A Little French Flare

          I love when my birthday comes around, gives me a reason to throw an awesome birthday party.  I always try to theme it out!  I know I already had a FANG-tastic True Blood Birthday Dinner Party, but I wanted to host another one with my friend who also had a birthday.  So....with our love of French food and Julia Child, I planned a dinner party with a little French flare.

Here's the pretty and simple table setting I created...

We listened to the Julie & Julia Soundtrack as we mingled, waiting for all the guests to arrive.

I made sure to have pretty pink and purple flowers, the favorites of the birthday girl.

I had to sneak the movie in there somewhere.

Each setting had a printed menu of the night's courses along with a little 

bottle of Paris Amour from Bath & Body Works that I tied a name card to.

Here's my Mastering the Art of French Cooking cookbook by Julia Child .....

looks a little used don't you think?

It was fun dressing up for the occasion.  I rarely get to dress up, 

so it was nice to put on a pretty dress and some heels.

I even did my nails, sporting some cute floral Reminisce Jamberry Nail Wraps!

Here's my fabulous wedges I got a Target!

We started with some French Onion Tarts & Korbel Brut Champagne 

(Sparkling Apple Cider for the preggo)

First course we enjoyed a Sweet Spinach Salad & Dreaming Tree Crush Wine

(Sparkling Apple Cider for the preggo)

Onto course three, the main course....Boeuf Bourguignon 

and some French Bread with Garlic Herb Butter 

& Cupcake Vineyards Merlot Wine

(Sparkling Pomegranate Cider for the preggo)

One of my favorite courses...the Fromage Course!

We had some Port Salut, Chèvre, and Camembert (all pasteurized for the preggo), 

 a French baguette, and some lingonberry jam

& Apothic White Wine

(Sparkling Pear Cider for the preggo)

Every good meal has to end with some Sweet Treats...

We devoured some Vanilla Madeleines, Custard Cream Horns, 

Pumpkin-Cinnamon Spice Macarons, and Blackberry Apple Macarons

You know it was a good dinner party when the glasses are empty and the plates are clean!

I love hosting parties...but the clean up, eh.

So, I decided to leave it for the morning.

Instead, I poured another glass of wine, snuck two more madeleines,

 and popped in Julie & Julia Blu Ray to end the night.

It was another smashing good party!  So happy I got to celebrate my birthday, again, with some great friends, enjoy some yummy food and tasty wine, and make some new memories.  

