Stress Less Dinner Party Ideas

Real Simple has some great tips on a "Stress Less Dinner Party." I especially like the idea of skipping the formal tablecloth and using a roll of brown craft paper for the tablecloth. Not only does it look great, but makes for easy clean up. To add to this already great idea, I would place some crayons on the table if your guests include small children. It would provide the kids with some entertainment so the adults could actually carry on a conversation! I'm also really loving the simple place cards.
Take a look at the menu Real Simple provides, it looks tasty. If you try it out let me know how it goes.

Party in a box

I have a couple of nephews with birthdays coming up, and I thought this was a great idea.

Seriously, why haven't I thought of this? This esty seller has created a "party in a box." Talk about cutting your party planning time in half! Check it out here. How fun would it be to sell customized party kits? Almost as fun as the little chef's party I posted here.

This would be a great way to make it look like you put a lot of hard work into your child's party without any of the hard labor. And for $30 it's not a bad price.

Perfection! Chocolate Chip Cookies

I feel like for years I've been searching for the perfect chocolate chip cookie recipe. I was starting to believe it didn't exist. Even when I did get a recipe, it was always hit and miss. I know I promised this recipe a while ago, but I wanted to make sure that it really was a "no fail" recipe.


This recipe came from a good friends mother who passed away. I wish I knew her better, especially since she must have been an excellent cooks because all of her recipes always turn out to fabulous!



Deanna's Chocolate Chip Cookies
1 cup butter flavored vegetable shortening
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
2 1/4 to 2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 cup chopped nuts (optional)
2 cups chocolate chips

Cream shortening, sugar, and vanilla until light and fluffy. Add eggs and beat well. Sift flour, soda, and salt separately, and add to mixture. Stir in nuts and chips. Scoop and roll into balls and place on a greased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes. Makes about 32 cookies.

I've made this recipe probably a dozen times and every time they come out crisp on the edges and fluffy in the middle.
Tip: try the cookies frozen, they are really good.

New Year

It's a new year and I feel like it would just be wrong to start off without giving you something healthy. I wouldn't even call this a recipe, but it's my go to quick and healthy dinner. You can find the chicken strips and vegetables from Costco in the frozen food section.

On medium high heat pour about a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil into a frying pan. Place frozen chicken in pan, season with salt and pepper, and cook until golden, about 15 minutes. Steam vegetables in microwave. Mix chicken and vegetable together and you have a very good, very healthy meal.

Since I like to eat this meal several times a week when I'm trying to lose those extra holiday pounds I try to finds ways of making it interesting. For example: add some garlic and purple onions in the frying pan, or try different kind of seasonings. I also like to have this with a red potato with about a tablespoon of fat free sour cream. Really, there are so many options, but trust me, it's really tasty.

Bahumbug!

Seriously, I have so many recipes and goodies to post for Christmas and it's like I just realized that it's two days away! Where has the time gone? The only consolation I can give are these great downloadable gift tags from How About Orange for those late night wrapping sessions you have ahead. Hope this help.


If you find yourself in a bind and need some great recipes for those holiday festivities check out my Chicken Corn Chowder Soup (that my brother refers to as "heaven") and Lauren's Crescent Rolls. For breakfast try the Fabulous Crepes, and for dessert maybe try the Surprise Cookies, or my favorite pie crust recipe.


I hope everyone has a great Christmas filled with lots of good food!

Get them here.

This is what I'm using this year. Get them here

DIY Paper Placemats

These DIY Paper Placemats fround via Twig and Thistle look awesome! This would be a great way to seasonally decorate for all those holiday dinners without having to spend the money. And talk about an easy clean up!

Thanksgiving ends and December Begins....

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving, I know I did. I was given my favorite assignment of making these rolls, and a bunch of pies and I got to share them with my favorite people.
We had a long weekend full of wallyball, poker tournaments, a late night of card playing at The Terry's cabin, black Friday shopping, and finished it off with Chirstmas tree decorating and the best ever chocolate chip cookies (don't worry I'll share them with you soon).

The first day of December is tomorrow and what a great way to start the month off with a Free Advent Calendar found via Say Yes to Hoboken.

Happy Holidays!

Cupcakes

I provided the refreshments for a church function a couple of nights ago and was pretty pleased with how it turned out. I went with a cupcake theme and served red velvet, pumpkin, and german chocolate. My favorite is the pumpkin (which I already shared a while back), but the german chocolate is a close contender. I have to admit that this is the only one I cheated on and made from a box, but the frosting I made from scratch, which you can find here.

As far as the decor went, I kept it pretty simple and stuck to things I already owned, with the exception of the acorns which I found at the park.

