2nd Annual Oscar Party!

This was quite an amazing gathering. Fantastic people, and oh the food! We even had a ballot that went out beforehand, and a bunch of prizes for the winner! We all sat through the whole 3 1/2 hours of bad hairstyles, beautiful gowns, painfully BAD Oscar hosts, and eating, eating, and more eating. Recipes will soon come.

Cupcake Exchange

Photos from one of our first gatherings a cupcake exchange.  Cupcakes made by Lisa, Emmy, Brenda, Nicky and Tamra.

Fwd: Roast beast sandwich

Ali made this fantastic sandwich at the My Favorite Cookbook Tasting Night held at Tamra's House in November.  This is fantastic and I love the way Ali wrote out the recipe. 
Sent from my iPhone

Begin forwarded message:

Steak N Everythings Dinner for 5-ish From Tamra's Kitchen "It's not just good, it's TAM good"   1 loaf French Bread 4 T butter (give or take preference wise) Garlic Salt  (to taste) 1 cup Shredded Parmigiano Reggiano cheese Pinch of dried parsley or other herbs you may like   1 pound sliced roast beef (I get mine from the deli counter or at Costco in a package) 2 cups sliced mushrooms ½ sliced yellow onion 1 sliced pepper-yellow, green, red, or a mixture of all of them Fresh ground pepper to taste 2 T olive oil or butter for pan   1 sandwich tomato of choice 3-6 slices of provolone cheese   This is Tamra's recipe which means it is never made the same way twice! Tamra will cook according to what has available in her kitchen at THAT MOMENT. If she doesn't have garlic salt, she'll use regular. Sometimes she uses parsley, other times not. Obviously you can't go wrong here.   This is easy. The roast beef, mushrooms, onion, and sliced peppers go into a pan with a little olive oil or butter. Tamra says to add ground pepper until you can SEE the pepper, but we like it a little spicy. Cook this like a stir-fry, when your vegetables are soft and juicy you're getting there.   Meanwhile, slice French bread like a hot-dog bun or completely into 2 flat pieces. Butter both sides. Sprinkle a little (or a lot) garlic salt on both sides. Add parigiano reggiano cheese to both sides and then sprinkle with some parsley. Pop this in your oven BROILER for 2 min or so (give or take). Watch it because it melts fast.   Assemble sandwich. Meat and vegetables mix goes on the French bread to make a sandwich. If you need to, DRAIN the extra juices out of the pan before dumping on the sandwich to avoid soggy French bread. Slices of provolone cheese, however, will help create a moisture barrier if you want extra-added-LICIOUSNESS to your sandwich. Also, we like to add tomatoes to ours.   Call me for questions! I've never written recipe instructions in my life so this all new to me.

My Favorite Christmas Treat Tasting Night

We spent a fun night at Brenda's house this month.  Brenda put together a fantastic hot chocolate bar complete with marshmallows, peppermint bark and toffee.  She served hot chocolate from beautiful alfi thermal carafes.  

I loved this tower she created with her Apilco mugs. 

Her house was decorated so cute for Christmas.  This woman really knows how to work with greenery.......I am so inspired!  

This is a cozy little nook in her house. 

Brenda also shared with us an amazing online organizing tool called evernote.  She uses this to organize recipes, to do lists and misc online finds.  I am 100% hooked. 

Becky shared this recipe for a baked brie that sounds amazing......Brenda promptly put this in evernote and then emailed it to us. 

Thanks Brenda for a fun night!

From Evernote:

Brie Appetizer

Brie at Costco

Puff Pastry at pepperidge farms (freezer)

craisins

brown sugar

cut brie in half and open up and put brown sugar and craisins on thick (layer). Put other brie top on. Puff pastry thawed out. Roll out one sheet. Put brie on and fold dough up around so it covers the cheese. (In case whole things). Turn upside down (put on greased cookie sheet ) Put an egg wash on it. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes until golden brown. Eat with crackers. Becky 

Photos from our Soup and Comfort Food night

Taco Soup and Pumpkin Lentil Soup by Nicky and Lindsey 

Fantastic Cheese Bread by Tamra 

1 1/2 cup Mayo

1 cup parmesan cheese

1/2 Bunch Green Onions

Garlic salt to taste

Put on a sliced baguette and at 400 degrees until golden brown-about 5 to 7 minutes 

These might be the best pumpkin cookies ever. Recipe from Emmy below.