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The honor of your presence is requested…with a slight squeal you quickly read the rest of the inviation b/c it is now a reality…”I AM getting married!” There it is, for all to see, printed in black letters…or pink…or gold…or green…whatever fits you best…the invite!

The invitation is the first glimpse your guests are going to get into your wedding and your personality. They set the stage for every detail to be unfolded. There are many components that play a supporting role in the creation of that oh so perfect invitation. You know you got it right when you get them from the printer and can’t stop looking at the masterpiece that is going to announce to the world that you truly want them to be a part of your special day.

All jest aside, there are as many ways to invite guests to your wedding as there are Brides to Be. It really is about you and what you want, just like every other detail of your wedding. Don’t let anyone talk you into something that doesn’t fit for you!!!

The design process can be as hands on as you want it to be or handled by a 2nd party, such as a stationer. There are several design elements to consider when designing your invite: type of paper, color, patterned design on the paper, to incorporate a ribbon element or not, along with a whole host of other considerations.

There are many websites that specialize in wedding invitations, just look through your wedding magazines and you can find a bunch and spend an entire week looking at all the beautiful, creative designs. You can work with either a local stationer or an independent, home based invitation stationer. You can even look at your local wedding association website to find an independent. Another fun and completely unique way to put your personal signature on your entire wedding stationary is to hire a graphic designer to create a completely integrated look for all of your wedding stationary including: response cards, thank you cards, programs, napkins, directions to the ceremony and reception, menu cards, place cards and the actual invitation itself.

This is the #1 rule that MUST NEVER, EVER be ignored!!!! Always get a proof of your invitations and in a quiet moment, without interruptions, carefully go over it for typo’s and misspellings. This is your responsibility and not the printer’s.

I recently attended 2 bridal shows, one in Grand Rapids, MI and another in Nashville, TN. I discovered 2 gems for wedding invitations. The first one is “Green” and the girls in the office love it!! It is made out of Bamboo wood. It comes in three shades and the design on it is simple, elegant and beautiful. The response card is attached and perforated for ease in returning it. This one really makes a statement. Check out the website www.cardsofwood.com.

The 2nd fabulous find is Relish! This is for the Bride to Be who is a little more adventurous but still wants a little help. I love this company…you actually do the designing.  The website guides you through the process of creating your wedding stationary ensemble. They want you to “enjoy the journey” and they have soooo many idea pages to help you with the creative process. This is a really fun place to design your wedding stationary. Check it out: www.getrelish.com

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So…I saw this commercial for a “Mushroom Bacon Swiss Monster Burger” the other day and I really wanted one (hold the bacon)! I don’t even remember what restaurant it was for (Hardee’s maybe…?)…but I just kept having visions of it all day. I have been on a staunch no ‘fast food’ regime for a long time. I mean, I defect every once in a while for convenience’s sake but always reap the consequences either on the scale…or…well…a different way (no explanation needed…you all know what I mean!).

On top of that…I overheard a co-worker talking about “Crock Pot Mac ‘n Cheese” made with Velveeta and I wanted that too!!! Argghhh…will food cravings ever cease!

So…I sat down and got my wheels a turning on how I could have both but not suffer the dier consequences! I love Velveeta…don’t get me wrong…but the processed cheese is SOO bad for you! Then, I thought, “I can’t have cheese on my burger AND have macaroni and cheese.” Then…lighbulbs…what if I made a killer swiss cheese mac, just a bunless mushroom burger and added some type of green veggie? Sounds like a great meal to me…and it was! I hope you love it as much as I did!

You will fnd this recipe and more on next week’s cooking cast from the Simplicity Gourmet Corporate Center Kitchen @ 11:00 CST: www.pinkapronpreview.com/tv

Happy Cooking!
Miss K

Mushroom Burgers w/ Slow Cooker Swiss Mac ‘n Cheese & Spinach Salad

UTENSILS: Small Mixing Bowl, Large Skillet, 8” Saute Pan, 5 qt Slow Cooker, 6 qt Dutch Oven, Large Salad Bowl, Master Kut

INGREDIENTS:
Burgers
1 lb lean ground beef or turkey, 1 can Fat Free Cream of Mushroom Soup, 1/3 cup Italian-seasoned bread crumbs, 1 pkg Lipton Onion Soup Mix, ½ Cup finely chopped onion, 1 Egg, 1 ½ Cups Sliced Mushrooms,
4 TBSP Worcestershire Sauce (divided)

Mac & Cheese: 1 Pkg Whole Wheat Egg Noodles, 3 Cups Skim Milk, 3 Cups 2% Swiss Cheese (#4 Cone), 3 Cups 2% Cheddar Cheese (#4 Cone), ½ Stick of Butter

Salad: 1 Large Bag Baby Spinach, 1 Cup Grape Tomatoes (halved), ¼ Red Onion (Thinly Sliced), Banana Peppers Rings, 3-4 TBSP Pine Nuts, Garlic and Cheese Croutons, Olive Oil or Your favorite Dressing

INSTRUCTIONS:

**Begin Macaroni 1 ½ – 2 hours before you prep the rest of your meal** Fill the 6 qt ¾ full of water. Bring to a boil on medium high heat. Add the egg noodles and cook for about 6-7 minutes (cook to al dente – not all the way done). Meanwhile, grate the cheeses.  When the noodles have cooked 6-7 minutes, drain and add to a cold 5 qt slow cooker. Add milk, butter, cheeses, salt and pepper to taste. Stir to combine well. Cover and cook on 250 (medium) until water begins to bubble around the edges. Turn to simmer and allow to cook 1 ½ – 2 hours, stirring occasionally.

When your mac ‘n cheese has about 45 minutes left of cooking, begin your burgers. Saute the onion on medium heat with 1 TBSP Worcestershire Sauce for 7-10 minutes or until very soft.

