Thanksgiving Gravy

First let me say that it was really fun to see some of you at your Relief Society Activity. Nicki has asked me to post this recipe for the gravy I made for that night. I did not personally feel that it was fabulous, but I think it's because it was not a traditional gravy.
I went on epiruious and found this recipe
I think that I may have put in more cider than was called for, I would stick with what the recipe says, you can add more at the end, but you can't take it out:)

Breakfast for Dinner Part Duex

Alright well where do I even begin? 
I do not cook. I am mostly interested in the good stuff, you know... cupcakes, cookies, brownies, cakes... you get the picture.
Don't get me wrong, I can do the basics, NOTHING fancy or gourmet.  I am totally intimidated by that word- gourmet.
So you will understand my apprehension in joining the club. When Cassaundra first told me I was going to be her partner she was totally understanding. She kinda knew what she was getting into with this partnership. She even likened her asking me to join, unto me "asking her to join a basketball, or volleyball rec league."
I love it.
But I did it because it is fun to try new things, and put yourself in situations you are not comfortable in because that's how we grow...right? 
And let's be real. Cassaundra is my bestie and really, I would do anything she asked me to. I love her (and her babies) and I knew that even if I didn't learn a damn thing, we would have a blast. 
So the first meal we did together. I totally dropped the ball. Pretty much Cassaundra did the whole thing and I still feel bad about it. (the meal was in February people!) Everything she did in that meal was amazing and it was all delish. 
So with our second meal and the addition of Kate (whom I also love) I knew this one was going to be way good. AND a chance for redemption.
So like she said, this thing almost didn't happen. I am not creative. I just thought that a breakfast for dinner would be fun and unexpected. 
So we met at the beach one day, let the crazies run free, and went over recipe ideas. And what you saw in Cassaundra's post was the finished product. 
I did the Creme Brulee French Toast with an Orange Butter Glaze, and made the jam for the pop tarts. I also did the Mimosas.  
So here are the recipes. They are pretty basic (just how I like it haha)

Creme Brulee French Toast

ingredients:
1 stick unsalted butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 T corn syrup
1 large french bread loaf
5  large eggs
1 1/2 cups of half and half
1 t Grand Marnier
1 t vanilla
1/4 t salt

prep:
in a small heavy saucepan melt butter with brown sugar and corn syrup over moderate heat, stirring, until smooth. 
 pour into a 13- by 9- by 2-inch baking dish. 
Cut six 1-inch thick slices from center portion of bread. 
Arrange bread slices in one layer in baking dish, squeezing them slightly to fit.
In a bowl whisk together eggs, half-and-half, vanilla, Grand Marnier, and salt until combined well. 
Pour evenly over bread. Chill bread mixture, covered, at least 8 hours and up to 1 day.
Preheat oven to 350° F. and bring bread to room temperature.
Bake bread mixture, uncovered, in middle of oven until puffed and edges are pale golden, 35 to 40 minutes.
Serve hot French toast immediately.

So a couple of things I did DIFFERENT than the original recipe:
It says to cut off the crusts, I leave them on. It keeps the structure and make sit easier to serve. 
I didn't add the Grand Marnier
I added fresh squeezed orange juice to the egg mixture. About a cup.
And just a side note, I made one batch with EXTRA brown sugar mix. And I loved it. Kind of a general rule in our household, extra sauce, crumble, syrup etc never hurt anyone.
Oh and one more thing. Make sure to serve immediately. If it sits the brown sugar mix hardens and it's not as yummy.
Ok really, last thing. When dishing, flip the piece over so that the brown sugar mix side, is now the top.

Orange Butter Glaze

ingredients: (you better like butta)
2 sticks unsalted butter
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1/2 lemon, juiced
1 teaspoon orange zest
1 big splash orange-flavored liqueur (recommended: Grand Marnier)
prep:
Combine the butter, sugar, citrus juices, and zest to a small saucepan and cook for about 10 minutes until it caramelizes. 
It should be a golden color.
 Remove from heat, add the Grand Marnier, return to the heat and continue to whisk and reduce until syrupy-about 10 minutes. 
I didn't add  the liqueur in this either.
And in the interest of full disclosure. I had extra from that night and totally was searching for things to drizzle this over.
And by drizzle I mean drench.
Buttermilk Eggos? Check. Delish.
Slice of an Entenmann's All Butter Loaf with a scoop of vanilla ice cream? Check. Oh. My. Gosh.

