Spice Rubbed Chicken with Cloister Honey Chipotle Pepper Sauce

April 24, 2013 No comments

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Cloister Honey is one of my favorite local products, their products are absolutely delicious and I love supporting a great small business with integrity. They make an awesome variety of whipped honey that is just to die for with cinnamon and pumpkin spiced options I love to slather it on to an English Muffin. When I picked up their Chipotle Pepper Infused Honey I knew that it would be perfect over grilled chicken.

As if the Chipotle Pepper Infused Honey didn’t have enough of a kick for me, I decided to really turn things up and use a spiced dry rub on the chicken as well. In my version, I turned up the spice with extra cayenne and chili powder, but don’t worry, I took the heat factor down a few notches in the recipe below. The best part about this chickenIMG_7478 is that right when the heat from the dry rub kicks in, the sweet honey takes over and cools it right down. This chicken is the perfect balance of spice and sweetness to kick off grilling season and the best part is that it takes no time to cook! Enjoy!

 

Chocolate Chip Banana Oatmeal Bars

January 23, 2013 1 comment

Happy 1st post of 2013! I hope that your new year is off to a great start so far, I apologize for the lack of posts during the holiday season but I have been busy celebrating some wonderful events in my life. I hate when bloggers are cryptic, so I hope you don’t mind if I get a little personal for just a moment. Over the past year I have dealt with some of life’s most stressful events including: job loss, moving, death, heartbreak and divorce. I like to think that I was getting it all out of the way at once, but I would be lying if I didn’t admit that it was stressful and difficult. Often times I would be left wondering if things would ever change and thankfully they did and I wouldn’t be as grateful for my blessings had I not gone through the stress.

Beginning a new job has changed my routine and commute and I find mornings to be stressful enough already so I wanted to find a healthy breakfast solution that took little to no time to prepare. I am not a huge fan of instant oatmeal, while it smells amazing, often the texture leaves much to be desired. Enter the baked oatmeal bar to save the day!

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Make a batch of these bars on Sunday evening and your breakfast is made for the rest of the week. I grab one or two on my way out the door and they keep me full until lunch time. I love having bananas in the morning, they keep me alert and energized. If you are watching calories, don’t worry, you can cut out the chocolate chips (although I am going to think you are a little crazy) and reduce the amount of sugar easily.

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Chocolate Chip Banana Oatmeal Bars
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Serves: 9-12
 

Ingredients
  • Dry Ingredients
  • 3 cups oats – Make sure to use the old fashioned type, not instant
  • ¾ cup Splenda brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice
  • Wet Ingredients
  • 1 whole egg
  • 2 egg whites
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1¼ cup milk
  • 1-2 bananas, mashed – This depends on how much banana flavor you like. Also it is easier to mash a banana that is just past ripe.

Instructions
  1. Pre-heat over to 350 degrees.
  2. In one bowl, combine the wet ingredients and in another combine the dry ingredients.
  3. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix until combined through.
  4. Mix in optional chocolate chips.
  5. Spray a large muffin tin with cooking spray.
  6. Spoon the mixture into each muffin tin until it is ¾ full.
  7. Bake for 18 minutes or until the tops of the oatmeal are golden brown and the sides are pulling away from the pan.

These bars pack great flavor, protein and best of all stay moist throughout the week, making your mornings stress-free. Enjoy!

 

Thanksgiving Decor and Free Printables

November 20, 2012 No comments

Thanksgiving Day is already overwhelming enough, while juggling a variety of dishes in the kitchen, you don’t need to overwhelm yourself with your table decor. I love to use items that are natural, are re-purposed or inexpensive. I find a clever idea to have more of an impact than an expensive one. Here are some easy ideas for your Thanksgiving table that won’t stress you out.

Vase Fillers

I know you have plenty of vases on hand, so let’s fill them up. The sizes, shapes or even colors don’t need to match, that makes it more interesting! Think of ingredients in your meal and use that as inspiration, like these cranberries add a great depth of color.

Dried corn is cheap and easy to grab while you are shopping for your grocery items. The golden color reflects the fall season and warms up the room.

Pick out a variety of nuts and use them for vase filler.You don’t have to include the candles, the filler itself is enough to decorate the table. Make sure to use a variety that you enjoy, that way you can eat them later!

I hope you live somewhere where the leaves change color, because if you do, then you have free decor all around you! The leaves have all just fallen at my home in Charlotte and are as gorgeous as ever. Pick a few leaves up and wrap them around a votive or fill a tall vase with them.

