Don’t rule out your outdoor living space just because the temperatures are dropping. Some of my best parties were held outdoors in the Fall. It seems to make parties cozier, in fact. An essential for a Fall party is a fire pit or outdoor fireplace for warmth and light. Keep the fire stoked all night…you’ll need it for s’mores after dinner. Adding lanterns with small candles to tree branches around the entire perimeter makes it glow, and again, lends extra warmth. Serve heartier eats, such as spicy chili, tacos, or a beef brisket. Learn how to make some delicious after dinner hot drinks that warm you up, and get you in the mood for a party (see below.) Add a great smooth jazz CD music mix to the background and decorate the the entire area with fall colors. It’s a guaranteed magic night!
Peppermint Patty Hot Drink:
1 Shot of Peppermint Schnapps
Hot Chocolate to fill glass
Top with Whipped Cream and an Andes Chocolate Mint.
If you’ve been to my house, you’ve probably eaten my hummus and fresh pita bread standing around my kitchen island. It’s a staple around my house. Super-delicious and good for you, too. The basic recipe is below, but you can add anything you want to it. My favorites include roasted garlic and roasted pine nuts, but add whatever flavors you love.
Hummus is one of the more popular Middle Eastern dips, generally served with fresh or toasted pita bread. Hummus makes for a great snack or appetizer. Tahini is an important part of the hummus recipe and cannot be substituted. You can find Tahini in the grocery store.
I use a food processor to make mine. Be sure to blend ingredients until they are smooth (not grainy and loose) for better texture.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Ingredients:
1 16 oz can of chickpeas or garbanzo beans
1/4 cup liquid from can of chickpeas
3-5 tablespoons lemon juice (depending on taste)
1 1/2 tablespoons tahini
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
Preparation:
Drain chickpeas and set aside liquid from can. Combine remaining ingredients in blender or food processor. Add 1/4 cup of liquid from chickpeas. Blend for 3-5 minutes on low until thoroughly mixed and smooth.
Place in serving bowl, and create a shallow well in the center of the hummus.
Add a small amount (1-2 tablespoons) of olive oil in the well. Garnish with parsley (optional).
Serve immediately with fresh, warm or toasted pita bread. So delish!
There’s no doubt that that many of us are channeling our “inner designer” , and at HGTV.com, these designers are showcasing their skills, some of which are simply brilliant. My favorite backyard makeover of the day is submitted by Sir Chandelier on Rate My Space. He created this absolutely stunning backyard makeover. I see French outdoor bistro when I look at this. The colors are perfection. The stripped black and white awnings are gorgeous! The furniture is elegant. The double-ended fireplace takes the cake. It makes my head spin with new, creative ideas. Gorgeous!
When checking out design ideas, don’t forget to look into the Rate My Space files over at www.HGTV.com. You’ll be amazed at how creative everyday people can really be with their interiors.
Tired of taking the same old bottle of wine when you and friends get together on the weekends? Mix it up and take a basket of muffins. Muffins are always a hit. Every. Single. Time. Muffins are quick and easy to make when you get home from work on Friday, and will be amazingly delicious when your friends are nibbling on them that night. One caveat…make plenty. Make at least 3 to 4 muffins per person. Trust my experience on this one.
Today was a delicious day. I spent all morning at the Farmers Market, all afternoon playing in my garden, and all evening cooking. It’s good for the soul…try it. Here’s a look at the day….
Don’t shy away from making your own pizza crust. It’s super economical to make your own, and very easy. Don’t let rising yeast scare you. It’s easier than you think. And lets not forget, better tasting. You can add extra herbs (such as Rosemary or Basil), or seeds (such as Sesame or Poppy) to your crust to make it gourmet. Not to mention, less than 300 calories. Love that! When the onion and fennel caramelize, they become very sweet and smell amazing (the whole house smells amazing, in fact!) The presentation is beautiful, and your family and guest will think you spent hours making it.
Try this delicious pizza with caramelized fennel, onion and olives. Great for entertaining.
