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Hummus Dip with Pine Nuts and Red Pepper Recipe. Bohemian Cottage

Classic Hummus Dip

I went with a fairly traditional version of hummus for the bohemian tea party.

Classic Hummus Dip with Pine Nuts and Red Pepper

I am lucky to have kids that are adventurous eaters from the time they were little. Perhaps it was just what they were exposed to and what they are used to having that have given them their advanced palates for trying new things. Hummus happens to be one of those easy classic dips that they have liked from the first time they tried it. We usually have some on hand to dip veggies and pretzel chips into for a healthy snack. Often times with tight schedules I don’ t take the time to make it from scratch, even though it is not really hard to make. It is the cleaning of the blender that usually makes up my mind to buy the various store bought brands available. If you are thinking of throwing your own bohemian tea party or other gathering and are tight on time, there are many good pre made versions out there. But if you prefer to make it yourself so you can add whatever ingredients that you want to put your personal twist on it, go for it! Here is the recipe I used for our party. It made a thick and fairly chunky version, though you can make it smoother to your preference. (read more)

Chicken Caprese Pizza from bohemiancottage.com

Caprese Chicken Pizza

Chicken Caprese Pizza. Bohemiancottage.com

Easy and Healthy Chicken Caprese Pizza.

Browsing magazines never fails to make me inspired. Whether its a craft or a dinner, magazines are full of opportunities. I came across a picture of chicken caprese pizza in seventeen magazine. This seemed like the perfect meal to satisfy the appetite of the picky eaters of our house, while still keeping it healthy. This pizza is truly easy to make and will make everyone’s mouth water.

Ingredients:

Pizza dough. We used pre-made dough.

1 Roma tomato- sliced

Shredded mozzarella- 1 cup

1 grilled chicken breast- sliced (read more)

Garam Masala Stuffed Eggs

Garam Masala Eggs with Radish. Bohemiancottage.com

Garam Masala Eggs with Radish Garnish. The eggs in the center are Traditional Deviled Eggs.

Keeping the theme of the world influence in mind when picking out the food for our bohemian tea party, I thought about taking some of my people’s favorite foods and putting a little cultural twist on them. I ran across the inspiration for these eggs on pinterest and the website Indiaphile.com. Needless to say they were a big hit. They have an unexpected slightly sweet flavor with a nice addition of crunchiness from the radish. I also made a few traditional deviled eggs for my sweetheart since he is not necessarily the bohemian foodie that I am! (read more)

Spring Flower Garden

These mystery Iris were planted a couple of years ago. Surprise!

When these iris were planted in the front garden a couple of years ago, I was not sure what color they were. I can’t even remember where I got them. Was it the Rocky Mountain Gardening Forum plant swap? Maybe my friend Julie? Surprises in the garden are one of the joys of toiling in the dirt. Watching all of the fruits of your labor burst into bloom in the spring, summer and fall makes it all worth it. I love the process of teaching the kids about the powerful lesson of cultivating a seed, nurturing it and watching it grow into a beautiful flower or food to eat. The value of delaying gratification and cultivating patience. I know many of the gardeners feel the same as I do, that gardening is a form of therapy. Cheap and effective therapy! (read more)

Almond Butter and Coconut Stuffed Dates with Orange Blossom Water and Honey

Moroccan Inspired Stuffed Dates

The secret ingredient to these rich sweet stuffed dates is the addition of orange blossom water.

When it comes to sweets and desserts, I am admittedly not a baker. I do try from time to time to bake up a treat, usually around one of the girls birthdays or when I want to challenge myself in the kitchen. When I came across some ideas for stuffed dates, I was immediately inspired to create a recipe that takes those flavors on a Moroccan journey for our bohemian tea party, and no bake was something I am totally down for. In planning the party, I was thinking influences from India, Morocco, Turkey, and England. I wanted something vegetarian, since my good friend Rosie was coming and I thought about the traditional almond paste used in Moroccan cooking would be tasty stuffed in a date. There are traditional recipes for this treat, but being of bohemian spirit and liking to try out my own spin on the traditional, I decided to try it with almond butter. Adding the orange blossom water and honey to it gives it a sweet a light floral taste that is slightly mysterious. The amounts of almond butter, honey and orange blossom water are going to vary a little by how big your dates are. I used a couple tablespoons per date, since I was able to find these big medjool dates at the international market. (read more)

Whimsical Bohemian Tea Set by Nini Violette

Bohemian Tea Party Inspiration

While planning an upcoming Bohemian Tea Party, which you will see here on the blog, I have come across many inspiring ideas that I wanted to share here. When I start thinking about a party, usually I have some sort of theme in mind like last summers Midsummer Masquerade, to an Indian inspired intimate dinner for 4, it helps to plan the decor, menu and music. If you checked out the Convivial Bohemian Table post, you may have had some inspiration to make your everyday dinning special and uniquely your own, or so I hope anyway! (read more)