Entertaining

The Flower Chef (and a giveaway!)

BY Jen

The Flower Chef  Book

This post was made possible by Blogger Babes. I received a complimentary copy of The Flower Chef in exchange for my honest review. Thoughts are 100% my own.

I love cookbooks. I don’t often make recipes exactly like they are written, but I love sitting down and flipping through a cookbook with beautiful photos and getting inspiration for my own creations. I just received a beautiful book called The Flower Chef which is basically a cookbook filled with “recipes” for amazing flower arrangements, complete with gorgeous photos for each. It doesn’t get much better than that right?

Let’s face it, flowers just make your home happier. I definitely don’t have a green thumb (ok…I kill pretty much every plant that enters my home) but I love experimenting with floral arrangements. This book gives so many tips and tutorials, many of which were completely new to me! It starts with the basics like what supplies you need, info on certain types of flowers, buying and prepping flowers and how to care for your arrangements. I love the chart that shows what seasons certain flowers are usually available! Then the book goes into pretty much every way to work with flowers: wrapped bouquets, floral foam, a tape grid to hold flowers in place, and many other super creative designs. My favorite section is the last one, where she thinks outside the vase and gets super creative. I’m talking boxes, candelabras, baskets, fish bowls, pitchers, branches, table runners and many more amazing ideas. I am picturing every surface in my house covered in flowers, but I may be getting a little carried away ;)

This book would be great for anyone from the flower rookie to the flower enthusiast and would make a wonderful gift (Mother’s Day maybe?). The “recipes” are super easy to follow for anyone but the best part is you can get the basics from the tutorials and then let your imagination run wild with your amazing creations! I have have been busy flipping through all of the beautiful photos and getting inspiration, but I can’t wait to start making my own arrangements!

Want your own copy?
I am giving away one free copy to a lucky reader! There are 3 ways to enter and you get one entry for each…do all three to increase your chances of winning. You have until April 20th to enter. A winner will be chosen at random and announced here on April 21st. Enter here:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Want more ways to win?
The Flower Chef, Luna Bazaar and The Blogger Babes have teamed up to bring you a #DIYFloralArrangement Pinterest contest. Here is how to enter:

#DIYFloralArrangement Pinterest Graphic

And check out these awesome prizes:

1st Prize - #DIYFloralArrangement Pinterest Contest

So what are you waiting for? Pick one (or all) of these awesome ways to win this beautiful book and start creating! You can also get your copy on Amazon here.

This post was made possible by Blogger Babes. I received a complimentary copy of The Flower Chef in exchange for my honest review. Thoughts are 100% my own.

Sweet Potato Gnocchi

BY Jen

Sweet Potato Gnocchi

I love gnocchi. There is something so comforting about a bowl of these fluffy little dumplings. And although they are a bit time consuming, they are really easy to make. If you ever played with play-doh as a kid, you can nail this recipe.

Sweet Potato Gnocchi
My version gets a nutritional boost by subbing out regular potato with sweet potato. And I am a firm believer that goat cheese makes everything better.

This is a great dish to serve for company. You can make the gnocchi ahead of time (even the day before) and then boil them and toss them in the sauce at the last minute. And your guests will be impressed! If you are making them ahead of time, sprinkle them with flour and store in a single layer the fridge.

Sweet Potato Gnocchi

Ingredients

Serves 6

Gnocchi:

  • 1 1/2 lbs sweet potato, peeled and cubed
  • 1 cup flour
  • 4oz goat cheese
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tbsp maple syrup
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/8 tsp nutmeg
  • 1 tsp kosher salt (plus some for boiling)

Brown butter sage sauce:

  • 6 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 1/4 cup fresh sage leaves
Directions
  1. In a large pot, boil cubed sweet potatoes in salted water until tender (test with a fork). Drain.
  2. In a large bowl, mash sweet potatoes until smooth. Let cool.
  3. Mix goat cheese, egg, maple syrup, garlic powder, nutmeg and salt into mashed potatoes.
  4. Add flour a little bit at a time until a soft dough is formed (you may need slightly less than a cup). The idea is to not add to much flour, or else they will be dense and chewy. You want the dough to be pliable but not too sticky. Knead dough and shape into a large ball.
  5. Lightly flour your work surface and divide the dough into 6 equal balls. Roll each ball into a 1 inch thick rope and cut into 1 inch pieces. Roll each piece over the back of a fork to create indentations (this step is optional, but they look prettier that way).
  6. Bring a pot of salted water to boil. While you are waiting for the water, make the brown butter sauce (recipe below).
  7. Working in batches (to not overcrowd the pot) add gnocchi to the boiling water and cook until the gnocchi float to the top (1-2 minutes).
  8. Toss with the brown butter sauce.

Brown Butter Sauce:

  1. Melt the butter in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Once the butter has melted add the sage leaves.
  2. The butter will start to foam. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the foam subsides and the butter starts to brown. Remove from heat when you notice brown bits forming on the bottom of the pan.

Sweet Potato Gnocchi