Family: Husband (Tom) and little man Lincoln James.
Dwelling: A 1967 Ranch home that changes every day.
Homemaker tip: Don’t be afraid to fail. A bad meal can always be fixed with a frozen pizza, a dead plant can be replaced and paint can cure a room.
I consider my style: Contemporary with a vintage flair. I love a sleek piece of furniture with the contrast of an old vase or a stack of old used books.
I cannot live without eating: Italian Beef sandwiches. I am Chicago-bred and love a good beef with sweet peppers. Pizza is a close second.
Three foods you will always find in my pantry: Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Crushed Tomatoes and Chicken Broth.
My cooking mantra: Even foods that were destined to be bad for you can be recreated in a healthy way.
As far as birds go, it does not get any fancier than a peacock. It is no wonder these birds can reel in the ladies, bringing in several at one time with one swift spread of the feathers. I know I am not alone by being drawn into the iridescent array of colorful feathers of these beautiful creatures. I’ve been to a few events recently that have been peacock-inspired with beautiful blues and greens sprinkled throughout the room.
This past weekend, I attended a pre-wedding celebration bridal shower for my friend Jen. Being a bird-lover, she had a peacock themed shower with peacock invitations and a few peacock touches. As a bridesmaid, I wanted to help add an extra special touch to the day, so I created peacock name tags to hang from the water glasses and a few peacock colored tissue poms that rested on the mantle.
A little over a year ago, my dear friend Doug married his lovely bride Stacy and hosted one of the most beautiful wedding receptions I’ve ever attended. Peacock inspiration was everywhere from the flower girl to the name cards. It was elegant and sophisticated with a modern flare. To start out the peacock theme, I designed their wedding save-the-date with a little peacock touch. (You can find this design in my Etsy shop, Morning Star Designs).
A special shout out to Robb Davidson Photography for the photos from Doug and Stacy’s wedding. If you live in the Chicagoland area and are looking for a fabulous and inspired photographer, check out Robb. He is great!
If you have any peacock-themed events you’ve experienced, we’d love for you to share a link!
As I told you last year, my family has a strange obsession with Peeps. These sugary, marshmallowy creatures always make their way into our home around the Easter holiday. The problem: nobody likes to eat them. Last year, in efforts to continue the Peep tradition, I made my own. This year, I embarked upon a Peep journey to use them for something else besides eating them straight out of the box. I had grand visions of a Peep topiary centerpiece for my Easter table. It is half finished and a bit lack luster, not good enough to share. For those of you disappointed, rest assured, I will perfect and post it for next year’s Easter season.
I was left with a box of purple bunnies that I did not know what to do with. Looking for a little after dinner sweet, I rounded up some of the candy in the house, along with my son’s favorite “grahams” to make a microwavable Peep S’more. Surprisingly delicious and super quick, it is a great way to get rid of those fluffy critters that seem to invade your home and have a hard time making their way to the trash.
Microwave Peep S’Mores
Graham Crackers
Peeps
Hershey Chocolate Bar, Hershey Kisses or Hershey Hugs
Crack the graham cracker in half. Place two squares of chocolate or four Kisses/Hugs (I used the white chocolate raspberry Hugs) on the graham cracker. Top with one Peep chick or two Peep bunnies. Place in microwave. Cook on high for 15 seconds. Rest for a few seconds to make sure the Peep doesn’t explode (almost learned that the hard way), cook for 15 more seconds. Place graham cracker on top and allow to sit for at least 30 seconds to let the chocolate melt.
It’s March Madness! This time of the year I am always looking for a good appetizer or meal to serve to a large group. I served these hot ham and swiss sliders during the first round of the tournament. I got the recipe after two entire pans were gobbled down in minutes at a family gathering awhile back. They are delicious and easy to prepare ahead of time so you won’t miss any of your need-to-watch games. The sauce on top creates a sticky, sweet flavor that mixes perfectly with the salty ham and creamy swiss.
