Tuesday, February 09, 2010

Happy Valentine's Week :: Romantic Dinner for 2


Entertaining isn’t always a big party with expensive food and decadent decorations. Creating the perfect dinner for your spouse is the most important party you will ever throw - and Valentine's Day is the perfect night to test your chops.

The color scheme for Valentine’s is already built in and so much fun to plan around. I started with fabric I found at Calico Corners as a tablecloth and added really simple paper decorations.

Decorating the table does not have to be elaborate or expensive to be festive. Paper lanterns, paper cones full of flowers, and paper hearts are so simple you can do them right before dinner. The paper elements get dressed up on the table when scattered among pink ribbons and strands of beads.

Flowers are synonymous with Valentine’s Day – but can be so expensive. Choose a selection of flowers in pinks and red (even carnations look great scattered through an arrangement). I chose to arrange the flowers in my collection of antique cranberry glass, which I also used for champagne glasses.

Don’t forget a little gift. Extravagant boxes of jewelry will never be turned away, but a box of really good chocolate won’t either. I used a gold permanent marker to monogram the top of a box and filled it with my favorite chocolates. Simple, delicious, and darling on the table. Mark the top with the initials of your friends and use them for place cards.

For Valentine’s Day this year, surprise your friends who most deserve a break with a lovely evening made just for them.

Menu:

Sesame Steamed Broccolini

Herbed Couscous

Rosemary Skewered Scallops

Bacon Wrapped Beef Tenderloin

Chocolate Cake


Tips:

- Don’t open an entire bottle of champagne if it’s just the two of you. Toast with a half bottle before dinner and move on to red wine for the ‘main course.’

- Set the table first thing in the morning (or the night before). Then you are ready to just cook dinner when you get home from work.

- If you are serving, pick up a white apron from the restaurant supply store. Using fabric paint and a stamp, customize the front with your name or a favorite image.

- Homemade Chocolate Cake is to die for. But if you don’t have time, pick one up from the grocery store and decorate the top with fresh flowers.

- For a fabulous chocolate cake, pick one up at Metropolitan Market

- Really great ingredients hardly need seasoning and are simpler to prepare because of that. Buy better and save time


Recipes

Sesame Steamed Broccolini

1 bunch broccolini

4 tablespoons sesame oil

1 tablespoon sesame seeds, crushed

salt and pepper

Clean and trim broccolini. Toss broccolini with oil, seeds, and salt and pepper in a bowl. Place in a steamer basket and cook over boiling water for about five minutes – or until broccolini is tender when poked with a fork.

Herbed Couscous

2 tablespoons butter

¼ sweet onion, chopped

1 tablespoon crushed fennel seed

1 cup couscous

1 ¾ cups chicken stock

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons parsley, chopped

1 tablespoon fresh sage, chopped

1 tablespoon fresh oregano, chopped

Melt one tablespoon butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add onions and fennel seed and cook until onions are translucent. Add couscous, chicken stock and salt. Cook until all liquid is absorbed (less than five minutes). Remove from heat and stir in herbs with remaining butter. Serve hot.

Rosemary Skewered Scallops

6-8 scallops

2 thick branches of rosemary

salt and pepper

Skin off rosemary leaves leaving the top two (or so) inches on the branch. Pat scallops dry and skewer scallops on rosemary branches. Heat a cast iron skillet over medium heat and place scallops in the pan. If your pan is not well seasoned, use a spray cooking oil to ensure scallops don’t stick. Cook about 2 minutes on each side until all translucency is gone. If you are unsure, cut one open to check.

Bacon Wrapped Beef Tenderloin

2 Tenderloins of beef

4 Strips of slab cut bacon

Salt and Pepper to taste.

Wrap two strips of bacon around each tenderloin securing with butchers twine or toothpicks. Sprinkle each side of the meat with salt and let stand. Heat a cast iron skillet over medium high heat. When the pan is hot, place meat in the pan and let sear. The sear will be complete when the meat does not stick to the pan anymore. Season raw side with pepper. Flip and sear on the other side. Turn heat down and finish cooking until done to your liking. Use a thermometer if you have any doubts.

