{Halloween 2015} My First Costume For This Year, And Our Annual Halloween Party

{living}&{making}

Halloween Party 2015 

This year we ended up having our annual Halloween party really early in the month because of scheduling conflicts closer to Halloween.  Which at first I didn't really want to have it that early, but once it was pretty clear that that was probably the best time for it and I got thinking about it a little more, I realized actually was going to work out really well for this year in more ways than one. Of course first of all it being a day that had fewer conflicts for people, but also I realized I kind of liked the idea of having a little more time between the party and Halloween night this year since I was doing two completely different costumes and themes for the two. (It's kind of a long story about why I'm doing 2 this year and I already talked about it in my last post, so I won't go into it again here really, but if you didn't already hear about it and are dying to know, you can check out my last post). I'm going to hold onto the "mystery" a little bit longer for my second costume and candy display theme (I tend to go a little over board with the idea of leaving out a bowl of candy for trick or treaters while we are out trick or treating and do a whole themed display the end of our walkway....), but today I'm going to share some pictures from the party and of the first round of costumes for my hubster and I.

The party's theme was Day Of The Dead (Which kind of made it even stranger to have it so early since The Day of the Dead is actually November 1st.... but like I said scheduling conflicts) While I don't have any Mexican blood in me (and neither does my husband as far as he knows, even though he's often mistaken for Mexican - even by Mexicans) we both have a soft spot for Mexico because of time we spent there in our younger days (not together, this was long before we knew each other) and I'm always down for a good Fiesta that reminds me of Mexico.  And then of course Day of the Dead stuff has become really popular the last couple years, so it seemed like good timing. 

The majority of the decorations for the party were tissue paper flowers in various sizes and colors, along with some skulls, sombreros, and cut paper bunting.  For food we just did frozen "Mexican" foods (mini beef and cheese tacos and chicken and cheese taquitos) along with tortilla chips and salsa and fruit salad. (the party was in the afternoon so I went a little lighter on the food than normal) for dessert there were cupcakes and decorate your own skeleton cookies, and of course we had Mexican cokes and Jarritos to drink (well and water of course lol)....

And so of course to go with the party JD and I needed Sugar skull costumes to go with the party theme.  And I have to say I really liked how they turned out! (he made his himself.....)

The corset on mine is actually a purple striped corset that I found at Goodwill for like $5 that I'm wearing inside out so that it's solid black (I actually think I've worn it more inside out than right side out and it's a little big on me really, but for $5 I can't complain) I used adhesive vinyl for the ribcage so that I can remove them with out damaging the corset.  The white dress is one I already had that worked perfectly and I made the tutu skirt myself by tying strips of different colored tulle on elastic.  JD made his shirt by laying a Dollar Tree skeleton decoration on the shirt and then spray painting around the edges of it.  And yes his mask is a Storm Trooper mask, decorated sugar skull style.....

My accesories included a headband with flowers and a mini sombrero, a skeleton hand necklace that I made, a pretty fan from Dollar Tree, lace mitts, and a bracelet of skeleton cameos (I know you can't see it terribly well in any of the pictures, but it was really cool) I was going to paint my face myself but I ended up running out of time so I used some temporary tattoos my mom had gotten (although I messed up the eye part on one of the eyes (not to self take the plastic cover sheet off of the tattoo before trying to stick it to your face) so I had to kind of change how they went to use what I had left....)

So now that we have one "Halloween" out of the way I have plenty of time to work on my second costume and get ready for "real" Halloween...... lots of fun to come.......

Long time no see......... {or should I say blog}

{living}

Wow...... um so yeah, I can't believe it's been over 3 months since I've posted anything..... and I had been doing so good too...... I actually even had a couple posts that were almost ready to go near the end of June, but then real life got in the way.  I feel I'm saying this more and more lately, but summer really flew by!  Now that Autumn is here though I'm trying to get back into the activities and routines that I really want to be doing (and blogging about...). We didn't even have Theme Food Week any this summer (definitely need to get back into the swing of that this month).  I have been working on a 1:48 scale Christmas Tea Room at the North Pole Dollhouse, which I'll be doing a post about here soon when I finish up the last couple little things that need to be done on it.

