Easter Morning Breakfast

Published on: 2:30 PM

You’ve planned your Easter Menu out already and you are set to go.  But the one thing we usually forget is, what’s for breakfast?  Barb Kiebel from Creative-Culinary has some choice recipes that will thrill your family and Easter guests

 

by Barb Kiebel

 

For the Traditionalist:

Creamed Eggs on Toast Points

My children are both grown up and beyond the years of me hiding baskets or hunting for eggs (OK, I still put up this adorable little Easter tree with ornaments and yes, they are not so old they don’t expect a chocolate treat from Mom!). However, some traditions remain and this dish is a standard that we have had for as many years as I can recall. It’s not hard to wonder why; a dozen or more hard boiled eggs left by the Easter Bunny needed to be used and my girls weren’t thrilled with having a plain hard boiled egg every day for a week. Sure, I could make egg salad but that was pretty standard fare so one day thought to make a dish that would allow us to hunt for and eat those eggs on Easter morning. Click for the recipe here.

 

For the Health Oriented

Homemade Granola with Mixed Nuts and Coconut

I may need an intervention. I started making my own granola a couple of years ago and it’s out of control. If I don’t have some for breakfast, well, it’s not pretty. I can’t concentrate, coffee barely helps and I’m so desperate that I’ve wondered if Cheerios and Craisins on yogurt would satisfy in a pinch. Click for the recipe here.

For a Treat

Maple Bacon Biscuit

Before I became part of a local blogger group I used to hold regular brunches at my home with a group of girlfriends; we called ourselves ‘The Marthas.’ Marriages and moves saw us eventually disband but these were a HUGE hit at our last get together. Now that I’ve been reminded of how much I love them, I think a batch for my blogging buddies has to be put on the agenda. What can I say but absolutely fabulous! Click for the recipe here.

 

The Drinks

The BEST Mimosas

Mimosas are often associated with brunches and what better day to serve a brunch cocktail than Easter. Or Mother’s Day. Or maybe any day. A combination of orange juice and champagne, they offer a light accompaniment to your late morning meal. I’ve long loved adding just one more touch; just a bit of liqueur. Last year I included a mimosa made using my homemade cranberry liqueur.  Click for the recipe here.

The Strawberry Muddle

 

 

This drink was featured in the July ’09 issue of Bon Appetit magazine. I had just received the magazine and was having friends over for a cocktail and luckily had the fruit on hand and some of my favorite sparkling wine chilling in the fridge. One of the mainstays of my summer bar is Cristalano Spanish Cava. Cava is produced in Spain and Prosecco in Italy and they are just as good as…but can’t be called Champagne. That is legally only allowed by the sparkling wine producers in the area of Champagne, France.  Click for the recipe here.

Barbara Kiebel started her online life seventeen years ago when she began professionally developing websites.  The first website she made for herself was back in 1995 and was a place to feature her best recipes for her family and friends.  In the last few years, she segued it to a food blog, Creative-Culinary.com.  She prepares new recipes, photographs them and talks a bit about the store to table experience.  Her specialty cocktails are making news on her ‘Happy Hour Friday’  column where she occasionally pairs them with appetizers.

Follow Barbara on Twitter:   @CreativCulinary
Kinetic Webs, LLC :   www.kineticwebs.com
Creative CulinaryWebsite:   www.creative-culinary.com

 

 

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Some of the BEST Retro & Historical Recipe Blogs to Help You Recreate Passover & Easter Traditions!

Published on: 10:56 AM

I don’t know about you, but when the holidays roll around, I always get a bit nostalgic and want to recreate the food traditions that I loved as a child.  In today’s fast paced world, many folks do not have the time or energy to do things the way Moms or Grandmothers of yesteryear did.  Here are a few of our favorite Foodie sites that can help you reach back in time to bring old traditions back to your Easter and Passover tables and perhaps they will inspire you to make some of these your own new traditions!

Who:

Lost Recipes Found

What:

Monica Kass Rogers is a Food Historian who finds, prepares and photographs recipes ‘to do my best to get them back in today’s home kitchens.’

Where:

Facebook:  Lost Recipes Found.com
Twitter:     @Lostrecipes

What’s Great:

Monica, a longtime food writer,  is restoring food memories one recipe at a time.  For instance who wouldn’t want recipes for  Preserved Meyer Lemons  , Company Casserole  and Buckeye Candy?  Her recipe box has headings like Calk Walk, Canning Corner and Classic Casseroles.  There’s always a story to go alone with the recipe. Some might even jar your memory!

Southern Buttermilk Biscuits with Country Ham or Brown Sugar Ham…. Stop everything! This could be the start of a new tradition for you this Easter! Photo: Lost Recipes Found. click here for the full recipe!

