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. 

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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Super Party Recipe: Italian Rice Balls with Marinara Sauce

I have to tell the story of this recipe. My cast mate, Michele Ragussis from Food Network Star made this for us one night for dinner when we were working on the show... and then I got a chance to make it on the show a few days later. She gave me her blessing:) Mine's a bit different than hers AND hers has been perfected from her mom Phyllis' recipe... sooo good!!

These are the perfect party food. If  you just use ground beef they are inexpensive to make, you can easily double the recipe and you can even make them in advance and freeze them- just thaw and fry just before guests arrive. You will love these! Everyone raved about them during our Food Court Challange on the show. I even had a marriage proposal and one Italian guy said my marinara was better than his mother's! These are cheesy and delicious. Try them and let me know!

Italian Rice Balls (Arancini)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium onion, diced small

5cloves garlic, minced

1 pound ground beef
1 pound ground veal
1 cup Italian flat leaf parsley minced
2 tablespoons fresh thyme, minced
1 tablespoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 ½ cups tomato sauce

2 cups grated Parmesan cheese grated

2 cups cooked and cooled Arborio rice (cooked until just done, not overcooked)

5 eggs

3 cups breadcrumbs with Italian seasoning

Canola oil for frying

3 tablespoons minced fresh basil

Marinara Sauce (see recipe below or use store-bought)

Special equipment: #10 (small-medium) ice cream scoop

Instructions:

Cook the rice according to package directions but you want the rice to be sticky so I cook a bit longer than I should and don't add butter or olive oil to the water. You don't want it to be mushy. Set aside.  

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat and sauté onions and garlic for 2 minutes until softened. Add meat and cook until browned, breaking up large pieces as it cooks. Strain off excess fat from the pan. Add parsley and cook 3 minutes. Add thyme, oregano, and pepper, and salt, cayenne, red pepper flakes. Taste and add more seasoning if needed.

Keep in mind that rice and cheese contain salt so be careful not to over salt the meat mixture. Let the meat mixture cool a bit. Add the tomato sauce. Combine rice with cheese but be careful not to mash the rice. Add the rice mixture to meat mixture and stir gently to combine. Check the seasoning. Add additional salt and pepper if necessary.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Use ice cream scoop to shape the balls so they are a consistent size, then hand roll the balls as tightly as you can.

Pour enough canola oil into a deep skillet or Dutch oven to reach 5”. Heat oil over medium heat to 350-degrees.Use a thermometer to check the oil temperature.

Whisk eggs in a small baking dish. Place breadcrumbs in another baking dish. Roll rice balls lightly in the eggs then immediately roll in breadcrumbs to form a coating. Shake off the excess breadcrumbs. Place them on the baking sheet and refrigerate or freeze until you are ready to fry.

To fry:

Carefully drop rice balls into the hot oil a few at a time, taking care not to overcrowd and lower the oil temperature. Cook until golden brown, about 2-4 minutes per batch. Bring oil back up to 350-degrees before cooking each batch. Drain rice balls on paper towels before serving.

Serve with homemade or store-bought marinara for dipping. Garnish with the basil leaves.

Me and Justin frying it up on FNS 2012Marinara Sauce

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

3 large cans (28 ounces) whole peeled tomatoes, including liquid

1 cup fresh basil leaves

½ cup fresh thyme leaves

½ cup fresh oregano leaves

2 teaspoons kosher salt

½ teaspoon black pepper

Heat olive oil in the bottom of a large pot. Add onion and cook for 5 minutes until translucent and softened. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Use some of the liquid from the tomatoes to deglaze the pan, and then add the remaining ingredients. Use an immersion blender to puree, taking care to leave the tomatoes slightly chunky. (If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can add everything to a blender or food processor)

Bring to a boil and cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently to keep from burning on the bottom. Reduce heat to low and cook for 1 hour or longer so that the marinara thickens as some of the liquid cooks out. Check seasoning prior to serving. Add salt as necessary.

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Big News: Martie on Food Network Star Season 8

I am so thrilled and excited to finally be able to share the news with you... I've had to keep it quiet for almost a year now so excuse me for shouting but I'M ON FOOD NETWORK STAR!

