Grilling Me Softly: Part Two

Welcome to the second installment of Grilling Me Softly. If you'll remember, I'm giving up some of my favorite recipes in the name of the upcoming holiday. So lets get started....

Side Dishes

Corn on the Cob Ala My Mom in Nebraska

You'll Need:
1-2 Fresh Corn Cob per person
Rosemary
Cracked Black Pepper
Sea Salt
Olive Oil
Aluminum Foil

1. Grease grill grates and start grill and set to medium high heat.

2. Divide aluminum foil into rectangles slightly larger in size than the corn. Place corn in foil. Season with olive oil, rosemary, black pepper, sea salt and rosemary to taste.

3. Wrap foil around corn cobs, twist ends and place on grill. Turn occasionally to avoid overcooking. Grill about 10 minutes. Unwrap, arrange on platter and serve.

Summer Tomato Salad

You'll Need

1/4c white wine vinegar
1 tsp. finely chopped, chile pepper (serrano, thai, or jalapeno)
3/4 tsp. sea salt
4-6 large tomatoes of varying colors
1c thinly sliced yellow onion

1. In a medium bowl, combine vinegar, salt and green chile. Toss with with onion and set aside for 5 minutes in order for the flavors to blend. Add tomatoes and combine thoroughly. Set aside 15 minutes before serving.

Desserts

Drunken Angel Fruit Salad

You'll Need:

1c diced: pineapple, mango, papaya
1c sliced: strawberries, mandarin oranges, banana
1c. whole: raspberries, blueberries
1c. sugar (or 1/2c Splenda)
2 tbsp. lime juice
2 tbsp. lemon juice
Spiced Rum to taste (for me, 3 tbsp.)

1. Combine fruit in large serving bowl. Add sugar and rum to fruit and combine thoroughly. Set aside in fridge 15 minutes before serving.

Strawberry Chocolate Honey-Pies

You'll Need

3/4c all purpose flour
1/4c unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature (sadly, I never use butter, only margarine for me...)
2/3c sugar
1 large egg (I substitute 2 egg whites)
1 tbsp pure vanilla extract
1c. semisweet chocolate chips
1 pint strawberry ice cream, slightly softened

1. Make cookies: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking two baking sheets with parchment paper. In a mixing bowl, combine flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

2. In a electric mixer, mix sugar and butter until light. Add egg and vanilla until evenly mixed. Reduce speed to low and gradually add flour mixture. Mix in chocolate chips by hand.

3. Spoon dough onto baking sheets, be sure to space them far apart. Spread dough out into rounds. Bake, switching sheets from bottom to top halfway through. Edges of the rounds should be firm, not hard (about 15-20 minutes). Transfer to racks to cool completely.

4. Assemble sandwiches: Spoon some ice cream onto the flat side of half the rounds. Cover with the remaining rounds. Press gently to form the sandwich. Freeze until firm, approximately 1-2 hours.

Drinks....(everyone's favorite course, I think)

Rum Punch

You'll Need:

1 1/2c light rum
3c orange juice
3c pineapple juice
3 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice
3 tbsp cranberry juice
2 tbsp grenadine
ice cubes
lime, sliced for garnish

1. In a large pitcher combine rum with the juices and grenadine. Stir until well thoroughly blended. Divide mixture between ice filled glasses. Garnish lime and serve.

Classic Limeade

You'll Need:

3 cups freshly squeezed lime juiced (about 25 limes)
2 cups superfine sugar
4 cups cold water
4 cups ice cubes
2 limes sliced for garnish

1. Into large pitcher, strain citrus juice, mix with the sugar and stir until dissolved. Add the water and stir again until combined (I suggest testing a spoonful, you may need more sweetener). Add ice to fill and a few lime slices.

Well, there you have it! My favorite summer menu! I hope you can enjoy the recipes I shared with you all.
Have a festive and SAFE holiday weekend!

Grilling Me Softly

Well, the holiday weekend is nearly upon us and what better way to celebrate than with a BBQ? I love throwing summertime parties but unfortunately, this year time is working against us. With our honeymoon rapidly approaching, The Hubbs and I just don't have a ton of extra money to spend on a big, Independence Day party. Boo.

Instead, to quench my insatiable thirst for grilling and all its trappings, I've decided to include some of my favorite cookout recipes. If I can't use them, I might as well share. Enjoy!

Starters....or Appi-teasers if you like cutesy a play on words like I do!

