Pasta with Prosciutto and Asparagus

A great new pasta dish I whipped up last night. Easy to make, not to heavy considering the cream and egg, and great flavor. I'm counting the minutes to lunch so I can have leftovers.

(Thanks for your help Marly!)


Pasta with Prosciutto and Asparagus

1 small bunch of asparagus
1 T butter
1-2 T olive oil
3 T shallot, minced
3 T garlic, minced
3/4 cup prosciutto, cut into small pieces (I use a 4oz package)
freshly ground pepper
1 egg yolk
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
2 t lemon zest
1/2 - 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan, plus more for sprinkling on top
1 package spaghetti noodles, fresh or dried (dried noodles usually make more pasta so don't use the entire package)

Bring a large pot of water to a boil for noodles.

Bring a small amount of water to boil in a small saute pan. Add asparagus and boil for 2 minutes. Remove and run under cold water to stop the cooking. Once cooled, cut the asparagus spears on the diagonal into roughly 2" pieces.

Heat a little oil in a large stockpot or sauce pan over medium-high heat. Add the prosciutto and cook, stirring regularly, until it gets crisp. Season with pepper mid-way. Remove prosciutto from pan and take pan off heat to cool.

Mix the zest, parmesan, egg yolk and cream in a bowl. Set aside.

Heat the butter and remaining oil in the same pan you used for the prosciutto. Add the shallot and sauté for a few minutes making sure not to burn. Add garlic and saute for a few minutes. Add the prosciutto and asparagus. Remove from heat.

Season pasta water with a lot of salt. Add noodles and cook according to directions. When using fresh noodles, under-cook them slightly and finish them off in the sauce. Strain pasta, reserving a 1/3 cup of the water for the sauce. Add noodles to pan with prosciutto and asparagus. Quickly pour in the egg/cream mixture and stir. The heat from the noodles will cook the egg. You want a light creamy sauce and want to avoid anything gooey. Add a little pasta water as needed. Season with pepper and salt if needed.

Spoon into bowls and top with a bit more parmesan.

Guest Blogger - Grilled Peaches over Arugula with Goat Cheese and Prosciutto

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I reached out to some friends about being guest bloggers and I love what they've been coming back with. Here is a guest blog post from my dear friend Jen. She is quite possibly the best resource for me on all things Seattle related. She is also a fan of blogs, cooking, entertaining, trying new restaurants (she's in my dinner club trio), decorating, and health and wellness topics so we hit it off when we met a few years ago. I can't wait to try her recipe this weekend when we have some friends over. (Thank you Jen!)

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Guest Blogger Jen...

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Summer is sadly coming to an end and I am in denial. Did these summer months seem to go by just as quickly for you too? I feel like unconditional happiness would abound if I could always have bare legs, open toed shoes, and the feeling of the warm sun on my shoulders when I walk out of my house every morning. Sunny days just seem to balance my world – which makes me happy. My only consolation at the end of summer (and I seriously feel like I need a consolation for just the anticipation of the long rainy months ahead) are the peaches. I love juicy, ripe peaches and, thankfully, they abound here in the Pacific Northwest at the end of summer. So, while the evenings are still warm and I can enjoy the walk around my house to our BBQ in the back yard, I am making this salad as often as possible.

OK, the picture looks a little messy, but I promise you, this is a beauty of a salad. Other upsides, you ask? Well, it’s fairly easy and it’s really low in calories, amazingly (I swear, I got this out of Cooking Light magazine!). And, keeping nicely with Colleen’s (and my) efforts to keep things “Farmer’s Market Fresh,” you should be able to get all of the major ingredients at your local farmer’s market, except for maybe the prosciutto. But that’s pretty good, right?

Grilled Peaches over Arugula with Goat Cheese and Prosciutto

1/4 cup good balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons honey
3 peaches, pitted and each cut into 6 wedges
Cooking spray
1 tablespoon good extra virgin olive oil
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Dash of kosher salt
10 cup trimmed arugula (about 10 ounces)
2 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto, cut into 1/4-inch strips
2 tablespoons crumbled goat cheese (I used more because I LOVE goat cheese!)
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Bring vinegar to a boil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Reduce heat, and simmer until vinegar is reduced to 2 tablespoons (about 2 minutes). Remove from heat; stir in honey. Cool to room temperature.

Prepare grill to high heat. Place peach wedges on grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 30 seconds on each side or until grill marks appear but peaches are still firm. Remove from grill; set aside. (My peaches took more like a minute on each side. This depends on ripeness – just be sure to monitor your peaches!)

