A few months ago, I tasted a wheat berry salad at a local restaurant, and I’ve been thinking about it ever since. The chewy texture of wheat berries, the sweet tang of cranberries, the bite of a vinegar dressing…I was in heaven. It was good, people. If you’ve never had the pleasure of devouring a wheat berry salad, I’d suggest you quickly move the experience to the top of your list. 

Of course, with the taste of that salad fresh in my memory, I figured I ought to add a wheat berry salad recipe to my own repertoire. I waded through many similar recipes, but I couldn’t find one that was on-par with the yummy salad I’d been day dreaming about. And so, finally, with you all in mind (as well as my own taste buds), I set out to create my own crave-worthy version of the elusive wheat berry salad recipe. 

You’re welcome.

Cranberry Wheat Berry Salad

Wheat berries are simply the entire (hulled) wheat kernel (whole grains, yay!); cooked until they’re soft but still a bit chewy, they impart an interesting—and yummy—texture to a salad that’s a nice break from the ordinary. Add this salad to your next shower menu…your guests will be begging for the recipe (and the leftovers!)

2 cups hard red winter wheat berries

10 cups water, salted

1 cup dried cranberries

1/3 cup minced onion

½ cup sunflower seeds

1/8–1/4 cup minced fresh herbs (parsley, chives, basil, etc.—whatever’s fresh)

¼ cup raspberry vinegar (or your favorite vinegar)

2 T good extra virgin olive oil

2 T sugar (or your favorite sweetener)

1–2 tsp salt

Black pepper to taste

Optional: ½ cup chopped walnuts, pecans, or almonds

In a large pot, boil the wheat berries in the salted water until they’re soft but still a bit chewy, about 60 minutes. Drain the wheat berries and transfer them to a large bowl. To the bowl, add the cranberries, onion, sunflower seeds, herbs, and the nuts if you’re including them. Stir to combine everything. In a small bowl, dissolve the sugar and salt in the vinegar and oil then pour it over the salad. Stir well to be sure everything’s coated in dressing, then add black pepper and/or more salt to taste. Let the salad sit, covered, for at least 30 minutes before serving—the longer it sits, the better it tastes! Serve this salad either chilled or at room temperature.

Enjoy!

Posted by Shannon, a Dot-arilla Blogger

For my daughter’s birthday party, rather than making a big cake, I made cupcakes—one batch of vanilla cakes, and one batch of chocolate cakes—and I left them all bare! I arranged the cupcakes on two pedestal cake plates and decorated them a bit with some paper leaves arranged to make the cakes look like flowers.

THEN! I let the kiddos go wild, frosting and decorating their own cupcakes. As I expected, this was a hit with the children…but I was surprised to see just how much the adults loved decorating their cupcakes too. I made plenty of extra cakes, so everyone felt free to go back for seconds (or thirds or fourths…), and most of the adults embraced that opportunity as they experimented to find their favorite, most delicious combinations of frostings and toppings.

I was thrilled to see how well this idea went over with all the guests at our party, and I plan to do it again in the future. However, I think this could be a hit at occasions other than a kid’s birthday party—of course, I immediately thought of baby showers, and more specifically couple’s showers.

When you offer guests the opportunity to top their own cupcakes, it becomes “an activity” that most everyone enjoys…which can be difficult to come by for couple’s showers. I’d suggest, if you’re planning a shower for both Mama- and Daddy-to-be, you consider dropping one of your games, and offer them cupcakes instead!

 Cupcake Topping Ideas

Here’s the list of toppings I offered at my daughter’s party, but really, this list could be infinite—use your imagination and see what creative toppings you can come up with!

• Chocolate Frosting

• Whipped Cream

• Seedless Raspberry Jam

• Chopped Toasted Almonds

• Toasted Coconut

• Sprinkles!

• Diced Kiwi and Strawberries

• Sundrop Candies (like M&Ms)

• Peanut Butter Chips

• Mini Chocolate Chips

 Happy Decorating!

Posted by Shannon, a Dot-arilla Blogger

This salad is a favorite in my family, and it’s always a crowd-pleaser. There are many variations on this salad floating around out there, and it’s likely your family has it’s own version. However, for us it’s such a staple—at showers, picnics, dinners, you name it!—that I thought I’d share it with you all, on the off-chance that you’ve never had the pleasure of tasting it!

