GIRLS NIGHT IN: HOST A DIY CENTERPIECE PARTY!

The nice folks at Seagram's Escapes asked me for some Spring party ideas... here's one I think you'll love!

With Easter just weeks away, I've got a fun (and productive) party idea for your next Girls Night In get-together. Why not host a DIY centerpiece party? Each year, a few weeks before Easter, I get lots of emails and questions about Easter decorations and tablesettings. Here's a party theme that will not only allow you to spend time with your friends, you can go home with a beautiful centerpiece... just in time for your Easter Sunday celebration. It's also a great party plan for that DIY bride or class reunion, too!

 

THE SET UP

This is a very simple party to host. You provides the drinks, the food, and a large workspace with plenty of room. Guests will bring what they need for her own centerpiece plus tools like floral wire, floral sheers, ribbon, etc. You can all share supplies. Ask guests to email a list of what they are bringing- you may need to make a trip to Michael's, Hobby Lobby or a local floral supply store to pick up the basics if you don't have them. If you are planning this party for the week of Easter, you might also set up a station to dye Easter eggs. That way, you can have eggs already dyed for the kids to decorate.

I've been so in love with the purple hues of Spring... inspired by Radiant Orchid, the Pantone color of the year. I used that as the foundation for my color scheme with pretty plates, napkins, straws and flowers in those purple tones to anchor the look. I added a special dessert cocktail in the same color palette to make it really special!

Get annuals or herbs from the garden center in addition to cut flowers. Later you can plant them in the yard and enjoy them all summer long.

In the Spring, I always like to use herbs or flowers from the garden center for my centerpieces... that way, after the party is over, I can plant them in the yard and enjoy them all summer long. I picked up a few bunches of tulips at the store, too. I got a twig wreath and some bird nests at the craft store and found floral foam, wire and twine there also. If you want a rustic look, use Mason jars in several sizes. If you are using metal containers, they tend to leak. To avoid this, fit a small jar or plastic container into the bottom and fill that with water. 

Cover your work space with a plastic backed drop cloth from the home improvement store or use brown craft paper... I used did both to make clean up easy. It is important to use layers of newspaper if you will be dying eggs; they make a mess and the stain is virtually impossible to remove.

Cover your work station with brown craft paper. Twig wreaths, bird nests, and floral supplies can be found craft stores like Michael's and Hobby Lobby.

FOOD & DRINKS

Girls Night is soooo about the cocktails and quality time catching up with friends but since this party is centered around an activity, I wanted to keep the menu very simple and did not want to have to fuss with the bar. Seagram's Escapes were not only the perfect colors for the party, the wide variety of flavors insured there would be something for everyone. Put them on ice and offer some fruit mix-ins; they come in 4-packs or you can find them at Sam's and the big stores in multi-flavor cases; perfect for a party.

Seagram's Escapes are light, fruity fun and the perfect colors for the party theme.

Keep the food simple as well. A cheese board with 3-4 cheeses plus crackers, fruit, honey, jam and other pairings is the perfect way to start the party. It is easy to assemble and there's no cooking required. Make one of your party favorites that is easy to eat standing up or while working. I made Puffy Party Squares because they are easy, fast and inexpensive but also because everyone loves them. Get the recipe... 

And because there has to be something sweet on the menu, I came up with these incredible Very Berry Ice Cream Floats for dessert... again, very simple, no cooking required and completely addictive.

Very Berry Grown Up Ice Cream Floats

Here's the how to:

VERY BERRY ICE CREAM FLOATS

1 small container fresh blackberries or raspberries

1 half gallon container vanilla ice cream

Chambord Liqueur

4 Seagram's Escapes, Black Cherry Fizz flavor, chilled

Chill the glasses in the freezer so they are cold.

Put 3 blackberries or raspberries in the bottom of a glass. Muddle slightly with a wooden spoon to break up the fruit. Add 2-3 scoops of vanilla ice cream. Pour over 1 tablespoon of Chambord liqueur. Fill each glass with the Seagram's Escapes... add a straw and enjoy!

THE ACTIVITY

Making centerpieces and decorating eggs can be as easy or as complex as your time and patience allow. If you look at Pinterest, you can see a million different ideas for every taste and every budget. I'm a big fan of cheap that looks expensive so that's what I was aiming for with my flower arrangement. I also like the idea of repurposing the flowers in the garden or container after the party is over.

