More Pinterest yumminess!

I should have titled this series "Seven Days of Pinterest" rather than "Pinterest Week."  That might have given me more flexibility on my time-challenged issues!

So here it is:  Day # 5 of the longest Pinterest Week of your life!  But sooo worth the wait!

Pulled Pork Tacos with Pineapple Salsa
from
Cheryl Style

 We had this for a big family birthday celebration for my DD#2's bday.  What a deal!  Two bone-in pork shoulders simmering in two big crockpots and we had dinner for 17 people (and one extra hungry, lacrosse-playing son!) with leftovers for lunch!

The verdict:  PIN IT!










Changes I made:

• I used bone-in pork shoulder.  It was cheaper and the bone gives good flavor to the meat...  And they were out of boneless.
• I popped it in the crockpot the day before the party while we were cheering Navy on to victory against Hawaii so it never got turned and cooked for a bit longer than the recipe recommended.  It didn't seem to hurt it a bit.
• The next day, I added about a tablespoon of chili powder to the pork because I thought it needed a bit of heat.  I put the pork in a large roaster pan, covered it with foil and put it in the oven at 325 to reheat.  The extra time in the oven the next day allowed the flavors to really meld and caramelized the meat a bit.
• I made the salsa just like the recipe, but left in the seeds, etc in the jalapeños because we like things a bit spicy here at Casa Feasts and Fabrics.

This was an amazingly cost effective, prep-ahead, and delicious way to feed a crowd.  And since all the work was done the day before…I got to enjoy the party too!

One last tip orginally from the oh-so-smart Ina Garten:  Put your effort into a couple important parts of the meal and then cut yourself a break and buy part of it.  

My gift to me:  

Cupcakes from Cupcakes Actually.

So decadent!

My husband graciously volunteered to taste-test and choose the flavors for the assortment.  Such a big help my hubby!  :-)

Day #5 of Pinterest "Week"  a real crowd-pleaser!

Wondering where all the fabrics have gone?  I have several projects in the works.  I ordered some gray knit for my version of the luxe sweatshirt, but it turned out to not be what I was thinking - too sheer and sparkly.  I'm waiting on another order and hoping that it is more what I was hoping for.  I so miss neighborhood fabric stores where you could actually see and touch the fabrics!

Savory and Sweet

This is a two-fer post.  For the savory, I made a delicious White Bean Soup with Andouille and Collards in the crockpot this weekend...

White Bean Soup with Andouille and Collards 

This recipe is from the same  Real Simple magazine that I got the recipe for the Roast Beef Sandwiches a few posts ago.

This recipe was a winner!  It was fast - Came together in under 15 minutes - and it did all the cooking by itself while I was off walking and shopping and otherwise having fun on my weekend!  Gotta love crockpots!

Scrumptious with a nice crusty bread!

Hubby and I loved this!  The beans were soft and creamy and the sausage was chewy and spicy. And it is healthy for you too!  See all the green?

...and then for dessert later in the weekend some Cinnamon-Spice Praline Cupcakes. 

Cinnamon Spice Praline Cupcakes

I found this recipe on the web at Sweet Pea's Kitchen and modified it for what I had on hand.  I cut out the apple and dulce de leche filling- too much for me! -  and renamed them to fit the new flavor combo.

Cinnamon-Spice Praline Cupcakes

Savory and Sweet...Perfect!

Slow Cooker White Bean Soup with Andouille and Collards

Real Simple Fall 2012/winter 2013

1 pound dried white beans 

8 cups chicken broth

1/2 pound Andouille Sausage links 

(I used low-fat so I put in more)

1 large onion, chopped

2 stalks celery, chopped 

4 sprigs fresh thyme

1 bunch collard greens, stems discarded and leaves cut into bite-sized pieces (about 8 cups)

1 Tbsp red wine vinegar

Kosher salt and black pepper

(I gilded the lily with some shavings of a good pecorino romano on top!)