Teriyaki Meatballs

You'll Need:
1/4c. chopped scallions (if the scallions in your area are questionable, you can substitute green onions)
2 tsp. sodium-free soy sauce (the hard stuff is fine, I just usually err on the side of health)
2 1/2 tsp. grated, peeled ginger (you can use the packaged ginger if you wish...)
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 c teriyaki marinade (the thicker the better)
2 tsp. toasted sesame oil (feel free to omit this if you like, I really don't like the added oil)
1-2 cloves garlic, crushed through a press
1 1/2 pound ground pork, chicken or turkey (my favorite!)
toasted sesame seeds for garnish
one egg white

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

2. In a large bowl, combine egg white, scallions, ginger, oil, garlic, and pepper. Whisk until properly blended. Add meat and mix with your hands until combined. Shape into approx 30 1 1/2" balls (I use a large melon baller to guarantee uniform size)

3. Spray a large skillet, wok or, meatball grill basket. Add half the meatballs and saute approx 5 minutes, or until evenly browned on all sides. Brown remaining meatballs.

4. Arrange meatballs evenly on a parchment lined baking sheet and brush with the teriyaki sauce. Bake 20 minutes or until cooked through and evenly glazed.

5. Insert toothpicks, garnish with sesame seeds and arrange artfully on the platter of your choice.

Spinach Artichoke Dip (perhaps my signature starter)
Disclaimer: I have enormous issues with food and calories, but mostly fats. Namely, saturated fats. If you know me, you know that. I like, nay LOVE being the hostess with a variety of diet conscious food options at her parties. I can't help it, I'm down with the sickness, so they say. That said, this recipe is printed the way I make it, substitutions and all. If you don't go in for this sort of thing, feel free to substitute my substitutions! "Viva la resistance!"

You'll need:
2 8oz blocks of fat free or 1/3 fat cream cheese, softened
1 pint fat free sour cream
2 6 oz. jars artichoke hearts, drained and chopped ( or 1 14oz. can, but jars taste better to me)
1 cup reduced fat Mozzarella cheese
1 cup reduced fat Parmesan cheese
2 TBSP fat-free plain yogurt (most recipes call for mayo, but I cannot STAND it; feel free to omit this entirely)
1 box frozen spinach, chopped, thawed and drained (make sure you don't buy the kind with the stems in it-a disaster will surely ensue)
1 large onion, finely chopped and sauteed
3 TBSP minced, roasted garlic (or to taste)
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper (or to taste)
1/4 tsp. sea salt
pita wedges, crudites or crostini for serving
paprika for garnish

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. In a large bowl, combine cream cheese and sour cream. Fold cheese mixture until smooth. Add Parmesan cheese and fold. Once mixed, fold in artichokes, spinach and onions until blended.

3. Add garlic, salt and pepper (to taste). Spread mixture into a lightly greased 9" glass pie plate. Spread mozzarella cheese on top and sprinkle with paprika for some color. Place into oven and bake for 25-30 minutes or until heated evenly. Serve with pita wedges or crudites.

Entrees
Grilled Scallop Kabobs and Seasoned Potato Wedges
You'll Need
2 lbs large sea scallops
salt
pepper
cayenne pepper
sweet potatoes, boiled (I usually figure 1 potato per person)
1 cup of your favorite glaze (my fave? Chile lime glaze, usually a crowd favorite. I make my own, but you can find it in any grocery store)
10" bamboo skewers
aluminum foil

1. Prepare your grill for direct grilling on high heat. Soak bamboo skewers in water for 10 minutes. Season the scallops with salt and pepper and slide onto skewers. Slice boiled sweet potatoes into 1 1/2" wedges.

2. Place potatoes on half of grill brush with oil. Place scallops on the other half and brush with glaze. Turn potatoes occasionally until grill marks form and knife pierces with a little resistance (about 8 minutes). Cook scallops until grill marks form (about 3-4 minutes per side). Remove potatoes from heat, season with salt and pepper (use cayenne sparingly for extra kick) and serve. Remove scallops from heat, brush again with glaze and serve.

That's a lot of information! Tune in tomorrow for part two: Sides, Desserts, and Drinks. Yum!
You're probably wondering, "What, What?! No meat recipes?". Well, maybe tomorrow. I wanted you all to have something a bit different.

Photo Credit: Williams Sonoma

Back in the Saddle

Hey everyone! Again, let me apologize for being silent so long! I have been ultra busy here in the MKE. A friend of mine is getting married in August and I've been giving her some advice, I'm planning a Tiki barbecue (details of the planning will be split between my two blogs), I'm updating things at my other blog, cleaning up pictures of a Farmer's Market in Madison (our capital) and picking out some recipes to go with the pictures for a garden party idea, and planning a cupcake party (details soon...I've finished the invites!). Also, The Hubbs and I have been cleaning up our yard and planting flowers before it gets too hot.

