It’s a bit impossible for me to believe that it’s already May. I was having this debate with my manager yesterday – whether time moves more slowly or more quickly when you’re incredibly busy. I say quickly. With all the planes and coming and going, I feel as if I’m in a constant state of transit, never quite settled. It’s not my favorite feeling, but I’ll admit that being a frequent traveler has a certain glamour to it. Anyway, between airports and planes and a never-ending Boston winter and buying a house, the last 5 months seems to have slipped right by, and now it’s the first of May. It was unreasonably chilly outside today, but I still woke up this morning excited about spring and summer and hopefully carving out some time to really enjoy this season. May is really a lovely, happy month. It has Trevor’s birthday, cinco de mayo, the season’s first BBQs, Memorial Day Weekend… and Mother’s Day.

My first picnic of the year was in honor of my mom, although she wasn’t actually there, which I’m sure she will mention to me as soon as she sees this post. (Don’t worry, mom, I will give you your own picnic when it is actually Mother’s Day — this picnic was just in preparation so that the real one can be as good as possible. And so that other people could read this and plan picnics for their moms. Also, I will bring you a trifle on Sunday.) Mothers are wonderful, special people who pour a whole lot of energy and love and heart into ensuring that we, their children, are safe and well-fed and happy and that ultimately we turn out alright. They are worth celebrating, probably a lot more frequently than once a year, but let’s start there. Brunch is perhaps the most typical way to celebrate Mother’s Day, but I think that a picnic is an equally lovely way to treat mom to something special. If the weather cooperates, it’s a great way to linger over a meal, enjoying the outdoors, each other’s company, and some light and spring-like dishes.

The savory part of this picnic is Mushroom and Goat Cheese Savory Squares, which is just a fancy name for “puff pastry tarts.” These are super simple to prepare: the mushrooms are sliced and sautéed with butter, garlic, Chardonnay, and thyme, then baked along with goat cheese on store-bought puff pastry. Despite being easy to make, they look and taste super elegant, thanks to the wonderful amount of butter in puff pastry. For dessert, there are Mini Lemon Curd Trifles. Trifle, because it reminds me of my mother; mini, because packing things in mason jars is trendy and perfect for picnics; and lemon curd, because I love it and it screams springtime. The trifle layers are lemon shortbread, lemon curd, whipped cream, and fresh raspberries. I could have eaten about 6 of these little trifle mason jars on my own, they were so good. And of course, the wine! A bottle of Cambria’s Bench Break 2012 Chardonnay is the perfect thing to bring along, because it’s a lovely match for the mushrooms, goat cheese, lemons, and buttery pastry and shortbread.

Find the recipes for the Mushroom and Goat Cheese Savory Squares and the Mini Lemon Curd Trifles over on the Cambria Wines blog!

Disclaimer: This post is sponsored by Cambria Wines. All opinions are honest and my own.

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The post Mother’s Day Picnic // Mushroom Savory Squares, Lemon Curd Trifles, and Chardonnay appeared first on Katie at the Kitchen Door.

I’m back in the US again (airport blog posts for the win!), which is mostly a good thing. The weather in Boston this weekend is supposed to be beautiful, my birthday festivities begin next week, and then there’s a long weekend before I head back to Colombia. The only downside? I have to finish doing my taxes. And ASAP. Since I run this blog as a business, my taxes are kind of a nightmare – freelance business owners with lots of small transactions and quick and easy taxes do not go hand in hand. I’m almost done (I think), but it’s not my favorite activity.

Like any unpleasant task, doing your taxes is made easier by scheduling in small rewards. Rewards like a bowl of ice cream, a glass of wine, or an episode of Scandal (if you’re me, at least). Or, if you need a bigger break, pressing pause on the taxes and cooking up some Southern-style comfort food. Having spent my formative college years in North Carolina, I have a soft spot in my heart for good Southern food, especially during times of stress (late night studying, frantically finishing a problem set before class… doing your taxes on the night of April 14th…). So, I’ve teamed up with Cambria Wines to create a Southern dinner that you can enjoy with a glass (or two) of their Katherine’s Vineyard Chardonnay.

