Hello friends! My family and I love to take road trips in the summer, and this year is shaping up to be the best one yet. Not only is it the four of us, it's also my cousin and her parents - when all of us are together, it's like being in a bad comedy, and it makes for hilarious stories. I'll write up a post at the end of the summer sharing our experiences, but for now, here's everything we're planning for our epic road trip, complete with tips, fun ideas, and more.
1. Pick a New Destination When we started talking about where we are going to go, we all
decided that a new place is always more fun. The powers that be (the parents) gave us
a set radius to travel in, and they pretty much let my cousin, my brother, and me pick
the destination. We settled on a mountain town in the Rocky Mountains. None of us
have ever been there, and there are a surprising number of things to do there, making
sure there's something for everyone.
2. Have a Trip Theme This is probably the lamest thing anyone could ever do, but having a
theme for your trip makes it so much more fun. We have a theme song (John Denver's
amazingly ironic "Rocky Mountain High," also the official name of the trip), code names
(all bean-based, i.e. Jelly Bean, Frijole, Bean Sprout, etc., and particularly fun if the
theme for the names has absolutely nothing to do with the trip), trip hats (custom with
a logo and our code names), and playlists to fit the theme.
3. Rent a House, Not a Hotel Room With seven adult-size people, renting a few hotel
rooms costs as much, if not more, than renting a whole house, especially if it's split
between a few families. Our house has plenty of room for everyone, multiple
bathrooms, and a full kitchen, which means we can do some grocery shopping when we
arrive and save a whole lot on food expenses because we'll be eating at the house more
than eating out.
4. Plan Activities for Everyone Where we are staying, obviously the main attraction is
the mountains, with lots of trails and activities, but there are also hot springs, gondola
tours, golf courses, an amusement park, little shops, and nearby ski resorts to scope
out during the off-season. With a little of everything, you ensure everyone leaves
happy.
5. Don't Spend All Your Energy During the Day Some of my favorite vacation memories
aren't even of the actual trip and the things I saw, but of the time my family spent
together at the end of the day. We absolutely love board games and card games, and
the seven of us always manage to make it so by the end, nobody is playing and
everyone is in tears laughing. It's especially fun if you bring new games, because
nobody reads directions and it just adds another level of hilarity. These nights are
also the perfect occasions to sit around a fire with a whole bunch of s'mores and
hot dogs, which just scream summer and make for great memories.
6. Leave Wiggle Room The great thing about going somewhere that doesn't need tickets
like an amusement park is that you can go without a detailed itinerary and decide what
you want to do as the days come.
I wish you all the best and safe, fun travels,
Erin
Sunday, May 29, 2016
Sunday, May 22, 2016
Sweet Spot: Catering Made Easy
Hello friends! I recently was asked to cater a small bridal shower, so here's how I did everything from the menu and prep timeline to setting up my food stations, as easily as possible.
Menu: Bruschetta Bar, Pasta Primavera, Cannoli Dip with Pizzelle Chips, Sangria Cupcakes & Chocolate Salted Caramel Cupcakes
Recipes:
Bruschetta Bar
Crostinis: Slice French bread on the bias, brush with olive oil. Toast at 350 degrees for
5 minutes.
Bruschetta: Dice 3-5 tomatoes, removing seed pockets to avoid too much moisture. Add
1 clove crushed garlic, 1/4 chopped basil, 2 tbsp. olive oil, 1 tbsp. red wine
vinegar, and salt and pepper.
Whipped Ricotta: Whip 15 oz. part-skim ricotta with 1 tsp. salt.
Pesto: store-bought
Olive Tapenade: store-bought
Balsamic Berries: Reduce 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar over medium heat 8-10 minutes.
Combine with approx. 2 cups (total) blueberries, raspberries, and chopped
strawberries, and about 6 chopped mint leaves.
Honey & Walnuts: That's it. Easiest topping ever.
Pasta Primavera
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 green zucchini, chopped
1 yellow zucchini, chopped
1 bunch asparagus, chopped
1/2 bunch broccoli, chopped
1 container mushrooms, chopped
1 bag spinach
1 container cherry tomatoes
Olive oil
Salt & pepper
Cayenne pepper
2 boxes pasta
Grated Parmesan
Juice of 1 lemon
1. Chop all vegetables (except spinach) to the same size. Drizzle with olive
oil, season with salt and pepper. Roast peppers, zucchini, and broccoli for 12 minutes,
tomatoes for 7 minutes, and asparagus and mushrooms for 5 minutes, all at 425
degrees.
2. Heat approx. 1 tbsp. oil in a skillet. Add spinach, salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper.
Toss until spinach is wilted, remove from heat.
3. Cook pasta according to directions, drain. Mix in all vegetables, lemon juice, Parmesan,
salt and pepper to taste.
