Cookie Exchange 2011: The Menu

A few weeks back, I posted my menu inspiration for my annual cookie exchange.  I am going to definitely give a few of those ideas a whirl, but attempt to keep things simple at the same time.  Last year I planned my menu, but since I was induced two days after the cookie exchange, I never did a recap of the event.  And in all honesty, I have no idea what I even made...I have a few guesses, but no concrete idea.

So, without further ado, here is the planned menu for Saturday night!

• Cheese and grape tray
• Spinach dip with pumpernickel bread
• Tortilla roll-ups
• Stuffed mushrooms
• Buffalo chicken dip
• Veggie pizza
• Assorted beverages
• Hot chocolate bar

I will be back tomorrow with our agenda for the rest of the week, which includes our cleaning list and decor ideas!

Father's Day Cook Out

For Father's Day, we wanted to celebrate with our families and try out C's smoker at the same time. We bought some pork butts, gave them a good dry rub (that sounds dirty), and tossed them on the smoker in the morning. We served them with some cheesy potatoes, pasta and fruit salad, and lots of dessert, followed by some s'mores! I only got a few pictures of the set-up, but it was an excellent afternoon and evening and we had beautiful weather!

 We kept the Exersaucer outside so Logan could be entertained.  Pointless, because everyone pretty much held him the entire time.

 We spent a lot of time deciding on what Logan should wear for the picnic.  He had no Daddy or Grandpa themed shirts or outfits with shorts, so we went with this.  And Chuck wanted to match.  Here are my boys, posing as twins:

 

Me and my little man, who was refusing to look at the camera:

Menu Help Needed

I have two big events that I will be planning in the spring. The first is Logan's Baptism, which is on March 20. The second will be Easter, which we also hosted last year. Oh and I will be having my girlfriends over for a Valentine's Day dinner like I did last year!

So, my blogger friends, I have a request.

Help me plan my menu.

I did a very traditional Easter menu last year. Ham, potato salad, glazed carrots, baked ziti...I need to change it up this year. I will probably make a ham again and honestly, my mom will bring potato salad because I FREAKING LOVE IT. But I need a few new side dishes.

As for the Baptism...anyone?? I am starting with a blank canvas!

Cookie Exchange 2010: The Menu

Well, our invitations have been sent, so now it is time for my favorite part of party-planning!

Planning the menu!

Since I will be 39 weeks pregnant at my party (or lets face it, a new mom because it COULD HAPPEN), I am keeping it simple this year.

Or, that is the plan right now. But who am I kidding? That never happens. Last year's menu ended up being completely different than what I planned originally, which was just fine. I changed things up as I came across recipes I wanted to try or things I didn't have the ingredients for.

Since the party starts at 7, I focus on appetizers and drinks instead of a meal. Here is what I plan on making this year:

• White bean dip served with crudite
• Sausage cups
• Caprese skewers...red, green and white!
• Fruit salsa with cinnamon baked pita chips
• Tortilla spirals
• Hot chocolate and coffee bar
• Assorted sodas and beverages
• Plenty of cookies!

For right now, that is what I have planned. I am sure I will be making some changes and I will update as the next two weeks go along. I am going to spend some time perusing my cookbooks to see if anything strikes my fancy.

Next step? The decor! Stay tuned until next week's update!

Meals for New Parents

My friend J and her husband just welcomed a new baby girl to their family last week. And because I am Italian and we celebrate with food, I brought them over a complete meal to enjoy and to take the stress off of them a little bit!


When bringing meals to new parents, I try to keep it simple for them to reheat, as well as possibly freezable (in case they already have a ton of meals prepared or brought to them). Be sure to include reheating instructions, if necessary, and I am always sure to include dessert!


For these new parents, I had to think outside the box a little, because J's husband is lactose intolerant. So, I went with:

• Sausage and peppers (made in the crockpot), with hoagie buns and mozzarella cheese for J to put on her sandwich.
• Oven-roasted red potatoes
• Salad mix
• Rice Krispie Treats

Here they are, all packaged up with pink ribbon:

And here is a picture of me with baby Ellie!

Easter Menu

I have been hemming and hawing over what to cook for Easter. At my cookie exchange party, I volunteered to host Easter for BOTH sides of our family. Our final count is 16 (instead of the over 20 that I originally thought) and I have been at a loss as to what to make. I find Easter to be a "random" holiday in the way of food, with the traditional heavy side dishes being given to the winter holidays. If we were having a brunch, I would find this a much easier event to handle. But, we must overcome our obstacles, even if that is planning a stupid menu.

