Lions and Tigers and Diaper Cakes... Oh My!

Baby Carver is less than 2 months away from making his big debut and boy has he been keeping me busy already.  In the midst of getting the nursery ready (jungle themed as is the title of this post) and taking baby classes, I have been fortunate enough to have wonderful friends and family who have been gracious enough to throw me baby showers.  As you know from reading this blog in the past, I moved to Indy from Lexington and my husband's family is in Louisville, so I was lucky enough to have a shower in each location.  I do intend to share a recipe at the end of this, but first, a few pics from each shower:)

First stop, Lexington, September 24.  This shower was thrown by my matrons of honor... yes I had 3 and it was my wedding so I don't even have to justify it.  They certainly went all out and transformed Ms. Elliott's (Dana's mom) backyard into a little piece of fall heaven complete with pumpkin cake balls and Carver's very own personalized pumpkin (you know how I feel about a good monogram).  I posted a couple of pics below, but my creative blogging BFF has posted more on her blog at http://piecesofthepeddicords.blogspot.com/2011/09/baby-pumpkin-patch.html.

Second stop, Louisville, October 8.  This was a huge shower thrown by my lovely sister-in-law and Matt's aunt RoJeanna.  Successfully transforming my mother-in-law's backyard into a autumn garden party, we all enjoyed decaf tea (thanks for that!) and fabulous salads while we played a hilarious game of pictionary to include terms such as "kangaroo time" and "after birth".  The cake pictured below was made by a friend of ours, Ms. Kendra, who spent some time working in a bakery in Alabama in a recent past life, which explains the adorable design (it tasted fabulous too... chocolate cake with cream cheese buttercream icing... three layers).

Thirds and final stop, Indianapolis, October 16.  This shower was thrown by my three Midwestern BFFs.  We have become shower champs over the past few years, what with three weddings (one upcoming) and three babies, soon to be four:)  They really played up the jungle theme with the adorable cupcakes (courtesy of one of our favorite local bakeries) and potted plants for all of the guests to take home.  We spent Sunday afternoon enjoying each others' company and some fabulous blueberry yogurt covered pretzels.

I am so blessed to have these lovely ladies in my life to get ready for the arrival of our little pumpkin.  Speaking of pumpkins, one of the desserts that wasn't pictured about was the pumpkin trifle that the girls at the Lexington Shower served.  It is a pretty healthy recipe that they found on another blog called thedashingdish.com.  Lots of yummy healthier recipes which are great for me since I was also diagnosed with gestational diabetes several weeks ago.  But don't worry, it has not stopped me from cooking or enjoying foods that I am craving.  A little change in diet and some short walks throughout the day and I am good to go!  Instead of recreating the wheel, just click on the link below and enjoy!! 

Creamy Pumpkin Trifle from Dashingdish.com 

I'm pregnant, but my husband has cravings...

It has certainly been a while since i have posted.  My excuse is I was on a tour of the eastern half of the country for the entire month of August (really starting in late July).  I hit Tennessee, Alabama, Maine, D.C. and finally Hilton Head Island, South Carolina.  Because of that, consider this a 2 for 1 special; 2 recipes- 1 post.

Let me start by saying, I am more than halfway through baking this baby!  He- yes, it's a boy!- is still scheduled to make his first appearance on Christmas Day.  I have had a pretty easy pregnancy.  I haven't been sick, no complications (knock on wood) and I still find some joy in cooking.  Having said that, I have not been able to avoid the typical pregnancy side effects such as exhaustion, weight gain (while I am proud that I have kept it to 12 lbs so far) and cravings.  My husband also claims that he is having sympathy side effects.  The number one side effect: he has cravings.  It has been a HOT summer all over the country and especially hot here.  We have had almost 40 days over 90 degrees, and even yesterday  we were close to 100.  And what has my husband wanted?  Soup... my mom's cheesy potato soup to be exact.  It has just been too hot for soup.  So when we woke up one Sunday to an unseasonably cool 80 degree day, he said it was time.  See below for one of my (and my husband's) favorite recipes from home.  Thanks mom!

