Butternut Squash

So I love butternut squash, whether it be in soup or ravioli. My roommate Lotti found this recipe and I have been hooked from the first bite. Beware though the chopping and peeling a squash takes some effort. I recommend it for a day when you need to work out some energy!

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons butter
  
• 1 large onion, diced
  
• 2 1/4 pounds butternut squash
  
• 1 cup chopped pecans
  
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
  
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Place pecans on an ungreased baking sheet. Toast at 350 degrees F  for 5 to 8 minutes.
   
2. Peel the squash, and remove the seeds. Cut into 1/2 inch cubes. There will be about 6 cups squash. THIS TAKES EFFORT. Best to cut the squash in half first, and work on each section separately.
   
3. Melt butter  in a heavy large skillet over low heat. Add onion and saute until very tender, about 15 minutes. Add squash and toss to coat. Cover. Cook until squash is tender but still holds it shape, stirring frequently, about 15 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. .
   
4. Stir in half of the pecans and half of the parsley. Transfer mixture to bowl. Sprinkle with remaining pecans and parsley.
5. Enjoy!

Homemade Potato Chips in the Microwave!

So I discovered a beautiful thing the other day, you can homemake potato chips in a Mircowave in under 7 minutes! Hallelujah ! I can satisfy my cravings and still make a bit healthier plus keep up with my homemade kick. Anyways, there are only “4” ingredients and minimal effort involved. My type of snack.

Ingredients:

• 1 potato
• Pam or other cooking spray
• Olive Oil
• Salt

Directions:

1) Slice the potato no thicker than 1/16th inch pieces. This takes effort, make sure your knife is sharp!

2) Spray cooking spray on the plate then place slices on the plate. Coat lightly with Olive Oil and Salt.

3) Bake 3 1/2 minutes on EACH side. They should be starting to brown when finished on the second side.

4) They will be hot when you remove them, I like to put them on another plate so I can eat them quicker!

P.S. Be careful because your roommate might beg you to make her a plate too!

Pretty Pretty Recipes Cards

     
      So for next installment of the pretty pretty series, I have a cheap and easy way to add some decoration to your kitchen. One of my best friends for my 21^st birthday made me a cute gift basket with Nuvo (one of my favorite drinks) and these adorable recipe cards to make drinks. They were too cute to keep hidden so I used some pretty ribbon to hang them up. They add a bit of sparkle to my kitchen and take up minimal space.

Materials:

Ribbon

Balsa wood

Markers

Glitter

Small Jewels

Hot Glue

For more in the pretty pretty series, check out these organizers, these boards and these notebooks (plus these)!

Easy Entertaining: Oscar Party

  

       In case you live under a rock and hadn't realized, this Sunday (2/27) is the Oscars. You know that 3 plus hour award show thing where people get these little gold statues and thank the academy and maybe their husband, if they remember. Some people look really good in long beautiful dresses; some just wear swans around their necks. Anyways, the point is, the Oscars are a great opportunity to have some friends over for a nice get together. The best part is party centers around watching the TV, so you don't even have to worry too much about keeping your friends entertained. Here are some easy tips for hosting your Oscar party this weekend:


Party Ideas:  

You want to make sure you have plenty of room for guests to sit and watch the show comfortably, this is not the time to abide by the "only have enough chairs for half the guests" rule. Bring in pillows and blankets to make sure everyone will be comfortable watching the TV.

That being said, it can get a bit boring during the long show, so you could print out these bingo cards for guests to play and have these score cards so guests can bet on the winners (just make sure you have a prize!).

Another great idea is to fill a top hat or basket with movie trivia questions to ask during commercial breaks.

Or simply write stars names on paper and stick them to guest's foreheads (or backs) and have them play 20 questions by asking only yes and no questions to guess who they are.
 

Décor:

Sprinkle silver, gold or black stars everywhere! Tape them to the wall, hang them from the ceiling.

Take movie posters and tape them to the walls (if you don't have any, a print shop should be able to print you a bunch for relatively cheap. Or just go to Wal-Mart).

Roll out a red carpet (or a vinyl one) to welcome guests.



Food:

Since this show lasts so long, it's best to just have a bunch of easy things to nibble on during the 3 plus hours. So think crudités and or chocolate dipped pretzels, maybe even brie bites?

Make popcorn and have available other movie theater snacks, like junior mints or snow caps.

Shrimp cocktails are a great idea as well; you could simply take some glasses and make each individual guest their own.

Drinks:

Think sparkling wines (Champagne) or even sparkling apple cider (sometimes, I prefer it!)

Or make drinks that have movie inspiration like a Casablanca or a godfather.

Make Oscar punch.

Some 2011 nominated films inspired drinks.


Do you have any great Oscar party ideas?

Easy Entertaining: Brie Bites

So you may have noticed the lovely little pastries at my Valentine's Crafternoon party, they were made by my best friend, Lily. As I lover of brie, jams and all sorts of carbs, I was delighted when she suggested bringing some over. They are quite easy to make and sadly, were the first thing gone at the party. I asked her to send me the recipe, and luckily for all of us, she obliged. 

BRIE BITES

• 1 round brie (a wedge will work for minis or just one serving of the regular size, otherwise you'll need a round
  
• Pillsbury biscuits or crescent roll/croissant dough (1-2 packages)
  
• Jam (homemade compote if you've got it)(*recipe to come later) 

For the minis: get a mini cupcake pan put one biscuit dough round in each cup

• Cut the brie up into small cubes (after removing the top of the brie round, the stiff white layer)
  
• Place one brie cube into each cup and top with a teaspoon of the jam
  
• Pull the sides of the dough up and pinch at the top to seal

For the regular size, you'll need either two biscuit rounds or a stretched out crescent triangle

• Place one biscuit down in the cup, stretching it until it covers the entire cup.
  
• Place a larger square of brie and a tablespoon or so of jam (go by sight, you don't want it to overflow)
  
• Then flatten out another round of dough against your palm to make it thinner and flatter
  
• Put it on top of one of the filled brie cups and push the sides down to seal it 

 Bake according to the instructions until light golden brown (350 for about 8 to 12 minutes, depending on size)

Serve with a drizzle of honey. And careful… they're hot!

 

Thanks, Lily!