birthday party a huge success

we had been planning on a having a get-together since moving into our new house. so for david's birthday we had the perfect reason to do just that!
with everything in the house cleaned and presentable, all that was left to do was the cooking/baking.

on the day of the party, we woke and had our morning pot of coffee, then got to work in the kitchen. we had a list ready and a plan, but little did we know - we would be in the kitchen cooking and baking for EIGHT hours! seriously. ugh.
it was all because of a cake. i found THIS on pinterest and thought it would be the perfect birthday cake for my man. it looked somewhat complicated but super tasty, and i figured i could do it. well, he ended up helping me because it was way more complicated than it appears, but we got it done.
so - we will start with the cake.
it is three dark chocolate layers with a salted caramel buttercream filling between those layers, and a dark chocolate frosting. this cake was the most expensive cake i've ever made - so i would NOT mess it up!
i started with making the cake. that was the easiest part. just mix your dry and wet ingredients and fill up three round cake pans - bake and cool.

once the three cakes were finished we started on the buttercream caramel filling. this part made me nervous. you start by making caramel. once that is finished and cooling you make a meringue, then add those together and you have your filling. sounds easy, right?!? not so much.

making the caramel. lots of stirring and lots of close watching to make sure it doesn't burn.

the cooled salted caramel. thick and delicious! next you whisk egg whites and sugar in a double boiler until it reaches 160 degrees then add it to your mixer and whisk it until it forms peaks...

add your caramel to that and you have your buttercream caramel filling. and my lord, did it taste amazing!!!!! really really amazing.

theeeennnnnn... you make your frosting. (at this point we were wondering if baking this dang cake would ever end!) over your double boiler you melt dark chocolate... lots of dark chocolate.

mix up confectioners sugar and butter in your mixer and add your chocolate to that... and you have frosting. very rich and very good! only thing left was to assemble.
we used a lazy susan as our cake stand because frosting a cake on a spinner is just the way to go! lay your bottom layer out and add half the buttercream caramel filling on that. then top with another layer, add the rest of the filling and top with the third layer of cake.

after i had all the layers put together i used a serrated knife to even out all the edges. then i iced the entire cake with the dark chocolate frosting.

and finally, after hours and hours of baking this thing... it was finished! here is what the inside looked like when cut...

nevermind the fact that this cake took all day to make. forget that it cost nearly 40 bucks to make... that wasn't even CLOSE to being my man's favorite gift... but this was - new dexter tshirt from his best friend!

so that was the cake. it was really heavenly, but it was truly a nightmare to make. if you adore being in the kitchen all day long and baking complicated recipes such as this, then this is most definitely the cake for you! i realize we were trying to accomplish baking and cooking an entire list of things, so that has a LOT to do with the time spent and all the frustration - yet, all was worth it!

our new chalkboard was on display for all to see what we were serving that night.

i really love our new chalkboard!

for the other things we served at the party...
red velvet brownies with white chocolate buttercream frosting!!!!!! my favorite item of the night and easy to make! HERE is where you will find the recipe.

i had fun frosting these little bite sized brownies... just put my icing in a zip-lock and snipped one of the corners, then went to town!
chicken puffs - HERE is the recipe for these. SUPER SUPER simple to make and seriously DELISH!

antipasto kabobs - recipe found HERE. these were realllllllllllly good and really simple. and i realized that tortellini marinated in balsamic vinaigrette is pretty much the greatest thing i've ever tasted.

ham and cheese sliders - recipe HERE.
crock pot meatballs with homemade BBQ sauce. GOOOOOOOOOOOD! recipe HERE.
spinach artichoke dip served with pita crisps and tortilla chips - our go to recipe HERE.

pomegranate-champagne punch with lemon and mint. not only is this punch beautiful, it tastes amazing! i filled up a bundt cake pan with water and froze it to make a huge ice cube. recipe HERE.

i added mint leaves right before serving. at the end of the night, i ate the pomegranate seeds. they were yummy when soaked up in champagne and rum!

very happy with how the party turned out and we had a really good time! it was a ton of work and i barely had enough time to get ready before people started showing up... but it was all worth it!
happy birthday to my sweet husband! love him so freaking much!

