Report on the Party of Love X2

Oh my the party was spectacular. It was so easy and sweet with truly simple foods that seemed much more complex than they were. I promised recipes and I'm delivering! Somehow I didn't get any good pictures of lunch. I only managed to get to my camera during valentine making and beyond. Sorry for lack of food pictures but I do have a few party pictures.

First up Walnut Pate. I embarrassed myself a few weeks ago at a party by eating a vat of this spread, when I found it was easy to make Walnut Pate and that I already OWNED the cookbook it came from I was excited. It truly is an ethereal tangy salty spread that it is addictive, consider yourself warned. Also adding to it's likability it can easily be made with substitute ingredients you happen to have on hand and still be ingenious.

Walnut Pate- adapted from Moosewood Cookbook by Mollie Katzen
1/2 cup cream cheese
2 cups feta crumbles
1 cup green olives
1 1/2 cups walnuts
drizzle of olive oil

process the cream cheese, feta, olives and walnuts in a food processor
add a drizzle of olive oil to thin it down a bit
serve with crackers or fresh bread (a spoon and don't share!)

The soup course for the party was Roasted Tomato Soup. Can I just say I love this soup? I hate canned tomato soup now after tasting homemade tomato soup and adding orzo just sent it over the top.
Be ready because canned soup will be ruined after you taste this version of tomato soup.


Roasted Tomato Soup
2 cans fire roasted tomatoes
1 large can of tomato puree
2 cups stock, chicken or vegetable
1 spring of rosemary, 2 inches long
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon of thyme
3 dry sage leaves, rubbed to dust an sprinkled in
4 ounces dry orzo
4 cups water + water as needed

in a large dutch oven bring one can of tomatoes, tomato puree and stock to almost a boil
reduce heat to simmer
add spices, other can of tomatoes and 4 cups of water simmer for 15 minutes
add orzo and enough water to ensure the pasta has enough liquid to cook in about 3-4 cups or as needed
simmer for at least half an hour adding water as needed and stir occasionally
reduce heat to low once pasta is cooked through and simply keep warm until ready to serve
warn guests of bay leaves and rosemary sprig

 Bacon Salad can be found here. I also served Texas Cake Brownies, I have a great recipe for these and I remembered it after reading about them in the blogosphere. I was tempted to make the recipe getting all the buzz from a pretty famous blogger but decided to stick with my version from a little old Lutheran woman. If you need to choose between a blogger and a little old Lutheran woman choose the lady who has cooked for countless potlucks and who can whip up a hotdish with her eyes closed and both hot mitts behind her back. She will not fail you!

Texas Cake Brownies
Boil 4 sticks of butter (I KNOW, RIGHT???) with 1 cup water and 6 Tablespoons cocoa powder
meanwhile mix 2 cups of sugar with 2 eggs
add 2 cups flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda and 1/2  teaspoon of salt
add butter mixture to sugar mixture stir well and pour into a 10x15 OR 9x13 pan
bake a 350˚ degrees for 20-30 minutes depending on size of pan, use a toothpick to make sure they are done
while the brownies bake make the frosting
boil together 1 stick butter with 6 Tablespoons milk and 4 Tablespoons of cocoa powder
after it bowls whip it with 4 cups of powdered sugar until completely incorporated
pour right over the hot brownie cookie thing when it comes out of the oven

These are devilishly delicious. Do NOT think about calories and if it helps think about summer not being here for 4 more months and that you still have a lot of time to lose the winter fluff weight.


Here's my theory on what happens when you spread cool frosting on a hot cake:

• the frosting holds in all the steam from the baked good
• thereby condensing it by about 1 inch 
• compressing the cake into a funky third middle layer that is gooey soft and awesome, a meld of brownie cake and frosting goo=cakegoo=mmmmmm good

Isn't that mancub gorgeous?

I hope Valentines Day brings you some simple pleasures. I have a few cute things to reveal later on today so come back for a swap reveal! Hug someone you love!

Peace and Love,

these were made by my sister, we didn't even get to making sugar cookies!

likewise these were not made by me either