Baby Shower Sundae Bar

Another beautiful baby about to join this world. And goodness, will she be loved. The only thing this mom-to-be might love as much is ice cream. Seriously, I've never met someone who loves the stuff so much. She loves it enough to flip the spoon over with every savored bite. So naturally, I needed to prepare an ice cream dessert for her shower.

I decided to put together a sundae bar, so that guests could customize their treats. But sprinkles and maraschinos seemed ho-hum. I spiced things up.

Baby Shower Sundae Bar

Vanilla Ice Cream

Balsamic Strawberry Sauce

Salted Caramel Sauce

Fresh Whipped Cream

Dark Chocolate Almond Bark

Toasted Coconut

The guests loved the unexpected toppings. I mean, who doesn't love a sundae? And since this party wasn't at my home, it was great that I could make everything in advance. And each component was surprisingly easy.

Strawberries were simply sauteed in sugar and good balsamic vinegar.

Cream whipped.

Sugar expertly burnt and salted.

Dark chocolate was melted and topped with sliced almonds.

Coconut was toasted.

Baby girls and mommas were surrounded by love and good desserts. Bloggers enjoyed themselves enough to forget to take pictures of the finished sundaes. All is well.

Sundae Bar
For 15 guests
2 large containers high-quality vanilla ice cream

Salted Caramel Sauce
1/2 cup granulated sugar
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
4 tablespoons heavy cream

Over medium high heat, melt sugar for caramel sauce; stirring frequently with metal whisk. Cook sugar until it acquires a copper color (about 3-5 minutes; monitoring closely). Off the heat, add butter and salt; stirring until butter is fully incorporated. Add heavy cream and return to heat; stirring vigorously. Cook another 1-2 minutes and handle with care; this is VERY hot.

Whipped Cream
2 cups heavy cream
2 teaspoons vanilla

Whip cream with an electric mixer, until stiff peaks form. Add vanilla in last minute of whipping.

Strawberry Balsamic Sauce
2 cups strawberries, quartered
1 cup sugar
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Combine strawberries, sugar and vinegar in saucepan over medium heat. Stir until sugar melts and then reduce heat to low. Simmer for 10 minutes, until sauce thickens.

Dark Chocolate Almond Bark
1 12oz bag dark chocolate chips
1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted

Draw a 9x10 square on a sheet of parchment and reserve on cookie sheet. Melt two-thirds of chocolate over a double-boiler with water just simmering (not boiling). Remove from heat and stir in remaining chocolate, stirring quickly and vigorously.

Spread chocolate evenly to fill square. Top with almonds and allow chocolate to cool. Break into large chunks for chocolate bar.

Toasted Coconut
2 cups sweetened coconut flakes

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread coconut on a cookie sheet and bake for 10 minutes, stirring one or two times. Allow to cool.

Strawberry Balsamic Steak Salad

After a lively Sunday Funday in the Wrigley bleachers, we needed something light. I had met my Chicago-style hot dog quota for the day. Luckily I had marinated some steaks in the morning and we took advantage of the seasonal strawberries for spinach steak salad with goat cheese. 

Maybe it was the cool, cloudy day or that the Cubs are inching closer and closer to being mathematically eliminated from the playoffs, but it felt like summer was drawing to a close. Plus when you're taking pictures of your food, you are hyper aware of the shortening hours of natural light. 

Side bar -- bloggers, any equipment recommendations? I need a flash that doesn't make my dishes look slimey. All natural light photography is just not going to be an option very soon. 

Despite my lamentations... summer is still here. So more reason than ever to enjoy summer-y ingredients. This strawberry salad hit the spot. 

Marinade started simple, with balsamic vinegar and rosemary as the stars. 

Enjoying the fresh herbs from my garden while I still can. Plus I like when my fingers smell like rosemary.

After your steaks have hung out in the marinade for 9 innings, you're ready for salad time (and a nap). Look at these strawberry beauties. They're certainly not going to look this way in January.

Perfectly grilled by the husband.

Summer salad satisfaction with a bit of grilled bread. If not playoff memories, at least we can look back on good produce.

Strawberry Balsamic Steak Salad

For the marinade

6 tablespoons olive oil

3 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon rosemary, minced

S&P

For salad

4 cups baby spinach

1.5-2lbs sirloin 

1/4 sweet white onion, thinly sliced

2 cups strawberries, sliced

1/2 cup goat cheese crumbles

For dressing

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar 

S&P

Combine marinade ingredients and pour over steaks. Marinade at least 4 hours or overnight. Grill steaks over medium indirect heat for 6-8 minutes (depending on thickness). Allow steaks to rest before slicing thinly. Combine spinach, onions and strawberries and top with cheese and steak slices. Lightly dress just before serving.

Strawberry Nutella Icebox Cake

If you've been reading for awhile, you've perhaps noticed the conspicuous absence of baked goods and desserts on this blog. I'm totally going against the better part of the blogsphere here, but I don't have much of a sweet tooth. I love just a bit of dark chocolate after dinner or if I'm feeling really nuts, some chocolate and berries. The entire cake pop phenomenon is lost on me. 

When celebrating my dear cousin's birthday this weekend, I knew it would be customary to bring a dessert. It was also 100+ degrees, so I needed something that didn't require an oven and would incorporate her beloved strawberries. Decided to kick it old-school with an icebox cake. No, there is no jello or packaged whipped cream. This is legit. Perhaps we should call it "midcentury" instead of old school. In case you need more convincing to keep reading...it has Nutella. 

The key is to start with high quality ingredients. I love these butter cookies from Trader Joe's, but graham crackers would work too. Mascarpone cheese will add needed richness; taking you away from "fluff" territory.

Don't worry....you'll never see this part. Just break up your cookies enough to cover.

There's no need for packaged whipped cream now that there is electricity. You'll be amazing how quickly you can make fresh whipped cream in a stand mixer or with a hand mixer.

Since this is a layered cake, you'll need very stiff peaks for your whipped cream. This is tough cream, yo. You wouldn't want to meet this stuff in a dark alley at night. Just sayin'.

You'll do the whipped creams in two batches. One plain and another with Nutella. This will make for a beautiful, layered presentation.

Once the creams are prepared, you'll slowly start layering. Cookie. Cream. Strawberry. Cookie. Other Cream. Strawberry.

Finish with the plain whipped cream and smooth out the top.

Cover and refrigerate overnight (or at least 8 hours). This will give time for the cookies and cream to marinate and come together texturally. The cream has a magic way of making a crunchy cookie soft and cake-y.

When you're ready to serve, run a knife around the edge and release the springform pan.

See how the layers have come together?

Smooth the edges and garnish with strawberries. It's a nice preview to what you'll find inside.

Strawberry Nutella Icebox Cake

2 cups heavy cream, divided

12oz mascarpone cheese, divided

1/2 cup powdered sugar, divided

1 teaspoon vanilla, divided

1-2 packages wafer cookies

1lb strawberries, thinly sliced

1/4 cup Nutella

Start by combining ingredients for the plain whipped cream -- half quantities of cream, mascarpone, sugar and vanilla. Whisk together in a cold bowl until stiff peaks form. Clear from bowl and reserve in refrigerator. Next, combine ingredients for Nutella cream -- half quantities of cream, mascarpone, sugar and vanilla and full quantity of Nutella. Whisk together in a cold bowl until stiff peaks form. 

In a 10-inch springform pan, begin with layer of cookies, then add Nutella cream and sliced strawberries. Continue layering in that order, alternating plain and Nutella whipped creams. Finish top by smoothing plain whipped cream. 

Cover and refrigerate cake overnight. Garnish with strawberries and serve cold.