Category: Special Times

Lobster Corn Chowder

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Summer is such a wonderful time for food, especially in New England!  We have delicious sweet corn and incredible cold water lobsters a plenty.  This past 4th of July weekend we were lucky enough to have both!  I even bought some extra corn and had some left over lobster so I decided to create a version of what New Englander’s are known for… chowder! Lobster and corn brought together with a creamy broth, what could be better?

I grew up in the small New England town of Westport, Massachusetts. Westport is both a fishing and farming community.  Some of the biggest of those two industries has always been lobster, dairy and corn.  All of these essentials are found in this dish.  Who says you can’t go home again?

You'll want to start by shucking about 8 ears of fresh corn and placing them in a pot.

You’ll want to start by shucking about 8 ears of fresh corn and placing them in a pot.

Then cover the corn in cold water. Bring to a boil and shut it off… Let it sit in the water to cool a bit. (The fresher the corn, the less time it needs… but, don’t forget this will also boil again later) One it is done boiling, reserve about 1 1/2 cups of the cooking liquid for later.

Place a small ingredient bowl inverted in a larger bowl… You’ll want to make sure your larger bowl can accommodate the kernels of 8 ears of corn… This method makes for so much less mess!

Now prop up a cob of corn on top of that little ingredient bowl. If you don't find it to be stable enough, just cut off the very bottom.

Now prop up a cob of corn on top of that little ingredient bowl. If you don’t find it to be stable enough, just cut off the very bottom.

Now, carefully run you your knife down the legnth of the corn cob... be sure your fingers are out of the way!

Now, carefully run you your knife down the length of the corn cob… be sure your fingers are out of the way!

Now, this is a very important step... take the back of your knife and firmly run it down your naked cob. You are essentially creaming the corn by doing this.

Now, this is a very important step… take the back of your knife and firmly run it down your naked cob. You are essentially creaming the corn by doing this.

Here is what you are left with 🙂

Before you begin, you will want to also boil a potato with salt and garlic, chop and reserve. Just one.

Before you begin, you will want to also boil a potato with salt and garlic, chop and reserve. Just one.

Start your soup by building your base, which is your veggies, but first you'll need to render some bacon so that you have fat to cook your veggies in. So, cook until crisp.

Start your soup by building your base, which is your veggies, but first you’ll need to render some bacon so that you have fat to cook your veggies in. So, cook until crisp.

Drain your bacon on a couple of paper towels. Reserve the bacon fat in the pot.

Drain your bacon on a couple of paper towels. Reserve the bacon fat in the pot.

This is a shallot... a rather large shallot actually. It is a milder cousin of the onion. Because I find this to be a more delicate chowder, I didn't want to overwhelm the flavor with onion.

This is a shallot… a rather large shallot actually. It is a milder cousin of the onion. Because I find this to be a more delicate chowder, I didn’t want to overwhelm the flavor with onion.

Chop the shallot as you would an onion.

Chop the shallot as you would an onion.

Saute the shallot over low heat in the reserved bacon fat.

Saute the shallot over low heat in the reserved bacon fat.

Get one red bell pepper and halve and seed it. I like the sweetness of red bell pepper, you can use which ever color you like best.

Chop it up and add it in to the sauteing shallots.

Measure about a quarter cup of all purpose flour.

Measure about a quarter cup of all purpose flour.

Add flour to the sautéed veggies.

Stir in that flour and cook for a minute or so.

Add all the corn you’ve prepared to your soup pot.

That corn cooking liquid you reserved goes in now. I run it through a strainer just to catch any stray corn silk.

That corn cooking liquid you reserved goes in now. I run it through a strainer just to catch any stray corn silk.

Here is my left over lobster, isn't he cute?

Here is my left over lobster, isn’t he cute?

Pull off his legs. There is lots of yummy meat in those legs, but I have no patience to get all that meat out for this purpose.

So what I do is throw them right in the soup pot. This serves two purposes. First of all, it gives your cooking liquid a bit of seafood stock. Second, you can serve these right with your chowder and people can suck the meat out of them should they so choose.  Now is the time to add in your potato as well.

Now, remove the body and discard. (I don’t put the body in the soup pot because there is too much mush for my taste). Shell all this lobster.

Once you have shelled the tail, you can pull off the back of the tail as I have done here and remove that vein. Some people don’t bother with this step, I just do. It’s up to you.

Now chop up the meat you have reserving the claw pieces to top your chowder if you so choose.

Now chop up the meat you have reserving the claw pieces to top your chowder if you so choose.

Add the chopped lobster to the soup pot to heat through.

Add the chopped lobster to the soup pot to heat through.

When all your ingredients have hung out together for a few minutes... Add in half a quart of light cream.

When all your ingredients have hung out together for a few minutes… Add in half a quart of light cream.

Chop and crumble bacon into the soup pot.

Chop and crumble bacon into the soup pot.

Add salt and pepper to taste. I like a good amount of fresh cracked black pepper.

Add salt and pepper to taste. I like a good amount of fresh cracked black pepper.

