Here is another recipe I made while visiting Max and his parents in Chicago last month. (less than 2 weeks until I go back for his 1^st birthday!)

I’ve laid out the list of ingredients slightly differently on this one than I usually do. Generally, I will list the full amount of, let’s say smoked paprika, and if the paprika is used in two different parts of the recipe, I’ll write “divided” after the ingredient. That seemed more confusing than helpful in this case. So the point is, don’t put away those spices right away, you’re going to need them again.

Also, as sometimes happens, this is a do as I say, not as I do recipe. I sautéed everything in a large skillet and then had to transfer it all to a large pot to add the pasta and complete the recipe. Better to simply sauté in the large pot from the get-go.

I was visiting Max and his parents in Chicago at the end of last month and tried a few new recipes for Mom and Dad, aka Marissa & Jeff.

This first one was from the Half Baked Harvest blog. It could not have been quicker or easier. Also, delicious, so I’ll be making it again and adding in diced chicken breast or thighs for added protein.

Oh, and May the 4th be with you!

One thing about me, with the exception of holidays, I rarely make a recipe twice, let alone 3 times in the span of a few weeks! This recipe is now a family favorite. I don’t know exactly what it is. Maybe it’s the fact that I don’t often use ground chicken. Ground turkey, all the time, so I may be a bit sick of ground turkey. Ground chicken seems to taste milder to me. It carries other flavors better. I don’t know, I’m just all about ground chicken right now. Then there’s the richness of the dish; cream cheese, Parmesan, mozzarella, pesto; all the good stuff! Give this a try and let me know if it becomes a part of your meal rotation.

This last recipe was made by Cheryl. Cheryl is a true Hostess with the Mostess, who chooses to not select one of the recipes I email out to the group but to be a rebel and make one of her own. Something I absolutely love about her!

Along with the ornament shots on the indoor breakfast table, I had a bar set up outside on the patio. Out of the photo is an ice chest filled with beer and flavored sparkling waters.

To the left, you can see a large basket tub filled with sparkling wine, non-alcoholic sparkling beverages, and wine. I love to add greens to the tub., such an easy and festive touch to every winter party.

A large glass dispenser filled with water, infused with lemon and cucumber slices. Making water available this way is not only more visually pleasing but reduces plastic.

Just as with the mushroom recipe from last week, I need to give credit where credit is due. I usually report that the female of the couple is the one making the recipe, well, because that is usually how it goes. But when it comes to Tram and Steve. Steve is the one who loves to cook and is the master of the kitchen. Tram gets the credit for picking this recipe to bring but Steve gets all the credit for making it!

Lisa made these fluffy triangles of goodness. The adjustment I’m going to make to these is the exact opposite of the adjustment I made to the recipe, also using puff pastry, that Kim made in the last post. For Kim’s puff pastry, I adjusted the recipe to make half as many because they were too small and for this recipe, we’re going to make twice as many because these were honestly, too big for an appetizer party. Perfect size for a lunch dish though, if you want to make the original recipe and go that route.

Kim took on this recipe and the word on the street was that she didn’t really like it. I have yet to ask her what is what she didn’t like about it, but my read on it is that the resulting “bite” was too small. When an appetizer is too small, it can be tedious to make and deal with and not give the flavor punch you’re hoping for when you eat it. The original recipe calls for one sheet of puff pastry to be cut into 25 pieces. That made each pastry puff about the size of your thumb. I’ve changed the recipe to use both sheets of puff pastry that come in a package and cut into 12 rectangles each, resulting in less tedious work of topping them and a bigger flavor punch when you eat it.

I print out little place cards with the name of the recipe and the name of the person/couple who made it for them to grab and place next to their dish when they arrive. The place card for this recipe had Marissa’s name on it, but, truth be told, I made it. I had assigned it to her, knowing full well that after traveling the day before with a baby, she’d probably be too tired to cook. I bought huge mushrooms at Costco, so I doubled the filling. So happy I did! There was quite a bit left so the day after the party, I heated it up and tossed it with hot pasta! OMG! So good! Two for one… my favorite way to cook.

Recipe #8 was chosen and made by Anne. She was gracious enough to leave behind a gallon-size ziplock of these tasty little morsels for me and the family. We snacked on them right through Christmas! Thank you, sweet friend!