Party Ideas

Pottery Barn is now offering PARTY PLANNER
Party ideas, recipes, tips and products for throwing a casual party.

Check out this Tequila Tasting Party
Margarita recipe:
1 1/2 parts tequila
1 part fresh squeezed lime juice
1 part blue curacao
simple syrup

Shake with ice in cocktail shaker, pour over ice into a chilled, salt rimmed margarita glass and then add a lime wedge.

They also have movie night, cocktail party, dinner party and bridal shower themes.
They have great recipes and ways to set up your table.

Family Reunion Fun!

Labor Day is next weekend and many families use this long weekend for a family reunion. Tie in Labor Day and Families for great decorations.

Think simple - Does your family have a crest? Make photo copies, laminate and use that as place mats.
Definitely do name tags and under the name list the next of kin. Make a large family tree, color code the different branches and then use those same colors on the name tags.

Get Conversation Starters from plumparty.com (pic)

How about a little recipe sharing. Encourage a pot luck of sorts for the menu. Aunt Sally's potato salad, Uncle Nicks BBQ marinade, Grandmas deviled eggs, Great Great Aunt Bea's lemon meringe pie, etc. Print out copies of all the recipes and have available for everyone to take.

Here are some more tips from ehow on to have the most successful reunion!

Sparkli' Treats

Are you ready for your Memorial Day BBQ this weekend?
Everyone loves Marshmallo Treats - sparkle it up!

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter or margarine

1 bag (10-1/2 oz.) JET-PUFFED Miniature Marshmallows (6 cups)

6 cups crisp rice cereal

24 wooden pop sticks

1 tube (0.68 oz.) each: red, white and blue decorating gels

2 Tbsp. each: red, white and blue sprinkles

LINE 13x9-inch pan with foil, with ends of foil extending over sides of pan; lightly grease foil.

MICROWAVE butter in large microwavable bowl on HIGH 45 sec. or until melted. Add marshmallows; toss to coat. Microwave 1-1/2 min. or until marshmallows are completely melted, stirring after 45 sec. Add cereal; mix well. Press cereal mixture firmly onto bottom of prepared pan; cool.

REMOVE cereal mixture from pan, using foil handles. Cut into star shapes, using large star-shaped cookie cutter. Insert wooden stick into side of each star. Decorate with gels and sprinkles. Store in airtight container at room temperature.

Resolutions

So everyone makes resolutions - big ones that we never seem to stick to longer then February.
Here are some ideas - courtesy of Real Simple.
Start small then tackle the weight loss or marathon.

1-Clean a junk drawer
2-Take photos of items and valuables in your home for insurance purposes
3-Try out a new recipe
4-Replace old photos in your frames with new updated ones
5-Send your friends a hand written note, it will really surprise them

Slushy Red Rooster

For your New Year's Eve Party offer up some Slushy Red Roosters, you can make and freeze ahead of time to prevent you from staying in the kitchen too much. Just get a friend to manage the blender.

Makes 3 qt.

Ingredients

• 4 cups cranberry juice cocktail
• 1 (12-oz.) can frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed
• 2 cups vodka
• 4 1/2 cups water

Preparation

1. Stir together cranberry juice cocktail, orange juice concentrate, vodka, and 4 1/2 cups water. Place 1 (1-gal.) zip-top plastic freezer bag inside another 1-gal. zip-top plastic freezer bag. Pour about 4 cups cranberry mixture into inside bag. Seal both bags. Repeat procedure with remaining cranberry mixture. (Double bagging is a precaution to avoid spills.) Freeze bags 24 hours. Remove bags from freezer; let stand 5 minutes. Process cranberry mixture, 1 bag at a time, in a blender or food processor until desired consistency. Pour into glasses. Serve immediately.

SPICE UP THE GLASSWARE:

Wrap glasses with short lengths of silk and velvet ribbon, and secure with double-sided foam tape. Use Glue Dots to attach embellishments such as glitter-covered card stock stars or use stick-on jewels.