In a tournament of sandwiches, these would definitely make it to the final four.
Hot Ham and Swiss Sliders Makes 24 sliders
1 lb. deli ham (I used ham off the bone)
1 lb. swiss cheese
24 King’s Hawaiian Rolls (2 packages)
1 stick butter, unsalted
1/2 C brown sugar
1 TBSP worchestire sauce
1 TBSP mustard
1 TBSP poppy seeds
Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. Spray with cooking spray. Slice the buns in half and place on baking sheet. (I was able to squeeze all 24 on one baking sheet) Place one piece of ham and 1/3 slice of cheese (depending on the size) on each bun.
In microwave or on stovetop, melt butter. Add brown sugar, Worchestire, mustard and poppy seeds. Spoon mixture over the top of each bun, coating with mixture. Allow to sit for 30-60 minutes – do not cover!
Preheat oven to 350. Bake for 30 minutes. Serve warm.
I don’t care for McDonald’s…with one exception. Every year, when St. Patrick’s Day rolls around, I get very excited to pull through the McDonald’s drive-thru and order myself a shamrock shake. This year, I decided to attempt this minty frozen treat all on my own for a little homemade St. Patty’s Day celebration (with an adult kick).
Homemade Shamrock Shake
1 C vanilla bean ice cream, softened
1/4 C 2% milk
1 oz Creme de Menthe
Add ice cream and milk to blender. Blend until smooth. Add Creme de Menthe and blend. If desired, top with whipped cream and a cherry.
Maybe it is the second child in me, but I feel like every baby deserves a celebration. So when we found out our very own Anne was expecting her second little girl this spring, we just had to throw a little soiree. We called this a baby celebration, rather than a shower. We gathered on a Sunday afternoon for some sweet treats and hot drinks in celebration of the newest lovely little lady!
Guests were invited with the bunting flag invites which set the scene for the pink sweets table (for sale in my Etsy shop here!).
We set up a sweets table in the basement that included thumbprint cookies, cherry chip cookies, fruit and fluff dip and a snickerdoodle cake. Little pink touches were added throughout with plates, napkins, ribbons and flowers. Homemade pink and white tissue pom poms hung from the ceiling. Guests were also treated to a hot chocolate & coffee bar with lots of fun mix-ins, including Bailey’s Irish Cream, Kahlua, Amaretto liquor, vanilla syrup, infused whipped creams, and hand-dipped marshmallows.
A Snickerdoodle Cake with Brown Sugar Buttercream was served. It was topped with a little bunting flag printed on scrapbook paper, threaded and tied to bamboo skewers. The recipe for the cake can be found on Foodie with Family.
We had a great time chatting, eating, drinking and celebrating the upcoming birth of what we know we will be a lovely little lady! February was quite the month for parties and I was thrilled to end the month on such a bright cheery note! We wish Anne and her family the very best as they anticipate the arrival of baby number two!
My niece Mallory recently celebrated her second birthday and her party was too sweet not to share! What girl, big or little, can resist dress up and fancy things? This theme works great for a little girl’s birthday or for a wedding shower or adult birthday. Nothing wrong with teaching them young how fabulous that little blue box can be, right?
Guests were invited by an imitation little blue box with the words Mallory & Co. written across the front. The back read “Breakfast at Mallory’s” across the back along with the invitation details. (These invites are available for sale as a personalized PDF file at my Etsy shop, Morning Star Designs).
The house was filled with lovely blue touches, from the homemade tissue poms to the placemats to the balloons.
Tiny guests were given their party favors upon entrance to the party. This party was just for mommies and girls (minus Lincoln) so necklaces, bracelets and sunglasses were passed along for some dress up.
A beautiful Tiffany-inspired cake adorned the table. A breakfast of blueberry french toast, tomato egg strata and donuts was served. Along with mimosas for the mommies and blue juice for the kids.
Little fancy touches of pearls and china were strewn throughout the house. Simple and elegant!
