Antipasto Platter served up by Guest Chef @ Let's Dish

We love easy appetizers and this one is a keeper. Everyone loves it and it is super easy to put together and serve guest at the holidays or even as a part of the family meal. What is your favorite appetizer? 

Antipasto Platter

Ingredients

1 head Romaine lettuce
2 teaspoons garlic salt
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 (8 oz.) bottle Italian-style salad dressing
½ pound thinly sliced cooked ham
½ pound sliced pepperoni
½ pound sliced salami
½ pound cheddar cheese, cubed
½ pound mozzarella cheese, cubed
½ pound pepper jack cheese, cubed
1 cup fresh mushrooms
1 cup whole pepperoncini peppers
1 cup whole black olives
1 cup cherry tomatoes

Directions

Wash and dry lettuce and arrange on a large platter. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon each of garlic salt, dried oregano and about ¼ cup of Italian dressing. Roll up ham, pepperoni and salami and arrange around outside edge of platter. Fill center of platter with cubed cheeses, mushrooms, olives, tomatoes and pepperoncini peppers. Sprinkle with remaining garlic salt, oregano and desired amount of Italian dressing. Serve with Italian bread or crackers.

Let's Dish
This is a beautiful appetizer that feeds a crowd and never fails to impress!  It's really more of an idea than a recipe, so feel free to make substitutions and omissions. When I include mushrooms, I like to marinate them in some Italian dressing for a for a few hours first. This can get a bit pricey with all that meat and cheese, so I usually make it for special occasions and holidays.
 
Who Dished It Up First 
Antipasto in Italian means "before the meal."  This is the original Italian appetizer.

________________________________________________

Thanks to  Let's Dish for allowing me to post this recipe under my GUEST BLOG post!  This dish looks soooo DELISH! It reminds me of an olive salad that I ate while at an Italian Restaurant. Go check out the other recipes. I couldn't even find one that I wouldn't make! She feeds three boys and a hungry husband! So I'm sure that many of her recipes have been well tested!!!

CHECK OUT Focaccia bread recipe! This would go along great with the antipasto platter. 

Subscribe to our mailing list

Kids Bedroom makeover tips

My youngest daughter is ready for a bedroom makeover! This is a task that we will gladly take on this spring for her.

Here are some important tips that we have learned over the years:

1)  It is very important to discuss a make-over budget before getting started.

2)  When redoing a room you will need to jot down a wish list of changes you want to make and then fit them into your budget.

• kids beds
• dresser
• desk
• paint
• chair
• rug
• curtains
• fun accessories

3) Search the internet and compare prices with your local stores.  Sometimes it is cheaper to buy online even with shipping charges! Some places offer free shipping. Check out resale and garage sales, too!

4) Make your plan of attack! What is your time line?

5) Use this time to donate items no longer needed in the room.  Hold a mini garage sale and get rid of toys, furniture,etc.  Use the extra money for the wishlist items for the new room!

6) Take photographs as you make the changes! It will be fun looking back at all you did!

7) Have fun with your project! Use this time to bond! Let your child participate in every step of the bedroom makeover from picking wall color to shopping for new kids beds on to planning the budget and actual painting the walls!

8) Plan a new room party when you are finished!!!  Invite family and friends over and celebrate all your hard work! We are going to use our new Skookie and have a make your own cookie party! I will be writing a review for this cool skillet very soon!  Stay tuned!

Do you have any ideas that you want to add??
*One random comment on this post will win a REDBOX movie code!

FREE Dunkin' Donuts Coffee Sample Giveaway

I was not paid to do this post. I did enter to receive a free sample of their new coffee.

Ebook Week & Twitter Tweet Giveaway

 Hey Booklovers!!!

I found out that this week is Ebook Week, March 7th-13th!!! What a great time to explore the world of e-readers to see if there is one out there for you!  I don't own one but would love to win The Nook through CurrClick.com.

