Saturday, February 20, 2010

Cooking, Baking, Party Making

Are you enjoying your weekend so far? I definitely am! Last night was pretty low key. I had to teach Body Attack and then we hung in. I also got a little baking done (felt like it had been forever since I last baked). I made up some granola for my dad:
And some Pumpkin Walnut bread for my Mom (its her birthday tomorrow- HAPPY BIRTHDAY MAMA!!).
This morning, I taught Body Step, went food shopping, ran errands, and then got ready for a little "party" we had tonight. We had sooooooo much beer leftover from Josh's birthday last weekend that we decided to have a second get together this weekend in an attempt to make some room in the fridge. On the menu...a lot of the usual suspects, Broccoli Hut's Artichoke Hummus:

The hummus and some un-pictured salsa was served with veggies and tortilla chips and pretzels:

I also put out a platter of homemade Mint Chocolate Chip cookies and chocolate pieces:

I also put out my cool whip dip (1 container cool whip (or tru whip) mixed with 1 fruity yogurt) and tons of un-pictured fruit:


I baked up some Stromboli with cheese and turkey pepperoni and served them cut in slices with marinara (roll out pizza dough, top with whatever you want, roll back up creating a spiral, brush with olive oil and sprinkle on desired spices, bake at 425 for 20-25 minutes until nice and golden brown):
And lastly, our friend Bryan made up some sausage balls that are always a big hit with the meat eaters ;). Let me know if you're interested in the recipe and I can ask him for it!



We all hung out and watched Couples Resort. Now, its time for some more relaxing and then bed :) Tomorrow, I'm headed up to my parents to celebrate my Mom's birthday with a nice brunch. What are you up to? Whats your favorite healthier party food?

60 comments:

Julie said...

FIRST COMMENTER!!!!!!! hahahaha

Julie said...

yes okay i just wanted to get that out there before someone else commented and i didnt get to be the first. i guess i'm pretty competitive...

my weekend? umm i don't remember what i did. i sucked at life today and went to work and then got no school work done which was a major fail. tomorrow i'm going to spin and lifting some weights and i guess i have no option but to do school work. gross

you and josh are such hostesses! i love it :) way for your guests to hook you up with some meaty balls!

i'm most excited for some buzz action this week haha and maybe tomorrow when i "need a break" i'll try and fix my instant coffee problem

homecookedem said...

Happy Birthday to your mama!! :) I bet that bread is amazing!!

Yall sure do know how to throw a party! Sausage balls are actually the ONLY reason I could never be a vegetarian. They are my favorite things and we make them a lot during the holidays. So stinkin good!! ;)

Naomi(Onefitfoodie) said...

happy birthday mama itzy!!! how exciting! my birthday is next month...just sayin :)

I have been craving some homemade granola I think I may do that this week! its so much better than store bought esp when you control what goes in it!

my weekend has been VERY low key too! just went to dinner last night with the roomie and today i saw valentines day with a friend, which was just eh (the movie I mean) it was cute, not amazing like some people have said..oh and taylor swift needs to stick to siniing!!

Jane Beall said...

Just curious - what granola recipe do you use? Thanks!

Stephanie @cookinfanatic said...

Hey girl! You are always whipping up such yummy party eats, making me drool over here esp considering I'm still on the lovely post-surgery mush diet ;) I'm so happy you are having a great weekend and hope you have so much fun with your mom for her bday tmrw!

Bridget said...

I love your party food!! It always looks so simple yet so good! You definitely know how to keep your guests well fed :)
Yeah its time for some homemade granola over here as well.
Hope you have a great rest of your weekend!!

Molly said...

Looks delicious! That stromboli especially! I'l have to try that and stuff it with veggies :)

Averie @ Averie Cooks said...

girl the snackies on the post are awesome.

brock hut's recipes are duly noted but i need to get on that.

the walnut bread.
the granola.

OMG I love it all!

Healthier party food? Yes, raw veggies with dips. Seriously basic but hey, healthier. Oh and raw vegan desserts (raw balls baby!)

tam said...

mint choc chip cookies, I love mint and I chocolate together they make my favorite combo so I'm guessing those cookies would probably be the best cookies ever!

Happy birthday to ya mama, her cake looks delish x x

Jocelyn said...

You always have GREAT party food :) mmm hummus is my fave.

On the agenda for today lots of homework and laundry :( boo...

Susan said...

I want to go to a party at your place!

My weekend has been fun, but being a student means that homework has to make an appearence somewhere in there.

Anonymous said...

Veggies with salsa/guac are my favorite healthier party food. Most of the calories are in the things you use to scoop up the dip, so I use veggies and it works just as well.

Nothing exciting for us today - I'm about to log on to my work laptop and knock out a couple hours of work and then do some homework. So probably a lot of TV watching and laundry folding tonight. Hope you had fun at your party - so sweet of you to bake for your Mom's birthday!

Krista said...

I love when you post your party food! It always looks so amazing.

