How to feed weekend guests w/o spending the weekend in the kitchen

First want to say #2 Emily was the winner in the giveaway.

This weekend was my daughters First Holy Communion and I had 10 to 15 guests in the house for any given meal.  Instead of going out to dinner every night I thought I would do some make ahead meals that were easy and kept me out of the kitchen the whole time.

Here are some great ideas to keep entertaining easy:

For the first dinner, I purchased pork tenderloins a couple of weeks before, marinated them and froze them.  I used Barefoot Contessa's Herb Marinated Pork tenderloin* recipe.  Make sure you take them out at least the day b/f to defrost. You can do this with chicken or steaks too.
I roasted asparagus, green beans and potatoes which no matter what combination you choose you can prepare them ahead and then put in the oven 40 minutes before serving.

Salad and Rolls

The dessert was also done the night before, it requires 4 hrs of chilling time so it can be made earlier the same day.  A favorite now in this family and light on the hips too!!
Cooking LIght's Chocolate Eclair Icebox Cake

Make ahead Egg casseroles* also come in handy for brunch the next day. I made mine friday afternoon for saturday late morning.

 I did not do the Monkey Bread for this weekend and the scones were a hit.  I baked them up before church.
You can also make ham biscuits up to 3 months in advance, cover them in foil, which you need to for baking purposes and then into a freezer bag.
**I like to cut the rolls down the middle like one big roll, layer the meat, cheese and butter spread and then cut them into the individual rolls.

Cut up fruit the day before just don't add the red fruits like raspberries and strawberries until right before serving.
Before church I baked the bacon at 400 degrees for 40 minutes and cooked the sausage.  I placed them into a warming drawer.

Of course I could not resist making these chocolate party favors that also served as the centerpiece.  I saw the molds at Easter time and was able to make them over a week in advance just keep in a cool place.
Dessert was homemade poundcake and cupcakes (that were made earlier and frozen then dipped in melted frosting)

Melt store bought frosting in the microwave for 15 to 30 seconds, add coloring and dip cupcake.  When dried add adornments with extra white frosting placed in a ziplock baggy.









Saturday's dinner will be a separate post later this week!

REcipes:

Herb-Marinated Pork Tenderloin
Ingredients:
Grated zest of 1 lemon
3/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (4-6 lemons)
1/2 cup olive oil, plus extra for brushing the grill
2 tbsp. minced garlic (6 cloves)
1 1/2 tbsp. minced fresh rosemary leaves
1 tbsp. chopped fresh thyme leaves
2 tsp. Dijon mustard
Kosher salt
2 pork tenderloins, about 1 lb. each
Freshly ground black pepper

Directions:
Combine the lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, rosemary, thyme, mustard, and 2 teaspoons salt in a sturdy 1-gallon Ziploc bag.  Add the pork tenderloins and turn to coat with the marinade.  Squeeze out the air and seal the bag.  Marinate the pork in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours but preferable overnight.

When you are ready to cook the pork, heat a charcoal or gas grill.  Brush the grate of the grill with oil to prevent the pork from sticking.  Remove the meat from the marinade and discard the marinade.  Sprinkle the tenderloins generously with salt and pepper.  Grill the tenderloins, turning a few times to brown on all sides, for 15-25 minutes (depending on the temperature of the grill) until the meat registers 137 degrees F at the thickest part.  Transfer the tenderloins to a platter and cover tightly with aluminum foil.  Allow to rest for 10 minutes.  Slice and serve warm with the juices that collect on the platter. 

Egg and Cheese Surprise

10 slices of bread, buttered with garlic salt.  Cut off crusts then slice bread into cubes. ( I used the white wheat bread for added nutrition)

16-20 ozs grated cheese (any kind) Prefer cheddar and swiss.

Alternate cheese and bread.  One layer bread cubes, one layer of cheeses (4 layers total)

Pour following mixture over above layers;

6 eggs (beaten well with remaining ingredients)

3 cups of milk

¼ tsp pepper

½ tsp dry mustard

½ tsp salt

Cover and refrigerate overnight in pryex 9x13 baking dish.  Bake uncovered for

 1 hr.  Allow to sit for 10 minutes before cutting.