They are having a Twitter tweetin' giveaway of a Nook eReader, worth $259! Simply use Twitter and tweet the following text with what you're reading: "It's #eBookWeek! I'm reading XXX. Win a Nook from CurrClick.com now-March 13." The winner will be randomly selected and notified on March 22nd.
You do not need to be a CurrClick member to participate. I strongly suggest that you check out CurrClick while you are there! They have free products this week.  Click here at CurrClick Online Classes to see our review on a Guitar Online class my daughter took. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

GIVEAWAY

Do you have an iPod Touch/Phone?? Did you know that you can get apps to read books?   Thanks to PicPocketBooks I have 2 codes to giveaway to one lucky reader!

TO ENTER- Go to PicPocketBooks and tell me at least one book you would pick and why you would pick it if you won. (Leave your email addy with this entry. This has to be done or all other entries will be void. Leave separate comments for each entry)

BONUS- Fan my blog, google friend connect or networked blogs. (2 entries each)

EXTRA BONUS- Read the article, How the brain handles screen reading, on the PicPocketBlog, leave a comment and come back here and tell me something about what you read.  (10 entries)

ENDS March 14th at midnight. Winner will be chosen for the PicPocketBooks via Random.org. 

I was not compensated to do this post.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

EXTRA EXTRA BONUS: I did an Amazon search and here are a few links that  I found to get you started on your e-reader search! If you own one already or will be buying one, feel free to leave your comment below and get ONE EXTRA ENTRY for the PicPocketBooks Giveaway.

Oscars Party Fun and Recipes

The Oscars! Have you ever wanted to go to the red carpet and watch all the stars? I love watching to see who wins which award.  Here are some recipe suggestions for tomorrow night.

Do you like sushi? Here is a fun recipe for Candy Sushi! My daughter loved making these with me!

CANDY SUSHI

Ingredients

2 T. melted butter

2 c. marshmellows

3 c. rice krispies

In a pan, melt butter and marshmallows.  Add rice krispies.  Then pour out onto wax paper lined cookie sheet.  Smash down.  You will not fill up the entire pan.  Only cook this small amount at one time. It makes it easier to roll up.

Time to add in the fun!

Ingredients

Twizlers (colorful)

gummy worms

swedish fish

pop rocks

Wilton green icing

Lay out a row of candy.

Next step is to roll it up like a Maki (a cut roll)sushi. This is easy.
This pan will make 3 maki sushi rolls. We used sushi bamboo mats. It is not necessary to use them for candy sushi.

Next step is to slice these into pieces of sushi. We used a serrated bread knife.
You can also roll fruit roll-ups or fruit leather around them. IF you add the fruit then you slice after that!

We also made nigiri sushi rolls. You roll the rice krispies into tiny rectangle rolls. Then add dried fruit (apricots) or swedish fish on top!



 
Thanks to SheBlogs.org and Erick B with Media Needle on behalf of Hyundai. They are running a quick giveaway contest in preparation for the Oscars.  Other than entering their giveaway  I wasn't compensated for this post.

Read more: http://www.sheblogs.org/2010/03/oscars-party-blogger-giveaway/#ixzz0hS8OsJuJ

Lidia Matticchio Bastianich serves up Scallopine

Lidia Cooks from the Heart of Italy: A Feast of 175 Regional Recipes

 

Lidia Cooks from the Heart of Italy: A Feast of 175 Regional Recipes

 Lidia's Italian American Scallopine

(Thanks to FSB Associates for providing the article! I do LOVE veal and chicken scallopine! I usually order the chicken from my favorite Italian resturant.  I'm thrilled to have these recipes and I can't wait to try them!)

By Lidia Matticchio Bastianich,
Author of Lidia Cooks from the Heart of Italy: A Feast of 175 Regional Recipes

Everyone loves scallopine, and I'm sure it's one of your favorite choices in your neighborhood Italian restaurant. The wonderful thing about scallopine is that the recipes are often so versatile. Any of the recipes that you find here can be prepared with veal, chicken, turkey or pork. One thing you do need is a meat mallet with both smooth and toothed sides. For more scallopine recipes, visit www.lidiasitaly.com this month!

To serve four, I suggest starting with any of the following; remember it's your choice!

• twelve 2-ounce veal slices
• four 6-ounce boneless and skinless chicken breast halves
• eight 3-ounce slices of boneless center cut pork loin
• eight 3-ounce turkey cutlets.

