Comfort Food

My Grandfather recently passed away.  Not living in the same town anymore I wasn't able to help much with funeral preparations.  So, I volunteered to cook.  It was an act of love for my Grandpa whom I love and miss dearly (he loved to eat), for my Grandma, and for my Mom.  And, to be honest, it was something I did for myself.  I needed some good comfort food and cooking is therapeutic for me.

I had some lovely help the day before with prep, namely my cousin Liz and my Aunt Becky.  Several ladies of my parents church pitched in and made dozens and dozens of delicious cookies and served the day of the funeral.  I cannot thank them enough.

Feta Olive Tarts with Rosemary

Antipasti

Breadsticks (from Trader Joes) with roasted garlic

Layered Salad

Baked Ziti

Homemade french bread with whipped butter and herbs

Cookies, lovingly made by the women of The Revival Center

Cheesecake and fruit

 "I sometimes think the chef end of cooking is not the real end of cooking.  Cooking is all about homes and gardens, it doesn't happen in restaurants."  --Delia Smith

Food has a way of bringing people together.  Diners let their guards down over the appetizer.  Over the main course cares ease and the mind starts to be refreshed.  Over dessert and coffee people bond and heal and share their lives.  Sometimes it feels as if one had the right menu we could reconcile the world.

The Picnics

We spent 10 days in Europe--France and Italy to be exact.  As everyone knows, two things are true of Europe.  1) It's expensive.  2) The food is wonderful. 

Our answer to these two things is PICNICS!  First thing in the morning we'd go to a little market or shops and buy the fixin's.  Wonderfully authentic things like cheese, sausage, fresh bread, fresh pesto, local wines or beer.  After a busy morning of sightseeing when we were ready for lunch, we'd find a spot (from the edge of the Seine, to a courtyard of an old church) and have a picnic!  (Thanks to Rick Steves, we took a few essential picnic supplies with us: small tablecloth, cups, knife/corkscrew/bottle opener, salt and pepper, forks.)  It saved a lot of money and really, how can anything beat a perfect picnic?!

Details of the trip are on the Family Blog.  But, here is a visual taste of the best, tastiest and most romantic picnics you've ever seen.  Please don't drool on your keyboard.

I *heart* Summer

Red, White and Blue enough to make you green with envy

A post from my daughter Meg, age 9:

Meg's Holiday Pizza

Ingredients:

Philo dough

Sugar

1 stick butter

1 block cream cheese

Splash of vanilla

teaspoon of lemon juice

strawberries

blueberries

Directions:

Put the philo dough between two damp towels.  Get a round pan and put one layer of philo dough on pan.  Brush on melted butter and sprinkle with sugar.  Keep doing this until the last layer.  Then bake it at 350F until done.  Then cool completely.

Make the sauce:  Whip the cream cheese in a medium bowl, put a splash of vanilla, lemon juice, and sugar to taste.  Spread it on the cooled pastry.  And decorate it with strawberries and blueberries.  Or choose what you want to put on it.

Daja: For dessert, we also had Ciliege e Vino (cherries in wine) over ice cream.  OH. MY. WORD.  You should try this.  It was really fresh and sweet and a bit spicy.  Over some organic natural vanilla ice cream it was SMOOTH.

Our first Fourth in our new house.  Our house is beautifully situated for Independence Day celebrations!  Next year, we just might do it big!  From the upper balcony (yes we have more than one), you can see the most amazing view.  And on the horizon line you can see about 20 different firework displays!  We had a blast!

Casual Entertaining

This past weekend we decided to throw together a little backyard shindig for no particular reason. No birthday. No holiday. We just wanted to let our hair down with friends--relax without any agenda.


So, we set up the fire pit in the back yard. I threw together some salads, fried chicken and hot dogs. Some guests also brought some yummy grub to share. Delicious and fun!

We told people to come any time after 4pm. We didn't actually get to bed until close to midnight. It was so enjoyable around the fire, that no one wanted to leave and we didn't want them to either!

The children played in the tree house and all over the yard. About 10:30pm I put on some VeggieTales for them so they could simmer down and give the neighbors a little break from the hysterical laughter and playful screaming. :-) A little winding down before they went home.

Here are some not-so-great pictures of the food. Trust me, the food was better than the pictures!

The best fruit salad! The sauce is what totally makes it addictive!

Red or white?

See those glasses on the table. I'm so excited about them. See, I have some lovely and delicate stemware that I did not want to take outside to the bonfire. So, on Friday I went to the thrift store just to see if there was anything there. I knew I couldn't spend much, so I prayed that God would lead me to a great deal. I found plain (and a little bit sturdier) stemware--12 pieces for $6.00! What a blessing!

Also if you notice the very beautiful and clever chiller the bottles are in....I got it from Taste of Home Entertaining. My mother is a rep. Everything there is both beautiful and clever. Visit her website here.

Buttermilk Twice-Dipped Fried Chicken Tenders

Also in the background you can see Chinese Cashew Cabbage Salad.

Here are the recipes:

Fruit Salad

Prepare the dressing:

Dressing:

2 T. butter

4 Tablespoons lemon juice

3 T. cornstarch

1 cup sugar

1 1/4 cup water

3 egg yolks

Heat in a saucepan over low heat, until thick, stirring constantly. (This scorches easily. So, do not leave it for a second!)

Cool.

Dilute with heavy cream to desired consistency.

While sauce is cooling prepare a bowl of fruit. The sauce is enough for a very large bowl.

Pour sauce over prepared fruit, stir gently to coat. Serve.

Cabbage Salad

1 package ramen noodles, crushed (Throw away seasoning packet!)
10 ounces cashew pieces
1 head green cabbage, chopped
1 bunch green onions, chopped
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup cider vinegar
2 tablespoon soy sauce

Toss together cashews, cabbage and green onions. In jar with tight fitting lid shake together sugar, oil, vinegar and soy sauce. Pour over salad. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to let flavors blend. Before serving mix in ramen noodles and toss well.

(Don't add the noodles too early if you like that fun crunch!)

Buttermilk Twice-Dipped Fried Chicken Tenders

(I usually play with a recipe so much that I don't feel I need to site the original source. What it ends up being doesn't really resemble the original recipe much. However, this recipe is completely take from Rachel Ray. It's great! Yummy hot or cold. I think it's a perfect picnic food. Click here for the recipe.)

My first catering experience

Almond Cheesecake

Fruit Bouquets

Toffee Brownies