A Henna Party

Hi.
I've been out.
No excuses. Just doing other stuff and looking for some inspiration.
I think I found it.

My friend Kendra is having a birthday at the end of this month and to celebrate I invited several ladies over to my house for a luncheon. To supplement the luncheon I also asked a traditional Henna Artist named Tara to join us for the festivities and create some temporary body art for us. It was beyond my wildest imagination and went off so amazingly that I'm going to do it again for my birthday! here is the invitation which I emailed to the ladies. (Some of you may scoff at an emailed invitation - but the cost effectiveness cannot be beat).

Original artwork by Amylee Paris.

All the elements of this little bash were extraordinary. I had big vases of white tea roses that I spirited away from SMUD and supplemented with my own colored roses from the garden. The arrangements were beautiful. The menu of ladies tea sandwiches (recipes included below) and lavender lemonade. I made a hummingbird cake and a fantastic veggie platter with a feta, garlic dip and a fruit platter with a peanut butter yogurt dip.

The favors were mismatched china plates all with a different floral patterns on them but the "piece de resistance" were the lemon, sugar cookies by my friend Leah at "I Hella Heart Sugar" complete with beautiful Mehndi designs on them.

Lemon Sugar Cookies by Leah at I Hella Heart Sugar.

The spread.

Charlene.

Kendra.

Ki'inani.

Me.

I've thrown a party before, natch. But this had just a little more magic. Kendra is all girl and, like me really enjoys these girly things. I wish her nothing but great blessings for a wonderful birthday.

Here is an excellent menu if you fancy throwing a "Ladies Who Lunch" event for a special friend of yours.

Tea Sandwiches:

1. Roasted Chicken and Cream Cheese with Fig Compote on Raisin Brown Bread.

• Mix 4 oz. cream cheese with fig jam
• Spread cheese mixture on thinly sliced "Boston Brown Bread" (recipe)
• Neatly lay chicken so that the sliced chicken is not over the edge of the sandwich.
• Cut in half resembling a half moon.
• Fan out on a serving plate. (see above in my "spread" photo - they are the sandwiches on the top tier of the three level serving platter).

2. Radish, Mint and Lemon on Westphalian Rye.

• In a food processor, add 1 bunch radishes, and pulse until small but not mushy. Take the container off the blade and base and drain excess water.
• Add 4 oz. cream cheese (the other half that you used for the chicken sando's).
• Add 1 bunch mint (leaves and stems are fine).
• Add juice and rind of half a lemon.
• Add salt and pepper to taste.
• Spread entire mixture on the rye and cut in half to create small triangles. Cut in half again for even smaller triangles.

3. Cucumber Pesto on Fitness Bread.

• Thinly slice cucumber.
• Make your pesto.
• In a food processor, add one bunch basil leaves, 1 whole kale leaf, 2 tbs pine nuts and a 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, 1 Tbs olive oil and the juice of the other half of the lemon you used for the radish sandwiches. Add salt and pepper and pulse until it resembles a paste.
• Spread pesto on bread.
• Top with cucumber slices and close sandwich with another piece of bread that you've spread with the pesto as well.
• Slice into strips and slice again into small squares.
• This bread can be tricky to work with so be ginger when cutting.

Hummingbird Cake:

This cake recipe was given to me by my friend Patty. I altered it so that it has a very moist consistency. It makes 1 8x8 inch pan cake.

Ingredients:

• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup packed, brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 large ripe banana, smashed with a fork
• 1/2 cup soybean oil (or similarly light salad oil)
• 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 large, entire can of crushed pineapple, with syrup
• 1 1/4 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 2/3 cup pecans, chopped

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350.
• Grease and flour an 8x8 square, metal baking pan
• Combine eggs, sugar, salt, banana, vanilla extract and oil in a medium sized mixing bowl.
• Mix in pineapple (plus syrup)
• Add flour, baking soda, cinnamon and pecans and mix until just combined. 
• Do not over mix or your cake will be a brick you could kill someone with at 20 paces.
• Pour batter into prepared baking pan.
• Bake at 350 for between 40-45 minutes.
• To check for doneness, insert a toothpick into center of cake. If it comes out with nothing sticking to it, your cake is done.
• Let cool in pan for about 15 minutes.
• Turn onto cooling rack to cool completely.
• Frost with cream cheese frosting.
• 1 package cream cheese frosting (Don't skimp - use Philly)
• 1 stick butter 
• 1 cup confectioners sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract (or 1 Tbs Frangelico for a little kick).
• Mix with a hand mixer.
• When cake is cool, frost with this delight.

