. Except for the butter incident…

Anyway, I loved the idea of individual servings of dip in a martini glass. Turns out, SL was way ahead of their time. In the catering world, EVERYTHING is now served in a mini-this or individual-that.

The how-to is simple. Start with a clean martini glass and coat the rim with a lime. Dip the glass in a shallow dish of red pepper or chili powder, just like you would in salt for a margarita. Shake off the excess. Layer your dip ingredients in the following order:

1. Re-fried beans (I mixed mine with some spicy Rotel to give it an extra kick).
2. Guacamole
3. Sour Cream
4. Shredded Cheese (I used the Fiesta blend, but Cheddar works too!)
5. Jalapenos and homemade baked tortilla chips, for garnish

Feel free to mix it up any way you like–you can add shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, bell peppers, whatever looks good to you! I made homemade tortilla chips in an effort to be somewhat healthy. Take 3-4 tortillas layered on top of one another, cut into 8 triangles (which will give you about 24-32 chips), arrange on a cooking sheet coated with cooking spray, drizzle some olive oil, squeeze some lime, sprinkle salt and pepper, and bake at 350 degrees until nice and crispy (10-12 minutes).

UP NEXT: Italian Margaritas and Mini Salsa Cilantro Bites!

MCES Part 1-The Stalking of Tyler Florence

I have FINALLY received pictures from my mom of the cooking show in Atlanta. The anticipation nearly killed me (don't worry, I snagged a few off Facebook so I could at least change my profile pic and share my new found stalking-tendencies with the world).

Meanwhile, having to rely on someone to mail me pictures for my blog confirmed my decision to use birthday money for a new digital camera. I explained to Husband (in my best "Disney" voice, as he likes to call it) that to be a serious food blogger I simply HAD to have great pictures. So we ventured out to Best Buy where I spent a good hour taking random pictures with every camera in the department. The sales people loved me. I came home with a Canon Powershot and have since then been strutting around our condo saying things like, "Make every shot a Powershot" a la Maria Sharapova. But I digress...

I have three words for you. I am crazy. Going to this cooking show confirmed it. Here's a rundown of my adventures in Atlanta with my fabulous mother.

We arrived at the Marriott on Friday evening with just enough time to daydream about meeting famous people and then it was time to hit the hay (needed plenty of rest for our first day). By the way, I'm usually not this celeb-crazy. Really, I swear.

Anyway, we were planning on meeting my former boss/entertaining extraordinaire Martie Duncan (http://martieknowsparties.com) Saturday morning to help her get set for her first show. We're winding our way through the convention center when who do we stumble upon, but Tyler Florence (finishing up his first show in the Celebrity Theatre). I smiled. He smiled. I swooned. Mom caught me. I recovered (and immediately tweeted about it) and we continued.

The MCES basically had three parts to it--the exhibits (food and entertaining vendors), the workshops (mostly local chefs and restaurants) and the Celebrity Live Theatre (along with book signings and VIP events). Martie's workshop on parties/entertaining was a huge hit. The theme was a beach party, and her presentation was absolutely spectacular. The audience loved it, and I could tell they were pumped about her awesome ideas. Check out her blog for a full rundown and photo gallery.

Thanks to Martie, Mom and I were able to attend Tyler's second Celebrity Theatre show. We had killer seats (2nd row) so we could gawk appropriately. You can't really tell in the image to the right because it's blurry, but he was looking straight at us. =)




















Tyler was an absolute rock-star--funny, friendly and informative. Oh, and he clearly knows a thing or two about cooking. And did I mention he's dreamy? He cooked three incredible dishes--Chicken Marsala, Shrimp Scampi and Lamb T-Bone Steaks with Lemon Mashed Potatoes. We got to taste a little bit of the marsala and it was out of this world. We also learned that you should NEVER substitute dried herbs for fresh, Colorado lamb is just as tasty as New Zealand lamb and you should only think about buying expensive olive oil if you are using it as a finisher (such as on a mozzarella salad), but pretty much any kind of olive oil is fine for cooking. We were on cloud nine as we headed back to prepare for Martie's second workshop.

