This Celebrated Life

Grilled cheese sandwiches are my weakness. I can say no to most pasta, most cakes, most cookies, but put a grilled cheese sandwich in front of me, and it’s game over!

These sandwiches are a seriously delicious and easy dinner idea that everyone in the family will enjoy. Perfect for those busy nights when you’re juggling soccer practice and play rehearsals, or when you just feel like taking it easy!

Serve with homemade tomato basil soup and a green salad for a total meal, or serve on their own for a super simple yummy option.

I love that when things have Italian in the name, they seem so much fancier. These are a bit fancier than the average grilled cheese, but I promise they’re just as easy! Just a few extra ingredients make all the difference, believe me!

This sandwich is made super delicious with the addition of basil, caramelized onions, fresh tomatoes and gooey provolone and parmesan cheeses. You can add some crispy pancetta or ham for some extra protein too!

Makes 4 sandwiches

Ingredients:

8 pieces rustic bread
8 slices provolone cheese
4 slices parmesan cheese
12 leaves fresh basil
1 tomato, thinly sliced
1 sweet onion, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon olive oil

Directions:

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown. Remove onions to a plate.

For the sandwiches: layer the provolone, parmesan, basil, tomato and onion inside the two pieces of bread. Butter the outside of each sandwich. Cook the sandwiches in the same skillet as the onions over medium-low heat until the outsides are toasty brown, and cheese is melted. Serve with tomato basil soup!

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Birthdays,dessert,recipes

Nutella Chocolate Cake

posted on : March 25, 2019 posted by : Kirsten Bell 11 Comments

Delicious, simple Nutella Chocolate Cake. Because hazelnut and chocolate are scrumptious, and even better together! Dense and flavorful chocolate cake, with layers with silky smooth Nutella. It seriously doesn’t get better than this!

You may notice by taking a quick peek through my cake recipes that I have a serious love of chocolate cakes. As a kid, chocolate cake was my requested birthday cake every single year and still has a very special place in my heart (and taste buds!).

entertaining,New Years,recipes,wine

Pop, Fizz, Clink! 5 Tips For Hosting A Sparkling Wine Party

posted on : March 21, 2019 posted by : Kirsten Bell 3 Comments

Happy Friday, friends! Let’s pop some corks, and kick off the weekend with a sparkling wine party! Who’s in?? With spring finally in the air, a sparkling wine party just seems perfect, doesn’t it? While you certainly don’t need any special occasion to host a sparkling wine party, wouldn’t this be a really fun way to celebrate Easter, or how about Mother’s Day?? (I know this mama would be game!)

Today I’m outlining my top 5 tips for hosting a sparkling wine party. Because enjoying some bubbles and bites with friends is what life’s all about, right?? Plus I’m sharing the #1 mistake I see people make when tasting a Champagne or sparkling wine. So grab a glass, and let’s get started!

Gruet Sparkling Wines In This Post:

Gruet Brut, Gruet Rose, Gruet Blanc de Blancs, Sauvage

Tip 1: Choose Good Sparkling Wine!

Ok this one might seem obvious, but have you ever stood in the wine aisle at the store, reading endless wine labels, trying to figure out which one is actually good? Because I sure have! That’s why I was so excited to discover Gruet Winery. They offer a wide selection of delicious sparkling wines at really reasonable prices, which I love!

I recommend for a sparkling wine party, selecting 3-5 different champagnes. For my party I chose the Gruet Brut Rose, Gruet Brut, Sauvage and Blanc de Blancs. This Gruet Demi Sec would also be a great addition! It’s fun to have a variety, because when you taste sparkling wines back to back, you notice characteristics you may not have otherwise. Which brings me to my next tip!

Tip 2: Provide Tasting Notes

If you’re like me and my friends, our first focus of getting together is always to have a good time! So you can take tasting notes as seriously as you like! But they’re a fun way to encourage conversation about the wines, learn a little bit more about what you like, and also is a great way to remember what your favorites were so you can revisit them later! Without my notes, I’d be lost!

Some things you can think about when you’re tasting sparkling wine:

How does it look? Is it clear or cloudy? Pale or golden? How big are the bubbles?
How does it smell? Remember, you don’t need to swirl champagne before smelling it. Does anything come to mind? Apples? Lemons? Florals?
How does it taste? The moment you’ve been waiting for! Does it taste similar to how it smelled? Different? Do any flavors come immediately to mind? Is it dry? Fruity?
The #1 Sparkling Wine Tasting Mistake? Forgetting that you don’t need to know a lot about wine to appreciate it! Just like any wine, the whole point is to enjoy it!

Side note: I also personally like to print out the tasting notes provided on the winery website – that way after everyone has tasted the wine and had a chance to figure out tastes on their own, we can compare notes with the experts!

