Appetizer platter and hummus dips

I am obsessed with appetizer platters.  I love making them a bit unique and always try to incorporate my own personal twist.  We had friends stop by and I wanted to create something that would remind us all of fall.  So, I made my three favorite hummus dips … Avocado Hummus, Beet Hummus, and Basil Hummus.

My cheese party platter.

Then, I brought in the different cheeses.  I included Cheddar, Parmigiano, Brie, and a super neutral mild cheese. I also added some baked cheese, just for fun.

I also added some fruit, such as pears and grapes, because they seem to be a favorite among this group of friends.  Of course, crackers and chips are also a favorite, not only with the cheese but with the hummus dips. The crackers were all store-bought name brand.  Nothing fancy or expensive, since this group of friends had no preference for fancy crackers and to be honest, I think they are a total waste of money.

Last but not least, I added some fun elements which my friends may have not expected.  A little bit of honey (which is DELICIOUS with the baked cheese) as well as almonds, preserves (for the Brie) and dark chocolate which goes wonderfully with the parmigiana cheese.

Breakfast Buffet

I love it when I get to be chosen to host a parent coffee.  Breakfast is such a fun buffet to prepare, although I’m not always keen on waking up super early to get everything organized.  The good news, is if you plan it right, you can have mostly everything prepared the night before and simply lay things out the morning of the party.

These photos are from a parent coffee buffet I quickly created.

Deviled eggs, bagels, croissants, and fruit.

I made the spicy deviled eggs the night before, which is perfect because it gave them a chance to really soak in the flavor. The bagels and pastries were purchased that morning, after I dropped the kids off at school.  I had also prepared the butter and cream cheese the night before and stored them covered in the fridge.

Quiches, cheese, and crackers.

The simple quiches were made on the morning of. They are super simple to make and best of all, they make the house smell delicious for when the guests arrive. I added the cheese and crackers (because it’s so European and delicious) and as you can tell, they are simply Triscuits and cheddar cheese.  Just scooped them out of the packet… nothing too fancy.

All in all, the parent coffee was a huge success and I enjoyed putting it together.

Beautiful patriotic party by my friend, Gina.

Not long ago, my beautiful friend, Gina, invited me to a creative and patriotic BBQ.  Her family created an unforgettable buffet filled with delicious food and beautifully arranged table.  She served fruits, vegetables, chips, dips, nuts, and so much more.  It was truly unforgettable.

I love how Gina used red, white, and blue bandanas to create a patriotic feel to the party theme.  The bandanas served as table runners and had different designs to bring some creative interest.

She also used baskets, melamine, crystal, glass, metal, and other dishes to make a fun eclectic look rather than making everything matchy-matchy.

Being able to use all the items you have in a creative way is one of the best skills a hostess can have.  Many times, each piece has a story.  I like to ask my friends how they came in possession of certain serving pieces.  Sometimes they are fun stories with lots of laughs and others are just simple like “I picked it up at Homegoods or Target”.

Again, bandanas are used as napkins, tying in the decorations from the buffet.  Also, her daughter made the place cards and added little fireworks images to tie in with the props they used as place card holders.  Just LOVE the creativity!!

I forgot to post this oldie but goodie on my blog.  A few years ago I did a fun segment on Better Kansas City on how to create a delicious and easy S’Mores Bar.  This idea is super simple and requires very little prep.  Prior to my party, I created my platter with the Godiva Chocolate Squares.  Then, for the “extras”,  I just prepared some sandwich bags filled with the ingredients I wanted to include inside my S’Mores and when it was time to serve, I just quickly put them into white plates and Voila…. DONE!!  We used stereos for our fire source inside the house.

Here’s a beautiful Godiva S’Mores Platter. Includes Godiva chocolates, graham crackers, pretzel sticks, marshmallows and more!

Robin’s beautiful Girls Game Night Buffet filled with a variety of food items to accommodate various dietary options.

I treat invitations to parties a lot like invitations to dance, I NEVER SAY NO! Unless we have a conflict that evening or we’re out of town, I try my best to attend, bring something delicious, and have a fabulous time.  However, there are caveats. Brace yourselves, I’m about to share something crazy… I’m not a big fan of game nights… there… I said it!  Most people love game nights, but I’m a bit more complicated than most people, especially if the host does not want to disclose what game we’re playing… I guess you can call me a bit of a control freak!

But recently, a friend of mine sent me an invitation to her Girls Game Night.  As I always do, I asked “What can I bring?”.  She asked me to bring  a fruit platter and my mind was immediately at ease because at that moment I knew… FOOD WILL BE SERVED!!

