Jenny Steffens Hobick

What's For Dinner This Week? Feb. 27th

2012-02-27T09:42:00.000-08:00

Monday : Ribollita - Rustic Italian Bread Soup
It is quick to make and will be great for leftovers all week long.

Sweet for the Week : Classic Chocolate Chip Cookies

Tuesday : Shrimp Scampi with Linguine

Wednesday : Chipotle Steak Salad

Thursday : Butternut Squash Ravioli with Browned Sage Butter

Friday : Pizza Party! (great for Lent - no meat!)

Saturday : Banana Nut Muffins

Handmade Gifts | Emma's Handmade Baby Gifts

2012-02-25T05:44:00.000-08:00

When we were little my sister and I would try to get my Mom's homemade bread to look and taste like white sandwich bread, and my Dad's plump and juicy burgers to look like the ones we got in a happy meal. Funny how in those days store-bought seemed better than homemade.

Today, some of my favorite things are handmade. Emma recieved so many beautiful handmade gifts that we will love forever.

Here is a little gallery of some of the gifts our family and friends made just for her...

Above : My grandma made and embroidered this quilt for Emma. One of the squares has a little girl playing with her doggy - love it.

Left : The "Knit Wits" from our Church brought this knitted hat by for Emma. It is so cozy!

My Mom made this quilt for Emma complete with a silky trim - one of my favorite things when I was little.

This sweater was not made personally by my friend, but she had it handmade by someone - that counts right? Either way, it is such a sweet little sweater.

You might remember these booties from Emma's Baptism outfit, but they were worth showing again. I still can't believe someone made them!

Her Baptismal dress itself was made by hand by my great Aunt. It was originally made for my Dad's baptism 50+ years ago.

Homemade Chocolate Glazed Donuts | Hot, Fresh, Dripping Chocolate Glazed Donut Recipe

2012-02-24T05:18:00.001-08:00

I hope you don't have any plans this Saturday morning.

Because you do now. You will be making homemade chocolate glazed donuts.

If you do already have plans, you should make these for dessert on Friday night... ah-mazing treat for your friends.

I've made homemade donuts before out of store-bought biscuit dough. They are really great, but in their own unique way. They aren't quite the light and fluffy donut you'd find in a bakery. So, I decided to tempt to replicate one of our donut shop favorites : The Round-John, as they're called around our house (because they are of the same make up of a chocolate Long John, but round in shape, and not to be confused with a chocolate glazed donut which is chocolate dough with regular glaze... which happened once and resulted in an immediate trip back to the donut shop).

Here's the best part - they are made from one of my most favorite products : Frozen Bread Dough. You may remember that I use frozen dough to make soooo many things... 'homemade' cinnamon rolls, pizza bread, monkey bread, etc. Fore the glaze, I used my Warm Chocolate Icing Recipe from the chocolate sheet cake post. I really hope you take the time to make these some weekend - it is a fun process to do with your family. I have great memories of making donuts with my Grannie on the weekends. I remember thinking how amazing it was that I could top them with anything I wanted. Unleashing creativity starts early.

Homemade Donuts
with a chocolate glaze

1 loaf of thawed but still cold frozen bread dough (Rhodes brand is what I use)
vegetable oil

Thaw the frozen bread dough over night in the refrigerator or with the defrost method in your microwave. Cut the loaf into 12 equal sections.

Poke a whole in the middle of each section, then stick a finger from each hand in the hole and sort of wind them, stretching the center hole. Place them on a greased baking sheet.

Spray a piece of plastic wrap with non-stick spray, then cover the donuts and let them proof in a warm spot for 30 minutes.

Fry the donuts for just 30 second to a minute on each side, then remove and place on a paper towel lined tray. Let cool slightly, then glaze while still warm.

Warm Chocolate Glaze

1 stick butter
2 tablespoons cocoa
3 tablespoons milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
3-4 cups powdered sugar (desired consistency)

In a saucepan, melt 1 stick of butter. Remove from heat and add cocoa. Stir in milk vanilla and powdered sugar. Start with 3 cups of powdered sugar, then add more if you'd like it to be thicker.

Shrimp in a Chorizo, White Wine & Tomato Broth with Crusty Garlic Bread

2012-02-23T09:50:00.000-08:00

When we were in Kansas City a couple of weeks ago, we went to dinner with friends (one of our first nights out without Emma) at a new spot on the Plaza - Gram & Dun. I had one of the best meals I've had in a while. Yes, it could very well have been the company - old friends - or the fact that I could have an entire glass of wine. All of that considered, the Mussels in a white wine, chorizo and tomato broth was the cherry on top.

I think I've mentioned my dining strategy before - I hardly ever order an entree for my meal. Mike and I typically start with a shared light appetizer followed by a large salad (in this case we had a grilled romaine salad - also great). Then, for my entree I usually order another starter - it is usually seafood or fish of some sort of seafood. If there are mussels on the menu, then I almost always order them. Nothin' better than mopping up a great wine broth with a piece of crusty bread.

As I often love to do, I recreated this recipe for us this week. Mike is not a huge fan of mussels, though. Maybe that's why I order them any chance I get? Instead, I substituted shrimp. It was amazing. Almost better, dare I say.

The star of the show was definitely the chorizo and garlic. And the crusty baguette I toasted then rubbed with raw garlic. Always a hit.

