Ted’s birthday – 05/26/2018

My husband turns 36 this week so we had a bit of a party to celebrate.

Menu
Kickin’ Corn Dip with tortilla chips
Cheese, Crackers, and assorted cured meats
Fritos and Onion Dip

Hamburgers, Hot Dogs and Veggie Burgers
Cauliflower Green Olive Salad
Fruit Salad (pineapple, papaya, watermelon)

Brownies
Snickerdoodles
Marble cake with marshmallow cream frosting, chocolate sandwich cookie filling and a gold glitter sprinkle (photo on Instagram)

Ted’s Birthday Bash 2017

Yesterday, friends and family gathered to celebrate my husband’s birthday. We provided plenty of food and drink for the occasion.

Menu
Appetizers
Deviled Eggs
Roasted Shrimp with Cocktail Sauce
Bacon Bites
Corn Dogs
Pickles, Olives, Cheese, Crackers and Grapes
Chips and fresh Salsa

Mains
Alton Brown’s Backyard Baby Back Ribs
Potato Salad
Tomato and Cucumber Salad

Desserts
Buttermilk Chocolate Chip Cake with Marshmallow Cream Frosting
Brown Sugar Cookies
plus an assortment of store bought treats

Holiday Party 2016

As is our tradition we hold our annual Winter Holiday party in January. This usually works out well however this year we had a snow storm, like you do in January, which prevented about half of our guests from joining in the revelry. That just went that those who did make it enjoyed lots of tasty food.

Apps
Baked Brie
Bacon Bites
Roasted Brussels Spouts crustini with black pepper Greek yogurt
Stovetop Spiced Pecans
hummus, pita chips, cherry tomatoes
crackers and cheese

Main dishes
One-Pot Creamy French Onion Pasta Bake (from the Half Baked Harvest blog)
Butternut Squash with Baby Spinach
Farro and Cauliflower Salad
Roast Pork Tenderloin
Focaccia

Desserts
Brown Sugar Cookies
Assorted store-bought treats

Christmas Eve 2016

We enjoy having a few friends over on Christmas Eve. We often use it as an occasion to try out something fancier than our usual Saturday night dinner fare. This year, though, we are both feeling the need for comforting food that was fairly simple for us to put together.

Menu
Baked Brie
Roasted Pear and Spiced Pecan Salad with Apple Cider Vinaigrette
Lamb Pie with Puff Pastry
Farro with Mushrooms and Thyme
Roasted Carrots
Gingerbread
Strawberry Shortcake Pie

Holiday Party 2015

Our annual after-the-holidays holiday party was exhausting and fun and noisy and a happy time. My fear of running out of food was once again unfounded. Read on for a breakdown of what was served.

Christmas Eve 2015

For the past 8 years or so we’ve had a few friends over on Christmas Eve. We cook something little outside our comfort zone, the little one gets to open a present or two and we celebrate as one should, with family. Here’s a few pictures from last night’s menu.

Menu
Baked Brie using homemade Puff Pastry
Watercress and Endive Salad with Pistachios and Dried Cranberries
Crown Roast of Pork
Wild Rice, Sourdough and Apple Stuffing
Creamy Smashed Potatoes
Roasted Brussels Sprouts
Homemade Fruitcake flamed with brandy. Optional whipped cream.

Mom’s 75th Birthday

My mom turned 75 this past week and the extended family gathered to celebrate this weekend with a cookout. It was great to see many of my aunts, uncles and cousins. A big thank you to my sister, brother and sister-in-law and Ted for helping to pull it all together.

Appetizers
Deviled Eggs
Cheese Puffs
Cheese & Crackers
Stuffed Mushrooms
Cocktail Kielbasa

Mains
Hot Dogs
Hamburgers
Veggie Patties
Pasta Salad
Potato Chips
Radish Slaw

Desserts
Boston Cream Pie
Gingersnaps
Banana Bread
Assorted Fruit

Holiday Party 2014

Our annual after-the-holidays holiday party was a blast with many friends joining us from the various aspects of our lives. We had plenty of food (which is always a worry for me). I couple of favorites made return appearances however for the most part the menu was new to me. What can I say, I like a challenge.

Christmas Eve 2014

Every year we have a few friends over on Christmas Eve. We cook something little outside our comfort zone, the little one gets to open a present or two and we celebrate as one should, with family. Here’s the menu from this year.

Menu
Starters – turnip tots, cheese and crackers, grapes,
First course – Cranberry Crunch Salad
Main course – Pork Tenderloin Wellington, Roasted Potatoes, Cinnamon-Braised Carrots
Dessert – Pistachio-Cherry Crumble, Buttermilk Ice Cream, Mixed Nut Brittle

Ted’s Birthday Bash 2014

Yesterday, friends and family gathered to celebrate my husband’s birthday. I simplified the menu a bit more this year and relied a bit more than usual on store bought items.

Menu
Appetizers
Chicken Empanadas with Salsa Cream
Veggie Corn Dogs
Deviled Eggs
Onion Dip & Chips
Fritos w/Radish Slaw
Carrots and Cherry Tomatoes
Grapes

Mains
Hamburgers & Hot Dogs
Veggie Burgers
Pasta, Pesto & Peas
Corn, Tomato & Avocado Salad
Baked Beans

Desserts
Blueberry cupcakes
Brown Sugar Cookies w/Chocolate Chunks
Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars
Watermelon Cookies