Don’t forget to add height to your table, but make sure your guests don’t have to talk around your decor. Fill a tall vase with a variety of small gourds or pumpkins.

Printables and Place Cards

Everyone loves to see their name at the table, it provides comfort and allows your guest to relax. My favorite internet secret is finding free printables to match your decor. There are SO many talented designers out there that are willing to share their talents and you get to benefit!

 

Blonde Designs Blog made these awesome printable place cards. They are so simple and sweet, each guest can write what they are thankful for and their name. Simple and easy!

Holly Mathis Interiors shared this pumpkin place card (and a great use for those pumpkins you still have laying around from Halloween) in her blog. A pumpkin, some twine and a name card, done!

Paper and Glitter really outdid herself with her free printable pack! You can find activity sheets for the kids, a banner, table decor, to-do lists and labels. Your printer will just love all of them and you can put the older kids to work cutting out the items.

*Tip* – Search Google or Pinterest for “Free Thanksgiving Printable” and be pleasantly surprised at all the goodies you will find!

Head over to Snark & Pepper for Kerry’s Butternut Squash, Apple and Bacon Hash. It is delicious for breakfast, dinner or dessert!

Did you miss any of our delicious posts? You can catch up here:

 

 

 

Thanksgiving Menu: A Savory Start and Sweet Finish

November 19, 2012 1 comment

**You won’t want to miss this, Snark & Pepper made a Cheesy Broccoli Quinoa Casserole that will knock your socks off. Plus, her infamous cat, Hank makes an appearance in this post.**

Most of your focus for Thanksgiving is spent on the main event, so you don’t have a lot of time to spend on appetizers and dessert. You don’t want your guests to fill up on appetizers before their marathon dinner, so appetizers should allow guests to graze, but not gorge.  The opposite can be said about dessert, after such a large dinner, you want to have light options so you can still satisfy your sweet tooth when you don’t have much room to squeeze anything else in.

For an appetizer with a huge punch of flavor, but won’t fill you up, I recommend using light ingredients with strong flavors. Roasted garlic is the perfect for Thanksgiving day, it takes little preparation or management while cooking, but packs a bold flavor. Mix in the perfect creamy and tang of goat cheese and you have a dish that will please all your guests.

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Goat Cheese with Roasted Garlic
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Serves: 6
 

Ingredients
  • 1 head of garlic
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 8 ounces goat cheese
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 3 ounces of roasted red peppers
  • A loaf of French bread

Instructions
  1. To roast a head of garlic, cut the top off the garlic so the cloves are exposed. Leave the exposed side up and drizzle with olive oil. Wrap in tin foil and place on a baking sheet in a 400 degree oven for about 40 mins.
  2. In a small baking dish, place the goat cheese in the center.
  3. Cut the butter into small cubes and place around the goat cheese.
  4. Cut the peppers into strips and place in the dish.
  5. Bake the dish at 425 for 5 minutes or until goat cheese is hot and bubbly.
  6. Once the roasted garlic has cooled, squeeze the cloves into the cheese dish.
  7. Serve with a knife and sliced French bread.

I like all the traditional Thanksgiving desserts, but I find that by the time dessert is making an appearance at the table, I am far too stuffed to even think about enjoying it. Now, I am not saying that you shouldn’t still make your favorite traditional pie, but I would like to propose a lighter option as well. Introducing Pumpkin Fluff Dip, it is the perfect combination of pumpkin pie and whipped cream, but without the weight of the traditional pumpkin pie.

Ingredients

  • 1/2 a can of pumpkin
  • 1/2 a tub of Cool Whip (I used the fat free version)
  • 1 package of vanilla pudding mix
  • 1/2 of cream cheese, softened
  • 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

1. Mix together the softened cream cheese, pudding mix, pumpkin and pumpkin pie spice.

2. Fold in Cool Whip topping.

3. Serve with gingersnaps or graham crackers.

Don’t forget, Snark & Pepper and I have done all your Thanksgiving planning for you:

Not Your Grandma’s Green Beans

November 16, 2012 Comments: 4

 

**Make sure you check out Snark & Pepper’s perfect Thanksgiving salad: Pear, Pomegranate, Walnut and Gorgonzola Salad**

Put that can of cream of mushroom soup and green beans that were picked who knows when, down and slowly walk away. They may be a tradition, but it is time to get rid of your Grandma’s green bean casserole and add a crunch back to your beans and flavor back to your creamy sauce.  I love the fresh mushrooms and peppers along side the green beans in this dish, they bring color and texture. The sauce for this dish is the perfect complement of thick and cheesy to the crisp green beans. In keeping with tradition, I topped the dish with the classic favorite, fried onions. I don’t know what it is about these nostalgic fried bits, but they are a favorite and can not be skipped.