tea time with Ellie and Ollie

nothing sweeter than sharing a weekend with family.
last weekend, brian, amy, and ellie came down for a visit. i seriously believe oliver and emme had the most enjoyment from spending time with sweet ellie.
oliver followed her everywhere. she laid in the floor and he was right beside her. she used him as a chair, played doctor and examined his ears, and they even had a tea party... just her and ollie.
{Precious}

i wish i could keep this sweet girl with me all the time! she is the best kid! 

the weekend went way to fast, as they always do. we had great meals together - peach and blueberry cobbler with vanilla bean ice cream, a breakfast frittata with fresh tomatoes, and a fabulous dinner at chicora alley - my favorite restaurant in greenville.
we took ellie around downtown and through all the shops. she especially loved the toy stores! we went to falls park and she and uncle david watched for fish swimming in the water.
after dinner we sat by a fountain and played in the water. street musicians were playing covers next to us, the weather was perfection... a perfect day!

 just look at that smile... she will melt your heart!
i wish i could have captured her face when she pulled a carrot from our garden, but unfortunately i didn't have my camera... shame on me!
when we were back inside, i did get this shot of her admiring her great treasure -

before leaving on sunday, we took a stroll through the lawns of converse college and had lunch at mellow mushroom. it was a perfect weekend and only left us longing for more time together!

chicago style pizza pot pie

this past march david and i celebrated our second wedding anniversary in chicago. it was a fantastic trip, loaded with lots of shopping and LOTS of eating. the best thing we ate on our trip was pizza pot pie. we were stunned when they brought our dish to the table in a bowl, then flipped it onto our plate. after eating every last crumb, we both agreed that we would try to make our own version once we were home. 

and that is what we did. 

and it was a HUGE success!!!!

there is no real recipe for what we did, just a few simple steps which i will share.

all you need is an oven safe bowl and all the ingredients you wish to use.

 ~

 start by coating your oven safe bowl with non-stick spray. also get the outside edges of the bowl.

add sliced muenster cheese to the bowl. (this is definitely not a healthy dish.)

prepare your dough, and slice in half to make two pot pies.

add shredded havarti cheese, roasted red peppers and onions, or whatever you would like.

we also added some baby bella mushrooms.

and some italian sausage ;-)

add your pizza sauce on top.

then stretch out your halved dough on the tops of the bowl. stretch over the top and onto the edges.

bake in a 400 degree oven for about 35 minutes or until your dough is browned to your liking. 

when the cooking is complete, your bowls should look like this! nice, huh.

the best way we have found to 'flip' your pot pies on a plate: put your plate on top of the pot pie. pick up your bowl and while still holding the plate of top, flip so that the plate is on the bottom, and the bowl is on top... make sense? use two forks to separate the bowl from the dough.

lift your bowl off and be amazed at your delicious homemade pizza pot pie!!!

devour.

ultimate beef braciole + lemon arugula angel hair pasta

i will begin by stating that this recipe is the most complicated we have ever made.
we were in the kitchen FOREVER.
and it was one thousand percent worth every second.
seriously, i can't even tell you how ridiculously amazing this dish was. it made a lot, and provided lots of leftovers... even soup.
yeah... you just wait!

HERE is the link to the braciole recipe by tyler florence, one of my favorite chefs on the food network.
and HERE is the link for his angel hair pasta with fried chili flakes, lemon and arugula that accompanies the dish.
another piece of fantastic info... he is from Greenville, South Carolina. so who knows... maybe one day i'll run into him if he is visiting.
(when you look at the link to the recipe on tyler's page... the level of the recipe is rated EASY... seriously???)

Ingredients

For the Braciole:

• 1 1/2 cups panko bread crumbs
• Extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 anchovy fillets, minced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup buffalo mozzarella bocconcini balls, sliced in half if large size
• 1/2 cup store-bought, drained and roughly chopped roasted red peppers
• 3 tablespoons minced flat-leaf parsley
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2-pound piece flank steak
• 3 hard-boiled eggs, quartered lengthwise

For the Braising ingredients:

• Extra-virgin olive oil
• 6 sprigs fresh thyme
• 2 cloves garlic, gently smashed
• 2 small onions, sliced
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 1/2 cups low-sodium beef broth
• 1 (28 ounce) can tomatoes (recommended: San Marzano)
• 8 vine-ripened tomatoes, separated from vine
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons good-quality balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 bunch flat-leaf parsley, chopped for garnish

Directions

To make the Braciole: Toast the panko bread crumbs in a dry skillet with a little olive oil over low heat, until golden. Add to a large mixing bowl along with the anchovy, garlic, bocconcini, red peppers, parsley, a drizzle of olive oil and some salt and pepper, to taste. Stir together until well combined.

