Simple Chicken Quesadillas

May 5, 2015May 5, 2015

Happy Cinco de Mayo! The day when Mexican-American’s and those who love them celebrate Mexico’s victory over France at the Battle of Puebla in 1862 during the Franco-Mexican War. I say Mexican-Americans because, although also recognized in Mexico, it is a holiday far more upheld for those of Mexican decent living here in the U.S. as more of a celebration of culture and heritage. I happen to love such holidays as they give us cause to look into the beautiful cultures surrounding us and allow us to partake in all they have to offer culturally. For me, that usually means following a traditional recipe or working my own spin on a dish widely identified with said culture.

In today’s case Chicken Quesadillas are on the menu. My husband and I are starting to eat low-carb, so you will see salad is there where rice and beans would normally be and I am using a low-carb whole wheat tortilla. But, the essence of this famed Mexican dish is still here. It is essentially my nod to the Mexican culture and their rich culinary contribution to the American diet.

Thank-you Mexico for such a delicious part of our weekly cooking, as we definitely have quesadillas as a staple in this home. Let me share one of my favorite preparations with you today.

Start with a plain, boneless, skinless chicken breast.

For this recipe, I don’t like to overwhelm the chicken with too much spice… So, as you can see here, I sprinkle on the spices to just one side of the chicken before I slice it in preparation for cooking. Here, I have sprinkled on a couple of shakes of Hungarian Paprika.

Continue by sprinkling on a couple shakes of garlic powder and cumin.

Lastly, I sprinkle on some salt. More salt will be added once the chicken is in the skillet.

Thinly slice the chicken.

Chicken is ready for the pan. Now you can prepare the non-stick skillet over medium heat with about a teaspoon of veggie oil.

Give the chicken a few minutes in the pan. Don’t fuss with it, you are trying to achieve a gentle browning. At this point, sprinkle the chicken with some more kosher salt.

After a few minutes, turn the chicken and do the same to the other side.

Now you will want to work with your cheese. I chose to use two types of cheese today because it’s a special day. Sometimes I just use one and sometimes I use whatever I have in my fridge that melts nicely. My first choice is a hunk of Colby Jack Cheese.

My next choice is a hunk of Pepper Jack.

Shred both.

Place a whole wheat tortilla (in my case one that is high in fiber) on a heated non-stick skillet (med/high) . Then spread half the cheese on one side.

Now, add the cooked chicken on top of the cheese. Add the Pepper Jack on top of that as sort of a delicious glue.

Fold tortilla over the cheese and chicken and cook on high/med heat. After a few minutes, don’t forget about it, this happens fairly quickly, flip and do the same to the other side.

Slice quesadilla into four pieces like so. Serve with salsa and a dollup of sour cream.

Recipe for Simple Chicken Quesadillas:

(serves 2)

1 boneless, skinless chicken breast

2 whole wheat tortillas (shown here are a low carb kind. with only 6 net carbs per wrap)

4 oz Colby Jack

4 oz Pepper Jack

1 Tbs. Canola oil

sprinkle of Hungarian Paprika

sprinkle of cumin

sprinkle of garlic powder

Directions:

Prepare chicken by seasoning with a sprinkle of each of the spices. Slice chicken and cook with canola oil on medium heat to finished. Sprinkle with another pinch of kosher salt once in pan. Set chicken aside.

In a non-stick skillet or cast iron one, heat some Canola Oil on med/high heat. Add in tortilla. Then cover half with 1/2 Colby Jack, then chicken, then Pepper Jack. Fold tortilla in half over the contents. Cook about 2 minutes on both sides until golden brown on the outside.

Cut into 4 wedges and serve with salsa and sour cream.

Enjoy!