A few minutes into her show, Caroline (Martie's awesome assistant/artist/whatever you need her to be) starts waving frantically to me from across the stage. I run around the back curtain wondering what we had forgotten. And I stop dead. Because Tyler Florence is 5 feet away autographing aprons for the volunteer culinary students. I shamelessly jump in line and then realize that I don't have anything for him to sign...so I dash to my purse and pull out my day planner (no, that is not a joke). Finally, it's my turn. Our exchange goes something like this:

Tyler Florence (sticks out his hand and smiles charmingly): Hi, how are you?
Me (looks down, blushes, and thrusts day planner into his hand): This is all I have!
TF (looks at me curiously): Ok.
Me: I mean, to sign. Hi, I'm Courtney (we shake hands). I loved your show.
TF: Thank you.
Me: It's actually my birthday tomorrow (a kid in Tyler's show told him it was his birthday and he was rewarded with the yummy-looking lamb chops). So uh, you're my birthday present! (wink-wink).
TF (laughs awkwardly): Oh, Happy Birthday!
TF signs both day planner and my official MCES name badge, and hands it back to me. Just smiling away. Dreamily.
Me (cursing myself for being an idiot): Thanks!

We smile for a picture. I walk away. And then it dawns on me...I just accidentally hit on Tyler Florence. Not exactly how I pictured that going....

Eventually I recovered (but not before tweeting about it and telling the embarrassing tale to my dad, sister, Husband and anyone else I could get in touch with) and moved on to Part Deux of the weekend. Stay tuned!

Easter Brunch Recap

I just wanted to share some pictures from my very first Easter Brunch! It was a beautiful day with two of my favorite things--food and family. I think we have a new favorite dish with the Decadent French Toast.
As far as decor, I cheated a little bit--I got lucky and snagged some leftover flowers from a wedding at work the night before, and made my centerpiece. I added my most "spring-y" looking place mats and napkin rings, my hand-painted eggs from Wrapsody and Voila! Instant table scape (it doesn't take much, my table isn't that big!)

The Fruit Salad Martini ended up being a great idea--we were a little behind getting out of church, so the casserole still had about 20 minutes to bake when my family arrived. Everyone enjoyed the fruit while watching the Masters, and I was able to finish up in the kitchen. Just use any fruit you like--whatever is in season. I picked out my favorites (strawberries and blackberries) and filled in with melon, cantaloupe, grapes and blueberries. I topped it off with my favorite Almond Vanilla Granola, which gave it a nice crunch.



And now the main event...the Decadent French Toast. True to its name, this dish was every bit as rich as I expected it to be. I made one slight modification, using almond extract instead of vanilla. My family loves anything almond. It definitely gives the dish a more pronounced flavor and the texture was wonderful--almost like a custard. This is definitely not your average french toast. I can only imagine that it would taste like with a little drop of Amaretto or Grand Marnier. I may have to try that next time! If you're wondering why you can't see the whole dish, it's because I forgot to take a picture before we ate and this was all that was left! I guess that means they really did like it and weren't just trying to be nice.

Decadent French Toast

• 2 tbsp. light corn syrup
• 3/4 to 1 cup light brown sugar (I used dark because that is what I already had, and it worked fine!)
• 5 tbsp. butter
• 12 slices Honey Wheat bread, crusts removed
• 5 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract (or almond)
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 1/2 cups sliced strawberries
  

Directions
Combine syrup, sugar and butter in a saucepan, and heat until bubbly. Pour into 12x9x2 inch baking dish. Place bread in two layers over syrup. In a separate bowl, combine the eggs, milk and vanilla (or almond) extract. Pour over bread, cover and refrigerate overnight. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Spread sour cream over french toast and cover with sliced strawberries. Serve hot with maple syrup.

Enjoy!

I Heart Tyler Florence

I admit it...I have a teensy crush on Tyler Florence. And by teensy, I mean huge. Boy, is he dreamy (sorry, Husband). It's been an AMAZING show in Atlanta, and I can't wait to share everything with you! As promised, I've got tons of great pictures, cooking tips, ideas, stalker stories and more. I'll be back in town tomorrow and post the highlights!

Let Us Entertain You

I'm headed to Hotlanta this weekend for the Metropolitan Cooking and Entertaining Show-- a trade show for cooking and entertaining enthusiasts packed with plenty of food and fun! I'll get to hang with some Food Network favorites, like Tyler Florence, Paula Deen, The Neely's, etc. (and by "hang with" I mean "stare at"), attend workshops and tastings with local chefs, meet vendors from every aspect of the food/entertaining industry and more. In other words, my dream come true. ;) Husband was not quite as enthusiastic... I'm sure the idea of walking around for hours and hours looking at cookware and party ideas is slightly nauseating to most males. Luckily, my mom thought it sounded like a perfect girls weekend/birthday present (my birthday is also this weekend), so she's tagging along and somewhere Husband is breathing a sigh of relief.

