A Life Made by Marcie

My New Blog!

2009-09-28T22:53:00.003-04:00

Hi Everyone!

After almost a year, I have finally got my on domain and moved all my posts to my very own website:

A Life Made By Marcie

I haven't posted anything for so long because I wanted to get over to Wordpress... I have a lot of stuff to post, so I hope you haven't forgotten about me and still want to follow me over to my new home on the web.

If you subscribe to my link...here is the new RSS Link:

feed://alifemadebymarcie.com/?feed=rss2

Hope to see you soon!

Marcie

Shout out from HOSTESS WITH THE MOSTESS

2009-08-14T23:09:00.005-04:00

WOW...I am so excited...I just got this email:

Hi Marcie -

Just wanted to let you know that your 4th of July party is one of the top 5 finalists in the HWTM Summer Entertaining Contest - congrats!

Voting starts today and goes through next Thursday, August 20th. We'll announce the winners on Friday.

Here's a little more info for you:
www.hostessblog.com/2009/08/summer-entertaining-contest-5-finalists-voting-begins/

Thanks so much for sharing your photos with us - and good luck!
Jenn :)

HOW COOL IS THAT!! So, if you are a fan of Hostess with the Mostess on facebook...and you like my party, could you vote for me?! :) VOTE HERE! Thanks so much!!

Making Butter

2009-08-06T09:25:00.002-04:00

Have you ever thought about making your own butter? I hear people on FoodNetwork saying don't whip up your cream too much or you will make butter...I didn't realize that it would look like this...and that the liquid you extract from the cream is the buttermilk and the rest is the butter solids...how cool is this...easy enough to try I say!

I would love to try this and make a few compound butters from it...butter freezes really well and it would probably be really delicious! I will let u know when I do.

All New Ina!

2009-07-18T09:59:00.002-04:00

Ina is back with a brand new season of shows...I hope it is more like the original BFC...those are such useful shows to me...taught me so much.

Today's Show: Brown bagging it just got a Barefoot makeover. This is portable food with full on flavor including Grilled Tuna Wasabi rolls, Lentil Vegetable Soup and Granola Bars.

Recipes in This Episode
Grilled Tuna Rolls
Homemade Granola Bars
Lentil Vegetable Soup

the show starts today at 1:30pm EST...set your DVR's! :)

Summertime Cocktails

2009-07-11T14:53:00.005-04:00

I love an ice cold beer or glass of chilled white wine in the summertime, but sometimes you wanna have a great cocktail. I found these great recipes for cocktails that I think would be really great for any summer get together:

First, a French Margarita:

The addition of the chambord is a nice touch. I love margaritas on the rocks too. Love the berry garnish.

Here is more of a dessert cocktail...a Key Lime Freeze. The graham cracker rim is a nice touch:

Here is a Red Wine Sangria. I love sangria!!

This Limon Crush sounds yummy:

This Coconut Caipirinha sounds so refreshing:

Hmm...what should I have tonight? :)

4th of July 2009

2009-07-03T08:47:00.004-04:00

So my friend Kristy and I are planning a little pool party tomorrow. She and I have developed this great friendship...we both love to cook...so this is our first attempt to throwing a party together. I can't get over how at ease I am with the preps for this one. I truly have a partner who has as much fun as I do. :) I AM GOING TO HAVE REAL FUN TOMORROW!!

So, we are still in the process of preping and setting up, but I wanted to share with you our table:

Plates were 4 for $1 at walmart. The napkins are dishtowels, 7 for $3 at walmart, the runner was $20 at Pier 1, the colanders and pails are from the Pottery Barn, but all together, makes a lovely table.

Don't you love the cracker jacks? 3 for $1 at walmart. They even have this antique packaging that really compliments our table setting.

I will post more photos later when we get our buffet set up.

Happy 4th of July everyone!
Marcie

Farmer's Market Grill

2009-06-19T07:23:00.004-04:00

My friend Lon told me about Fresh Field Farm a few weeks ago...so I had to check it out. One day, I am going to take photos inside because I always love what I see. I have a huge smile on my face looking at all the gorgeous produce. This is just a portion of what I picked up on my first trip:

Gorgeous huh! Anyway, my friend Kristy came over and we got to cooking.

I have NEVER cooked artichokes...and I had to buy these. they were like $1 a piece and HUGE! I needed some help, so I looked on the Food Network and found this video by Chef Anne Burell on how to peel and prep the artichokes. I just went as far as the preping and peeling...I kept my artichokes whole.

So, got them peeled, I boiled them in salted water for about 25-30 min. Just to soften them.

Then we got all of the rest of the veggies on the grill. Aren't the colors GREAT?!

I also picked up some NY Strip steaks at the Farmers Market, and Kristy marinated them with some fresh garlic, olive oil and herbs de province that my friend Steve brought back from Cannes for me.

I then cut the parboiled artichokes in half and put them on the grill for some char. Kristy also made a vinagrette that she brushed onto the veggies as soon as they came off of the grill. I will have to ask her what was in there...it was amazing.

When the steaks were done, Kristy put them on a bed of fresh large leaf arugula from Whole Foods...THIS WAS SO GOOD!! I guess I have always had baby arugula...well if you love that flavor...try this mature version...the flavor is so strong and delicious!

Kristy brought over some Steak House wine from her new find The Wine Barn, and we sat for a great meal...we moaned over every bite! We didn't even have any starch..straight up meat and veggies and we didn't miss it either!

Always have to end the night with esspresso...I picked up these rock candy sticks...very nice way to serve your coffee.

Find your local farmers market and enjoy!

More Loveliness from Amy Atlas

2009-06-18T21:21:00.005-04:00

I swear everytime I see a table display by Amy Atlas, I wanna cry. They are just STUNNING. Look at this loveliness:

What did I tell ya...here are some close ups:

Everytime she posts more images, it is like Christmas for me. Enjoy!!

The Cutest Cupcakes!

2009-06-18T21:16:00.004-04:00

Look at what the little elves cooked at at Martha Stewart...aren't these darling!

I love those! I recently saw these cupcakes with just the umbrella, but Martha took them to the next level and they are so clever.

Why can't I come up with cool stuff like that! Maybe because all my creativity is sucked dry from my real job...and when I come home, all I wanna do is play bejeweled till I pass out? huh? haha...no ya, really that is true.

Plum Clafoutis

2009-06-14T21:54:00.003-04:00

I have been going to the fresh produce market for a few weeks now...the produce is so amazing. Fresh fresh! Find your local farmers market or direct from the farm market...totally worth it and you can be inspired by the finds. I bought some pretty little plums there for my husband...he eats tons of fruit...I can't keep it in the house long enough. Anyway, these plums weren't very sweet, so I decided to make them into a dessert.

I would normally make my SUMMER BERRY COBBLER...but I saw this recipe on the Barefoot Contessa a few years ago and wanted to try it. It is basically a crepe batter that you pour over fresh fruit and bake. Very simple. The longest part was cutting up and fanning the plums, but it was fun too! :)

Plum Clafoutis

8 small plums
1/4 cup + 2 tbsp sugar
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup milk (low fat is fine)
3 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp freshly ground nutmeg

Preheat oven to 425F and lightly grease a 10-inch round baking/tart dish.
Peel pears. Slice in half and remove cores and stems. Slice crosswise every 1/8 inch and fan around a 10 inch round baking dish, stem ends facing into the center. If your pears are large, you might only use 6 halves around the outside of the pan. If this is the case, add one of the remaining pear halves to the center of the dish (as pictured above). Sprinkle pears with approx. 1 tbsp sugar.
In a food processor, blend flour, 1/4 cup sugar, baking powder, salt, eggs, milk, vanilla and nutmeg until smooth, about 15 seconds. Pour mixture on top of pears and sprinkle again with remaining sugar.

Bake for 15 minutes at 425F. Turn oven down to 350F and bake an additional 25-30 minutes, until clafoutis is golden brown and a tester (sharp knife) inserted into the center comes out clean.
Serve warm, at room temperature or chilled.

Serves 8.

Note: The clafoutis will fall a little bit as it cools, so don’t be surprised!

We wanted to try it so badly, I almost forgot to take a photo! So there is a scoop out of this one. This is a great recipe for any fresh summer stone fruit...peaches, plums, apricots...even pears would be excellent. Give it a try, it is super simple and delicious.

Martha's Cupcake Book

2009-05-21T20:12:00.005-04:00

Martha's Cupcake book is coming out in just a few weeks...and to tease us...she is giving us a recipe a day on her show.

You can PREORDER the book...I think I might just do that. I would love to do it for my brother Louis, but I am sure he did already! He should write his own book with his AMAZING cupcakes!

Anyway, I have only seen a few the Martha shows this week (my dvr is full!) but every cupcake I have seen is worth a try. The Lemon meringue especially because I have one of those cool torches and love to use it!

The Lemon Meringue Cupcakes:

Makes 24
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs, room temperature
Finely grated zest of 3 lemons (about 3 tablespoons), plus 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk
Lemon Curd
Seven-Minute Frosting
Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.
With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, cream butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until each is until incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Beat in zest and vanilla. Add flour mixture in three batches, alternating with two additions of buttermilk and lemon juice, and beating until just combined after each.
Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each three-quarters full. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until golden brown and a cake tester inserted in centers comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool completely before removing cupcakes. Cupcakes can be stored overnight at room temperature, or frozen up to 2 months, in airtight containers.
To finish, spread 1 tablespoon lemon curd onto middle of each cupcake. Fill a pastry bag fitted with a large open-star tip (Ateco #828 or Wilton #8B) with frosting. Pipe frosting onto each cupcake, swirling tip slightly and releasing as you pull up to form a peak. Hold a small kitchen torch 3 to 4 inches from surface of frosting, and wave it back and forth until frosting is lightly browned all over. Serve immediately.

Then there is the Chocolate Cupcake...always good!

Makes 12
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup sour cream
Easy White Icing
Sprinkles (optional)
Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 12-cup standard muffin tin with paper liners.
Into a medium bowl, sift together cocoa, flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside. In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each, then beat in vanilla. With mixer on low speed, add flour mixture in two batches, alternating with sour cream and beginning and ending with flour.
Pour batter into cups, filling each 3/4 full. Bake until a toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes.
Cool in pan 5 minutes; transfer to a wire rack to cool completely, then spread with Easy White Icing using a table knife or small offset spatula. Decorate with sprinkles, if desired.

Show Me Your Mussels

2009-05-10T20:55:00.005-04:00

I am convinced that Friday nights are the best nights to entertain...they force you to be casual, impromptu, no preplanning, just "hey let's get together and make a feast" kind of nights. You can have a few drinks, and still have Saturday and Sunday to recover, which in my mind is a VERY good thing! :)

My friend Kristy came over and we started to cook. But first a cocktail break...

This is the Peach Basil Martini:

This is a great cocktail that we all enjoyed...a great summer drink that you should try! :)

But I digress...this post is all about the Mussels!

On our way home from work, we stopped at the market to pick up something to make for dinner. We wanted some shrimp, then I noticed the mussels...they were on sale...so I asked Kristy if she had ever cooked them...she said no, so I said...what the heck! We bought a pound each of shrimp and mussels thinking we would just figure it out when we got home.

Fish, shellfish, anykind of fish...I have always been afraid to cook...it isn't cheap, and it is very delicate easily ruined...and that I just couldn't face! :) I love it though! So, I had to start somewhere.

What I didn't realize is fish makes a quick meal...and elegant one, and one that doesn't require lots of planning! I love this.

We found a recipe in the Barefoot in Paris book by Ina Garten...and I just happened to have everything on hand...and off we went to create this FANTASTIC dinner.

Note: This recipe uses all mussels, but we bought 1 lb of shrimp and 1 lb of mussels to make this recipe.

