Real party: a city chic sip n' see baby shower - Dairy Foods

Sip n' sees are my new favorite kind of baby shower. Guests (and the new mom!) get to enjoy cocktails while hanging out with baby Jude (often guests are seeing the baby for the first time). Shannon, Emily and I hosted the shower on Friday night, which gave the event a fun vibe and the champagne was flowing!

Jude made his cameo for a couple hours and then his daddy came to bring him home. Natasha really enjoyed a night out with the girls.

If you read my blog last Friday then you know the shower was a subtle city chic theme with black, white and lime green details.  We focused more on the food and drinks than details but even in its simplicity the party was completely fabulous.

Menu

Appetizers
Olives
Pears
A variety of meat, cheeses and crackers/baguette
Roasted cauliflower with pancetta in endive
Spinach parmesan dip
Blinis

Dessert
Champagne cupcakes
Cream cheese lemon bars

Drinks
Champagne
Wine
Vodka bar
The appetizer spread.




The blinis were a huge hit (recipe at the end of this post).  I will definitely make these again soon.
These champagne cupcakes are my favorite.  They are moist and the champagne buttercream is frosting is light and airy.
New mom Natasha and 6-week old baby Jude.  He likes attention from pretty ladies!
Lovely guests sipping and seeing.
Co-hosts Shannon and Emily.  Shannon owns the loft where the shower was held.  It is a great space for parties!
Jude enjoyed watching his mama open gifts.  Shannon has a gorgeous view of the city skyline from her condo.

Here is the blini recipe, I took a major shortcut and used a pancake mix.

Blinis

Ingredients

Whole wheat or buckwheat pancake mix
Creme fraiche (can substitute sour cream)
Caviar, chilled (I used black lumpfish)
1 teaspoon dill

Directions

Prepare pancakes according to package directions.  Add dill and stir.  Drop tablespoonfuls of pancake batter to a pan over medium-high heat, flip when they begin to bubble.  Set aside to cool. (This can be done one day ahead, store in an airtight container at room temperature.)

Arrange the pancakes on a platter.  Add a dollup of creme fraiche and a small amount of caviar.  Trust me when I say a little caviar goes a long way.

I hope you all have a wonderful week ahead!  I am jam-packed with dinners with girlfriends, a Twins game with my honey and date-night on Friday.  Excited!

Cinco de Mayo and the "chip zone" - Dairy Foods

I LOVE Mexican food. I could eat it every single day. A great day would be one that starts with a breakfast burrito or huevos rancheros for breakfast, beef tacos for lunch and chicken enchiladas for dinner. Tortilla chips and guacomole are a given. I adore tortilla chips. Sometime I get into the "chip zone" and I never stop eating them. Like EVER. And then the next thing I know I'm a gazillion Weight Watcher points over my limit and the entire bag is gone.

In honor of Cinco de Mayo I created an inspiration board filled with photos and recipes that have been featured on Eat Drink Pretty. Here are some menu and decor ideas if you are hosting a Cinco De Mayo party this evening or weekend.

Menu

Strawberry Thyme Agua Fresca
Margaritas (homemade, of course...yeah you have to squeeze a ton of limes but it is so worth it)
Slow-cooker pulled pork tacos
Garlic and sun-dried tomato corn muffins (add a dollup of sour cream and top with cilantro)
Chips and guacomole
Tres Leches cake

Decor

A bunch of colorful flowers filled in vibrant vases
Papel picado (here is a great tutorial on how to DIY your own from The Sweetest Occasion)

Guess what?  I am going on vacation.  Again. Remember my recent Colorado trip?  Well this Saturday I will be heading south to spend some quality time with my family on the beach (Florida!).  More info on that tomorrow! 

Do you have any fun plans for the evening? How about this upcoming weekend?

