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Posts Tagged ‘Savvy Entertaining’

As summer starts to wind down and gardens are bursting with fresh goodness just waiting to be harvested, why not host a bright and cheerful Sunflower Theme Party?

Here are some super fun ideas I found on Pinterest

sunflower party table 1A beautiful table from Stylelinx. Absolutely adore the lanterns on the moss with flowers.

sunflower party table 2Sunflowers in Mason Jars by Charlotte Geary Photography

sunflowers table 3Love, love, love sunflowers in a blue Mason jar – from Style Me Pretty.

sunflower party foodI want someone to come do this for my next gathering. Please? Love all these ideas! (Hostess with the Mostess)

sunflower party cheeseCheese and Grape Olives (Hostess with the Mostess)

sunflower party cupcakesLove the name tags in the cupcakes (Hostess with the Mostess)

sunflower party oreos

Sunflower Oreos from Catch My Party

sunflower party cake popCake Pops (Hostess with the Mostess)

She Who Needs to Plan a Party

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ravioli plated

Since I have been so focused on Italian food lately, I thought you might enjoy this easy recipe for ravioli.

It isn’t hard, although it does take a little time and muscle (rolling out the dough).

If you have a fork, a rolling pin and a something you can use to cut out the ravioli, you can make this recipe without any special kitchen gadgets.

ravioli dough ingredients

Ingredients – all basic and probably on hand in your kitchen right now.

Make a well in your bowl of flour (after mixing in the salt) and stir in eggs and oil.

Make a well in your bowl of flour (after mixing in the salt) and stir in eggs and oil.

Mix until well blended and no longer crumbly.

Mix until well blended and no longer crumbly. Cover with a damp towel and let rest while you mix the filling.

Ingredients for cheesy chicken filling. You can use any sort of meat and cheese combo you like.

Ingredients for cheesy chicken filling. You can use any sort of meat and cheese combo you like.

This is where the muscle comes in. You want to roll out that dough until is pretty thin and light. At least it gives you a great arm and upper body workout!

This is where the muscle comes in. You want to roll out that dough until is pretty thin and light. At least it gives you a great arm and upper body workout!

Drop a spoonful of filling on the dough then cover with another piece of dough.

Drop a spoonful of filling on the dough then cover with another piece of dough.

I found this cutter for making sandwiches in my kitchen junk drawer (there are all sorts of forgotten wonders in there!). If you don't have a fancy cutter, just use a knife or a drinking glass to cut out your ravioli and then seal the edges by crimping. Make sure you have a good seal.

I found this cutter for making sandwiches in my kitchen junk drawer (there are all sorts of forgotten wonders in there!). If you don’t have a fancy cutter, just use a knife or a drinking glass to cut out your ravioli and then seal the edges by crimping. Make sure you have a good seal.

I'll state again to make sure your edges are sealed. (Isn't this pretty?)

I’ll state again to make sure your edges are sealed. (Isn’t this pretty?)

Slide ravioli into a pot of boiling water and cook over medium-high heat for about 12 minutes, until cooked through. You'll be able to tell my looking at the dough that it's done.

Slide ravioli into a pot of boiling water and cook over medium-high heat for about 12 minutes, until cooked through. You’ll be able to tell by looking at the dough that it’s done.

Top with creamy alfredo sauce, a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese and parsley. Serve with a side of roasted zucchini or a fresh garden salad.

Top with creamy Alfredo sauce, a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese and parsley. Serve with a side of roasted zucchini or a fresh garden salad.

Ravioli

2 cups flour

3 eggs

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tbsp. olive oil

Scoop flour into a mixing bowl and mix in salt. Create a well in the center and add in eggs and oil. Blend with a fork until no longer crumbly and dough forms a ball. Set aside and cover with a lightly dampened towel to keep dough from drying.

Filling

1 cup cooked chicken, shredded or chopped

1 cup ricotta cheese

1/2 cup mozzarella cheese

1 tsp. seasoning (can use Italian or Mrs. Dash works)

1 egg

1/2 tsp. salt

Blend ingredients together, set aside. Set pot of water to boil, adding a pinch of salt.

Roll out pasta dough until thin. Cut in half. Drop pasta dough by rounded spoonsful on the dough then cover with second piece. Cut out ravioli (using a special cutter if you have one or a knife, biscuit cutter or drinking glass if you don’t.

Crimp edges and make sure they are sealed then slide into boiling water. Boil on medium-high heat for about 12 minutes or until dough looks done.

Serve with pasta sauce and a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese.

This recipe makes about 12 super-gigantic ravioli or a two dozen small ones.

She Who Needs to Step Away from Italian Food for Awhile

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“French might be the language of love,

but Italian is the food of romance.”

Caterina Campanelli (from the historic romance Caterina)

Caterina cover lr

While I was writing Caterina ( Book 2 in the Pendleton Petticoats Series), I found myself  cooking more Italian food than normal. Captain Cavedweller thought it was pretty awesome, especially when I made Zeppole. I’m pretty sure he could have eaten the entire batch by himself if I hadn’t tackled him and stole a few!

Just kidding… mostly.

Anyway, Caterina is a talented cook who pours love into the food she creates. Good thing the hero in the story is a lonely, hungry bachelor who happens to think her cooking is the best thing he’s ever tasted. It had to be that whole a way to a man’s heart thing.

Throughout the book, readers get glimpses of the delicious things Caterina cooks including everything from gnocchi to zeppole.

Writing the story and developing the characters, to me it just seemed so natural to tie romance and Italian food together. I think, perhaps, that scene from Lady and the Tramp has been stuck in my mind since childhood days and never quite worked its way out. Whatever the reason, I personally think the two go together well.

Just for fun, I thought I’d see what your favorite Italian food is to either make or eat (or both!).

Please share your thoughts in the comments section below!

She Who Is Making Ravioli for Dinner (from scratch!)

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Dear Neighbor with the Herd of Cats,

I feel it only fair to write and give you ample warning you are in danger of losing one of your multitude of felines.

You see, it has not gone unnoticed that one of your cats recently increased the number of your herd.

The reason we know this is because one of the new additions has taken to wandering into our yard.

baby kittyHow are we supposed to ignore, let alone resist, this sweet little ball of friendly fur?

Even the non-cat person at our house has taken to cuddling this precious little pookie face, patting it on the head and calling it George – okay, Baby Kitty – but you get the idea.

The Heinous Cat has also been on his best behavior around the adorable baby. He even  let it get within sniffing distance without knocking it into next Tuesday.

Please, if you don’t want this fuzzy, wonderful little kitten to find a new home, I’m begging you to keep it home.

Otherwise, we can’t be held responsible for it taking up permanent residence at our house.

Sincerely,

Captain Cavedweller and She Who is Completely Loopy over Baby Kitty

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