Monday, February 08, 2010

Pearl Marie has arrived!


I am so thrilled to announce the healthy birth of our second child, Pearl Marie. She was born February 5th and weighed in at 6 pounds 12 ounces. She is healthy, happy, and being hugged constantly by her proud big brother.

Happy Valentine's Week :: Family Dinner


flowers from Willow & Bloom

Having kids sometimes means you make Valentine's Day a 'date night.' But if you've ever tried to find a sitter on the "most romantic night of the year" and get dinner reservations you know that the stars have to be aligned for that to happen. I think it's way more fun to make it a family night with make your own pizzas, ice cream sandwiches and a few board games.

When I was a kid Valentine's Day was a great day. My mom made us a special breakfast (usually heart shaped pancakes) and a special dinner (always served on her red plates). And every year my dad bought us each a box of chocolates. Those were some of the best dinners ever. The special care my mom took to set the table with pink and red flowers and other special touches made it not just a regular dinner. When I look back on those days, I couldn't tell you what we ate - but the specialness of those dinners will never be forgotten.

And I still get a box of chocolates from my dad.

Menu

Make your own Heart Shaped Pizza

Love-ly Beet Salad

Be My Valentine Sandwiches

Champagne Cocktails

Pinky Drink-ies


"Recipes":
- Use pizza dough from the frozen food section of the grocery store. Here in Seattle, get "East Coast Pizza Co." dough from Metropolitan Market. Otherwise, Gourmet magazine has a great recipe that I like (here)
- For the beet salad, make a green salad and use a heart shaped cookie cutter to cut hearts out of sliced beets (I can my own - but they are in the vegetable aisle of the grocery store)
- To make a perfect ice cream sandwich, make sugar cookies (recipe here) in a heart shape. Buy the square box ice cream and cut it with a long knife in 2 inch sheets. Using the same cookie cutter you used for the cookies, cut out a shape of ice cream. Sandwich ice cream between two cookies and re-freeze (do this in the morning)
- Champagne Cocktails here
- Pinky Drinkies = Shirley Temples. 7-up + grenadine + maraschino cherry


image via Martha Stewart

Tips:
- "Send out invitations" by making something cute and festive with doilies and paper hearts.
- Write "I love you. See you for dinner tonight!" on the bathroom mirror with an old lipstick
- Use real napkins + a tablecloth to send the message that this is a special dinner.
- Write a love note to your children and remind them (and yourself too) why you love them, what makes them special, and how unique they are.



:: TOMORROW :: Make Your Own Romantic Dinner at Home


Friday, February 05, 2010

The A-List




Happy Friday! I hope you have a great weekend!


This weekend is the Super Bowl! So tune in to CBS (Channel 7 in Seattle) at 3pm on Sunday for kick off. I'll be rooting for the Saints. While it's their first time there - and that's cool - the real reason I'm cheering them on is because the UW's own, Mark Brunell, plays for the team. Yes, he's not a starter, but all the same - he is a Husky.



One of my favorite things to serve a group - Minestrone Soup. Have some crusty bread and a green salad standing by and you're set for the evening. And because soup keeps so well on the stove, everyone can help themselves as the night goes on.

Minestrone Soup

2 ounces salt pork

1-12 ounce can garbanzo beans

1 zucchini diced into cubes

5 carrots diced into cubes

1 onion diced

1-16 ounce can whole peeled tomatoes

12 cups beef broth

2 cups fusilli noodles

1 bay leaf

1 tablespoon oregano

1 tablespoon rosemary

Salt and pepper

Parsley

Parmesan cheese

In a large sauce pan brown salt pork with onions, carrots, oregano, and rosemary until onions are see through. Remove salt pork and add the broth, bring it to a boil. Add zucchini, tomatoes, bay

leaf and the rind of the parmesan cheese. Reduce heat and let simmer several hours. When ready to serve bring pot to a boil and add noodles. Cook until the noodles are done and serve immediately. Top soup with grated parmesan cheese and finely chopped parsley.