I highly recommend you try this tonight. It is fairly simple, quick and all made in one pan - and gives you an excuse to crack open a bottle of wine on a Thursday night.

Shrimp in a Chorizo, White Wine, Garlic & Tomato Broth
served with crusty garlic french bread

1 pound of shrimp, peeled
1 pound of chorizo sausage
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 shallot, sliced

6 cloves of garlic, sliced

2 cups of white wine
1-2 cups of chicken broth

1 can of whole tomatoes

fresh thyme
baguette, sliced

1 clove of garlic, whole

Remove the sausage from its casing and break it up into small/medium pieces. Cook it in a saute pan on a medium/high heat, rendering some of the fat. Add the shallot and cook until soft. Add the olive oil, shrimp and garlic. Cook for 2-3 minutes until the shrimp are pink and garlic begins to sizzle. With a slotted spoon, remove the sausage, shrimp, shallots and garlic and set it aside, leaving the fat and flavor bits on the bottom of the pan. Pour in white wine and stir - scraping the bottom of the pan to incorporate all of the flavor from the sausage into the wine. Add the tomatoes by squeezing them in one at a time. Continue to break them into bite size pieces with the spoon. Add the juice from the can of tomatoes. Add a couple of sprigs of thyme. At this point you can add the chicken broth in to thin the wine sauce to your liking. Cook for 3-5 minutes.

Slice the baguette, place the slices under the broiler for 1-2 minutes just until it starts to brown. Remove it from the oven. Rub a raw clove of garlic on the crusty side of bread.

Add the sausage ans shrimp back into the wine broth. Serve in big bowls with bread.

All of my ingredients - ignore the bibb lettuce in the back. That was for a salad that was never made.

Chorizo, Shallots and Garlic in the pan. Shrimp is next.

Sorry for the blurry photo - haven't quite mastered dealing with the steam element in my photography. Tips?

Shrimp!

Everything has been taken out of the pan and the white wine has been added for deglazing. Scrape up the bits with a flat wooden spoon.

All done!

Spring Organizing Projects : Martha Stewart Labels & Home Office at Staples

2012-02-21T07:47:00.000-08:00

Watch out unruly USB cords, uncivil stationery, and unsatisfactory files - I've just returned from Staples. I've been bitten by the organizing bug.

It all started in the grocery store aisle. Spotted : Martha's newest 'Organizing' special edition. I bought the one of these 3 years ago when we were moving into our first home (as you might remember me referencing when I was organizing my workshop/utility room last Summer). All of the MS Editors' favorite home organizing 'good things' in one edition.

I already had planned to redo our guest bedroom desk into a functioning office for me, now I was really inspired. ***Follow me today (1PM EST) on twitter (#JennyOrganizesWithMartha) as I turn this into a well stocked and organized home office!
Inside the front cover there is a spread featuring the new Martha Stewart line of Home Office products at Staples (partnership with Avery).

As I looked at it I thought I should head over to Staples for a little R&D.

I didn't plan to buy anything - I have a philosophy when it comes to home projects. I do the hard part first before I allow my self to go spend.

It is easy to get excited about a project while shopping before doing the actual work of cleaning out, throwing away, demoing (in the case of most home reno projects).

Often times I will get all worked up about a new project, immediately go to the store spend a bunch of money, then I would never get around to getting it done.

Now, I try to make myself wait until the work is done before I reward myself with a shopping trip to gather supplies.

Emma loved it so much. She wouldn't let me leave the store without buying something...

Oops.

Just a little something... right?

Fortunately I made myself come home and immediately address the problem areas : my guest bedroom desk area (soon-to-be home office), closet, entry way/mud room. Here are the before photos...

This is the porch area right before you come in the kitchen. It works well for what it is, but not really lovely to look at. We really stocked up on boots this year in preparation for the Boston snow...

Not a disaster, but not pretty or nice to look at. And, yes, even another pair of winter boots.

Guest room desk - clean and tidy, but not functional for me.

I'm going to be tackling this project this afternoon! ***Follow me today (1PM EST) on twitter (#JennyOrganizesWithMartha) as I turn this into a well stocked and organized home office!

New Series : What's for Dinner this Week

2012-02-20T09:40:00.000-08:00

I'm staring a series this week that plagues me every single week... what to make for dinner. I know, dinner is my 'thing' - I shouldn't struggle with what to make. But, I do. I think most people do. For me, I get major burn out. I get burnt out on trying new things. I get burn out on making the old stuff. And at the end of each season (like right now...) I get burnt out on that season's seasonal food.

Right now I am burnt out on comforting stews and heavy dinners. In September I will be burnt out on heirloom tomatoes and fresh basil - which sounds impossible now. Fresh, summer produce sounds amazingly refreshing, but I know when September rolls around I'll be blogging about how much I'm craving a big pot of chili in front of the fireplace. It is inevitable.

Where was I...

That's right. The answer to the question - What's for dinner? At the beginning of every week I'm going to (planning to...) post a weekly dinner plan. So if you're ever struggling with what to make for dinner, you can click on this link : What's For Dinner (copy and paste the link someplace safe - I'll update that link every week with the new week's plan) and you'll have the answer. Or at least an idea. And, if you have some great dinner ideas - let me know! Maybe I'll share a Reader's Choice idea each week, to. What are you having for dinner this week?