Bonne nuit,

A Beautiful Bowl of Boeuf Bourguignon

Recipes from Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking

What you need:
6 oz chunk of bacon (save rind for later) 9 to 10 inch fireproof casserole 3 inches deep (I used my enamel coated Dutch Oven) 1 TBsp olive oil 3 lbs lean stewing beef (cut in 2 inch cubes) 1 carrot (sliced) 1 onion (sliced) 1 tsp salt 1/4 tsp pepper 2 TBsp all purpose flour 3 cups full-bodied red wine (Chianti) 2 to 3 cups brown beef stock 1 TBsp tomato paste 2 cloves garlic 1/2 tsp fresh thyme 1 fresh bay leaf (crumbled) 18 to 24 small white pearl onions (brown-braised in stock, recipe below) 1 lb fresh mushrooms (quartered sautéed in butter, recipe below) Parsley springs Egg Noodles (prepared according to package)
How to make it:
Boeuf Bourguignon 
Remove rind and cut bacon into 1/4 inch thick and 1 1/2 inch long lardons. Simmer rind and bacon for 10 minutes in 1 1/2 quarts of water. Drain and pat dry, set aside. Preheat oven to 400˚F. Saute the bacon in the oil in the casserole dish over moderate heat for 2 to 3 minutes to brown lightly. Remove to a side dish with a slotted spoon. Set casserole aside. Reheat until fat is almost smoking before you sauté the beef. Dry the beef in paper towels; it will not brown if it is damp. Sauté it, a few pieces at a time, in the hot oil and bacon fat until nicely browned on all sides. Add it to the bacon, set aside. In the same fat, brown the sliced vegetables. Pour out the sautéing fat. Return the beef and bacon to the casserole and toss with the salt and pepper. Then sprinkle on the flour and toss again to coat the beef lightly with the flour. Set casserole uncovered in middle position of preheated oven for 4 minutes. Toss the meat and return to the over for 4 minutes more, (this browns the flour and covers the meat with a light crust). Remove casserole, and tuen oven down to 325˚F. Stir in the wine and enough stock so that the meat is barely covered. Add the tomato paste, garlic, herbs, and bacon rind. Bring to a simmer on top of the stove. Then cover the casserole and set in the lower third of the preheated oven. Regulate the heat so the liquid simmers very slowly for 3 to 4 hours, (the meat is done when a fork pierces it easily). While the beef is cooking, prepare the onions and mushrooms, set aside until needed. When the meat is tender, pour the contents of the contents of the casserole into a sieve set over a saucepan. Wash out the casserole and return the beef and bacon to it. Distribute the cooked onions and mushrooms over the meat. Skim the fat off the sauce. Simmer sauce for a minute or two, skimming off the additional fat as it rises, (should have about 2 1/2 cups of sauce think enough to coat a spoon lightly, if too thin boil it down rapidly.  If too thick, mix in a few tablespoons of stock. Taste carefully for seasoning. Pour the sauce over the meat and vegetables. Serve over prepared egg noodles, garnish with parsley then ENJOY!
* For immediate serving: Cover the casserole and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes, bastion gthe meat and vegetables with the sauce several times.  Serve in its casserole or spoon over some egg noodles.  Garnish with parsley sprigs.
** For later serving: When cold, cover and refrigerate.  About 15 to 20 minutes before serving, bring to a simmer, cover and simmer very slowly for 10 minutes, occasionally basting the meat and vegetables with the sauce.  Serve over egg noodles and garnish with parsley sprigs.
Onions -
What you need:
18 to 24 pearl onions 1 1/2 TBsp unsalted butter 1 1/2 Tbsp oil 9 to 10 inch enameled skillet 1/2 cup of brown stock, dry white wine, red wine, or water (I used red wine) Salt and Pepper to taste A medium herb bouquet: 4 parsley sprigs, 1/2 bay leaf, and 1/4 tsp thyme tied in cheesecloth
How to make it:
When the butter and oil are bubbling in the skillet, add the onions and sauté over moderate heat for about 10 minutes, rolling the onions about so they will brown evenly as possible. Be careful not to break their skins. Pour in the liquid, season to taste, and add the herb bouquet. Cover and simmer slowly for 40 to 50 minutes until the onions are perfectly tender but retain their shape and liquid has evaporated. Remove herbs, set aside till recipe calls for them.
Mushrooms -
What you need:
a 10 inch enameled skillet 2 TBsp unsalted butter 1 Tbsp oil 1/2 lb fresh mushrooms (washed, well dried, quartered) 1 to 2 TBsp shallots (minced) Salt and Pepper
How to make them:
Place the skillet over high heat with the butter and oil. As soon as you see that the butter foam has begun to subside, indicating it is hot enough, add the mushrooms. Toss and shake the pan for 4 to 5 minutes. During their sauté the mushrooms will at first absorb the fat. In 2 to 3 minutes the fat will begin to brown. As soon as they have browned lightly, remove from heat. Toss the shallots with the mushrooms. Saute over moderate heat for 2 minutes. Set aside to add to recipe.
* Mushrooms may be cooked in advance, set aside, then reheated when needed.  Season to taste just before serving.