If you like food memoirs like Julie & Julia or any of Ruth Reichl's books, then you should check out Seattle native Kathleen Flinn's book "The Sharper your knife, the less you cry." And you should check out this cool package The Skamania Lodge has put together around the book.

It's February 19-20th and includes a cooking demo by Kathleen and one of her recipes prepared by the staff at the Lodge and served as a big luncheon. Her book is pretty great - and being turned into a feature film, so go check her our before she's too big for us :)

Oh, and I had dinner with her recently, she's really nice. You should go. Learn more and make reservations online here or call 1.800.221.7117.







Thursday, February 04, 2010

Have you tried Urban Dictionary?

It's pretty funny. Here's what they say for Alexandra. I'll take it.

One of the best friends you could ever meet. Sometimes quiet and patient but when she's around a group shes wild and fun. She is always there to listen to you and give you a hug if you need one. She is willing to try anything and is very athletic. She can talk for hours or just have no idea what's going on. She is an overall great person to be around.

What's yours? urbandictionary.com


Cook it :: Football Brownies


Last year I made brownies in the shape of footballs for the Super Bowl. They were good -but a little too standard... so today I'm testing out my decadant Peanut Butter Bars in the shape of footballs with peanut butter icing for the laces. As soon as I finish today, I'll post the recipe + any instructions that may be needed. Wish me luck!

Oh, and if you're wondering why I'm making a dessert so far in advance there are 2 reasons.
1. The Peanut Butter Bars need to sit in the fridge overnight
2. I may be having a baby any minute and I want them to be done in the event I do. Then I at least feel like I am contributing something (other than a crying newborn) to our Super Bowl adventure.

Wednesday, February 03, 2010

Inspiration :: Simplicity


via design*sponge

It seems like it's usually January when I crave simplicity. Once January we painted our house white, put down new hardwood floors, and completely redecorated. Maybe this year I was too distracted to think about it last month?? I'm totally cleaning stuff out today and simplifying. Mr. Hedin is going to die.

via design*sponge

via decorno

Favorite Thing :: Muratori Designs HANDBAG!!


I'm dying for a new handbag. One without diapers sticking out of the top and granola bars stuck to the bottom. One that looks girly and lovely without being too frilly (and can still hold a few granola bars, because - let's be honest - they're not going anywhere).

And then today, my girlfriend sent over this website. LOVE. The bags are made in Italy using the finest Italian leather creating a bag that is beautiful, buttery, and long lasting. These aren't the type of bags that fall apart after a season or two - these are the type of bags that your daughter will steal from your closet in 20 years and call it 'vintage.'

I can't wait to get my hands on one. Want one of your own? Go to Muratoridesigns.com

Oh, and they're based in Seattle. So yea for supporting a local business and local entrepreneurs.

Tuesday, February 02, 2010

Want


I'm in the mood for a fabulous floral arrangement. But am I in the mood to do it? Not so much...

image from Design*Sponge

Monday, February 01, 2010

Cook it :: Lemon Drop Cookies


I made Lemon Drop Cookies last week and I thought they were awesome. The basic cookie recipe that I use as a base for Snickerdoodles, fluffly sugar cookies, and almost everything else - turned out to be the perfect base for a dollop of tangy Lemon Curd. For my lemon curd recipe, click here. Otherwise, store bought will work fine.

These make me dream of spring days - and since the weather is balmy and the bulbs are coming up - it kind of is a Spring day in Seattle.


Enjoy!



Lemon Drop Cookies

2 cups sugar

1 cup butter, room temperature

2 eggs

1 cup vanilla yogurt

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 tablespoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

5 ½ cups flour

Preheat oven to 350. Cream together sugar and butter. Blend in eggs, yogurt, and vanilla until completely incorporated. In a separate bowl, mix together all dry ingredients. Working in three batches, add the dry ingredients to the wet incorporating fully after each addition.

Roll one ounce balls of dough and flatten into a disk. Bake for 6-8 minutes until lightly golden on the sides. Remove from oven, press down in the center with your thumb to create a well and let cool completely. Add ½ teaspoon of lemon curd to the center of each cookie and sprinkle with pearl sugar. I use a piping tube to fill the cookies.