Today we're partying with our friends over at Better Homes and Gardens , in celebration of the release of their NEW party-style magazine ' Get Together '! I'm so excited to be joining this party, and can tell you first hand how AWESOME the publication is!!
Dinner Party Recipe | Ragu alla Bolognese Pasta Bowls
I used to get sooo stressed out about last-minute dinner parties. You know, the ones where your sister calls like a hour before, and all of a sudden you have a group of people coming over (midweek) for dinner?! Well, over the years I've learned that life happens and these impromptu dinner parties are bound to crop up now and again. And planning for these eventualities is something I've actually come to embrace!
A DIY Mojito Bar with Recipe & Free Printables
Something about a bar that make me all excited for a party! Be it a confetti bar , a waffles bar , or a cocktail bar . I think it's because 'bars' by definition are a fun place to hang out! And also because they're SO easy to set up! Guests serve themselves and all you do as the hostess is watch everyone interacting and join in the fun! And that, my friends; is the great start for any party! ;)
I think that's the tastiest post title we have EVER had here on the blog, am I right?! Churros take me right back to my childhood in Rio (no, not Mexico..) where we could buy them from street vendors filled with dulce de leche... (insert Homer Simpson-style drool noise) :p
My Favorite Fiesta Tablescape & Recipes
I could eat Mexican food every day, and with Cinco de Mayo approaching gives me the perfect excuse to gorge myself on my fave fiesta recipes ;) You may remember the kiddies Pinata Party we styled a few years back? Well, this year I really wanted a more grown up vibe for our fiesta, complete with a Mojito Bar, which I'll share later in the week!
Spring Blossom Cocktail Recipe
Mildly entertaining true story: I planned to shoot this Cherry Blossom Cocktail recipe with the beautiful cherry flowers we have in our cherry trees. But when it came to the shoot day, the blossom were all washed out by the rain! Shock horror! But I soon spotted that our peach trees were in fact blossoming (and looked pretty similar to the cherry ones..) and so decided to Google it, and lo and behold; it turns out they are just as edible as cherry blossom. Phew!
Recipe | Crepe Cake with Rosewater & Marmalade Cream
My kids can't get enough of French crepes. They love it so much, that we make it together nearly every Sunday! Crepes are a type of thin pancake, super easy to make and you can add any filling to make them into a delicious dessert. The most famous perhaps, being the French crepe suzette recipe, flambéed with with Grand Marnier and orange.
Honey & Lemon Floral Lollipops
I first made these sugar lollipops for my kids garden party some years ago (read it here ) . Back then, I didn't have a lollipop mold or a candy thermometer, but they turned out great nonetheless! Fast forward six years, and now that I own a proper mold, the possibilities are endless, my friends! Like adding edible flowers and Spring bloom to make it into a more grown-up version ;)
Recipe | Bloody Mary Inspired Seafood Linguine
I'm not a great lover of seafood, but add it to pasta, and I'm front of the queue! For Easter this year, I decided to turn up the volume on my usual seafood linguine recipe with a Bloody Mary inspired sauce , which is great for entertaining and dinner parties over this weekend!
Tips for Hosting a Relaxed Dinner Party
This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Santa Margherita USA . All opinions are 100% mine. The best dinner parties I've ever hosted, or at least the ones I remember most fondly; are the "relaxed" ones where I, the host, get to enjoy every minute of it as much as my guests! So throughout the years, I've tried to hone in on what works and perfect the art of dinner parties by keeping it all as simple as possible. Whether I have days to plan ahead, or for a last-minute get-together. For me, simplicity is the name of the party game when dinner parties are concerned!
Recipe | Stout Chocolate Cupcakes with Irish Cream Frosting
Valentines Day's over and we're wasting not time in prepping for St Patrick's Day 'round here! And I'm feeling super lucky, 'cause I get to create AND taste test, yummy recipes like these Stout Chocolate Cupcake with Irish Cream Frosting! This is a super easy and delicious recipe, and I'm sharing my cheat frosting technique too. Lucky YOU! ;)
Pink Champagne Jello Recipe
As part of my Valentine's Dinner party menu that I shared in my previous post ( here ) ; I'm serving pink champagne jello with red berries and cream . Something about jello that evokes 'fun', don't you think? Maybe it's because it's a dessert we associate with kids, and therefore takes us back to our childhood days. But for a grown-up update on this favorite classic, I added pink champagne and red berries. Which makes a super tasty, not to mention pretty in pink dessert for Valentine's Day ! :)
Creamy Whipped Feta Dip Recipe
Super Bowl is 'round the corner and this is THE recipe you need for quick and easy entertaining! It's a super delicious dip too, and if you serve with veggies on the side like I did here , it turns into a much healthier appetizer. But you could just eat it by the spoonfuls too. Well, I could. It's that YUM!
Fruity Beer Cocktail Recipe & DIY Football Coasters
Beer rhymes with Super Bowl. We know that. But what if beer is not your thing? Or you fancy something sweeter while watching the game? Well, for my Super Bowl party I served this super tasty fruity mixer, which not only is the perfect pairing to wheat beer ; but can can be also added to lemonade, sparkling water or tonic to cater for kiddos and mocktail lovers alike!
Recipe | Chocolate Brownie Super Bowl Footballs
Any post that start with the word 'chocolate' is a winner, in my book. Especially when the recipe is easy, and you can make-ahead, and serve it in cute shaped football for a Super Bowl party , right?! Earlier this week I shared some easy and cool ideas to pulling off a fab Super Bowl party , and if you only copy one thing from that, then copy this recipe - It will be a hit with anyone, any age!
Panettone, Chocolate & Marmalade Tart Recipe
If you din't notice, we're brunching this week ;) And nothing screams winter brunch better than some comfort food, right?! Hence this Panettone chocolate and marmelade tart number. Apart from being totally decadent and delicious, is extremely easy and FUN to make!
Smoked Salmon Vol-au-Vent Baked Eggs Recipe
Following from last week's brunch post , and as promised; here's my recipe for Vol-au-vent Baked Eggs. Baked eggs is something I've pick up in France ( œufs cocotte ), and it's a great way to serve eggs for an occasion such as brunch, because you can get all the yummy flavors and fun of the egg (yes, eggs are fun!) without the 'slaving over a hot stove' factor.
Happy New Year, party friends! January is not my favorite month, I have to say. It's hard enough getting back to a work/school routine after the end of year parties. And then the weather doesn't help one bit... So my goal at the beginning of the year is just to eeeease myself back gently into the groove of things. And basically, just to keep warm. Brr. That's where this Spiced Earl Grey Hot Toddy comes in super handy!
Fruity & Boozy British Christmas Pudding Recipe
Christmas pudding's a traditional dessert served in Britain at Christmas . You may have come across it in one of the Happy Potter movies (flaming Christmas pudding). And if you're a fan of Downton Abbey , this will recipe will totally speak to you!
Recipe | Scottish Shortbread Christmas Tree Cookies
Okay, so the traditional Scottish shortbread cookie aren't really meant to be "Christmas trees". They're just baked in a round cake pan, then cut into triangles. But I think if you dip them in chocolate and sprinkle with sugar stars like I did, they totally look the part, don't you think? :) Therefore PERFECT for Christmas and Holiday parties!