Bok Choy Salad

This salad calls for full heads of both Bok Choy and leaf lettuce—it makes a LOT of salad. If you’re short on time (or just don’t feel like chopping), or wish to make a half-batch of this salad, you can substitute bags of classic salad mix (with lettuce, carrots, and cabbage) for the Bok Choy and lettuce. Use 32oz of mix for a half-batch of salad, or 64oz for the full recipe.

1 head Bok Choy, washed and chopped

1 head Lettuce, washed and chopped

8-10 scallions, washed and chopped

2 pkgs ramen noodles

2 oz sesame seeds

2 cups slivered almonds

4 T butter

Dressing:

¼ cup red wine vinegar

½ cup sugar

¾ cup oil (your favorite for dressings)

2 T soy sauce

In a LARGE bowl, combine the Bok Choy, lettuce, and scallions, set aside, or store covered in the refrigerator. In a skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Break apart the ramen noodles into small pieces, leaving some larger hunks (about the size of a lima bean), save the flavor packet for another use. Add the ramen noodles, sesame seeds, and slivered almonds to the skillet, and sauté them in the melted butter until they’re golden brown. Set them aside on a paper towel to cool, and then store them in an air-tight container until you’re ready to use them. While the ramen topping is cooking, combine the dressing ingredients in a saucepan. Bring it to a boil and cook until the sugar dissolves. Cool the dressing and then store it in a jar with a tight-fitting lid. 

When you are ready to serve the salad, combine the lettuces, the ramen topping, and the dressing in a LARGE bowl. Toss the salad until everything is coated well in dressing. Serve immediately.

Enjoy!

Posted by Shannon, a Dot-arilla Blogger

I’ve shared many delicious food recipes with you, but I’ve just realized I’ve yet to offer you something to drink! Let’s rectify that, shall we?

Here’s a good, old-fashioned, standard punch recipe—no frills, no frou-frou ingredients, just a straight-up delicious party beverage. It will do your punch bowl proud.

Party Punch

1 (12 oz) can frozen Orange Juice concentrate, thawed
1 (12 oz) can frozen Fruit Punch concentrate, thawed
1 (12 oz) can frozen Lemonade concentrate, thawed
1 (12 oz) can frozen Raspberry Juice concentrate, thawed
1 (2-liter) bottle ginger ale (or club soda)

In a large container (or two pitchers, divided) combine the juices with 8 cans of water. This mixture can be refrigerated until you’re ready to serve your punch. To serve, fill your punch bowl half-way full with the juice mixture, and fill the remaining half with ginger ale. Stir to combine, and add ice or an ice ring if you’d like.

Enjoy!

Posted by Shannon, a Dot-arilla Blogger

My daughter turned four a few weeks ago, and she requested a garden party to celebrate the event. My menu-planning mind immediately switched into tea party mode and I started dreaming of delicate finger sandwiches and petit fours…and then I remembered half of our guest list were men who probably would be less-than-thrilled to see platters of teeny-tiny fancy food, delicious or not.

I had to find a happy medium. My goal was to offer some substantial snacks, while staying true to my bite-sized, simple finger food, original vision. I finally settled on a few different varieties of tortilla wrap sandwiches, sliced into (not too) thin rounds. These ham, spinach, and herbed cheese wraps were a big hit! They’re stuffed with plenty of ham and cheese so they’re satisfying, and I tucked some delicate green spinach leaves inside and cut the slices on the diagonal so I still ended up with a beautiful platter to fulfill my “fancy” vision.

Ham and Spinach Rolls

Of course, these rolls are highly adaptable—swap any of the components for your favorite ingredients. Have fun being creative…you guests will love you for it! The cheese I use here is found near the deli in most major grocery stores, but you can certainly make your own version using any soft cheese and your favorite herbs and seasonings.