Add a couple dashes of white pepper.

Add a couple dashes of white pepper.

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Add some sliced scallions, oyster crackers, the reserved lobster claw, serve and enjoy!

Recipe for Lobster Corn Chowder:

(Serves 8)

1 boiled lobster, shelled and chopped

8 ears of corn, boiled

1 1/2 cups corn cooking liquid reserved

1 large red potato, cooked and chopped

1 large shallot chopped

1/2 red bell pepper seeded and chopped

3 slices bacon

rendered bacon fat reserved

1/2 quart light cream

1/4 cup all purpose flour

1/2 tsp. white pepper

kosher salt to taste

fresh cracked black pepper to taste

2 scallions chopped

oyster crackers or saltines

Directions:

Prepare potato by boiling in salted water and one clove of garlic (optional). Prepare lobster by boiling or getting it steamed from your fish monger.  Prepare corn on the cob by shucking and bringing to a boil, reserving 1 1/2 cups corn cooking water.  Cool these ingredients so they are easy to handle.

Next shell and chop lobster. Reserve lobster legs. Remove corn kernels from cob and cream from cob as well (demonstrated above).  Chop potato.  Set aside all ingredients for when they are needed.

Render bacon fat, reserve fat in soup pot.  Set aside bacon to drain on paper towel.  Sautee shallots and bell pepper in the bacon fat over low heat for about 5-6 minutes until tender.  Add in flour.  Cook flour for a minute or so, stirring.  Add in corn. Stir. Add in corn cooking liquid. Stir. Bring to a simmer.  Add in lobster, potato and lobster legs. Stir.  Pour in light cream. Stir.  Add in white pepper.  Add in salt and black pepper to taste.

Enjoy!

(If you would like to make this recipe gluten-free, swap out all purpose flour with corn starch)

 

Rainbow Popcorn

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A good friend of mine had an “UP” themed birthday party for her little girl recently.  To highlight the theme she had rainbows, balloons and colors galore!  I decided to bring along my contribution to her party by whipping up a batch of this super colorful Rainbow Popcorn!

Not only is this popcorn colorful, but each color has a different flavor because to color the popcorn I used none other than a rainbow array of Jell-O.  You could adapt this, of course, to any theme you would like… If you are doing a ‘Lemonade Stand’ birthday party, then just use the yellow… If you are planning a ‘Smurf’ theme, then just the blue… the possibilities are endless.  This is a great activity for kids to help with too!  It’s not complicated at all.

Here are all the ingredients you will need.

Prepare 12 cups of plain popcorn. I did it over the stove with kernels… You might also want to try a plain bag of microwave popcorn… well several bags. Then place 5 cups of popcorn into a large bowl.

Pour half a can of sweetened condensed milk into a small sauce pan.

Pour half a packet of your chosen jello color into the pan.

Pour half a packet of your chosen jello color into the pan.

Mix well to distribute color.

Put the condensed milk mixture over low heat. If the burner is turned up too high, you'll get a burned pan like you see here.

Put the condensed milk mixture over low heat. If the burner is turned up too high, you’ll get a burned pan like you see here.

Pour the thickened liquid over the prepared popcorn.

Mix in until it coats all the popcorn evenly.

I prefer parchment paper, but if you don’t have parchment, you can line your cookie sheet with foil like you see here and coat with non-stick cooking spray. Bake for 18-20 minutes at 175°F.

Once baked, let cool about 20 minutes and then break into pieces and place in bowl.

Once baked, let cool about 20 minutes and then break into pieces and place in bowl.

Mix in each color seperately.

Mix in each color separately.

Cook each color on low heat until thickened... about 10 minutes.

Cook each color on low heat until thickened… about 10 minutes.

Pour each colors thickened liquid over the prepared popcorn.

Place on a baking sheet covered in parchment paper. Bake at 175°F for 18-20 mins.

Place each color on the cookie sheet. Bake at 175°F for 18-20 minutes.

Place each color on the cookie sheet. Bake at 175°F for 18-20 minutes.

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Break up all the popcorn… Place in serving bowl and toss!

Recipe for Rainbow Popcorn:

(serves 24)

30 cups prepared plain popcorn

3 cans sweetened condensed milk

6 boxes of Jell-O, in rainbow colors (red, orange, yellow, green, blue and purple)

Directions:

Turn oven to 175°F.  Prepare 6 cookie sheets (or alternate as you go along) with either parchment paper or aluminum foil sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.

Prepare fresh popcorn.  In a small sauce pan, pour half a can of sweetened condensed milk.  Then pour in half a packet of your chosen jello into the milk.  Heat over a burner turned to low for about 10 minutes until thickened.  Stir often.

Place about 5 cups of popcorn in a large bowl.  Pour thickened milk mixture over popcorn and immediately stir together with a wooden spoon.  Place on a prepared cookie sheet. Bake for 18-20 minutes at 175°F.  Allow to cool about 20-25 minutes, then break up pieces and place into an extra-large serving bowl.

Repeat with each color.  Mix all cooled colors together. Enjoy!

