Showing posts with label Friends. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Friends. Show all posts

Monday, January 21, 2013

tart + coffee break (3/52)

We decided to take the show on the road for our third weekend of hosting friends for a weekend meal. Our friends' parents were in town whom we haven't seen for a while so I decided to make a dessert and bring it to them for a late afternoon coffee break.

I flipped through a new cookbook that I was given over the holidays, A Year In My Kitchen, by Skye Gyngell, which is an absolutely gorgeous book, and opened up to a beautiful photo for Walnut & Honey Tart.

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With only a few modifications, this tart (or pie in our case) turned out amazing - although a bit messy - due to undercooking the caramel sauce on my part.

I took a few photos of the actual tart making process just to document my cooking style - an organized haphazard mess. Hey, it works for me and I even cleaned up the mess as Nic was busy doing other things (folding laundry like a good husband).

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No fewer than two electronics and three cookbooks are necessary to make one tart.

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I wonder how tweaked Nic gets when he sees flour all over the counter and dangerously close to coating his our laptop?

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Not a vegan tart by any means, but I just can't pass up deliciously golden local eggs.

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Yeah - my new favorite photo??

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The sweet gooey pie paired with some freshly brewed locally roasted coffee and we were ready to hit take our show on the road!

Our quick 5:00 pie + coffee break turned in to a four hour visit with good friends. We stayed for tacos, wine, beer, and some crazy kid time. In other words, the perfect way to end the weekend.

Sunday, December 9, 2012

simple sunday brunch

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A simple Sunday brunch with good friends, and their adorable kids was the perfect way to bring this dreary weekend to an end.

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A delicious meal, imperfect photos, tired babies and flying pillows, this is real life.

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Real life with fruit soaked in left over party wine.

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Real life where desserts didn't turn out how you hoped, but were perfect anyway.

Hope you all have a wonderful Sunday.

Wednesday, December 5, 2012

2012 holiday party

Nic and I threw a stellar holiday party last Sunday.

I channeled my inner girl scout and crafted, baked and cooked up a storm for about 50 of our lovely friends, co-workers and neighbors.

Decorations were hung (after collecting dust for three years), lights were lit, and the table was set. 

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Goodie boxes for our guests to take home were assembled.

The spread. Toasted hazelnut chocolate chip cookies, candied orange peels, pumpkin cashew cheesecake trifle, peppermint cashew cheesecake, award winning blueberry swirl cashed cheesecake, sun dried tomato basil bread with white bean aioli, kalamata tarrag

Ready to go.

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The grub; sun-dried tomato basil bread with white bean aioli

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Kalamata tarragon bread with creamy kalamata spread

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Sweet potato quinoa salad

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Granola crusted pecans and walnuts

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Hoisin garlic mushrooms

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Candy cane cashew cheesecake

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Pumpkin cashew cheesecake trifle and my award winning blueberry swirl cashew cheesecake

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A favorite, toasted hazelnut chocolate chip cookies, and candied orange peels

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Mucho beer, wine, cider and cranberry vodka cocktail

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Our guests took home a variety of macaroons and candied orange peels

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A pinterest project...

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Pre-dinner drink

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And our guests!

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We met some new people, which is always fun.

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And hung out with some fellow Rotarians!

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Take my picture!

Vodka cranberry cocktail for.the.win.
And now let me drink!

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One goodie box left for Nic and I to share.

Planned the food perfectly too! Not much left over after the final guests left at 10:30.
And not much food to put away.

My inner girl scout came out and I got crafty!

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I am so crafty...

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My beautiful handiwork...
Tangled in all of the lights while cleaning after our last guests left at 10:30.

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We made sure everything was glowing,

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thanks to Nic's ingenious idea.

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Simple. Wrinkled. Perfect.

Cookie cutter garland. Love.
Cookie cutter garland. 
(Notice the patio door wide open. At 10:30PM. On December 2nd.)

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We had such a fantastic time and I am literally chomping at the bit to plan another party.