Servings: 6 servings (serving size: 1 wedge)
Ingredients
Dough:
1 1/2 teaspoons dry yeast
2/3 cup warm water (100° to 110°)
2 cups all-purpose flour, divided
1/2 teaspoon salt
Cooking spray
2 teaspoons yellow cornmeal
Topping:
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 cups thinly sliced fennel bulb (about 4 small bulbs)
2 cups thinly sliced onion
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Remaining ingredients:
1 cup bottled tomato-basil pasta sauce
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup coarsely chopped pitted kalamata olives
Preparation
To prepare dough, dissolve yeast in warm water in a large bowl, and let stand 5 minutes. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Add 1 3/4 cups flour and salt, and beat with a mixer at medium speed until smooth. Turn dough out onto a floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic (about 10 minutes); add enough of remaining flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, to prevent dough from sticking to hands (dough will feel tacky).
Place dough in a large bowl coated with cooking spray, turning to coat top. Cover and let rise in a warm place (85°), free from drafts, 45 minutes or until doubled in size. (Press two fingers into the dough. If an indentation remains, dough has risen enough.) Punch dough down; knead 5 times, and let rest for 15 minutes. Roll dough into a 12-inch circle on a floured surface. Place dough on a (12-inch) pizza pan or baking sheet coated with cooking spray and sprinkled with cornmeal. Crimp edges of dough with fingers to form a rim.
To prepare the topping, heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add the fennel and the next 5 ingredients (fennel through black pepper), and cook for 20 minutes or until golden, stirring frequently.
For a quick dessert, dip (rinsed and patted dry) strawberries into melted white chocolate. I made this dessert tonight, start to finish, in five minutes. The white stars are simply white chocolate molded in silicone star molds. This will be perfect for my 4th of July picnic block party (the white chocolate stars colored blue), for a patriotic-looking display. A Silpat is an extremely useful tool for this project.
Create a gorgeous mini-greenhouse indoors. You’ll need mini glass vases, a glass dome (the shape above works really well), and fresh herbs or flowers. This creates a greenhouse effect, allowing herbs and flowers to last for days and days. How eco-chic! Makes a great centerpiece, and allows you to change the look with your mood.
Tiny vases filled with herbs or flowers adds an instant pop of color to your table or windowsill. It costs pennies, and looks like a million bucks! Not to mention, it smells delicious.
Group different types of herbs together to create a more interesting display.
Keep mini vases of rinsed fresh herbs in the refrigerator for quick access to herbs for cooking.
I’ve been making banana bread since 5th grade. That’s also the year I begged my mom to teach me how to do the laundry. I was born with domestication in my bones, evidently. I have literally been making this recipe since I was 10 years old, so it has deeply-rooted memories of home to me.
Home smells like freshly baked banana bread. I’ve baked thousands of loaves of banana bread. When you stop by my house for a cup of coffee, odds are, I’ll make a banana bread while we are gossiping around the kitchen island.
Banana Bread Recipe
Ingredients
3 or 4 ripe bananas, smashed
1/3 cup melted butter
1 cup sugar (can easily reduce to 3/4 cup)
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda
Pinch of salt
1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour
Method
Preheat the oven to 350°. With a wooden spoon, mix butter into the mashed bananas in a large mixing bowl. Mix in the sugar, egg, and vanilla. Sprinkle the baking soda and salt over the mixture and mix in. Add the flour last, mix. Pour mixture into a buttered 4″ x 8″ inch loaf pan. Bake for 1 hour. Cool on a rack. Remove from pan and slice to serve.
*Note: There are so many variations you can add to this, such as walnuts, banana chunks, chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, sliced almonds, coconut, dried cherries, etc., in addition to various icings and glazes on the top. For a quick icing, purchase cake icing, and microwave in its container for 30 seconds (or until pourable), pour over loaf of banana bread. Sprinkle chopped walnuts on top of icing. I can tell you from experience, this brings ooohhhs and aaahhhhs.