This is what I'm planning :

Monday : Roasted Chicken Carbonara

Tuesday : Tomato Basil Soup & Grilled Cheese

Wednesday : Chicken with Olives and Angel Hair

Thursday : Thai Steak Noodle Salad & Shrimp Spring Rolls

Friday : Dinner Out... I'm thinking Mexican!

Saturday Morning : Banana Pecan Pancakes (Dinner Out)

Sunday : Pan Seared Lemon Garlic Chicken & Chocolate Cream Pie with Pecan Shortbread Crust

DIY Flower Arrangments for Emma's Baptism | Spring Inspired Blush Pink Hydrangea, Parrot Tullips, White Lilac & Hyacinth

2012-02-16T07:39:00.000-08:00

Flower Arranging 101

the art to making it easy

I love arranging flowers. I think it is something that anyone can do - because the style that I like the simpler the better. I don't think flowers should be contrived or stark. I think they should be bountiful and sweet - just as they would (should) grow, with natural bending lines and movement.

Floral arranging looks like it should be easy because the best arrangements are those that look natural. However, it is not always so easy to make flowers look 'natural'... there are a couple of tricks to learn.

I've mentioned before how my Aunt Joanie was a cake decorator and how she would let us 'help' her decorate cakes. Her sister, my Aunt Phyllis is a florist. She used to also let us 'help' her when she had large jobs and weddings. We would get to tie bows (it was the late 80's and early 90's... there were lots of bows) and prep roses by pulling the leaves off of the stems. Phyllis is one of those people that has an eye and a hand for artistry. She has a knack for creating a natural looking arrangement - tweaking the placement of a rose here, maybe a branch of greenery there to add interest and natural movement.

When I was first starting out as an event designer, I went back to Phyllis for a little floral training - as an adult. She taught me some of the tricks to shaping a bouquet, keeping it fresh, and how to look at each flower's shape to determine where it should be placed for the most appealing look.

I put together (or I attempted to...) a little step-by-step for the arrangements I created for Emma's Baptism :

1) Start by getting all of my flowers prepped - taking off all of the foliage off of the stems - or most.
2) Gather your vessels to determine shape and size. Fill them with clean, cool water. Here, we're using coffee cups for the mini arrangements that will go down each table and a larger white urn that will be used on the Alter, then brought down for the buffet centerpiece.

3) Pile all of your flowers up - blooms out - to see how they look together. Edit from here - then you know exactly what you're working with.
Pictured Left to Right :
-Pink Parrot Tulips
-Pink Hyacinth
-Pink Ranunculous
-Pink Tulips

In the Vase (not in the photo here)
-Blush Pink Hydrangea
-Cream Garden Roses
-White Lilac (on the table)

4) Start with the branches - they will help to determine the shape, as well as create stability for each bloom as you place it in the vase.

Then... I got carried away. I got so into it that I forgot to take more step-by-step photos! So...

The finished product! Here is how I got there :

5) Hydrangeas - they will create most of the fullness.
6) Garden Roses - place them in the holes between the hydrangeas
7) Lilac - place them in groups of three. I like these at the base of the arrangement because they bend nicely. Be sure to stick a couple in at the top just off center because they will add nice height.
8) Tulips - place these in groups of two and three. I also like these bending down around the base.
9) Ranunculous - fill in with whimsy. These should look a little random as they peek up through the flowers.

For the smaller arrangements that went on the tables. I like the use of coffee cups vs. traditional vases because it lends a little casual touch - I didn't want anyone to think this was a stuffy affair... just a family brunch! I've been known to use cereal bowls, pitchers, drinking glasses... whatever I can find that I like the shape of.

I made little hand arrangements and divided up the flowers until they were full. There is not much to these! I finished with a couple of magnolia leaves for contrast.

Emma was a great helper (because she slept almost the entire time!). She even put on her overalls for the big job. Don't you love that knit hat?

The finished product...

Click here to see more details about the brunch!

Emma's Baptism | Emma's Heirloom Christening Gown & Handmade Slippers | Quality Time with her Dad

2012-02-14T06:40:00.000-08:00

Emma was baptized a couple of weeks ago at my family's church back home. After what seemed like a whirlwind of a morning (yes... these days getting everyone ready for church and brunch is our definition of whirlwind - my how things of changed!) we returned back to my parents' house exhausted. Just as we were getting ready to change Emma into something more comfy to wear for the afternoon, I realized I hadn't gotten any photos of her - just her by herself in her pretty outfit.

Yes, I had gotten groups of family members holding her, us standing at the alter, closeups of the cinnamon rolls and whoopie pies, but somehow I forgot to take photos of her. Humph. Here is a series of shots I captured of the newly baptized baby laughing at her Dad. This is the good stuff. If I were tweeting this it'd have a tag like #InbetweenTheBigMoments.

This dress was made by my Grandma's sister, Erma for my Dad's Baptism 50+ (wink, wink...) years ago. My sister, her daughter Sam and I wore it also.

I love the hem lace detail on the bottom - so delicate and elegant. These booties were made by one of Mike's Mom's friends. They are amazing.

Emma's Baptism | Homemade Cinnamon Rolls, Spring Inspired Pink Flowers

2012-02-12T20:50:00.000-08:00

Click here for more details on Emma's Family Heirloom Dress & Booties!

