You go, grill!

Ladies, I almost blew it this weekend. (And guys, you'll know why in two seconds.) I asked my husband if I could cook the steak. Not because I don't like it when he grills it, but because I pinned a new method and I wanted desperately to try it.

He was kind enough to let me... and words cannot describe the deliciousness. Y'all, there is a reason that none of the high end steakhouses grill their steaks. And. this. is. it.

Oh. And your house will smell HEAVENLY.

Restaurant-Style Steak

Adapted from Whit's Amuse Bouche

Ingredients

• 2 6-8 ounce filet mignons
• 6 tablespoons salted butter, softened and divided
• 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 4 teaspoons kosher salt
• 4 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

Directions

• Preheat oven to 400*.
• Make compound butter by mixing three tablespoons of softened butter with garlic, parsley, thyme and lemon zest.
• Shape into a log, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate.
• Generously season filets with salt and pepper, 1 teaspoon each per side.
• Heat remainder of butter and olive oil in a cast iron skillet over high heat.
• Sear filets, 2-3 minutes per side, spooning butter over filets as they cook.
• Transfer skillet (filets and all) to the oven and cook 6-8 minutes more for medium rare.
• Remove skillet from oven and each filet with a pat of compound butter.
• Serve immediately.

I don't know about you, but because of this recipe... we're about to starting eat more beef in this house. Please don't tell the Chick-fil-A Cows! : )

Bang Bang Shrimp

Bonefish Grill ranks very highly on my list of favorite chain restaurants. And we don't even have one in our neck of the woods. But I love them for one reason (clearly not their real estate strategy): Bang Bang Shrimp.

I came across a recipe on Pinterest and knew I had to try it. Mom's birthday was the perfect occasion!

Bang Bang Shrimp
Original Recipe from Chef Mommy

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 15 minutes
Total time: 60 (including refrigeration)
Yield: 4 appetizer servings

Ingredients

• 1 lb. medium shrimp; peeled, deveined and tails removed
• Sauce
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 5 teaspoons garlic chili sauce, i.e. Sriracha sauce
• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
• Egg Wash
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 cup milk
• Breading
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup Japanese-style panko bread crumbs
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 8-12 cups vegetable oil, for frying
  

Cooking Directions

1. Combine all sauce ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.
   
2. Mix egg wash ingredients in a shallow container and set aside.
3. Stir together breading ingredients in another shallow container and set aside.
   
4. Bread shrimp by coating first in flour mixture, then in egg mixture, then back in flour mixture.
5. Arrange breaded shrimp in a single layer on a plate. When first layer is complete, top with plstic wrap and continue to stack.
6. Refrigerate breaded shrimp for at least 30 minutes. (This will help the breading adhere to shrimp and ensure a crisp coating.)
7. Heat oil to 350* in deep fryer or dutch oven.
8. When oil is hot enough, fry shrimp in batches for 2-3 minutes or until golden brown.
9. Drain on brown paper bags or paper towels.
10. When all shrimp have been fried, toss gently with sauce mixture to coat.
11. Serve immediately.

Perfect by themselves as an appetizer or in soft flour tortillas with pico de gallo, these babies are sure to be a hit at your house!

Easy Poppyseed Ham Sandwiches

Thanks to a girlfriend at the office, I'm kind of obsessed with these. Perfect for everything from a baby shower to a Super Bowl party, these little ham sandwiches look (and taste!) like you put forth all this effort... except you don't have to. Now that's my kind of food for entertaining.

With a combination of mustard, butter and Worcestershire sauce, your guests won't be able to tell what makes them so good. And then they'll ask for the recipe. Which, in my mind, is the highest compliment. : )

Easy Poppyseed Ham Sandwiches

may be prepared the night before an event, heated just before serving

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup (one stick) butter, melted
• 1 tablespoons poppy seeds
• 1/2 onion, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tablespoons classic yellow mustard
• 2 (12-ounce) packages white party rolls, i.e. Hawaiian brand
• 1/2 lb. deli sliced ham
• 1/3 lb. deli sliced swiss cheese

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350* and line two baking sheets with aluminum foil.
2. Mix butter, poppy seeds, onion, Worcestershire and mustard in a medium bowl.
3. Separate rolls and slice each in half horizontally.  Set aside tops.
4. Arrange bottoms on prepared baking sheets.
5. Spread butter mixture over lower half of each roll and top with ham and cheese.
6. Replace tops and brush with remainder of butter mixture.
7. Bake 10-12 minutes, until cheese is melted and rolls are heated through.

Leftovers reheat in a snap for a perfect I-just-pulled-off-an-great-party-and-need-a-nap lunch the next day!

B is for Baby Shower

Yesterday, I hosted a baby shower for my sweet sister-in-law, Sarah.

