It's Party Time

I spent all day Friday sitting in a class to better prepared me to take my CMP in January. When it was finally over I met Jim for dinner and then came home to start crossing off large chunks of my to-do list. As a meeting planner I've learned that the LIST is your best friend. For me, I need to get my thoughts on paper - for one it helps me organize everything I need to do, and it also helps me rid my brain of little things I need to remember. Get it on paper and you don't have to stress about keeping every little detail in your head - that is what your list is for. Around Thanksgiving I started looking through magazines and online for menu ideas. Last year I had a cocoa and dessert party. This year I'm going back to a buffet of hors d'oeuvres and cocktails. About two weeks ago I finalized my menu and made a list of everything I was planning on making. This helped me to realize if I was heavy on cheese or needed more meat items. Jim and I are expecting about 25 people - half men, half women. Knowing this, I need to have an adequate amount of filling appetizers, which is why I'm serving Hot Roast Beef Party Sandwiches and Chipotle Meatballs in Peach Pecan BBQ Sauce along with Shrimp Skewers. For those who like to pick and snack (like me) I have several dips - a spicy cheese spread, a vegetable, a creamy. Also, I tried to select dishes that I could make ahead of time and would also hold together well sitting out on the table - Procuitto Pinwheels and Fig with Stilton Squares. My list consists of the name of the dish, where I found the recipe (so I can locate it when it's time to make it), I add a check mark when I have all the ingredients for that recipe and then I write "MADE" when the dish is complete and in the fridge or freezer.

It's finally party day. I've been looking forward to this Saturday morning for a long time. Like a kid on Christmas I woke up at 6:30 AM with butterflies. Today is the do or die final step for our Holiday Cocktail Party and I'm loving every minute of it. I have no idea what it is about throwing a party, but it is so freaking exhilarating!

I accomplished A LOT last night. I finished making all the dishes except for three that I will do today: Flourless chocolate cake, Roast Beef Sandwiches and Fig Stilton Squares. All three of those should be a sinch to make. I cleared the buffet table and set out all of the dishes I will use today.

This is a very helpful tip from my mom: use stickies to lable what food goes where. This saves you time when you are trying to put food on the table AND arrange it on your table at the last minute. Go ahead and lable the dishes, then you can move them around and plan the flow of your buffet. This is also a good time to look at what needs a serving utensil, and GO AHEAD and set those all out now too! Do as much the week ahead as possible.

These minature picture frames are a great idea too. I bought these at Hobby Lobby for HALF OFF the original price. They have many uses too. I like to write or print the name and ingredients of dishes and set these out as my food markers. I love to talk about food and especially my homemade stuff, but when the 19th person asks you "what is this?" you will wish you had put out a card labeling all your dishes. Alternatively, add a ribbon to the back and your favorite picture and this makes a great Christmas ornament for your tree. I've seen this in magazines that sell four of these small silver picture frames for $20. I bought these for $1.99 each!
I created this set up by the door. Allyson is baking custom cookies for me that look like our party invitations. As guests leave I will give them each a cookie and thank them for coming. Jim laughed at me, but I put a little sticky on top of the dish that says "cookie from allyson." Lable EVERYTHING so you won't have to guess what you meant that side table for the night before.

Now, let me share one of my recent recipes.

HOMEMADE BAILEY'S

1 can condensed milk
2 tsp instant coffee
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp almond extract
2 tsp chocolate syrup (I do not reccomend the sugar free chocolate syrup, but this is all I had)
16 oz heavy cream (2 cups)
4 eggs
14oz Irish liquor


Then I added an additional:
1 T instant coffee
1 T chocolate syrup
16 oz heavy cream


The recipe is simple: Put everything in a blender and BLEND.

Condensed milk.

Instant coffee.

Vanilla.

Almond extract.

Chocolate Syrup.

Heavy cream.

Eggs.

Whiskey. I used a good old Irish Whiskey.

This is what it looks like before. This is what it looks like after.

I tasted a bit of this stuff and WOW was it strong! I mean REALLY strong. So I went back to the blender and added another 2 cups of cream and more coffee and chocolate.