Combine oil, pepper, and salt in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add arugula, tossing gently to coat. Arrange arugula mixture on a platter. Top with peach wedges and prosciutto. Drizzle with balsamic syrup; sprinkle with cheese.

Servings: 6

Nutritional Information

Serving size: about 1 1/3 cups arugula mixture, 3 peach wedges, about 1/3 ounce prosciutto, 1 1/2 teaspoons balsamic syrup, and 1 teaspoon cheese

Calories: 100 (36% from fat)

Fat: 4g (sat 1g,mono 2.4g,poly 0.5g)
Protein: 3.9g

Carbohydrate: 13.1g
Fiber: 1.3g

Cholesterol: 7mg
Iron: 0.8mg

Sodium: 183mg
Calcium: 61mg

Farmers Market Meal: White Bean, Sausage & Kale Soup

I got some white beans at the farmers market a few weeks ago that I've been loving. These particular beans cook much faster than traditional dry beans and I really love the texture and flavor. They're perfect for ribollita, minestrone or your own made-up hearty soup which is what I used them for last night.

What better to pair these delicious beans with than the best chicken broth ever, which happens to be your basic chicken stock recipe with a ham hock added - courtesy of Mixed Greens Blog.

I loaded up on veggies at the farmers market yesterday and had some Skagit River Ranch hot Italian sausage in the freezer plus a few leftover slices of prosciutto. All roads point to soup and there isn't much I love more on a Sunday night, or any weeknight for that matter, than a huge bowl of hearty soup.
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I consulted a few recipes (Kale and White Bean Soup from Epicurious and Pasta & Bean Soup from The Essential New York Times Cookbook) and was ready to roll. The beauty of a hearty soup like this is that you can't really mess it up. Throw in a bunch of veggies, a great stock and some flavorful meat (prosciutto, sausage or pancetta) and let her simmer for a few hours. Here's my latest version but know that any variation of this will surely be delicious.
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White Bean, Sausage & Kale Soup

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
few slices prosciutto, chopped (with the fat)
1 medium onion, chopped
3 medium carrots, halved lengthwise and sliced thin
1 or 2 celery ribs, halved lengthwise and sliced thin
4-6 cloves garlic, minced
1 t minced rosemary
2 cups chopped kale (preferably lacinato), stems and center ribs discarded and leaves coarsely chopped (roughly 5 large whole leaves or 2 or 3 handfuls of chopped kale)
1 large Yukon Gold potato, peeled and cut in half (or two small ones)
1 bay leaf
1 or 2 parmesan rinds
1 T (heaping) tomato paste or half can whole peeled tomatoes (crushed in your hand) + juices
2 1/2 quarts chicken stock (preferably homemade, preferably with a ham hock)
few handfuls dry white cannellini beans (1 1/2 cups roughly) that were soaked overnight
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 hot Italian sausage
Freshly grated parmesan for finishing

Heat the oil in a large stockpot over medium heat. Add the prosciutto and cook, stirring regularly, until it starts to crisp. Add the onion and saute for a few minutes. Add the carrots and celery. Cook and stir for about six minutes, until the vegetables are softened but not browned. Add garlic for a minute or two. Season with pepper. Add rosemary, kale, potato, bay leaf, parmesan rind (or two), chicken stock and tomato paste (or whole peeled tomatoes crushing with your hand). Stir to combine. Bring to a boil, then reduce and add the beans. Depending on the beans you buy they could take anywhere from 30 minutes to 3 hours to fully cook. Stir occasionally. While the soup simmers, heat some olive oil in a pan over medium-high heat and brown your sausage. Throw into the soup at any time. The longer it's in there the better. After the soup has cooked for an hour or so, remove the potato and mash in a small bowl, then return to the soup pot. This will create a creamier broth. (If you skip the potato you can also take out some of the soup and use an immersion blender to blend it, then return to the pot. Same effect.) Check for seasoning and serve with freshly grated parmesan.

Note: I prefer cannellini beans to Great Northern beans because they are creamier and less grainy. Normally I would cook the sausage at the beginning but I forgot I had it when I started with prosciutto, so I just added it in later. Like I said, there are no rules to a good hearty soup.
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Les Tartines

Ever since I had les tartines at Le Pichet, I've been really into making them at home for lunch. They take two minutes to make and you feel like you're picnicking in Paris. This recipe with Dijon and prosciutto is my favorite, but the butter and chevre is also delicious.

