Baby Gift
One of my neighbors and dearest friend, Ileana, just welcomed her 3rd baby boy last Tuesday. Tonight was my turn to make her and her family dinner… apparently, taking meals to new mamas is only a southern thing! When I mentioned it to people, they looked at me like I had 6 heads and 24 eyeballs.
Obviously, they are northern transplants 
However, they obliged and agreed to adopt this southern-ism!
Well, you just can’t take over a meal- you’ve got to bring a gift, too! So, I made baby Landon a set of homemade burp cloths to go along with the lemon pepper chicken (courtesy of Publix chefs), feta mashed potatoes, balsamic and honey green beens, rolls (out of the freezer section, but they tasted homemade), and chocolate chip cookies.
I thought I would show you how to make your own burp cloths and share the mashed potato and green bean recipes. Enjoy!
Honey Garlic Green Beans
Ingredients
- 16 ounces green beans
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- Salt and freshly cracked black pepper
Directions
Bring a large pot of water to a boil over medium heat. Add the beans and blanch them for 2 minutes. Immediately remove thebeans from the water and add them to an ice bath to stop the cooking process. Drain.
In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and green beans. Cover, and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Uncover, then stir in the vinegar, honey, onion powder, and salt and pepper, to taste. Cook to desired degree of doneness, about 4 to 6 minutes.
- Transfer the beans to a serving bowl and serve.
(thank you foodnetwork.com)
Feta Cheese Mashed Potatoes
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, cubed
- 4 cloves garlic, peeled
- 1 (4 ounce) package crumbled feta cheese
- 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
Directions
- Place the potatoes and garlic in a large saucepan; cover with water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat; cover and cook for 15-20 minutes or until tender. Drain and transfer to a mixing bowl; mash. Add the feta cheese, cream, salt and pepper; beat until fluffy.