Tip 3: Set the Scene

You certainly don’t need to host your party at the Ritz, but it’s always fun to take a little extra time and put together a fun table for your friends. For my table, I took my inspiration from the pretty peonies and went with a blush and gold theme. Definitely nothing complicated, but it made sitting down to the table that just more fun!

On The Table:

Champagne Flutes, Pink Napkins, Blush Plates, Glass Plates, Rose Paper Napkins, Champagne Paper Napkins, Gold Chargers, Pink taper holders are antique, but I love these too! Champagne bucket is sold out, but i also love this one!

Tip 4: Pick some food pairings!

A few weeks ago, I wrote a blog post on just this topic, and you can find it here! You’ll find easy and delicious food pairing for each of the sparkling wines mentioned here. When I’m hosting an event, I like to keep food prep as quick and easy as possible, so you’ll notice that it takes fewer than 30 minutes to prepare all four recipes.

Tip 5: Have fun!

Pop the bottles, pour the bubbly, and have a good time! It is, after all, a party! Cheers!

Thank you to Gruet Winery for making amazing wines, and sponsoring this post.

Birthdays,dessert,recipes

Fresh Key Lime Cake

posted on : March 20, 2019 posted by : Kirsten Bell 7 Comments

Fresh key lime cake. An extra fresh, extra summery, extra delicious cake for all your summer parties! Basically key lime pie in a cake. The cake layers are buttery with crisp and light lime flavor. Then they’re covered with fresh lime buttercream made with lime juice and lime zest. You will not believe your taste buds – this is a must-make cake for summer (or anytime you want a taste of summer on your fork!).

recipes,savory

Fig, Brie & Prosciutto Rolls

posted on : March 18, 2019 posted by : Kirsten Bell 4 Comments

Fig, brie and prosciutto rolls – in other words, possibly the best flavor combo I’ve ever had. And who doesn’t love an appetizer that’s as easy as it is delicious? Using fig jam and crescent rolls, these are seriously one of the quickest and simplest recipes. Perfect for a big party or a quick appetizer for unexpected guests.

Sometimes my best ideas happen very randomly. A few weeks ago I was at the store, looking for some snacks for a girl’s night. I saw fig jam, my brain started to go wild, and this easy brie crescent roll appetizer was born! It got rave reviews at the girls night, and everyone was asking for the recipe (that’s always the best sign, isn’t it?).

What I love about these rolls is that they’re delicious, obviously, but they’re also incredibly quick and easy to throw together! The flavor combination makes them taste really fancy too, so the fact that they take about 5 minutes of hands-on time can be our little secret!

This recipe can easily be doubled or tripled depending on how many people you’re wanting to serve. I recommend about two rolls per person, because trust me – nobody will be happy with just one!

Fig, Brie and Prosciutto Rolls Flavors:

Let’s chat about the key flavors in these delicious appetizers for a minute!

First, we have brie! Brie is a creamy, nutty soft cheese. Its deep flavor pairs perfectly with fruity flavors, which brings us to fig! Figs have an almost honey-like sweetness to them, with a hint of brighter berry flavor. You might recognize the flavor from Fig Newtons!

Third, we have prosciutto! Prosciutto is a thinly sliced, cured Italian ham. It’s soft and salty, and delicious. Prosciutto always reminds me of my aunt Janece, who survived off of Prosciutto and melon on our trip to Italy a few years back. And its salty flavor pairs perfect with the sweet taste of figs too!

Want to enjoy with wine?

Try these fig, brie and prosciutto rolls with white wines such as Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay, or a favorite Rosé! My favorite rosé right now is from Stoller Family Estate, you can buy it online here.

Fig, Brie and Prosciutto Rolls

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 1 review

Author: Kirsten Bell
Prep Time: 10 Minutes
Cook Time: 13 Minutes
Total Time: 23 minutes
Yield: 8 Rolls 1x
Category: Appetizers
Method: Baking

Print Recipe

Description

Easy, quick and delicious fig, brie and prosciutto rolls! Perfect to enjoy with a glass of wine and friends on the patio!

Ingredients

Scale

1 package classic crescent rolls (I used Pillsbury)
4 tablespoons fig jam
5–6 slices prosciutto, diced
8 pieces of brie, about 1 inch squares, 1/4 inch thick
Honey to drizzle

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Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Separate dough into 8 triangles. Spread about half a tablespoon of fig jam on the larger end of the triangle, top with prosciutto and slice of brie.

Roll each triangle, starting at the larger end of the triangle, rolling to opposite point. Place rolls on the prepared baking sheet and bake 11-13 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm and bubbly, drizzled with honey.

Italian Grilled Cheese Sandwich