 

Who:

Tori Avery, Shiksa in the Kitchen

What:

The History Kitchen , which explores general food history and The Shiksa in The Kitchen, which explores the history of Jewish cuisine

Where:

Facebook:  Tori Avery
Twitter: @ToriAvery
Pinterest: ToriAvery
Instagram: @ToriAvery

What’s Great?

Pretty much everything.  Tori is one of those editors who knows how to give you great recipes with added stories and history along with them.

Both of Tori’s sites are worth spending time on if you are planning your holiday menus. You will love them and you will love her!  For Passover, the Apple Sinnoman Charoset below looks amazing and super healthy, but don’t miss her Chocolate Toffee Matzo Crunch.

On The History Kitchen site, check out these recipes for your Easter feast: Kolache ,  Swedish Lamb Stew with Pears,  or Funnel Cakes!

Apple Cinnamon Charoset with Candied Walnuts – Charoset is a fruit and nut mixture that is used as a blessing for the Passover Seder. If you don’t celebrate Passover, you will want to put this in your recipe book anyway. Majorly delicious ingredients!  photo from The Shiksa in the Kitchen. Click here to visit her site and get this recipe!

 

 

 

Who:

Mid Century Menu

What:

Totally Retro recipes from 1920 to 1980, the dawn of when food was sold prepared, packaged or frozen.

Where:

Facebook:  Mid-Century Menu
Twitter:   MidCenturyMenu
Pinterest: No Pattern Required

What’s Great:

This will be a major deja vu for many of you.  Do you remember all of those recipes made with Jello – Pickle & Pineapple Salad,  Potato Salad Gelatin Mold or Tomato Aspic?  They are here!

That’s not all…. Ruth and her husband make one mid-century recipe every Wednesday and you can follow along with them! Remember Bisquick, tuna casseroles and French onion dip?  Frankfurter Loaf, SPAM and yes, even 8 different recipes for your Easter LAMB CAKES!

The caption on this reads “This week we are making something incredibly easy and meant to drink with RC Cola. This is Peanut ‘n’ Ham Spread!” You cannot pass this one by! Photo from Mid Century Menu. Click here for the recipe!

 

Who:

Historic Foodways at Historic Williamsburg

What:

Basically these are the Foodies of Colonial Williamsburg

Where:

Facebook:  Colonial Williamsburg
Pinterest: Colonial Williamsburg
Twitter: @ColonialWmsburg
Youtube: Colonial Williamsburg

What’s Great:

Williamsburg, Virginia is one of the most popular and successful colonial village restorations in the United States.  One of their main purposes is education and the Historic Foodways is one group that is having a fine time doing it.  Their byline is ’18th century recipes for the 21st century kitchen’.  They are on a mission to preserve the past and invite you to join in their discussion online or at any of their ongoing programs in the village.

They present their recipes as they were originally written and then give you the updated version.  From Syllabubs,  King William’s Posset, apple fritters and a Ragoo of Oysters  the recipes are researched thoroughly and many of them are served in the fine dining restaurants in the historic village.

A totally different approach to cake and fruit. Sugary and rich, this recipe reverses the practice of mixing candied fruit into cake, instead putting cake into candied fruit.

 

 

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DIY Spring & Easter Decorating Ideas for your Front Door!

Published on: 11:46 PM

 

by Karin Lidbeck Brent

 

It’s time to celebrate and welcome Spring – it is here!  In most parts of the country, people are breathing a sigh of relief after a grueling winter.  AND… since Easter is just around the corner, these great DIY decorating ideas will work for your holiday and Spring decorating! You can find most of these materials at your craft store or in your own garden.

Baskets from Crate & Basket adorn this front door and stoop.

 

 

Nest in a Basket

birds nest

Materials

• 1 big squat round bottom basket (www.crateandbasket.com)
• 1 bag of green moss (Spanish moss)
• small 6” bird’s nest
• small bird
• pussy willow branches

1. Using a glue gun, attach a wire to the top of basket for hanging.

2. To create your diorama, use the glue gun to build up layers of moss in the bottom of basket, filling from front to back. Make it slightly higher on one side.

3. Glue bird’s nest on left hand side on top of moss as seen in picture.

4. Push stems of pussy willows into the moss using glue to hold it if necessary.

5. Add the eggs to nest then the bird to the pussy willow.

 

 

The Umbrella Bouquet

Umbrella Bouquets filled with tulips!  If the tulips begin to wilt, you can replace them very easily.

 

Materials:

• classic Umbrella with handle
• 24 tulips
• large sandwich bags
• medium to large rubber bands
• wide ribbon

 

Process:

1. Gather three grouping of tulips, 8 stems in each bunch.

2. Place each group in a plastic bag, tie with a rubber band at the middle and slowly drizzle water from the  faucet into the bottom of each bag filling about 2 inches of water in the bottom.  Make sure the stems of the tulips are all in water and the bag is pulled up tight around the stems.