Reindeer Spritzer

Yum! Reindeer Spritzer

5 cups orange juice
1 cups chilled lemon lime soft drink
1/2 cup maraschino cherry juice
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
Garnishes - lemon slices and fresh rosemary sprigs

Stir together all ingredients and serve over Ice. Makes 2 QT

Tipsy version
Stir in 1 1/2 cup vodka to above recipe -

Move Over Gingerbread Boys!

And Hello Chai Spice Girls! When I was growing up my grandmother worked in a bakery -the old fashioned kind with a store front - I loved watching her decorate wedding cakes but what I remember the most was the holidays when the bakery would have Gingerbread Men and Cherry Chews. (I think they were there year round but I just remember them at Christmas) Well my mom has taken on the task of making the Cherry Chews and I was thinking I would start making Gingerbread Men - until I found these yummies!

Ingredients

• 2 spiced chai-flavored tea bags
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
• 1-1/2 cups butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 egg yolks
• 2 Tbsp. molasses
• 1 recipe Powdered Sugar Icing

Directions

1. Remove tea bag contents (3 teaspoons); discard bags. In medium bowl combine tea, flour, and pumpkin pie spice; set aside.

2. In large mixing bowl beat butter on medium to high 30 seconds. Add sugar; beat until light and fluffy. Beat in egg yolks and molasses. Beat in as much of the flour mixture as you can; stir in remaining flour. Divide dough in half. Cover and refrigerate about 3 hours or until easy to handle.

3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease cookie sheets or line with parchment paper. On lightly floured surface, roll half of the dough at a time until 1/4-inch thickness. Cut dough with 4-inch gingerbread girl cutters.

4. Bake 12 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Cool on cookie sheets 2 minutes. Transfer to rack to cool completely. Decorate with Powdered Sugar Icing. Makes 18 to 20 cookies.

5. Powdered Sugar Icing: In medium bowl combine 1-1/2 cups powdered sugar, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, and 4 teaspoons milk. Stir in additional milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, until piping consistency.

6. To Store: Layer cookies between waxed paper is covered airtight container. Store at room temperature up to 3 days or freeze up to 3 months.

BHG

Cookie Exchange

Making cookies seems to be a part of the holiday season, a tradition for a lot of people. My grandmother starts making cookies weeks in advance in anticipation of the family visiting for the holidays.

Well my neighborhood has started a cookie exchange every year. Last year was at my house but this year I had someone else host since I have a newborn. There is always a contest on presentation and cookie making story.

My grandmother helped me make graham cookie bars and I packaged them up in little Martha Stewart favor purses from Michaels. They are actually wedding favors/escort card boxes. I just added glittery stickers and voila it made a great presentation for my cookies.

Here is the VERY easy recipe.
Preheat oven to 350 and grease a 9x11 dish

1 stick of margarine
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
2 tsp milk
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups cinnamon graham crackers (about 16)
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/2 pecans

Beat margarine and sugar then beat egg, milk, vanilla until blended, stir in crumbs and other ingredients, press into baking dish.
Bake 25 min or until browned - don't overcook.

Cut into bars and enjoy!

Happy Holiday

Hello December and Hello to Holiday Spirit.

I hope you enjoy the shopping craziness and spreading joy this season. Stay tuned for decorating tips, recipes and gift ideas.

Spice of Life

I was getting the ingredients out to make a pumpkin cheesecake and I happen to look on the bottom of my nutmeg - I noticed there was no expiration date. So this got me thinking....I looked through all my spices and some had newer McCormick labels with dates but others didn't.

I went on to McCormick's website and they have this clever tool to check your spices.
Click to see if they are over their prime (3 years is about all the potency will last). I had 2 bottles from 1998 - YIKES!!

So before you make your pie or add to your stuffing check it out!
Happy Baking!

Spiced Pomegranate Sipper

Can't wait to try this on Thanksgiving:

Ingredients

• 1 (2 1/2-inch-long) cinnamon stick
• 5 whole cloves
• 5 thin fresh ginger slices
• 2 (16-oz.) bottles refrigerated 100% pomegranate juice
• 4 cups white grape juice
• 1/2 cup pineapple juice
• Garnishes: pineapple chunks, orange rind curls

Preparation

1. Cook cinnamon stick, cloves, and ginger in a Dutch oven over medium heat, stirring constantly, 2 to 3 minutes or until cinnamon is fragrant.

