Planning a dinner party soon? What's on your menu?

[zoebartlett]

Thanks for the tip Honey!

Elwrohwen -- I took the brownies out of the oven after 30 minutes (and a few crumbs stuck to the toothpick I had put in the middle). I didn't think I had overcooked them but maybe I did.

I'll definitely make them again and I'll try taking them out a few minutes sooner. Thanks for the tip about the caramel! I'll try that next time too.

Thanks NEL! We had a lot of fun!

Haven -- I don't mind sharing my recipe for shrimp and chicken scampi at all! I have to admit though, I don't measure anything for this dish. My recipe probably isn't the "real" recipe, but I love it anyway. Here's what I do:

Cook/drain any type of pasta you'd like. I usually use angel hair or linguine.

Cook boneless, skinless chicken breasts and garlic in large a pan with either olive oil or cooking spray. I usually put a little pepper on the chicken as it cooks. I usually don't add salt to my food, but if I was to use it, I'd use sea salt. Add lemon juice. I tend to use a lot of garlic and lemon juice.

After the chicken's done cooking, I put the it in a bowl and set it off to the side. Then I add a container (or two, depending on how much you'd like) of grape or cherry tomatoes to the pan. Add more olive oil and garlic and cook til the tomatoes begn to burst open and cook down a little.

Add shrimp and cook (or just buy pre-cooked shrimp, which is what I do!).

Put the pasta in the pan and add the chicken, shrimp, and tomatoes. Toss together and serve.

 

[purselover]

Zoe - I'm glad everything went well! I'm sorry I didn't respond sooner - here's the recipe for pumpkin dip

ingrediants:

8oz of low fat or fat free cream cheese
15oz of pumpkin
1 cup brown sugar
cinnamon/ginger/nutmeg to taste (I tend to use a lot about a TBS cinnamon and teaspoon and half of ginger and nutmeg)

blend cream cheese in a mixer or by hand until creamy then add in brown sugar followed by pumpkin. Season as desired and serve with sliced apples.

Pumpkin bread pudding (I was surprised how well this came out it was my first attempt at bread pudding and it was delicious! It tasted just like pumpkin french toast - I'll definitely be making this again)

Ingredients plus my notes:

1 1/2 cups whole milk
3/4 cup canned solid-pack pumpkin
1/2 cup sugar
2 large eggs plus 1 yolk (I ended up using 3 full eggs and it was fine)
1/2 teaspoon salt (skipped - we ran out and it was fine)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (I used about a TBSP)
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger (I used about a tsp)
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice (skipped)
Pinch of ground cloves (skipped but added 1/2 tsp of ginger)
2 tablespoons bourbon
5 cups cubed (1-inch) day-old baguette (I used whole wheat and it worked well)
3/4 stick unsalted butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle.

Instructions: Whisk together pumpkin, milk, sugar, eggs, yolk, salt, spices and bourbon, in a bowl.

Toss bread cubes with butter in another bowl, then add pumpkin mixture and toss to coat. Transfer to an ungreased 8-inch square baking dish and bake until custard is set, 25 to 30 minutes.

 

[Guilty Pleasure]

I had a dinner party recently, and here is my menu:

Appetizers: bruschetta, meat and cheese tray, olives
Meal:
Strawberry salad with cinnamon vinaigrette (romaine lettuce, mandarin oranges, strawberries, avocado, toasted pecans, red onions)
Paella made with chicken sausage, shrimp, cilantro, lime and some other veggies

Sangria to drink (red wine, pomegranate italian soda, and frozen fruit) and no dessert this time, but I usually make chocolate tres leches cake, cookies, or banana pudding

 

[monarch64]

Purselover, I would love your recipe for "orange you glad it's falltinis" and actually the rest of your menu!!! LOL!

Zoe: for brownies, I always use Betty Crocker mix (I think it's called Original Brownie Mix" or something that has to do with Original), and I only use the Airbake pans from Target, the ones that come with plastic lids for easy transport. They make a WORLD of difference. The darker the pan, the drier the brownie, I've observed. I've actually given the Airbake pans to many a friend whose husband sampled brownies I made (sorry, I don't mean to sound weird at all, but I think it does sound weird!) and was all about them...it's not that I'm a great baker. It's just that I finally found the right mix/right brand and the right pans. You can screw up the ingredients a bit and still get a great, dense, super chocolatey brownie outta those pans, I swear.

Godiva also makes a FANTASTIC brownie mix. Master the Betty Crocker ones and invest in an Airbake 9x13 plus a 8x10 (or whatever...I don't even know the measurements--one is rectangular and one is squarish) and you're golden. Nobody doesn't love a box mix brownie that's baked right! (Especially after 2-3 cocktails!)

 

[zoebartlett]

Purselover -- thanks so much for the recipes! I can't wait to try them out soon.

Monnie -- thanks for the tips! I'll have to look for those pans the next time I'm out.

 

[purselover]

Purselover, I would love your recipe for "orange you glad it's falltinis" and actually the rest of your menu!!! LOL!

Zoe: for brownies, I always use Betty Crocker mix (I think it's called Original Brownie Mix" or something that has to do with Original), and I only use the Airbake pans from Target, the ones that come with plastic lids for easy transport. They make a WORLD of difference. The darker the pan, the drier the brownie, I've observed. I've actually given the Airbake pans to many a friend whose husband sampled brownies I made (sorry, I don't mean to sound weird at all, but I think it does sound weird!) and was all about them...it's not that I'm a great baker. It's just that I finally found the right mix/right brand and the right pans. You can screw up the ingredients a bit and still get a great, dense, super chocolatey brownie outta those pans, I swear.

Godiva also makes a FANTASTIC brownie mix. Master the Betty Crocker ones and invest in an Airbake 9x13 plus a 8x10 (or whatever...I don't even know the measurements--one is rectangular and one is squarish) and you're golden. Nobody doesn't love a box mix brownie that's baked right! (Especially after 2-3 cocktails!)

Thanks I'm glad I sparked your interest! Here is the recipe:
1 jigger svedka clementine
1/2 jigger triple sec
1 jigger white cranberry juice
squeeze of lemon

The zucchini fries are just egg white and seasoned bread crumbs baked at 425 for about 8-10 min on each side

And here is my pumpkin cheesecake recipe:

Crust:
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
5 tbsp. butter, melted
1 tbsp. sugar

Filling:
3 8oz. pkgs. cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup canned pumpkin
3 eggs
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. allspice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix crust ingredients together until coated and crumbly
Press into the bottom of, and 2/3 up the sides of pie pan
Bake crust for 5 minutes at 350 degrees. When done, set aside

Combine cheese, sugar and vanilla in large bowl. Mix until smooth with electric mixer
Add pumpkin, eggs, and spices. Beat until smooth and creamy
Pour mixture into the crust
Bake for 60-70 minutes, or until the top turns a bit darker
Remove from oven and allow to come to room temp, then refrigerate.

Let me know if you want anything else