This was much better. About a half glass of this will be plenty for dessert! In the Bailey's commercials, they always serve this over ice. I'm not sure I would like that. I covered and placed in the fridge - and will take it out tonight to serve to guests.


AND... I've been tagged! Julie at The Sporadic Cook sent this to me and I thank you s so much for tagging me. This was fun to write, and gave me a much needed break. So here we go, seven things you never wanted to know about Mandy!

1. My favorite Don't Miss TV Shows are Grey's Anatomy, Desperate Housewives, Barefoot Contessa, Eli Stone, The Unit, Worst Week, Big Brother, The Bachelor.
2. Shows that I cannot watch are any of the CSI or SVU - any crime dramas that are "harsh." They really upset me and I think about those victims for days after watching shows like that.
3. I laugh out loud and/or cry in the card aisle when I'm shopping for birthday/thank you/thinking of you/miss you/get well soon cards.
4. I love to pluck - give me a good pair of tweezers and I will go to town on your eyebrows. Jim loves this about me. yeah, right.
5. One reason I like coconut is because it's the food that keeps on giving. Hours after you eat coconut you can find a piece stuck in your teeth and enjoy the flavor all over again.
6. Throwing parties is up there at the top 5 things I love to do. Although Jim would share with you that I have a mini freak an hour before guests arriving. Jim always stays calm and doesn't react to me at all, he simply brings me a glass of red wine - which does the trick. I love that boy!
7. I'm a big Laurie Notaro fan, her books are so hilarious - I can't help but pass them on to my friends as soon as I finish one.

Now it is my turn to tag, here are the rules:

• A Growing Violet
• My Crazy Life
• J&J Dish It Out
• Kenzies Kitchen
• It's Melissa's Kitchen
• In Good Taste
• From the French Kitchen

Allyson's Cupcake Pops: A Scary Halloween Tale

Happier times made Allyson think she could make Halloween treats for the TASB bakesale...Little did she know that there was going to be an awful Massacre at Collins Creek.
When there are this many ghosts, there's always trouble...
But even the ghosts met an untimely death.
We're melting!!!
Hey -- why are you still smiling?

The pumpkins were not spared.
Some tried to keep a cheery outlook, but their fate was grim.
One pumpkin was left relatively unscathed.
Why are you still smiling? You're about to become pumpkin pie.
The tragedy even made it to the usually perfect cupcake pops.They melted too.

The massacre also claimed the candy corns. Especially the one in front.
Smily pumpkin could not cheer up the melted candy corn.
Maybe the flowers will come back in the Spring......
We need a party to cheer us up!

Thanks Allyson for sharing your pics. These are the cutest little cupcake pops, great idea, sorry they melted a bit. I'm sure they still tasted great. For full recipe and instructions on making ALL KINDS of cupcake pops, visit Bakerella.

Chocolate Whopper Malted Drops

Even though I've done quite a bit of baking lately I realy don't put myself in that category. My friend Allyson however, she has the bakers touch and I CANNOT wait to share with you some of her amazing bread recipes. I wish I could share the beautiful loaf she recently brought to my house... I would if it weren't devoured by Jim and I in one day. Here, Allyson is stepping in once again as my guest blogger and I can't wait for you to read about these amazing cookies.

Hey Allyson, when do I get a taste of these??

___________________________________________________________

Although I’m not an official member of Tuesdays with Dorie , I think it’s fun to make a few of their recipes now and then. TWD is an online baking group that makes recipes from Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan once a week. When I read that the group was making Chocolate Whopper Malted Drops, time stood still. Chocolate. Whoppers. Malt. Cookies. I’m not even part of the group, but they picked something with all my favorite ingredients? How nice of them. ☺
You can find the complete recipe and baking instructions on Rachel’s website, Confessions of a Tangerine Tart.

