Family

Cha-Cha-Cha-Changes, a Wedding, & What’s to Come

So yes, it’s been a while since I put anything on this blog. With a new year comes new ideas, thoughts, and processes and I’m going to do a bit of a brain-dump here to explain where I’ve been and where I’m going!

2022 was such a great year for so many reasons but sadly my blog took the biggest hit as I neglected it. And here is why… I gave into the overwhelm of life.

In the fall of 2021, while Bill and I were on vacation in northern Michigan, he surprised me by dropping on one knee before dinner with my mom, my sister and her family, and proposing! After being together 10 years I had always hoped the day would come but wasn’t sure it ever would! Fast forward to today… I couldn’t be happier!

I honestly had no idea how overwhelming planning a wedding could be. Bill and I entertain A LOT and I thought, “This is is just a bigger party, right?” and while I was correct, there were so many more details to cover and attend to. Where would we get married? When? What is the budget? Will people come?

When we determined we really didn’t need a wedding planner, I bought a book that walked me through the process as I wasn’t really sure on some of the details. We decided early on we wanted to get married at our home (a secret dream I had when we first saw our home in 2012). With the help of my BFF, who graciously made phone calls to vendors and found our reception caterer and family night food truck, and my amazing neighbors who helped set up and clean up, the day was absolutely perfect. Our parents smiled down from heaven to deliver us the perfect weather too. It was everything I wanted it to be and like all things, it all fell perfectly into place.

In May of 2022, after Bill went on a business trip, he brought home the gift of COVID. He started feeling lousy on a Tuesday and tested positive on Wednesday. I started feeling lousy on Wednesday and tested positive on Thursday. He bounced back to feeling 100% in 48 hours, while I was laid out for an entire week. Thankfully mom didn’t catch it at all while she was with us at the time!

That is the week I fell of the blogging train. COVID exhausted me and the reality of REALLY having to start executing the wedding plans kicked in. Between working full time and managing my Pampered Chef business, and all of the wonderful activities that come with weddings, I just couldn’t do it all. I accepted that and knew I’d get back here at some point!

With that, I’m going to share a few of my favorite pictures with you and promise that going forward, you will be seeing some new things on this blog!

What you can expect going forward…

A new look! You will see new recipe blocks for each recipe. You can now print the recipe right from the blog page. You can skip over the brief stories I write about the recipes by clicking the Jump To Recipe button. You can also shop the equipment I use in the recipes by clicking on any of the pictures and/or links
More recipes! Before my unintentional hiatus, I had more than 2 dozen recipes written and ready to go… all they needed were photographs. I will be getting those up in the next few weeks!
More content! Would you like this blog to stick to recipes or would you like more lifestyle content? Please be sure to place your thoughts in the comments! Thank you!
Shopping links! If you see something you like, you can shop my kitchen!

As with most things in life, this blog is a work in progress and will be evolving as time goes on. Thanks for being on this journey with me!

Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links. Colleen Finley is an independent advanced director for Pampered Chef. She earns a commission by linking to products she uses and trusts. If you purchase a product through her website link, your cost will be the same, and Colleen will automatically receive a small commission. Your support is greatly appreciated and helps us enrich lives, one meal and one memory at a time!

Everything on this site, recipes and photos belong to the author and any reprints are only by permission of the author.

January 6, 2023January 7, 2023

slicedicedish1 Comment

The Old Maid

When my sister was planning to visit I knew she’d be perfect for the guest mixologist spot during my weekly episode of Cocktails with Colleen! I asked her to pick a recipe and she said she wanted to make the Old Maid, assuring me that it had nothing to do with the fact that I’ll be turning 50 in about a month!

Of course we had a great time making the video as you can see on my YouTube channel!

Not only was it fun to make together, but it was really tasty as well! I can see this becoming a staple in our house as we lounge around our pool next summer!

Old Maid
Serves 2

4 oz gin
2 oz fresh lime juice
1 1/2 oz simple syrup
6 cucumber wheels (cut ¼-inch thick)
6-7 mint leaves
Cucumber spirals for garnish

In a cocktail shaker, muddle the cucumber wheels until crushed. Add the mint and just muddle but do not bruise.
Add the gin, lime juice and simple syrup. Fill with ice to the line and shake. Remove the top shaker and strain into a glass filled with one large ice cube.
Garnish with spiralized cucumber.

Enjoy!

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November 27, 2018

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Salmon with Warm Garlic Potato Salad

Along my Instant Pot/Quick Cooker journey I’m finding more and more recipes that I want to try and when I came across this one for salmon, I was sure it wouldn’t work! Well, we were all blown away at the flavor and consistency of the salmon and I don’t think I’ll cook it any other way again!

When I was thinking about how to cook the salmon, I knew resting on the trivet in the bottom wouldn’t be best because I didn’t want it to fall apart. It was fine when I was making the Salmon Curry because you want it in pieces, but I knew I wanted it to stay together so off to Amazon I went in search of an Instant Pot tray for steaming.

