Summer Flavors: Flatbreads

One of the best things about summer is the combo of fresh veggies and outdoor eats. One of our favorites for picnics, deck dinners or outdoor parties are flatbreads. These recipes look mighty tasty, and perfect for summer!

(clockwise from top left)

Zucchini and Red Onion Flatbread | Strawberry Balsamic Flatbread | Spinach Artichoke Flatbread | Three Cheese Tomato Tart | Artichoke & Veggie Flatbread | Sweet Potato, Ricotta & Arugula Flatbread

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Food in miniature

These tiny takes on classic foods brings a fun twist to some of our favorite dishes! Wouldn't it be fun to throw a party in miniature with these tasty treats?

 Milk & Cookies
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Grilled Cheese & Tomato Soup
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Caprese Tea Sandwiches

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Individual Crudites
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-The CookingThyme Team

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Time for a picnic!

Springtime is upon us! What better way to celebrate the season than by planning a picnic with your family or friends? Here are some of our favorite ideas for a simple and tasty picnic.

photo via The Decorated Cookie

1. Mason jars are a fun way to package your picnic items! Salads, pastas, drinks and even desserts can be stacked or layered in jars. Keep dressings at the bottom of the jar and shake just before eating! 

photo via 100 Layer Cake

2. For easy transport, pack individual lunch boxes for your crew. 

photo via

3. Why not try a new sandwich topping? We love these ideas from Parents magazine.

photo via Honest Fare

4. We love finding a healthier take on traditional snack foods. Kale chips are the perfect picnic snack!

photo via Our Best Bites

5. Your picnic-goers are sure to love these Toffee Chocolate Chip Bars!

photo via Spoon Fork Bacon

6. Hand-held desserts are a great choice for picnic. These Baked Apple Pie Rolls sure look tasty!

What's your favorite picnic food?

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Hearts abound

Happy Valentine's Day from CookingThyme! Spread the love with these heart-shaped recipes:

1. French Toast with Stewed Berries from Yummy Mummy

2. Delicious Roasted Potatoes from Haniela's Food and Photography

3. Heart-Shaped Eggs and Toast from Martha Stewart

4. Hot Chocolate with Marshmallow Hearts from Martha Stewart

-The CookingThyme Team

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Quick tips: trimming produce, peeling garlic, re-growing scallions

1. Curious about the best ways to trim your produce? Real Simple has some great tips for different fruits and veggies. Check them out here!

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How to Peel a Head of Garlic in Less Than 10 Seconds from SAVEUR.com on Vimeo.

2. SAVEUR magazine's Executive Food Editor, Todd Coleman, shows you how to peel a whole head of garlic in less than ten seconds. (It's kind of amazing.)

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3. Place the roots of cut scallions on a jar full of water and watch them re-grow! You'll see results within a couple of days, and a fresh supply of scallions in no time! Perfect for baked potatoes, salads and much, much more. See the full tip on The Kitchn.

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That's all for today's tips! Have a great Thursday!

-The CookingThyme Team

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Foodie gadgets + tools.

Fred & Friends has quirky kitchen gadgets that will bring a smile to your face. First up, the Cakewich, a cake pan in the shape of bread slices.

 The Pizzaboss is a pizza cutter that means business!

And finally, these Tea Cupcakes are fun and functional!

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Party on!

We love the party supplies over at Shop Sweet Lulu. They've got items to inspire any kind of party, from candles to cupcake stands and favor bags to milk bottles. We especially love their stripey straws and baker's twine.

If the idea of throwing a party seems overwhelming, let us do the work! We've got two party packages to choose from and kids love our cooking parties! More information is available on our website.

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Foodie find: a clever bookshelf.

Here's a clever way to make a bookshelf...using old books! The shelf pictured above was made by Jim Rosenau. We love the addition of a vintage whisk, and wouldn't it be fun to use old cookbooks?

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Bake it: cupcakes fit for a snowstorm.

In honor of our little snowstorm here in the Portland area, we've got some fun cupcake ideas from Babble that are perfect for any snow day.

1. Snowy Lemon Cupcakes

2. Hot Chocolate Cupcakes with Whipped Cream and Marshmallows

3. Northern Star Gingerbread Cupcakes

This week at CookingThyme:

Mommy & Me: Winter Comfort Food - Saturday, January 21, 10-11:30am

How-To: Winter Soups - Tuesday, January 24, 7-8:30pm

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The perfect winter breakfast.

It's nice to warm up with comfort foods on these chilly winter weekends. Here's our top picks for a fun and cozy winter breakfast:

Jam Straws by SprinkleBakes

Bacon, Egg and Toast Cups from MarthaStewart.com

Coffee-Flavoured Cakes from DesignSponge

What's your favorite breakfast item to warm up on a cool morning? If you've got little ones, be sure to check out our Mommy & Me: Winter Breakfast class this Saturday. More info is available on our website.

