The Playdate Playhouse Hosts CupCake Playdate MAY 2012

 Check out Stella's face - and then look at Sienna & Lilo - as if they are thinking "OK MISS Excited!

Lunch Time for the moms....and a special thank you to Hiba for giving each of us a little sample pack of her All Natural Homemade Facial Scrubs, Lotion Bar and Lotion.  Stella LOVES applying her mini lotion bar!

To visit her website and see about her products click here

http://www.lilysapunas.com/

 Lunch Time

Look at Stella stealing some of Lilo's cupcake crumbs from her plate!  Stella stayed there after all the kids went off to play to make sure she got all of the crumbs - hey what can I say our girl loves the sweets just like her mama!

The last time The Playdate Playhouse hosted a get together it was back in October for the Pumpkin Painting Playdate.  So this was alot of fun to do this in the Spring this time

The day couldn't have been more beautiful - and great company with 6 moms, 7 toddlers, and 4 babies - ALL BEING GIRLS EXCEPT FOR ONE (5-month old Baby Vincent) - can you believe that!!??  Usually Davis, Jill's toddler, is the ladies man at all of our gatherings but unfortunately she couldn't make it due to outpatient surgery.  And there would have been 8 toddler girls but Katy was recovering from having her 2nd baby - YEP, A GIRL "Hannah"  :)  Congrats Katy!!! 


So I gotta say - I do love lunchin' it out on our patio while Stella plays in her yard - and it's even better when my friends and her friends join us!   I thank my husband all time for "letting" me pretty up our yard over the last few years - cuz let me tell you that house nor the yard came this way - not without ALOT OF WORK on our part, more than I could ever bare to do again...and of course some hired hands when it came to the stamped concrete patio, etc.


For more pics of this playdate go on FB and "LIKE" The Playdate Playhouse (Lambertville, MI).  Click below to get right to the page on FB


The Playdate Playhouse Link on FB


 The Lunch Menu for that day was:

Kids Menu:  Lunchables (variety - ham, turkey or bologna) carrot sticks w/ranch, apple slices & a Juice Box for them or they were welcome to have what us mommies were having....which none of them opted for.  And ok - I forgot the carrot sticks till almost the end of the lunch and the apple slices never made it to the picnic table, what can I say Mommy Brain :)

The Mommy Menu was:  Curried Chicken Salad with Golden Raisins & Whole Cashews on a Crossaint, A Romaine Mandarin Orange Salad with Goat Cheese & Toasted Almond Slices sprinkled on top with a Homemade Balsamic Dressing.   Fresh Strawberries for a side....um, which I also forgot to put out on the table until later ;)

Dessert:  Mini-CupCakes that the kids decorated themselves by using frosting baggies that I put together (they squeezed out the frosting from the corner tip of the baggie) and colored sprinkles.

Stella had a BLAST - it was alot of fun.



And now for the recipes some of you have asked me for that day...ENJOY!

RECIPE:  Curried Chicken Salad

Serves 6

3 whole (6 split) chicken breasts, boneless, skinless

Kosher salt

1 ½ cups good mayo  (TRY just 1 cup of Mayo first - taste see if you like - I use 1 cup)

1/3 dry white wine  (if you leave this out it's not the end of the world, but much better with it)

¼ cup Major Grey’s chutney

3 tablespoons curry powder

1 cup medium-diced celery (2 large stalks)

¼ cup chopped scallions, white and green parts (2 scallions)

½ cup raisins, or more if you would like.

1 cup whole roasted*, salted cashews - OR Not Roasted, your choice (I do not roast them).

Boil chicken breasts. Set aside until cool enough to handle. Dice the chicken in large bite-size pieces.

For the dressing, combine the mayo, wine, chutney, curry powder and 1½  teaspoons salt mix, whisk, your choice, until smooth and creamy.

 

Combine the chicken with enough dressing to moisten well. Add the celery, scallions and raisins, and mix well. Refrigerate for a few hours to allow the flavors to blend. Add the cashews and serve at room temperature. 

NOTE:  I always make another batch of the dressing because I feel it needs more - however I don't use the entire 2nd batch so pour in extra little at a time until you taste test it's to your perfect dressing-wise.  I keep little bit of extra dressing I have and you can use for chicken deli sandwich spread or pour over a chicken breast and bake in oven, if you want.

*To roast cashews, place them in a dry sauté pan over medium-low heat and stir until they’re a little crisp, about 5 mins. 

RECIPE:  Mandarin Orange Goat Cheese Romain Salad

 SALAD:
• Romaine Lettuce
• Celery
• Green Onions
• Mandarin Oranges (Add Just Before Serving)
• Goat Cheese** (see pic below of the Goat Cheese I highly recommend using)
• Toasted Candied Almonds*

DRESSING: 
1/3 C Veg Oil
1/4 C Sugar
1/4 C Vinegar (I use Balsamic - but can use White, Apple Cider, or Red Wine Vinegar)

1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Assemble the salad with all romaine first, then sprinkle all toppings except wait to put the Mandarin Oranges on just before serving if possible (diced celery, diced green onions, crumbled goat cheese (crumble it by scraping it out of it's package with a fork).

 *Pour large bag of sliced almonds (about 1-2 cups worth) into frying pan with about 3 TBSP of white sugar in with them - heat slowly on Medium and pay attention, stir once in awhile - once you see the sugar begin to carmelize transfer them onto a sheet of wax paper to cool.  Break apart the large clumps once cooled.  You can do this ahead of time and store in tupperware in fridge until you are ready to assemble your salad.

**Goat Cheese:  This brand or another brand is fine as long as it is packaged just like this, rather than in a tub, etc. - AND GET THE GARLIC & HERB ONE!