2. Gradually stir in juices. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat; reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 15 minutes. Pour mixture through a wire-mesh strainer into a heat-proof pitcher; discard solids. Serve warm. Garnish, if desired.

Note: For testing purposes only, we used POM Wonderful 100% Pomegranate Juice and Welch's 100% White Grape Juice.

Tipsy Hot Spiced Pomegranate Sipper: Prepare recipe as directed. Stir in 1 1/4 cups almond liqueur just before serving. Makes 9 1/4 cups.

Cold Spiced Pomegranate Sipper: Prepare recipe as directed. Let stand 30 minutes. Cover and chill 2 hours. Store in refrigerator up to 2 days. Stir and serve over ice. Prep: 10 min., Cook: 25 min., Stand: 30 min., Chill: 2 hr.

Fizzy Spiced Pomegranate Sipper: Prepare Cold Spiced Pomegranate Sipper as directed. Stir in 1 (33.8-oz.) bottle ginger ale just before serving. Makes 16 cups.

Southern Living, SEPTEMBER 2008

Pumpkin Bread Recipe

Pumpkin Bread
1 cup pumpkin pie filling (not pure pumpkin)
1/2 cup canola oil, plus more for the pan
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup molasses
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

Heat oven to 350° F. Oil a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan.

In a large bowl, combine the pumpkin pie filling, oil, sugar, molasses, and vanilla.

In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger. Slowly stir the flour mixture into the pumpkin mixture. Pour into the prepared pan. Bake for 60 to 65 minutes.

Transfer pan to a wire rack for 10 minutes. Using a knife, loosen the bread from the pan. Invert it onto a cutting board. Serve warm.

In Advance: Bake the bread and let it cool. Wrap and set aside at room temperature for up to 24 hours. Cover with foil and warm in a 250° F oven for 30 minutes.

To Freeze: Place the cooled bread in a resealable plastic bag or cover with 2 layers of plastic wrap. Store for up to 3 months.

To Reheat: Refrigerate the bread overnight. Remove the plastic wrap, cover with aluminum foil, and warm in a 250° oven for 30 minutes.

Yield: Makes 6 to 8 servings

NUTRITION PER SERVING
CALORIES 381(26% from fat); FAT 11g (sat 1g); CARBOHYDRATE 67g; SODIUM 576mg; PROTEIN 4g; FIBER 4g; SUGAR 30g

Pumpkin Patch Cupcakes

Crate and Barrel has this great pan to make Pumpkin Patch Cupcakes

and here is a yummy recipe: for Pumpkin Flavored Cupcakes
Ingredients:

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, sift before measuring
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 1/3 cups sugar
• 2 eggs, beaten until frothy
• 1 cup mashed cooked or canned pumpkin
• 3/4 cup milk
• 3/4 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

Preparation:

Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg into a bowl. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy; beat in eggs. Blend in mashed pumpkin. Stir in the sifted dry ingredients alternately with the milk, blending until batter is smooth after each addition; stir in chopped walnuts or pecans. Spoon batter into well-greased and floured or paper-lined muffin pan cups. Fill about 2/3 full. Bake at 375° for 25 minutes, or until a wooden pick or cake tester inserted in center comes out clean.

Since you can't really frost these cupcakes, decorate the plate with cream cheese frosting
Makes about 24 cupcakes.

