Tickle Me Too

There is nothing I love more than good friends and comfort food.  I have never really loved fall; I am more of a spring/summer girl and fall to me was always the sign of cold, which I despise.  As I have gotten older I have begun to love fall more and more.  The food, the fashion, and the beginning of the holiday season, a crafters busiest time of the year.  Fall is definitely moving up on the favorite seasons list.

When I was a little girl I used to dream of grand dinner parties like in the movies.  Well this wasn’t quite that grand but I think I did a pretty good job.  Two months of researching and planning, and two days of cooking later I had a great time with a couple good friends. I am not a great cook but I am definitely  moving in the direction of being a good cook.  The more I practice the better I get and I have to say I am really starting to enjoy cooking.  I used to only love baking, sweets were my thing.  Since I have become a mom and care more about what goes into my kids bodies than I care about my own I have really made an effort to cook more.  Plus taking 2 kids out to dinner is not as relaxing as sitting in our own home.  So you might be seeing more recipe reviews on the blog :*)

 As with most things life threw me a curve ball, my hubby had to work.  Not just the day of the party but the day before that too.  I managed to take care of all of my kids needs both days while cooking and cleaning.  Really I don’t know how I did it but I proved to myself that I really can have and do it all.  Maybe there really is enough hours in the day… maybe.

 Here is the menu, recipes and decor for my 4 course, welcome fall, dinner party.

MENU

Cowboy Caviar

Vertical Pear Salad

Individual Pot Pies

Pumpkin Spice Cupcake with Creamcheese Frosting in a jar

DECOR:

Recipes:

Cowboy Caviar:

1 15oz can white beans, drained and rinsed

1 15oz can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 11oz can Green Giant White Shoepeg Corn, drained and rinsed

1 4oz can diced green chilies, drained

1 (2 1/4oz) can sliced black olives, drained

3 diced fresh roma tomatoes

1 small onion , diced

2 diced avocados

1/4 cup Italian salad dressing

Mix all together except avocado in a large bowl and refrigerate.  Add avocado just before serving.  Makes 6 1/2 cups.

Vertical Pear Salad: Original recipe HERE

4 smooth skinned pears

2-3 cups watercress

1/2 cup toasted pecans (place pecans on a baking sheet in the oven for 3-5 min at 350 degrees. Watch carefully as they scorch easily)

1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese

Pear Vinaigrette dressing

Honey for drizzling (optional, I did not add honey)

Lemon juice

Cut pears horizontally into 3 or 4 slices depending on the size of your pears.  Use a paring knife or apple corer to cut out the cores. The pieces should look like O’s.  Leave the stem on the top piece.  Brush slices of pear with lemon juice to keep it from browning.

Toss watercress, pecans, and blue cheese with dressing until coated.

Reassemble the pear, vertically, with the watercress salad in between each slice.  Once assembled, drizzle with honey and serve.

Note: the pears stand up better on a teacup plate because the circle indent in the plate helps keep the pear in one place.

Individual Pot Pies

A Steph and Becca collaboration :*)

yields 6 10 oz ramekins I got from target HERE

4 cups Chicken Stalk (not broth)

2 1/3 cups cubed red potatoes

1 1/2 cups sliced carrots

1 Tbsp butter

3/4 cup pearl onions

1 clove garlic minced

1/2 cup flour

1 cup frozen peas

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp dried thyme leaves

few shakes of pepper

2 cups diced cooked chicken (I buy a rotisary chicken and cut it up.  so much easier, less time-consuming and adds more flavor)

Pre-heat oven to 400

Boil 3 cups chicken stalk, add potatoes and carrots and cook for about 10 min. Drain in colander over a bowl and save liquid.  Mix remaining 1 cup of stalk with flour and whisk in measuring cup and set aside.  Melt butter in large skillet, add onion and garlic and cook until onions are a little tender.  Lower heat to med-low add saved stalk and then add stalk and flour mixture and stir.  Then add potatoes, carrots, peas, thyme, salt and pepper and stir.  Cook until liquid thickens.  Turn heat off and stir in chicken.  Cool slightly and scoop into ramekins and top with pastry.  Cook at 400 degrees for 40 min or until pastry is golden brown

*A big thank you to my best friend Steph for giving me the basics of this recipe.  I don’t think I will ever want to eat a frozen pot pie again.

For Pastry: Original recipe from Barefoot Contessa HERE

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 cup vegetable shortening
• 1/4 pound cold unsalted butter, diced
• 1/2 to 2/3 cup ice water
• 1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash

For the pastry, mix the flour, salt, and baking powder in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Add the shortening and butter and mix quickly with your fingers until each piece is coated with flour. Pulse 10 times, or until the fat is the size of peas. With the motor running, add the ice water; process only enough to moisten the dough and have it just come together. Dump the dough out onto a floured board and knead quickly into a ball. Wrap the dough in plastic and allow it to rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Divide the dough and roll each piece into a circle. Brush the outside edges of each bowl with the egg wash, then place the dough on top. Trim the circle to 1/2-inch larger than the top of the bowl. Crimp the dough to fold over the side, pressing it to make it stick. Brush the dough with egg wash and make 3 slits in the top.

Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes in a Jar: Original cake recipe HERE