Butternut Squash Quesadillas

Yum! Another favorite for nicer weather... Or the weird summer/fall weather we have had all morning.  A tasty change on the usual quesadilla, butternut squash quesadillas with avocado cream.  Such a great lunch item when you're at home for the day, a fun appetizer idea (cut in smaller wedges), or a lighter dinner choice.

I keep coming back to this recipe and the bonus is that my kids love it!

http://byguessbygosh.blogspot.com/2012/05/butternut-squash-quesadilla-with.html

Under the Sea Birthday Party!

Today is the big day of my daughter's 3rd birthday party!  I have had so much fun planning this party and getting C's feedback on decorations and food.  Though I will say that getting back from a week's vacation, then right in to Thanksgiving, and then right in to a birthday party all in one week is not my ideal situation!

The attendees made 'jellyfish' with paper bowls and lots of different colored streamers and ribbons.  They also made 'headbands' using foam stickers in under the sea themed shapes.

Here are some of the fun details from the party...

"Big Kid Mermaid Juice" and "Little Mermaid Juice"

Sweet tooth fish (my kids and I love to talk about our 'sweet tooth' issues!):

"Octo-hummus" dip and veggies.  Gotta love an octopus created out of a bell pepper and some strips of bell pepper for legs.  The eyes on the octopus are hard sugar 'eyes' that you can buy at baking or craft stores (typically for cookie decorating).

PB & Jellyfish Seastar sandwiches.  These were so cute and so fast to make.  Nothing makes a kid like a sandwich more than fun shapes!

Lagoon Jello... this was probably the biggest hit of the party!  Who knew blue jello would be so interesting to kids!?

My personal favorite were the 'oyster' cookies.  I searched high and low for cookies that had a 'shell' appearance.  Finally I found some lemon Pepperidge Farm cookies!  I dyed some store bought frosting to a light shade of pink and added a yogurt covered raisin for a 'pearl'.

A mermaid photo opportunity!  I took a big piece of folding cardboard meant for presentations and painted an underwater theme.  Here is my boy mer-man testing it out!

Each attendee received a homemade barrette made with real shells.

As well as a goodie bag filled with an under the sea pearl bracelet, gummy fish and bubbles.

Seashell Pasta Salad.  

The food display:

And the birthday girl, not so sure about the sparkler candle!

Happy birthday to the sweetest little mermaid I know!

Grilled Watermelon Appetizer

I'm still trying to eat through our 18lb watermelon.  After hauling it to our cabin I was set on using it up... Nothing says summer like eating huge slices of watermelon and spitting the seed over the deck to the bushes below.  And nothing says summer like BBQ.  So why not BBQ some watermelon!?

I cut some watermelon in to one or two bite triangle shapes and put on a hot grill for a few minutes per side.

I topped each grilled watermelon slice with pancetta and a sprinkling of crumbled blue cheese.  I added a dash of fresh cracked black pepper and a touch of salt.  This created a heavenly summer appetizer.  Plus, it doesn't get much easier than this!  Smokey, juicy watermelon topped with salty and creamy goodness.  I will definitely make this appetizer again.

Watermelon and Goat Cheese Appetizer

Ever been asked to provide an appetizer for a summer party and can't think of anything?  Well, anything besides chips and salsa?  I was reading a magazine that gave a few watermelon based appetizers... with a whopping 18lb watermelon sitting in my fridge this was the answer! 

My husband is hosting a pool party for a bunch of his fraternity brothers tonight.  Smoked ribs, beer, baked beans and tempuratures in the upper 90's.  I figured adding a watermelon appetizer to his spread wouldn't hurt.

I cut a portion of my monster sized watermelon in to about 24 small cubes, about 1 1/2"*.  Then I used a melon baller and took out just a tiny scoop on the 'top' of the watermelon cubes.  I then set these aside with a paper towel on top (to soak up excessive watermelon juice).

Next, I grabbed a small package of plain goat cheese, about 5oz and mixed in a few tablespoons of finely chopped fresh basil.  Using a small spoon I put little scoops of the goat cheese mix on to the top of each watermelon cube.  I garnished with the tiny leaves from the tip of the basil plants in my yard.  This appetizer can be made a few hours in advance, just make sure to store in the fridge!   

*Side note... I prefer these to be a one or maybe two bite appetizer.  Cut a sample watermelon cube and pop it in your mouth.  If its too big, cut a smaller size and test it.  Darn, you have to eat fresh summer watermelon while making this?  Things could be worse.