I'm getting really excited for Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas too, along with cooler weather and falling, brightly colored leaves, and pumpkins, and pumpkin flavored everything..... We've actually already had our annual Halloween party (we ended up having it so early because it was looking like no one was going to really be available any closer to the end of the month) and I've made and worn the first of my two Halloween costumes this year. (yes you read that right, I had the first costume planned since last year, but then I saw the inspiration for the second one and really wanted to do that one, but was still really into the first - and had already started working on it - and then while I was still debating doing both, the friend I babysit for told me that she wanted her daughter to be the same thing my second costume was going to be (without knowing that I had been contemplating the same thing myself) so that sealed the deal.  One costume for our party and one for Halloween itself.  And yes I was being deliberately {confusingly} vague about the costumes on purpose..... I''ll be showing them off/chronicling making them in their own posts soon.  Pre-Thanksgiving Dinner this year is kind of a big deal too because it's the 10th year! I've already started going through all the decorations from past years trying to decide how I can put it all together without it being too crazy for the theme of "10 years of Thankfullness".

Now I would get some of this stuff I'm talking about written up and posted today, but I did manage to slip on some mud and fall down a hill (well okay it was a really small hill/embankment) this weekend and also managed to wrench my arm/shoulder back in the process and I must have pulled a muscle or two because it is extremely sore..... to the point that even typing kind of hurts..... so stuff will have to wait for another day, but I did want to make myself at least get a bit back into the groove.....

With more coming soon!  

A Quick Berry Recipe {because we've been berry picking again}

{doing}&{cooking}

We went berry picking again last week...... this time for raspberries and blueberries, which have just come in season. (actually I was hoping to maybe get a few last strawberries too, but by the time we'd picked the raspberries and blueberries we were hot and tired and being the very very end of strawberry season it would have taken more effort to find those last few berries than we felt capable of by then - although I bet they would have been good!) The farm has several varieties of raspberries in the patch, but I ended up getting mostly black raspberries (hence them looking like blackberries in the above picture), and of course also blueberries.

 {I didn't take many pictures because we are planning on going again with some friends of ours and I figure we'll take a bunch of pictures then.... I should have at least also taken a picture of the blueberry bushes this time I guess, but I forgot....}

 We actually haven't eaten/used many of them yet - which we either need to hurry up and do or I need to hurry up and freeze them.  I've been wanting to try making a Lemon Chess pie with black raspberries in it, but I keep forgetting to get the recipe for the lemon chess pie from my mom; but I did quickly, the other morning when I had a few minutes, make some black raspberry and lemon cream cheese galettes.  Really the recipe and method for making these is almost exactly the same as the strawberry and cream cheese galettes I posted a couple weeks ago, with just a few little changes.

So here's the recipe.......
{check out the post for the strawberry ones for some pictures to go with some of the steps.... I was trying to make these quickly and didn't take any pictures until they were done and cooling}

Black Raspberry and Lemon Cream Cheese Galettes

{Ingredients:}
refrigerated pie crusts {or homemade if you'd rather}
2 {ish} cups Black Raspberries {or whatever variety or raspberry you'd like yo use}
1-2 tablespoons granulated sugar
4 oz. cream cheese {softened}
1 cup powdered sugar
Juice of half of a lemon, plus a little more
1-2 tablespoons melted butter

{this should be enough for 8 tarts}

{Instructions:}

{1} In a bowl, mix raspberries with 1-2 tablespoons granulated sugar and let sit for at least 10 minutes up to 30 minutes. (this is called macerating.... it softens, sweetens and releases the berries juices - while technically you're supposed to let them sit for 20-30 minutes I rarely leave them that long.... it's usually more like 10 minutes, basically just however long it takes me to get to the point of the recipe that I'm using them)

{2} While the berries are macerating, mix the cream cheese and powdered sugar.  You're going to want to add the sugar in small amounts (especially if you are using an electric mixer) to keep it from ending up all over the place.  I like to beat the cream cheese just a little bit first then add in the powdered about 1/4 cup at a time beating well between them.  When you're done this should have the consistency of a soft frosting (I've used this as cream cheese frosting actually)

{3} Add the lemon juice to the cream cheese mixture and stir until well blended (you can adjust the amount of lemon juice you use depending on how lemony you want them to taste..... the amount I listed in the ingredients probably isn't going to give you a real strong lemony taste by the time you add in the flavors of the berries and pie crust, but it gives it a nice little hint of lemon.... if you want it stronger add more lemon juice) 

{4} Cut the pie crusts into quarters ( you'll end up with 4 tarts from each crust). Roll each piece into a ball and then re-roll it out into a flat round disk (roll it to about the same thickness it was before - or very slightly thinner to make it a smidge larger - that's what I did)

{5} Spread the cream cheese mixture on the top of the crusts, then put a small spoon full of the raspberries on top of the cream cheese mixture in the center of the crust. 

