What a circus of a party!

Well, I have been busy the last few weeks. Busy with all sorts of things, mainly planning Jake's 2nd birthday party. And of course, for those who know me, I don't skimp on parties. So here are some pics from the Big Event! There are a lot of pics so be patient!

It was a huge success. Although it was blazing, everyone had a blast! As usual, I was still prepping when everyone starting arriving. So many things did not even get a chance to be put out! No one noticed!

We are now finally preparing to move into the Lakeland house. We have a couple more contractors coming on Monday with some bids and hopefully, on Tuesday, we will schedule a start date. I was dragging my feet forever but two weeks ago, we received a call from the preschool which we had been on a waiting list (forever). They now had an opening! Since this is right near the other house, I am more motivated then ever.

Hate to end things on a sad note but I have to. Late Thursday night, I loss a childhood friend. We were more recently friends on Facebook. I followed her life on FB, reading about her recent anniversary as she posted her wedding picture (as she does every year), reading about her upcoming vacation which was last week, then following how she was having difficulty breathing and had to see the doctor,  being admitted to the hospital where lost her life due to a pulmonary embolism (blood clot in the lung). She was only 39 years old and the mother of two young children. The morning she died, she was still posting on FB, updating everyone. Reminds how precious life is and how quickly it can slip away. So, please, cherish every moment you have!

My Tilapia Tragedy

Today was a trying day all around. I started sleeping through the alarm for an hour. Then, I was so irritable at work. I mean literally every little thing just got under my skin. After a while, I decided I needed a break, so I called Roberto at work and told him to meet me at Five Guys, yum! Well, that cheered me up a bit.
Then, it is off to pick up the light of my life. Apparently, is wasn't his day and what a crankpot he was, bleck! So, I picked up some Tilapia and found a scrumptious sounding recipe. I made rice pilaf since I am cutting carbs I don't care for rice so I won't be tempted to eat it. Broccoli was is now Jake's new fave food. "Daddy More Bockli Peaz!" All was going well, except my fish sauteeing skills are not the greatest. I tried to save the delectable fish but it too late.

The below video pretty much sums up what happened to the fish. Sorta!

Here is the recipe, it was as scrumptious as it sounded!

Tilapia with Balsamic Butter Sauce

(I am including the mashed potato recipe, I did not make them)

Sorry, picture to come, computer having issues!

Thyme mashed potatoes

• 3 pounds russet or Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled, quartered
• 4 1/2 tablespoons butter, room temperature
• 6 tablespoons (or more) warm whipping cream
• 1 1/2 tablespoons minced fresh thyme

Balsamic butter sauce

• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1 garlic clove, minced

• 2 cups sugar snap peas, strings removed

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 6 4- to 5-ounce tilapia fillets

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) plus 1 tablespoon chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

Preparation

For thyme mashed potatoes:
Boil potatoes until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain; return to pot. Add butter, 6 tablespoons cream, and thyme; mash. Season with salt and pepper. Do ahead Can be made 2 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature. Rewarm over medium heat, stirring often and adding more cream by tablespoonfuls if dry.

For balsamic butter sauce:
Simmer vinegar and garlic in small saucepan over medium heat until reduced to thick syrup, about 5 minutes. Set aside.

Cook snap peas in boiling salted water until crisp-tender, about 1 minute. Drain. Return to same pan; set aside.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in each of 2 large skillets over high heat. Sprinkle fish with salt and pepper. Sauté fish until golden, about 2 minutes per side.

Rewarm balsamic syrup over medium-low heat. Whisk in 1/2 cup butter 1 piece at a time. Add remaining 1 tablespoon butter to peas; stir over medium heat until warmed. Season with salt and pepper.

Divide potatoes, tilapia, and peas among plates; drizzle with sauce.

Later!

Fun in the water

So, I kinda had the day off and so did Roberto and since we just purchased Sea World Annual Passes, we decided to take Jake to Aquatica. The weather was perfect, a little overcast. Jake had to wear a life jacket so he was able to move around more freely. This park was better for him since it had a cove for little guys his age with 2 1/2 ft of water which was perfect.

 

When we got home, I threw some steaks on the grill and we ourselves a nice surf n turf. We added snow crab legs.

Here was tonight dinner. A bold dish perfect to serve for company.

Pepper Crusted Steaks with Worchestire Glazed Portabllo Mushrooms

from

Epicurious.com

• 4 14- to 16-ounce New York strip steaks (each about 1 to 1 1/4 inches thick)
• 3 tablespoons black peppercorns, cracked with mallet
• 2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt

• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) butter
• 4 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 1/2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 pound portobello mushrooms, cut into 1/3-inch-thick slices

print a shopping list for this recipe

Preparation

Sprinkle steaks with cracked peppercorns and coarse salt. Let stand at room temperature 30 minutes.

