Halloween Party 2010!

It's my favorite party of the year!

We had s'mores bark, seven layer bars, sugar cookies, double-chocolate chip cookies, cupcakes, candy corn, malted milk balls, yogurt covered pretzels...

... kettle corn, peanut butter bars, churros, bit 'o honeys, more cupcakes, more sugar cookies...

... salad with candied pecans, brie and apple bruschetta, smoked salmon with creme fraiche and dill bruschetta, deviled eggs, pumpkin soup, meatballs, and sharp cheddar macaroni and cheese... there was so much food I could'nt even remember what we had when it was time to put it all out!

It's so fun to go all out just once a year : )

And of course we had shrunken head apple cider, the party isn't complete without it!

Don't forget to add the spiced rum!

We now have 3 time defending champions!

Best Costume went to Beauty and the Beast!



The Magician and his lovely assistant a close second.

Ricky couldn't smile without his mustache falling off.   : )

Let the games begin!!!



"Minute to Win It" was my favorite part of the night!

Spider Man was especially nimble, as you would expect  ; )

Another Halloween has come and gone, and it was so much fun!

'Til next year!!!

A Glimpse of Spooky...

But only a Glimpse!

Sooooon... very soooooon...

Pumpkin Pie Belgium Waffles!

I love these!

And they taste like fall  : )

I think I mixed about 1/3 of a can for one batch of waffles. The more you use the more moist the waffles become. But too much won't allow them to get crisp on the outside. I like to put them in the oven to stay warm and crisp until serving. I used a Belgium Waffle Iron, but these would make great pancakes I'm sure!

And top them off with  fresh cinnamon whipped cream of course!

It's a Princess Party!

With "Cinderelly" of course!

All of the crowns are made, we're ready to party.



3 years old?!

Stop growing!!!

We had two layers of strawberry and white cake, and

 two layers of gluten-free devil's food cake.

This time Bella could have her cake and eat it too!

It's a cake mix from Betty Crocker, and it is soooooo good!

She was pretty excited...

Happy Birthday Baby Girl!

Easy Peasy Lemon Cheesy Apple Tarts!

This rustic apple tart is fantastic and so simple to make.



Granny Smith Apples add just the right kick.

To the  apples I added lemon juice, cinnamon and sugar.

Next I layed them out and topped them with apricot-pineapple jam, and a sprinkle of course salt. I brushed the pie crust with egg and also sprinkled that with sugar. ( I used ready made crust which comes with two pie crusts. )

 Using parchment paper and a baking/pizza stone works very well. It makes the crust nice and crisp.



It's ready to go in!

And there you have it!

Crisp, golden, tart and sweet!

This is my kitchen supervisor.

He recommends adding ice cream... typical.

There was another tart I've been wanting to make also.

A combination of sweet and savory.

This one deserves a glass of white wine.

It is baked brie cheese with apricot-pineapple jam and fresh gala apples.
A perfect appetizer.

 Start with some delicious brie.



Then brush the jam over it. I really like this jam. Don't be worried about it tasting tropical, the pineapple just adds sweetness. So good.

 And that's how you do that!

So flaky...

Happy Eating!



Rustic Apple Tart-

1 ready made pie crust.

 4 Granny Smith Apples

Juice of 1 lemon

1/4 cup Apricot-Pineapple Jam

1/2 cup cinnamon and sugar mixture

1 egg

pinch of coarse salt

pinch of sugar

Slice apples in thin slices. Toss with sugar mixture and lemon juice.

Roll out the pie crust to desired thickness.

Lay apples on top.

Brush with Jam.

Sprinkle with salt.

Brush crust with a lightly beaten egg.

Sprinkle sugar over crust.

Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Enjoy!

Sweet Potato Spice Cake and the First Day of Fall!

Happy Fall!!!

"It's the  m o s t  wonderful  t i m e  of the  y e a r ..."

While at the store this morning, I found my favorite magazine of the year sitting on the shelf.

I'm so excited I can hardly contain myself!

I had to make a spice cake to kick off the season right : )

This is a moist sweet potato spice cake with an orange juice, orange zest, and an orange liqueur glaze.

Ahh... Fall, you have at last arrived.

Sweet Potato Spice Cake - Emeril Legasse

Ingredients-

•1 teaspoon unsalted butter at room temperature, plus 1/2 pound (2 sticks)
•1 cup packed light brown sugar
•1 cup granulated sugar
•2 cups mashed cooked sweet potatoes (about 2 pounds raw sweet potatoes)
•4 large eggs
•3 cups all-purpose flour
•1 teaspoon baking soda
•1 teaspoon baking powder
•1/2 teaspoon salt
•1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
•1 teaspoon ground ginger
•1/2 teaspoon allspice
•1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
•1 cup chopped toasted walnuts
•1 teaspoon vanilla extract
•1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
•2 tablespoons fresh orange juice, or slightly more as needed

•1 teaspoon grated orange zest

( I added orange liqueur to the glaze )

Directions-

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Butter a 12-cup bundt pan with 1 teaspoon of the butter and set aside.
In a large bowl using an electric mixer, cream the butter, brown sugar, and sugar. Add the sweet potatoes and beat until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, and beat after each addition.
Into a bowl, sift together the flour, soda, powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, and nutmeg. Add to the sweet potato mixture a third at a time. Fold in the nuts and vanilla. Pour into the prepared pan and bake until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, about 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes in the pan.
While the cake is resting in the pan, in a bowl, combine the confectioners' sugar, orange juice, and orange zest. Stir well to combine and make a tight glaze, adding more orange juice 1/2 teaspoon at a time to achieve a pourable consistency.
Turn out onto a wire rack. While the cake is still warm, drizzle the orange-sugar glaze to evenly coat. Cool completely before cutting.

Ode to the English Muffin.

These English Muffins in particular.

They are gigantic!

And they came from this fabulous restaurant.

It can be overwhelming at times in a city of roughly three and a half million people.

It's restaurants like this one that help you forget you're surrounded by thousands of people doing thousands of things.

You can go to this cozy restaurant, in it's cozy neighborhood, and truly chill.

While we were waiting for a table at the wine bar next door, we walked into La Grande. They were pulling out batch after batch of these gynormous English Muffins from the ovens.

I didn't pause, I just reached for my wallet.

I ate them with lemon curd, raspberry jam, and butter...

I ate them with ham, tomato, pepper jack, and guacamole...

And when I ran out of crepes, I ate them with warm cream cheese, peaches, almonds, basil, and sweet whipped cream.

And I didn't miss the crepes one bit...

fabulous!

Thank goodness for favorite cafes and restaurants!

'Til next week : )