What On Earth Is Cupcake Fondue?!

Hi Everyone,

Have you heard of a new trend that has recently popped up called Cupcake Fondue?  Ohhh it is delicious, and sinful.  I don’t know why, but there is something about melted frosting that I cannot stay away from!  If you haven’t guessed already, it is like a regular fondue but with cupcakes!  It is a super fun idea for a bridal shower, company after hours, birthday, or just because

Pictures from Bake It Pretty, a really fun blog.  Check it out!

You can use anything to make you Cupcake Fondue special!  Try Sprinkles, Toffee, Chocolate and Vanilla Frosting to start.

Or get really creative and mix in some Coconut, melted chocolate and peanut butter, crushed oreos and candies. My mouth is watering already!

For information about Cupcake Fondue Catering, please call the Y.Lo Headquarters at 303-780-9888

Enjoy your Wednesday!

Nina Holmes ~ Y.Lo Epicure

Read Full Post »

Passover Seder 2011

Hi Everyone,

We are really excited about the relationship we have with Temple Micah!  They are a fantastic Jewish community with the most amazing people who work there.  I feel lucky that we know them and get to work with them on their big events!  Last month we catered their Passover Seder.  It was an unbelievably successful event!  We were lucky enough to receive the feedback from their members who attended, and we got A’s across the board!  Here are some photos from the big night:

They began the night with a Traditional Seder Plate that was prepared before everyone arrived. Along with lots of Wine as each person had to drink 4 glasses throughout the evening in honor of the celebration!

We served a Balsamic Roast with tons of Mixed Veggies, YUM!

Along with the Roast we served Warm Apple Kugel, Orange Tzimmes, Vegetarian Shepherd’s Pie, Matzo Ball Soup, Israeli Cabbage Salad with Lemon Orange Vinaigrette, Chocolate Mousse and Italian Parfaits.  It was traditional, presented beautifully and delicious!  For more information about the services we can provide for Jewish Events, please call us anytime at 303-780-9888.

Nina Holmes ~ Y.Lo Epicure

Read Full Post »

A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words

Hi Everyone,

I wanted to say thank you to John Bosley again!  He was generous enough to take some head shots for me!  His work is amazing and I am very happy that we recently connected.  We met through the Colorado Women’s Chamber of Commerce and have been networking ever since.  Here are a couple of the photos he took with me, and a great picture of Denver!

John specializes in Wedding, Family, Event and Fashion Photography.  Visit his website at www.johnbosleyphotography.com where you can see more photos of his work and a link to his blog!

Nina Holmes ~ Y.Lo Epicure

Read Full Post »

What Does Y.Lo Look Like ~ The Denver Deli Platter

Hi Everyone,

I get so many requests from people to see pictures of our work, which I completely understand.  I love pictures!  When it comes to catering, there are so many different ways that you can present food.  So, I am going to start sharing pictures from all different types of events.  To get us started, here is a lunch that we recently did for a group of about 30 people.  They ordered the Denver Deli Platter, which is only $10.99 per person.  It comes with Assorted Breads, 3 Meats, 2 Cheeses, One Homemade Side, Bowl of Chips and Fresh Baked Dessert!  It is a lot of food, and it looks so good

Call 303-780-9888 for more information about our Denver Deli Platter, or any of our other amazing menu items we have to offer.

Nina  Holmes ~ Y.Lo Epicure

Read Full Post »

Muffin Madness and Musical Melodies ~ Wake Up To Both!

Hi Everyone,

One of my favorite things to do in the morning is to get up, make some delicious breakfast treats and blast some of my favorite tunes.  And yes, I do this during the week.  It is such a great way to start your day!  I am quickly getting into the habit of waking up at 6am everyday, so that sometimes gives me 2-3 hours before I have to be at work.  Despite the fact that I am starting to become an old lady (I went jogging last week and my hip hurt! Ugh, I tell ya what!), I love having more time to do my favorite things.  After all, we do spend most of our lives at work, it pays off to do something nice for yourself

So here is the recipe (Musical Melodies to follow)

Berry-Banana Blast Muffins

Ingredients:

1 cup strawberries, chopped
1 cup sugar, plus 2 tablespoons
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
Pinch ground cinnamon (I went a little overboard on the cinnamon, and it was worth it!)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon salt
1 ripe banana, mashed
2 large eggs
1/4 cup canola oil
1 lemon, zested
1/2 pint blueberries
1 cup chopped walnuts (Don’t forget, if you do not like nuts, don’t put them in..)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Prepare muffin tin with liners.  Yields 12 Muffins.
In a small bowl, mix together strawberries and 2 tablespoons sugar. Let sit 15 minutes until strawberries give off juices.
In a small bowl, mix together flour, cinnamon, baking soda, nutmeg and salt.
In a large bowl, whisk together the mashed banana, eggs, oil, 1 cup sugar, strawberries, and lemon zest.

Mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until combined. Do not over mix. Fold in blueberries and walnuts.
Scoop batter evenly into muffin cups.

Bake until a toothpick inserted in center of muffin comes out with a few crumbs but not wet, about 30 minutes. Let cool, serve and ENJOY!

Now for the TUNES!  I like this group because they have a great mix of music, they have over 8 Albums under their belt!  Plus, I am starting to get into Bluegrass, and I will admit, they have a little twang in some of their songs.  My favorite albums so far are I and Love and You and Emotionalism. 

I hope you like both the muffins and the music!

Don’t forget to “like” my blog if you like it

Nina Holmes ~ Y.Lo Epicure

Read Full Post »

Walk of Faith 2011 ~ Walk for Children. Walk for Hope.

Good Monday Morning!

