27 Wednesday Apr 2016
Posted in Cooking, Entertaining, Recipes, Recipes
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When I’m in the mood for a comforting dinner but don’t want to spend tons of time in the kitchen, Ina Garten’s Weeknight Bolognese is one of my go-to’s. This pasta dish is so flavorful you would think it simmered for hours. And, I usually have the ingredients in my pantry. The perfect weeknight meal!
17 Thursday Mar 2016
Posted in Baking, Cooking, Dessert, Entertaining, Gourmet Group, Living Room, Recipes, Recipes, Table Design
After a 6 month break, I’m back to blogging with Gourmet Group!
I hosted the dinner with a Mexican Theme.
I wanted the night to feel casual and laid back, with really delicious food – and still some elegance. One of the guys makes yummy guacamole, so we started with chips & guac, and my Dad’s famous margaritas.
The main dish was a barbacoa recipe that I have made for years. It is so flavorful. (I usually make extra so we eat it for several nights – the first night over rice, and then next over a big green salad with simple lemon vinaigrette.) All of the sides: citrus salad, re-fried beans, and saffron rice with peas, are all from the beautiful Mexico: The Cookbook. To keep it casual we served them all together on piled-high plates.
My husband added a sipping tequilla served with homemade Sangrita as a digestif.
And then, my favorite part of all…Cuatro Leches cake with arequipe sauce!!! Our wedding cake was a cuatro leches cake and and the recipe from La Duni in Dallas seemed similar, so I put it on the menu. My friend did an amazing job on this masterpiece and it tasted even better than it looked!
It was a wonderful evening with great friends and great food.
30 Saturday May 2015
Because another loaf of banana bread seemed excessive, this week I made healthy banana oatmeal cookies with my leftover ripe bananas. I hadn’t made them in over a year and forgot what a great treat these are! These cookies are packed with nutritious ingredients, taste good, and make the house smell great while they’re baking. I first found them on Lori Bregman’s blog, and I’ve since seen similar versions with added ingredients like dates and walnuts. I stuck to the original this time – with a little extra vanilla.
18 Monday May 2015
Posted in Cooking, Entertaining, Gourmet Group
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With tropical drinks in hand and reggae music in the background, our hosts created an island escape with a delicious Jamaican-themed menu for our seventh gourmet group dinner. The menu was carefully planned to recreate the flavors our hostess remembered from her two years living on the Island as a child. We feasted on flavorful jerk chicken, fragrant coconut rice and Caribbean vegetables, and a rich chocolate rum cake. My assignment: Jamaican Carrot Soup with a pear relish and plantain chips. I suggest making the soup at least a few hours ahead of time to allow the complex flavors to really come together as it’s refrigerating. And don’t skip the pear relish – it adds texture and freshness to the warm, spicy soup. This soup would also be amazing on a cold fall day!
15 Wednesday Apr 2015
Posted in Baking, Brunch, Cooking, Entertaining
My favorite breakfast spot growing up served amazing German pancakes. Because they look so impressive, I thought these pancakes would be difficult to make. I recently found this recipe and tried it – so easy and so delicious! I highly suggest serving the pancake with several fresh lemon wedges to squeeze on top – it adds so much flavor. And maple syrup, of course.
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