We tried to have an adult dinner with another couple at a restaurant Saturday night, but I struck out with babysitters. We moved to Plan B, which was to meet at our house and park Mr. Star Wars and Miss Priss in front of a movie upstairs. Our friends offered to bring salad, and Mrs. Friend showed up with Parmesan Salad Bowls. Holy Pinterest! According to Mrs. Friend, they are pretty simple to make. She did say it took one or two tries to get the hang of the thickness of the cheese.

Ingredients

• 2 c. freshly grated Parmesan (1/4 c. per bowl)
• large non-stick skillet
• small bowl the desired size of the final cheese bowl (about a 6-inch diameter)

Directions

• Spread 1/4 cup cheese thinly and evenly over the bottom of the skillet to form a (roughly) 7-inch circle.
• Put the pan over medium heat and cook until the cheese is bubbling and lightly browned, about 3 minutes.
• Remove the pan from the heat.
• Put the bowl upside down on a cutting board. When the cheese stops bubbling,  lift the cheese pancake out with a metal spatula and drape over the bottom of the bowl. With the spatula, gently mold the cheese around the bowl.
• Let cool.
• Carefully remove from the top of the bowl. Can be stored in an airtight container. Do not fill with salad until ready to serve.

Parmesan Crackers

• You can also scoop 1 T. piles of Parmesan on a cookie sheet with a silicon baking mat and bake until browned and bubbly (350 degrees about 6 minutes). Remove from oven and let cool. Serve these little cheese crackers as a tasty appetizer bite.

My dessert was not nearly as fancy as the salad bowls. I served Banana Peanut Ice Cream Sundaes. I think my mom created this combination years ago when she was craving a banana split. The salty/sweet is perfect. It is always enjoyed, easy to make, and requires little prep. If you put it in a wine goblet, you can give the impression of fancy!

Ingredients:

• good vanilla ice cream (I like Haagen Dazs)
• sliced bananas
• peanuts, lightly salted
• chocolate sauce

Directions:

• Put two scoops of ice cream in bowl.
• Sprinkle with banana slices and peanuts.
• Drizzle with chocolate sauce. Serve.