Bon Vivant 12

FARMER'S MARKET
by: Leah & Crystal

Ok, check out those cutest aprons on our classy hostesses!!! Just wait-- they match the table cloth...

We were greeted with such a REFRESHING table that was soooooo welcome. Hosting a dinner such as this can be quite stressful... but hosting it outside and watching every cloud roll by hoping the snow storm doesn't hit??? There isn't a word for that kind of stress.

I am not sure how Leah and Crystal pulled it off-- we came prepared with our winter wear-- but we COMPLETELY lucked out on some amazingly beautiful weather on Crystal's lakeside property at her cute new house. It was a GORGEOUS setting to sit, dine & enjoy.
The crisp Fall air was perfect and Leah & Crystal made certain we wouldn't be too 'crisp'!! We were surprised by an element of warmth they had hidden under the table-- it was so very nice and toasty!! (yay for space heaters & warmers!!)

L to R, top row: Fresh grown basil-- which became one of our lovely take home items. Can I just say basil one more time.... B A S I L... fresh-- yep-- there it is... mouth watering.
What a beautiful table-- very clean and rustic and fun harvest centerpiece.
Our place settings were donned with a rustic paper bag as our place card ... and on the back of the bag a shoping list for our farmer's market take home items! Basil, Dried Watermelon (yum!), and the cutest peach pie in a jar that you have ever seen --- it was a lovely afternoon treat for me the following day! :)

Alrighty-- enough blab-- on to more eye candy and mouth watering recipes:


Menu & delicious refreshing {betterthanrestaurant} Brazlian Lemonade


More loveliness

Leah gave us an awesome watermelon cutting tutorial
slice into quarters, slice perpendicular one way, then the other-- and viola! Perfect no fuss watermelon pieces.

Candied almonds in the cutest cups. No, your eyes are not deceiving you, those are paper plates cut and folded just so and secured with a rubber band. SO clever!

Do you see & smell the garlic that lovely brushetta over there?
Let's take a closer look at our tasters table....

The garlic butter on the toasted baguette was brought out to us FRESH and hot.
Are you curious what classifies as "brushetta?" NO? Well... I was.
(I actually wanted to know what the topping on the brushetta was called... apparently it is just "brushetta topping" - of which there are many.) Bruschetta was originally a kind of bread with garlic and spices rubbed on as it was beginning to get stale. Newly pressed olive oil was shown off either drizzled on top or soaked into the bread, a tradition dating to the Romans. The word bruschetta derives from bruscare, "to roast over coals."

Read more: Bruschetta Definition | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/facts_5815238_bruschetta-definition.html#ixzz1fAXwLjDy

Strawberry Cocnut Soup
{YUM}
Some requested a straw : )  It was deilsh and the added mint wasn't just for looks... strawberry and mint... yes please!

 Artisan Herbed Bread {YUM YUM}

Autumn Salad

 Rustic Fruit Tart, Mint Brownies {in the shape of a leaf, of course!} homeade ice cream... heaven!

 While we enjoyed the warmth of the table and our delish dessert and as always-- belly laughs (needed for digestion!) A little taster's table fairy switched out the appetizers for our take home items which we shopped for at the end of the evening. Artisan bread, peach pie in a jar, our very own basil {which is still growing in my window sill!}, and dried watermelon-- what a treat!

Steph, Chrissy, Jennise & Sonya-- you were missed!

  BrazilianLemonade:
Ingredients

• 2 limes
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 3 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk
• 3 cups water
• ice

Directions

1. Wash limes thoroughly. Cut off the ends and slice into eight wedges. Place limes in a blender with the sugar, sweetened condensed milk, water, and ice.
2. Blend in an electric blender, pulsing 5 times. Strain through a fine mesh strainer to remove rinds. Serve over ice.
   
   source:
   http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/brazilian-lemonade/detail.aspx?src=ShareOnFacebook&recipeID=54083

Microwave nut crunch
2 1/2 cups nuts
1/2 c sugar
1 t cinnamon
1/8 t salt
3 T whole milk
1 t vanilla
Method:
1) If the nuts are not roasted, heat the oven to 350 F and spread the nuts in a single layer on a baking sheet. Roast them for about 8-10 minutes or until they just start to turn brown. 2) Stir together the sugar, cinnamon, salt and milk in a medium-size microwave safe mixing bowl. Microwave on high for 2 minutes (for a 1000 watt unit). 3) Stir quickly (don't worry if the mixture looks as though it curdled a little), then microwave for 1 minute more or until the mixture is noticeably thick. ((1 1/2 min is too long in my microwave)) 4) Stir in the vanilla extract and then stir in the nuts, turning them to coat. Spoon the nuts onto waxed paper, separate them with a fork, and let them cool for 10 minutes.




Autumn Chopped Salad
(Printable Recipe)

Ingredients
*6 to 8 cups chopped romaine lettuce
*2 medium pears, chopped
*1 cup dried cranberries
*1 cup chopped pecans
*8 slices thick-cut bacon, crisp-cooked and crumbled or cooked chicken
*4 to 6 oz. feta cheese, crumbled
*Poppy seed Salad Dressing (I like T. Marzetti)
*Balsamic Vinaigrette (I like Newman's Own Light Balsamic Vinaigrette)

Instructions
*On a large platter, combine the lettuce, pears, cranberries, pecans, bacon and feta cheese. Drizzle generously with poppy seed dressing, followed by some of the balsamic vinaigrette. (I would estimate that I used about a cup of dressing: 70 percent poppy seed dressing and 30 percent balsamic vinaigrette) If you prefer your salad to have more dressing, feel free to experiment with the combination.
Source:
http://www.espressoandcream.com/2010/11/autumn-chopped-salad.html