1st Birthday Fun

Today is my niece Graecyn's 1st birthday party and everyone is excited to celebrate!  I had the honor of making cookies for the garden themed party as well as the fun ladybug invitations!

Last night I was busy putting finishing touches on the cookies and cookie pops.

For the party I put the cookie pops in a terra cotta planter filled with rice and topped with black beans (to look like dirt). 

 

And gotta love a pinterest idea put to great use at a party with lots of little kids and adults.  Individual servings of veggies with dip. 

And this cute pinwheel decoration is also the take home favor!  My brother in law drilled holes in to a 2x4 and inserted the pinwheel stems.  They then mounted to their deck rail. Clever! 

The invitations I created for Graecyn's party.  The ladybug's wings spread to show the party details.

Fun garden themed party hats made by Graecyn's mom and dad.

And a window frame with pictures on both sides.  Each pane represented a month of Graecyn's first year.

What an honor to be able to create the party invites and cookies for the big day! 

Cucumber Feta Rolls

Pinterest is a new addiction of mine. It has all sort of projects that are totally cute but in reality, I will never have the time or energy to do them.  But when it comes to food I have found some really good recipes.  This one for Cucumber Feta Rolls is adapted from a recipe I discovered in Pinterest.  Its not too difficult, but the finished product packs an impressive visual (and flavorful) punch.

Some chopped dill and red pepper...

Added to crumbled feta cheese, greek yogurt and lemon juice...

Mixed together and set aside while you cut cucumbers.

Use a mandolin (or cheese slicer, or steady hand and a knife...), to create thin strips of cucumber.

When you get close to the center of the cucumber, the seeds will make your slices a little fragile.  I was able to use some of these strips with seeds, but they're a little harder to work with.

Lay your slices out on a paper towel to help dry off the cucumbers.

You'll have to experiment to get the right portion, but put about a tablespoon of the feta mix on to one end of the cucumber slice and roll up. 

Secure by inserting a toothpick through the roll.

Cucumber Feta Rolls, courtesy of Jodi

2 cucumbers

6 ounces crumbled feta
3 tablespoons Greek yogurt
2 1/2 - 3 1/2 tablespoons finely diced red bell pepper
1 tablespoon roughly chopped fresh dill
2 teaspoons lemon juice
pinch of pepper

Thinly slice cucumbers on a mandoline at approximately 2mm thick (most mandolines have thickness setting). Then place cucumbers slices on paper towels to help remove some of the liquid.

Mix the feta and yogurt together.  Then add the bell pepper, dill, lemon juice, and pepper to the bowl. Mix well.

Place 1Tbsp of the feta mix at one end of a cucumber strip and roll up, then secure with a toothpick. Keep refrigerated until you serve.  Do not make more than a few hours in advance.

Quick Appetizer Ideas

Today I hosted a small group of women for a photography class taught by professional photographer Erin Schedler.  Due to a forecast for snow this weekend, I wanted quick and easy appetizers... I wouldn't know how many gals would show up until the class actually started.  Snow was dumping outside (and still is!) and I was hoping to eliminate lots of leftovers.  My solution? Picking foods that my family likes and that could be used in future meals.  I also picked foods that didn't require guests to use forks or spoons.

I found mini cinnamon rolls at the grocery store.  About 12 for $4.  I put them on sticks that I use for cookies or other projects and stuck them in a vase filled with uncooked rice.  For a dip I mixed 1 cup powdered sugar, 1 tsp vanilla and a few tablespoons milk (you may want more/less milk depending on consistency you want).  This is a great buffet brunch idea!  And a thank you to pinterest for giving me this idea!

I sliced up two bell peppers and displayed on a platter with baby carrots and ranch dressing.  I also skewered grapes, strawberries and pineapples and placed on the same platter for a colorful display.  Plus, everything looks a little fancier when its on a skewer. And no need for utensils! 

I had a bag of Trader Joe's kettle corn (SO good), that I placed in a bowl with a scoop.  Guests can then scoop the popcorn in to cups.  Warning... this kettle corn is really good so you'll want to make sure you don't have many leftovers. Otherwise you'll eat it all yourself...  

Do you have any favorite appetizer ideas that require minimal work but look great and are popular with your guests?