I've been buying the Pain du George from Essential Bakery. It is sold at the bakery, Delaurenti, PCC, and other grocery stores. Any fresh country bread will do though.

With Prosciutto

Country bread
Prosciutto (I like the Italian Prosciutto di Parma from Delaurenti)
Good quality Dijon
Cornichons

Spread dijon over piece of bread and top with prosciutto. Serve open-faced with cornichons on the side.


With Chevre

Country bread
Butter
Fresh chevre (I like the basil flavored one from Delaurenti)
Cornichons

Spread bread first with butter, then with chevre. Serve open-faced with cornichons on the side.

My New Favorite Pasta

My uncle is an incredible cook and I learn a lot from him. Last time he had us over I learned how to make this delicious pasta. He also used thick cut prosciutto chunks which makes it even better but I wanted a lightning fast pasta so I skipped that. If you want to try it with prosciutto though it doesn't take that much more time and is even better! In the time it takes you to read the recipe you could have made the sauce! I'm hooked on this pasta. I eat it for lunch a lot, give it to my one-year old, and served it as a first course for guests the other night. It's a hit!

Super Easy Delicious Pasta

1lb FRESH pasta noodles (sometimes they come in 10oz packages)
1 egg
3/4 container store-bought pesto (Track down a great pesto. I prefer PCC's store brand. Second best is Cibo Naturals Classic Basil Pesto.)
1/4 cup half & half
1 cup grated asiago cheese
1 t freshly ground pepper

Combine egg, half & half, pesto and pepper in a small mixing bowl. Cook pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water for a few minutes. Check directions on pasta packaging. Fresh pasta usually takes about 2 minutes. Drain pasta. Quickly add liquid mixture to the hot pot. Give the pasta a little shake (my aunt says never shake off too much liquid or rinse the pasta with cold water because the pores close up and the noodles don't absorb as much sauce). Throw noodles back in the pot on top of sauce and stir, quickly. Top with cheese and more pepper. Stir and serve with an extra little sprinkle of cheese.

*side note - fresh noodles cannot be served al dente but it really doesn't matter for this dish.

Le Déjeuner à Le Pichet

There's not much better than lunch or brunch at Le Pichet. It's a lovely little French cafe that serves consistently good food. My friend Maria and I went there for a long-overdue lunch and as usual, enjoyed every last bite.

My Le Pichet stables are:

OEufs plats, jambon et fromage
Quiche du jour
Salade verte
Pommes frites

We opted to vear from our normal path though and ordered a few new things....

Salade aux pois-chiches marinées, thon, artichauts et olives noires
“Italian tuna conserve tossed with marinated chickpeas, baby artichokes, Niçoise olives and rosemary-red wine vinaigrette”
 
Les tartines (we ordered half of each and chose a prosciutto-style ham from the charcuterie board for that half)
"Open-faced sandwich on country bread with mustard, cornichons and your choice from the charcuterie board or with warm chère, butter and cornichons”

Everything was delicious. And while it's never quite the same at home, I did think it would be an easy meal to re-create. If you get some fresh bread and good quality goat cheese or prosciutto you could easily make the open faced sandwiches. And here's the simple salad...

Salade aux pois-chiches marinées, thon, artichauts et olives noires

Italian tuna (buy great quality tuna from somewhere like Delaurenti)
Nicoise olives
Artichoke hearts (you can get great ones from Delaurenti's deli case)
Garbanzo beans
Fresh parsley

Dressing

Red wine vinegar
Lemon juice
Dijon mustard
Shallot
Garlic
Anchovy
Rosemary

I called the restaurant to find out what was in the dressing. They didn't give me quantities so just play around with it. It was on the creamier side I'm sure due to the dijon and anchovies.

Another Favorite Spring Dinner

I made this a ton last year so it was one of the first meals I was excited to revisit when asparagus was back in season. Serve as a salad and guests can make their own little flavor combos. It never fails - people love this! Perfect starter or light dinner.


Tomatoes
Fresh or whole canned tomatoes, sliced and drizzled with olive oil, balsamic, salt and pepper, then roasted until they are sweet and delicious. They are definitely the highlight of the whole plate if done right.

Asparagus
Roasted with olive oil, salt and pepper. Finished with a splash of balsamic.

Arugula
Tossed with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

Mozzarella
Good quality buffalo mozzarella, sliced (I like Delaurenti's brand fresh mozzarella).

Prosciutto
Good quality prosciutto.