Party food is my weakness, I will show up practically anywhere to partake in delicious party fare.  I love seeing what hosts have put together in order to impress their guests or what menu they feel is relevant to their occasion.  Yes folks, this is my passion. I especially love appetizers.  You can even ask our friends.  If you expect my family to come over for dinner, brace yourselves because we will clean off all your appetizer plates, my children included. I’m sure we are breaking some or even ALL the rules of being a good guest, but that’s just the way we are. We may take a few bites from your dinner buffet, but your appetizer set up will disappear! This goes the same when you come to our house for dinner.  Most guests are shocked at how many appetizers we put out and truth be told, if we could JUST serve appetizers, we would! So, when I was invited to a party where I knew most of the food will be appetizers (like a game night), there was NO WAY I was going to miss out on that! Plus, Robin is one of those stealth hostesses.  She never talks about entertaining, but come to one of her parties, you will be amazed at how she entertains like a pro!

Robin’s Girls Game Night was fabulous.  First of all, I have to give her credit, she knew her guest list well.  This all female group was sure to have some dietary restrictions. Carb free, gluten sensitivities, vegetarian, and we’re just talking about ME.  But there were also guests who just wanted to eat healthy and avoid red meat. Yet again, Robin handled everything like a pro.

Here are the five tips I learned from her party.

DON’T OMIT THE CARBS! Unless you know that every person you are inviting is on a carb-free plan, don’t forget to set a few delicious carbohydrates on the buffet. They help fill people up, plus… they are delicious!

Robin’s beautiful Girls Game Night Buffet filled with a variety of food items to accommodate various dietary options.

2. CONSIDER AN INTERESTING SELECTION OF SALADS. Salad for a game night? Yes, especially when you want to keep it healthy.  I’m not a big fan of just finger food on game night, simply because I hate having to clean my game board or game pieces of powdered cheese or red sauce. I’ve read on various blogs that if you can’t eat it with your fingers or a stick, the food item should not be served on game night.  I disagree! Having food items which can be eaten with a fork is totally OK.  In fact, it gives people the opportunity to take a break, step away from the game table and serve themselves. I loved Robin’s idea of serving pasta, cucumber, and Mediterranean style salads.

Girl’s Game Night Buffet… loved the fruit and vegetable platters. A must at any party!

3.  VEGGIE + FRUIT PLATTER ARE ALWAYS WELCOMED. No matter the guest list, a fruit and vegetable platter is a must. These platters can accommodate any guest and bring beautiful color to the table.

4. CHEESE, CHEESE, CHEESE. This is another great platter to incorporate into any game night buffet. It appeals to the low-carb guest and it’s wonderful  accompanied with a complementary wine, if you are planning on serving alcohol.

5. SURPRISE YOUR GUESTS WITH SOMETHING UNIQUE. There’s a significant difference between a girls game night and a super bowl party! You don’t have to think potato skins, chicken wings, pigs in a blanket, meatballs, or the many expected dishes during a sports game night. Women love to be surprised with a unique and healthy dish, something they may even try to prepare on their own in the future.  Robin served salmon which paired wonderfully with the hand-crafted olive bread, salads, and vegetables. The presentation was so beautiful and the salmon disappeared! We all wanted the recipe!

What can I say, my friends know how to party!! I am just IN LOVE with this gorgeous and super sophisticated “snackadium” my friend Robynn assembled.  Most of the plates were elevated, although it’s hard to see in this photo.  And although it didn’t have a traditional stadium look, it still fit the bill.  If you think it looks good in the photo, you should have seen it live in person!  I also loved that she incorporated some healthy buffet items.  Two thumbs up!!

As always, I had a wonderful time on Better Kansas City on KCTV 5!  For this show, I made delicious vegan and vegetarian salads that would be perfect for your Easter celebration or any celebration for that matter!  If there is anything I have learned while prepping for parties, it’s to make as many dishes ahead of time as possible.  I can’t tell you how much easier it makes things on the day of the event.  These salads are perfect for just that!  Each one is made from delicious ancient grains that are rich, filling, and good for you.  And if the fact that they are delicious and healthy is not enough for you,  what if I told you that the longer they stayed in the refrigerator, the better they taste?!  So now you see why I LOVE these salads and hope you will too!

Lisa and I after our segment. Love her!!!

Santa Fe Quinoa Salad (lowest bowl), Mint and Green Beans Barley Salad (middle bowl), and Feta and Mint Orzo salads (top bowl) (all are on the left) and Santa Fe Quinoa Salsa with chips and bread (right)

RECIPES

Santa Fe Quinoa Salad 
You can't get more perfect than Quinoa, With its mild flavor, light crunch
and impressive protein content, quinoa is the perfect gluten-free and
non-GMO substitute for pasta, rice or couscous. The below salad is fabulous
for any party and can be prepared ahead and stored for up to three days or
more! 

