Hangout Music Fest 2013: Martie's SUPER VIP Party Menu

The Hangout Music Fest has turned into one of the biggest music events in the world and it is all built on the sand in Gulf Shores, Alabama. We just returned from hosting a party within the party for the Super VIP's and Big Kahuna ticket holders.

We created a menu for the weekend that revolved around fresh local ingredients and quality products from around the state of Alabama from some of my favorite companies: Earthborn Pottery from Leeds, AL, Lighthouse Bakery from Dauphin Island, AL, Belle Chevrefrom Elkmont, AL, Fieldstone Hamsfrom Oneonta, AL, Alabama Gulf Seafood, Sweet Olive Bakery, Chasing Fresh, Local Appetite, Craine Creek Farm, all from Fairhope, Alabama.

My menus were all designed aound a specific theme to offer lots of variety for the hundreds of guests we were serving each day. I also offered one of my signature cocktails each day.

FRIDAY LUNCH: ALABAMA PICNIC TABLE WITH TRUE ICEBOX FRIED CHICKEN & MY PICKLED SHRIMP

FRIDAY DINNER:ITALIAN COASTAL FISH FEAST WITH WHOLE GULF AMBERJACK PLUS RACK OF LAMB

SATURDAY LUNCH: BIG, BAD SANDWICH BAR WITH LOBSTER, SHRIMP, STEAK & FRIED OYSTERS

SATURDAY DINNER:CUBAN CHRISTMAS WITH WHOLE PIG ROAST, TENDERLOIN WITH CHIMICHURRI

SUNDAY BRUNCH: FRITTATA, PRIME RIB, BIG PORK PLATTERS, SALADS AND BLOODY MARY BAR

SUNDAY DINNER: CRAB AND LOBSTER TOWER, WHOLE RED SNAPPER, CITRUS FISH IN PARCHMENT 

 

I want to thank my team for their hard work in producing such delicious food; it was the talk of the festival! Our weekend warriors included Chef Wesley True of True Midtown Kitchen, Mobile, Alabama Governor's Mansion Executive Chef Jim Smith, Chef Will Hughes, Chef Cassie Powers, Chef Wes Shepherd, BBQ Brad O'Rear, Kim Asbury Wilson, Nicole Hutto, Meaghan Hutto, Amanda Bell, Shannon Bell, Devon Williamson, Brittany Curran, Kalin Brunell, and my amazing assistants Lauren Scoggan and the always incredible Caroline Sayre. Caroline's husband Tyler even chipped in to help when we needed it. Remarkable dedication and remarkable execution. Thank you all!

 

New Ideas for Game Day and Tailgating: Martie on Nashville's Talk of the Town

We had a great time with the Meryll and the gang at Talk of the Town in Nashville to kick off the Titans first home game! Our tailgate party included some new ideas for game day or tailgating at the stadium... Simple ideas like giant sandwiches that you can just slice, fire roasted chipotle chili, serving in individual Frito packages, using a drink carrier to serve veggies and dip and lots more easy, fun ideas! 

Thanks to the NewsChannel 5 team for having us in Nashville again! Can't wait to come back to Music City!

RECIPES AND HOW-TO'S FROM THIS VIDEO:

MARTIE'S FIRE ROASTED CROCK-POT CHIPOTLE CHILI

MAKE A BLOODY MARY BAR FOR GAME DAY

TOSS AWAY BEER COOLER

SIMPLE IDEAS FOR GAME DAY

HOST A CHILI COOK-OFF FOR GAME DAY

FOLLOW MARTIE ON FACEBOOK FOR MORE RECIPES, COCKTAILS, PARTY IDEAS & FUN!

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.  

FOLLOW MARTIE ON FACEBOOK FOR MORE RECIPES, COCKTAILS, PARTY IDEAS & FUN!

Easy Tailgating and Game Day Ideas: New Recipes, Tips and Serving Suggestions!

IT'S FOOTBALL SEASON! What I usually hear this time of year is: “I’m tired of our same old game day plan” and “I don’t want to grill- I want to relax and enjoy my friends” So, here are some ideas for your game day that will keep everyone happy and let you have some fun, too. Big thanks to Dandy RVfor the use of the awesome RV for our tailgate party!

