Harry Potter Themed Goodies!

Last year, my friends and I had an amazing Harry Potter themed party to celebrate both my friend Mary's birthday and the release of the 8th movie! It was amazing! She asked me to make butterbeer cupcakes, and I happily obliged! Here are some pictures and notes about things you can do for your next Harry Potter Bash!


1. Butterbeer Cupcakes

Parents: Don't be alarmed! Butterbeer cupcakes are alcohol-free, just like the scrumptious beverage featured in the Harry Potter series! Butterbeer is supposed to taste like cream soda and butterscotch mixed together (in fact, those are two ingredients in the most common butterbeer recipes)!

I have made other butterbeer cupcakes before, but the best recipe I've found is from Amy Bites. Her version is simple, yet a recipe you will be PROUD to serve your friends! made from scratch, the cupcakes even feature an easy ganache and tasty frosting. Here are a few pictures of the ones I made!



Fresh from the oven, I knew these cupcakes would be a hit! Look how perfect!




That 'ganache' has like TWO ingredients in it! Always a good sign!






So good! :)





2. Shortbread Cookies

The easiest way to carry on a theme for any party is with appropriately shaped cookies! For the Harry Potter party, I cut out stars and lightning bolts! You can definitely buy your own cookie cutter for the lightning bolts, but I used a template and made each tedious cut with a knife.

THIS is the recipe I use, from Ina Garten. Her recipe is divine (and you probably already have the ingredients)!!

I also drizzled chocolate on some of them, topped with crystal sprinkles.


Only a few ingredients!






YUM!




3. Butterscotch Haystacks! (Owl nests? Spiders? Sleeping Bowtruckles?)

Butterscotch haystacks are delicious and are just strange enough to be any number of Harry Potter-related things!

Drop clusters of the mixture onto a cookie sheet and chill them, and they make a great little treat!



4. Miscellaneous Ideas!

There are several passages in the Harry Potter books that talk about candies and treats, and many could be recreated for this kind of party.

I personally love the powdered sugar chex mix (with peanut butter and sugar) and that could easily be worked into a Potter themed party.



Have fun with your next Harry Potter Bash! I know WE did! :)
<3 Sara Elizabeth

Chicken Pomodoro! Yum!

I'm the youngest of four kids, so when I was a senior in high school, mom and I were essentially the only people at home. She has always been an amazing cook, but she really started to branch out when it was just 'us.'

One of my favorite recipes that she tried out in those days was this Chicken Pomodoro recipe. I honestly don't know what cookbook or magazine it is from. Just that it is easy and delicious!

This week, I made it for the first time. Mom sent me this recipe about four years ago, but I never got around to making it because I couldn't (okay, wouldn't) buy vodka. I was underaged! That's not an issue anymore, though. So here we go!

First, you need chicken. I bought boneless, skinless chicken breasts and beat them into submission with an empty wine bottle.

Once the chicken is sauteed, the sauce process begins! We always double the sauce. Trust me! It's worth it!

Once you've added all of your ingredients and topped it with green onions, you're ready to serve your delicious meal!

We serve this chicken over angel hair pasta, often with broccoli or brussel sprouts!

Here's the recipe, just as my mom e-mailed it! I couldn't possibly take out her snarky comments about the consequences of deglazing the pan without removing it from the stove! :) Anyway, don't forget to double the sauce. It will be worth it!

Enjoy!

CHICKEN POMODORO

4 chicken boneless, skinless breasts seasoned with salt and pepper

1/4 c flour (c=cup)

2 T vegetable oil (T= Tablespoon; t= teaspoon)

1/4 c vodka

1/2 c chicken broth

2 T fresh lemon juice

1/2 c canned or fresh tomatoes chopped (I always used petite diced canned)

2 T heavy cream (heavy cream = whipping cream)

1/3 c scallions, minced (scallions = green onions, a/k/a spring onions)

Place chicken breasts between piece of seran wrap. Pound breast to even thickness (about 1/2"). This is now a chicken cutlet. Season chicken cutlets with salt and pepper and then dust with flour. Heat oil in hot pan. Saute cutlets in oil. Transfer to a platter. There should be nice browned bits stuck to the bottom of your heavy fry pan. These browned bits are the FLAVOR! Drain off any fat in pan. Deglaze pan with vodka (MOVE PAN FROM FLAME!!! Be careful! 2 weeks ago I set the kitchen on fire AGAIN when the vodka hit the pan. It made a "Christian" out of me!!) return to heat and cook until vodka is nearly gone.

Add broth and lemon juice. Return cutlets to pan and cook on each side 1 minute (+ but don't over cook or cutlets become leathery). Transfer cutlets to a warm plate and cover loosely with foil. Finish the sauce with tomatoes and cream. (Do not have heat higher than medium or it will "break". Don't over boil the sauce. Just a real gentle simmer so cream doesn't "break"). Heat cream and tomatoes through, return cutlets to pan, top with green scallions. Bring to gentle simmer and serve.

OUTSTANDING!!

I started planning this blog thinking that I would use it as a sort of therapy. I was going to pour out my thoughts and concerns and relieve some stress.

That was before I started law school. Since I’ve been here (Ole Miss School of Law, Y’all!) I’ve found that crafting and cooking and spending time getting things done have all been better ways of dealing with stress.

The first month I painted furniture and decorated my apartment. The next month, I started cooking. Eventually, I taught myself how to knit, got frustrated, and returned to crocheting, which I’ve been doing since high school. Sometime last semester, my sister Teckie got me hooked on Pinterest (and trust me, it’s all downhill from there).

My favorite thing to do is probably bake. Because I live alone, I rarely have the chance to break out my cupcake pans, but there will be baking, I promise!

So here we go. My newest phase of stress relief: blogging about my projects.
Sara Elizabeth