Nothing was doing it for me because most were bowls and I wan’t really wanting to spend money on it anyway and then I came across a recipe for steamed dumplings in an IP and they used a Bamboo Steamer! Genius! And even better? I have one tucked away in the basement. Now, I’ve owned this bamboo steamer for at least 20 years and have used it exactly one time. I got it because I saw an episode of Martha Stewart Living where she made a meal in it and it looked like one of the most elegant thing I had ever seen, so of course I purchased one immediately! Clearly the inspiration to use it fizzled out soon thereafter! Now just to see if the steamer I have would fit!?!?!

I had to stop home at lunch and when I got there, I ran down to the basement hoping that’s where it was and that I didn’t give it away thinking I’d have no further need for it! Thankfully it was right where I thought it was! I placed it in the Quick Cooker and it fit PERFECTLY! And last night it worked like a charm and now I’m excited to see what else I can use it for!

To being, I placed the potatoes in the bottom of the Quick Cooker. I found this great bag of multi-colored small potatoes at Aldi.

Then I added the water and butter. I placed a lettuce leaf in the bamboo steamer and the salmon on top. Then I sprinkled the salmon salt, pepper and paprika and then topped it with the parsley and lemon zest.

Into the Quick Cooker it went and we were off! (Have I mentioned how much I’m loving having a pressure cooker???)

When the cooking process was complete, I removed the bamboo steamer and added in the peppers and spinach mix.

I cut the salmon into portions… look at how evenly it cooked!

Then we plated it up, lit the candles, poured the wine and said grace! BTW, I’m LOVING how the multi-color potatoes look in this recipe!

If you have a bamboo steamer, pull it out and give it a try! You’ll be so happy you did!

Salmon with Garlic Warm Potato Salad
Serves 4

1 1/4 pounds small potatoes (I found a bag with
purple, red and yellow potatoes)
4 teaspoons butter, divided
1 cup water
salt and pepper
16 ounces salmon
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/2 tablespoon lemon zest
2 tablespoons parsley, chopped
1 large green leaf lettuce leaf
4 garlic cloves, pressed
1 red bell pepper, diced
4 cups spinach & arugula mix

Put the potatoes in the bottom of the Quick Cooker. Add the water and 2 teaspoons butter. Sprinkle salt and pepper on top and place the trivet over the potatoes.
Lay the lettuce leaf in the bottom of the bamboo steamer and place the salmon filet on top. Rub the top of the salmon with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and paprika. Top with parsley and lemon zest. Place the steamer on the trivet in the Quick Cooker.
Close the Lid, making sure the steam valve is in the sealing position. Press Custom, then adjust the time to 3 minutes. Press start.
When finished, press the steam release button to release the pressure.
Remove the bamboo steamer and trivet and press Cancel. Set the Quick Cooker to Sear and press start. When the potatoes begin to sizzle, add the garlic and cook, stirring, until the potatoes are softened, about 2 minutes. Stir in the remaining butter and season with salt and pepper. Smash the potatoes with the Mix ‘N Chunk to the desired consistency.
Press Cancel. Add the red pepper and greens to the potatoes and stir until wilted, 1-2 minutes. Divide the salmon and potato salad among serving plates.

Enjoy!

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November 9, 2018November 9, 2018

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Grandma Finley’s Meatloaf

This meatloaf isn’t my grandmother’s recipe but I have named it in her honor. She was an amazing woman and entertainer. I have some special items of hers, two in my kitchen. First is her recipe box with all of her hand written recipe cards. The second is a little notebook she kept about dinner parties. Back in the day, instead of going out to dinner on weekends, couples would entertain each other. God I wish this would come back into style!

In this little notebook, she kept track of the date of the party, who attended, the menu, a description of the centerpiece and tablescapes as well as what the “prizes” were. Each guest would go home with a little something from the host and hostess… most common prizes were a deck of cards for the men and a compact for the ladies. I just love looking through it. The date of the first entry is August 27, 1936. My dad was 8 years old then.

Popular menus included Chicken A-la King, Lobster Newburg on Toast, and Grilled Steak. According to the book, cocktails were served upon arrival… most commonly Manhattan’s for the ladies and Highballs for the gentlemen. They really knew how to do it!

I always loved going to Grandmas’s for dinner. The table would always be set when we arrived and it always seemed so elegant! Usually we would have a dinner in August near the date of my brother’s birthday. She would always make a cake and somewhere in the cake would be a quarter wrapped in wax paper. I always thought the baked the quarter into the cake but realized later on that she inserted it after the cake was baked. We would all wait in anticipation as to who would receive the quarter! Usually it was my brother. After all, more often than not, we would be celebrating his birthday. I remember the time I got the quarter though. It seems to be one of the best days of my life. After that, on occasion, when I make cakes, I’ll slip a quarter wrapped in wax paper into the cake so I can share the story with others.

The other fun item I have is her recipe box. It’s an elegant (just like her) wooden box with her gorgeous penmanship… each recipe written out on index cards. =-Maybe I’ll look through it again and update some of her recipes!