Eggs with Hats

May 4, 2015May 19, 20151 Comment

Eggs with Hats are a classic hybrid breakfast food. It’s buttery toast with a perfectly cooked egg built right in. I learned how to make these from a friend in high school and have since made them every which way. For Valentine’s Day, I make them for my kids with a heart shape cut out using a cookie cutter. Sometimes I do little add-ins like chives or place a slice of cheese on top. Sometimes I change the type of bread. But, my favorite is the traditional pre-sliced wheat bread with just a simply seasoned egg with salt and pepper. Delicious.

These are perfect for any special occasion like Mother’s Day or Father’s Day as shown in my Breakfast in Bed post. It’s something a little different that kid’s can definitely help with. Or, this can go right into your regular breakfast rotation! It’s super quick and easy. Sometimes, I think it’s actually quicker and easier than trying to make eggs and toast separately and keeping them all warm at the same time!

Start with two slices of wheat bread.

Use softened butter or spreadable margarine to butter.

Don’t forget the other side. I like to do it this way before cutting the hole because it makes life a little easier than trying to butter bread with a hole cut out of it and then the hole separately!

Find a glass that will fit comfortably in the center of your bread and is a good size for an egg to fit in.

On a non-stick skillet add both the slice with the hole and the hole.

Now, add some more butter to the center for the egg.

I always like to place the egg in a little bowl to inspect for freshness and shell.

Add in egg.

When the white sets up a bit, sprinkle with a little kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper.

As soon as you add the salt and pepper, flip. (Its ok if you get a little splash over like this… if it really bothers you, just cut it off, if not, its yummy anyway) Don’t forget to flip the hole.

That’s it, plate and serve along side some bacon or Rockstar Potatoes or whatever you like.

Recipe for Eggs with Hats:

(serves 1)

2 slices for whole wheat bread

2 large eggs

2 Tbls. spreadable margarine or butter

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Butter both sides of bread. Use a juice glass to cut hole in center of each. Heat a non-stick skillet to medium. Place buttered bread in pan and place hole cut out separately in the pan to brown. Add butter to hole in preparation for the egg. Add egg. Once the egg starts to set up, add a scant pinch of kosher salt and pepper. Flip. Allow to cook for about 45 seconds – 1 minute. (Don’t forget to flip the hole)

Enjoy!

Breakfast in Bed – Fancy Pants Version

May 3, 2015May 19, 2015

My 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.

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!

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:

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.

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:

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.

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.

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.

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!

Southwest Veggie Omelet

May 1, 2015May 19, 2015

It is really hard to find a good omelet! Maybe I’m just picky, but I prefer eggs made at home to those out in a restaurant any day. This Southwest Veggie omelet is light and fluffy, perfectly seasoned and has some key elements that make it ‘Southwest’.

Once you get my simple techniques down you can make this into any type of omelet you like. Add ins in this beauty include mushrooms, scallions and pepper jack cheese. Maybe you aren’t into spice, that’s O.K. substitute with a Swiss or a Cheddar. Maybe you like some meat in your omelet, have at it. As long as you get some key techniques down, you can rock your non-stick skillet like a cooking superstar!

Some things to keep in mind: First lets start with the ingredients, the basic to any good omelet is your egg to milk ratio. I like 2 eggs to 1/4 c. milk. If you want to substitute out an egg for egg white, be sure you use 2 egg whites for every one egg. And DO NOT salt until the egg is in the pan, we will go over this in the tutorial. Also, be sure your burner is set to medium heat, you don’t want to scorch your eggs here, have patience. A good omelet needs some TLC.

The ingredients you will need for this omelet are: 2 eggs, 1/4 c. milk, 1/2 cup sliced mushrooms, 1/4 c. sliced scallions, 2-3 oz. pepper jack cheese and a pinch each of kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper.

Use a 10″ non-stick skillet (save yourself a headache). Even though the pan is non-stick, you are going to want to butter it up… So add one pad of butter.

Saute the mushrooms in the butter. DO NOT add salt as you don’t want to draw water from the mushrooms. Let them gently brown.

