Join Martie LIVE with Paula Deen, Bobby Flay, and Mario Batali May 1-2 in ATLANTA!

JOIN the Martie Party LIVE in Atlanta May 1 & 2 with Summer Entertaining Tips!

Martie brings her party to the ATL with Paula Deen, Bobby Flay, and Mario Batali at the Metropolitan Cooking and Entertaining Show...

...and we’ve got a deal on tickets for you! Featuring live presentations by the hottest Food Network celebrities, more than 150 exhibitors, cooking demonstrations by nationally renowned chefs, tasting and entertaining workshops, food & wine pairings, wine seminars and much more! Use code APP10 in the promo box at checkout. You must buy your tickets online before April 19^th to get the discount. Find out all about the fun on tap at the MCES and get your tickets now!

Click to see Martie's party schedule at the MCES Show! Don't miss it! We had a ball last year and this year is going to be even better!

It's Mardi Gras! Menu and Cocktail Ideas for Your Mardi Gras Party

I love Mardi Gras--- after all, isn't it named after me? Martie Gras? LOL. 

Fat Tuesday, the day most of us celebrate Mardi Gras, is coming up on February 16th so I recently blew down to New Orleans to get some inspiration for Mardi Gras 2010. Let's get down to the most important thing about Mardi Gras--- the food.

I literally ATE my way through the city: Ulglesich's (lunch only) Oyster Po' Boys and their incredible Remoulade. Acme Oyster House in the French Quarter for the amazing Chargrilled Oysters and Red Beans and Rice. Galatoire's on Bourbon Street for everything but especially the Shrimp Remoulade and their famous Bread Pudding with Banana Sauce. Awesome! Click to get their recipes.

Visit our friends at MyRecipes.com to see their collection of Mardi Gras recipes; everything from Shrimp Etouffee to Jambalaya and these great mini-muffulettas.

Now, you know you just cannot go to New Orleans without a trip to Cafe DuMonde for Beignets. You can order their beignet mix online or you can make them from scratch. I have tried both. It doesn't matter which way you go. Just try to use cottonseed oil for frying and transfer them immediately into a brown paper lunch bag with powdered sugar in it once they are done. Give a shake and serve them to guests in the bag! These will be a huge hit!

Along my culinary exploration of New Orleans, I tried Chef John Besh's Restaurant Luke- a French Bistro with New Orleans flair. It was wonderful! Over fabulous shrimp and grits using Alabama's McEwen & Sons Organic Stone Ground Grits,

I had a great chat with bartender, Tomas, who is not only talented but entertaining as well. Tomas mixed a perfect Sazerac Cocktail, the traditional New Orleans drink made with a sugar cube and Herbsaint. Delicious!

Of course, you can't have a Mardi Gras party without a great Hurricane! Here's the famous Pat O'Brien's recipe using their mix or you can try mine:

 Martie's Party Hurricanes 

• 1 1.2 ounces light rum
• 1 1/2 ounces dark rum
• 1 ounce FRESH orange juice
• 1 ounce FRESH lime juice 
• 1/4 cup passion fruit juice (find it in the canned juice or International foods aisles)
• 1 sugar cube (about a teaspoon)
• 1 teaspoon Grenadine
• Maraschino cherries and orange slices
• Ice

In a cocktail shaker, mix the rum, juices and sugar until sugar is dissolved. Add Grenadine, and stir to combine, then add ice and shake. Add ice to a Hurricane style glass, strain drink into glass. Add a dash of the cherry juice. Garnish with orange slices and cherries.

NEED BEADS? DON'T FORGET THAT ORIENTAL TRADING COMPANYHAS EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO THROW A 'NAWLIN'S STYLE MARDI GRAS BASH!

Martie Knows Parties on MyRecipes.com: Midnight in Paris Brunch

Photo Courtesy Arden PhotographyDo you know I am the go-to party girl for the great folks at MyRecipes.com? We love their site-- if you haven't used it, try it! MyRecipes.com is a party planner's dream come true. In addition to one of the largest recipe collections on the web, they have a lot of tools and articles to help you. All of their recipes are tested by the Southern Living kitchens so you know you can trust them, and many of them are rated by readers, too. You can use their menu planning feature to help you with a menu for your next party. It really makes planning easy!