Caprese Salad

Mozzarella, Tomato, and Basil Salad

Ingredients
3 tablespoons aged balsamic vinegar
1/4 teaspoon sea salt, plus more for sprinkling
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 pound fresh mozzarella, cut into 1/4-inch slices
2 pounds ripe tomatoes, cut into 1/4-inch slices
1/4 cup firmly packed fresh basil leaves

Combine the vinegar and the 1/4 teaspoon salt in a small bowl. Whisk in the olive oil and pepper.
On each of 4 salad plates, create a tower of the mozzarella, tomatoes, and basil, starting with a tomato slice, followed by a mozzarella slice and 2 basil leaves. Repeat, finishing with basil leaves. Spoon 1 tablespoon of the vinaigrette over each tower and another tablespoon around each tower. Sprinkle a pinch of sea salt on each salad and serve at room temperature.

www.thenest.com

Labor Day BBQ

If you plan on having some friends over this weekend for a end of the summer get together - here are some tips and menu to get you thinking.

Drinks - in addition to some beer and wine, do something special - how about Frozen Hurricanes!

12 oz of frozen mixed fruit punch concentrate
1 1/2 cups dark rum
1 tray of ice cubes

Blend together until smooth, pour into tall glass and garnish with lime slices.

Menu - put some barbecued baby ribs on the grill and serve with a salad:

Chopped Farmstand Salad
Romaine lettuce chopped
3 large tomatoes seeded and diced
3 ears of fresh corn, off the cobb
1 zucchini
1 squash
2 celery ribs
thinly sliced radishes

-mix together in large bowl.

1 garlic clove, crushed
1/2 basil leaves
3 tbl red wine vinegar
1 cup olive oil
s and p to taste

Use food processor to blend dressing. Add garlic, basil until chopped then add vinegar and oil.

Enjoy!

Best Party Sangria!

I hosted Book Club at my house last night and made the most awesome Sangria!

(well my guests liked it anyway, I obviously couldn't drink any)

Here is the recipe:
Ingredients:

• 1 Bottle of red wine (I used Cabernet Sauvignon)
• 1 Lemon cut into wedges
• 1 Orange cut into wedges
• 1 Lime cut into wedges
• 1 Apple cut in cubes
  
• 2 Tbsp sugar
• Splash of orange juice
• 2 Shots of gin
• 1 Cup of sliced strawberries or raspberries (may use thawed or frozen)
• 4 Cups ginger ale

Preparation:

Pour wine in the pitcher and squeeze the juice wedges from the lemon, orange and lime into the wine. Toss in the fruit wedges (leaving out seeds if possible) then add sugar, orange juice and gin. Chill overnight. Add ginger ale, berries and ice just before serving. If you'd like to serve right away, use chilled red wine and serve over lots of ice. However, remember that the best Sangrias are chilled around 24 hours in the frig. - allowing the flavors to really marinate into each other.

Cinco de Mayo!

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

I wanted to pass on a great idea I read on the Hostess with the Mostess Blog.
Margarita Ice Pops - she has a great recipe on there.

Enjoy today or save for a Hot July evening!

Enduldge! It's Fat Tuesday

Flambeed Desserts are still an all time favorite in New Orleans - Here is the recipe for Banana's Foster from Brennan's Restaurant. Maybe make this a dessert station at your wedding!

I might just try to make this tonight!

Banana's Foster Ingredients:

6 Tbs. (3/4 stick) unsalted butter

3/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar

3/4 tsp. cinnamon

4 ripe but still firm bananas, peeled, halved
crosswise and then lengthwise (into quarters)

1/4 cup dark rum

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Vanilla ice cream for serving

Directions:

In a large sauté pan over medium heat, combine the butter, brown sugar and cinnamon. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the butter melts and the sugar is dissolved, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the banana slices and cook, turning once, until just tender, 1 to 2 minutes per side.

In a small cup, stir together the rum and vanilla. Turn off the burner, then add the rum mixture to the banana mixture. Using a long match or lighter, light the alcohol by placing the flame just inside the outer edge of the pan. Stand as far back from the pan as possible, keeping your face and hands away from the pan. The flame will be a faint blue but will be very hot. It should extinguish in 5 to 10 seconds. Holding the pan handle with an oven mitt, gently shake the pan from side to side to coat the bananas with the sauce.

Scoop vanilla ice cream into individual bowls. Spoon some of the bananas and sauce over the ice cream, dividing evenly. Serve immediately. Serves 4 to 6.

Thanks to Williams-Sonoma Kitchen