VARIATIONS ON A THEME: MIX IT UP…one week Mexican with hats and decor, the next week you can take it to New Orleans with a Mardi Gras menu, the following week make it a Lowcountry crab boil, Italian, Pirate Party, Chili cook-off, beach party, etc. You don't have to go with BBQ or typical tailgate food every weekend.

MULTI-PURPOSE FOOD: For example, chili works for a variety of different foods... chili pie, tacos, hot dogs, nachos, and more. You can host a chili throwdown where everyone brings a Crock-Pot with their favorite recipe. Add a condiment and hot sauce bar so everyone can add their favorite toppings.

Serve chili in a Fritos bag! Instant chili pie!Serve chili in individual Fritos or Doritos bags.... yes, serving right in the bag makes yummy Frito chili pie or nachos! This is so good and makes clean up a breeze. Best of all, no dirty dishes to take home! 

MARTIE KNOWS PARTIES TAILGATE TIPS

1. When it is still hot outside, make sure to take an extra cooler filled with ice so you can keep drinks and food items cold and have plenty of clean ice for drinks.

2. Use multi-purpose glasses like the insulated glasses from Tervis Tumblers – they keep hot drinks hot and cold drinks cold. LOVE THEM... especially when I have a party inside. No condensation rings and no broken glass. Plus they go right in the dishwasher.

3. A great way to keep hot food hot is to wrap and store them in a cheap Styrofoam cooler and pack it with newspaper. This will keep it hot until you are ready to serve.

4. Do most of the prep at home so you just have simple assembly or grilling when you get to the stadium.

Make a toss-away beverage coolerRe-use a drink holder for dipsUse the 6-pack carrier for condiments5. If you don’t want to take a cooler- get a case of your favorite drinks, empty it and line with a white or clear garbage bag and put the drinks back and fill with ice. Afterwards, put the whole thing in the trash. I always double the bag so I don't have any leaks. You can also use a beer carton as a condiment holder. Works great! Save the carton from your next 6-pack!

6. Another use for a cardboard drink carrier- is to use it for a condiment carrier or a dip holder!

7. Pre-cook what you can. You can even pre-cook ribs and finish them on the grill. Just make sure to keep them well chilled.

8. Get in on the Crock-Pot craze…. Plug it in before you go to bed the night before and you’ve got a good start on lunch when you get there.

9. One of the most frustrating things about going to the game is not being able to find your friends or their tailgate! Use a cluster of helium balloons and fly them way over the top of your tent so your friends can spot you from a distance! I got huge balloons and wrote on them with a marker to define our tailgate and help friends locate us easily!

Make a game day table runner from a rug, placemat or tablecloth with white electrical tape and stick on numbers10. You don’t have to buy special football items or tableware- you can easily make a football field runner from placemats or some other item. I used a green chenille kitchen rug I got on sale for $4 at Target and lined it with white plastic electrician's tape. I got the numbers at Wal-Mart in the mailbox section but you can get stick-on numbers where you get scrapbook supplies also.

11. Bring items in a large plastic tub. When you are ready to pack up, line the tub with a garbage bag and then put your dirty dishes inside. Makes for super easy clean up when you get home!

Make giant sandwiches like a Muffaletta and just slice to serve. No more making lots of small sandwiches!12. Make giant sandwiches instead of lots of small sandwiches. Just take a large loaf of bread and make one large sandwich. Slice it up and you are good to go! If you make hot sandwiches, make sure to double the foil on the bottom so you do not burn the bread. Open up the top of the foil for the last few minutes to get the bread toasty. Add a little cheese on top for some extra yum!

 NEED MORE GAME DAY IDEAS? CHECK OUT THESE RECIPES AND TIPS FROM MARTIE KNOWS PARTIES:

Argentine Asado & Chimichurri

Host a Chili Cookoff for Game Day!

Game Day Grub: Steakhouse Steaks with Herb Butter

Make a Bloody Mary Bar for Game Day

FOLLOW MARTIE ON FACEBOOK FOR MORE RECIPES, IDEAS, AND FUN!

Talk of the Town Nashville Summer Special: Recipes & How-To Tips

Happy 4th of July!

For those of you watching our TV special on Nashville's Talk of the Town, here are links for some of the recipes and ideas we showcased today! Scroll all the way to the bottom to see the how-to video from the show.

