Soup, salad and bread!

Ok, so October's theme is soup, salad and bread (well, and dessert). I didn't hear a tie breaker, and I think this Saturday might be too last minute (I am sorry for not posting this sooner, I have been out having fun with my family). So the day is the 24th of October. Does 6:30 sound good? I will email out directions next week when I have a better idea of who to email. So for now I guess it is time to sign up.

Christy- Soup (I have to decide on which kind still)
April- Bread (either buttmilk or sheepherders)

Sarah- Dessert

October

I am hosting October's cooking club, but I am having some trouble, so I thought I would ask all of you. I can't seem to settle on a theme... I thought Kid Friendly, but my kids really love oatmeal, and beans and rice, so my kid friendly is not for every kid. I also thought quick prep, or budget, or something along those line. but I am not excited about that either. We could also take advantage of the cooler weather and do a soup and salad night...
And for date, I am leaning towards the 24th of October, but could also do the 17th if you all would rather do that.
Finally, You all know I moved further north, right? It is only 20 minutes from where we used to live, but it will be more of a commute.
Okay, so leave a comment and let me know what you think about theme, and date. I will get a final post with details the end of the week or early next week.

September Cooking Club

Hello there ladies! Rachel, Amanda, and I all very much enjoyed Julie and Julia and of course we missed all of you that could not join us. I would recommend the movie to all of you as it is a great, feel-good movie that will make your mouth water and also make you want to run home and whip up some Boeuf Bourguignon.

Anyway, on with business. The September cooking club will be hosted at my house and the theme is: Lemon/Lime. That means that every recipe must contain either lemon, lime, or both! I'm very excited about this and can't wait to eat some wonderful food. Hopefully we will still have nice weather and can eat outside...on paper plates...with cloth napkins...sigh.

Sign up for a dish, and add one if there aren't enough.

Main Dish: Miranda
Appetizer:
Side: Amanda (maybe)
Side:
Salad:Sarah
Drink: Christy (if on the 12th)
Dessert: Serin

Lemon-Lime Bars
This recipe has 3 parts, the crust, the lemon layer and the cream cheese layer

Crust:
2 C Flour
1/2 C Brown Sugar
1/2 t Salt
1 1/2 Sticks Butter

Combine cold butter, brown sugar, salt and flour in food processor until small lumps form. Sprinkle into 9x13 pan and then press down to form crust. Bake in pre-heated 350° oven for 20 minutes, or until golden brown.

Cream Cheese Layer:
2 pkg cream cheese
1 C sugar
1 t vanilla
2 eggs

Combine cream cheese and sugar until smooth (and then taste it just to make sure it's not poison), add eggs and vanilla and blend some more (taste again if you can't resist). Pour on top of hot crust.

Lemon/Lime Layer:

3/4 C Lemon/Lime Juice (I did 1/2 C Lemon and 1/4 C Lime - Fresh)
1 1/2 C Sugar
4 Eggs
1/3 C Flour

Whisk together sugar and eggs. Stir in juice (green food coloring can be added if you desire, I did not.) Stir in 1/3 C flour. Pour over cream cheese layer, reduce oven temp to 300° and bake until center is set, about 30 minutes.

Cool completely and dust with powdered sugar before serving. (Oops, forgot that part!)

Come prepared to "talk shop." I will be sending around a calendar while we're there (at least 6 months out) so that we can sign up for hosting in advance. Also, I'd really like to come up with a consistent meeting time so that we don't have to worry about scheduling every month. Keep those things in mind when you're preparing to come.

And finally...when do we want this to go down? I'm thinking the weekend of the 12th or the 26th. Talk amongst yourselves.

MAJOR P.S. Okay, what's up with not posting our recipes? (MYSELF INCLUDED) Woot to Rachel for posting her pizza recipe..as for the rest of us...we're two cooking clubs behind. GET ON IT.

Julie and Julia

Where?: Bel Mar

When?: 2:20 Meet in the lobby for the 2:40 Showing this Saturday (8/15/09)
(If you get there late and can't find us, come into the theater and look for us - we'll save an extra seat or two.)

How?: Everyone will just get their own ticket when they arrive, so there's no need for a headcount.

And?: Ice cream at Coldstone's after the movie (Around 5:15?)

See you ladies there!

Movie Night! Part Deux

The votes are in!

Going with the majority, here's the plan for this month's cooking club:

Saturday, August 15th (that's this week!)
Matinee (we'll do a showing around 2:00, the specific times aren't available yet so I'll update you when they're posted)
at Bel Mar
and we'll get ice cream at the Coldstones there afterwards.

I, for one, am quite excited to see this movie. Hope to see y'all there!

Movie Night!

As discussed, for August's cooking club I'm declaring a movie night. Julie & Julia opens this Friday (August 7th).

So, here's three decisions I'm putting up for a vote:

Decision #1 - When
Saturday, August 15
or
Saturday, August 29

Decision #2 - When, the Sequel: Revenge of the Showtimes
Matinee (cheaper, but may be an issue for those with offspring)
or
Evening Show (around 7:00, like our usual time)

Decision #3 - Nom, nom, nom?
Because it would be cruel to have a cooking club without being able to taste anything, I have three options to propose:

1. We each make some sort of purse-sized movie treat and bring it to the theater to share (may be ethically questionable, given the rules of movie watching).
2. Post-movie, we all head for the nearest Coldstone's to enjoy some ice cream (made by someone else) and discuss the film/life.
3. Post-movie, we come back to my place for treats (still pot-luck but not a meal, I'll specify details if this option gets picked).

Post your choices in the comments. And because deadlines are the ultimate muse, I'm declaring voting closed at midnight next Saturday, August 9.

To whet your appetite in the meantime, here's the trailer.

On The Grill

I'm excited to host my first Cooking Club! Sarah had the great idea for the theme and I don't think there will be any shortage of things to cook on my Miranda-approved "man grill". The 18th or the 25th, does everyone still like 7pm? I'll provide the main dish - I'm thinking that shrimp Miranda posted, is anyone against shrimp?

Serin - Shrimp

Emeril's Lemon-Herb Grilled Shrimp
Ingredients
Serves 4
1 1/2 pounds large unpeeled shrimp
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (from 3 lemons)
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for grill
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
Coarse salt and ground pepper
Directions
Using a pair of kitchen shears or a paring knife, cut through shell along the back of each shrimp. Devein shrimp, leaving shells on.
In a small bowl, combine lemon juice, oil, garlic, rosemary, thyme, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Reserve 6 tablespoons lemon mixture for serving. Place shrimp and remaining lemon mixture in a resealable plastic bag; seal bag and shake to coat shrimp. Refrigerate 1 hour.
Heat grill or grill pan to high. Clean and oil grill. Remove shrimp from marinade, wiping off excess. Grill until opaque throughout, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Serve shrimp drizzled with reserved lemon mixture

"Awesome Chicken"
* Exported from MasterCook *
Lemon BBQ Chicken

1 C butter
1 clove minced garlic
4 t flour
2/3 C water
1 T sugar
1/4 t salt and pepper
1/3 C bottled lemon juice
1/4 t tabasco sauce
1/2 t thyme

In sauce pan saute garlic in butter. Stir in flour then rest of ingredients and cook until thick. Marinade the chicken in half of the sauce and baste with other half and serve with chicken as dipping sauce. (I usually spilt the sauce into 4 servings and just baste at the grill. I save the other 3 in the fridge for another day)

christy- Salad


Sarah-Fruit


April- Grilled Pina Coladas


Miranda - Chicken Satay w/ peanut dipping sauce