Ding, Dong, The Bells Are Going to Chime!

I’m old as dirt. Well, I feel old as dirt. Our eldest daughter got engaged today. It was unofficial for quite a while and we all knew it was just a matter of Daniel figuring out some great way (and it was!) to actually “ask” her, but now it’s official and we have two kids getting married this year. Our youngest son, Evan, is marrying Kimber this June. Sarah and Daniel haven’t decided on a date yet, but it will definitely be this year.

So even though I’m old as dirt, I’m happy as hell. My future daughter-in-law and son-in-law are both wonderful and they make our kids very, very, very happy. Which is all we ever wanted – happiness for our children. I don’t feel the slightest sense of loss, like some parents do....I never understood that. I mean, you finally get them independent and out of the house, (can I hear a hallelujah???) and then they meet someone who loves them for who they are, and makes their life joyful and complete. They’re young, full of plans and dreams, and to see your kids that happy is just about the most amazing thing ever. What’s to cry about? Well, maybe the fact that I’m old as dirt. That, and I have to wear a dress. Two times. There better be good cake. And, no, I’m not doing it. Get your own baker, kids!!!

I really am digging this look for the wedding...what do you think? Especially the hat. I'd look like a mother-in-law IN CHARGE!

So, after a busy weekend, and the buzz of an engagement, I took a look in the freezer (I DO NOT shop on Sunday afternoon…that’s amateur day at the supermarket, and I get very freaked out at watching people wearing slippers load their carts with Kool-Aid and Lean Cuisine while screaming at their kids) and found a pound of shrimp. I remembered a recipe that’s been pinned up on my bulletin board for almost a year, one I found in Gourmet last summer – the June issue. Whenever I thought to prepare it, there wasn’t ever any shrimp around. With the shrimp out of the freezer and everything else on hand, I made this. It was really very delicious. The recipe calls for fresh corn, right off the husk, but we’re not in that wonderful corny season yet, and canned corn worked just as well.

Crispy Chipotle Shrimp with Corn and Scallions




1/3 cup mayonnaise
2 teaspoons finely chopped chipotle chiles in adobo PLUS 1 teaspoon of the sauce
¾ teaspoon salt
4 cups corn (if using canned corn, drain well)
1/3 cup water
4 scallions, sliced thin (well, dang it, I didn’t have the scallions! So I used some very thinly sliced thin asparagus, which I have lots of!)
3 small tomatoes, thinly sliced (my idea, not in the original recipe)
1 lb. peeled and deveined large shrimp (about 21-25)
1 – 1 ½ cups panko (Japanese bread crumbs)

Cilantro leaves and sour cream for garnish

1. Put oven rack in middle position and preheat to 475 degrees.
2. Stir together the mayonnaise, chipotle chiles, chipotle sauce, and salt in a bowl.
3. Pulse 1 ½ cups of corn in a food processor with the water and 2 tablespoons of the chipotle mayonnaise until coarsely pureed. Transfer mixture to shallow 2 qt. gratin baking dish (I used a glass 9” pie dish). Stir in remaining corn and scallions. Arrange tomato slices on top.
4. Toss shrimp with remaining mayonnaise to coat.
5. Put panko into another bowl, and add shrimp in small batches, tossing to coat evenly and shaking off excess. Arrange shrimp on top of corn and tomatoes, in one layer.
6. Roast in preheated oven for about 20 minutes or until shrimp are just cooked through and panko is golden brown.

Serves 4 (well, tonight it served two – that’s right, it’s just us, no kids….they’re too busy getting engaged, having fun, making plans, and doing stuff without their parents! Wait…do I feel a good cry coming on???)

Love Fest

I have something like 802 nieces. They are all lovely girls. Diverse, beautiful, talented and spirited - a bevy of bodacious babes. One of my very favorite nieces, Renee, just got married Saturday. Cousin Bubba TORE UP the dance floor.





When Renee and Dave were planning their wedding, I barged right in and “we” (meaning me – the big mouthed, bossy Aunt) came up with the idea of a “dessert table” – rather than one big,(expensive!) wedding cake. And because they were keeping an eye on their budget and because this family includes some great bakers, I "suggested" (insisted) they have a “potluck” table of desserts. Each family member or friend would bring their favorite or best dessert, enough to serve 12-24 (depending on dessert) people. I "offered" (took over) to coordinate this effort – which, at times, was like trying to herd cats. But everyone was enthusiastic and jumped right in, creating some very wonderful and memorable desserts. I made cards to be displayed in front of each dessert, naming the sweet treat and who contributed it. It was a great success – everyone loved the idea and the guests got to sample many different desserts. Renee and Dave also had a small, beautiful “personal” wedding cake and matching cupcakes made by one of their supremely talented friends that were the centerpiece of the table. The dessert table had such a warm, personal, and fun feeling. I’d definitely do this again.






The suggestion I made to family and friends was to try to keep their desserts easy to handle in a buffet line – no pies, messy cakes, etc. Brownies, cupcakes, cookies, bars, fudges, fruits, anything that could be easily picked up and carried away worked best.











Family and friends brought their desserts right to the reception, and we displayed them on the table, which was already decorated with the cards, candles, flowers and platters. So many people commented on how much they loved the idea and that they were going to “steal” the idea! Knock yourselves out – this isn’t rocket science or patented! Just figure out the number of guests, calculate about 2-3 pieces of dessert for each guest, and send out mass email to friends and family laying it out. Have them RSVP what they are bringing, how many it will serve, and then have fun figuring out weddingish names…”Nana’s Perfect Love Pizzelles”, etc.


Here’s a recipe for some very awesome soft gingersnaps with a buttercream frosting that I made…so easy to make and they went fast! I didn’t even get a picture of them at the wedding…but you can imagine pretty much what gingersnaps look like, with a creamy frosting, can’t you??? There IS a picture of some Barbie cupcakes, made just for the tiny flower girls, which, naturally threw them into a tizzy as they tried to pick out their own personal favorite. Flower girl fight!!!




“Going to the Chapel of Love” Frosted Gingersnaps

2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground cloves
¼ teaspoon salt
¾ cup unsalted butter, softened to room temp
1 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 tablespoon orange juice
¼ cup dark molasses
Sugar to roll the dough balls in (about ½ cup)

1. Sift together (for me that means tossing with a fork!), the flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and salt in a medium sized bowl. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, beat the butter and 1 cup sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg. Stir in the orange juice and molasses. Gradually stir in the flour mixture. Refrigerate dough for about 30 minutes.
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
4. Shape dough into slightly larger than a walnut size balls. Place the “rolling” sugar on a plate and roll the dough in the sugar. Place on ungreased (I definitely would use parchment paper) baking sheet, about 2 inches apart. Press down dough balls with the back of spoon, flattening slightly.
5. Bake for 8-10 minutes (slightly browned and cracked). Cool on baking sheets for about 5 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely before frosting. Store in airtight container.

Buttercream Frosting
1 box confectioners’ sugar
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
¼ cup whipping cream
¼ teaspoon cinnamon (optional)

Beat all ingredients together in bowl until light and fluffy.