{6} Fold the edges of the crust up and over the raspberries, overlapping and pressing together as needed to hold in place and leaving the center open

{7} Brush the crust (and over the raspberries if you want) with the melted butter.  I also sprinkled just a little more sugar over the melted butter, but that's completely optional.

{8} Bake at 425 degrees for about 15-25 minutes, or until the crust is golden and cooked through. {see picture at the start of the recipe}

*I suggest letting these cool well before you try to eat them..... the berries get super juicy in the oven and the juices firm back up a bit as they cool, so unless you want to both make a mess and loose a bit of the berry flavor, a little patience here pays off


Hope you enjoy these! As you can see this basic idea can be used for lots of different fruits for all sorts of yumminess!

I have some other berry related experiments I'm just now finishing up that I'm hoping to get posted tomorrow, and a craft/sewing project sometime soon as well, so check back!

Theme Food Week: Unexpectedly Mexican {May}

{cooking}

Well, surprise, surprise here, I'm a bit late posting last month's Theme Food Week..... In fact I realized that I had yet to post it only while I was trying to figure out what June's theme was going to be....

In honor of Cinco De Mayo (although we didn't end up being able to do Theme Food Week until the end of the month), the theme was "Unexpectedly Mexican".  My husband and I love eating Mexican food as well as more "American" type foods with Mexican flavors.  I have a Chicken Fajita soup that I make and Fajita Mac and Cheese... and lately I've been making a dish with shredded chicken, red peppers, tomaotes, onion, corn, quinoa, Mexican blend cheese with fajita seasoning.... I guess I really like the flavors of fajitas......... lol.  This week's menu was all about Mexican flavors used in non typical ways (I thought about doing my Fajita mac and cheese as one of them, but part of the point of theme food week is supposed to be to try new things and I found enough other ideas....).

You may notice on my menu board on my kitchen door that we didn't start the week until Wednesday and then it had to bleed over into the next Sunday, but I'm all for being flexible when we need to be....

{the menu}

Day 1: Steak Fajita Egg Rolls, Mexican Street Corn Salad and Spanish Rice:

The Fajita Egg Roll part of this meal is actually something I've been wanting to try for a while.  I first saw the recipe in Celebrate Magazine either last summer or maybe even the summer before and just hadn't really taken the opportunity to try them yet, so I thought they would be the perfect way to kick off theme food week.  I will say for the filling, instead of following the recipe exactly I cooked the steak, red bell peppers and onion in store bought fajita seasoning (instead of the seasonings in the recipe) then added the corn and cheese (I didn't use beans because I can not stand beans, they make me gag, even mixed into things), oh and I also didn't put the green chiles in because I'm not a fan of them either. I think the rest of the recipe I pretty much followed as it was written.  I will say though that what I didn't think about was the fact that the recipe was for making appetizers/party food and for a meal like this it might have been better to use egg roll wrappers and make them bigger and not have to make as many.  The Mexican Street Corn Salad was really good as well..... I think I actually followed the recipe on this one except I didn't put the jalapenos in the portion my mom and I were eating I just put it in my husband's, and I just used regular chopped onion because I had them already chopped.  The Spanish Rice was just the type you buy in a box at the store.

Day 2: Taco Lasagna and Doritos Mozzarella Sticks

The Taco Lasagna was super easy to make and really yummy.  This recipe was my inspiration, but instead of using regular lasagna noodles I made it a little more Mexican by using corn tortillas instead..... I used corn ones for a couple reasons, for one I've been trying to eat less gluten lately because it's supposed to help with migraines (and it does seem to be helping.... I'm not wanting to go completely gluten free, but definitely cutting back), and for another I thought it could have a little more of the chewiness of regular pasta.  Basically I layered the tortillas, ricotta (mixed with an egg and some spices and seasonings), ground beef (cooked in taco seasoning), salsa and shredded Mexican blend cheese, finishing with a layer of tortillas and then more shredded cheese.  For the Mozzarella sticks I rolled half a cheese stick in a wonton wrapper (seal the edges by brushing them with water before wrapping them) (hoping that they wouldn't melt all over the place in the oven as much and to use up the rest of the package from that day before lol), then dipped them in beaten egg then rolled them in crushed Doritos.  I baked them on a baking sheet at 350 until they were crispy and the egg was cooked and the cheese melted.

