Panini Party: December Supper Club

Keith and I have recently joined/help kick off a new Supper Club here in the Memphis area. I volunteered to host the second one and a Sunday night seemed like the best time for everyone. To keep things simple and easy, I decided to do a panini and soup party. I had never been to one but saw it as an idea in an old magazine. I was really hoping it would go over well and people would have fun making their own sandwiches, and I knew I would enjoy not cooking all day long!

Well, it was a big success and far exceeded my expectations. People love Paninis. The whole build-your-own thing was a lot of fun! Here are the pics!

I set up the sandwich spread on my kitchen table and put two panini presses on the counter in the kitchen. Thanks, mom, for letting me borrow yours! Here's what was on the bar:

Bread:

Sourdough bread

Rosemary Olive bread

Spreads:

Artichoke Parmesan Pesto

Horseradish Sauce

Balsamic Onion Marmalade

Honey Mustard

Mayo

Barbecue Sauce

Balsamic Glaze

Meats:

Turkey

Roast Beef

Grilled Chicken

Bacon

Cheese:

Havarti

Gouda

Mozzarella

Brie

Goat

Cheddar

Toppings:

Spinach

Tomato

Red Onion

Sun-Dried Tomatoes 

Roasted Red Bell Peppers

Artichoke Hearts

Basil

I also served the sandwiches with either butter or herbed olive oil to spread on the bread before grilling. I also made my Chicken Tortilla Soup and my Tomato Soup. For dessert, there were these cupcakes, some chocolate chip cookies, and we had S'more supplies on hand for the fire in the backyard.

I recently downloaded Photshop Elements as a free trial to see if I could teach myself a few things. I downloaded a free chalkboard background and a variety of free fonts and made these signs myself! We'll see what else I can figure out how to do...

To help folks get their creative juices flowing, I made a few template cards. This helped out and I think a lot of people made these paninis!

If I had all of these ingredients this conveniently displayed, I would eat a panini every single day.

At the party, I chose to make a BBQ panini with turkey, gouda, bbq sauce, red onion, spinach and bacon. It was the bomb.com.

Sarah and Jess having fun with some punch in their moose glasses! Yes, those are the ones from Christmas Vacation!

Kristen, Sarah, Sarah and Kate

There were so many folks at the house that I didn't catch a photo of. We had a full crowd! I loved it.

We had our fire pit going in the backyard and just as I went to take my first bite of my perfectly prepared s'more, a gust of wind came through and my hair went straight into the marshmallow. Jessica, my friend that has had more calamities than anyone I know, was quick to provide a solution. Did you know ice gets sticky stuff out of your hair in a jiff? Pretty handy.

Ashley and I enjoying a nice night outside by the fire.

I wish I had more pictures! It was such a fun night and I'm so glad so many folks came. If you're looking for a fun, easy holiday party idea, this is it! It would also be a great thing to do if you have family in town for the holidays!

Honey Balsamic Glazed Salmon with Zucchini and Carrots

Testing. 1-2. Testing. 
Is this thing on?

Yep, you'da thought I forgot how to make a blog post lately. What can I say? Life is busy, and when it slows down at night, so do I. I'm trying to be less distracted by technology in the evenings at home with Keith. 

Who am I kidding? What that really means is that I typically cook a quick meal, have a glass or two of wine and Keith and I settle in for 2-3 shows. Our DVR is working overtime lately. If I get my computer back out, it's usually out of necessity for work. But, in the middle of my veg-out session, I feel accomplished if I go through any magazines in my growing stack. So, truth? I've been lazy. I haven't even been using my big girl camera very much. Thank goodness for iPhones! The lazy blogger's best friend :) However, I am optimistic this holiday season full of festivities and cooking will motivate me to get back in the saddle! If you're still reading this blog, thanks for hanging in there. This has been a slow year for posting!! I'm either busy or burnt out. But, on to the yummy, yummy recipe!!