Glad to hear your weekend is going well. Mine is, too. I'm just about on my way to brunch with the gals then my bro is bringing my niece and nephew over for a visit.

Britt said...

OMG those cookies look awesome!

Happy Birthday to your mom!!!

I'm off to my half mary in just a bit!

Anonymous said...

Weekends go by way too fast! I don't believe it is Sunday already : (

I will be baking banana bread at some point today - LOVE to bake bread. Yours looks sooo YUMMY! Happy Birthday to your Mama!

I am going to be headed to the gym shortly & then coming home and (call me crazy) letting my son, who is 4, help me paint our bathroom...fingers crossed. He will have fun though.

I am a big fan of fruits and veggies at parties - simple & delicious : )

Lori said...

What a spread. That Strom looks so good! My favorite party food would have to be any kind of bean dip. That or beer cheese which isn't all that bad for you if you use whole foods. ;)

CaSaundraLeigh said...

I really want to come to one of your get togethers sometime! So often you can never find healthy AND tasty party food, but you always seem to pull it off! The bread especially catched my eye. I haven't made a quick loaf or something pumpkin in quite some time--I bet your mom will appreciate it. Looks like you had a wonderful weekend!

Unknown said...

all that party food looks great! especially those cookies! my favorite "healthier" party food is probably guacamole! can't get enough of it :)

Anonymous said...

Happy birthday to your mom! I always love the food you make for your parties... :D Everything looks and sounds fab. I need to find a cool whip sub here- it comes frozen, right? Do you thaw it? I don't think I've ever eaten it or seen similar here.

My favourite healthier options for parties are fruit kebabs (usually with a yogurt or coulis dip), veg with tzatziki, hummus, salsa, etc and pinwheel wrap/sandwiches.

Nothin exciting happening here this weekend- just making the most of the sunshine with long walks :D

Holly said...

Mmmm...I've never had sausage balls!! Those look SO good. I swear, anything in the shape of a ball is just so fun to eat!

I am definitely going to try out your "fruit dip" idea! I LOVE fruit and veggies at parties....I try to load up a huge part of my plate with them, because I'm a huge volume eater.

Happy Birthday to your mama!!

laura dishes said...

You're so good at getting party food together AND making it look easy!

I hope that you're having a fun day w/ your Mom!

Did you guys like Couples Retreat? I loved the setting, but I thought that the acting was just so-so, which was weird considering that their were so many good actors in it!

Unknown said...

you always have a great spread :) i did something to my back :( so I am taking it easy today... and hopefully getting a much-needed haircut!

HEAB said...

I want to come to a party at your house. Yum Erica!

Love love love stromboli. My good friend in high-school used to have people over for her mom's stromboli. Oh my gosh, it was so good. I'd forgotten about it.

Happy Birthday to your mama and a belated Happy Birthday to Josh!!!! :)

Pam said...

Oh, don't you just love leftovers...hence the beer...lol!

Happy Birthday to your mom, my lovely!

You are one great hostess and lil baker...you are and....what a party!

xoxo

P.S. come check out the fun giveaway!

lizzy said...

hey gorgeous girlie!! Happy Bday to your mama!! You are studly baker! all your baked goods look delicious, the breads look so perfectly professional! my favorite healthy party eats are always the fruit trays! I LOVE fresh sliced fruits! but I think your delicious hummus and chopped veggies would definitely put up a fight for my attention! :) I hope your sunday is fabulous! xoxo!

Abby (Abbys Vegan Eats) said...

AW happy birthday to your mommy!!! Hope you all have a great brunch!

This weekend has been low-key. The weather has been beautiful, though, so the hub and I managed to do a lot of trail hiking!!

Fav "healthy" party food is prob a bunch of raw veggies and hummus! Your leftover spread looks fabulous.. I wanna come to your get-together! lol

Happy Sunday, Erica :)

Heather @ Get Healthy With Heather said...

My newest healthier party treat is kale chips. Friends and family love them!

Jacob and I just watched couples retreat a few days ago. Did you like it? I did, Jacob thought it would be funnier.

vanillasugarblog said...

artichoke hummus! Yes! I love that artichoke in the jar with the spices and all. I have to try that. I'm supposed to be working out right now, but my flu is keeping me at home. Rather my coughing fits.

teresa said...

hummus is definitely one of my favorite party foods, i love your artichoke hummus! what a great spread for a party!

Lot-O-Choc said...

Mmm wow this all looks so good :) especially the houmous yumm. I hope your mom had a good birthday :)

Lauren said...

Lovely weekend! Man, you guys are quite the party animals…LoL.

Girl, you are such a sweet wife/daughter/friend…always cooking up something for your loved ones. I am so certain that they appreciate every single bite. ;)

Hope you are having a wonderful Sunday Erica!

Deirdre said...

Ha I think I had those sausage balls at the party I was at last weekend!

My favorite healthy party food you served: Hummus!

