The Apron Dialogues

Summer Party

2010-06-04T07:00:00.000-07:00

My girlfriends and I threw a party in honor of our friend turning 24.

Our theme was summer time simple. And it was delicious.

our menu consisted of:

+ grilled chicken & shrimp kababs

+ fruit salad

+ pasta salad

+ apple walnut salad

+ and my favorite...

+ red wine sangria.

it was perfect when paired with the summer foods & warm weather; it made the dinner!

i am definitely going to be using this recipe a ton during summer.

i encourage all of you to try out this recipe immediately.

perfect for the weekend :)

we of course topped our night off with strawberry meringue buttercream cupcakes.

the menu choice was just right. nice & light yet still very fulfilling.

what are some of your favorite summer recipes?!

...

have a relaxing next few days!

Holiday treats!

2010-05-25T13:38:00.000-07:00

hi + hello

long time no write :(

who's excited for memorial day?!

me.

bbq's, parties, friends, the sun, lots of food, the start of summer.

all good and tasty things :)

thinking about making these

{except with raspberries}

as a morning treat before all the goodness starts.

maybe i'll make some as a "test run" as i plan the festivities with some of my favorite girls.

happy Wednesday!!!

{muffins}

Friendly meals

2010-01-27T09:39:00.000-08:00

one of my most favorite things to do is cook for friends.

i cannot think of a better way to spend my Monday evening than try out new recipes with yummy wine + fantastic friends.

[especially since we were all needing an anything but ordinary meal after a long day in the rain & at work]

I made this delicious chicken, which I will be making again and probably as a regular in my repertoire of recipes! I liked it because it was so crunchy and full of flavor but not too fattening [in the sense that it reminded me of a great alternative to fried chicken].

Daniel made a scrumptious anti-pasta salad with amazing dressing [i'll have to nab the recipe from him]. I haven't been into dressings since the beginning of summer [I basically gave up any and all dressings because they are so so bad for you] so this was a fun treat!

Then to top it off and as a minor celebration [for Daniel's little soccer success], I made this lemon-mint cake. I am usually not a cake person; they're just so heavy and blah. This cake was so fluffy and moist on the inside, yet a little crunchy on the outside. Instead of icing it called for simple syrup -- it was perfect!!

[next time, i'll opt for plain simple syrup versus the lemon flavored, too much lemon!]

I cannot get over how light this cake was.

so fun :)

Birthday Brunch

2010-01-25T09:30:00.000-08:00

for my aunt's birthday, i decided to host a small brunch for her

mimosas and everything :)

i made the pumpkin bread again

[i just can't get enough of the stuff!]

& i made my first quiche!

[it was so simple it was ridiculous]

it was the perfect go to dish

[i over slept and had to whip everything together very quickly!]

not too shabby

Don't pretty pictures of food put you into a calming mood?

2010-01-16T08:09:00.000-08:00

{eggs}

{milk}

{berries}

{tart}

{beverage}

{marshmallows}

Have a fantastic Saturday

xoxo

Weekend Treats: Pumpkin Bread

2010-01-11T21:36:00.000-08:00

On Sunday morning I made this pumpkin bread. I was inspired after spending quite sometime perusing blogs such as honey & jam -- I just can't get enough. {I've also found a couple other blogs worth swooning over but more on that later!}

I loved how moist this bread was and how it made the house smelled heavenly. So many wonderful spices are put into this bread. If you don't like pumpkin, at least make it to make your house smell scrumptious!

It is almost like a cake! Just as good without the glaze so if you do not have a huge sweet tooth maybe opt no glaze.

When paired with eggs & coffee this is a delicious brunch treat!

Which is just what I did

How was your weekend??

happy weekend

2010-01-09T09:55:00.000-08:00

hope you have a great weekend!!

{picture}

honey & jam

2010-01-07T18:43:00.000-08:00

I feel like I do not spend enough time on here! Which is a shame because I love it. I am especially fond of all the great food blogs I have found through my little one.

I cannot get enough of honey & jam.

Between Hannah's recipes and her photography I am in blog heaven.

{craneberry orange shortbread}

{homemade spiced applecauce}

{cheddar corn muffins with jalapeno butter}

I highly recommend you hopping on over and visiting. You will not regret it!

