Ringing in the Summer with a Backyard BBQ

We had some friends over this past weekend for a Ring in the Summer Backyard BBQ.

I spent so much time planning all the little details and then of course ran out of time to take pictures of all of my hard work (kicking myself). Above are a few shots I was able to catch before our friends started to arrive.

The weather held out (no rain, thank god!) and everyone had a great time drinking, eating and catching up. 

When people first arrived I put out my homemade guacamole (always a crowd favorite) 

What you'll need:

5 ripe Haas avocados

1 jalapeno pepper, seeds removed and finely diced

A handful of cilantro, chopped

Half an onion, finely chopped

Juice of a lime

salt & pepper to taste

A good bag of Taco chips, my favorite are the Xochitl brand

I served mine in an authentic molcajete

I also put out a crudites platter. My husband said "why don't you just buy the already made one at the grocery and save yourself time"... as if! Obviously that wasn't even an option!

I went to the market that morning and bought fresh carrots, celery, radishes, cucumbers, string beans, zucchini and peppers. 

I set everything up on my Oversized West Elm Board

(this board is a must have! I use it every time I entertain and get endless compliments.)

I also used my Chalkboard West Elm Planters to put the carrots, celery and string beans. Not what I intentionally bought it for, but ended up looking super cute and very Farm to Table. 

I also used my Farmer's Market Baskets to hold the radishes and cucumbers.

The finishing touch was a spinach artichoke and onion dip in scooped out peppers. 

The Dinner Menu was

Tomato, Basil and Mozzarella Skewers

Cold Pasta Salad with Sun-dried Tomatoes, Spinach and Pecorino Cheese

Potato Salad and Cole Slaw

Hamburgers and Hot Dogs

Buttermilk Chicken

Corn

and all the fixins

I wrapped plastic utensils in red and white paper napkins and tied them with jute.

I put them in these cute gingham lined picnic baskets I found.

For dessert I made red velvet cupcakes topped with cream cheese frosting, sprinkles and a fresh cherry on top.  Our friends brought plenty of cake, cookies and brownies to go around. 

For the tables I used these Berry Baskets and lined them with these Red Checkered Basket Liners and filled them with fresh cherries.

I also filled mason jars with fresh blue hydrangea.

Below, I listed some great links for planning your own Backyard BBQ

Paisley Palooza

the bakers confections

pink lemonade party

The Pink Picker

Simply As That

The front porch 1950

save-on-crafts

World Market

And of course, a special thank you to my friend Lisa of Larkspur Studios, who did all the fabulous signage for me!

Such a fun day hanging with all our friends and family.

 Can't wait for an excuse to plan another party soon!

Happy Birthday, Mom!

It was just my moms birthday and I wanted to get her something special. There are just so many spa gift cards and sweaters I can purchase for her year after year.

I am lucky enough to go on family vacations each year. It's always a special time getting to spend it with my whole family; eating, drinking and catching up. Food is always a big part of our trips; whether it be us preparing lunches or going out to restaurants.

 I decided to compose a cookbook for her based on the dishes we have eaten.

I called it  "f.a.m.i.l.y, recipes based on vacation memories".

I created this book using a site called blurb

They have great templates and walk you through a step by step tutorial.

It came out really cute and my mom loved it!

Below are a few pictures.

the cover 

the inside flap

table of contents

the back cover

Pie Pops are the new Cake Pops

So if you haven't already heard "Pie Pops are the new Cake Pops". 

I decided to try this creation out for myself. 

Who doesn't like pie and it's just oh so cute when put on a lollipop stick.

This is a super easy recipe and would be great for all your upcoming Summer BBQ's; to either make as the host or bring as a hostess gift.

You can use whatever berries you desire. I used raspberries and blueberries. 

Ingredients

Pre bough pie dough (you can find this in the freezer section of your grocery)

Flour, for dusting

Berry Pie filling, recipe follows

1 egg, beaten

Sugar for dusting top of pops

Baking sheets

Lollipop sticks (can be purchased here)

Cookie cutter

Berry Filling

1 1/2 cups berries (strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, etc)

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar

1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

To make the berry filling

Place the berries in a medium saucepan over medium high heat. (If you are using two different kinds of berries you can either mix them or use two different pans)

Stir in the sugar, cornstarch and lemon juice. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally and cook until thickened and the mixture coats the back of a spoon, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and cool.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Roll out the dough on a well-floured surface until about 1/8" thick. 

Using a cookie cutter (you can use any shape you want. I used a circle but a heart could be super cute too!) cut out double the amount of pops you want to make. I made 12 pops so I cut out 24 circles.

Place the rounds onto the prepared baking sheet. Place about 1 tablespoon of the filling in the center of the rounds. Make sure to leave a little room at the edges, about 1/4".

Place the lollypop stick in the middle of the rounds through the filling. Take the remaining rounds and  brush the with the egg wash. Place the rounds on top of the filled rounds, egg wash side down. Press the edges together with your finger and then use one of the lollipop sticks to crimp the edges. 

Make sure they are completely sealed.

Brush the tops of each pie pop with the egg wash and sprinkle lightly with the sugar.

Using a small knife cut a little vent in each pop.

Bake the pops until golden, about 20 minutes. Let them rest for 10 minutes before serving.