Mimosas
These were virgin mimosas. The real ones you would substitute champagne for the sparkling water.

ingredients:
fresh squeezed orange juice
sparkling or tonic water
lime

prep: 
there really isn't an exact measurement for this. It really is preference. 
add the sparkling water to the fresh squeezed OJ
squeeze in some lime

Raspberry Italian Plum Jam

Melt together 1 raspberry fruit roll up and 1 plum fruit roll up
and serve.
JUST KIDDING
But that's how sweet this jam is. Like candy. 
The recipe is hiding from me right now but I will post it when I find it.

I didn't take pics, and let's be honest, if I did they wouldn't be a pretty as Cassaundra's. 
It was a super fun evening with great company. Love seeing all of you guys every month. Love you ladies.

p.s. Cassaundra is joining my volleyball team next month.

breakfast for dinner part 1

the night that almost never happened...

we were beginning to think this night was cursed.

back in june kate, emily and i starting testing recipes for the perfect summer meal, served on top of kate's rooftop in malibu, overlooking the ocean.

we came up with a trio of sliders. vegetarian. turkey. beef.

we came up with an amazing watermelon salad.

and on and on...

and then the lovely amy and nicki did their night "welcome summer".  if you haven't tried their recipes, run don't walk!!! amazing!! but exactly what we were thinking so on to plan B.

burgers and baked veggies? taken. fish? too predictable. breakfast for dinner? comforting and lovely.

so with emily's genius idea we planned and planned.

kate, has the cooking chops. technique. fearlessness. and she works like the devil.

i, am really good at doing what i am told, and coming up with a ton ideas that i can't execute.

emily, is so creative, so together we had a great time!

then i got sick. you don't want to hear about. we will leave it at that. i was very sick.

then just monday of this week kate almost had to jet off to a cousin's wedding in utah. 

I should start with a warning THIS NIGHT WAS IN NO WAY SHAPE OR FORM HEALTHY!!!

luckily we figured out a way to make it all happen so with further ado...

here is our menu

i found these cute envelopes that come in every color with a fun little pocket on the side... the possibilities are endless! i decided to just slide in a little thank you note to the girls.

cut some paper i had and a little adhesive tape to make a cigar sleeve. but wait, this is looking a little too serious. so i added some fun phrases about what else...eating!

Add caption

emily has collected all of these GORGEOUS beach glass bottles for years. we knew they would be perfect and unexpected.

they were perfect. they caught the fog in the air. they glistened. they were easy.

 now on to appetizers...

katie made these most amazing tiny huevos rancheros... i could have eaten a million.

here is what kate says:

 Huevos Rancheros

Enchilada Sauce (allrecipes.com)
1 T adobo sauce from canned chiles in adobo
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
1/4 C corn oil
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp cumin
3 cup beef broth

Combine all ingredients and simmer 10 minutes.

Corn tortillas
Black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 onion, minced
1/2 green pepper, minced
Cumin
1 C Jack cheese, grated
1 C Pepper jack cheese, grated
Egg

  You can adjust this recipe in so many ways, it all depends on how you want to serve. I found foil pie plates for pot pies in the grocery store, that would be ideal for a entrée portion . Saute onion and green peppers until softened, season with salt and pepper. Mash black beans in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in onion and green pepper. Pour a small amount of corn oil in skillet, just enough to cover the bottom of the pan. Fry tortillas on both sides until lightly browned. Salt them after taking them out of oil, while still hot. Fry eggs, I think it is best when the yolk is still soft.
Layer tortilla, black bean mixture, cheese, sauce, tortilla, egg, cheese, sauce. 

Bake in oven at 375 for 5-8 minutes.

for our night's purposes kate cute the tortillas and egg with a small round circle cutter, similar to this one.

then at the last minute and in order for the plate to look complete she added these super easy, super yummy strawberry brie sandwiches. we cut them into finger size for the appetizer, the picture just doesn't have it this way.