*this is a Gluten-free recipe.

(Recipe variation… this popcorn has an intense Jell-O flavor, which kids love… but if you wish to tone it down a bit, use only 1/4 packet of Jell-O per mixture and add 4 drops of the matching food color to boost the coloring, for adults you could also sprinkle with kosher or sea salt just after baking to balance the flavor)

***This recipe is an adaptation of the Eagle Brand Condensed Milk recipe.

 

Sangria Steak Sliders

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A great recipe for inside grilling!  If you have a grill pan, a pitcher of Sangria, some steak and bread and about 10 minutes on y our hands you have everything you need to make these delicious little lunch treats!  I kind of tripped upon this recipe the day I made my “A Taste of St. Michael Sparkling Sangria”.  I happened to have the pitcher there and being mid-week, we don’t do a whole lot of drinking.  I also happened to have picked up some thin cut steak sandwich steaks at the market and some bread…. So I got to thinking, what could I do with these ingredients???

Well, the answer was make that Sangria into a marinade!  And I must say it worked out really well! These are great for a quick lunch, a party or as a snack.  If you don’t happen to have these ingredients handy, you could either make some sangria or look below for some additional instructions.

To the Sangria all I added was about 3 Tbs. of kosher salt and 2 large garlic cloves, sliced. I let it marinade for about an hour… You could do this up to about 6 hours ahead (I don’t suggest any longer because of the acid from the oranges and pineapples)

Add some butter and oil onto a grill pan.

Place the steaks in the heated pan over medium high heat… These sandwich steaks are so thin that they really only need a sear on both sides and they are done… I also place some pineapple slices on the grill along with some of the garlic cloves (these garlic slices are huge!)

Then just take a slice or two of steak and place on the slider sized bread. I prefer a Portuguese Pop Seco.

Then just take a slice or two of steak and place on the slider sized bread. I prefer a Portuguese Pop Seco.

Add on some grilled pineapples and if you like grilled garlic.

Add on some grilled pineapples and if you like grilled garlic.

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Recipe for Sangria Steak Sliders:

(makes 4 sliders, serves 2)

8 thinly sliced steak sandwich steaks (about 1/2 lb)

4 slider size rolls (I like Portuguese rolls)

2 cups Sangria with fruit (If you don’t have this, combine 2 cups sweet red wine with one small can of pineapple slices with juice and slice up one orange as a substitute)

2 large garlic cloves sliced

3 Tbs. kosher salt

2 Tbs. butter

2 Tbs. veggie oil

Directions:

Add salt and garlic to Sangria.  Marinate meat 1-6 hours.

Heat a grill pan over medium high heat.  Add butter and oil.  Sear steak on both sides (about 2-3 mins each side).  Sear pineapple and garlic as well.

Add steak, pineapple and garlic to roll.

Enjoy!

Mashed Potato Hot Cakes

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done2Whether you are Portuguese, French or Irish, Mashed Potatoes transformed into a ‘crispy on the outside creamy on the inside’ side dish is something you won’t want to pass up! This recipe is great for using up last night’s mashed potatoes and eating them for breakfast or brunch.  Of course if you want to make this dish and you don’t have left over mashed potatoes… just make enough to yield about two cups of mashed potatoes.

Mashed Potato Hot Cakes are really great with my BCT Frittata or Southwest Omelet for Father’s Day!

These are plain left over mashed potatoes. If you have garlic mashed or cheesy mashed, that would work great here too! These are just made with butter, cream, salt and pepper.

Add in 1/2 a minced and sauteed onion.

Shred up about a cup of cheddar cheese.

Add cheese and egg into the mashed potatoes.

Add in a pinch of salt and cracked black pepper. Remember your mashed potatoes are already seasoned, so you are just seasoning the other ingredients going in now.

Form into a golf ball sized ball.

Pat the ball down into a patty.

Place plain bread crumbs in a shallow bowl.

Place your formed patty in the plain bread crumbs.

Flip the patty to bread the other side.

Get patties ready before frying.

Place patties in heated veggie oil… you should hear a sizzle when you place them in.

When patties are golden brown on one side, flip.

Drain on a clean dry paper towel or brown paper bag. Lightly salt now.

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Recipe for Mashed Potato Hot Cakes:

(makes about 8 cakes)

2 cups left over mashed potatoes

1 cup plain bread crumbs

1 egg

1/2 onion, minced and sautéed

1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

1 pinch kosher salt and pepper

Sour cream and scallions for topping

1/2 cup vegetable oil for frying

Directions:

Mix together mashed potatoes, onions, egg, cheese and salt and pepper.  Form into balls, then flatten into patties (about 1/2″).  Bread both sides of patties.  Fry in oil in skillet over medium/high heat.  Flip when golden brown.  Drain on paper towels when done.  Top with sour cream and scallions.