After a few moments, the mushrooms will be nicely browned, but not overcooked. Add in the sliced scallions. I like to keep the scallions at about inch long pieces for this recipe because I feel like they can stand up to the mushrooms at this size. Any smaller and they could get lost.

While the veggies are sauteing, take a minute to beat the eggs and milk together with a fork, vigorously.

Once you have sautéed the scallions in with the mushrooms for a couple of minutes, add in another pad of butter. Move the butter about the pan to add an additional layer of protection for your eggs. You do not want the eggs to stick,

Gently pour your eggs in over the veggies. The eggs will naturally spread the veggies. Once poured, just make sure you redistribute the veggies throughout the egg. Once poured, sprinkle your kosher salt, just a pinch and your fresh cracked black pepper.

Pretty immediately the eggs will start to set up. Take a minute to go around the pan and gently lift some of the set eggs to allow for the runny part to take its place in the pan. This is where the fluffiness factor comes in with my omelets. This is a crucial step. Do this all the way around the pan, lifting in 2-4 spots.

Once you have made your omelet fluffy, you will want to get it to one edge of your pan. Due to the two layers of butter that were added, this should not be too difficult. If you are struggling a bit with a gentle shimmy, just go around the pan with a spatula and loosen the edges. Then flip. I did an air flip, so I couldn’t take a picture as I did not have the hands for it. I would encourage you to try the air flip if as it is quick and easy. As Julia Child would say “You just have to have the courage”. But, if you aren’t feeling particularly courageous, you can just use your largest spatula to help you to maneuver your eggs over to their other side.

Immediately apply the cheese to one side of your omelet to allow for maximum melting time. And lift the non-cheese side over the cheese side. Slide the omelet off the skillet and onto a plate. This process is pretty quick because the majority of your egg is already cooked from the first side and the fluffing technique.

Enjoy!

Recipe for Southwest Veggie Omelet:

(serves 1)

2 eggs

1/4 cup milk

1/2 cup mushrooms, sliced

1/4 cup scallions, sliced

2-3 oz. pepper jack cheese

pinch of kosher salt

pinch of fresh cracked black pepper

2 pads of butter or margarine

Directions:

Beat eggs with milk. Set aside.

Saute mushrooms in butter in a non-stick 10″skillet. Add in scallions once mushrooms have browned. Add in an additional pad of butter. Add in beaten eggs. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Lift gently along the sides allowing unset eggs to run under set eggs.

Flip. Add cheese to half the omelet. Flip the remaining half over the cheese. Serve.

Enjoy!

*note – this is a gluten-free recipe

Breakfast in Bed – Kid Friendly Version

April 30, 2015May 19, 20152 Comments

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!

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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!

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:

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.

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

Codfish Cakes (Bolinhos de Bacalhau)

April 29, 2015May 19, 20151 Comment

Friday’s in my house growing up were always grocery shopping day. That being said, having a full-time working mother, also meant that it was “take-out” day. We would usually toggle between three things, pizza from Atlas Pizza, Chinese from China Royal or fish and chips from Flint Fish Market. Sometimes if we were lucky we could tack a little on to that fish and chips order, like shrimp cakes or codfish cakes.

Codfish is a staple in the Portuguese diet. And although fresh caught Cod is delicious, what most portuguese people think of when they think of codfish is dry salt cod, bacalhau. This is not fish that has been left to sit with salt on it for a day or two. We are talking about a drying and salting process that changes the entire consistency of the fish to something amazing and if you know how to work with it, you can create some incredible dishes.

Codfish cakes can be served warm or room temperature. For breakfast, lunch, dinner or brunch. They are great for parties and picnics. They can be a main course or a side dish.

Here I will take you through the process of rehydrating and cooking with this particular Portuguese mainstay.

This is bacalhau (dry salt cod). For this recipe we are using deboned codfish bits… Normally the best thing to use is a nice thick piece and if I were making almost anything else, that’s what I would get. But, this is actually less expensive and less work, so for something I will mush up anyway, bits are the way to go.

