Monday 25 June 2012

Clawin' yer way to the top ... of a martini glass ... the story of a "Delivery Dinner Party"

So after we tidied up the tornado from the Wizard of Oz party on Thursday night of last week, we set about preparing a "delivery dinner party" that was due to "ship" (?!?!?) on Friday afternoon. 

What's a "delivery dinner party"?

Well, we were asked to prepare a 4-course dinner for "the mom" of a lady we met at a recent cocktail party (oh don't you just LOVE word-of-mouth advertising?)  This lovely lady once gathered friends and family around her dining room table quite frequently; WOWING them with dinners they talked about for years to come.  But what with some recent health 'inconveniences', she really was no longer able to spend all day shopping, prepping and cooking.  The thrill of it all had gone, but she still wanted to host her friends in the comfort of her own home, cook "a little bit" and give them a meal to remember. 

What IS a girl to do?  :)  Well, call up the ShortStack Foodie OF COURSE!

Thursday 21 June 2012

A tornado dropped more than a house on the poor Wicked Witch of the West

It also dropped twenty 6-year old girls!!!  In our most recent adventures in ShortStackFoodie-Land, we were asked to help plan and execute the birthday-party to end all birthday parties ... or at least tide the little ones over 'til next year.  We were responsible for everything from theme development, 'branding', invitation design and production, timelines, budgets, photography, catering, supplier sourcing, and making sure that at the end of the day the Tinman got his heart. 
And while it looked as though a tornado had RIPPED thru the backyard at the end of the party - strewing crayons, cupcake wrappers, glitter and juice cups - we held our heads high, secure in the knowledge that the birthday girl (in her Dorothy inspired braids) would later that evening be curled up in bed, with her "Toto" ... dreaming "of a land she'd heard of ... once in a lullaby". Do get in touch if you would like the ShortStackFoodie to help with your next munchkin-related event ... we'll be waiting ... somewhere over the rainbow.


Monday 18 June 2012

It really was no miracle. What happened was just this...

The wind began to switch!  The house, to pitch! 
And suddenly the hinges started to unhitch!
Just then the Witch, to satisfy an itch...
Went flying on her broomstick, thumbing for a hitch!


We've been caught up in a tornado of busy-ness this past week - party-planning, an intimate dinner party to cater for ... lions, tigers and bears ... oh my!  We cannot wait to show you all the fun we've been up to ... but first ... we've got to extracate someone from underneath the porch ... are those ruby slippers she's wearing?  Stay tuned, and better yet, head down to the cellar 'til we tell you it's safe to come up ... I think I just saw a gang of munchkins walking down the street carrying giant lollipops ... there also appears to be a tinman hanging out around the corner ... says he's looking for a scarecrow ... strange ... very strange indeed.

Tuesday 5 June 2012

You say Granola ... I say GranOLE!

I guess we should answer "why" we would ever say granOLE when clearly that's incorrect.  Well, we were asked to come up with some (25!) creative Teacher-take-away gifts for a Teacher Appreciation Luncheon. The gifts had to be nut-free ... and portable ... and if at all possible, tied into the luncheon-themed-food-offering ... a "Mexican food theme".  If I'm being honest, my knowledge of authentic cuisine from South-South of our Canadian border is limited at best.

So ON went the thinking caps ... the result?

A little morning 'treat' for the Teachers to enjoy - we proudly present our Mexican Breakfast GranOLE!  (Get it?  Get it?)  While clearly not authentic in any way from a cuisine perspective, we did think that a clear 'nod' to the fact that these amazing Teachers can spend a few more leisurely moments enjoying breakfast now that summer-vacation is here and they're not having to DASH out the door to help shape young minds, was important.  So THANK YOU dear Teachers for all your hard work this school year.  Grab yourselves an EXTRA large mug of coffee, the morning paper and a heaping bowl of vanilla yoghurt topped with our GranOLE!  And if you've got a few summer berries in your fridge, throw them in too.  We're not sure about adding a whole green chile or refried beans to your breakfast bowl ... but we'd certainly encourage you to have a cold cerveza around the noon hour.  Enjoy your summer holidays - you deserve it!  (And if you want the secret-recipe, drop us a line!)   

Sunday 3 June 2012

Pimms Cups and Veggie Cups ...

Eat your veggies!  And by all means, feel free to 'shoot' the green goddess dip that's at the bottom of the cup ... really, nobody was watching :)  A HUGE thank you the wonderful ladies we met last night, and a special 'hello' goes out to some 'faux-big sisters' from my past.  You all look exactly the same ... maybe even cuter than I remember.  I hope you've all recovered from the Pimms cups we prepared ... the total calories consumed ... and from the occasional hot-flash we all felt in the kitchen that night.

Check your in-boxes for the dip recipe ... xo


Not a giant bowl of Gin & Tonic / Veggie Shooters / Grape Tomatoes with Almond Pesto

Chevre & Grape Truffles / Roasted Strawberry, Chocolate and Brie Crostini