Wedding Italian Soup

From the kitchen of: Isabel  Makes: A potful, feeds up to 4-6 people
Total time: 45 min to 1 hr

Spring has finally arrived … in the form of snow. Seriously? I love a good snow storm and all, but it’s almost April and I need some warm sun in my life. Why won’t Winter die already?! I’m crossing my fingers that today will be the last day of this white stuff. Well, to cope with this very odd weather, we made this Italian Wedding soup for dinner tonight. It was just what we needed on a very cold day and since Mother Nature is highly confused this season, you still have some time to make this! The first time I made this soup was actually when my husband was hit by a very viral infection back in January. He was a poor sick puppy, helpless on the couch and had to stay home for four days. I felt so bad for him that I made this soup to make him feel better. He and I both fell in love with this hearty and rich soup. It had everything — noodles, homemade meatballs, kale and yummy broth. It was salty and delicious, perfect for his sore throat. So whether sick from a viral infection or sick of this wintery weather, this soup is sure to cure any ailment.

Ingredients:
for how to make the meatballs please check my recipe!
1 lb of ground beef
1/4 cup Italian bread crumbs (heaping!)
1/4 cup shaved or grated Parmesan cheese (heaping!)
1 egg
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper
olive oil

for the soup
olive oil
1/2 red onion, diced
1 bunch of kale, sliced 1-inch thick
salt & pepper
2 – 49 ounces of low-sodium chicken broth
1 bouillon cube or powder
1 3/4 cup of dried elbow noodles (or any noodle of your choice or even gnocchi!)
1 egg
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:
1. Prepare meatballs. Follow this recipe for my version of homemade meatballs. Form them into gumball-size meatballs. Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium temperature. Add a heavy drizzle of olive oil. When oil heats up, cook the meatballs for 10-12 minutes rotating every few minutes to brown all sides. Place cooked meatballs on a plate and set aside.

2. Sauté kale. While the meatballs are sautéing, heat a large pot over medium temperature. Add a drizzle of olive oil. Brown the diced red onions and season with some salt and pepper. Add the chopped 1-inch slices of kale that have been thoroughly rinsed and dried beforehand. It’s important to rinse the kale since it has a lot of grit. Sauté kale for 5-7 minutes.

3. Add broth and meatballs. Add the chicken broth, meatballs, plus 1 buillon powder or cube to enhance the flavor. Stir to combine. Allow this soup to simmer uncovered at medium temperature until soup get hots. About 20-25 minutes.

4. Add noodles. Add the dried noodles, stir and allow to simmer for 6-8 minutes until noodles are al dente. If you use a different type of noddle, check the box for appropriate cooking time.

5. Add Parmesan cheese and egg mixture. To finish off the soup, mix together an egg and Parmesan cheese in a bowl. Slowly stir it into the soup, which thickens the soup slightly while adding more flavor. Serve and enjoy while hot!

And voilà! A bowl of delicious Wedding Italian soup!

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Anchor’s Away! Kiernan’s 1st Birthday

My sister, Sheila, is obsessed with all things nautical. Really obsessed. Just check out her nautical inspired baby shower we hosted for her back in 2011. She continued the same theme for her son’s 1st birthday this past February, but just styled a little differently. Sheila designed an “Anchor’s Away!” birthday party filled with sailor hats, an ocean backdrop, boats and flags all in a bright blue and green color scheme. This time around it was a little more playful for a kid-friendly crowd. For all the work Sheila put into this birthday, it’s sad Kiernan won’t remember any of it. But at least he’ll have this blog post to look back at his very first birthday party. Lets take a look at all the details Sheila created and hopefully you can be inspired for your child’s birthday.

Most of the graphics was based on a printable kit design Sheila purchased through Etsy. Printastic Design was the shop she worked with. She first selected the birthday invitation, which set the tone. She then purchased the signage, cupcake toppers and menu cards to continue the theme throughout the party. She printed all of it on her home printer, cut them out and assembled it.

Sheila repurposed a few things including the flags were from her bridal shower and artwork were from Kiernan’s room. Saved money on additional decoration.

As a thank you gift to each guest, Sheila ordered buttons with cute little nautical designs on each of them. She put six in each package. The kids could pin them onto their book bags or jean jackets. They were very cute.

Downstairs in the basement, Sheila created an ocean photo backdrop by cutting out the circles and shapes to create the waves, clouds, sun, sky and even a whale. So talented! Kids definitely enjoyed themselves in front of the backdrop posing with some props she also created like a fishing pole with fish cutouts and their sailor hats.

As another activity to keep the kids preoccupied, Sheila also had an art table for kids to design their own sailor’s hat with fabric crayons.

As for Kiernan’s first experience with eating a cupcake, it was picture perfect. Look at this adorable kid. His mom is blowing out his candle for him. He is licking his finger clean. I just love this kid.

‘Do I have something on my face?’

Kiernan absolutely loved these cupcakes I made for him. I found a recipe on Pinterest for vanilla bean cupcakes with vanilla bean frosting. These cupcakes were a huge hit amongst Kiernan and all the guests. Sheila decorated each stick with a cupcake topper from the nautical template she got from Etsy.

