Christmas Eve Brunch 2011

Some pics of last year's festivities at our house:

Abbie refused to be anywhere except right in between Chuck and I so Chuck had to awkwardly turn his back to whoever he was standing next to :)

This year's brunch will include mostly old favorites, plus a few new things here and there. It's always a nice time to sit and relax before the craziness of the next few days begins!

Christmas Eve Brunch 2011

• Colleen's chicken salad with ciabatta rolls


• Southwestern egg bake


• Crispy shredded potato gratin


• Baked French toast casserole with maple syrup


• Bacon


• Salad with assorted fruit


• Amazing crumb cake


• Assorted Christmas cookies

Happy Holidays to you and yours!

Fall Friday Night Dinner with Friends

(Gratuitous picture of Abbie just because it's cute)

It's been SO long since I've posted a menu! We haven't been doing a whole lot of entertaining at our house lately, just due to so many plans at so many other places. Plus, we've been trying to sell our house so we don't plan too far in advance and try to keep it neat around here!

But the housing market has slowed (um, from very slow during the summer to practically at a standstill right now) and it had been WAY too long since we got together with a particular group of our close friends; so we planned a night in. I'm getting help from my friends in the way of appetizers and dessert, but here is what I am planning on serving for dinner:

Fall Friday Night Dinner with Friends

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  Easy Chicken Cordon Bleu
  


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  Baked Orzo with Fontina and Peas



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  Tomatoes Provencal
  


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  Green Beans with Garlic-Dijon Vinaigrette



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  Buttermilk Biscuits

with some Pumpkin Blondies to round out dessert!

Mother's Day Dinner 2011

This year for Mother's Day, Chuck and I had our families over for dinner to celebrate. I enjoyed spending my second Mother's Day with Abbie as well as with my fantastic mother and fabulous mother-in-law. I wanted dinner to be easy to put together beforehand and asked all the siblings to help with appetizers and dessert. Everyone brought something delicious and we all had a good time eating, drinking, and blowing bubbles with Abbie. :)

Mother's Day Dinner 2011

Appetizers

• Brie-stuffed mushrooms


• Spinach artichoke feta dip with pita chips


• Bacon appetizer crescents


• Assorted cheese and cracker platter

Dinner

• Grilled chicken with barbecue sauce or honey dijon marinade


• Cavatelli salad with artichokes and goat cheese


• Southwestern layered cornbread salad (without the chicken)


• Zucchini and yellow squash gratin
  

Dessert

• Bakery cupcakes


• Cookies and cream cheesecakes


• Assorted cookies

Spring Dinner with Friends

This past weekend we had our good friends Krista and Evan and their daughter Ella up for dinner and games (once the girls went to bed!). Of course I wanted a menu I didn't have a lot of prep work for and I wanted to try and usher in the warm weather with some summery dishes. This of course involved grilling and a pasta salad but I also wanted it to be special enough to serve to such close friends. I think I did a pretty good job! The link for the chicken below is right to Williams-Sonoma's website because the chicken is so ridiculously easy I don't even need to blog it.

Krista so nicely brought 2/3 of the appetizers (as well as some delicious Malbec to go with dinner) so I have no recipes there but everything else will have a link over the next week or so! Enjoy!

Spring Dinner with Friends
Appetizers

• Garlicky guacamole served with salsa and tortilla chips


• Artichoke dip with crackers


• Empanadas


• Winter white sangria with strawberries, grapes, and apples

Dinner

• Braised barbecue chicken (only chicken part of the recipe)


• Oven-fried shrimp with aioli


• Orzo with grilled vegetables and pesto vinaigrette


• Warm spinach salad with strawberries, bacon, and goat cheese

Dessert

• Dulce de leche and chocolate chunk bread pudding served with vanilla ice cream and chocolate syrup

Casual Cousins Dinner

Last weekend we had my cousin Katie, her husband Jeff, and her daughter Carlyn along with my sister Meghan over for a casual dinner. I wanted to plan something Carlyn would enjoy that was also on the "casually elegant" side for the adults. I think it worked! Chuck grilled the steak of course, which I ordered from the butcher, so they were delicious. And I was able to prep virtually everything else in advance. I didn't really change anything from the original recipes I used, so I will link you right to them below instead of writing separate posts for them. And please enjoy the best shots we could get of a 3-year-old and a very squirmy 1-year-old! Casual Cousins Dinner Appetizers

