My daughter’s 22nd Birthday Dinner

If you are looking for the links of all the birthday supplies, CLICK HERE

Celebrating birthdays and milestones has always been my favorite thing! I truly enjoy seeing the ones I love most being happy and making memories. My oldest daughter is turning 22 his coming week, but since she will be going back to college and some of her best friends were heading back even earlier, she wanted to have an intimate dinner party with them.

The theme was bows and flowers. This house is filled with girly girls (poor my husband!) and we are truly loving the bow trend.

For all the links of the supplies I used for the party make sure to check my LTK SHOP.

Here are the recipes of what I made:

1. Caesar Salad

You just need some fresh romaine lettuce washed, dried and cut. Shredded or shaved Parmesan cheese, and croutons of choice. I make my own but you can buy store bought. One thing I never compromise, are salad dressings! I always make my own because it takes all your salads to a different level! Here is my Caesar dressing:

• 1 cup of mayo
• ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 tbsp anchovy paste
• 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tsp Dijon mustard
• ¼ tsp black pepper

Mix all ingredients in a food processor or bullet and blend until well mixed.

1. Surf & Turf:

I got some filet mignons, seasoned with sea salt ONLY (a good piece of meat doesn’t need more than salt :)) and grilled them. I only marked the grill lines on the steaks on both sides for the flavor and look, but I finished them in the oven before it was time to serve. So I could cook them depending of the temperature every person wanted. For the “surf” part I made some

Shrimp Scampi:

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 4 tbsp butter
• 4-5 cloves garlic large, minced
• 1 ¼ lb large shrimp large, shelled with tails on
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 pinch cracked pepper
• ¼ cup dry white wine
• ½ teaspoon red crushed pepper flakes, optional
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• ¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped

Heat olive oil and 2 tbsp of butter in a large pan or skillet. Add garlic and sauté until fragrant (about 30 seconds - 1 minute). Then add the shrimp, season with salt and pepper to taste and sauté for 1-2 minutes on one side (until just beginning to turn pink), then flip. 
Pour in wine, add red pepper flakes (if using). Bring to a simmer for 1-2 minutes or until wine reduces by about half and the shrimp is cooked through (don't over cook your shrimp).
Stir in the remaining butter, lemon juice and parsley and take off heat immediately.

1. Side dishes: I made some Garlic Sautéed Broccolini, Rosemary Roasted Potatoes and Sautéed mushrooms.

I blanched the broccolini for 1 minute in boiling water, then I drain them, dried them a little and tossed them to a hot pan with olive oil, a little butter and garlic. After the garlic cooks, I threw in the broccolini and served.

For the potatoes, I bought the cocktail size Yukon yellow potato’s and cut them in halves. Add them to a bowl and poured some olive oil on top, salt, pepper, garlic powder and fresh chopped rosemary (about 2 tbsp for the pound of potatoes). Add them to a sheet pan and cooked them for about half an hour at 350.

The mushrooms, I washed, dried and sliced. Added a little olive oil to a pan, threw them in, and let them cook, added salt and pepper and a little garlic.

Dessert was a real treat! I made an Italian Ricotta Cheesecake and the most important thing with this is patience! You won’t have this dessert done the same day or in a whimp. It’s EXTREMELY EASY to put together (because it doesn’t even required a crust), but you have to follow the directions. This is my Italian Ricotta Cheesecake (which is extremely creamy, light in texture and will be a huge hit!):

Italian Ricotta Cheesecake:

• 1.5 pounds of full fat ricotta cheese, room temperature
• 2-8oz blocks cream cheese, room temperature
• 1½ cups granulated sugar
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp pure vanilla extract
• 6 eggs room temperature
• 6 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 16oz sour cream room temperature

Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease a 10-inch springform pan and line the bottom with parchment paper to prevent sticking. On low speed, whisk the ricotta in a stand mixer bowl until it’s smooth and creamy, about 1-2 minutes. 
Then, add the cream cheese and whisk for 1-2 minutes until well combined. Scrape down the sides. Next, whisk in the sugar, lemon juice, and vanilla extract.
Add the eggs one at a time on low speed. Avoid over-beating.
Gently fold or whisk the flour and sour cream until the batter is smooth and evenly mixed.
Pour the batter into the prepared springform pan and smooth the top with a spatula.
Place the pan in the preheated oven and bake for 1 hour, or until the edges are set and the center is slightly jiggly.
Once baked, turn off the oven and let the cheesecake cool inside for an hour with the door ajar. Remove the cheesecake from the oven and allow it to cool completely at room temperature before covering and refrigerating overnight.

I made a strawberry compote to go with it, just mixing a quart of strawberries (washed, stems off and cut in halves), with 1 cup of water , 1/2 lemon juiced and zested and 1/2 cup of sugar. Bring to quick boil, and then turn heat down to simmer so strawberries come softer and liquid starts reducing. Serve with cheesecake and enjoy!

Make these recipes and make memories along the way! 

XOXO

Carla