My First Catered Party and A Spooktacular Halloween Cake

Last week I catered my first party for 40 people. My friend Holly asked if I would make a cake and heavy hors d'oeuvres for her 40th birthday extravaganza. I immediately said "yes!" then began brainstorming recipes and  ideas. Holly said she wanted a Halloween themed chocolate cake and sliders. I pretty much had carte blanche with the menu and decorating and I had so much fun. Here's what I made. 

I made 1). Ham wrapped Asparagus Spears with Boursin Cheese 2). Cream Cheese with Red Pepper Jelly and Spicy Saltine Crackers 3). Sausage, Garlic and Mushroom Pizza Puffs with Herb Red Sauce 4). Pork Tenderloin Medallions on Hawaiian Rolls served with Pesto Mayo.

I also made 7 Layer Dip with a Sour Cream Spiderweb served with corn chips and Sweet and Spicy Smoky Meatballs (that I forgot to take a picture of). And birthday cake!

My friend Holly doesn't actually turn 40 until December but she wanted to celebrate early with a "Happy Hollyween" party. I wanted to play up the "over the hill" theme so I did a graveyard scene and dug an early grave for her. I used Pepperidge Farm Milano cookies and a black edible marker for the tombstones. I used Peeps Marshmallow ghosts, Brach's pumpkins and edible chocolate rocks for decorating. I used melted dark chocolate and Wilton leaf sprinkles to make the tree. I used this Chocolate Cake Recipe, this Vanilla Buttercream Recipe and Chocolate Ganache to make the 2 layer 12-inch cake. It was a success! 

Spicy Saltine Crackers
(recipe given to me by my aunt Melinda)

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• 1 1/4 cup canola oil
• 1 Tablespoon caraway seeds
• 1 Tablespoon cayenne pepper
• 1 Tablespoon dill weed
• 3 Tablespoons dry ranch dressing mix
• 1 box (4 sleeves) Unsalted tops Saltine crackers

In a measuring cup, combine the oil and seasonings. Mix well.

Place the crackers into a 2 gallon Ziploc bag. Pour the seasoned oil over the crackers and shake vigorously until well coated. Let crackers soak up the seasonings for at least one hour or overnight. Leave them in the sealed bag until ready to serve.

Hope you all have a Happy Halloween!

My Favorite Pizza and A $50 Novica Giveaway! (Giveaway Closed)

Today we are talking pizza. I love pizza of all kinds, thin crust, thick crust, chewy crust, deep dish, minimal toppings, loaded with toppings, meat and cheese, veggies, frozen pizzas, gourmet pizzas, hot and cold. I do not discriminate against pizza, but please hold the onions! I've been making this pizza crust for the last 5  years and it is delicious. It's crispy, yet soft and chewy and flavorful. And you can top it with whatever you want. 

My favorite pizza lately is BBQ chicken pizza with bacon and pineapple. Hayden can be picky sometimes about meals but he's always a fan of this when I make it. I use BBQ sauce instead of marinara, then top with cooked and cubed, chicken breasts, crumbled bacon, fresh pineapple, garlic and cheese. Mr. H never used to like sweet and savory together in a pizza but he really likes this one. I also made a cheese and tomato pizza with dried oregano and garlic. 

I've been making pizza for awhile but never had a pizza board to put it on until now. Novica asked if I'd like to host a giveaway on my blog and since I love their products and what they're all about I said yes! I chose this beautiful handcrafted teak wood pizza board titled "Chef's Delight". Novica is unique in that they offer handmade, hand crafted artisan goods from all over the world in one place. When you chose an item, you get to learn about the person who made it and where they are from. Novica not only brings all these artists together and gives them the opportunity to share their products with the world, but they make the buying experience more personal. My pizza board was made by Teo Hernandez in Guatemala and came wrapped in printed craft paper with a note and gift card as well as a ribbon and a miniature doll at no additional charge. And the shipping rates are so reasonable and fast! 

It's nice to know that you can shop online for a unique gift that isn't manufactured in bulk and sold at box stores everywhere. By purchasing from Novica, you're giving these artists across the globe a chance to support their families while expanding their business. Also because everything is hand made, each is a little bit different and special in it's own way. Novica doesn't just have teak cutting boards, they also have beautiful onyx earrings, silver bands, gifts for men, furniture, gorgeous embroidered shawls, and tons colorful glassware. I could easily spend hours on Novica making my wish list. 

Rosemary Pizza Crust

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• 1 envelope active dry yeast
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 cups bread flour, plus more for pressing the dough out
• 3/4 cup warm water
• 2 teaspoons chopped rosemary
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• olive or vegetable oil, for oiling the bowl

In a large bowl, whisk the yeast and sugar with 1/4 cup of the flour. Stir in 1/4 cup of the warm water and let stand until slightly foamy, about 5 minutes. Add the rosemary, salt, pepper and the remaining 1 3/4 cups of flour and 1/2 cup of water; stir until a dough forms.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead until smooth, about 5 minutes. Transfer the dough to an oiled bowl, cover and let rise in a draft-free spot (the microwave) until billowy and doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 450°. Place a pizza stone or pan in the bottom of the oven, and preheat for at least 30 minutes.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Press and stretch the dough into a 13-inch round then transfer to the preheated pizza pan. Be careful not to touch the pan because it will be HOT.

