Family Bites

Handburgers for Halloween

Sometimes, when I get an idea, I head straight to Google to see how many times my brilliant concept has been created before. There are times when I type in a search word and see over 2,000 photos in the results. I feel both elated and depressed when that happens; content knowing that there are people out there who think like me, and then silently shaking my fist at them for coming up with my great idea first. 

Fortunately, this isn't what happened when I looked up hamburger hand.

I remember seeing Julie make a meat hand a few years ago, and I also remember thinking how great it would be to turn that meat hand into a smaller, portable portion; something to be served at a party, or just plain fun for the kids because we all know they love anything that's presented in miniature form.

Speaking of kids, mine were quite wowed to see these on their dinner plates last night. The shallot fingernails grossed them out a little - only because anything from the onion family isn't really their friend, but beyond that they were thrilled with this creepy creation. In fact, Jackson assures me that these were the best burgers he's ever tasted, even though they were made exactly like all the others. 

Handburgers

Makes 10 burgers

• Approx. 2 lbs. ground sirloin
• Salt and pepper
• Ketchup
• 1 shallot
• 1o burger buns
• Assorted condiments: lettuce, pickles, cheese, tomato, mustard, onion

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Line a baking sheet (or two if necessary) with parchment paper. Divide the sirloin into 10 equal portions and shape into balls. I weighed mine on a kitchen scale to ensure they were each a little over 3oz.

Tear each ball into two pieces. Shape one into a round, flat disc and set in on the parchment paper and divide the other into five small pieces - one for each finger and the thumb. Roll these pieces into thin logs and insert them into the hand where the fingers and thumb would go. Work with the meat and shape it until you're happy with the look of the hand. 

Season the meat hands with salt and pepper. Bake for 15 minutes, remove from the oven and slather the tops with ketchup. Turn the oven to broil and pop the hands back in for 1-2 minutes, or until the hands are a little crispy and the ketchup is thick and gooey.

While the burgers are cooking slice the shallot into fingernail-like shapes and press them onto the fingers when the burgers are removed from the oven.

Serve with assorted condiments and buns. 

Celebrating with Peach Bellinis

Today we're celebrating.

I have a brand new niece, it's the weekend, I've knocked most of my projects off my to-do list, we have two weeks left of summer vacation and I'm expecting an Amazon order later today. Both big and small, the events of the past few days are completely worthy of a little extra special attention. 

Are you one for only celebrating the larger moments in life? The birthdays, job promotions, graduations and good report cards? I think I used to be, but now I find myself paying special homage to the smaller things too; those that might otherwise go unnoticed.

Neither Rob nor I grew up in particularly social households. They weren't prone to parties and gatherings - other than the annual events that required having people over for dinner or baking a cake - but now we both love to entertain, and extend hospitality whenever we can. Funny how it works out like that.

In fact, in the past three days I've fed five kids who aren't my own, I'm expecting two more tonight, and another one tomorrow. I love that my kids are learning at an early age the beauty of sharing food and drink with people they like, even if it's just a plate of cookies served alongside some video games.

Peach Bellinis

While many bellini recipes call for the addition of schnapps or some other flavourful liquor, I kept this version as simple as possible by using nothing more than peach purée and prosecco. I also swapped granulated sugar for honey, and think the addition of rosemary would be charming here.

• Peach purée (recipe below)
• Prosecco

Fill your glasses with 2-3 tablespoons of the peach purée and top with chilled prosecco.

For the peach puree:

• 4 peaches, peeled and sliced
• 2 tablespoons honey 

Combine the peaches and honey in a blender or food processor and pulse until completely puréed. Store in the fridge until ready to use.

Happy Hour

Without intending to, Rob and I have a summer thing when it comes to watching TV; we pick a show we've never watched before, and devour however many seasons exist by consuming several episodes at a time, while lounging around lazily once the kids settle for the night.

In the summer of 2010 we made it through five complete seasons of Friday Night Lights. Texas wasn't even on my radar then, and high school football was far away from my idea of fun, but now I want to know more about both. To this day, I think it's probably the best show I've ever watched, and I'd be lying if I didn't admit to feeling verklempt when the fifth season ended. Oh, and when I grow up I totally want to be Tami Taylor.

Last summer it was all about How I Met Your Mother. I have no idea how we chose that show, but it was so darn good we plowed through a whopping six seasons in two months, staying up far too late in order to watch "just one more episode" when it was well past our bedtime.