Mussels in White Wine
Barefoot In Paris by Ina Garten
Serves 2-3

Ingredients
3 pounds cultivated mussels
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons good olive oil
1 cup chopped shallots (5 to 7 shallots)
1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic (5 to 6 cloves)
1/2 cup chopped canned plum tomatoes, drained (4 ounces)
1/2 teaspoon good saffron threads
1/3 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
1 cup good white wine
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions
To clean the mussels, put them in a large bowl with 2 quarts of water and the flour and soak for 30 minutes, or until the mussels disgorge any sand.

Drain the mussels, then remove the "beard" from each with your fingers. If they're dirty, scrub the mussels with a brush under running water. Discard any mussels whose shells aren't tightly shut.

In a large non-aluminum stockpot, heat the butter and olive oil over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook for 5 minutes; then add the garlic and cook for 3 more minutes, or until the shallots are translucent. Add the tomatoes, saffron, parsley, thyme, wine, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil.

Add the mussels,

stir well, then cover the pot, and cook over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes, until all the mussels are opened (discard any that do not open). With the lid on, shake the pot once or twice to be sure the mussels don't burn on the bottom.

NOTE: at 8 minutes, we added the peeled, deveined shrimp to the pot to cook for the last 3 minutes.

Pour the mussels and the sauce into a large bowl and serve hot.

Isn't this gorgeous? We served it with fresh lemon slices and toasted garlic ciabatta bread to sop up the delicious broth...so good!

This is an impressive dinner. The flavors are out of this world...tastes like a million bucks. This will be a go to recipe for me from now on. It was so simple and easy, and the results to DIE FOR! :) I know I say that a lot, but it is so true...this is a delicious recipe. If you are a virgin shellfish cooker, give this one a try, you won't be sorry!

Olivia's Banana Bread

2009-04-25T04:43:00.002-04:00

This is my go to recipe for banana bread. I got it from my dear friends Jimmy & Olivia. They are great cooks and bakers. Jimmy is always bringing in lovely baked bread, pastries, muffins baked by his lovely wife Olivia. He is so sweet, always has a smile on his face and reminds me that work is just work, and not to stress about the little things. He spoils me rotten and I love him! :)

So I wanted to share this bread recipe with you! Give it a try, it is really good!
1 c Very Ripe Bananas (about 3 or 4)
1 c white sugar
1/4 c vegetable oil
1/2 c sour cream
2 Eggs
1 1/2 c all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

In a large mixing bowl, combine bananas, sugar, oil, sour cream and eggs:
In a separate bowl, mix dry ingredients. add to banana mixture just until combined.
Pour into 9x5 inch loaf pan. Bake at 325 degrees for 1 1/4 hours or until tester inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely.

I doubled the recipe and used one of my favorite bundt pans, given to me by my SIL Claudia. I love this one!

I am going to make a cupcake out of this banana bread, as soon as I find a good icing for it. I know a straight up cream cheese icing would work, but I want to be a little more thoughtful and unique about flavors if I can.

Any ideas?

Spring Fling

2009-04-22T21:53:00.000-04:00

I know I live in Florida, and the weather is always warm...but there is something about the spring time...the colors, the flowers, the fresh fruit!

My friends Kristy and Sara came over for Easter so I put together some good eats...first, my simple spring table setting:

Then, Kristy came up with a great cocktail for us. We were in St. Augustine the week before, and had a Cava (Spanish Champagne) Sangria at the Columbia restaurant that was fantastic. Kristy created these tasty drinks for us...

Champagne, fresh fruit, white wine, peach puree, triple sec...Gorgeous and delicious!!

Next food:
Simple spring salad with fresh fruit, arugula, goat cheese, toasted walnuts and balsamic vinagrette:

The main course was a baked ham and a roasted pork tenderloin:

I made a reduction of the pork juices, orange juice, plum cherry jam and balsamic that was fantastic!

This is my new favorite pasta salad for the summer. Roasted garlic oil, orzo, fresh spinach, toasted walnuts, roasted garlic, goat cheese and salt and pepper. I had a salad similar to this at Whole Foods, this time, I added dried cherries for some chewy texture...so simple and delicious!!

Roasted asparagus with parmesan...love roasted veggies...thanks Ina Garten!

For dessert, I made these Espresso Caramel Bars, a recipe by Giada DeLarentis...really good...more like eating a chewy candy bar. I sprinkled the top with flake salt...SO GOOD and decadent. Served them with espressos and lattes.

Hope you are all enjoying your springtime!

Project Wood

2009-04-21T20:29:00.005-04:00

OMGoodness...I haven't blogged in forever! The truth is, I have become a social networking butterly at work, tweeting and blogging for Ripley's...I have left myself little time to share my life with all of you...I am still cooking and entertaining, so I do have a lot to share.

First I want to tell you about a little project I helped my friend Sara with. She is the sister of my good friend Kristy...and we all have become fast friends. Kristy called me one afternoon and said her sister needed help with creating a flyer for an event she was planning...her designer dropped out and she needed help quick!

After a couple hours and a few bottles of wine, I cranked out this flyer for Project Wood, an art show for a local artist Steph Wood:

So I place the order for the flyers, and I think I am done. Then Kristy proposes that we help Sara make some food for the event, and wonders if Paul would photograph...They expected 100 people, didn't sound too difficult...sure, why not?

Kristy suggested skewers with mozzerella, basil tomato, and I recommended chocolate fountain. The budget was very small, and these items worked perfectly for this party. Here are some highlights:

Here is one of the servers passing some of our food...We served them on silver trays, and used stemless wine glasses with olive oil and balsamic on the plate for some interest.

The Chocolate Fountain was the best purchase I have ever made...I have used this so many times at parties, and people love it...so inexpensive too.

Kristy created a peach basil martini that was to die for...she was so busy that night, making that cocktail...everyone wanted it!

Here are some party shots:

Sara took a hair salon downtown and turned it into an art gallery...the space was perfect for an event like this...it really felt like an art gallery!

Here are Sara, Event Producer on the left and Steph Wood, the artist on the right.

One of the highlights was a performace by musician Peter Baldwin. He was really great:

I have a feeling you will hear more about him soon!

Project Wood was a great time, Paul snapped some great shots!

Vivi's 2nd 21'st Birthday

2009-03-24T22:09:00.004-04:00

So, my BFF Vivi just turned 21...for the 10th time and we had to go and celebrate. Our good friend Kristy decided to show us her side of town and she recommended Harmoni Market. I have never been, and I LOVED IT. Walking up to the building, I noticed that I had seen that name before. They just put a sign up for this place less than a mile from my house...which thrills me to no end...we need some culture and good food around these parts!

but I digress...back to the festivities! Here is Vivi's Birthday portrait, at Harmoni...

She is so fabulous wouldn't you say?

If you have never been Harmoni is this lovely little Mediterranean style bistro that serves amazing wines, coffee, salads, flatbreads, entrees, a great place all around.

It has a really great vibe...good music...and Gourmet Market all rolled into one.

If you have never been, you have to try it. I look forward to having on my side of town and getting to know it a bit more.

We had a lovely time. (Kristy, Marcie, Vivi & My mom, Carmen)

We then proceeded to the Winter park Art Festival. It was a gorgeous day for a walk thru the park...the crowded park, but we had a great time enjoying the sites:

(By the way, Louis, Mom wants you to paint this painting for her.)

My favorite part this trip was visiting The Wine Room on Park Avenue. I simply must go back and spend more time. It is a simple concept. Get a card, like a debit card, put some money on it, and go around and try some wines...SO FUN!

Here we are in action:

We had a great time!

Miso Yummy!

2009-03-15T07:52:00.007-04:00

I just love Miso soup. Anytime we go for sushi, I have to have some. Little did I realize this would be so easy to make at home.

I also love my local Asian grocery. They have great ingredients, imported from all over Asia, at 1/2 of the cost that you find it at the market. I go there every few months to stock up on essentials like hoisin, mirin, sambal...I like to keep lots of these ingredients on hand.

This time, I picked up some white miso. Miso is basically fermented soy bean paste. It is very salty, and it is what gives miso soup that yummy flavor we all know and love. I also picked up some dashi (fish stock) soup base.

Last night, I made us some Miso Soup using a simplified version of this Tyler Florence recipe:

Ingredients
8 cups water
1 package Dashi Base
1/2 cup light miso
1 pound baby bok choy, cut in quarters
2 nests of frozen soba noodles
8 ounces firm tofu, cut into cubes
Directions
In a large soup pot over medium heat combine 8 cups water with one package of the dashi. Bring it to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes - do not let it boil. Add miso to the pot and let it simmer gently for 10 to 15 minutes, Add the bok choy and simmer until tender, about 10 minutes. Add the tofu and soba noodles and cook for another 5 minutes. Ladle into bowls and enjoy!.

Because this was all we had for dinner, I added the noodles, but normally, Miso doesn't have noodles. It was really good. I also dropped in some dehydrated kelp at the end.

After dinner, we watched the movie 'My Best Friend's Girl' with Dane Cook, cute movie. We drank some white burgandy wine with strawberries...so delicous. Was like champagne without the bubbles. My new fav for the summer!

Our little coz was snuggling on the couch with us. He is so cute!

Salted Caramel Cupcake

2009-03-08T21:46:00.002-04:00

Salted Caramel Cupcake
Originally uploaded by Sweetness in Seattle

Now this cupcake just sounds like heaven. I am investigating lots of recipes because I wanna become one of those cupcake masters. This sounds like a sure winner to me. I am going to try it and if it works, I will share the recipe here.

Description: Chocolate cake filled with salted caramel topped with a caramel chocolate ganache and sprinkled with fleur de sel.

Ooh, Shiny!

2009-03-07T09:12:00.003-05:00

I don't know why, but I am fascinated with clear glass, shiny objects, mirror, glitter. I love the way that light reflects and creates a beautiful shine! I love clear dishes, glass containers the list goes on and on.

Well, when I saw this Rain Installation created by artist Stacee Kalmanovsky....I was just like...WOW.

This is so beautiful:

This would be awesome set above my tabletop, done on a much smaller scale, of course, but how cool would it be to dine under these?

Check Stacee out: http://www.staceekalmanovsky.com.

Cute Easter Idea

2009-03-06T11:30:00.003-05:00

Hey peeps, it has been way too long since my last post. Work has been a bit overwhelming to say the least which leaves me no time to party...but I intend to fix that very soon. Got Easter coming up, and a baby shower to plan for my friend Vanessa, so I will have lots to post soon.

Speaking of Easter, I saw this adorable idea in my latest Pottery Barn catalog.

I have a collection of cakeplates that will work for this display...let's just see if I get around to doing it...but wouldn't that look adorable?

I love the bell jars!

Can you feel the love tonight?

2009-02-15T08:00:00.005-05:00

So, I celebrated Valentines Day with my husband, but I also invited a few of my SINGLE LADIES over so we could all enjoy a great night of food and friends! This dinner was all about small portions...so had six courses!

Here are some of the highlights:

I made chocolate covered strawberries with toasted hazelnuts, and my Mom made these sweet cupcakes that looked like flowers. These were used to decorate the table...and as party favors.

I decked out the table in red and silver...used the cupcakes and chocolate strawberries as my centerpiece, which I set at the end of the table.

COURSE 1: Baked Brie with French Bread
We started with our favorite Baked Brie...you really must try this...it is to die for!

COURSE 2: Cream of Asparagus Soup
This was made by my Mom. I will post the recipe later. THIS WAS SO DELICIOUS!!! We served these in coffee cups!

COURSE 3: Goat Cheese Tart with Arugula tossed in a balsamic vinaigrette
Kristy created these delicious tarts...it was all YUMMY!

COURSE 4: Mushroom Ravioli with Sage Brown Butter, Saulteed Butternut squash gorgonzola and sweet balsamic glaze.
I made a batch of fresh pasta and rolled out these little babies. I made one large ravioli per person. The balsamic glaze was a nice touch to counterbalance the richness of the gorgonzola.

