Party Season

We are now entering party season around here, and I couldn't be happier.  In addition to planning my munchkin's summer birthday party, I got myself mixed up in another little foodplay project.  My daughter's school has a spring auction to raise money for the school.  What did I donate?  Food, of course!  I offered to bake two dozen custom cupcakes, to be delivered to a lucky child's classroom, home, or birthday party.  It sounds like a fun little project, don't you think?

The only problem is that I'm not that experienced at baking cupcakes.  I have just about never baked fancy cupcakes.  (The fanciest I've ever gotten were little cakes baked in bug cupcake molds and piped with the simplest of frostings ~ whipped cream!)  So there was definitely some risk in promising so much.  Afterall, the word "custom" pretty much implies free license on flavor, color, and even theme.

I was relieved to hear that the purchaser of my little cupcake project isn't overly demanding.  Her daughter is having a unicorn party.  She selected a very specific cake flavor that will be easy to do, and I have free rein on color and how to interpret the theme.  But wait . . . I don't think I can draw a unicorn to save my life.  Amazon doesn't sell unicorn cupcake rings or other types of cupcake toppers.  (Although they sell lots of great ones in other themes.)  What to do, what to DO?!?

I turned to Etsy for inspiration, and now I need feedback.  Any thoughts on these cupcake toppers?  Any idea how I might come up with an equally fantastic diy version?  Any other tips or ideas on how to create a masterful unicorn cupcake?  I'm all ears.

'Unicorn Birthday' by appetiteforconvo

Inspiration for making unicorn cupcakes!

Bottle Cap Image Sheet ... allgirlychicbo... $1.75	Unicorn Happy Birthday... ThePaperLot $21.00	Rainbow Unicorn Birthda... MyPartyGirlFri... $4.75
Unicorn Cupcake Toppers cmariedesigns $0.75	Rainbow Unicorn - Cupca... paperBIRDSonEt... $5.95	18 Unicorn Theme - Cupc... MMKids $18.00
Rainbow Unicorn Birthda... MyPartyGirlFri... $4.75	Cupcake Toppers "W... FlyingTurtleBo... $9.99	PRINT SALE Unicorn Cake... stoopidgerl $17.50

Treasury tool supported by the dog house

{Thank you to handmadeology for this etsy treasury posting tutorial.  I love that I can feature some of my Etsy faves without jeopardizing the legal rights of the individual artists.}

Meatless Mondays: Summer Fun

And we're back to Monday...  How did that happen?  I hope all my readers have been enjoying the holiday weekend.  For me, it's just one more reminder that summer is nearly here.  (Yippee!)  I plan to savor this summer.  Partly to distract me from the heat that could be the bane of my existence.  And partly because this summer will likely be a very special summer.  

I'm between jobs right now, so I will be planning lots of activities and quality time with my big munchkin.  Baby munchkin is due to arrive in early August, so that will be huge.  In between I'm hoping to fit in a trip or two, lots of dinners on our back patio, many afternoons spent poolside, and maybe even a day or two at the beach.

To get it all started, I recently discovered what may become this year's favorite summer pasta.  It's another tortellini dish that can be served warm, room temperature, or cold as a pasta salad.  I took it to a cookout as a side dish yesterday, and I heard a few "yums" amid all the noshing.  Always a good sign!   

Notice that the ingredient list is decidedly low-fat, making this sauce yet another example of a sneakily-lowcal cream sauce.  Just remember to watch how long this dish sits out on the back patio, as it can spoil as quickly as any salad dressed with a cream-, buttermilk-, or mayo-based sauce.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tortellini with Yogurt Chive Sauce

Serves 4-6

• 1 pound fresh or frozen cheese tortellini
• 8 oz. frozen peas
• 2/3 plain lowfat yogurt
• 1/2 cup Parmesan (either grated or shredded), divided
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons roughly chopped chives
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus additional for the pasta water and to taste
• 1/4 freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tomato, diced

Cook the tortellini in a pot of well-salted boiling water according to the package directions.  Add the peas to the boiling water during the last 3-4 minutes of cooking time.  (Note that fresh tortellini may only need 3-4 minutes to boil, in which case you can add the tortellini and peas together from the start.)  Reserve 1/2 of the pasta cooking water before draining.

In the meantime, mix the yogurt, 1/4 cup Parmesan, Garlic, chives, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper in a small bowl.  Place the cooked pasta and peas in a large bowl.  Add the diced tomato and sauce.  Mix well.  Use some of the reserved pasta water to thin out the sauce, if needed.  Add additional salt and pepper to taste, then sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan.  Serve warm, room-temperature, or chilled as a pasta salad.