Spring dinner party details - Dairy Foods

When I host dinner parties it is probably no surprise that I tend to go overboard. This is a problem because it means I end up in the kitchen and not spending time with my guests. This spring dinner party was an exception. The menu I planned was pretty simple. I planned ahead and gave myself 3 hours to prep before guests arrive. I drank wine while I cooked. I relaxed a bit.

I am in love with every dish I made for this dinner party. As mentioned above, they are all easy. Best of all they are delicious and affordable. Because I planned a very meat-light meal (the only meat was the bacon in the pasta), I didn't break the bank.

I think it helped that I chose a theme...spring and also a subtle color scheme of yellow, so I was able to focus and not run in a thousand different directions.  I didn't over-do it on the details (The flowers were $5 from Target). 

As a reminder from last Friday's post, here is the menu:

Appetizers
Caprese skewers
Pears and blue cheese
Goat cheese puff pastry bites

Salad
Spring salad with tangy vinaigrette

Main course
Fettucini with peas, asparagus and pancetta

Dessert
Buttermilk pudding cakes (aka strawberry shortcakes)

I couldn't resist posting a couple photos of the caprese skewers. Aren't they so beautiful? 

Caprese skewers

Ingredients

Grape tomatoes (cherry tomatoes work if you cut them in half)
Fresh mozzarella (the little balls work the best)
Basil
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper
Toothpicks

Preparation

Assemble the skewers each with a tomato, half of a mozzarella ball and a small piece of basil.  Drizzle with olive oil, balsamic vinegar.  Season with salt and pepper to taste. 
Have I ever mentioned how much I love blue cheese?  I could eat this entire wedge. 
This lemon, white wine vinaigrette was quite possibly one of the best dressings I've ever had.  It is perfect for spring.  For the table centerpiece, I divided the flowers into mini bud vases. 
The goat cheese appetizers were like little savory bites of airy, buttery goodness. 

Goat cheese puff pastry bites (adapted from a recipe via The Kitchn)

Ingredients

1 sheet frozen puff pastry dough, from a 17.3-ounce package (1/2 package)
5 ounces herb goat cheese, at room temperature
3 tablespoons chopped scallions, for garnish
Preparation

Remove 1 pastry sheet from the puff pastry package and thaw at room temperature for 30 minutes.
Position a rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 425°F.

Unfold the pastry sheet and place it on a lightly floured cutting board. Using a rolling pin, roll the pastry just enough to remove the fold marks. Using a 1 3/4-inch round cookie cutter, cut out about 35 rounds. Place the rounds on the parchment-lined baking sheet.

Bake until crisp and light golden brown, about 15 minutes.  Remove from oven and let cool completely.

Put the goat cheese into a sandwich bag and snip a corner.  Pipe a dollup of goat cheese on top of each puff pastry and top with a piece of scallion.
The pasta was amazing.  I loved the flavor the fresh lemon juice and lemon peel added with the cream and all the springy vegetables.  Please excuse the photo, I had to use a flash, which is a huge no-no with food photography.  But by this time it was dark out so I couldn't rely on natural light. 
Last but certainly not least is the beautiful, delicious buttermilk pudding cake I made.  These are basically little strawberry shortcakes.  And the cake part is so easy, it literally took 30 minutes (you use a muffin pan to create individual cakes.)

Whew - this was a long one.  I wanted to include all the recipes (and not just links) but I've been working on this post for two hours and I am sleepy!  Thanks for sticking with me till the end!

I hope this post leaves you a bit inspired to host your own spring dinner party! It really can be an easy, stress-free and affordable evening if you just plan ahead, be focused and drink lots of wine while you cook!

The one thing I want to be sure to end on is the fact that though the food was tasty and the details were pretty...the most important part of the dinner party was spending time with good friends...drinking wine, enjoying each other's company.  There is really nothing better than that.  Thanks for coming over Libby, Jay, Nick and Deanna.  I know you'll all agree how lucky we are to have each other's friendship.

A spring dinner party - Dairy Foods

{Photo credits: Martha Stewart, Pottery Barn, The Kitchn}

Technically it's spring but in MN is still very much feels like winter. The temps are slowly creeping up, but we still have plenty of snow on the ground.  This winter has been long as hell and I am over it.