 Strawberry Sandwich
(Tyler Florence)

1/2 stick unsalted butter, softened
8 slices brioche (we used challah)
1/4 C granulated sugar
1 jar of good strawberry jam
1 pint hulled, sliced strawberries
6 ounce Brie cheese, thinly sliced at room temp
Powdered sugar

Butter both sides of 4 slices of bread and sprinkle sugar on one side of each. This will be the side that is grilled. Spread strawberry jam on the other side, top with sliced strawberries  and then cheese slices. Now butter both sides of the other 4 slices of bread set on top of cheese and sprinkle top with sugar. Press down gently.
Heat 1 T of butter in a cast-iron skillet over medium-low heat. Put 2 of the sandwiches in the pan and cook for 2 minutes, until the sugar melts, the bread turn golden brown and the cheese begins to melt. Turn and cook the second side until golden brown and the cheese is bubbly. Take the sandwiches out of the pan, dust with powdered sugar, cut them in half and serve warm. Repeat with other 2 sandwiches.

I added the pineapple ginger smoothie because with all the heavy I felt that we needed a little sweet rinse. these were served in a shot glass. i love to make smoothies so i can jam extra nutrients in my kids bellies before they head off to school and these were so quick. These particular smoothies are from MS Everyday Food.

Pineapple and Ginger Smoothie

Martha Stewart Everyday Food

• 1 cup fresh or frozen pineapple, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced
• 1/2 cup low-fat plain yogurt
• 1 cup pineapple juice
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup ice (if using fresh pineapple)

Directions

Blend pineapple, ginger, yogurt, pineapple juice, cinnamon, and ice (if using fresh pineapple).

 

okay so next kate made this "cookie cup" to fill the fruit salad in. the cup is basically caramel, baked and at her house in the humidity they became sticky and melty real quick... the girls didn't seem to mind though. i may have seen plate licking.

 

pre oven

watching them bake

removal

mold on bottom side of bowls

 

 Lace Cookies (Martha Stewart)
2 T butter
2 T brown sugar
1 1/2 T honey
2 T flour
Pinch of salt
Heat oven to 375. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper. In a small saucepan melt butter, sugar and honey, whisking til smooth. Remove from heat and whisk in flour and salt. Spoon onto parchment. Only do 4 at a time and use about 1 T of batter. Spread the batter a little with the back of the tablespoon. It will spread a lot.
Bake until golden brown, about 6 minutes. To form a bowl, remove parchment from the cookie sheet and let it cool for just a few seconds, stay right there, you don't want it to set before you take it off the parchment paper. I draped it over an inverted ramekin coated with cooking spray. Let it cool completely before flipping it over and filling it.

  Fruit Salad with Cinnamon Lime Syrup in Honey Lace Cookie Bowl

Mango, cubed
Strawberries, quartered
Blueberries

Lime Syrup (Gourmet Magazine)
1 C water
1 C sugar
3 T fresh lime juice
1 piece Mexican cinnamon broken into 4 pieces, or 1 regular cinnamon stick halved
Bring water, sugar, lime juice, and cinnamon to boil in a small saucepan, stirring until sugar is dissolved, then simmer, uncovered, 5 minutes. Pour over fruit and let stand at least 30 minutes.

we felt like this was a needed break from the richness...oh wait we put the fruit in cookie cups, nevermind.

Okay we didn't get a picture of the entree course, maybe Ashley got one.

ashley?

 

lets just say it started with this...

  Potato Cakes with Fried Egg (Epicurous.com)

2 potatoes
1/2 pound bacon
1/2 C minced onion
1/2 C minced bell pepper
Vegetable oil
Eggs

Peel potatoes and boil whole in salted water for about 10 minutes. Drain them and let them cool until you can handle them. Grate potatoes and season with salt and pepper. Cook bacon in pan til crispy. Remove and drain on paper towels. Chop when cooled. Drain off most of the bacon grease, leaving just a tablespoon in the pan. Saute onion and pepper in bacon grease, scraping the bottom of the pan. Season with salt and pepper. Combine potatoes, veggies and chopped bacon in a large bowl. Form patties, much a hamburger patty.
Heat 1 T oil in a large skillet that has a lid. Place patties in pan and cook about 4-6 minutes, until browned. Flip cakes over and press an indention into the top of the cake with the back of a spoon. This creates a place for the yolk to go. Crack an egg over each cake, trying to keep yolk in indention. Salt and pepper eggs and cover with lid. If you don't have a lid you can just use foil or a cookie sheet. Cook for about 4-5 minutes, depending on how you like your eggs, I think it's best when they are a little soft and the yolk creates a sauce.