Meatless Mondays: Planning Ahead!

I'm trying to get back to my regular Meatless Mondays posts, but I keep noticing it's Monday evening and I've forgotten to post.  Again.  So this week I'm planning ahead and offering you my Meatless Monday idea far enough ahead of time that you could actually make it.  On Monday, no less!

I know we're heading towards summer, but this last week in NorCal offered a little break in the warmer temperatures we were having.  We had a breeze on several evenings, and soup actually seemed like appropriate dinner fare.  Truthfully, I find that soup isn't such a terrible warm-weather supper because it's so light and easy on the tummy.  (And waistline!)  

I love this recipe because it's so adaptable.  The essential elements are the onion, mushrooms, broth, and tortellini.  When the cupboards are bare, you could throw together only the essential items for a simpler version.  You could fancy it up with additional colorful veggies and extra herbs.  Or, you could streamline it for a busy weeknight by using store-bought diced onions and some frozen veggies rather than chopping your own.  As you can see, the version I made last week was fairly chunky and loaded with veggies.  We ate it with cheese bread and salad, and I made a double batch so that I can freeze some for later!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Mushroom Tortellini Soup
Serves 4-6
Cook time: about 45 minutes

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 1 small onion, chopped small
• 1/2  red bell pepper, chopped small
• 2 carrots, peeled and chopped small  (or you can substitute other veggies, even frozen veggies, for the carrots and bell pepper - use about 1 1/2 cups)
• 2 medium portabello mushrooms,chopped into cubes
• 1/4 cup red wine (optional)
• 1-14 oz can diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1-14 oz can white kidney beans (or cannelini beans), drained and rinsed
• 1 cup of water
• 1 quart vegetable stock
• 1-9 oz package fresh or frozen tortellini (filled with cheese, muchroom, or other complimentary filling)
• Garnishes of your choosing, such as parmesan cheese, fresh herbs, sour cream, or garlic croutons.

Heat the oil in a dutch oven over medium heat.  Add the thyme, red pepper flakes, and garlic, then saute for 1 minute.  Add the onion, red bell peppers, and carrots, then saute until they are beginning to soften.  (5-8 minutes)  Add the portabello mushrooms, and season with salt and pepper to taste.  Let the veggies saute another 5-8 minutes until the mushrooms have released some of their juices and are starting to brown.

Use the win to de-glaze the bottom of the dutch oven.  Add the canned tomatoes, beans, water, and stock.  Bring the soup to a boil, then simmer for about 8 minutes.  Add the tortellini, and cook according to the package directions.  (Fresh takes approximately 4-7 minutes, frozen takes approximately 6-9 minutes.)  Adjust salt and pepper to taste.  Garnish and serve.

When You Wish Upon a Star

My daughter's 6th birthday is coming up.  I like this time of year because anytime my daughter sees something that she wants I can tell her to put it on her birthday wishlist.  When I say this, my daughter seems to know that I mean it.  We don't negotiate back and forth about the fact that she really wants it now.  My daughter generally accepts that it's on her to remember to write it down if she really wants it.

Yesterday my daughter sat down and actually started her wishlist.  I got a phone call, so I didn't really pay attention to what she wrote.  This morning I found the list she had made, and my hubby and I had a really good laugh.  This list is like a little window into her 5-year old outlook on the world.  I'll leave it to you to interpret what on earth my big munchkin was thinking!

Any thoughts?

Swallow-ing

Did you have a nice weekend?  I hope so.  My weekend included several unusual adventures.  Most notably, a pair of barn swallows moved into one of the eaves on our front porch.  A pair visited us a couple of years ago and built a nest in the exact same spot ~ perched in the corner above our front door.  It was fascinating to watch them assemble their mud nest, keep watch over their eggs, and then feed their babies. 

This weekend the current pair of swallows laid a mud foundation for the nest they were planning to construct over our front door.  While I was pleased to see the swallows back again, discovering their blueprints for our front porch was bitter-sweet.  I'm all for experiencing nature close to home, but these things are messy!   I'm pretty sure that regularly cleaning bird droppings from our front door is NOT a hobby I want to re-visit in my current condition.  So I made an executive decision.  The birds can stay, but not directly over our front door.  The only problem is how to explain that to our new avian friends.

I read online that swallows will sometimes take up residence in a location you select.  All you have to do is build a little next box and place the prime real estate in a prime location at the same time you knock down the old nest.  My resourceful hubby got to work.

He sawed.  He measured.  And finally, he glued the nest together with wood glue.