COURSE 5: Red Wine braised Short Ribs served over sour cream mashed potatoes and au jus
This was a last minute addition to my menu. I thought this would be an easy entree and I was right. I just seared these babies and then the cooked in the crock pot for the rest of the day. The meat was amazingly tender and had great flavor!

COURSE 6: Molten Lava Cake ala mode with Raspberry coulee
We ended the night with Molten Lava Cakes and Cappucinos. Yes there were cupcakes and chocolate covered strawberries...but hey, it is VALENTINES DAY! These little babies have a soft chocolate center and were so YUMMY! Just on the verge of "death by chocolate!"

My Mom lives in Orlando now, and she is AMAZING! She is like the engergizer bunny, I dirty a dish, it is cleaned and put away before I turn around...she is an amazing chef too! She preps like a champ and she is so fun! We had a great time making dinner together!

We started cooking around 11 am yesterday, and we were done about 3...If she wasn't here, I would have been stressed, and not done...this is the first time that I truly enjoyed myself! We all had a lovely time! Kristy was great because she has tons of catering experience, and she helped me plate everything between courses...we are a well oiled machine and can do anything!! I love you girl! The only person you don't see is Viviana, as always, she is behind the camera. THANKS VIVI for the amazing pics!!

What about Paul you ask? Wel...Paul serenaded us! :)

Be Mine...Valentine

2009-02-09T21:46:00.004-05:00

Just made a few Valentines...I keep a box on my desk at work. The people I work with know I am kind of crafty...and when they need cards and don't have time to go to the drug store, they stop by my desk.

I sell them for a few bucks...but they are all made with love...and I really sell them because I just like to share pretty things! :)

I am kinda into the cupcake theme this year:

Double Chocolate Chip Cookies

2009-02-02T06:52:00.000-05:00

I love those dark chocolate cookies at Panera, called Duet...so I was on a quest to find a good recipe. I settled with this one here. I adjusted the recipe a bit because I didn't have any chocolate chips in my house (i know, for shame)! So I substituted milk and dark chocolate bars...I just cut them into big chunks.

Double Chocolate Chip Cookies:
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup cocoa powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
In large bowl, beat butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla until light and fluffy. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt; stir into the butter mixture until well blended. Mix in the chocolate chips and walnuts.

Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or just until set. Cool slightly on the cookie sheets before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

Next time I make these, I will add white chocolate chips like the Panera version. I have them in the new cake stand my husband got me for Christmas.

It is just like a diner. We went to a restaurant supply store, and a few months agoI was admiring this stand...(I have a cake plate fetish!) He is so sweet, cause he went back and got it for me. I keep it on my counter with whatever fresh baked goods I have made. I just LOVE it! Thanks Honey!

Baked Brie

2009-02-01T06:36:00.005-05:00

Ok, I know baked brie has been around forever. It is so yummy warmed right out of the oven. Well, I had this at a recent Pampered Chef party, and I have been dreaming about it ever since, so I had to make it. Check this out:

There are tons of PC recipes that are keepers, because they are so simple! This one is right up there. The real beauty is you toast the bread and serve it all on the pizza stone...Love that!

Take a wheel of brie, slice it right down the center and set it in the middle of the stone, cut side up. I then spread some apricot/pineapple preserves, and sprinkled some pecans on top. Then take the 2nd half of the wheel, again, cut side up, and put it on top of the first half. Add more preserves and pecans.

Then slice a loaf of french bread and set it all around the brie. Put the whole thing into a 425 degree oven for 8-10 min. Let stand for 5 min before serving.

This is A-MAZ-ING! Simply serve it right on the stone with a large knife for cutting. Your guests will just cut it wedges and eat it on the bread. The rind is even good...I know some people who don't like to eat the rind...warming it like this, the whole thing is so good. You have to try it! This is a simple recipe with big impact.

My NYE Table Setting

2009-01-17T10:04:00.006-05:00

This is a little late, but I wanted to document this table I set for New Years Eve. I shared a quiet nite in with my hubby. We had an AWESOME time together!

This is my table...I went with a silver theme...and pulled some of the silver ornaments I had hanging on the tree to dress the table, some little glass marbles (i love these) reflective surfaces, white dishes...total shine!

I picked up 2 porterhouse steaks, and just salt and peppered them and thru in some thinly sliced garlic:

Then I made my favorite steak accompaniment..sauteed mushrooms and shallots in a red wine reduction...SO GOOD!

I picked up some chicken base for a recipe, and saw there was also a beef base...similar to boullion, but a much deeper flavor. I used a little in here which helped the color and made them so delicious and meaty.

I roasted some potatoes with salt, pepper, olive oil and whole cloves of garlic (still in the skin) and I also roasted some asparagus...if you have never tried this, do it...they are delicious! I also did a little surf and turf by grilling up some jumbo shrimp that I had marinating in lemon zest and olive oil.

This was WAY too much food, we only really ate 1/2 of the steaks, mushrooms and asparagus...but it was all really yummy! I used the left over potatoes in a breakfast disn the next morning!

I find I spend a lot of time trying to make lots of other people happy...and this year, I am going to take more time out for me and the people I love the most...make it special, even if it is just the two of you! It is so worth it! :) HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas

2009-01-14T21:16:00.004-05:00

So there are no holidays on the horizon to deck the halls for...I have to cook! :) This time, it is enchiladas...green chile chicken...so simple and easy:

I usually buy a rotisserie chicken once a week. We eat 1/2 for dinner one night, and the next night I shred the rest for another meal...this is the perfect recipe for that.

Take your shredded chicken and add it to a saute pan with 1/2 diced onion and a small can of green chile, just until the onions begin to turn translucent:

Add about 1/2 cup of sharp cheddar, you could also use monterey jack...I just have a love affair with cheddar.

In the mean time, take a clean lint free dish cloth...tuck about 5 corn tortillas inside and nuke in the microwave for about 15 seconds...I always work in small batches, because it is easy to just warm up more.

Take a warmed tortilla, and spoon in some of the chicken filling:

Fold each side up over the filling, and lie them seam side down in a baking dish that has been prepped with cooking spray:

Keep rolling, warming more tortillas as you need them. Once the dish is full, use a can of green chile enchilada sauce. and pour over the top of the enchiladas.

Then use another cup of cheese to top the enchiladas, this time I used a mix of cheddar and monterey jack, and another can of green chilies:

Cook in the oven at 350 for about 30 minutes until everything is warmed thru and the top is bubbly and golden:

Serve with some refried beans...home made of course, don't you dare buy canned refried beans...I will show you how to make those one day. Trust me you will LOVE THEM! People who say they hate refried beans have only had bad ones! :)

The great thing about green chiles is that it is super mild...no heat at all...just good flavor and cheesy goodness!

Turkey Soup Anyone?

2009-01-13T21:14:00.002-05:00

So, does anyone else still have any leftover turkey? I decided to make some soup out of mine.

I started with a simple miripois: I finely diced 2 celery ribs, 1/2 an onion and 2 carrots. I sautéed them a bit, then added one box of chicken stock and 1 tsp. of poultry seasoning.

In the mean time, I sauteed some mushrooms, zuchinni and garlic with a bit of fresh sage. Once it was nice and golden, I added them to the pot.

After it came to a simmer, I took my leftover turkey and added it to the pot. I also dropped in 2 cups of egg noodles.

When the noodles were done, I added the juice of a meyer lemon. We had tons of them this season, and I just like the flavor of citrus and poultry. I garnished with some fresh sage and served with some nice crusty bread...YUM!

Making Fresh Pasta

2009-01-12T21:39:00.004-05:00

I took a pasta making class a few months ago at my local Williams Sonoma, and just had to try it at home. My husband found me the rollers online, we opened up some wine, and off we went...here are some pics:

We made to different flavors, a classic fresh pasta:

and a Spinach flavored pasta:

This dough was so easy to make, one in the kitchenaid, and one in the food processor. I don't know why I am so afraid of dough...I just need to be more adventurous in my cooking the payoff is enormous!

The most magical part is cutting the pasta in the rollers, instantly it is pasta!:

I also made some raviolis with a filling I made with sauteed mushrooms, garlic and ricotta:

I haven't tried it since, but I definitely will again. The process was pretty simple. You can even freeze the dough for up to three months, make a big batch and freeze the dough.

There is really nothing like fresh pasta!

Plans for New Years Eve

2008-12-26T12:45:00.007-05:00

Looking for little inspiration for your decor...Martha has some great and simple ideas:

These are my favs:

I am just cleaning up from Christmas cooking...so I will post more about that later...I hope you all had a very Merry Christmas!

Setting the scene for an easy Christmas Morning

2008-12-24T18:20:00.006-05:00

So, all is done in our home...It is just my husband and I tonight...I am making us a nice steak dinner...no drinking though, Paul wants to go to midnight mass completely sober for once! haha but seriously...

I actually cooked our steaks in my Breville panini press, THANKS VIVI!!

For tomorrow morning, I made Martha's Canadian Bacon Strata:

I added some frozen country style hasbrowns and some chives to the recipe...just to change it up a bit.

I just popped it in the oven this morning for breakfast...we also had mimosas.

This breakfast is very light! So yummy! We have lots of left overs, and it keeps nicely like a quiche...great at room temperature.

I am going to start to make a berry tart for dessert tonight...we are going to our good friends home tonight...Joan and Wayne. It is always a blast over there. She is really one of the main reasons I love to entertain. She always puts out a spread, and makes me feel so special and loved...I LOVE HER!!! I will try to post more pics later.

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!!

New Toys!

2008-12-24T11:36:00.005-05:00

So...for working really hard on the Decades parties I told you about a few weeks ago...I got a very generous gift from my company. It was actually a gift card to our mall...and I was so exicted, because I could shop to my hearts content at the Crate and Barrel and Williams Sonoma...does anyone else feel like I do? :)

So, WS had a sale, 20% off of EVERYTHING in the store. They don't normally discount their wares like that, so I felt it was the right opportunity to use some of my card cash...

I picked up this beautiful All-Clad stainless steel 14" fry pan. It is so lovely! I feel like such a serious cook now! :)

Look at my pathetic old pan...SO SMALL! And it had the seperate bottom, that has been warped forever...my all clad is all one piece and I never have to worry about it seperating. It is a major investment, but it has a LIFETIME warranty...so it is well worth it! And it was a gift,so my husband won't have a fit when I tell him I spent almost $200 on a fry pan! haha. After the sale, the pan was only $132...a GREAT deal!

I also picked up this pretty little tart pan...looking for a good fruit tart recipe now to make for tomorrow, and a new microplane.

Card Making

2008-12-20T06:03:00.002-05:00

I have a craft room...filled with papers and pens, stamps and punches...anything and everything a paercrafter would need to make beautiful things. I don't think I have been in there all year! It is super sad...so one of my resolutions is to take more time out for me...to do the things that I like to do. To get a little inspiration, I have found some fun papercrafting vids that I wanted to share:

This vid is a super easy craft...but I just loved the video...

Here is a link to their Etsy store.

This little clip is from Kristina Werner, I just think she is adorable...and these gift tags are beautiful:

See more of Kristina on her blog.

Christmas Centerpieces by Colin Cowie

2008-12-18T15:37:00.001-05:00

Colin Cowie on the CBS Early Show and easy Christmas Centerpieces:

More and More like Christmas

2008-12-16T21:02:00.003-05:00

I think I am finally done decorating our house...I love coming home to the glow of christmas lights, so I put them everywhere. You saw my front door, and my kitchen and tree, here are a few more shots of the decor...

This is the view from the head of my dinner table...my seat actually. I love how the lights look thru the sheer curtains...

Here are some close ups of the centerpiece I created this year:

This is a wall vinyl that I picked up at Kohl's. It looks much bigger on the box...but cute none the less. It doesn't stick very well to my textured walls...but I like it. It was hard to get on too...I don't think I would recommend it. They do however come off of the wall very easliy, but I don't think they are reusable:

This is a greeting tree...they are about $40 in the Pottery Barn catalog, but I picked this one up after Christmas last year for under $5...my kind of deal! Oh, and you can see my fabulous brother's handmade cards in this shot...the ones with the cute snowmen...