 

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Not Your Grandma’s Green Beans
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Serves: 6-8
 

Ingredients
  • 2 pounds of fresh green beans, I used haricot verts (French green beans)
  • 3 slices of bacon, diced
  • ½ a small onion, diced
  • 2 cloves of garlic, diced
  • ½ of a red bell pepper, diced
  • 1 cup bella mushrooms, sliced
  • 4 tablespoons of butter
  • 2½ cups of whole milk
  • ¼ cup sour cream
  • ½ teaspoon dry mustard
  • ½ teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes
  • Salt/Pepper to taste
  • 8 ounces Fried Onions or Panko breadcrumbs (I used Trader Joe’s Gourmet Fried Onion Pieces)
  • 1 and ½ cups of extra sharp cheddar cheese, grated
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions
  1. Either break or cut the ends off the green beans.
  2. Bring pot of water to bowl and then cook green beans for 3-4 minutes.
  3. Once the green beans are blanched, immediately place them into a bowl of ice water.
  4. Start crisping the bacon in a pan over medium high heat.
  5. Remove bacon from the pan and drain on a paper towel.
  6. Add onion and mushrooms to bacon pan and cook in the bacon grease. If there is too much grease, you can remove some.
  7. Once the onions are translucent, add garlic and cook for 2 minutes.
  8. Remove all veggies and drain to remove any unnecessary bacon fat.
  9. In a saucepan melt butter and then whisk in flour.
  10. Allow flour to cook off and then whisk in whole milk slowly.
  11. Bring milk mixture to a slow boil and let bubble and then reduce heat.
  12. Add sour cream to mixture.
  13. Slowly incorporate grated cheese until all is melted through.
  14. Season with red pepper, dry mustard and salt/pepper.
  15. Combine bacon, mushroom mixture, green beans and cream sauce.
  16. Place in baking dish and top with your choice of fried onions or breadcrumbs.
  17. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

A reminder, here is your Thanksgiving Menu so far:

Thanksgiving Menu: Boursin Mashed Potatoes

November 15, 2012 Comments: 5

**Make sure you head over to Snark & Pepper and check out her latest recipe for your Thanksgiving Menu: Sauteed Kale with Pine Nuts and Raisins. You may not have expected kale on your Thanksgiving Menu, but you will not regret it.**

Brace yourself folks, but I am not a fan of mashed potatoes. I don’t know why but they have always been one of my least favorite Thanksgiving traditions. I always found them to be kind of bland, dry and tasteless. I think that my opinion is backed up by the fact that people tend to smooooother them in gravy to make them taste good. Well, bland no more! Boursin is to the rescue and is going to make your mashed potatoes not only easy to execute on Thanksgiving day, but one dish that your guests will rave about!

If you haven’t used Boursin before it is typically found in the fine cheese section of your grocery store and can run you about $3 at Trader Joes and $6 at higher end grocery stores. It is a soft cheese that comes in a variety of flavors, but the standard is Garlic and Fine Herbs. I can easily finish off a box in one sitting with some crackers and a bottle of wine.

Boursin was meant to be mixed in with mashed potatoes. It is like these two were made for each other. You will love how simple it is to create garlicky and creamy taters by adding the Bourisn. I recommend that you don’t give away your secret to your guests when they ask!

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Boursin Mashed Potatoes
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Serves: 6-8
 

Ingredients
  • 4-5 large Russet potatoes
  • 1 cup of whole milk
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 1 tablespoon chives
  • 2 packages (5.2 ounces) of Boursin, Garlic and Fine Herbs, cheese
  • Salt and Pepper to taste

Instructions
  1. Peel potatoes and then cut into equal size pieces.
  2. Put potatoes in a large soup pot and cover with water.
  3. Bring water to a boil and then reduce to simmer and cover.
  4. Cook the potatoes for 25-30 minutes or until the potatoes are fork tender.
  5. Drain potatoes.
  6. In a large mixing bowl mash the potatoes to your desired consistency. If you like very smooth potatoes, use an electric mixer. If you prefer more lumps, use a hand masher.
  7. Mix in whole milk and butter.
  8. Mix in Boursin cheese, chives and season with salt and pepper.