Ham Biscuits

Can easily double this recipe and make and freeze ahead

1 stick butter, softened

2 tsp prepared mustard

2 tablespoons poppy seeds

2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1 pkg (20) party rolls

¼ lb thinly sliced ham

4 oz package sliced Swiss cheese.

Preheat oven to 350’

Combine butter, mustard, poppy sees, Worcestershire sauce

Cut rolls in half and spread mixture on both sides of rolls. Fill them with ham & cheese.

Wrap in foil, place on a baking sheet, and heat until cheese metls, 10 to 15 mintues.

Anniversary Give Away!!!

I can not believe this marks my first year of blogging.  When I started this I was not sure how long it would last.  Hopefully this past year my blog has brought you many useful ideas and recipes that you have shared with your own family and friends.
Please continue to  pass along my blog to your friends that might be interested.

In celebration of this anniversary I am giving away 2 handmade woven Headbands.  One for your daughter or yourself and one for her American Girl doll!!

Simply comment about your favorite Close To Home recipe  or idea by Tuesday, April 27th at 8:00pm EST.  Be sure to log into your google account or leave a valid email address.  I will use Random.org to pick the winner!!
Good Luck.
If you are not already a member of Close to home, subscribe and let me know in your comment!!

These are handmade by me!!

Cape Cod Salad

I had some leftover gorgonzola cheese left over from my Tri-color pepper bruschetta and found this Barefoot Contessa Salad that looked great.

I followed her directions for baking bacon and wow what a difference and no real mess.  Next time I will line my baking sheet with tin foil for a really easy clean up.
I made the bacon earlier in the day and just placed it on paper towel.  While I was letting the bacon cook I also put together the dressing.

At serving time, just assemble the apples, cranberries etc and put some dressing over them so the apples do not discolor.  Place the arugula on top and mix.
This was a tasty meal for us but  I would also have grilled or baked some chicken to make this more of an entree salad.  Also do not use all the dressing, it will be too soggy. I have about a 1/4 cup leftover for another salad.

I made the kids BLT's if they did not like the salad.  Everyone was happy and this is a really pretty and filling salad.

8 ounces thick-cut bacon, such as Niman Ranch 8 ounces baby arugula 1 large Granny Smith apple, peeled and diced ½ cup toasted walnut halves, coarsely chopped (see note) ½ cup dried cranberries 6 ounces blue cheese, such as Roquefort, crumbled For the dressing 3 tablespoons good apple cider vinegar 1 teaspoon grated orange zest 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice 2 ½ teaspoons Dijon mustard 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup Kosher salt ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 2/3 cup good olive oil

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Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Place a baking rack on a sheet pan and lay the bacon slices on the rack. Roast the bacon for about 20 minutes, until nicely browned. Allow to cool.

In a large bowl, toss together the arugula, apple, walnuts, cranberries, and blue cheese.

For the dressing, whisk together the vinegar, orange zest, orange juice, mustard, maple syrup, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and the pepper in a bowl. Slowly whisk in the olive oil.
Chop the bacon in large pieces and add it to the salad. Toss the salad with just enough dressing to moisten. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and toss well. Serve immediately. 

Repurpose a Milk or OJ carton into a planter

In theme with Earth Day today I thought I would share this fun activity that turns into a child's master piece that any teacher, grandmother etc will enjoy getting.  I just bought a six pack of flowers at Tom Leonard's for 1.79.  Talk about a great present that is inexpensive but very personal.

Wash out the carton very well.  Then using a serrated knife start cutting at the depth you want your container.  I made ours about 4 inches.  Once you get a good opening you can use a scissors to cut around the entire carton.  Clean out again and let it dry.

Using acrylic paints have your child or "child at heart" decorate the outside of the container.

Allow to dry, fill with soil and a plant.

 IT was not filled with dirt for this photo

You could cut it taller and make it a hand painted vase!

You not only saved the landfill but are giving someone something to smile about today!!

I thought I would also revisit some of my previous "reuse, reduce recycle" themed posts.  Just click on the link for more earth friendly activities.

