March 31, 2024

We gathered at my house for a SPRING THEME.

Angelica brought a beautiful platter with Spicy Strawberry dip with goat cheese to make crostini. 

On the side we had pineapple sangria which I made two versions of:  one with basil and one with mint. I also used diet ginger beer and did not miss the sugar.

Mary plated a wedge salad family style. The dressing was fantastic and the blue cheese flavor was mild in the creamy dressing.  Not only was the salad a show stopper it was very delicious and filling.

While our main dish was written as vegetarian and gluten free we prepared it with "normal" pasta and added shrimp and scallops.  Shout out to Tonya and her seafood cooking skills. 

The pesto is the star and made with PEAS.  The peas add protein.  Who knew?!  The pesto also has parsley which is not typical.  This dish can be eaten warm or cold I found when eating my leftovers.

For dessert Tonya made a lemon blueberry tart with shortbread crust.  SO GOOD. Lemon and blueberry are a classic combination and the tart lemon and sweet blueberries go so well together. The shortbread crust adds a richness. 

March 1, 2020

Pre-covid apocalypse at Angelica's with a breakfast or brunch theme.  All were present except for Michelle.

Tonya gifted us with two different mimosa cocktails.  The beautiful Hawaiian Mimosa and the refreshing Lemosa .  Tonya garnished both with fresh fruit which was perfect for our spring gathering.  

Our appetizer were these sausage and cream cheese biscuit bites by Mary.  These are very good and remind me of the the type you make with Bisquick!

For the main dish Angelica picked sweet potato hash. This is a hearty breakfast food that is full of healthy vegetables and vibrant colors.  We sprinkled the bacon on top rather than stirring in with the kale because it is a pet peeve of mine to crisp up bacon and then put back in a dish where it wilts.  Not on my watch.

For dessert was apple cinnamon roll cake.  I used two apples as called out in the recipe and I would suggest adding one or two more to have even more crunchy apples in your cake.

July 9, 2017

We met at my house and all were here except for Mary, who was a bit under the weather.

Tonya prepared a most delicious appetizer of Goat Cheese and Fig Jam Crostini.  She intended to use fresh figs but just missed the season.  The jam was sweet which went well with the goat cheese.  Tonya toasted baguette slices in the oven, then spread on goat cheese thinned with a little cream, spooned the fig/lemon marmalade on top of that and finished with a sprinkling of toasted pecans. I really enjoyed these and they would be perfect for a party.

Our cocktail was Watermelon Sangria.  I think any fruit would work in addition to the lime and orange.  The blueberries are just for show or eating after you finish the drink.  This was a mildly sweet, refreshing cocktail that is perfect for summer..

The Greek Salad was prepared by Tonya and it was another winning recipe!  There were so many fresh, crisp vegetables and the olives and feta add a salty bite.  The salad was even more flavorful the next day as the dressing continued to marinate the vegetables. 

The main dish was Tomato Spinach Chicken Spaghetti.  It was another great summer recipe featuring fresh basil and spinach.  I think mushrooms could have also been added, especially if you wanted to leave the chicken out and make a vegetarian version.  The sun dried tomatoes add nice color and a bit of tang.

Angelica completed our meal with a Summer Tart.  It had a dairy free custard made with almond milk that was silky smooth.  The tart was covered in fresh berries and sprinkled with powdered sugar.  This was a light dessert for our summer menu.

January 10, 2016

I cannot believe it is 2016.  But I am happy to say, I have not messed up and written 2015 - yet.

We met at Mary's and we were joined by guests Rachel and Carol and missing Angelica.  The theme was Mexican street food.  Ole!

Cocktail - horchata, Mary

Appetizer - scallop ceviche and guacamole, Angie

Side Dish - creamy corn cups, Tonya

Main dish - tortas, Mary

Dessert - tres leches, Carol

Mary started us off with horchata that she added some brandy to.... because first rule of cooking group is we drink alcohol.  She used the basic recipe and then added a can of condensed milk, almond milk and brandy.  Serve this refreshing, slightly sweet drink over ice.