In the front “Main Dishes” section, her recipes include Chicken Divan, Spanish Rice, Corned Beef Casserole, Crabmeat Thermidor, Lobster Newburgh, Crab Royal, Chicken Fricasse and her famous Spaghetti. I’ll have to do a post on that amazing recipe soon!

For Sunday dinner last weekend, Bill requested meatloaf. It’s one of his most frequent request and while it is May, it’s rainy and a cool 58˚F here. I decided to mix it up a bit and create this meatloaf version. I’m excited with the results and I hope you enjoy it too!

Grandma Finley’s Meatloaf
Serves 8

1 pound lean ground beef
1-1/2 pounds meatloaf mix (mixture of beef, lamb and pork)
3/4 cup roasted red peppers, diced
1 cup yellow onion, finely diced or grated
1 6oz jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained and roughly chopped
3/4 cup breadcrumbs (I use gluten-free)
1 egg
1 cup tomato sauce, divided
2 garlic cloves, pressed or finely chopped
2 tablespoons Italian Seasoning (I use this one)
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly milled black pepper

Heat the oven to 375˚F. In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, meatloaf mix, red peppers, yellow onion, artichoke hearts, breadcrumbs, egg, 1/2 cup tomato sauce, garlic cloves, italian seasoning mix, salt and pepper just until combined.
Pack the mixture into a loaf pan. If the pan is packed to the rim, place on a baking sheet to catch any juice that may drip over the edge.
Bake 1 hour. Remove from the oven and spoon the remaining 1/2 cup tomato sauce over the top.
Return to the oven and bake an additional 10 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 160˚F.
Remove from the oven and let rest 10 minutes. Slice into 8 pieces and serve warm.

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Some of the links on this page may be affiliate links. Colleen Finley is an independent advanced director for Pampered Chef. She earns a commission by linking to products she uses and trusts. If you purchase a product through her website link, your cost will be the same, and Colleen will automatically receive a small commission. Your support is greatly appreciated and helps us enrich lives, one meal and one memory at a time!

May 12, 2018May 9, 2018

slicedicedish2 Comments

scan0215 I grew up the youngest of six kids in Birmingham, MI, a suburb of Detroit. My mom was (and still is) an amazing cook and homemaker. She always made each meal special and each night the table was set and we had dinner as a family.

On Sundays and other special occasions, we’d have dinner in the dining room or if it was a bigger gathering, we’d be in the family at the really big table.

Candles were always lit at dinner and we used cloth napkins, a tradition Bill and I carry on no matter what night of the week. Mom always had some kind of centerpiece. How she found the time to do it all still amazes me to this day!

She involved us in the cooking process (only if we wanted to be involved) and I never remember anyone complaining about anything she made. Well, that’s not 100% true. One time my sister and I begged her to make Hamburger Helper. I don’t even want to now think about all of the processed grossness that must be in that box. Anyway, it must have been the ads on tv with the BIG hand waving and the kids being all happy at dinner time. Mom gave in and made it one night. It was HORRIBLE. I always wondered if it was really that bad or if she doctored it up somehow so she knew we wouldn’t like it and we’d never ask for it again. I remember thinking to myself, “I wonder if this is what dog food tastes like?” Needless to say, we never asked and mom never made it again.

But really, she was a genius in the kitchen. When I said the no one ever complained? I asked her about that once… how did she do it? She told me that she knew what everyone enjoyed and one day each week she made something that someone would like. She figured at least one person would be happy each day because she knew she could never please all of us all the time. Although I suspect she pretty much did that because her cooking is fantastic.

She was ahead of her time too. Somehow she got her hands on old tin tv dinner trays. Not the disposable ones, but real metal ones. It seemed like we had dozens stacked in our basement, although I’m sure it wasn’t that many. But what she would do was after dinner was over, she would portion the leftovers into the trays and make her own customized tv dinners for us. They would always be stacked in the freezer in the basement. When she and my father would be heading out to a dinner party or hockey game, I remember loving that before the babysitter came, we would run down and pick out our dinner. They were all different and extremely tasty, because of course, they were homemade.

sc0007 Every holiday was special and one of my favorite times of the year would be before Christmas when mom would make my grandmother’s sour cream sugar cookies and we’d get to decorate them.

We’d get home from school to the aroma of the freshly baked cookies and after dinner, she’d set us up with frosting in several colors, sprinkles and other decorations to complete the task.

Every holiday meal was an elegant affair and normally included several guests in addition to our 8. Mom always pulled it together flawlessly and never expressed an ounce of stress. When I was a teenager she put on an Easter brunch each year for around 30 hungry hockey players and their families. She did that party 16 years in a row and averaged over 100 guests each time.

It’s because of her and my father and their love of entertaining that inspired Bill and I to host several events each year. One thing I am looking forward to is hosting dinner parties. We’ve done a handful but I’d like to add more to our lineup. They are fun, a great way to entertain without the noise and rush of being in a restaurant. Plus, it’s a lost art that I think needs to come back into fashion. Stay tuned for my ideas on those!

April 29, 2018April 25, 2018

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