{all pictures by Hannah of honey & jam}

Holiday Baking.

2009-12-30T21:22:00.000-08:00

I cannot believe December has come and gone! It really has flown by...especially on this little blog.

One of my most favorite traditions that my family does is a day filled with baking!

Chocolate covered pretzels, fudge, sugar cookies, chocolate kiss cookies,

white chocolate, pretzel & peppermint clusters,

& peanut brittle!

our little taste tester!!

yum!

i ♥ my family.

all of the treats turned out so tasty and made perfect gifts for family friends!

Celebrating the weekend with food!

2009-12-02T14:58:00.000-08:00

In my family, if it is raining and we were all home from school, we would have "rainy day schedule" which consisted of cartoon watching in the morning while bundled up on the couch with pillows and our comforters off of our beds, my mom would make us hot chocolate with our breakfast {which was always awesome...she was a gourmet cook}. grilled cheese with soup for lunch paired with our favorite movie or game. Then when it was night time she would have a cozy dinner all ready for when my dad would come home from work and we'd have family night after.
Rainy Day Schedule is by far one of my most favorite memories.

Enlight of this chilly season and the down pour of rain for us Southern California exhibitors, I thought it would be fun to kick things off {meaning December, the party month!!} with a
Rainy Day Schedule get together.

The night was filled with good food:

{all appetizer style}

macarooni & cheese

little hotdogs + rolls

sliders + sweet potato fries

tomato soup + mini grilled cheese squares

{and yes, everything was homemade by yours truly. so proud of myself :)}

tasty beverages:

hot Toddies {dangerous!}

hot chocolate with big marshmellows

wine

and amazing company:

Everyone came over, we sat by our big fireplace, ate a ton of food, laughed and played Partini!! Soooo fun.

{sorry the picture quality is so poor. it was dark in there!}

I love rainy day schedule!!

Birthday Cupcake

2009-11-12T12:53:00.000-08:00

Last weekend my family and I had lots of birthdays to celebrate -- my nephew {turning 1} and my little sister {turning 15}! So we have been busy!

For the little guy, Thomas', birthday I was put in charge of his own little cake that he got to dive into. So I had to make it special!

I decided on a cupcake! Look how it turned out:

Halloween Treats: Whoopie Pies

2009-10-30T11:10:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween! {almost}
These delightful little treats are so cute and will help celebrate this great and fun holiday! They remind me of Halloween macaroons, right?

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (spooned and leveled)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup packed light-brown sugar
1 large egg
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup confectioners' sugar
Orange nonpareils or sanding sugar, for decoration

The How To:

Preheat oven to 375. In a medium bowl, whisk flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat 1/2 cup butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg; beat until smooth. With mixer on low, alternately add flour mixture and applesauce, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Mix just until smooth (do not overmix).
Drop dough by heaping tablespoons, 2 inches apart, onto two baking sheets. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cookie comes out clean, 10 to 14 minutes. With a thin metal spatula, immediately transfer cookies to a wire rack; let cool completely.
Meanwhile, make filling: In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat vanilla and remaining 1/2 cup butter until light and fluffy. Gradually add confectioners sugar, beating until smooth.
Spread bottom of half the cookies with 1 tablespoon filling each; sandwich with remaining cookies, pressing gently so filling oozes out slightly. Sprinkle exposed filling with nonpareils. Let rest 15 minutes to set. (To store cookies, keep in an airtight container at room temperature, up to 2 days.)

**Hint: add applesauce to soften and moisten cookies!!

Childhood Treat: Caramel Apples

2009-10-29T08:49:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite things to do during October, and well shoot, the fall & holiday season, is to make caramel apples! For my dad's birthday I made customized caramel apples for each of the guests. They played as the place cards and the favors!

Toppings!

Voila! I thought they turned out pretty cute. And everyone raved about them :) Plus they were super tasty!

Whole Wheat Pancake Breakfast

2009-10-28T08:37:00.000-07:00

Boyfriend made me the best breakfast and it was 100% healthy. You cannot beat that! And the weird thing is that it was delicious. Some of the best pancakes I have ever had.

All of the healthy ingredients.

Skim milk, organic whole grain mix, honey, and sunflower oil.

Sweetened with cinnamon & vanilla!