Tip: Since I like cake served chilled, it worked best to freeze the cupcakes and frost them frozen and then they will thaw within an hour.

Baby Shower Ideas

My niece Kellie just had a baby girl and named her Alexis Mae (how cute is that name?!). Actually, I have a lot of family and friends having babies these days. So I thought maybe some of you do as well. Here's a couple of great things I found around the internet that might spark some ideas for a great baby shower:

How cute would these paper owls look spread out all over the tables? Found via A Delightful Blog

Then I'd grab all of my scrap fabric and make a banner like this one to hang above the table.

Image found via flicker

For the gift? I would make another one of these bird mobiles I made for my new nephew last January. For a free download go here. Or give me a call if you have questions about how to assembly it.











Now I kind of wish I was throwing a baby shower for someone!

Pizza Dough

I get asked for this recipe a lot. Honestly, I think pizza is one of my favorite things to make, with the exception of pie of course.

Combine:
2 1/4 Cups Warm Water
2 Tbl Yeast
Let stand for about 10 minutes to activate the yeast.


Add:
2 Tbl Sugar
2 Tsp Salt
1 Tbl Oil
5-6 Cups flour (you know you have enough flour when it pulls away from the sides of your mixer)


Mix for 8 minutes. Roll out and place on pan that has been greased and spread cornmeal all over it. Poke dough with a fork all over so you don't get bubble. Add toppings of your choice. Bake at 375 degrees for about 20 minutes. Makes about 3 medium size pizzas.

Thanksgiving Invite

Thankgiving is my favorite holiday because it's all about food and family. Over at Design Mom is the great idea to send out Thanksgiving Invitations. I have never thought of this, but I think it's a fabulous idea!

Every year my mother-in-law invites the immediate family over the Sunday before for our own Thanksgiving meal and it has become one of my favorite traditions.

I'm dying to cook a turkey and am currently working on perfecting a stuffing recipe, so hopefully I will have that to share before the holiday comes.

If you have any fun traditions please share.

Menu Tips

Stephmodo not only has a great menu laid out for the week, but has found a way to better articulate her meal planning than I was able to. Click here for her advice on how to save money on your groceries and eat great meals throughout the week. I did it and I never want to go back!

Royal Eatery

I've been craving breakfast food ever since I ate at the Royal Eatery a couple of weeks ago. I was downtown for the semi annual book sale at the Main Library. I scored like 20 books for $20. You should check it out, it goes on every October and April. Afterwards a friend and I headed over to the royal Eatery for breakfast and I can't stop thinking about it.

For nothing fancy, but really good food, check it out.
image via flicker

Free Download

Just in time for Halloween. I found these free, printable Halloween tags. Download them here. If you use them, let me know what you did!

What?!

Pumpkin Butter! Nuff said.

It's time for Pie!

Remember the Mini Pies I made? I think about them all the time, and if they weren't so time consuming I would make them all the time. I wonder if these mini pie molds from Williams Sonoma would make them go any faster? I know they would make them prettier.

Halloween Fun

I love giving my neighbors Halloween treats, especially if they are homemade and packaged pretty. Since I figure it's not appropriate to hand them out to them while they are trick-or-treating, I try to get them out earlier. I frequently get asked for my pumpkin chocolate chip bread recipe, so I figured I'd share it with everyone and hopefully make some for my neighbors this year.

pumpkin chocolate chip bread
5 eggs, well beaten
3 cups sugar
2 1/2 cups canned pumpkin
2 cups oil
4 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
4 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons nutmeg
1 1/2 teaspoons cloves
1 teaspoon gound ginger
1 1/4 cups milk chocolate chips

Cream eggs and sugar. Add pumpkin and oil. Add dry ingredients slowly and combine thoroughly. Fold in chocolate chips. Pour into 4 greased and floured 9"x5" pans. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes.

I like to be generous with the spices.

Just wrap up the bread in plastic wrap, tie a pretty bow on it and use cute tags like the ones I found on etsy.












Image via flicker

"The Menu" Part 3

This is the final round of my Menu Challenge. I found this recipe on a whim while researching healthy recipes and thought I'd give it a try. It was so easy and quick. It was also nice to watch the video, otherwise I probably wouldn't have chosen this recipe. To watch the video for Balsamic Chicken with Baby Spinach, Over Couscous click here. The only thing I changed was I seasoned the chicken with lemon pepper and salt. It not only gave the chicken some much needed flavor, but color as well. I also cut the breasts so they were much thinner so they would cook faster. When I make this meal again I will probably change out the couscous for some flavored rice.

Remember the mere $20 I spent for all the items I didn't have to complete the menu? Well, I knew that if I made enough meals I would have plenty of left overs for lunches. So not only did we have great dinners, but lunches as well!