Combine the ground meat, ¼ Cup Cream of Mushroom Soup, Lipton Onion Soup Mix, 2 TBSP Worcestershire Sauce, bread crumbs, egg, and ½ the sautéed onions. Form 4 burgers.

Heat the skillet on medium heat. When heated, add the burgers. Meanwhile, prepare your salad. Add the bag of spinach to the salad bowl and drizzle with Olive Oil; toss to coat well. Layer on rings of onion, then banana peppers, then the halved tomatoes. Sprinkle with Croutons and Pine Nuts. Set aside until ready to serve.

Combine the mushrooms, rest of the mushroom soup, other half of sautéed onions, & 1 TBSP Worcestershire Sauce in a shallow bowl. When the burger pan whistles, uncover and flip the burgers. Add the mushroom mixture over the top of the burgers. Cover, whistle closed and turn the burner to low. Allow to cook for 10-12 minutes longer. Serve and enjoy!

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So…I’ve been in a baking mood here at the Simplicity Gourmet Corporate Center Kitchen. There’s nothing I love more than yummy gooey cakes and brownies! I recently happened upon this homemade apple cake recipe that has turned out to be just perfect for our waterless cookware! It was a huge hit at one of our recent cooking classes…and I only got a nibble.

So…while you’re stuck inside by the rain and gloom this weekend…comfort yourself with some gooey apple cake on me!

Happy Cooking!
Miss K

GOOEY APPLE CAKE

UTENSILS: Electric Skillet, 10” Saute Pan, Master Kut, Medium Mixing Bowl

INGREDIENTS:

Cooking spray, 11TBSP butter (divided), 2 cups sugar (divided), 2 eggs, 1 cup all-purpose flour, 1 tsp baking soda, ½ tsp cinnamon, ¼ tsp salt, 2 large tart apples (#4 cone), 1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts, 4 tsps cornstarch, 1/2 cup evaporated milk, 2 tsp lemon juice, 2 tsp vanilla extract

INSTRUCTIONS:
•Cream 5 tablespoons butter and 1 cup sugar. Add egg and beat well. Stir in flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, apples and walnuts. Batter will be stiff.

•Coat the skillet with cooking spray. Spoon the batter into prepared pan; smooth top.

•Cook on 300 for 10 minutes. Reduce temperature to simmer and cook 10-12 more minutes or until done through the center (uncover and check). Recover, and unplug the unit; allow to sit covered until the sauce is ready.

•Meanwhile, combine remaining 6 tablespoons butter, 1 cup sugar, cornstarch and evaporated milk in the saute pan; bring to a boil over medium heat. Boil 2 minutes, whisking constantly. Remove from heat; stir in lemon juice and vanilla. Pour over hot cake.

•Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or frozen yogurt

**Reduce by ¼ for the large skillet (2 eggs) and ½ for the Small Skillet (1 egg). For stovetop baking, cook for 10 minutes on medium, whistle closed. Low for 10-12 minutes, whistle closed and covered and off for 10 minutes**

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Newlyweds: Becky and Brayden Gruchow

My sweetie and I have been married for just over a year. I love it. I really and truly could not have found a better man! I will say though, that we are polar opposites. I am always early, he is always late. I have to clean up my pots and pans before I can enjoy my meal, he can let them sit in the sink for days. These things I learned during the dating process. We did date for over 4 years. In fact, I felt pretty confident that I knew just about everything about my husband before we tied the knot. Well, I was wrong. There are always those odds and ends that kind of “sneak in” after married life begins….

Socks. I know this is something that a lot of women can relate to. WHY IS IT SO HARD TO PUT YOUR SOCKS IN THE LAUNDRY BASKET? I knew he wasn’t a neat freak, but since living together, I have watched how, when he gets home from work, he walks through the house and takes off his suit as he goes, leaving a trail behind him. I have gone so far as to put extra laundry baskets at the foot of the stairs, and in the living room, to no avail. On the floor they fall.

The cell phone. You can call it a smart phone, a PDA, whatever, I call it “the other woman.” When we were dating, he wouldn’t answer the phone during dates, family events, or while we were watching a video. Now, I think my hubby has more personal contact with his phone than with me!  In the car, at the movies, while grocery shopping, you name it, he has done it. Ok, ok, it has come in quite handy at times, with its GPS, and full keypad, and internet, but please, please, just don’t be playing Golden Tee phone golf while you are driving down the expressway!!!

Honey-Do List. I don’t think it is wrong to want him to do a few things around the house on the weekends. You know, put up some shelves, clean out the garage, sort through old papers – in fact, we can do them together!  But for some reason, it hasn’t quite worked out that way, at least not yet. I don’t think that I have stumbled on quite the right way to ask him to do things. Just asking doesn’t work. He can forget. A note on the fridge doesn’t work- he doesn’t really notice it. Sometimes a note taped to the middle of the bathroom mirror will work, but I try to use that only for really important tasks!  So we keep trying- I know we will come up with a good system…eventually.

All in all, it is actually hard for me to think up too many things that drive me bonkers, because at the same time, he also:

·    Buys me flowers when I least expect it and for no reason.
·    Cooks me the most fabulous dinners I have ever eaten (thank goodness for our waterless, greaseless cookware!).
·    Always, ALWAYS wins me stuffed animals out of the claw machine.
·    Gives the best neck rubs I have ever had.
·    Lets me pick out the DVD’s that I want to watch, even though they wouldn’t be his first (or second or third) choice.
·    Compliments me all the time and actually notices when I get a new haircut.
·    Fills up my gas tank without me knowing.
·    Holds my hand and opens car doors for me
·    Most importantly, says I LOVE YOU about a million times a day. And I do too. I love him more than I could ever put into words!

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