Although perhaps not the most classic of Southern dishes, my “tax break” Southern comfort food dinner starts with a smoky chicken gumbo. Only, if you told a real Southerner that it was gumbo they would probably debate it with you, and they would be right to, since this recipe doesn’t take the time to make a deeply flavorful roux before starting the rest of the soup. So, let’s call it a “gumbo-style” smoky chicken stew. It’s full of smoky, rich, Southern flavors – smoked andouille sausage, smoked paprika coated chicken, sweet red peppers, and cayenne – and served over cheesy, smoked gouda grits for good measure. For dessert, there’s maple corn cake – sweeter and fluffier than a corn bread thanks to the use of corn flour and lots of maple syrup, but still simple and rustic in the best way. Topped with Chardonnay-poached peaches and freshly whipped cream, you won’t even remember why  you needed a break in the first place.

Find the recipes for the Smoky Chicken Gumbo with Cheesy Grits and Maple Corn Cake over on the Cambria Wines blog!

Disclaimer: This post is sponsored by Cambria Wines. All opinions are honest and my own.

Like what you just read? Subscribe to Katie at the Kitchen Door on Feedly or Bloglovin‘, or follow along on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, or Google+. Thanks for reading!

The post Tax Break // Southern Comfort Food with Cambria appeared first on Katie at the Kitchen Door.

We’ve made it to Friday! I thought it might never get here. The first week back after vacation is always daunting, and kicking the week off with a snowstorm and finishing it with sub-zero temperatures doesn’t exactly make it go any faster. But we made it through the week, we’re currently experiencing a brief but welcome bout of sunshine, and it’s just about time to pop open a bottle of wine for the weekend.

When I was little, Friday nights were always movie night in my family. My mom would make do-it-yourself calzones – everyone got a rolled out pizza dough, and we’d stuff and roll them up to our heart’s content. Mine was usually just a tiny spoonful of sauce covered by huge handfuls of cheese, and maybe a few olives (mostly because I liked eating them off the ends of my fingertips). If we were lucky, my mom would haul out the giant air-popper, too, and we’d watch the kernels whirl around inside until they popped out the chute at the top. There was a little metal tray on top of the popper that melted the butter as it worked, and we always used an entire stick of butter – a decadent amount, really, but the popcorn tasted amazing. Then we’d all pile into the den and tune into the latest Disney Channel Original Movie, snacking on popcorn and pausing only to pull our calzones from the oven.

Although I still occasionally participate in movie night when I’m at home (there are still calzones, but no more air popper), movie night as an adult is a little bit different. For starters, there’s wine. Specifically, a bottle of Cambria Pinot Noir. And because I have to live up to your expectations of me as a fancy-food-blogger, there’s fancy pizza and fancy popcorn to go with said wine. Most recently, the pizza took the form of Chicken-Broccoli Alfredo Pizza – a favorite childhood combination, comforting and creamy and mild. The homemade alfredo sauce utilizes a roux as a base, allowing you to use milk instead of cream and still achieve a thick and creamy texture (and after lunch today, I can also confirm that the leftover alfredo sauce on pasta tastes exactly like Annie’s mac’n’cheese. Nostalgia overload). The chicken is simply shredded rotisserie chicken (easy is king on Friday nights!), and the broccoli is roasted before going on top of the pizza for additional flavor and crispiness. For the popcorn, I went the maple-chili-butter route – it was Trevor’s idea and it was a great one. It hits all the sweet-salty-spicy notes I crave in snack food, making it almost impossible to stop eating it. And with those three elements – pinot, pizza, and popcorn, plus a great movie, a cozy blanket, and ideally a good snuggling partner – you’re ready for the weekend.

Find the recipes for this pizza and the popcorn over on the Cambria Wines blog!

Disclaimer: This post is sponsored by Cambria Wines. All opinions are honest and my own.

Like what you just read? Subscribe to Katie at the Kitchen Door on Feedly or Bloglovin‘, or follow along on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, or Google+. Thanks for reading!

The post Movie Night with Cambria Wines: Chicken-Broccoli Alfredo Pizza and Maple-Chili Popcorn appeared first on Katie at the Kitchen Door.