Tag: #brunch

Pretty Parties

On By Leslie Byars RegisterIn appetizers, brunch, desserts, mains, salads, sides, The Parties, The Recipes

“Special occasions should feel special.”

When I’m hosting a birthday, shower, or any other festive family occasion, I want it to look like I have tried. But, on the other hand, I don’t want to give up my entire week or weekend making that happen. These recipes are company worthy and easy—a winning combination.

For all you Birmingham folks, the recipes in today’s post ran in the May/June issue of Birmingham Home and Garden magazine. So, if you subscribe, I apologize for the duplicates; but if you don’t, or have misplaced your issue, don’t fret—the recipes are all here. Well, almost all. I’m saving the Overnight Cinnamon French Toast for maybe Father’s Day. Stay tuned.

You all know how much I adore a package topper. How easy is slipping one seed packet under the bow?
Set the tone for any party with these unique Cucumber-and-Petal Tea Sandwiches. Each one is a litte work of art.
Get creative with the toppings. And don’t worry—it takes only a handful of ingredients to make them all special.

Cucumber-and-Petal Tea Sandwiches

Makes 36 (approx)

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened

3 tablespoons grated cucumber, excess water removed

1 tablespoon grated onion

¼ cup fresh dill

2 tablespoons mayonnaise

¼ teaspoon salt

1 loaf very thin white bread

Garnish with radish and cucumber slices, edible flowers, and fresh herbs

Be sure to slice the cucumbers and radishes thinly. It will make them easier to eat.

Combine first 6 ingredients in a small bowl; set aside. Trim crusts from bread to desired size. (I used a fluted pastry cutter. A cookie cutter will also work.) Spread cucumber mixture evenly on the bread, and garnish away!

This makes a nice appetizer to serve before lunch.

“And speaking of lunch…”

Celebration Shrimp Salad is a “healthy-ish” make-ahead option for anytime, not just a special occasion.

Celebration Shrimp Salad

Serves 4 to 6 (recipe easily can be doubled)

1 pound shrimp

1 cup finely chopped celery

3 Roma tomatoes, seeded and chopped

¼ cup green pepper, finely chopped

2 tablespoons pimiento or 2-ounce jar, drained thoroughly

1 tablespoon finely chopped green onion, (reserving tops for garnish)

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

Sour Cream Dressing

1 cup sour cream

½ cup ketchup

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon grated onion

1 teaspoon horseradish

½ teaspoon dry mustard

Place shrimp in a medium saucepan of boiling water. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until shrimp turn pink. Pour into a strainer, and rinse with cold water. Peel and place into a medium bowl. Set aside.

Add next 5 ingredients to the shrimp. (Note: With a paper towel remove excess moisture from the pimientos and tomatoes before adding them to the shrimp mixture.)

Sour Cream Dressing:

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl, mixing thoroughly. Immediately before serving, toss shrimp mixture with half of Sour Cream Dressing.

Serve shrimp salad on lettuce cups. Pass remainder of the dressing if desired. Garnish with reserved green onion tops.

Yields 4-6 Servings

Celebration Shrimp Salad w/ Sour Cream Dressing
Save RecipeSave Recipe
Print Recipe
Recipe Image

Ingredients

  • 1 pound shrimp
  • 1 cup finely chopped celery
  • 3 Roma tomatoes, seeded and chopped
  • ¼ cup green pepper, finely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons pimiento or 2-ounce jar, drained thoroughly
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped green onion, (reserving tops for garnish)
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon pepper
    • Sour Cream Dressing
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • ½ cup ketchup
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon grated onion
  • 1 teaspoon horseradish
  • ½ teaspoon dry mustard

Instructions

  1. Place shrimp in a medium saucepan of boiling water. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until shrimp turn pink. Pour into a strainer, and rinse with cold water. Peel and place into a medium bowl. Set aside.
  2. Add next 5 ingredients to the shrimp. (Note: With a paper towel remove excess moisture from the pimientos and tomatoes before adding them to the shrimp mixture.)
    3. Sour Cream Dressing:
  3. Combine all ingredients in a small bowl, mixing thoroughly. Immediately before serving, toss shrimp mixture with half of Sour Cream Dressing.
  4. Serve shrimp salad on lettuce cups. Pass remainder of the dressing if desired. Garnish with reserved green onion tops.
7.8.1.2
8
https://dearpartydiary.com/pretty-parties/

Serve with Sweet Corn Pudding and any simple marinated asparagus recipe.
Allow the corn pudding to rest for a few minutes after baking.