The first step is to rinse out the fish, get all that initial salt off. Rinse until the water runs relatively clear.

Once you have some clear water, you will want to boil this. Then drain. Then boil again. Then drain again. You are not only rehyrating with this process, but removing the majority of the salt. After the second boiling, taste for salt. You still want it salty, but not crazy. Sometimes I go as far as to boil a third time.

This is what your boiled fish will look like.

Place on a flour sack towel. (or any clean kitchen towel)

Wrap and twist the end. Wring out all the water. For Cod Fish Cakes we want only moister we add coming to the party.

Once all the water has been removed and the fish is still in the cloth, mush with your hands.

The fish will look very mashed now, which is what you want… you should now go through with your fingers and check for any random bones. Set this aside.

Boil potatoes whole with skins on to preserve the starch.

Peel boiled potatoes.

Start mashing potatoes with a masher then finish with a fork in order to get potatoes really fine. You don’t want big chucks. If you have a ricer, this would be the perfect use. (Do not add anything to the potatoes) Set aside to cool.

Finely dice onions. The easiest way I find to do this is to cut onion in half and in half again. Then slice several small slices throughout and turn and slice the other way, like so.

Place onions in a small skillet with a drop of olive oil and gently saute. When onions start to develop color, remove and set aside to cool.

Mince parsley finely.

Add onions and parsley to potato. Mash together.

Add fish to mash. Mash together. At this point taste for salt. If it does not have a light salty taste, add a pinch of kosher salt.

Add in one egg and combine.

Your mixture should hold together at this point.

Put a dab of olive oil on two soup spoons.

Mold with two spoons. It should for a tri-sided croquette.

Line up on parchment until ready to fry. (At this point they can be covered and refrigerated for 24 hours or flash frozen and stored for a couple of months until ready to fry)

Heat canola oil in a large skillet on med/high heat. Place croquettes in oil with lots of room around them. Do not crowd pan. Turn the burner down to medium heat.

Because the croquettes are three-sided, it is easy to turn them as they cook. You want to take your time with this.

The whole process of frying should take 10-15 mins. Be sure each side is golden brown without burning. If they cook too quickly, the inside will not properly cook through.

Drain on paper towels. Normally with fried food, I would tell you to salt at this point, but these are naturally salty, so no need.

Transfer to a serving dish. They can be served warm or room temperature.

Enjoy!

Recipe for Cod Fish Cakes:

(serves 4-6)

3/4 lb. dry salt cod, prepared (hydrated and mashed)

3 medium potatoes, boiled, peeled and mashed

2 tsp. minced parsley

1/2 medium onion, finely minced, sautéed

1 egg

kosher salt to taste

1 c. canola oil

Directions:

Combine mashed potato (cooled), minced and sautéed onion (cooled), parsley. Add in mashed fish. Mash together. Add in egg, combine.

Spoon out one soup spoon of mixture. With another soup spoon, form into tri-sided croquettes.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium/high heat. Place croquettes in heated oil to fry. Turn down heat to medium. Fry over 10-15 minutes turning periodically until golden brown. Drain on paper towel.

Enjoy!

*note – this recipe is gluten-free

‘Breakfast at Lindsey’s’ Bridal Shower

April 28, 2015May 19, 2015

My 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.

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”.

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.

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)

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)

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)

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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!

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.

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.

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)

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’.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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)

Stacy’s Famous Pancakes

April 27, 2015May 19, 2015

When I was a kid my mother had one real cookbook. Most of her cooking was of the passed down from generations type (the best type really). But I loved this cookbook. It was probably something she received as a wedding gift, an old red Betty Crocker. I used to pour over that cookbook looking for recipes whenever I felt like being industrious in the kitchen.