"The Menu" Part 2

I really wanted to integrate some new and different dinners for my Menu challenge, so I decided to try curry for a change. I was pleasantly surprised. Husband and I even ate the leftovers within 2 days. This is one of the meals that I made ahead on Sunday and just re-heated and prepared the rice the day of.

For the Curried Coconut Chicken recipe, click here. The only thing I changed was I substitued jasmine rice for brown rice. Other than that I wouldn't change a thing!

Warning: you're place may or may not smell like curry for a couple of days!

Putting "The Menu" to the Test

So my Menu Challenge last week went way better than expected. Believe it or not, I actually made 5 out of the 6 meals! The funny thing is that I had a crazy busy week, but still managed to make all these meals partly because they were easy and because I had all of the ingredients since I had planned ahead. I still think the biggest reason was that I knew if I made them I would be eating a lot healthier than grabbing something that you heat up in the microwave.

In my menu planning I had 2 goals; eat healthy, and make the most of what I already had. So the first thing I did was to assess what I already had in my fridge and pantry. Then I browsed through some new and old recipes to come up with a menu. I made a trip to the grocery store on Saturday and bought the few ingredients I needed, which mostly consisted of fresh items that you don't always keep around. In fact, I think I only spent about $20 for those few items I didn't have. On Sunday I made a couple of meals ahead of time that I knew I wouldn't have the time for, which was a total life saver.

Most of the meals were a big success, but throughout this week I'll share only the best of the best.

My top favorite was the tri-tip steak and fries. It's so simple, it doesn't require a recipe. Simply marinate the steak in soy sauce, at a minimum of 30 minutes. Throw them on the grill for maybe about 7 minutes per side for medium-well. What really compliments this meal is the sweet potato fries. Just cut up, drizzle with olive oil and some salt and put in the oven at 425 degrees for about 35 minutes. Time varies on size and amount. Trust me, you'll like this one.

Healthy tip: remember that your meat portion size should be the size of your palm.

In Preparation

Two years ago Husband and I went to Cincinnati to visit my twin brother and his cute wife for Thanksgiving. I was so excited because we were going to make our very own turkey dinner all by ourselves. It was then that I learned how to roast a turkey. With the advice of my mother I lathered the turkey with mayonnaise, and I’ve had delicious moist turkeys ever since.
Every year I like to have my own Thanksgiving dinner at my own home, right before the actual holiday. I know we haven’t even had Halloween yet, but I’m already getting excited for it, but I can’t help but wonder if anyone has any advice to kick things up a notch? Any tips? Secrets? Do share.

Next up, I’m determined to master stuffing. I’ve tried so many recipes, but I just can’t seem to get quite what I’m hoping for.

Image via MarthaStewart.com

Me, my sister, & my sis-in-law

Cincinnati 2007

Halloween Party

Have you ever had your calendar fill up before the month even starts? That's my October. It leaves me wondering if this is any indication of what the up coming holidays are going to be like? Since I really don't have time to plan a Halloween party, I figured I could at least put together what I would do if I had the time.

For invites I would do something similar to these from Martha Stewart.com. You can find the boxes and some moss for cheap at the craft store. Years ago I made fingers that look similar to this out of sugar cookies and almonds dyed red for the fingernails. Super cheap, super easy, super crafty!

I would definitely serve some homemade doughnuts. A couple of options are to follow the recipe I found on Better Homes and Garden for Pumpkin Doughnuts. You can also check their site for 28 Yummy Pumpkin Recipes! I've also been dying to try the easy version of homemade doughnuts by buying pillsbury biscuit dough, make a hole in the middle, fry them in vegetable oil, and make a glaze of powdered sugar and juice from an orange.

For decor I would find some jars to fill up with classic Halloween candy and top with a pumpkin, like I found on Martha Stewart.com. The great thing about this is that they make for great decor and party favors. My version would probably be similar to this, but I would use some canning jars I have sitting around to fill with candy to give to all my guests.

Have a Happy Halloween everybody! By the way, you can use all of my ideas if you invite me to the party!

Cupcake Phenomenon

I get asked all the time about the cupcake stand I used at Husbands Birthday Party. I actually found it at TJ Maxx (love that store!), but with the cupcake phenomenon we are experiencing, I see them popping up everywhere. My favorite is at Crate and Barrel. In fact, I like this one better than mine! Go check it out, buy it, and you'll see how you will find ways to use it.

