step right up

every time we hire a new employee at work, the party planning committee (me and the office manager) try to host an event to welcome the newbie to the team.  i've always been a fan of a themed parties (i once threw a murder mystery holiday party), so this time we went with a carnival theme. we served all the traditional carni foods you would expect - nachos, cotton candy, popcorn and old-fashioned coke bottles. i also made rainbow fruit skewers and strawberry fruit dip for the more health-conscious. we set up a buffet table for the occasion, but unfortunately the nachos couldn't go on the table because they had to be plugged into an outlet since we served it in a fondue pot. 

here are a few pictures of the food and set-up:

the line up - minus the nachos
excuse the office chairs.

i bought these popcorn bags at party city and then taped these tags i made to them.
all i did was cut yellow card stock with fancy scissors and decorate with some sharpies.
half the popcorn we served was original and half was kettle corn.

the other half - sweet.

taste the rainbow.
fruit dip was so easy and only two ingredients - get recipe here

portion control is key for this sugary treat.

i wish i hadn't given up soda for lent or else i would have downed two of these.

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go grΣΣk - my grecian pasta salad

we recently hired a new employee at work and i put together a little roof top luncheon to welcome him to the gang. everyone brought a side dish to share and i decided to contribute with this crazy easy pasta salad. i kind of just threw things in here that i thought would go good together. it turned out wonderful - one of my coworkers even mentioned it being the best pasta salad she's ever had.

ingredients:

1 lb. mini cheese-filled raviolis (i used the trader joe's brand)
12 oz. marinated artichokes, drained and chopped (reserving liquid for later)
1/3 cup black olives, sliced
1 cup sun-dried tomatoes, sliced
4 cups fresh spinach, chopped
6 oz. crumbled feta
juice of half a lemon
s&p

directions:

cook pasta according to directions. rinse and cool under cold water until it reaches room temperature. combine rest of ingredients with pasta, seasoning with s&p. pour lemon juice and reserved artichoke marinade liquid over pasta salad, mixing well to combine flavors.  let rest 1 hour in fridge before serving for best results. enjoy!

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party of 40: chicken salad bites, blt stuffed tomatoes, roasted garlic shrimp, fried mac and cheese bites, and mini pesto burgers

this past weekend, my roommates and i were ready to play hostesses with the mostesses. ready to party, we opted for a rooftop party and our invitation promised our 40+ guests sunsetting views of our nation's capitol, tunes that make you wanna dance, and of course, tasty treats. my sparky sous chef (ashley) and i got to work in the kitchen with a mission to impress our guests.

so for a little party, our menu:
- chicken salad bites in phyllo cups
- blt stuffed tomatoes
- roasted garlic shrimp with spicy cocktail sauce
- fried mac and cheese bites
- and mini pesto burgers (courtesy of sister leonard)

...and our outcome:

believe it or not, everything was actually really simple, so get on board. here's how we did it:

chicken salad bites in phyllo cups:
cook and dice two large chicken breasts. mix together with s&p, light mayo, light sour cream, craisins, and celery. bake pre-made phyllo cups in oven. when done, individually scoop chicken salad into cups. sprinkle with parsley.

blt stuffed tomatoes:
cut small circular hole in top of large cherry tomatoes. scoop out seeds and juices. in ziploc bag mix together light mayo, s&p and a couple dashes of hot sauce. cut corner of bag and pipe into tomatoes. garnish tomatoes with small piece of bacon and lettuce.

roasted garlic shrimp with spicy cocktail sauce:
place peeled and de-veined shrimp on baking sheet. liberally season with evoo, s&p and minced garlic. cook at 400 degrees for 5 to 6 minutes. serve with jarred cocktail sauce. kick it up a notch by adding extra teaspoons of horseradish. can be served hot or cold.

fried mac and cheese bites:
cook package of velveeta mac and cheese add a couple slices of chopped bacon. place in casserole dish and let sit in fridge overnight for best results. cut mac and cheese into in bite-size square pieces. prepare three dunking bowls: panko bread crumbs, egg whites, flour. first dunk in flour, then egg, then panko. let set for a couple of minutes to let bread cup really stick to bites. when oil is ready, place three mac and cheese bites in at a time. let cook for 4-5 minutes, depending on size. serve immediately.

sister leonard's mini pesto burgers:
combine ground beef with s&p and form mini beef patties. grill 3 minutes per side, depending on how you like it. add provolone cheese and let melt. add dollop of pesto and place on miniature bun. (sorry we didn't take a pictures of these delicious treats...)

special thanks to my little sous chef. she's still learning.

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