Merry Christmas Everyone!!

Home for Christmas

2008-12-11T20:36:00.003-05:00

I put my tree up on Thanksgiving, but I didn't decorate it until last weekend...because I have been a little crazed...so, now my tree is done, and I am ready to share. Here is my tree

It is LOADED with oranments...but I love it!

I bought this tree skirt on clearance at Home Goods, for under $10 dollars...and my friend Dena embroidered it for me..just like Pottery Barn, 1/4 of the price!

I don't have lots of surfaces to decorate, so I do what I can...here is the spot under my tv...I tried grouping like with like items to give them more impact:

I have an obsession with cake plates...so I decided to use them in my decor....I took ornaments and filled them, again with a like color...they look much better in person:

I still have the banister, dinner table and my bar and buffet to finish...I better get to it soon...It's the most wonderful time of the year and I am running out of time!

Pomtinis

2008-12-08T21:56:00.005-05:00

One of my favorite cocktails is a martini (thanks to my dear friend Joan, who showed me how to drink right!) I love a good Pomegranate Martini and when Martha showed this recipe and I had to try it.

The recipe calls for orange peel as garnish, but I used Pomegranate seeds instead. Martha has showed how to remove the seeds from a pomegranate and it works like a charm...this is how you do it:

Score the pomegranate into quarters from end to end, without cutting all the way thru, then stick the knife into one end and pry the fruit open.

Then take one of the pieces and hold it over a bowl like this:

Use a wooden spoon, and whack the back of the fruit, and the seeds will just fall into the bowl:

and there you go, a bowl full of pomegranate seeds, no mess, simple:

Now make the cocktail:

Makes 1 cocktail
1 ounce freshly squeezed pomegranate juice
1 1/2 ounces vodka
1 1/2 ounces freshly squeezed grapefruit juice
1/2 ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
1/2 ounce Simple Syrup
Ice cubes
Orange peel, for garnish
Directions

In a cocktail shaker, combine pomegranate juice, vodka, grapefruit juice, lime juice, simple syrup, and ice; shake until well combined. Strain into a chilled martini glass. Twist orange peel over cocktail and add to glass; serve.

I used the seeds and a slice of lime to garnish my drinks:

Aren't they lovely!? Perfect cocktail for your holiday parties! The color is so beautiful!

You can watch a video of the recipe on the Martha site.

I'm back...and very THANKFUL!!

2008-11-28T07:21:00.005-05:00

Hi Everyone! Wow...I missed my blog! I have been trying to get back into my routine and it has been a bit hard. But yesterday, I got my cooking on, and all is right in the Marcie world again! I had such a great time getting all of the food ready, and it all tasted so good! Here are some pics:

I finally used my gift from my dear friend Dena...these beautiful monogrammed napkins, just the right touch for my table. I LOVE these Dena! Thank you!

We had a quite thanksgiving...just four of us, but I still cooked like I was feeding 10. :) Thanksgiving is all about those comforts of home, so I had to make everything!

I also made some desserts...the pie is the Pumpkin Banana Mousse Tart by Ina, and a regular Pecan Pie....that I have to have every Thanksgiving.

We then sat outside by the fire, and had more champagne...it was a great night! That is Kristy in the pic. She is a new friend of mine and someone I have LOT in common with. I think I have a lot to learn from her and I look forward to a beautiful friendship! Here she is with my BFF Vivi:

I have a lot to be thankful for...my awesome husband, and wonderful friends. Paul and I are alone here in Florida, so It is nice to have friends that feel like family. My heart is full and life is good!

On to the next bash (or shall I say BASHES)

2008-11-14T06:20:00.002-05:00

So, fresh off of Halloween, I am planning 4 parties in a row! For work that is. There is a huge tradeshow in town for the Attraction Industry (IAAPA) beginning Monday. My company sets up a hospitality suite to entertain in each night after the show. This isn't bad...we do it every year and it is pretty common, a bit of food and drink...nothing special.

Well this year, we are trying to make it more memorable...so, for each night, we are theming the suite...to a different decade. Monday is the 60's, Tuesday is the 70's, Wednesday is the 80's, and Thursday is music of the 90's and beyond. This is the invite I designed. We printed these on little credit cards and mailed them in velvet pouches, tucked inside little gold boxes, tied with a black ribbon.

My office is filled with lava lamps and love beads, peace signs, movie posters, candy of the era, pacman, rubix cubes...I am even donating my own disco ball to the cause! What I love about things like this is I get to go hog wild in places like World Market and Whole Foods for wine and food with my corporate credit card...my kind of heaven!

So needless to say, I will be super busy for the next week...I am already tired just thinking about it...and I worry a lot, I don't know why, because I have a team of 5 people helping me make this happen and we have done so much already...just my nature.

I might not get a lot of opportunities to blog for the next week...but I will definitely share photos when I can. I will miss you, my little blog and blog friends...stay tuned...

Hey Jude!

2008-11-11T22:02:00.004-05:00

Have I told you how much I love YouTube? I found some vids I just HAD to share...they have nothing to do with cooking or parties, but they make my heart happy...and I hope you love this as much as I do!!!

I have always said that I would each my kids the Beatles...and when I have kids, there will be vids like this of my kids too!

Halloween Leftovers

2008-11-10T09:00:00.001-05:00

I have finally got all of my Halloween decorations put away...that was like the end of Christmas...I have 5 big bins filled with stuff!

I did find some things I didn't post so I wanted to share those now...then I am done with Halloween till next year!

This was the set up I put above my kitchen:

I bought the Martha Stewart pom pom kit for above my buffet....they looked great, and were so easy to make, I bought some more tissue paper and made more. We put these in the living room and and above the chocolate fountain.

I also made Cup Cake Pops...that I totally forgot to put out! have you ever done that??

I also made these marshmallows dipped in graham cracker crust for my chocolate fountain dessert...like they do at the Melting Pot Fondue Restaurant...so simple, and a nice detail:

Just set up a little bowl of water, and one of the crumbs....dip in water then dip in the crumbs...and set on a piece of parchment to dry...then you can put into a plastic bag to keep them fresh. You can also do this with the chocolate wafer cookies.

I haven't posted 2008 photos yet, but I wanted to share my website for our party....this has all of the past years, and soon the newest photos...I didn't share it before, because I was kind of embarrased at the buffet tables I set up in the past, and I wanted to really strive to have a different look....and I think I succeeded in doing that, so now you can all see! :)

PIKELWEEN

Goodbye Halloween...now it is time to get baking! I have lots of Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years festivities to prepare...stay tuned!

xoxoxo - Marcie

A gift from France

2008-11-09T20:55:00.006-05:00

(Hiya Claudine...I know you will like this one!)

My boss and friend, Steve recently had to go to Cannes, France (I know...terrible job huh!) Here are some of his pics:

Here is his hotel...

This is Steve....he is great, isn't he!

He is the best boss ever, really...he always tells me how amazing and talented I am, he is just awesome and wonderful!!! :)

Whenever he goes on trips, he brings me back things from the region...he went to Greece and brought me back some olive wood salad utensils...just lovely! He went to London and brought me back shortbread cookies from Harrods...so when he went to France, he asked me what I wanted...I said "Sea Salt". For me, the best gifts are things I can use...I love food, jams, spices, olive oil, things I can actually use to cook...love that stuff!

Well, when Steve got back from Cannes, he brought me this adorable little bag of goodies from the Comtesse du Barry:

Here is a shot of the storefront...doesn't this shop look amazing!

He said he had to go to 10 stores to find sea salt...and I LOVE HIM FOR IT! Thanks so much, Steve! You are the best!

My Good Fortune

2008-11-04T07:00:00.001-05:00

We got a Pei Wei by the office, and go about once a week...it is owned by PF Changs, and has great food fast! The first time we went...this was my fortune:

It was like a message from my subconscious! Then the following weeks, it kept happening...so I kept taking pictures...this is like a ritual for me now...

Woah...what!

I don't know what it is...but I am on a good fortune streak! What a great marketing gimmick, cuz it keeps me coming back every week...haha!

Ripley Family Picnic

2008-11-03T20:54:00.003-05:00

We have a family picnic at work...this is the 2nd year and it is a lot of fun. They ask my husband to take the photos, cuz he is a great photographer, and I always make a slideshow...here is this year's result:

I am loving this version of Hey Ya! by Obadiah Parker...I can't listen to it enough!

The Devil is in the Details

2008-11-03T20:03:00.008-05:00

I know, Halloween is over, but I just wanted to post a few more pics, and THEN I will move on! :)

My table centerpiece turned out great. It even goes so well with the painting that is always on the wall. That is because Vivi brought these roses to me...and they really brought the whole look together. Thanks Vivi!

My fang placecard holders from Pottery Barn...yes, they are upside down, but they were easier to read on the buffet this way.

Here is part of the bar outside...

More party pics:

Here I am making the final placement...I did this so much...but it was so helpful to plan this out so when my friends helped me, they knew where to put everything...and at crunch time, you need all the help you can get!!

Pikelween Wrap up

2008-11-02T21:44:00.008-05:00

Well...it is over! I can't believe it comes ang goes so fast. I am not feeling so hot...lack of sleep and a little too much booze...but I think I can say a great time was had by all! here are some shots:

Here I am! Getting the food ready..all of these pics are by my dear friend Dena...who served as the official photographer for Pikelween 5. She got some amazing shots...

This is my husband, Slash

Here is my final buffet...the planning paid off, I think it looked really balanced and clean.

Here is a set up I made...using the awesome labels from JOHNNY LOVE! Thanks so much!!

Here is my chocolate fountain. Dena put all the food on the plates and it looks amazing...Thanks DENA!!! I couldn't have done it without you guys! I love you so much!

Here they are...Heath helped me so much too...he was trying really hard to help me get the food out so I could have a good time. Thanks Heath!!!

They are standing below the photo op area we created...I just printed out Pikelween in large letters, glittered them, and we had everyone stop here for a pic. Felt very red carpet! :)

And I could have done it without my girlfriend Viviana...she is amazing and so creative...she made the flower costume for her husband Nick...don't they look so cute! I love you girl...thanks for always giving your time to me so happily...even when I get stressed...I love you!

And just more pics of the party:

Oh, and I wanted to say Congratulations to my friend Leighann...she had to leave early to pick up her daughter, but she won BEST FEMALE at Pikelween this year! She was the Bearded lady...so great!

I will post more photos tomorrow...

Let me know what you think! Thanks for staying tuned during my Pikelween journey...I don't know when the next party will be...cuz after this job, I want to take a long break! But I promise, I'll be back!

Marcie

Happy Halloween

2008-10-31T07:00:00.003-04:00

Happy Halloween Everyone!

Pikelween is tomorrow, so I will have lots more pictures soon!

Dressing up plastic cups

2008-10-29T21:39:00.005-04:00

I saw this Spooky Chic party photo from HOSTESS WITH THE MOSTESS on how to set up a great Halloween Party and I just loved it...

I am definitely using some of the elements from this party...in particular the stickers on the glasses as seen here:

I have a large party, so I don't use real glass...I know....that kinda sucks, but just not practical for this party...because of the size...but I didn't let that stop me with this idea:

The stickers used by Hostess are Martha stickers, but I just made my own...I printed them on label sheets. Then we stuck them to all the glasses...so cute!

If you want this file, just comment and leave me your email...I will be happy to foward the file to you! Super easy, and inexpensive!!

Little Touches make it perfect

2008-10-29T21:26:00.003-04:00

Hi Everybody...so, just continuing my month long prep for my Halloween Party...I am doing pretty good! I have already premade lots of the food...and I am really ahead of the game...I just wanted to share with you some of the projects I have been finishing up...