This year, we're finally embracing Mad Men. A few years back, we watched the first three episodes of the first season three times each (say that five times over!), and just couldn't get into the show. It seemed so uninteresting and slow, and I couldn't see the appeal. When we recently decided to cancel our cable, we connected Netflix, where the first four seasons of the show are free for the watching. I refused to see those same three episodes yet again, so we started with the fourth one, and in less than three weeks we're now smack in the middle of the third season. 

Which brings me around to happy hour. With no evening activities on our calendar for the next two months we're taking a cue from the 1960s, and sharing finger foods and drinks Chez Scott semi-regularly around 5:30pm. The food is nothing fancy as you can see. Last night we shared sangria and cold beer paired with tiny toasts and pistachios. But next week I'm going to up the ante, and chanel my inner Betty Draper, by setting out cold chicken salad on Ritz crackers. Oooh, this is going to be fun. 

Parties From the Pages: The Dr. Seuss Collection

I'm in love with the idea of finding party inspiration and menu ideas from within the pages of a beloved story book. For years (yes, years!) I've been wanting to do a "Parties from the Pages" feature, and now seems like the perfect time to give it a go.

With Dr. Seuss's birthday being celebrated tomorrow, his collection of books seems like an ideal place to start.  My 13-month old niece totes around One Fish, Two Fish, Red, Fish, Blue Fish everywhere she goes, making me think that a party like this one can really span the ages.

My party menu is rather simple, and includes a sampling of foods that could be easily assembled.  

Green Eggs & "Ham" 

• 4 hard boiled eggs
• 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1 teaspoon dill weed
• 1/4 cup baby spinach leaves
• 1/4 cup crumbled bacon pieces

Slice the eggs in half and transfer the yolks to the bowl of a food processor. Add the mayonnaise, dill weed, and spinach leave, and pulse until combined.

Transfer the filling into a piping bag fitted with a large star tip, and pipe a large dollop of the filling into the egg shell. Top each piece with some of the crumbled bacon.  Refrigerate until you're ready to serve.

Pink Ink Drink

• 2 cups milk
• 8-10 strawberries

Place the milk and berries in a blender, and blend until completely pureed.

Sally's Sweets (As seen on Pinterest)

• 4 oz. white chocolate
• Assorted sprinkles and sanding sugar
• Plastic spoons

Melt the chocolate in the microwave or in a heatproof bowl set over a pot of simmering water. Pour a small amount of the chocolate into the spoon, being careful not to let it overflow.

Scatter assorted sprinkles over the surface of the chocolate, and allow it to harden completely. Keep the spoon handles elevate by resting them on the edge of a spatula or baking pan. Eat the chocolate off the spoon like a lollipop or stir it into a cup of hot chocolate.

For the party decorations, I like to pick a colour scheme that represents the books and/or authors and incorporate it any way I can.

Dr. Seuss Party Decorations

• Red, blue, and white decorations and serving platters, dishes, cups, and cutlery.

• Red, blue, and white linens (fabric works well too).

• Stripey straws, which are a party must-have for me.

• Birthday banner made from coloured-photocopied pages of a favourite Dr. Seuss book.

• Make one or two items that represents something from the book.  In this case, I made tissue paper poufs to mimic the dust that the elephant chases in Horton Hears a Who.

What do you think? Would you base a birthday party around a popular book or series of stories?

Apple Vodka DIY

I've been meaning to share this with you for weeks now, but I keep getting side-tracked with more seemingly exciting things, like Soup Sundays, Halloween and giveaways.

As you can see, I made some homemade apple vodka.  It was ridiculously easy, and I'm so thrilled with the results that I'm certain a few jars will likely find it's way into my homemade holiday gift stash.

The process is quite simple; remove the core from the centre of an apple and roughly chop the remaining parts, leaving the skin intact.  Fill a mason jar half way with the apples pieces and cover with vodka.  Seal tightly with a lid and place in a cool, dark space for 3-4 days.  Visit your vodka once a day and give the jar a little shake.  

After four days, strain the apple pieces, using a metal sieve lined with cheesecloth, and pour the vodka back into the jar.  Seal it tightly and affix with a fun label.

How easy is that? Not to mention it's pretty tasty too. 

For gift giving I would likely include a recipe that could use the vodka, or I might even give it with a nice set of new highballs or fun drinking glasses.

PS - The giveaway for the Janes Family Foods (you can like their Facebook page too!) prize pack has beenannounced.  Thank you to everyone who entered!

 

Rainbow Juice Jigglers

The internet's obsession with all things rainbow is far from over, and I'm not afraid to admit that I'm pretty happy about it. Colour is a good thing. It's fun and inviting and continues to impress the kids no matter how many times they've seen it before.

