Chicken Salad Tea Sandwiches and Cucumber Tea Sandwiches

My sister had her baby shower today and everything was so cute!  Peggy's daughter made the little boxes herself and inside were little mini spice cakes as party favors.

I wanted to make little tea party sandwiches so I found two recipes to try (using baby shower guests as guinea pigs for new recipes probably not a good idea but thankfully they went over very well).

The chicken salad recipe was made by Robin Fuhrman on Allrecipes.com.  Its a bit different than the normal chicken salad recipe because of the curry but I liked the difference.  I also liked the suggestion of chopping in some grapes but since they are so expensive at the store right now I didn't try it.

Chicken Salad Sandwiches

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of cooked chicken, cubed
• 1 medium red apple, cubed
• 3/4 dried cranberries
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced celery
• 1/4 cup chopped pecans
• 2 Tbsp green onions, thinly sliced (green part only)
• 3/4 cup Mayonnaise
• 2 tsp lime juice
• 1/2 tsp curry powder

1. In a bowl, combine the first six ingredients. Combine mayonnaise, lime juice and curry powder; add to chicken mixture and stir to coat. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Cut each slice of bread with a 3-in. heart-shaped cookie cutter. Top with lettuce and chicken salad.

While looking up tea sandwich recipes I read that no tea party is complete without a cucumber one.  This one seemed like an odd combo when making it but it tasted pretty good.  I got it from a Great Party Recipes website.

Cucumber Tea Sandwiches

Ingredients:

• 1 large cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup soft butter spread (not melted)
• 2 tsp minced garlic
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• Fresh ground black pepper to taste

1.  Lightly salt sliced cucumber and place in colander to drain for about 1 hour.  

2. In bowl combine butter and garlic.

3. In a separate bowl stir together lemon juice, olive oil, and pepper.  Add cucumber to lemon mixture.

3. Spread butter mixture on bread, place sliced cucumbers on top and cover with other slice of bread.

Roasted Root Veggies and Chocolate Truffles

Christmas Day we had our tradition of going over to the Jackson's house for feasting and visiting.  With my sister's family included there is usually close to 20 people so it makes for a really nice celebration of the holiday.  There is always tons of good food and the delicious opportunity of stuffing yourself to where you can't move....ahhhhh i love it!
I decided to bring over a batch of my homemade eggnog since it was so additively yummy.  My personal preference is the non rum version so I made it without and just let people add rum if they wanted it.  About 5 minutes after we brought out the eggnog it was gone so I am thinking that it was a success.  :)
I also brought a veggie dish and in my grand tradition of being weird I decided to make roasted root vegetables: parsnips, carrots, rutabagas, & turnips.  I saw someone cook with them on TV and it looked good so why not!   Jeff summed it up perfectly when he saw me chopping them up -  "who even uses those vegetables anymore?".  Exactly!   That's why I gave him specific instructions to not tell people what they were - these veggies have a bad rap.  (even I didn't know what a rutabaga looked like).  I was pleasantly surprised at how tasty the turnips turned out  - they were really good and had the look and texture of roasted potatoes.

Carrots,   parsnips,   turnips,   rutabagas 

The veggies were half gone before I told anyone what they were eating.  This turned out to be a good healthy recipe that was really simple - and Jeff went for seconds so cheers!

Roasted Root Veggies

Ingredients:

• Parsnips
• Carrots
• Rutabagas
  
• Turnips
• Salt
• Pepper
• Garlic Powder
• Olive Oil
  

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Peel and cut the vegetables into same size pieces. Sprinkle the salt, pepper, and garlic powder evenly over the veggies.  Drizzle olive oil over and toss to coat.

3. Pour out veggies in either a casserole dish or cookie sheet - using two if necessary to make a single layer.  Roast in oven for about 45 minutes till tender, turning them a couple of times during cooking.  Add a little more olive oil if they seem to be getting too dry.

The last thing I made came from the Food Network's Giada's Everyday Italian.  The recipe looked too good to pass up: Balsamic Chocolate Truffles.  I know, balsamic vinegar in chocolate?  But it really worked well.  This is something that you eat one of and your sweet tooth is cured for the rest of the year, very rich!