I am hosting a dinner party on Friday evening and I'm calling it a spring dinner party.  Because it is basically still winter, it's not really a spring dinner party but I suppose it was inspired by the longing for spring.  When I think of spring, I picture myself strolling through the farmer's market.  I can't wait to begin cooking with fresh, local ingredients. Until then, it's to the grocery store I go.

Here is the menu I have planned:

Appetizers
Caprese skewers (cherry tomato, mozzarella and basil on a toothpick with olive oil and balsamic vinegar)
Chive and goat cheese puff pastry wafers
Blue cheese/crackers/pears

Dinner
Spring salad with tangy vinaigrette
Fettucini with peas, asparagus and pancetta

Dessert (TBD)
Strawberry shortcake (store-bought)
or
Buttermilk pudding cakes
or
Strawberry shortcake cookies

What are your favorite spring-inspired recipes?  Please comment and share!

A fall-inspired dinner party - Dairy Foods

My friends Maija, Brooke and I got together for a dinner party on Saturday night. We created a menu inspired by fall, comfort food. The three of us were in need of a fun girl's night with plenty of wine and good conversation. There was no shortage of any of the above. Thanks for a great night ladies!

Menu

Apple cider punch (pictured above)
Carmelized onion tart
Pumpkin soup with sage and gruyere croutons
Macaroni and cheese with butternut squash

The tart was easy and delicious.  Puff pastry is such an awesome item to always have on-hand.  I've used it a lot lately for parties and fast meals. 

Caramelized onion tart (recipe adapted from Pepperidge Farm)

Ingredients

1 sheet puff pastry
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 sweet onion, thinly sliced
1 1/2 cups shredded Gruyère cheese OR bag Swiss cheese (6 ounces)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives

Preparation

Thaw the pastry sheet at room temperature for 40 minutes or until it's easy to handle. Heat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or spray with vegetable cooking spray.

Heat the oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for about 15 minutes or until golden, stirring often. Season to taste and let cool.

Unfold the pastry sheet on a lightly floured surface. Roll into a 12-inch square. Place on the prepared baking sheet. Brush the edges of the square with water. Fold over the edges 1/2 inch on all sides, pressing firmly with a fork to form a rim. Prick the pastry thoroughly with a fork.

Spread the onion mixture over the pastry crust. Top with the Gruyère and Parmesan cheeses and sprinkle with the chives.

Bake for 20 minutes or until golden and bubbly. Cool for 5 minutes on a wire rack. Cut into approximately 3 x 2-inch rectangles. Serve warm.

This pumpkin soup was my favorite part of the meal.  It is savory and velvety smooth.  I purchased the sugar/pie pumpkin at the farmer's market.  Peeling and dicing pumpkins is a bit of a process but so worth it.  I used one medium sized pumpkin to get 6 cups.

Pumpkin soup with sage and gruyere croutons (recipe adapted from Fine Cooking)

Ingredients

2 Tbs. unsalted butter
1 medium yellow onion, sliced
6 cups 1-inch-diced peeled, seeded pumpkin
2 medium cloves garlic, sliced
1/2 cup dry white wine
8 medium fresh sage leaves
4 to 6 cups lower-salt chicken broth
2-1/4 cups packed grated Gruyère
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 slices rustic bread (each about 6x2 inches and 1/2 inch thick)
1 tsp. minced fresh sage

Preparation

Melt the butter in a heavy-duty 4- to 5-quart pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in the pumpkin and garlic and cook, stirring, 1 minute more. Add the wine and the sage leaves and cook, stirring, until the wine evaporates, about 5 minutes. Stir in 4 cups of broth, cover, and simmer, adjusting the heat as needed, until the pumpkin is very tender, about 25 minutes.