You might remember that a couple of weeks ago I mentioned we would be going back home for Emma's baptism and to introduce her to everyone. After weeks of planning, packing, shopping, reading traveling with baby tips, packing, decorating sugar cookies, doing laundry, packing, coordinating schedules and more packing, we made it there and back. Whew. During our trip we hit all of our favorite hot spots in KC, had dinner with friends, visits with neighbors and Emma's baptism. Double whew. We were gone a week. We packed for a month.

Emma and here Moo-Moo.

My Mom and I teamed up to put together a brunch for our family at the church for after the service on Sunday morning. And when I say 'teamed up' I mean my Mom did most (ok, a vast majority) of the work ahead of time and I showed up the day before with cookies and flowers.

She made cinnamon rolls from scratch, three of my favorite kinds of quiche (no store-bought pie crusts for her!) and got everything arranged at the church for the service and brunch. If you've hosted a family dinner for 35 people + kids, then you know this not a task for the weak or weary.

As you can imagine, it is not easy to team up with me when hosting a party. Like any insane party planner, I have definite ideas about everything from the cocktail napkins to the placement of the Mac N' Cheese on the buffet. I'm a nut when it comes to parties. If I have a vision, I can't let it go.

Thank you, Mom, for tolerating my 'quirky' (read : crazy) desires (read : demands) and making Emma's baptism so beautiful and special.

We hosted brunch "immediately following" the service in the church basement - old school style. My Mom was shocked that I wanted to have the brunch there in the basement of the church. I actually loved the idea of celebrating where we grew up having Easter breakfast, the Christmas Carol Sing-a-long and Sunday School every week.

Our church is a small church in a small town - it has a real sense of warmth and community within its walls. The families that belong there have been going to the church for generations, nurturing its traditions. The instant I walk into the basement I get hit by the nostalgia of growing up in such a community - rehearsals for Christmas pageants, confirmation classes every Wednesday night and vacation bible school.

On the menu : Quiche (3 varieties), Honey Baked Ham, Spinach & Strawberry Salad, Baked Mac N Cheese, Cinnamon Rolls, Red Velvet Whoopie Pies, Cherry Almond Cupcakes & Sugar Cookie Favors

On each table we placed casual coffee cup arrangements of garden roses, renunculous, hyacinth, magnolia leaves and tulips. More flower details later this week with DIY (here it is - the link to the DIY Flower Arrangements!).

Strawberry & Spinach salad with a poppy seed dressing and pecans.

Red Velvet Whoopie Pies

My Mom's Cinnamon Rolls with Pecans & Caramel

Cherry Almond Cupcakes

Blush Pink Hydrangea, White Lilac, Quince Branches, Tulips and Garden Roses - More flower details and DIY coming later this week!

The dessert display

Sugar Cookie Favors

My family : )

Us with Emma's sponsors... and Sam!

Me, Emma & my Grandma Steffens

Sam tickling the ivories during brunch.

Cousin Sammy enjoying brunch with his mom, Meagan.

Cousin Ava loving the macaroni and cheese!

My Aunt Phyllis (who trained me in floral arranging - details here!) and my Godmother (one of them) holding Emma

Heart Shaped French Toast for Valentine's Day... Coincidence or a Valentine's Day Miracle?

2012-02-12T08:31:00.000-08:00

Heart-Shaped French Toast

a valentine's day coincidence...?

A couple of weeks ago I baked a loaf of 'homemade' (aka home-baked rhodes frozen bread dough) that happened to turn out a little odd shaped. I didn't realize that it was heart-shaped until I sliced it... could it be a Valentine's miracle? Sure. I'll take it.

I decided to photograph it at the last minute - too good to pass up. Unfortunately, I don't know how to tell you to duplicate my heart-shape mishap. I can tell you that the homemade bread makes amazing french toast. No real recipe - bread, milk, eggs, dash of vanilla (credit : gibby...) and fried in butter. Perhaps it will inspire your Valentine's Day breakfast in bed?

What are your Valentine's Day plans? Mike and I don't typically buy each other gifts for these sort of holidays - usually a special dinner in or out. I think this year, since it is on a Tuesday night I'll fix him his favorites. Probably something like Steak, Truffle Pasta and Chocolate cake. Even though I just made the exact thing for his birthday 2 months ago... he's a man of routine!

*Behind the Scenes Scoop : Notice the not-so-fine dusting of powdered sugar. It is actually flour... I discovered after I shot the photos and took a bite. Oops.

Valentine's Day Dinner Idea #2 : Lobster Mac and Cheese & Chocolate Molten Cakes

2012-02-10T12:59:00.000-08:00

I want my own!
no sharing required
I know it might sound romantic to share a dinner, or (gasp...) a dessert on Valentine's Day. But, having your very own individual dinner and dessert is even better. These recipes, Lobster Mac and Cheese and Chocolate Molten Cakes are the perfect make ahead, individual, single-serving recipes to make for those of us who want our own dessert! Oh, and if you happen to hosting a Valentine's Day party, this is a great menu because everything can be made ahead of time. Come to think of it, as Valentine's Day is on a Tuesday this year, this would be great to prepare the night before so it is ready to go when you get home from work ready to celebrate with your sweetie.