Place your sauce and desired toppings on the dough then transfer the pizza into the oven until the crust is golden brown and the cheese melts; about 15-18 minutes.

NOTE: Pizza stones will heat faster and will create a crispier crust while metal pans may take longer to brown and the crust will be slightly softer.

Now for the $50 gift voucher giveaway from Novica!

Novica provided me a $50 credit to purchase and review whatever I wanted and an additional $50 credit to giveaway to one of Lick The Bowl Good's loyal readers. 

You have 3 chances to enter this giveaway: 

1. Visit Novica's website and come back here and tell me what is on your wishlist. (mandatory entry)

2. Follow Novica on Facebook

3. Follow Lick The Bowl Good on Facebook. 

Please leave a separate comment for each entry.

Giveaway closes Friday, September 6th at 11:59pm. A winner will be announced on Saturday, September 7, 2013.

Good luck and happy shopping!

Superbowl Round Up

Superbowl Sunday is in a few days! I have no earthly idea which teams are playing, but I know there will be balls and sweaty men wearing tight uniforms playing catch. Football is not my thing, but eating yummy foods at Superbowl parties is! I've compiled several recipes, both sweet and savory, that I've made over the years that are simple and great for feeding crowds. Here they are in no particular order. 

One-Bowl Brownies- Basic homemade brownies, with or without nuts that come together in s snap.  

Goldfish Bowl Bites- These goldfish crackers are coated in butter and Ranch seasoning. Addicting and great for snacking. 

Cheesy Spinach and Artichoke Dip- Gooey, cheesy and warm form the oven. Tasty with crackers, chips or veggie dippers. 

Soft Pretzels- I could eat these everyday. I love a warm, chewy pretzel. These are versatile and can be made  into a sweet or salty treat. 

Rolo Stuffed Ritz Crackers- Two ingredients. Ready in 10 minutes or less. Sweet and salty- yes, please!

Motherload Cookie Bars- These bars have something for everyone. 4 layers of cookie dough, together in one bar, then drizzled with chocolate. mmm!

Pepperoni Pizza Puffs- These pizza puffs are the most popular recipe on my blog, thanks to Pinterest. Pepperoni not your thing? Use sausage or veggies. 

Cap'n Crunch Peanut Butter Bars-  No bake and fuss free. marshmallows combine with creamy peanut butter to coat crunchy cereal. 

Aunt Nette's Scramble Dogs- My blog friend Jeanette used to make these scramble dogs. It's like a decomposed chili dog with the crunch of oyster crackers, served in a bowl. Messy man food!

Sopaipilla Cheesecake Bars- If you love cinnamon sugar and cheesecake, these are for you! Make them the day before you need them. 

Baked Corn Dog Muffins- I love corn dogs but don't eat them often because they're deep fried and no so healthy. These use cornbread and your favorite wieners and are baked in muffin tins. 

Bruschetta Burgers- Probably one of my favorite burgers ever. The garlicky tomato topping and the pesto mayo make these special. 

Buffalo Chicken Dip- The name says it all. Buffalo chicken flavors in a dip!

Cheesy Ranch BLT Dip- Cheese. Ranch Dressing. Bacon. Spinach. Tomato. On warm crusty bread. I could eat this hot dip as a meal. 

Crockpot BBQ Pulled Pork- Let the crockpot do the work for you! Juicy, spicy shredded pork sandwiches.

Ham and Swiss Sliders- These are fun and simple and both kids and adults like them. Toast them in the oven to melt the cheese and the buttery mustard topping soaks into the bread. Ohhh! 

Chocolate Sybil Cake- Also known as Texas Sheetcake. Chocolate cake, topped with rich chocolate frosting them sprinkled with pecans. Heaven help me. 

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Hope you guys eat well this weekend. What are you planning on making?

Nestle Pretzel Dipped Drumsticks and A Pizza Party

Last weekend, we invited family over to our house for a make-your-own-pizza party. Everyone got involved and had fun decorating their personal pizza crusts with an array of toppings. It was interesting to see that the men went straight for the meat (sausage, bacon, pepperoni) while the women added more veggies. Since I was putting pizzas in the oven and taking them out, I got to oversee everyone's pizza making skills. Some chose lots of sauce, some opted for a drizzle of olive oil instead. Some loaded up the cheese while others just wanted a sprinkle to hold everything together. 