My former boss, Martie Duncan (http://www.martieknowsparties.com/), is also presenting four entertaining workshops at the show, so mom and I get to help her out. Martie just got back from a whirlwind weekend in Palm Beach (also with MCES) and said it was FABULOUS! Be sure to check out her blog for some incredible party ideas.

I'll be back on Monday with hopefully some good stories, pictures, ideas, recipes, and maybe even a book signed by Tyler Florence! Happy weekend!

P.S. I'm way behind on posting the recipes and pics from Easter Brunch, but I'll get it done as soon as I get back. Can't wait to share, it was a hit!

Turkey Meatballs

My very favorite birthday meal growing up was my mother's meatballs. I know, right? Meatballs? Random. But they were so delicious, I requested them year after year. My dad always marveled at how I'd eat them right out of the oven, without sauce or anything. They were that good. The leftovers made a great lunch the next day, wedged in between some really yummy Italian bread...delicious.

With my birthday coming up in a few days, I had the urge to re-create my favorite celebratory meal. Instead of using the traditional ground beef, I decided to try something new--ground turkey. Turns out, they might be my new favorite (sorry, mom).

I combined my mom's recipe with a recipe from Giada's Everyday Italian. By the way, I adore Giada. One day I'm going to dedicate a whole week to Giada recipes. Or maybe a month...there are a lot I'm dying to try.

ANYway, here's the recipe:

Adapted from Giada de Laurentiis, Everyday Italian

Ingredients

1/4 cup dried Italian bread crumbs

2 tablespoons milk

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1/2 cup grated fresh Parmesan

1 pound ground turkey

1 tsp. minced garlic

1/4 cup fresh Italian parsley, chopped

1/2 cup finely chopped onion

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

5 cups tomato sauce (NOTE: I don't love tomato sauce, so I actually used some Vodka sauce I had in the fridge. It was delicious!)

1 pound dried penne pasta

Additional fresh Parmesan for garnish

Directions

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl, combine the first 8 ingredients (add turkey last) and mix well, being careful not to overwork the meat. Season with salt and pepper and shape into golf-size balls.

Arrange meatballs on ungreased baking sheet and cook for 30-35 minutes, turning once.

In a large pot, bring to a boil 6 quarts of salted water. Add pasta and cook until al dente, about 8 minutes. Drain pasta in a colander.

Heat your sauce of choice (if you are not making homemade, like me) over medium heat until warm. Add meatballs and cooked penne, toss well to coat. Pour into serving dishes and garnish with fresh Parmesan. Enjoy!

Easter Decor

Of course I have waited until the last possible second to come up with a darling centerpiece/tablescape for my Easter Brunch (in my defense, I have been sick, thanks to this crazy weather!).

Short on time and money (aren’t we all, these days?), I’m relying on two of my favorite stores to help me come up with something frugal and fabulous.

I was literally about to jump in the car and head to Williams-Sonoma’s Easter Sale (one of my happy places—more on that later) to snag this tree when I realized that it is no longer available. BLAST!

It was so cute I just had to show it to ya’ll, even if they don’t have it anymore. They still have the ornaments that you can see hanging from the tree in the picture, so I may pick those up and hunt for a tree elsewhere.

Wrapsody in Patton Creek is often my go-to place for great gifts and entertaining pieces. They have everything from cute and whimsical to elegant and sophisticated, and their easter stuff is just down-right adorable. I picked up some adorable hand-painted eggs that I will somehow incorporate to my centerpiece (whenever I figure out what that might be). I wish I had some pictures to post, but I guess ya’ll will just have to head over there and check it out! Even better, all of their Easter stuff is now 50% off! Happy hunting!

Brunch

My sweet mother-in-law gave me a subscription to Taste of Home magazine, and I absolutely LOVED this cover. What a fun way to serve fruit salad! I have some martini glasses that don’t get nearly enough use, so I’m thinking a “Fruit Salad Martini” will be a perfect “first course” for brunch. It’s something that I can easily put together before church, stick in the fridge, and set out right as my family arrives. With a little Almond Vanilla Granola sprinkled on top for a finishing touch, they’ll have something yummy to munch on while I finish the casserole.

Here Comes Peter Cottontail...

This is my first Easter as a married woman (Husband and I celebrate our one year anniversary this Sunday—wahoo!), so to “act the part” I have invited my parents, sister and her husband over for Easter Brunch. It just sounds so grown up, doesn’t it? Plus, it’s an excuse to finally break out the fine china that Husband swore we would never use. Only two questions remain: 1. How did I ever think that I was going to fit 6 people (plus a toddler) in our tiny condo and even tinier dining room, and 2. What shall I feed them?