My own style is very relaxed and easy so my centerpieces tend to be rustic and take about 6 minutes to create. When making a centerpiece for a dinner table, I want it to be low so guests can see each other across the table. Here's what I came up with using annuals and one bunch of tulips. After Easter is over, I'll plant the annuals in containers to brighten up my deck this summer. 

Use garden center annuals to create a lasting flower arrangement. Carefully remove the annuals from their plastic container, keeping the root ball intact. Put it into a plastic bag and secure with a rubber band. Use one plastic sandwich bag for each plant. Make sure the soil is damp- but not too wet. Arrange the flowers in a platter, basket, wreath or other short container. Add some fresh cut flowers also for a little height. Done!

This could even be a wonderful family get-together with the cousins or a fun annual neighborhood party. The adults can make flower arrangements and the kids can decorate eggs at a craft station set up with stickers, glitter, glue and other supplies.

REMEMBER TO ALWAYS DRINK RESPONSIBLY AND TO NEVER DRINK AND DRIVE. 

Visit SEAGRAMSESCAPES.COM to find drink recipes, store locations and more. 

EASY & AFFORDABLE FOOD FOR A CROWD: MAKE A SPAGHETTI CAKE

Like most people, I love anything with pasta and Parmesan cheese. Add a skillet to the equation and you have something pretty fantastic. Make this for dinner, as a side dish or anytime you have leftover pasta. Perfect party food: easy, cheap and always a crowd favorite. You’ll love it.  

Photo Credit: MartieKnowsParties.com

Skill Level: Easy   Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 15 minutes

INGREDIENTS

1 teaspoon plus 1 tablespoon olive oil

1 clove garlic, smashed

12 ounces angel hair pasta, cooked until al dente and drained

3 eggs

1 ½ cups Parmesan cheese, grated

1 teaspoon kosher salt

¼ teaspoon black pepper

¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes

Cook the pasta according to package directions but just shy of done. You want it to be al dente. Drain. Toss with ½ teaspoon olive oil.Put the eggs in a large bowl and whisk them with salt, pepper and the garlic. Add the pasta and the cheese. Toss to coat. You want this to be slightly soupy. If it isn't, add some heavy cream or milk.

Put  olive oil in a cast iron or oven-proof skillet over medium high heat. When it gets hot, add the smashed garlic clove and let it cook 1-2 minutes but don’t let it burn. Remove from heat. Use the back of a knife to turn the garlic clove into a paste. Mix it into the pasta.

Turn the heat down to medium. Carefully spin the hot skillet to distribute the olive oil. Pour the pasta mixture into the hot pan. Let it cook 3 minutes or until browned. Flip the cake and brown the other side. The cake is done when the eggs are set.

Serve with more grated Parmesan cheese and grated Italian parsley.

Eco-Friendly Party Ideas for Weddings, Mother's Day, Birthdays, or Just Because!

I am getting more and more requests for Eco-Friendly ideas and concepts for weddings, parties, birthdays, etc. If you want to be eco-friendly, think about using items you can either reuse, recycle, or re-purpose. An old wine box becomes a cheese board. Flats of flowers are pretty for decorations and go on to have new life in the garden. There are lots of pretty new bio-degradable paper products you can find now and when you use fruits, veggies and other food items for decorations, you can EAT them after the party! Here are some simple and fun suggestions for your next get-together, just in time for Earth Day, Arbor Day, Mother's Day, and Spring planting season!

Here are some tips and favorite images from over the years...

Use plants, trees, herbs, pots or flats of flowers, mini-shrubs, or mini-evergreens like lemon cypress. Wrap in burlap, put in a tin can, put them in market baskets, etc. They look pretty and you can use them in the yard after the party. 

You can find lots of eco-friendly serving pieces, plates, etc these days. Melamine is awesome; you can reuse it over and over again. There is also lots of new bio-degradable products that look beautiful  instead of institutional. You can find these at any party store.

 

Use wood... rugged, rustic and it lasts forever. We cut wood rounds from a fallen tree to use for trivets, stacking and candle holders for a wedding 3 years ago and have used them many times since.

Use fruit and veggies that compliment your menu for decorations... and eat them after. Yum.