Sweet Corn Pudding

Serves 4 to 6

6 ears fresh corn, kernels removed

3 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

2 tablespoons butter, melted

1 cup milk

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Lightly grease a 1 ½-quart baking dish.

Stir together all ingredients in a medium bowl. Pour into prepared dish. (Place baking dish inside a larger baking pan; fill pan halfway up with water. This “water bath” will keep the pudding moist.) Bake for 45 minutes or until set.

“And for the moment you’ve been waiting for…”

Do you remember the Lorna Doone cookies??? They’re back!

No-Churn Strawberry Shortbread Ice Cream

Serves 6 to 8

2 cups fresh strawberries, plus extra for garnish

2 tablespoons sugar

2 cups whipping cream, chilled

1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

2 teaspoons vanilla

12 shortbread cookies

Fresh mint

Wash and hull strawberries, and place in a medium bowl. Sprinkle strawberries with sugar; set aside.

Beat cream with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form; add sweetened condensed milk, combine thoroughly; set aside.

Place strawberries in a food processor, and pulse 2 or 3 times.

Place cookies in a ziplock bag, and pound until crumbly.

Layer cream mixture, strawberries, and cookies in a 9 by 5-inch loaf pan, repeating twice. Swirl the layers with the blade of a knife after each layer. Top with remaining strawberry slices.

Cover tightly with several sheets of plastic wrap. Freeze for 5 to 6 hours or overnight. (Carefully press plastic wrap onto ice cream mixture to prevent any ice crystals from forming.)

Remove from the refrigerator 10 to 15 minutes prior to serving. Garnish with strawberries and fresh mint.

Leslie Likes: Lorna Doone Shortbread Cookies

Fabulous Find

These slim (8-ounce) cans of Zing Zang Bloody Mary mix are handy for smaller gatherings and travel. $9.99 per 6-pack, zingzang.com (For Birmingham readers, I bought these at the Crestline Piggly Wiggly!)

Also, special thanks to Grace Register for taking time out of her busy work schedule to index all of my past blog posts for me. She is one smart cookie!

Since October when I launched dearpartydiary.com, I’ve managed to come up with some pretty tasty recipes—65 to be exact, so if you may have skipped a week or two, take time to go back through the posts and see what all you have missed! It should be a “piece of cake” now, thanks to Grace!

“The finishing touches…”

It’s easy to grow your own edible flowers, such as nasturtiums. Simply follow the instructions on the back of the seed packet and don’t skip the step to soak them in water overnight before planting. They will germinate much faster. Seeds available at Oak Street Garden Shop, oakstreetgardenshop.com
Don’t be embarassed to serve your guests on paper plates. There are so many pretty options out there now, like these from Table Matters, Mountain Brook, AL. 205/879-0125
I still have a few books left in the basement. If you need a gift or two go to Buy the Book on this post, or to my website at lesliespartydiaries.com Have a great week! leslie

Breakfast Lessons

On By Leslie Byars RegisterIn breads & pastas, brunch, desserts6 Comments

‘Trailer for sale or rent, rooms to let, fifty cents….’

When I was in high school, I woke up every Sunday morning to Roger Miller’s voice singing King of the Road throughout the house on my dad’s stereo. He thought it was funny to wake my sister and me up for church that way. His thoughts were similar to the old proverb “If you’re going to hoot with the owls at night, you better be able to soar with the eagles in the morning.”

It was always worth getting out of bed, because that was Dad’s day to cook breakfast.

My dad could give breakfast lessons. He’s got it down to a science.

His specialty is made-to-order eggs. He can make them any style. He adds a little hot sauce before serving. The order in which you wake up is the order in which you are served!

Omelets to order, no problem! This silly picture was taken during an Iron Bowl weekend. Dad normally doesn’t cook breakfast in a Bear Bryant hat!

For pancakes, he’s got several different batters he likes, but the secret step is adding melted butter to the batter before cooking them. No butter is needed with the syrup when you do that.

And, he is particular about his biscuits too. He likes them extra crispy and brown. He hollows out part of the filling to make them a skinny biscuit. He was ahead of his time.

He always warms the plates and syrup in the microwave. He knows exactly how many seconds per plate. Thank goodness he has my mother to assist with all of these steps.

The extras, well, he’s got that figured out too. He spends about 15 minutes (total) driving all over town, to the hospital cafeteria, hotel coffee shop, and donut shop picking up his favorites from of all of these spots (bacon, sausage, donut holes, biscuits…) that are cooked and ready to serve. It’s a spread—guaranteed to hold you over for a few hours!