I was around 8 or 9 when I decided to try the recipe for buttermilk pancakes. Well, growing up in a Portuguese-American household, there wasn’t much buttermilk around. Goat’s milk yes, plain whole milk, sure… but, buttermilk, not so much. Buttermilk was not something I had ever heard of. Sooo, my 8/9-year-old mind determined that buttermilk must be milk with butter in it! And how does one get milk with butter in it? Why you just melt the butter and add it to the milk of course!

These days, buttermilk is a staple in my home. I make cakes, chicken (like my Popcorn Chicken), breads and any number of things. What I do not use it in is pancakes. Never even tried it! Turns out, I love my little 8/9-year-old trick (that I had no idea was a trick at the time!). There is something about that butter addition that brings a real richness to the dish.

As for the rest of the recipe, it was a good base of course, but my pancakes have taken on a life of their own over the years. They are a weekly staple for breakfast around here because they are just so easy. But they are also a great late night snack when all my friends (who are mostly moms and dads themselves) get hungry late night after a fun party or gathering and don’t want the last thing in their bellies to be that glass of wine!

So, lets start this with my little 8/9 year old trick. Melt a half a stick of butter or margarine. Should take about 45 seconds in the microwave, but watch it.

Here are all the rest of the ingredients.

Next, is the milk. The milk is cold, this brings down the temperature of that melted butter (and makes my “buttermilk”). The cooling is essential so you can add the egg quickly without having to wait for the butter to, well, cool.

Now, add in one large egg. Wisk.

Add in one cup of all purpose flour. But don’t wisk yet… this is my little quick and easy trick to not having to sift things… definitely a time saver.

So, on top of the flour, add in the baking powder and baking soda.

Now add in salt and wisk.

Last ingredient is to add in the sugar. This is probably more sugar than you will ever see in a pancake recipe. I like them sweet. You don’t even really need syrup with my pancakes. I almost always eat one like bread before they make it to the table.

This is what you will see. Remember not to over wisk. You don’t want to make it tough. Also, at this stage, its a good idea to let it rest for 5-10 minutes – just to give the leveners to leven.

Now you will want to butter the pan. Heat pan to medium/high heat. Don’t skimp here. Make sure you cover the whole pan. When I was a kid we would always use a plug-in electric skillet. (heat to 325°F if using an electric skillet) Sometimes I still do, but here I am using a non-stick stove top griddle.

Pour your batter to whatever size you like. We tend to like about 4″ diameter circles.

Don’t forget to leave some space between in order to get your spatula in there for flipping. When you start to see bubbles form on top and then start to pop on their own, you will know they are ready for flipping.

(If you would like to add anything in, blueberries, chocolate chips and in this case bananas, do it right after pouring and flip with the same rule, when you see bubbles that start to pop… as you can see, these are ready for flipping.)

Pancakes should be golden in the middle and around the edges. If at this point you need more butter for the pan add some. Then let them cook for a bit less time on this side. Keep the heat on medium/high. I do about 45 seconds to a minute on the flip side, it’s really just to finish it off at this point.

Add some butter and syrup (or just eat without) and enjoy!

Recipe for Stacy’s Famous Pancakes:

(serves 4)

1/2 stick butter or margarine, melted

1 cup milk

1 egg

1 cup all purpose flour

1/4 cup white sugar

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 pinch of salt

Additional butter or margarine for pan.

Directions:

Mix milk into melted butter. Add egg and wisk. Add flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Wisk. Add in sugar wisk. *** Careful not to over wisk.

Pour onto a buttered skillet that is over medium/high heat or 325°F on an electric skillet. When bubbles form on top and start to pop, flip. Cook about a minute more.

Enjoy!

Popcorn Chicken w/ Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce

April 24, 2015April 25, 2015

If your house is anything like mine, chicken nuggets are a staple. With two toddlers it’s easy and nutritious. Popcorn chicken is a fun new way to present your chicken nuggets! Kids love crunch and they love to dip things.