I would HIGHLY recommend these cookies. They were chocolately, but not too sweet. The Whopper texture and malt taste wasn’t overwhelming, but added a nice subtle flavor. I actually would have preferred more Whopper and malt, but I REALLY like malt flavoring. Even one week after I made the cookies, they remain very moist, and haven’t dried out at all. I’ve kept them in a Ziploc bag in the fridge.
Here are a few changes I made to the recipe:

1. I used regular flavor Ovaltine. I couldn’t find regular malt powder, and some of the TWD bloggers had used Ovaltine, so I gave it a try. It tasted great, and prompted some good entertainment from my husband…he’s still saying “More Ovaltine, please!”

2. I cut most of the Whoppers into quarters. Some halves. Not much smaller than that. They really broke down during cooking, so you don’t have to be worried about big chunks of candy in the finished cookies.

3. Some TWD bloggers used peanut butter Whoppers, and I think that would be great. But I couldn’t find them at my store.

4. I used semi-sweet chocolate chips, instead of bar chocolate.
Everyone loved these cookies, especially my brother.

___________________________________________________________

Thanks Allyson! And thank you also for sending me this link to Martha's post titled, "How to create your own blog." It looks like Martha just aired a show featuring bloggers and had one of my favorites on... Deb from Smitten Kitchen!

Austin Farmers Market

Last Saturday I went to the Austin Farmers Market with my friend Allyson (pictured above with me at a happy hour last year.) No, we aren't becoming hippies, but the curiosity of what would be there was killing me. They have this every Saturday downtown and on Wednesday evenings you can find them at The Triangle (for you locals).

The first thing we grabbed were the most delicious quiche. Mine was caramelized onion and blue cheese. The crust was perfectly flaky and the egg mixture moist and flavorful with the perfect browning on top. Allyson had the spinach and feta quiche. Both were to die for.

An Austin bakery shows his beautiful loaves in wicker baskets. The round sour dough loaf was priced at $30.

I couldn’t pass on this red snapper from the gulf of mexico. I’m still learning to cook fish, and this looked like a beautiful fish to try. I bought a large filet (enough for three people…or you could say dinner for Jim and I and then lunch for Jim the next day.)

The colors of the produce were magnificent. These eggplants were so purple, and the listada di gandia variety was so unique (to me at least) I had to photograph it.

We saw everything from garlic to tomatoes and lamb to bison, fresh milk, watermelons, and even cactus.

When the sun started to peek through the clouds I looked for something cold and returned to this hibiscus mint tea stand. A boy who was probably in 5th grade took our orders. He scooped the ice into my cup and filled with the premixed hibiscus mint tea, then took his little fingers and plucked a few mint leaves of a potted plant in the stand and dropped them on top of my tea. I wish I had a picture of the little boy he was so freaking precious. The tea was really tasty too!

I purchased this zephyr squash, couldn’t pass up the color.

Local goat cheese…oh my. I purchased the cilantro/jalapeno, not sure how I’m going to eat it yet. Probably slathered on a cracker. Yum!

Allyson picked up some really nice produce at the farmer’s market and I’ve asked her to document how she used them. So here she is, my favorite guest blogger Allyson.

____________________________________________

At the farmer's market, I bought some beautiful yellow pear tomatoes, feta cheese marinated in olive oil with basil and tomatoes, and I also purchased fresh basil. These ingredients were perfect for a fresh dinner salad on Saturday night.

The Ingredients: Mixed greens (from a bag!), the yellow pear tomatoes (some sliced in half, some whole), the marinated feta cheese, deli turkey that I tore into the salad, Kraft light balsamic vinaigrette dressing, freshly ground pepper.

YUM! If I closed my eyes and drown out the sounds of the Olympics and the monsoon outside, I felt like I was in the Mediterranean....

To go with our dinner, I made the Pioneer Woman's cheese muffins. Well, I guess they are not hers, someone else submitted them for her most recent contest, but her web site is where I found this recipe. I had to cook them longer than the recipe said -- 30 minutes? I think something is wrong with my oven...

I thought these were good, and my husband agreed. Probably would have been better with full-fat cheese (I used low-fat), and I think they needed more salt. But that didn't stop me from eating 3 in a row...and 2 more the next day...

Coming up next in Allyson’s Adventures in Baking…Peanut Butter cookies and homemade bread!