The first recipe I want to share is from my grandmother, better known as Mama Lil. I have her recipe box, and this one is in there. My grandfather’s name was Jesse, and she named these Hungry Jess Pancakes. They were always delicious, but I tweaked them to be even better! Instead of the oil, I do Dad’s melted butter trick. And I lightened the salt a tad (even though she survived 97 years on a highly salted diet). They will not disappoint and wonderful for dinner too on a cold, winter night!
Seeing Mama Lil’s handwriting is so comforting.

Hungry Jess Pancakes

Makes 10 pancakes

2 eggs

1 ¼ cups buttermilk

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 cup flour

2 tablespoons melted butter

Vegetable oil

Crack eggs into the bowl of a mixer; beat well. Add buttermilk, and mix until thoroughly combined.

In a separate bowl, combine remaining dry ingredients. Add to the buttermilk mixture; beat well. Add the melted butter. Set aside.

Heat a large nonstick skillet to medium to medium-high. Evenly coat the bottom of the skillet with vegetable oil. (I like to brush the vegetable oil onto the skillet with a basting brush.)

With a 1/3 dry measuring cup, pour batter into the skillet, making 3 pancakes at a time until batter is gone.

Keep in a warm oven on a baking sheet until remaining are cooked. Serve with warm maple syrup.

Garnish with fresh berries.

Yields 10 pancakes

Hungry Jess Pancakes
Save RecipeSave Recipe
Print Recipe
Recipe Image

Ingredients

  • 2 eggs
  • 1 ¼ cups buttermilk
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 cup flour
  • 2 tablespoons melted butter
  • Vegetable oil

Instructions

  1. Crack eggs into the bowl of a mixer; beat well. Add buttermilk, and mix until thoroughly combined.
  2. In a separate bowl, combine remaining dry ingredients. Add to the buttermilk mixture; beat well. Add the melted butter. Set aside.
  3. Heat a large nonstick skillet to medium to medium-high. Evenly coat the bottom of the skillet with vegetable oil. (I like to brush the vegetable oil onto the skillet with a basting brush.)
  4. With a 1/3 dry measuring cup, pour batter into the skillet, making 3 pancakes at a time until batter is gone.
  5. Keep in a warm oven on a baking sheet until remaining are cooked. Serve with warm maple syrup.
  6. Garnish with fresh berries.
7.8.1.2
26
https://dearpartydiary.com/breakfast-lessons/

Plates are by Golden Rabbit, $16 each. Retro alarm clock, $18. Enjoy Life glass, $12, all from The Art of Simple, Seaside, Florida; 850/231-6748, theartofsimple.com. The watering can is from Shoppe, Birmingham, Alabama; 205/224-4450, shoppebham.com
Serve this for breakfast, brunch, or even dessert. It transports well and makes a wonderful gift. Thanks, Cindy, for sharing your mother’s special recipe.

Judy Bishop’s Banana Bread

Makes 2 (8 ½ x 5-inch) loaves

1 cup shortening

2 cups sugar

3 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 ¾ cups flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup buttermilk

4 ripe bananas, mashed with a fork

1 ½ cups walnuts, toasted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In the bowl of a mixer, combine shortening, sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Beat until smooth and creamy.

In a separate bowl, combine flour and next 3 ingredients. Add to shortening mixture, and mix thoroughly. Add buttermilk and bananas. Continue mixing until combined. Stir in walnuts.

Bake for 50 minutes.

Learn from Leslie: The nuts land where they land in the baking process. If this bothers you, then pulse the walnuts in a food processor and then add to the batter. I personally like the random, toasted pieces of walnuts throughout the bread.

I keep the knife in the pan for easy cutting access! Who could resist?
I love the combination of bacon and cheese grits. Why not just make it happen from the get-go? These grits are often requested as the “plain” grits at my house. My family prefers these over a baked grits casserole. These are also tasty under a pork chop.

Quick Creamy Cheese Grits with Brown Sugar Bacon “Spoons”

Makes 5 cups

4 ½ cups water

1 cup grits

½ teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons butter

6 to 8 slices American cheese

Salt and pepper to taste

Brown Sugar Bacon “Spoons”:

6 slices of bacon, cut in half 

1/4 cup light brown sugar

 Coarsley ground black pepper

Leslie Likes: Nueske’s Applewood Smoked Bacon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Line a baking sheet with foil. Spray a cooling rack on both sides with cooking spray.  Place rack onto baking sheet. Cut bacon slices in half, and position on rack. Sprinkle with brown sugar and black pepper.

Bake 20 to 25 minutes until bacon is done. Loosen from rack, and allow to cool completely. These can be made ahead. 