Cannoli Dip
15 oz. ricotta
8 oz. mascarpone
Splash vanilla
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
Dash cinnamon
1 cup mini chocolate chips
Pizzelle cookies for dipping
1. Whip ricotta and mascarpone until smooth, add vanilla. Mix in confectioners' sugar 3/4
cup at a time, add cinnamon. Fold in chocolate chips. Serve with pizzelles.
Sangria Cupcakes
1 box angel food cake mix
Zest of 1/2 orange
1/2 cup blueberries
1/2 cup strawberries, chopped
2 cups red wine
1/4 cup sugar
1 cup shortening
1 cup butter
Splash vanilla
4 cups confectioners' sugar
Blueberries, strawberry & orange slices for topping
1. Prepare cake mix as directed, folding in zest and berries before scooping batter into
lined cupcake tins. Bake as directed, let cool.
2. Combine wine and sugar into small saucepan, bring to a boil on medium-high heat.
Reduce to medium-low heat 20-30 minutes, take off heat, let cool.
3. Whip shortening and butter together. Add vanilla and 1/2 cup wine reduction,
combine. Add confectioners' sugar 1 cup at a time, whipping until combined. Add pink
and purple food coloring, if desired.
4. Pipe frosting onto cupcakes, top with reserved fruit.
Chocolate Salted Caramel Cupcakes
1 box chocolate cake mix
1 box chocolate pudding mix
1 cup shortening
1 cup butter
Splash vanilla
1/2 cup caramel sauce
4 cups confectioners' sugar
Sea salt
1. Prepare cake mix as directed, adding pudding mix to cake mix before combining. Scoop
into prepared cupcake tins. Bake as directed, let cool.
2. Whip shortening and butter together. Add vanilla and caramel, combine. Add
confectioners' sugar 1 cup at a time, whipping until combined.
3. Pipe frosting onto cupcakes, sprinkle with sea salt.
Timeline: The shower was on a Saturday evening, so I prepped and made as much as I could on Friday. Friday morning, I started with the sangria cupcakes. While those were cooling, I chopped made the bruschetta, leaving out the basil until serving the next day. When the cupcakes were cool, I made the chocolate cupcakes with the same tins. With those in the oven, I chopped most of the primavera vegetables and put them into a bag and kept them in the fridge. Then I made the cannoli dip. After that, I made the balsamic berries, leaving out the mint until serving the next day. Then I made the red wine frosting, piped it onto the cupcakes, and left the fruit topping for the next day. Finally, I made the caramel frosting, topped the chocolate cupcakes, and sprinkled on the sea salt.
On the day of the shower, I made the pasta and kept it warm in foil pans placed in a towel-lined cooler. I also did finishing touches, like topping the sangria cupcakes and adding the herbs. I also didn't make the crostinis until the shower was about to start.
Setup: The shower was in a house, so I utilized the space I had to make food stations. On the kitchen table, I put down brown butcher paper and laid out my bruschetta bar. On the counter, I put the cupcakes and cannoli dip, and put the pasta on the stove. There was also and Italian wine tasting (which I was not in charge of) in the dining room. This all allowed people to grab what they wanted easily and kept it so that no one area was too congested.
That's it! I've never catered a whole event before, and this was really catering made easy. Everything was successful - Italian food done like this always impresses, and it's way easier than it looks.
I adapted the sangria cupcakes and cannoli dip from these blogs:
http://thefirstyearblog.com/sangria-cupcakes/
http://www.ifyougiveablondeakitchen.com/2016/02/06/easy-cannoli-dip/
The rest of the recipes are mine, so please credit Streamers of Consciousness if you use them elsewhere.
I wish you all the best,
Erin
Menu: Bruschetta Bar, Pasta Primavera, Cannoli Dip with Pizzelle Chips, Sangria Cupcakes & Chocolate Salted Caramel Cupcakes
Recipes:
Bruschetta Bar
Crostinis: Slice French bread on the bias, brush with olive oil. Toast at 350 degrees for
5 minutes.
Bruschetta: Dice 3-5 tomatoes, removing seed pockets to avoid too much moisture. Add
1 clove crushed garlic, 1/4 chopped basil, 2 tbsp. olive oil, 1 tbsp. red wine
vinegar, and salt and pepper.
Whipped Ricotta: Whip 15 oz. part-skim ricotta with 1 tsp. salt.
Pesto: store-bought
Olive Tapenade: store-bought
Balsamic Berries: Reduce 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar over medium heat 8-10 minutes.
Combine with approx. 2 cups (total) blueberries, raspberries, and chopped
strawberries, and about 6 chopped mint leaves.
Honey & Walnuts: That's it. Easiest topping ever.