Crostinis
Baguette slices brushed with olive oil, broiled until golden brown, then rubbed with raw garlic clove.

Any other antipasto ingredients
Artichoke hearts, olives, etc.

Sunday Morning Brunch

One of my all-time favorite brunch dishes is the oeufs plats at Le Pichet in Seattle. A friend and Over Cocktails reader, Michelle, sent me this family recipe which reminded me of the oeufs plats dish so I had to try it. I whipped it up this morning for our Sunday brunch and we all loved it.

This recipe is for one individual ramekin dish...

1-2 slices of canadian bacon cut into smaller pieces (I used prosciutto because they didn't have canadian bacon and it was great too. I removed the excess fat, then layered a few small pieces on the bottom of the ramekin.)

2-3 slices of roma tomato (I skipped the tomato because hubby no likey tomatie)

2 eggs (not beaten, just cracked)

Little bit of fresh thyme

salt/pepper

2 T heavy cream

Parmesan

Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees. Layer these ingredients starting with canadian bacon on the bottom, then tomato, eggs, thyme, etc. so the top will be the parmesan. Bake 12 minutes for runny eggs, 15 for cooked through.

Before...

And after...

P.S. I have to be honest and say that I messed up the recipe and didn't see that it was for one ramekin so I made each with one egg and one tablespoon cream, instead of two. That explains why they look over-cooked... because they were. They were still so good though that I can't wait for tomorrow so I can make them properly.

New Fall Dinner in my Rotation

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Friday night I made my recipe for Pasta with Prosciutto and Asparagus minus the asparagus since it's no longer in season. It's my version of a carbonara and one of my favorite recipes as of late. It's easy, fast and flavorful. A huge hit in my house. Serve with a veggie or salad and crostinis for a perfect dinner. I'm making this for the fourth week in a row if that tells you how much I like it.

And here are a few random cooking tips I was thinking about while making this dinner on Friday. No-brainers for some, but for those new to cooking these might be helpful tips.

- Throw your parmesan rinds in a bag in the freezer and use them to season soups. I throw it in ribollita, lentil soup and minestrone.

- Best way to peel garlic is the use the side of a large knife. Place the blade on top of the garlic and hold the handle with your right hand. With the palm of your left hand, pound down on the blade. It cracks the skin on the garlic and makes it really easy to peel.

- If making pasta, always get your water going before you start any prep work. Turn it to medium so when you're almost ready to go, just increase the heat to high and it's boiling in a minute or so. You never want to be waiting around for the water to boil.

- Anytime you have leftover bread (preferably a good baguette or fresh loaf), don't let it go stale and throw it away. Toss it in the food processor, then in a ziploc and onto the freezer. Next time a recipe calls for bread crumbs, reach for these instead of the store bought option.

Dinner for One

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When my husband has a work dinner or a fun guys night planned, I always try to think of something easy to make for myself and my little munchkin (assuming there aren't leftovers in the fridge). I've also had a few conversations lately with people who live alone and don't want complex dishes or too much food but crave a home-cooked meal more often than they're doing it. This inspired me to think of easy dinners for one (or one and a half). Here are some favorites. Some are more seasonal in my opinion, like the halibut and salmon recipes, so tuck those away for later. I'd love to hear about your favorite dinners for one as well. Please share!


Tomato Sauce with Onion and Butter, Smitten Kitchen

Pasta with Fried Prosciutto, Parmesan, and Butter, Orangette

Pasta with Hashed Brussels Sprouts and Pine Nuts, Orangette

Chicken Rice, Over Cocktails

Halibut with Pesto, Epicurious

Healthy Lettuce Wraps, Redbook Magazine (circa 2004)

Pork with Apples & Onions, Mad Hungry: Feeding Men & Boys

Beans & Rice, Robb Abrams

Pesto Pasta w/ a Twist, Over Cocktails

Pasta with Breadcrumbs & Capers, Over Cocktails

Grilled Salmon with Lemon-Yogurt Herb Sauce, Over Cocktails

Broiled Salmon with Herb Mustard Glaze, Giada De Laurentiis

And a new one to try:

Sesame-Garlic Soba Noodles with Fried Egg, The Kitchn

Farmers Market Goods & Weekly Meal Plan

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Asparagus is popping up at the farmers market. Hallelujah!

