Hot Cocoa Party

 

January is the perfect time to have friends over for cocoa, cookies and conversation! The Mexican Wedding Cookies are one of my favorites.  They fit into the theme perfectly looking like little snowballs.  The recipe is from my mother...

1 cup butter

3/4 cup confectioners' sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

2 cups flour

1 cup chopped walnuts

extra confectioners' sugar

Cream butter, sugar and vanilla, add nuts, then gradually flour.  Shape into 3/4-inch balls.  Place 1/2 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 325 for 15 minutes.

Mini Charcuterie

 

I made these adorable mini charcuteries for a recent women's luncheon.  Super simple and such a great presentation!  I used wooden coasters for the "charcuterie boards".  This idea would be ideal for entertaining outdoors as  the coasters can be used to set your drink on or to prevent summer bugs from sneaking a sip!

On my boards are green grapes, cubed cheese, Columbus Italian dried salami, blackberries and garnished with a flower.

I can't believe a whole year has almost passed with only a single post!  We have done just as much entertaining, if not more this year.  I have just been remised in taking photos.  Even though it's December, I wanted to share some pictures and a super easy recipe from a "Girls Night-In Going Away Party" that I hosted for one of my friends this past summer. 

First, I love how my ice cubes turned out!  I used my 2.5 inch round whiskey ice cube molds and inserted roses from my miniature rose bush and put them in the freezer.  They made such a pretty presentation! But now to the recipe...

Caprese Bites

Phyllo cup

Sliced grape tomatoes

Mozzarella balls

Basil (julienned) to garnish

Balsamic Vinegar glaze drizzled

MY TIP:

Good Quality Balsamic Vinegar can be used in place of store bought glazed by simmering it on the stove until it becomes thick enough to drizzle.

Cranberry/Cashew Salad

This is a perfect fall salad.  I love the combination of  flavors of the sweet dried cranberries with and the crunchy nuts in this easy to throw together salad.  I made this recently for a luncheon with friends.

 Pear Salad

•  10 oz. mixed Spring Greens
•   3 pears
•   1 cup dried cranberries
•   2 cups cashew 
•   1/2 cup gorgonzola cheese

Homemade vinaigrette

MY TIP:  Any dried fruit or nut can be used in this recipe.

Chocolate Mousse

I love an easy recipe and this one only has 2 ingredients!  There is no egg or gelatin like most mousse recipes, just heavy cream and chocolate.  This mousse is definitely lighter in texture, but has the same great creamy taste as your classic French mousse.  This can also be made 2 days in advance and kept in the refrigerator or frozen for up to a month.  I made this for a luncheon in March and will put this dessert on repeat for my annual Spring Luncheon in April.  I used mini shot glasses, tied a ribbon around a mini spoon, added a raspberry and chocolate garnish for presentation.

INGREDIENTS: 

4 ounces chocolate
1 1/2  cup heavy whipping cream
Microwave 1/2 cup heavy cream for 50 second
In a double boiler melt chocolate
Once melted add warm cream and mix until combined
Remove from heat and let chocolate cool slightly
In a chilled bowl, beat remaining heavy cream until medium peaks form
One tablespoon at a time gently fold in chocolate 
Pipe into cups. 
Add desired garnish.
Refrigerate until serving

MY TIP:  I put my bowl and mixing beaters in the freezer for 30 minutes to chill.

MY OTHER TIP:  By varying the chocolates and cream ratio,  you can also make ganache (1 to 1 ratio) or mirror glaze (2 to 1 ratio).

Charcuterie Cones

 

I made these for friends after an evening of bike riding.  We are preparing for a 20 mile ride next week on the Kal/Haven trail . With Covid still an issue, individual servings of food for entertaining has become the norm.  I made the cones out of scrapbook paper, then I add the following:

peanuts

pretzel rod

cracker

cheese

dried cured salami (Columbus)

grapes

blueberries

raspberries

black olives

pickle

and a sprig of thyme for garnish

MY TIP:  Make sure all fruit is thoroughly dry.

