Tuesday, March 10, 2015

Weekend Recap

Khaner and I had a very boring but productive married weekend. The weather was a taste of spring and it made me long for summer to be here. Between lots of cleaning, yard work and cooking, we got so much done and got to see lots of our friends.

Dalton Brandon Khaner and I met at the new Crafty Beer Store in Five Points. Their wine bar that was added has delicious choices, especially their Malbec!

Sunday Christy and Will invited us for cocktails on their porch. I made mini crab cakes and homemade remoulade sauce for an appetizer.















































2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
3/4 cup small diced red onion
1 1/2 cups small diced celery (4 stalks)
1/2 cup small diced red bell pepper
1/2 cup small diced yellow bell pepper
1/4 cup minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon capers, drained
1/4 teaspoon Texas Pete sauce
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons Old Bay
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 pound lump crabmeat, drained and picked to remove shells
1/2 cup dry bread crumbs
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 extra-large eggs, lightly beaten

For sauteeing:
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup olive oil

Place 2 tablespoons butter, 2 tablespoons olive oil, onion, celery, red and yellow bell peppers, parsley, capers, Texas Pete, Worcestershire sauce, Old Bay, salt, and pepper in a large saute pan over medium-low heat and cook until the vegetables are soft, approximately 15 to 20 minutes. Cool to room temperature. In a large bowl, break the lump crabmeat into small pieces and toss with the bread crumbs, mayonnaise, mustard, and eggs. Add the cooked mixture and mix well. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Shape into bite-sized crab cakes - the larger you make them, the harder and messier it is to flip. I  used an ice cream scoop and just barely filled the scoop to keep them all roughly the same size.

Heat the butter and olive oil for sauteeing over medium heat in a large saute pan. Add the crab cakes and fry for 4 to 5 minutes on each side, until browned.
Drain on paper towels; keep them warm in a 250 degree oven and serve hot. Sprinkle dried parsley on top for garnish.

Remoulade Sauce:
1 C. mayonnaise
2 t. coarse-grain mustard
2 T. champagne or white vinegar (I used white balsamic)
pinch salt
pinch black pepper
Mix well, sprinkle dried parsley on top for garnish.

Poor Cate got stuck sharing her teether with Carter. Luckily she's a good sport and loved him. He is the first dog she has met!


Emily had a few girls over for "Yoga Pants Wine Night" which is a concept I am loving. We totally lost track of time and I found myself getting home in the wee hours of Monday morning. Oops! Catching up is a tough job but someone has to do it :)

Tuesday, March 3, 2015

Baby Shower Weekend

One of my best friends Sarah is expecting a baby boy in May and we are thrilled to meet him! This weekend her sister in-law and 6 girlfriends helped host a shower at my house. It was such a great time with all the mama to-be's favorite ladies.

My mom always taught me that if you prepare as much as you can ahead of time, you can enjoy time with your guests. We had a small mishap in the morning (Khaner may or may not have broken my glass beverage server) but all else went really smooth. I can not say it enough - I highly recommend preparing as much as you can the night before! And if it doesn't snow 3 out of the 5 days before your party, get a housekeeper to come clean :)

Before the grilled cheeses came out

Spinch and leek fritattas


Sarah's friend Caroline brought the most gorgeous arrangements.

I found these adorable vintage shoes and had to get them for Ford.

Pear Pomegranate Bellinis

Delicious cake from Whole Foods - I swear they make a better cake than anywhere I have been!

Best friends of the Mama to be

Lots of goodies for sweet Ford!

Carter decided he needed to join the hostess shot since he provided the entertainment.