Well, Martha has really created a glitter monster in me. Anything you put glitter on looks like a million bucks! And it is so cheap! My brother Louis made these pics, and they were super simple, so I made some too...here they are before I put them in the frame.

I bought tons of Martha glitter when it was 30% off a few weeks ago...and it is getting used to deck the halls! These are just the same Martha templates for the small frames I made above, but I blew it up to fill an 11x17 sheet of paper...and glittered it!

I wanted to replicate the look of the Pottery Barn set up....they had a photo with a RIP and a skull and cross bones that I posted a few weeks ago...

And here is my mirror...

This is another vignette I am working on...I keep moving...things adding things...I am glad I took a month to do this! :)

I will post more photos later...when I am done with everything and it is all lit...

Eats for Pikelween

2008-10-27T07:35:00.002-04:00

So, I am trying to plan the menu for my Halloween Party and I think I have narrowed it down:

Bacon Wrapped Little Smokies
Chicken Wing Dip
Savory Goat Cheesecake with toast, crackers and honeycomb (I will post this recipe after I make it)
Pulled Pork Sandwiches (The Live.Love.Eat. recipe)
Sesame Chicken with steamed vegetables over scary Black Pasta
Taco Cups, using the Rachel Ray recipe, but I am making them like tiny taco salads with beans, ground turkey and all of the fixins.

Sweet Treats will include:
Cup Cake Pops (Bakerella Recipe)
Ghost Petit Fours (pictured above)
Chocolate Fountain with the following dipping items:
Bananas
Strawberries
Pineapple
Graham Cracker crusted marshmallows
Rice Crispy Treats

There might be a few other things thrown in there, but this is what I have honed it down to...I have already baked and cut out the cakes for the petit fours, I have formed the cake balls for my cupcake pops, and cooked the ground turkey for my taco cups.

I just plan to keep the momentum going all week but making what I can ahead of time. I have almost everything else done, my house is decorated almost 90%...I just want to have FUN at my own party this time...is that such a crime! I want to sleep in on Saturday with the peace of mind knowing I am really prepared this time!

Quick Halloween Update

2008-10-25T08:10:00.003-04:00

So, I got so much done over the month, that I think I just might have fun at my own party. Because I am recording all my plans for this blog...it has kept me on point! I have done new projects every week and I am in GREAT SHAPE time-wise! I am putting the "icing" on now...and I will post lots of pics this weekend. Did some super simple Martha crafts that cost practically nothing...and look beautiful.... I haven't really spent much on decorations...it ihas really been paper and glitter...or things I already had...and in my opinion, my party looks better than ever!

So, I am off to my last shopping run with my super creative friend, Leighann. We have never hung out outside of work really, but I feel this is the beginning of a lovely friendship.

Stay Tuned...

TTYL!

Its just been that kind of week...

2008-10-23T21:31:00.003-04:00

I just want to say thank you, to all of you, who come here to read my little blog. This is what I wish I did for a career...planned parties, created happiness...instead of working in corporate america...where life for me, this week has been so stressful. I had to come home and have a cold drink...

I am on #5.

Thank you for making me feel good everyday, for letting me share my ideas and giving me such great feedback...if only corporate america could be so kind.

YOU MAKE MY DAY!!! HERE IS TO YOU! (Yes...the martini's are talking...but I hope you know how sincere I am!)

Glittered Pedestals

2008-10-22T17:34:00.005-04:00

So created these cute little pedestals out of $3 wooden candlesticks (you can see the raw version in this post) and paper plates! Once again, this is a Martha project. You can watch the how to vid on Martha Stewart.com.

Take four of these paper plates and glue them together.

Then I painted the candlestick and the finished plates both black.

There is this aluminum insert inside the candlestick that I removed. It made the top of the candlestick flat so that I could hot glue the plate to the top of the candlestick.

Then I got down to the fun part....THE GLITTER!

Here are all of my supplies...and a latte of course! Took me about 20 minutes to glitter...then I gave a quick spray of clear mirror varnish, just to kep the glitter in place a bit...cuz if you have done any glittering, you know it goes EVERYWHERE!

And here they are, displaying my lovely Crystal Skulls!

Glowing Cocktails

2008-10-21T08:00:00.002-04:00

Did you know that Tonic Water glows under black light? According to a few online sources I discovered today, the bitter flavoring of tonic water is due to the presence of quinine, which glows blue-white when placed under a black light.

I think my signature drink for my Halloween party will certainly have a touch of Tonic! And, for those that do not, I plan to make some ice cubes out of Tonic, because, those are supposed to glow too!

I am going to give this a test try and let you know!

Halloween Cocktails

2008-10-21T07:00:00.000-04:00

I was on the Midori site today and they had some great ideas for some green cocktails...

This drink will be great in the Magaritaville Machine...which I will have for my party! Yum!

I love champagne...and champagne cocktails even better!

I really love Martinis, and I bet this is a great one!

I think I will print out these pics and use them as recipe cards on my bar...They are so well designed...right from the Midori site!

Mini Caramel Apples

2008-10-19T22:26:00.003-04:00

I just saw this post over on CREATE MY EVENT and I love love love this idea! I think you can expect to see these on my Halloween buffet!

Mini Caramel apples...look how simple!

Pikelween: Setting The Table

2008-10-19T22:00:00.001-04:00

In planning my table this year, I wanted to do a black and white theme...and I kept seeing these lucite boxes that were illuminated from the inside:

So I thought I could try to give my own table this look. I simply took two table lamps and put them under my table, used a large table cloth to cover, and there you go...instant glow:

More Gorgeous Tabletops

2008-10-16T22:39:00.003-04:00

I really love these tables...once again, sorry, I found them on line a while ago, so I don't have any creds:

To Die For: Molten Lava Cakes

2008-10-14T23:43:00.003-04:00

Ok, this right here, will make you a rockstar...keep this one, and make it often...well not too often if you care anything about your arteries...but I am serious, this is that good! Molten Lava Cakes:

This is now one of my go-to recipes. Takes only a few ingriedients, and I usually have all of these on hand.

I make this with a mix of milk and dark chocolate, and I also added 1 tsp. of espresso powder to the batter. This is an Ina Garten trick, she says it enhances the chocolate...and I totally agree.

You can make it earlier in the day, pull it out of the fridge 15 minutes before you bake them (just so they aren't so cold before you put them in the oven to bake) and they are wonderful! People go CRAZY for these little cakes. What I love about them is that they cook up in cupcake pans...so you only have to make a small batch, it is a very manageable recipe, and totally 5 Star - a MUST TRY!

Molten Lava Cakes
from Martha Stewart Everyday Food's book, "Great Food Fast."

Ingredients

Serves 6
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for muffin tins
1/3 cup granulated sugar, plus more for muffin tins
3 large eggs
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted
Confectioners' sugar, for dusting
Whipped Cream , for serving
Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Generously butter 6 cups of a standard muffin tin. Dust with granulated sugar, and tap out excess. Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and granulated sugar until fluffy.

Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. With the mixer on low speed, beat in flour and salt until just combined.
<
Beat in chocolate until just combined.

Divide batter evenly among prepared muffin cups.
Place muffin tin on a baking sheet; bake just until tops of the cakes no longer jiggle when the pan is lightly shaken, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from oven; let stand 10 minutes.

To serve, turn out cakes, and place on serving plates, bottom sides up. Dust with confectioners' sugar, and serve with whipped cream, or ice cream like I did, if desired.

Glittered Skulls

2008-10-14T14:18:00.003-04:00

So, I am so glad I decided to start prepping for Halloween so early. There is so much to be done! I really try to fit it in wherever I can. I have a tray set up with everything on it, so when I find sometime, I just pull out the tray and get started.

Viviana and Dena offered to help me get some glittering done...

See...It is lots of fun! It wasn't like I set up a glitter sweatshop! :) I even gave them wine!

They helped me glitter all my bones and 3 skulls...I still have 4 skulls left...they take a LOT of glitter...but they are so gorgeous!

I found this old compote dish in my closet, and I was going to put it in the yardsale...cuz it is sterling silver, and it is always tarnished, and I honestly have no time for that...

which is why it has been in my closet for years! But I got the idea to spray paint it...BLACK for Halloween....much better...and with my skull and bones...GORGEOUS!

I Heart Blogging!

2008-10-11T21:37:00.006-04:00

I just posted my 100 post this weekend, and I have to say I LOVE THIS BLOG THING! This is actually my second blog...my husband set me up with one while back, but I guess at the time, I just wasn't ready...I only made one post in one year...haha!

Well, this time, I was ready, and I am so happy I stuck with it. I used to go onto the internet and not know where to look. I would go to 2 or 3 celeb gossip sites, and that was it. Until I discovered the blog community...I never realized that there are SO MANY talented people out there that we can all learn from. I am so impressed every day with all of the great ideas I see and learn, and in turn use for my entertaining.

Now there are some blogs that I can't wait to read everyday. Here are some people I want to give a shout out to:

LITTLE ANT DESIGNS: Denise at Little Ant is so creative! You have to check out her blog. I LOVE IT!

GOOD THINGS: Life of a Martha Stewart Wannabe: Anyone that knows me would know that reading the title of Claudine's Blog...I AM HOOKED! Claudine...I Heart your blog! :)

GESTURES: Now you might think I am biased, but that isn't true at all. Louis is my baby brother, and he is one of the most talented people I know! He is one of my best friends and his ideas are so great! Anyone that knows him, LOVES HIM! :)

LIVE.LOVE.EAT: Stephanie posts awesome recipes and sweet stories about life with her family. Love it!

I also want to say Hi to Johnny Love at THE LOVE MANOR. I started my blog because I could never find the stuff I was searching for. I am big on Halloween, so when I discovered Johnny's site, I was so excited. Photos of food, displays, how you set things up...that is all so helpful, and Johnny took a lot of time photographing everything he displayed for Halloween. You have to go to his blog and check out his Flickr site. Thanks for sharing your great ideas, Johnny!

I think the best part about blogging is the feedback...just like I love to see my friends reaction when they see the real thing, I love to hear what you think! Getting a comment in my inbox is like Christmas everyday! Thanks so much to all of you who leave me comments! You make my day! People like my friend and fellow blogger, Dena at Written In Thread...and I have to say that Jennifer at Another Online Mom is so wonderful! She always says the nicest things! Just yesterday she made this post about me:

The award says, "This blog invests and believes in the proximity!" i.e., the closeness that we have in the bloggy world. It's really hard to narrow it down to one person but I think I will pass this one along to of my new "daily must haves"---Marcie at A Life Made By Marcie. If you have never seen her blog, please take a minute to check it out her great recipes and decorating tips!"

How nice is that?! Thanks Jennifer! :)

I guess what I am trying to say is THANK YOU...to all of you. Everyone is so nice and I am so happy to know you, even if it is inside this blogosphere! You all make me smile!

Zombie Makeup with Household Kitchen Items

2008-10-11T20:58:00.003-04:00

So, we are trying to get on the Martha show again with a segment from my co-worker and friend, Barry. They had me cut this piece, so I just stuck it up on my You Tube account...and I just saw it and thought I could share this great idea with you!

Barry is an AMAZING special effects artist...so talented! He was on the Daily Buzz last Halloween demonstrating how to do Zombie Make up with toilet paper and Karo Syrup! It is super easy, check this out:

Don't you guys think Martha's audience would totally dig this idea?! I do!

Blood Dripping Candles: How To

2008-10-11T16:41:00.005-04:00

I have noticed as we get closer to Halloween, people have been searching for Blood Dripping Candles and coming to the post I made a few weeks ago.

I actually made mine today, and made this how-to vid:

This is so simple! Try it. Here is the final product:

I am already starting to set my table...it is still early and nothing is final, but this is how it is shaping up so far...

Taking tips from Caterers

2008-10-11T14:02:00.004-04:00

I love looking at photos of beautifully displayed food. It is a great way to get ideas for your next party. I stumbed upon a website forKimberly's Catering and there were some great pics I had to share. Here are some great examples of displaying food beautifully!

