Pesto Quiche--St Patrick's Day Recipe 1

Quiche has been a staple in our family since we lived in Paris 5 years ago. You could buy a Quiche Lorraine in the freezer section at our local market over there, but fresh is always superior. We had some extra pesto sauce left over from a recipe I'll share tomorrow and I thought it would be a nice change to my usual quiche. It can be served with our without the chicken. It can also be served warm for dinner (preferred) or chilled for a brunch or baby shower.

If you don't have a quiche dish or tart pan, simply use a deep pie dish.


Pesto Quiche
Yield: 4 people, 8 servings

Ingredients:
1 pie crust, handmade or store bought (I prefer this easier method)
2 large eggs
2 large egg yolks (save the whites for an omelet, or mousse!)
1 cup milk
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp white pepper
pinch of ground nutmeg
pinch of dried basil
4 oz cheese, shredded, any kind, preferably swiss
1/4-1/2 cup pesto sauce
1/2 cup frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1/4 of a chicken breast, chilled and shredded (about 1/2 cup)

Directions:
1. Press crust into quiche dish. Be sure to allow a bit of the dough to overhang the edges a bit, because it will shrink down when baked. Bake at 375 degrees for about 8 minutes, or until just browned.
2. Meanwhile, in a 1 qt glass measuring cup, or a small mixing bowl, combine all ingredients with a fork or whisk, except the chicken, cheese, spinach and pesto. I usually measure out the milk and cream first then add the remaining ingredients. Fewer dishes that way.
3. Once pie crust is done, remove it from oven and add the remaining ingredients.
4. Start with the cheese, spread it over the bottom of the crust. Then top it with the chicken, spreading evenly. There will be gaps or spaces, that's okay. Then add the spinach. Spread the leaves out a bit as you go. Then cover with pesto.
5. Next, pull oven rack out just a bit, and replace quiche dish onto the rack.
6. Gently pour egg mixture into dish, over the other ingredients.
7. Slowly replace oven rack.
8. Bake for 45-60 minutes. Check for doneness after 45 minutes. It is done with the center is no longer jiggly and the top is browning. Or if you a insert a knife near the edge and it comes out clean.
9. Notice the spinach and pesto float to the top. Now you have a "green" meal!

Enjoy!

Simple Alfredo Sauce

This is the easiest Alfredo sauce recipe you'll find, other than from a jar. One of my college roommates, Jenny, gave it to me. It was supposedly Olive Garden's recipe, but I doubt that.

Alfredo sauce with pasta is my all time favorite food ever. But my husband.....meh. So I try to make it for others or when he's gone. So today we had a cousin's get together and I made it for them!

Quick, easy and delicious! Just 4 ingredients. You ready?

Simple Alfredo Sauce
yield: 8 servings

You'll need:
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter
1--8oz package cream cheese, room temp (I like to use the neuf-chatel, lower fat, doesn't seem to make a difference in taste, plus you feel a little Swiss eating it :) )
3/4 cup parmesan cheese
1/2-1 C milk

1. Boil some water.
2. Add Pasta. Any kind. About 12 oz. Prepare as usual. In this case I used whole wheat spaghetti.
3. For the sauce, dump these 4 ingredients into a small pot.
4. Start with 1 stick butter. Let it melt for a bit.
5. Add cream cheese.
6. Add parmesan cheese.
7. Add milk. Adjust to the thickness you desire.
8. Combine with a whisk. Stir and bring just to a boil. It will thicken.
9. Do not overcook.
10. Pour over pasta!

You're done!

If you'd like you can always add cubed chicken, bacon crumbles (as pictured), garlic or herbs to give a little extra flavor.

Enjoy!

You could also add a little green food coloring to make for a St Patrick's Day meal. In the next few days I'll be featuring some great St. Patrick's Day recipes! So keep checking back!

French Vintage Birthday Party Inspiration board

Heard of Pinterest? It's a wonderful little program that allows you to "pin" photos from the web that you like and collect them by creating an inspiration board. It's so much easier than bookmarking each page or saving an image in your documents. Plus it puts it all in one place and you can reference them each by categories! So fun!

Check it out here and be sure to find and follow me when you get on board!

Here is my first pinned board for my upcoming birthday party! Somehow I can't embed my whole board from pinterest yet so I had to create this collage on Picasa. Does anyone know how to import from pinterest? That would be so helpful!