Maybe my kids are odd, but they LOVE veggies, it’s almost hard to get them to eat protein! However, chicken nuggets and fish sticks are two that I can always count on without question. Although fast food stops are few and far between, I have to say I am guilty of having a kid who calls out “chocolate milk!” every time we pass by those golden arches. Eh, no one is perfect. So, when I can make them from scratch, I do. I love being able to control the ingredients and know exactly what my kids are eating.

Just a quick note before we get started. Although my kids are big fans (and they are yummy), sometimes I want an adult version of the meal, so take a look under the recipe for a quick and easy adult adjustment.

I have two toddlers, so I start with one chicken breast and that can feed them both for two meals. This recipe is very easily doubled though.

Chop up the chicken to the size you best think your kids would like. I find this (between the size of a quarter and a nickel) works for us and that is what the cook time is based on. If your kids prefer tenders or a classic nugget size, just adjust the cook time by 5 mins more. If you find they truly like them the size of popcorn, then reduce cook time by 5 mins.

I find this step to be absolutely necessary when working with boneless skinless chicken of this size. Soak bits in about a cup of buttermilk for a minimum of 30 mins and up to 8 hrs. This both tenderizes the chicken and gives it some juicy flavor.

Next, measure out about 1 cup of panko breadcrumbs.

And, half a cup of plain bread crumbs.

Place them in a bag with a pinch of kosher salt, some fresh cracked black pepper and a pinch of plain paprika just for color. (if your kids like spice, you could also either add in a dash of cayenne pepper or switch the paprika to Hungarian paprika)

Remove from buttermilk with a slotted spoon. The goal is to drain the buttermilk away from the milk, otherwise you’ll create a gloppy mess.

Add chicken into bag. (Now, if you have kids helping with this you may want to do this in divided amounts so everyone gets a turn)

Zip up bag. Kid’s love to help with this part! Shake it up!

This is what you should start to see.

Spread out on a parchment covered sheet pan. Separate the pieces as much as possible. This one chicken breast was enough to cover an entire sheet pan. So, if you are doing more than one, plan accordingly.

Place the bits in a preheated 350°F oven for 25 minutes. And here is the result. (If you like them to look a bit more browned, spray with a canned canola oil before placing in the oven. I don’t find that my kids care, so I don’t. They are certainly crispy enough without it. It’s just a matter of color.

Now onto the dipping sauce, we are making a Honey Mustard dipping sauce:

I start with about a half cup of dijon mustard.

Add in a quarter cup of honey

Add in a dollup of sour cream (1 heaping tablespoon)

Stir together and wala! Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce. These three ingredients can definitely be adjusted to accommodate your taste, so play with it until you find that it works for your palate. You could also add in a pinch of salt, although I did not.

Recipe for Popcorn Chicken:

(serves 2-4 kids or 1-2 adults)

1 boneless, skinless chicken breast, chopped

1 c. Japanese Panko bread crumbs

1/2 c. plain bread crumbs

1 tsp. kosher salt

1/4 tsp. ground black pepper

1/4 tsp. paprika

For the dip:

1/2 c. dijon mustard

1/4 c. honey

1 heaping Tbs. sour cream

Directions:

Chicken:

Pre-heat oven to 350°F.

In a gallon size zipper bag, add in bread crumbs and seasoning. Combine. Add in chicken bits, shake. Place on a parchment lined sheet pan. Bake for 25 minutes.

Dip:

Add all ingredients to a small bowl. Stir.

Enjoy!

**************************************************************************************************

Here is the adult version I promised you!

To make this chicken: * Soak chicken in buttermilk (and a dash of hot sauce if desired) for at least one hour. * In the bread crumb mixture add in 1 tsp. Hungarian paprika for spice if desired. * Bake for one hour or until the chicken comes to 160°F with a meat thermometer.