Isn't she the cutest pregnant lady ever? I think that means Spencer and I are in for a super cute niece or nephew, come about a month from now.

Sarah and her husband aren't finding out if their little one is a boy or a girl, so finding appropriate shower decor was a bit of a challenge. Everything "neutral" was either boring or really more for a boy or a girl. So, I did what any resourceful gal would do.  Called Mom and scoured Pinterest.

It looks sunny in these pictures, but less than an hour before the shower started, our tornado sirens were going off. The rain couldn't put a damper on the festivities, though, even if it did manage to mess up my little welcome banner. Poor thing got wrinkle-y right off the bat, and by the end of the shower it read "WE  OME". Spencer found the missing "C" on our way to church this morning. Somewhere out there is a lonely "L". My apologies to whomever finds it in their front yard.

Despite the rain, everyone was able to make it and we had a lovely time celebrating with Sarah and showering my sweet niece or nephew with gifts.

If there's anything I love as much as friends and family, you know it's food. If you come to my house, you will not leave hungry. I had as much fun planning the menu as anything else! Click below for recipe links.

• Chocolate Filled Strawberries
• Spencer's favorite Cheese Pennies (a cute little variant of cheese straws)
• Pasta Salad with Sun Dried Tomatoes and Roast Chicken
• Mini poppy seed Ham & Swiss Sammies
• Baked Brie with Apricots, Cranberries and Pecans

And last but not least, my first attempt at fondant cupcakes.  Sweet little baby faces inspired by Planet Cake.

Too cute to eat. Well, almost.

I think she's giving me the stink eye.  Good thing Grandmother finished her off shortly after I took this shot.  Sorry shug, you were meant to be eaten all along!

Anyway, recipes to come soon for everything but the cupcakes. (For that, you'll need this, which I got for my birthday from Kates.)

Sarah, we love you and can't wait to meet your sweet little one soon!

Imaginary Easter Brunch, Part 2

Well, as long as I'm imagining what I would include if I were throwing an Easter brunch { which, again, I am not }... I would add these to the list.

{ Photo courtesy of Glorious Treats }

Oh my.  Hydrangea cupcakes.  Are these not gorgeous?  I need an excuse to make them.  Like now. { And if you want to make them, here's how. }

I may just have to bake these and take them to the office.  Surely our two day planning meeting is worthy of such beautiful deliciousness?  I'm thinking so.

If I were hosting an Easter Brunch...

If I were hosting an Easter Brunch { which I am not }, I would have these.  For certain.

Little carrot flatware bundles.  Check out the cuteness when they're all together!

Guess I'll add this to the "things I'll do when I graduate from the Kid's Table and actually host a holiday" list, alongside "how to roast a turkey" and "homemade cranberry sauce".  I have much to learn before I can even remotely compare to a gathering hosted by the illustrious entertainer known as my mother. :) For now, though, it's homeward bound for Easter and that is a-okay with me!

Assembly instructions and lots more cuteness/deliciousness over at Our Best Bites.  Enjoy!

Just Peachy

Nothing says Georgia like peaches!  As a kid, my grandparents would take us to Montezuma in the summer to pick our own, and we'd bring back a whole bushel.  We'd have cobbler and ice cream until we popped.  (Unless of course I managed to get the rock salt into the ice cream instead of onto the ice... which may or may not have happened once or twice. : )

We had friends over this afternoon to send summer out in style (and let the boys watch football), so I thought one last peach cobbler would be the perfect way to end the season.  While I love the crumbly, strudel-like topping my mom makes, I went for a Paula Dean recipe today instead.  Something about the way that the crust starts out on the bottom and yet somehow winds up on top is just fun.  And it's perfectly thick without being too dense.

I used a mixture of traditional and white peaches, as I couldn't find enough traditional peaches that were ripe to my liking at the grocery store.  That, and I didn't realize I'd gotten three regular and and two white ones until we got home.  Apparently it didn't matter much, because between the seven of us we nearly ate the dish clean!

Paula's Peach Cobbler

Ingredients

• 4 cups peeled, sliced peaches
• 2 cups sugar, divided
• 1/2 cup water
• 8 tablespoons butter
• 1 1/2 cups self-rising flour
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• Ground cinnamon, optional

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350* F.
2. Combine the peaches, 1 cup sugar, and water in a saucepan and mix well. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat.
3. Put the butter in a 3-quart baking dish and place in oven to melt.
4. Mix remaining 1 cup sugar, flour, and milk slowly to prevent clumping. Pour mixture over melted butter. Do not stir. Spoon fruit on top, gently pouring in syrup. Sprinkle top with ground cinnamon, if using. Batter will rise to top during baking. Bake for 30 to 45 minutes.
5. To serve, scoop onto a plate and serve with your choice of whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.