Pink & Brown Mother's Day Party 2017

Well before Mother's Day rolled around last year, I knew exactly what to do for gifts.  I created these super fun Subway Art Pillows, using all of the kid's and grandkid's names.  And the granddogs.  Because they're family too.  I actually made the pillows way back in February of 2017.  I thought I was really on the ball last year.  And then the week of Mother's Day arrived and I had no idea what I was doing to celebrate.  We always have some kind of gathering at my house.  Usually I have some kind of elaborate theme, but last year I drew a blank.  Which was a little disappointing considering the pillows had been wrapped and ready to go since February.  I sat staring at the chocolate brown gift bags with pink tissue and suddenly it hit me to use pink and brown as my colors.  And the snowball started rolling from there.  I have tons of those cylinder vases that always show up as a centerpiece.  I immediately thought of strawberry pink marshmallows as filler.  And then chocolate.  And then of course chocolate dipped strawberries came to mind.  After that the ideas were endless and I had to edit.  I narrowed things down to just chocolate dipped fruit.  Strawberries, "Monkey Tails" (frozen chocolate dipped bananas on a stick) and chocolate and caramel apple slices.  I debated on drinks.  My family is all about coffee or sweet tea but somehow coffee and frozen bananas just didn't sound like a match.  And then it hit me.  In keeping with the theme I went with chocolate milk and strawberry milk.  Served in champagne glasses of course.  After all Mother's Day is a very important celebration!

Here was our Pink & Brown PERFECT Celebration!

I used the brown gift bags with pink tissue as my
inspiration, so I included them on the table...

Cylinder vases for centerpieces.  Filled with:
strawberry marshmallows
Whoppers
Starbursts mini's (all pink!)

Champagne Glasses of course!
Mom deserves to be celebrated!

Here is the table all ready to go...

For the chocolate dipped strawberries I simply
dipped them in melted chocolate bark and the Wilton pink candy melts.  Then I put the extra melted
chocolate and pink candy into zip-style baggies, clipped
the corners and used them to drizzle.

For the Monkey Tails:
I cut the bananas in half and put them on popsicle sticks.
Then I dipped them in to the melted chocolate coating.
Some I rolled in coconut flakes, some in chopped pecans,
and some I left plain.  Nothing beats a good 'ol
chocolate dipped banana.  After dipping, these went
in to the freezer.

For the Caramel Apple Slices on a stick, I sliced the apples
about 1/2-inch thick and inserted the popsicle sticks.
I drizzled them with caramel sauce (Ghirardelli from abottle) and more melted chocolate.  Some I garnished with
chopped pecans (think Turtles!) and some I left plain.

Aren't these carafes just the cutest?
Chocolate milk and Strawberry milk were the ideal
beverage choice for my Pink & Brown Party!
(I can report NO ONE drank the Strawberry Quik milk..I tried
a little sip, but it didn't taste like it did when I was a kid.
OH well, it looked super cute and that's all that matters.)

All ready for the Moms to enjoy. 
Attending were my Mom, her twin sister Aunt Sissie
(she's my other mother lol) Little Devil, my best friend Barbara,
and her daughter Emily.  It was a great girl's afternoon.

Here are the pillows I made for the Moms.  They
absolutely loved them.  They were such a hit, in fact
I had orders for several from other friends and family.
If this is something you might be interested in, you can
visit my Facebook Page or email: scarf.factory.girl@gmail.com

New Mexico Beef Stew

You know the old saying, "The way to a man's heart is through his stomach"? Well in my quest to convince Mr. Devilish Dish to move to Santa Fe, I've adopted a strict New Mexican menu.  I'm not even joking.  It has been about two weeks of southwest cuisine with a trip to Santa Fe in between.  Guess what we ate there?  More southwest cuisine.  I'm obsessed and I figure eventually I can wear him down.  If he won't move there, then at least he'll let me visit there more often.  This last trip I actually persuaded him to take a side trip to Ft. Sumner so I could visit the Billy the Kid Museum and Billy the Kid's grave.  You'll recall from my Lincoln County Biscuits post, I have quite the fascination with western history.  We've also been fortunate to have some cooler weather in Oklahoma lately which has worked in my favor.  Nothing warms you up faster than a hearty bowl of stew, spiced up with jalapenos and chipotle peppers.  It wasn't too spicy, just the right about of smoky kick to warm you up.  I love this version because it has garbanzo beans, making it a little different than the traditional pintos or black beans.  Rounded out with tangy tomatoes and sweet corn, it's a ideal bowl of stew.  Especially if you need to drop a hint or two about  New Mexico. 