Monday
Pasta with Prosciutto & Asparagus
Butter lettuce salad with grapefruit & blue cheese

Tuesday
Greek chicken & potatoes
Grilled asparagus

Wednesday
Penne gorgonzola & chicken
Apron Anxiety salad
Grilled asparagus

Thursday
Roasted Asparagus with Scrambled Eggs (for breakfast, with leftover asparagus)

Friday
Lasagna

Quick & Tasty Lunch

I hosted a brunch yesterday and spent all last week mulling over menu ideas. I reached out to friends to gather ideas. My friend Jen who loves to talk about food as much as I do sent me quite a few great ideas. One of the things on her list was a recipe for Country Ham-and-Cheese Biscuit Sandwiches with Fig Jam and Heirloom Grits from Bon Appetite. I didn't end up making it for my party but I did do a quick version of it for lunch on Saturday for my hubby and me.

I bought four biscuits in the bakery section at Whole Foods. I buttered each half and topped one side with prosciutto and the other side with Dalmatia Fig Spread, then topped with slices of plain old cheddar cheese. Threw it under the broiler for a few minutes (oven rack in the middle of the oven, not up high) until the cheese was melted and the buns were warmed. Put halves together for little buttery biscuits of heaven. I loved the combination of all the flavors and it took less than 10 minutes to make. This is a keeper for sure. (Thanks Jen!!!! You're the best!)

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And if you don't already own this fig spread I highly recommend buying some. I use it a lot when I do cheese plates and I eat it on toast with butter or tahini. It is delicious.

Operation Pantry Cleanout: Quick & Easy Pasta Dinners

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I love to buy the handmade pasta from Pasteria Lucchese at the Ballard farmers market. It's frozen so it lasts forever. When you're ready to use it, just throw it straight from the freezer to the boiling water and it's done in 3-6 minutes (depending on the cut).

Part of Operation Pantry Cleanout is getting through the 10 containers of frozen pasta I have. I was looking for suggestions on how to cook a few of the pastas so I went straight to the source and emailed Sam. He had great suggestions. I liked both and would make them again. I served them with broiled asparagus and salad for a quick, delicious and satisfying dinner.

Chestnut Tagliatelle

1 package Pasteria Lucchese chestnut tagliatelle
3 T butter
1/2 t truffle oil (wild guess on the amount because I just kept sprinkling drops in)
1 cup freshly grated parmesan, plus more for serving
pepper

Bring water to a boil and add salt. Throw noodles straight from freezer to boiling water. Cook for 5 minutes. Drain noodles and throw butter in the pan to melt. Sprinkle in truffle oil, stir to combine with butter and toss noddles back in. Sprinkle with grated cheese and a sprinkle of pepper. Stir to combine, then serve with more fresh grated cheese on top.

Carrot Tagliatelle

1 package Pasteria Lucchese carrot tagliatelle
1-2 T olive oil
3 T minced shallots (approximately 1 medium shallot)
1/3 cup ham, chopped (prosciutto would work well too)
1/3 cup fresh english peas
1-2T cream
1 t lemon zest (my addition)
pepper

Bring water to a boil and add salt. Add oil to a saute pan and turn heat to medium. Saute shallots until almost done.

Add noodles to boiling water.

Toss ham in with shallots and saute for a minute. Then add peas, cream, lemon zest, and pepper. Drain the noodles and throw straight into the pan with the sauce. Toss and serve.

I threw in some grilled asparagus as well and it was tasty.
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Seattle: Best Take-Out in Town

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photo courtesy of Madison Park Blogger

My husband and I are crazy about pizza take-out from The Independent Pizzeria in Madison Park. We get it to go every week or two on the weekend when I need a break from cooking. There are lots of great pizzas to try. Our favorites right now are the Beta, the Stevedore, and last night I was really loving the Quattro Formaggi special (we added prosciutto - YUM!). They also make a good caesar salad. While it's not my favorite pizza in town - that award goes to Delancey - I would say it's a very close second. And considering we can no longer take the kiddos out to dinner, The Independent Pizzeria take-out has been a life saver when we're jonesing for some good pizza.

Asparagus: Heaven on Earth

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I wait all year long to have asparagus, and then I go crazy, eating it almost daily. Just this past Sunday at the farmers market I bought five bunches to last until this coming Sunday. There are so many fantastic ways to enjoy it: simply grilled, boiled then drizzled with sauce, stir-fried, in pasta, as a soup, you name it. Here are some ways I've prepared it although my favorite is just simple grilled or roasted. What are your favorite ways? Please share!

