Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Link Love.

Tuesday Inspiration.

100 Layer Cake
Love the paperwhites.



Eat Drink Chic
Tis the gift giving season…why not pair your gift with this cute downloadable card.



Sweet Paul
Perfect time of year for a delicious cup of hot chocolate.



InStyle
Having trouble finding the perfect gift. Check out InStyle's best of the web.

Monday, November 29, 2010

Prosecco and Raspberry Jellies

Boozy Treat Recipe.

Few people love rich desserts as much me. Give me chocolate, caramel, butter crusts and the like, all day long. But we are smack dab in the month-long period where even I can reach my max-capacity. So should I stop serving dessert at parties? NO!!

This little gem comes from the UK Magazine, Ideal Home...Prosecco and Raspberry Jellies. Consider it a grown up jello shot. Light, fruity, and delicious!



Prosecco and Raspberry Jellies
Serves 8
Time: 40 minutes, plus overnight to set

3 1/2oz fresh or defrosted frozen raspberries
2 Tbsp powdered gelatin
750 ml prosecco (or lemonade if you are making non-alcoholic)
2/3 cup superfine sugar (1/4 cup if using lemonade)
1 tsp gold-leaf flakes (optional)

1. Press the raspberries through a sieve and discard the pips left in it. Pour the juice into a small bowl and sprinkle over the gelatin powder. Heat 250 ml (about 1/2 a typical bottle size) of the prosecco or lemonade with the sugar over medium-low heat until just warm and the sugar has dissolved.

2. Remove from the heat and stir in the juice mix. Whisk until the gelatin has fully dissolved (sieve if there are lumps). Leave to cool.

3. Put eight glasses in the freezer for exactly 20 minutes (any longer and they'll be too cold). In the meantime, whisk the gold flakes and remaining prosecco or lemonade into the cooled jello mixture. Freeze for 10 minutes, whisk again. Dish into glasses and leave in the fridge to set overnight.

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

New Sponsor: Magnet Street

Invitations and wedding paper purveyor.

In the world of weddings, we all want something unique. We might adore what someone else has done and be inspired, but ours has to be different at the same time. Unfortunately, being unique and different can often come at a lofty price.

Our newest sponsor, Magnet Street, can definitely help in your search for wedding individuality. Their site is filled to the brim with invitation designs that can be customized to fit your distinct color scheme. Flat cards, pocket invites, tri-fold, and many more options are available. And the prices are VERY reasonable...especially for all of the flexibility that you have in customization. Here are some of my favorite designs (I love a square invitation)...





And besides the basic invites, Magnet Street offers components that will complete your wedding invitation and reception paper needs. Address Labels, table numbers, place cards, and much much more.

And of course there is their namesake product...magnets. They are a great option for Save the Dates. Instead of getting lost in the ubiquitous pile of mail, these guys will be a constant reminder of fun times to come on your wedding day when your guest go to the fridge for a late night snack.


Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Link Love.

Tuesday Inspiration.

Bliss
I love the look of clustered exposed bulbs as a chandelier. Raw chic.



The Selby
These fabric covered books from Jeanne Lanvin’s private library in Paris are just to die.



What Katie Ate
Baked Apricots with Lemoncello…oh my.



Type Depot
Lovely font for free.

Monday, November 22, 2010

Thanksgiving Cocktails

Cocktail Recipes.

During Thanksgiving, I have a really difficult time using my self control when the turkey and stuffing hit the table. In fact, if truth be told...I could eat an entire bowl of stuffing. What usually happens is that I eat my fill and have absolutely no room left over for dessert. I love the idea of pie...but it usually has to wait until breakfast the next morning (healthy...I know).

So when I saw these recipes for cocktails that are inspired by Thanksgiving dessert, I thought they were the perfect solution. They taste just as delicious, give you a little holiday cheer, and take up far less room in my stuffed belly.

I think they are well worth a try on Thursday, don't you?

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Caramel Apple Pie Martini




1 oz. 1800 Silver Tequila (dont skimp here...you want the smoothness in this drink)
½ oz. butterscotch schnapps
1 oz. apple cider
1 tsp. lemon juice

Combine ingredients and shake well with ice, strain into martini glass. Garnish with an apple slice.

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Pumpkin Pie-tini



1 oz. milk
2 tablespoons pumpkin puree
1 ½ oz. Three Olives Vanilla vodka
1 ½ oz. crème de cacao

Using a small amount of honey, rim martini glass with graham cracker crumbs.

Shake milk and pumpkin puree over ice to combine. Pour in remaining ingredients and shake well. Strain into the martini glass.