Valentine's Day Menu Idea | Fireside Beef Bourguignon & Smores with Homemade Heart Marshmallows

2012-02-09T06:42:00.000-08:00

Fireside Beef Bourguignon & S'mores
with Homemade Heart Marshmallows

We got engaged two (short!) years ago on a ski vacation in Aspen. It was such a romantic vacation - we had cozy little dinners at bistros in the village, spent the days skiing and even a real horse drawn sleigh-ride through the woods on the back side of Aspen Mountain.

One of my favorite parts of the trip was our fireside lunch at Cloud 9 Bistro. It is a tiny ski-in little cabin halfway down Aspen Highlands Mountain with only a couple of tables and a roaring fire. Can you imagine anything better than skiing into a rustic cabin and enjoying steaming hot chocolate and French stew in front of a roaring fire? I'm getting warm fuzzies just thinking about it... Here is a link to the post about our entire trip to Aspen. Warning : pre-quality camera photos.

This menu of Beef Bourguingon & S'mores reminds me of that little lunch at Cloud 9 - except it is better because you can enjoy this dinner from the comfort of your own fireplace. The best part about this menu is that you only have to make two things - the stew and marshmallows. And really, you don't even have to make the marshmallows - so many bakeries are making them now, or you can rely on the ole' bag from the grocery store. Either way they will be delicious.

Be sure to follow me on Pinterest, Twitter & Facebook to keep updated on all of my posts!

Shrimp Scallop Parchment Packets with Lemon, Chive & Potatoes

2012-02-08T12:14:00.000-08:00

Shrimp & Scallops in Parchment
with Lemon, Chive & Potatoes

*This recipe was featured in a blog post I wrote for the Humana's Real For Me website. Click here to get the recipe.

When I'm hosting a dinner party I love when everything is made individually - it is so much easier to prepare portions rather than just guess how much everyone will take. These Shrimp & Scallop Parchment Packets are such an elegant solution to a dinner party. Your guests will be thrilled to have their very own package to open for dinner - and it is fun to have something so rustic looking contain an elegant, fresh and flavorful dinner.

Each packet contains sliced potatoes, bay scallops, jumbo shrimp, lemon, garlic, chive and butter... an entire meal! The lemon and garlic create an amazing aroma in the kitchen while they are baking in the oven. Your guests will be shocked to find such a wonderful meal wrapped in such a cute package.

The contents before cooking... You can experiment with different combination of things you love.

Be sure to follow me on Pinterest, Twitter & Facebook to keep updated on all of my posts!

Valentines Day Table Setting | Simple Hyacinth Place Setting & Centerpiece

2012-02-04T08:59:00.000-08:00

Maybe you're hosting a Wedding or Bridal Shower? Or maybe you'd like to have your friends over for a Ladies Only Valentine's Day Party? This table setting is perfect for an Elegant Winter brunch or a Ladies Luncheon.

Light & Sweet Table Setting

Powder Blue Gold Rimmed Anna Wheatherly China Plate

Pewter Flatware

Rustic Wine Glasses & Elegant Water Glasses

Pale Pink Hyacinth Centerpiece in Water Glass "Vase"

Planted White Hyacinth Favor in a Stone Pot tied with Twine

White Hemstitch Linens

White Pillar Candles in Glass Hurricanes

I got the hyacinth from the grocery store and put them in simple clear drinking glasses... beautiful flowers don't need much more than that!

It is so fun to receive a gift when you go to a party... even better when you actually like it! I LOVE potted flowers. I love to have them in my home, on my porch, in my bedroom - especially sweet hyacinth that remind me that Spring is just around the corner. I planted these (I got them for $3 from the grocery store) in petite stone pots that have a chalkboard finish. I think you could mimic the pots finish easily... anyone out there that wants to do a DIY?

DIY | Be Mine Valentine's Day Wrapping Paper | Free Printable Paper Template

2012-02-03T09:00:00.000-08:00

DIY : Be Mine Wrapping Paper
for Valentine's Day

You can make this Valentine's Day Wrapping Paper by printing out sheets of my Be Mine little labels. It is perfect for a small box of cookies (as it is on a sheet of regular paper). For this larger box, I used two sheets of paper together strategically placed at the seems.

For the printable download and more uses for the paper, click here!

For the printable download and more free labels, click here!

Valentine's Day Cheese Cake | Vanilla Bean Cheesecake with Strawberries

2012-02-02T09:26:00.000-08:00

Let the Vanilla Bean obsession continue...

I warned you. I'm on a kick. I'm on a Vanilla Bean kick. A Vanilla Bean and a dessert kick. My post-prego sugar cravings are insane - much more so than when I was pregnant. I'm trying to balance them with healthy dinners, but I can't kick the insane need that I have for dessert at the end of every day.

Last night I asked Mike 4-5 times what kind of sweet treat he'd like after dinner. He'd say, "Oh, I don't need anything" or "I don't care - whatever you want, I'm not really craving anything." Ugh. What I wanted him to say was, "Will you please fix me a chocolate cake! I'm starving for a chocolate cake!" Then I would have to make him a cake and I'd have to have a piece before bed. And for breakfast. And as a mid-day snack.

Anyway... so, here is the 30th dessert post of the month. Not really 30th, but pretty darn close. My blog seems to have been taken over by them. I made this Vanilla Bean Cheesecake on Thursday - oh, AND I did go ahead and make Mike (ok, myself...) that chocolate cake last night, too. Did I say my blog has been taken over by dessert? I meant my life.