I had a little fun with Photoshop and put Mallory’s face on the Breakfast at Tiffany’s movie poster, and changed the words to Breakfast at Mallory’s. It was a huge hit!
The birthday girl was beaming as we all sang happy birthday and blew out the candle like an old pro. Mallory wore a shirt designed by Lois Jean Linens, complete with an embroidered pearl necklace and a little black ruffle at the bottom.
Mallory and Sir Lincoln had a blast partying together! Happy Birthday to my darling niece!
My son is a donut-aholic. He comes by it honestly. I’ve been obsessed with the little O-shaped treats since I had teeth. So when it came to throwing Lincoln his two-year-old birthday party this year, a donut party was the perfect choice. Lincoln was so excited for his birthday party, he could barely stand it. I originally planned on putting a candle in a donut, but he kept talking about birthday cake all week before his party. This Mommy could not disappoint her big boy…so a cake he got (in the shape of a donut)!
A donut-shaped invitation was sent to all of the guests. With the back reading “Time to Eat the Donuts!”
A Lincoln’s Donut Shop sign hung above the breakfast buffet. Since Lincoln’s always happiest in the morning, brunch seemed like the perfect idea. Donuts from my favorite hometown Cumberland Bakery in Des Plaines, IL were served along with homemade baked apple cider donuts. Also on the menu: overnight blueberry french toast, balsamic asparagus and red pepper mini frittatas, bacon and cheddar mini frittatas, honey poppyseed fruit salad and little sausages.
Oberweiss chocolate milk decorated with the donut logo was served in little milk jugs with blue and white paper straws.
We used Lincoln’s Melissa and Doug wooden donut set to hold the silverware and napkins and the food tags.
I baked 2 round “Hershey’s Perfectly Chocolate Cakes” and iced them with vanilla buttercream. I used a biscuit cutter to cut the middle out of the cakes to create the donut shape. The cake was topped with colorful sprinkles and a 2 candle. After a round of Happy Birthday, Lincoln replied “very, very good singing guys.”
It may have been a kid’s party, but adult bevis were served. Bloody Marys and Beermosas (Belgian White Ale and Orange Juice) were sipped using the blue and white paper straws.
The birthday boy wore a personalized donut shirt given by his aunt and Godmother from Lois Jean Linens. All in all the day was a big success! Cheers to another great year!
My husband has never been much of a fish eater. This has always made me sad. While I had little room to complain being the non-chocolate eater that I am, I was thrilled when he decided to dub 2012 – “The Year of the Fish.” Eating fish is healthy (how are those New Years resolutions coming?), can be cost effective if you buy the right variety (again with the resolutions), and expands your horizons. I eased into this new year of the creatures of the sea with something light and simple, fish sticks. Not the nasty fish sticks dunked in tartar sauce that you get from the frozen food aisle, but homemade baked tilapia fish sticks.
I near ran around the room singing when my hubby went for seconds AND my finicky toddler piled these down in no time. This is a fast meal to prepare. The fish bake up really quickly, you just need to be willing to get your hands a little dirty in some dunking.
Baked Fish Sticks
3/4-1 lb fresh tilapia
1/4 C flour
2 egg whites
1 TBSP lemon juice
1 C crushed corn flakes
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with tin foil and spray with cooking spray.
In a shallow bowl, beat egg whites and lemon juice. Place flour in a shallow bowl. In another shallow bowl, add cornflakes and all spices. Mix together. Cut tilapia into 1 1/2 inch thick strips and about 4-6 inches in length.
On at a time, dredge tilapia pieces in flour. Dip in egg white mixture to coat and cover with cornflake mixture. Set on baking pan. Repeat until finished.
*Warning: toddlers and flour are a messy combination
Bake fish sticks at 425 for 10-12 minutes or until coating looks slightly crisp.
Serve with favorite dipping sauce.
These are delicious with a honey mustard dipping sauce. I’ve also eaten them with the Marzetti’s Otria Greek Yogurt Dips leftover from my December post. Equally delicious!
