Friday, July 16, 2010

How to Get Inspired in 3 Easy Steps

Coffee and Wine 

1.  If it is morning, drink lots of coffee.

2.  If it is afternoon, drink lots of coffee and wine.

3.  Spend lots of time on the computer looking at blogs and getting lots of really great ideas. 

Now, if you do those things, you will have sufficiently run out of time and you will have to jump up and get to work right away which will result in the things for your next party getting accomplished! 

I personally don’t recommend this method of inspiration, but I do strictly adhere to it :) 

I will also say that the inspiration for the party tonight came as a result of drinking some great bottles of Cupcake Vineyards Wines.  From that and a trip to their Web site, the cupcake and wine tasting party was born.

Once that was established, we set to work on the details.  Really cute paper plates lead to the color scheme and a new cookbook called Booze Cakes (which Laura wrote about earlier)  rounded out the finishing touches on the decor and the menu.

Look for pictures soon and wish Briee a very Happy 21st Birthday!  

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Wednesday, July 7, 2010

Salmon burgers/Sliders

Salmon Burgers by Ezra Pound Cake.


I have made a variety of salmon burger recipes, but this one is my  new favorite. For those of you that don’t know much about me…I have NEVER purchased canned salmon. Being raised in the Seattle area, the only canned fish we ever ate was tuna fish. Since moving to Colorado 13 years ago, my husband Brian has always found a reason to get up to Alaska at least every other year to fill our freezer with salmon and halibut. So, whenever a recipe calls for canned salmon, I just pull a piece of salmon out of the freezer and bake it up! If you want to make sliders, you just make the patties smaller. Enjoy!

Alaska Salmon burgers
1 – 15 ½ oz can unsalted pink salmon, drained, skin removed
½ cup celery, finely chopped
½ cup dry bread crumbs
¼ cup lite mayonnaise
1 egg, beaten
2 tablespoons salsa
1 tablespoon parsley, finely chopped
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon black pepper

1. Combine all ingredients. Mix well.
2. Form into patties
3. Spray nonstick pan with oil. Fry until golden brown on both sides
4. Serve on buns with lettuce, sliced tomato and pickles.

Tuesday, July 6, 2010

4th of July

I love parties on the 4th of July. It is a great day for friends, food, drink and fireworks. This year…we enjoyed all but the fireworks. The rain and wind do not go well with the lighting of fireworks. Oh well, we enjoyed them on Monday the 5th. I also forgot to take ANY pictures on the 4th. But…I wanted to share the great “slider” assortment and the cute desserts. So, yes, these are pictures of my leftovers. 
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There were no leftover salmon sliders…here we have 2 chicken, 1 buffalo
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Cute desserts, compliments of Kellee. The other leftover desserts went home with people. They were all cute…and good.
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Mary Engelbreit Paper Dolls welcome you to my home.

Saturday, June 26, 2010

Addictions

It can be difficult to live with your adult children that come home from college for the summer. No time for stories…enough said. On Friday afternoon, in a moment of frustration, I left the house headed for a place where I knew my addictions would get the best of me. And I got caught. While browsing my favorite section of Barnes and Noble,  my good friend Jennifer walked right up to me and asked, almost in that intervention sort of tone, “do you really need another cookbook?”
The real answer is NO. I do not NEED another cookbook. But we have a tendency to let our addictions take over in moments of frustration. So…yes, I did buy a new cookbook. This is it.
booze cakes

And I made this recipe today….

Rum & Coke Whoopie Pies
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
5 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup cola
Fluffy Cream Filling
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1 cup marshmallow fluff
2 cups confectioners’ sugar
3 tablespoons light rum
  1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicon liners.
For the cakes:
  1. In a mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs and vanilla.
  2. In a bowl, combine the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
  3. In another bowl, combine the buttermilk and cola.Add the buttermilk mixture to the creamed butter and egg mixture. Add the dry ingredient mixture, and beat until well blended.
  4. Drop batter by the tablespoon full onto baking sheet, leaving plenty of room for the cakes to spread (8 per baking sheet) and bake 10 minutes or until set.
  5. Remove from oven, and let the cakes cool on racks completely before filling.
For the filling:
  1. In a mixing bowl, beat together the butter and marshmallow fluff until light and creamy. Mix in the rum. On low speed, beat in the confectioner’s sugar. Once all added, turn speed up to high and beat until light and fluffy.
  2. Spread an even amount of filling on the flat side of half the cooled cakes.
  3. Place another cake, flat side down, on top of each filled whoopie pie. To glamorize, dust the tops with confectioners’ sugar, or roll them in mini chocolate chips or sprinkles.


They are very, very tasty good.
And I am bringing them over to your house Jennifer….so look out. They might be addicting!

Thursday, June 24, 2010

Art Party

My daughter Tasha is heading off to college to study graphic design. Her high school graduation party was a perfect place to showcase her own artwork as well as the artistic elements of “let it be done”. Yes, we make and bake food and desserts, but what we really enjoy is putting together the presentation and making it personal.
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A welcome wreath decorated with bright colored artist tools
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Some of Tasha’s artwork…
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Kellee and Laura’s artwork
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The Menu
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A Take Home treat
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She is ready for Concordia, Nebraska!

Monday, June 21, 2010

I have been thinking about this lately. She just beat me to the writing about it part!

 

It seems like everything I have looked at lately has a great outdoor party all centered around a piece of indoor furniture just taken outside.  Here are some of the better pictures in this post from Celebrations at Home: Trend Alert - Bring The Inside, Out!

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Rocky Party People

 

So here is how the invitation read.

“YO HOW YOU DOIN”? THE CHAMP WOULD LIKE TO INVITE YOUS TO CELEBRATE SCOTT’S 40th BIRTHDAY SATURDAY NIGHT MAY15th, 2010  STARTING AT 4:00P.M.

DON'T BE NO BUM; COME DRESSED IN YOUR BEST "ROCKY BALBOA" ATTIRE & BE READY TO ENJOY A KNOCK-OUT BIRTHDAY PARTY! WE'LL PROBABLY PLAY GAMES OR SOMETHIN' LIKE THAT YOU KNOW 'CAUSE I CAN'T SING OR DANCE.   BUT I THINK WE'LL MAKE A REAL SHARP COUPLE OF COCONUTS ANYWAY.

WHADDAYA THINK HUH? IT'LL BE FUN YOU KNOW?  

MICK SAYS WE NEED TO EAT LIGHTINING BUT I JUS' WANT TO LET YA KNOW THAT WE'LL EAT PHILLY SANDWICHES INSTEAD YOU KNOW SINCE THE ITALIAN STALLION IS FROM PHILADELPHIA & EVERYTHING. HOPE YOUS CAN COME!

 

And here are the best dressed guests!

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