A St. Joseph's Day Baby Shower

I am in the middle of preparing to host a baby shower for a dear sister-in-law who is expecting her third child soon. Since we know the baby is a boy we opted to have the shower on the Solemnity of St. Joseph, so that we could celebrate the wee little one and this dearly beloved saint all at the same time. Since it is St. Joseph's feast day and he is so loved by the people of Italy, I decided on an Italian theme for the shower. My SIL wants to have a girl's luncheon more than an official shower, so you won't see any typical baby themed treats. I've been working on the plans and wanted to share them with anyone looking for a new way to honor St. Joseph or maybe just a fun Italian dish to try. Here are some recipes for the food I am planning on serving:

~ Spinach Potato Frittata ~

 an Italian frittata is like a quiche with less cream and no crust. It's supposed to be a hearty, rustic dish, not light and airy.

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 6 small red potatoes, sliced
• 1 cup torn fresh spinach
• 2 tablespoons sliced green onions
• 1 teaspoon crushed garlic
• salt and pepper to taste
• 6 eggs
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

1. Heat olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Place potatoes in the skillet, cover, and cook about 10 minutes, until tender but firm. Mix in spinach, green onions, and garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Continue cooking 1 to 2 minutes, until spinach is wilted.
2. In a medium bowl, beat together eggs and milk. Pour into the skillet over the vegetables. Sprinkle with Cheddar cheese. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook 5 to 7 minutes, or until eggs are firm. 

I have tested this recipe already and it is delicious! For convenience sake, I am going to cook all the veggies first and then transfer them to a quiche pan and let it cook in the oven until firm.

~ Pesto Crostini ~

 ...crostini is basically toasted bread with cheese or savory spices on top

Make you favorite pesto, spread it on a slice of bread and toast it with a slice of tomato and some mozzarella cheese. Let the slices broil until the cheese is melted. I like to toast the bread slices first and then toast it again to get the cheese bubbly.

~ Cream Puff Cake ~ 

...This cake looks like a giant cream puff which is a traditional dessert served on St. Joseph's feast day. 

• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 4 eggs

• 1 (8 ounce) pkg cream cheese
• 4 cups milk
• 1 (3.5 ounce) pkg. each french vanilla, white chocolate, & cheesecake pudding mix
• fresh whipped cream
• 1 jar Nutella or melted chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. In a large heavy saucepan, heat butter and water to boiling over medium-high heat. Add flour and reduce heat to low. Cook and stir until it forms a ball and pulls away from the pan. Remove from heat and transfer to a large bowl. Beat in eggs, one at a time, beating well after each egg.
3. Spread in bottom and up the sides of a springform pan or two pie plates. Bake at 400 degrees for 25-35 minutes. Cool completely. Spread a layer of Nutella or melted chocolate over the shell flattening any large bubbles that might have baked up in the middle.
4. To make the filling: In a large bowl, combine cream cheese with a little of the milk until blended. Slowly add the rest of the milk and beat until smooth. Add pudding mix and beat until thickened. Spread over cooled shell. Top with whipped cream
5. As a note... the filling made enough for two while the dough really only made one. I made two by making two batches of dough but only one batch of filling. The original recipe called for spreading the dough in a 9x13 inch pan but I wanted a round pan so that it would look more like a giant cream puff. In a 9x13 pan, this amount of filling might be just enough.

~ Italian Sodas ~

Another SIL is actually in charge of making these, but here is a recipe you can try. I also plan on serving a cold pasta primavera salad and fruit on the side. And I'm making bouquets of lily shaped candy lollipops to send home with each of the ladies.