All of them should be pounded from ¼-inch thick to about ¹/8-inch thick by placing two at a time between two sheets of plastic wrap. Pound the scallopine with the toothed side of the mallet, then with the smooth side.
Flouring the scallopine helps to caramelize the outside of the scallopine before the inside becomes overcooked and tough. It also helps to thicken the sauce lightly and give it a velvety texture. Flour the scallopine just before browning them; otherwise, you might get a soggy coating.

Scallopine with Peppers, Mushrooms and Tomatoes
Serves 4

• ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
• 8 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
• 1 medium red and 1 medium yellow bell pepper, cored, seeded and sliced ½-inch thick
• 2 cups trimmed and thinly sliced assorted mushrooms
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 4 servings scallopine
• All purpose flour
• One 24-ounce can Italian plum tomatoes
• ½ teaspoon crushed hot red pepper
• 6 fresh basil leaves, torn into quarters

Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a heavy, wide skillet over medium heat. Toss three garlic cloves into the pan. Cook, stirring until golden, about 2 minutes. Stir in peppers and mushrooms, season lightly with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring, until the peppers are softened, about 8 minutes.
Heat 3 tablespoons of the remaining olive oil and butter in a large, heavy skillet. Add three garlic cloves to the pan. Cook, until golden, about 2 minutes. While the garlic is browning, dredge the scallopine in flour to coat both sides lightly, tap off the excess and add as many to the pan as fit in a single layer. Cook until golden brown on the underside, about 3 minutes. Flip and cook until the second side is lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Repeat with the remaining scallopine and remove from pan.
Pour off the fat from the pan and pour in the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil. Toss remaining garlic into the pan. Cook until golden, about 2 minutes. Stir in tomatoes and red pepper and season lightly with salt. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat so the sauce is simmering. Cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly thickened, about 10 minutes. Scrape the mushrooms and peppers into the sauce and bring to a simmer. Cook until the peppers are tender, about 3 minutes. Stir in the basil, tuck the scallopine into the sauce. Simmer until the scallopine are heated through and the sauce is lightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Taste and season with salt and additional red pepper. Divide the scallopine, topping each serving with some of the sauce.

Pan Fried Parmigiano Reggiano Coated Scallopine 
Serves 4

• 4 portions scallopine
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1 ½ cups fine, dry breadcrumbs
• 1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley
• All purpose flour
• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• Lemon wedges

Preheat oven to 250 degrees F. Season the scallopine with salt and pepper. Whisk eggs and milk together in a bowl. Mix breadcrumbs, Parmigiano Reggiano and parsley together on a plate. Spread the flour out on a separate plate. Dredge the scallopine in flour and tap off excess. Dip the floured scallopine into the egg mixture, turning well to coat both sides evenly. Let excess egg drip back into the bowl, then coat the scallopine in breadcrumbs, pressing with your hands so breadcrumbs adhere.
Heat olive oil and butter in a wide, heavy skillet. Lay as many breaded scallopine into the pan as will fit without touching. Fry until the underside is golden, about 4 minutes. Flip the scallopine and fry until the second side is golden, about 3 minutes. As the scallopine fry, adjust the heat so they brown gently and slowly and the bits of coating that fall into the oil don't burn. Transfer the scallopine to a paper-towel-lined baking sheet and keep warm in the oven. Remove as many browned bits from the pan as you can, and fry the remaining scallopine. Serve the scallopine immediately, garnished with lemon wedges.
© 2010 Lidia Matticchio Bastianich, author of Lidia Cooks from the Heart of Italy: A Feast of 175 Regional Recipes

Author Bio
Lidia Matticchio Bastianich, coauthor of Lidia Cooks from the Heart of Italy: A Feast of 175 Regional Recipe, is the author of five previous books, four of them accompanied by nationally syndicated public television series. She is the owner of the New York City restaurant Felidia (among others), and she lectures on and demonstrates Italian cooking throughout the country. She lives on Long Island, and can be reached at her Web site, www.LidiasItaly.com.

A Certain "Je Ne Sais Quoi" word origins at its finest!