My favorite :)

And topped with pure maple syrup!

Nothing's sweeter than an apple pie.

2009-10-27T09:46:00.000-07:00

For my dad's birthday my sister and I hosted a fall themed soiree. One of my dad's favorite desserts is pie. So I made pie! Apple pie and Pumpkin pie. I am the most proud of my apple pie! I mean look at the work I put into this thing!

{a legit apple corer and peeler.}

{you know these are pretty bomb just like this...all spiced up...but the pie must be made!}

{this would be my homemade crust! so proud}

{I was most excited about this part. I'm not too sure why!}

{all baked and ready to be eaten! }

And may I note that my brother-in-law {who is from Minnesota and has the world's best cook for a mom} said that my pie was in the top three that he as had...ever.

Score :)

Carrot Bread by The Southern Lady

2009-10-18T12:22:00.000-07:00

I'm collecting different recipes from other people & blogs! I am really excited about this because it gives all of us an opportunity to share and gain new ideas and tasty treats! If you'd like to share one, two, three, or however many great recipes that you love, please do!

email me at

apron.dialogues@gmail.com

Today's recipe is from the Southern Lady over at The Southern Blossoms and it is her tasty Carrot Bread.

{recipe & pictures found at The Southern Blossoms.}

-Ingredients-

-1 cup finely shredded carrots
-3 eggs
-1 tsp baking soda
-2 tsps cinnamon
-1 1/2 c brown sugar, firmly packed
-2 tsps baking powder
-1/2 tsp salt
-1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
-1 cup vegetable oil

- the how to -

Sift dry ingredients into a mixing bowl, while in a separate bowl, whisk together the oil, sugar & eggs. Stir the liquid mixture into the flour mixture and mix well. Add your shredded carrots ad fold in gently. Grease & flour one 9 x 5 inch load pan, pour in your mixture and bake at 350 degrees for about 40 minutes.

If you like your bread extra moist you can add a cup of applesauce to the recipe. Or even add chopped walnuts to add a little something to the texture and taste!

This is a great snack idea and kid friendly! Plus it's perfect for this fall season we are heading into if not yet already there! Thank you so much to the Southern Lady for sharing her recipe with us! I encourage you to check out her blog! I love it because it is so charming and I really enjoy reading about her and her darling family's lives in the South! It's very different than my life here in California!

Happy Sunday to you!

Weekend Treat!

2009-10-08T18:48:00.000-07:00

I mentioned on my other blog that I have enrolled myself into the nutrition coaching program at work; and I love it. It's completely different than anything I have ever done.

6 meals a day
no empty carbs after 4pm
never allow myself to be hungry
learn how to read labels
drink a gallon of water a day
prepare my meals a full week ahead of time
keep a food log
don't focus on the number on the scale but how I fit into my clothes
educate myself on what I'm putting into my body as of this week and wince at what I have been putting in my body prior

The list goes on and on.

So in light of this current change in my life and my work at work {examples here, here, here, and here} I have been doing research on extremely helthy yet very tasty recipes. One that I found, really like, and cannot wait to try! Plus it's perfect for a Friday/Saturday treat! {Because of course I'm allowed dessert! This isn't a diet that I'm doing!}

- Nectarine and Raspberry Sundaes -

Serves 6

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Nutrition: (1 sundae): 240 calories, 1 g fat (3% of calories), 0 g saturated fat, 54 g carbs, 6 g protein, 6 g fiber, 154 mg calcium, 1 mg iron, 74 mg sodium

{Ingredients}

3 cups fresh raspberries, divided

1/3 cup confectionersâ€™ sugar

4 ripe nectarines, pitted and cubed

1 quart nonfat all-natural

vanilla frozen yogurt

{Directions}

Blend 2 cups raspberries and confectioners' sugar in a food processor until smooth.

Strain the sauce through a fine mesh sieve into a small bowl, pressing on the solids with a rubber spatula. Discard the solids; set sauce aside.

Layer nectarines, frozen yogurt, and raspberry sauce in 6 glasses.

Garnish with the remaining raspberries and serve immediately.

Oh man I cannot wait to try this!! I have a ton of other recipes in store to share with those that are looking for healthy alternatives to some of our favorite dishes. Such as fajitas, enchiladas, kabobs, curry, and more! Let me know if this something some of you are interested in reading!

