Mom's Birthday

Some beautiful flowers for the birthday girl.

Ema always want to know where the action is at

She is a brave soul to put up with that guy

Emily came all the way to the states to celebrate with us!!

My New Favorite Wine

If not for the taste, for the name.
This interestingly named wine has a very woodsy flavor yet you can tell its fruit orgins of strawberries and blackberries.
I served it with a sweet and spicy cheese, crackers, fruit, nut, and chocolate platter.

Artsy Fartsy Me

I was trying to re create this. It spells LOVE in Braille

And this is what I came up with. I know it isn't all that great, but I was proud of myself and give myself an "A" for effort. We hung it above our bed.

Dinner Party!!

I had a great time cooking for my girl friends last weekend and the food turned out great, if I do say so myself.
Here are the recipes from the grand event.

Main Course: Balsamic Glazed Sirloin

I used the Balsamic Chicken Drumettes courtesy of Giada De Laurentiis and made my own modifications

Balsamic Sirloin
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 sprig of rosemary
3 garlic cloves, halved
2.5 pounds sirloin
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Combine the balsamic, honey, brown sugar, soy sauce, rosemary sprigs, and garlic cloves, in a large, re-sealable plastic bag. Shake and squeeze the contents of the bag to dissolve the honey and the brown sugar. Add the sirloin to the bag and seal with as little air as possible in the bag. Place in the refrigerator and marinate for 2 hours.

Remove the meat and set on counter for 30 minutes prior to cook time

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Season the meat with salt and pepper. Sear on a cast iron skillet at med high heat until brown, approx 2-3 minutes on each side. Be careful to keep an eye on the meat because the sugar in the marinade will burn. Remove from skillet and place in over until desired doneness, I did about 20 minutes for medium well. Meanwhile, place the marinade in a small saucepan. Bring the marinade to a boil (in order to kill bacteria). Reduce the heat to simmer and cook over low heat until thick, about 15 minutes. Reserve. Again stir constantly and keep a close eye. If it gets too hot remove from heat AND from pan

Use a pastry brush to brush some of the cooked marinade on the cooked chicken. Place the chicken on a serving platter. Sprinkle with the sesame seeds and the chopped parsley.



Sides:
Roasted Cauliflower

Heat oven to 450 degrees.
Toss Cauliflower pieces in olive oil, salt, and pepper. Roast for 45 minutes, stirring at least once.

Bow Tie Pasta with Tomatoes and Feta
2 boxes of Bow Tie Pasta
1 Package of Cherry Tomatoes, sliced thin
1 Package of Israeli Feta Cheese, rinsed then crumbled
2 Tbs Olive Olive
2 Tbs Balsamic Vinegar
salt and pepper

Boil the pasta according to directions, adding salt to the water. Rinse under cold water, toss with olive oil and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Toss with feta, tomatoes, vinegar, salt and pepper. Top with parsley. I prefer to bring the pasta salad back to room temperature.


Desert:
Sopapilla Cheesecake
2 packages reduced fat crescent rolls
2 packages light cream cheese
1 tsp vanilla
1 C sugar
1 stick light butter
cinnamon and sugar

Spray a 13x9 pan with cooking spray. Lay out one of the packages of crescents. Mix together cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla. Spread on to crescents. Top with the second package of crescents. Melt butter and pour on top. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Serve at room temperature.

My New Camera

Here are some pictures I have taken around the house. It is fun having new toys!

My Old Blog Was Crap

So I have a new one. Here is the link to the old one, in case you miss it

virginiamg.blogspot.com