Nestled somewhere between Al Maguire and Dwyane Wade (page 13 to be exact), we found ourselves in this season’s issue of Marquette Magazine! We are thrilled to be highlighted by our alma mater. Marquette holds a special place in all of our hearts! For the full article, click here.
And thanks again to the ever fabulous Michael Coates for taking such lovely pictures!
Filed under Uncategorized
On a crisp and cool autumn night last week, the girls gathered for monthly Ladies Night at my house. With pumpkins and polka dots strewn throughout my home, guests feasted on a festive fall menu. This simple and affordable get-together makes for a great Halloween party, but has the legs to last through Thanksgiving.
As guests entered the house, they walked along a pathway of pumpkin lumineria, purchased from the dollar bin at Target. Mums, pumpkins dotted with acrylic glitter paint and my new fall favorite – a gray pumpkin – framed the doorway.
The ladies were treated to a buffet of festive fall fare including apple cider punch, party mix, pumpkin dip, fall spinach salad, butternut squash soup with pumpernickel croutons and caramel apple cupcakes, complete with sticks. Each of these items were pretty simple to make and created a fun fall menu.
Butternut squash soup is quickly becoming our family fall favorite recipe, especially with the new addition of an immersion blender to my kitchen tool repertoire. The simple to make pumpernickel croutons add that extra bit of crunch to the soup to leave you wanting more.
Butternut Squash Soup:
3 TBSP unsalted butter
3 TBSP all-purpose flour
4 C low sodium chicken stock
one butternut squash, peeled and cut into chunks
1 tsp curry powder
1 C heavy cream
salt and pepper to taste
To begin this soup, you need to make a blonde roux. In a large pot, melt butter until it begins to bubble. Slowly whisk in flour until a thick mixture forms. Slowly whisk in room temperature chicken stock. Bring to boil. Add butternut squash and curry. Simmer for 15 minutes, or until squash is tender.
If you do not have an immersion blender, transfer contents of pot to a blender or food processor (this will likely be done in two steps). Puree until mostly smooth (I like to leave a few small chunks in for texture). Transfer back to pot and slowly whisk in cream over medium heat. Add salt and pepper. (If you use an immersion blender, just place into pot and puree until you reach the desired texture.) Top with pumpernickel croutons and serve.
Pumpernickel Croutons:
2 C pumpernickel bread, cubed
1 TBSP olive oil
1 tsp garlic salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp oregano
Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Mix all ingredients in a small bowl. Spread on cookie sheet and toast for 15 minutes, flipping croutons halfway through.
The fall spinach salad included spinach, roasted and salted pumpkin seeds (aka pepitas), dried cranberries, four-pepper goat cheese and sliced Cortland apples, dressed in a creamy balsamic dressing. Pumpkin seeds are a great alternative to croutons or almonds for creating a fall salad.
Every good ladies night needs a good drink. While a good glass of wine will usually do, I decided to put together an apple cider punch for the occasion.
Apple Cider Punch:
6 C apple cider
2 C orange juice
juice of one lemon
1 bottle chilled champagne
Mix and serve over ice.
Join me tomorrow for the pumpkin dip and caramel apple cupcake recipes!
With fall in full swing and winter just around the corner, I have started cooking with all of my favorite seasonal ingredients. Dried cranberries are a pantry staple of mine and can be used in so many different dishes. This couscous recipe is a simple way to give your everyday couscous a little more flavor.
Couscous with Dried Cranberries
1 box couscous (I use Near East roasted garlic and olive oil)
1 cup sweetened, dried cranberries – chopped
1 handful of pine nuts
2-4 oz crumbled goat cheese
Make couscous according to package directions. Fluff with fork and mix in chopped cranberries, pine nuts and goat cheese. Serve warm.
This couscous recipe is great served along side roast chicken, on top of fresh baby spinach or simply by itself.