This past Saturday we walked!  It was a huge success!  We had so many generous donations as well as walkers to show their support and faith that we can make a difference and end child abuse.  The Tennyson Center for children is a wonderful organization and I highly recommend go to their facility, take a tour, and see for yourself what they do, who they help, and how.

Here are a few pictures from this years Walk of Faith.  You can see all of the photos On my Flickr Page!

A quick warm-up before the walk!

We had a great turn out ~ Congrats walkers

I learned about the Tennyson Center about a year ago when I made a big cake for the kids birthdays.  It was a blast!  I got to meet about 20 children that live and go to school at TCC.  I wanted to get more involved.  When Aynsley asked me if I was interested in joining the committee for the Walk of Faith, I was thrilled!  The committee is a great group of woman, we worked on this walk for about 6 months.  I think we did a great job and I am already looking forward to next year!

Thank you to everyone who participated!

Nina Holmes ~ Y.Lo Epicure

Read Full Post »

Translations Gallery~A Perfect Venue for any Event!

Hi Everyone,

I am super excited to show you the pictures of an event we recently did at Translations Gallery!  This is an amazing venue, I highly recommend checking it out whenever you are downtown.  Of all of the galleries I have visited, this is by far my favorite.  They have the most unbelievable art, and the space is perfect for any type of event, corporate or social! Visit their website at www.translationsgallery.com

1743 Wazee Street
Denver, CO 80202
(303) 629-0713

I love that picture behind the buffet!

Mini Beef Wellington’s~Delicious!

Crispy Tortillas with Shrimp, Guacamole and Pico de Gallo~Yum!

Translations Gallery is a venue that showcases contemporary fine art with 1,900 square feet, high ceilings and hardwood floors.  The gallery is the ideal modern venue for private and corporate events. Surrounded by contemporary fine art, this unique setting is a warm and inviting space to entertain clients and friends.

I hope everyone stays DRY out there today!! I know we need the rain, but it feels like the East Coast our here!

Nina Holmes~Y.Lo Epicure

Read Full Post »

Delicious Dinners and an Introduction Too!

Hi Everyone,

I am super excited about someone that I recently met name John Bosley.  He is a photographer in the area and I absolutely love his work!  He has a great style, and I had the pleasure of shooting with him today.  He took some head shots of me (if you didn’t notice, I still don’t have a picture on the Y.Lo website..) in Golden.  I have a feeling we got a few good ones, and I am stoked!  I have always been the one on the other end of the camera, so I am excited to see what they look like.  Stay tuned!

Since it was a chilly day today, I thought a nice Soup Recipe would be a perfect meal to share with you! This is actually from Ina Garten, she is one of my favorite Food Network Celebs.  Her recipes are simple, but super tasty and full of flavor. This recipe makes a ton of soup, so feel free to cut the ingredients in half.  Or you can, save the leftovers in your freezer for the next time you get the craving, trust me, you will get a craving for this again!  And don’t forget to change any ingredients you don’t like.  For instance if you hate Leeks, use a combination of some celery and kale to get a similar texture and to add depth to the soup.

Sausage and Lentil Soup:

• 1 pound French green lentils (recommended: du Puy)
• 1/4 cup olive oil, plus extra for serving
• 4 cups diced yellow onions (3 large)
• 4 cups chopped leeks, white and light green parts only (2 leeks)
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic (2 large cloves)
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme leaves
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 3 cups medium diced celery (8 stalks)
• 3 cups medium diced carrots (4 to 6 carrots)
• 3 quarts Homemade Chicken Stock, recipe follows, or canned broth
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• 1 pound kielbasa, cut in 1/2 lengthwise and sliced 1/3-inch thick
• 2 tablespoons dry red wine or red wine vinegar
• Freshly grated Parmesan, for serving

Directions:

In a large bowl, cover the lentils with boiling water and allow to sit for 15 minutes. Drain.

In a large stockpot over medium heat, heat the olive oil and saute the onions, leeks, garlic, salt, pepper, thyme, and cumin for 20 minutes, or until the vegetables are translucent and tender. Add the celery and carrots and saute for another 10 minutes. Add the chicken stock, tomato paste, and drained lentils, cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for 1 hour, or until the lentils are cooked through and tender. Check the seasonings. Add the kielbasa and red wine and simmer until the kielbasa is hot. Serve drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with grated Parmesan.

A quick note, the secret to the recipe is salt!  It brings out all of the flavors, so don’t skimp

I thought it would be a good idea to share Ina’s Chicken Stock Recipe with you, it is awesome!  I personally didn’t have time to make this the last time I did the soup, and it still tasted great.  But if you do have the time, this is amazing.

Homemade Chicken Stock

• 3 (5-pound) chickens
• 3 large onions, unpeeled and quartered
• 6 carrots, unpeeled and halved
• 4 celery stalks with leaves, cut in thirds
• 4 parsnips, unpeeled and cut in 1/2, optional
• 20 sprigs fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 15 sprigs fresh thyme
• 20 sprigs fresh dill
• 1 head garlic, unpeeled and cut in 1/2 crosswise
• 2 tablespoons kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons whole black peppercorns

Place the chickens, onions, carrots, celery, parsnips, parsley, thyme, dill, garlic, salt, and peppercorns in a 16 to 20-quart stockpot with 7 quarts of water and bring to a boil. Skim the surface as needed. Simmer uncovered for 4 hours. Strain the entire contents of the pot through a colander, discarding the chicken and vegetables, and chill. Discard the hardened fat, and then pack the broth in quart containers.

Now for the amazing photography of John Bosley:

I love his style!  Check out more of his work at www.johnbosleyphotography.com.

Nina Holmes- Y.Lo Epicure

Read Full Post »