Asparagus with Soy Sauce & Butter

Salad with Olive Oil Poached Salmon, Asparagus and Chives

 

Asparagus Appetizer

Asparagus and Scrambled Eggs

Pasta with Prosciutto and Asparagus

Brown Rice Bowl with Chicken, Asparagus & Kale

Bulgogi (Korean Stirfry)

Spring Salad

Veggie Curry Stir-Fry

Simply Grilled or Roasted Asparagus

Asparagus 12 Ways
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These are a few of my favorite things....

I have no self control at Delaurenti so this is the appetizer I brought for our father's day dinner at the in-laws (along with a second tray of open-faced prosciutto sandwiches). You can buy everything you need at Delaurenti for a great appetizer platter. There are so many more things to include but I was getting "the look" from hubby so I had to speed it up.

Some faves:

Garlic rubbed crostinis
Fra'mani Nostrano Salami
Kerrygold Dubliner
Roasted garlic (make or buy)
Fresh chevre
Lesley Stowe Cranberry Hazelnut Raincoast Crisps
Olives
Cornichons

Breakfast Chez Moi

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One of our favorite things to do on weekend mornings is make breakfast and hang out in our jams. When the weather is cold and during the holidays (especially once the tree goes up), it's all the more fun and cozy. So, I thought I would share some links to all my breakfast posts from the past to inspire you to cook a breakfast with friends or family this holiday season.

Robbcakes

Dutch Babies

Granola

Zucchini bread

Bagel Sannies

Toasted Oats with Strawberries & Milk

Prosciutto, Cheese & Fig Biscuits

Pancakes or Waffles with Sears Famous Pancake Mix

Scrumptious Eggs

Scrambled Egg Toast

Baked French Toast

Individual Baked Eggs (oeufs plats variation)

Spinach & Cheese Strata

McMuffins

Orange Ricotta Pancakes

Urth Cafe Oatmeal

Aloha Oatmeal

Lynne's Joe's Special

Banana Muffins

Smoothies

Saveur's Breakfast Issue

What's for breakfast at your house? Frittatas? Quiche? Breakfast burritos? Any favorite recipes to share?

Roasted Salmon with Green Herbs

Photo credit: Jessica Burns

My friend Meredith made Ina's Roasted Salmon with Green Herbs for a small dinner party one night and it was delicious. She served with Ina's orzo salad (minus the shrimp) and crab strudel as the appetizer. Amazing dinner. 

I made the salmon last night for a friend and it turned out great. Quick and easy. I served with Marly's Green Bean & Kale Salad. Starter appetizer was a version of this spread - crostinis, good mozzarella, roasted tomatoes (2 kinds), basil and prosciutto. Perfect dinner for two.

Backyard BBQ to The Nines

My friend Jennie hosted a fabulous dinner party for our group of friends from college. We're a pretty casual bunch so she did a backyard BBQ but that didn't mean she was going to skimp on the details.

Her set-up was adorable. She set two big tables with red and white checked tablecloths topped with red and white flowers. She used little mason jars with name tags for drinks and made cute labels for everything that she attached with twine. I love the way she packaged the silverware and napkin in the little paper pocket with the "Dig In" label and rick rack ribbon. The cutest touch.... individual bags with a graham cracker, mini chocolate bar and marshmallows for s'mores. It was all too cute.

Not to mention the food was great! Everyone gobbled up the dinner and we hung out so late that we had two rounds of dessert. Sometimes casual is just better, but that doesn't mean you can't still make it fabulous! Nice work Jennie!

Appetizer Grilled peaches wrapped with prosciutto

Delicious cheese plate

Dinner

BBQ chicken burgers on white or wheat buns

Ina's Potato Salad with Bacon & Eggs

My mother-in-law's coleslaw

Fruit salad

Drinks

Mojitos

Wine

Beers

Root Beer

Perrier Lime

Dessert

Homemade lemon bars

Homemade brownies

Homemade chocolate chip cookies

Individually wrapped s'mores

Farmer's Market Goods & Weekly Meal Plan

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Saturday
Jamjuree (my new favorite Thai place in Seattle)

Sunday
Pork Carnitas with Shut It Down Tomatillo Sauce
Roasted asparagus

Monday
Salmon cooked in parchment paper with lemon, butter and dill
Spinach salad

Tuesday
Greek chicken and potatoes (olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, fresh & dried oregano)
Sauteed spinach with garlic and lemon juice
Butter lettuce salad with grapefruit & blue cheese

Wednesday
Chicken Caesar (with leftover chicken)
Pasta with prosciutto and ___ (any ideas?)
Kale chips

Thursday
Absolutely no clue

Friday
Dinner out