Chessy Caprese Tarts

January 20, 2016January 19, 2016 / Jodi / 43 Comments

In honor of National Cheese Lovers Day today, (you knew that – right?!) I am sharing a yummy new Cheesy Caprese Tart recipe I made this past weekend for the family while we got together to watch football playoff games.

This recipe could also be great for brunch, lunch or even a light dinner. It would be a well-received snack to take to a Super Bowl Party too, I am certain!

Does anything beat ooey, gooey, chewy fresh melted mozarella cheese?! Especially when topped with sweet juicy tomatoes and some lovely fresh basil?! And everything is yummy when on top of golden, flaky puff pastry – right?

This recipe is really simple, yet it turns out looking so impressive, you are going to be a Cheese Lover’s ROCK STAR when you make this!

Caprese Puff Pastry Tarts

Servings: depends on how hungry you are!
Print

Ingredients:

1 sheet of frozen puff pastry, thawed
1 lb fresh mozzarella cheese
Fresh ripe Campari (my favorite!) or cherry tomatoes
Fresh basil
Olive Oil
Salt
Pepper

Directions:

Roll out the puff pastry sheet and cut into four squares. Top with sliced fresh mozarella and then sliced tomatoes. Drizzle with olive oil, then salt and pepper to taste. Bake in 375 degree F oven for approximately 15 minutes or until puff pastry begins to puff and turn golden brown and cheese is melted and bubbly brown. Remove from oven and top with freshly chopped basil. Tastes wonderful hot or cold.

For small bite-sized tarts, you could cut into 16 squares and do same. You could also do one large “pizza” by not cutting the pastry sheet at all.

ENJOY, and Happy Cheese Lover’s Day!

Cheers & Hugs,

Jodi

Not Your Momma’s Cookie Exchange Party

December 21, 2015December 20, 2015 / Jodi / 51 Comments

Remember those aprons I shared yesterday that I made for my daughter-in-law’s cookie swap party?

Well – here we are doing the Whip Bake Bake at the party!

I am so excited to share some photos of the amazing party my even more amazing daughter-in-law (third from the left back row – next to me) threw.

This is not your momma’s cookie exchange like we did back in the day!

Check out the amazing drink station where Colleen served Hot Chocolate with all the fixings and add ins as well as gin and tonics and wine. All the makings for a “spirited” cookie swap!

There were cozy Christmas socks on a festively-decorated antique child’s chair for anyone whose piggies got cold,

and a well-equipped cookie packaging station for us to box, wrap, clip, tag, and/or plate our cookies to take home.

We all brought enough cookies to share tastes that evening and enough for everyone to pack up 5 or 6 dozen to take home and share with our families and friends and for our own parties. Colleen made little labeled tags for each type of cookie so we knew what we were sampling and so we could vote on the “Most Delicious,” “Most Unique,” and Most Attractive.” And boy were they ever!

Katie rocked “Most Unique” with these adorable and absolutely luscious cherry snowmen cake balls.

Michelle’s Apple Delights were a slam dunk for the “Most Attractive!” Aren’t the awesome?

And Alaine’s Pistachio Cherry Cookies had us all swooning for “Most Delicious,”

though they truly were ALL delicious and beautiful and unique and made with “lovin from the oven.”

And……. two of the young ladies actually had some “lovin in their ovens!” Jen is in her first trimester and Jessica is due any day!

How cute is this sign that went with Colleen’s Grinch cookies (green crinkle cookies with teeny tiny hearts?

And check out these Inside Out S’more Cookies! (and the little polka-dot wooden spoons to stir your cocoa)

She even had prizes!

Before we ate cookies…. Well – we pretty much ate cookies the whole evening… Colleen made some fabulous food including the most amazing Hawaiian Ham and Cheese Party Sliders,

and Hassleback potatoes,

as well as plenty of veggies and dip, cheese and crackers, spreads, and and adorable cheese and olive wreath.

We even played some fun and silly games like teaming up to make the best reindeer antlers out of balloons stuffed in panty hose!

It was the most fun, most unique, most delicious cookie swap party I’ve ever been part of! I am so proud of my beautiful, generous, creative daughter-in-law, and I thank her for kindly allowing me share this with all of you.

Hope you are enjoying this festive holiday time however you choose to celebrate!

Cheers & Hugs,

Jodi

Lake Park Bash Fun

July 7, 2015July 6, 2015 / Jodi / 26 Comments

What a fun Fourth of July Holiday Weekend we had!

I am just catching up after a great picnic in Conneaut Lake with family and friends…

a couple hours of sleep at the best “Brugnoli B&B”…

then off to Cleveland to to celebrate a wedding with more wonderful friends!

So today, I’m sharing a little photo journal of the fun festivities we had the great pleasure of being a part of at The First Annual Lake Park Bash!

And I’m guessing, it will not be the last!

I hope you will join me in reminiscing on the fun gathering.

We were greeted by an “Uncle Sam” Scarecrow

and festive decorations in red, white and blue.

Those who arrived by boat, were greeted by a salute from George himself

and directed with arrows to point the way to the party.

One you got near, the smell of smoking chickens, pork, lamb, and beef permeated the perfect summertime breeze.

And an ice cream truck offered sweet treats to satisfy every child….

and every grown up

with delectable, cool, creamy yumminess.