Infuse your summer with flavor!INFUSED LEMONADE

Take your lemonade from ordinary to extraordinary when you infuse the simple syrup with flavor. Get the recipes:

VANILLA BEAN PLANTATION LEMONADE

INFUSED SIMPLE SYRUP

For even more lemony fun, make a lemonade station for your party with lots of mix-ins and libations! Get the how-to...

___________________________________________________________________________

Popsicles and ProseccoPOPSICLE-PALOOZA!

Hi-tech, low tech, and low tech ways to make your own frozen treats for kids and adults this summer.

POPSICLE HOW-TO

POPSICLES AND PROSECCO

Once considered just a kiddie treat, the popsicle has gone exotic! Whether you make your own popsicles or buy them, this elegant presentation takes popsicles to a whole different level. The perfect way to end a summer dinner party or wedding reception.

Some other great homemade popsicles to make include:

STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE POPS

S'MORES POPS

16 HOMEMADE POPSICLE RECIPES

Watch our how-to video from Talk of the Town!

___________________________________________________________________________________ 

BACKYARD CAMPING PARTY

This one is so much fun for just about any occasion... birthday party, neighborhood party, team get-togethers, and more. It is even a fun date night. Watch the video...

This is a super inexpensive "stay-cation" for those staying home this summer. You'll feel like you went away... and best of all, your bed and the air-conditioner are just steps away!

Here's the simple recipe for the hobo packs that you can throw right on the fire or grill:

LOW COUNTRY HOBO PACKS

This is a similar taste to a one pot boil but even easier. Since shrimp cooks faster than the potatoes and the corn, it is best to pre-cook those so that you don't overcook the shrimp.

For 6

1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails on

1 large onion

3 ears of corn

12 medium red potatoes

Old Bay Seasoning

2 lemons- one cut into wedges for serving

1 Beer (you can substitute water if you like)

butter

salt and pepper to taste

Parboil the potatoes and corn for a few minutes on the stove in boiling water. Do not cook completely. You just want to give them a bit of a head start so that all of the food in the pack has an equal cooking time. I usually cook the potatoes for 8 minutes and add the corn. Cook 4 more minutes and remove from the heat.

Tear large squares of aluminium foil to make the packs. Layer the potatoes, onion, corn, and shrimp. Add a dot of butter, salt, pepper, and a dash of Old Bay seasoning. Turn up the edges and add about 1/4 cup of beer to each package. Squeeze some lemon juice over the top and seal the packs well on all sides. Cook over medium coals for about 10 minutes until the shrimp are cooked. You can put these directly on the edge of a campfire, too.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Scrapbook Paper LanternEASY TABLE DECORATIONS: SCRAPBOOK PAPER LANTERNS

Scrapbook paper sheets

Double sided tape or glue stick

Mason jars or other jar, vase, etc

Candles: floating candles, tealights, or other light source

These lanterns are so easy to make and can really dress up a table or customize any party for very little money! Since scrapbook paper comes in all colors and patterns, you really have endless options. Here's the how to:

Get a sheet of scrapbook paper. If it is thick, you'll want to cut in some designs so light will shine through. If the paper is thin or you use vellum, you don't need to cut in a design. You can use a hole punch or a paper cutter- or a utility knife.

Use a glue stick or double faced tape along the edge of the back side of the paper to form the paper into a cylinder.

Put the light source into the jar. For tealights or candles, I like to put sand in the bottom to keep the candle off the bottom of the jar. This is a great use for floating candles or even glo-sticks.

Place the paper cylinder over the jar.... and you have a customized lantern!

 Custom banner made of flags and ribbonCUSTOMIZED BANNERS

This is one of the easiest ways to dress up any area in your party colors.  Using flags, ribbon, or scrapbook paper, simply make a pretty line of color to decorate a fence, a tent, or patio.

For the paper banners, fold over to make a triangle. Fold over a piece of clothesline, twine, rope, or string. Secure with a piece of Velcro or double stick tape. I like using a Velcro dot so I can use these over and over again; sometimes in different color combinations! You can make these directional banners or signs, too by lettering them... lots of fun and very affordable.

FOLLOW MARTIE ON FACEBOOK FOR MORE GREAT PARTY IDEAS, RECIPES, COCKTAILS, AND FUN!