Family, Food and Fun: Cooking with Family

Guacamole and Chips with tiny tomato roses

Family is very important to me, so our youngest sister turning 50 was an "event." The first of these "turning 50" parties was an utter surprise. The second - almost. And after that, it was just a matter of how much could be kept secret - not the party itself. So for Laura, it was no surprise at all. That said, the ultimate decision on the décor and food was relatively secret. My sister Anita has a real talent for making a table look almost too pretty to touch. I say almost, because all the food was irresistible.


Chicken Stuffed Sweet Peppers

Anita had already prepared almost everything, so the rest of us only had assembly work to do prior to the party. I was in that situation myself nearly 10 years ago when I hosted a 50th party for her, so I know the amount of work ahead of time, and sympathize. No matter how much you love doing it, it is still a lot of work, and appreciated. She played taxi service for the 4 of us who do not live nearby, shuttling us to and from the airport.

Carrot Cake Cheesecake

The party was a wonderful event, with a lot of the same hilarity that always goes on when we are together. I am so fortunate in my sisters that we all get along well and have so much fun when we are together. Some of the dishes that were prepared were Roast Beef with Gorgonzola Walnut Spread on Flat Out Rosemary Breads, Scallop Ceviche, Guacamole (of course), with tiny "roses" made from cherry tomatoes, Beef Satay, a Boboli with Spinach Dip, topped with Italian 4-cheese blend and baked (yum!), Chicken Stuffed Sweet Peppers, Chiles Rellenos casserole, Curried Pork stuffed into Pita breads, a trifle made with Angel Food Cake and fruits. Diana brought her Sugared Pecans, there was a cheese plate and of course cake! 

Boboli with Spinach Dip

There were two cakes. The party was Zebra themed, and Diana had two zebra photos printed on edible material. One was a colorful picture and was placed onto the red velvet cake. I piped the shell borders. The other, and main cake was a Carrot Cake Cheesecake. This was covered thinly with cream cheese frosting and the zebra closeup photo was placed onto this. Diana also brought zebra striped design peel off applications which we used on the sides of the cheesecake. Again, I piped shell borders. In tune with the zebra themed cake decals, were Anita's zebra decorations and table top decor.


Needless to say, everything was just fantastic. The table was beautiful, including the table outside by the pool. Unfortunately, I have no recipes to include here, except the Boboli. Take a boboli bread, cover it with Spinach Dip, then coat with a 4-cheese Italian blend and bake until hot and cheese is melted. Slice as desired. I never would have thought to bake Spinach Dip, but this was so very good. 


My passion is teaching people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and passing along my love and joy of food, both simple or exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, continuing my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Join me also at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook, and Pinterest.