Entertaining Archives | Cafe Johnsonia

Autumn, Christmas, Dairy-Free, Entertaining, Gluten-Free, Side Dish, Sides, Sponsored, Thanksgiving, Vegan, Vegetarian, Winter

Plantsgiving: Vegan Root Vegetable Mash

November 17, 2016 7 Comments

It’s finally here! Today’s the day when Kelly and I are sharing our full PLANTSGIVING menu! All week we’ve been sharing some of the recipes, and now it’s time for our showstoppers. I’ve been incredibly excited to tell you all about our dinner. The entire meal was plant-based (vegan) and gluten-free. I’m still dreaming about it two weeks later. Kelly’s Hearty Butternut Walnut Loaf was the main attraction with my Vegan Root Vegetable Mash playing an important supporting […]

Autumn, Beverages, Cocktails + Mocktails, Dairy-Free, Entertaining, Gluten-Free, Sponsored, Vegan, Vegetarian, Winter

Fall Apple Cider Chia Fresca

October 18, 2016 7 Comments

Years ago when I was living in New York, I discovered chia seeds. I can’t remember why I bought them, or how I’d heard about them. But in any case, I bought a bag and we started using them, and never looked back. There’s always a bag in my cupboard now. I hadn’t actually thought about that until I was whipping up this Apple Cider Chia Fresca. I couldn’t remember a time when chia seeds weren’t […]

Appetizers, Autumn, Christmas, Entertaining, Gluten-Free, Holiday, New Year's and New Year's Eve, Pizza, Snack, Sponsored, Thanksgiving, Vegan, Winter, Yeast Bread

Gluten-Free Holiday Appetizer: Flatbread with Roasted Butternut Squash

December 11, 2015 17 Comments

Gluten-Free Holiday Appetizer | Butternut Squash Goat Cheese Flatbread

When I catered holiday parties in the past, the menus usually centered around appetizers and salads. Those are my favorite party foods – always. And I think after all the sweets, people crave more savory party foods. I love, love, love using cheese in appetizers, especially for the holidays, for several reasons. First, most people love cheese. Or at least like it. Second, it creates a more filling, satisfying appetizer. And third, it goes well […]

Beverages, Dairy-Free, Entertaining, Gluten-Free, Slushes, Summer, Vegan, Vegetarian

Cucumber Lime Slush with Thai Basil

June 9, 2014 10 Comments

On Saturday I spent the day doing pre-production for some fun photography projects I’m working on. I can’t wait to share them with you! I really love pre-production days – shopping for groceries and props is great, and I love seeing a shoot come together. It’s even nicer when I’m sans kids and can concentrate better on what I’m doing. I must have gone to seven or eight different places, and I stopped at World […]

Autumn, Entertaining, Sponsored, Tips + Helpful Hints, Vegetarian

7 Tips for an Eco-Friendly Party

September 30, 2012 1 Comment

This series is brought to you in partnership with Lightlife, Live long. Travel light. To learn more, click here. We were invited to host an eco-friendly party in conjunction with the new Lightlife frozen veggie patties. Fall arrived last Saturday. This is my favorite time of year in Utah. The mornings and evenings are cool and the afternoons are warm and sunny. It’s the perfect weather for a little eco-friendly outdoor get-together with friends. We […]

Condiments, Dips + Spreads, Entertaining, Gluten-Free, Grilling + Outdoor cooking, Lamb, Local, Main Dish, Sauces, Sponsored, Summer, Utah

Grilled Lamb Patties and 14 Hands Wine

August 23, 2012 3 Comments

I enjoy the flavor wine imparts in my cooking, so I was happy to team up with 14 Hands Winery to do some summer grilling. They sent me some bottles of wine for me to experiment with. We’ve purchased 14 Hands for cooking before, and we’ve always been very satisfied with the results. I was very happy to try out some of the other varieties they produce. Perfect timing – we recently bought a small charcoal […]

Cakes and Cupcakes, Dessert, Entertaining

A Cake for Colby and Chelsea.

December 12, 2010 19 Comments

When I finish a big project, like a wedding cake, I am always relieved and sad for it to be finished. It’s funny to get attached to something like a cake. I feel almost protective over it, like it’s another child that I’m sending off into the unknown. What if they didn’t like it? The cake had its own mishaps. It almost toppled. The bottom layer started falling apart–probably because it wasn’t a sturdy cake. […]

Entertaining, Family, Miscellaneous

Sometimes I Bake Wedding Cakes.

December 8, 2010 11 Comments

In January, I made a wedding cake for these two lovely people. Meet Samantha and Chas Kelly. Even if I wasn’t related to them (by marriage) I would love and claim them as my own. (Sam is an amazing artist, by the way. She has an Etsy shop called Can You Hear Me? You should check it out.) I offered to make their cake and hoped they’d say yes. When they did, I was completely […]

Entertaining, Tips + Helpful Hints

Kitchen Q&A: Cheese Course

October 10, 2008 14 Comments

picture: Four Easy Cheese Appetizer Ideas Kiasa wrote to me yesterday asking about creating a cheese course. (I immediately started salivating…and thinking.) Last night my husband (and muse) and I sat down to discuss fromage. What would we put on our cheese plate? We came up with a few things to keep in mind when planning a cheese course– 1) Keep the number of cheeses between 3-5. 2) Select cheeses that vary in texture, intensity, […]

Bread, Christmas, Easter, Entertaining, Holiday, Kid-Friendly, Mother's Day, Rolls, Sweet Rolls, Thanksgiving

Lion House Rolls

March 22, 2007 3 Comments

If you’ve ever had Lion House Rolls…you know how good they are! I like to make refrigerator rolls during the holidays because I can make them ahead of time and bake them when I’m ready. I’ve adapted my version of this recipe for Lion House rolls from the Lion House Recipes Cookbook. Check out my post on How To Make Refrigerator Rolls for step-by-step photos plus tips and tricks for the best rolls ever.