Portuguese “French” Toast (Fatias Douradas)

April 22, 2015May 19, 20153 Comments

Portuguese “French” Toast… Growing up, this was just plain ole french toast to me! I didn’t realize it was “Portuguese style”. My mother would make this with whatever bread we had in the house, usually some type of portuguese vienna bread (as you see here) or pop seco roll. But, it wasn’t unheard of to make it with plain old sliced bread either. The key is the crispy fried goodness that soaks in all that sugar and cinnamon.

My Vavó (grandmother) used to call these Sopas Fritas, which doesn’t make much sense because literally translated it means Fried Soup. But, if you understand a bit of Portuguese food history, it will. The Portuguese make a soup with milk and put stale bread in it called “Sopas de Leite”. Instead of soup, here we beat eggs and add milk to the beaten egg mixture and dunk day old bread to make fried, well, bread… but it was her quirky way of referring to this delightfully delectable dish. This was traditionally served on Fat Tuesday before lent for those who could not afford to make Portuguese Malasadas (a portuguese fried dough). Now, we eat it for breakfast, brunch, parties or just as a fun snack. Kids and adults alike love Fatias Douradas!

Whatever you call them, they are a simple and delicious start to the day. Definitely a dish the kids can help with! And one they will surely gobble right up. Just one more note before we get started. I have since realized what “actual” french toast is made with sliced bread and topped with maple syrup… this is a bit different and definitely is meant to be eaten sans syrup. (This is a habit my husband had to be broken of) But, if you must, you must… just try to enjoy it as is first! 🙂

Start by adding about 1/4 cup of oil to a large skillet. This one is non-stick… a cast iron skillet will work well here too.

Grab a large Vienna bread… or any somewhat crusty loaf of bread. Vienna bread has a medium crust. A good substitution if you don’t have this available would be an italian loaf.

Slice it pretty thickly. These are about 1″ slices.

Place 6 eggs in about 1/8 – 1/4 cup of milk.

Beat eggs vigorously.

Prepare your sugar and cinnamon. This is one cup of sugar and 2-3 T. cinnamon in a shallow bowl.

Mix that with a fork until combined.

Now, set that cinnamon mixture up near your empty platter that will be ready to receive your cinnamon sugar encrusted slices.

Also, set your egg mixture near your prepared, preheated skillet. Proximity really matters in this recipe.

Quickly dunk your bread… you don’t want to over saturate the bread here… so this needs to be done as you are ready to place it in the pan.

Now… fry the egg dunked bread slices in the oil for about 2-3 minutes on each side.

Until golden brown on both sides. Hence the term ‘golden slices’ which is the literal translation to ‘Fatias Douradas’

Immediately dunk fried bread into the cinnamon sugar… do not drain first… you need the oil to soak in the sugar and cinnamon. Then place on your platter. You may notice that some of it melts in… nothing could be better!

Whether you name these Portuguese ‘French’ Toast, Golden Slices, Fatias Douradas, or Sopas Fritas… be sure to call it delicious! Enjoy!

Recipe for Portuguese ‘French’ Toast:

(serves 4)

1 large Vienna bread loaf (or loaf of your choosing)

1 c. white sugar

1/4 c. veg. oil

3 Tbs. cinnamon

6 eggs

1/8 c. milk

Directions:

Pre-heat pan with oil on med/high.

Prepare ingredients: In a shallow medium sized bowl, mix sugar and cinnamon, set aside. In a medium bowl beat eggs and milk vigorously, set aside.

Quickly dunk bread. Fry on both sides for 2-3 minutes on each side until golden brown. Immediately dunk in cinnamon sugar mixture. Plate.

Enjoy!

the portuguese american mom

stay awhile… have a cup of tea, let's get creative!

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Breakfast in Bed – Fancy Pants Version

Southwest Veggie Omelet

Breakfast in Bed – Kid Friendly Version

Codfish Cakes (Bolinhos de Bacalhau)

‘Breakfast at Lindsey’s’ Bridal Shower

Stacy’s Famous Pancakes

Popcorn Chicken w/ Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce

Portuguese “French” Toast (Fatias Douradas)