Lets dive right into the spread. My-oh-my. My parents went all out for Kiernan’s birthday. First nephew = golden child. Haha. There was so much delicious food. I know everyone loved it even the kids!

Their famous lumpia, which I’ve had a million times, will always make an appearance at any celebration.

Pork adobo, pork stewed in vinegar, soy sauce and garlic.

My dad’s awesome, awesome beef and broccoli.

Pansit, the Filipino version of lo mein.

Andddd fried chicken. Haha.

At the end of the celebration, Kiernan opened up all of his gifts. Well actually, it was more like Sheila opening up his gifts while he played with tissue paper. He was showered with tons of toys and clothes from friends and family. Definitely spoiled! :)

Instead of toys, Jared and I decided to make him his “First Year” book with the images I had taken of him from birth up until he turned one. Being a Moleskine fan, I saw they also create photo albums at a fairly reasonable price. I used their template online to upload the images and text. It was pretty straightforward. The quality of the book and photos were really nice. Kiernan couldn’t care less about the book, but he’ll appreciate it when he gets older. Sheila loved it!

In the end, he enjoyed this plastic hanger. LOL.

Happy 1st Birthday, Kiernan! Love you always!!

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Vanilla Bean Cupcakes

From the kitchen of: dinnerordessert.com  Makes: 20-22 cupcakes
Total time: 30-45 min to prep, 18-20 min to bake

I can’t believe that it’s been a year since my nephew Kiernan was born. It seemed like yesterday I held his little 8 pound body in my arms. Now, he’s trying to walk! Why can’t they just stay small forever? To celebrate his first birthday, my sister invited many friends and family to their home for a nautical themed birthday. She is obsessed with all things nautical. She recycled items that she had from her baby shower, but added some new décor. Of course, she asked me to make 60 cupcakes for his birthday party which was definitely a fête. A single batch of cupcakes I can do, but making three batches was something I’ve never really done before. So I scoured through Pinterest to find a recipe for a simple, but flavorful Vanilla Bean cupcake. The morning of the party, I woke up at 8am and literally baked for 3.5 hours straight. I will NEVER try to make that many cupcakes in such a time crunch. Lesson learned. It was a challenge for me, but luckily everyone enjoyed the cupcakes especially the star of the event, Kiernan, who devoured it. He definitely has a sweet tooth like his Momma. The only thing I changed in the original recipe was the amount of powdered sugar in the buttercream. I dialed it back because it was wayyyy to sweet for my taste. Otherwise, it was a moist and sweet cupcake. The vanilla bean flavor definitely stood out. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
for the cake
2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cup whole milk, room temperature
4 egg whites, room temperature
1 stick of butter, softened
1 1/2 cup sugar
seeds from one vanilla bean
2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

for the buttercream
3 sticks of butter, softened
seeds from one vanilla bean
2 teaspoons clear vanilla extract
4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
4 tablespoons whole milk

Directions:
1. Dry ingredients. First, preheat oven to 350°. Sift flour, baking powder and salt together. Tip: Sift dry ingredients onto parchment paper to make it easier to pour into the batter in step 3. 

2. Wet ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk together the milk and egg whites. Tip: to separate the egg white from the egg yolk, crack the egg on the edge of the bowl. Carefully, open the egg and allow the white part to fall into the bowl. Gentle move the yolk back and forth while using the sharp edge of the egg shell to separate the white part.

3. Batter. In a large bowl, beat the butter, sugar and vanilla bean seeds at medium speed until butter and sugar become light and fluffy. Tip: Be sure the butter is soft and at room temperature to achieve correct fluffiness. Add in the pure vanilla extract and one third of the flour mixture. Mix together. Beat in half of the milk/egg white mixture and then beat in half of the remaining flour mixture. Add the rest of the milk/egg white mixture. Mix well. Then add the last of the flour mixture and mix well until you reach a smooth consistency.

4. Bake cupcakes. With an ice cream scooper, scoop the batter into lined cupcake tins. Fill each cupcake two thirds full. Bake cupcakes for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Once cupcakes are ready, remove them from the pan and allow to cool on baking rack.

5. Frost cupcakes. To make the buttercream, beat softened butter and vanilla beans until fluffy. Slowly add sifted powdered sugar and beat until smooth. Add in clear vanilla extract and milk. Blend on low speed until combined. Scoop buttercream in a piping bag and frost all cupcakes. Tip: I used a piping tip #809 that I found through Etsy. It has a large opening. I also found the clear vanilla extract at Michael’s.

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Fiddle-leaf fig tree love

I have been in love with the Fiddle-Leaf Fig tree (aka Ficus Lyrata) since I first laid eyes on it through Pinterest. They are certainly one of the most beautiful and most dramatic plants I’ve ever seen. This tree is an indoor plant that resembles sculptural works of art. They bring life into a room with it’s large and shiny green fig leaves and over-sized structure. With some research I’ve learned that Fiddle-Leaf Figs are easy to care (my kind of plant!), loves the sun (our living room is the perfect spot) and requires minimal watering (good, because I tend to forget). These three aspects made me realize that even with my lack of a green thumb, I couldn’t screw this one up (right?). 