{picture and recipe found here.}

Sunday Fiesta Day

2009-09-24T19:35:00.000-07:00

So, this guy I'm dating, I kind of really like him. In fact, I love him. It's going on two years come November. And one of my favorite things to this day about him is he loves to cook. [p.s. he's the motivation behind me for making this blog] And he cooks like a guy.

I do the girly things -- cupcakes, intricate dinners, brunches, birthday cakes. He does the guy thing -- steaks, sandwiches, pancakes, eggs, hearty meals. So you can imagine how tasty his Tacos are. He has turned Sunday Funday into Sunday Fiesta Day.

Some pictures from our latest Sunday Fiesta Day

Lopez Market -- little mexican market that boyfriend buys everything at! Authentic and amazing. My mouth is watering just thinking about it.

He wasn't ready for this picture. Too busy deciding what we needed haha

checking out all the fun stuff they had! look at how small the aisles are!

these were turned into the best guacamole. ever.

tasty and beautiful!

a side that complimented things very nicely :)

I enjoy our new Sunday festivities

Definitely looking forward to this weekend. We've already planned out our Fiesta Sunday!!
Happy Thursday, everyone!

Dinner Party: Healthful Pizza

2009-09-21T18:21:00.000-07:00

Is there such thing as healthy pizza? Well I had a pretty healthy version of this known junk food and let me tell you...de.li.cious.

My darling friend Jenn was in town and obviously there was no reason not to have a girls and what better way to enjoy the evening than with chatting, homemade pizza and wine? The pizza was called "Jenn's NYC Pizza," do to the fact that she had first created it when she lived her fabulous and glamorous life in NYC {which she will be returning to in a mere short month}. And I am here to share this tasty, brilliant, quick & tasty {anything is brilliant since I am not a chef, hence the blog} recipe with you!

{Pizza}
ingredients
1 package uncooked wheat dough {can be found at trader joe's or you can make it from scratch}
1 jar of Vodka Sauce
Mozzarella cheese {in a log or ball, preferably not shredded}
fresh basil

how to:
roll out dough
spread sauce out {as little or as much as you prefer}
slice mozzarella and lay on top
sprinkle basil on top {i like to not eat leaves of basil at a time because i prefer to have little pieces of each flavoring in each bite so we chopped it up.}.
Following cooking instructions on dough {something like 8-10 minutes at 400 degrees}.
and voila...done!

Accompanied by thie finest $8 wine and you have yourself a suffient meal to gossip and laugh over.

Oh yes and all these pictures were taken with Jenn's camera!

A few things everyone should know

2009-08-24T15:20:00.000-07:00

Since I'm on the mission to learn how to cook I figured there were certain things everyone should know how to do, especially me. Thought I'd share!

Knowing when pasta noodles are cooked.
I struggled with this. Until I read this article!
[image]

How to Roast a Chicken.
Knowing how to roast a chicken is a necessity in the United States {unless you're a vegetarian or vegan of course haha}. Read about this story. I think it's so cute!
[image]

Know how to make coffee.
Yes, yes, I don't know how to make coffee! Sad, I know. But I've never had to! Someone has always made it for me [family, boyfriend, starbucks, coffee bean]. Now I do :)
[image]

Tips for the best Chocolate Chip cookies.
Apparently this is a science...and I had no idea!
[image]

How to hard boil an egg.
This is a tricky task yet important and useful to know!
[image]

How to cook [and for some, eat] an artichoke.
I looked up this website and thought it was very helpful! Plus the pictures are great.

i love artichokes. they are my fave for dinner!

Ohhh ya ya it's Saturday!

2009-08-22T16:48:00.000-07:00

It's Saturday, & I'm doing typical Saturday things -- some cleaning! Not your typical "clean the house" type, but life cleaning [some removing & rearranging of things], cell phone cleaning, & blog cleaning! As you can see I've been rearranging on The Apron Dialogues. For now, I like this layout better. I will most likely change it completely in a month or so...I believe blogs are a constant work in progress, you know? You tweak, move & change it until it's just right.