Balsamic Chocolate Truffles

Ingredients:

• 8 1/2 oz dark chocolate chips
• 1/4 cup cream
• 2 tsp balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder

1. Slowly melt chocolate and cream in a double boiler over hot but not boiling water. 

2. Place chocolate in bowl and add vinegar mixing well.  Cool in fridge for at least one hour.

3. Put cocoa in bowl (I did a chopped walnut mixture too).  Scoop out chocolate and form into little balls.  Roll chocolate in cocoa power or nuts and set in a single layer.  Place back in fridge for at least 15 minutes to set.  Store in airtight package

Eggnog and Gingerbread cookies

Wow!!! We are now both in love with eggnog and neither of us were fans before.  The difference between store bought and homemade is like night and day - I almost want to call it something else it was just sooooooo good.  Worth the effort 110%!  This recipe is a merge from several recipes, I wanted to try and make it lower calorie but still be flavorful and this combo does just that! (though don't let it fool you there are still calories lurking there).

The gingerbread cookies were really good too though I had some issues transferring the cut dough to the pan.  We had a lot of armless and headless gingerbread men so the presentation was kind of morbid but they were still very tasty.

Emma helped me make the first ones and decorate them - it was really fun and very messy.  She even helped me wash some of the dishes which was again fun but messy :)

presenting the finished masterpieces

The Best Homemade Eggnog Ever

Ingredients:

• 2 cups milk
• 1/8 tsp ground cloves
• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
  
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 6 egg yolks
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 cups half & half
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
  
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1 cup Rum (optional)

1. Combine milk, cloves, 1/4 tsp vanilla, and cinnamon in a saucepan or double boiler and heat over low heat. Slowly bring mixture to boil stirring occasionally (really important you do not heat too fast!  It took me like 20 minutes for this part). Remove from heat when it just starts to boil.

2. In a large bowl combine egg yolks and sugar.  Whisk together with beaters until fluffy.

3. Slowly, using a hand whisk, add the hot mixture to the egg mixture.  Pour back into saucepan and cook over medium heat stirring constantly 3 minutes until thickened.  Let cool completely to room temperature.

4. Stir in half & half, 1 tsp vanilla, nutmeg, and rum (if using).  Refrigerate at least 5 hours or overnight.

**** when you go to serve make sure you whisk it all back together as it will separate in the fridge ****

Armless Gingerbread Men

Ingredients:

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 1 egg
• 2 Tbsp molasses
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 2 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp ground cloves
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3 cups flour

1. Cream butter & sugar together.  Mix in egg, then add molasses beating well.

2. Beat in baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and salt. 

3. Using either a pastry blender or fork blend in the flour.  The mixture will seem all crumbly but if you get your hands in at the end you can form it into a ball easily.

4. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

5. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Grease several cookie sheets.

6. For the rolling out and cutting of the gingerbread men you can either use a lightly floured work surface or use parchment paper.  The dough was really sticky so I put the dough between two pieces of parchment paper and rolled it out that way; way less messy and much easier.  Roll out to about 1/4 in thick; thinner makes crunchier cookies thicker makes softer cookies.

7. Bake for 8-12 minutes depending on thickness of cookies.  Remove from pan to a cooling rack immediately - the cookie will harden when cooled.

New Moon Feast!

Wow what a feast last night!  We both felt like stuffed puppies who couldn't stop eating.  I had a lot of fun making this meal & Jeff had a lot of fun eating it so it was a success all around!  Below are the pictures and recipes.  I think we both liked the Jacob meal slightly better but as you can see from the pic there was no problem finishing either.  And yes, Jeff ate blue cheese, unknowingly loving it....sneaky me :)  I had to explain the concept of the meals to him a little.  Jacob's meal is a giant beefsteak for...well...obvious reasons & Bella's blues is the melted blue cheese.  Edwards meal is of course named after his intention of doing the right thing & leaving but really not so smart.  And the pickled cucumbers was just a funny thing to me as vampires are preserved.  
As Jeff would say our food must have layers of stories or it would be just boring :)

If you notice about these recipes they are very short on cook time & preparation....gotta love it!   Thanks to my favorite website for giving me a base to play around with for a couple of these recipes, allrecipes.com.


We finally went to see the film today & I wasn't disappointed though we must of sat right between the Edward vs Jacob lovers.  There was hardly a moment where someone wasn't squealing at the screen.  My favorite part was before the movie started listening to young girls explaining to their mom's & dads why they liked one or the other.  So funny. 

My cute man

No problem finishing it.