So, here is our menu:

Appetizers:
Assorted beverages
Deviled eggs
Cheese, cracker and fruit plate

2 PM Early Easter Dinner:
Ham served with honey rolls
Baked ziti
Potato salad (brought by Mom)
Salad with spring greens and spicy pecans (brought by C's mom)
Corn casserole (I have no idea what this is...my aunt is bringing it)
Honey glazed carrots
Roasted asparagus

Dessert:
Strawberry angel food cake dessert (brought by my aunt)
Carrot cake with cream cheese frosting
Lemon tartlets
Iced sugar cookies
Coffee and tea

Spring Ahead Dinner Party

Here in Cleveland, the moment the temperature breaks through 40 degrees, it means spring is in the air!  And what better thing to do in the warm (relatively-speaking) weather than have friends over to grill!   Unfortunately, the temperature dropped and it was pouring, so we had to stay inside and couldn't even enjoy some drinks on the patio.

For this weekend's simple dinner party, simple linens and bright flowers bring the freshness that the winter was lacking into the dining room.  And this is apparently the last time I will be using this tablecloth because it is too small for my new table :(  

Menu:

Assorted beer and wine

White bean dip with crunchy sunflower baguette and vegetables

Beer bread and chipotle dip

Marinated London Broil

Asparagus sauteed with olive oil and garlic

Roasted new potatoes with parsely

Berries and Bits trifle for dessert

Upcoming Events

Since I am home sick, curled up in front of daytime TV and drinking tea, I decided to post a few events that will be coming up in the next few weeks (ok, maybe even months...can't hurt to get an early start!)

First, we have our Relay for Life Partylite fundraiser.  We are big Partylite fans (and after trying MANY other brands, they really do burn the best and leave the least soot on my candle holders) and when we host a party for our team, the hostess credits are used to purchase items to make a basket to raffle off at the actual Relay.

So I am hosting the Partylite party and another friend will be hosting a Pampered Chef party in a few months.  My party is Friday, March 5 and I have decided to do a St. Patrick's Day theme!  Think mint, green, corned beef?  Anyway, I will keep you posted on my menu for that as the time draws near!

And for my next HUGE event...Easter Sunday dinner for BOTH sides of the family!  It is looking like we will have around 24 people at our house...YIKES!  

Valentine's Day Dinner Party: Menu

Our Valentine's Day dinner party is quickly approaching!  I was stuck in a meeting until after 5 today, and by the time I got home, it was dinner time and time for my daily household chores.  I am going to play catch up on my cleaning tomorrow, but I was able to finalize our menu for Saturday!  The girls are all bringing something, so here is what I will be preparing:

As guests arrive:

Flirtinis

Chocolate covered strawberries

Appetizers:

Being brought by friends.  I will have a crudite platter out.

Main Course:

Italian Salad 

Soft garlic knots

Spaghetti with artichokes and tomatoes

Dessert:

Sugar cookie hearts  (I will also use these as placecards)

Red velvet cupcakes

Another dessert being brought by a friend

New Year's Pajama Party

We are hosting New Year's Eve this year for a few of our friends and their children. We are not getting the party started until 8, so we are doing a selection of appetizers. Our kids are actually with their mother this year, but we will have a few kids under the age of 4 here. So, here is our menu which is hopefully kid-friendly (and adult-approved!):

Hot chocolate bar with all the toppings (including peppermint schnapps for the adults)

Assorted drinks, beer and wine

Mini twice-baked potatoes

Mini Crescent dogs

Baked reuben dip with rye toasts

Taco dip with tortilla chips

Beer cheese dip (brought by a friend)

Sweet and sour kielbasa bites (brought by a friend)

What are your New Year's Eve plans? What about your menu for New Year's Day? Stay tuned for our New Year's Day menu, focusing on traditional "good luck" foods to ring in the 2010!

Light and Simple Lunch-on-the-Go

A good friend of mine recently had surgery after moving into a new townhouse. I took this opportunity over break to not only see her new house but to bring her a yummy and light lunch!

I packed up and brought over to her house:

Cranberry-Orange scones

Chicken Salad on Honey Wheat Sandwich Buns

Mandarin Orange and Cranberry Salad with poppyseed dressing

It was a great way to spend the afternoon and her house is lovely! I also brought her a Home Depot giftcard; as new homeowners ourselves, we know how much that will come in handy!

Chicken Salad with Grapes and Pecans

(I did not measure anything, so I am taking my best guess for the mayo and mustard.)

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, poached in chicken broth and cubed

Small bunch grapes (I used black because they were on sale), cut into thirds

2 stalks celery, thinly sliced

1/2 C chopped pecans

2 tbsp Dijon mustard

1/2-1 C light mayo

Salt and Pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients together and serve on Honey Wheat Sandwich Buns. Add more mayo and mustard to your liking!