Burgers and Bubbly

Over the weekend a few of us threw a couples baby shower for a friend of ours.  Our friend Amanda is expecting her first baby (a girl!) in early August and we knew we needed one more celebration before the baby's arrival.  She's already had more traditional baby showers, so we wanted to do something more casual and relaxed, and we wanted to include the guys too.  We decided on Burgers and Bubbly, perfect for summer, casual enough but of course celebratory with the bubbly too. 

We kept things really simple.  Burgers on the grill with lots of favorite toppings - pimento cheese, blue cheese, white cheddar, bacon, jalapenos, avocado.  For sides, we made a brussels sprout slaw, summer corn salad and a watermelon salad.  All were perfect because they could be made in advance and served at room temperature.  (No cooking during the party except for the burgers!)  It was also kinda nice to have a change from the normal burger and bbq sides.  The brussel sprouts had a fresh, lemony vinaigrette with lots of grated pecorino cheese.  The summer corn salad was simple and fresh with arugula, a few peppers and tomatoes.  And the watermelon salad had yummy feta and mint.

For dessert, we served King of Pops popsicles in different flavors - sea salt chocolate, raspberry rosewater, banana pudding and fresh peach with agave.  Summery, easy and if you haven't had them, they're so good!  Along with the pops we had mini cans of Sofia champagne for us girls to toast.

If you're interested in putting together a similar menu for a party, links to the recipes we used are below:

Brussels Sprout Salad with Red Onion and Pecorino - we used about half the amount of pecorino

Summer Corn Salad - we omitted the feta cheese since we were also using it with the watermelon

Watermelon, Feta and Mint Salad - We used a cranberry pear white balsamic from Pour Olive, but any balsamic vinegar would be delicious.  Also, we used less feta cheese.

We had so much fun and loved spending the evening with friends.  I think I asked Amanda 50 times if she was "ready" and quizzed her about what everyone has told her are "absolute necessities" for newborns  I think it's so funny how much they change from one person to the next.  We're ready for this sweet baby to get here and can't wait to include the kiddos one day for summer burger and popsicle nights!

Trader Joes Floral Centerpieces

This past weekend J.D., Virginia and I headed to Atlanta for a friend's "Sip & See."  (For those who have never heard of a Sip & See, it's similar to a baby shower but you get to meet the baby.)  We were so excited to see friends we had not seen in a long time, and we of course couldn't wait to meet our friend's beautiful baby.  We stayed with the girls who were hosting the party, and Virginia was sure to get us up bright in early to start getting ready for the shower.

While half the crew got started cooking, I tagged along with my friend Kirsten who was responsible for flowers.  (This friend plans parties, big parties, for a living and has gone to floral school.  We were in design school together in college.  She's creative and very talented.)  I was pumped because we were set to go to Atlanta's big wholesale flower warehouse where they have everything, but we got there that morning and we were seriously disappointed.  The flowers just didn't look special or jump out at us.  We were super bummed and kinda scrambled to come up with plan B for decorations.  Our Plan B was Trader Joes.  Guys, we got so many flowers for such a deal and my friend came up with all of the beautiful flowers for the party in what seemed like just a few minutes.

Okay, for the centerpieces above, Kristen used 2 bunches of gerber daises (they felt so baby showerish), 2 bunches of beautiful orange tulips, and 2 bunches of alstroemeria to use as filler.  She used most of the gerber daises in mass in the largest vase in the center and just tucked in a few of the filler flowers as an accent.  In the medium vase she used most of the orange tulips in mass, and she didn't add anything to the big tulip arrangement because tulips are beautiful on their own.  Then, she made a bunch of small arrangements with the remaining flowers in simple julep cups (you could use any cup) to scatter around the table.  I thought it looked so beautiful!  I tend to overthink flowers - they can be tricky, but seriously this came together really quickly and made a big impact.

I snapped these pictures as they were getting set up so not everything is "done" but it was a beautiful party.  Pink and orange decorations because this sweet baby girl will someday become a Tennessee Vol, of course!  :)

~Mary Keller

Grilled Cheese Party

A few weeks ago MK talked about some of our favorite Fall foods but we neglected to include one of my absolute favorites, the perfect grilled cheese. I love a grilled cheese year round but it’s usually best in the fall when the melted cheese makes your entire body feel all warm and fuzzy. Oh and dipping it in the perfect tomato soup is bonus!  I love Gwyneth’s tomato soup and MK loves Giada’s too!