Cheesy Potato Soup


1 large chopped onion
2 chopped celery stalks
3 chopped carrots
7-8 diced potatoes

Put those ingredients in a large stock pot and cover with water.  Take note of how many cups of water it took to cover and add that many cubes of chicken bouillon.  Cover and turn up the heat to bring to a boil.  Give it a stir and turn down the heat to medium-low.  Cover and simmer until your veggies are tender (about 15 minutes).

3 tablespoons of butter
3 tablespoons of flour
1 3/4 cup of milk
12 oz Velveeta cheese (less for less cheesy, more for more cheesy)

In a separate pan, on medium-low heat, melt the butter and mix in the flour.  Add the milk and heat it up, but try not to boil.  Once the mixture is nice and hot add in the Velveeta in small chunks.  Let it melt, stirring occasionally.  I find this process can be done while your veggies are simmering.

Once the veggies are tender, uncover and add the cheesy mixture.  Stir and let it simmer for 20-30 min on very low heat.  Then enjoy!

RECIPE # 2:  Speaking of cravings and my husband, we spent the weekend in Gatlinburg with my family for my birthday at the end of July.  On our way there, we stopped for the night at my parents house for a birthday dinner with family and friends who would not be joining us on our trip.  My mom, the gourmet chef that she is, had prepared a very interesting dessert to pair with some cupcakes from one of my favorite local bakeries.  The traditional cake and ice cream was put to shame by these Caramanda's cupcakes and mom's homemade maple-bacon ice cream.  Yes, bacon and ice cream and it was fabulous.  If that isn' a pregnancy flavor match made in heaven, I don't know what is.  And bacon happens to also be one of my husband's favorite foods.  You are going to want to taste this!

Maple-Bacon Ice Cream
1 cup pure maple syrup 
4 cups half and half
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
5 egg yolks
6 slice of thick sliced bacon (fried very crisp, cooled and chopped into pieces)

In a saucepan add maple syrup and reduce down to approx. 1/2 cup...set aside for later use.

In a medium saucepan, combine half and half with 1/2 cup sugar.  Heat and stir occasionally until bubbles appear around the edges of the pan, do not boil. In a medium bowl beat the egg yolks with 1/2 cup sugar.  Temper the eggs with one cup of the hot half and half mixture, mix well.  Add egg mixture back into pan with remaining half and half.  Cook mixture to 170 degrees while stirring with a wooden spoon.  The custard should coat the back of the spoon.  Do not boil the custard.  Remove from heat and strain though mesh sieve into a bowl.  Whisk in the maple syrup reduction.  Cover surface with wax paper and chill bowl of custard at least 8 hours.  Before adding custard to ice cream freezer, take the final 1/2 cup of sugar and caramelize it in a small saucepan.  Add bacon pieces to caramelized sugar and coat pieces well.  Pour onto parchment lined cookie sheet and let harden.  Break into pieces.  Add custard to freezer and freeze until level of hardness is reached then add in the candied bacon. Place mixture into regular freezer until ready to serve.  Enjoy!!!!!
  

Sip 'n See: Apparently a Southern Tradition

So today I may have come across the most exciting thing I have seen since I found out I was pregnant (granted I have not found out the sex of my baby yet still 16 days).  For those of you who know me, you know that there is nothing I love more than entertaining.  Therefore, when it comes to getting married, having babies or just celebrating day to day life, I live to throw a good get-together. Exhibit A:  I have been dreaming about the 1st birthday party I will throw for this kid since before I was pregnant. On the flip side, I struggle when I am not the planner of these events, so I don't enjoy people throwing me parties nearly as much as I enjoy celebrating others.  Exhibit B:  I am throwing a shower for a good friend of mine on August 13 and I am already ordering invites for her bachelorette in September.  Don't get me wrong, I always enjoy and appreciate when this is done for me (and I don't have a problem begin the center of attention... I am not shy), but it takes all my self-control not to jump in a start helping throw things together.  Sooo you can imagine my surprise when I found out that you can actually throw a big party for this baby before its first birthday.