Smoky chiptole peppers give this hearty
bowl of stew just the right amount of kick.

Garbanzo beans add a twist on the traditional.

Hearty beef, sweet corn and tangy tomatoes...

Perfect to warm you up during chilly weather.

It's like New Mexico in a bowl...

Check out this gorgeous chile pepper wreath
from the Santa Fe Farmer's Market

Here is St. Kateri Tekakwitha.
She is the first Native American to be recognized as a saint
by the Catholic Church.  This statue is out in front of
the St. Francis Cathedral.
Isn't she gorgeous???

Just a little sampling of the flavors we brought home with us.
This isn't counting the FULL ice chest.

NEW MEXICAN BEEF STEW

1/2 cup cornmeal (I used masa we had on hand from tamales)
1/2 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
Kosher salt to taste
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1 3/4 pounds well-trimmed eye of round roast cut into 1-inch cubes
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 large white onion, chopped
1 (10 ounce) package frozen corn kernels, thawed
2 fresh jalapenos, seeded and chopped
1 (15 ounce) can garbanzo beans (chick peas) drained
1 (28 ounce) can whole tomatoes, undrained
1-2 chipotle peppers, chopped

Combine cornmeal, black pepper, salt and thyme in a large zip-style plastic bag.  Add the beef cubes and toss to coat.  In a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat, heat the olive oil.  Add the beef cubes (shaking off any excess cornmeal) and saute until lightly browned on all sides, about 5 minutes. Remove beef cubes to a plate.  Reduce heat slightly and add garlic and onions.  Stir constantly until onions become slightly translucent, about 5 minutes.  Return beef to pot and add enough water to cover beef halfway.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat to simmer.  Cover pot with lid and simmer 30 minutes.  Add corn, jalapeno, garbanzo beans, tomatoes and chipotle peppers.  Return mixture to a boil, then reduce to simmer.  Cover with lid again and simmer an additional 30 minutes or until beef and vegetables are tender.  Taste and adjust seasoning before serving.

Prep Time:  Approximately 20 minutes     Cook Time: Approximately 1 hour

   
                                      

Chicken Cacciatore

Cacciatore means "hunter" in Italian.  The preparation of this dish means it is prepared "hunter-style" with onions, tomatoes, herbs, and wine.  Often it is prepared with rabbit, but we don't eat bunny foo-foo at our house so I opted for chicken instead. When I saw the dish included mushrooms and red wine, I knew it would be a winner for Mr. Devilish Dish.  Sometimes I'm picky and mushrooms are one of the things I'm picky about.  Turns out I was entirely wrong and I've really been missing out by not making this dish sooner.  It's very rich and hearty and I can't even begin to describe to you how much flavor is in the robust red sauce.  It's quite easy to prepare as everything goes in one pot, so don't be intimidated by the ingredient list.  Just chop everything ahead of time like I did.  It's really motivating when you see all of the beautiful, fresh vegetables ready to go into the cooking pot.  In addition, your house will smell amazing while this is cooking.  An ideal dish for company, as it is hearty and complex in flavors, but simple to prepare in one pot.  Whether you are a hunter, or you only hunt deals at the grocery store, you're sure to love this "hunter-style" dish!

A hearty, robust sauce full
of fresh vegetables and herbs.

Prep your ingredients ahead of time.
Everything goes into one pot,
making it quite easy to prepare.
Look at all of that color!

One pot preparation,
easy clean up!

So much flavor in one pot!

Chicken Cacciatore
Chicken prepared "hunter-style"
Served with pasta and crusty bread.
A perfect company dish...