Add 1/4 cup of the Gruyère and using a handheld or standard blender, purée the soup (in batches, if necessary). Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Return to a gentle simmer, stirring constantly and adding more broth as necessary to achieve a thin soup with the consistency of heavy cream.

Position a rack about 6 inches from the broiler and heat the broiler on high. Arrange the bread on a baking sheet. Toast under the broiler, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Sprinkle the croutons with the remaining 2 cups cheese and the minced sage and season with pepper. Broil until the cheese melts and is bubbly, about 2 minutes. Ladle the soup into warm bowls and serve with the croutons.

A gorgeous bouquet made of kale from the St. Paul farmers' market
This mac and cheese was good, but I wouldn't say it was great.  Maybe by this time I was too full to really enjoy it but the dish wasn't quite as creamy and cheesy as I would like.  If I made it again I may substitute some of the milk for heavy cream, reduce the amount of noodles and add a bit more cheese.

Macaroni and cheese with butternut squash (recipe adapted from Martha Stewart)

Ingredients

1 small butternut squash (about 1 pound) , peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch cubes (about 3 cups)
1 cup homemade or low-sodium canned chicken stock, skimmed of fat
1 1/2 cups nonfat milk
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
Pinch of cayenne pepper
3/4 teaspoon coarse salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 pound elbow macaroni
4 ounces extra-sharp cheddar cheese, finely grated (about 1 cup)
4 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, finely grated (1 ounce)
2 tablespoons fine breadcrumbs
1 teaspoon olive oil
Olive-oil cooking spray
1/2 cup part-skim ricotta cheese

Preparation

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine squash, stock, and milk in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium; simmer until squash is tender when pierced with a fork, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat. Mash contents of saucepan; stir in nutmeg, cayenne, and salt, and season with black pepper. Stir to combine.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add noodles; cook until al dente according to package instructions, about 8 minutes. Drain, and transfer to a large bowl; stir in squash mixture, cheddar, ricotta, and 2 tablespoons Parmesan.

Lightly coat a 9-inch square baking dish (4 inches deep) with cooking spray. Transfer noodle mixture to dish. In a small bowl, combine breadcrumbs, remaining 2 tablespoons Parmesan, and oil; sprinkle evenly over noodle mixture.

Cover with foil, and bake 20 minutes. Remove foil, and continue baking until lightly browned and crisp on top, 30 to 40 minutes more. Serve immediately.

Did you make anything delicious this weekend?  I'd love to hear about it, comment and share!

Thanksgiving - Dairy Foods

It's hard to believe that a week has already gone by since Thanksgiving. I love December, though, all the festivities, the snow (hopefully!), the warmth of the season, the food, the cocktails, spending time with family and friends. I could go on and on.

This post is all about my Thanksgiving adventure. I am being a bit dramatic, there was nothing adventurous about it really, it was just a great day spent with delicious food and family.

Erik and I got over to my parents bright and early, about 8am. We prepped and got the turkey in the oven by 9am. This turkey was a beauty; 17 pounds from Bar 5, a local farm in MN, fresh, organic, free-range, all the good stuff. I received the recommendation from the contact on Twitter at the Mpls Farmer's Market. This turkey was not cheap, though.

The recipe we use each year is from Cookinglight.com, a parmesan sage turkey with sage gravy. Doesn't that sound so good? It is. Recipe is at the bottom of this post.

Here's the funny story about the turkey. It is only funny now that some time has passed, it wasn't very funny the day of. Here goes...we roasted the turkey breast-side down. Basically, the turkey was upside down. Upside down! And we didn't notice until we took it out of the oven and it had rested for about a half hour. We were so busy cutting sage, rubbing butter, loosening turkey skin that we didn't realize the breast side was down. We should have known better, but in our defense, this was only the 4th time ever roasting a turkey.

It actually wasn't that big of a deal. I spent some time researching that evening and it turns out a lot of people roast turkey breast side down for moister breast meat. The breast meat was moist, but I was a bit disappointed because the parmesan sage rub didn't get anywhere near the breast meat.