Yes... it is true: I'm part of the cast for Season 8 of Food Network Star which begins Mother's Day Sunday, May 13th at 8pm Central/9pm Eastern. It has been a long journey to the cast announcement. It all started in July when I saw the casting announcement on the Food Network website. That was on a Monday night. The next day, I made the eleven hour drive to Chicago for an open casting call. More than 1,000 of us waited in line for a chance at our own Food Network television show. I was one of the last to go in to see the casting team; it must have been a very long day for them.

After a series of auditions and interviews, I was asked to audition for Alton Brown (yes, that really happened) who selected me to be part of his team for the newly formatted show. Then, in January I packed up three huge suitcases (jeans, cowboy shirts and boots  take up a lot of space) and headed to New York to tape the show. There were 15 finalists selected and one of us will win our own show on Food Network on July 22, 2012.

Food Network Star 2012 is going to be a totally new format. Similar to X-Factor and The Voice, three teams of five are mentored by Food Network stars Alton Brown, Giada DeLaurentiis, and Bobby Flay. Ultimately, it is an individual competition but the mentors make it really interesting by offering their unique perspective, guidance, and direction to their star hopefuls. Here is the cast:

Season eight finalists are: Philip “Ippy” Aiona (Kamuela, HI), Judson Allen (Chicago), Martie Duncan (Birmingham, Ala.), Emily Ellyn(Orlando, Fla.), Martita Jara (San Diego),  Eric Lee(Petaluma, Calif.), Yvan Lemoine (Maspeth, N.Y.), Josh Lyons(Jupiter, Fla.), Linkie Marais(North Attleborough, Mass.), Nikki Martin (West Hollywood, Calif.), Malcolm Mitchell (Washington, D.C.), Michele Ragussis (Brooklyn, N.Y.), Cristie Schoen (New Orleans), Kara Sigle (Chicago) and Justin Warner (Brooklyn, N.Y.).

 In the premiere episode, the fifteen hopefuls arrive in the Food Network Starkitchen in New York City to meet Bobby Flay, Giada De Laurentiis and Alton Brown - the culinary superstars who hand-selected them to compete on their teams.  After meeting with their team leader, special guest Robert Irvine challenges the teams to their first “Star Challenge” - to create their own pop-up restaurant from the ground up, with an extremely limited budget and very little time. Each episode also features a “Producer’s Challenge,” where the contestants up for elimination each shoot a segment with their ‘Star’ mentor/producer to be presented to the selection committee in the “pitch room.” Returning judges Food Network executives Bob Tuschman and Susie Fogelson decide who Vote for me for fan favorite up to 10 times every day!stays and goes, along with a roster of guest judges scheduled to join.

I'd like to thank everyone for your support: from Facebook, to my website, to the live shows, videos, and television segments.... all of it has helped me to get here. Now, I'm very hopeful we can see it all the way through but it is going to take more than a village, it is going to take a nation. Fan favorite voting is happening now and will continue throughout the entire competition. And in a twist, the final winner will be decided by America. That's right... you and I get to vote for the final winner!

Here's the link to the Food Network Star. It will have up to the minute information on each episode plus information on each finalist.

Martie Duncan FOOD NETWORK STAR BIO VIDEO

Martie Duncan BIO

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My Favorite Beer Cocktail plus Easy Toss Away Cooler Idea for Game Day

When I want to keep it light... for a long day at the game, beach or pool, for example, I often drink a beer on ice to keep it really cold and to slow down the pace. I will often take it a step further and turn my beer into a cocktail. Simply salt the rim of your glass, like you would for a margarita. Add ice. Squeeze in a bunch of lime wedges... about 5. Pour in your beer. Add a little dash of hot sauce if you like but I usually don't. Or you can add a shot of tequila...:)

Now, here's a simple and easy idea if you don't want to take a cooler to the game. Just tear off the top, remove the beer. Add a garbage bag (I always use two so it does not leak) return the beer and add ice. Afterwards, just toss in the trash.  

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