To make these even cuter then they already are, you can make a little flag bunting or use a ribbon to attach to the stick.

Birthday Brunch

It was just my mother-in-laws birthday so we had the whole family over for brunch.

It was such a nice day celebrating and hanging out all together. 

The weather was great so that was an extra plus that Harper and her little cousin Jake got to play in the backyard together. 

We told everyone to come at 1 so I wanted to make something brunchy. 

I put out a cheese plate to start. We got fresh smoked salmon and whitefish salad, served aside croissants and bagels. I made deviled eggs which is so simple and a great brunch side. I also picked up a spinach and mushroom quiche that went perfectly.

Fresh fruit and a raspberry birthday tart finished off the day!

Deviled Eggs

Ingredients

a dozen eggs, hard boiled & peeled

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard 

salt and pepper to taste

paprika

chives, for garnish

pimentos, for garnish

Halve the eggs lengthwise. Remove yolk and place in a small bowl.

Mash yolks with a fork and stir in mayo and mustard.

Add salt, pepper and a pinch of paprika to taste.

Fill egg white with the yolk mixture. Garnish with paprika, pimentos and chopped chives.

Grilled Swordfish with a Basil Butter Sauce

We just got our new grill and for the past week we have been BBQ-ing every night. 

3 cheeseburgers, 4 hot dogs and 5 pounds later, I wanted to grill something a little more figure friendly. 

I decided on swordfish. It's meaty texture holds up perfectly on the grill.

Ingredients

Four 8-ounce swordfish steaks, cut about 1 inch thick

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened but not melted

2 teaspoons chopped basil

2 teaspoons capers, chopped finely

2 tablespoons lemon juice plus wedges for garnish

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

salt and pepper

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

Mix the olive oil with 1tablespoon of lemon juice. Season fish with salt and pepper on both sides and marinate for 15 minutes.

In a bowl mix the butter with the basil and capers, garlic powder and 1 teaspoon of lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.

Grill the swordfish until nicely charred on the outside and cooked within.

This should take about 4-5 minutes per side.

Transfer to a plate and put a nice dollop of the basil butter on each fish immediately.

Garnish with lemon wedges and serve.

Enjoy!

It's a Girl!

This weekend was one of my best friends baby shower. She is having a girl and I was so excited to make her pretty cupcakes for the occasion. I wanted to do something sweet and girly. 

I created two different designs. 

For the first cupcake design I made a peachy pink frosting using  Wilton Rose Petal Pink coloring. 

            

Using a closed star tip I made the frosting look like a rose. I topped them with white sugar pearls and 

"It's a Girl" cupcake toppers.

 For the second cupcake design I used plain white frosting. 

I topped these with pink fondant roses and used crushed pistachio's to look like rose leaves.

 For both cupcakes I used these Wave Cupcake Liners

I think they really added to the flower design I was trying to achieve.

It was such a fun day of celebrating.
I can't wait for Baby B's arrival! She is going to be one lucky little baby having such a fab mamma!

Easy Weeknight Dinners

This Chicken Piccata recipe tastes like it comes straight from a 4-star restaurant and is super simple to whip up. Try to find thin cut chicken breasts if you can. If not, use a tenderizer (or any hammer like object you may own in the kitchen) and pound them yourself. 

While the Brussels sprouts are roasting in the oven, cook the chicken and you have yourself a delicious meal! This recipe is delicious enough to impress company and easy enough for a quick weeknight dinner.

Chicken Piccata

adapted from a Giada De Laurentiis recipe

Ingredients

1 pound skinless and boneless chicken breasts (purchase thin cut if you can)

Salt and pepper

All purpose flour

6 tablespoons unsalted butter

5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1/3 cup fresh lemon juice

1/2 cup chicken stock

1/4 cup capers

1/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped

If you can find thin sliced chicken breasts, get them. It will save you the time of pounding them. If you can't find them thin sliced-

 put the cutlet in between two pieces of plastic or saran (I used a ziplock bag). 

Using a meat tenderizer, pound chicken into thin cutlets.

Season chicken with salt and pepper. Dredge chicken in flour and shake off excess.

In skillet over medium heat, melt the 2 tablespoons of butter & 3 tablespoons olive oil. 

When butter and oil start to sizzle, add 2 pieces of chicken and cook for 3 minutes. When chicken is browned, flip and cook other side for 3 minutes. (chicken will finish cooking in the sauce later on)

Remove and transfer to plate. Melt 2 more tablespoons butter and add another 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add next 2 pieces of chicken and brown both sides in same manner. Remove pan from heat and add chicken to the plate.

Into the same pan (do not clean) add the lemon juice, chicken stock and capers. Return to stove and bring to a boil, scraping bits from the bottom of the pan. The bits will add to the flavor. Check for seasoning to see if it needs salt or pepper. Return all the chicken to the pan and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove chicken to platter. Add remaining 2 tablespoons butter to sauce and whisk. 

Pour sauce over chicken and garnish with fresh parsley.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds Brussels sprouts

3 tablespoons good olive oil

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 

Cut of the hard ends of the Brussels sprouts and pull off any yellow outer leaves. Mix them in a bowl with olive oil, salt and pepper. Pour them on a sheet pan and roast for 35-40 minutes.