Our appetizers were ceviche and guacamole.  I have never made ceviche before and this was a super easy, not scary (of ending up with raw seafood in juice) recipe.  I halved the recipe and it was plenty for a small gathering.  I recommend roughly chopping the scallops to get small pieces rather than just quartering.  I followed the recipe exactly except used half a seeded jalapeno instead of a Serrano.  I found the unsweetened coconut in the bulk section and while I do not think it added any flavor, the little white specs look pretty.  I served both the ceviche (after using a slotted spoon to move it to a new bowl) and guacamole with tortilla chips.

In case the ceviche did not work out, I also made guacamole.  This recipe had essentially the same flavors, just swapping out the scallops for avocados.  I have made guacamole many times, normally just mashing avocados and adding some garlic salt, lemon juice and hot sauce.  I decided to try this fancy recipe and I really liked it.  I do think you should use less onions than called for but otherwise would not change a thing.  Funny that the recipe calls for fresh coriander because this is also known BY EVERYONE as cilantro.  You're welcome.

Tonya prepared the most tasty corn recipe and served it in mini mason jars.  The toppings are stirred into the corn, resulting in a sweet, creamy, salty, limey, concoction.  Mary had this spice and Tonya sprinkled some on top and it was so delicious.  

The main dish was tortas de milanesa, which in our case was fried chicken cutlets served on rolls and topped with spicy (sriracha)  mayonnaise, lettuce, avocado and tomato.  Mary marinaded the chicken breasts in something spicy (probably more sriracha)  because the chicken alone had a nice kick.  I realized this because I ate my left overs on plain white bread (I know - who eats this any more besides children) and there was a pleasant spiciness.  I loved this sandwich.  The chicken was crunchy because of the double breading and frying and the combination of the toppings cool down the heat.  

 We finished our meal with Carol's tres leches cake.  Carol reported this dessert was rather easy to make because it starts with a boxed cake mix.  We all discussed that we prefer boxed cake mixes to homemade.  I know I have made a homemade yellow cake recipe and it was an embarrassment.  The sweetness and texture were off.  It was a very old recipe and I think today's tastes have evolved where the old recipes are less palatable.  The cake was creamy but not as wet as other tres leches I have eaten.  For the icing, Carol used a box icing mix which she said was just egg whites and you add hot water.  Yum!!

Cookie exchange, December 13, 2015!

I hosted my 2nd (next year, annual) cookie exchange and it was a great hit! I served various appetizers and this fall sangria.

 The cookie exchange winners...

• Prettiest Cookie:  Tonya, Christmas Tree Meringues (see below)
• Tastiest Cookie:  Mary, Chewy Almond Cookies  (and also very pretty!)
• My Cookie (and 2nd runner up to Tastiest):  Fudgy Meringue Cookies

An interesting fact is that none of the cookies have flour!  Under certain cookie nazi rule books, cookies without flour WOULD NOT be allowed at a cookie exchange.  

 

 

 

Christmas Tree Meringues

Ingredients

• 4 Egg Whites
• 1 1/3 Cup Sugar
• 1/4 TSP Salt
• 1/4 TSP Cream of Tartar
• Green Gel Food Coloring
• Parchment Paper
• Piping Bag
• Large Star Tip
• Sprinkles & Stars (I ordered Wilton gold stars online)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 150-170 degrees. In the bowl of an electric mixer place egg whites. Let the whites come to room temp.
2. Beat egg whites until white and foamy. Mix in 1/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp cream of tartar until soft peaks form. Set timer for 7 minutes. Slowly add in sugar a bit at a time taking the entire 7 minutes to do so.
3. Add food coloring and mix well.
4. Fill piping bag with meringue using a large star tip (I used Wilton #1M). 
5. On a parchment paper lined cookie sheet pipe small mounds of meringue, moving in a tiny circle. 
6. Add sprinkles and stars. If placing stars on the soft meringue is too difficult, you can also add them with a small dab of royal icing after baking.
7. Now bake at a very low heat (about 150-170) for about two hours to two and a half hours until they are nice and crisp. I just checked on mine every so often to make sure they haven’t started to brown. Every oven is different. I have found in the past that a low temp for a much longer time is far better then a higher temp with a risk of browning.

