2008 Weddings...

ATTENTION BRIDES :

If you purchased your wedding goodies from Country Catering & Cakes and would like to share your cake images (after all... it's hard for us to get a picture of the completed cake when often times the flowers or decorations come after we've set the cake up...) please email amanda
@ amanda@studio60photographicart.com and we'll post your images...

In return for the favour, we'll supply you with a $5 coupon off your next purchase!! How easy is that???
~ sorry, if your image is currently on the website, you are not eligible... images will be chosen at random...

Recipe of the Week!

Champion Chicken Parmesan
~ courtesy of Cooking Light Magazine

Notes from the Peanut Gallery : This is a super simple recipe that I suggest to anyone. Easy enough for a weeknight but 'nice' enough to impress company! I personally have tried the recipe with the {included} sauce recipe, and with my own home made spaghetti sauce and, of course, home made is always better. It also fairs well with your favorite store brand if you're in a pinch.

Try Asiago or provolone cheese in place of the mozzarella.

Yield

4 servings (serving size: 1 chicken breast half, 1 cup sauce, 1/4 cup cheese, and 3/4 cup pasta)

Ingredients

• Tomato sauce:
• 1 ounce sun-dried tomatoes, packed without oil (about 1/4 cup)
• 1 cup boiling water
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 2 cups chopped red bell pepper
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 2 (14.5-ounce) cans diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 
  Chicken:
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 4 (4-ounce) skinned, boned chicken breast halves
• 1 large egg white, lightly beaten
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Cooking spray
• 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
• 3 cups hot cooked linguine (about 6 ounces uncooked pasta)

Preparation

To prepare tomato sauce, combine sun-dried tomatoes and water in a bowl; cover and let stand 30 minutes or until soft. Drain and finely chop tomatoes.

Heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add sun-dried tomatoes, bell pepper, and onion; sauté 7 minutes. Stir in canned tomatoes; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in parsley, basil, vinegar, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, and garlic.

Preheat oven to 350°.

To prepare chicken, lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour, Parmesan, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper in a shallow dish. Place each breast half between 2 sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap; flatten to 1/4-inch thickness using a meat mallet or rolling pin. Dip each breast half in egg white; dredge in flour mixture. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook 5 minutes on each side or until golden. Arrange in a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Pour the tomato sauce over the chicken. Sprinkle with mozzarella. Bake at 350° for 15 minutes. Serve over linguine.

Bridal Show 2009

Thank you to all the brides who visited the Country Catering & Cakes booth at Thumper Pond on Sunday.... It was great talking to all of you!

Cupcakes are ALL the rage!!
No muss, no fuss, no extra plates and certainly easier to eat!

A little note about this look :You can use as many tiers as you would need to create your floating cake holders... How about a WHOLE table with different tiers of these delicious little confections? Imagine different flavors, but all with the same 'look'. This doesn't have to be a serious investment either because you can pick up some AWESOME fabric for really cheap, like $1-2 / yard. As seen here is 4 yards of fabric. Less than $10!! Some flowers and there you go! Instant perfection.

Bridal Show 2009

Just a reminder that Country Catering & Cakes will be at the Bridal Show at Thumper Pond Golf Course on Sunday, January 25th.  Come and try some samples!  Sure to please the eye AND your sweet tooth.  Lots of awesome vendors and some really great prizes.  Be there.

Recipe of the Week!

Whomever said, "Man cannot live on bread alone," .....was wrong. Bread in any of it's forms is a wondrous thing. While making bread could be rated as 'advanced amateur;' the results include a gloriously smelling home, some loaves to freeze for a later time, and hopefully the praise of your entire family for having something so delicious to enjoy with any meal.

MOM'S BREAD

4 cups warm water
3 packages yeast
3 teaspoons salt
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup canola oil
12 cups flour

Dissolve yeast, salt and sugar in water; add oil. Mix in flour.

Knead, put in bowl and let rise about 30 - 45 minutes, or double in size. Punch down and make into rolls or loaves, and let rise again.

Bake 350 -375 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes.

Yield: 3 dozen rolls or 6 loaves.

01.17.09

Congratulations to the new Mr & Mrs Nicole & Curtis Seifert who were married today....  Thank you for choosing Country Catering & Cakes for your Sweetest Needs!!

Recipe of the Week!

One-Pan Whiskey Flavored Pork Chops

OK ~ I'll admit, I'm sometimes a pack rat!! But when it comes to magazines and great articles, I just can't throw 'em out! This recipe is from WAY BACK in January 2001... Yes, I still have that magazine! But you can find it on www.cookinglight.com also... Yum Yum.
This recipe is very easily doubled, but the pan was full. :) Don't worry about your nonstick skillet either as the low baking temp won't harm it... Serve it up with some home made mashed 'tatoes and this is definitely a top 10 on my comfort food list!

Yield

4 servings (serving size: 1 pork chop and about 1/3 cup sauce)

Ingredients

• 2/3 cup fat-free sour cream
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon dried rubbed sage
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 4 (6-ounce) bone-in center-cut pork chops, trimmed
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1 (8-ounce) package presliced mushrooms
• 1/2 cup whiskey

Preparation

Preheat oven to 300°.

Combine the first 6 ingredients in a small bowl.

Sprinkle pork with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork; sauté 5 minutes on each side or until golden. Remove pork from pan. Add onion and mushrooms to pan; sauté for 3 minutes. Carefully add whiskey to pan; cook for 1 minute or until liquid almost evaporates. Stir sour cream mixture into pan. Return pork to pan; spoon sauce over pork.

Wrap handle of skillet with foil. Cover and bake at 300° for 1 hour. Serve immediately.

Roses are red...

Roses are Red..
Diamonds are Clear!
Valentine's Day
Is sure drawing near!!

Don't you think it's time you called Paulette to schedule that romantic dinner??
How about some sweets for your sweet?

Simplicity is Key

Here is a delightful cake made beautiful by its simplicity.  A touch of ribbon and a few scattered flowers coordinate the red and white colors of the day.

3 Cheers for 3 Tiers!

A beautifully simple 3-tiered cake.  The basis of a lot of cakes is a simple tier system, however, it changes dramatically when you add your own personal touches such as flowers, cake tops, ribbons, etc.  Make the cake even more versatile by having each layer be a different flavor.  Don't you love that custom wire cake topper?  

I couldn't resist showing the beautiful bride and her groom 'enjoying' their cake!!

Recipe of the Week!

Comfort Food Categories.... Who can resist a warm piece of this lovely not quite desert with a cup of hot coffee? We sure couldn't!

Apple Streusel Coffee Cake

Combine:
2 - 1/4 Cups Flour
3/4 Cup Granulated Sugar
3/4 Cup Butter

Mix together until crumbly and set aside 1/2 cup.

To the remainder add:

1/2 Teaspoon Baking Powder
1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda

In a separate small bowl, combine:

1 egg, beaten
3/4 Cup Buttermilk*

Add to dry ingredients. Stir until just moistened.
Spread 2/3 of batter in bottom and up sides of a greased 9" Spring Form Pan. Combine 1 - 20 oz can of Apple Pie Filling and 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon peel and 1/3 cup raisins (opt). Spoon over batter. Using the remaining batter, drop by teaspoonfuls over filling. Sprinkle with reserved crumb mixture.

Bake 350 degrees for approximately 1 hour.
6-8 servings.

TIP*If buttermilk is not directly available, you can use 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar in 1 cup of milk, which you stir and let stand for 5 minutes.