My darling childhood friend is in town for the weekend & we're having a girls weekend with some of my other girlfriends! Tonight we're headed to here & here. Right now we're watching Sex and the City. In a little bit we'll be making dinner & then getting ready for our evening out with a bunch of other friends. Hopefully brunch tomorrow. Yay!

What are you doing today and for the rest of your weekend?? How's the layout? Too sporadic? Just right? Missing anything? Help!

[image]

Using a pastry bag!

2009-08-21T17:28:00.000-07:00

Last night was my little sister, Tracy's, surprise birthday party. My contribution was cupcakes! The first time I made them they were a hit. So much that she had requested them right when she tasted one [this was like 2 months ago]. I thought I had blogged about them before but, I'm either going crazy, or I just never did haha. Anyways, here is my adventure with the birthday cupcakes :)

They are so simple and so good! I just bought regular Pillsbury yellow cake, followed the directions and added about 1 cup of chocolate chips! SO good!

And then I didn't have time to make homemade french vanilla frosting like I did before, so I took the store bought kind and used a pastry bag instead.

I did half Vanilla...

...and half Chocolate.
[i'm sorry but, does the frosting look like poop?!! i feel like it does.]

mmm!

Crumbs Bake Shop

2009-08-19T16:25:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I went to the Americana in Glendale. You can read a little summary about my day here but one of the best parts of my day was my visit to the Crumbs Bake Shop. Probably the best cupcake I have ever had, aside from homemade [nothing beats a homemade cupcake].

yep, those would be vanilla sprinkles and white chocolate drizzled on top

It was called Fluffernutter. There were mini marshmallows in the middle...not melted. Amazing! You can see all the flavors here. They are humongus so we all shared two between the 3 of us. After a few bites though, you get full!

cute little bag it came in

If you can, find one near you and go! Everyone should experience this place. Especially the cupcake lovers...because I know you're out there :)

Happy Weekend + Time to kick it into high gear!

2009-08-14T10:22:00.000-07:00

So much has been going on lately that cooking & baking has sadly been put on the back burner. But today & this weekend that will not be the case!

- Plan of attack -

Friday: my little sisters and I are making breakfast together. Eggs, popovers, fruit & jams, coffee, & tea! MMMM!

Saturday: Boyfriend's first soccer game of the season is at 5:00pm. Perfect excuse for a homemade picnic spread. Plus, I can make him something he can devour post game. My sister Lindsey, likes this idea and has offered to help! What are your favorite picnic dishes? I could use some ideas!

Sunday: I'm making a family dinner for everyone! Any suggestions? I was thinking a round two for homemade soul food. Can't get enough of that fried chicken!!

Can't wait to try these out! I'll definitely be updating throughout the weekend!

"Thank You For Being You" cookies

2009-08-10T16:14:00.000-07:00

Last Friday I made oatmeal m&m cookies.

They were packaged and used to say Thank You to people for various things.

They were a hit!

Something I really liked about this recipe was instead of stirring in the oatmeal with the m&m's it had me combined it in with the flower & mix it in with the rest of the batter. The texture, instead of being chunky, was a little more creamier yet still had the oatmeal texture. Kinda different!

The m&m's gave them a ton of color. They turned out pretty cute!

I worked with what I had, which wasn't much. Parchment paper & yellow ribbon.

To Bake List

2009-08-04T13:34:00.000-07:00

Just a few things I'd like to accomplish eventually. Of course this list is never ending, this is just what I could think of so far.

a pie, with homemade crust and everything.

danishes

pretty macaroons

french bread

red sangria

jam

gnocchi

pound cake

monster cookies {family recipe}

a wedding cake or cupcakes

Any suggestions??

{image via}

The Most Appropriate Graduation Present

2009-08-03T13:37:00.000-07:00

My sweet sisters decided to get me an apron and an oven mitt to help kick off my new adventures in cooking {how appropriate, no?}.

Aren't they the sweetest?

I'm absolutely in love with my present.

Who wouldn't be?

Happy Thursday

2009-07-30T14:06:00.000-07:00

As mentioned here, I'm buzzing around trying to get things done for my graduation party today, without being stressed, and have been for the past 3 days {better late than never, riiiiight??}.

No new recipes or adventures to share as of right now, but I'll have a full update update come Monday!

Off to go pick up a few last minute things. On the list: my cake, flowers, forks, & soft sweet mints!