I decided on brunch instead of lunch because I’m not good at coming up with yummy lunch menus. We eat a lot of ham sandwiches around here. Plus, anything I can eat while drinking a mimosa pretty much makes my day.

I had all of these grand ideas about what I would serve, until I realized that most of them would mean not eating until 3pm. And my family is not that patient. So I’m going with a good ‘ol French Toast casserole (I’m a sucker for good casseroles). The recipe is from one of my favorite cookbooks that I’ve never actually used (I mostly stare at the pictures).

The book is Food for Thought by the Birmingham Junior League. Aren’t those always the best? I’ll post the recipe shortly and let ya’ll know how it turns out next week. Meanwhile, I’ll be back soon with some other great brunch ideas. Enjoy this beautiful weather!

Kiss Me, I'm Irish!

I really am, actually—it’s not just a line. You might think that with my Irish heritage, I’d be all about St. Paddy’s Day. To tell you the truth…I completely forgot about it. No green outfits, shamrocks or corned beef hash…I won’t even be partaking in any green beer (1. because that’s gross and 2. because I’m baby-sitting my nephew tonight and that would be inappropriate). So I've COMPLETELY dropped the ball on any great cooking or entertaining ideas. I’ll do better next year.

In the meantime, here are some cute ideas I found for Irish-inspired sweets that are easy to whip up at the last minute if, like me, you are less than prepared for whatever shindig you might be heading to.

How adorable are these? Michael’s or any craft store will probably have whatever supplies you need to duplicate these pennants. Or, have the cupcakes already decorated and let your guests make their own. With a little Guinness in them, I’m sure their sayings will be quite creative!

*Photo courtesy sascupcakes.com.



These are from a fabulous bakery in Beverly Hills (with other locations around the US). They serve nothing but cupcakes in extremely unique flavors (these have a Bailey’s Irish Cream frosting—YUM!). The best part is, you can buy the mix at Williams-Sonoma so you don’t have to go cross-country to get them.

*Photo courtesy sprinkles.com.




Ya’ll can keep your green beer. I’ll be over here with my Bailey’s Irish Martini (after my adorable nephew is off to bed, of course).

*Photo courtesy fineliving.com.

Entertaining Class (or more accurately, Excuse to go Shopping)

No plans this Sunday night? Head over to Pottery Barn at the Summit for a complimentary entertaining class. The topic is “Hosting a Fabulous Weekend Brunch”, featuring ideas from the book Fandango: Recipes, Parties and License to Make Magic by Sandy Hill. I’m pumped—I am all about some brunch. I’m sure there will also be some adorable decorations and ideas for Easter entertaining. If you need an extra incentive, all class participants will receive a 10% discount off products featured in the class. Reason enough, right?The class begins at 6:15pm. Space is limited so call soon to reserve a space or get more information. See you there!

Pottery Barn
300 Summit Blvd.
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Death by Chocolate

I thought this would be a great dessert to add to the champagne party, which I have now christened "Champagne and Chocolat" (French pronunciation, please). The name says it all--Death by Chocolate. I mean, what a way to go...

I got this recipe from my DEAR friend Anna at my kitchen/recipe shower last year. She made it in college all the time (to rave reviews) so I was thrilled to get the recipe. She also drew hearts on the recipe card to "make it special". I love her. =)


It's so simple and so yummy...what better combination is there? It also has a nice presentation, as you can see to the left here. Feel free to dress it up however you like--crushed candy bars, syrup, chocolate curls, etc. Just don't bank on any leftovers!



INGREDIENTS:
1 (19.8 ounce) package brownie mix
2 (3.9 ounce) packages instant chocolate pudding mix
1 (16 ounce) package frozen whipped topping, thawed
1 bag of mini Heath Bars, crushed (a hammer works nicely)

DIRECTIONS
1. Prepare brownies according to package directions and let cool completely (I did them the night before).
2. Mix pudding according to package directions.
3. In a glass trifle bowl, layer in the following order: 1/2 of the brownie, crumbled; 1/2 of the pudding; toffee bars, crushed; 1/2 of the whipped topping. Repeat layers in the same order.
4. Save some toffee bars to crumble and sprinkle on top before serving. Refrigerate at least one hour.