Set the flank steak on a piece of plastic wrap. Make a deep horizontal slice along the steak almost all the way through and fan open like a book. Lay another piece of plastic wrap on top. Using the smooth side of a meat mallet, gently flatten the steak until about 1/2-inch thick; take care not to tear. Discard the top sheet of plastic wrap; rub the surface with olive oil and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Spread the stuffing evenly over the meat, leaving a 1-inch border all around. Arrange the eggs lengthwise down the center of the meat and roll up like a jelly roll log, using the plastic wrap as support. Tie the roll with kitchen twine in 4 to 5 places to secure - this will help hold the shape and keep the filling from falling out.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Put a roasting pan across 2 burners and heat over medium heat. Add a 3-count of olive oil and add the thyme and garlic. Cook for about a minute until fragrant. Carefully add the braciole and sear until evenly browned all over, approximately 2 minutes each side.

Add the sliced onions and bay leaves, then stir in the beef broth to deglaze. Add the canned tomatoes over the top, then nestle in the whole vine tomatoes around the braciole. Bring to a simmer, then cover with foil and put in the oven to braise for 45 to 60 minutes. When done, remove the foil and remove the braciole to a carving board to rest. Carefully remove the whole vine tomatoes, with a slotted spoon, to a plate. Let the sauce cool for about 5 minutes. Discard the thyme stems and bay leaf, then add the sauce to a blender and puree. Pour the sauce back into the pan and set over medium heat to bring to a simmer. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, and add the balsamic vinegar. Remove the kitchen twine from the beef and cut into 1-inch thick "pin-wheel" slices. Arrange the slices on a platter and arrange the whole vine tomatoes around the beef. Pour the sauce over the top, garnish with chopped parsley and serve.

and the recipe for the pasta:

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus 2 tablespoons
• 2 cups panko bread crumbs
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 3 cloves garlic, slivered
• 1 teaspoon dried red pepper chili flakes
• 1 lemon, zested and juiced
• 1 pound angel hair pasta
• 6 cups lightly packed wild arugula (Israeli if possible)
• 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

Directions

In a dry skillet over low heat, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and the panko bread crumbs and toast until golden brown. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Put into a bowl and set aside.

Set the skillet pan back over medium heat and add the remaining 1/2 cup of olive oil, the garlic and the red pepper flakes. Saute for 2 to 3 minutes to infuse the oil and cook the garlic. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Add the lemon zest and remove from the heat.

In a large pot of well-salted boiling water, over medium heat, add the angel hair pasta and cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Drain and add to a large mixing bowl. While still warm, toss in the arugula, the infused oil, the bread crumbs and the cheese. Using tongs gently fold everything together and transfer to a large serving bowl or platter to serve. If desired, serve with braised braciole.

sweet summer time...

nothing in the world is better than spending time at the beach with your favorite kids in the world!

i have been so busy lately with juicing and all, and have never blogged about our beach trips with our families. in a nutshell, we were surrounded by loads of beautiful, giggly, bouncy children for two weeks. (exhausting, and perfect all at the same time). 

here are some of my favorite photos of our time with our amazing nieces and nephews...

we also had the time with david's family to throw anita a bridal shower. it was the perfect beach setting, and we had the best time!

since we have been back home, the heat is worse than ever. there are days you cannot even bear to sit outside... going through these beach photos makes me miss the sand and water, but surprisingly, i am ready for fall and cooler temperatures. and sweaters and tall boots!!! we do have more travels coming up to look forward to - mark and anita's wedding in california will be here before we know it. i am very excited to be back in the gracious california weather and more than pumped for their wedding day! i am sure it will be spectacular. after the wedding and before we fly back to the south, we are going to take advantage of where we are and make a trip to the island of Catalina. that is something i am VERY excited for!