I decided to put a Valentine's Day spin on this cheesecake by putting strawberries on top in the shape of a heart. You can do this with raspberries, too, or not at all.

Vanilla Bean Cheesecake
serves 6

Crust :
8 graham crackers
4 tablespoons of butter

2 blocks of 8oz cream cheese, room temperature
3/4 cup of sugar
2 eggs
1/4 cup of sour cream
1 tablespoon of vanilla bean paste or the seeds from 1 vanilla bean

Prepare the crust by breaking the graham crackers into crumbs by hand or in a food processor. Melt butter and stir into graham crumbles with a fork. Pack the mixture into a tart pan packing it all the way up the sides. Bake at 350 degrees for 8 minutes.

For the filling, in a mixer, whip together cream cheese and sugar. Add eggs, sour cream and vanilla. Pour filling into the crust.

Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes, until slightly brown around the edges and no longer giggly. Allow to sit at room temperature for 1-2 hours, then wrap and refrigerate for 4 hours - overnight.

Football Watch Party Menu for "The Big Game" | Roundup!

2012-02-01T06:27:00.000-08:00

I'm going to take a brief departure from all of the Valentine's Day blogging to feature some of my past recipes that will be perfect for the Big Game this weekend. Interestingly enough, the menu for our watch party doesn't include any of the things listed - oops! I'll post some photos of our party later. For now, here is our menu for inspiration :

Chili with lots of Garnishes
Seven Layer Dip
Hot Wings
Some sort of dessert...

On to other ideas that might inspire your watch party :

Whoopie Pies shaped like Footballs - so easy and made from a cake mix. Football Whoopies Recipe >>

Pin It

Pulled Pork Sliders

Peanut Butter Brownies | Chewy, Chocolate Fudge & Peanut Butter Brownie Recipe

Creamy Spinach with Tortilla Chips

Truffle Brownies - If you're headed to a party, brownies are always welcome. Make yours a little special by making them from scratch - they are totally worth the extra effort.

If you really want a show-stopping dessert to bring to a party this weekend, make these Salted-Caramel Chocolate Cupcakes. They are really easy to make (starts with a cake mix...) and are really impressive.

German Chocolate Bars | Pecan & Coconut Cookie Bar with Brownie Bites | Dad's Birthday Package

Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies

Sliders : Mini Burgers Three Ways

Pizza Bread & Veggie "Pizza" Soup

Pigs in a Blanket with Mustard Dipping Sauce

Barbecue Ribs

Chocolate Cake with Warm Chocolate Icing

Meatball Subs

Peanut Butter Brownies | Chewy, Chocolate Fudge & Peanut Butter Brownie Recipe

Popcorn Cake with Peanut M&M's

Valentine's Day Guide | Crafts, Desserts, Recipes, Iced Cookies & Homemade Gifts

2012-01-31T13:47:00.000-08:00

Get all of my Valentine's Day ideas, recipes, crafts, DYI gifts, sugar cookies and downloads in one spot... my Valentine's Day Guide!

Vanilla Bean Paste | This will change your baking!

2012-01-31T11:41:00.000-08:00

Vanilla Bean Paste
a whole new level of vanilla

If you are like me and have been swooned by the warm, seductive flavor of real vanilla beans, then this will change your life. Well, at least your baking.

When I went to buy some vanilla beans at our local gourmet store it was $10 for two vanilla beans. Yikes. If you haven't noticed, I've been Vanilla Bean crazy lately... it was getting to be an expensive habit at $5 a pop. When I was browsing at Williams-Sonoma the other day, I spotted Vanilla Bean Paste. Huh? It is a thick, gel syrup that is packed full of real vanilla bean seeds. No scraping, no cutting the beans in half, these seeds are already harvested. The real kicker? $11 for the entire bottle. So, go ahead, use all you'd like. Add the power of real vanilla beans to coffee, whipped cream, sugar cookies, custard sauce, cheesecake, brownie mix... whatever will make your day!

Vanilla Bean Paste $11

Some of my favorite Vanilla Bean Recipes :

Meringues on Warm Vanilla Bean Custard

Vanilla Syrup | Vanilla Bean Simple Syrup

Vanilla Bean Cheesecake (link coming soon!)

Be Mine | Free Printable Tags for Valentine's Day

2012-01-31T09:58:00.000-08:00

Valentine's Day Gifts
Free Printable Gift Tags

Print these tags on cardstock (Paper-Source has the best selection) to make anything into a Valentines Day gift for your loved one.

I've created two versions of the tag - a large (pictured to the left) and a small (featured on the individual bags of cookies).

Here, I've attached the large label to a cellophane bag (again, Paper-Source has the best selection) of sugar cookies tied with twine (from TheTwinery.com... my new favorite resource!).

Pin It

To print, click here to visit the Valentines Downloads page.

Sugar Cookie Recipe

Valentine's Day Guide : All of my Valentine's Day Recipes, Desserts and Gifts

This is the large label - it prints as a single label per piece of paper. To print, click here to visit the Valentines Downloads page.

Paper-Source Cellophane Bags & TheTwinery.com Twine

These are the small "Be Mine" Labels - they print multiples on one sheet. To print, click here to visit the Valentines Downloads page.