You live and learn, right? That's what cooking is all about, making mistakes (though it was only a half mistake since the turkey stilled turned out alright) and making sure you don't make the same one twice. I totally messed up lemon curd once (took it off the heat before it got thick enough) and basically had lemon soup. Not good. I will never take lemon curd off the heat before it is thick again, though!

If you notice an improvement in the photos in this post, it's because I checked out a camera from work (I work at an advertising agency and we have some pretty high tech stuff around here). Even though I know nothing about photographer (I'm sure you can tell), just having a decent camera makes such a difference!


Mimosas! A lovely cheese board.

My sister and I made pumpkin pie bites, the recipe is from Bakerella, posted below.

The crust is a made from a pumpkin cookie cutter.

How amazing are these? My brother and sister-in-law made them.

The upside down turkey. At this point we were aware of the screw-up. At least it was brown and crisp!

Our centerpieces.

Placecards of course. How lovely is the handwriting? My sis-in-law does calligraphy and other fancy handwriting, check out her work at Lovely Scribbles.

Parmesan Sage-Roast Turkey and Sage Gravy (from Cooking Light)

Ingredients
3 cups chopped onion
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped carrot
10 garlic cloves
Cooking spray
1 (13-pound) fresh or frozen turkey, thawed
1/3 cup (1 1/2 ounces) grated fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
5 tablespoons chopped fresh sage, divided
2 tablespoons butter, softened
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
1 lemon, halved
2 1/2 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth, divided
1/3 cup chopped shallots
1 cup sherry
1/4 cup all-purpose flour (about 1 ounce)
1/4 cup water

Preparation

Preheat oven to 425°.

Combine first 4 ingredients in bottom of a shallow roasting pan coated with cooking spray. Remove and discard giblets and neck from turkey. Rinse the turkey with cold water; pat dry. Trim excess fat. Starting at neck cavity, loosen skin from breast and drumsticks by inserting fingers, gently pushing between skin and meat. Lift wing tips up and over back; tuck under turkey.

Combine cheese, 1/4 cup sage, butter, minced garlic, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; rub mixture under the loosened skin and over breast and drumsticks. Rub turkey skin with cut sides of lemon halves; squeeze juice into turkey cavity. Place lemon halves in turkey cavity; tie legs together with kitchen string.

Place turkey, breast side up, on vegetable mixture in pan. Bake at 425° for 30 minutes, and pour 2 cups broth over turkey. Tent turkey breast loosely with foil. Bake an additional 30 minutes.

Reduce oven temperature to 325° (do not remove turkey from oven). Bake at 325° for 1 1/2 hours or until a thermometer inserted into meaty part of thigh registers 180°, basting every 30 minutes. Remove turkey from pan. Cover and let stand 30 minutes; discard skin.

Place a large zip-top plastic bag inside a 4-cup glass measure. Pour drippings through a sieve into bag; discard solids. Let drippings stand 10 minutes (fat will rise to the top). Seal bag; carefully snip off 1 bottom corner of bag. Drain drippings into a medium bowl, stopping before fat layer reaches opening; discard fat. Add enough of remaining chicken broth to drippings to equal 3 cups.

Heat a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add shallots; sauté 1 minute. Add sherry; bring to a boil. Cook until reduced to 1/2 cup (about 5 minutes). Stir in remaining 1 tablespoon sage, and cook for 30 seconds. Add reserved drippings; bring to a boil.

Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour and water, stirring well with a whisk. Stir flour mixture into drippings mixture; bring to a boil. Cook 2 minutes or until thickened, stirring constantly. Stir in remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Serve gravy with turkey.

