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Having a blog means that I tend to do a lot of cooking for larger groups. I usually show up to any gathering with at least one appetizer or snack for a crowd. Cooking for groups can be a bit of a challenge in my small apartment, so it’s crucial that I can reuse kitchen tools while making different parts of a recipe!
Clorox Green Works has a great new product, Pump ‘N Clean, now available in Target. Green Works Pump ‘N Clean can be found in the green section of the cleaning aisle, with the rest of the Clorox Green Works line.
The whole Clorox Green Works line cleans thoroughly and powerfully without using harsh chemicals or leaving any residue. The line includes wipes, dish soaps, detergents, and cleaners that are made with plant- and mineral-based cleaning ingredients. The products are not tested on animals and use environmentally sustainable packaging whenever possible.
From June 14-July 11, you can use the Target Cartwheel app to save 10% on all Green Works products.
The Pump ‘N Clean product is both a time saver and a way to keep your kitchen clean and safe. It’s food-safe, so you can use it to clean your knives and cutting boards in between cutting veggies and fruits! (Green Works Pump ‘N Clean is not to be used to clean up after raw meat or raw fish.) To use, just place a dish towel or sponge on top of the Pump ‘N Clean and press down to dispense the liquid. Use the dish towel/sponge to clean your knifes, counters, stove top, whatever needs cleaning! It’s easy to clean are you are cooking, which is a huge time saver!
I wanted to make two different salsas for a friend’s party, a traditional fresh salsa, and a fruit salsa. The traditional salsa is made of fresh tomatoes, red onion, and jalapeno, while the fruit salsa is filled with berries, pineapple, oranges and kiwifruit. Obviously, mixing the flavors of these two would ruin them both, so it was important that I was able to quickly clean both my knife and my cutting board!
Ingredients:
Fresh Salsa:
3 plum tomatoes, chopped and seeded
1 red onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 jalapeno, finely chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Fruit Salsa:
1/2 cup strawberries, finely chopped
1/4 cup blueberries, halved
1/4 cup raspberries, quartered
1 medium orange, peeled and chopped
3 medium kiwifruit, peeled and chopped
1 (8 oz) can unsweetened crushed pineapple, drained
Happy New Year!! I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season! My boyfriend and I had a New Years Eve party this year, complete with a champagne bar, dessert bar, and a DIY photo booth!
Minted sent me the banner and signs as well as paper cups, plates, and napkins to really snazz up our party. Aren’t those signs so cute? The theme shown in the photos is “Sparkle Everywhere”
Their party decor is really great; Minted has decor for any party you can imagine! You can build your own package or choose from three suites: unique party, perfect party, or dream party. Minted has you covered from the napkins to the table confetti to even adorable paper straws and cake plates. You can also order invitations that match your theme!
The Champagne Bar was a huge hit. I included suggested champagne cocktails but creativity was encouraged. My favorite combination was St. Germaine filled with sparkling wine and topped with some cranberry juice.
We had a blast in the photo booth and people had fun with all of the props!
The dessert bar turned out great too! I will be sharing recipes that I made for it over the coming days but I wanted to start with a particularly appropriate New Years Eve cupcake, although these are so good you will want to make them all year round 🙂
This recipe for Champagne Cupcakes was sent to me by Golden Blossom Honey. Golden Blossom’s honey is composed of honey from three flowers — extra-white clover, sage buckwheat, and orange blossom so the flavor profile is unique and really tasty!
These cupcakes highlight the taste of the honey with the addition of orange and dry champagne, making for a really moist and flavorful cupcake.
If you’ve noticed an uptick in my interest of miniature food, the cookbook Tiny Food Party! is to blame. Teri Lyn Fisher and Jenny Park, who also write on their blog Spoon Fork Bacon, have developed an entire cookbook based on tiny versions of dozens of food. The recipes range from breakfast favorites to delicious desserts. Tiny Food Party! also includes themed menus so you can throw your own tiny food party to your friends delight.
Brian at Bridges,Burgers & Beer and I were given the opportunity to test out the recipes in this cookbook in the best way possible: by hosting a Tiny Food Party!
oOnion Rings w/ Roasted Red Pepper Aioli & Buttermilk Ranch
oPotato Salad Bites
oCaprese Skewers
–Main Bites:
oChicken n Waffles
oLamb Sliders
oShepherd’s Pie
oCountry Style Eggs Benedict
–Desserts
oFudge Puppies
oSnickerdoodle Ice Cream Sandwiches
oCinnamon Spiced Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting and Candied Bacon
We invited over a bunch of friends to help us test out the above food. We did require a few tools that might not be in everyone’s kitchen: A mini muffin tin, a deep fryer (you can use a normal pot, and then you just need a candy thermometer), biscuit cutters, and slider buns. Past that, the ingredients should be available in your local grocery store.