I am SO making that Gorgonzola Cheesecake for my Halloween Party. Though, I might switch the Gorgonzola for Goat Cheese. I will share the recipe soon!

Feeling Inspired

2008-10-11T10:00:00.006-04:00

So along with all this cooking and entertaining I do, I also scrapbook and make cards. I have this whole room filled with papers and punches and stamps...but I have to say I have neglected my craft for a while. Over the last few years, my boss has discovered my crafty talents and put me on projects that were monumental in size. It kind of left me not wanting to craft at all.

Until now...

I am a member of Two Peas In a Bucket, which is this huge papercrafting community. Whenever I can't find an idea for a card, I go on to Two Peas. For me, it is an amazing resource for ideas.

This Friday, my weekly newsletter featured something called FINALLY FRIDAY. It was actually a You Tube video of this sweet faced young woman named Kristine Werner. Here is the vid:

Don't you love her? She is just cute and I am TOTALLY HOOKED on her vids! Her cards are adorable...and they are all step-b-step. I had to see more. Kristine also does another video series called MAKE A CARD MONDAY'S.

Don't you love that song!!! it is Hey Ya! covered by Obediah Parker...I just bought that on Itunes cuz I had to have it!!

Also check out Kristine's blog. She is so talented and happy!

I just subsribed on You Tube, because I need some inspiration, to do more, to be inspired because I love all this stuff, and I can't let work stop me from doing the things that I love, right?!

I Heart Nigella: Chocolate Mousse

2008-10-10T16:00:00.002-04:00

I am making cupcakes, and I want to make them a little special...because they are for my sweet friend, Viviana, who is leaving her job tomorrow for bigger and better things.

I mad a sheet of Devil's food cake, and after it has baked, drizzled it with about 1/2 cup of Almond Syrup. The kind you put in coffee, it is so good! This syrup is my trick to make cake extra special.

I also made 18 cupcakes and I want to fill them. My amazing brother Louis suggested Chocolate Mousse. All the recipes I found have eggs, and they are raw. I am making this for a crowd, so I don't want to give them raw eggs. So I kept looking.

I found this recipe from Nigella Lawson...I HEART NIGELLA LAWSON. She is gorgeous and has a way with words...and this recipe is so simple! Check it out:

Little Beasties

2008-10-07T20:54:00.007-04:00

I can't figure out what to call these little guys...but I love them!

This is a Martha craft and I knew when I saw them last year, I wanted to try to make them.

I ordered the heads from Dian Dolls. They are actually bisque heads...like terra cotta pots. I thought they would be plastic...so it was a nice surprise. When ordering Dian asked me if these were for the Martha Stewart project...I guess a lot of people have ordered these!

They arrived a few days after I ordered them.

Instead of using a candelabra, I bought these wooden candlesticks at Michael's for about 3 bucks each.

These were really simple to make. Just paint them a kind of grey color,

Then you darken the eyes and cheeks with a bit of black paint. The instructions say to use black eye shadow...but I didn't have any of that...so I just used black paint mixed with a little white to make it a grey color.

I also painted those candlesticks black. Looks cool huh? The best part is putting a light inside their heads. I didn't glue the heads to the sticks, but instead used old wine corks...they fit snugly into the opening of the doll head, they are not permanent, and the bottom end fits nicely into the candlestick. I did this so that I could attach and remove the heads to drop in the light source...which is a little led light that is made for balloons...I found them at Michaels 2 for $3 bucks. They are really bright:

The last step is to create a collar for them. I used some black sheer fabric I had lying around, and I even put on some black glitter for a bit of sparkle...I am glittering everyhing these days!

I put in orange glowsticks...It is hard to capture that light in a photo...

I think they will make a great addition to my Halloween decor!

Bang Bang Shrimp

2008-10-06T07:12:00.004-04:00

A while back, I posted my Mongolian Beef inspired by PF Changs recipe. In that post I mentioned that my neighbors Heath & Dena made Bang Bang Shrimp inspired by the Bonefish Restaurant recipe. We ate it too fast to take a photo, so they made it again and shared the recipe.

1-2 pounds Medium shrimp

Peal and Devein
Rinse thoroughly.
Mix 2 eggs with some milk and whisk together.
Dip shrimp into milk mixture.
Let excess drip off and then completely cover shrimp in corn starch. try to make it as thick as possible.
In a wok pre-heat peanut oil.
ensure that the oil is hot enough before putting shrimp in the the oil or the corn starch will fall right off.
put shrimp in oil about 15 at a time depending on the size of your wok. and cook for approx 3 minutes.
once cooked place on paper towels to drain excess oil.
after cooking all of the shrimp place shrimp into a large tupperware bowl and pour bang bang sauce on top of shrimp.
Place lid on tupperware and lightly shake.
serve over a bed of chopped romaine lettuce.

Here is the link to the Bang Bang sauce.

This is so good, you have to try it. The sauce is kind of a mayonnaise and chile sauce: spicy and creamy...and makes this dish irresistible.

Hot Olives

2008-10-03T17:23:00.003-04:00

My friend Kim has told me about Hot Olives before, and I just found this recipe on Rachael Ray...I have to try it. It is super easy! Great for a wine night. I will be having a wine tasting get together with my awesome neighbors soon...it is such a winter thing to do, and so fun...we always drink WAY too much wine! :) I will post pics of that when we have it too!

Hot Olives
Rachael Ray

From Every Day with Rachael Ray
October 2006

MAKES TWO CUPS

2 cups mixed olives
1 fresh or dried bay leaf
1 sprig rosemary
2 tablespoons fresh thyme, chopped
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 long strip orange zest
Extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO), for drizzling

Preheat the oven to 350º. Layer 2 sheets of foil, each 18 inches long. Place the olives in the center of the foil and toss with the bay leaf, rosemary, thyme, fennel seeds and red pepper flakes. Add the orange zest and drizzle with EVOO. Pinch the foil together and seal to form a pouch. Warm the olives in the oven for 15 minutes.

Chicken Cigars

2008-10-03T17:18:00.001-04:00

Frankie's Chicken Cigars
Rachael Ray

From Every Day with Rachael Ray
March 2007

FOUR SERVINGS

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves or ground ginger
1 tablespoon cumin
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon poultry seasoning
1 tablespoon paprika
2 teaspoons grill seasoning, such as McCormick Grill Mates Montreal steak seasoning
1 1/2 pounds ground chicken breast
1 shallot, minced
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce (eyeball it)
Flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped (a generous handful)
8 sheets phyllo dough
6 tablespoons melted butter

1. Preheat the oven to 425°. In the bottom of a large bowl, combine the cloves, cumin, chili powder, poultry seasoning, paprika and grill seasoning. Add the chicken, shallot, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce and parsley, and stir to combine.
2. On a nonstick baking sheet, brush a sheet of phyllo with half of the melted butter and top with a second phyllo sheet. Form one-quarter of the chicken mixture into a log the length of the pastry. Roll the log tightly in the phyllo. Repeat with remaining chicken mixture and phyllo. Cut each log into 3 "cigars," for a total of 12, and brush with the rest of the butter.
3. Bake the cigars until evenly golden and firm, 15 to 20 minutes.

Pita Chips

2008-10-03T16:38:00.002-04:00

Mediterranean Pitas
David Tamarkin

From Every Day with Rachael Ray
September 2007

EIGHT SERVINGS
Prep Time: 20 min
Cook Time: 5 min

16 mini pita pockets, about 2 1/2 inches in diameter
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 pound each hummus, tapenade, pesto, sun-dried tomato spread, black bean dip and spreadable goat cheese
Olives, for garnish
Paprika (optional)

1. Preheat the broiler. Split each pita pocket in half, forming 32 disks total. Place the disks, cut side up, on a baking sheet and brush with the olive oil. Place under the broiler and cook until golden and crisp, about 3 minutes. Let cool.

2. Top the pitas with the various spreads. Place an olive in the center of some of the pitas. Sprinkle lightly with paprika, if desired.

Barbecue Beef Cups

2008-10-03T11:01:00.002-04:00

Ok, here is another great one from Rachael Ray...this is super simple and will be great at my next party! I will make mine with ground turkey breast...I never use ground beef. I might even try some mushrooms, bell peppers and some pasta sauce instead of the barbeque filling!

Barbecue Beef Cups
Byron Kasper

From Every Day with Rachael Ray
November 2007

3/4 pound ground beef
1/2 cup barbecue sauce
1 tablespoon brown sugar
One 16.3-ounce can refrigerated biscuits
3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat the oven to 400º. In a skillet, brown the beef over medium heat; drain off excess fat. Remove from the heat and stir in the barbecue sauce and brown sugar. Grease a 6-cup jumbo muffin pan and place a piece of biscuit dough in each cup, stretching the dough up the sides. Divide the beef mixture among the biscuit cups, sprinkle each with cheese and bake until golden, 10 to 12 minutes.

Goat Cheese Appetizer

2008-10-03T10:56:00.003-04:00

Don't these look good! Just found this very simple recipe on the Rachel Ray website...and I looks like a keeper to me! Looks great on the plate too!

Goat Cheese Rounds
Tracey Seaman

From Every Day with Rachael Ray
August 2008

Cut one 11-ounce goat cheese log into 6 equal rounds. Lay flat on a serving plate and drizzle with 1/3 cup of extra-virgin olive oil. Sprinkle 2 rounds with 1 teaspoon of herbs de Provence and 1/2 teaspoon of crushed red pepper, another 2 rounds with 1/3 cup of toasted chopped pecans, and the remaining 2 rounds with 1/4 cup of chopped sun-dried tomatoes; season with salt and pepper. Serve with toasted baguette slices.

Spooky Labels from the Love Manor

2008-10-02T18:00:00.001-04:00

I was just visiting the Love Manor Flickr site, and they created these awesome spooky labels for your drink bottles! Or you could use them to dress up potion bottles as decor. Be sure to save these pics for yourself, to dress up your bottles for Halloween!

Check out the Love Manor and the Flickr photostream for some AMAZING Halloween inspiration and ideas!

Halloween Inspiration

2008-10-02T15:00:00.000-04:00

Just some gorgeous photos of store displaying their Halloween Wares...

Here is the Pottery Barn

and Pier One. I really love how they wrapped the chandelier with tulle, isn't that cute?!

Make your own creepy candles

2008-10-02T13:56:00.004-04:00

Ok, I just read this post over on LITTLE ANT DESIGNS and I totally had to share. This idea is so great and you can make it with things you already have! Check it out!

This is totally a MacGyver craft, because basically it takes one of those little led candle flame lights, a toilet paper roll, matchsticks, some white paint and a glue gun! I love this idea and I am totally going to make these for my upcoming party!

Full instructions on the Dave Lowe Design Website. And it looks like he has lots of other ideas, so I will be checking and posting more ideas soon!

Thanks Little Ant Designs for the great find!

Hallowindow by Mark Gervais

2008-10-02T09:30:00.004-04:00

I am still trying to figure out how he does this, but a friend just emailed me a link for a product called Hallowindow by Mark Gervais.

It is a DVD that you project at the window to greet your trick or treaters! Check out these demos:

This is what it looks like outside a real window

I am thinking you need a projector and DVD player...but it is still very cool!

Here is the link for his site: HALLOWINDOW

Dazzling Tabletops

2008-10-01T09:49:00.005-04:00

I have been seeing these amazing tabletops from the Diffa Foundation Event (Design Industries Foundation Fighting Aids):

Check out the Official Diffa Website for more info.

Buffet Tabletops

2008-10-01T09:38:00.003-04:00

Whenever I come across a buffet set up, I save the image on my computer...which is kind of the reason I started this blog, to catalog things like this so when I need them again, I can find them...so sorry, but I have no reference for these images:

Countdown to Pikelween: Decor

2008-09-29T20:25:00.009-04:00

So, I am prepping for my big halloween bash...my last name is Pikel (PIE-KEL) and 5 years ago, we dubbed this party Pikelween, not even sure why, but it stuck...it is kind of funny to hear other people call it Pikelween instead of Halloween...

