Cooking for friends & Opal's Toffee Chocolate Cupcakes & Proscuitto Wrapped Chix 8.27.09, 8.28.09 & 8.29.09

We cooked dinner for some friends at their house, S&J @ Mc Ranch...our simple ribeye with blue cheese crumbles from last week, garlic bread and caprese salad...finished off with the toffee chocolate cupcakes... so yummy! A few days later we hosted other friends at our house...no pics from that night....but the menu follows.

Our freshly made bed in the guest room at the McRanch...Sammy was thinking a chocolate on the pillow and this is the improvisation... I LOVE IT!

An old H.S. friend and family came over for dinner recently...I wanted to focus on my guests and not be fussing in the kitchen.  I'm always in a quandry as to what to cook when I want good food that will be pleasing to all, simple to make and keep me from sweating while hosting a dinner party.  After scouring my cookbooks and old ideas, I went with the simple chix & rice with a side salad...I just pumped up the volume a little.  I started with rice pilaf...an old armenian recipe from a school chum of my dad's...which I'm just now realizing was very appropriate for that reason:)  Its buttery, comforting and simple.  The chix was just boneless, skinless chix breasts seasoned with s&p, olive oil and wrapped in one thin slice of proscuitto.  I pan seared them in evoo, and as they were very thin, I removed them and set them aside on a platter as they were cooked thru.  I removed the excess oil, sauteed a small onion (and actually removed about half for later), sprinkled a bit of flour (maybe a tbs) over and cooked out a bit, added 1/4 c white wine, 1 cup chix stock and a handful of chopped fresh basil...and oh yes, a couple tbs of butter.  I stirred that all together and added the chix gently back in, covered the pan with foil and put on low to just barely keep warm as not to overcook the chix.  (it held very well by the way, as we didn't eat for at least another 30-40 min).  I rounded out the meal with a simple green salad w/balsamic...with some fresh basil leaves torn in.  It was all gone except for a few large scoops of pilaf...but I made a lot of rice.  Now for the cupcakes...the best part...

I had made these a couple times already, so I knew they would be good....box mix chocolate cake...I like Duncan Hines...I usually make 1/2 a batch since I'm not feeding very many people.  Then the Sprinkles version of Cream Cheese frosting, with about 3/4 cup chopped chocolate chips blended in.  Then top the frosting with Opal's Toffee crumbs... THEY ARE DELICIOUS!!!!!!!!! AND SO EASY!!!!! VICTORY VIA CUPCAKES:)

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in the middle of all of the fellowship above...8.28.09 Bunko nite with the girls at church...supposed to bring a "salad" and gift cards

I brought "deconstructed egg salad"...a.k.a deviled eggs!  Scott was responsible for the paprika flourish on top...a little Mayo, mustard, S&P...and then back in the egg.  YUM! Also supposed to bring a collection of greeting cards in a fancy re-used Jo Malone gift bag...I thought it was fun:)

Please notice I served the eggs in the egg carton...very satisfying...they were gone quick!