Oh, and Summerfest is here and The Hubbs and I went on Sunday....lots of fun!

Sooo, this week? I have a new Etsy Lovin' segment for you, a how-to and a couple garden party ideas. I think it's going to be pretty great. I have a big week planned here at Renegade Soiree and I hope you'll join me!

Let's get to it!

A Busy Weekend

Hello all!

What a busy weekend The Hubbs and I had. On Saturday, we went to Madison to attend a Farmer's Market! It was grrreat! I have a few pictures for you....and a couple of recipes that will make any party unique.

I finally took sometime to do a bit of crafting as well. I worked on an invitation idea for our BBQ and although I am still deciding whether I like it, I decided I'll share it with you and see what you think...

Ah, me.....what a wonderful weekend!

How To: Paper Rosettes

Hey everyone! As I mentioned earlier, I am planning a cookout. It will be the first of the season for The Hubbs and I. I'm getting really excited! I had a large design block the other day while working on the invitations and I decided to stop torturing myself and work on creating some decorations. These rosettes are the first ones I've come up with. I'm not sure they'll fit in with my theme (late 50's Tiki theme! Specific-I know, but I've waited such a long time to do this...), but I LOVE paper rosettes and just had to make them!

Here's the step by step with pictures! (You'll have to excuse my pics...my dining room has weird lighting and I missed out on natural light due to rain. Boo.)

You will need:

3- 8.5 x 11 sheets of text weight paper
Double sided tape
Hole Punch
Bone Folder/Ruler
Ribbon
Scissors


First, accordion fold each sheet of paper lengthwise. I suggest 3/4" folds. The ones shown are larger in order to be more easily visible. use your bone folder to smooth out the folds and to make sure they stay straight. If you are experiencing problems, you may try marking out the 3/4" intervals. Use pencil to hide lines and marks most easily.

Then, fold the length of accordion folds in half (end to end). The result will be resemble a fan. Use a length of double sided tape to fasten the ends together, completing the fan. Repeat with the two remaining pieces.

Connect each fan using more double-sided tape. You will see your rosette starting to form. Affix the last two ends together, completing the circle.

Finally, punch a hole, thread any length of ribbon and hang. Once you get the hang of the process, try using paper of all sizes and colors for a different aesthetic. For the best result, try to stay away from "matchy-matchy" colors and opt instead for colors that complement or coordinate with one another. In the picture below, I used a gift wrap sheet (20" x 30") for the large and three sheets of 5" x 7" for the small. The gray rosette is the regular size, using three sheets of 8.5" x 11" paper. I love the way they look together! Tres chic!

Versatility makes them perfect for a number of creative uses. Print a picture or name on a circular card and attach to the middle of the rosette. Then hang from the backs of chairs for a quick and easy seating arrangement. Embellish tables by hanging one at the two front corners. I love to hang them at different lengths from the ceiling to add a little pizazz to an indoor event. Try affixing to tree branches to spice up your next outdoor soiree.

Click here to see a few more pictures of the finished product!

What to Do, What to Do?

Hi all!

I'm not at all sure why I chose the cupcakes....other than it seemed festive, what with their shiny gold wrappers and deliciously iridescent frosting (both the cake and the frosting are homemade, thank you very much!). I'm not usually one to toot my own horn, but these were just so much fun to make so...toot toot, indeed.

I'm back in the saddle here at Renegade Soiree. It's been an interesting couple of weeks.

What have I been up to? Well....

I've been getting ready for a party The Hubbs and I are hosting next week. Invites and decorations and menus, oh my! I will have it all for you here, beginning with invitations and some new ideas I have. I have a how-to for you on paper rosettes! I'm finally done with all the pictures and I intend to publish for you this afternoon!

In other news, we've started the redecorating back up and I spent last week knee deep in paint samples. I am trying to turn our house into a haven! I am waaay behind on planting and have partially abandoned it for beautifying our porch.

So, hang on....the fun starts this afternoon!

Well, Here Goes!

I've announced this Blog to my readers at "Holy, Matrimony!" I hadn't done it yet. I feel like a bad blogger because the only people I've really told about my blogs are my parents and family and a friend of mine. I think it's because my family loves everything I do and will think it's great even if it sucks. Ah, a support system.

But, in all seriousness, I've been running "Holy, Matrimony!" since January and this blog came bouncing along in April and I think its time to take this public. I'm really proud of what I've been able to pull off here. I'm excited to watch these two bloglings grow up.

You want to come along for the ride? I hope you do.