The nest box is now sitting in another, much more desirable, corner of our porch.  We left it a bit dusty so the birds would find the barn-i-ness they are looking for. Then I spread some bird seed on the nearby ledges.  I wanted to be neighborly, afterall.

I hope the darling swallows aren't too terribly offended that we disassembled the start of their first nest.  The spot we've made for them really does have a lot to offer.  Now that everything is in position  and our For Rent sign has officially been hung, all we can do is wait.

Meatless Mondays: Start it out right!

I am a huge believer in breakfast, probably because my body seems to be programmed to eat a full meal within a few hours of waking up.  (I wake up hungry, people, hungry!)  In my experience, it's important to eat healthy (and hearty!) in the morning to start a day out right. 

As a vegetarian, I also find it's important to be sure there's a decent dose of protein in every meal, including breakfast.  Don't be fooled - "vegetarian protein in the morning" does not necessarily have to mean eggs.  In fact, I find that I can get a nice dose of protein simply by eating whole grains. 

This weekend I whipped up my first batch of baked oatmeal, which I've been reading about all over the internet.  I used a very basic recipe, and I look forward to jazzin' it up in future versions with some dried or fresh fruit and other flavor combinations. 

Oatmeal has a nice dose of protein built right in, plus it makes a great base to combine with other protein sources.  By my count a serving of this baked oatmeal recipe has about 5 grams of protein (based on a 12-serving recipe), which isn't bad for something that smells as good as a freshly baked oatmeal cookie! 

This morning I had it with yogurt and berries, which was great.  Tomorrow I might try it with warm milk, which I imagine will be closer to a true bowl of oatmeal.  The oatmeal-dairy combo puts my protein tally closer to 12 grams, which I consider to be quite respectable for breakfast.

In case I'm selling this stuff short, this recipe is truly enticing!  It absolutely smelled like a cookies as it baked.  I was thrilled when it won over my hubby, who typically turns his nose at traditional oatmeal.  Plus, it satisfied my morning sweet tooth without being quite as sweet as an actual cookie.  I'm the queen of leftovers, so I was doubly pleased to discover how well it warmed up in the toaster oven the next day.  Yay for a week of baked oatmeal!

Baked Oatmeal - the Basic Recipe
Serves 8-12

• 3 cups oatmeal
• 3/4 brown sugar
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 2 cups milk
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat the over to 375 degrees.  Mix all of the ingredients together.  Pour into a buttered 13 x 9 inch pan.  Bake at 375 degrees for 25 minutes.

Munchkin Talk

It happened.  I don't know how it happened, but it happened.  My baby is no longer a baby.  She's no longer a toddler, or even a preschooler.  She's now a full-grown little lady.

I really miss her baby years, when I spent hours cuddling and rocking her in my arms.  And I confess, I kept that going absolutely as long as I possibly could.  We would have brief, but regular, mini cuddle sessions every morning before I scooted her off to preschool and me off to school or work.

So this morning I did my best to re-create that.  Lucky for me, my munchkin is always up for a hug or a cuddle.   Here's how it went down:

Me:  Morning, sweet-girl.  What are you doing awake already?
Munchkin:  Hi Mommy.  I was just playing.
Me:  Hey, I missed putting you to bed last night.  Wanna cuddle for a minute?
Munchkin:  Sure.
Me:  Here, climb in my lap.

[She tries, she really does.  I grunt and groan, then re-position.  Still, she can't quite make it onto my lap.  My daughter was probably thinking "awk-ward," which is her new favorite word.] 

Munchkin:  Mommy, there's no room.  How about if I just sit next to you and lean my head on your shoulder?
Me:  OK, I guess that'll work.

[We cuddle for a minute.]

Munchkin:  The baby's really big now, Mommy, isn't she?

[What she really means is, "Your belly looks gi-normous!"]

Me:  Yep, she keeps growing.

My munchkin is so excited to meet her baby sister, who is set to arrive in August.  I am too, of course.

In the meantime, I'm trying to soak up as much time with her as I can.  Soon I'll have a big munchkin and a little munchkin to share stories about.

Baking for a Cause

I just completed a project that I'm really proud of.  For several years I've been inspired by the commercials on the food network about Share Our Strength's work to end childhood hunger.  Share Our Strength started a campaign encouraging people to hold bake sales to raise money  for their organization.  I've long wanted to host one myself.  Why?  Because it's a great cause, and I've always loved bake sales.  Bake sales remind me of the many summertime lemonade stands I held as a kid.  And nostalgia is a very powerful thing!

