Tag Archives: #bloggingoverthyme

Long Weekend Lookback

So it went like this. Pizza Night, soccer game, soccer game, a Communion Party for the Second Set at our house, birthday party, epic clean of Guitar Boy’s room, BBQ, epic clean of Drummer Boy’s room and Birthday BBQ. Yes, that’s right, it was only a three day weekend, but we shoved five days of living into it.

Not much in the way of original cooking as the Communion party was an empanadas and make-your-own-nachos bar. But we did enjoy this new twist on sangria from Foodie With Family: Cider Sangria.

sangriacider

However, with over 50 people at the house, I couldn’t make individual drinks for everyone so I converted Foodie’s recipe into a punch-like drink. Just fished the popsicle sticks out of the punch bowl. I know, fancy indeed.

I also made my standard sangria recipe.

Basic Sangria

WHAT YOU NEED
One orange, sliced and cut into quarters
One lime, sliced and cut into quarters
10 green grapes, halved
One apple, cored and chopped
1/4 cup brandy (the mini airplane bottles are about 1/4 cup)
1/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup orange peach mango juice (or sub whatever fun juice you have)
1 TBSP sugar
1 bottle red wine
8 oz club soda or lemon-lime soda (depending on how sweet you like it – I used 3:1 club soda to Sprite)

WHAT YOU DO
Combine all the fruit, brandy, orange juice, sugar and wine in a pitcher and stir. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Just before serving, add the club soda or soda. Serve over ice.

Also made Two Peas and Their Pod’s Black Bean Quinoa Enchilada Bake for the gluten free in our lives, though a nacho bar is pretty gluten free.

commfood

New favorite thing. Honey on the cheese tray. Dip cheese (or bread with cheese, or grape with cheese) in raw honey. Urf, it is so good.

cheesetray

Some flowers:

flowers

The Communicants (not their band name):

communicants

A cookie cake (you stay classy San Diego):

20150523_120012#1

Once Communion starts, Communion don’t stop for no volleyball game:

volleyball

Epic cleaning of Drummer Boy’s room. Before:

before

During the closet phase #nothelpful

cat

After (still needs to be painted and sports pictures hung, but a work in progress):

after

Made Blogging Over Thyme’s Everything Bagel Cheese Twists for the birthday barbecue:

twists

Happy birthday Baker Boy. He makes the best desserts.

bday

Hope you had a great Memorial Day weekend and thanks to all who have served.

Now, back to work everyone!  But first, season premiere of American Ninja Warrior.  Wooooooo!

We Had Pasta, Some Pasta, and Finished with Pasta

I promise you all, not in the same week.  Well, mostly not all in the same week. Somehow in the last week these recipes all rose to the tops of their various lists, so, armed with a loaf of rustic bread, I took on the challenge to see if the family would eat pasta three times in 7 days. Disclaimer:  Drummer Boy eats plain pasta every day, but that doesn’t mean pasta with actual sauce of any kind on it will skew the results here.

First up was Spaghetti All’Amatriciana from Blogging over Thyme.

spaghetti

I didn’t have the thick pancetta only thin in my refrigerator, but it still worked and was delicious. It’s a keeper.

Rating from the boys:  It didn’t make me gag (so 4 forks)

Next up was this lovely Chicken and Broccoli Alfredo Bake from Bev Cooks.

pastabake

This was really good, though a bit much to do on a weekday.  I happened to have roasted garlic cloves that I had put in the freezer which was my original inspiration. If I were to do this again on a weekday I would precook and chop the chicken and the roasted garlic.

Rating from the boys:  Dad already fed us before practice so we don’t have to try that, right? (So 3 forks it is).

And from Oh She Glows, Roasted Tomato Basil Pesto, a vegan pasta sauce that you really have to try.

ohsheglowpasta

As she notes in the recipe, it may not be the prettiest sauce, but it is good and rich.  I would recommend using the nutritional yeast, it gives it that pesto-heft.

Rating from the boys:  It was ok (call the MIchelin folks)

But sure, those are all carbs, but what if one needs more carbs with their carbs (to balance out all the vegan eating)?  Well, if one is lured by the siren song of free samples at Whole Foods, one might walk away having purchased this:

butter

Might spread it on some rustic bread add some fresh chopped parsley.  Might even throw it under the broiler for a minute or two if one is feeling so inclined.  And then:

bread

Need coconut water and celery, stat!