All Things For All Parties

T.G.I.F. Pomegranate-Ginger Champagne Cocktails

Photo by 52 Mantels

I don't know when summer will end here in LA but I am ready for something cool...105 degrees on September 14th!!!  What's the deal?! 

On another note, I think I am finally ready to get back to work and today is my first post in weeks so I thought I would kick the weekend off with something chic and chill and since pomegranates are now in season let's get the party started with this delicious concoction.

 

Ingredients:

1 cup pomegranate juice
 1 tablespoon sugar
 1 1/4-inch-thick slice fresh ginger

 4 tablespoons fresh orange juice
 1 teaspoon Cointreau or other orange liqueur
 1 750-ml bottle brut Champagne, well chilled

Preparation:
 
Boil first 3 ingredients in heavy small saucepan until syrup is reduced to 1/3 cup, stirring often, about 10 minutes. Cool.

Pour 4 teaspoons pomegranate syrup, 1 tablespoon orange juice, and 1/4 teaspoon Cointreau into each of four 6-ounce Champagne flutes. Fill each with 2/3 cup Champagne.

Recipe by Epicurious.com

 

 

T.G.I.F. LEMONADE WITH PIZZAZZ

PHOTO BY COOKING CHANNEL TV

I don't know about you but we are having a heat wave here in LA!!!  The one thing I have always loved about living in LA was the weather but not this week.  So, today's refreshing cocktail is something that will help to bring the temperature down and your mood up!!!

August 20th is actually National Lemonade Day but we are going to get this party started now and some bubbles to your favorite lemony drink.

Make a Sparkling Lemonade Vodka by combining lemonade with chilled club soda than add 1 oz of vodka per glass.

If you prefer something a little more laa dee daa than just use the same recipe as above but take out the vodka and the club soda with Champagne or Prosecco.  

Stay Cool!! 

T.G.I.F. BLACKBERRY-PROSECCO POPSICLES

Laa Dee Da!  These delicious frozen treats are perfect for any occasion especially if you are looking for a fun summer signature drink...easy to serve and fun for all!  Think Kir Royale and trade out the champagne for Prosecco, throw in some blackberries with a splash of lime, some zest and you have a super yummy popsicle treat.

Ingredients:

20 oz Prosecco
 1/3 cup of blackberries
 4 oz crème de cassis
 Splash of fresh lime juice
 2 pinches of lime zest

Instructions:

1. Place blackberries in a bowl and pour crème de cassis on top and toss to coat. Using a muddler or a rounded blunt end of a kitchen tool, crush berries into the crème de cassis. Add lime juice and zest, toss to combine.

2. Measure out approximately 1 teaspoon of berry mixture into bottom of your chosen popsicle form and pour Prosecco on top.

3. Freeze for about 2 hours or until mixture starts to solidify enough to hold a popsicle stick upright. Insert popsicle sticks and finish freezing popsicles overnight.

A few notes:

1. Do not remove from freezer until ready to serve, or plate over crushed ice as the carbonation in the Prosecco creates tiny air pockets that will make the popsicles melt faster.

2. Cordial glasses were used for the popsicles in the picture, but any form will work.

Find more cocktail recipes in Endless Cocktails

Host an Olympics Watching Party

 
Just 9 more days until the kick-off of the Olympics!!  Throw a backyard event either on the day of the Opening Ceremony (July 27th) or any time during the Olympics!  I personally love the Opening Ceremonies because it is usually such an amazing show and it involves every athlete competing in the Games.  It's also when the final bearer of the Olympic Torch lights the cauldron that stays lit for the duration of th games.

Decorate your party space with lots of American Flags.  For your table settings, be sure and use accents of red, white and blue in honor of TEAM USA!!  Wrap your silverware in our red and white grosgrain napkin rings. 

Since the games are in London, serve up festive foods from the U.K., like fish & chips or mini cucumber & mayo sandwiches.  For your drinks, serve up traditional ales lik Newcastle or Boddingtons and for cocktails serve up Earl Grey Martinis. 

Let the games begin!  A trivia contest is always fun for this occasion or create your own Olympic games like balancing an egg on a spoon or see who can Limbo the lowest...Have fun with this one!  The more ridiculous the game the more fun everyone will have!!! 