 

Share Our Strength has a great website with tons of resources to make hosting a bake sale easier.  So I signed up on their website and got started.  As it turned out, my daughter's kindergarten class needed to come up with what they call a "leadership project" for this quarter.  (Basically, they are supposed to learn about something as a class and present it to the rest of the school.)  My bake sale idea became this year's leadership project.

I worked with the kindergarten teachers to get the project up and running.  We wanted to keep the bakesale simple and pretty small scale, so we decided to sell treats to the school on a Friday afternoon when the school would normally sell ice cream.  The ice cream costs $1, so we decided we'd sell our treats for $1.  We limited the bake sale to brownies and rice krispie treats to keep it simple, and then I solicited volunteers via email to bake some treats for us.  I also used some of the tools on the Share Our Strength website to make a flier about the event.  

Next the kindergarten students made a poster advertising their bake sale, and they put together a presentation explaining what they were doing.  They went from classroom to classroom giving the presentation in small groups.  Then they handed out the fliers I had made to all the students in the school.  They were clearly very proud to be helping out other children.

Did you know that nearly 1 in 5 children suffer from hunger in the United States?  I thought that was a shocking statistic.  We put that fact on our fliers, and it definitely got people's attention.  The bake sale happened last Friday, and we raised just over $250!!!  I was amazed at how successful our little project was.  The students were so excited for their Friday afternoon treat.  And I was so impressed with how generous they were, too.  Many of them put $2 in the basket and then only took one treat.  In the end this bakesale was at least as fun as my childhood lemonade stands. 

By the way, my daughter pretty much made the rice krispie treats herself.  I always forget how easy (and yummy!) rice krispie treats are.  All you really have to do is melt the butter and marshmallows and then stir, stir, stir.  Plus, it's always fun cooking with kids. 

All in all, this project was a great experience that left me feeling so inspired.  My hope is that I will continue to find ways to be involved with Share Our Strength.  It really pains me to think about kids feeling hungry right here in this wealthy nation we live in.  So . . . if you're looking for a summer project to do with your kids, or you've been wanting to find a way to give back to your community, I definitely recommend hosting a Share Our Strength bakesale.

 http://join.strength.org/site/TR?fr_id=1190&pg=entry

A Nod to St. Patty's Day

I won't comment on the fact that I barely post anymore.  Really, I won't.  I also won't comment on the fact that this blog has become a holiday blog, at best.  Nobody wants to read about my regrets or my promises to do better, right?  OK, good.  I'm glad we're clear on that.

This year St. Patrick's Day is all about beer at our house.  My home-brewing hubby decided to host a home-brew day with buddies from his home-brew club. Can you tell there's a lot of home-brewing happening around here these days?

I wanted to pay a tiny tribute to St. Patrick's Day, and I figured the best way to get a bunch of home-brew guys on board was to . . . well, add some home-brew of course.  So, out popped this chocolate stout cake.

All I did was pull a chocolate cake mix from my cupboard and replace the milk with my hubby's home brewed stout.  The package called for 1 1/4 cups of liquid, so there was quite a bit of beer in my version.  It was a little frothy as it mixed up, and you could definitely smell the aroma of the stout as it cooked.

I didn't want the beer to be overpowering, so I topped it with a straight-up chocolate frosting.  I used the frosting recipe on the cake mix box, which turned out to be extra chocolate-ly.  This recipe is definitely a keeper.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chocolate Frosting
Makes enough to ice 2 - 9" x 13" cakes or a 2-layer cake

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) of butter, softened
• 2/3 cup baking cocoa
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 1/3 cup milk
• 2 tbsp. brewed coffee
• 1 tbsp. vanilla

Mix the butter, coffee, vanilla, and cocoa until blended.  Add in sugar and milk, alternating between the two as you mix on medium speed.  Then mix on medium-high for 2 minutes.  Spread the frosting on your cake. 

Valentine's Day 2012

This year my daughter and I planned ahead for Valentine's Day.  She was supposed to take some treats to share at her school party, so we pulled out an old favorite and updated it.  A few years ago we made pretzel sticks dipped in chocolate and fancy Valentine sprinkles.

This year my little munchkin decided that the traditional pretzel shape is so much more appropriate because it looks like a heart.

This morning she headed to school with a tray full of treats to share with her friends and teachers.  She probably doesn't know it yet, but I also sent her some of these peanut butter sandwich hearts for her snack.  Cute, right?

But back to the pretzels . . .  If you feel like sharing some chocolate with your honey (big or small), these are super easy to make.

Chocolate Covered Pretzels

• 1 tsp. canola oil
• 1 cup chocolate chips (I prefer dark chocolate)
• About 35-40 pretzels  (I used lightly salted)
• Sprinkles

Place the oil and chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl, and put the bowl in the microwave.  Microwave on high for forty-five seconds, then stir well.  Repeat several times until the chocolate is completely melted.