Katie said...

Great party food! The artichoke hummus and bread have my name all over it.

I like to have lots of fresh fruit, chopped veggies, hummus, dark chocolate, and a little cheese.

Happy birthday to your mama!

Anonymous said...

Happy birthday to your MOMMA!!

Everything looks great - as usual. I like hummus as a snack - so good!

K from ksgoodeats said...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ERICA'S MOM!!!!

I feel your pain, I haven't baked in far too long. I think my oven has cobwebs in it. I love that you guys had people over in an attempt to get rid of beer, haha! Lovely spread as usual! As you're probably well aware, I'm a hummus junkie at parties. People are lucky if they get any of that lovely dip themselves!

Hope you had a wonderful Sunday!!

Anonymous said...

You always make the best party foods! Hmm, healthy stuff? I like hummus and guacamole.

Happy Birthday to your mom.

whatkateate said...

i always love your healthy party fare! i havent seen couples retreat yet but i hear its a goodie!

whatkateate said...

i always love your healthy party fare! i havent seen couples retreat yet but i hear its a goodie!

Holly said...

happy birthday to your mom!!!!

ummm caroline's hummus concoctions are absolutely mouthwatering. i swear she outdoes herself each and every time.

also, i shared your coolwhip + yogurt dip idea with my mom. she tried it and LOVED IT! so major props to you - she wanted me to pass that along :)

Holly said...

happy birthday to your mom!!!!

ummm caroline's hummus concoctions are absolutely mouthwatering. i swear she outdoes herself each and every time.

also, i shared your coolwhip + yogurt dip idea with my mom. she tried it and LOVED IT! so major props to you - she wanted me to pass that along :)

Anonymous said...

wow what a GREAT spread!! yall are amazing hostesses :) LOVE those meatballs..seriously, they are soo addicting.
my weekend..whoo..i went to the circus!

Christina said...

mmmm i love the calzone!!

I Run for Fun said...

Happy b'day to your mom! You are such a good daughter. My mom would love it if I baked something for her b'day!

I'd love to come to one of your parties...you come up with such fun and fresh food.

Mom on the Run said...

I would love to attend a dinner party that you host. You always have the best eats. I have heard so much about sausage balls. I think my meat loving husband would love them!

Maria said...

I hope your mom had a nice birthday. Great party foods! Hope it was fun!

I went to Combat and Pump, like always:) I also got together with some blogging friends for lunch. We watched the movie Whip It, it was pretty funny. I am not ready for Monday:(

Angelalovesfood said...

Happy Birthday for the mom!

My fav snack at parties would have to be fruit platters and it better have pineapple chunks too! as well as unhealthy items as jalapeno poppers. mmm

I still want to make that cookie!

Esi said...

Fun! Sounds like a faboo weekend as always!

Ana said...

Hope you enjoyed Couples Retreat! Saw it when it came out in theaters and thought it was really funny :) I love Vince Vaughn.

As a healthy party snack I love baked pita chips w/ hummus and of course fruit platters!

Veggies, Cake & Cocktails said...

That Stromboli looks and sounds fantastic!

Miz said...

how hard am I GIGGLING at how competitive your commenters are :)
cracks me UP.

Me? this weekend? SOOO GLAD ITS MONDAY.

here's to a great week for all of us filled with routine and boringstuff (at least on my end anyway).

lauren said...

Your granola looks great. Do you have a specific recipe you follow? I really want to get into making my own...

Andrea @ CanYouStayForDinner.com said...

Erica I love how much you entertain! The spread you put out for your guests is fabulous!
So glad you had a nice weekend! Enjoy your Monday!!

Anonymous said...

Everything looks so good! My favorite healthy party food/app is veggies and dip!

Anonymous said...

SAusage balls are the BEST! Well, when I ate sausage they were. Yummm!
Quarterly was great! Body Pump release is awesome. Killer chest track, and good music. Attack, well, duh, it's always good. Ididn't do step tho, I'm not much of a stepper. When I got home my new Pump release was inthe mail. lol

chrystad72 said...

wow rock out girl! Fabulous eats! That bread looks absolutely amazing! MMmmm and I love a good Stromboli! Not up to too much besides working and working out. All fun times though! My favorite party food is veggies with hummus or shrimp! Love it! Have an awesome day!

Amy (Super Healthy Kids) said...

Your food looks delicious. I love bring fruit salad to parties. If its more of a "finger food" party, I'll just chop up watermelon, or have a plate for grapes. But a "sitting to eat" party, I love a big bowl of mixed fruit... This weekend I brought strawberries, blueberries, pineapple, and grapes. It was eaten up pretty fast!

Michelle @ Find Your Balance said...

The artichoke dip looks good! That's the kind of stuff I usually bring to a party. Or, wine :-)

Juliana said...

Happy Birthday to you mom :-) It seems that you guys had a great time...love your pumpkin bread...everything looks delicious!

Jenna said...

All looks greatttt!