• Buffalo chicken dip with crackers


• Assorted veggies with ranch dip

Dinner

• Grilled sirloin steaks with garlic rub


• Roasted new potatoes with spring herb pesto


• Cauliflower and bacon gratin


• Tomato, mozzarella, and basil salad

Dessert

• Peanut butter pretzel tart with caramel drizzle served with vanilla ice cream

No-Fuss Appetizer Menu

My friend Keri is a jewelry stylist for the company Stella & Dot and I was excited to have the opportunity to host a trunk show last weekend. I was expecting a little under 15 people and wanted to plan a menu that afforded me time to mingle with my guests as well as try on all the jewelry!

I was able to prep almost all of this menu the night before and did a minimum amount of work right before everyone arrived. Everything on this menu can be served (and hold) at room temperature, so once you set the table, your work is done!

And check out the link for the Winter White Sangria - it was a big hit!

No-Fuss Appetizer Menu

• Spinach dip served with bread chunks and assorted veggies
• Bacon appetizer crescents
• Gourmet cheese plate served with assorted crackers and grapes
• Tortellini, tomato, and mozzarella skewers
• Shrimp salad in phyllo cups
• Mini red velvet cupcakes with cream cheese icing
• Assorted chocolates
• Winter white sangria, other assorted non-alcoholic drinks

2nd Annual Duet Birthday Dinner

You may remember that my sister Meghan, good friend Carrie, and I cooked dinner last year for our mothers, who share the same birthday. This year Carrie and her mom Susan are coming up from Virginia again so we can have a weekend-long celebration.

This year's menu is reminiscent of last year's but also has some new and exciting dishes. The first appetizer, Salsa Parmigiana, is one of my all-time favorites and I can't wait to share it with you. The black-and-white cookies and dessert were at the request of one of the birthday girls, and I'm pretty sure they will be on the menu for years to come!

Happy Birthday ladies!

Duet Birthday Dinner

Appetizers

• Salsa parmigiana with baguette slices
• Cheese straws with feta and sun-dried tomatoes
• Prosciutto and melon
• Roasted rosemary cashews
• Assorted veggies with dip

Dinner

• Shrimp scampi over linguini
• Grilled filet mignon
• Roasted vegetables with Romesco sauce
• Tomato, oregano, and feta salad
• Fresh bread

Dessert

• White chocolate tiramisu trifle
• Black-and-white cookies

New Year's Eve Dinner for Two

Happy New Year everyone! Whew, it's been a long time since I posted, and I apologize for that. I have several recipes to post from the Christmas Eve brunch, but first I wanted to share our New Year's Eve menu with you. I was really pleased with how everything turned out and consider it one of the more cohesive menus I have developed. Unfortunately, there are no pictures from the evening (but I will link you to all recipes, as well as explain my changes); mostly due to a night of the carbon monoxide detector going off, the fire department arriving to finally tell us it was ok to return to the house, and getting a teething toddler back to bed at 10PM.

I am a big fan of braising, as it makes any cut of meat super tender, and is probably better if you make the dish in advance and let the flavors come together. When making a special meal like this, I most often order the meat from the butcher. That way I can be assured it is the exact cut I want, it's trimmed the way I want it, and I know it's good quality. Enjoy the menu and if you have any questions, please leave it in the comment section!

New Year's Eve Dinner for Two

First Course

• Spinach Ravioli with Butter and Sage - I bought 9 ounces of fresh ravioli at the supermarket instead of making my own, but otherwise made the sauce as directed, just halving it and omitting the pecans.
  

Second Course

• Mixed Greens with Goat Cheese Toasts - I halved the recipe and followed as directed except for the edible flowers.

