June 22, 2025

As she always does, Mary greeted us with a delicious cocktail in a sugar rimmed glass.  This margarita tasted like a dreamsicle.  Delicious.  Went down very smoothly.  It was like a boozy milkshake.

 Orange Sherbet Italian Margarita

Servings:  4

2 cups sherbet

6 oz. evaporated milk 

½ cup crushed ice 

tequila...set your own octane level! 

1-2 shots of Amaretto 

1-2 shots of orange liqueur 

colored sugar to rim glasses (optional)

Combine all ingredients in blender.  Blend until very smooth and creamy.

Perfect summertime boozy treat! 

For appetizers I made a variety of cucumber and tomato offerings.  There was also hummus with bell peppers from my garden.  There was herb cream cheese (4 OZ cream cheese with chopped rosemary, chives and parsley) stuffed cucumbers and tomatoes, salmon canapes and caprese cucumbers. I knew Mary would make a decadent cocktail and that the main dish was rich so let us go low carb, heavy vegetable appetizers.

Tonya made a burrata salad with a balsalmic vinegar salad dressing.  The burrata cheese is creamy and mild. There was fresh basil in the salad and this adds a distinct, licorice like flavor.  I love basil and it's a classic combination pairing with tomato and cheese.

As if Angelica read Tonya's mind, she brought a similar dish, caprese salad, as our side.  This is a great dish as an appetizer, salad or side, in the summertime. Also, it is another great choice to balance the main dish of Marry Me Chicken.

Our main dish, Marry Me Chicken, was so good.  Mary marinated the chicken with the spices and cooked it up in an iron skillet.  We added mushrooms to the creamy sauce and next time would use less pasta.  The dish reheated beautifully the next day even though we were worried the sauce might "seize" up.  It did not.

These cherry pie bars were amazing.  The crust was soft like cake and over time became even more soft and melding into the cherry pie filling.  The recipe made a ton which we were all grateful for! Do not skip on the icing, it was essential to the deliciousness.

May 18, 2025

I hosted and had a Mediterranean theme.  This is my favorite cuisine as of late. Michelle joined us and it was a wonderful treat.

We started off with a very, very, very strong cocktail.  Ooops.  This Mediterranean Mule has limoncello, vodka and gin.  Ooops. You can cut the alcohol with the ginger beer. Bubbly and refreshing!

Angelica changed up this recipe to be a layered dip and served with pita chips.  It had a great flavor and creamy texture with the hummus and tzatziki. Mix all ingredients together and serve.

For the main dish we baked Greek chicken tenders. The secret is the marinade and instead of grilling we baked and they came out moist and perfect.

The side was saffron rice. The bright red strands of saffron give the color and mild flavor.  There is alot of onion in the rice too!

The salad was a beautiful couscous by Mary. 

Couscous Salad

Ingredients: 

1 box of couscous

Orange bell pepper, diced small

1/2 red bell pepper, diced small

1/2 yellow bell pepper, diced small

1 small/medium red onion, diced small

I large can black olives, chopped

6 oz feta cheese crumbles 

½ container of grape or similar style small tomatoes, cut in half.

Flat leaf parsley

1 seedless cucumber, chopped small

Salt and pepper to taste

Prepare couscous according to box instructions and let cool completely.  For added flavor, I substitute chicken broth for the water.

Once couscous is cooled, mix in as little or as much of the chopped vegetables as you like.

*Adding chopped boiled eggs, grilled chicken or other protein turns the salad into a one dish meal. Great option for a light meal during the summertime heat!

Dressing:

1 minced garlic 

juice from 1/2 lemon

1/2 tsp dried oregeno

2 tsp dijon mustard

salt, pepper

1/4 cup olive oill

2 tbs red wine vinegar

Mix all ingredients and add to salad.

Our side of roasted vegetables by Tonya also had a tahini sauce.  Look how colorful these vegetables are as they cook! The onions caramelize and sweeten, the tomatoes plump and pop and the zucchini has a nice crunch.

To finish our meal, Carol had the dessert course and made a delicious blueberry galette.  It was heavenly. The sweetness was the right amount and the homemade crust was rustic and tasty.