Melt 1/2 cup butter in large skillet over medium heat. Stir in Worcestershire sauce and vinegar. Stir in mushrooms. Sprinkle with salt. Remove from heat.

Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Grill steaks until cooked to desired doneness, about 5 minutes per side for medium-rare. Transfer to plates. Top each steak with 1/2 tablespoon butter. Tent with foil to keep warm. Grill mushrooms until soft and beginning to release juices, about 3 minutes per side. Divide mushrooms among steaks and serve.

Night all!

Couldn't decide on just one!

This week on Kelly's Korner's Show Us Your Life it is your favorite appetizer. Appetizers are my favorite part of the meal! And, of course, there is no way I could pick just one so I picked FOUR!

Here they are:

Tiny Chicken Turnovers

from

allrecipes.com

3 tablespoons chopped onion

3 tablespoons butter

1 3/4 cups shredded, cooked chicken meat

3 tablespoons chicken stock

1/4 teaspoon garlic salt

1/4 teaspoon poultry seasoning

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 (3 ounce) package cream cheese, diced

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1 cup butter, chilled

5 tablespoons cold water

Directions

1. In a large skillet saute the onion in the butter until tender. Stir in the chicken, chicken broth, garlic salt, poultry seasoning, pepper and cream cheese. Remove from heat and set aside.
2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
3. In a large bowl mix together the flour, salt and paprika; cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Gradually add water, tossing with a fork until a ball forms.
4. On a floured surface roll out the pastry to 1/16 inch thick. Cut with a 2 1/2 inch round cookie or biscuit cutter. Reroll scraps and cut more circles until the pastry is used up.
5. Mound a heaping teaspoon of filling on half of each circle. Moisten edges with water and fold pastry over filling to make a half moon shape. Press edges with a fork to seal. Prick tops with a fork for steam vents.
6. Place turnovers on a baking sheet and bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Italian Layered Dip

from

Foodnetwork.com

Crab Cakes

from

Allrecipes.com

Note: I triple the recipe and make smaller patties

1/3 cup dry bread crumbs

1/4 green bell pepper, seeded and diced

1/4 red bell pepper, seeded and diced

2 green onions, thinly sliced

4 sprigs fresh parsley, chopped

1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce

1 egg white

2 tablespoons mayonnaise

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

1/4 teaspoon Old Bay TM seasoning

1/4 teaspoon dry mustard

1/4 teaspoon onion powder

3 (6 ounce) cans crabmeat, drained and flaked

1/2 cup dry bread crumbs

1 cup canola oil for frying

Directions

1. In a bowl, toss together the 1/3 cup bread crumbs, green bell pepper, red bell pepper, green onions, and parsley. Mix in the egg white, mayonnaise, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, and Dijon mustard. Season with Old Bay seasoning, dry mustard, and onion powder. Fold crabmeat into the mixture. Form into 6 large cakes. Coat in the remaining 1/2 cup bread crumbs.
2. Heat the oil in a large, heavy skillet. Fry the cakes 5 minutes on each side, or until evenly brown. Drain on paper towels.

And finally, my hands down favorite, super easy appetizer is...

Bruschetta

fromGuy Fieri

Ingredients

• 1 (12 to 16-inch) sourdough baguette
• 2 garlic cloves, halved plus 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, plus more for garnish
• 2 cups diced Roma tomatoes
• 1/3 cup thinly sliced fresh basil leaves, plus more for garnish
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Cut the baguette in half lengthwise, place on a sheet tray and bake in the oven until lightly brown. Rub with the garlic cloves. Drizzle with 2 ounces of the olive oil and sprinkle with the Parmigiano-Reggiano. Return to oven to melt cheese.

In a medium mixing bowl, add the tomatoes, minced garlic, basil, vinegar, remaining olive oil, salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly and let sit for 5 minutes at room temperature.

Remove baguette from oven and top with the tomato mixture. Garnish with basil and Parmigiano-Reggiano.


ENJOY!

• 8 ounces cream cheese
• 6 ounces goat cheese
• 2 cloves fresh garlic, minced
• 6 ounces pesto
• 8 ounces sun-dried tomatoes, chopped*
• *Note: if you use dehydrated tomatoes ? add a little water to them and allow them to rehydrate slightly.

Directions

Let cream cheese and goat cheese soften at room temperature. Mix cheeses together with minced garlic. Line a casserole dish with plastic wrap. Put 1/3 of the cheese mixture in the dish, spreading it evenly to the sides. Next, layer ingredients in the following order: the sun-dried tomatoes, 1/3 cheese mixture, pesto, and remaining cheese in the same manner. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 1 hour.

To serve, turn upside down on a platter. Serve with crackers.