My Birthday Weekend

     The first weekend of September just so happened to be my birthday weekend and guess who drove out to surprise me??  My parents!  They arrived on Friday and left on Monday.  It was so nice having them around, it's been awhile since we've seen them.  Plus, they got to see the new house for the first time too.  It was a pretty relaxed weekend.
     They got in Friday evening, the hubby had to work that night, so we headed to my dad's favorite restaurant, Golden Corral, for dinner.  Then came back to the house to hang out before we all headed to bed.
     Saturday, September 1st, was my actual birthday!  A young 32 and counting!  I opened my presents, a iHome dock for my phone, gift cards, Dutch oven, and dress...then had some breakfast.  Mom, Liam, and I went shopping to Target and Albertsons in the morning while the hubby slept (he had a late night shift) and dad was content "watching" football.

     We found some of things off my baby list, diapers, wipes, hospital robe, nursing cami's, diaper cream, newborn onesies, and much more!  I had a great time shopping with my mom again.  Liam even got some new Ninjago Lego guys, which he was thrilled about.  After our shopping spree at Target we headed over to Albertson's for a few groceries for Sunday night's special dinner, then drove back home.  Liam got a nap and the rest of us watched some more football.  Later that night we headed to The Cattle Barron for dinner to celebrate my birthday.  It was the first time the hubby and I have been and it was delish! I got a salad, filet mignon, loaded baked potato, and fried ice cream for my special birthday dessert.  It was so good, we were all stuffed when we left.

     Sunday, Setpember 2nd, mom and I got up early to start the prep work for making dinner and dessert for that night.  We planned on going to the Hatch Chile Festival during the day, so coming home to an already prepared meal sounded great to us.  One of the gifts I got from the hubby was a real Dutch Oven! I have wanted one for awhile and was so excited to try it out on Julia Child's famous Boeuf Bourguignon from her Mastering the Art of French Cooking cookbook.  While I worked on the stew mom was busy making my Triple-Layer Lemon Cake.  Once the cake was baked, frosting and curd made, and stew in the oven to bake for 2-3 hours, we all got dressed and headed to Hatch, New Mexico to check out the festival.

     There were chile peppers EVERYWHERE and it was HOT!! We parked and walked around till we could bare it no longer.  We stopped at food truck and ordered some lunch.  Afterward, mom picked out some chiles and we called it a day.  We drove back home and was greeted but the lovely smell of the stew in the oven.  We put Liam down for a nap while mom and I finished up the cake and the stew. That night enjoyed one of the best dishes I have made in a long time...then we had cake! Liam even helped me blow out all the candles.  It was another great day!

Papaw & Liam

     September 2nd is also the day the hubby and I seven years ago went down to the Colorado Springs Justice of the Peace and got married in front of a judge and my parents.  We did the whole JP thing first, then planned our BIG wedding at the church for the following year, May 2006.

     Monday, was a sad day.  Mom and dad left to go back home to Texas.  It was definitely a nice visit, and I know they will be back so for the birth of Kinley.  Mom plans on flying out on Sept. 20th, which is right around the corner and dad and my sister will be driving into town (only 8 hours, the way he drives) after she's born.  So much to look forward to, we are all excited!  I had an awesome birthday
weekend!!

     On a side note, I also received these beautiful flowers for my birthday from my awesome Bestie Kristi!!

Dinner with the Yetters

     On our last night at Vandenberg, our wonderful friends, the Yetters, invited us over for dinner.  I was soooo excited when Kristi told me she was making Julia Child's Boeuf Bourguignon from Mastering the Art of French Cooking.  We have been wanting to make this signature dish together for a long time, but we never got around to it.  Now that I was leaving, it seemed like the perfect goodbye dinner for us to enjoy.  It was simply A-MAZ-ING! So worth the wait!

Then I helped her make home made Crepes with apples for dessert!

We are definitely going to miss our friends and they truly made our last night on base a memorable one.  As a goodbye gift, Kristi painted this beautiful picture for me.  I feel so special and honored to own a one of kind Kristi, The Tipsi Artist,  painting.  

It was the very first picture I hung up in our new home in New Mexico.  I wind up hanging it up in baby Kinley's room.  I love looking at it and remembering all the fun times Kristi and I have shared.