For weeknight meals, I like to *try* to make things that are on the healthy side. Fast meals are an even bigger plus! Here's a great recipe from Kraft Food and Family magazine that I've now made twice this month. The list of ingredients is so short! I served this with some quick-cooking rice. I'm embarrassed to say that I've even used those 90 second microwave rice pouches, and they aren't that bad. {This is me ducking behind a pillow for fear the foodies will throw something at me!}

Balsamic Glazed Salmon with Zucchini and Carrots
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Ingredients:
1/2 tsp olive oil
1 small zucchini, cut into match-like sticks
1/2 cup baby carrots, cut in half
2-3 salmon fillets (with skin on), 1/2 lb
2 Tbsp balsamic vinaigrette dressing
1 Tbsp honey
1 Tbsp freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 Tbsp chopped fresh basil


Heat oil in large nonstick skillet on medium-high heat. Add vegetables; cook 2 min., stirring occasionally. Spoon vegetables to one side of skillet. Add fish, flesh-sides down, to other side of skillet; cover. Cook on medium heat 8 min. or until fish flakes easily with fork, turning after 4 min. 
 
Transfer fish and vegetables to plate; cover to keep warm. Add dressing and honey to skillet; cook and stir 30 sec. or until heated through. 
  

Pour dressing mixture over fish. Top vegetables with cheese and basil.  

Enjoy! 

Mini Pumpkin Pies

Thanksgiving is just around the corner! I LOVE Thanksgiving. It's a rare holiday that hasn't been totally commercialized, and the focus stays on family, food and counting your blessings. It doesn't get much better than that! If you're like me, then trying new recipes is always exciting. But, when it comes to my Thanksgiving plate, I like to be sure that certain classics remain. 

Here's a small twist on a regular pumpkin pie. Get it - small? Hah. I'm lame.
I love pumpkin pie, but I also love pecan pie and all the other desserts that are sure to make an appearance on the buffet. Pumpkin is delicious, but I usually only want a couple of bites. These mini pies are perfect! They can be easily huffed down in a few seconds, and are cute to boot. I made these last weekend for a baby shower and they were totes adorbs. Thanks for the inspiration, My Baking Addiction!

Mini Pumpkin Pies
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Ingredients:
3 boxes of pre made miniature tart shells (16 shells per box)
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 and 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 large egg
1 cup pure pumpkin puree
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 5-ounce can evaporated milk
whipped cream or Cool Whip

Preheat oven to 350. Line a couple of baking sheet with parchment paper.
  
In a medium bowl with an electric hand mixer, combine sugar, salt, pumpkin pie spice, egg, pumpkin, vanilla,and evaporated milk. Beat until well combined and smooth.

Line mini tart shells on prepared baking sheet. Using a small spoon, fill each mini tart shell with pumpkin pie filling.

Carefully transfer pan to preheated oven and bake for 15-17 minutes or until shells are golden and the filling appears to be set. Carefully remove mini pumpkin pies to a cooling rack.

Top with whipped cream or Cool Whip. I piped it on using my Pampered Chef mechanical piping thing-y and it was fast and easy!



Enjoy! I'm planning to make these again for our family on Thursday. I can't wait!

Rustic Fall Baby Shower for Lauren

This weekend, I had the pleasure of hosting a baby shower for my dear friend, Lauren, alongside six other fabulous ladies. I had so much fun planning and preparing that I've decided it must be a form of therapy for me to plan parties, especially a party for a special baby boy that I can't wait to meet!

First, this was the inspiration behind the shower, our 'mood board' if you will:

Joanna and I dreamed this up one night when she was staying at my house for work. We had so much fun stalking the mom-to-be's Pinterest boards to see where she was headed for her nursery decor. We quickly noticed a few antler decor items, and a few touches of glam. Lauren is very stylish, so we knew the shower had to be, too!  So, here's how we brought it to life!

This is the invitation, designed by my talented friend from work, Michelle. I think they turned out so cute! I also love that she makes things for me that are totally original. I wish I had that skill with design software!

Joanna made this super cute garland from shreds of burlap and ribbon, and it was hung between two large vases full of bamboo sticks that had been spray-painted gold.

Rachel's home was the perfect settings for the shower - she has a fabulous house! Everything fit in the space so well.

We wrapped silverware into napkins, tied with twine and added a little party circle.

So cute!

On the table, we decorated with tree stumps, painted pumpkins, pine cones and wilderness animals.