Thank you to Kraft Foods for offering me the opportunity to recreate a recipe with PHILADELPHIA Cooking Creme. Please click here to learn more about all the PHILADELPHIA Cooking Creme flavors and recipes.
While I like to try to make homemade sauces for all of my dishes, let’s get real, sometimes I just don’t have the time or energy. I was delighted for the opportunity to recently try Philadelphia Cooking Creme as an alternative to a jarred sauce off the shelves. This recipe for Shrimp and Broccoli Fettuccine is very easy and very quick, all you need is a few minutes of prep time while you wait for your water to boil and then another 10 minutes from stove to table!
As I’ve grown as a home chef, I’ve begun to steer away from pre-mixed and made products. I do this partially because I am stubborn, partially for the taste. I find that some store bought sauces can either lack in flavor or feel a bit off balance. The Philadelphia Savory Lemon and Herb Cooking Creme brought a large amount of flavor to the dish without being too sharp. It created a nice creamy texture with the fettuccine and paired well the the fresh, cooked broccoli. I added some chopped roasted red peppers for a little extra flavor punch. I could also see adding some sun-dried tomatoes, along with the fresh ones for a good balance of flavor. If you are not a shrimp fan, this dish would also be great with some shredded rotisserie chicken, or go vegetarian and add some zucchini.
This recipe makes a good healthy-sized bowl of pasta. I added a little more fettuccine and a few extra shrimp and felt the sauce still spread evenly amongst the dish. My family enjoyed the meal, my little guy especially loved the broccoli, which brings warmth to every mommy’s heart.
I’ll be interested to try a few of the other flavors. But if you are looking to make an easy, delicious dinner in a pinch, Philadelphia Cooking Creme is a great option!
Also, I had the opportunity to do our very first HAP video! Check out the Philadelphia Cooking Creme experience from my kitchen:
Shrimp and Broccoli Fettuccine
Prep Time: 20 min. | Makes: 4 servings, 1 cup each
What You Need
¼ lb. fettuccine, uncooked
1 cup broccoli florets
¾ lb. frozen cooked cleaned medium shrimp, thawed
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tub (10 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Savory Lemon & Herb Cooking Creme
¼ cup milk
¼ cup chopped tomatoes
2 TBSP chopped roasted red peppers (optional)
Make It
Cook pasta in large saucepan as directed on package, omitting salt and adding broccoli for the last 3 min. Drain; keep warm.
Cook and stir shrimp and garlic in the best nonstick cookware you have, preferably a large skillet, on medium heat 2 to 3 min. or until shrimp are heated through. Add cooking creme and milk; cook and stir 2 min.
Add pasta to shrimp mixture; mix lightly. Top with tomatoes.
Serving Suggestion
Serve with a mixed green salad tossed with your favorite KRAFT Light Dressing.
Variation
Prepare as directed, substituting 3/4 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips, for the shrimp and increasing the cooking time to 6 to 7 min. or until chicken is done. Add cooking creme and milk; continue as directed.
Nutrition Information Per Serving 340 calories, 11g total fat, 6g saturated fat, 1350mg sodium, 31g carbohydrate, 28g protein
Thank you again to Kraft Foods for sponsoring this blog post. I was selected as one of 20 bloggers by Technorati Media and Clever Girls Collective to participate in the Kraft Foods PHILADELPHIA Cooking Creme signature recipes campaign. While I have been compensated for my time and received the product, my opinions and experiences are my own.
I’m never super motivated to dress my house up in Valentine’s Day decor. We don’t do much to celebrate the holiday, but a little love reminder in the house is never a bad thing! Throughout the year, I periodically change out a frame that I have leaning on my bookshelf. This year, I took a quote from one of my favorite classics, Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen.
And now you can have it too! Just click here to download a free PDF file of the print. You can print it at home on your computer and place it in a frame you have in the house. Or think about spray painting an old frame a pretty pink or red color. Home decor doesn’t come much cheaper than that!
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