Grad Party Cheese Board & Candy Platter
It’s that time of year again! These platters I made for my niece and nephew’s dual grad party – one graduating from college and one from high school.
This crudite/cheese board I made with a homemade white bean dip (on my blog) and a store-bought red pepper dip (from Trader Joe’s). Honestly, the entire platter was created from items/veggies I bought from Trader Joe’s. One main idea to keep in mind is to create a color balance, in this case: yellow, orange, red/purple, cream, and tones of brown. I stayed within the confines of those colors and added some greens for an earthy and organic vibe. This platter was a HUGE hit. I wish I added a bigger fig jam because it vanished so quickly. I did a small amount of cheese as this board was outside. I also have a mesh canopy attached to it to keep out the flies. I hope this inspires you to create a cheese board for your next party or gathering. Everyone LOVES to snack!
I made another veggie board for a pool party that I posted on Instagram and the Oprah Magazine commented on! Apparently they think Oprah would love this spread. I am beyond flattered and commented that I would happily make Oprah a platter any day!
Next, for this yummy candy platter. I had a red/pink theme as you can see here. I combined all sweet treats including some delicious sweet strawberries and raspberries. Hand-dipped chocolate strawberries would have been a great addition too, provided the platter stays inside. This candy platter was a great idea, because everyone snacked on it through out the entire evening. I combined some faves like Swedish Fish, cherry licorice tied into large knots, strawberries some cut in half to show the gorgeous inside, raspberries and the Pocky candy sticks that I found at the Asian market. The thyme added an earthy vibe and coordinated well with the green stems of the strawberries. I hope this sparks your creativity!
Father’s Day Brunch
Happy Belated Father’s Day to all the dads and granddads. I am sharing my families’ brunch and also my birthday breakfast, as this year Father’s Day and my birthday were the same day.
This was very yummy! I made homemade hash browns. I used Yukon potatoes and shredded them along with a white onion. Added to that some eggs and seasonings and sauteed in a pan. I made it flat and kept pressing it so it cooked through, then flipped it. The eggs are salsa scrambled eggs with mexican cheese. You can do egg whites too. I made some homemade gauc as a side with avocado, red onion and sea salt.
The sliced melon and organic orange juice from Trader Joe’s rounded out the meal along with some Norwegian crackers. If you haven’t been to Trader Joe’s it’s a must go! My sister and I meet at the one in between our homes and shop. They have such good prices!
I hope everyone enjoyed their Father’s Day! Be sure to check out my blog for any new recipes like: Cauliflower Risotto with Mushrooms, Baked Stacked Parmesan Zucchini, Sweet Potato Salad, Cucumber Pomegranate Salad, Peas and Orange Salad, Peaches, Mini Heirloom and Mint Salad with Burrata, Lemon and Thyme cake with warmed Blueberry Blackberry Sauce, my Blueberry Cake and much, much more!!!!
xo
Kentucky Derby Inspired Tea Sandwiches & Ideas
These Elegant Tea Sandwiches will win over your guests. The cream cheese spread can be made in advance and chilled OR feel free to use an already made veggie cream cheese. You’ll need a heart-shaped cookie cutter to create the mini sandwiches. Feel free to stack two or three together – all in varying sizes. Garnish with a little asparagus spear and slice of carrot or if you would like hint of salmon caviar will really make the salmon color pop!
Feel free to experiment with some chopped bacon too and save a few of the whole asparagus and slices of bacon to place inside the cute horseshoe toasts. It reminds me of when we used to play horseshoes and ring the horseshoe around the post. Good memories!! Here is the link to the recipe.https://marioochskitchen.com/recipe/elegant-tea-sandwiches/
These are pink grapefruit spritzers made with pink grapefruit to play off the gorgeous salmon color sandwiches along with white wine and seltzer or feel free to try a prosecco instead with the grapefruit juice. I really love Bellissima Prosecco by the Beautiful and talented Christie Brinkley. Serve in a clear glass or wine glass.
The Tuna Salad Teas Sandwiches are my favorite! Your guests will want the recipe and if they do please send them here!! Wink….
Prepare the tuna a few hours in advance. As you make it please remember to TASTE it and be sure all the flavors align with your taste buds. So easy!! Here is the link to the recipe. https://marioochskitchen.com/recipe/tuna-salad-tea-sandwiches/
These mini bite size sweet potato or yam bites are a nice appetizer for your gluten free guests. These are sooooooooo good! First, find a yam or sweet potato that is a deep orange hue. I prefer organic as the taste will be much sweeter. You’ll need one or two long yams about 2 inches in width. There are so many varying sizes, just try to find a narrow one. I will provide this recipe in the contents of this post and at a later time post the recipe under the section “appetizers” as these are amazing and good for ANY holiday or gathering. I could see these at thanksgiving time with some feta, cranberries and lots of chives and seasonings…
First, scrub the potatoes with a veggie scrubber and wipe dry. Place a few holes in them. Set the oven at 400 degrees. You will need that soon. If you have a setting on your microwave to cook potatoes use that, but UNDER cook these. You want them slightly hard, but easy enough to slice into narrow slices – maybe 1/2 inch slices. Once you slice them, place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Put olive oil on each one and spread it out, add some ground salt and some dried chives. Then bake in the oven for 10 minutes and flip once. Bake another 5-8 minutes and cool.
Make the sour cream dip by combining the following ingredients: equal parts low fat cream cheese and sour cream and a little soft herb cheese (like Alouette Cheese) along with some finely chopped fresh chives. Keep some chives for garnish along with some finely diced red onions. Place the sour cream dip inside a bag and snip off a corner and place a dollop onto each yam circle. Garnish! Shape like a horseshoe if it’s for the Kentucky Derby!
Alternatively, if you can have a Trader Joe’s close by pick up their Eggplant Garlic Spread with Sweet Red Pepper. You can use a dollop of that and top with a tiny bit of the sour cream dip and add the red onions. Both combos are amazing and I promise you will make these alot!
Party time! Assemble everything with a color scheme in mind. In this case, I really accented the salmon colors and brought the color into the table setting with some flowers from the garden. The biscuits on the table are homemade but I haven’t posted that recipe yet. They are super easy!
I hope you try a few or all of my recipes and post them and tag me on social media. Enjoy!!! xo Mary