Here are some of my favorite things from Pikelween's past:

My Martha witch is in the front yard. My husband groaned a bit when I asked him to help me make her, but he loves her now. She just looks so cool! Last year, my awesome neighbor and friend Heath put this high power flood light behind her and coupled with the $20 fog machine we picked up at Walmart a few years ago...it was so awesome!!

I had this big blank wall last year, so I printed and cut out Pikelween in big creepy letters (8.5x11 sheets of regular paper).

These are a Martha Idea. I bought these cute little glass eyes at Dept. 56 last year, and they fit perfectly in the holes I cut for the eyes...totally transformed them. They have so much expression!

I saw the Martha caution labels at Michaels, and they were so simple, so I just made my own and printed them on sheets of label paper.

You can see the letters I cut out in the background of this photo. I had a black light in the light above them...so the edges of the letters were glowing. So effective and it was FREE!

The wreath I made for my front door.

My gorgeous glittered pumpkins. I LOVE THESE. They are so sparkly and l can't recommend enough, if you haven't gotten on the glitter bandwagon...get on it! So worth it, and Martha's glitters are just like diamonds! I am addicted!

I found this sign at HomeGoods last Halloween and I use it to theme my bathroom as the Bat Room, I put bat cut outs all over the walls. This year, I am putting up glittered bats! That boa wasn't part of my decor...just a reminent of someones costume...oh and don't you love my Pikelween towel...a gift from my dear friend Dena at Written In Thread. She actually made me a few of these and they were the gifts for our costume contest. They didn't have Pikelween on them, but were Halloween themed...so cute. People loved them.

I have been moving more towards Halloween decor that looks more like real items you would have in your house already...I stopped going to those pop up Halloween shops...they are just gory and everything looks cheap. I found one of the skulls in this pic at Target, and the other at HomeGoods, both under $10. The little skull under glass was a bit pricy, but I had to have it! I is actually a salt and pepper set! It is from Dept. 56. I love him!

I am working on a website that should be up in a few days with all my pics...I will be sure to post the link so you can see the amazing costumes!

Cupcake Stand

2008-09-29T17:30:00.001-04:00

I just saw this on the Cupcake Goddess site, and it is beautiful. What I really like is the way she is displaying the cupcakes!

They look like small rounds of glass, I have seen these at Pier One, where you can buy a piece of glass to set on top of a table...and they are propped up with glass vases with glass fill. This is a genius idea!

I can totally see my chocolate fountain on top of this display, I would only do 3 tiers, and put all of the dippings all around. I particularly love the fact that it frees up the edges of the table, so you can actually decorate it.

Nice job Cupcake Goddess! Thanks for sharing!
Marcie

Ina is Back!

2008-09-28T13:37:00.003-04:00

If you have been wondering where the heck Ina Garten has been, you can woner no more! A new season of the Barefoot Contessa begins October 18th on Food Network!

Ina is my true culinary hero! I love her so much and I am so glad she is back. Once I wrote her an email, and she wrote me back...I almost died! haha! I think that if I met her, I would actually speak, unlike the time I met Martha...I was frozen! I will tell that story sometime. :)

Anyway, be sure to set your DVR's for the new season!

Blogstar

2008-09-28T11:00:00.002-04:00

My brother ichatted me a some tees he thought I would like..they made me laugh so I had to share with you!

Dena, you have to make this!

You can find these here:
Signals
CafePress

Ragout Stew

2008-09-27T18:43:00.006-04:00

I saw a Rachel Ray episode where she made a stew using sausage and peppers as the base, then added chicken stock to make it a stew. The recipe began very similar to the way I start my weekly pasta dish:

I use ground turkey everytime
I add a whole sliced onion and 3 cloves garlic finely diced
If I have any zucchini, that goes in, same with bell peppers (only yellow, orange or red, I don't like green very much) and mushrooms. I let all of the veggies cook and get good color on them. I add some crushed red pepper, dried oregano salt and pepper. I then add a can of crushed tomatoes...or jarred pasta sauce.

I let that simmer together on low for while my pasta cooks, then I add it all together and dinner is served.

Anyway, I thought I could take my pasta recipe and make it into a stew like Rachel

To make this stew, I made my sauce as described above...then added chicken stock, a can of corn, a box of elbow macaroni, and to make it more like Pasta Fagioli, a can of white beans. I served it with shaved parmesan on top. This could easily be made vegetarian by leaving out the ground turkey.

So good!

Chic Jello Shots

2008-09-27T16:24:00.004-04:00

Can you believe that these are jello shots? How beautiful are these...I am scouring the web for great ideas for Halloween...I am thinking I can make these with a purple color so they are almost black, or an orange...love the presentation here!

As seen on BRIDES.COM.

Easy Flower Arranging

2008-09-27T15:33:00.006-04:00

Ok this is my kind of centerpiece! How cute is this? And I know I have said that I suck at arranging flowers, so I can totally do this. This is from the Rachel Ray website.

Take some wine goblets, put a few pretty flowers underneath, set a candle on top...SO PRETTY AND EASY!

I haven't always been a big fan of Rachel's but, my husband took me to lowes one to many times and I took a detour to the magazine rack...I picked up her magazine, and I have to say, I really like it! I may have to subscribe.

Flower Arranging

2008-09-26T22:40:00.003-04:00

I think I mentioned I pretty much suck at flower arranging...so when I saw this table with these gorgeous flower arrangements, it gave me a little hope that I can create something beautiful. I particularly like the use of the brown branches and big bunches of flowers like hydrangeas. Aren't they lovely! Not to mention their table set up...WHITE PLATES!!!

Photo from Britssy

More Amy Atlas

2008-09-26T22:11:00.005-04:00

I can't stay away from the Amy Atlas site...the pictures are just too beautiful! Look how perfect these tables look. I am so taking myself to task to try to make my halloween table look organized like this...because it is so visually stunning!

Her use of color is so smart and simple but so gorgeous!

Gourmet Cupcakes

2008-09-26T21:37:00.008-04:00

Cupcakes are all the rage these days, and with cupcakes as beautiful as these, it is easy to see why. I just found the Cupcake Goddess Blog and saw these gorgeous cupcakes. This blogger actually owns her own cupcake business in the DC area called Couture Cupcakes and I just had to share!

Mini Layered Cakes

2008-09-25T17:14:00.007-04:00

How cute are these? I just read about Cake Monkey in the latest BizBash email. How cute would it be to make some mini cakes like this. Just bake a big sheet cake, cut out some rounds with your biscuit cutters, layer and frost them, add a little sprinkle of chocolate shaving or coconut...walah...your very own mini layer cake for each guest. Adorable. These would impress any dinner guest!

Coconut Cake
Brown Butter Cake with Housemade Caramel,Toasted Coconut and Shredded Coconut Frosting

Cake Monkey Crunch Cake
Banana Cake with layers of Housemade Toffee Crunch and Milk Chocolate Frosting

Dark Chocolate Mint Cake
Chocolate Cake with Housemade Chocolate Wafers and Dark Chocolate Mint Frosting, topped with Cake Monkey Chocolate Pearls

Coconut Cake
Brown Butter Cake with Housemade Caramel,Toasted Coconut and Shredded Coconut Frosting

Halloween Table: Amy Atlas

2008-09-25T14:21:00.005-04:00

I so pleasantly discovered Amy Atlas yesterday and she took my breath away. I had a smile from ear to ear and with every click of my mouse thru her "Eye Candy" gallery. Her styling is amazing and simple color choices and attention to detail is impeccable.

Check out this beautiful Halloween Treat table...

I love the centerpiece tree! Notice how she breaks up the food, so that it is balanced on both sides of the table. The table is neat and organized...just beautiful!

Check out the boxes underneath the ghost cakes...probably just a gift box, wrapped, with a little ribbon. These displays don't have to be expensive to look great.

Cute glassine bags with goodies inside hang from the tree with bright wax twine. The lanterns above bring in so much color too.

Getting the look of Dept. 56

2008-09-24T16:23:00.004-04:00

Department 56 is really known for their Christmas Villages, but they also have some great Halloween decor. Here is a tutorial on how to set up a Dr. Frankenstein Table:

Frankenstein's lab
Learn the tricks of the trade and create your own Frankenstein's Lab. Using trays, ceramic dishes, eyeballs with sayings and candy jars all from our Frankensteins' Lab line, you will be sure to have all the ghoulish goods to make Halloween more fun than you ever thought it would be.

Supplies:
Misc. large mouthed glass jars – apothecary jars, pantry jars etc.
Food items to create "Science specimens" such as:
- Cauliflower or cabbage head for brains, we used orange cauliflower
- Sea sponges for brains
- Cooked ramen noodles, or spaghetti noodles for intestines
- Pimento stuffed olives for eyeballs
- Tea bags for tinted water
- Food coloring, regular or neon for colored water
- Toothpicks

Step 1:
Assemble misc. glass jars and food items for specimen jars:
-Place water in jar and tint to desired color with tea or food coloring.
-You can add food coloring to the noodles directly and toss in a bowl to tint the noodles themselves. Then add them to tinted water. We tinted the ramen noodles brown and red, and then placed them in greenish water.
-Arrange olives on a plate w/ toothpicks to create a 'pile' of eyeballs.

Step 2:
Arrange to create a spooky setting on a tabletop. Add tea stained gauze and spider webs to add more atmospheres.

Step 3:
Prop with additional props like an old Doctor Bag, old rusty hand tools and old books.

Easy Flower Centerpiece

2008-09-20T10:02:00.003-04:00

I am so not good at arranging flowers, so this is just my style. When my brother Louis was visiting, we found this HUGE glass bowl at the Pottery Barn. It was originally priced at $49. I got it for $11.99! WHAT! Exactly.

Louis thought I shouldn't pass up the deal, and I totally agree! I think if we were in his town, he would have taken it for himself. It is so heavy!

When Steve and Gina came over, they brought me a bouquet of beautiful gerbera dasies, so, I pulled a few out to make this arrangement for dinner the next night.

I picked up the little glass ice cubes a few years ago at Old Time Pottery, which is a big warehouse of joy! Haha... I have used them quite a bit. They add sparkle and reflect light from candles. Perfect to just scatter down the center of a table like I did here:

Weekend with Friends

2008-09-20T07:59:00.012-04:00

Last weekend I invited our old friends the Shepherds over for dinner. We used to see them every week back in the day, but since they had their daughter Alannah, they disappeared from the earth! haha, no they just don't get out that much. She is seven now...so I felt like seven years was long enough! Let's hang out already!

Paul thought it was time to pull out the 12 year old Jamesons...Steve couldn't agree more!

I set up a little craft station for their daughter Alannah (pictured above with her mom and my dear friend Roxanne)...I went up to my craft room and pulled out markers, stickers, stamps, papers, puffy paints, glitter and glue. What was really funny was that I lined my table with this scrap paper my friend Dena gave me. She used to work at a car dealership and they had this form that they stopped using, so she gave me a big bundle of it to use as scrap paper for under my stamping projects. it had lots of places to check and sign, Alannah had more fun filling out the form and asking us to "sign here" than using the craft supplies. I remember asking my mom to take a bunch of the deposit slips from the bank so I could play with them when I was a kid...so I could totally relate! :)

For dinner, New York Strip steaks, roasted broccoli and cauliflower and scalloped potatoes. Believe me when I say that the scalloped potatoes were the star of the show and you should absolutely TRY THIS RECIPE if you like cheese, or potatoes...YUMMY!

I went to Food Network and found this basic recipe by Emeril. I altered the cheese a bit and I think it made all the difference. I totally think this cheese base would work amazingly on mac and cheese too. It had such a deep rich flavor and so cheesy...and sometimes home made mac and cheese is blah!

