Thirsty Thursday and Bonus Craft: Sunday is Oscar Night!

With Oscars this Sunday, here are a few cool things we saw on The Chew this week that could make your festivities more fun:

First, there's a great looking cocktail by Clinton Kelly called the Zero Dark Thirsty (we particularly liked the Thirsty part). It's a great combo of dark rum and ginger beer:

http://beta.abc.go.com/shows/the-chew/recipes/Zero-Dark-Thirsty-Clinton-Kelly

To serve treats, consider making these super simple snack bowls (no wet stuff, but great for popcorn and pretzels). A nod to Clinton again for this idea:

Ticket Bowls

What You’ll Need:

-Roll of tickets – can buy at any party or office supply store for about $4
-Decoupage glue
-Foam brush or paint brush
-Bowl
How to Make It:

1. Mold roll of tickets over a bowl.  You can mix and match colors if you want

2. Apply decoupage glue to the outside and inside.

3. Glue tickets over the hole on the bottom to seal.

4. Fill with your favorite party snacks and voila!

Great Summer Salad: Cantaloupe Carpaccio from The Chew

As part of our food fest in Phoenix, we made a recipe Barb spotted on The Chew.  We didn’t change a thing.  It’s absolutely perfect!  Yum!


Mario Batali’s Melon Carpaccio
1 Cantaloupe or Honeydew Melon (thinly sliced)
1/4 pound Spicy Salami (julienned)
1/4 cup Parmigiano Reggiano (shaved with a vegetable peeler)
2 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 cups Arugula
2 Limes 

Thinly slice the melon and arrange on serving plate. (We used a cheese slicer to make the thin cantaloupe slices.) Sprinkle the salami & cheese over the melon.  Artfully arrange the arugula on top.  Finish with lime juice, olive oil and freshly cracked pepper.  (You’ll note in our photo that we placed the cheese on the top instead). 

Summer Entertaining: Delish But Simple Toothpick Bites

Summer is a perfect time to entertain -- friends, food and cocktails on the back patio or around the pool. But, in the heat of the summer, who wants to spend time in a hot kitchen cooking and baking?  Our friends at the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board have developed 50 cheese-based treats on toothpicks that are easy to assemble, pretty to look at and tasty to eat. Fill a platter with a few of these, mix up a pitcher of refreshing cocktails and you're set for a party -- without breaking a sweat.

Easter Brunch: What to Bring if the Party is Not at Your House

We all know that Sharon is the hostess with the mostest. But, some of us (okay, me) aren't crazy about the decorating, flower arranging, etc. We just like to cook and bake and feed people. So, when my buddy Marcia and her family invited us to Easter lunch (it's becoming a tradition I think), I was excited. I didn't have to dream up a main course, or a dessert -- I just had to come up with two yummy sides to go with the grilled salmon.  So, Easter Sunday you'll find me happily whipping up this casserole and tossing this salad and leisurely working my way to Marcia's to enjoy all the fabulous effort she put into the rest of the decorating and food. I love being friends with entertainers!

Cheesy Potatoes 

(big thanks to Gail Klandrud at Mountain View Lutheran Church in Phoenix for this outstanding recipe)

2 lbs. frozen hash browns

1 16 oz. container sour cream

1 can cream of chicken soup

8 oz. shredded cheddar

Small bag potato chips

One stick butter

Grease a 9 x 13 pan.  Mix ingredients, place in pan and cover with crumbled potato chips.  Slice one stick of butter and place on top.  Bake at 375 for one hour.

Apple-Pear Salad with Lemon-Poppy Seed Dressing 

(thanks to Southern Living Magazine for the base recipe that we tweaked a bit.

• 1 (16-oz.) baby spinach, thoroughly washed
• 1 (6-oz.) block Parmesan cheese, shaved
• 1 cup roasted, salted cashews
• 1/2 cup sweetened dried cranberries
• 1 large apple, thinly sliced (Honeycrisps would be outstanding if available)
• 1 large pear, thinly sliced
• Lemon-Poppy Seed Dressing (see below) 
• Toss together first 6 ingredients in a large bowl; serve with Lemon-Poppy Seed Dressing.

courtesy of Southern Living.

Photo: Beth Dreiling; Styling: Tyler Asbury

• 2/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1 1/2 tablespoons poppy seeds
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon salt 
•  Process vegetable oil, sugar, fresh lemon juice, poppy seeds, finely chopped onion, Dijon mustard, and salt in a blender until smooth. Store in refrigerator up to 1 week; serve at room temperature.