There was plenty of beer…

and “Crappie White” wine

and “Chewed Alive Red,” and even a special Fraternity Brother Blend!

There were games galore –

like Kerplunk,

and Bocci Ball,

and Corn Hole,

and pickle ball,

and putt putt.

There were crafts

and hula hoops

and music

and dancing.

There were families

and friends

and lots and lots of hugs,

and even High Fives!

Puppies joined in on the fun.

New talents were discovered…

and serious discussions were had.

There were private little chats,

and twinkle lights when the day grew dim.

And the day didn’t end until early the next morning

with bonfire songs sung with guitar and fiddle.

It was a great Bash on the Lake Park cul-de-sac.

Thanks to the members of “da hood” for allowing us to be a part of it!

Cheers & Hugs,

Jodi

Bacon-Wrapped Dates Stuffed with Blue Cheese

April 29, 2015April 28, 2015 / Jodi / 27 Comments

Are you looking for the ULTIMATE easy and amazingly delicious party appetizer?

Well – look no further! This might sound unusual, but do not doubt that EVERY guest will love this recipe!

Not only do these taste AMAZING… they are actually SUPER SIMPLE too.

And even people that THINK they don’t like dates or blue cheese….

(because EVERYbody loves bacon – right?!)

will LOVE these.

I took these to our “best ever book club” party this weekend, and I can tell you they didn’t last long.

Give this YUMmy recipe a try. (And I will accept your “thank you’s” later!) 🙂

Bacon Wrapped Dates stuffed with Blue Cheese

Servings: a crowd
Print

Ingredients:

Pitted Dates
Danish Blue Cheese
Bacon

Directions:
Slit date. Stuff as much high quality blue cheese into the date as you can fit. Squeeze together. Wrap with a half of a slice of bacon. Secure with a toothpick. Bake at 400 degrees F for 30 minutes.

With party season upon us, add this to your file of must-do gotta-love recipes!

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

April Showers – Celebrating with Charrie

April 13, 2015April 12, 2015 / Jodi / 15 Comments

You might remember I shared the card & gift wrapping I made for our family friend’s shower yesterday.

Well, today I invite you to experience a little “taste” of the shower. Charrie and her mom and the lovely hostesses gave me permission to shoot away and then share here with all of you.

The weather was sunshiny perfect, the hostesses smiles were just as bright, Charrie was beaming, and the details were amazing. Enjoy the little visit to the party.

And you may notice I was ~~completely~~ slightly obsessed with the petit four and cupcake display! 🙂 I can’t wait to get the petit four recipe, and if successful, share them with you here. They were TO DIE FOR! (I know hubby will love them! Layers of raspberry and apricot yumminess!)

Add to that blueberry pomegranate sangrias, pickled marinated asparagus, chicken salad, fresh fruit kabobs, and chocolate galore – oh my!!

Here is the lovely bride to be with her sister and maid of honor. Aren’t they beautiful?

Click on any of the photos to enlarge. Hope you enjoy as much as we did.

Cheers & Hugs to Charrie and Corey! Looking forward to celebrating your big day with you soon!

Jodi

Birthdays are for the Birds

August 20, 2014August 19, 2014 / Jodi / 21 Comments

Birthdays were so much fun when we were kids – right?

And even more when my boys were young and we could do (what they eventually came to dread….)

THEME parties!

I recall parties themed with pirates and magic shows, and Barney the purple dinosaur………

Oh the days…. (I can’t believe these were over 20 years ago now!)

So I was excited to see The Paper Players Challenge #209 this week be a child’s birthday card. Gave me a chance to be silly and fun.

Leanne Pugliese, of The Paper Players Design Team, is celebrating her granddaughter, Cassidy’s, 4th Birthday this week (Happy Birthday Cassidy!), so she chose a Clean and Simple (CAS) Child’s Birthday Card for #PP209 Challenge.

My card is a “punch art” card. I’ve seen some amazingly creative critters created out of punched out shapes. They range from puppies and turtles and hippos, lions, elephants, and monkeys to caterprillars and lambs and bears and birds – silly birds, angry birds, real birds. There are some awesomely talented artists and designers out there!

I saw little birds similar to these somewhere at some point and thought they would make a fun child’s birthday card – especially for a “wee one.” My “birds” are cut out using SU framelit circles and the bird builder punch for the wing and nose. I sponged them with some pumpkin pie ink, glitzed their feathers a bit with #WinkofStella, cut out party hats from SU DSP, added some Crystal Effects to their beaks, and popped on a candy dot for the eye. The background is done with a cloud embossing folder, the “telephone wire” is made from baker’s twine, and the Happy Birthday sentiment is from the Bloom with Hope stamp set.

I can’t wait to share this card with a wee one on their birthday. As for me – no more birthdays please… Birthdays are for the birds!

Cheers & Hugs,

Jodi

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the creative life in between

cherishing the moments and exploring my passion for creativity… through art, photography, food, and writing

party

Chessy Caprese Tarts

Caprese Puff Pastry Tarts

Lake Park Bash Fun

Bacon-Wrapped Dates Stuffed with Blue Cheese

Bacon Wrapped Dates stuffed with Blue Cheese

April Showers – Celebrating with Charrie

Birthdays are for the Birds

Caprese Puff Pastry Tarts

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Bacon Wrapped Dates stuffed with Blue Cheese

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