BCT Frittata (Bacon,Cheese & Tomato)

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done1Looking for a special breakfast to sit down to with your family?  Something delicious and easy? Something for Father’s Day or to feed a crowd? Maybe something you can mix up the night before and pop it in the oven in the morning? This Bacon Cheese & Tomato Frittata fits the bill.  I recently made a similar frittata for a girl’s bachelorette weekend… My husband loves bacon, so this one has thick cut bacon cooked right in.  A frittata is like a baked omelet.  And because it is baked, the eggs are light and fluffy and perfectly cooked throughout.

What you will need for this to come out perfectly is an oven safe non-stick skillet... if you don’t have this, no worries, just spray a baking pie dish with cooking spray or coat with butter and pour contents into that.

If you like or dislike any of these ingredients or if you happen to have something else on hand, substitute at will.  The important thing is to saute hard veggies like onions.  The frittata I made on the girl’s weekend was made up of onions, red bell peppers and sliced baked ham with a sharp cheddar.  I was also feeding a larger crowd, so I used 10 eggs instead of just 8 and I added a half cup of cream.  Customize it to what you like!

Start with your bacon. Cut up about 4 slices of thick cut bacon and start sauteing in the skillet.

Dice up some onions.

Add your onions right in with your bacon as it is cooking down.

Keep the onions and bacon going over medium heat until it's time to add in the eggs. Meanwhile get the rest of the ingredients prepped.

Keep the onions and bacon going over medium heat until it’s time to add in the eggs. Meanwhile get the rest of the ingredients prepped.

Dice up some cheddar... this is mild, sharp works well also.

Dice up some cheddar… this is mild, sharp works well also.

Cut up some sweet grape tomatoes.

Cut up some sweet grape tomatoes.

Crack 8 eggs into a bowl and scramble with a fork.

For this Frittata, I added in a smal pinch of Herbs de Provence... Be careful here, this is a strong spice for such a delicate dish, you only want to add in the smallest pinch. If you happen to have fresh herbs instead, great... some thyme and parsley would be lovely here.

For this Frittata, I added in a small pinch of Herbs de Provence… Be careful here, this is a strong spice for such a delicate dish, you only want to add in the smallest pinch. If you happen to have fresh herbs instead, great… some thyme and parsley would be lovely here.

add cheese

Add in a pinch of salt and freshly cracked pepper.

Add in a pinch of salt and freshly cracked pepper.

When your onions and bacon are good and caramelized, you will know it’s time to drain off some of the fat add in the eggs.

Add in your egg mixture.

Add your tomatoes.

Bake in the oven at 350°F for about 10 minutes.

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Recipe for BCT Frittata:

(serves 4-6)

8-10 eggs

1/2 onion diced

4 slices thick cut bacon, cut into 1″ pieces

3 oz. cheddar, cubed

8-10 grape or cherry tomatoes

1 small pinch kosher salt

4-5 cracks of fresh black pepper

1 small pinch Herbs de Provence (optional)

Directions:

Render bacon in a non-stick oven safe skillet.  Add in diced onions.  In a separate bowl, scramble eggs.  Add in Herbs de Provence, salt and pepper.  Add in cheese.
Once onions and bacon are caramelized, add in egg mixture. Top with tomatoes.

Bake at 350°F for about 10-12 minutes until set.  (Eggs will slightly puff when done)

*note – this is a gluten-free recipe

 

Vavó’s Cake

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My Vavó (grandmother) was not a big baker, at all.  But, she baked one dessert on a regular basis, this cake. I think this cake is the only reason she even owned an electric mixer, as I never saw her use it for anything else.   On any given day, I could walk into her dining room and in a similar cake plate as you see here, there would be her cake.  Any time I make this cake, it brings me right back there with my Vavó, enjoying a cup of tea and this deliciously simple dessert.

Memorial Day in my family was always about remembering those who have passed.  We have  always been thankful for those service members who have given their lives to bring us the freedoms this country has afforded us all.  And in addition to that, we would always go to the cemetery to place flowers to remember family members and friends no longer with us.  This was a yearly tradition for my grandmother.  I show my love and remembrance in other ways… So, this post is in dedication to her – para alma da minha Vavó.

If you are looking for a moist decadent cake, this is not the one.  This simple sponge cake is meant to be enjoyed with a cup of tea or coffee.  It is a very basic, no frills cake with the exception of that crusty top that crunches in your mouth.  It is meant to be dry and dense and have a slightly sweet taste.

Start by separating your eggs.

Keep your yolks seperate and place your whites in a bowl of an electric mixer.

Keep your yolks separate and place your whites in a bowl of an electric mixer.

Beat egg whites until stiff and remove and place in a seperate bowl.

Beat egg whites until stiff and remove and place in a separate bowl.

Then place your egg yolks in the same bowl you originally had your whites in and beat until they combine.

Then place your egg yolks in the same bowl you originally had your whites in and beat until they combine.

Add in one cup of sugar, beat until combined.

Add in one cup of sugar, beat until combined.

Then add in the other cup of sugar and beat until combined again.

Then add in the other cup of sugar and beat until combined again.

This is what your yolks and sugar should look like… uniform and creamy.

Next, measure out your flour.

