Tuesday, September 25, 2012

Intimate Gatherings.

Last night was such a treat for me! 


A few weeks ago Carly and Brian decided that they were going to make Damian and I dinner as a thank you  for cooking for them. It became a reality last night! I thought it would be hard to let go of the kitchen reigns, especially in my own home, but surprisingly I was delighted. They planned and prepared a beautiful and delicious meal including desert! (This is rare in my house, we don't have a lot of desert, mostly popcorn) I was able to relax a little when I came home from work and enjoy a glass of wine, or two, with some great friends. 


Does that not look amazing?! Grilled Pork Chops and Bacon wrapped green beans!

I can not take credit for any of this! Brian "man-ed" the grill while Carly prepared the side dish and desert. Carly was generous enough to provide the recipe to share with you all for these green beans. The pictures do not do these justice, they were amazing! 

Bacon Wrapped Green Beans 

What you need:
- 1 lb green beans
- 1/2 lb cured bacon
- 1 Tablespoon honey
- 2 Tablespoons butter
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- Fresh ground black pepper for tasting

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Wrap 6-8 green beans in a slice of bacon. In a small bowl combine honey, butter, and garlic. Brush over wrapped green beans and bake for 30 minutes covered and then an additional 10 minutes uncovered. Top with black pepper.

*** For the last 5 minutes, we broiled the pan on low in order to make the bacon a bit crispier***

(Photo above courtesy of Carly)


They sliced perfectly!

Check out those awesome grill marks!

And for desert? Cinnamon Bun Cheesecake a la Carly-- So delicious. For recipe click Here.


And the photo shoot began... 


It was hard to decide which picture of the chefs was the best so I just posted all of them!

Thanks again for an amazing dinner, I can't wait until next time! Yes, I just invited myself to a next time...