Have a splendid Thursday and happy early weekend!

{image found at mary ruffle}

My Adventures with doughnuts.

2009-07-28T09:31:00.000-07:00

My little sister Tracy LOVES doughnuts. She has been known to eat 10 all by herself. And yet she has a rockin' bod. I just don't understand. Anyways, in honor of her I made doughnuts one morning. They're pretty simple and I altered the recipe a bit.

I was looking for a no-yeast recipe just because I didn't want to have to wait 1-2 hours for the dough to rise. But I also wanted to do baked doughnuts {which involves yeast} versus fried just because it's healthier {although what's a healthy doughnut, ya know?} so I had to change the recipe to fit my liking and they turned out SO good.

ingredients

1 c. milk

1 c. sugar

2 1/2 tbsp butter

1 1/2 tsp salt

3 eggs, beaten

4 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

~~Powdered sugar~~ {i used cinnamon & sugar}

3 1/2 c. sifted flour

~~Oil for deep frying~~ {i baked mine}

how to

in a bowl combine sugar & butter. add eggs & blend. add milk. in another bowl combine flour, baking powder, salt & cinnamon. add liquid mixture to flour mixture gradually, beating vigorously. {the dough was too runny so i skipped the entire last part of the original recipe}.

spoon batter into greased doughnut pans. bake at 390 degrees for 10-15 minu

tes or until golden. roll in cinnamon and sugar mixture.

The first try:

i filled the pans too high! they came out as duffins! Half doughnuts, half muffins! and i got the batter everywhere haha. it was quite a sight.

The second try:

much better :)

nice, clean, & golden.

Tracy really liked them and they weren't too heavy or cakey! Plus I made them mini so it was easy to pop in your mouth.

i also found this recipe which seems like a good one. i'll have to try that next time.

A New Week

2009-07-27T17:30:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it is Monday! This weekend flew by {you can read a full recap here} with Tracy's bridal shower and the festivities along with that! So many tasty foods and lovely company! Her sisters Julie and Kelly did an amazing job with the theme and every little detail.

Some eye catching foods & treats:

Her wedding shoes on delicious carrot cake with cream cheese frosting. Read the sweet story here.

Shoe cookies as favors. Tracy's was appropriately blue!

{these were the good sugar cookies. you know the ones that are thick with to-die-for frosting? yum}

What foods was your weekend filled with??

Happy Weekend!

2009-07-24T09:03:00.000-07:00

It's Friday! I'm taking off for the weekend to head up to Northern California for one of my best friend's wedding shower with another one of my best friends! I'm so excited! I haven't seen these girls in far, far too long and it is going to be so nice spending some good quality girl time with them. I'm sure there is going to be some awesome food so I will hopefully be able to snap some good shots and even snag some recipes to share come Monday!

Hope you all have a lovely weekend with great people + even better food!

{image found, originally here}

Better Than Olive Garden Alfredo

2009-07-22T10:27:00.000-07:00

My little sister, Lindsey, or LuLu, is at cheer camp this week and the night before her departure I wanted to make one of her favorite diners {since she will be having to eat cafeteria food all week, yuck}. So, I researched a tasty alfredo recipe and got to work! It's called Better Than Olive Garden Alfredo, I'm not a huge, huge fan of Olive Garden's recipe {plus it gives me stomach aches}, so anything is better than that one. This one is so good. It was so simple and yummy that I really recommend it to everyone. I added some chicken in there too, which made it just right.

I was in a hurry to get everything prepared, cooked, and then cleaned that I didn't get a chance to take pictures -- only of the table!! So sorry!

- Better Than Olive Garden Alfredo -

ingredients

1/2 cup sweet butter
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 cup gated parmesan cheese
3/4 cup mozzarella cheese
1 {12 ounce} box of angel hair pasta {I always find this part the most fun because I never use the recommended pastas. It's more fun to pick out a fun different noodle. I think it spices things up a bit haha}

the how to

melt butter in medium saucepan over medium/low heat.
add the garlic, cream, white pepper and bring mixture to a simmer.
stir often.
add the parmesan cheese and simmer sauce for 8-10 minutes or until sauce has thickened and is smooth.
when sauce has thickened add the mozzarella cheese and stir until smooth. stir frequently.
while the sauce cooks, boil the pasta for 3-5 minutes {I boiled the noodles before I started the sauce and it was just fine}
place pasta on serving plates and spoon sauce over pasta {I actually mixed the noodles, the sauce, and chicken together, but that's because I prefer to have everything mixed in all together.}

I love italian food. I love italian food with a large group of people! It's just really comforting and homey :) Try this recipe!