Feta Garlic Dip with Lemon:

• 1 8 oz pkg. cream cheese 
• 1 8 oz block feta cheese (I like the French variety).
• 1 clove garlic (more if it's just you - but you don't want the ladies blaming you for their offensive breath)
• Rind and juice of 1 lemon
• 1 Tbs olive oil and pinch chili flakes (for garnish)
• Mix all ingredients (except garnish) together in a food processor
• Serve with Pita Chips and crudites - I used the requisite veg, but I cut the jicama into tiny stars and flowers and hearts with tiny cookie cutters.

Peanut Butter Yogurt Fruit Dip:

• 1 6 oz. tub vanilla yogurt (I use Chobani).
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1 Tbs. honey
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• Mix all ingredients together, pour into serving bowl.
• Serve with cut up kiwis, apples, blueberries, strawberries, bananas and grapes or whatever fruit you fancy.

People - heneedsfood.

As you all know, I fancy myself a gastronome. Unfortunately, I have been in the kitchen quite a bit but have not documented anything of late. I'm not sure why. I made an astounding Italian soup with Swiss Chard and white beans and delightful organic mild sausage. I made a mushroom and asparagus risotto - super satisfying and rich for our first al fresco dining of the season (I'll make both the soup and risotto again and post my recipes soon - so I've not included links here as I'd like to get my own recipes on here for those). And I made a couple Turkish meals while our niece (Ecem) visited us from Quinnipiac University, which included Kofte, Domates Pilavi, Karniyarik and Irmik Helvasi! Just last night I made Almond Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies. But none of them, sadly, did I record for P&P. And perhaps that is a good thing - maybe I haven't been terribly inspired to write things lately after my rejection from BlogHer. Or perhaps, my inspiration has waned or I should consider my lack of time - regardless of the reason, I have not discontinued my use of the good old Pinterest - a treasure of inspiration on every pinboard - and it did not disappoint today! I was wanting a clever supper for the husband and I this evening, heavy on "light fare" and heavy on taste. I was stumped until a photo came up "Oyster Mushrooms and Swedes on Toast." I swooned. If your not sure what a swede is, here in the states we call them Turnips. The recipe was created by John Bek, an extraordinary epicure and the founder of heneedsfood - a written account of his culinary delights. His recipes are different but not weird, his instructions are precise but not snooty and his photographs are amazing. And the website itself is a virtual holiday to somewhere else; it is so well done, you can get lost in heneedsfood pages for quite a while before checking to see how long you've waited before indulging in something delicious. It was only fair that I post about John and heneedsfood and catalog the post under "People" and "Gastronomy." He is not just an amazing former chef and current photographer but his roots are Croatian and he is a first generation Aussie. Go see, but do not visit him there if you are hungry.

Oyster Mushrooms and Swedes on Toast by John Bek at heneedsfood.

Rock The Red Pump

#RockTheRedPump
Enzo Angiolini Red Leather Ankle Tie Pumps, standing in front of the
Office of AIDS Prevention Branch Zombie Apocalypse poster.

Me on the left, Our branding at CDPH on the upper right
 and below with co-worker/Style Maven, Renee.

The Rock Red Pump Project was begun in 2009 by Awesomely Luvvie - Luvvy Ajayi and The Fabulous Giver - Karyn Brianne Lee. These two ladies are simply extraordinary. Together they began a fashionable conversation starter about HIV/AIDS Awareness, specifically concerning women and girls and often focusing on AIDS Awareness for Women of Color. This was a particularly important event to be a part of since I work for the California Department of Public Health at the Office of AIDS but that is not the only reason. I am also a woman. I feel blessed to have been invited to post about this inspiring event. On March 10th, do not forget to wear your red shoes.