Paper-Source Cream Cardstock (Cream Cover weight paper)

Here, I've cut out the smaller "Be Mine" labels into tags by snipping the corners and using a small hole punch. To print, click here to visit the Valentines Downloads page.

Sugar Cookie Recipe

Valentine's Day Guide : All of my Valentine's Day Recipes, Desserts and Gifts

Be sure to follow me on Pinterest, Twitter & Facebook to keep updated on all of my posts!

Chicken Tortilla Soup | Healthy Chicken & Vegetable Packed Mexican Soup

2012-01-30T10:47:00.000-08:00

Chicken Tortilla Soup

a healthy, veggie packed recipe

There are many different versions of Chicken Tortilla Soup out there. Most versions are called Chicken Tortilla Soup because the soup is thickened with corn tortillas that are softened in the broth, then pureed... my Chicken Tortilla Soup is not one of those versions. Not because I don't like those versions, but because I didn't want to get my blender out and because I was looking to make a healthier version. So... I'm calling my soup Chicken Tortilla Soup because it reminds me of those soups, but in reality it is more like a Mexican Chicken & Vegetable Soup. And it is good. Really good.

When I am making an effort to be healthy I don't like to limit myself from things I like (dessert, cheese, chocolate, pizza, pasta...), instead, I add things that are more healthy like extra fruits and veggies. This soup helps me do that. It is full of vegetables (carrots, tomatoes, spinach...) and roasted chicken, but it still has a just enough of the 'good' stuff (and by 'good' stuff I mean 'not-so-good' stuff : sour cream, avocado and cheese) to make it satisfying. It is a chunky, vegetable packed soup that is full of flavor. If you do want to make it really healthy, skip the garnishes.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

a healthy, veggie packed recipe

1 pound of chicken breasts
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 tablespoon of taco seasoning

2 tablespoons of olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, minced
4 carrots, large dice
1 (10 oz.) can of Rotel (tomatoes with Green Chiles)
1 (32 oz) can of whole tomatoes
1 quart of chicken stock
4 cups of spinach
4 green onions, diced
Sea Salt & Cracked Pepper
1/4 cup of heavy cream (optional)

Garnishes :
Sour Cream
Avocado
Tortilla Chips
Green Onion

Roast Chicken :
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. On a baking sheet, place chicken breasts, then drizzle with olive oil. Season all sides with taco seasoning. Bake for 20+ minutes, depending on the size and thickness of the breasts.

Soup :
In a pot, cook garlic and carrots on medium heat for a couple of minutes. Add tomatoes, rotel and chicken stock. Season with salt and pepper, if needed. Bring to a simmer. Add spinach. Cook the soup for 10 minutes until the flavors are well combined. Finish the soup with heavy cream to add richness (optional).

When the chicken has cooked completely, shred it with a fork. Place the chicken into the soup. Serve hot with garnishes.

Valentine's Day Sugar Cookies | Heart Cookies for Emma's Baptism

2012-01-28T05:48:00.000-08:00

my cookie decorating helper... snoozing on the job

Emma's Baptism Cookies

Emma is making her first trip back to Kansas City next week... on the outside, anyway. While we are there she is going to be baptized at my family's Church in Lexington. She'll be wearing the same Christening gown that my Dad, my sister and I wore - in the same Church at which we were baptized. It is a beautifully simple gown that was handmade... by someone. I'll have to find out who - I'm sure my Grandma will be able to fill me in.

After the service, we will be hosting a brunch for our family. I'm thrilled to actually get to plan a party! Since we've moved to Boston I've done a lot of writing about planning parties, but I haven't gotten to plan nearly as many as I did when I was an event planner and caterer in Kansas City. While I don't miss loading and unloading platters, flowers and linens from my car, I do miss the excitement of envisioning then executing an event. Anytime I start to plan a party my head starts spinning with florals, whimsical desserts, linens, color schemes... really fun for someone like me. There is nothing that quite gets me going like planning a party.

For Emma's Baptism Brunch, I'll have limited time and resources as it will be held in the church... and I will be jumping from Moo-Moo's to Mi-Mi's (the grandmas...) so, I've prepared some sugar cookies ahead of time. I decided that a heart theme would be appropriate since it is so close to Valentines Day. Still in the 'hand-stitched' mode from the Holidays, I made the cookies to look like an embroidery sampler with an eclectic mix of shapes and patterns. I modeled the different patterns off of the various dresses and outfits of hers that I love.

Here's a link to my Sugar Cookie (and more Valentine's Day Cookies...) recipe!

My decorating area... when I decorate sugar cookies it takes over my entire kitchen. It is quite the project.

I just made 'dots' to form the clusters of roses, then used a pastry bag snipped at an angle to create the leaves. I think this is a cleaner, more modern way of creating that classic rosebud icing decoration that we're used to seeing on cakes.

I packed up the cookies in ziplock bags for the freezer to keep them fresh. I'm going to check them in my suitcase at the airport... fingers crossed that most of them will arrive in one piece!

Here's a link to my Sugar Cookie (and more Valentine's Day Cookies...) recipe!

For simple packaging ideas and Free Downloadable Labels and Tags, click here!

Meringues on Warm Vanilla Bean Custard with Raspberries | Valentine's Day Dessert

2012-01-25T10:20:00.000-08:00

The obvious choice for Valentine's Day is chocolate. Creamy, smooth and fluffy meringues served on warm Vanilla Bean Custard will be a welcome surprise to your sweetheart.