When life gives you heat, make lemonade.

2009-07-21T15:43:00.000-07:00

It's been scorching outside. This past weekend it was 109 degrees out..what the heck, this isn't vegas! I couldn't think of anything better than a nice cup of lemonade! Mmmmm. Of course it's instant because it was way too hot to trek to the market so, forgive me, it was anything but handmade/gourmet. But, I made it, so I had to put it up here -- part of the project :)

I encourage you to go and make yourself a refreshing drink before you are threatened to melt away like I am. Everyday. Cheers!

Magnolia Bakery Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

2009-07-21T07:57:00.000-07:00

I was reading all about Magnolia Bakery the other day I came across their Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip cookies on Smitten Kitchen.

They were super easy to make. I mean I made them without any problems...so that's saying a lot.

The recipe calls for chocolate chips & peanutbutter chips, but I had just ran out, so I just did extra chocolate chips & it was fine. I'm sure it would have been richer if I had used the two different kinds.

little darlings all lined up in a row

The unique thing about these cookies is that they are crunchy on the outside yet soft on the inside. I've never had a cookie like that but I like it!

Vuala!!

what are your favorite cookies??

Hello + Happy Monday!

2009-07-20T09:06:00.000-07:00

I hope you all had a lovely weekend filled with great food and company...because mine was! This weekend was a great opportunity to practice and stretch these wings that want to know how to cook so badly!

Friday Dinner Party: My littlest sister had a couple of her little friends over for dinner and then a Bible study the next morning.

-The table -

I love using mason jars as vases.

...

-Dinner -

A cheesy marinara pasta, homemade caesar salad + croutons.

...

Saturday Brunch: Daniel and I made a brunch for my sisters before Lindsey's Bible study. Of course I had to go all out because brunch is my favorite meal :)

handmade popovers, strawberries and cream, eggs, bacon and sausage. So so sooo good. I really do love food... eating and enjoying every bite is a lifestyle haha.

I seriously was SO surprised at how easy it was to make everything. I usually get really nervous right before I make something {I don't do well with error and get really stressed}, but this time I breezed through everything. I recommend it all!!

What were some of your favorite weekend eats?? Do share!

I love any excuse for entertaining.

2009-07-17T12:22:00.000-07:00

As I've said before over at Just a Girl in a City, I love to entertain for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. You name it and I'll do it! This weekend my youngest sister, Lindsey, age 14, is having a group of girls over for dinner & a sleep over. She asked me to be in charge of their "grown up dinner" and I couldn't be more thrilled! Currently putting together the menu!

Some things I'm considering:

2 different types of pastas: one and two

caesar salad

garlic bread

cupcakes

And then for brunch tomorrow i was thinking:

popovers with assorted spreads {jams, honey, powder sugar and butter}

fruits w/a cream spread

I can't think of a better way than to practice on my cooking skills and to add to my recipes!

{mary}

First things first.

2009-07-17T10:41:00.000-07:00

First order of business: an apron. Every cook needs their own schnazzy apron. Of course I would look to what I need to wear in order to cook to the best of my ability :) I found a bunch of darling aprons at Anthropology. These three were part of my top choices. A little pricey but you've got to look good while cooking, riiiight?? Check more out here.

The Beginning

2009-07-16T18:06:00.000-07:00

I've given myself a project: become a cook. I've said time and time again on Just a Girl in a City how that I've wanted to learn to cook and so I decided to make it fun and incorporate a blog -- The Apron Dialogues. Anything and everything I cook, consider, drool over, etc., will go here. The successes, the failures, funny stories, new recipes, and anything else to do with cooking! So cheers to improving, growing, and discovering new things. xoxo

{flickr}

Apron Mail

2009-01-10T12:14:00.000-08:00

welcomed:

guest recipes

suggestions

a other note saying hello

or any other inquires

apron.dialogues@gmail.com