Day 3: Chicken Enchilada Casserole and Cantaloup

Okay I know you'll be shocked here, but I made a few changes in how I made this recipe too.... Mainly that I didn't put the refried beans in the casserole because of my aversion to beans..... I did try mixing just a small portion of beans and casserole together to see if I could eat it all mixed together like that since it was refried beans not just plain beans and it seemed like it was okay so next time I will try making it with the beans in it, but I didn't want to risk it the first time so I served it with the casserole sitting on a bed of refried beans. Lol. I also used microwave rice (yeah yeah, lazy I know) so I'm not sure if I had exactly the right amount of rice, but it worked.  It was yummy though and I definitely want to make it again and try it with the beans in it. 

Day 4: {pork} "Tamale" Pizza

Okay, I put the tamale in quotes because I'm not really sure how much this tasted like an actual tamale (I must admit I've never actually eaten one.....), but it did have some of the elements of a tamale and some good Mexican flavor.  I don't have a recipe link for this for you because I didn't have a recipe for this, I did this one on my own.  I started by making some shredded pork.  I cooked it in the slowcooker (on high) in Mexican Coke with some garlic.  When it was done I shredded it, and put it away until it was time to make dinner.  The "crust" was based on something my mom used to make....  she would mix cornmeal and a little salt with enough water to make a thick paste, form it into patties and fry it in sunflower oil.... it tasted like Fritos chips, but was thicker and hearty.  For this pizza I used a Mexican cornmeal and mixed it with water and some salt, garlic, paprika and cumin (I didn't measure, just kinda eyeballed it) and pressed it into a disk and then pre-baked it (on a pizza stone) at 350 degrees until it had a little bit of a crust to it.  I then topped it with a sauce that I made with fire roasted diced tomatoes (1 can) blended until smooth and with a little salsa mixed in.  I then covered the sauce with shredded Mexican blend cheese.  I mixed the rest of the sauce in with some of the shredded pork and topped the cheese with that and sprinkled on a little more cheese for good measure.  I stuck it back in the oven until the cheese was all melty and everything was warmed through.  As I said, I'm not sure how much it really tasted like a tamale (especially since it wasn't very spicy), but it was yummy....


Normally this would be where I give you a hint about what to expect from the next Theme Food Week, but for June I've put the theme to a vote of several choices on Facebook, because I couldn't decide which I wanted to do, so I'm still waiting to see if I get anymore votes before I "announce" the winner. 

I do have a couple other food experiments/ideas I want to try out soon here with some good summer flavors, so I'm sure that those will end up on here at sometime in the not too distant future.... if they work out anyway.... or maybe even if they don't haha....

Yum Yum! A Couple {simple} Things to Make With Strawberries!

{cooking}

Strawberry Recipes.....

Yes, yes I know I was supposed to post this a couple days ago {oops :/ }, but better late than never right?! ....

As Strawberry season is winding down I hope you've gotten the chance to go strawberry picking and get lots of yummy strawberries (or at least gotten some yummy fresh local strawberries from somewhere in your area), and maybe even be having a strawberry potluck picnic ;)....... either way I'm sure you have your own favorite ways to eat those strawberries.  Today I'm going to share a couple of my favorite things I've done/do with strawberries.  One recipe I came up with a couple years ago and one that I just did this year: Strawberries and Goat Cheese on Garlic Naan, and Strawberries and Cream Cheese Mini Galettes.  I also had an attempt at making dried strawberries for snacking.  I was hoping I could add that to this duo, but..... it did not work the way I tried it the first time.... I did subsequently do a little more research on it and I found a few changes that I could make that might work better for a second attempt, but I ate up all the strawberries we picked before I could make that attempt, so I'll try it at some point with grocery store strawberries.

But on to the yumminess at hand....

Strawberries and Goat Cheese on Garlic Naan 

"Strawberries with garlic?!" you may be thinking and let me tell you a few years ago I probably would have said the same thing.  I actually found how well they compliment each other quite by accident, you see, one night a few years ago I had made something for dinner using fresh garlic, and I don't know about you, but when I use fresh garlic my fingers still smell/taste like garlic for at least the rest of the night.  Later that evening I was cutting up some strawberries (for dessert maybe? I don't remember) and the garlic flavor left on my fingers mixed with the taste of the strawberries and it was SO good! I knew then and there that I needed to come up with some sort of savory bread that combined garlic and strawberries. Originally I had planned more of a loaf type bread, or rolls or something like that, but I never really found a recipe I liked to use as a jumping off point. The next year I did find a recipe for Cherry Fucaccia and thought I could modify that for my strawberry garlic bread, but then one day I was at Wegman's looking at Naan and saw the garlic Naan and I thought.... "now that would be much quicker and easier"......... {I do still want to try to develop some sort of savory bread or rolls or savory cupcakes or something with the strawberries and garlic, but who knows when that will happen lol}