10 Tips for Keeping Peace Among Siblings

Photo by ChildLinkFoundation.org

For parents and caregivers of multiple children, keeping the peace among siblings can seem like a full-time job in and of itself. Siblings may fight for a parent’s attention, they may fight over a toy, or they may fight because their developmental levels are so different from one another that it’s hard for them to relate to each other. If siblings have opposing temperaments, such as when one is laid back and one craves a rigid routine, they may also bicker constantly because they are simply wired differently, making it hard for them to connect.

Fortunately there are things parents and caregivers can do to help keep the peace among siblings.

T.G.I.F. SPARKLING LIMONCELLO-RASPBERRY COCKTAIL

Photo by Bon Appetit

Kick-off this hot weekend with something refreshing to cool you off!  This Sparkling Limoncello-Raspberry cocktails is the perfect blend of bubbly wine, lemon liquer and fresh raspberries.  We are using this recipe for our signature drink at my friends 40th Birthday party!!! 

Ingredients:

• 1/2 tsp. sugar
• 1/4 tsp. grated lemon zest
• a few drops of fresh lemon juice
• 3 raspberries
• 2 Tbs. limoncello
• crushed ice
• 1/2 cup sparkling wine
• lemon zest strip for garnish

Directions:  Combine sugar and lemon zest on a seperate small plate.  Dip a clean finger in lemon juice and moisten rim of champagne glass.  Dip rim into the sugar mixture.

In another bowl, muddle the raspberries with limoncello.  Transfer puree into the sugar rimmed champagne glass.  Place a spoonful of ice in the glass; pour in wine.  Garnish with lemon zest strip.

 

Summer Barbecue Savings: Eating Outdoors Shouldn’t Eat at Your Wallet

 Photo by Minted.com

Summer without barbecue would be like Batman without Robin, Charlie Brown without Snoopy, or SpongeBob without Patrick--depending your age. Kate Sorenson of Coupon Cravings battles this age gap as a mother of two, and offers tips and deals to enjoying outdoor activities while battling a budget. Try these tips to make the most out of your BBQ’ing this summer without breaking the bank:

 

The Grill:

• While charcoal grills are typically less expensive, gas grills are far more economical in the long run due to the cost of charcoal briquettes vs. propane, says Derrick Riches in Barbecue & Grilling Cost Cutting. 
• Whichever option you choose, the best deals on purchasing a grill are often found during the off season. 
• Once you invest in a grill, don’t forget to maintain it.  Riches recommends regular cleanings to remove accumulated grease and food, as well as keeping your grill covered when not in use so that it stays dry inside and out. 

 

The Fuel:

• For a charcoal grill, keep your eyes peeled for sales on briquettes.  “There really isn’t an expiration date for charcoal,” according to Financial Highway’s Frugal Summer BBQ: 7 Money Savings Tips for BBQ.  This means you can buy in bulk and save until the next year.
• For gas grills, Riches recommends shopping around for the best deals on propane since prices can very from station to station. Try finding a central propane distributor where stations buy their propane from, where propane can be up to a dollar cheaper per gallon.

 

The Food:

• Real Simple’s 7 Money-Saving Ideas for a Summer Barbecue cautions beginning BBQ chefs against being overly ambitious. Don’t start out with the expensive cuts of meat, but instead start slow with things like burgers, vegetables, or even fruit.
• Financial Highway recommends trying bone-in cuts of meat.  They are less expensive, don’t dry out as quickly, and the bones help keep flavor.
• About.com’s Riches suggests being your own butcher; save money by buying “large ‘primal’ cuts of meat” at the store, then cut into smaller pieces at home.  A whole pork loin becomes pork loin chops for a fraction of the price you would pay for those chops at the meat counter.       

 

The key is to be a smart consumer and a smart griller, says Riches.  That way you can save money and be a BBQ master this summer.

Planning the Perfect Birthday Party for Your Child

Balloons, streamers, and games galore are the hallmark of a child’s birthday party, but they aren’t the only components.  How do you plan the perfect event for your little angel?  By following these steps you can plan a party to be remembered.