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Festive Holiday Treats: Acorn Whoopie Pies

We love these gorgeous acorn whoopie pies from Gilt Taste, but with a $40 price tag for one dozen, we say why not make your own? These would be perfect to give as favors for your Thanksgiving day guests or as a fun baking project with your little ones. We found a cakelet pan that looks up to the task...

What holiday treats are you planning to make or bake this season?

-Katie

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What's your kitchen personality?

You may be a sweetheart on the street, but what's your personality in the kitchen? Are you a compulsive counter-wiper? All-star dish-stacker? We're bringing you some fun gadgets that go perfectly with your chef alter-ego. 

First up, the perfectionist. You want all the vegetables chopped to precisely 1/4 inch. You've got conversions memorized. Your meals turn out flawlessly, so you need flawless gadgets. Enter the OCD cutting board! Complete with all the necessary measurements and angles. 

Next, the people pleaser. When entertaining guests, you really let them have it their way. Your pizzas are half pepperoni, half Hawaiian, so why can't your pie be half apple and half cherry? The Split Decision Pie Pan is for you!

Thirdly, the clean freak. You go to bed with sore wrists from all that counter-wiping! And not a drop of meat juice will come within 10 inches of your veggies. Your dishes are clean before the cookies are even half-baked. These food-specific cutting mats will help you maintain that clean kitchen you love.

And finally, the narcissist. Your win every pie contest. Your prime rib is cooked to perfection, and let's be honest, your cupcakes are the BEST. So why not show off a little bit more with these trophy cupcake holders? 

All joking aside, which gadget fits your kitchen personality? Or is your alter-ego not listed here? Let us know in the comments! 

-Katie

P.S. Yesterday was national food day!

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It's a bundt!

We love a good bundt pan, and these days they're coming in all shapes and sizes. Today we bring you some of our favorites from the bundt world:

Find them here:

the STAR

the HERITAGE

the CATHEDRAL

the CLASSIC

the MINI

the MINI

Here are some non-conventional ways to use a bundt pan:

Clockwise from top left:

1. Bundt pan as hanging plant holder, via Craftster.org

2. The easiest way to cut corn off the cob, via Real Simple

3. Bundt pan centerpiece, via Common Ground

4. Bundt pan as vertical roaster, via Real Simple

And to add some inspiration to your Tuesday, check out these extra pretty bundt cakes:

Williams-Sonoma Heritage Bundt Cake 

Williams-Sonoma Gift Cakelets

Chocolate Bundt with Succulents, via Style Me Pretty

Cinnamon Bundts with Cinnamon Glaze, via These Peas are Hollow

Christmas Tree Bundt Cake, via Food and Cook

Happy bundting!

-Katie

P.S. Our favorite bundt cake recipe.

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A sweet shower.

We love the idea of a breakfast baby shower, and this one is especially pretty, with everything from adorable french toast dippers to a donut hole Croquembouche!

Do you have a favorite shower memory? Share it with us in the comments!

CookingThyme is always up for hosting showers, parties and private events! Check out our private events page for more information.

[Shower photos from Hostess with the Mostess via The Kitchn]

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The perfect cheese platter.

 Did you see the "handy guide to creating the perfect cheese plate" on A Cup of Jo last week? We liked it so much we thought we'd share it on the CookingThyme blog. Check out Joanna's suggestions for which cheeses to buy, how to arrange them, and what knives work best with each. Read the full post here.

photos via A Cup of Jo

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You Can't Beat the Classics: CookingThyme's Chocolate Chip Cookies

Who doesn't love a warm, fluffy, crispy-on-the-edges-chewy-in-the-center chocolate chip cookie? Jen, from the CookingThyme team, has spent years perfecting a recipe that won't fall flat [literally].

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Surprise 30th Birthday Party [for one of our own].

Our dear Jen, one of the CookingThyme team, turns 30 today, so we knew we had to do-it-up big! We surprised her with a party Sunday afternoon, and even though she was a little under the weather, we think it was quite a success.

Blissini is one of our favorite drinks, and also one of the easiest to make.
It's a simple mix of equal parts orange juice, pomegranate juice and prosecco. 

Guests tested how well they knew Jen with some JenTrivia.

We used simple, easy-to-make decorations, like this doily garland and a string of old [adorable] photos of Jen.

Coconut cupcakes always seem to be a hit! You just can't beat cream cheese frosting!

And allow us to introduce a family favorite: Frango Cakes. A little nutty cake with a chocolate mint topping and a
generous dollop of whipped cream. Divinity.

What's better than crisp shortbread cookies with raspberry jam inside? We're not sure.

Our sign of success: an empty bowl.

Happy birthday Jen! We'll throw a party for you any day!

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