My "Barefoot Contessa" Birthday Brunch

Green & Sunny Skillet

I prepared a simple brunch on my 35th birthday. Although My husband insisted I don't do anything and just relax on my special day, I could not resist cooking...I love it! It makes me happy. And I certainly want to do something I love on MY day.


So, what's on the menu?

Some smoked sausages, hasselback potatoes, sauteed mushrooms with garlic and herbs, spinach and pine nuts egg bake on a skillet, (the name is too  long so I'm calling it Green & Sunny Skillet), crusty baguette, home-made flavored butter, (strawberry butter and herbed butter),  roasted garlic spread and a summer iced green tea with slices of fresh peach, tangerine orange, strawberry and peach liqueur.  I think I'll just call it Summer Iced Green Tea. For dessert, I made a mean Bacon Double Chocolate Cupcakes! I will be posting the recipes soon!

Strawberry Butter

 I was really excited to prepare this brunch and all of these dishes were prepared for the first time on that same day. So yeah, this birthday girl was really happy playing in her kitchen. I indeed had a ball!

The best part is, it wowed my family. My husband and his brother thought it was fancy. They asked me what's the theme of my brunch and what it's called, is it italian, english, mediterranean, etc? I said, I don't know. I just planned the menu in my head and it worked!

But it did got me thinking. I have to name this brunch, so what shall I call it?

Then it dawned on me, "Barefoot Contessa"!















Barefoot Contessa is Ina Garten's show in Food Network. Ina makes party and entertaining seems effortless; and I love how she puts everything together and it always turns out to be fabulous. In fact, one of the side dishes was adapted from her recipe featured in the show, the hasselback potatoes, (she called it rosemary roasted potatoes). I thought I'd jazz it up a notch and added parmesan cheese. Fantastic!

And so, here are the photos of my Barefoot Contessa Birthday Brunch. Don't forget to check out the links to the recipes. You won't believe how simple and easy it is until you try it yourself.

Hasselback Potatoes

Crusty Baguette, Roasted Garlic Spread & Herbed Butter

Bacon Double Chocolate Cupcakes

My Birthday Brunch

Intimate brunch with the family

Me & my boys

Here are the links to the recipes:
1. Hasselback Potatoes
2. Sauteed Mushrooms with Garlic and Herbs
3. Green & Sunny Skillet
4. Flavored Butter
5. Roasted Garlic Spread (posting soon!)
6. Bacon Chocolate Cupcakes
7. Summer Iced Green Tea (posting soon!)

14 April 2012
Home-cooked Meals