{Ingredients:}
Garlic Naan - Pre-made (or homemade if you want to be a little more ambitious)  {I use Wegman's Garlic Naan, as well as the Garlic it has some cilantro flavor too}
Strawberries - Sliced
Goat Cheese {chevre} Crumbles
Extra Virgin Olive Oil

{Instructions:} This one is so simple it doesn't even really need multiple steps.... brush the Naan with olive oil, and top with sliced  strawberries and goat cheese crumbles (however much you want to put on it), then bake at 350 degrees for 5-10 minutes - or until the cheese has softened (it won't melt it just softens up) and the strawberries have softened and released some of their juices.  You can cut it into small pieces to use as an appetizer or eat the whole thing as a light meal.  It's super yummy, and so little effort! {I'm sure I have pictures somewhere of the finished product... in fact I probably have pictures from several different times, but I went back through pictures through last summer and couldn't find one.... so if I find it I'll update it  - or next time I make it I'll be sure to take a picture - in the meantime you can use your imagination! lol}

Strawberries and Cream Cheese Mini Galettes

{Ingredients:}
refrigerated pie crusts (or homemade if you'd rather)
2-3 cups sliced strawberries
1-2 tablespoons granulated sugar
4 oz. cream cheese {softened}
1 cup powdered sugar
1-2 tablespoons melted butter

{this should be enough for 8 tarts}

{Instructions:}

{1} In a bowl, mix sliced strawberries with 1-2 tablespoons granulated sugar and let sit for at least 10 minutes up to 30 minutes. (this is called macerating.... it softens, sweetens and releases the strawberries juices)

{2} While the berries are macerating, mix the cream cheese and powdered sugar.  You're going to want to add the sugar in small amounts (especially if you are using an electric mixer) to keep it from ending up all over the place.  I like to beat the cream cheese just a little bit first then add in the powdered about 1/4 cup at a time beating well between them.  When you're done this should have the consistency of a soft frosting (I've used this as cream cheese frosting actually)

{3} Cut the pie crusts into quarters ( you'll end up with 4 tarts from each crust). Roll each piece into a ball and then re-roll it out into a flat round disk (roll it to about the same thickness it was before - or very slightly thinner to make it a smidge larger - that's what I did)

it doesn't have to be perfectly round.... this is a rustic style tart after all so a little unevenness adds to the charm

{4} Spread the cream cheese mixture on the top of the crusts, then put a small spoon full of the strawberries on top of the cream cheese mixture in the center or the crust.  (when I made these I put a pretty good amount of the juices from the strawberries on some of them and it kind of went all over the place in the oven, so I would suggest either thickening the juices with a little starch of some sort or just not spooning it up with the strawberries)

you might do better with a little less strawberries on each one than what I did... some of them the crust wasn't quite up over the filling enough to stay in place when it was baked

{5} Fold the edges of the crust up and over the strawberries, overlapping and pressing together as needed to hold in place and leaving the center open

a couple of these needed the crust a little more up over the filling... as they baked the crust didn't stay where it should have (they still tasted good when they were done, just didn't look pretty lol). it probably made my runny strawberry juice problem worse too - although as you can see on the top left of this picture it was dripping out even before I baked them..... haha

{6} Brush the crust (and over the strawberries if you want) with the melted butter.  I also sprinkled just a little more sugar over the melted butter, but that's completely optional.

{7} Bake at 425 degrees for about 20-30 minutes, or until the crust is golden and cooked through. {see picture at the start of the recipe)




Hopefully you will have ample opportunity to enjoy plenty of strawberries this summer, whether you try one of these recipes or another favorite recipe.  What are some of your favorite strawberry goodies to make and/or eat?

And soon it will be raspberry, blackberry, and blueberry season....... yum yum... can't wait!

