The Kitchenettes ~ Kebab Night

Pictures of our fun night!

KITCHENETTES' KEBAB NIGHT

The Kitchenettes' Hospitality Club had a wonderful evening of making assorted tidbits and bites layered on bamboo ~ aka kebabs. We enjoyed a sumptuous 3-course plating of:

Salad on a Stick ~ Chicken Satay Skewers

Dessert Stack

The girls learned many new food facts and participated in developing new skills during the evening: cutting, chopping, peeling, basting with a brush, threading meat, how to properly handle raw chicken, using a garlic press, cutting with a garnisher, the difference between granulated sugar and brown sugar, cooking temperatures, using an indoor grill, setting up work stations, working in teams, cleaning as you go and many other helpful hints for making a tasty meal!

The Kitchenettes also learned how to take ordinary paper products and set a beautiful table. I let them use their creativity with simple paper plates, napkins, utensils, plastic cups and ribbon to make something magnificent. These girls are truly gifted!

The Salad on a Stick were layers of lettuce wedges, grape tomatoes, carrot coins and cucumber wedges with a choice of drizzling on Ranch or Balsamic Vinaigrette dressing. Each girl was able to creatively configure there own towers of salad. They were adorable! You can add olives or other fresh veggies for more flare.

The Chicken Satay Skewers were absolutely delectable! The sauce has a peanut butter base which everyone was a little bit apprehensive about, but they were soon won over by the fabulous taste! This recipe is probably not one that any of the girls would have ever picked to do on their own so trying new things and being pleasantly surprised was an added bonus of the evening! The skewers would be delightful served on a bed on shredded lettuce with grated carrot or an Asian slaw.

The Dessert Stack was simply a show stopper!!! We had an array of incredible delights to include: chunks of pound cake, marshmallows, fresh strawberries, pineapple and maraschino cherries. The piece de resistance? A fondue pot of melted chocolate for heavenly dipping! Sublime!

The food was such a hit! This menu would go well for any occasion and is so easy that the whole family can join in on the preparations. Please see the recipe post for the chicken skewers and enjoy them at home!

Winner Winner Chicken Dinner

This is the recipe for the delicious chicken dish prepared by The Kitchenettes. All the girls loved the ease of preparation and the outstanding results - they all said they are going to make it at home again. That is a successful recipe!!!

Chicken Satay Skewers

· 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
· 1/2 cup water
· 1/4 cup soy sauce
· 4 garlic cloves, minced
· 3 tablespoons lemon juice
· 2 tablespoons brown sugar
· 3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
· 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
· 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

DIRECTIONS
In a saucepan, combine the first eight ingredients; cook and stir over medium-high heat for 5 minutes or until smooth. Reserve half of sauce. Slice chicken lengthwise into 1-in. strips; thread onto skewers (if using bamboo skewers, soak them in water for at least 20 minutes). Broil for 2 minutes; turn and brush with peanut butter sauce. Continue turning and basting for 4-6 minutes or until chicken juices run clear. This chicken is also just as easy to do on the grill.

Lemon Poppy Seed Salad

This is a favorite salad ! It is one of the prettiest salads presented and tastes absolutely divine!

Lemon Poppy Seed Salad

3 Romaine Hearts - sliced thin

1 Green Apple - diced

2 c Swiss Cheese - shredded

1 c Dried Cranberries

1 c Cashews

Toss all together in a large glass bowl. Pour on dressing and mix thoroughly. Top with an additional sprinkling of cranberries and cashews.

Homemade Lemon Poppy Seed Dressing

2/3 c Canola Oil

1/3 c Lemon Juice

3/4 c Sugar

1 T Onion - grated

1 T Dijon Mustard

2 T Poppy Seeds

1 t Salt

Mix well in a food processor or blender.

Club Cooking

Homemade Pizza and Root Beer Floats.....these are a few of our favorite things!

The Kitchenettes baked the most delicious pizza pies! We had 8 girls divided into 4 groups of 2: Team Whisk~Team Mixer~Team Spatula~Team Wooden Spoon. Each team made a pizza for another group - they learned to serve and make something magnificent all at the same time! The girls chopped and sauteed fresh veggies, rolled out dough and created little masterpieces topped with pepperoni, golden onions, mushrooms and green peppers. As the pizza baked the table was set with glass snack plates, cloth napkins, grapevine rings and candles! The rootbeer floats were a big hit - all in "special cups" and colorful straws. There is nothing more glorious than sitting down and breaking bread together - sharing our hearts in a cozy atmosphere and loving one another. It truly was a wonderful evening of hospitable pursuits!

The Kitchenettes

The Kitchenettes

The Kitchenettes - a club pursuing the art of hospitality! We have had an amazing start to our group! Our kick-off was very successful with each girl planting herb seeds in a pot of soil. It is miraculous that you can take a miniscule seed the size of a speck and drop it into soil and then watch as green sprouts shoot up. The Kitchenette Girls are those little seeds - being planted into God's rich soil and growing into something glorious for Him!

God has big plans for our club - purposes beyond what we can see right now!

Stay tuned for updates about our adventures!

Homemade Potato Cheese Soup

The Wonder of Herbs

I am continuing my love of herbs with a delicious recipe for my Homemade Potato Cheese Soup!

My husband came home from work the other night and asked me to make something delicious - so I whipped this up using herbs from my breezeway garden.

You can vary this soup by using milk or heavy cream in the broth ~ or make a lighter version of cheeses and sour cream ~ but this is what I had on hand so the recipe is as follows:

Homemade Potato Cheese Soup

6 potatoes (peeled and diced)

6 slices of bacon (diced)

1 onion (chopped)

3 cloves garlic (minced)

6 cups chicken broth

1 8 oz. cream cheese (soft)

2 cups cheddar cheese (shredded)

1 c sour cream

1 T garlic powder

2 T fresh parsley

2 T fresh chives

1 T fresh oregano

salt & pepper to taste

garnish ~ fresh chives and parsley snipped

In a large pot saute bacon until tender and cooked - add 2 T olive oil and saute onions until golden. Add fresh garlic and fresh herbs stirring until soft. Mix in diced potatoes with bacon and veggies to infuse the flavor. Season with spices and salt and pepper. Add chicken broth and bring up to bubbling simmer ~ next add the cream cheese and stir until blended well. Let soup simmer on stove top until potatoes are tender. Stir in sour cream. I use a potato masher gingerly to break up some of the potatoes and thicken the broth. Add the cheese and allow to melt in - top with fresh herbs.

This soup would also be wonderful with a dollop of sour cream and crispy bacon!

Glorious Herbs

It is a beautiful day in sunny Florida and I am enjoying the marvelous little treasures I have been growing! I have herb pots thriving and flourishing ~ it is a magnificent thing! I love to cook with fresh herbs and there is nothing better than stepping out the back door and picking a handful of these delightful plants that I have lovingly cultivated! My treasure includes: Italian parsley, curly parsley, cilantro, basil, rosemary, oregano, sage, mint and thyme. My windowsills are even garnished with mini herb gardens! I found the most adorable tiny clay pots at Target for $1 - from a miniscule soil disk and seed packet you have the humble beginnings of herb heaven! Can you tell that I am excited and that I love my plants! Stay tuned for delicious recipes using these glorious herbs!