3. Hang the umbrella on the door.

4. Tie a ribbon around the umbrella about a third of the way up from the bottom.

5. Place the three bags inside the top of the umbrella; one on the right, one on the left and one in the center. Position it so the  flowers are arranged in between the metal stays splaying out at the top.

 

The Flowered Egg

Welcome your Easter company with this floral egg!

 

Materials

• 1 styrofoam sheet (2?x 12? x 24?)
• 6 stems of silk floral hydrangea
• styrofoam glue
• floral wire
• white burlap or a 3? x 30? length of ribbon

Process

1. Cut out an egg shape from the styro foam sheet using the whole width of the sheet. Using a serrated knife, round off the edges on the front side of the egg.

2. Pull off the hydrangea flower heads from the main stem. This will leave you with a flower head that has a small plastic end underneath the petals. Place a small amount of styrofoam glue onto that end and push it into Styrofoam. Cover the entire egg with flower heads close to one another and slightly overlapping until the entire Styrofoam egg is covered.

3. Cut the ribbon from a piece of natural white burlap to about  3” x 30” and keep the edges frayed.

4. Write welcome with a brown fabric pen and pin it to the egg.

5. Use the floral wire to make a hanger on the back of the egg and hang it on the door.

 

Vintage Mason Jar with Daffodils

Any size Mason jar will do !

 

 

Materials:

• twine
• large Mason jar
• daffodils

 

1. Use the twine to add a decorative embellishment to the bottom of the jar and under lip by winding and fitting it close together. You can use your hot glue gun to adhere it to the jar.

2. Fill the jar partially with water.

3. Hang the jar with twine on a door or windows sill.

4. Add the daffodils

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Watering can

Use a watering can filled with whatever is growing in your garden!

 

 

Materials:

• twine
• metal watering can
• daffodils

This is the same idea as above but with a watering can!

1. Use the twine to add a decorative embellishment to the bottom of the can.

2. Wrap the rope around the around nozzle and handle and hang the watering can from your door knocker.

3. Fill the can with flowering branches – what ever is blossoming in your garden!

 

 

All photos by Michael Partenio

 

 

 

Karin Lidbeck-Brent

is a renowned photo stylist, lifestyle expert and producer of editorial features for dozens of the nations leading magazines. As a stylist Karin is often found styling some of Americas most beautiful homes, gardens and entertaining features working along side the countrys best interior photographers.  In addition to her magazine work, Karin lends her styling and production expertise to numerous catalog, marketing, and television projects.

Karin is sought after for her floral design work, lifestyle ideas and DIY projects that inspire readers in many in the nation’s leading magazines, including Better Homes and Gardens, Country Living, Traditional Home, Country Gardens, and Good Housekeeping.

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The BEST Pinterest Easter Boards, Delicious Dieting, Toyota & Artichokes, New G+ Book Club & The BEST Mexican Breakfast! – Week in Review!

Published on: 10:42 PM

 

The Best Easter Decorating Boards on Pinterest

How to Diet without Dieting: Meet Miranda Hammer

 

The Toyota 2014 Hylander, the Articoke and a Food Bank

Announcing Our First Book Club Pick!

The PERFECT Authentic Mexican Breakfast-  Amelia Ceja’s Chilaquiles!

 

 

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The Sleeping Porch, Online Workshops, French Cooking Classes, New Book Releases, The Best Breads for Easter – Week in Review

Published on: 1:09 AM

Creative Live- Free Live Online Workshops Taught by Experts

French Cooking Class; From Market to Table and 3 Easy Recipes

Shelf Pleasure Book Club – Week of March 10

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The Best Breads to Serve with Your Easter Dinner

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The Best Easter Decorating Boards on Pinterest

Published on: 9:54 PM

Easter and Spring are upon us (finally!)  The following Easter Decorating Pinterest boards are some of our favorites!  We hope they will inspire during this joyous holiday!

 

Just click on each picture and it will take you to their boards to follow!

Country Easter Table from Chef Robin White @canapes45 EASTER ON THE BUNNY TRAIL board

Simple Festive Table Setting Ideas from Holly Ledingham’s EASTER CELEBRATION Board

Natural Dyes for Easter Eggs  – EASTER BUNNY CELEBRATIONS board  by Evan Clark

From Sweet Chic Events & Design’s EASTER board

Easter Bunny and Chocolate Dipped Strawberries from Elisete Rossini’s SPRING & EASTER IDEAS

EASTER EGG DECORATION IDEAS from Easter Lusciousness – My Luscious Life.com

Martha Stewart’s EASTER CRAFTS & IDEAS

Of course..ours THE EGG & I

From Lisa & Vanessa @Diyncrafts EASTER{DIY~FOOD~DECOR~CRAFTS} board

From Roxana Home Baking’s Shared Easter board @RoxanaGreenGirl

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The Best Breads to Serve with Your Easter Dinner

Published on: 6:17 AM

Simple Spring Pleasures

by  Victoria Amory

 

Holidays always make me think of family and close friends. And this year, perhaps more than others, it has become of great importance to be surrounded by those we love. Creating glorious family meals and inviting a few grown up friends to share our bounty is how I want to spend the weekend that marks in my calendar, the beginning of spring.