Sources:
1. Rag swag vintage shabby chic, Amy Atlas
2. aqua wedding dresser, Style Me Pretty
3. Gold frame and ruffle cake, Amy Atlas
4. Vintage white cake, TomKat Studios
5. Doily garland, homemade by Jill
6. Vintage candy buffet, here
7. pink cupcake, Amy Atlas
8. handmade hydrangeas, Frog Prince Paperie via Kara's Party Ideas
9. my cupcake!
10. pink ruffle cake, Kara's Party Ideas
11. pink lemonade and paper straws, TomKat Studios
12. Pink birdie party, Kara's Party Ideas
13. Pink and aqua Christmas party, Kara's Party Ideas
14. Taffy jar, Amy Atlas
15. Ribbon curtain, Kara's Party Ideas
16. Pink pom-poms, Martha Stewart

My Birthday Party

Does this tempt you? Delicate lemon cupcake with strawberry buttercream!

I am experimenting with recipes for my upcoming birthday party. Are you ready for the theme?

French Vintage in aqua and pinks! You excited? I am!!! Tomorrow I'll post my inspiration board with some more exciting ideas. But for now enjoy the recipe, especially if you can't join me in my celebration you can try these at home!

Recipes:

Tender Lemon Cupcakes
adapted from Martha Stewart's recipe

Makes 48 mini cupcakes or 24 regular cupcakes

Pre-Heat oven at 350 degrees. Line cupcake tins with wrappers.

12 Tbsp unsalted butter, room temp
2 1/4 cup sifted flour
2 1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 C sugar
3 large eggs
3/4 C buttermilk
1/2 tsp lemon extract
Zest of one lemon OR 1/2 tsp dried lemon peel

1. Combine flour, baking powder and salt together in a medium bowl. Set aside.
2. With an electric mixer or upright mixer, beat butter on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes.
3. Add sugar; beat well.
4. Reduce speed to medium; add eggs, one a time, until fully incorporated.
5. Reduce speed to low; alternately add flour and buttermilk, starting and ending with flour. Stir in lemon peel or zest.
6. Pour batter into lined cupcake pan. Bake for 15 minutes for mini cupcakes, or until cake bounces back when gently pressed on. Cool in pan before removing and replacing on a cooling rack.

Sprinkles' Strawberry Frosting
adapted from Sprinkle's recipe found on Martha Stewart

Makes enough to generously frost 1 dozen regular muffins or 24 mini's

1/2 C whole frozen strawberries, thawed
1 C unsalted butter, firm and slightly cold
Pinch of coarse salt
3 1/2 C powdered sugar
1/2 tsp lemon extract

1. Place strawberries in small food processor, process until pureed.
2. Beat together butter and salt on medium speed in a upright mixer, until light and fluffy.
3. Reduce speed and slowly add powdered sugar, beat until well combined.
4. Add lemon extract and 6 tablespoons strawberry puree (save any remaining puree for another use). Mix until well blended. But do not over mix or it will incorporate too much air.

Enjoy!

Wallace and Gromit

Last night for movie night we watched 2 of the 3 adventures of Wallace and Gromit on Netflix. At first, the kids didn't really like Wallace and Gromit. They love Chicken Run but didn't realize they're made with the same stuff, clay! They had to adjust to the quirkiness and small amounts of dialog too which is a little different from the rest of the fast past animated type films they normally watch. I didn't realize W & G are obsessed with cheese until last night.

After the kiddos watched the third adventure today they decided they wanted cheese and crackers, just like they do in the movie. Sliced cheese. Last night S, before he watched the movie, insisted he did not want sliced cheese on his sandwich but shredded! Go figure! The power of media? Pickyness gone away with imagination? Who knows.

I had left out some mini-Easter cookie cutters. You see, I tried making Rice Krispie balls with peanut butter filing covered in chocolate. I tried it too with nutella. Neither worked so well. They fell apart and did not stay on their stick. Needless to say, I failed and will have to attempt to make them again after some adjustments so I can show you. But they did taste good! So, I had the cookie cutters out and I showed the kids how to have cute little crackers and cheese! Fun times!

Okay, that was a really long explanation. Now you get "crackin" and "cut some cheese!" Har, har.

Herbed Salmon and Zesty Brown Rice

Ready for a super simple yet delicious salmon recipe? You're in luck! This is one of my favorites! The flavors are subtle enough for kids. Even my husband, who generally doesn't like brown rice , loved this brown rice recipe.