Emily made a Creme Brulee French Toast and over dinner as she told us the ingredients i almost died and then realized that is why it was so damn good. she will be posting that recipe, one for her Mojitos and her homemade Raspberry Italian Plum Jam later...YUM!

so i had dessert and again i have no photos. i will tell you all about it though. i did a s'more donut because s'mores are one of my favorite things in this world and making a donut for breakfast is ridiculous and special. I got my recipe from this book, but i have my own spin.

i used Trader Joes Graham Crackers because lets be honest... how can life exsist on this earth without them??

 

 

 

 

and you have to have these...why? they are amazing.

however for this recipes purposes i think reeses may hold up a little better and the pb is a little more prominant in them but i really like that i don't have to unwrap these:)and i always have a box in my cabinet to munch on why i cook...i'm skinny.

also this recipe does not call for these AT ALL but my family LOOOVES pb in our s'mores so i went with that.

Raised Doughnuts

Makes 8 to 14 doughnuts

1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon active dry yeast, divided
1 cup whole milk, heated to 110˚F, divided
2 to 21/2 cups (320 to 400 grams) bread flour, divided
2 tablespoons (30 grams) superfine sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 egg yolks
1/4 cup (1/2 stick or 2 ounces) unsalted butter or vegetable shortening
Vegetable oil for frying

In a medium bowl, dissolve 1 tablespoon of the yeast into 3/4 cup of the milk. Add 3/4 cup of the flour and stir to create a smooth paste. Cover and let rest in a warm spot for 30 minutes.

Combine the remaining milk and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the rested flour mixture along with the vanilla and egg yolks. Mix until smooth. Turn off the mixer and add 1 cup of the remaining flour and top with the sugar and salt. Mix on low for about 30 seconds or until the dough starts to come together. Add the butter and mix until it becomes incorporated, about 30 seconds. Switch to a dough hook and add more flour, about 1/4 cup at a time with the mixer turned off, kneading the dough at medium speed between additions, until the dough pulls completely away from the sides of the bowl and is smooth and not too sticky. It will be very soft and moist, but not so sticky that you can’t roll it out. You may have flour left over. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it sit in a warm place for 30 minutes. Gently degass the dough, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour (and up to 12 hours).

Line a baking sheet with a lightly floured non-terry dish towel. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to 1/2 inch thick. With a doughnut or cookie cutter, cut out 3-inch-diameter rounds with 1-inch-diameter holes (for filled doughnuts, don’t cut out the holes).

Place the doughnuts on the baking sheet at least 1 inch apart and cover with plastic wrap. Let sit in a warm spot to proof until they almost double in size, about 30 to 40 minutes, testing at five-minute intervals. To test whether the dough is ready, touch lightly with a fingertip. If it springs back immediately, it needs more time. If it springs back slowly, it is ready. If it doesn’t spring back at all, it has overproofed; you can punch it down and reroll it once.

While the doughnuts are proofing, heat a heavy-bottomed pot with at least 2 inches of oil until a deep-fat thermometer registers 360˚F. With a metal spatula, carefully place the doughnuts in the oil. Fry for 1 to 2 minutes per side, or until light golden brown. Remove with a slotted spoon, drain on a wire rack over a paper towel, and let cool slightly before glazing.

S'more Filling

4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

10 graham crackers finely crushed ( i just swirled mine in the blender)

2 teaspoons superfine sugar

1 Tablespoon milk or water

12 - one ounce squares chocolate (or pb cups like i did)

48 mini marshmallows

sugar glaze

1. Stir together 3 tablespoons of hte melted butter, graham crackers and sugar. Cover and set aside.

2. after rolling out dough to 1/4 thick. cut 3" diameter circles, then take half and roll to 3 1/4 inch. To assemble, lightly brush each wider round with the milk and place the chocolate and 4 marshmallows in the center of each. Top with smaller rounds and lightly pinch to seal. Then recut with the same cutter, sealing the edges.

3. Fry doughnuts. Glaze or brush with a little butter and roll in graham cracker crumble.

I messed up a lot of steps when making these that night. No wonder they were so much better the times i tested them:)

Lastly, i made pop tarts and filled them with Emily's jam.

The humidity really wrecked havoc on this recipe. I made the dough ahead and it was beautiful and perfect. but once at kate's house it took a turn for the worst and didn't bake as flaky as at home. 