This phenomenon is called a Sip 'n See and, from what I have read, has been around in the south for quite some time.  Now, all my friends with children live in the cornfield with me, so I have never attended such an event, but I CANNOT wait to host my own... or my child's should I say.  My research shows that basically, this is an open house when people come, have drink, have a snack and swoon over my baby (no gifts of course, baby showers are over).  How can one go wrong with this?  However, I know the fatigue of being a new parent may overwhelm me, so I am already brainstorming simple appetizers that could be an option for this event.  And I can always order dessert from one of my favorite local bakeries:)  So here is one of those easy recipes below.  Even my husband could make this, granted he wouldn't eat it, but you will!  Enjoy!

Brie and Jam Bites


1 refrigerated pie crust
Brie Cheese (cubed)
Your favorite flavored jam (I use raspberry)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Roll out the pie crust and use a small dough cutter to cut into circles.  Press the crust into your pan.  I use a Demarle mini tartlet tray which makes 30, but if you don't have a one of those, use a mini muffin tray (just no need to fill the whole thing and you may also need to grease it).  According to the size of your pan, place a small cube of brie in each crust and then a small dollop of jam.  Bake for about 10-12 minutes and you are all set.  Serve them hot for best taste.

Now this obviously isn't a terribly specific recipe so add an almond or whatever else you think might taste good.  They are bite size, delicious and so easy!

One more thing... you may have noticed from exhibit b above, I think it can be all about the invite.  So in true type A personality fashion, see below for one option I found from one of my favorite websites tickledpinkdesign.net:

Tis the season... for Farmers' Market!

While the Fishers farmers' market has been open for several weeks now, I made my first trip of the season Saturday morning with my friend Lindsay and her toddler, Ms. Kendall.  This is not my first rodeo and over time, I have added a few rules to the Saturday mornings when I plan these outings:

1. Don't eat prior to the farmer's market. While there are many fresh fruits, veggies and flowers, at our farmers' market, there are also many homemade goodies ready for the picking.  This Saturday, I had a fresh soft pretzel for $1 (eat that Auntie Anne's) and an egg roll (don't judge, there is a booth just for homemade egg rolls and homemade sauce).  This does not include the samples of iced mocha, fudge and strawberries that were also consumed in smaller amounts.

2. The cash i bring= how much i will spend.  No matter what amount of cash i bring with me, that is always equal to the amount I will spend.

3. One reusable bag is never enough.  Luckily this week, a local health care provider was handing out free ones to subsidize my need for space.  I mean, when you buy a large bag of kettle corn, it takes up a lot of space.

Now, onto the produce.  I brought home some fabulous apples, potatoes, strawberries and rhubarb.  Which leads me to this weeks recipe: Strawberry and Rhubarb Tartlets with a crumb topping.  Nothing says summer to me like fresh strawberries from a local farm right up the road from us, so I bought 4 lbs... 2 to eat and 2 to cook with.  They also sell rhubarb, so I thought why not spice it up a little.  So there you have it!  The perfect dessert for summer.  Enjoy!

Strawberry and Rhubarb Tartlets with Crumb Topping

For the filling:

3 tablespoons of butter

1/2 cup of brown sugar (divided in half)

1 cup sugar

1 lemon juiced

1 tablespoon of flour2 lbs of strawberries (hulled and sliced up)

1 lb (about 3 large stalks) of rhubarb diced (just the stems, the leaves are lethal)

In a large pan, melt the butter and then add brown sugar, sugar, flour and lemon juice.  Stir until the sugar is dissolved.  Add the rhubarb and cook (stirring occasionally) for about 5-6 min.  Add the strawberries and cook for another 4-5 minutes.  Remove the filling from the heat and let cool.

