All Things For All Parties

T.G.I.F. Sangria Blanca

 
Photo and Recipe by Refinery 29

Today's cocktail recipe comes from Refinery 29.  It's fruit salad in a glass with a little splash of extra fun.  It's the perfect drink to serve at your Cinco de Mayo party and a great prelude to the summer.  Guests will stay cool with this crisp and refreshing party cocktail.

For 2 large pitchers you will need the following items:
2 white peaches
2 white nectarines
4 oranges
1 pint strawberries
2 bottles torrontes (or any non-oaked white wine)
1/2 cup rose infused simple syrup

Slice the peaches and nectarines into eigths or tenths, depending on size. You can do whole slices of the citrus, but I prefer cutting supremes, so you can eat them after the fact. For the uninitiated, supremes are when you slice off the skin, and slice between the white membranes segmenting the fruit. Halve the strawberries. To make the syrup, combine 1/3 cup sugar and 1/3 cup water. Add the petals of one small very perfumey rose (I had some in the house) or a 1/4 teaspoon rosewater. Bring to a boil, and let it sit for 10 minutes to steep. Add the syrup and wine to the fruit, and let the mixture sit in the fridge for a few hours to combine. Pour and enjoy.

Cookie Pops!!!

 

For some reason the Cookie Monster keeps popping into my head as I write this post..."Yum, Yum, Yum...me love cookies!"  Silly I know but these cookie pops look absolutely delightful and I am sure are just as delicious.  I found them while I was perusing through pictures on Martha Stewart's website, Dreamers Into Doers (great site), while I was looking for some inspiration for new parties.  Anyway, lo and behold what did I find but these sweet treats...they were made by the very talented Alexandra Doudian of Enchanted Events & Design and I think I am going to have to give this idea a try.  They are perfect for your next dinner party, baby shower, bridal shower, birthday party...oh who am I kidding - "any event!"

Wedding Etiquette for Divorced Parents

 

I thought this was a great question especially since this was a question I had to answer for my own wedding.

Q. My parents have been divorced for almost 10 years now after being married for 20+ years; my father is now remarried and to say that my mother does not like his new wife would be an understatement.  My mother has made it a point to exclude my step mother from most of my events, including showers and bachlorette parties, and she definitely does not want her to be around the morning of the wedding. I should also say that I actually get along great with my step mother but I don't want to upset my Mother.

So, here are my questions...

1. How does the seating work at the church for my parents and their spouses?

2. Does etiquette dictate that the both of my parents will need to greet our family and friends together at the reception?

Host a Fondue Party

 
photo by Saidaonline.com

Host a Fondue Party

Looking for an excuse to throw a party or just gather friends for a night of laughter well I have just the thing for you...A Fondue Party!  I actually have 2 fondue pots...I know you are shocked but I had a party a while ago and everyone had so much fun that I thought it would be fun to share this idea with you.  The best thing about a fondue party is how easy it is to pull off. All you need is a fondue pot (call your Mom if you don't have one because I am sure she does...who cares if it's the '70s-looking avocado-green thing she's had in the cupboards all these years). Then, just prep a few ingredients and let your guests do the rest.

Fondue Party Menu

Start with a cheese fondue. Next prepare a fresh, green salad dressed with a delicious vinaigrette to pair with these simple dishes. If you like, you can serve the salad European-style -- after the entree, to help cleanse the palate before dessert. If you need an appetizer or something in between, try a simple spread of a French-style pate, sundried tomato spread, and baguette slices. For the entree, choose your meat (steak, chicken and seafood) accompanied by homemade dipping sauces and vegetables and for the grand finale (aka the dessert), wash out the pot, fill it with chocolate Fondue, and continue the cook-your-own fun.

To add an extra element of fun have everyone come dressed in their best 70's outfits.

The best thing about this party is the social aspect of it all...everyone is involved in the cooking of the meal.  If you have not had a fondue party I encourage you to give it a try at least once.  It's very groovy!

T.G.I.G.F. Mint Belllinis

 
Thank goodnees it's Good Friday!  If you are looking for something classic with a twist for your Easter brunch this year than how about trying this perfect brunch inspired Mint Bellini with an Italian-inspired menu of appetizers to celebrate its Italian roots. It was first served on the banks of the Venice, the popular champagne-and-peach cocktail has gained popularity world-wide as a brunch, shower or early-evening drink. Dee-lic-ious!!!

