How Is Julie

Bunco was at my place last week, thus no pictures.  I was too busy cooking. I think next year I will do a casserole the day before and call it good. But the problem is I enjoy figuring out recipes to make and then I get carried away. Peggy, in my book group, talked me out of making a great polenta recipe and just do easy couscous.

I did get a picture of the main meal, though not a pretty one. My husband came home after having a light dinner and a movie and was ready to eat some more. I dished him up and took a picture. The colors are pretty boring, but it all tasted good.

For appetizers we had, nuts, Stacy’s Bagel Chips and hummus from COSTCO, rice  crackers and smoked salmon spread from Whole Foods, All Natural Veggie Crunchers by Amport Foods,and  a VERY labor intensive appetizer of a zucchini strips cut on my mandolin, wrapped around a small cube of raw chicken breast but with first a cream cheese/blue cheese spread on the zucchini then sprinkled with Mrs. Dash,  a few little pieces of sun dried tomato on the center bottom, a piece of chicken, then a half slice of olive on top and wrap the zucchini around it all. Bake at 350 for about 12 minutes (internal temperature of one, if you have a great probe, to 160-165). I also sprayed the tops with PAM.

I had eaten something similar done by caterer Food in Bloom and took a picture of it at Ken Wright Cellars.

The version I was trying to replicate.

My effort after baking. They are served cold.

What was easier to make was the Parmesan, Rosemary and Walnut Shortbread. They are little savory cookies great with wine. I made another recipe batch for a party last night and they were a big hit. I used a bit less than the 1/2 t salt called for and for my second effort, I was careful to do just a dash of cayenne pepper. I think it had too much for the Bunco Babes batch.

Four little samples here are only 1" X 1".

My salad was a simple mixed greens, with the COSTCO’s Sahale snacks, nut blend Valdosta pecans with sweet cranberries, black pepper and orange zest. I felt the cranberries were too hard and chewy. So, next time I will candy my own pecans and get bulk cranberries at Fred Meyer. What was difficult was making the raspberry dressing. I will give that out the recipe on request.  I got it from the cook via our waitress at a restaurant on the coast.

I had feta cheese to sprinkle on top.

My main course ended up being Easy Indian-spiced Meatloaf. The recipe was in the Oregonian Food Day section. I made it using two different simmer sauces, with some of the sauce available for people to put on the meat after serving themselves. It isn’t necessary, so you really only need to buy one jar. I could have gotten by with making just one meatloaf. I used Korma and Jalfreizi curry sauce (simmer sauce).

I got this brand in the Indian section in the health food area at my Stadium Fred Meyers. The Oregonian article covers simmer sauces. I did not use this particular curry, however.

It might have been better to have asparagus for color, but I have done that and it is to predictable, so I made Oven Roasted Cauliflower with Roasted Shallot-Garlic Butter. I saw Emeril’s last 20 seconds as he served it on The Today show awhile back. I got it on line and decided to try it.

Not a pretty presentation, but good to eat. He didn't put any sauce on his meatloaf. You can see the red peppers.

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For dessert, I did it easy and ordered a large cookie platter from Nuvrei Pastries located on the corner of 10th and Flanders. I served them with ice cream in some old fashioned parfait bowls I’ve had for a long time.

Chocolate brownie cookie - no nuts, but more chips.

I was ready for us to play bunco, even had two nice gifts for most buncos and booby prize. Even if we don’t play, which we rarely do, we roll off to see who wins. Only, people were getting ready to leave when I came out of my bedroom where I had been putting on my newly purchased clothes for a kind of fashion show. I totally forgot about the prizes. They do look good in my house, though, but I did want someone to be excited about winning!

I had two pretty cylamen plants form Fred Meyer.

Each one had a different bi-color wrapping.