Quick Creamy Cheese Grits:

Bring water and salt to a boil; add grits, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to medium. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes or until thickened. Add butter, cheese, salt, and pepper. Continue to cook until thick and creamy. Remove from burner, and cover.

My first attempt at making real spoon shapes. Unfortunately, they were too flimsy to be used as dippers after they were baked. But kinda cute huh?
Start every day with a good breakfast and a smile on your face! Besides, don’t they call it the “free” meal?
I would love to hear from you. Don’t be shy about making comments or asking questions. And, if you have a family recipe that you think is unique and delicious, please send it in. I would love to try it! Until next week, Leslie

The Monday Morning Conference Call

On By Leslie Byars RegisterIn appetizers, beverages, brunch, The Parties, The Recipes4 Comments

I can’t think of a better time to introduce my brother-in-law, Chip, and his wife, Andrea, and their signature cocktails. In their downtime, with their neighbors Jeff and Emma, they have developed a very humorous, interesting list.

They have all kinds of clever ideas. They are even tossing around the thought of, in their later years, both buying condos near each other and putting in a Jack-and-Jill bar. They may be on to something here.

Hey, let’s grab a drink in the bar.

And in their bar, they will serve only their signature cocktails, which will be printed on a special menu. Sounds fun to me.

The first drink on the list is The Monday Morning Conference Call. This is the perfect choice after a busy holiday weekend. Nothing’s wrong with the hair of the dog, and besides, it’s still the holidays.

Because you already know what kind of week it’s going to be.

This is basically an Irish coffee on the rocks.

Monday Morning Conference Call

Makes 1 drink

1 cup of cold coffee

1 ounce Baileys Original Irish Cream

1 ounce Jameson

Splash of Kahlua to taste

1 packet of Splenda (optional)

Combine all ingredients, and serve over ice.

Be sure to start with a cold cup of coffee.
Serve with a sectioned grapefruit and Orange Toast (page 195 in Leslie’s Party Diaries) or see recipe below. The breakfast of champions.
And, yes, you are not seeing things. In the middle of this cute plate is a jockey on an armadillo. My close friend Dolly has a knack for finding unique treasures.

Orange Toast

Makes 44 pieces

Zest of 2 oranges

1 cup powdered sugar

½ cup unsalted butter

22 slices of very thin white bread

Preheat oven to 275 degrees.

Stir together orange zest, powdered sugar, and butter until blended.

Trim crusts from bread with a long, serrated knife; spread butter mixture thinly on both sides of the bread. Place on an ungreased baking sheet; cut bread slices in half lengthwise.

Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until dry and toasted, turning after 20 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. Store in an airtight container.

Leslie Likes: Pepperidge Farm Very Thin White Bread

Yields 44 pieces

Orange Toast
Save RecipeSave Recipe
Print Recipe
Recipe Image

Ingredients

  • Zest of 2 oranges
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • ½ cup unsalted butter
  • 22 slices of very thin white bread

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 275 degrees.
  2. Stir together orange zest, powdered sugar, and butter until blended.
  3. Trim crusts from bread with a long, serrated knife; spread butter mixture thinly on both sides of the bread. Place on an ungreased baking sheet; cut bread slices in half lengthwise.
  4. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until dry and toasted, turning after 20 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. Store in an airtight container.
7.8.1.2
14
https://dearpartydiary.com/the-monday-morning-conference-call/

The second drink on their list is called the Rendition. It’s a very refreshing and beautiful drink.

Because you’re not quite sure which jurisdiction you are going to wake up in.

These can be addictive. And talk about light! Perfect for those days you are watching your calories.

Rendition

Makes 1 drink

1 to 2 ounces Stoli Blueberry Vodka

Juice from ½ of a Key lime or lime

4 to 5 fresh blueberries

1 large sprig of fresh mint

Ice

Sprite Zero

I love how the flavors release when they are crushed with the muddler.

In a small pitcher, combine vodka, lime juice, blueberries, and mint. With a wooden muddler, crush the berries and mint to release their flavors into the vodka and lime juice. Add ice and top off with Sprite Zero.

Chip and Andrea have a Key lime tree in the courtyard of their New Orleans home. If you have trouble finding Key limes, just substitute limes.

Stay tuned in the coming weeks for more on Chip and Andrea’s specialty cocktail list.

Emergency Appetizer

For those who follow one of my Instagram accounts, Leslie’s Party Diaries and Leslie.Register, you may have seen me mention this Emergency Appetizer before, but after several requests, I decided to add it to the mini magazine.

