Eight is Great

Sometimes having too much prep time calls for indecision. C and I toggled between the idea of a hamburger party, a flower party, and an ice cream party. Then two weeks to the birthday party date, we landed on the ice cream theme.

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Crostini Platter

I flew to Seattle for a very exciting celebration to help put together this perfect noshing platter for the occasion. How fun that I got to taste four types of feta cheese to choose the perfect one, three types of green olives for the just fine brine, and two types of bleu cheeses for that right punch. Homemade chips and Columbia City bakery bread with three types of dips- now I’m ready to watch my Gilmore Girls with a platter like this!

Potato Croquettes

How can one not love fried potatoes? As an avid potato-chip enthusiast and french fry fan, I do not shy away from fried potato recipes. But there’s something about potato croquettes that are so comforting. Could it be that it’s basically mashed potatoes fried up? Or maybe that my Japanese side just adores these hot crunchy creamy goodness. Either way, it’s a great dish for kids of ALL ages.

Caramelized Onion Dip

I hosted an 80’s ladies game night and wanted to find some great nibbles for the evening. As a potato chip lover, I knew I had to include a chip and dip. And what better way than to make my own potato chips (using avocado oil, of course) and a classic favorite of dips.

Slow Roasted Tomatoes

We received a bunch of beautiful ripened tomatoes that started to blister and couldn’t figure out how to salvage such delicious bounty. Enter slow roasted tomatoes. Sure, it takes 3 hrs to roast but when you’re stuck at home, might as well pop these in the oven to make amazing combinations with ’em. You really can’t go wrong whichever way you go. They taste like the best marinara sauce in a slice.

School Bento Accessories

{L: Salmon Rice, Assorted Veggies, Stone Fruit. R: Potato Croquettes, Veggies with homemade carrot ginger dressing}

{Cucumber and ham sandwiches, coconut rolls (GF), mango fries, and home-grown baby carrots}

It’s that time of year where your Facebook feed gets flooded with 1st day back to school pics. I love seeing them all. And I get envious of those who start AFTER the Labor day holiday. C’s school begins in mid-August every year when it’s still like 90 degrees out. Simply wrong.

For those who are looking to keep the school lunches exciting and new-consider how you cut things! A simple sandwich cut into finger sandwiches and mangos sliced up like fries can make all the difference in a kid’s lunch. Not to mention cute animal toothpicks.

Romesco Sauce

When you’re looking to convert the ordinary into extraordinary, try incorporating some romesco sauce. It’s packed with a punch of flavors that will have you wondering why you never made it before.  Lately, I’ve been grilling plenty of chicken wings but when I don’t have time to marinate proteins, romesco has been a huge hit to throw together a delicious meal when you have a jar ready to go!

Blueberry Compote

Come blueberry season, you MUST, yes it’s an order, make this sauce at least once to accompany any sort of sweet breakfast item- french toast, pancakes, waffles, even toasted croissants… vanilla ice cream?! It’s simple yet brings out the maximum flavor of blueberries to its fullest.

• 1.5 cups of fresh blueberries
• 2 Tablespoons cane sugar
• 1 Tablespoon lemon juice

Put all ingredients in a small pot over medium-low heat. Stir and let simmer for 10 minutes. Once it starts to bubble, turn heat off. Allow to sit for at least 5 minutes. Serve with anything you fancy blueberries with!

 

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Bakin’ Bacon

Brunch without bacon is a sin. However the clean-up of bacon splatter is such a pain. When I learned this approach to cook bacon in an oven, it was like the seas parted and my journey to bacon island was revealed. It’s ridiculously easy and the clean-up is a cinch!

• 1 package of bacon
• 2 Tablespoon Maple Syrup (optional)

Remove bacon strips from package and place side by side onto a baking sheet lined with foil. Place baking sheet into oven and turn oven on at 375 degrees. After 15 minutes, brush maple syrup onto bacon. If you like your bacon with a little lining of juicy fat, it will be done in 20-22 minutes so remove pan from oven to cool. If you like your bacon crispy, turn the oven off but keep the pan in the oven for 10 more minutes. Either way, transfer strips onto plate lined with paper towel to drain excess grease. Toss foil in garbage once it has cooled.

Watermelon Party

This year, I had plenty of time, well at least more than 24 hrs unlike last year’s party, to prepare for C’s 7th birthday. But we all know that life always has us juggling, so with only three days left to scramble something together, it all came together pretty quickly once we figured out the theme. C originally suggested having another fruit party but then I remembered how a bunch of kids at school chose watermelon as their favorite fruit. I mean like, rows and rows of favorite fruit posters were posted in the hallway with different adaptations of  watermelon pictures and drawings. And so the idea of a watermelon party came to fruit-ion!