Planting seeds in household items
Recycle while Gardening
Another way to recycle in the garden
Repurpose Furniture

Spaghetti Pie-a first but not last for me

I have never made anything like this before, I guess it can be considered a lazy lasagna but I was reading through some recipes and found spaghetti pie.  I thought I would give it a try and it was also something I could make probably up to a day ahead and bake for dinner.  I made it earlier the same day and then baked it.  Just be sure to take it out and sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before baking.
I also made it even easier by using a jar of Tomato sauce instead of making the red sauce in the original recipe. This was a good recipe and I will make it again but it will not make the Generation cookbook I am supposed to be working on....

Spaghetti Pie adapted from Allrecipes

•  (6 ounce) package spaghetti
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 pound lean ground beef or ground turkey
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon white sugar
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 Jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce- I use a simple tomato and basil.  YOu can add 1/4 cup of water to the jar once emptied to get remainder out of the jar and dilute the sauce.
• 1 or-1 1/2  cups cottage cheese or ricotta cheese
• 2 tbs fresh chopped parsley, pinch of salt and pepper optional
• 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese or 3 slices of provolone

Directions

1. Cook and drain spaghetti. Stir in margarine, parmesan cheese and eggs, while spaghetti is hot. Form spaghetti mixture into a crust in a buttered 10 inch pie plate.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
3. In a skillet cook the beef, onion, green pepper and garlic. Drain off the fat and stir in the undrained tomatoes, tomato paste, sugar and oregano.  Add the tomato sauce and season as desired with oregano and basil. Heat through.
4. Mix parsley and salt and pepper with cottage cheese together. Spread cottage cheese over the spaghetti crust then pour in the beef and tomato mixture. Make sure to cover all the noodles or they will dry out in the cooking process.
5. If you are preparing ahead, let the pie cool slightly, cover and place in Fridge.  TAKE OUT 30 minutes before baking.
6. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 20 minutes. Sprinkle mozzarella or provolone cheese over the top of the pie then bake for 5 minutes longer, until cheese melts.

 HINT
I ended up baking it and then placing it into our warming drawer.  You must cover it or it will dry out on the edges.  Otherwise good quick meal the kids will enjoy too.
You can make this low fat by using lean meats and low fat cheeses.

Bunco night continuted...more make ahead appetizers

Well I could not post the other recipes I was doing ahead for Tuesday's Bunco night because they had to be baked the night of.  However now,  I thought I would share with you the recipes of two great appetizers that you can start the day before and just bake and assemble the night of.

My favorite go to dip is Spinach Dip Ole from Virginia Fare.  It is a substantial dip that even guys will enjoy.  Often referred to as a "man dip" and with a few modifications of ingredients it can be less fattening for the ladies!!

Also if you have any leftovers, you can put it back in the fridge and heat up a small serving the the microwave for a tasty snack.

Recipe:
Spinach Dip OLe'
1 10oz pkg of frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1 (16 oz) jar salsa (med or hot)
1 (41/2 oz) can black olives, drained and sliced (I just buy the pre sliced)
1 (8 oz) package cream cheese-room temperature (I used 1/3 less fat)
2 cups grated Monterey Jack Cheese (or any cheddar blend you have on hand)
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

The night before:
Combine all ingredients in a bowl.  I use a hand mixer.  Pour into a shallow baking dish.
Place into fridge covered.
Day of:
Preheat oven to 400'
Take dip out of the fridge and sit out for 30 minutes.
Bake uncovered for approx. 35 minutes until bubbly and top is brown.  Serve with tortilla chips.

 Picture shot before they were baked

The Next recipe I used the cut up peppers from Trader Joes and sautéed them the day before and put them in the fridge.

The next day I took them out 1 hr before serving and heated them slightly in the microwave.
I assembled the bruschetta right before the girls arrived and let them sit out until I put them in the oven when the first guests were getting their drinks.

To get the recipe click here: Bruschetta with peppers and gorgonzola
Just replace the 4 bell peppers in the recipe for the bag of sliced bell peppers from Trader Joes.

Here were a few touches I use when I host Bunco.  Dollar store "car dice" and dice beads on earring loops can make an inexpensive yet thoughtful  touch to your girls night.