You will be shocked at what you can reuse, repurpose or recycle. I used the top of a wooden wine box for this cheese board presentation! Lightly sand it and wash it thoroughly before using it.

Grass flats make everything look fresh and Spring and are the perfect palate to work from for decorating for just about any occasion. If you use wheat grass, you can even juice it and drink it afterward. Yuck.

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Plan a Wedding in a Week? Yes, I Did!

When a lifelong friend and longtime bachelor calls you on April Fool's Day and says... "I got engaged yesterday and I want to get married THIS coming Saturday"... the normal reaction is to bust out laughing. Which I did. But when he says he's serious, it is time to jump on the planning ASAP. Here's how I pulled together a beautiful, sentimental family wedding for 30 people in only one week. And here are the photos to prove it.

When you have less than a week to pull together a wedding, you don't have time to procrastinate and stress about the decisions you are making. You have to make decisions and move on... and that's what we did. No time to sweat the little things! Trusting your planner is essential:)

I 

   

I was the ovendor for just about everything. I was the planner, the chef, the florist, and even rental delivery... just about everything. What I could not make, I purchased. The one vendor I did hire was the photographer, Mo Davis from Arden Photography. Mo is a rock star, capturing every moment and every detail. Advice to brides: don't skimp on the photos. The pictures and the memories last a lifetime. AND I must thank my sweet friends Jared and Corey from The Sonnet House in Leeds, Alabama. Corey made the lovely bridal bouquet and boutonnieres... aren't they beautiful!

 

There was nothing but a bathhouse and a gorgeous lake on the remote property so we had to create everything, including a makeshift kitchen for the food service.

For the decor, the couple wanted a rustic theme to fit the farm setting so we used bales of pine straw, pots of spring flowers, branches, burlap, moss, Mason jars, rustic lanterns, and lots of candles. The pine straw along with the flats and pots of spring flowers were used at the front gate and also for the ceremony site. The couple has already planted those in their yard to enjoy all summer long.

 

We continued the rustic theme throughout the decor and for the food service. Wooden serving trays, cutting boards, bowls were all used. Charcuterie of cured meats, cheeses, and sausages plus grilled lamb pops were waiting for guests after the ceremony. For the main course, we kept it down on the farm with smoked pulled pork over organic grits and collard greens. For dessert, the two-tiered wedding cake was vanilla butter cream and filled with layers of homemade lemon curd and raspberry preserves. Since there was going to be a fire in the fire pit after dark, I made my signature s'mores with Nutella instead of a groom's cake and also made plenty as favors for guests to take home.

 

   

A lifetime of happiness to my sweet friends... thank you for letting me be a part of your day! Thanks to my assistant Caroline, my grill master Brad, Lauren, Kristal, and Sohaila along with Mo and Jared and Corey from the Sonnet House in Leeds! You made this easy!

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Weekend Cocktail: The Honey B

We had quite the party last weekend on Dauphin Island, Alabama. I plan to do a full post about it but one of the big hits of the night (there were many) was my signature cocktail and the bourbon tasting sponsored by Four Roses Bourbon. I have been using Four Roses yellow label for quite a few years for my bourbon cocktails. It's ultra smooth and mixes perfectly with fruit flavors and citrus.

This cocktail is perfect for almost any occasion. It's simple enough for an impromptu get-together and elegant enough for a wedding. The secret of this cocktail is the beautiful Alabama honey. If you can't get exquisite local honey like this, any honey will work but may not yield the glorious rich taste or color.

THE HONEY B

Makes 2-3 cocktails

4 ounces Four Roses Yellow Label Bourbon, room temperature

4 T local honey

1/2 cup lemon juice

1 cup unsweetened tea

Dash of Orange Bitters (find at most good grocery stores in the "adult beverage" mix aisle but regular is ok too)

In a cocktail shaker or pitcher, add the bourbon and the honey, one tablespoon at a time. Stir or shake well to dissolve the honey before you add the next tablespoon so it all dissolves. If you do this with chilled liquid, the honey will seize up and make it difficult to dissolve.

You may also heat the lemon juice slightly and dissolve the honey in that before mixing everything together.

Add the remaining ingredients. Serve over ice. You may also add a bit more of the tea and serve this as a warm cocktail.

 A great time was had by all. Thank you Four Roses!