My Birthday, The Renn Faire, and Strawberry Picking {oh my} + {a free download}

{doing}

Soooo…. It’s  been longer since my last post than I thought, but that’s probably largely because the second half of April and first part of May  are always a busy time for us.  In April we have our anniversary (5 years this year).  To celebrate we decided we wanted to go to Bass Pro Shop and eat at the restaurant there, so my parents took us and then bought us some new float tubes to take down the river, so were excited about them and hoping to get the opportunity to take a trip down the river soon.  Then a little over a week later is my birthday (I turned 30 this year!), and I had a “Royal Garden Party/Fairytale” themed party. {here’s some pictures of the set up…. There were a few things I wanted to do that didn’t get done – such as a pin the horn on the unicorn game – but overall I loved it.}

tables set up in our backyard

the tablescape.... those plates {the big ones and the tiny ones} are actually paper plates.... the gold ones I found on Amazon and the little ones were in the wedding aisle at Michaels.  The utensils are clear plastic from Party City

drinks table.... what I apparently didn't get a picture of was the little path that leads behind this tree over to where the tables where set up... if you look closely you can just see part of it in the far left of this picture.... it has solar globe lights lining the path for night time

the food table (didn't have all the food on it yet though) this was also in the side yard next to the opening of the "path

the cake and my balloon and floral swag {that I am quite proud of if I may say so}... I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with balloons.... I love them when they are used in a unique way or oversized balloons, that sort of thing, but not a fan of balloons when they are cheesy... I liked that this made them look a bit more sophisticated and "fancy"

and with the candles lit.... there weren't quite 30 candles, it was 27 I think.... but that's what the candelabras held so we just went with it haha. ....

and forgot until after dark that I wanted to get a few pictures of the invitations with the set-up, but it still worked out okay.... the invitations were actually rolled up as scrolls for delivery to the guests

Then of course there’s Mother’s day in early May, Dance recitals (although now that I’m only going to see them and not be in them myself/have dance students in them, that takes up a lot less time).  We also went to the Virginia Renaissance Faire with friends of ours.  Now I have to say, while it was a fun day, I was used to a big one that we used to have in this area that had an actual town with real buildings and such, so the one we have now will never compare.  But definitely still fun.  We got there right as they opened in the morning too, which ended up working out well because it was unseasonably hot that day, but the morning was overcast so while it was still SUPER humid it wasn’t really that bad without the heat and sun (and even though some of the forecasts were calling for rain all day it only drizzled slightly once or twice, not enough to even get wet).  By the time the sun came out in the afternoon and we started really getting miserable with the temperature we had seen and done pretty much everything we really wanted to anyway.  (also it wasn’t as crowded in the morning  which was really nice too). 

And last but not least, it is Strawberry Season! So of course we went strawberry picking (a couple weeks ago actually, we're on the downslope for strawberry season around here now, but I’m hoping to maybe go one more time to get some more, but we’ll see….).  In case you haven’t noticed fruit picking is kind of one of our “things”.  We always do strawberries, blackberries, raspberries and blueberries, every year at Miller Farms Market.  We’ve also gone apple picking in the fall at Carter Mountain Orchards, and we wanted to go peach picking there last summer, but the one day we were going to be able to go there had been a streak of unseasonably cool weather and they didn’t have the orchard open because there wasn’t enough ripe fruit…. So we’re hoping to be able to do that this year.  I also found a farm that does dig-your-own peanuts in the fall so that’s on the the list for this year as well.  Then of course there’s pumpkins and a Christmas tree….. but back to strawberries……..

me, posing proudly with my busket of berries in the patch

my busket and the one my husband picked on the hood of my car before we drove across the street to pay for them

I also had a fun Strawberry related idea, that unfortunately I came up with too late with for this year (also there wouldn’t have been a time for it this year with some other stuff that we have/had going on), but I’m already planning it for next year…… a Strawberry potluck picnic.  A lot of our friends also go strawberry picking annually (or at least get fresh strawberries from the farm), and strawberry season just kind of signals that summer is almost here, so I thought it would be fun to have a party where everyone brings their favorite thing to make with strawberries to share with everyone.  Just picture it lots of yummy strawberry goodies and our side yard decorated with doily garlands and flowers in mason jars, and of course lots of strawberry stuff and red and a little pink…. So so cute… and it’s definitely happening next year ;).

In fact, I’m so excited about this idea that I’ve already designed invitations, and, in case you want to “steal” the idea for this year or next you can get a jump start by downloading this PDF version of the invitations {feel free to print and use for your own personal or non-profit use}.  They are sized for size A7 envelopes, which are easily found at craft and office supply stores… And if you do have a strawberry potluck picnic I’d love to see some pictures from your party! Post them in the comments section.