 1 package 8-inch tortillas (I like whole wheat because they add a bit of sweetness)
1 lb deli ham, sliced thin (I used applewood smoked—yummy!)
1 package Original (Garlic and Herb) Boursin Cheese
2-3 cups washed baby spinach leaves, stems removed

Spread a thin layer of cheese on a tortilla. Layer on 2-3 slices of ham, overlapping to add some bulk to the wrap, leaving a small (1/2-inch) sliver of cheese exposed along one edge to help seal the wrap when you roll it up. Add a layer of spinach leaves, completely covering the ham. Roll the tortilla up, beginning on the side opposite from the exposed cheese. Roll the tortilla fairly tightly and set it aside, seam side down, to rest while you prepare the remaining tortillas.

Continue assembling the tortillas until you’ve used all your ham and cheese (you should have enough for 6-8 tortillas.) At this point, you can store the tortillas in the refrigerator until you are ready to place them on your platter—they’ll keep overnight, but I wouldn’t store them much longer than that or you risk the tortillas becoming soggy.

When you’re ready to serve the wraps, cut each slice at a 45º angle, “discarding” the ends (By discarding, I mean “eat them for lunch.”). I cut them about ¾-inch thick—you should cut them to your desired size. Then: devour!

Enjoy!

Posted by Shannon, a Dot-arilla Blogger

I think it’s fairly widely accepted that bacon is pretty great. Really, what can’t be made better by adding bacon? And yet, believe it or not, there exists a recipe that makes bacon even better! This is definitely a “special occasion” recipe—you don’t want to be eating this every week or anything (Or maybe you do. Your call.), but for an event like a baby shower, these caramelized bacon twists are just the little something your menu might need!

Caramelized Bacon Twists

I have served these twists both on buttered croissants with turkey and a lettuce leaf and at brunch alongside quiche and potatoes—either of which are perfect pairings, in my opinion. There are never any leftover bacon twists!

1 pound sliced bacon

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Preheat your oven to 350º F, and line a 15×10x1-inch baking dish with foil (Very important! Trust me!) Combine the brown sugar and cinnamon in a gallon-size ziplock bag and set aside. Cut each bacon strip in half widthwise. Place the bacon strips in the bag with the sugar mixture and shake until all the strips are evenly covered with sugar. (You can do this ahead of time and let the bacon sit in the sugar mixture in the fridge. It will get a bit runny/wet, but will also be nicely marinated.) Twist each strip as you remove it from bag, and place them on the prepared pan. Bake at 350º F for 15-20 minutes or until crisp (watch closely, they can burn quickly.) Serve immediately; or cool and then freeze them in an airtight container for up to 1 month.

 Enjoy!

Posted by Shannon, a Dot-arilla Blogger

I’ve seen many, many different versions of this yummy broccoli salad. It’s often prepared with both cauliflower and broccoli (1 bunch of each), or all broccoli (use two bunches)…but I love to substitute some whole wheat pasta for some of the veg. Besides being amazingly tasty, the broccoli/pasta combination lets this salad stand as a main dish, if you’d like. This is an incredibly adaptable recipe: you can make additions or substitutions based on what you like or have on hand. I’ve seen this made with peas, almonds, dried cranberries, broccoli slaw, cheddar cheese—even grapes. Really, it’s hard to go wrong with this one! Here’s my favorite version:

Broccoli Pasta Salad

1 (12 oz) package whole wheat pasta

1 bunch broccoli, finely chopped (about 5 cups)

1 medium onion, chopped

1 cup raisins

1 cup salted sunflower seeds

10 strips bacon, cooked and crumbled

Dressing:

1½-2 cups Miracle Whip (or mayonnaise)

½ cup honey (or your favorite sweetener)

¼  cup apple cider vinegar (or white vinegar)

¼ tsp ground black pepper

Cook pasta to al dente according to package directions; drain and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking process and cool the pasta. Set aside in the colander to drain well. In a small bowl, combine 1½ cups Miracle Whip with the remaining dressing ingredients. Stir until mixed well, and set aside or store in a covered container. In a large bowl, combine chopped broccoli, cooked pasta, onions, and raisins. Stir together with the dressing until everything is coated and well-combined. Cover the salad and refrigerate at least thirty minutes, or up to two days. Stir in the sunflower seeds and bacon directly before serving the salad.

