Thank You For An Excellent Housewarming
Sunday, May 10, 2009
[Mood | Happy]
On Saturday I had an excellent housewarming. Everyone (except Drew -- boo on you Drew!) showed up and saw my new apartment!
Roo and I started making all the food on Friday night -- Baked French Toast -- Ham and Cheese Casserole -- Triple Berry Trifle -- Chocolate Chip Shortbread Cookies. Going to share some of the recipes here.
The Baked Frenc
h Toast (recipe) looked really good, but I actually didn't try any at all! I have no idea how it tasted. There was a lot left, so I'm really sorry if it didn't taste as good as it looked. The berries were my idea, it was supposed to have a praline topping, but unfortunately I decided not to make it (particularly because pralines are kind of expensive and not good up in the north -- gotta get those southern pralines from Georgia).
The next thing I made was the Ham and Cheese Casserole (recipe). Essentially I used pancetta instead of ham and the cheese was just mixed Italian cheese. I wanted to use gruyere, but in the end, gruyere was a little too expensive so I stucked with packaged shredded cheese. There was a little too much thyme, I would cut out a few teaspoons next time.
Roo helped me make the Triple Berry Trifle. Now this is a secret Martha Cook Building recipe so I can't release it to the public (jk, just email me if you want it). It turned out great despite some of the problems we had along the way (not enough milk in the pudding - which we corrected - and really syrupy fruit - which we drained). Anything with pound cake, pudding, fruit and whipped cream is always delicious. I should make miniature versions the next time so that we'll have individual portions. Although, my trifle dish is coming in handy more often than I thought it would. (Woo! A solid investment!)
The last thing I made on Friday night was the Chocolate Chip Shortbread Cookies (recipe). The recipe itself called for toffee chips as well, but we decided to forgo the toffee chips because Roo and I both don't like toffee. These cookies were AMAZING! Roo can attest to how yummy they were because she practically ate a dozen of them.
Overall everything was really easy to make. The next day just called for stuffing it all in the oven and by the time people arrived all the food was ready. I also had bagels and lox, an
d Christine helped by making me a lovely strawberry feta and spinach salad (THANK YOU SO MUCH CHRISTINE!!!) Jon brought me two pineapples and Thomas brought two canteloupes. Lisa and Tom brought a bottle of red wine and Ning a bottle of white wine. Kelly bought me some lovely lilac/hydrangea hybrid flower. (I could almost swear these are lilacs, but Kelly told me they were hydrangeas, I have no idea anymore). Joanlie brought me some really pretty spider mums (chrysanthemums). At this point we had ran out of vases, so we were on our way to using wine bottles as vases. I think I need to buy a few more vas
es because of how much I love fresh cut flowers in the apartment. They just make me so happy...!!! I had a potted set of lilies in the apartment, but they had peaked awhile back and were already losing their petals so they weren't looking so great. I was glad to get some fresher flowers into the apartment. Greg brought me some more lili
es which I had to empty out even more wine bottles (yeah... we were drinking a lot.. I mean...) to hold all the flowers. I love really do love lilies, but I just wish they'd last longer before they peak. I think I'll have to get a window box.
Now I have tons of flowers in my window enjoying the sun and so that people in the street can... enjoy them as well! I think I'm going to buy cut flowers every week just to "beautify" my apartment (and for my general happiness).
Overall it was an awesome day. It completely pooped Lindsay out (she passed out on my couch holding my hippo for 2 hours), but even after that we managed to go out (in which we did not return home until 6am...) Yes, after the housewarming I went out and didn't return home until the sun was up. I haven't done that in ages.
Anyway, THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR AN AWESOME HOUSEWARMING! My new home is very very "warm" now and I love it! Thanks and please visit any time!!
~Joannie~
[Weather | Nice]
[Listening | "Every Breath You Take" by The Police]
On Saturday I had an excellent housewarming. Everyone (except Drew -- boo on you Drew!) showed up and saw my new apartment!
Roo and I started making all the food on Friday night -- Baked French Toast -- Ham and Cheese Casserole -- Triple Berry Trifle -- Chocolate Chip Shortbread Cookies. Going to share some of the recipes here.
The Baked Frenc
h Toast (recipe) looked really good, but I actually didn't try any at all! I have no idea how it tasted. There was a lot left, so I'm really sorry if it didn't taste as good as it looked. The berries were my idea, it was supposed to have a praline topping, but unfortunately I decided not to make it (particularly because pralines are kind of expensive and not good up in the north -- gotta get those southern pralines from Georgia).
The next thing I made was the Ham and Cheese Casserole (recipe). Essentially I used pancetta instead of ham and the cheese was just mixed Italian cheese. I wanted to use gruyere, but in the end, gruyere was a little too expensive so I stucked with packaged shredded cheese. There was a little too much thyme, I would cut out a few teaspoons next time.
Roo helped me make the Triple Berry Trifle. Now this is a secret Martha Cook Building recipe so I can't release it to the public (jk, just email me if you want it). It turned out great despite some of the problems we had along the way (not enough milk in the pudding - which we corrected - and really syrupy fruit - which we drained). Anything with pound cake, pudding, fruit and whipped cream is always delicious. I should make miniature versions the next time so that we'll have individual portions. Although, my trifle dish is coming in handy more often than I thought it would. (Woo! A solid investment!)
The last thing I made on Friday night was the Chocolate Chip Shortbread Cookies (recipe). The recipe itself called for toffee chips as well, but we decided to forgo the toffee chips because Roo and I both don't like toffee. These cookies were AMAZING! Roo can attest to how yummy they were because she practically ate a dozen of them.
Overall everything was really easy to make. The next day just called for stuffing it all in the oven and by the time people arrived all the food was ready. I also had bagels and lox, an
d Christine helped by making me a lovely strawberry feta and spinach salad (THANK YOU SO MUCH CHRISTINE!!!) Jon brought me two pineapples and Thomas brought two canteloupes. Lisa and Tom brought a bottle of red wine and Ning a bottle of white wine. Kelly bought me some lovely lilac/hydrangea hybrid flower. (I could almost swear these are lilacs, but Kelly told me they were hydrangeas, I have no idea anymore). Joanlie brought me some really pretty spider mums (chrysanthemums). At this point we had ran out of vases, so we were on our way to using wine bottles as vases. I think I need to buy a few more vas
es because of how much I love fresh cut flowers in the apartment. They just make me so happy...!!! I had a potted set of lilies in the apartment, but they had peaked awhile back and were already losing their petals so they weren't looking so great. I was glad to get some fresher flowers into the apartment. Greg brought me some more lili
es which I had to empty out even more wine bottles (yeah... we were drinking a lot.. I mean...) to hold all the flowers. I love really do love lilies, but I just wish they'd last longer before they peak. I think I'll have to get a window box.Now I have tons of flowers in my window enjoying the sun and so that people in the street can... enjoy them as well! I think I'm going to buy cut flowers every week just to "beautify" my apartment (and for my general happiness).
Overall it was an awesome day. It completely pooped Lindsay out (she passed out on my couch holding my hippo for 2 hours), but even after that we managed to go out (in which we did not return home until 6am...) Yes, after the housewarming I went out and didn't return home until the sun was up. I haven't done that in ages.
Anyway, THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR AN AWESOME HOUSEWARMING! My new home is very very "warm" now and I love it! Thanks and please visit any time!!
~Joannie~
[Weather | Nice]
[Listening | "Every Breath You Take" by The Police]
Labels: new york