 

Here is your Thanksgiving Menu so far:

Fresh Creamed Corn with Bacon

Twice Baked Goat Cheese Sweet Potatoes

Sauteed Kale with Pine Nuts and Raisins

 

Thanksgiving Menu: Fresh Creamed Corn with Bacon

November 14, 2012 Comments: 8

**Make sure you head over to Snark & Pepper for her Thanksgiving dish, Twice Baked Goat Cheese Sweet Potatoes**

I wanted to start off this Thanksgiving series with my favorite dish: corn. I have tested several different versions of corn on my family at Thanksgiving, whether it was a casserole a la Paula Deen or cornbread with fresh kernels mixed in. While I enjoy a heavier dish from time to time, I think Thanksgiving is the appropriate time to lighten the texture of the dish and provide a fresh flavor. This Fresh Creamed Corn with Bacon is the perfect balance of fresh vegetables and indulgence. The cream and butter sauce doesn’t over power while, the corn stays fresh and light and the bacon adds the perfect guilty pleasure to round out the dish.

Ingredients

8 ears of corn, in the husk (I prefer sweet white corn)

2/3 cup of heavy cream

3 tablespoons butter

4 strips of bacon, diced

Salt and Pepper to taste (I recommend 3/4 of a teaspoon salt and 4 turns of ground pepper)

1. Remove the husk from your corn and try to remove all traces of the silk from the corn.

2. Place the corn on one end in a large bowl or on a sheet pan and run a knife down each side to remove the kernels. The bowl or sheet pan will help keep the kernels from flying all over the place. Make sure to run to the center of the cob, you want to drain out the milk inside the kernels as well.

3. Brown bacon in a pan and then drain on a paper towel once it is crispy.

4. Add heavy creamy to the bowl of corn kernels.

5. Break butter up into pieces an mix into the corn kernels. Also add salt and pepper at this time.

6. Add crumbled bacon to the mixture.

7. Place the mixture in a baking dish and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Now, head over to Snark & Pepper and check out Kerry’s take on sweet potatoes with her amazing Twice Baked Goat Cheese Sweet Potatoes.

 

Your Thanksgiving Menu Planning Solved

November 13, 2012 Comments: 2

Ahh, Thanksgiving…what a wonderful time of food, family and stress. I have the perfect solution to your Thanksgiving menu planning, instead of searching through old recipe books or hoping that recipe you found online turns out tasty, let me and my friend Kerry take care of it.

Let me introduce you to Kerry, she is my college roommate, best friend and one of the most creative food minds that I know. She writes her take on food with expert wit and sassy for her blog Snark and Pepper. She shares a love with me for all things cheese, but she also has a unique way of making gourmet flavors accessible for the every day.

Beginning tomorrow, we will each post a tried and true Thanksgiving recipe leading up to Thanksgiving day. We will tackle the tried and true of dishes that make Thanksgiving an all out eating marathon, from appetizers to sides to dessert. What we will not tackle is the turkey. You can find thousands of pages, videos and even the Butterball hotline (1-800-BUTTERBALL) dedicated to making your turkey perfect, so you don’t need us for that. We will take the guessing out of the rest of it, you can trust that we have tested and tasted each of these dishes so you can be reassured they will be a Thanksgiving day success.

Stay tuned for tomorrow’s my first post tomorrow for corn pudding and Kerry’s take on goat cheese sweet potatoes (I told you she loved cheese).

Red Wine Mushroom Chicken Over Goat Cheese Orzo

November 7, 2012 No comments

My dinner last night was awesome. As I savoring each bite after I made it, I realized what a blur the cooking process was. Have you ever arrived at home after a long drive and thought “how did I get here?” That is what cooking can be like for me. It is such a second nature to me that it is more difficult for me to sit down and explain how I did it, then to actually do it. Cooking a meal is a graceful dance. A delicate balance of each dish to ensure that the timing is just right to come together for the perfect meal. I love doing this dance, so today I thought I would try and break the steps down.

I made chicken with a red wine mushroom sauce, served it over orzo that has creamy goat cheese and fresh thyme mixed in and then paired it with asparagus that is crisp and full of garlic and Parmesan flavors. Each aspect of this meal stands on it’s own, but together they complete each other for utter satisfaction.