Depending on how long you store this salad before serving, you may need to add additional Miracle Whip (and maybe a Tablespoon or so of vinegar as well) when you stir in the nuts and bacon. The pasta tends to absorb the dressing somewhat, and it may become a bit dry—be sure to taste and adjust before serving!

Enjoy!

Posted by Shannon, a Dot-arilla Blogger

Alright, these crackers are in no way healthy for you…but you won’t care a bit about that once you’ve tasted them. I’ve yet to serve these to someone who hasn’t loved them. They are so simple to prepare, extremely addicting…and they are the perfect thing to set on your end tables for your shower guests to snack on during the games/gifts portions of your baby shower!

Enjoy!

Seasoned Oyster Crackers
2 (12 oz) packages oyster crackers
1 cup your favorite oil
1 envelope dry ranch dressing mix
1 tsp garlic salt
½ tsp dill weed
¼ tsp lemon pepper

Place the crackers in a large bowl or jar with a tight-fitting lid, set aside. In a small bowl, combine the oil and remaining ingredients. Stir until well-combined, then pour the mixture over the crackers. Place the cover on the bowl or jar and shake them up until all the crackers are coated. Let them stand for at least 20 minutes (longer is better) and then serve. These will keep in an air-tight container for a long, long time…but you and your guests will eat them all up long before they have a chance to spoil!

Posted by Shannon, a Dot-arilla Blogger

If you’re looking for a different twist on a baby shower menu, you might consider simply offering a buffet of appetizers. An appetizer menu is extremely versatile—you can make the dishes as light or heavy as you’d like, ranging from a few simple platters of cheese, crackers, and fruit to a table full of trays brimming with enough food to rival a five-course meal.

Whichever direction your appetizer menu takes, these delicious Tortellini Skewers will fit right in—and they’ll be among the first disappear. Think of them as bite-sized pasta salad—the perfect bite every single time.

Mini Tortellini Skewers
This is a wonderfully adaptable recipe—the amounts here will make a good-sized platter of skewers, but you can make more or less very simply. If you’ve got leftover ingredients, just throw it all together in a bowl for a yummy pasta salad. I like to include a leaf of basil or spinach on each skewer for some added flavor and color. Some hunks of fresh mozzarella would be delicious here as well—have fun customizing!

1 (9 oz) package cheese-filled tortellini
1/2-3/4 cup Italian dressing
1 pint grape tomatoes
1 small can whole black olives
1 (3.5 oz) package sliced pepperoni
Toothpicks

Cook the tortellini according to the package directions, subtracting a minute or two from the cook time. Drain the cooked pasta and toss it with the dressing. Cover the pasta (or place it in a ziplock bag), and let it marinate in the refrigerator overnight. To assemble the skewers, thread either a tomato or an olive onto a toothpick, follow this with a slice of pepperoni (fold it to fit, if necessary), and finally a tortellini. Arrange the skewers on a platter and serve. These can be made ahead of time, if you’d like, and stored in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve them.

Enjoy!

Posted by Shannon, a Dot-arilla Blogger

When a friend or family member of mine has a baby, one of the first things I do (after offering my congratulations, of course) is prepare a meal to deliver to the happy new family. Those first weeks (honestly: months) of caring for a newborn and adjusting to a new family dynamic can be so draining, and preparing a healthy (warm!) meal is often the last thing new parents want to worry about. An offer of food is such a simple thing—but a nourishing meal carries with it so much kindness, I really can’t think of a more perfect gift for a new family.

I was recently introduced to a website that takes delivering meals to a whole new level. Food Tidings is a wonderful resource that allows you to coordinate an entire food-bearing army to deliver meals to anyone in need. You can create an online schedule for meal delivery, and friends and family of the parents-to-be can view the entire schedule online and sign up to deliver a meal on a specific date.

What a perfect idea for a baby shower! You could collect email addresses from shower guests, and, when the baby is born, simply invite those interested in providing a meal to sign up on a schedule you’ve created at Food Tidings. The new parents will feel so loved, and most likely relieved to know that the cooking is done…leaving more time for new-baby snuggling.

Posted by Shannon, a Dot-arilla Blogger