Everyday meals tend to have a hurried feeling; I never seem to have enough time to cook. But, it is on holidays and weekends when the tempo slows down that I actually have the energy to tackle a few long lost recipes and bring them back to life.

I get enormous pleasure when I see the faces of my children and our friends light up with gusto when they eat something I have made. It is what keeps me going and researching recipes and ingredients. I am always on the look out for new things, and always willing to try something different.  My palate and that of my family is not as adventurous as you might think. If the dish in front of them doesn’t look good, I will receive groans of complaints!

With that in mind, this Easter Sunday I am making a boring leg of lamb, simply roasted potatoes and a plain carrot puree. Nothing that you haven’t seen before! What I am making different, and something I have been working on, is a group of savory breads. I have realized in my research that bread is actually very in season with Easter, as breaking bread is an ancient tradition. After the forty days of Lent where “giving up” bread is a common custom, I think that there is nothing better than tucking in with a warm slice of just-out-of-oven bread.

 

Breads to serve with your Easter dinner

The inspiration of these recipes, and the reason I am grouping them together is simple and obvious, they all contain one of my favorite ingredients of all times: cheese. My fridge always has an array of half-eaten cheeses, from hard parmesan to soft chevre, that are often not pretty enough to serve by themselves but still deserve a gracious end.

 

Olive & Tomato Polenta Bread

Olive and Tomato Polenta Bread

Olive & Tomato Polenta Bread is, as its name entails, made with polenta and regular flour. Its distinct color and taste is purely Mediterranean but it also has a huge dose of rustic Southern characteristics. Sundried tomatoes, Kalamata olives and olive oil combine beautifully with white cheddar cheese. I adore serving this bread to accompany soft cheeses like brie and St. Andre, but it will be just as delicious spread with a little butter for breakfast.

 

Leftover Cheese Bites

Leftover Cheese Bites are so easy to make that I buy extra cheeses to make sure I do have enough leftover. I have used every kind and mixed them all with excellent results. Do use 1 cup of semi-soft and one cup of a hard cheese to achieve the necessary results. These bites are perfect with afternoon drinks or to serve with piping-hot tomato soup.

Leftover Cheese Bites

Makes about 60

I use all the leftover bits of cheese I have in the fridge.  I separate them into hard like parmesan, aged manchego or emental and soft ones like brie, explorateur or fresh chevre. I have also done this with blue cheese with excellent results. Remove the rinds before using.

• 1 cup semisoft cheese, cubed
• 1 cup hard cheese, grated
• 1 and half stick butter
• ¼ teaspoon ground pepper
• ½ cup parsley, finely chopped
• 2 cups regular flour, more for floring

Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees

1. In a food processor, cream the butter and cheeses until soft. Add the pepper and parsley. Slowly incorporate the flour until well mixed, scrape the sides of the bowl if needed.

2. Flour your hands. Using a teaspoon or a small measuring spoon, make bite size balls and place them on a cookie sheet about 2 inches apart.

3. Press them down to make a round shape with fingers and prick the tops with a fork. Bake in the oven until golden, about 15 minutes.

Roasted Red Pepper Loaf

Roasted Red Pepper Loaf is deliciously piquant. Use different types of roasted peppers and experiment with hot jalapenos or poblanos if you dare. I like serving this bread as an accompaniment to roasted pork or chicken as the necessary starch of the meal. Sliced in thick wedges to mop up juices it is a delicious alternative to rice.

 

Savory breads are really more like loaves, think of zuchinni bread and you get the idea. The fun thing about these recipes is the myriad of ways of making them. Play with them to make presentation as attractive as you wish.

For instance, bake the Olive and Tomato Polenta Bread in an earthenware cazuela or a round tagine dish to make it rustic and Mediterranean, or bake the Roasted Red Pepper Loaf in hollowed red pepper shells or bacon wrapped tomato shells to serve alongside a juicy cut of meat. Or think about adding an almond or a pecan in the center of the cheese bite and floating them on a creamy mushroom soup.

Either way, these breads will make your family ooh and aah at your culinary ability and will make your friends faint with rapture at your table. I promise.

For an added treat on your Easter table, check out Victoria’s line of condiments and sauces.  They are made of all natural ingredients and are absolutely delicious!

The Cooking Sauce collection includes an Apricot & Almond sauce that will add a rich layer of flavors to your Easter lamb!

 

 

 

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