At first look, the cookbook had both of us really excited. So many things stood out to us we had one heck of a time cutting it down to a few choices. I did think there were a high number of fried foods but hey, if it’s tiny, it’s not nearly as bad for you (right?)
After my first trip to Wegman’s (why has no one brought me here before?! I’m in love!), we split up the menu so we could both do some prep stuff before the party. I was able to make the seafood cocktail cups, potato salad bites, and all of the desserts completely ahead of time.
We met a few hours before the party and went on a cooking rampage. Shepherd’s Pies were filled, Caprese Skewers were … well, skewered, and the Onion Rings were prepared throughout the night (we even got some frying help from Zoe from Row Home Eats, thanks so much Zoe!)
In review, we decided the size of the Pajeon pancakes weren’t different enough to be considered mini, so Brian cut the size down a bit more for effect. The seafood cocktail cups were a hit, I loved that they were served in a cucumber cup and were quite easy to make. The mini onion rings, made from shallots, took a ton of prep work. Poor Brian was probably having nightmares of shallot slicing by the end! The Potato Salad Bites were served in mini wonton cups which made the overall flavor quite bland unfortunately. But the actual potato salad was quite delicious! I’ve already decided the Caprese skewers will be a staple for any party: they are so easy to make and the presentation is fantastic.
Panjeon
Seafood Cocktail Cups
Mini Onion Rings
Potato Salad Bites
Caprese Skewers
The mini mains were definitely the crowd favorites. The Chicken and Waffles, served on mini Eggo Waffles (in the freezer section of your supermarket) were drizzled with a bit of honey. We substituted chicken thighs for the chicken tenders suggested and were really pleased with the results. We could not get enough of these!
The Lamb Sliders were also absolutely fantastic. Brian flips a mean (mini) burger! The sliders were topped with a mini slice of cheese, roasted red pepper aioli, caramelized red onions, and arugula. I know, sorry, your mouth is now watering. There was a good bit of prep work for these but it was well worth it. I loved that when it came down to the actual party, it was basically just assembly!
The Country Style Eggs Benedict was the biggest surprise, at least for me. Served on a mini biscuit, we used quail eggs and drizzled them with a roasted garlic cheese sauce. I could eat these all day!
The Shepherds Pies were gone before I could grab a taste, so I’m going to call those a win. My only complaint as someone with Irish blood was that the recipe used cumin. Cumin? Anywho, it was delicious. And I hate to admit it, but the cumin was a big part of that tastiness. We had some trouble making the little puff pastry cups the pies were made in so be sure to actually prick the bottoms of the dough before baking. Those little guys puff like crazy!
Dessert was a mixed bag, completely due to human (a.k.a Kaitlin) error. You’ll never believe this, but ice cream sandwiches don’t travel well. Insanity, right? If you could get past the meltiness of the ice cream sandwich, these were super tasty. Ah well.
The Fudge Puppies were another favorite. We used the leftover mini waffles from the Chicken N Waffles and dipped them in melted chocolate. We then rolled them in crushed banana chips. Mmmm. Best part of these was I was able to make them the day before, refrigerate them, and bring them out when needed. No day of work required.
Last but certainly not least were the Cinnamon Spiced Cupcakes. I’ve gotta tell you, the frosting for these cupcakes stole the show. It was oh so creamy and delicious. Topping it with pieces of candied bacon didn’t hurt either.
Overall, people left full and happy. Brian and I were pret-ty proud of ourselves after turning out all of this food! We’ve already decided that we are Tiny Food Party addicts. Although the next time we have a tiny food party, we think a potluck version would work best so that we can munch on all the bites at the same time!
The cookbook is really extensive but it’s got me thinking… what else would you make in tiny food form? Mini grilled cheese dipped in a “tomato soup?” Mini whoopie pies? The options are endless!
This cookbook is actually being released today, October 9. You can find it at: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or at your local store.
Need some super bowl appetizer inspiration? I have a bunch of recipes that would be perfect for the game! I thought I’d make it a bit easier to find them.