And if you’re looking for some ideas of what to make with your yummy strawberries (for a party or just for yourself and your family) check back tomorrow for recipes for a couple of my favorite things to make with my pickings. :)

Theme Food Week: April Fools {April}

{cooking}

April Fools Week:

So, I have to say this was one of the most fun Theme Food Weeks so far.  You may have noticed that we didn't end up doing Theme Food Week in March, that was partly accidental and partly planned.  With the hubster and I being out of town at the end of February, I got a little delayed with March and planned to do Theme Food Week later in the month...... then I forgot about it/the month got away from me until the last week of the month, and by that point we decided that it would be best to just skip it for March since by then Easter preparations were in full {last minute} swing.  But, in my opinion, April's theme made up for missing March.  The theme was April Fools, so I scoured Pinterest for ideas for food that looked like a different food than what it actually was.  The vast majority of the ideas were desserts that looked like dinner foods, but I was really wanting dinner foods not desserts and I did eventually find enough dinner ideas..... let me tell you though putting together whole meals was a bit of a challenge.  Even though I wasn't concerned about the veggies or one of the sides being "disguised" necessarily, I still wanted them to be something that didn't give away what the disguised food really was (or on the flip side of that taste too strange with what the food actually was).  The first night's meal was especially difficult in that regard..... but I'll talk more about that later.

Each night no one was allowed into the kitchen until I had finished making and plated the the meals and then before anyone was allowed to touch or eat anything on their plate everyone had to take a guess at what they thought it was.  My mom especially got pretty into the guessing (as did several of my friends on Facebook when I posted the pictures of the meals on there).  It really was a fun theme. Now, I will say though that I didn't really follow actual recipes for most of the food this week mostly I just got the idea from the pins I found and then made the stuff on my own (to be honest some of them I don't even know if there was a recipe beyond the description of the pin because I never looked that far..... I will link to the pins that were my inspiration though if you want to check them out yourself.

{The Menu}

Tuesday: April Fools "Ravioli" with "Marinara Sauce" and Roasted Butternut Squash

We started the week on Tuesday because we didn't get a chance to go grocery shopping for the week over the weekend so we had to go Monday evening.  This was also the night with probably the "easiest" disguised dish.  It's actually not something I would normally serve for dinner (at least not for adults), but like I said finding enough non-dessert ideas and putting them together to make at least somewhat rounded meals was a little bit of a challenge.  This would be a great April Fools lunch, or April Fools to serve kids........ Have you guessed what it is yet?......... While you take another minute to think it over I'll tell you some of the things my mom guessed, which actually on this one wasn't much, first she guessed that the "marinara" was a plum sauce {it was not} and then after that she didn't really have a whole lot of other ideas about it.  I think she did eventually decide (or maybe it was my husband...) that the "pasta" part of the "ravioli" was bread {it was}.  So are you ready to find out what it was? have you already guessed? The "ravioli" was actually peanut butter sandwiches, and the "marinara" was strawberry jelly.  The butternut squash was just butternut squash.  This was probably the day that was the hardest to come up with a veggie/side for because I wanted it to be something that you might serve with real ravioli but that would still taste good with the pb&j. Here's the pin that I got the idea from: PB&J "ravioli"

Wednesday: April Fools "Milkshakes" and "Cupcakes"

Mmmmmm..... dessert for dinner?! This is a reverse of what a lot of the ideas for April Fools foods were... instead of a dessert that looks like a dinner this was dinner the looked like dessert (and it's not the only night this week that that was the case, but we'll get to that later) so have you guessed what it really is yet? Here's what some of the other guesses were: Melon soup {which is kind of close}, Meatloaf "cupcakes", Guacamole "frosting" {also pretty close}, and mashed potato "whipped cream" {which is completely correct}.  Did you have time to think it through?.... The "milkshakes" are cream of shrimp soup, with mashed potato "whipped cream", and the cupcakes are caramelized onion, bacon, and cheddar biscuits with an avocado frosting.  Now, I must admit that when I was originally planning out the meals for this week I had intended to make homemade shrimp bisque soup for the "milkshakes", but by the time I was actually making out the grocery list and shopping I knew that the likelihood of that actually happening was slim, so I bought canned cream of shrimp soup instead (I did add old bay to it......).  I made the mashed potatoes basically the same way I always would except that I actually peeled the potatoes first and made them a bit thinner than I would if we were just eating them by themselves.  For the "cupcakes" I had intended to actually follow the recipe from the pin, but for whatever reason when I went to make dinner that night I couldn't get anything to load on the internet so I just ended up making regular biscuits with a baking mix and mixed in some caramelized onions, crumbled bacon, and cheddar, and fortunately I remembered the avocado frosting from the recipe so I was able to make that.  So, here's the pin for the soup "milkshake" you will notice that the recipe for this is for a mushroom soup to make "chocolate" "milkshakes", but since I can't eat mushrooms or chocolate I opted for the shrimp soup for "strawberry".  They also used actual whipped cream but I didn't really want more cream in the soup so I opted for the mashed potatoes, didn't necessarily sit on the top as well, but it worked okay. And then here's the pin for the cupcakes (oh yeah and it was supposed to have chives but I didn't end up adding those since I didn't have the recipe to work from)

