Family Valentine Game Night + Heartthrob Pasta Recipe
There is not only one good way to spend Valentine’s Day but I think this is the best way - with your family at home. This is the best way for loads of reasons: 1. Going out for Valentine’s Day is expensive. 2. Most restaurants have a prix fix menu, servers that are grumpy, and are overly busy. 3. Your kids will feel super special if you spend this day with them instead of out on a date. 4. You can go out on a date tomorrow night when everything is back to normal and you can get a seat at a restaurant.
For our family game night I made a fun dinner everyone will eat - but also made it a little bit cheeky and really leaned into the ‘valentine’ theme. Kids love it. And, let’s be honest, I love it too.
Our family’s new favorite game is this hilarious combination of pictionary and being blindfolded - it’s called Googly Eyes. It is hilarious! You roll to land on what color glasses you’ll wear while you attempt to draw something as simple as popcorn. The glasses make it surprisingly challenging. Unless you are Pearl and I - we are a dream team.
HEARTTHROB PASTA
serves 4
STEP 1
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Slice the beets in half and add them to the water as it begins to boil. When the water has come to a boil, add the pasta.
STEP 2
When the pasta is nearly cooked, turn the heat off and let rest for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
STEP 3
Unroll the package of crescent dough and press together all of the seams. Slice the dough into strips. Twist the dough and form it into a heart.
Bake 10-12 minutes until golden brown.
STEP 4
Heat a skillet with the olive oil. Cook the peppers, onion, and garlic over medium heat until softened. Remove the beets from the pasta, remove the skin with a paper towel (by rubbing it off), chop them and add them to the skillet.
STEP 5
Drain the pasta – reserving at least one cup of pasta water – and toss the pasta with the peppers. Add the pasta water and toss until a sauce has formed. Remove from heat and sprinkle parmesan on top.
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1 sweet onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tbs olive oil
2 beets
½ lb pasta
½ cup parmesan cheese
1 package crescent dough
CUPID SPRITZ
1 ounce pomegranate juice
1 ounce vodka
DRY Sparkling Lavender
In a glass filled with ice, layer vodka and pomegranate juice. Top with DRY Sparkling and serve! For those without booze, just skip the vodka and don’t forget to garnish with a cherry.
THIS IS A SPONSORED POST. ALEXANDRA HEDIN HAS RECEIVED PAYMENT OR PRODUCTS IN EXCHANGE FOR PROMOTING. ALL OPINIONS STATED ARE MY OWN AND I ONLY PROMOTE PRODUCTS AND COMPANIES I LOVE.
weeknight party | super bowl
Are you hosting a Super Bowl party this year? It's such a fun excuse to have a party. The struggle of course, is that it's an all day type thing. You start at kick off, claim your spot on the couch, and it lasts until well after the awards ceremony.
Here's how I'm making Super Bowl super this year.
Shop the party
Behind the Scenes | January Cooking Class
I was encouraged to teach cooking classes last spring by a friend who has been in the food business for about 100 years. She knows her stuff and so I took her advice. Here I am, seven classes later and I LOVE IT! I’ve taught classes to kids and adults, friends and strangers who have become friends.
The January class was supplied dinnerware by Anko - and each vase got to take home a vase at the end of the night! If you don’t know Anko, I’m mildly obsessed. It’s a company out of Australia who’s moving in to the US right now! They have pop up shops in Bellevue Square and Mill Creek Town Center and they’re getting their US flagship store ready to open this spring at Alderwood.
I picked out these pink plates because they are perfect for February dinners - but they are also SO ON TREND with dusty pink being the color of everything right now. Because the Anko products are really inexpensive (dinner plates are $2.50!) you can not feel guilty about buying something that is SO ON TREND. Usually I don’t go for trendy but are you kidding me with these plates? They’re so cute! And, let’s make a note, not every shade of pink looks good with red. I love my red. These dusky pink plates are the perfect compliment to red!
I am having so much fun with these classes and I hope you’ll join me for the next one.
Click here to register!
THIS IS A SPONSORED POST. ALEXANDRA HEDIN HAS RECEIVED PAYMENT OR PRODUCTS IN EXCHANGE FOR PROMOTING. ALL OPINIONS STATED ARE MY OWN AND I ONLY PROMOTE PRODUCTS AND COMPANIES I LOVE.