MY OTHER TIP:  Fill with a nuts so your skewers have a base to sit

Be safe!

Even the lions who "protect" the Art Institute in Chicago are a good reminder to wear masks.  Stay safe and be smart!

Covid-19

We were in Madrid, Spain middle of January to the first week of February visiting our daughter who moved there last year.  When we watched the news, there was brief talk about the coronavirus, mainly that it started in Wuhan, China and possibly from bats or pangolines (an animal whose scales are used in ancient medicines). The news was not alarming and it seemed to not be a big story. We learned that there was only one case in Spain in the Canary Islands. It didn't become real until we were at the Madrid airport and saw large groups of Asian travelers wearing masks and 2000 additional cases were reported in one day in China. I still naively thought that this was going to be contained to China.  I was very wrong, as Italy and then Spain quickly becoming an epicenter.  We were fortunately that our daughter returned back to the States before things escalated.  And now, just a few short weeks later, New York is now the epicenter and no state in our country has been spared.  This seems so surreal.

Chocolate Covered Oreos

                                                                           .

I made these chocolate covered oreos for two holiday get togethers that we attended last month.  These were super easy to make and looked really pretty.  I also liked that these could be make in advance.


Recipe:
 
Melt 1 pound chocolate in a double boiler
Spoon 1 tablespoon chocolate in the bottom of an oreo candy mold
Press oreo cookie gently into the mold (16 total)
Spoon chocolate on top to cover the cookie
Tap the mold gently to remove any air bubbles and to smooth out the chocolate 
Refrigerate until firm 

Makes 16     T                                                                                                                 

MY TIP:  These were very, very rich.  The next time I make these I will use just enough chocolate on the top to cover the cookie.

Raspberry Bumblers

Ok, I have to admit, I made up this recipe.  I was at World Market looking for some Belgium Thins to top with raspberries and white chocolate (a Pinterest Recipe I wanted to try) and they were out of them. I was determined not to leave empty handed so I searched for something, anything that I could use instead and found Bumblers. Bumblers (according to the package) are a "favorite" Australian chocolate candy with a honeycomb center. They are very similar to an American sponge candy.  Since, I  have never had sponge candy, I was not sure what to expect.  I tried them and I found the sponge candy disappointing and dry.  I have to admit I did not like these.  But if sponge candy is a favorite of yours, then you will like them even better with a drizzle of chocolate and a raspberry!

Recipe:
one bag Bumblers (24 pieces)
24 raspberries washed
melted white chocolate to drizzle

MY TIP:  Make sure the raspberries are completely dry before topping them on the chocolate.  Water and chocolate do not mix well together.

MY OTHER TIP:  I would make these again, just not with Bumblers.  I would use a brownie bite instead.

Fall for easy entertaining!

Entertaining does not have to be hard.  When I am looking for easy appetizers I usually choose a charcuterie board. Simple and no cooking!   Just go to the grocery find an assortment of meats, cheeses, nuts, fruits, chutneys, mustard, pickles, olives or anything you like and display them on a cutting board.  Remember to search your pantry first as you probably have some of these ingredients already.  I also like to have some desserts already made and in the freezer so all I have to do is thaw them out.

For ease, I knew I would be serving wine and beer, but wanted to make it a little more special.  A quick look at Pintrest and I found these simple recipes for cider wine sangria and cider beer shanty.  Just mix cider into beer or wine.  Can it get any easier than that?  Instead of making a batch of either, I decided to simply fill a pitcher with cider and garnished it with slices of granny smith apples (for the green color) and honeycrisp apples (for the red color).  I tossed in some cranberries just to give it a more fall festive look.

Cider Sangria or Cider Shanty

Mix 1/3 cup apple cider with beer or wine.
For the wine, use Riesling or a dryer wine as the cider is naturally sweet.

MY TIP:  Instead of ice cubes, freeze the main liquid of your drink so it doesn't become diluted as it sits out.  In this recipe, I just froze the cider in my ice cube trays.