Check out our latest Martie Knows Parties video and menu: Midnight Brunch in Paris! This is a wonderful party theme for this time of year. Reuse your holiday lights and decorations-- add a few simple menu items like a delicious savory quiche and some bubbly and this party practically hosts itself. Get the how-to and the whole 411 on the Martie Knows Parties hub at MyRecipes.com

WATCH THE HOW-TO VIDEO NOW

Special thanks to Arden Ward of Arden Photography for the beautiful photography for the Paris brunch video and slideshow.

Easy Party Ideas: Build a Bloody Mary Bar

Perfect for New Year's Eve, watching all of those bowl games, or for New Year's Day brunch, this DIY Bloody Mary Bar is a hit every time!

Part salad bar, part drink bar, the Bloody Mary bar is becoming a popular interactive addition to parties and restaurant bars everywhere. Since everyone has their own idea of the perfect Bloody Mary, each drink can be individually crafted to get the seasoning just right.  It's not only fun but efficient to let guests mix up their own custom blend. Each region of the country has local add-ins and flavorings but one thing is consistent; everyone thinks their version is the best. As a Southerner, I would lose my membership card if I didn’t know how to make a good Bloody Mary. Southerners like a Bloody Mary to be spicy, heavy on the horseradish and loaded with fresh vegetables —a garden in a glass. To set up your own Bloody Mary bar, a cleared kitchen counter works well. You’ll need to keep your veggies chilled so put them in glasses, place in a low container or bowl and fill around the glasses with ice.

Use large glasses for serving since it will be packed with veggies and mix-ins until the flavor is just right. Long teaspoons are best to mix up the goodies—a plastic stirrer just won’t cut it. Have lots of wipes or towels on hand for spills and don’t use a white tablecloth for this one.

BLOODY MARY BAR SHOPPING LIST

VODKA:  Use your favorite vodka. Sometimes I use Absolut Peppar and rim glasses with a pepper and sea salt mixture before adding liquids and mix-ins.

MIX: Get one or two types of bottled mix or good organic tomato juice for the base

Major Peter’s (recommended)

Tabasco

Tomato Juice

FLAVOR AND SPICE

Lea & Perrin Worcestershire

Celery salt

Old Bay Seasoning (look at the fish counter if you can’t find it with the seasonings)

Cocktail Sauce

Rim glasses with a mixture of Old Bay, Kosher salt, and a dash of pepperHEAT

Tabasco Original

Louisiana Hot Sauce

Tabasco Green

Fresh ground pepper

Red pepper flakes

Fresh ground horseradish

CONDIMENTS

Celery stalks

Lemon wedges

Lime slices

Olives

Pickled okra

String beans

Cocktail onions

Cherry tomatoes

Pickled asparagus

SWIMMERS

Shrimp

Raw oysters

Clam juice

Holiday Cookie Recipes: Kelly's Favorite English Toffee Cookies

I soooo love it when my friends and our readers send me their favorite recipes--- because I know they're going to be really, really good! I get all of the benefit of a great new recipe without all of the work perfecting it. Kelly, my website designer, longtime co-worker, friend, and the busy mother of two beautiful boys, sent me her favorite holiday cookie recipe--- and I just popped my first batch in the oven. Try these for your Christmas Eve party or take a batch to the office. They smell delicious! Can't wait to give them a try!Thanks Kelly!

Kelly's English Toffee Cookies

1 Cup Butter (unsalted) room temperature

1 Cup Brown Sugar

1 Egg Yolk

2 Cups Flour (all-purpose)

1 Tsp. Vanilla

1 Large Semi-Sweet Chocolate Bar (broken into small pieces) for the top

1 Cup Chopped Nuts OR 1/2 Cup Crushed Candy Canes

Kelly's adorable boys, Camden & TuckerDIRECTIONS: Combine butter, brown, sugar, egg yolk, flour, and vanilla in a bowl. Pat into a greased 15x10 jellyroll pan. Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes. Remove and add the chocolate pieces over the top. Return to the oven for a few minutes until chocolate softens. Remove and spread the chocolate over the top. Add chopped nuts or the crushed candy cane for garnish. Place in the refrigerator for an hour. Cut into 1.5 inch squares.

                                      HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

Need more recipes? Here are some good, tried and true recipes for your holiday get-togethers!

COCKTAILS

Hot Apple Pie Toddy                    Hot Buttered Rum  

Oatmeal Cookie Martini               Pralines & Cream Martini 

OTHER EASY FAVORITES:

Endive Leaves with Herbed Goat Cheese

Tipsy Tomatoes, Mini BLT's, and Caprese Kabobs

Pickled Citrus Shrimp

Butternut Squash Soup

Apple Tart with Pomegranate Carmel Sauce