Thursday: April Fools "Fried Egg" on English Muffin, April Fools "Cinnamon Rolls", and Sweet Potato Hash browns

I love breakfast for dinner, so of course I was all about these April Fools ideas that made an April Fools version of breakfast for dinner.  I loved how the "eggs" turned out looks wise too (they would have tasted better if I hadn't forgotten to salt them... haha.... they were good though), and the "cinnamon rolls" were to die for! Did you guess what they really are yet? My mom's best guess was two types of cheese for the "eggs" and that made her kind of half correct.  The "egg" was the bottom of a roma tomato covered with a piece of roasted yellow bell pepper and mozzarella melted under and over it for the "eggwhites" (and now you understand why a little salt would have made all the difference haha). The "cinnamon rolls" did actually have cinnamon..... they were pizza crust brushed with melted butter, sprinkled with cinnamon and topped with pulled chicken in Honey BBQ sauce (Sweet Baby Ray's of course) and rolled, sliced and baked to look like regular cinnamon rolls.  OH. MY.GOSH were these good, the cinnamon and the honey barbeque sauce were so good together!  The sweet potato hash browns were just shredded sweet potatoes tossed with some olive oil and the rest of the melted butter and some salt and cinnamon and spread out on a baking sheet and baked. There was nothing April Fools about them lol. So here's the pin for the "fried eggs" which I pretty much actually followed the actual recipe/instructions from.  And the pin for the "cinnamon rolls" but this one was definitely just inspiration, I pretty much didn't follow their recipe/instructions at all.

Friday Saturday: April Fools "Cake" and peas

This was the piece de resistance of the week, it was so hard to wait until the last day to make this one, but I also wanted to save it for last since it was probably the most impressive one. And then of course it ended up having to wait even a day longer than I had planned because Friday night ended up not working out for being one of the Theme Food Week days, but it was worth the wait.  Wanna take a guess what it is.... The only guess we really got the night of was that the "frosting" was mashed potatoes {and it was}. It was really..... Drumroll please............... a meatloaf cake with mashed potato frosting.  I made the meatloaf with my normal recipe, but instead of baking it on a rimmed baking sheet like I normally do I baked it in a spring form pan so that the grease could still drain out of it and away from the bottom of the meatloaf (once the meatloaf was cooked enough to be really set I opened the spring on the sides of the pan so the grease could really escape), and cut it into 2 layers when it was done.  The mashed potatoes I made the same as I did earlier in the week, but left them a little thicker, the consistency of a good frosting (I did put the mashed potatoes between the layers on first and had it a little thicker for that since the meatloaf was a little heavy and then thinned the rest of it out to the frosting consistency after that).  I decorated the cake using exactly the same methods I would have if it had been real frosting. The peas were just canned peas. I actually found several different pins that inspired this meal here's a couple of them: meatloaf cake, and another.


You know I was telling a co-worker about Theme Food Weeks the other day and I was talking about how it is a chance to break out of the food rut that we tend to find ourselves in, and get a little creative with our meals and try some new recipes, which I have talked about on here as well.  But after I got thinking about it some more for a few days after that I realized that it's also about more than that.  For at least 4 days during Theme Food Week, dinner becomes a priority.  And not just the food part of dinner.  For those four days at least we aren't sitting in front of the TV eating, were not eating at different times, in different places, we are all sitting together around the table and sharing a meal, and that is so important.  And something that in our society doesn't happen nearly enough.  Even when it's not Theme Food Week I try to have us eat at the table as often as I can, but honestly if there's stuff all over the table, I don't necessarily put out the effort to clear it or if there's already something on TV.  But during this week at least we are sitting down and having a meal together, with no TV.