Speaking of kids, when I entertain I always try to have something special on hand, just for them. They don't need their own meal per se, just a little something that lets them know they were thought of. Kids love surprises, and when are pulled from the fridge they'll be tickled.

In an effort to make life easy, and somewhat healthy, and contrary to what you might expect, these were not made with Jello. Instead, it's white grape juice, thickened with gelatin and vibrantly tinted with a little fancy food colouring, the kind you would use for a pretty cake or to tint your icing. Slightly sweetened whipped cream and sprinkles round out the look, and minus the time it took the set, these are made in less than twenty minutes.

A rainbow themed birthday party is also something fun to consider. Serve these cocktail-style as a welcome "drink", and adorn your table with other colourful goodies like veggies, fruits, a colourful candy bar, not to mention a tiered rainbow doughnut cake. 

Rainbow Juice Jigglers

Recipe adapted from Martha Stewart

• 4 cups white grapes juice
• 3 pacakges (1.8 g) gelatin
• 1/2 cup whipping cream
• 1 tablespoon icing sugar
• Assorted sprinkles
• Food colouring

1. Place one cup of the grape juice in a small bowl and cover with the gelatin. Allow to set for five minutes.

2. Meanwhile, heat the other three cups of grape juice in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Add the warm juice to the gelatin mixture, and stir to combine, ensuring the gelatin is completely dissolved.

3. Allow the mixture to cool for 3-4 minutes, then divide it evenly between your glasses. Add a drop of two of food colouring to each glass and mix well.

4. Transfer the glasses to the fridge and allow to set, approx. 1-2 hours.

5. Place the whipping cream in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, and add the icing sugar. Whip on high speed until stiff peaks form. Transfer the mixture to a zip top bag or (piping bag fitted with a tip), cut the bottom and pipe a dollop of whipped cream onto the top of each juice jiggler. 

6. Cover with sprinkles and place in the fridge until you're ready to serve. 

Mashed Limeade (In Really Cute Sippy Cups)

For most of the summer I've been thinking about these homemade sippy cups.  Aren't they just perfect?  I love how something so simple turned mason jars into cute party cups for kids.  I've been wanting to do it myself, but just couldn't commit to re-fashioning all those lids with spray paint and holes.  I would have to have space just for those cups, or new lids for the jars.

Instead I decided to make a paper lid for my jars.  One that is interchangeable and can be customized for whatever event you may be hosting.  Using spray adhesive, I attached pretty paper to parchment paper for a little stabilizing and waterproofing, and then I traced the mason jar lid around the paper and cut a piece to place inside the rim.  Using a hole punch, I made a slot for the straw to slip through.

     

Once the drinks are finished, the fancy tops can be recycled and my party cups go back to being good old mason jars. Now, the drink you see inside is just a lovely as the vessel it's sipped from.  

     

I have a favourite antique market, which we try to frequent once a month over the course of the summer and early Fall.  Last weekend, I happened to pick-up 10 back issue of Cooks Illustrated for $2.  A great bargain, if you ask me.  On the car ride home, my nose was buried in the pages as I learned all about the proper way to make lemonade.

Did you know, the taste of this beverage is so much better if you mash the citrus, as opposed to juicing it.  And you don't need to make a simple syrup in order for the sugar to dissolve?  Brilliant, really.

The idea is that you thinly slice the lemons (or limes!), add the sugar and place everything in pot.  For 3-4 minutes, crush the mixture with a potato masher.  This will release the oils and flavour from the skin, as well as the insides.  The sugar will dissolve in the process, and you'll find yourself left with a syrupy substance.

Strain the entire thing through a fine mesh sieve, and add cold water and a few berries, if you desire.  It couldn't be easier and the taste is one that's much more pure than when I've made this drink following the traditional method of making it.

Mashed Limeade (makes 2 glasses)

• 3 limes, outsides washed and scrubbed
• 3-5 tablespoons of sugar
• 2 cups cold water

Once the limes have been washed well, trim off the ends and slice thinly.

Place the limes in a pot and cover with the sugar (how much you use depends on how sweet you like your drink)

Using a potato masher, crush the mixture repeatedly for 3-4 minutes, or until a thick syrup rests at the bottom of the pot.

Strain the mixture in a fine mesh sieve set over a glass measuring cup, or bowl, using the back of a spoon to press down on the solids in order to get all of the liquid.

Chill the syrup, add the cold water and shake well.

Divide between two glasses and garnish with fresh berries and a slice of lime.