Cucumber Pickles

I've been craving those tangy, crunchy mini cucumbers that local asian restaurants (Wild Ginger, Monsoon, etc) serve as an appetizer.  Each bite is filled with a refreshing flavor.  Ironically, I gave my mom a cookbook that contained the recipe for Wild Ginger's pickled cucumbers and had to give it a shot.

Small pickling cucumbers can be hard to find, but Trader Joe's, Whole Foods and even Costco usually sell them.  Typically they'll be sold in a prepackaged plastic bag, and you get somewhere around one pound.  I bought mine at Costco and they came in a 1.5lb package.  I plan to use the unused cucumbers for slicing and dipping in hummus...

The recipe is fairly straight forward. Its only time consuming because you have to let the sliced cucumbers sit for an hour while salt helps extract some of their juices.  Otherwise, you combine the ingredients and let them sit!  They only keep for 3-4 days max, so make sure you can eat them or give some away! 

Cucumber Pickles, courtesy of Wild Ginger

1 lb small pickling cucumbers

2 tsp coarse salt, divided

2 Tbls distilled white vinegar

2 Tbls sugar

5 Tbls hot water

4 slices fresh ginger, peeled

4 shallots, peeled and quartered

Slice cucs into ¼” rounds and combine with 1 tsp salt.  Cover and let sit 1 hour.  Rinse cucs with fresh water and drain well.

Combine remaining tsp salt, vinegar, sugar and hot water.  Stir to dissolve.  Pour over cucs and toss with ginger and shallots.  Let sit at least 1 hour.  Cucs will remain fresh 3-4 days if refrigerated.

Apple Cup Saturday!

Today is the big Apple Cup game and I wanted to make comfort food with an apple twist.

For dessert I made individual apple pies.  I purchased the mini pie tins from the grocery store and one package of pre-made crust (containing two rounds of crust).  I sliced about 7 granny smith apples thin and cut in half, liberally sprinkled with sugar, a teaspoon of cinnamon, a pinch of nutmeg.  Then I cooked them on the stove until they were slightly tender.

Before dividing the apples in the four mini pie tins, I drained them and cooked down the juice separately for a few minutes to make it more syrupy.

Once apples were divided in to the tins, I took a stick of butter and mixed with about a cup of flour and half cup of sugar.  Once the mixture is nice and crumbly I divided and sprinkled on top of the pies. Bake at 375 for 40-60 min, or until the juices start to bubble and the top is nicely browned.  (Check pie at about 20min and cover edges with foil if they're browning too quick)

For an appetizer I wrapped whole water chestnuts with thick slices of applewood smoked bacon.  Cut bacon in half and wrap around single chestnut.  Use a toothpick to close.  Bake at 400 for 10-20 minutes, you can also broil but watch closely.  This has got to be one of the most easy, cheap, and popular appetizers around.  You can typically find water chestnuts on sale for $1 per can, and there are about 20-25 in each. 

The finished pies:

The oil after frying chicken.  The finished product was so good - crispy outside and super moist on the inside.  The recipe is courtesy of Lisa Dupar and Pomegranite Bistro in Redmond, WA.  Recipe is at bottom of this post.

As a side to the chicken, I roasted fingerling potatoes in the colors of purple and gold!  You can typically find this mix in the grocery store.

Place the potatoes in a 8x8 pyrex or similar sized baker.  Add 1/3 cup unsalted butter, some salt and pepper, juice from one lemon and some chopped fresh rosemary if you have some.  Roast at 400 for 20-30 minutes or until tender.  Toss them frequently while cooking. 

Lisa’s Southern Fried Chicken, courtesy of Lisa Dupar
1 Whole Grown Fryer - cut for frying (ask the meat dept to do for you at grocery store)
Seasoning salt blend
1 Cup Buttermilk with 2 eggs - Egg Wash
Flour - All purpose
2-3 Sleeves of Saltine Crackers - Crushed by hand so your have coarse crumbs. (Not super fine.)
Corn or Peanut Oil for frying in a pan

Season chicken meat with your favorite seasoning salt. Dust with flour. Dip into buttermilk egg wash. Press into crushed saltine cracker crumbs.

Heat oil in a heavy skillet over med-high heat.

Fry until golden brown in skillet. This happens very quickly. Place on baking sheet & bake in 375-degree oven for 40-45 more minutes or until done. Reserve until you need to serve – warm quickly. Serve with mashers and slaw.