Pasta Primavera
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 green zucchini, chopped
1 yellow zucchini, chopped
1 bunch asparagus, chopped
1/2 bunch broccoli, chopped
1 container mushrooms, chopped
1 bag spinach
1 container cherry tomatoes
Olive oil
Salt & pepper
Cayenne pepper
2 boxes pasta
Grated Parmesan
Juice of 1 lemon
1. Chop all vegetables (except spinach) to the same size. Drizzle with olive
oil, season with salt and pepper. Roast peppers, zucchini, and broccoli for 12 minutes,
tomatoes for 7 minutes, and asparagus and mushrooms for 5 minutes, all at 425
degrees.
2. Heat approx. 1 tbsp. oil in a skillet. Add spinach, salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper.
Toss until spinach is wilted, remove from heat.
3. Cook pasta according to directions, drain. Mix in all vegetables, lemon juice, Parmesan,
salt and pepper to taste.
Cannoli Dip
15 oz. ricotta
8 oz. mascarpone
Splash vanilla
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
Dash cinnamon
1 cup mini chocolate chips
Pizzelle cookies for dipping
1. Whip ricotta and mascarpone until smooth, add vanilla. Mix in confectioners' sugar 3/4
cup at a time, add cinnamon. Fold in chocolate chips. Serve with pizzelles.
Sangria Cupcakes
1 box angel food cake mix
Zest of 1/2 orange
1/2 cup blueberries
1/2 cup strawberries, chopped
2 cups red wine
1/4 cup sugar
1 cup shortening
1 cup butter
Splash vanilla
4 cups confectioners' sugar
Blueberries, strawberry & orange slices for topping
1. Prepare cake mix as directed, folding in zest and berries before scooping batter into
lined cupcake tins. Bake as directed, let cool.
2. Combine wine and sugar into small saucepan, bring to a boil on medium-high heat.
Reduce to medium-low heat 20-30 minutes, take off heat, let cool.
3. Whip shortening and butter together. Add vanilla and 1/2 cup wine reduction,
combine. Add confectioners' sugar 1 cup at a time, whipping until combined. Add pink
and purple food coloring, if desired.
4. Pipe frosting onto cupcakes, top with reserved fruit.
Chocolate Salted Caramel Cupcakes
1 box chocolate cake mix
1 box chocolate pudding mix
1 cup shortening
1 cup butter
Splash vanilla
1/2 cup caramel sauce
4 cups confectioners' sugar
Sea salt
1. Prepare cake mix as directed, adding pudding mix to cake mix before combining. Scoop
into prepared cupcake tins. Bake as directed, let cool.
2. Whip shortening and butter together. Add vanilla and caramel, combine. Add
confectioners' sugar 1 cup at a time, whipping until combined.
3. Pipe frosting onto cupcakes, sprinkle with sea salt.
Timeline: The shower was on a Saturday evening, so I prepped and made as much as I could on Friday. Friday morning, I started with the sangria cupcakes. While those were cooling, I chopped made the bruschetta, leaving out the basil until serving the next day. When the cupcakes were cool, I made the chocolate cupcakes with the same tins. With those in the oven, I chopped most of the primavera vegetables and put them into a bag and kept them in the fridge. Then I made the cannoli dip. After that, I made the balsamic berries, leaving out the mint until serving the next day. Then I made the red wine frosting, piped it onto the cupcakes, and left the fruit topping for the next day. Finally, I made the caramel frosting, topped the chocolate cupcakes, and sprinkled on the sea salt.
On the day of the shower, I made the pasta and kept it warm in foil pans placed in a towel-lined cooler. I also did finishing touches, like topping the sangria cupcakes and adding the herbs. I also didn't make the crostinis until the shower was about to start.
Setup: The shower was in a house, so I utilized the space I had to make food stations. On the kitchen table, I put down brown butcher paper and laid out my bruschetta bar. On the counter, I put the cupcakes and cannoli dip, and put the pasta on the stove. There was also and Italian wine tasting (which I was not in charge of) in the dining room. This all allowed people to grab what they wanted easily and kept it so that no one area was too congested.
That's it! I've never catered a whole event before, and this was really catering made easy. Everything was successful - Italian food done like this always impresses, and it's way easier than it looks.
I adapted the sangria cupcakes and cannoli dip from these blogs:
http://thefirstyearblog.com/sangria-cupcakes/
http://www.ifyougiveablondeakitchen.com/2016/02/06/easy-cannoli-dip/
The rest of the recipes are mine, so please credit Streamers of Consciousness if you use them elsewhere.
I wish you all the best,
Erin
Thursday, May 12, 2016
Dear Future Husband
To my future soul mate:
Hello. As of this moment right now, May 12, 2016, I do not know if we have met. I do not know if we're from the same place, what struggles we have faced, or where we're going next. But I do know that I love you. I have loved you much longer than I have known you. I will love you much longer and more intensely than you can ever imagine. It's hard to explain why and how you can love someone so deeply without knowing anything about them, but I do.
