Joshua loved his 18th Birthday: beautiful decor and food! So happy! I’ve tried to make it special for him and he was very appreciative of my efforts!

The day has come, like it or not. High School Graduation 2021 and 18th Birthday!

Very proud of our son for Graduating with Honors and getting into the college of his choice on Full Scholarship! He worked very hard to achieve this!

It seems that just like yesterday we brought this little bundle of joy from the hospital and here we are looking at the young man who is graduating.

Sad, happy, nervous, memories, thoughts…

Now, Joshua’s new journey begins – College! Very excited for his future!

We had High School Graduation just a few days ago. It takes me time to recover emotionally, but I needed strength to cook a special meal for Joshua.

I didn’t cook a lot this time as you can see, for my standard, but we had plenty for all of us.

Joshua’s 18th Birthday Menu

Appetizers

Smoked Salmon and eggs

Shrimp Tempura

Seafood Salad

Savory Puff Pastry Bites with Caramelized Onions and Mushrooms

Savory Puff Pastry Pizza Bites

Main Dishes

Marinated Greek Lamb Chops with Mushrooms and Tomatoes

Pan-seared Garlic/White Shrimp and Scallops

Home Fries

Fresh Pasta

Dessert

European Cream Triple Berry Tart

Chocolate Carvel Icecream cake

Seasonal Fruit

Salmon with eggs, Shrimp Tempura

smoked salmon eggs and shrimp tempura from Costco

I often come up with recipes using the ingredients that I have on hand.

After trying different Smoked Salmon brands, Kirkland Signature Smoked Salmon is by far – our Favorite! It’s like Butter!

I often make fluffy eggs for us in the morning and serve them with Kirkland Signature Smoked Salmon and tomatoes! Sometimes a toast with butter alongside.

My Fluffy Eggs recipe is what my family requests in the morning. I just eyeball it, so here are approximate measurement:

Mix 2 tablespoons of flour with 1/3 cup of milk, then add 2 tablespoons of cream cheese or sour cream. Add about 6 or more eggs to the mix, salt, and pepper. Fluff it up and slowly cook on the skillet moving the sides to the middle when the underside is cooked.

I had some leftover Fluffy Eggs that I’ve sliced and served above.

If you look at my previous tables you will see our favorite – Breaded Shrimp from Costco, but lately, we got completely hooked on their Shrimp Tempura! Highly recommend them!

Super Easy to reheat and have them ready in your freezer for when you have guests or just too lazy to cook.

Seafood Salad

How to make Seafood Salad

14 ounces imitation crab meat
few cooked shrimp sliced
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 stalks celery (finely chopped)
1/2 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning or your favorite spices
1 teaspoon fresh dill or dill weed
1 sliced green onion
salt/pepper to taste

Mix all of the ingredients. I like to serve this salad on the bed of mixed salad greens.

Savory Puff Pastry Bites with Caramelized Onions and Mushrooms

How to make Savory Puff Pastry Bites with Caramelized Onions and Mushrooms

Again I’ve come up with this recipe since I had Puff Pastry on hand that I needed to use up and didn’t want to use it for the sweet recipe this time.

These Puff Pastry bites are Absolutely Delicious and so Easy to make!

I don’t have the exact amount for the ingredients needed but I think these step-by-step pictures will help you.

Ingredients:

Puff Pastry
Sauteed baby Portobello Mushrooms in Olive oil and Marsala wine
Caramelized Onion
Whipped Cream cheese
Italian Cheese
beaten egg for brushing

Roll out and slice Puff Pastry dough in desired portion bites. I’ve made 9 per one sheet of puff pastry.

You can fold them into any shape you’d like. This VIDEO will help you to create interesting shapes!

Directions:

Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.
Brush individual bites with a beaten egg or an egg wash.
Add a dollop of cream cheese, mushrooms, onions, and cheese on top.

Bake in the preheated to 400 degrees F oven for 20-25 minutes, rotating the pan halfway in between until crisp and golden brown. Let cool slightly before serving.

Make sure the puff pastry is cold when it goes into the oven. If at any point it becomes soft, allow it to rest in the refrigerator for 15-20 minutes or until it firms up again.

These puff pastry bites taste AMAZING!

Savory Puff Pastry Pizza Bites

Since my son wouldn’t touch anything with ONIONS or MUSHROOMS, lol, I’ve made Puff Pastry Pizza Bites for him! He loved them!

How to make Savory Puff Pastry Pizza Bites

Super simple as you can see!

Ingredients:

Pizza sauce
Italian cheese
Bacon bites
Italian Seasoning
Beaten egg

As you can see I’ve decided to fold these differently into pockets and brushed them with beaten egg. Sprinkle with Italian seasoning.

Bake in the preheated to 400 degrees F oven for 20-25 minutes, rotating the pan halfway in between until crisp and golden brown. Let cool slightly before serving.

You and your kids will Love these Pizza Bites!

Main Dishes

Marinated Greek Lamb Chops with Mushrooms and Tomatoes

Another Family’s Favorite dish – Marinated Greek Lamb Chops with Mushrooms and Tomatoes that I make often!

Costco has the best prices on Lamb and every time we shop there we pick up Rack of Lamb, or Lamb Loin chops and Leg of Lamb.

Pan-seared Garlic/White Shrimp and Scallops

How to make Pan-seared Garlic/White Shrimp and Scallops

This is a super simple and amazingly delicious recipe that you can make in 20 minutes!

INGREDIENTS

2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 pounds shrimp (or prawns), peeled and deveined
1 pound scallops
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 large garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup dry white wine or Marsala wine
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon paprika
Salt if needed (adjust to taste)
black pepper to taste
1/4 cup chopped parsley

Directions:

Heat olive oil and butter in a large pan over medium-high heat until hot.
Add garlic and sauté until fragrant.
Add the shrimp sauté for 1-2 minutes per side.
Add scallops in a single layer without overcrowding the pan. I’ve used small scallops so they are ready in 3 minutes.
Add wine and lemon juice. Bring to a simmer for 1-2 minutes or until wine reduces by about half and the shrimp is cooked through. Don’t overcook your shrimp.
Add a tablespoon of butter, lemon juice, paprika, pepper, and parsley.
Serve over rice, pasta, or vegetables.

I prefer to use FRESH PASTA instead of a dry one. You can probably find it in most supermarkets, not in the dry pasta section, but where you buy shredded cheeses, yogurts…

It’s a fresh pasta that cooks for 1 to 3 minutes. You will taste the difference.

I like BUITONI® freshly made pasta brand, but tried others as well.

Home Fries

You can find the recipe for the Home Fries here! I’ve added sauteed onions this time! Amazing!

Dessert

I was short on time since my son’s plans have changed, I’ve decided to save some time and not make my own dessert as I normally do.

While shopping at Publix we saw this beautiful European Cream Triple Berry Tart and decided to give it a try! We were so impressed! Usually, commercial desserts have a ton of sugar but this one was pleasantly mild and super tasty!

This Chocolate Carvel Icecream cake has been a favorite of ours for years! We buy a small one since no one in my family is interested in adding pounds, lol. So we eat small portions of everything!