So, instead of the typical one dish recipe, I am going to take you from grocery store to finished plate on how to complete this meal. Let’s get started…

Shopping List

2 chicken breasts, pounded thin

1 pound asparagus

1 pound baby Bella mushrooms (you can use whatever you prefer, this is what I had on hand)

2 cups orzo

5 tablespoons butter (2 will go to the sauce and 3 for the asparagus)

1/2 cup red wine (make sure to use a wine you would drink or may already be drinking)

1/4 cup beef broth

1/4 cup cream or half and half

1/4 of a yellow onion, finely diced

4 cloves of garlic

1/8 cup Parmesan cheese

4 ounces of goat cheese, crumbled

3 sprigs of fresh thyme

Olive Oil

Salt and Pepper

Necessary Pots/Pans and Gadgets

  • Medium sauce pan – Orzo
  • Medium saute pan – Asparagus
  • Large saute pan w/ lid – Chicken and Mushroom Sauce
  • Meat mallet or your favorite way to beat meat
  • Fine hand held grater
  • Your favorite knives
  • Measuring Cups

The Plan of Attack

1. Prepare your pots and pans. (Don’t turn any of the burners on yet!)

  • Fill the sauce pan with water and place on the back of the stove.
  • Put three tablespoons of butter in the medium saute pan and place on the front of the stove.
  • Place two tablespoons of olive oil in the large saute pan and place on the front of the stove

2. Prepare your vegetables.

  • Finely dice the onion.
  • Peel the garlic cloves.
  • Trim the asparagus.
  • Lightly brush the dirt off the mushrooms and then slice.

3. Prepare the chicken.

  • Pound the chicken breasts so they are thin.
  • Season with salt and pepper on both sides.

4. Turn the heat up!

  • Turn the burner on high for the orzo sauce pan to boil the water.
  • Turn the large saute pan to medium high.

5. Chicken time.

  • The olive oil should be hot by now, add the finely diced onions to the pan.
  • Allow them to cook until fragrant and then add the chicken to pan.
  • Saute the chicken about 1-2 minutes on both sides, until it is just browned. You are not cooking it all the way through at this point.
  • Pull the chicken out and put it to the side, I recommend that you cover it with foil.

6. Let’s get saucy.

  • Add two tablespoons of butter to the pan.
  • Grate two cloves of garlic directly into the large saute pan.
  • Add the mushrooms and red wine and let it saute for 1-2 minutes.
  • Stir in broth and cream and let simmer for 2 minutes.
  • Turn the heat to low and add the chicken back in.
  • Cover with lid.

7. Your water should be boiling.

  • Salt the water and put 2 cups of orzo into the pot.

8. Take a sip of your wine.

  • The goal is for your orzo to boil for 8-9 minutes and the chicken to simmer for 10 minutes. Your asparagus only cooks for about 7 minutes, so you have a minute to take a sip of your wine.

9. Asparagus time!

  • Turn the heat on the medium saute pan to medium high. You should already have three tablespoons of butter in the pan.
  • Grate two cloves of garlic into the melted butter.
  • Add the asparagus and cook for 5-6 minutes, turning throughout.
  • Season with salt and pepper.
  • Grate Parmesan cheese while the asparagus is still in the pan and hot.

10. Let’s pull this all together.

  • Drain the orzo, drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil and then mix in goat cheese crumbles and fresh thyme.
  • Plate the orzo and then top with the chicken breast. Spoon the red wine mushroom sauce on top of the chicken breast.
  • Plate the asparagus.
  • Chow down.

If you feel intimidated or even a little clumsy, don’t worry, the beauty of cooking is how flexible it is to your mistakes. In full disclosure I must admit, I took my eye off of the garlic when I added it to my mushroom sauce pan and totally burned it. Let me know how your meal turns out. I can’t wait to hear all about it!

 

A Quarter Century Celebration

November 2, 2012 No comments

I had the pleasure of helping a sweet husband plan his wife’s 25th birthday celebration. Doughton and Mallery became fast friends of mine when we were neighbors and realized that our dogs were replicas of each other. I mean, look at these two. They couldn’t be any cuter and on top of that they are obsessed with each other. My Meyer (left) is just a smaller version of Mallery’s Chloe (right) and we love finding excuses to get these two together.

Meyer and Chloe

 

Back to the party…Mallery’s 25th birthday was fast approaching and Doughton knew he wanted to make it a special celebration. Being a classic guy, he didn’t have a ton of ideas on how to execute his grand plans, so he asked me to help him execute food and drinks for the party.  Luckily, I had a leg up in the party planning because I knew Mallery’s taste in food already. She is originally from San Diego, but is the best mix of West coast healthy eating with East coast style and class. I knew that Mallery wanted the party to be in their new backyard and she wanted to focus on fresh and light foods. A variety that would provide enough flavor and substance to leave everyone feeling full and satisfied.