Well, considering I don’t have much experience in plants, I didn’t want to take the chance of purchasing a mature Fiddle-Leaf Fig and having it die on me. I would have wasted over $100. So, I purchased a starter tree for a mere $14 ($7 for plant and $7 shipping). Lets take a look at my little starter:

Standing at nearly 10 inches tall, this starter arrived in the mail nicely packed. It was nestled in peanuts and was seating on a disposable warming pad since it was traveling through cold climate. The leaves were bright, everything was intact. Overall, it was definitely shipped with care.

“Can grow 15-30′” WHAT? Seriously? I bought a indoor plant that can potentially grow up to 15 feet?! Oh s***.

Just so you know, this plant is poisonous. Most ficus plants are apparently. I honestly did not realize this before placing my order. So, you probably don’t want it near any dogs that enjoy eating leaves and such, and that’s why I’ve placed my plant on the second shelf in the living room. For now, it’ll just live there until I figure something out. It gets some sun from the nearby window. So far, the tree has been doing quite well.

If I take care of this starter, I hope that after some time this little guy will grow into something like this that I found on Making It Lovely blog:

I just worry about the climate here in Virginia since these plants like their sun. But I’m taking a chance and if my little starter doesn’t do so good, oh well. I’ve only wasted $14. Here are a few more inspiring photos of what I hope my tree will become. Thanks, Pinterest!

I’ll certainly keep you posted on how my fiddle-leaf fig tree is doing! I’ve been advised to leave it alone during these winter months and when it gets warmer, to re-pot. If you have any suggestions/advice on how to take care of these kinds of plants, please leave me some love!

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Podzilla Friday Breakfast

The best thing happened at work last Friday. Our team (Podzilla) began a new tradition of bringing breakfast in every Friday morning. Best idea EVER. Susie, a fellow art director and cook/baker, signed up first and let me tell you, we were in for a treat. The day before she sent out a menu of what she was going to prepare. Yes, a menu of homemade whole wheat cranberry walnut bread, egg casserole with ham and hash browns, and lastly, fresh fruit. Everything she made for us was beautifully crafted and amazingly delicious. Lucky for you and me, she gave me the recipes she used, which I have included in this blog post. Many thanks to Susie for a great start to our Friday morning breakfast!

Whole Wheat Cranberry Walnut Bread
Serves 10 to 12

Ingredients:
Bread
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
1 cup buttermilk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 egg
1/2 cup honey
1 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
1 1/2 cups fresh cranberries, rinsed and dried with paper towels

Glaze
1 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375º.
Butter a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan and set aside.
Stir the flour, cinnamon, baking powder and baking soda together in a large bowl.
Cut in the butter cubes using a pastry cutter until coarse crumbs form; set aside.
In a large glass measuring cup, whisk together the buttermilk, vanilla, egg, and honey.
Gently stir the buttermilk mixture into the flour mixture just until blended.
Fold in the walnuts and cranberries.
Spread into the prepared pan.
Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean.
Allow to cool in pan for 30 minutes.
Remove from the pan and let cool completely on a wire rack.
In the meantime, whisk the glaze ingredients together in a small bowl and drizzle over the bread.

The whole wheat cranberry walnut bread was outstanding. It had a nice texture from the walnuts and some tartness from the cranberries. The simple glaze dressed the bread giving it some sweetness to every bite. Susie also brought a medley of fruits to accompany the bread and egg casserole. Strawberries, green grapes, sliced bananas and blueberries. Can’t get much better than this.

Last, but not least, the main dish. Susie’s egg casserole was so delicate and fluffy. It was baked to perfection. Very moist, didn’t feel heavy at all. I’ve had my share of egg casseroles and they tend to be very dense, but this was airy and light. Susie prepared it the night before and baked it in the oven the morning of. After the casserole was done baking, she wrapped it in foil and bath towels so that it kept hot during the car ride to work. It was steaming by the time the team broke into it. Genius!

Overnight Egg Casserole with Ham and Hash Browns
Serves 18

Ingredients:
1 cup (4 ounces) Monterey Jack cheese, grated
1 cup (4 ounces) extra sharp Cheddar cheese, grated
1 package (30 ounces) frozen shredded hash browns (such as Oreda), thawed in the refrigerator
16 ounces (2 cups) fully cooked thick ham slices, cut into small cubes
1 can (7 ounces) chopped green chilies
12 eggs
2 cans (12 ounces each) evaporated milk
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Directions:
Butter a 9 x 13 inch baking pan.
Grate the cheeses and set aside.
Sprinkle the hash brown into the pan covering the bottom completely.
Then sprinkle on in layers the ham, chilies, and cheeses; set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, evaporated milk, and pepper; pour evenly over the casserole.
Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight.
Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking.
Bake, covered with the foil, at 375º for 1 hour.
Remove the foil and bake for an additional 25 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Loosely cover with foil and let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Thanks so much Susie for sharing the recipes with Pretty Tasty Things readers. But more importantly, thank you so much for treating us to this artfully prepared breakfast. It was such a delightful morning!

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