Here is the link.

http://smittenkitchen.com/2010/04/homemade-pop-tarts/

Farmers Market Dinner Part: Brittney and Ashley

One of us cooks.

One of us crafts.

These are the results.

Commentary by Brittney will say "B", while commentary by Ashley will say "A".

B: What up fellow cooking girlfriends!!? Ash and I are here to give you the recipes for the dinner we shared in August!

A: Brittney and I were pretty "into" our theme: Farmers Market.
Which means that nearly every item we used in our dishes, we actually hand picked at the local Underwood Family Farm. Basically, we got poked by thorns, had dust caked between our toes and nearly broke our backs in 100 degree weather all in the name of a fresh and yummy meal for our dear friends--and it was totally worth it!

B: This part was so great... and so hot. I mean we picked a very hot day to be picking and so it actually wasn't as "fun" as it could've been :) On the other hand the produce was beautiful and ripe and we had Ashley's Mom with us to keep tabs on the kids while we were heads down thumbs up. (look at how tan Wesley's legs are!!)

We filled an entire wagon with produce. People were staring.

A: Then Brittney and I went our separate ways to put the kids down for a nap.
Brittney worked on prepping all the food, because she is pretty much a pro chef {if you ask me}, and there was no sense in having me ruin everything.

The beginnings of our Mediterranean salad. (All of our fresh farm veggies!)

B: So the Mediterranean salad is a recipe that was given to me by my first partner Tressa, who cooked the first meal (and only other meal I have cooked since cooking meals in this club) we tested it but it didn't go as well with our other meal.. I couldn't stop thinking about it though! I have made it several times and the finished product picture below is actually from a different party. (same salad, different day) Because we ran into a few problems with this one. #1 the fresh produce was about 5x juicier than the produce I had used in the passed. This caused the salad to get very wet as it sat (it is better if it sits for at least a couple hours but better overnight) we had to pour off the wonderful juices. #2-The feta I used was the Costco sized one since we quadrupled the recipe.. problem with the Costco feta is there are a lot of tiny pieces which resulted in a rather white salad. It kind of appeared to have a creamy dressing which was actually not the case. #3-Usually adding the croutons 20-30 minutes before serving is perfect, but I failed to factor in the wetness and so the croutons were softer then they should have been. But! I still appreciated the freshness of this salad and I like those Mediterranean flavors. Hope you will too :)

Mediterranean Salad with Homemade Croutons

• Good olive oil
• 1 small French bread or boule, cut into 1-inch cubes (6 cups)
• Kosher salt
• 1 hothouse cucumber, unpeeled, seeded, and sliced 1/4-inch thick
• 1 red bell pepper, large diced
• 1 yellow bell pepper, large diced
• 1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
• 1/2 red onion, sliced in half rounds
• 1/2 pound feta cheese, cut in 1/2-inch cubes
• 1/2 cup calamata olives, pitted

For the vinaigrette:

• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1/4 cup good red wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup good olive oil

Directions

Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large saute pan. Add the bread cubes and sprinkle with salt; cook over low to medium heat, tossing frequently, for 5 to 10 minutes, until nicely browned. Add more olive oil as needed.

Place the cucumber, red pepper, yellow pepper, tomatoes and red onion in a large bowl.

For the vinaigrette, whisk together the garlic, oregano, mustard, vinegar, 1 teaspoon salt and the pepper in a small bowl. While still whisking, add the olive oil and make an emulsion. Pour the vinaigrette over the vegetables. Add the feta, olives and bread cubes and mix together lightly. Set aside for 30 minutes for the flavors to blend. Serve at room temperature.

A: I'm not gonna lie--at first I was skeptical about stuffed peppers--but then Brittney introduced me to this version of stuffed peppers, and I am a fan for life. I even had a dream about them the other night--they are that good.

