Patriotic Party Food

Did the month of July sneak up on you, too? Somehow June zoomed by and suddenly the 4th of July is tomorrow. Yikes! So, I thought I'd round up a few ideas in case you're on the hook to bring a dish to a BBQ. Or, perhaps you're hosting a BBQ that you only planned yesterday, and you're out of propane. No, just me? Sneaky, sneaky July 4.



A Hot Dog Bar - throw a bunch of hot dogs on the grill, and put out as many fixings as you can gather. Add a pickle bar if you're feeling fancy.

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Dry Rubbed Ribs - For a meat option with a bit more depth than a hot dog, these ribs look to-die-for.



Red, White & Blueberry Shortcake - I improvised this layered shortcake cake for a July 4th BBQ two years ago, and it was a total hit.



Strawberry Ice Cream Cake - Add blueberries or blackberries to this simple ice cream cake for some patriotic flair.



Mini Layer Cakes - Made in a tin can! Borrow Jordan's idea, but make it with white cake and vanilla frosting. Dye the frosting red & blue, or simply slip some red & blue berries in with the white frosting.



Triple Berry Pie - Simple & summery, just add some whipped cream for the requisite pop of white. 

Happy 4th!

Top image by Machiine

Picnic Ready

Wouldn't these cute spoons be perfect to have around for picnics? They're acrylic and washable, but not as clunky as taking real silverware to the park. Who's ready for spring picnics?!

(Easter Brunch) Weekend in Pictures

{setting the table for Easter brunch, complete with jelly beans and cadbury mini eggs}

{spring tulips + baby's breath in french yogurt jars}

{bunny cake. her name is tulip. don't ask.}

{tracey's plate. my favorite because it included bunny gummies}

{our entertainment for the afternoon, wren}

{boxing up leftover biscuits and cinnamon rolls}

Happy (day late) Easter! I hosted the annual Easter brunch in my back garden (well, not mine, exactly) yesterday, and it was a delightful time. I gave up pretty much all fun food (grains, dairy, sugar...) for Lent, so I went a bit overboard with the baking: biscuits, cinnamon rolls, and a cake in the shape of a bunny. Our littlest pal Wren came and entertained us with her endearing giggles. She was only a twinkle in her parents' eyes when these Easter brunches started!

I hope your Easter was lovely :)

Bunny cake & Wren photos stolen from Wren's Dad, Tracey's plate stolen from her Instagram. 

Easter Recipes: Dinner

If you're still planning your Easter dinner menu, here are a few tasty-sounding recipes. If I were making Easter dinner, I think I'd make this whole menu!



Mint & Pea Crostini with Parmesan - A simple appetizer that tastes bright, like spring.



Roasted Shoulder of Lamb - A bit simpler than a rack of lamb, if you've never made lamb before.



Scalloped Potatoes with Leeks - I really have a thing for leeks at this time of year, so these creamy scalloped potatoes sound amazing.



Asparagus with Mustard Vinaigrette - Take advantage of the greenmarket (if you're lucky enough to have asparagus at yours already) with this simple side dish.



Cream Cheese and Chive Biscuits - Um, yum.



Strawberries and Cream - A simple dessert, since everyone will be stuffed!

Top photo via Sunday Suppers, all other photos credited with the linked recipe post.

Luck O' The Irish Cupcakes

As with most of the smaller holidays, when I think about St. Patrick's Day I much prefer the childhood version to the adult version (similar to my views on Halloween and Valentine's Day). I'll take wearing green, jokingly pinch people, and sprinkling shamrock confetti over a drunken parade and green beer any day! So, in the spirit of a light-hearted St. Patty's celebration, I whipped up a batch of green cupcakes topped with Lucky Charms: Luck O' The Irish cupcakes!





To add the first dose of green to the the cupcakes, I sprinkled the batter (plain white cake mix from a box!) with two colors of green jimmies. When they bake into the cupcakes, they come out like leprechaun-inspired Funfetti.