Filed under Cook, Quick & Easy, Sides
I think it’s been mentioned before but the fact is, I don’t really like chocolate. In small quantities and mixed with something (ie. peanut butter), I’ll eat milk chocolate but I’ll pass on the fudge, brownies, cake, ice cream, etc. It’s tragic, really. In fact, I’m bummed that I’ll never be the baker I want to be because a whole category of desserts tastes terrible to me.
BUT. This is a chocolate recipe. Granted it’s chocolate for weenies but you’ll have to cut a girl a little slack.
My trick is substituting popular semi-sweet chocolate chips with mellow milk chocolate ones. You could use whatever type of chocolate chips you like though. Mixed with the tart cherries and a hint of almond these cookies are layered with flavor and just rich enough to be addictive – whether you’re a choco-holic or not!
Cherry Chocolate Chip Cookies
1 C butter, softened
1 C sugar
1 C brown sugar
2 eggs
3 1/4 C flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 tsp almond extract
1 pkg cinnamon instant oatmeal
1 C dried cherries
1 C milk chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350. In a medium bowl, beat butter, sugar and brown sugar until fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time. Add baking soda, baking powder, salt and beat. Beat in almond and vanilla extracts. Beat in flour, one cup at a time and then beat in oatmeal. Stir in cherries and chocolate chips, mixing well. Use a small cookie scoop to scoop dough in equal sized balls onto a cookie sheet (the secret to uniform cookies!) Bake for 14-16 minutes.
Makes about 3 dozen.
Filed under Treats
We may be in the midst of an indian summer, but my hankering for hearty fall meals has not subsided. And when fall meals enter my brain, I think of two special words: slow cooker. The slow cooker is one of my favorite inventions. It is career-friendly, mom-friendly, leftover-friendly and most important, tummy-friendly. So with the best rated slow cooker, I created a beef brisket cooked in one of my other favorite inventions, beer!
Beef Brisket Ingredients:
2 TBSP vegetable oil
1 3-4 lb. beef brisket
2 cloves garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
1 12 oz bottle red lager (I used Leinie’s Red)
4 stalks celery, cut into large pieces
2/3 C. brown sugar
1 can tomato paste
1/2 C. apple cider vinegar
1/4 C. brown mustard
1/3 C. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp. paprika
dash of coarse ground black pepper
Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet. Brown brisket on all sides, about 8-10 minutes. Add garlic half way through. Transfer meat to slow cooker. Pour beer in skillet, scraping up brown bits. Simmer for one minute. Add to slow cooker. Nestle celery around beef.
In a medium bowl, add remaining ingredients and whisk. Pour over beef. Cook on low for 8 hours. Remove from cooker and allow to sit about 10 minutes before cutting.
Garlic Parmesan Mash ingredients:
5-6 medium russet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
1/2 C. milk
2 TBSP butter or margarine
1 tsp garlic salt
1/2 C. shredded parmesan cheese
In a large pot, cover potatoes with water and bring to a boil. Boil approximately 20 minutes. Drain water. Add remaining ingredients and whip with hand mixer.
I plated the brisket over the potatoes, drizzled a little extra sauce from the slow cooker and topped with French’s crispy onions. Little fuss for a fabulous meal! And with the leftovers, we reheated the brisket and put it on a sandwich with a little Sweet Baby Ray’s BBQ sauce. Delish!
Two weeks ago, three buttercup squash arrived in my CSA box. And for two weeks, they have been sitting on my counter. For some reason these little green and brown winter squash intimidate me.
Last night for dinner I decided it was time to use them up. I sliced, seeded and roasted them with a bit of brown sugar and butter. They were absolutely divine! The texture was incredibly rich and indulgent. I almost felt like I should have been eating it for dessert!
Roasted Buttercup Squash
2 medium sized buttercup squash
olive oil for brushing
2 tablespoons melted butter
4 tablespoons brown sugar
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Slice the squash in half and remove all of the seeds and stringy insides.
Brush the inside with olive oil and place them flesh side down on a rimmed cookie sheet. (I would avoid using a flat cookie sheet because the squash might release some liquid as they cook.)
Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes or until the middle begins to soften. While it is cooking, mix the softened butter with the brown sugar.
Remove the squash from the oven and flip over so that the flesh is facing upwards. Place in a baking dish and coat the inside with the brown sugar and butter mixture.
Cook, flesh side up, for another 20-30 minutes until fully cooked.
The squash can either be served in the skin, or scooped out and mashed.
Lately I’ve been totally digging the idea of swapping out a fresh flowers for big, dramatic tree branches. Maybe it’s the autumn colors and falling leaves that are everywhere right now but branches just feel so fresh and sculptural. Kind of like the statement necklace of floral arrangements.
So yesterday when the hubs and I went hiking, I came prepared with clompers in tow. I have a moderate obsession with anything orange so this stunning maple was right up my alley. Anchored by some river rocks, it’s exactly the look I’ve been coveting this fall. Pretty fabulous, right?
The great thing about branches is that you can swap them out with the seasons and they can be totally free, depending on where you live. If you’ve got a yard, trimming those overgrown branches will suddenly be a lot more fun. I like them on mantles, in entry ways or on dining tables like these gorgeous ideas below – anywhere that you’re looking to make a major statement and you’ve got the height to pull it off.
Photos: Martha Stewart Living, Coco + Kelley
Photos: Coco + Kelley, Lonny Magazine
Photos: Elle Decor, Rue Magazine
Photos: Elle Decor, Living Etc
Filed under Decorate
As many of you may know, “no” is not in my vocabulary when it comes to planning events. When our class president was nowhere to be found, I recently found myself amongst a group of old classmates from high school, working to plan our 10-year reunion. Planning a reunion can be somewhat of a daunting task, but with an organized group of go-getters, it can be done successfully.
We started by working to update every student’s address so a print invitation could be sent to each home. I designed the “day-planner” invitation using our school colors. We also created a Facebook group, a Twitter account and a website with all the appropriate information.
We were amazingly able to round-up approximately 200 people (almost half our class) to get together for this shindig. When entering the room, guests were greeted by a registration desk where they received a name tag including every student’s senior picture, designed to look similar to our old ID badges. The name tags were organized in wooden boxes painted with chalkboard paint.
The table was decorated with a table runner constructed out of old covers of our high school newspaper, The Westerner, along with scrapbook paper and yarn.
As if seeing 200 faces from ten years back wasn’t enough nostalgia for one night, we put together a display using wrapped boxes and wooden crates holding old items from high school events. Guests laughed and reminisced amongst pom poms, sports programs, phone books, playbills and other memorabilia.
Other fun additions to the evening included our senior video playing on flat screens throughout the venue and a playlist compiled of songs only from the years 1996-2000. So while rocking out to some Blink182, Puff Daddy, Eve6 and Savage Garden, we were able to put together a successful event!
Tips for planning a high school reunion:
Start early! It takes a long time to try to update addresses. We started only four months ahead of time and a few more months would have made it a little bit easier.
Pick a team with a wide range of talents. It is great to have minds of organization, technology, decorating, and people wrangling (this is not for everybody!)
Stay in communication with the invitees. Using various forms of media is a great way to assure you will relay your information to the greatest amount of people.
Have fun! You shouldn’t be on a reunion committee if you don’t have a little bit of fun doing it.
Get creative. Little touches often make the biggest difference.
Thanks to the fabulous reunion team of the Maine West Class of 2000 for such a fabulous event! See everyone in 2020! (or maybe 2015 if we get that ambitious).
Filed under Entertain
I love making dishes and desserts that are full of fall flavors. This Pumpkin Bread Pudding recipe has a rich pumpkin flavor with just a hint of cinnamon. The caramel pecan sauce makes it indulgent and special enough for a dinner party.