Third Course

• Braised Lamb Shanks with Roasted Potatoes - I used 2 lamb shanks and halved the rest of the recipe. Otherwise I pretty much followed the directions except for not pureeing the sauce at the end. (If you don't have Parmesan oil, just drizzle some oil in the serving bowl, add the cheese, and let sit while you are preparing the potatoes.)
• Sauteed Green Beans and Shallots - Steam a few handfuls or trimmed green beans for 2-3 minutes until bright greens. Meanwhile, saute a chopped shallot in olive oil in a large skillet. Add green beans to skillet immediately and saute a few minutes longer. Season with salt and pepper.

Fourth Course

• Molten Lava Cakes with Vanilla Ice Cream and Chocolate Syrup

I wish you a very happy and healthy 2011!

Christmas Eve Brunch 2010

It's time again for our annual Christmas Eve Brunch with our families. Last year Abbie was just a month and a half old and we were still getting used to a newborn in the house. This year she is a walking, talking toddler who gets excited to see the tree lit up and loves every Santa and snowman she comes across.

My menu contains some old favorites as well as new recipes I want to try out. Happy Holidays everyone!

Christmas Eve Brunch 2010

• Colleen's Chicken Salad with finger rolls
• Wild mushroom, bacon, and cheddar quiche
• Zucchini, sundried tomato, and mozzarella tart
• Crispy Shredded Potato Gratin
• Bacon
• Assorted fruit
• Banana-Chocolate Swirl Bread
• Cranberry-Orange Mini-muffins

Sunday Funday Menu

I know, there are a lot of teams happening in this photo, some not even football.

This Sunday we are having some good friends over to watch the Giants game. I wanted to plan a menu that allowed us to snack heartily while the game was on and eat a casual, yet still delicious meal afterwards. This menu is not complete - my friends are bringing two more appetizers as well as a dessert.

Sunday Funday Menu

Appetizers

• Shoepeg salsa and
• Garlicky guacamole (both served with tortilla scoops)
  

Dinner

• Baked rigatoni with eggplant and sausage
  
• Mixed greens with mandarin orange slices, dried cranberries and goat cheese crumbles tossed with raspberry vinaigrette
  
• Parmesan-rosemary bread twists
  

Dessert

• Chocolate toffee delights

Ladies' Lunch Menu

The party for the birthday girl this past weekend went off without a hitch; but before I share some of the recipes I have another menu to share with you! The birthday celebration continues this coming weekend when a few of my good friends are bringing their toddlers over for a little celebration for Miss A. The original plan was brunch, but I like lunch food much better so I planned a kind of combination. The food is not particularly kid-friendly (except for the most sophisticated palate, of course); but my friends have no problem bringing food, and I included a dessert for them at the end!

Ladies' Lunch

• Wild mushroom, cheese, and bacon quiche
• Romaine salad with chicken, cheddar, apples, and cranberry vinaigrette
• Parmesan-rosemary breadsticks
• Assorted fruit with cream cheese dip
• Pumpkin pie crunch for the moms and cupcakes for the kiddos :)
  

Abbie's Birthday Party Menu

It's hard to believe, but this little lady:


is about to turn ONE! We are having a small party with all of Abbie's aunts, uncles, and grandparents. Not too many people, so that allows me to make all of the food and be more creative with my ideas. I liked the idea of an anitpasto platter because you can incorporate a lot of different components without taking too much prep time. And virtually everything on the dinner menu can be prepared the day before. More time to celebrate my baby girl's big day!

Happy Birthday, Abigail Claire!

Abbie's Birthday Party Menu

Appetizers

• Buffalo chicken bites with blue cheese dipping sauce
• Baked crab dip with assorted crackers
• Antipasto platter

Dinner

• Sausage, meatballs, and peppers with fresh rolls
• Grilled chicken with basil dressing
• Spicy baked macaroni
• Parmesan potatoes and green beans
• Spring mix with pears, cranberries, and blue cheese

Dessert

• Birthday cupcakes
• Chocolate chip cookie dough dip and Pumpkin dip with assorted cookies and fruit

Casual Grilling Menu and Happy 3rd Blogiversary to me!