YIELD: Makes 9 1/2 cups
Ingredients
4 (12-ounce) cans peach nectar
2 cups sugar
1 lemon, halved
1/4 cup firmly packed fresh mint leaves
1 (750-milliliter) bottle Champagne or 2 1/2 cups sparkling water
Garnish: lemon slices
 
Preparation
Bring first 4 ingredients to a boil, and cook 20 minutes. Cool. Remove and discard lemon and mint; store mixture in an airtight container in refrigerator until ready to serve. Stir in Champagne before serving. Serve over ice; garnish, if desired.
Prep: 10 min., Cook: 20 min.

Recipe and Photo by Southern Living, June 2002

Delightful Doggie Treats

 
 
I have been dog sitting my brother's new fur baby while he is on the Disney cruise with his family so today's post is in honor of Man's Best Friend and my new furry little friend.  This delightful doggie treat recipe comes from my good friend Aimee who made a batch of these treats for her lovable pooch yesterday so I asked her to send me the recipe to share with all of you. The perfect treat to serve at your next doggie birthday party.  Ruff, Ruff!

• 2 cups wheat flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 C skim milk
• 1 C peanut butter

Mix ingredients to form dough. Roll out dough, cut with doggie bone cutter. Place on a lightly greased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 for 20 minutes.

 

 

Biggest Wedding Complaints

 
Photo by Bella Photography

The Top Ten Biggest Wedding Complaints

1. Everyone was done eating by the time I got my meal.

The best way to avoid this is to have enough staff to make sure everyone gets fed around the same time. Sometimes brides or grooms haggle with the caterer to lower the per person price and lose a server or two to do so. I wouldn’t suggest this as the last resort. It only causes problems with the food service. I also suggest people sitting furthest from the bridal party table get served first. This way they feel special and don’t feel like they were forgotten out in the back corner.

2. I didn’t know anyone at the table.

Seating arrangements are a difficult task for any couple. You are joining two groups of families and friends at one event. Since your goal is for everyone to have a good time make sure they sit with people they know. I recently had a groom who wanted to mix up the friends and family so everyone would get to know each other. That’s not a good idea. It just makes for a quiet and awkward table. Small talk isn’t fun for anyone so put your friends and family together. Most likely they haven’t seen each other since the last wedding so I’m sure they’ll appreciate it.

DIY Easter Baskets

 
OK I found these adorable Terra Cotta Easter Baskets on the HWTM Blog...I actually think it was an old post from a couple of years ago but none the lesss worth sharing plus they are super cute and a fun craft!  The perfect decoration on your Easter table. 

TERRA COTTA EASTER BASKETS
(please note: for decorative purposes only).

For Each Basket, You’ll Need:
Small Terra Cotta Pot around 5-6″ or smaller
Double-sided *scrapbook paper in 2 coordinating patterns & colors
Easter grass filler
Glue and glue dots or tape
Small artificial flowers and butterflies (optional).

T.G.I.F. The Pink Bonnet

 
 
Easter is just around the corner and the Pink Bonnet is the perfect way to get in the spirit of this festive upcoming holiday - made foamy with emulsified egg white. You can use a pasteurized egg or approximately two tablespoons of egg white substitute, such as AllWhites.

Ingredients (serving size 1)

1-1/2 ounces gin
1/2 ounce simple syrup
3/4 ounce lemon juice
2 dashes of crème de framboise or
grenadine (for color)
White of a small egg

Preparation

Shake all ingredients without ice to
emulsify the egg whites.
Shake all ingredients with ice and
strain into a small cocktail glass.
Top with a sliced lime or you can add fresh muddled mint leaves if
desired.
 

Natural Egg Dye Tips

 

Use natural egg dye materials to make colorful eggs at Easter or any other festive occasion without worrying about the side effects from artificially colored dyes. By taking colors from nature, such as berry juices and herbs, you can create a varied palette of colors for your eggs. The process is basically the same no matter what color-stuff, or dye material, you use.

You can achieve the following colors using the items noted, and once experienced at it, you can experiment with other items as desired to find the perfect hue.

Blue: Purple grape juice concentrate, canned blueberry sauce, boiled red cabbage leaves
Lavender: Hibiscus flowers, less grape juice concentrate, violet blossoms, Red Zinger tea bags
Pink: Beets or pickled beet juice, cranberries, raspberries
Red: Canned cherries, pomegranate juice, boiled red onion skins
Green: Spinach, chlorophyll in liquid form
Brown: Dill seeds, coffee or black tea, boiled walnut shells
Yellow: Saffron, carrot tops, orange peels
Orange: Yellow onion skins, curry powder, carrots, paprika