FIRST KITCHEN BLOGS

This past weekend I threw my friends a 'couple's shower' for their upcoming wedding in August.

A couple's shower is a fun alternative to a bridal shower, as it involves both the bride and groom. We still played shower games and had delicious food but it was fun to get the 'men' involved!

Whenever I throw a party, I like to have a theme in mind. I try not to get too crazy or obsessed with the theme but it is a nice way to stay focused throughout the party planning. I decided on a "retro barbque" theme for the party. My friend is having some vintage elements to her wedding,  so I thought it would be a nice tie-in to the big day. Also, since it was a couple's shower and both men and women were attending, it was fun to play with the male/female roles, especially of that time period (let's just say I wore an apron!).

When I went shopping for the party, I hit up a few consignment/thrift stores in the area and that is where the theme exploded! I was able to get all of the prizes for the games (vintage cook books, old schwin bike tire, aprons etc) as well as fun serving dishes and trinkets for decorating from that era. All together, I spent just over $75 for all of the prizes and decorations! There were almost 30 people at the shower, so that was a bargain.

The food was a classic spread from a 1960's back yard barbque. I found a recipe box  (which I later painted and refurbished as my gift to the bride) with classic recipe cards from the 1960's. Jack pot! I was able to use the recipe cards as decoration for the table as well as used some of the recipes to make.

For appetizers:

Bacon wraped waterchestnuts

Deviled eggs

Hawiian meatballs

The spread:

Beer brats and burgers on the grill

Grandma Dot's Potato salad

Colslaw with kiwi

Calico beans

Tuna with noodles

Jello salad suprise

Dessert:

Pineapple upsidedown cake

Classic coconut creme cake

Ice cream

Drinks:

Classic coke and diet coke (in retro bottles with straws)

Fruit punch (served in a punch bowl!)

Iced tea

Coffee

The shower was a success and people really enjoyed the food and their retro gifts! In my next post I will share some of the fun recipes...any in particular you'd like me to share?

Have a great weekend!

Memorial day weekend seems to officially kick-off the summer grilling season. 

With that it might be worth a reminder of the need for extra care when handling and preparing food in the summer heat.  We have many basic food safety tips in our First Kitchen DVD, but there are some extra precautions when it come to warm weather food handling and cooking.

1. When buying meat, fish or poultry for that out-door barbecue you’re planning, take it right home.  Don’t stop for a latte with your groceries still in the car. Or if you do, have a cooler with ice in the trunk of your car to hold your purchases if you can’t get home within the hour. 
2. Just as we tell you about careful handling of meat- and especially chicken- in your kitchen, the same holds true for out-door grilling.  Use separate utensils and platters for raw and cooked food. OK- this may not be totally green, but this might be a good place to use paper plates.  As we say, “Eliminate, don’t contaminate!”
3. Refrigerate leftovers right way.  If you are using a cooler with ice for holding the food, a good idea is to use a separate cooler for beverages.  That way when continually opening the cooler to get a cold drink, you won’t be warming the food. 
4. Cook hamburgers and chicken thoroughly just as you would at home.

By following a few simple food safety tips, we can avoid the mysterious “24 hour flu?” we often get.

 Try our Surf and Turf Kabob recipe (or maybe just the Turf). Have fun and get cooking! 

The signs of the end of a great summer are all around- the State Fair is in full swing, friends or siblings are starting to go back to school and that cool crisp air sneaks through our windows at night.  Fall can't be far behind but the days are still beautiful (and less humid!) so we are planning a Labor Day barbecue for our friends- no one has to do anything on Labor Day!  You could even make it an afternoon BBQ so that people who have work or school starting the next day can get to bed at a decent hour and let their food digest!  It is going to be simple but fun. 

Tomatoes are in season so we’ll have a delicious Caprese Salad along with our Surf n’ Turf kebabs.  (Check out the recipe page on our FK website.)

Fire up the grill (if no grill- the oven broiler will do) and get cookin’!  You could heat up a baguette on the grill (wrap it in aluminum foil) to serve along side the meal and toss together a simple salad- get ideas from our First Kitchen DVD http://firstkitchencooks.com/fk-shop.html

Have your friends chip in a little bit of money to help with cost of the meat and some of the other food.   Make sure you provide the basics like utensils and condiments but definitely have your friends BYOB (bring your own beverage).  Savor these last days of summer with good food and friends!