Author: thesimplecelebration
Apple Cornmeal Cake
The Simple Celebration prides itself on simple recipes, which this is, it just has many ingredients. If you are an apple cake fan, give this a try … it’s worth the effort!
Fall Salad That’s a Whole Meal!
Dry Rubbed Spicy Skirt Steak
Skirt steak is long, flat, and prized for its flavor rather than tenderness which is why it is important not to overcook this cut of meat. Use the rub recipe below and your steak dinner will be full of melt-in-your-mouth goodness!
Easy, Easy Roasted Butternut Squash
Butternut squash is the perfect side dish all year round. It has great color, flavor and texture and is so easy to make. It is a great side dish for grilled steaks and is also delicious in an arugula salad.
Spicy Pumpkin Seeds – A Versatile Garnish with the Delicious Taste of Fall
Don’t let the word “spicy” scare you away from this simple fall garnish – they are not too hot! The combination of salt, cayenne pepper and crunchy pumpkin seeds is mouth-watering. They will liven up desserts, salads or even pasta – get creative and let us know how you used them! One more thing, pumpkin […]
Tasty (and Easy) Beef Pies
These pies are just the perfect size for dinner and elegant enough for a party. Because you are using puff pastry you don’t even need to make your own crust. We placed the puff pastry just on the top of the dish instead of lining the dish with pastry for a much lighter dinner.
“Liquid” Apple Pie – A Fabulous Fall Cocktail
Put cinnamon and apple together and you have the wonderfully warm flavors of fall. Add some rum, and it’s a party! This cocktail seriously tastes exactly like apple pie. We believe the cinnamon schnapps is the key ingredient that makes it fabulous. Make this your “signature” drink at your next fall gathering, everyone is guaranteed […]
A Very Unique Appetizer – Prosciutto Wrapped Figs Baked Atop Halloumi
What is halloumi? It is a cheese that is mild, yet delicious and can withstand the heat of a hot oven without melting. In this unique appetizer recipe, the cheese acts as the base for the figs and prosciutto. After baking, the prosciutto is crispy, the figs soft, and the cheese delectable. This very simple, […]
Delectable Dark Chocolate Tarts with Coconut Shell
This recipe is reminiscent of the classic chocolate and coconut flavors of Mounds and Almond Joy bars. It can be made with or without almonds because as the saying goes, “Sometimes you feel like a nut … Sometimes you don’t.” Which bar was your favorite? Mounds bars were introduced in 1920 by Peter Paul in New Haven, […]
Gourmet Meatloaf? Yes, and You Will LOVE It!
Let’s face it, the words “meatloaf” and “gourmet” rarely appear in the same sentence, but The Simple Celebration has done it! We have come up with a gourmet meatloaf recipe that calls for chipotle chillis and fresh herbs bringing this comfort food entrée to a whole new level of goodness. Everyone knows the best part […]
First Day of Fall Apple Cake
The wonderfully warm flavors of apples, raisins, and walnuts in this recipe will definitely have you thinking about Fall. This cake is extremely moist – serve it along with some vanilla beach ice cream and you have the perfect dessert! Leftovers? No problem. Freeze leftovers and when you want to serve them, just remove from […]
Spicy Cheese Crisps – Another Awesome “Make-Ahead and Freeze” Appetizer
This is another great recipe to make in advance of your party – even weeks ahead. It is a great compliment to wine and is one that people have a hard time “eating just one.” This recipe is easy to double and will keep fresh in a Ziplock bag for several days after the party. […]
Sweet Chili and Shrimp Cakes – An Awesome Appetizer!
These cakes are absolutely delicious and are a real crowd-pleaser. The best part is you can make them several days ahead, thaw them before your guests arrive, and reheat for 15 minutes at 375 degrees.
That’s Amoré Pasta Sauce
Maybe it was his sensitive side, his sense of humor, or perhaps it was his contagious laugh that made Vicki fall in love with Skip…but it all began with his pasta sauce. While studying at the University of California at Irvine, Skip and his roommates took turns with dinner duty. From pork chops to pasta […]
M-E’s Pasta Sauce
When my children were young (and even today) and they could smell the enticing aroma of onion and garlic cooking, they would come running while asking “are you making your sauce?” If the answer was yes, their immediate response was, “let us know when we can dunk!” They loved to stand by the stove with […]
Pasta and Smoked Salmon – Light, Delicious, QUICK
Want to impress your friends or just your “sweetie pie,” make this fresh-tasting, fast and elegant smoked salmon pasta dish. On the table in less than fifteen minutes!
Fig, Prosciutto & Arugula Appetizer
We made this fig appetizer at a recent wine tasting party and it was a hit. Everyone gobbled them up so quickly, we had nothing to nibble on while we cleaned up!
Easy Asian Chicken Salad – Ready in Minutes!!
Here’s a tasty recipe that will have lunch or dinner on the table in no time. We ate it for lunch yesterday and it was delicious. Also, this meal is very economical; for about $20.00, you can feed a family of four.
An Antipasto Feast!
For our 200th blog party we decided on a simple, fun, no-cook menu. We headed to our fantastic local Italian market, Mazzaro’s, and bought a wonderful assortment of meats, cheeses, and other goodies. Our first stop was to the cheese counter where we met Charlie. We sampled many great Italian cheeses and settled on three – […]
Skip’s Simply Grand Vodka Gimlet
This gimlet was the “signature” drink at our recent 200th blog party. It has a clean, crisp, refreshing taste and started the party off with a BANG!
Herbed Potato Salad
Simple Summertime Sangria
“This is the best white sangria I’ve ever tasted!” exclaimed Vicki’s husband, Skip. It’s true, this sangria recipe turned out better than we expected. Oftentimes white sangrias are too sweet, but this is deliciously crisp and fresh. Make a pitcher (or two) for your next summertime get together.
Double Cherry Pie = Double the Goodness!
This time of year, cherries are fresh, sweet, and delicious (and on sale!). Pick up a couple of bags the next time you are at the grocery store – one for snacking and one for baking. Vicki combined two cherry pie recipes to come up with this sweet and tart, and oh so yummy, recipe. […]
Elegant (Yet Simple) Picnic Lunch – Pork Tenderloin Sliders
This recipe was given to us by our friend Mary Jo. We have modified it slightly to help make it “simple.” We recommend making the pork tenderloin, onions and sauce the day before, storing in separate containers and assembling the sliders several hours before serving or packing for your picnic.
Chocolate, Cranberry and Pistachio “Slices”
In Australia, where this recipe has its origin, items go by different names than we use here in the States. For example, this recipe is called “slices,” but we would call it “bars.” Some other terms that are interesting – shrimp are called prawns, arugula is called rocket, cilantro is called coriander, diapers are called […]
Mediterranean Rice Salad
This dish is perfect for picnics – it can be made the day ahead and it is best served room temperature.
Cheese Stuffed Veal Burgers with Grilled Portobello Mushrooms
These burgers have a very gourmet taste, but come together quite simply. We recommend grilling the burgers and mushrooms, but pan-frying will do the job too!
Mouthwatering Watermelon and Arugula Salad
What is more refreshing on a hot summer day than watermelon? This salad made with watermelon, feta, arugula and a drizzle of balsamic glaze is refreshing and tasty. Don’t skip the balsamic glaze, it is the secret to this salad’s success!
Fajitas – Great Use of Leftovers!
If you have left over chicken, flank steak or even pork tenderloin, get another meal out of them by making fajitas. This is an easy lunch or serve them for dinner along with yellow rice.