Girls Night In

Call me old, but these days I find so much joy in staying in with some good food and wine rather than going out. The only thing that could make this better is if a group of my close girlfriends joined me. So my girlfriends and I decided to alternate our monthly restaurant outings with an occasional Girls Night In.

flowers and candles help create the mood

yummy finger foods

homemade pomme frites with homemade dipping sauces: ketchup, garlic basil aioli, wasabi mayo

sweets for my sweets!

IY, DY, CF thank you for a wonderful indulgent evening, filled with so much laughter. I love you gals!

Bouchon Bakery - Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Mix

I love the dry foods section in Williams Sonoma! The quick breads, popcorn kernels, pastas and of course...the cookie mix! I love a good oatmeal raisin cookie and when I saw this cookie mix from Thomas Keller, I HAD to try it!

Everything comes in this neat little box. There are 3 pouches that carry cookie mix, sugar and raisins. The directions are so easy. You mix everything in a mixer and all you add is butter and an egg.

 So easy and for box cookies, they turned out pretty amazing!

$18 for a box. Makes 6 large or 12 small. (I was actually able to make more than 12).

Lunch Leftovers for Dinner

A little caprese salad for lunch...

 Leftovers turn into a delicious homemade pizza for dinner!

Flea Market Finds?

Not quite. More like shopping at Mom's. My Mother's home contains a plethora of treasures. Whenever I am visiting, there is always something new to catch my eye. But the other day, it wasn't the newest items that caught my attention, but some of her "older" ones.

1. A set of 2 wooden rustic looking trays. What I love about these trays are not just that they are big in size, but deep as well. They are sturdy and will be helpful when I want to take brunch out on the patio. I don't have to juggle plates and cups on my small flat trays anymore.

2. An art book of Monet's Years in Giverny. The last time I was in France, I really wanted to do the day trip out to Giverny, but we just didn't have enough time. This book will hold me over until I eventually do make it out there!

3. Silver antique looking vase. I'm imagining bright pink peonies or cornflower blue hydrangeas as a centerpiece for brunch.

4. Vintage glass bottle. This will be a perfect bud vase for my kitchen window sill or perhaps it will hold a sprig of lavender in my guest bathroom.

5. Small Ball jar. I can never have enough of these. They can hold paperclips, buttons, pencils, flowers or candles. I wanted this one, because it was an interesting size and shape.

I love flea markets, but this trip to Mom's saved me a little bit of time and money! Thanks Mom! Can't wait to do it again. *wink*

Balsamic Chicken Drumsticks

I'm always looking for new ideas for chicken. I know chicken can be boring for many, but my Husband loves it and never gets sick of it which makes it easy for me. I go to Costco and buy many many pounds of thighs, breast, wings and our favorite, drumsticks! However, no matter how hard I try to be creative, I always end up cooking drumsticks the same way. Baked crispy or broiled Asiany. Until I read a post on my favorite blog Week of Menus. Balsamic Drumsticks?! That's different I thought. And it was! My Husband loved them!

Balsamic Drumsticks
Idea from Joanne at Week of Menus who adapted from a recipe by Giada de Laurenttis

Ingredients:
10-12 chicken drumsticks, skin on
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper for seasoning

Sauce:
1 cup balsamic vinegar
3/4 cup ketchup
1/3 cup brown sugar
3 garlic cloves,minced
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

In a saucepan, add all sauce ingredients together.  Whisk to combine and simmer over medium heat 15-20 minutes, until mixture is reduced by a 1/3.  It will be thick, similar in consistency to ketchup. Set aside until needed.

Chicken:
Preheat oven to 400.
On a roasting pan, with a the grilling tray on top (the tray that allows you to cook chicken and let the fat drip to the pan underneath) place chicken drumsticks in a single layer.  Drizzle chicken with a bit of olive oil and season each drumstick with salt and pepper.  Place chicken in oven, and roast for about 45 minutes, until chicken is golden.