Champagne Tasting

I got the inspiration for this idea while Husband and I were in Hotlanta for a wedding last weekend (congrats Mr. and Mrs. Simmons!). It was fabulous, though we expected nothing less—the bride has exquisite taste. Upon arriving at the reception we chose our priorities carefully-drink first, food later. I wasn’t really in the mood for wine (shocking, I know) so I opted for some champagne. (Also, the champagne glasses were gorgeous—I always notice great glassware. It might be because I have a slightly unhealthy obsession with china/glassware/entertaining pieces, but whatever). Disclaimer: the photo below is not actually from this wedding. I was not clever enough to think about photographing said gorgeous glass and posting it on my blog, so I'm using an image from my own wedding to get the idea across). =)


Anyway, there’s something about being dressed up and sipping some bubbly that makes me want to walk around humming “I Feel Pretty” from West Side Story (and by “want”, I mean “did”). In any case, my friend Claire declared my beverage of choice “swanky” and pretty soon several of my girlfriends were sipping champagne and humming Broadway show tunes (ok, I’m kidding about that last part). I have to admit, I was a teensy bit impressed with myself. I’ve never really started a trend before! But more than that, I never really noticed that we liked champagne all that much. Maybe it was just the occasion, maybe it was the atmosphere (stop me before I break out in “Maybe it was Memphis”), but I decided that for our next “Girls Night In” we’d trade our wine and cheese stand-by for something just as simple but slightly more sophisticated—a champagne tasting.

Now when I say “tasting” I don’t mean let’s go buy a $4 bottle of Andre and a $50+ bottle of Veuve Clicquot and see which one we like better. I don’t know a lot about champagne but I’m pretty sure the general consensus is that the more expensive the bottle, the better it tastes. With this economy, just give me the cheap stuff. Ignorance is bliss, right?

Instead, I’m thinking of something more like a Champagne Bar, where you can mix and match different flavors to make your champagne cocktail of choice.

Supplies:

1. Champagne—I’d go with something mid-priced, such as Korbel. Brut is the most common level of dryness, but you can also try an Extra Brut (very dry) or Extra Dry (hint of sweetness) and let your guests decide how sweet they like it. And yes, the names confuse me too.

2. Mixers—Orange juice for Mimosas, Peach Schnapps for a Bellini, Pomegranate juice for a Pomelini—you get the idea.


3. Garnishes—Fresh fruit always adds a little “something”. I like to use strawberries, raspberries and peaches.

4. Snacks—I prefer sweets with my champagne, but real food works too. Some easy and yummy ideas are chocolate-dipped strawberries, mini cheesecakes or my personal favorite—cake bites from Pastry Art in Homewood. They are DIVINE (I’d go with the Red Velvet or Caramel—but that’s just me!!).

Enjoy!

Mexican Casserole

We had a potluck dinner with our Sunday School class the other night, and as usual, I fretted over what to make. I wanted to do something that was easy, could feed a large crowd and most importantly—really, really yummy. I curled up on the couch surrounded by my cookbooks, magazines, recipe cards and a glass of wine (I find that wine always helps in any cooking process). Husband looked at me at one point and said “I think you’re over-thinking this”. Duh.

I finally settled on a new favorite in our house—Mexican Casserole. My sister gave me the recipe a few weeks ago and it was a big hit. You can’t go wrong with this one—cheese, rice, ground beef, Rotel and Doritos. What’s not to love (although, it tastes better than it looks!).

I think I might experience with the topping to see if I can get it to look more like "Gourmet Casserole al la Mexicana" and less like “Congealed Cheese Mess”. I added a little garnish to the top, but you can see what good that did. ;) Luckily, no one seemed to mind. I even heard one guest say it was his “favorite dish by far”. Maybe that will keep me from freaking out the next time I need to cook something…but probably not.

Ingredients:

1 Family Size package of Saffron Rice (gold package)
1 ½ lbs. of lean ground beef
1 lb. of Velveeta cheese
1 can of Cream of Chicken Soup
1 can of Rotel Tomatoes and Diced Chilies (I used Hot for an extra kick, but Mild still adds good flavor)
1 bag of Nacho Cheese Doritos
2 cups of shredded Cheddar cheese (a Fiesta blend works great as well)


Directions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cook rice according to package directions.
3. Brown ground beef and drain the fat.
4. Cut the Velveeta into cubes so it will melt easier.
5. Combine the cooked rice and meat with the cheese, mixing until well blended.
6. Add soup and Rotel, stirring until blended. Pour into 9x13 casserole dish.
7. Crush Doritos and spread on top of casserole. Add shredded cheese over Doritos.
8. Bake uncovered for 40 minutes, or until heated through.

The Doritos really make the dish, believe it or not. I’m thinking of creating a similar recipe using my favorite Doritos-Cool Ranch. Maybe a Chicken, Bacon and Ranch Casserole? I’ll keep you posted.