May 3, 2015

We met at Tonya's for a pre-Cinco De Mayo celebration!

We started off with Tonya's Margarita Slushes and Angelica's Seven Layer Dip.  The slushes were delicious and made it way too easy to consume large amounts of tequila!  The seven layer dip was fresh and bright with all the vegetables:  tomato, bell pepper, green onions, avocado and olives.  Very tasty, filling and almost guilt free!

7 Layer Taco Dip

1 (1 ounce) package taco seasoning mix
1 (16 ounce) can refried beans
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 (16 ounce) container sour cream
1 (16 ounce) jar salsa
1 large tomato, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 bunch chopped green onions
1 large avocado
1 (6 ounce) can sliced black olives, drained
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, blend the taco seasoning mix and refried beans. Spread the mixture onto a large serving platter.

2. Mix the sour cream and cream cheese in a medium bowl. Spread over the refried beans.

3. Top the layers with salsa. Place a layer of tomato, green bell pepper, green onions and avocado over the salsa, and top with Cheddar cheese. Garnish with black olives

Eat with Chips or favorite vegetable.

Our salad was a unique one called Avocado, Tomato and Cotija Cheese and was perfect for a Cinco de Mayo dinner!  It had a sweet dressing that paired well with the salty cheese and creamy avocado.

Chili and Cheese Rice was a Spanish Rice with a cheesy twist.  It finishes in the oven to melt the cheese and make a slight crust.  

Pinto Beans without jalapenos was our other side dish.  The beans were creamy and perfectly seasoned.

The main dish was Sauteed Potatoes with Chorizo.  Tonya had all the toppings which were displayed in the cutest serving platter.  The pork was served in flour or corn tortillas and these tacos were delicious! The potatoes were perfectly cooked, creamy in the middle with crunchy outsides and the chorizo gave a nice kick.  These would also be excellent with egg as a breakfast taco too.  

I prepared the desert, and it was a failure.  I used pastry flour instead of cake flour.  Who knew there was a difference?!  NOT ME.  Isn't cake technically pastry?  The icing was nice and I do agree with recipe reviewers that you should add some mango to the cake.  You may also want to follow the reviewers and cut back the sugar.  But for heaven's sake, do not use the wrong flour!!!

November 9, 2014

We met at Mary's house.  Mary's friend, Carol , joined  us. 

Mary - cocktail, Milk Punch
Carol - appetizer, Crab Dip
Tonya - appetizer, Salsa Baked Cheese
Tonya - side dish, Risotto
Angie - soup, Fennel and Carrot Soup
Mary - main dish, Stuffed Mushrooms
Sandy - dessert,  French apple tart

Mary decorated with a Mardis Gras/New Orleans Theme.  Very festive and colorful!

We started with Milk Punch, which Mary modified as below.  It was delicious, like a cross between a milk shake and egg nog.

"I added some extra 'spice'..... some nutmeg, cinnamon and a little pumpkin pie spice.  I also added some superfine sugar for sweetness. I used 1% milk (almost a half gallon) and for richness I added 1 pint of fat free half & half.  I stored the punch in the freezer for a few hours so that it would be slushy cold when served."

Mary's friend, Carol, brought a flavorful, hearty, hot, crab dip.  It was served with triscuits but would also be good with a bagel chip or sturdy bread. 