Aaaaand we're back! I couldn't miss Cooking This and That's 3rd blogiversary so I figured today was a good day to return! Although there is a lot of this:

and this:

going on around here so I have even less time to cook than before! But I have a few saved recipes for you and I can't wait for the change in the weather so I can start cooking comfort food!

Today I have a casual menu for a lazy weekend visit from friends or family. Many of these dishes can be prepared in advance and the only real cooking you have to do is grill. So sit back, grab a drink, and enjoy these last days of summer!

Casual Grilling Menu

Appetizers

• Assorted cheeses, pepperoni, and crackers
• Olive dip with pretzels

Dinner

• Grilled BBQ chicken thighs and drumsticks
• Grilled sausage sandwiches with grilled onion chow chow
• Lemony orzo salad (recipe coming soon)
• Corn, tomato, and avocado salad
• Potato salad

Dessert

• Summer berry trifle
• Assorted cookie platter

Happy grilling!

Thank You Dinner (Summer)

Chuck and I are having both sets of parents over this weekend to thank them for watching Abbie so much over the past few months. We have had a crazy amount of plans that required babysitting for a few hours all the way up to a whole weekend. And of course Abbie's grandparents love spending time with her, but we still wanted to let them know that WE appreciate them.


So I wanted the menu to be pretty special with a lot of fresh summer produce as well as short on prep time. A pretty tall order, but I think I have found a menu that reflects all of these things. It helps that a lot of it involves grilling, which happens 'day of' and is Chuck's department!


Thank You Dinner (Summer)


Appetizers

• Red pepper pesto dip with flatbread
• Deviled eggs (an oldie but goodie!)
• Grilled sweet & spicy sausage bites

Dinner

• Grilled Florentine steak
• Shrimp skewers with chili-lime marinade
• Grilled potatoes and tomatoes
• Corn and zucchini salad with honey-lime vinaigrette
• Herbed crescent rolls

Dessert

• Summer berry crumbles with fresh whipped cream
• White chocolate-chip brownies

Mother's Day Dinner

This year is obviously a very special Mother's Day for me because of this little lady:

Abbie has brought Chuck and I such happiness for the past 6 months (wow, time flies!) and I can't wait to celebrate being her mom. My parents are hosting Mother's Day dinner this year and I helped my mom plan the menu.

I love this time of year because spring has officially sprung and warm weather dishes like grilled meat, pasta salads, and lemon desserts start popping up. We are expecting about 15 people for this meal. Come back soon for some of the recipes!

Mother's Day Dinner

Appetizers

• Cheese and cracker plate
• Ricotta, fig, and prosciutto bruschetta
• Baked onion, horseradish and blue cheese dip with assorted crackers
• Vegetable and dip platter

Dinner

• Grilled flank steak with sweet and sour sauce
• Pasta salad with shrimp and olives
• Nicoise salad with lemon-mustard vinaigrette
• Layered tomato, goat cheese, and pesto salad
• Herb focaccia

Dessert

• Meyer lemon buttermilk pudding cake with berries
• White chocolate-covered strawberries
• Chocolate peanut butter cheesecake

I love you, Abigail Claire!

Dinner for Four

I have been wanting to try braised short ribs for a long time; but it always seemed like too much effort for just the two of us, and they are too expensive for a large dinner party. So when my brother and his girlfriend set up a night with us to come over for dinner, I thought it was the perfect opportunity to put these on a menu!

The best thing about these short ribs is that you can make them up to THREE days in advance and just reheat. How great is that for a make-ahead dinner!? And I am assuming, as with all thing braised or stewed, that these just get better overnight.

I can't wait to report on how this all comes out!

Dinner for Four

Appetizers

• Spicy dill dip with cut veggies
• Olive and cheese plate with assorted crackers
• Baked mozzarella and tomato basil antipasto with parmesan crostini

Dinner

• Beef short ribs braised in red wine
• Smashed garlic potatoes with blue cheese
• Parmesan-roasted broccoli
• Tomato flatbread

Dessert

• Bakery cupcakes
• Assorted chocolates

Duet Birthday Dinner

In the past, I have cooked a birthday dinner for my mother (with the help of my sister, Meg) and for my mother-in-law (with the help of my sister-in-law, Elizabeth). This year for my mom's birthday, we have some very special guests coming up to celebrate with us, our good friends Susan and Carrie. They lived across the street from us growing up and we missed them tremendously when they moved away. Luckily, we get to see them fairly often, and it just so happens that Susan shares a birthday with my mom!