{Photo credit: Bakerella}

Pumpkin Pie Bites (from Bakerella)

Ingredients

2 refrigerated ready-to roll pie crusts
8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup canned pumpkin
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
Pumpkin-shaped cookie cutter

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Use cookie cutter to cut 12 pumpkin shapes from each pie crust. You will need to roll the dough thinner than it comes out of the box.
Press dough shapes into a 24 cup mini muffin tray. (Make 12 at a time, alternating cups to make sure pie crusts don’t overlap each other.)
Apply egg whites from one egg to the top edges of each pie.
Mix cream cheese, sugar, canned pumpkin, remaining 2 eggs, vanilla and pumpkin pie spice together until thoroughly combined.
Spoon mixture into each pumpkin-shaped pie crust.
Bake for 12-15 minutes.
Remove pies to cool and repeat with second pie crust. Place the muffin tray in the freezer to cool it quickly for re-use.

Winter squash soup - Dairy Foods

I had a very laid back Halloween making dinner and having a couple drinks with my husband Erik and good friends Libby and Biffer. We planned a fall-appropriate dinner, here's the menu:

Mini crab cakes (these weren't really fall-inspired but I just wanted to make them because they're delicious!)
Winter squash soup
Cauliflower "mashed potatoes"
Garlic rosemary roasted chicken
Halloween candy (for dessert! We bought so much candy hoping for a lot of trick or treaters and only ended up with about 15 the entire night).

We had a really nice and relaxing evening. Even though we were busy in the kitchen, we were very organized and timed everything just right. Everything was great but the soup was particularly delicious. Here is the recipe (from Smitten Kitchen, adapted from Bon Appetit).

A couple notes, we used sharp white cheddar because gruyere was super expensive ($16.99 per pound!). I also burned the crouton, oops! Be sure to watch closely when the bread is under the broiler! We also used dried herbs instead of fresh. I'd prefer to use fresh, but it can get very expensive in the off-season. If using dried, use less then what they recommend for fresh. Just be sure to taste along the way. Another thing I love about this soup is that though it's very creamy, it is very healthy and mostly consists of vegetables. I would count one serving of soup as 1-2 points on Weight Watchers.

Winter Squash Soup with Gruyere Croutons
Serves 8

Soup
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
1 large onion, finely chopped
4 large garlic cloves, chopped
3 14 1/2-ounce cans low-salt chicken broth
4 cups 1-inch pieces peeled butternut squash (about 1 1/2 pounds)
4 cups 1-inch pieces peeled acorn squash (about 1 1/2 pounds)
1 1/4 teaspoons minced fresh thyme
1 1/4 teaspoons minced fresh sage
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 cup whipping cream

Croutons
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter
24 1/4-inch-thick baguette bread slices
1 cup grated Gruyere cheese
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
1 teaspoon minced fresh sage

For soup: Melt butter in large pot over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and sauté until tender, about 10 minutes. Add broth, all squash and herbs; bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until squash is very tender, about 20 minutes.

Working in batches, puree soup in blender. Return soup to same pot. Stir in cream and sugar; bring to simmer. Season with salt and pepper. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Chill. Rewarm over medium heat before serving.)

For croutons: Preheat broiler. Butter 1 side of each bread slice. Arrange bread, buttered side up, on baking sheet. Broil until golden, about 1 minute. Turn over. Sprinkle cheese, then thyme and sage over. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Broil until cheese melts, about 1 minute. Ladle soup into bowls. Top each with croutons and serve.

Cutting/cubing squash is not an easy task. Thanks to Libby for taking this on.

A wonderful dinner party - Dairy Foods

Erik and I hosted a dinner party the other week and it was one of those evenings that are so perfect you wake up ridiculously happy the next morning. The weather was amazing so we had dinner on the deck, the food ended up better than I expected and the company was a lot of fun.

Menu

Tomato, basil and mozzarella crostini
Garlic toast
Caesar salad
Beef lasagna
Chicken and farmer's market vegetable pasta
White chocolate tartlets with raspberries and blueberries
wine
beer

Two recipes are posted below the photos, one for the lasagna and one for the white chocolate tartlets. The tarlets were adorable and delicious. The lasagna was cheesy, beefy, tomato-ey goodness.

Get ready for picture overload!