B: The peppers themselves were sweet and perfectly delectable all by themselves if you asked me, but stuffing them just made them a square meal. This is a recipe from the Healthy cooks illustrated Family Cookbook. We changed it only a bit by using ground turkey instead. One of the key steps is patting the peppers dry and not leaving them to drain too long upside down. (this traps heat in and they continue to steam)

• Stuffed Peppers Healthy Style
• 4 medium red, yellow or orange bell peppers, 1/2 inch trimmed off tops, cores and seeds discarded (about 6 oz. each)
• 1/2 cup long grain brown rice (I used wild rice from trader jos)
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 2 carrots, peeled and chopped fine
• 1 medium onion, minced
• • 2 teaspoons tomato paste
  • 6 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  8 ounces ground beef, 95% lean (we used ground turkey)
• 2 tomatoes (about 12 oz.), cored, seeded, and chopped medium
• 1/4 cup low sodium chicken broth
• 1 cup shredded 50 percent light Cheddar (about 4 oz.) (we used regular not light, sorry, and half sharp half mild)
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
• 1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Directions:

1. 1
   Bring 4 quarts water to a boil in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over high heat.
2. 2
   Add 1 tablespoon salt and bell peppers.
3. 3
   Cook until peppers just begin to soften, about 5 minutes.
4. 4
   Using slotted spoon, remove peppers from pot, drain off excess water and place peppers cut side up on paper towels.
5. 5
   Return water to boil; add rice and boil until tender, about 25-30 minutes.
6. 6
   Drain rice and transfer to large bowl; set aside.
7. 7
   Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350°F.
8. 8
   Meanwhile, heat 12 inch heavy bottomed skillet over medium high heat until hot, about 1 1/2 minutes; add oil and swirl to coat.
9. 9
   Add carrots and onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5-7 minutes. Stir in the garlic, tomato paste, and chili powder and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
10. 10
    Add ground beef and cook, breaking beef into small pieces with spoon, until no longer pink, about 5 minutes.
11. 11
    Stir in the tomatoes and chicken broth and cook until the tomatoes begin to break down, 1 to 2 minutes.
12. 12
    Stir the warm beef mixture, 3/4 cup of the cheddar, parsley , and lemon juice into the rice and season with salt and pepper to taste. Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 350 degrees.
13. 13
    Pat the inside of the peppers dry with paper towels, then place the peppers in an 8" square baking dish. Divide the filling evenly among the peppers and top with the remaining 1/4 cup cheese. Bake until the cheese is browned and the filling is heated through, about 30 minutes. Serve.
    per serving cal.340, protein 25 grams
    If you make ahead, stuffed peppers can be covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated for up to 1 day. Let the peppers sit at room temperature for 1 hour, then bake as directed.

A: And while Brittney was busy slaving away in her kitchen, I was at home cleaning, crafting and organizing for the big event. Menu design, place settings, finding enough seats, drinks, flowers, candles, moving furniture--you name it.

B: I am embarrassed that I can't take any credit for anything with the decor. The only thing I contributed was the mason jars on the table and some plates! Luckily Ashley had a vision!

I love how it turned out Ash!

I made each guest a custom vintage yo yo brooch that I attached to their napkins,

A: Brittney and I decided to have our dinner party on my back patio. I brought my kitchen table outside and put the leaves in so it could seat all ten of our guests {I purchased my table at Cost Plus World Market}. I still didn't have enough seating, so I added my craft room chair and my front patio bench.

Plates: Home Goods a year ago, but they usually still carry them.
Silver utensils: my great grandma's, handed down
Goblets: Cost Plus World Market
Table Runners: LMM shop
Napkins: Cost Plus World Market
Candelabra: Home Goods
Sound track: Frank Sinatra on Pandora

Each dish was served on its own plate--fancy restaurant style. Which meant we had to time every dish to be finished at the appropriate serving time--harder than it sounds.

We were subtle with our decor--twinkle lights, candles and sun flowers.
When the sun set, the backyard was glowing.

I downloaded a free menu template over at e.m. papers.

We put tea light candles in mason jars with water, so they would float.

A:Right outside my patio, we set up some adirondack chairs so we could enjoy dessert in a more intimate setting. When it was time to eat dessert, we all scooted out here, and I brought a tray of candles to give us some light.

B:I loved this part..

A: Looks like everything went pretty smooth, right?
Ha! Let's start with me burning the ONE dish I was in charge of--the appetizer.
I left the screenopen and my home became infested with moths.
A smoke alarm went off.
An oven mitt caught on fire.
A dessert was served still doughy.
And even though sweat was dripping from our backs and our foreheads,
we had a smile on our faces...and we even wore matching aprons c/o my Momma.

my necklace c/o Soleil Selene

Burned appetizer, quickly fixed by Brittney.

