Special Meal

A couple of months ago we had some family over for a special meal that I wanted to share with you. Here was the menu:

Can you read it?

Appetizer:
Ham wrapped baby bella mushrooms

Main course:
Baby back ribs

Sides:
Baby spring mix green salad
Roasted lemon baby fingerling potatoes

Do you see the trend? WE ARE HAVING A BABY! Our family of 4 (2 dogs), will be a family of 5 come September.



So when my husband and I started talking about telling our parents and siblings, of course food came to mind. I spent some time thinking of baby inspired food items and set the date after we saw the doctor. When they got over, we had the menu sitting out, but our families didn’t notice. That was okay, because my husband had other plans - he wanted to do something a little more. Soooo, his idea was to put some rolls (ie - buns) in the oven. We set a dummy timmer and each mom (because they got to our house at different times) was asked to grab the food out of the oven when the timer went off, while we pretended to be busy. In the oven was a baking sheet with rolls/buns, a note that said “Buns in the oven” and a Baby on Board sign. A second touch my husband insisted on was playing Baby by Justin Bieber (no, not one of his favorite singers - hehe), when they opened the oven. Hilarious, but cute he was so excited and had ideas! 

We are so excited and blessed to have had a great journey so far. I have been feeling great, we have seen our little bean on an ultrasound and heard the heartbeat a few times. Next month, we will find out the gender and September will be here before we know it. It is already going so fast!

So, back to the food. I did want to share what I did, because I think it turned out pretty well.

Ham Wrapped Baby Bella Mushrooms

Ingredients:
Mushrooms
Deli ham (nitrate free of course)
Teriyaki sauce

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Wash the mushrooms, remove the stem and slice in half. Wrap a piece of ham around each mushroom piece. Brush with teriyaki sauce and bake for 15 minutes.  Serve warm out of the oven with some toothpicks.



Baby Back Ribs: We did take some help from a local BBQ joint for these. 

Baby Spring Mix Green Salad

Ingredients:
Store bought baby spring mix
Cherry tomatoes, chopped
Hard boiled eggs, chopped
Red onions, sliced
Various cheese options: blue, feta, shredded cheddar
Ham crisps: leftover deli ham baked at 400 degrees for 6-10 minutes

Served with homemade ranch.

Roasted Lemon Baby Fingerling Potatoes

Ingredients:
Fingerling potatoes, 2 lbs
Lemons, 2
Oil, ⅛ c
Garlic, 2 cloves
Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Mix oil, chopped garlic, zest and juice of two lemons and salt and pepper. Pour over potatoes and stir to make sure all potatoes are coated.

Make sure the potatoes are in a single layer in the baking dish. Bake for 45 minutes, tossing halfway. They get nice and crispy! 

Better Bonus Tip: If you can’t find fingerling potatoes, you can use baby new/red or yukon.

Even if you aren’t pregnant, these baby inspired food items would be a great addition to any meal!

~Ashley