Next, measure out your flour.

Then measure your baking powder.

Then measure your baking powder.

Add in your baking powder to your flour.

Wisk together to sift.

Then fold in your whites with your yolks.

Then fold in your whites with your yolks.

Then add in your dry ingredients.

Then add in your dry ingredients.

Mix in with the paddle attachment of your mixer... Then scrape down the sides and bottom. and mix again.

Mix in with the paddle attachment of your mixer… Then scrape down the sides and bottom. and mix again.

You will quickly come to a consistency like this.

My grandmother always used an angel food cake pan for this cake... I don't know what it would look like in any other pan, so this is what I use.

My grandmother always used an angel food cake pan for this cake… I don’t know what it would look like in any other pan, so this is what I use.

Spray your pan with baking spray, the kind with flour in it… although my grandmother would always use butter. Spray is just easier and gets the job done.

Pour

Drop the pan once or twice to release any big air bubbles from the pouring.

Place in the oven for around 35 – 45 mins at 350°F or until a butter knife comes out clean (or a toothpick, but my Vavó always used a butter knife)

And there you have it.

Para alma da minha Vavó

Para alma da minha Vavó

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Ingredients for Vavó’s Cake:

(serves 8 -10)

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups sugar

8 eggs, separated

1 tsp. baking powder

Directions:

Beat egg whites until stiff, set aside. Beat egg yolks and sugar until creamy.  Fold whites into yolks.  In a separate bowl, sift flour and baking powder.  Add dry ingredients into wet.  Mix to combine, scraping the sides.  Place in a greased and floured angel food cake pan.  Bake 35 – 45 minutes at 350°F until a butter knife or toothpick comes out clean.

Starting a Charcoal Grill – no added chemicals

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There are a few types of grilling.  You can grill with gas, with charcoal or over an open fire, at least these are the most common ways.  Grilling over a campfire definitely has it’s fun side (when you are camping) and although I love the convenience of my gas grill, when I have the time, there is nothing like the flavor a hot charcoal grill.  That is, a chemical-free charcoal grill… so not a fan of lighter fluid chemicals seeping into my food.

In today’s tutorial, I will take you through my favorite method for lighting my charcoal grill.  There is a simple tool out there that I purchase about every other year for about $15 at my local hardware store, it’s called a Chimney Charcoal Starter.  There are a few different varieties, but the concept is the same with all of them.  Fill a canister with your brickets, pop in some newspaper underneath, light and wait… that’s it!  It’s that simple.

Let me show you:

This is a Chimney Charcoal Starter.

Start by stuffing some crumpled news paper in the bottom… Now, you don’t want to over stuff, you need air to circulate here.

This is what you will see when you turn it right side up.

Now fill it up with some charcoal brickets, whichever kind you like… but, I try and stay away from the light a bag kind, it’s more expensive and not needed. Just plain run of the mill charcoal will do fine.

It’s best to over fill a bit because as they begin to light, they will shrink down.

You’ll want to make sure your chimney is on the bottom rack of your grill. Then, take one of these handy stick lighters and light the newspaper.

Pretty immediately, this is what you will see.

Then the smoke clears up a bit once all the paper is burned off and this is what you see.

Then the smoke clears up a bit once all the paper is burned off and this is what you see.

As you can see they are starting to shrink down… These brickets are just about ready to turn out. I used to let them all turn white, but I found that I was losing too much of the charcoal to ash before I could start using it.

Be sure to use two pot holders at this point as this can be hot. With a pot holder you can use that stabilizing arm you see here. (That’s the thick metal bar thing.) One more tip for this part is to not stand down wind… this is very important as there will be cinders, lots and lots of cinders. I learned this the hard way when I got a cinder stuck in my shoe! Not fun.

And there you have it. Since I did not wait until everything was white, I give this another 5-10 minutes before I cook on it. But, at this point I do add the top grill grate on to start heating it up.

And there you have it.  You will want to be sure your brickets are more toward one side of the grill to create some temperature fluxuation… What you want to create is a “hot” side of the grill and a “cool” side.  This will aid in cooking. Since I did not wait until everything was white, I give this another 5-10 minutes before I cook on it (otherwise your food will get ashy). But, at this point I do add the top grill grate on to start heating it up.

This whole process takes some time, about 45 minutes or so, but definitely the best way to light a charcoal grill I have found thus far. Then you are ready to grill up some great recipes like my Portuguese Style Grilled Chicken or my Low-carb Grilled Veggies!  Give this simple way of lighting a grill without lighter fluid a try.  Let me know how you do!

Breakfast in Bed – Fancy Pants Version

done22My special “Breakfast in Bed” Series continues today with “Breakfast in Bed – Fancy Pants Version”.  This series is designed in preparation for Mother’s Day or any time that you want to spoil that special someone with that extra effort.