Serves 6-8 

Six cups of cooked Quinoa
1 can of black beans
1 cup of cilantro 
1 cup of frozen corn or one can of canned corn
1 cup of red pepper (chopped)
1/4 cup of chopped red onion
1 cup of chopped tomatoes
1 avocado

Dressing
1/2 cup Olive oil
2 Garlic Cloves Minced
1 teaspoon of cumin
2 tblsp of lime juice
1 tsp honey
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions
In a bowl combine your black beans, red pepper, corn, onion, cilantro, and
cooked quinoa.

Whisk together the lime juice, olive oil, garlic, cumin, pepper and honey
together and toss over bean and corn mixture.

Refrigerator for at least 15-20 minutes

When ready to serve, add your tomato, cilantro, and avocado. Gently toss and
combine well.

If you plan on refrigerating this salad for a couple of day, leave out the
tomatoes and avocados until right before serving.

You can serve this just as a salad or add just a bit of quinoa and instead
serve the "salad" with crackers or chips, more like a dip. 

Orzo and Feta Salad with Lemon and Mint

Orzo is a delicious pasta which takes this spring and summer salad to a
whole new level.  Orzo is simple to prepare, is small in size, and has a
wonderful ability to soak in flavors from other ingredients.  It's a perfect
addition to soups, pilafs, and SALADS!!

Serves 2-4

4 cups of cooked orzo
1 cup finely diced yellow bell pepper
2 finely diced large cucumbers (remove seeds)
4-6 oz of Feta cheese
4 tbsp minced fresh mint leaves


Dressing
1/3 cup of minced shallots
1/4 cup of Olive oil
3 tbsp of fresh lemon juice
1 minced garlic clove
1/2 teaspoon of finely grated lemon zest
salt and pepper to taste

Combine the ingredients for the dressing... olive oil, shallots, lemon
juice, garlic, lemon zest and salt and pepper.  Mix until well blended.

For the salad combine cooked orzo, yellow bell pepper, cucumbers, mint, and
feta cheese.

Pour salad dressing over salad and toss well.  You can serve immediately or
for an even more intense flavor, let sit for 1-2 hours at room temperature.


If you plan on making this salad a few days before eating, leave the mint
off until right before serving.

Spring and Summer Barley Salad with Mint and Green Beans

Whole grain barley is a healthy high-fiber, high-protein whole grain
boasting numerous health benefits. When cooked, barley has a chewy texture
and nutty flavor, similar to brown rice. Although soup is the most popular
way to eat barley, it was wonderful for salads as well.  

4 cups of cooked barley
1 cup of green beans (steamed and cut into one inch pieces)
1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 shallots (minced)
3 (about 1 cup) ounces white mushrooms (stems discarded and sliced thin).
2 fresh lemons (juiced)
2 tbsp minced fresh mint
2 tbsp minced fresh flat leaf parsley
salt and pepper to taste

Heat 3 tbsp of olive oi in a small pan and cook the shallots unitl softened.
Add the sliced mushrooms and cook until mushrooms have given off their
liquid and it has evaporated. Add lemon juice and parsley. Salt and pepper
to taste and let cool.

When mixture is cool, pour over the barley and set aside.  Whisk together
the remaining olive oil with the juice from one lemon. Pour the mixture over
barley and toss everything until well blended.

It’s no secret, my youngest boy loves PEEPS and since his birthday falls around Easter, there is no shortage of the cute little colorful bunnies and chicks decorating store shelves and calling out our names.  So why fight it?

Each year, my kids and I purchase a crazy amount of PEEPS boxes and set out to create our PEEPS creations.  In the years past, I’ve had them create centerpieces and edible treats.  This year, we decided to create story ideas on construction paper.  We also invited a couple of their friends to join us.  The kids had a blast and came up with some funny ideas.  Next year, we are going to continue with this tradition and invite even more friends.  It’s so fun to see their imaginations take off, even if it involves marshmallow bunnies and chicks!

PEEPS table, ready for some creativity!

We used PEEPS, jelly beans, paper grass, and markers as our art supplies

PEEPS Pikachu

We used PEEPS, jelly beans, paper grass, and markers

PEEPS Picnic

PEEPS comics

PEEPs Easter Egg Hunt

PEEPS owl

As always, hanging out with the wonderful people at Better Kansas City is always a treat! On yesterday’s Valentine’s Day inspired show I showed Lisa Teachman a few fun recipes.  May I quickly add that I feel proud that I was the reason she tried beets for the first time!  You gotta love it when you can inspire people to try a fun recipe or experience a new foods!