Champagne Toast to the New Year + Champagne Risotto
Is champagne ubiquitous for New Year’s just because it’s bubbly and festive? I hadn’t really thought of it before, but it must be, right? I love a good glass of champagne but I didn't know that until I actually ever had a glass of Dom Perignon. I was 22 so it’s not like I had to wait forever to get a decent glass of bubbles. Before that I’d had a glass of Cooks. Ok, possibly a bottle. But even typing that right now gave me a headache. Good champagne makes the world of difference.
Good champagne is really remarkable. Like life changing. Good champagne is so worth the money. Just don’t waste it on people who don’t like it. And don’t mix the good stuff. If you’re going to make it into a cocktail, then buy prosecco - same flavor profile, similar taste, not all of the sugar of cheap champagne, and WAY cheaper.
CHAMPAGNE RISOTTO
serves 4
1 shallot, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
½ cup butter, divided
¼ lb chanterelle mushrooms
2 tbs olive oil
2 cup Arborio rice
2 cup champagne
4 cups room temperature seafood stock
½ cup parmesan cheese
salt and pepper
8 large sea scallops
STEP 1
In a medium saucepan, heat 2 tbs butter & 2 tbs olive oil. Cook mushrooms over medium heat until tender. Remove from the pan and set aside. (5 mins)
STEP 2
In the same pan, melt another 2 tbs olive oil with 2 tbs butter. Cook shallot and garlic until softened (4 mins)
STEP 3
Stir Arborio rice into the pan and stir until all of the kernels are coated in oil.
STEP 4
Pour in one cup of champagne and stir constantly to deglaze the bottom of the pan. When most of the champagne has evaporated, add the second cup and stir until that liquid has evaporated.
STEP 5
Pour in one cup of stock and stir until completely incorporated. When most of the stock has dissolved, add another cup of stock. Continue until all of the stock has been added. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
STEP 6
Remove from heat and stir in mushrooms, remaining butter and parmesan cheese.
STEP 7
Bring a dry skillet to high heat. Pat the scallops dry and season with salt and pepper. Melt 2 tbs butter in the pan and place the scallops into the melted butter.
Cook 1-2 minutes until browned. Flip and cook 2 minutes on the other side. Scallops are properly cooked when slightly firm to the touch.
Vintage Christmas + the best fondue recipe
Can you tell I’m feeling nostalgic for our own house? Soon we’ll have a great new house that will be amazing - especially at Christmas - but until then, I’m posting these darling photos from our old house and how cute we were.
Our original house was a 1940’s with a few “mid century” architectural details. I leaned into the vibe and hosted a little family cocktail party with champagne cocktails and a really delicious fondue. Even without a mid century home, you can still host a fun little cocktail party with mid century vibes.
RASPBERRY CHAMPAGNE
1 scoop raspberry sorbet (about one ounce)
1 tablespoon chambord
champagne
raspberries
In each glass, pop a scoop of sorbet and a tablespoon of chambord. Top with champagne until full. Drop a raspberry in each glass.
THE BEST FONDUE
The trick with this fondue is that you need to keep it warm. It will set up if you let it get cold as we’re basically just dealing with warmed cheese.
8 ounces shredded gruyere cheese
8 ounces shredded swiss cheese
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup white wine
1 teaspoon brandy
1 teaspoon lemon juice
2 cloves garlic
Toss shredded cheeses with flour until totally combined.
In a large pot, bring wine, lemon juice, and whole garlic cloves to a low boil. Slowly add the cheese, whisking the entire time. Continue whisking until smooth. Stir in brandy and transfer to a fondue pot. Serve with sliced bread, cooked red potatoes, and honey crisp apple slices.
Charm Hour :: Ginger Christmas Punch
Usually I would post a boozy punch, but there have been loads of reasons why we need a punch with no booze recently. Mostly because I have children who feel the need to participate in every party. It would be so much easier if they didn’t think I was cool. We’ll get there soon - my 10 year old is already starting to be embarrassed by me.
If you aren’t looking for a booze free situation, then add 1 cup of whiskey and 1 teaspoon of bitters. Cheers!
GINGER CHRISTMAS PUNCH
4 cups orange juice
1 cup pomegranate juice
1 bottle DRY Sparkling Ginger
Mix everything together in a punch bowl or a pitcher and serve iced.