If you are looking for a hot dip and live near a Trader Joe’s, pick up a container of their Spinach and Kale Greek Yogurt Dip. Top it with fresh Parmesan cheese, and bake at 350 degrees until hot and bubbly. Serve with crackers, assorted vegetables, or chips. It couldn’t be easier than that!

Heat this Spinach and Kale Greek Yogurt Dip from Trader Joe’s as simple appetizer for last-minute company. traderjoes.com
It’s delicious served cold too.

Also, be sure to pick up a copy of Birmingham Home and Garden magazine (birminghamhomeandgarden.com) coming out January 1st. I’ll be doing their food column in the coming issues. My first topic will be easy, lighter Mexican fare. Check it out!

Happy New Year!

I would love to hear from you. Don’t be shy about making comments or asking questions. I love getting mail! Leslie

Bubbly Bar

On By Leslie Byars RegisterIn appetizers, beverages, brunch, The Parties8 Comments

“I’ll have a double mimosa, hold the O.J.”

Fresh fruits and flowers set the tone for this colorful event.

Nothing says party more than a chilled bottle of Champagne. During football season, Thanksgiving weekend, or anytime during the holidays, take time to set up an attractive mimosa bar. Start with a decorative tray and a variety of fresh juices, such as orange, pineapple, and cranberry, and of course, ice-cold Champagne. For those less festive folks, throw out a bottle of vodka.

A little humor never hurt anything.

A quick and easy appetizer to serve with a mimosa bar is Parmesan-Parsley Popcorn—which falls into my Emergency Appetizer recipe category. I always have these ingredients on hand. I love to serve such a simple nibble in an interesting container. It changes everything.

Even though I’ve never smoked a cigarette in my life, I am somehow obsessed with vintage ashtrays. Certain things jump out at you and there is no explanation—other than there is a sense of nostalgia to them. I feel they will soon be extinct.

Be on the lookout for unusual serving pieces like these vintage treasures.

A large vintage ashtray is the ideal size and shape for a snack like this popcorn, and it’s always good to do something unexpected. The best compliment you can get after a party is for one of your guests to tell a friend what you did. Give them something to talk about.

One bag of microwave popcorn, tossed with Parmesan and then topped with chopped parsley. Impressive, huh?
Buttery saltines are always a crowd-pleaser; add a seasoning salt and they are over the top. Next time you have last-minute company, try Trader Joe’s Everything but the Bagel Sesame Seasoning Blend on top of saltines dipped in melted butter. Bake for 25 minutes at 275 degrees. (Bake on a rack on top of a cookie sheet.)
This blend of sesame and poppy seeds, sea salt, garlic, and onion is not just for bagels anymore.
The buttered saltines will get extra crispy baking on a rack instead of directly on the baking sheet. Find one that fits comfortably on top of your baking sheet.
And another really easy Emergency Appetizer is making a mad dash to the “olive garden” bar at your local grocery store. Spoon up a container of specialty olives, add a fancy lemon curl on top, and you are done. Voilà!

Somewhere near the ashtrays at most flea markets are the vintage ice trays—soon to be extinct too, thanks to modern-day ice machines. Look for an interesting ice tray shape, like this honeycomb-shaped one, to make a specialty cube to add to the bar. Pineapple juice freezes beautifully, and a cube of it will add a fresh taste to many of your concoctions without watering it down. Cranberry is a good choice too.

Small cubes are perfect for a skinny Champagne flute.
Cranberry juice frozen in a unique ice-cube tray almost looks like fruit when dropped into a glass of Champagne. It flavors as it melts. It’s a two-for-one special.

When time allows, order funny, printed cocktail napkins or interesting, custom cocktail stirrers.

Custom stirrers are available from Etsy at etsy.com/shop/FranJohnsonHouse.
How special are these stirrers?

Take advantage of fresh fruits and use them as a container for your garnishes, as I did here with the fresh pineapple. I simply cut a fresh pineapple in half, hollowed out the fruit from one side, and reserved the rest for garnish. You now have a beautiful bowl—that doesn’t need washing at the end of the night.

Decorate the bar with a pineapple bowl filled with the mimosa garnishes.

If hosting a special occasion with an honored guest, save one of the Champagne corks, place it in a mini glass shadow box, and let it be his or her party favor to remember the event. It will make the perfect keepsake. I buy these by the dozen—they come in handy for wine corks too. Thanks, Elizabeth, for sharing this idea with me years ago. (I have one sitting on my coffee table now that she gave me from our wedding.) It’s a thoughtful, easy gift. Your guests will be impressed.

This keepsake Cork Holder can be ordered from Mercantile + Co. at ggmercantileco.com.