Cranberry Granita

Cranberry Granita

The Tribune Building

Statue of American revolutionary Nathan Hale


I can not believe that I have passed by this landmark building countless times (located on Michigan Avenue near Wacker!!!) and never noticed anything! And even when I learned about the important of this building I still forgot to stop and look!!!

Prior to the building of the Tribune Tower, correspondents for the Chicago Tribune brought back rocks and bricks from a variety of historically important sites throughout the world at the request of Colonel McCormick. Many of these reliefs have been incorporated into the lowest levels of the building and are labeled with their location of origin. Stones included in the wall are from the Great Wall of China, the World Trade Center and the Taj Mahal. Walk around the building and be amazed at the reliefs!

Bean and Pasta Soup

 

My husband and I were both sick, so we weren't going anywhere.  Instead of the grocery,  I headed to the pantry.  So this is what I grabbed and it turned our really well!  And the best part was it was simple and easy!

1 can northern beans
1 can white beans
1 32 ounce Swanson broth
1 can fire roasted tomatoes
1 cup rotini pasta ( I used this because I had nothing smaller)
Garnish with fresh parmesan

That was it!  No additional spices.  I was very surprised that it was flavorful.  I attribute that to the fire roasted tomatoes.

DIRECTIONS:

Add all the ingredient to a boil except pasta , then add pasta and simmer for 10 minute.

Big Ed's Cajun Soup

I knew I would like this recipe just by looking at the ingredients.  It was simple to make and tasty.  The only problem I had was that the rice absorbed the broth of this soup.  So MY TIP:  make the rice separate from the soup and add right before serving.


1 Tablespoon butter
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
1/4 cup sliced green onion
1 clove garlic
3 cups V 8 juice
1 8 ounce bottle of clam juice
1/2 cup water
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flake
1 bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup long grain rice (uncooked)
3/4 pound shrimp
hot sauce to taste

1. Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat. Saute green bell pepper, onions, and garlic until tender. Stir in vegetable juice, clam juice, and water. Season with thyme, basil, red pepper, bay leaf, and salt. Bring to a boil, and stir in rice. Reduce heat, and cover. Simmer 15 minutes, until rice is tender.
2. Stir in shrimp, and cook 5 minutes, or until shrimp are opaque. Remove the bay leaf, and season with hot sauce
   .

Happy 2016!!

If I am going to reach my New Year's resolution of blogging at least once a month, I better get going!

But before, I get into my 2016 resolutions, it's time to look back and be accountable!

I am actually quite surprised at all the house projects that got done especially with planning my daughter's wedding.

I found a new landscaper!  One who actually showed up did a beautiful job putting in pavers in my front, and back yard along with mulching, trimming the bushes, edging, planting a tree, etc.  I was so impressed with the "extra" things he did, because he "wanted to be proud of the job", I ended up hiring him for the weekly mowing.  And true to his word, he showed up each week and did a wonderful job.  My husband who usually mows the lawn, while I do the rest of the yard work, kept thanking me for hiring him!

I hired someone to power wash my house, the deck, the dock, driveway and sidewalks.
I also hired someone to paint my living room and outside atrium doors.

I wanted to carpet the lower level and the stairs, but instead decided to replace all my carpeting.  The smartest thing I did was pay the extra money for the men to move my large pieces of furniture and beds!  Definitely money well spend and my husband agreed!

And as far as the master bath, I decided to hold off on that since I am not sure what I want to do.

As far as my health goals, having the fit bit was great!  It kept me accountable and I hit my 10,000 steps every day.