Jacob's Entree:

Tender Beefsteak Soothing Bella's Blues

Ingredients:

• 2 beef tenderloin steaks, 1 1/2 in thick ( store was sold out so I substituted a London Broil)
• 3 oz blue cheese, crumbled
• 2 Tbsp butter, softened
• 2 slices bread, cubed & crusts removed
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese

1. Turn oven to broil.  Place cut steaks on baking sheet & cook in oven for 6-8 minutes on each side until meat is browned about 6 inches from heat.

2. While meat is cooking saute the bread cubes in oil in a skillet till lightly browned.  Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Combine blue cheese & softened butter in a bowl.

3. Pull steaks out of oven & top with blue cheese mixture & croutons, broil 1 minute longer until cheese is melted.

Roasted Red Potatoes

Ingredients:

• 6-8 small Red potatoes, washed and cut in halves or fourths
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 Tbsp Rosemary
• 3 cloves of garlic, crushed or minced
• sea salt & black pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

2. Combine all ingredients together in a bowl.  Arrange in a 9x9 inch baking pan, cover with foil, and place in center rack in heated oven.  

3. Bake for 20 minutes with foil on.  Remove foil & bake for an additional 15 minutes stirring occasionally until potatoes are tender.

Edward's Entree:

Sweet Crimson Intentions Gone Fowl

Ingredients:

• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 Tbsp minced garlic
• 3-4 chicken breasts cut in half
• 1 Tbsp paprika
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup dry red wine
• dash of salt & pepper to taste

1. Cook garlic in oil on med/med high heat in a large skillet about 1 minute.  Place chicken in skillet and cook for about 5 minutes each side until no longer pink inside.  Lightly sprinkle chicken with paprika & salt while cooking.
2. Mix red wine & brown sugar in separate bowl & add to the skillet.  Add rest of paprika and simmer covered for about 10 minutes turning & lightly basting chicken during.  Uncover & cook for an additional 5-10 minutes.  Add little pepper to taste.

Cucumber Salad

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 cup white vinegar
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 tsp dried dill
• 2 tsp salt
• 2 Medium cucumbers
• 1/4 cup sour cream

1. Peel & thinly slice cucumbers. Set inside bowl
2. Combine sugar, vinegar, water, dill, and salt in saucepan & bring to boil.  While still hot pour over cucumbers, cover, and refrigerate for several hours or overnight.
3. Before serving drain liquid from cucumbers and mix in sour cream.

Volturi's Velvet Red as Blood, Smooth as Marble cupcakes

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup butter, softened but not melted
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup buttermilk
• few drops red food coloring
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 Tbsp distilled white vinegar
• 2 cups flour
• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tsp salt

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2.  In a large bowl beat butter and sugar with mixer until light & fluffy.  Add eggs, buttermilk, food coloring, and vanilla and beat well (it will look lumpy). Stir in the baking soda & vinegar
3. In separate bowl sift together the cocoa powder and salt.  Stir into the batter until just blended.
4. Sppon batter in muffin tins lined with paper baking cups or lightly greased.  Make sure you  fill only halfway with batter as it will rise.
5. Bake in oven for 20-25 minutes or until the tops spring back when lightly pressed.  Cool completely before frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients:

• 1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 2 cups sifted powdered sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1. In medium bowl cream together the cream cheese & butter until creamy.  All vanilla and gradually beat in powdered sugar.  Refrigerate after use.

New Moon Menu

Yea!  New Moon has arrived!  We are going to go see it Sunday afternoon (avoiding the crowds at our tiny 2 screen theater here).   I'm going to make my New Moon Dinner tonight & I wanted to post real quick what's on the menu.  I had to go with two entrees for the dueling love interests  :)     I know, I'm such a dork. 
Since this meal is a work-in progress I'll post the recipes after we taste it,  my clever ideas sometimes don't work as well in real life as they do in my head.

-There is no appetizer cause honestly I dont think we will be able to pile in anymore food.  

Jacob's Entree:

Tender Beefsteak Soothing Bella's Blues  
- large beef tenderloins smothered in a blue cheese sauce with a side of roasted red potatoes (they are definitely the meat & potatoes type of werewolves ;)

Edwards Entree:

Sweet Crimson Intentions Gone Fowl   
- Chicken simmered in brown sugar and red wine with a side of cucumber salad (cucumbers pickled to preserve their youth - I wanna be a vampire just for that reason!)

Dessert:

Volturi's Velvet Red as Blood, Smooth as Marble cupcakes   
- Red velvet cupcakes with a cream cheese frosting (mmmmm delicious vampire snacks)

So thats the feast!  Hope the slightly obscure references come across.
Ok now I'm getting hungry.