The tart dough, forming twenty of these into tiny tart pans was a bit time consuming.

But the end result was oh so worth it!

Lovely squash from the Minneapolis Farmer's Market.

The lasagna ready to go into the oven.

Basil from my favorite herb vendor, Dehn's Garden.

Don't these look gorgeous? They were delish. The tomatoes are also from the farmer's market.

The chicken, squash, red pepper, basil and parsley pasta. The sauce was made with cream, parmesan, lemon zest and lemon juice. This was something I threw together and did not have a recipe for, it turned out awesome.

Garlic bread. I could have eaten this whole plate.

The lasagna right out of the oven.

More tart pics because I couldn't resist how damn cute these turned out.

The table set up. The Coors beer can sure adds a special touch, don't you think? The flowers are from the farmer's market. I bought two huge bunches for $8.

The lovely guests. My cute hubby Erik on the left, then Jason (Biffer), Libby, Deanna, Nick and Corey. Corey's girlfriend Debbie couldn't make it, but Corey made sure to eat enough for the both of them.

Lasagna (Recipe from The Neely's on Food Network)

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil, plus extra for pan
1 pound ground beef or turkey
1 medium onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 (14.5-ounce) can stewed tomatoes, chopped
1 (8-ounce) jar tomato sauce
1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
1 (8-ounce) box no-boil lasagna noodles
2 large eggs
2 cups cottage cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
2 teaspoons freshly chopped parsley leaves
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon seasoning salt
1 (8-ounce) bag shredded mozzarella
1 (8-ounce) bag shredded Cheddar

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly oil the bottom of a 13 by 9 by 2-inch baking dish.
In a large saute pan, over medium-high heat, add 1 tablespoon oil and saute meat, onion, and garlic until meat is browned, breaking up meat with a wooden spoon. Drain pan of fat and add stewed tomatoes, tomato sauce, and tomato paste. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, then mix in cottage cheese, 1/2 cup Parmesan, parsley, salt, pepper, and seasoning salt.

Spread a little of the meat sauce in the bottom of the prepared pan. Lay half the noodles in the bottom of the baking dish, overlapping by 1/2-inch. Spread half the egg and cottage cheese mixture evenly on top. Sprinkle half the mozzarella and Cheddar evenly over the cottage cheese mixture. Pour half the meat sauce on top. Repeat layering in same order. Sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan on top. Bake in center of oven 30 to 35 minutes until sauce is bubbling around the edges. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

White Chocolate Fruit Tart (see the end of the recipe for the variations I made), recipe from Allrecipes.com

Ingredients

3/4 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 (10 ounce) package vanilla or white chips, melted and cooled
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 (20 ounce) can pineapple chunks, undrained
1 pint fresh strawberries, sliced
1 (11 ounce) can mandarin oranges, drained
2 kiwifruit, peeled and sliced

GLAZE:
3 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice

DIRECTIONS

In a small mixing bowl, cream butter and confectioners' sugar until light and fluffy. Gradually add flour; mix well. Press into an ungreased 11-in. tart pan with removable bottom or 12-in. pizza pan with sides. Bake at 300 degrees F for 25-30 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on a wire rack.

For filling, in a small mixing bowl, beat melted chips and cream. Add cream cheese and beat until smooth. Spread over crust. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Drain pineapple, reserving 1/2 cup juice; set juice aside. Arrange the pineapple, strawberries, oranges and kiwi over filling.

For glaze, in a small saucepan, combine sugar and cornstarch. Stir in lemon juice and reserved pineapple juice until smooth. Bring to a boil over medium heat; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Cool; brush over fruit. Refrigerate for 1 hour before serving. Refrigerate leftovers.

Variations - I didn't bother with the glaze. Also, I only used blueberries and raspberries and instead of a large tart pan I used tartlet pans that I purchased from Cooks of Crocus Hill on Grand Ave in St. Paul. The cooking time was relatively the same, just be sure to check after about 25 minutes.