This party was fun for me and easy. I started earlier in the day by chopping up the veggies and browning the meat and just set everything in small clear bowls. I covered them all up, placed them on a large cookie sheet and into the fridge it all went. We had mushrooms, spinach, bell peppers, tomatoes, onions, garlic, crumbled Italian sausage, pepperoni, Canadian bacon, breakfast bacon, and pineapple along with shredded mozzarella and muenster cheese. If you're looking for a different yet affordable way to feed and entertain a crowd, pizza making could be the way to go. Who doesn't like pizza? And the best thing is that no one can complain about their dinner because they made it. 

For dessert my mom made a lemon cheesecake, I made a banana pudding dessert and we also had Nestle Drumsticks. As part of the Foodbuzz Tastemaker program, I received a couple coupons for free Nestle Pretzel Dipped Drumsticks. Only we got so full after eating pizza, that we didn't enjoy the ice cream treats until the next day. I was really looking forward to this new flavor and I am and always have been a fan of Nestle Drumsticks. I like the original peanut covered variety with vanilla ice cream while Mr. H likes the chocolate version. No surprise there. This pretzel dipped version takes the typical waffled sugar cone, filled with vanilla ice cream then dipped in a dark chocolate shell, with pretzel pieces. 

I was really looking forward to the salty sweet combination of the Nestle Pretzel Dipped Drumsticks, however the end result was a little underwhelming. Don't get me wrong, they were good but the salty pretzel was virtually non-existent. The Drumsticks come in a package of 4 and I had to open up all of them to find one that had more than just a couple pretzels pieces on top. I think the idea is good in theory but the pretzel essence just didn't come through for me. However, I do have to say that the Nestle Pretzel Dipped Drumsticks served along side a handful of mini pretzels was quite delicious. I especially liked taking the pretzel and scooping up a bit of the vanilla ice cream- yum! I think Nestle could have added the crunchy pretzels pieces on top of the chocolate as they do with the peanut variety for more flavor or maybe they could have gone with a salted pretzel cone? 

All in all, I liked the Nestle Pretzel Dipped Drumsticks but I'm not sure it's a flavor that I'd buy on my own simply because it was just like eating a chocolate covered ice cream cone. You pay extra (Target had them for 20 cents more than the original Drumsticks) for the pretzel nuggets and they're just not there, at least not in my box. Thank you Nestle for sponsoring my pizza party and for allowing us to try the new flavor of Drumsticks. Please consider getting a box this Summer and giving them a try for yourself and remember they're a seasonal  product so don't wait- they'll be gone before you know it!

Disclosure: Nestlé has provided me with free product and other items in order to help with my review, but anything I receive from Nestle does not affect my thoughts on its company or their products. 

Enjoy a Drumstick and have a Happy Memorial Day!

Annoying Habits

We just finished dinner and I'm snuggled up in my favorite chair with the laptop on my...well, lap. I am listening to Family Guy reruns in the background and waiting for 9pm to strike so I can meet my friend at the bookstore for coffee and chit chat. Sounds ideal huh? Minus the obnoxious cartoon in the background. ha!

You see, Mr. H will take the remote from me, change the channel and put it on something uber annoying. He'll watch it for about 15 minutes then head into the office to full around on the computer or he'll go to the garage to tinker and he leaves the remote on the couch across the room! That drives me batty. He does this ALL the time. Usually I jut ignore it because I'm reading blogs and it's just background noise, but I can't stand Family Guy's rude humor. Or a show about garage makeovers, or tow trucks or the Speed channel, or Vh-1's One Hit Wonders (for the umpteenth time).

My husband has horrible taste in television. It's not all bad but I've been subjected to some awful TV. And as I type this I'm watching Van Wilder's something or another. And the remote? Across the room on the couch far, far away from me (really it's only a few feet away from me but I'm lazy so it feels like miles). But despite this annoying habit, I love my husband and I vowed "for better or worse". And so I made him these pepperoni pizza puffs. They're like bite size pizzas baked into muffin pan. We had them for dinner with a side salad but I'd recommend them for appetizers too. They're kind of like pizza but puffy and a little like a quiche but loaded with pizza flavor. Feel free to make them with your favorite toppings.

Pepperoni Pizza Puffs adapted from Everyday with Rachael Ray and Cassie Craves

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• 3/4 cup flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
• pinch of salt (my addition, optional)
• pinch of red pepper flakes (my addition, optional)
• 3/4 cup whole milk
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 cup cubed pepperoni
• 1/2 cup store-bought pizza sauce

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 24-cup mini-muffin pan. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, Italian seasoning, salt and red pepper flakes (if using) ; whisk in the milk and egg. Stir in the mozzarella, Parmesan and pepperoni; let stand for 10 minutes.

2. Stir the batter and divide among the mini-muffin cups. Bake until puffed and golden, 20 to 25 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, microwave the pizza sauce until warmed through. Serve the puffs with the pizza sauce for dipping.

NOTE: All my batter did not fit into the 24-mini muffin pan. So I made a full size muffin with the leftover batter. Some pans are larger than others so you may not have have an issue.

Hope you all have a great weekend!