Since Shane’s cake turned out so well, I thought I would go for it for Kerry and Ryan’s birthday dinner on Friday night. Oh, it was so good!
We kept this a small affair – only five of us. Arancini started the night right. If you have never had these, they are risotto balls stuffed with cheese and fried. Oh my golly. And I won’t lie, I bought these beauties at Trader Joe’s – less cooking for me! Yay!
They’re bigger in person. Anyhoo, the menu was rack of lamb, pesto mashed potatoes and a veggie medley. That veggie medley also came from Trader Joe’s, but it was not so tasty, so lets not mention it again, shall we?
Wasn’t yesterday with Arlynn fun? She is such a delight.
And since she was such a love to write such a wonderful post, I am going to keep it short today and talk about tacos. Tacos are Eric’s favorite food. I like them, too, but I am more partial to pizza.
The other day I gazed into my refrigerator to see what I could conjure up for lunch. Um….slack jawed and uninspired, I stared. And then it hit me. I saw some chorizo I had just picked up, spied a hunk of queso, there’s some sour cream and we even have salsa verde! Hot diggity. I always try to keep tortillas on hand and so I fished those out of the pantry. Voila!
Eric joined me in the kitchen and diced up an onion to go with the chorizo frying in the pan. I heated up the tortillas over the flame on the stove (it’s fun! it’s like camping inside!) Not too long after, we were gobbling down some of the tastiest tacos I have ever had.
One fine meal.
Life’s funny like that. When you least expect it, the tastiest treat comes out of nowhere.
I hope your day is full of unexpected pleasures, Darlings.
You would think that after my fiasco of trying to bake two failed cakes for Holly’s birthday that I might just give up. Oh no. I have not learned my lesson yet. Plus, I am hosting a tiny dinner party for my beloved friend Kerry (check out his gorgeous new website here) on Friday night for his belated birthday.
I needed something sassy, sweet and chic, just like Kerry. Lemon layer cake seems to fit the bill. America’s Test Kitchen made it and if they can do it, I should be able to as well, yes? Isn’t it pretty?
Photo courtesy of America's Test Kitchen
Stay tuned. And please cross your fingers for me and say a little prayer to the kitchen goddesses that I can get this one right.
xoxo, Patti
Today blogging to Average White Band – Pick Up The Pieces
Usually I feature a product or place on Friday, but I’m in a grilled cheese kind of mood.
I’ve only become proficient at making these beauties in the past few years. Before that, I would always burn the bread and end up with cheese that wasn’t melty, stringy and delicious.
But no more. If you find yourself with unmelty, unstringy and not quite right grilled cheese, worry no longer. I am here to help. And it’s easy.
Photo courtesy of The Glam Society at Blogspot
First, make sure your butter is softened. I would say at room temperature, but in the winter, at least at my house, that would mean rock hard. If you have a microwave, you might zap it for just a few seconds or let it sit on a warm stove for a bit. Spread the outsides of your bread with your softened butter and move on to the cheese.
Second, use grated cheese. Grate it fresh if you have to. I adore Jarlsberg for my grilled cheese and feel that the extra effort to grate a hunk of it worthy of the perfect sandwich. Grated cheese is going to melt up much easier than sliced cheese. Trust me on this. Almost all cheese will work for grilled cheese, except maybe parmesan.
Stove temperature – I set the burner to medium, melt a little more butter in the pan and when it warms up, place my bread buttered side down into the pan. Now, take a mound of your grated cheese and heap it on top, followed by the second piece of bread – buttered side up. Give the sammie a few minutes, pry up the bottom with a spatula and if it looks brown, turn the whole shebang over to grill the other side. This can be tricky, so don’t be afraid to use your fingers to hold the top piece in place. Just don’t burn yourself. Owie! Give it another few minutes on the second side and voila, you have yourself a tasty treat.
I have to admit that a very guilty pleasure of mine is grilled peanut butter and jelly. Don’t scoff. If you have never tried this, you are missing out. So go on over to the pantry and pull out the pb&j and give it a try.
Happy Weekend!!
xoxo, Patti
Today blogging to Little Chris Moyles Show – Brand New Cheesy Song
You know, I was thinking about you and how I listed all those yummies Eric and I made for Holly’s birthday Sunday night with nary a recipe for you. I’m sorry, that was mean. Let me fix that today with the recipe for the Caramelized Onion & Goat Cheese Tarts.
They are very similar to the tarts I buy at Trader Joes for $6.99 for 12, but tastier and far less expensive.
Sunday night was a double whammy – the Golden Globes and our beloved Holly’s birthday! A dual reason to celebrate.
Now, you might remember me trying to make Holly a “healthy” cake from black beans, as documented in this video. That didn’t go so well. So, I tried again Sunday morning to make a “real” cake. Not so great, either. Note to self – it is extremely difficult to soften butter at room temperature when it is snowing outside.
Oh, geez, what to do now? Cake Hag to the rescue!! If you remember, they were the star of our dinner with Eddie + Jaithan this past summer, with their luscious red velvet cake. I called Maggie & Katie and even though they had been closed due to the snow/ice storm, they had one perfect cake, just for me. I have never been more relieved. Four layers of rich, dark chocolate cake layered with scrumptious chocolate buttercream. Thanks, Ladies!! Click here to see how it all turned out
Last night was bestie Holly’s birthday and the Golden Globe Awards. Both more fun than ever when combined.
But the champagne flowed and the cake gobbled, so I am feeling a bit slow today. I thought I would share this fabulous website called Sprinkle Bakes, which has the most gorgeous photography and recipes that will definitely make you smile. And with all the dismal weather we have been having, a bright spot is most welcome.
Go over to visit this scrumptious emporium and I will be back with all the details of Holly’s party tomorrow. Pinky swear.
xoxo, Patti
Today blogging to Eddie Murphy – Party All The Time
Still iced in here in Atlanta, but we have plenty of food and wine. It could be worse.
Plus, the Golden Globes are on Sunday! I love awards shows, and the Golden Globes by far is my favorite. All the stars are drinking at the event, so you have no clue what they may say in their speeches, making for a hilarious evening. Plus, you can enjoy it in your pajamas, with a drink in hand, hollering at the television set. Which I personally enjoy.
My friends in NYC, Esther and Katie, sent me these recipes for adult beverages that have 2010 movie themes. I love it! Click here for these special drinks!
There are so many fab blogs out there that I bet you’ve never read. And since being snowed in all week, I’ve had plenty of time to scour the web to find the best cozy recipes for you.
How about spaghetti and mozzarella stuffed meatballs from Babble? Aren’t these gorgeous?
Nom, nom, nom!
And Tessa over at Handle The Heat had me swooning with her chicken wrapped in proscuitto and sage. Golly that sounds scrumptious.
At Let’s Dish they are baking up Snickerdoodle Bread. OMG, are you kidding me? That sounds fantastic!
So, if you are snowed in, there are three recipes to try. Don’t they sound tasty?
xoxo, Patti
Today blogging to Smokey Robinson and The Miracles – Cruisin’
Yesterday was such fun. With the snow piling up, Atlanta shut down. The neighbors took to the park to sled and just play in the snow. And since all that sledding and snowball fighting works up an appetite, I suggested a pot luck supper at our house around 5pm.