Saturday, November 20, 2010

Make them melt

Food DIY.

My Thanksgiving celebration doesn’t include a lot of kids, but if it did I would be sure to set up a fun project to keep them occupied and intrigued for a couple of hours. I think the DIY hot cocoa dippers in this month’s Good Housekeeping, has all the makings of a great activity.



Set up a card table with brown paper, a fondue pot or bowl of chocolate from the microwave and some wax paper. You will need drinking straws, large marshmallows and red nonpareil sprinkles. Skewer the marshmallows with the straws, dip the marshmallows in the chocolate leaving the tops exposed. Be sure to lift the straws straight up to let the additional chocolate drip off. Cool briefly on wax paper, but dip marshmallow bottoms into sprinkles while chocolate is still slightly soft.

If you have a variety of age groups at your gathering this is a great way to get the older kids and younger kids mingling. Designate the older kids to supervise the project and then everyone has great hot cocoa dippers for dessert or a take home gift to celebrate the holiday season.

Friday, November 19, 2010

British Invasion - Living Etc Magazine

Magazine.

While waiting for my gate to be announced at Heathrow, I popped into a newsstand to buy a ridiculously large bag of Cadbury chocolates and happened to catch a glimpse of the cover of Living etc Magazine. The cool styling on the cover reminded my of my dearly departed Domino Magazine. I snatched a copy for the plane and made my way through the terminal.



One hour later, my copy of the magazine had more rabbit ears than the holiday section of target in March...and surprisingly not a drop of caramel or smudge of chocolate on any of the pages. The perfect mix of interior design advise, fun product finds, and food & bev ideas, Living etc Magazine is now officially added as a regular source of inspiration for yours truly.





Thursday, November 18, 2010

British Invasion - Russian Spring Punch

Cocktail Recipe.

One of the cocktail lounges that we visited in Piccadilly featured famous contemporary London cocktails. And luckily I decided to give Russian Spring Punch a try. Don't let the "Spring" in the title fool you. It is perfectly lovely to drink it in Fall, Winter, and Summer as well. Add it to your repertoire...you'll be glad that you did!



Russian Spring Punch
Serves 1

3.0 fl. oz. of Vodka
1.0 fl. oz. of Lemon Juice
1.0 fl. oz. of Creme de Cassis
1.0 fl. oz. of Sugar Syrup
Ice
Champagne
Sprig of Mint

Combine all ingredients (except Champagne) in a cocktail shaker with the ice, shake, strain into a highball glass filled with ice. Top with Champagne. Garnish with a sprig of mint.

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Garlicky Kale and Spinach Dip

Recipe.

This is my go-to healthy dip. It is literally just a few fresh ingredients with a kick of garlic. I always like to have one super healthy snack at all of my get-togethers. My personal way of eating my way through a party is to start with the healthy snack and try to fill up as much as possible and then move on to say, “the cheese tray.”

I’ll be very honest about this dip. It looks beautiful and sometimes that can be deceiving. It doesn’t taste like spinach and artichoke dip. It tastes like kale and spinach. I happen to like both of those flavors so this dip works for me. However, I suggest labeling it for your guests so that they are aware that it is a HEALTHY choice. That way people like my husband who are perfectly happy just eating sliders all night will not make the horrible mistake of eating something that tastes like fresh vegetables.

It’s easy to make and lasts for up to 5 days in the fridge. It is inexpensive and should give you enough iron to power through holding your glass for the entire night.



Ingredients:
Makes 1 ½ cups.

• 1 bunch kale, washed and tough stems removed (about 7 ounces)
• 1 bunch spinach, washed and tough stems removed (about 5 ounces)
• 2 medium garlic cloves, peeled
• 3 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
• 4 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 cup olive oil

Instructions:

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Prepare an ice water bath by filling a bowl halfway with ice and water; set aside.

2. Add kale and spinach to the boiling water and cook until wilted, about 2 minutes. Remove from the boiling water and plunge into the ice bath. Once the greens are cool, remove them from the ice bath, shake off any excess water, and place in the bowl of a food processor.

3. Add garlic, pine nuts, and vinegar and, while puréeing, slowly pour in the olive oil. Continue puréeing, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as necessary, until all of the oil is incorporated and the mixture is smooth, about 4 minutes. Season with salt and serve.

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Link Love.

Tuesday Inspiration.

Love and Lavender
Engagement photos inspired by the movie Up.



Dessert for Breakfast
The perfect fall dessert…cognac, caramel, pecan and pear pudding.



The Cinderella Project
Great use of flea market finds.



A Cup of Jo
Check out the DIY on how to get this chic, party- ready side chignon.