Cheese Scalloped Potatoes
Adapted from the Recipe courtesy of Emeril Lagasse

1/4 cup chopped onion
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
1 1/4 cups milk
1 cup grated Extra Sharp Cheddar cheese, plus 3 tbsp reserved for the top
Salt and pepper
1/4 cup shredded Peccorino Romano cheese, plus 3 tbsp reserved for the top
4 potatoes, skin on and thinly sliced

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Cook onion in butter until soft, add flour and cook for 2 minutes, whisking. Whisk in milk and cook until thick and bubbly. Remove from heat and add 3/4 cup of cheese, stirring until melted; season with salt and pepper.

Spray the bottom of your baking dish with a non-stick spray. Begin to layer your potatoes in the bottom of the dish in rows. sprinkle the layer with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Then cover the layer with 1/3 of the sauce, it is ok if it doesn't go all the way to the edges, as it will all meld together as you continue to layer

Continue to create layers of potatoes and cheese sauce. Sprinkle the top with remaining cheese. Bake, covered, for 30 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

Is this not beautiful???? We started eating and then I realized I hadn't photographed the finished product! It was so good, we couldn't help ourselves!

Diamond Crusted Skulls

2008-09-18T14:11:00.006-04:00

I told you about my trip to Pottery Barn and seeing the awesome glass glittered skulls and decided to try some out on my own...

Ok, so they are not covered in diamonds, but they might as well be! They look so good using Martha's Sterling colored glitter. I picked up the White Gold glitter yesterday and I am going to glitter some more heads and bones! Stay tuned!!

Casual Cocktails

2008-09-15T22:01:00.007-04:00

I have invited my boss and friend Steve over a million times but he is a jet setter and never in town. Well, he finally got some time to stop by my place and see what a life made my me was all about! :)

We originally planned to have dinner at my place on Saturday...but Steve couldn't make it so he asked if we could switch to Friday, after work...[PANIC SETS IN...WHAT DO I MAKE, DO I HAVE ENOUGH TIME???} I quickly decide to chill and accept, of course I can do this...just have to think on my feet. So what do I do with an hour to shop at lunch and 2 hours prep time after work? I planned some little bites, all but one I have never done before, but I think they all turned out ok!

At 8pm, Steve and Gina arrived:

I also invited Lon and Kelly. Kelly had a prior engagement, so here is Lon enjoying a Tequila!

Here are some of the dishes I prepped for the evening. My first was Roasted Figs wrapped in prosciutto.

I first sliced fresh Mission Figs in half and coated them with a tablespoon of balsamic vinegar and about 1/4 cup brown sugar and roasted them in the oven for 20 minutes.

In the mean time, I cut slices of prosciutto lenghwise to make 2 thin strips. I put a smear of cream cheese in the center of each slice:

Once the figs were cool, I placed a fig in each, rolled them up and secured with a toothpick:

My second dish: Shrimp Fra Diavolo Shooters.

I took a little help from the awesome Whole Foods store that just opened and picked up a great seafood soup as the base of my shooters...but first I had to make the shrimp:

I marinated 12 large shrimp in 2 tbsp olive oil, 2 cloves of garlic finely minced, fresh grouned black pepper, 1/2 tsp. chile flakes and lemon zest for about an hour.

Then I sauteed them in a very hot pan.

Cook the shrimp for about 2 minutes per side...or they will get tough. Don't overcook them!

I have this awesome shot glass set that I got as a wedding gift. I usually do dessert shooters in them...but today, they would be shrimp shooters.

I poured the chilled soup into each shot glass, topped each with a cooked shrimp and served over ice.

I also made Stuffed Mushrooms.

These are really easy, and my old high school friend, Melaine asked me for the recipe...so I decided to make them tonight so I could document for her.

I started out with a container of large, cleaned mushroom and removed the stems.

I then took about 1/2 cup of sliced mushrooms and finely diced them. I sauteed them in olive oil over high heat until they were soft, about 15 minutes. I took the pan off the heat to cool.

I mixed the cooled mushrooms with Alouette Cheese, diced roasted red peppers and filled each cap with some of the mixture.

I topped each cap with parmesan cheese and baked them on a cookie sheet on 400 for 8-10 minutes.

My last dish were POLENTA BITES with Caramelized Mushrooms. I saw this recipe on Easy Entertaining with Michael Chiarello and had to try it.

For the polenta:
3 cups heavy cream
2 cups chicken stock
1 teaspoon finely ground sea salt, preferably gray salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
1 cup polenta
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan, plus more for garnish
For the mushrooms:
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 pound button or cremini mushrooms, cut into quarters
Finely ground salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme leaves
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3/4 cup Marsala Wine
2 tablespoons finely chopped Italian parsley leaves

Cook the polenta: In a medium, heavy pot over high heat bring the cream, stock, salt, and nutmeg to a boil. Add the polenta gradually, whisking constantly. When the mixture thickens, switch to a wooden spoon and adjust the heat to maintain a bare simmer. Cook, stirring often, until thick, smooth, and creamy, about 15 minutes. Add the Parmesan and stir. Keep the polenta warm over low heat, stirring occasionally. If the polenta gets dry as it sits, stir in about 1/4 cup of warm stock or cream.
Saute the mushrooms: In a medium skillet over high heat, heat the olive oil. When the oil is hot, sprinkle in the mushrooms in a single layer. Don't stir them! Let them sizzle until they have caramelized on the bottom, about 2 minutes. When the bottoms are caramelized, toss them once and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Continue to cook without stirring for about 5 minutes. Season mushrooms with salt and pepper. Add the butter and cook until it begins to brown, then add the garlic. Continue to cook until the garlic begins to brown. Add the thyme and cook for about 10 seconds. Add the lemon juice and cook until the liquid evaporates. Add the wine, and simmer until the mushrooms are glazed with the sauce. Add the parsley. Then stir and remove the pan from the heat.

Place or pipe about 1 tablespoon of warm polenta onto a spoon. Place about 1/2 teaspoon of the mushroom on top of the polenta. Garnish with grated Parmesan. Serve immediately.

These were really good! I served them on these little amuse bouche spoons I got at Crate and Barrel. I have had them forever waiting for the right time and recipe.

All in all, I didn't have much time, but I was able to come up with some tasty treats. I am really glad Steve and Gina (and you too, Lon) finally got to hang out!

My New Kitchen

2008-09-15T21:29:00.004-04:00

So I was so happy when my Husband called me to say he might have found us a good deal on granite countertops and if I would hurry home from the office, he would have the installers meet me...I didn't care what I was doing, I grabbed my bag and headed out the door!!!

I can't tell you how much it has changed the feeling of my kitchen...I just love love love them! Here are some pics. I still have to do the AFTER video of our house, as I posted the BEFORE video already, and we have made lots of changes...but for my friend, Giliane, here is a sneak preview of my kitchen.

Asian Tilapia cooked in Parchment

2008-09-10T19:09:00.010-04:00

I bought some Tilapia this week and wanted an easy dinner tonight. So I looked thru Epicurious and came up with this dish that is supposed to be a favorite of Tori Amos.

I was really trying to find the method of cooking in a parchment packet, so I didn't follow the recipe exactly, I found similar flavors and used what I had insead:

Topping
1/2 TBSP. Galangal (THAI GINGER)
3 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped or grated
1 green onions, cut into three shorter pieces then diced longways
1 tsp. Sambal (garlic chilie paste)
1 tsp finely chopped cilantro
Dash of toasted sesame oil
Dash of soy sauce
Dash of fish sauce
1 tbsp honey
2 fresh tilapia fillets (or other firm-fleshed whitefish)
2 15 x 15 squares of parchment paper

1 green onions, cut into three shorter pieces then diced longways
1 sliced zucchini
2 small yellow onions cut in half and sliced thin

Preheat oven to 400°F. Combine all topping ingredients in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Split your sliced onions, zucchini and green onions into 2 portions and place onto the center of the parchment, then add fillet on top of the veggies. Divide topping evenly among them, spreading it over the top

The tilapia fillets I had were pretty small, so I used 2 per serving...but if you have a regular 4 oz piece, just use one.

Fold parchment to form a packet around each fillet by folding the edges, crimping it tightly.

Place on a baking sheet and bake 25 to 30 minutes.

When it is done baking, the paper will be charred on the top a bit.

Let the packets cool for a few minutes and to serve just place the entire packet directly onto a plate. Use some kitchen sissors to cut open the top of the packet. This makes a nice light dinner. I served it with Tom Ka soup.

The cool thing about these packets, is you can really adjust the heat for your family members...I will keep the chili paste out until the end next time...Paul thought it was a little hot! :)

Our New Masterpiece

2008-09-10T08:20:00.007-04:00

A few weeks ago, my husband Paul decided that he wanted a painting for our house. He also thought that I could paint it. Now, I am somewhat of a graphic designer, but that is with a computer...I can't draw, I can't sketch, and I certainly cannot paint a large canvas!

Thank goodness my amazingly talented baby brother Louis called and said he and Brian wanted to plan a last minute Labor Day weekend with us. {IDEA LIGHTBULB...GET LOUIS TO PAINT IT FOR ME!!!} He totally said yes. He actually teaches painting and does demonstrations, he is more Martha than I could ever be...he is my hero, and I never hesitate to tell anyone that! :)

So here is Louis, creating a masterpiece for the Pikels:

If you know my brother, he is hilarious...and he kept saying that he was scared to make a mistake because Paul would beat him with chopsticks! haha.

Now he is adding the Chi symbol. It essentially means energy...life. We had him make it a bright red color, which is the accent color in our brown tones house.

We LOVE it! Thanks Louis!!

Puff Pastry Roll Up

2008-09-10T03:29:00.006-04:00

I am always looking for party food that I can make ahead. I am vowing to myself to have an awesome time at my upcoming Halloween bash, so I am planning early...this is very necessary!!! Oh, if you haven't heard, Pikelween is on...so my blog will be full of my food prep, decor and set stylings...I really do a lot for this party, and because I want to retire it after this year, I wanna do it right....anyway, I digress...

I found this recipe over at CREATE MY EVENT and it sounds like a simple enough appetizer. You could pretty much substitue the fillings with whatever you like. My favorite part is that you can make it a few days ahead, and on party day, pull it out of the fridge, slice, heat and serve. Nothing better than that!

Twisted Tapas by CREATE MY EVENT
Ingredients:
3/4 cup finely grated manchego cheese (about 3 ounces)
1 tsp. spanish smoked paprika (optional)
2 tsp. quince paste (spanish membrillo)
1 puff pastry sheet (from one 17 1/4-ounce package frozen puff pastry
sheets), thawed
1 large egg, beaten lightly
2 ounces thinly sliced serrano ham

To Make:
In a bowl combine manchego and paprika.

On a lightly floured surface arrange pastry sheet with a short side facing you and cut in half crosswise. Arrange one half of sheet with the long side facing you and brush edge of far side with some of the beaten egg. Place half of serrano ham evenly on top of pastry, avoiding egg-brushed edge, and top with half of the manchego mixture.

Starting with side nearest you, roll pastry jelly-roll fashion into a log and wrap in wax paper. Make second log the same way. Chill pastry logs, seam sides down, until firm, at least 3 hours, and up to 3 days.

When ready to serve, pre-heat oven to 400°F. and lightly grease 2 large baking sheets. Cut logs crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices and arrange, cut sides down, 1 inch apart on baking sheets. Bake in batches in middle of oven until golden, 14 to 16 minutes. Transfer to a rack and cool slightly. Serve warm.

Yield:
About 30 - 40 pieces

Whatever, Martha!

2008-09-09T22:11:00.004-04:00

Just saw the previews for these shows Whatever, Martha show over on the Good Things blog and I had to share. Just set my DVR to tape this show, it looks hilarious!

The show premieres September 16th at 9pm on the Fine Living Network. I LOVE Alexis' hair! I want it!