My husband and I also stumbled upon a new sport called pickleball.  We had never heard of pickleball. So here is the backstory:  My husband and I are trying to build a park in our community.  As we got more into the project, we quickly realized that there was way to much learning curve to try to build a park ourselves, that we hired a firm that specialized in building parks to help us develop a conceptual plan. We gave him our ideas and had mentioned we wanted space for "court" activities.  We were thinking maybe basketball, boccie, corn hole.  He came back with a plan and put in "pickleball courts" and proceeded to tell us it's one the fastest growing sports.  We ended up having a public meeting to see if there was support for a park. There were a couple of pickleball supporters who mentioned they were thrilled to see potential courts in our community and invited us to come and play.  We got instantly hooked!  So for the past few months, we have been playing  3-4 times a week!  It is so much fun and very social, that you don't feel like you have been exercising for two hours at a time!  Plus it's good cardio!

Lastly, I wanted to find a way to serve more.  I was fortunate to be apart of  some great volunteer projects.  The first two matched groups of volunteers to non-profits for a half day of service.  We had hundreds of members of the the community donated their time!  The third was a food drop that had 1500 volunteers show up, pack semis and deliver food to 6,600 families in need.

As for 2016:
I plan to blog once a month.  I plan to continue exercising though walking, biking and playing pickleball. I plan to continue serving others by using my organizational and fundraising skills. And as for house projects, I would like to paint the trim on my house.  I would also like to possibly remodel my kitchen.  I worked with a company and they came back with an estimate of 77,569 dollars.  Yes, you read that correctly over seventy seven thousand dollars!  This is not a joke!  Instead a major disappointment.  I know I have a very,very large kitchen but honestly, that is just beyond ridiculous. What's even more ridiculous is that I was keeping my appliances and not doing anything to my hardwood floors.  Okay enough venting!  Here's to a happy and healthy 2016!

Blue Cheese Crostini with Balsamic-Roasted Grapes

I love roasted vegetables!  Roastings brings out a nice sweet flavor. So when I saw this recipe in the February edition of Southern Living that included roasting a fruit, I was intrigued.  The roasting along with the balsamic vinegar makes a slight syrup and the grapes sweetness is enhanced.  The sweet grapes on top of the pungent blue cheese really compliments each other. This is a simple yet different take on your typical crostini.

Blue Cheese Crostini with Balsamic-Roasted Grapes Ingredients 2 cups halved seedless red grapes 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar 1 1/2 tablespoons minced shallot (I’ve made with and without, omitted here) 2 teaspoons olive oil 1/2 teaspoon light brown sugar 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt French bread baguette, cut into slices 3 tablespoons butter, softened 2 ounces crumbled blue cheese, softened Chopped toasted pecans Garnish: chopped fresh thyme Directions Combine the first 6 ingredients and roast at 425 for 15 minutes.  Mix butter and blue cheese and spread on bread slices.  Bake at 350 until cheese melts.  Top with grapes, pecans and thyme.

With the wedding fast approaching, I have kicked up the exercise and healthy eating.  My fitbit has been a great way to stay motivated and I am proud to say everyday this month, I have exceeded my 10,000 steps.  Our family has always been a big walking family, but having the fitbit certainly keeps me on track.
Here's a healthy salad option:

Avocado & Tomato, White Bean Salad with Vinaigrette

- 1 can white beans

- 1 avocado, chopped

- 1 Roma tomato, chopped

- 1/4 sweet onion chopped (or less or none if you're not a fan of onions)

That's the salad base and here's the vinaigrette:

- 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

- 1/4 cup lemon juice 

- dried basil to taste

- garlic powder to taste

- salt & pepper to taste

- 1 teaspoon mustard

Whisk vinaigrette ingredients together then pour over salad base and mix well. Refrigerate for a few hours before serving. 

Potato Leek Soup

 Looking for a good way to warm up this winter?  Try this soup!

• 1 cup butter
• 2 leeks, sliced
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 quart chicken broth

• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 4 cups Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and diced
• 2 cups heavy cream

1. In a large pot over medium heat, melt butter. Cook leeks in butter with salt and pepper until tender, stirring frequently, about 15 minutes.
2. Stir cornstarch into broth and pour broth into pot. Add the potatoes and bring to a boil. Season with salt and pepper. Pour in the cream, reduce heat and simmer at least 30 minutes, until potatoes are tender. Season with salt and pepper before serving.