The Menu

I have a new goal. I will admit that I've made numerous previous attempts at this goal, just to be defeated. But seriously, I mean it this time! It's grocery shopping with a purpose. I honestly think I spend more time and money at the grocery store than I do on my bad shopping habit. So not only am I on a self-imposed spending haitus, but I am going to start being a smart grocery shopper. I figure if I can actually plan a menu for the week, make a list, and stick with it, I will not only spend less money and time at the grocery store, but I will have better, healthier meals throughout the week. So here it goes.

The Menu:

Curried Cocunut Chicken

Tri-tip steak, marinated in soy sauce, with baked sweet potato fries

Balsamic Chicken with Baby Spinach, Over Couscous

Slow Cooker Pork Chops with Rosemary, Apples, and Onions

(taken from a version of this recipe)

Taco Soup with Homemade Breadsticks

Some of these are new, never tested recipes, and some are old favorites. I'll let you know how my challenge goes and share any recipes that prove to be fabulous!

Image via here

Chocolate Fix

This is my go to recipe when I want chocolate fast! I've been trying to perfect this recipe for forever, when I learned that it was really the entire recipe that was all wrong. Nikki finally gave me her recipe and it's perfect. My mom always made these growing up, so you know that means they must be easy because she doesn't cook!


No Bake Cookies


3 Cups of Quick Oats
1 Cup Coconut
1 Cup Peanut Butter

Put in a large bowl.
In a saucepan bring the following ingredients to a boil for 1 minute:

2 Cups Sugar
1/2 Cup Milk
6 Tsp. Cocoa
1/2 Cup Water


After this boils for 1 minute, turn stove off and add:

1 Tsp. Vanilla


Pour over dry ingredients and mix all together. Spoon balls onto greased cookie sheet and enjoy! I like them best when they are still warm.

Another day in Germany (or paradise, whatever)...

I distinctly remember a meal I had in a small town in Germany. The town was beautiful, quaint, tourist free, and we pretty much stumbled upon it. While venturing around we found a great Spanish restaurant with some beautiful outdoor dining, which gave us a much needed break from the bland German food we'd been having. The menu pretty much consisted of different tapas in small portions, in which you would order a variety of.

I seriously can't get this meal out of my mind. Husband and I shared a concoction of chicken and potatoes soaked in Sherry, a type of queso with bread for dipping, and melted cheese over steamed vegetables. I wish so bad I could recreate this meal, but I know my efforts would be completely futile. I think my only solution would be to take a trip to Spain. Ready for it Honey?

I think another reason I remember this meal is because of our neighbors sitting at the table across from us. They kept staring at me, so much so that it made me feel uncomfortable. I started to think that I was just being paranoid, but then everybody at my table starting commenting about these people who were staring and were starting to get real excited. So weird. We decided they thought I was famous. Now I wish I had gone up to their table and maybe given them an autograph or two. If only I knew which famous person they thought I looked like.

It's that time again!

I bought myself 3 huge cans of pumpkin and I can't wait to use it all. I've been dying to eat the pumpkin waffles I made last year, but I was hoping to add a new recipe to the mix. So I decided to revisit my love/hate relationship with Martha Stewart and put her to the test once again.

I went with Martha Stewart's Pumpkin Cupcakes and I was pleasantly surprised. Super moist, super easy, and great presentation. Give them a try, let me know how it goes.

These could also pass as muffins if you forego the icing.

I suddenly want to be French

Everyone is talking about Stephmodo's renovation of La Maisonnette du Coteau in Beynac, France. I can't imagine renovating such an old home (over 400 years old), in a different country no less! The transformation is amazing, you can even check it out at design sponge.

My favorite part? The kitchen. Check out the stove! And the beautiful dining room. I want those pendant lights above the table. Who am I kidding, I want to have a dining room table!






I'm seriously in awe, and hope that when Husband and I take our trip to France that we'll stay here and take those cooking classes she raved about!

Oh Canada!

When Husband and I were in Canada last year we got caught in a rain storm and ducked into a little boutique. I fell in love immediately! It was here that I was first introduced to Portmeirion Products by Sophie Conran. I only bought a couple of pieces that would be easy to transport back home, but now I'm so sad that I didn't get more pieces because they are my absolute favorite.

Some of the items I'm coveting, found on amazon.com (Husband take note):

Large Pitcher

Juicer

Footed Bowl

Tip of the Day

Always keep lemons and limes on hand to perk up any recipe. Seriously!
If you haven't noticed, a lot of my recipes involve lemon zest or lime juice, etc. Lemon zest can be used in meats (remember the roast) and even desserts (remember the coconut cake) or the juice from a lime to add a little zing to any drink, not just diet coke! They even make for great centerpieces, like I used for Husband's birthday.

They're cheap and last a long time in the fridge, so stock up!

Even Ina Garten agrees (click through the slide show)

Image via House Beautiful