Fresh Fruit Bruschetta with Orange-Honey Cream
{from Our Best Bites cookbook}
Ingredients:
1 baguette or French bread loaf
4 tablespoons of butter, melted
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tsp orange zest
1 1/2 cups diced strawberries
1 cup finely diced mango
1 cup finely diced kiwi

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Slice bread into 1/2 inch slices. Place in a single layer on a foil-lined baking sheet. Use a pastry brush to brush each piece with melted butter. Combine sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle evenly over bread slices. bake for 10-12 minutes or until edges are toasted. Set aside to cool.
2. While bread is toasting, combine sour cream, honey and orange zest. Stir to combine and place int he fridge.
3. Gently combine strawberries, mango and kiwi. When the bread is cooled, place about 1 tablespoon of fruit mixture on top of each toasted bread slice and drizzle with sweetened sour cream, mixture. If needed, thin the sour cream sauce with 1/2 tsp of orange juice. Garnish with mint leaves if desired.

B: The Summer Spanish Gazpacho was a huge risk, we really took a chance in serving it, and that is why we also served a salad. BUT Ashley and I both decided that because it was unlike any gazpacho we had seen or tried before, and because it incorporated so many in season vegetables and fruits, and because we could all use a daily dose of a V8 type vitamin blast, we would give it a whirl. What sold us was the tiny bits of garnish that we loaded the soup with. It gave it a fresh crunch of summer flavors! I saw the recipe here.

Appetizer: Fresh fruit bruschetta on a cinnamon sprinkled French baguette with an orange-honey cream drizzle. From Our Best Bites cook book.

Soup: Summer gazpacho with a watermelon and strawberry infusion. From Emeril on Good Morning America.

Salad: Mediterranean crouton salad with a red wine vinaigrette and feta cheese. See recipe above.

Entree: Baked sweet bell peppers stuffed with an aromatic vegetable medley, wild rice, ground turkey and freshly picked herbs. From America's Test Kitchen Healthy Family Cookbook {see recipe above).

Dessert: Golden peach galette with turbinado sugar. Adapted from Real Simple Magazine.

Classic Cheesecake with fresh Raspberries and a hint of lemon zest by Barefoot Contessa.

A:My favorite was the dessert. It was beyond yummy.
To think that these peaches...

...became this delectable peach galette. Mmm, Mmm good.

A: Brittney took the peach galette to the next level with a homemade pie crust and some peach brandy--pluis we went a little crazy with the turbinado sugar.

B: The peach galette was tested a number of times. The crust was really my favorite part of it, any fruit could be used.

Unfortunately we had never tested cooking one, let alone 2 of these in Ashley's oven and we were not nearly as succesful as our testing. One was doughy and the other overcooked, but PLEASE try it yourself! You will not believe how flakey and fabulous this crust is.

Good Description

http://smittenkitchen.com/2007/11/pie-crust-101/

Recipe

http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2007/11/cooks-illustrated-foolproof-pie-dough-recipe.html

There should literally be little chunks of butter/shortening visable (the shortening I used had been frozen)

For the filling I used about 7 peaches, pealed and slices. I mixed in as much sugar as I thought it needed (sorry no actual amount) and about 3 tablespoons of peach brandy. This really brings out the peach flavor. You can also use it in place of the Vodka called for in the crust recipe, just use a little more than it calls for and a little less water. (The crust recipe calls for a spirit that is 80 proof and my peach brandy was only 60 so I used a bit more) The pear brandy is also a great one for fruit crumbles, gallettes and pies and brings out the flavor of the fruit.

The turbadino sugar is a must. I tested with regular and it kind of melted away and lost that hint of molasses flavor. So after you have built your galette and folded the edges up you just use some of the juice from the bowl that your cut peaches were to paint on the edges and sprinkle with sugar.

Bake for 40 minutes at 375.

B: We really had to work for these raspberries. There were not tons of ripe ones and the ones that were ripe were very small. We needed lots of them, but, they packed a very true raspberry flavor and between the hint of lemon in the cheesecake portion and the raspberries, there was that freshness that lightened it up. I have made this several times recently and in all my testing this cheescake cracked. BUT on this final attempt, I did something different, I followed the recipe exactly :) It meant I had to set my alarm for 3am to put my finally fully cooled cheesecake in the fridge, but alas! It didn't crack!

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/raspberry-cheesecake-recipe/index.html

And if your kitchen looks like this afterwards, then you know you did alright.