Three New Cooking Classes {+ a gift certificate}
I kept wanting to host a cooking class this December, but it was just not going to happen. Personally I was super busy and had almost zero time to plan a class. For you, I assumed you were also busy with winter concerts and family parties and also would have struggled to come to the class.
So here we are - in the middle of December and scrambling for holiday gifts which is perfect timing for classes in the new year! I’ve uploaded three new classes - one in each month - and you will LOVE these classes. I’ve also included a printable gift certificate so you can fill it in and gift it! It’s the perfect gift for the ‘hard to shop for’ person on your list - and you could buy two tickets and make it a ‘date!’
January 24th is the first class. Once you’re back from the holidays and you’ve finally put away your decorations, come cook an amazing winter menu that you can make for a dinner party or just a dinner!
Menu
Winter Minestrone Soup
Roasted Black Cod with Panzanella Salad
Winter Greens Salad
Persimmon Cake
In February we’re cooking on the 28th - it’s the last day of February but I figured how would we ever get together for a class before then? With Valentine’s Day and mid-winter break (which I recently learned is called “Ski Week” in California??) there is almost no time. So here we are - ready for spring to pop up so I thought we’d cook a menu filled with spring vegetables and herbs to get us in the mood for warmer days, fresh vegetables, and a little less rain.
Menu
Spring Gnocchi
Herb Rubbed Pork with fennel
Spring Green Salad
Berry Cake
March might be the best class ever. I am so excited for this class - I love St. Patrick’s Day! I created a menu that’s perfect for showing you how to create a simple St. Patrick’s Day celebration just in time for your own party. We’ll meet on March 14th and cook together. Can’t wait to cook with you - and maybe do shots of Jameson??
Menu
Potato Cheddar Soup
Braised Corned Beef
Irish Soda Bread
Pot ‘o’ Gold Dessert
Right click the gift certificate to download and fill in the blanks!
Modern Pink Christmas Breakfast + Peppermint Marshmallows
Every year my mom hosts a little brunch/ coffee hour for her friends at Christmas. For years I rolled my eyes every time she tried to get my friends to come to the party too. I mean really? My cool friends - or worst, people I wasn’t 100% sure were friends - to come rub shoulders with some of her weird old birds?
But then last year my friends were there - my actual friends - and they liked some of her weird old birds. We had coffee and cookies and chatted and it was actually fun. So I decided you should all host one too. Brew some coffee. Invite every weird friend you know and celebrate the season together. It’s totally worth it.
Here’s how to pull it off:
Send your friends an email or write a note at least one week ahead of when you think you’re planning the party.
Aim for a weekday at 10am if most of your friends are at home during the day. A Sunday at noon is usually best if they are at work during the day.
Buy or make at least three kinds of cookies. A small variety in large quantity makes the biggest impact.
Brew a pot of coffee, a big one. And bring out the good china mugs to serve it in.
Prep everything the night before - like platters for the cookies, mugs, napkins - then just set out the cookies in the morning!
PEPPERMINT MARSHMALLOWS
Yes, these take a bit of time but it is so worth it. Homemade marshmallows are nothing like store bought. These are so much better. And nothing is better in hot cocoa than a peppermint marshmallow. Unless of course that’s peppermint schnapps. And the marshmallow on top.
4 packets unflavored gelatin
3 cups sugar
1 ½ cups water
1 cup light corn syrup
1 teaspoon peppermint extract
½ cup crushed candy canes or other peppermint candies
Powdered sugar
Butter the bottom of an 11x17 sheet pan and top with parchment paper. Butter parchment paper and dust with powdered sugar.
In a stand mixer, combine gelatin and ¾ cup water. Let stand.
In a medium sauce pan with a heavy bottom combine sugar, remaining water, corn syrup, and salt. Slowly bring to a boil over medium heat. Continue to cook until mixture reaches the soft ball stage on a candy thermometer (about 240 degrees).
Turn on stand mixer and pour in sugar mixture in a slow steady stream. Leave mixer running on high speed for 15 minutes until mixture is light and fluffy.
Blend extract into marshmallow mixture and pour marshmallow onto prepared pan and smooth out to the corners. Evenly coat the top with crushed candy canes and dust with powdered sugar. Let sit uncovered for 12 hours.
Turn out onto a cutting board dusted with powdered sugar. Butter and dust a knife with powdered sugar. Cut marshmallows into 2” squares and dip each cut edge into powdered sugar. Store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.