Beds across the nation will be warmed up with the love of children to their mother’s showing them just how much they are loved and appreciated by that extra effort to take care of Mom as she takes care of them each and every day.  Today’s installment features a fancy kicked up breakfast.  Some of it can be prepared ahead of time, but some elements are meant to be done the morning of.  And unlike my first installment, Breakfast in Bed – Kid Friendly Version where most everything was disposable, this version takes a bit more effort because after breakfast there will be dishes to do and we don’t want to leave that to Mom!

So, again if you are Mom and you are reading this, now is the time to hand the computer or tablet over to your significant other or older child (as there are way too many breakables involved here for a youngster) and turn away.  I will now be addressing the Preparer.

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Some of the elements here such as the Chocolate Covered Strawberries and the Codfish Cakes can be made a day in advance.  Then other elements, such as the Tea, the OJ and the Southwest Veggie Omelet  need to be prepared the morning of.  Although, you should definitely refrigerate your oranges for the OJ, otherwise you will have warm OJ.

Start with your Mom’s favorite tray. This is mine. I bought it the last time I visited St. Michael. It is hand-made and adorned with hand crafted St. Michael’s signature blue and white tile. The scene depicted here is of the ‘Portas de Cidade” or Gates to the City. The Portas de Cidade is a famous landmark in Ponta Delgada, St. Michael’s capital city and is a source of great pride for all Azoreans.

Here is a mini tutorial on how to make delicious Chocolate Covered Strawberries from scratch:

Like I mentioned above, These can be done the night before, but they can also be done same day so long as you have a chilled area for them to set up quickly.

strawberries

Start with some fresh strawberries. Wash and dry them thoroughly. Moisture is melted chocolate’s worst nightmare.

Next, pour half the contents of a chocolate chip bag into a microwave safe bowl.

Pop it in the microwave. Start off with one minute on high. Stir.  Every 15 seconds, stir until you get the proper consistency.

When your chocolate still has this much texture to it, it should be ready to stir into melty goodness.

When your chocolate looks like this, you are ready for dipping!

dip

Give each strawberry its own individual bath.

Be sure to have a plate or cookie sheet covered with parchment paper to receive the dipped strawberries so they may cool and firm up.

Once you have them all dipped and ready to so, get them to a cool place to chill.

Next, here is a mini tutorial on how to make fresh squeezed orange juice:

OJ

There is nothing like fresh squeezed orange juice. It is not like the kind in the carton.  The nutritional value of the fresh squeezed is far superior to anything you might find at the supermarket.

oranges

Start with some beautifully ripened oranges.  It is a good idea to refrigerate these over night, otherwise you will end up with warm OJ, not great.

I found that one large orange was enough to fill a juice glass. Obviously this depends on how large you can find the orange and how juicy they are. Cut them in half to start.

Here are three different methods to getting one delicious glass of OJ:

hand squeeze

The first method of juicing is just to hand squeeze the orange into a glass. I find that this is the least efficient way as you will have a hard time squeezing out every drop.

core squeeze

The next method is a much more common method, using a juicer. This one has the little rim that catches seeds, nice! You will want to work the orange onto the juicer with a bit of elbow grease to get every last drop.

The third option is the squeeze juicer. This baby really gets every last drop out and prevents seeds from falling in the juice! I always find it funny how it almost seems like the orange is put in backwards, but it literally turns the fruit inside out.

This main plate features a Southwest Veggie Omelet and Codfish Cakes.  Recipes and tutorials are detailed on their respective postings.  Take a look, the omelet tutorial teaches how to make the perfect omelet and customize it to your tastes.

Although you may think of Codfish Cakes as a lunch or dinner item, it is especially good in the morning and with some eggs, so give it a try.

tea pot

And last, but not least is the tea. I found this little gem while traveling in Utah. I fell in love with this hand-made beauty and started collecting personal tea pots ever since. If you are looking for a lovely gift for Mom, check out Golden Moon Tea, they have some great high quality teas and tea ware.

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Supplies you will need:

* Pretty Tray

* Pretty plate

* Pretty napkin

* Crystal juice glass

* Personal Tea Pot

* 3″ glazed tile

* silverware

Food and drink:

* Southwest Veggie Omelet

* Codfish Cakes

* Fresh squeeze Orange Juice

* Chocolate Covered Strawberries

* Tea (don’t forget whatever your Mom takes in her tea, ie. sugar, milk, honey or lemon)

 

Have fun and remember to think about what your Mom loves and tailor her Breakfast in Bed to what she likes best!  A nice handmade card goes a long way too!

 

Breakfast in Bed – Kid Friendly Version

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Breakfast in bed has long been a Mother’s Day tradition across the country.  This post is not meant for Mom’s, but for those who care about them.  So, I will be addressing both kid’s and their adult helpers.  This is my Kid Friendly version of breakfast in bed.  Although mom’s love to be pampered, it’s not always a good idea for a young child to be handling mom’s good china and crystal.  So, I thought it would be fun to give kids some ideas on how they can prepare some simple crafts and recipes (with adult supervision) to surprise Mom.  And even if they don’t have the adult supervision needed for cooking on the stove or using a knife to cut things, I will mention some easy substitutions!