After some discussion with Doughton (aka I sent him an email that he quickly glanced over), the menu was set and I was excited to prepare delicious food for a one of a kind gal. Here is what we served:

Party Menu

The Food

  • Veggie Platter Shots
  • Dill Feta Cucumber Boats
  • Chicken Salad Puffs
  • Pasta Salad Skewers
  • Sausage Dip Shooters
  • Melon Wrapped Prosciutto
  • Feta & Watermelon over Arugula w/ Balsamic Dressing
  • Goat Cheese & Pear Crostini w/ Honey Drizzle
  • Lemon Shrimp Skewers

Each dish was wonderful, here are just a few of the recipes that I used for these delicious treats.

Feta Cucumber Boats

1 Seedless Cucumber

8 ounces Feta, crumbled

2 tablespoons dill

3 tablespoons Greek Yogurt

1. Cut the cucumber in half and then use a spoon to scoop the seeds out of the middle.

2. Mix together feta, dill and Greek yogurt.

3. Spoon the feta mixture on to each side of the scooped cucumber.

4. Cut the cucumber into bite size pieces.

Pasta Salad Skewers

1 package of prepared Cheese Tortellinis

Green Bell Pepper

Cherry Tomatoes

Wooden Skewers

Mustard Dill Vinaigrette

1/4 cup white wine vinegar

3 tablespoons Ground Mustard

2 tablespoons of fresh Dill

2 cloves of Garlic, grated

2 teaspoons sugar

1 1/4 cup olive oil

Salt and Pepper

1. Whisk together the Mustard Dill Vinaigrette ingredients to create the dressing.

2. Prepare the tortellini and chop the bell peppers to bite size pieces.

3. Skewer tortellini, bell pepper and tomato and then cover with dressing.

4. Allow to marinate overnight and serve chilled.

Chicken Salad Puffs

1 package of prepared Puff Pastry Sheet, cut into 2 inch squares

1 Rotisserie Chicken, shredded

1 cup Mayonnaise

2 Celery stalks, diced

1 handful of Red Grape, halved

1/4 of an Onion, diced

1/4 cup of Sliced Almonds

1 teaspoon Cajun Seasoning

Salt and Pepper

1. Bake the puff pastry according to the package directions. Brush with melted butter and sprinkle salt on top before baking. Cut pastry in half after it has cooled.

2. Combine chicken and mayonnaise. Add celery, onion, almonds, grapes and seasoning.

3. Spoon chicken salad on to half of the puff pastry and top with other half.

Sausage Dip Shots

You can find all the details on how to make this sinful dip here: The Famous Sausage Dip

For this event, I served the dip in individual mini martini glasses, with tortilla chips. Everyone took a glass and was able to double dip to their hearts content!

Prosciutto Wrapped Melon

1 Cantaloupe

1/2 pound of sliced Prosciutto from the deli counter

1. Cut the melon into bite size pieces and wrap with prosciutto. Secure with a skewer.

Veggie Platter Shots

Seedless Cucumber

Red Bell Pepper

Celery

Carrots (it is best to use the full size carrots)

Dressing: Sour Cream and Dry Ranch Mix

Plastic Shot Cups

1. Cut a sample of each of your vegetables and test them in your cup to make sure it is the appropriate length. Then use this as a guide in cutting the rest of your vegetables.

2. Place a tablespoon of dressing in the bottom of the cup and then fill with each of the vegetables.

Refreshments Bar

The refreshments bar is the first stop for guests, get a drink in their hand and they instantly feel at ease at your party. We decided to feature sangria (the birthday girl’s favorite), a variety of beer and wine and a signature drink, The Quarter Life Crisis.

 

The Quarter Life Crisis: This refreshing cocktail was simple to make and the perfect compliment to the fresh menu we created. I pureed one watermelon and then strained it to remove any seeds or pulp, then mixed with tequila and simple syrup and garnished with lime slices. You could also accent this with jalapeno or mint flavors in the simple syrup.

Decor Details

The backyard was the real scene stealer for this event, so I added just a few details to make it feel festive. I used my favorite Martha Stewart printables to create a custom birthday sign in fun ombre colors. I then used tissue poofs to decorate the arbor over the patio and Doughton added old school light bulbs to light the space. Just these simple pops of color made the event festive and personalized.

I had a wonderful time creating this event for Doughton and Mallery and hope that her 25th birthday is remembered as a special one.

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