After spray-painting them gold, they became 10 times cuter! I think I'll keep these for Christmas decorations...

My friend also made food cards for us. I love going to parties where I know what I'm eating!

We kept dessert simple - mini pumpkin pies and cookies

For extra flair, we stuck party circles on to the cups. These were a big hit!

For those not pregnant, we had a mimosa bar! :)

One of my favorite elements from the party were these 'wish' cards.

Everyone was asked to fill one out, and the responses were a mix of such sweet and funny things!

It was a beautiful day, so the party extended out on the back patio. I love fall weather!

For food, we kept things in a southern-fall theme. Everything turned out great!

These skewers were a Southern Living recipe - OMG, so good!

Mom and I made Pimiento Cheese Deviled Eggs that were quite tasty. The picture isn't so great, so I'd like to make them again and take better photos!

A big hit was the Chicken and Waffles. I "semi-homemade" these using Eggo Minis (toasted), Chik-fil-a nuggets, green onions, and a Peach Horseradish Maple Syrup from Southern Living. They were incredibly easy and so yummy.

Those Ham and Cheese sliders you see on Pinterest? Yep, they rock.

Another Southern Living dish - Strawberry Pretzel Crostini. Awesome!

Joanna's scrumptious muffins.

And, of course, caramel apples for fall!

Enough of the food - on to the memories!

Lauren received so many wonderful gifts!

Daddy Lee came by for a while, too. I love this picture!!

The house was filled with people who already love Baby Strother so much!

I wish this picture wasn't so blurry :)

These two will be parents come February!!

All of the lovely hosts with the mommy-to-be. Hannah, Kelly, Joanna, Lauren, Lindsay, Whitney, Rachael and I.

Our small group bible study girls. Dating back over 10 years! We missed you, Shelly!

I am so happy for this bestie of mine!

As a thank-you gift, Lauren gave us all these adorable metal baby hogs. So sweet!


It was a really fun shower to host. I think we had just as much fun doing it as Lauren and Lee had being showered! I am so excited for Baby Strother to be here.

Congrats, Lauren and Lee! I'm praying for a healthy baby boy and years ahead filled with joy and laughter. Love all three of you! - Aunt Ken

The Hunter and the Hunted

We had a great Halloween! Our costumes were pulled together a little last minute, but I think it turned out pretty cute. Halloween has always been one of my favorite holidays! Here are the pics:

During the day, Keith dressed up as Elvis to see patients. One little kiddo even came to see the dentist dressed as Spiderman! I'm sure Keith's patients loved coming to a dental office where the whole staff was in the spirit of Halloween.

For our evening out, I decided we would be a deer and a hunter, in honor of the deer Keith shot last week on his big trip:

The Hunter and the Hunted!

Keith wore clothes he already had, and I wore a sweater with fur, and made my own antlers. I started with a headband I found at Walgreens the night before:

Keith used white masking tape to tape together different sections to form antlers, and wrapped the whole thing in pipe cleaners. He was pretty proud of the final product, and I think they looked pretty great!

I added the ears to the headband by hot gluing pieces of fur to stiff backing (I found this backing near stuff used to patch pants) and I cut it into ear shapes. I used this tutorial for make-up and it was super helpful. It's been so long since I've worn face paint that I would forget, scratch my nose and have black all over my hands!

We spent the evening at my friend Kate's house. We work together. She is too funny. It was her big 30th birthday, so she went as the birthday gift, and even had a box to wear. So silly! Instead of beer pong, we played champagne pong. The older we get, the more that hurts the next day! :)

Here is our little work crew: Kristen, Sarah, Brandon and Kate.
Brandon was the kid from home alone....

...and his wife, Jessica, another dear friend of mine, was Marv. You know, the bad guy from the movie with the fro that got burned on the face with the iron? She had it all going on! So clever.

Kristen and Mike - a peacock and an elephant. It was hard to think of him as a real person until he took the elephant head off, and he didn't for the first few hours of the party!

Sarah and I - my sister from another mister. She was an 80s aerobic instructor, and wore it well!


It was a great night! It's too bad we don't have more excuses to dress up and have fun like that throughout the year!