Chocolate Oat Bars-No baking required

This weekend I have been busy in the kitchen trying to come up with make ahead treats for bunco on Tuesday night and family visitors next weekend.  For those not familiar with bunco you have 3 tables of 4 women and usually at each table you have some sort of snack or two.  Well I am not sure how much time you all have between dinner and 7:30 pm with children but anything I can make ahead I am all over it.

As I was breezing through my cookbooks I found a printed recipe given to me by a friend several years ago.  I have not made it in a while and when the directions stated: freezes well, no oven needed to be turned on;and I had all the ingredients at home already, I started right away.  Thanks Colleen!

This is not stated in the original recipe but I lined the pan with tin foil so I could easily pull out the entire pan and cut it without worry about scratching my pan.

Chocolate Oat Bars

1 cup ( 2 sticks) butter or margarine  3/4 cup( 1 1/2 sticks) butter or margarine*

1/2 cup of firmly packed brown sugar

1 tsp Vanilla

3 cups uncooked quick oats

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup crunchy or creamy peanut butter

1/4 cup mini chocolate chips--Optional

*I felt the original recipe mixture had a lot of butter at the bottom of the pan and could use a little less butter.  This is not tested just a thought.

Grease 9 inch square baking pan. Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat.  Add sugar and vanilla;mix will  Add the oats to the pan.

Cook over low heat 2 or 3 minutes or until ingredients are well -blended.

Press half of the mixture into prepared pan.  Use back of large spoon to spread mixture evenly.

Melt chocolate chips in small heavy saucepan over low heat, stirring occasionally. (or just microwave, I used a  2 cup liquid measuring glass)

Stir in peanut butter.

Pour chocolate mixture over oat mixture in pan;spread evenly with a knife or back of spoon.

Crumble remaining oat mixture over chocolate layer, pressing in gently.(you can add the optional mini or regular chocolate chips now too)

Cover and refrigerate 2 or 3 hrs or overnight.  Bring to room temperature to cut into bars.

(Bars can be frozen;let thaw at least 10 minutes before serving).

This is a very rich bar so I cut them fairly small.  My husband tried one and agreed.

Stay tuned to other make ahead treats.  I  cooked up some bell peppers this evening for savory treat.  The best part I found a frozen bag of cut of peppers at Trader Joe's and they worked out great.  Plus it was much cheaper than buying 3 different peppers. 

 I also made and froze Cranberry Scones but used Barefoot Contessa's Recipe this time.  The dough was much stickier than the recipe I recently posted  but I baked up a few and my family enjoyed them.

Barefoot Bloggers-Raisin Pecan Oatmeal Cookies

Leslie of  http://lethallydelicious.blogspot.com/ picked this month's first recipe for Barefoot Bloggers, Raisin Pecan Oatmeal Cookies.  I actually watched Ina's episode on this a few weeks ago and thought those look tasty.  I have never really made any of her cookie recipes so I was thrilled to have the chance to make this cookie.

I did not have white AP flour, somehow I did not have the extra 5 lb bag that is hiding in the back of my pantry, so I used the white wheat flour.  I also only had quick oats, she recommends the Irish Oats but not only are they more expensive I have a large tub of the other.

Differences from Ina's:

My scoop must have been larger than hers as I only scooped out 26 cookies.Also,  I am not sure if it was the size of the cookie lump or the wheat flour but mine did not get as flat, but that was fine with me.  I like a chewy cookie.




Result

A chewy and dense Oatmeal Raisin Cookie.  Definitely on the sweet side and I eliminated 1/4 cup of the white sugar per a review on foodnetwork. However,they seem so hardy why not have it for breakfast too!  Using dark brown sugar definitely gives it a richer taste, so if you can wait to get to the grocery store to get some, definitely do.

Also if you don't want to make or eat them all today check out my posting on cookie dough.    This might be my new standby Oatmeal cookie, with a few chocolate chips added in!

Here is the recipe:

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups pecans
• 1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup dark brown sugar, lightly packed
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 3 cups old-fashioned oatmeal
• 1 1/2 cups raisins

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Place the pecans on a sheet pan and bake for 5 minutes, until crisp. Set aside to cool. Chop very coarsely.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. With the mixer on low, add the eggs, one at a time, and the vanilla.

