We're epicureans in our home, and food takes center stage at any of our shindigs. But this year, I'm being a little more sensible. At least when it comes to the party appetizers. Don't get me wrong, I love a good ol' stuff-a-thon, but if you count all the grub that will be gobbled from now until end of the year... Anyways, I've been scouring the web for delicious, unique and above all  healthy party appetizers that are great for all the family. These yummy ideas are also super   simple and quick , and therefore perfect for rustling up at the last minute!

Hey guys!! So glad to be back! It was a roller-coaster week full of fun and a super crazy work schedule, and despite my utter love for Paris (see on Instagram here) ; I could not wait to get back to my "normal" routine. Plus, I missed my babies too much!!! :) So while I wait to catch up with my humongous inbox, and edit some of the gazillion salon photos to show you, just wanted to share a quick tutorial I made for the cupcakes on display at our stand. These Cute as a Button Cupcakes would be perfect for so many party themes...think baby showers, tea party, sewing or craft party or even Lalaloopsy!

Cupcakes are befitting of any occasion as far as I'm concerned. And Thanksgiving is no different. My go-to recipe for spiced, pumpkin cupcakes is from our blog contributor Hani. And I love topping it with cream cheese vanilla frosting (my fave standby frosting)

Thanksgiving is around the corner, and though I really wanted to style a full-on table for you this year, I've been up to my eyebrows in crafts for the Paris trip this week. So I got some of my fave party gals to help me come up with some cool ideas on how to use our FREE Thanksgiving printables  (limited time only!) in recipes, table styling and party favors. We're all posting today, and you'll find the links to the awesome tutorials on the bottom of the post. 

I hate the cold, there I've said it. Yes, I do enjoy the end of year festivities and such like, but the cold? Not so keen. But as far I'm concerned, some of the season's upsides are the mandatory fluffy socks, woolly hats (that hide a multitude of hair sins...), fireside snuggling and of course, the good ol' hot toddy!! ;)  So over the years I've tried an array of flavors and, this sweet mulled wine is one of my faves! It's perfect for Thanksgiving too. I make it with Muscat wine and a dash of tangerine juice, which helps complement the citrus notes in the wine. 

BOO! Happy Halloween, my pretties! :) Last of our Chilling Chili Buffet recipe ideas to complete your yummy, spooky repertoire (I'm be making this one later on today!). You can't have a Halloween Chili Buffet without guacamole, right?! Plus, they look super cute served individually in Frankenstein little cups ! Get the full recipe and decor details below.

I have to say, these bread sticks look a little realistic... But I can also assure you they taste absolutely scrumptious, and totally helped to make the Halloween Chili Buffet a hit! So much so in fact, that when I asked my daughter "What would you like to do for Halloween this year? "  (meaning costume...), she replied without a moment's hesitation - "Witch Bread Fingers!"  :)

My husband makes the best chili I've ever tasted. So much so in fact, that I never order it in restaurants for the fear it won't be on par! :) So when styling my Halloween Chili Buffet , the natural choice was to cook his chili recipe, and today I'm sharing it with you. It's simple, unctuous and tastes awesome. And you can make it ahead of the party! ;)

If you would have seen my (Tess) face yesterday as we drove out of the city and into the country for the afternoon, you would have thought the barrister slipped in a little something extra into my London Fog. On our way out the the pumpkin farm, the high-rises of our neighborhood were quickly replaced with row after row of golden-leafed trees. Maybe it's because I've lived in the city for a while now, but I had no idea I could ever be so excited about fall foliage. The beautiful colors of fall were captured in these Fall Leaf Mini Cakes .

The NO-BAKE Halloween Kids Party Treats I posted last year were winners, for sure! I loved making them. My kids loved test-driving them. And it seems you guys loved pinning them !  So this year, I decided to round up some our fave Halloween Cute and Fun Treats for Kids , which   are perfect for whipping up quickly - no tricks! ;)

Following on with the week's Halloween Vampire Blood Bar theme with Pottery Barn, we're set on enlivening up the undead with delicious and devilish libations! :)

These spicy-sweet gingerbread cookies are sure to satisfy all the hungry vampires who haunt your house. The yummy icing cloaks the bare cookies in yummy vampire disguises, and are perfect treat to end to your Halloween Vampire Blood Bar on sweet, but spooky note!

The title of the post is a bit of a mouthful - in many ways than one! These candy-corn chocolate covered Oreo cookies are really simple to make (despite the long title). They look super fabulous as a Halloween gift, party favor, or desserts table treat. But most importantly, they taste absolutely scrumptious!! It's also a great recipe or Halloween project to make with the kids . I made them with my 6 year old, so if she can do this, then I'm sure anyone can! ;)

I love a nice pair...of pears. And this poached pears recipe is so delicious but really easy to make. And looks like you really pushed the boat out!  This is the perfect autumnal dessert for a dinner party, or just because! It's also great paired with cream, ice cream or shortbread cookies for a Thanksgiving sweet course for the whole family!

I can't begin to tell you how excited and proud I am of my dear, beautiful, talented friend, and one of our blog contributors; Mindy from Creative Juice !! She not only has written and photographed everything in her Gourmet French Macarons book , but has also produced one of the most stunning and creative books I've seen of late! I'm just in love ♥ Keep reading to find out all about it from Mindy herself...

Who doesn't love cookies?! Or confetti?! Combine both in a gluten-free recipe, and you have beautiful and delicious morsels of cookie perfection!! Check out the recipe from our contributor Gillian .

This recipe is perfect for using up end of season fruit that you may have in abundance. It works great with any kind of melon, and you can spike it up with your favorite tipple, or sparkling lemonade. It's as delicious as it is easy to make, and perfect for those lazy summer soirees! ;)

Yes, because although some schools have started, and we're already thinking "Halloween"; we still have a few days of sunshine goodness to savor, and some glorious end of season produce.  And this summery recipe is very easy and quick to make, so perfect if you have last minute entertaining on the cards. But is also a tasty and healthy after school snack! ;)

This is the last post of Wedding series for HGTV , and we're ending on a super sweet note! These pretty truffles are super yummy but so easy to make - as with anything I bake ;) Their "bejeweled" effect is achieved by rolling the truffles in pink sugar pearls.

So you want to cover a cake in fondant. Now what? Well, it might not be as scary as you might think. After all, it's just cake and sugar - not brain surgery ;)  There are certainly mixed feelings when it comes to fondant. I am not sure if this is because people find it difficult to use, it does not look as "yummy" as fluffy buttercream, it tastes funny, or whatever. In my humble opinion, there will always be a place for fondant. Maybe not for every event or design, but it is certainly worth giving a try. It may take practice to handle efficiently, but it yields beautiful, smooth results - even producing designs that cannot be achieved with any other medium.