So, if you are a mom… now is the time you turn the computer over to your children or significant other or whomever may be a trusted adult in your child’s life…

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OK kids, Mom’s love feeling special and knowing that you love them.  You don’t need to crack open your piggy bank to do this.  With some easy supplies and ingredients you can probably find around your house, you can bring Mom a beautiful breakfast in bed tray with a delicious and nutritious breakfast!

tray

Start with a tray. I got this one around Christmas time for a dollar at a local store. If you look around you might have a hard plastic tray you can use too. It may have Easter bunnies on it or even sun flowers.

get towel

Now find a dish towel or a tea towel. This one is plain white, just use whatever color your mom likes.

towel cloth

Fold the towel nicely to cover the tray, but not over hang.

mommy cup

Use a disposable coffee cup for this project. If you don’t have a plain white one available, you can color a piece of computer paper or construction paper, cut it to the size of your mom’s travel mug, color it with pictures or just a simple “I love Mommy” and tape it to the mug.

kidcup

Then your cup will be ready to set on the tray with coffee or tea… or whatever your mom likes to drink in the morning.

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Ask an adult to help you get some of your mom’s favorite fruit and make her a little fruit salad in a paper or plastic cup. Here there are some sliced mango pieces and cut up strawberries. You could use grapes, blueberries and raspberries if you can’t use a knife. Just be sure to rinse them and dry them gently first.

fork and knife

Get a pretty napkin and plastic fork and knife or in this case a wooden set.

flower

Make a pretty flower like this one. This one is a pom-pom flower (I will be posting the tutorial soon, so look for it). And place it in a bud vase. You could also make a tissue paper flower or get creative and make one from pipe cleaners or popsicle sticks or whatever you have in your craft supplies.

eggs with hats

This is an egg with a hat… You can click on this link to find my Eggs with Hats recipe! (Also, notice it is on a plastic plate, you can use whatever you have, plastic, paper)  If you aren’t allowed to use the stove, make mom some nice toast with butter and jelly!

BCT2

Mom’s usually like having something healthy for breakfast and this BCT  (Bacon, Cheese and Tomato) salad is yummy and healthy.  Again, if you can’t use the stove you could just get some pieces of cheese and toss with some tomatoes and maybe use microwaveable bacon.

Here is what you will need for my BCT salad:

BCT1

My BCT salad is super simple! It’s just some crispy bacon (1 slice, chopped into 4 pieces), 4 grape tomatoes (they were grilled with the bacon for about 1 minute) and about 2 oz. of diced cheddar cheese. Toss them all together.

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And that’s it. I will have a list of supplies for doing it exactly as I did. But, you can definitely substitute with supplies you have around the house! Have fun and remember that your mom will just love the effort you are putting into it so make it special and keep her tastes in mind!

Supplies:

1 hard plastic tray

1 kitchen towel

1 plastic plate

1 bud vase

1 homemade flower

1 pretty napkin

1 plastic cup

1 coffee cup, decorated

1 fork and knife

Food:

1 egg with hat (bread, egg, butter see recipe here)

1 BCT salad (grape tomatoes, cheddar cheese, bacon)

1 fruit salad (mango and strawberries)

Coffee or tea for the mug

‘Breakfast at Lindsey’s’ Bridal Shower

cake3My little sister is getting married!  What an exciting time!  She loves breakfast food, so my other sister, my mom and I thought it would be fun to throw her a ‘Breakfast at Lindsey’s’ Bridal Shower.  We took the elements of the very popular movie and made them burst from every seam.

These details can be transformed with little effort to be a ‘Breakfast at _______’ of your very own for anything from a 1st birthday party to a graduation party to sweet 16!  In fact breakfast parties are really becoming all the rage.  Although breakfast and brunch has traditionally been reserved for wedding or baby showers, they are a great low-cost option for any type of party really.  This one just happens to bring a little glitz and glamour to the morning.

I’ll take you through each detail and you can be on the lookout for projects in my crafts section to show you how to do some of the very doable DIY projects we have for pulling it all together.  Whatever you do, have fun with it.  This was a joint effort and it all came off splendidly, so be sure you have lots of what I like to call ‘Party Warriors’ to help get everything done.

headtable3

Let’s start with the beginning… the welcome table. This is a table we had set up right at the entrance which was to welcome people in. It contained all the key points we needed to let everyone know as soon as they got to the party. We covered the table that was already covered by a long white restaurant provided table-cloth with one we brought from home in a “Tiffany-ish blue”.

recipe box

We set out a recipe box to collect all the recipe cards that incoming guests had already filled out at home as they received the cards with their invitations. You will see touches of diamonds as you see the confetti here throughout the party.