 

New Orleans Hot Crab Dip

Ingredients

• 5 tbsp.  stick butter
• 1 small onion (yellow or white) chopped
• 2 stalks of celery  (chopped)
• ½ cup of red pepper (chopped)
• Small can of mushrooms (drained)
• 1 lb.  fresh blue crab meat – (rise and check for shells)
• 1  8 oz. cream cheese (softened)
• 2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
• ½ cup chopped green onion
• 2 dozen baguette slices or box of Triscuit
• Salt
• black pepper
• 1 tsp of red pepper

Instructions

1. Sauté chopped onion, celery, red pepper in melted butter in skillet over medium heat until tender.
2. Add blue crab meat and mushrooms and stir
3. Add cream cheese reduce heat to low and continue to stir
4. Add Worcestershire sauce
5. Add salt, black pepper, red pepper to taste
6. Add green onions
7. Serve warm in a bread bowl or bowl with Triscuit or toasted butter baguette slices

Salsa Baked Cheese is an appetizer that Tonya brought.  You can use any salsa and either cream cheese, goat cheese or a combination of both.  It is baked until creamy and warm.  A very tasty variation of the room temperature version.

I made  Fennel and Carrot Soup as an alternative to a salad.  It was rich and creamy.  The swirled in creme fraiche with maple syrup was a sweet addition.  I used hazel nuts rather than chestnuts as a garnish. 

The main dish was Stuffed mushrooms with a side of Risotto.  The mushrooms had some kick with the hot sausage and essence seasonings.  The risotto was made in the oven which makes it a simpler version of the typical constant stirring stove top version. 

French Apple Tart was the dessert prepared by Sandy.  It was beautiful and elegant with the arranged apples.  

July 13, 2014

We met at Mary's, along with guests Cecilia and Stephanie. 

Our meal started with spicy guacamole, chips and a mango cocktail served in chilled, sugar rimmed tumblers.

The cocktail also featured tequila which kept with the Caribbean Nights theme.  I did not realize how versatile tequila is and I have made it my alcohol of choice lately (sorry, rum).                                                                    

The Stephanie Special

Mango sparkling soda (Trader Joe's)

Tequila

Fresh squeezed lime juice

Top with champagne

Garnish with a lime wedge and serve very chilled

Our meal continued with conch fritters (used clams) with a zesty dipping sauce, a colorful black bean salad, fall-of-the-bone tender ribs and white rice.  Thank you to Tonya for the cool picture below!

The fritters were a mixture of finely chopped clams, green and red peppers, celery, onion, jalapeno (seeded), egg, flour and baking powder.  Make these into small balls and fry in oil for about three minutes.  Turn to get browned on both sides.  The oil may foam up.  Do not be alarmed.

Tonya's salad was full of fresh flavors with corn, red pepper, avocado, and cilantro.  It was a perfect compliment to the rich ribs.  The rice also went nicely with the spicy ribs and served as a base to soak up the juices.

Now... the ribs.  YUM.  These were so tender that you did not need a knife.  The flavor was complex with hints of cinnamon and cloves.  Mary prepared these prior to our arrival and they cooked as we prepared the fritters.

We had not one but TWO desserts.  Cecelia's mom's flan and a rum cake that I prepared.  The flan was denser than most recipes, using cream cheese to give it more of a cheesecake texture.  The rum cake was like a drunk pound cake.  While there is no rum in the cake itself, there is some in both a syrup and a glaze.  These add flavor and keep the cake very moist.

Flan

Ingredients:

Custard

1 can (14 oz) of Nestle Condensed Milk

1 can (14 oz) of evaporated milk

1 package of Philadelphia cream cheese

1 TBSP of vanilla extract

3 eggs

Caramel

1 ½ cup of regular sugar

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. In a small nonstick saucepan, heat the sugar over medium heat until it is dissolved and begins to brown. Pour caramelized sugar into a pie or cheesecake dish, and swirl to coat the bottom of the pan evenly.
3. Combine custard ingredients in a large bowl. With a mixer, mix for one minute. Pour over the caramelized sugar dish.
4. Place the dish into a larger pan and add 1 inch of HOT water to the outer pan. Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes, or until set.
5. Remove dish from oven and allow to cool down.
6. Turn upside down when cool.