As you probably know, I absolutely love random facts, and I've been saving my favorite one to share with you: You and I are split-aparts. According to Greek mythology, humans at one time had four arms, four legs, and two faces. These humans possessed powers great enough to threaten the gods, so Zeus solved this problem by splitting each human in half. The human halves would wander around miserably, searching for their other half. When they finally found each other, they knew without speaking that all was right again, and they would be happy together for the rest of time. I'm so happy I've finally found mine. It's been a long time coming.
There is so much I want to say to you, so much I want to know about you. By the time you read this, I will know those things, but, another thing I'm sure you know about me, I am not patient in the slightest, so waiting to know you is near impossible. How are you? What is your family like? Do I treat your siblings like my own, and you mine? Do you like going out together, or do prefer making dinner at home and watching movies in our pajamas? Does my constant showtune singing drive you crazy? We have a lot of catching up to do, you and I.
If I wrote everything I want to say to you and ask you, I'll still be writing when you read this, and even then, I will not be anywhere near done. I want us to share everything. I want to be your best friend, your biggest fan, your best support, your soul mate. And I will try my absolute best to be all that and more. And if I'm not, please let me know. I don't want to let you down. I think that is one of my biggest fears.
How did we meet? Did we work together? Go to school together? I'm always looking for you, wherever I am. What is our relationship like? Do we laugh a lot? Do you think I'm a big dork, hopefully in a cute, endearing way? Do we live together? If so, where? I've been dreaming of moving to LA. I think only you can stop me from going there, if I'm not there already. Do we talk about the future? About getting married? Having kids? You probably think I'm crazy, but I have our wedding planned, and lists of names for those little people who will be half you and half me. I can't wait. I'm ready to start my life with you.
Regardless of where we are, what we do, where we're going, I promise you this: I will always stand by you. I won't ever leave your side; we are a team. I will happily go on crazy adventures with you, and I will be just as happy to spend entire days eating pizza on the couch with you. I will always try to be the best version of myself for you, and I will push you to do the same. I will take care of you when you are sick, I will tell awful jokes when you are sad, I will love you unconditionally, forever and always.
I love you more than you will ever know,
Your future soul mate
Hello. As of this moment right now, May 12, 2016, I do not know if we have met. I do not know if we're from the same place, what struggles we have faced, or where we're going next. But I do know that I love you. I have loved you much longer than I have known you. I will love you much longer and more intensely than you can ever imagine. It's hard to explain why and how you can love someone so deeply without knowing anything about them, but I do.
As you probably know, I absolutely love random facts, and I've been saving my favorite one to share with you: You and I are split-aparts. According to Greek mythology, humans at one time had four arms, four legs, and two faces. These humans possessed powers great enough to threaten the gods, so Zeus solved this problem by splitting each human in half. The human halves would wander around miserably, searching for their other half. When they finally found each other, they knew without speaking that all was right again, and they would be happy together for the rest of time. I'm so happy I've finally found mine. It's been a long time coming.
There is so much I want to say to you, so much I want to know about you. By the time you read this, I will know those things, but, another thing I'm sure you know about me, I am not patient in the slightest, so waiting to know you is near impossible. How are you? What is your family like? Do I treat your siblings like my own, and you mine? Do you like going out together, or do prefer making dinner at home and watching movies in our pajamas? Does my constant showtune singing drive you crazy? We have a lot of catching up to do, you and I.
If I wrote everything I want to say to you and ask you, I'll still be writing when you read this, and even then, I will not be anywhere near done. I want us to share everything. I want to be your best friend, your biggest fan, your best support, your soul mate. And I will try my absolute best to be all that and more. And if I'm not, please let me know. I don't want to let you down. I think that is one of my biggest fears.
How did we meet? Did we work together? Go to school together? I'm always looking for you, wherever I am. What is our relationship like? Do we laugh a lot? Do you think I'm a big dork, hopefully in a cute, endearing way? Do we live together? If so, where? I've been dreaming of moving to LA. I think only you can stop me from going there, if I'm not there already. Do we talk about the future? About getting married? Having kids? You probably think I'm crazy, but I have our wedding planned, and lists of names for those little people who will be half you and half me. I can't wait. I'm ready to start my life with you.
Regardless of where we are, what we do, where we're going, I promise you this: I will always stand by you. I won't ever leave your side; we are a team. I will happily go on crazy adventures with you, and I will be just as happy to spend entire days eating pizza on the couch with you. I will always try to be the best version of myself for you, and I will push you to do the same. I will take care of you when you are sick, I will tell awful jokes when you are sad, I will love you unconditionally, forever and always.
I love you more than you will ever know,
Your future soul mate
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)