Happy B Day Menu

You can totally do all of this yourself.  Well, maybe not the Baked Alaska.  I wasn't sure we were going to pull it off.  Especially after so many cocktails.  But there it is - a fabulous summer menu.

Get the fresh oysters at Taylor Shellfish, the salmon at Metropolitan Market, and the push pop molds at ShopSweetLulu.com - or you can buy ice cream at Molly Moon.

Getting ready for the OSCARS!

I love the Oscars.  I haven't seen most of the movies for the last several years.  I am hopelessly behind in my theater experience but I love the spectacle, the dresses, and the drama.  This year - I am almost embaraased to admit - the only movie I have seen in the "Best Picture" category is Toy Story 3.  Seriously. I really want to see True Grit and The King's Speech, but  we haven't bothered with a sitter to make that happen.  They'll be OnDemand soon.

And I love watching the Oscars with a group of people.  The more children I have the less other people want to hang out with us and our special brand of chaos.  So Oscar night becomes a family night.  But I have a plan for this year.  Here's the strategy - and follow along with the blog, because Oscar night is only 12 days away and I'll show you step by step in the days to come.

1. Popcorn bar :: assorted toppings including the one from the book

2. Cocktails :: and mocktails for those of us on the wagon (temporarily) that are festive but not including Goldschlagger

3. Fun decorations :: but not in red, black, and gold.  I'M BORED with those colors!  It's all fun and bright at our house.

4. Dinner :: I'm not leaving the TV from about 3:30 on, so it has to be basically done by then (or the night before!)

Make it :: Romantic Valentine's Dinner

I don't do restaurants for Valentine's Day.  It actually feels the opposite of romantic to me.  Eating a set menu of overpriced lobster and oysters with a crowd of people all packed into a restaurant.  No thanks.  I'll go out another night and save Valentine's Day for a nice at-home meal.

I think "romantic" and "fancy" get paired together too often.  A lovely meal at home doesn't have to include caviar and $30 a pound steak.  A lovely meal at home is usually making something special for your sweetheart.  Mr. Hedin loves comfort food, so for my valentine I like to make something warm and comforting like Chicken Pot Pie.  Chicken Pot Pie is always a winner at our house.  It's comforting, delicious, and quite simple.  

Click here for my recipe.

Dessert is where I go all out this time of year.  Usually, if we are interested in dessert, we just grab a bowl if ice cream or a handful of candy.  Done.  But Valentine's Day calls for something more special, more elegant, more decadent.  Like a Flourless Chocolate Torte.  This is actually not Mr. Hedin's favorite.  He would prefer a pie or a crisp or anything with fruit.  Fruit is super limited this time of year and I am not a fan of canned or frozen.  But chocolate is always in season.  And delicious.  I'll eat this.  I like to use the recipe from Nordstrom's cookbook.  But Martha has a good one too here.  

Make It :: Valentine's Dinner for the family

So what are you making for dinner?  Or are you going out?  I am not a fan of going out, to be perfectly honest.  Restaurants are crowded, the menus are usually a set menu, and there's a big expectation that everything be 'perfect.'  Instead, I like dinner at home.


This is the perfect day to spoil the whole family with a special dinner made just for them.  Especially if you have kids!!  Kids love a special anything - and a dinner that they can help make, and personalize, will be thrilling.

My kids love pizza - I have actually yet to meet one who doesn't - so Make Your Own Pizza is a great activity for the whole family.  My son can have pizza "no cheese, no sauce," my daughter can have a little of everything, I can have artichoke hearts, and Mr. Hedin can have mushrooms.  It's actually perfect for everyone.  And if you're feeling adventurous you can shape the dough into heart shapes.

For dessert, you can make Banana Split Ice Cream Sandwiches.  These are easier than they sound.  You make the Coconut Butter Cookies from my book and sandwich banana ice cream between them.  Can't find banana ice cream?  Neither could I.  So you take 1/2 pint of vanilla ice cream, softened, and mix in 2 ripe bananas.  Scoop into cookies and re-freeze.  When you're ready to serve, top with chocolate sauce, whip cream, and a cherry.  Yum!