A Certain "Je Ne Sais Quoi"
(Thanks for the article, FSB Associates)
By Chloe Rhodes,
Author of A Certain "Je Ne Sais Quoi": The Origin of Foreign Words Used in English

Picture this scenario: You're having a tête-à-tête with an old friend from your alma mater, who is a wine aficionado. So you pick an al fresco table at a chic little café, and order from the a la carte menu. However, your companion won't stop exchanging double entendres with the woman in the sarong at the next table. So you're stuck listening to the klutz of a waiter droning on ad nauseam about the soup du jour. At that point, you're ready to say hasta la vista -- but you don't want to seem like a diva.

Try to say all that in "English." You probably wouldn't change a single word. How else would you describe such a scene if it weren't for the thousands of foreign words and phrases we've snuck into our conversations over the years? We all use them without a second thought. But how much do you really know about the origins of the borrowed words and phrases you use every day?

Did you know, for example, that when you place an order for apple pie a la mode, that you are using a phrase that dates back to the days of King Louis XIV? His court became such a standard of good taste that the British aristocracy wanted to do more than dress in French fashion; they wanted to use their phrase for it, too. In the seventeenth century the term was anglicized to become alamode -- a light silk used to make scarves. And at some point in small-town America, the combined flavors of cooked apple, sweet pastry, and cool, creamy vanilla represented the very latest in fashionable, cutting-edge gastronomy, giving the term its modern meaning of "with ice cream."

And there's hundreds of other examples from France: laissez faire, joie de vivre, fait accompli, faux pas, I could go on but you'd only become blasé. And with good reason; English speakers have been word collectors since the fifth century, when the dialects of Anglo-Saxon settlers, Celts, and Norse invaders were cobbled together to create Old English. When the Norman conquerors arrived in 1066 it must have seemed natural to steal some of their vocabulary, too. By the end of the thirteenth century, more than 10,000 French words were absorbed into English -- and we still use 75 percent of them today.

But we've done more than add a French lilt to our lingo. Those Normans also introduced us to Latin. In medicine, we have words like post-mortem and placebo, while in legal language, Latin phrases such as in camera and quid pro quo are still bounced around the courtroom. And others have crossed over into broader use; an agreement or contract signed in good faith is said to be bona fide. However, in everyday use, the phrase has become interchangeable with the word genuine and usually describes someone or something whose authenticity can be trusted.

More foreign phrases joined the fray during the marauding, seafaring days of our English-speaking ancestors, who filled their boats with strange Asian spices, exotic fabrics, and loads of new words for all the animals, garments and foods they had discovered.

Even ketchup, that favorite sidekick of French fries, is an import, starting life as a spicy pickled fish sauce in seventeenth-century China. The word is a Westernized version of the Malay word kichap, which came from koechiap, meaning fish brine. The sweet red version we love with began to take shape when American sailors added tomatoes, which are excellent for preventing scurvy. In 1876 John Heinz launched his infamous tomato ketchup and the rest, as they say, is history.

And there are stowaway words in your wardrobe as well as your pantry; your pajamas, dungarees, and even your bandanna have their origins on foreign shores. Bandanna comes from the Sanskrit word bandhana, meaning to tie, from the tie-dying technique used to decorate scarves and handkerchiefs in India. The anglicized "bandanna" was incorporated into the English language during the days of the British Raj, though they're now more popular with wrestlers and cowboys who want to give their look a certain panache.
And while the Brits went abroad to gather additions for their dictionary, in seventeenth-century North America, words were coming to the English language by the boatload. Soon words from Italy, Poland, German, and Eastern Europe were leaping off immigrant ships and landing in the American English lexicon.

To uncover the backstory on some of these, from alter ego to zeitgeist, explore the pages of A Certain Je Ne Sais Quoi -- The Origin of Foreign Words Used in English by Chloe Rhodes, published by Reader's Digest, and voilá! Soon you'll easily be able to schmooze with everyone at the next cocktail party without making a single faux pas.

© 2010 Chloe Rhodes, author of A Certain "Je Ne Sais Quoi": The Origin of Foreign Words Used in English

Author Bio
Chloe Rhodes, author of A Certain "Je Ne Sais Quoi": The Origin of Foreign Words Used in English, is a freelance journalist who has worked for The Telegraph, Guardian and The Times as well as numerous other respected publications. She lives in North London with her husband. For more information please visit www.amazon.com.