Meg and I knew this needed to be a special menu, so we worked hard on planning some gourmet treats. (This was heavy on the Giada inspiration since I happened to be re-reading her cookbooks at the time I was planning the menu!)

Look for the new recipes in the upcoming weeks!

Duet Birthday Dinner

Appetizers

• Baked Caprese Salad
• Cranberry, Caramelized Onion, and Goat Cheese Dip with assorted crackers
• Parmesan-Crusted Zucchini Sticks

Dinner

• Hearty Winter Salad with Sherry Vinaigrette
• Seared Scallops over Wilted Spinach
• Flank Steak with Red Wine Sauce
• Farfalle with Creamy Mushroom Gorgonzola Sauce
• Roasted Cherry Tomatoes with garlic and olive oil

Dessert

• Birthday Cake
• Black and White Cookies

Christmas Eve Brunch 2009

Abbie wishes everyone a Merry Christmas!

Hello again! I know it's been awhile since I've posted and I am slowly getting my energy and desire back to cook after taking care of a certain someone pictured above :) But I know some of you (hi, Nicole!) have been waiting for new posts so I'm back!

Since Chuck and I have been married, we have hosted Christmas Eve brunch at our house for our immediate families. It's a nice little tradition that I hope continues for a long time. This year I have planned the menu around things I can make in advance along with favorite dishes that I serve every year.

Happy Holidays everyone!

Christmas Eve Brunch 2009

• Classic Quiche with Diced Ham
• Two-Cheese Spinach Quiche
• Crispy Shredded Potato Gratin
• Bacon (of course)
• Colleen's Chicken Salad served with rolls
• Green Salad with Mixed Fruit
• Pumpkin Spiced Cream Cheese Breakfast Rolls (from Picky Palate)
• Cappuccino Mini Chip Muffins (from Dinners for a Year and Beyond)

Freezer Friendly Meals (and a brief hiatus)

Over the past few weeks I have been referring again and again to different meals I am making to freeze so we have something other than take-out to eat after the baby comes. I figured some of you may want a comprehensive list of everything that is in my freezer so here you are, along with links to the recipes! After looking at the list and the picture above, I am pretty proud of myself and hope that these meals last until I have some energy back to cook!

This post will most likely be my last until after the baby is born - I am all cooked out and we are really just focusing on bringing Baby Cooking This and That home! But soon after that is the holiday season so you can be assured I will be back with plenty of yummy things (I already have a whole pile of pumpkin recipes and Christmas cookies I want to make this year!).

So enjoy the next few weeks, keep checking back, and I'll be back soon!

Freezer-Friendly Meals

• Turkey Lasagna
• Chicken Taco Soup
• Baked Ziti
• Pork Ragout
• Firecracker Enchiladas
• Baked Pasta with Sausage, Tomatoes, and Cheese
• 6-Hour Chili
• Zippy Turkey Bake
• Slow Cooker Barbecue-Beef
• Baked Shells with Pesto, Mozzarella, and Meat Sauce
• Oriental Beef and Noodles
• Turkey Tortilla Bake

Baked Goods

• Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread
• Banana Bread
• Fall Harvest Bread

Blogiversary: Top 10 Desserts/Baked Goods

And here we have the last installment of my Blogiversary posts. I hope you have been enjoying them so far! I certainly have had fun doing them; and I am inspired for my next year in the kitchen.

Please enjoy the Top 10 Desserts and Baked Goods today. Did I leave anything out?!

Lemon Cream Cheese Mousse Cake

Fall Harvest Bread

Chocolately Raspberry Crumb Bars

Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars

Banana Bread

Cranberry White Chocolate Cookies

Better Than Sex Cake

Winter Wonder Cookie Bars

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread

Gingerbread White Chocolate Blondies