Add several pretzels at a time to the bowl, submerging them in the chocolate.  Lift the pretzels out one at a time with a fork.  Place the pretzels on a cooling rack sitting over a tray so that the excess chocolate can drip off.  Sprinkle the pretzels with sprinkles, if using, within a few minutes while the chocolate is still moist.

Once your tray is full, place it in the fridge for about 30 minutes to set.  After the chocolate has hardened, carefully lift each pretzel off the rack one-by-one by reaching underneath the pretzel with your fingers and gently dislodging it from the rack.  Be careful as you do this last step, as some of the pretzels may break.  (I made extra for this reason.  We kept the broken ones to munch on at home and sent the pretty ones to share at school.)

On Counting Carbs . . . and Eating Them Too

For reasons I am not yet ready to reveal to the Internet, I recently had to start counting carbs and watching my diet.  In a nutshell, it’s not fun.  I have always been a very healthy eater, but there’s something about being told I have to eat healthy that is just so . . .  well, annoying.  Nevertheless, I have committed to following the rules.  Most of the time, anyway.  When I do feel like cheating, it will most definitely be for chocolate.

At our Superbowl party last weekend I cheated with these brownies.  They have less flour and less sugar than your average brownie.  The chocolate flavor really shines through from the Dutch-processed cocoa, which is supposedly more flavorful than your run-of-the-mill cocoa powder.  

These brownies also have a nice dose of salt, and I have to admit I find the sea salt and chocolate combo to be downright mouth-watering.  Initially I made a version with all of the salt inside the batter, but I think the crunchy topping makes for a nice finish. 

If you happen to be watching your carb (or calorie) intake, give these brownies a try.  I hope to cheat with them again soon!

Lower Carb Chocolate Sea Salt Brownies

Makes 16 brownies

• 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• ½ cup unsweetened cocoa (preferably Dutch-process for a flavor boost)
• ½ cup all-purpose flour
• 1 ¼ teaspoons sea salt, divided
• ¼ teaspoon baking powder
• 1 cup sugar
• ¼ butter
• 2 large eggs

Preheat the oven to 350 degree F.  Grease an 8-inch square metal baking pan.

In a cup, dissolve the coffee in the vanilla extract.  In a small bowl, combine the cocoa, flour, ¾ teaspoon sea salt, and the baking powder.  Then in a medium bowl, whisk the sugar, vegetable oil spread, eggs, and coffee mixture until well-mixed.  Then blend in the flour mixture.  Spread the batter in the prepared pan.  (It will be a thick batter.)  Lastly, sprinkle the remaining ½ teaspoon sea salt over the brownies.

Bake for approximately 22 to 24 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted approximately 2 inches from the edge of the pan comes out almost clean.  Place the pan on a wire rack and cool for approximately 2 hours.  Enjoy!

Kudos

Recently I've spent a lot of time perusing menus as I look for the perfect location for a Valentine's dinner. Sacramento has a number of new restaurants, but unfortunately I'm seeing a lot of the same meat-and-potato-style fare. Of course many restaurants will have ~a single~ vegetarian option on their dinner menu. Sorry chefs - it just doesn't make sense for my hubby and I to shell out big bucks for us both to order the same dish. Isn't it so much more fun when you can order a selection of starters and entrées and munch off each other's plates?

Despite my complaints, some kudos are in order. One of Old Sacramento's longtime restaurants The Firehouse is the clear winner when it comes to accommodating the vegetarian gourmet this year on Valentine's Day. They have a dedicated vegan/vegetarian menu.

We're looking to celebrate on Saturday, so I'm sad to report that my hubby and I won't get to enjoy this lovely menu. Nevertheless, here's what I would order:

First Course

Vegan Asparagus Bundle
pistachio-arugula pesto, baby red oak lettuce and savory celeriac purée


Second Course

Brie en Croustade
mission figs and port red onions baked in puff pastry with pistachios and pepper-honey drizzle


Third Course

Vegan Beet Carpaccio Salad
watercress and crystalized ginger, spiced almonds and pear vinaigrette


Intermezzo

White Peach Champagne Sorbet


Fourth Course

Winter Greens Risotto Verde
braised radicchio, endive, arugula and Parmigiano-Reggiano


Fifth Course

Chocolate Devotion
milk and dark chocolate mousse, devil's food cake, raspberry, coulis and chocolate-caramel crème

Sounds pretty fantastic, doesn't it?

Oh, and by the way, hello Internet. It's so nice to be back!