Wrap it up

Have you ever found yourself fresh out of creative food ideas for the next family event?  I feel like we have hit up most of the classics.  We have had a bunch of salads and croissant sandwiches.  We have done the brunch with quiche, yogurt parfait with the most delicious homemade granola (recipe I must share someday), scones, cinnamon rolls, and crumb cake.  The soup bar with lots of yummy soups and good bread.  The pasta bar.  The small plates event with appetizers and desserts.  The taco bar, actually, I think we have covered most of the popular foreign cuisine.  Did I mention my family loves food?  When we hear that we have a family gathering coming up, the first question my mom asks is, "What are we going to eat?"

Well, a family event was approaching so my most darling sister-in-law and I were brainstorming what the food needed to be for our next family gathering, a baby blessing.  We went through the list and thought and thought.  As brainstorming goes, I don't know where it came from but we decided on a salad/wrap bar.  It was really fun and I think everyone enjoyed the meal.  We did get a few confused looks from the first ones through the line, but they soon caught on and were wrapping it up!

So I thought, if you are out of ideas like we were, here is a fun summer party idea or just something you can do for your next family event.  It is fairly simple and everyone can find something they like!

First we decided on three salads,

BBQ/Southwest Salad (she had cute dressing bottles with ranch dressing and BBQ sauce in them on the side of this salad)

An Oriental Salad

Last but not least, a classic Caesar Salad (I know the pear Gorgonzola was in vogue and there are other fancy salads you currently love, but I find that everyone loves a classic Caesar.  Take it to your next dinner and you will be surprised what a refreshing classic it is).

We put out the three salads and even though some of the salad recipes call for meat, we left it out of the salad and did a good ole summer grill on the BBQ.  She used grilled chicken and grilled tri-tip.  Just a basic salt and pepper feel so that they could match any of the salads/wraps.

She also had a few different flavors of tortillas/wraps.  So, the guests picked up their wrap, added the salad of their choice and added the meat of their choice folded and went of their way!  It was also nice because if they weren't into the wrap thing, they could just have a nice salad with some yummy meat on it!

On the side you can do as you please, but she went for a beautiful tray of fresh fruit and veggies.  She also had chips and dips.  A little something for everyone!

I thought it turned out wonderfully!  The great thing, is that you can use your favorite salads and make it your own!  We did pre-dress the salads, so they were getting the full effect of the wrap, but we also had extra dressings on the side.  Wa-la!  I hope you get a chance to try it out at your next family gathering.  Let me know what salads you use and how it goes!

Creamy Dreamy Orange Cupcakes

by andi

 

I've been making these cupcakes for years now and whenever I take them to neighborhood parties, church functions, baby showers, etc, people can't get enough of them. It's not uncommon to see all of them disappear off the serving platter within minutes of setting them down. People always ask me for the recipe, and frankly, I'm a little embarrassed to give it out because of how easy they are.

In a nutshell, I use a white cake mix but replace the water called for with orange juice and throw a little fresh orange zest in to bump up the flavor. The creamy, tangy frosting pairs perfectly with the cake. People are always surprised when I tell them how I make them because they really do taste fancier than they are.

Ingredients

• 1 box white cake mix
• Orange juice
• Oil
• Eggs
• Zest and juice from 1 orange
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 block cream cheese
• 4 cups powdered sugar

Directions

• Make the cupcakes according to the directions on your cake mix except replace the water with orange juice (my mix used 1 1/4 cups orange juice, 1/3 cup oil, and 3 egg whites). Zest the orange and add half into the batter, reserving the other half for the frosting. I usually add a little red and yellow food coloring too to make the batter a light orange color. I think it looks pretty that way!
• For the frosting, beat the butter and cream cheese together until smooth and fluffy. Alternate adding the powdered sugar and the juice from the orange. You may not need to add the juice from the entire orange. Just add it until you reach the consistency you want. Add the remaining orange zest and beat again to incorporate.
• Once the cupcakes are completely cool, frost away! Decorate however your little heart desires. I like to add tiny orange pieces to the top of each cupcake so it's easy to tell what flavor it is.  

I had just frosted these cupcakes beautifully with a piping bag and a decorative tip.  I had them all arranged on a beautiful blue pedestal and they looked gorgeous.  I walked out of the room for 5.47 seconds to grab my camera and when I came back in to take some pictures of them, my 3 year old exclaimed, "Mommy!  Look what I did!"  And I saw this:

In an effort to help himself to one of my delicious cupcakes, he had tipped the serving plate over and they all slid off! My first instinct was to think, "Oh no!  They're ruined! Now they're going to look so ugly and none of the Doe A Deery readers will be impressed!" But then I remembered that we're all friends here and this blog is all about being real. So instead, I laughed, snapped some pictures, and helped my son unwrap his cupcake. I salvaged what I could of the frosting and rearranged it with a butter knife.  No harm done.

I know they're not the prettiest cupcakes you've ever seen, but I like to think of them as "rustic." Plus, it doesn't matter what they look like, anyway! All that matters is what they taste like. And I promise if you make these, you won't be disappointed. The cake is light and fluffy, the frosting is tangy and creamy, and because you're using a boxed cake mix, they couldn't be easier! Happy baking, everyone!

Mother's Day Breakfast

by Misa

WARNING:  If you are a MOTHER and you are reading this post STOP.  Go to the top of the page, copy the URL and paste it into an email for your HUSBAND :)

Alright FATHERS, this is your day to strap on that apron (frills or not), roll up your sleeves, and breakfast it up.  Hopefully, this little blog post has made its way to YOU.  I have put together what I think is a rather tasty and EASY meal for you to make for a Mother's Day breakfast.  It is easy enough that the young ones can help too.

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Get your Balance with a Bento

by Misa


I love spring for the balance it brings to the world after a long cold winter.  The weather is finally getting nice.  A little chill is still in the air.  I find this time of year so refreshing.  

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Eat "Green" for the Luck of the Irish

by Misa

Greens galore; pancakes you have to try; and a leprechaun's magic snack.

Not to be mistaken with “go green,” or “eat organic,” or “have some lettuce” (not that I do/do not promote these things), but I am thinking of good 'ole St Patrick’s Day.  Can you tell I love holidays?

Three little boys, myself, a grocery store, and my iPhone.  What green foods did we find?  I hope what we found will inspire you to eat something fun and green on St Patrick’s Day!

There were a few more I chose not to snapshot, like Salsa Verde or bottled green goddess dressing (I only like the homemade kindfollowing the Barefoot Contessa’s amazing recipe). 

It can be easy to eat Green this St Patty’s Day!  Eat a green breakfast.  Pack a green lunch for the kids (sometimes grocery stores will let you order colored bread).  Eat a green after-school snack.  Make a green dinner.  Have a green dessert.  Fill a little leprechaun pot with fun green candy and treats. 

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Valentines Dinner: Family Fondue

Valentine's Day is for lovers, unless you have three kids under six...
by misa

On Valentine's Day I don't spend hours laboring over a romantic meal for my husband.  He and I both know better.  If I make a fancy meal, it means a lot of fancy clean up and an exhausted wife.  We go out for a romantic dinner on a different night an leave the cooking and cleanup to someone else.  We celebrate the 14th with our little family and some simple gooey cheese and LOTS of chocolate. 

In an attempt to keep your life easy, here is how our "romantic" family fondue is made.

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