Pumpkin Bread Pudding with Caramel and Pecans
Bread Pudding
4 eggs
2 15oz cans of pumpkin
1 1/2 cups milk
1 cup sugar
1 cup half and half
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
10 cups french bread cut into 1 inch cubes (about 12oz)
Caramel Sauce with Pecans
1/2 cup pecans, toasted and chopped
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup butter
1 Tbsp light corn syrup
1 tsp vanilla
In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, pumpkin, milk, sugar, half and half, cinnamon, salt and vanilla. Add the cubed bread and mix until fully coated. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for 8-12 hours.
When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350. Pour bread mixture into a greased 9×13 inch baking dish. Cover with foil and bake for 35 minutes. Uncover and bake for an additional 15 minutes.
During the last 10 minutes of baking, prepare the caramel sauce. Cook the butter, brown sugar and corn syrup in a saucepan over medium heat. Heat for 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sugar is dissolved. Remove the caramel from the heat and add the vanilla extract and pecans.
Remove the bread pudding from the oven and drizzle with the caramel sauce. Bake an additional 5 minutes.
Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whip cream!
Mmmmm…the perfect combination of fall flavors!
Recipe adapted from Southern Living.
When you live with an avid sportsman, you find yourself on an endless search for new ways to cook the random wild game that appears in your fridge. If you have one in your family, you probably know the feeling. Over time, I’ve learned to enjoy the adventure and feel lucky to have access to locally, sustainably sourced meats. But this past weekend when the hubs came home with a bounty of tasty duck breasts, there was no question about what I wanted to make.
This meal is one of my favorite autumn dishes because every part of it tastes so seasonal. The rich duck breast pairs perfectly with the fruity-sharp flavors of the salad or with the earthy risotto so it can easily be served over either dish. Try it with a Pinot Noir or a nutty brown ale. (Can’t get duck? See substitutions below!)
Mixed Green Salad with Duck, Fennel, Cherries & Goat Cheese
6 small duck breasts (preferably wood duck or teal)*
4 Tbsp butter
salt, pepper
1 bulb fennel, shaved
1 handful dried cherries
1 large apple, julienned
3 oz goat cheese
walnuts, optional
mixed greens
* Flank steak or warm tortellini for vegetarians would make great substitutes.
Carefully slice fennel bulb into thin shavings (if only I had a mandoline!). Soak fennel for 20-30 minutes in water to eliminate bitterness. Julienne apple. In a large bowl, add mixed greens, cherries, apple, walnuts and goat cheese. Remove fennel from water and pat dry, adding to salad.
Melt butter in a saute pan. Salt and pepper each duck breast and add to pan. Sear duck on medium-high heat for 3-4 minutes per side. Duck is best served medium rare so time will vary based on the thickness of the meat. Salad serves 4, duck serves 2.
Balsamic Fennel Vinaigrette
1 branch fennel fronds, minced
1/3 C olive oil
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp mustard
pepper
Finely chop fennel fronds. Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Whisk well to emulsify. Drizzle over salad.
Mushroom Risotto
1 1/2 C arborio rice
1 pkg baby portobella mushrooms, chopped
3-4 C chicken stock
1 1/2 C white wine
1 shallot or 1/4 small onion, finely chopped
1/3 C parmesan cheese, grated
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp sage
2 Tbsp butter
salt & pepper
In a small sauce pan, combine chicken stock and mushrooms and bring to a simmer. In a large sauce pan, cook shallot/onion in olive oil over medium heat until onion is soft. Add arborio rice and cook for about 1 minute. Add in white wine and cook, stirring occasionally until most of the liquid has been absorbed by the rice. Add 1 C mushroom stock, continuing to stir until liquid is again absorbed. Repeat process, continually adding stock and stirring until it is absorbed. When most of the liquid is gone, test rice. It should be slightly al dente and creamy. Stir in butter, parmesan and sage. Add salt and pepper until flavors pop.
Got wild game junkies in your family? Have a favorite seasonal recipe? Let’s swap! Leave a comment or head over to our Facebook page to share!
Filed under Main Dish
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