For the topping:

1 cup of flour

1/2 cup of brown sugar

4 tablespoons of butter

Mix all 3 ingredients together with you hands until it is crumbly.

Now to put it all together:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  I use refrigerated pie crusts to make my life easier, but by all means, if you have a fabulous pie crust recipe, go for it.  I also use my Demarle tartlet tray (which makes 12 small tarts) and dough cutter sized appropriately to cut the dough.  While I suggest you get one of these wonderful pans (wink), you can buy tart shells in the freezer section at the grocery store also, then you wouldn't need the pie crust.  Take your pick, and pour in the the filling leaving a little room for it to bubble.  Sprinkle on a liberal amount of the crumb topping and repeat with the rest of the tartlets.  Bake for 20-25 minutes and then cool.  Serve with vanilla ice cream to make it even better.  Now this will make at least 24 tartlets, so more than one batch. You can also this it as a whole pie, just cook for 45 minutes. 

Here comes the Bride... and a baby?

So it has been a while since I shared my last recipe, but a lot has been going on.  A quick recap:

1. My best friend is getting married this Saturday (yay!), so a bachelorette party was underway May 20-22.

2. I am pregnant!  That's right, baby Pank is on the way and due to make his/her first appearance December 25!  Think of all the Christmas cookies I will be craving...

So I guess that's about all, but those are 2 very big things!  So far I have been feeling great, just needing a little more sleep.  I am 11 weeks this weeks, so almost in the clear for the nausea, etc.  Therefore, I have still been cooking, just an assorted array of items that don't make a lot of since to share on here.  However, more related to #1 on my list of recent endeavors, I did put together quite a spread for the bachelorette attendees who traveled all the way from my old Kentucky home to celebrate in Indianapolis for the weekend.  With the help of my lovely co-matron-of-honor, Miss Emily B., we had a little fiesta (you might call it) to welcome the guests when they arrived late in the evening on Friday.  Along with sangria, skinny girl margaritas & mojitos, we served taco dip, chips and salsa, fruit and, a favorite recipe of mine, weeknight enchiladas.  This recipe was given to me by the next bride-to-be in my life, Kate K.  So while I did not partake in any of the spirits, I certainly enjoyed the food.  Hope you enjoy the recipe!

Weeknight Enchiladas


3 cups chopped/shredded cooked chicken (I used my crock pot so it was super easy to shred, but a store-bought rotisserie would work just as well)
8 ounces shredded Monterey jack cheese
1/2 cup of sour cream
1 (4 1/2 oz can) of chopped green chiles
1/3 cup of chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 teaspoon cumin
8 small flour tortillas
1 (10 oz can) enchilada sauce

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  Mix the first 6 ingredients together and spoon the mixture evenly into the tortillas.  Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.  Roll up your enchiladas and place them seam side down into your baking dish.  Pour the enchilada sauce over them and pop them in the oven for 35 to 40 minutes.  Serve up with you favorite Mexican sides and enjoy!

COMING SOON! I just dropped some hard earned cash on some fabulous new cookware and a new cookbook today, so I will be back on the blogging bandwagon full time very soon.  This baby is loving home-cooked food!

Talk Derby to Me

So this weekend Louisville, KY will be home to the world renowned Kentucky Derby.  Unfortunately, I will not be in attendance this year, but many of you may.  Even if you aren't attending, perhaps you are celebrating at a Derby party.  Either way, I wanted to share a few of my favorite accessories for the most exciting 2 minutes in sports.

1. A must have from Louisville Stoneware for your Derby Pie (although that phrase is copyrighted so the dish refers to it as a Kentucky pie).  Love it!

2. A tabletop for the whole horse racing season from Pomegranate Inc.  P.S. I scored this table cloth on sale at Von Maur a couple of weeks ago... get 'em while they're hot!