• In a 4-6 quart slow cooker, combine the beans, broth, sausage, onion, celery and thyme.  Cover and cook until the beans are tender, on low for 7 to 8 hours or on high for 4 to 5 hours.
• Twenty minutes before serving discard the thyme stems, add the collard greens, cover, and cook until the greens are tender, 15 to 20 minutes.  Add the vinegar and 1/2 tsp each salt and pepper.
• Shave the cheese on top and serve with slices of crusty bread.

Serves 6 - Generously

Cinnamon-Spice Praline Cupcakes

For the cupcakes:

Prepare 1 package of yellow cake mix according to directions except add:

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp allspice

1/4 tsp nutmeg

Bake as directed

For the frosting:

16 Tbsp (2 sticks) unsalted butter

(I used regular butter - it was in the fridge- and just eliminated the salt)

1/2 tsp salt

2 cups packed light brown sugar

1/2 cup whole milk 

(I used skim cuz it's what I had and it turned out fine)

2 tsp vanilla extract

4 cups powdered sugar

• Melt the butter in a heavy bottom saucepan over medium heat.  Stir in salt and brown sugar and bring to a boil, stirring constantly.  Stir over low heat until sugar is dissolved, 2-3 minutes.
• Carefully stir in the milk (Do this little by little because it will want to pop up at you!)  bring back to a boil, stirring constantly.  
• Remove from heat and add in vanilla - carefully - see note above.
• Cool to luke-warm (30-40 Minutes) stirring occasionally.  I think that I needed to cool it a bit more so don't get in too big a rush here.
• Once the caramel is barely luke-warm, transfer to a mixture and add the powdered sugar.  Beat the frosting until it is light and fluffy.  You can adjust the consistency by adding more milk or sugar as needed.
• Add frosting to a piping bag or large baggie with the corner cut out and pipe frosting onto cupcakes.
• I added some pecans on top - What is a praline without pecans????

Some thought these were a bit too sweet, but they were a hit at work!  Try 'em out and let me know what you think...Too sweet or just right?

Garden Birthday party for Mom

Thanks to a family group effort, the garden party for Mom's birthday was a success!  The food was delicious and the decorations turned out just the way we'd hoped!  Unfortunately, my picture-taking was less than wonderful.  (I discovered that it is hard to hostess and photograph for a blog at the same time!)  

Here is an idea of some of the decorations that we set up on the deck:

Blurry picture - but you kinda get the idea...

We set up lots of candles on the tables and more candles in the wooded area - including hanging candles in the trees.

This picture came out!  Yay!

There were flowers all over the deck and twinkle lights on the railings.  It really looked pretty as the sun began to set...You'll have to believe me because the pictures are not so great...

We set up the food buffet in the house.

We wrapped the bamboo forks and knives in the napkins and then tucked in a sprig of fresh rosemary.

Here's a look at the food on the buffet.  We had plenty of food!

Lamb with a Matzo crumb crust and citrus sauce:

Turkey Breast Stuffed with Prosciutto, Parmesan and Pine Nuts

This is from an old BH&G magazine that I saved.  I'm too tired to write the recipe tonight, but I will if I get a request in comments...

Sweet and Yukon Gold Potato Gratin and Marinated Green Beans with Tomatoes and Olives:

Find the recipe for the green beans here.

And...The Grand finale...

Chocolate Cherry Port Wine Cupcakes with Marscapone Frosting

Find the recipe here.

It was truly a group effort to get all the cooking done!  My sister made the lamb.  I worked on the turkey.  My brother was in charge of the green beans and my daughter made the cupcakes.  And then there were appetizers and drinks and coffee...At one point, I am pretty sure that there were about 12 people in my kitchen all working together to make this party happen for Mom! Literally!

Thank goodness my brother was able to get some nice photos of the food! 

In the end the party was a blast!  We were able to celebrate Mom's birthday and have a mini family reunion too. (We were missing my Navy girl, though!)

And the best part...There were enough leftovers to do it all again the next night with just family.  

What a wonderful way to end the summer!  I hope that you had a wonderful summer and are looking forward to your own family feasts this fall.

Love,

Pam