The Baby Shower for "Junior"

Auntie Cara here (well not YET but VERY soon). I couldn’t be more excited to meet “Junior” and in celebration of his highly anticipated arrival, I hosted a small baby shower for Sherri at her home in New Jersey. I take party planning very seriously, think Bree Van de Kamp from Desperate Housewives with a touch of Martha Stewart. A bit of a scary combo. The party planning began 13 days prior to the big day on my flight home from Spain, Ole! I was organized, focused and determined. Theme, Décor, Gift Bags, Invites – Check! A few of the highlights from the menu included:


Goat Cheese & Sun Dried Tomato Frittata – Props go out to Jodie Frenkiel for introducing me to this recipe. As one of the founding members of the Gourmet Cooking Club in New York and in Montreal, she has made this recipe for both chapters. It is easy, impressive and yummy. Here is a link to the recipe: http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/spinach_frittata/


Mini Nigella Lawson Key Lime Pies – Blogged by the mom-to-be in 2006, the same year that she married Leebo: http://sherribraude.blogspot.com/2006/10/talias-bridal-shower-oh-my-key-lime.html


Smitten Kitchen Peanut Butter Balls – These were by far the most talked about dish at the baby shower! I got this recipe from the an amazing blog called Smitten Kitchen and I added my own twist by sprinkling some Fleur de Sels, here it is: http://smittenkitchen.com/2010/10/buckeyes/

Banana Magnolia Pudding – When the tourists come to NYC, they usually head to Magnolia to stand in line for a cupcake. The cupcakes at Magnolia are decent but it is the Banana Pudding that is the real star.

1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 1/2 cups ice cold water
1 (3.4-ounce) package instant vanilla pudding mix (preferably Jell-O brand)
3 cups heavy cream
1 (12-ounce) box Nabisco Nilla Wafers (no substitutions!)
4 cups sliced ripe bananas

1. In a small bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, beat together the sweetened condensed milk and water until well combined, about 1 minute. Add the pudding mix and beat well, about 2 minutes more. Cover and refrigerate for 3-4 hours or overnight, before continuing. It is very important to allow the proper amount of time for the pudding mixture to set.

2. In a large bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, whip the heavy cream until stiff peaks form. Gently fold the pudding mixture into the whipped cream until well blended and no streaks of pudding remain.

3. To assemble the dessert, you can assemble in tumbler glasses for individual portions or you can select a large, wide bowl (preferably glass) with a 4-5-quart capacity.

4. Arrange one-third of the wafers to cover the bottom of the bowl, overlapping if necessary, then one-third of the bananas and one-third of the pudding. Repeat the layering twice more, garnishing with additional wafers or wafer crumbs on the top layer of the pudding. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and allow to chill in the refrigerator for 4 hours - or up to 8 hours, but no longer! - before serving.

Tuna & Mushroom Quiche – This is a recipe passed down from my Mom, no idea where it originated from – possibly a Norene Gilletz recipe

Dough
½ cup Butter
½ cup Cream Cheese
1 cup Flour
2 tbsp Sugar

Filling
1 tin Tuna
1 Onion, grated
2 Eggs
1 can Mushrooms, drained

Topping
½ lb Grated Mozzarella Cheese

1. Combine all ingredients for the dough in a Mix Master and pat down into a 9” pie plate. Bake the dough for 10 minutes at 350 degrees.

2. Add Filling and then spread the mozzarella cheese over the top. Bake 25 minutes at 350 degrees.

Here are a few additional pictures of the festivities!