3. Finally, what would the big day be without a special mint julep.  If you can't get your collector's glass from Churchill, pick up one of these classic pewter julep cups from the Maker's Mark shop.  Be sure to fill it with it's namesake as well:)

That should get you started!  And don't forget, Derby isn't the only thing coming up this weekend... get ready to show some love for the mom's on Sunday!  More to come as I prepare for a special visit from my mom and mother-in-law this weekend!

For the dogs...

Happy Easter! This weekend, the hubby and I made the trip to Louisville to meet our new niece... She is furry and has 4 legs:) For those of you who don't know, I love all things canine, so to celebrate I made some special treats for all of our furry family members. They are full of healthy ingredients and lack the sugars that human treats have. Plus they are cheaper than the ones you buy at the dog bakery. These are easy and could be made in mini muffin pans, but for effect I used a special Demarle puppy lovers tray, so they are shaped like dog bones! Hope your pups enjoy these as much as mine did!

Banana Pupcakes
2 cups of water
2 mashed bananas
1 egg
2 tablespoons of honey
1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract
3 cups of whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon of baking powder

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Combine wet ingredients then add the dry and mix. Pour into the pan and bake for 13 to 15 minutes. Cool and serve!

Welcome to the family baby Venus!

Beautiful Women and Fast Horses

This post can only be about one thing... Keeneland!  For those of you who don't know, this is a magical place that only opens twice a year to welcome racing fans, gamblers and those of us who just enjoy a good bourbon and quality time with friends.  Plus, it gives me a reason to get dressed up and wear pearls (but who really needs a reason for pearls?).  Despite the fact that it was 45 degrees and a hurricane outside, I spent my Saturday at the track.  For most of us, the best part about the day in the tailgate.  Some race fans feel it appropriate to neglect the food at a good tailgate and spend their resources on the spirits.  I personally feel that it is equally, if not more, important to eat well at your tailgate.  Ours typically consists of fried chicken and barbecue chips, but a carb-filled dessert can't hurt either!  This recipe is for those of you who recognize the need for food and spirits at Keeneland.  WARNING:  A friend of mine ate one piece of this Saturday and was instantly intoxicated.  Enjoy at your own risk!

Bourbon Cake with Bourbon Sauce

Yellow cake mix
1- 3.4 oz vanilla pudding mix
4 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup bourbon

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.  Combine all ingredients well and pour into a coated (or Demarle which needs no coating) bundt pan.  Bake for 50-55 minutes.  Cool and invert onto a plate.  Caution: I would use something with edges so when you poor the sauce on it pools around the cake.

Now to get the cake a little saucy (no pun intended)...

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup bourbon

Combine all ingredients together in a sauce pan and bring to a boil.  Simmer until the sugar is dissolved.   Poke holes in the top of the cake with a toothpick and then slowly pour the warm sauce over the cake.  It will soak up as much as it can even if some falls to the sides.  Enjoy!

Home is where the heart is

Roadtrip!  The hubby and I traveled to Lexington today, which leads me to my next recipe.  The perfect food for a road trip:

Sweet and Sassy Snack Mix
6 cups of corn Chex
2 cups of pretzels
1 cup of Cheezits
1 cup of peanuts
1 stick of butter'
3/4 cup of packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Put the first 4 ingredients in a large mixing bowl.  Melt the butter in a saucepan and add brown sugar and pepper.  Bring to a boil for one minute.  Pour the syrup over the dry mix.  Spread on a large baking sheet and bake for 8 minutes, stir, then bake for another 8 minutes. Stir and cool then gobble it up!!

Now... a quick preview... currently, myself and my inspiration (better known as my momma) are baking chocolate chip cookies for a cookout tomorrow night and a bourbon cake for our tailgate to Keeneland tomorrow.  It's the most wonderful time of the year!  And that means, look out for a new recipe Sunday.  Have a great weekend!

Special Delivery!

