Baton Rouge Nesties
Dear Community,
Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
If you have questions about this, please email help@theknot.com.
Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
If you have questions about this, please email help@theknot.com.
Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
Cooking lovers -- help!
I need you guys to help me put together a menu for a party I'm having on Thursday night. There are going to be 8 of us, and I know I'm doing steaks (filets). I need ideas/recipes for a salad, a starchy side, a veggie side, and dessert. So what should I make?? I want to make it an awesome meal.
Re: Cooking lovers -- help!
This is an amazing potato dish and fairly simple to put together.
Pioneer Woman's recipes are usually a win for me, and I would guess creamed spinach would be delicious with filets. Recipe
For dessert, this cheesecake does not disappoint. My MIL still tells me she can't wait until next Christmas when I'm going to make it. Haha! Seriously though...a bunch of girls on WC even rave about this cheesecake. You could puree some berries as a topping too, if you wanted.
The Nifty Foodie
Life/Craft Blog
This is legal advice. Circa 2011
I'm a big fan of using what's in season right now.
Slice cucumbers, and tomatoes and put in a bowl, add some salt, pepper, basil, a splash of olive oil and balsamic vinegar (or white wine vinegar is better). Make sure you peel the cucumber first. Let this all macerate for an hour or so.
for the sides i am a huge fan of grilled zucchini/squash, or asparagus.
Keep everything fresh.
Here are some of my favorite steak side dish recipes!
Caprese Salad:
1 ball Fresh Mozzarella
1 package cherry tomatoes
2-3* tbsp pesto**
fresh spinach
fresh basil
Dice mozzarella into small chunks. Toss spinach, mozzarella, and tomatoes in large bowl with pesto. Serve and top with fresh basil leaves.
*Pesto can be very powerful so use it in small increments to taste until you think it's enough or until all of the spinach is well covered.
** To make things easier I usually use store bought pesto but it is also very easy to make fresh:1 cup olive oil, 2 bunches fresh basil, 1 bunch parsley, 1/4 cup toasted chopped pine nuts, 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese put all ingredients into food processor and chop finely then drizzle in the olive oil. This makes a lot and can be either refrigerated for 1-2 weeks or you can pour into ice cube trays, cover with plastic wrap, and freeze for easy use in salads and pastas. Just microwave for 30 seconds before use.
Roasted Corn Grits
2-3 Ears of Corn
3 tbsp and 1/4 a cup sweet cream butter
1 cup quick cook grits
2 cups milk or cream
1 small shallot minced
2-3 bunches chopped scallions
Salt and pepper to taste*
-Butter, salt and pepper then grill 2-3 ears of corn on grill until nicely brown, set aside
-bring milk and shallots to a boil, add grist and stir well with whisk, return to boil, reduce heat and simmer 5-7 minutes (or follow directions on package)
-Cut corn off of cobs and add corn and remaining butter to grits. Add salt and pepper to taste.
-Top with chopped scallions.
*It is very easy to make this recipe too salty to eat which is why I highly recommend salt free, sweet cream butter and to add the salt last.
Twice Baked Potatoes:
Baking Potatoes (1 for each guest normally)
Real Bacon Bits
Fresh Chives
Sour Cream
Sweet Cream Butter
Shredded Cheddar Cheese
Shredded Oaxaca Cheese (or other white melting cheese)
1/2 & 1/2 Room Temperature
salt and pepper to taste
-Clean all potatoes and stab a few times on each side with a fork. You can either bake them in the oven or microwave them. I find it works best if you actually weight your potatoes and bake them all in the microwave one at a time.
-Preheat oven to 350.
-Once they are all baked slice gently in half and using a spoon carve out the center leaving a potato bowl.
-Put cooked potato into large mixing bowl. Add butter, cheeses, bacon, chives, sour cream and salt a pepper to potatoes and mix well. (Reserve some cheese for topping).
-Fill each "potato bowl" with mixture and top with extra cheese. Place on foil lined baking sheet.
-Bake 15-20 minutes until GBD.
These can also be made ahead of time and wrapped individually in plastic (to keep them from drying out). Unwrap and place on foil lined baking sheet and extend baking time to 45 minutes.
The 2 things I was going to suggest already have been suggested...
1. Crash potatoes - awesomeness
2. Caprese salad - my favorite; except I stack mine. A slice of tomato, topped with a basil leaf, topped with a slice of mozzarella, and then drizzled with olive oil and basalmic.
Thanks for all the great ideas...I'm hungry just reading it! I'm going to keep it fresh like MT suggested since we have so much from the garden right now. I think I'm going to do red velvet cake balls and oreo balls for dessert :P
My mom gave me this recipe for Italian veggies that is AWESOME, so I thought I'd share it with yall:
Italian Vegetables
1 cup chopped onion
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound eggplant, unpeeled and coarsely chopped
2 cups chopped zucchini
2 cups chopped yellow squash
1 cup chopped yellow or orange bell pepper
2 cups sliced mushrooms
1 (15 oz) can Italian tomatoes, drained and chopped
2 tablespoons tomato paste
Salt and pepper to taste
? cup grated Parmesan cheese
Saute the onion and garlic in the olive oil in skillet over medium hear for 5 to 10 minutes or until tender. Add the eggplant and auute for 5 minutes. Add the zucchini, yellow squash, bell pepper and mushrooms and saut? for 5 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and tomato paste. Bring to a boil. Reduce the jeat to low and simmer, covered, for 15 minutes or until the vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon into a 9x9 baking dish. Sprinkle with cheese.
Chill covered for several hours to allow the favors to meld. Let stand at room temperature 15 minutes before baking covered at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until heated through.
http://www.bakerella.com/red-velvet-cake-balls/
I'm using this and going with a cake mix since I'm making two different kinds.