Honey Mustard Basil Salmon & Zesty Brown Rice Salad

2 Large or 4 small Salmon fillets, about 1" thick
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp honey dijon mustard (or 1 Tbsp dijon mustard mixed with 1 tsp honey)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup basil, freshly chopped
salt and pepper to taste

Remove any bones with pliers. Place salmon, skin side down, on a cookie sheet. In a small bowl, mix together olive oil, lemon juice, mustard, and garlic. Stir in chopped basil. Season with salt and pepper. Spread mixture over fillets with pastry brush or simply spoon it over and smooth it over until the whole fillet is covered. Let sit and marinate while you prepare the brown rice. If you make ahead of time cover this dish and keep in the fridge.

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees. Bake for for about 12 minutes or until the fish flakes when scraped with a fork, or thermometer reads 140 degrees.

**TIP: Do NOT overcook. The general rule for fish is 10 minutes per one inch thick fish. So if the fillet is only 1" thick cook for about 10 minutes. If it's 2 inches then cook for about 20 minutes.

**TIP: Did you know you rarely need to skin salmon or halibut? Most of the time we place the fish directly over foil on a cookie sheet, flesh side up, and bake. When it's perfectly cooked, it should "peel" right off the skin that sticks to the foil. Easy clean up and no skin!

Zesty Black Bean and Brown Rice Salad
Shared with me by my friend Mareen
Yield: A lot! 6-7 cups, serves about 10

Combine the following in a large bowl:
6 C brown rice, cooked and cooled
2 15 oz cans black beans, drained and rinsed
2 C corn, fresh, frozen, or canned (drained)
1 C celery, sliced
3/4 C green onion, chopped
2 C tomatoes, chopped
1 bell pepper, red or green, chopped
1/4 C cilantro, chopped

Dressing:
Whisk together the following:
1/4 C red wine vinegar
1/2 C olive oil
2 tsp tabasco sauce
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp salt (or to taste)
1/2 tsp black pepper
4 Tbsp white sugar (or as desired, to taste)

Pour over rice mixture and combine. It can be served warm or chilled. I think it tastes better chilled.

Enjoy!

Carnival Inspiration board

Isn't this cake so clever? From a distance they look like old fashioned balloons. Perfect!
Source

I am throwing my nephew and two nieces a birthday party in April. I thought that a circus/carnival theme would be perfect for our large family and for both boys and girls! I call it "April's Fools."

My mind has been whirling with ideas since January. Can't....stop.....thinking......about.....it.

Here are two inspiration boards. I can't decide on the color palette yet. Traditional red, yellow, blue? Hot pink, teal, grass green and pale yellow? Vintage? I'm thinking rainbow....that way I can use all of them!

Sources: 1. Amy Atlas, 2. Sweet little parties, 3. A Little Polkadot, 4.Mrs. A in the Cove, 5. English Paper Company, 6. One Charming Party, 7. Mon Tresor

There are many more detailed photos so I've shared the source info if you'd like to reference them yourself! So much talent out there!

And by the end of April you'll get to see how it all turned out! I am so excited for this one! It's going to be so fun!

Also, if you'd like to enter a contest over at Kara's Party ideas for this very theme you could possibly win $150 worth of carnival party stuff! What perfect timing! I'm all about winning stuff! If you'd like to enter go here.


Inspiration Source Info:
1. Harp clips and striped food labels plus sprinkle marshmallow pops! A little polkadot
2. Animal crackers, Blow out party
3. Vellum mobile streamers, Project Wedding
4. Pink and yellow candy jar labels, here
5. Mustache photo booth, Ohdeedoh
6. Striped pink envelopes and invitation, here
7. Ticket holder, kara's party ideas
8. Zig Zag rainbow tablecloth, Crate and Barrel
9. Candy prize jars and scoops, Aesthetic Nest
10. Rainbow cake, Whisk Kid
11. Lollipops and bubblegum centerpieces, tomkat studios
12. Darling vintage yellow and pink, source
13. Jars full of treats and prizes, here
14. Gable boxes adorned with pennant bunting, A little polkadot
15. Rainbow oreos, Buggie & Jellybean from tomkat studios
16. Vintage stamps, One Charming party
Pink and yellow candy jar labels, here


Inspiration to take part in "Celebrate the Boy" month over at Made and Made by Rae. What can you make for your little guys next birthday party?