Sift the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt together into a medium bowl. With the mixer on low, slowly add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture. Add the oats, raisins, and pecans and mix just until combined.

Using a small ice-cream scoop or a tablespoon, drop 2-inch mounds of dough onto sheet pans lined with parchment paper. Flatten slightly with a damp hand. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until lightly browned. Transfer the cookies to a baking rack and cool completely.

Spring Has Sprung,now start planting seeds in items you have at home

Spring has definitely arrived in Richmond.  It was 88 degrees today.  I am not sure if my broccoli I planted will survive this intense heat.  If you have not already started prepping your garden now is a good time to turn over your soil and add some amendments like compost and more manure.

This is also a good time to start some summer flowers and veggies.  However, don't feel like you have to spend a lot of money on those disposable greenhouses they sell.  You have most of the items at home.  You only need to buy some potting soil, seed starter or peet seed pellets (30 for $2.00 at walmart).  The rest you probably already have.

This year I made a green house out of cleaned out egg shells and the plastic egg carton it came in.  Just add some potting soil, moisten the dirt, add your seeds and cover.  In a few weeks you will have the beginnings of a plant.  Just be sure to crack the egg at the bottom when you plant it.  This serves additional nutrients for the plants in the ground too.

I also used old items from previous flower purchases.  I added a peat pellets into each slot, added the seeds and placed the containers into an old strawberry container.   Be sure to check on these after a few days so they don't dry out.

I also found cow pots at the local nursery and remembered seeing a segment about them on Martha Stewart last year.  I thought I would try them.  I added a peat pellet to some and just potting soil to the others.  Placed them in an old garden tray you get when you buy flowers at the nursery.  I then used a clear plastic cover from lettuce container at the top.  Be sure to remove the tops when the plants starts to grow taller.

If you don't want anything fancy just use the containers from the nursery fill it will soil and add seeds.  This will work as well just have to thin the plants a little more.

Hope you find success and save some money with these garden tips.  Also reread

reuse-potscell-packs-from-purchased plants for more tips

A Few More Easter Treats

I was shopping at Fresh Market the other day and briefly looked at the fun display of Easter treats they had towards  the check out lines.  I saw Chocolate Covered rice krispy treats on a stick.  But what really caught my eye was the cute "chick" decoration.  I said to myself, I can do this...  Well here is what I ended up with:

When I  stopped at Ukrops to get the ingredients for Rice Krispy Treats and saw a box of 8 treats were on sale for $2.00, I could not resist.  This will save me time plus I know they will stay  soft since they have some extra ingredients I am sure!

 I melted some chocolate chips in the microwave and added a tablespoon of shortening to make it a little smoother.  I am not sure if I over heated the chocolate b/c I was in a hurry but it did not come out smooth and I was not about to waste more chocolate to try again.

I inserted a popsicle stick and dipped the treat into the chocolate covering the entire cookie.
I pushed in a yellow chocolate disc and allowed the entire thing to dry for about 1 hr.  You can speed up the process by putting it into the fridge but I was distracted by my next treat that I was in no rush.

After they dried I used black and red icing to finish the decorations.  I did not have orange or else I would have used that for the beak and legs.  Besides the bumpy chocolate I think any child would gladly accept these treats when offered.

I had some leftover chocolate and decided to try some chocolate covered Oreos too!

I also found  these icing decorations in the back of my pantry.  I am sure I bought them a few Easters back on sale after the holiday.  On the back it says they will stay fresh indefinitely....

 Be sure to blot the stick or holder into the oreo with chocolate so it stays securely.




Well I think you have learned that I often go off on tangents when doing a project. I picked up some Pretzel snaps at the store as well and converted my Pretzel Treats into little chicks.  To find the pretzel treat directions follow this Link.

I did not have any orange m&m's so  I cut jelly beans in half for the beaks and I had  black and orange sprinkles from halloween that I used for the eyes.  I think they turned out pretty cute!!

TIP:
I did learn that if you don't have a tweezer to pick up the tiny adornment candies, lightly dip a toothpick into the chocolate and use the tip to pick up individual pieces.  Just work quickly because the chocolate and candy will dry.  Also gently press the eye into the chocolate disc or they will fall off when it is  hardend.