Step one: Decide on a theme.  If your child is very young you can create a party around their favorite toy.  Another popular option for a baby’s first birthday is to match the theme of their party to the theme of their nursery.  As the child gets older they can help you decide what the theme should be based on what they like.  Once you have a theme, party details will start to fall into place.

Throw a Backyard Luau!

 

Break out the tiki torches and hula skirts because if there's one thing that brings out the Summer Fun in people...it's an island style Backyard Luau! 

Aloha!  Welcome your guests as they arrive with a lei...it's the signature way to say "hello" and "welcome to our home" in Hawaii plus it gets guests in the mood. 

Decorations are easy!!  Just add a grass skirt around your table and be sure to use colorful placemats and a rattan runner with island inspired tropical plates.  For a little something extra serve drinks from coconut cups and light a few coconut candles to create the perfect tropical tablescape.

Serve up casual platters of food either buffet or family style.  Start with some refreshing fruit salsa made with mango, pineapple and peaches and serve with some sweet potato chips.  For your main entree, bbq is definitely the way to go!  My husband loves grilled shrimp and I love pork and ham for this party.  You can also do burgers and add terriyaki sauce to the mix to give it that Hawaiian flavor.  If you want to make your own sauce, mix together soy sauce and pineapple juice for that perfect tropical blend.  For your side dish, you definitely have to do a Grilled Pineapple Rice. Yum!

Mai Tais and Pina Coladas are always a Luau favorite but why not try something new to wow your guests like this delicious Lava Flow. 

Ingredients:
•1 oz. light rum
•1 oz. Malibu® coconut rum
•2 oz. fresh or frozen strawberries
•1 small banana
•2 oz. unsweetened pineapple juice
•2 oz. coconut cream

Preparation:

Blend the 2 rums and the strawberries in a blender to form a smooth paste. Pour this mixture into a tall (Collins or Hurricane) glass. Rinse the blender. Blend the banana, the coconut cream, and the pineapple juice in blender with crushed ice until smooth. Pour this mixture into the glass with the rums very slowly and watch as the strawberry mixture oozes its way to the top along the sides of the glass creating the flowing lava effect. Garnish with a pineapple wedge and paper umbrella.

One more thing...Don't forget the music!!!  My Mother loves music by Elvis or Don Ho for a luau and I love the Beach Boys. 

Oh and if you want to add a little extra fun for your guests, hire a Hula dancer and have her teach your guests a hula step or two.  Maholo!

 

A Simple Memorial Day Menu

First of all, I can't believe that I haven't posted since Cinco de Mayo....Wow!  Where did the time go?!?!  We are back now with some fun food suggestions for this weekend's festivities!!

So, fire up the grill and break out the cocktails because Summer is almost here and it's time to Party!!

To Start:  I am all about bite-size appetizers so why not start things off with some Cheesy Mini Quiches...Yum!  I found this great recipe in All You Magazine - so click here to get the recipe for these tasty little treats.

Don't forget to put a little crudite plate together with a nice veggie dip for those guests watching their waistline (since Summer means Swimsuits!).

For your Main Course:  I think kebabs (turkey kielbasa or sirloin-vegetable) are such a great choice and an easy way to serve your guests. 

For the sides:  make a cold potato salad.  Boil the potatoes (whole with skin) than peel the skin and slice them like potato chips than just add olive oil, onions and season them to taste!!  Serve cold.  They are easy and super yummy (recipe by my mother-in-law). 

My husband's favorite Memorial Day side is ColeSlaw so of course that will be on our menu. 

To Drink:  I love drinks that allow your guests to be able to serve themselves so make-up a batch of Strawberry Lemonade Punch.  Just add 1 (12 oz.) pkg. frozen strawberries (with juice and sugar)
1 (12 oz.) can frozen pink lemonade.  Mix lemonade according to can directions. Add frozen strawberries, slightly thawed, and mix.

For Dessert:  Just keep it simple and go with good ole fashioned ice cream sandwiches.  Just make-up a batch of chocolate chip cookies; place one scoop of vanilla ice cream between two cookies and voila...You are everyone's Hero!!!

Happy Memorial Day!