Meringues on Warm Vanilla Bean Custard
with Raspberries

2 egg yolks
1 cup of light cream
1/4 cup of sugar
1 vanilla bean
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

2 egg whites
1/2 cup of sugar
1 pinch of cream of tarter

1 pint of Berries for serving

To make vanilla cream, whisk together egg yolks, cream, 1/4 cup of sugar, seeds from one vanilla bean and vanilla extract. Cook over low heat for 8-10 minutes, stirring constantly until it thickens slightly. Remove from heat and set aside.

To make meringues, in the top bowl of a double boiler (glass bowl sitting on a sauce pan with simmering water), whisk together egg whites, sugar and cream of tarter. Cook mixture in the double boiler over medium low heat for 3-5 minutes, or until sugar has dissolved. If you rub the mixture between your fingers, you should be able to tell if the sugar has dissolved.

Transfer the mixture to your mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whisk on high for 7-10 minutes. The mixture will cool and froth into a thick meringue as it whips.

Dollop a scoop of the mixture onto each dessert plate shaping them into hearts. You may use a pastry bag to make the heart shapes more perfect. Toast the meringues with a mini torch, or place them on a baking sheet and toast them in the oven under the broiler for 1-2 minutes. Pour vanilla cream (still warm, or heated in the microwave) around clouds and top with berries.

Lobster Bisque | Easy Creamy Seafood Bisque Recipe

2012-01-23T07:48:00.000-08:00

In New England almost every restaurant has a Lobster Bisque on the menu. Some are great - luscious, creamy soups filled with large chunks of claw meat. Others are thin, flavorless and without any actual lobster meat. After a few disappointing restaurant experiences with Lobster Bisque I started asking servers to describe their bisque - is there actually lobster meat in it? creamy? but not thick and goopy... right?

I made this for lunch after a seafood feast from the night before, making use of our shells to make the stock. Seafood stock is really very easy to make. You are basically just boiling the shells!

Lobster Bisque
smooth, creamy seafood soup

6 tablespoons of butter
1/2 cup of flour
2 teaspoons of old bay seasoning
2 cups of Seafood Stock (homemade, see below)
6 cups of milk
2 tablespoons of tomato paste
sea salt and pepper
1 pound of lobster, crab or shrimp (or combination), torn or cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1/2 cup of heavy cream
chives

In a saucepan, melt butter on medium heat. Whisk in flour and old bay, continue stirring for 1 minute. Add seafood stock and continue to whisk over medium heat until smooth. Add milk and tomato paste. Cook on medium for 10 minutes, until the soup begins to thicken, stirring periodically to make sure the soup doesn't burn! Lower the heat. Continue to cook until the desired thickness is achieved. Season with salt and pepper as needed. Add lobster, crab or shrimp and heavy cream. Garnish with a dash of old bay, chives, and a drizzle of heavy cream.

Homemade Seafood Stock
making use of shells

water
seafood shells (lobster, crab or shrimp)
black peppercorns
sea salt
onion, quartered
garlic head, cut in half

In a large pot of water, boil seafood shells, peppercorns, sea salt, onion and garlic for 30 minutes until it has reduced. Reserve liquid from other debris (shells, garlic, peppercorns, etc.).

Ottoman Tutorial | DIY Ottoman $50 | Emma's Nursery

2012-01-20T05:58:00.000-08:00

I do not hesitate to invest in furniture pieces that will last a lifetime. Somethings, however, I can't stand to spend money on. For Emma's nursery (to see all of the photos, click here!), we spent our money on the Crib and Chair. I knew I would need a high quality and comfortable chair, and we selected a classic crib that will never go out of style so I didn't mind spending the money on those two items.

When we went to order the ottoman that went along with the rocker/glider from Pottery Barn Kids, I was shocked that it was almost $450! For a little padded box? I just couldn't do it. So, Mike and I set out on a mission to create our own matching ottoman. With great success we created a perfectly suited version for less than $50. We were so excited that we made a coffee table version for our living room, too.

DIY Ottoman Materials :

Plywood
Screws
4" Foam Pad
Batting
Soft Wool Batting
Staple Gun & Staples
Cream Twill
4 Furniture Legs

Here is the photo DIY :

Mike made a box out of plywood screwed together.

We topped it with a 4" piece of foam.

Then covered the entire top and sides with batting, stapling it underneath.

We turned the box over, foam side down to cover the box.

We repeated the step with a soft wool batting for a smooth finish under the final twill upholstery fabric.

I covered the entire thing in a cream twill upholstery that I ordered from Pottery Barn to match the chair. I created the cover by draping the fabric inside out, then tapering the sides with pins. Then I sewed seems down the sides and where the pins were to create a tight slip cover. I trimmed the excess and then stapled it underneath. To finish, I glued a square of fabric on the underside of the ottoman for a finished look.

Here you can see how I pinned down the sides to create a tight slipcover.

To complete, just attach furniture legs. We bought legs and the mounts at Home Depot for about $15 total... I'm still trying to decide if I like the legs we selected, or if I want something chunkier. They have many other choices there. After I decide, then I'll need to decide if I want to paint or stain them... or leave them natural. Never ends! I'll keep you posted on how I finish them!