I am a huge advocate for small/local businesses... especially those that involve food.  No matter where I live or visit, I try to visit local shops, boutiques and restaurants.  Often times I find out that they have some of the most exciting treasures:)  So when I heard about a service here in Indianapolis called Green Bean Delivery, I signed up immediately.  This particular service drops off a weekly/biweekly "bin" full of seasonal, local and/or organic produce as well as local baked goods, dairy products and meat.  Sounds expensive right? Nope!  It is a $35 dollar minimum and you can suspend an order any time you don't need it.  No fees, no service charges, just the cost of your food.  While I have found that some items might be a tad more pricey than at Kroger, the convenience and flavor of what we get makes it all worth it.   This exact service is available in Cincinnati, but most cities have something similar.  Coops are great for local foods too.  My mother-in-law is part of a a summer vegetable coop and my friends in Boston are even part of a seafood coop.  Look into it!

My only problem... I forget to modify my order from the standard "bin".  Here is how it works: you can go on their website and specify what exactly you want, or they will fill your bin with the best of whatever produce they have.  I almost always forget to specify, so I get a fun surprise every other Tuesday:)  This week (and week before last), I got quite a few tangelos.  Now I have nothing against the citrus family, but I HATE to peel oranges, tangerines, grapefruit and said tangelos.  SO in a desperate attempt not to waste the fruit drawer full of tangelos, I made homemade tangelo sherbet.  My grandfather (love him!) had us make homemade ice cream with an old crank machine last 4th of July.  While my sometimes cynical husband was not terribly excited to stand in the sweltering KY heat and crank it, he quickly grew to appreciate how amazing good homemade ice cream can be.  I, however, use an electronic ice cream maker.  While the nostalgia is not so great, the flavor is not lacking.  Which leads me to tonight's recipe.  This is easily interchangeable with any sweet citrus fruit (oranges in particular).  Enjoy!

Tangelo Sherbet
7 oz sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 tablespoons of rind
2 cups FRESH SQUEEZED tangelo (or whatever citrus fruit) juice
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups milk (the higher the fat content, the creamier the sherbet)

In a food processor or blender, combine everything but the milk and mix until sugar is dissolved (about a minute).  Whisk in the milk and refrigerate until its very cold (like 42 degrees, usually take an hour).  Pour it into the ice cream maker and let it go until it is the consistency of soft serve cream.  Serve right then or freeze for a few more hours if you want it to firm up.  Perfect treat for the upcoming heat!

Going "Out" to Dinner

Many of you have noticed that spring is finally here.  And if you are an Indiana resident, this has been a very recent realization:)  Spring is that brief period of time when you don't sweat walking to your car and you can enjoy your patio at just about any time of the day.  This weekend marked the first of many weekend to grill and enjoy your spirits outdoors.  My favorite meal from here until Labor Day is your typical cook-out food.  For me this consists of assorted meat (hamburgers, hot dogs, pork chops, chicken, etc.), potato salad and my all-time favorite (not the mention the reason for this recipe post) BAKED BEANS!  Lady-like or not, I could eat these by the bowl full, so I had to share my recipe for this semi-homemade fave.  You can't go wrong with a recipe that calls for bacon grease and brown sugar.  Enjoy:)

Simple Baked Beans

4 or 5 slices of bacon

1/2 large onion (chopped)

2- 28oz cans of Van Camp's Pork 'n Beans

4 tablespoons of packed brown sugar
4 tablespoons of ketchup
2 tablespoons of mustard
2 tablespoons of worchestershire sauce

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  Fry your bacon in a large skillet.  Once cooked, you can toss the actual bacon or feed it to your husband because all you really want is the grease.  Add the chopped onion to the grease and saute until soft.  Remove the skillet from the heat and add in the beans (I suggest draining a little out of the can first).  Next simply add the brown sugar, ketchup, mustard and worchestershire and mix it all together.  Pour the mixture into a 9x13 baking pan and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.  This makes 8-10 servings depending on who eating, but it is easily halved for a smaller crowd.