We did a little experimenting a few weeks ago with different combinations and came up with a few keepers below.

Three cheese (cheddar, gruyere and fontina) with pickled jalapenos (super easy to make homemade!)

Gruyere and granny smith apples

Fontina with prosciutto and red pepper flakes

We also decided that this would be perfect for a fall football party. You can have all your toppings and ingredients prepared in advance and then let everyone make their own grilled cheese on a panini press or cast iron skillet whenever they’re ready. Super casual but super accommodating because everyone gets exactly what they want. Perfect for a long day of football!

What’s your favorite combination?

- Heath

PS I’m dying to try this one!

Tapletop Details

A few weeks ago, when Andy and I hosted Steak Club, I realized while setting my table that I didn’t have coasters. In my old apartment I used a hand me down table that we painted black so I never worried about water rings but now that we have a true dining room Andy and I are using my great grandmother’s dining room table which I don’t care to put water rings on. I’m hoping this table will last us forever! Post Steak club I quickly learned how to remove water rings (mayonnaise and toothpaste!) but it’s a trick I’m hoping I can forget. I’ve been on the hunt for cute coasters that are fun but actually useful ever since.

I’m not picky but our living room coasters are definitely more casual so I’d love something a little more suited for entertaining to use in the dining room. Also our table is wood and definitely more grown up so I’m thinking they I may need something with color or a little spunk to keep the vibe from getting too stuffy!

Here are a few options I’ve found.

Clockwise from top left - Anthropologie, High Street Market, William Sonoma, C. Wonder, C. Wonder and High Street Market

What do you guys think? Any you recommended? 

- Heath

Steak Club Lee Bros. Edition

On Saturday night we went over to a friend's house for Steak Club and now I'm pretty much obsessed with the Lee Brothers.  Our hosts served a side and a dessert from their cookbook, and they both were pretty much perfect.  For drinks the girls enjoyed lots of wine, and the boys enjoyed too much bourbon.  (I think it's fair to call our hosts bourbon connoisseurs.  They have just about every bourbon you can imagine to choose from.  This makes J.D. very happy since at home he has to enjoy the cheap stuff!) 

For the main course we each enjoyed our steaks off the grill, a simple fall tossed salad and the real showstopper, a Pimento Cheese Potato Gratin.  It was as delicious as it sounds.  I think we all scrapped the dish clean.  This dish is from the Lee Bros. Simple Fresh Southern Cookbook, and it's also floating around the internet a few places including Saveur.  (Bonus, this can be made in advance!)

Lee Bros. Pimento Cheese Potato Gratin via Saveur

3 teaspoons salt, plus more to taste
1 1⁄2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and sliced into 1⁄4-inch thick rounds
3⁄4 cup heavy cream
3 shallots, finely diced (scant 1⁄2 cup)
1⁄4 teaspoon crushed dried red chile flakes
1⁄2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
One 9-ounce jar roasted red peppers or piquillo peppers, with their liquid
8 ounces extra-sharp cheddar cheese, coarsely grated (about 2 cups)

Heat the oven to 375°F, racks positioned in the middle and the top third of the oven. In a 3- to 4-quart stockpot, bring 2 quarts water and 2 teaspoons of the salt to a boil. Add the potatoes and cook for 10 minutes. Drain and set them aside.

Combine the cream, shallots, chile flakes, remaining 1 teaspoon salt, the black pepper, and 2 tablespoons of the liquid from the jar of roasted peppers in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer and cook until the chile flakes have begun to stain the cream, about 2 minutes. Add half of the cheese and stir until it melts, about 1 minute. Remove pan from the heat.

Layer a third of the potatoes in a 6-cup baking dish, overlapping them slightly so that they fit in an even layer. Scatter half of the roasted peppers on top of the potatoes (cut up any peppers that have remained whole so that they lie flat), and repeat layering potatoes and peppers until all the peppers and potatoes have been used. Pour the cream mixture over the potatoes and peppers, and agitate the dish to distribute the liquid throughout. Cover with aluminum foil and bake on the middle rack for 15 minutes.

Uncover the dish, sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top, and place the dish on the top oven rack. Bake for 8 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbly and gently browned on top. Serve immediately, and enjoy!