My three recipes included a Beet Hummus (Brace yourself… this stuff is AH-MAZING!!!), No Bake Paleo Cookies, and home-made chocolates filled with fun and healthy ingredients.  So, without further delay, here are the recipes.  Enjoy!!

ROASTED BEET HUMMUS + BAKED HEART TORTILLA CHIPS

1 cup of roasteded beets (directions to roast below)
1 15 oz. can white kidney beans (mostly drained)
zest of one large lemon
juice of half a large lemon
healthy pinch salt and black pepper
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1. Slice beets into thick slices and toss in olive oil with a generous portion of salt, pepper, and your favorite dried and/or fresh herbs. I love to toss mine with dried rosemary and oregano. Roast at 400 for approximately 15-20 minutes.

2. Let beets cool and place them in a food processor. Add, olive oil, beans, lemon zest and juice, garlic, Process all ingredients until very smooth. Follow my three step rule… Process, scrape, taste. Adjust ingredients according to your taste. I love extra lemon in my hummus, so I may add a bit more as I process. Then, again… Process, scrape, taste.  Do this a total of three times and you should have your perfect hummus!

3. Serve hummus with warm pita bread, chips, crackers, or vegetables. Store extra hummus in an airtight container for up to a week.

For the above photo I used large tortillas which I cut out as hearts (with a heart cookie cutter).  Then, I brushed each heart with olive oil, sprinkled with dried dill, oregano, and garlic salt.  Baked at 375 in the oven for about 10-15 minutes… keep an eye on the tortilla chips so they don’t burn.   Let cool and serve alongside your beet hummus. These baked tortilla chips are so much healthier than the store-bought fried alternative!

PALEO NO BAKE THUMBPRINT COOKIES

1 cup coconut flour sifted
2 T almond flour
1/4 cup coconut palm sugar
pinch cinnamon
1/4 cup almond butter
1/4- 1 cup Almond Milk
Dark chocolate
Goji Berries
Hemp Seeds

Instructions
In a large mixing bowl, combine coconut flour,almond flower, and coconut palm sugar, and cinnamon. Make sure all the dry ingredients are mixed well.

Stir in the almond butter until the dough is crumbly. Using a tablespoon at a time, add the almond milk until a very thick batter is formed. Make golf sized balls with the dough and press down in the center of each to create a small ditch. Place the balls on a lined baking pan. Fill with dark chocolate and top off with god berries and hemp seeds. Refrigerate until time to serve.

QUINOA POWER CHOCOLATES

Any kind of chocolate Chocolate or candy melts
1/2 cup of toasted Quinoa (toasting instructions below)
Small heart molds or candy molds. I purchased mine at Michael’s in the baking section

Make chocolate with your favorite recipe or melt chocolate chips or candy melts.

Add toasted Quinoa to chocolate and mix well. Fill the heart molds with the chocolate and quinoa mixture. Cool in refrigerator until fully set.  Pop out and enjoy.

HOW TO TOAST QUINOA : Toast quinoa in medium saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until quinoa is very fragrant and makes continuous popping sound, 10-15 minutes. Transfer quinoa to bowl and set aside. Store extra quinoa in an airtight container.

I love Fourth of July , for so many reasons!  Firstly, it’s a casual celebration, which means I don’t have to stress too much about what to prepare, in fact, it is a perfect celebration for potlucks!  And that is exactly what I did this year.  I just wanted it to be relaxed, fun, and easy.  So, I asked several of my friends to bring their favorite dish while I prepared a few surprised for the kids!  After dinner, we went to my friend Danna’s house and enjoyed watching the kids do sack races and a plethora of other fun activities.  Danna made mint juleps while my friend Rhae provided the red, white, and blue macarons. It all turned out great and below are some photos from this fun day!

Red, White, and Blue Strawberries.  Just buy white and blue candy coatings and dip away!!

Fruit shortcake dessert bar.  Just combine fruit, pound cake, and whipped cream and allow your guests to build their own masterpiece which they can top off with some patriotic strawberries.

Danna’s gorgeous potato salad

Our 4th of July potluck buffet with a burger bar.

Hanging out at Danna’s house

Rhae’s red, white, and blue macarons.

Danna’s beautiful red, white, and blue centerpiece straight from her beautiful garden.

Danna’s mint julep paired with Rhae’s macaron… DELICIOUS!!!

Our kids watching fireworks… priceless!!!!!