quilt station

Each guest was given a string of pearls and asked to fill out a square of fabric with the fabric markers provided giving their best marital advice in lieu of a sign in book. After the shower, my mother planned to sew it together with mixed in silver squares. (also, the fabric – Tiffany blue linen – is the same as that of the runners you will see on the tables also)

quilt_edited-1

A sample square was provided so that guests could see what we were looking for. This is always a good idea to help guest get a clear picture of what we are asking them to do. Also, I got to do my square ahead of time, which is great because when hosting a party, it is hard to find time to stop what you are doing to participate in all the fun. (I didn’t take a clear picture of it (sorry), but all squares were laid out on a table in the entrance to the room when completed… that way guests could also have fun looking at what everyone wrote)

tiara

We had a hard time finding the guest of honor a tiara that wasn’t gaudy and didn’t cost more than the whole party. Our solution, a hair comb we found at our local craft store. We bent the comb at a 90° angle and wala… instant tiara, cute too! (We kept this at the entrance table so as not to forget to place it on my sister’s head)

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We clustered some vases in varying sizes that we had adorned with some diamond-like ribbon. We filled them with simple in-season white tulips and ostrich feathers and pulled it all together with some pearl string. Then we completed the look with some sparkly votive candles and diamond confetti.

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The food was served family style at the tables, but we added a special touch and ordered a waffle station because it is the guest of honor’s favorite.  We just added a little touch of softness with this bunch of plain baby’s breath.

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As guests came in, we had two tables set up to accept gifts with a pretty white birdcage topped with a crystal birdy we found at our local craft shop for cards.

lainey

And that is my daughter in awe of the beautiful gifts!

me and lainey

Our little Kathrine Hepburn had her dress designed and made by my good friend and her mom who is an amazing seamstress. The little tiara was a pin that i converted into a hair bow and she had her own pearls, but she wanted some of the party favors too.

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This is my daughter’s BFF who was a matching little Katherine Hepburn for the party! They had lots of fun! I just wish I had gotten a picture of the two girls together!

featured vase

We had a simple vase of white tulips as the centerpiece on each table, filled with ostrich feathers and adorned with the diamond-like ribbon I mentioned above.

centerpiece2

My mom made these beautiful Tiffany blue runners for each of the tables. Then we asked the restaurant to set out a circle mirror (most restaurants have these for free!) and we of course sprinkled more diamond confetti at the base of each centerpiece.

glasses3

Each place setting was set with a black napkin (that we asked the restaurant to do for us before we got there) and a pair of sunglasses for each guest. We also added a Tiffany blue mini pencil for the bingo game we planned (guests appreciate not having to fish around for a pen)

candy

Each table was then dotted with a few boxes of “cigarettes”. Don’t worry the place didn’t fill up with smoke, we just took a box of candy sticks (candy cigarettes) and wrapped them in a black and white ‘Holly Go Lightly’.

opening gift

If you are doing a party where gifts will be given and opened, it’s a good idea to have a gift passer outer and a gift writer downer.

basket

We put together a little surprise at the end of the gift giving. We gave Lindsey, the guest of honor, a laundry basket and had her filling it with cleaning supplies, but we created a little story with the cleaning products (kind of like a skit). Each cleaning supply had something to do with either getting married or the couple themselves.

cake3

Now, onto the cake table. We had one of the couple’s engagement pictures blown up and turned into a canvas and displayed it on a stand behind the table.

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We decided to forgo a regular cake and made red velvet and my special black velvet cupcakes in black cupcake liners and topped with cream cheese frosting. We added a little game this by hiding a chocolate kiss in one of the cupcakes (warning guests of the possibility of course) and whoever found it, got a prize.

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I designed the cupcakes to look like a wedding dress with a super fancy belt and brooch. The belt is a double layer of diamond ribbon and the brooch is a real brooch to tie it all together.

favors

We can’t talk about the famous Tiffany’s without that little blue box tied up with a white ribbon. So, we got some little blue boxes and white ribbons and filled them each with a ruby ring for each guest to take home (a strawberry Ring Pop). Guests loved the little thank-you gift.

girls

In keeping with the theme, we (the hosts) each wore our little black dresses and pearls. We also were sure, since the shower was a surprise, to have a little black dress and pearls ready for the guest of honor.

Supplies for a Breakfast at Tiffany’s style party:

* pearl necklaces

* sun glasses

* a ruby ring (Ring Pop) in a beautiful little Tiffany’s box

* candy cigarettes wrapped in movie themed photo copies (two per table)

* a tulip/feather centerpiece in a vase adorned with diamond ribbon

* a Tiffany blue table runner

* black napkins set under the plate (supplied by restaurant)

* diamond confetti

* little blue pencils

* Cupcake wedding dress

* a chocolate kiss to hide in one cupcake

* blue table-cloth for the welcome table

* tiara made from a hair comb

* quilting squares

* fabric markers

* canvas photo of the couple, set on an easel

 

* fun skit with laundry basket and cleaning supplies

* recipe box for incoming recipes

* gift tracking book

* bird-cage to collect cards

* two beautiful little girls dressed as Katherine Hepburn to top it all off

Not shown here (sorry) but don’t forget:

* prizes for games

* Bingo cards (fill in your own card with potential shower gifts)

* prizes (we did this in white lunch bags adorned with a Tiffany blue ribbon and filled with something sparkly like a stretch bracelet or a gem wine stopper)