For dessert we had little buttermilk cakes topped with bourbon soaked peaches.  So so good, and thinking about all this makes me hungry.  I highly recommend giving the potato gratin a try.  (Wouldn't it be good with an Easter ham?  Something different from traditional mac & cheese.)  Our host couldn't say enough good things about the Lee Bros. cookbook in general.  I love their fresh take on old school southern cuisine.  Has anyone else tried a good recipe by the Lee Brothers?  Hope you enjoy this one!

~Mary Keller

All images from the host, thanks Meredith!

Summer Steaks

On Friday Andy and I hosted one last summer Steak Club. When we set the date for this last weekend in August I knew I wanted to serve summer sides and keep everything bright and simple.

I set the table with a mix of fun glasses(a trick if you don't have enough of each type of glassware, like me!) and used wicker chargers to keep my china from looking too formal.

We served Moscow Mules as pre dinner cocktails and they were a big hit. Perfect refreshing cocktail to celebrate the end of summer.

We served olive tapenade, basil pesto and gorgonzola and artichoke dip with grilled crostinis as appetizers. We purchased all the dips from a local Italian market to keep minimize our prep work and everything was perfect. I highly recommend grilled bread with a simple dip as an easy and delicious appetizer.

For dinner we kept it super simple with a platter of fresh tomatoes sprinkled with a few herbs and corn on the cob, all from our local farmers market. I sadly didn't get a picture of my steak or any corn, but I'm sure you can picture how summery the plates looked!

 

And for dessert we surprised MK's birthday with her favorite coconut cupcakes from my favorite bakery in Charlotte.

It was such a fun night! All in all a super easy and summery meal, perfect for a late August evening with friends.

- Heath

Peter Rabbit Baby Shower

You may remember last Friday I mentioned that I had family coming in town this past weekend.  Saturday was both my cousin and grandmother's birthday.  We had a full girls weekend planned with lunch at Heath's, lots of shopping, dinner out and a movie, just us girls allowed.  My mom, aunt, cousin and grandmother were all coming up, and we knew we'd have a fun weekend.  When I got to Heath's for our casual lunch plans on Saturday, I was totally shocked to see that my friends here in Charlotte had planned a surprise baby shower for me.  It was seriously the sweetest thing, and I was completely shocked when I walked in her house!

Below are pictures from the event if you'd like to see.  Everything was really just so so sweet and beautiful.  The theme of the shower was a Peter Rabbit Baby Book Shower!  Other than family, most of the guests were part of our book club so I thought the theme was particularly fitting.  The table was full of delicious food, fresh crepe myrtle blooms were spread around the house, and little touches of Peter Rabbit were sprinkled throughout.

The beautiful table with a centerpiece and bud vases of crepe myrtle blooms. 

Below the centerpieces were the most adorable cabbage leaf placemats with Peter Rabbit books fanned out. 

The full menu included pimento cheese and chicken salad finger sandwiches, a beautiful bowl of fresh fruit, adorable mini muffins, old fashioned deviled eggs, yummy dip plus sliced veggies, bite size country ham biscuits, and the most adorable bunny and carrot decorated sugar cookies.  And of course they had old fashioned cheese pennies, a favorite!  I never get tired of a traditional southern baby (or bridal) shower menu.  I could eat lunch like this every day!

Pretty veggies, I love all the bright colors, and love the cabbage dip bowl! 

Our family doesn't like to celebrate any occasion without ham biscuits!

How adorable are these Peter Rabbit cookies!  So so cute, and even one cookie personalized for the baby!

The bar was full of bright crystal goblets, mimosas and a yummy raspberry lemonade.

 The fireplace looked ready for a party.  Guests were asked to bring books for the baby, and we were gifted everything from the classics to more recent popular picks.  Our little one now has quite the library!  In addition to books, my grandmother gave us cute little book ends.  Bookends that she of course had to tell the group were on sale because the boutique "couldn't give them away." :)  The hostesses gave us a full set of Peter Rabbit books, all 20+ books.  I didn't even know a set that large existed, and I thought it was the perfect gift for me to remember the day.

 The mantel decorated with fresh magnolia and crepe myrtle blooms.

Books, books and more books!

I hope our sweet baby girl meets a group of friends as wonderful as the group we've found here Charlotte.  If anyone is looking to plan a baby shower anytime soon, these hostesses did the work for you!  You could copy every little bit!  I loved this sweet shower.  Perfect food, beautiful setting, sweet gifts, and the best time with sweet girl friends!  Thank you Amanda, Missy, Heath, and all of the sweet guests.  You're too good to us!

~Mary Keller

All images via Heath! :)