See? I loved the unexpected pops of green on the inside. And the lighter green didn't show up as well, so you could certainly use one color of green if that's all you can find. I made up a batch of my new favorite frosting, swiss meringue buttercream, because it's not too sweet. But all these really need is a vanilla frosting base + green food coloring, and you're ready for the "lucky" part.





Lucky Charms! They're crunchy & sweet, so they add a fun texture to the cupcakes. Plus, have you ever met a person who doesn't like Lucky Charms? Initially, I just used the colorful marshmallows. But after a taste test, my taste tester agreed that a little bit of the cereal pieces added a nice flavor.



And there you have it! Luck O' The Irish cupcakes. I'm pretty sure if you're holding one (or a box) of these, you can't be pinched :)

Writing Down Recipes

This past Christmas, I realized I'd lost my recipe for gingerbread cake. It's something I make only once a year, but that recipe in particular (as opposed to the hundreds of others I found when I googled) was my ideal gingerbread cake. How'd I lose it? Mostly because it was an online recipe and in the pre-Pinterest days I didn't have much of a plan in place to keep my favorite recipes. Sometimes I'd email them to myself, sometimes I'd print them out, and sometimes I'd assume I could find it again when I needed it, like the gingerbread cake.

Losing my gingerbread cake recipe got me thinking about going back to a more traditional method of recipe storage: writing them down. My mom has a binder full of (mostly) hand-written recipes, and it's always neat to flip through and see which ones are in her handwriting and which ones came from friends or family. My friend Murph showed me her grandma's recipe for chocolate pie (above), which adorably describes the amount of butter needed as "size of egg" and includes the funny typo "floor" instead of "flour." There's just something special about handwritten recipes.





So the other day, I sat down to write out a few of my favorite recipes. Then I decided to fully revive the tradition and send some recipes to friends. I chose recipes of mine that each friend has loved or asked for, tied them up with yellow baker's twine and popped them in the mail as a surprise. I think the next time I want a recipe from someone, I'll hand them a recipe card (or even a piece of paper!) and ask them to write it down.

How about you, do you have hand-written recipes in your family, or from friends?

How to Always Have Warm Cookies

Sometimes, you just need a cookie. Just one, maybe two, but definitely warm and fresh from the oven. Or sometimes, the heat in your apartment is broken and you need a legitimate reason to turn on the oven and stand in front of it, and the peanut butter chocolate chip cookie dough in the freezer is as good a reason as any. No? Just me?

Having ready-to-go cookie dough in the freezer at all times is one of my favorite hostess tricks. It's sort of like magic, to have homemade cookies ready in the time it takes to preheat the oven. It's also a great housewarming present, to bake a dozen or so cookies and take the rest frozen so your friends can have more whenever they want. So, how to do it? Easy peasy.



When you make up a batch of cookie dough, set aside a little bit (half the dough, or as few as three or four cookies) for freezing. Scoop out the dough according to the recipe. Meaning, if the dough is dropped onto the cookie sheet in blobs, do that. If it's rolled into balls and rolled in sugar, do that. In the case of my peanut butter cookies, they're dropped by rounded teaspoon then flattened a bit before baking. Set your formed cookie dough onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment or wax paper (or a small plate, if you aren't freezing that many) making sure they're not touching each other. Freeze for at least three hours and up to 24.



Then, take your frozen cookie dough and transfer it to a freezer bag labeled with the type of cookie dough and cooking instructions. Sometimes, if a cookie is better a little undercooked, or when it's browned on top, I'll write myself a note on the bag so I don't forget.

That's it! The frozen dough can go directly from freezer to cookie sheet the next time you have an unexpected guest, or just need to stand in front of a warm oven. Here's the recipe for the peanut butter chocolate chip cookies in this post, they're dreamy.



Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
Adapted from The Magnolia Bakery Cookbook

1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup peanut butter (at room temperature)
3/4 cup sugar (plus more for dusting)
1/2 brown sugar, tightly packed
1 large egg
1 tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl, beat the butter and peanut butter until smooth and fluffy (about three minutes). Add the sugars and mix until incorporated. Add the egg, milk and vanilla and beat thoroughly. Add the flour mixture and stir just until combined. Add the chocolate chips and carefully fold them into the batter.

Fill a small bowl with 2-3 tablespoons of sugar (I used raw sugar, but plain white sugar is fine). Drop rounded teaspoons of dough into the sugar, then transfer to an ungreased baking sheet. Press the dough down slightly with a fork or offset spatula.

Bake for 10-12 minutes, being careful not to over bake them. Allow to cool on the cookie sheet for a minute or two, then transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Cold Days, Warm Drinks: 4 Hot Toddy Recipes

I've written about the hot toddy before, but seeing as it's January and we could all use a little warming up at this time of year, I thought it was high time to revisit it. A traditional hot toddy is what you might think of an old world grandmother making for you when you're sick: whiskey, hot water, honey and lemon. I was fighting a cold last week and something about that magic combination calmed my scratchy throat when nothing else would. And there's plenty of other tasty, non-medicinal ways to brew up something warm and boozy. Here's four warming, tasty-sounding recipes!



This Kentucky Hot Toddy is a spin on the classic, incorporating meyer lemon and blood orange juice in place of the classic lemon juice.



Essentially spiked cider, this Bourbon Apple Cider sounds equally perfect for chilly fall evenings or freezing winter afternoons.



I posted this Earl Grey Tea Toddy back in the early days of this blog, with some slightly suspect mason jar bourbon that my dad keeps tucked away in a cupboard. Use your favorite tea flavor, mason jar bourbon not required :)

I love the idea of this Almond Hot Toddy, it's made with almond milk, rum, and almond extract. Don't you want to try it?

Top photo by Stephen Murello, last photo via tetoncocoacompany

Last Minute Thanksgiving: Decor

Are you hosting Thanksgiving this year? I love having a house full of friends for Thanksgiving. One of my favorite parts is adding a few fall-themed decorations to make things feel festive. I'm partial to simple touches with items that I have on hand or that are easy to get (meaning they have them at the bodega around the corner!). Here's a few ideas:



Bittersweet branches, or even some branches from a tree in your backyard (if you're lucky enough to have such a thing) in the middle of the table. The pears are a pretty touch too, if you're doing a formal place setting.



Tea lights nestled in popcorn kernels. Equally simple and beautiful, and easy if you already have popcorn in your pantry. My friends did this in mason jars at their fall wedding and it was lovely.



Apples and leaves. I always buy too many apples for apple pie, so this would be a pretty way to put the extras to use. Most florists will sell you a small bundle of green leaves.



Personalized napkin rings. Use this free printable design to show your guests where to sit, or pile the napkins in a basket for a more casual dinner. I love the sprig of rosemary!

Or, of course, there's always gourds (warning: that link is hilarious but not for the easily-offended).

Last year's Last Minute Thanksgiving ideas:
Last Minute Pies
Last Minute Sides

Photos: gourds, candles, bittersweet, apples, napkin rings.

Hi-Hat Cupcakes

For my friend Kate's birthday this past weekend, I was conflicted about what dessert I should make. I've made marshmallows for her for two years running, but started wondering if she'd maybe like a cake for a change. When I asked if she'd rather have marshmallows or cake, she helpfully answered, "Both!" So, both it was.



I made Hi-Hat cupcakes, which combine rich chocolate cake with marshmallow frosting piled high and dipped in melted chocolate. And they're really stinkin' adorable. I've been wanting to experiment with marshmallow frosting (so named for its resemblance to marshmallow fluff, I think it's also called seven minute frosting) and I'm in loooove with it! It's a little time consuming, but worth the effort. So fluffy and shiny and fun!





Topped with a pink cake flag with a sparkly skull (the birthday girl's favorite thing, next to marshmallows) they were pretty much too cute to handle.