mastering the cocktail party...

or at least the cocktail portion of the party. Here are recipes for some seasonal libations that will get your guests talking (well, that may be partly due to the liquor)

Christmas Snow

1 oz. light Puerto Rican rum
1/2 oz. Galliano
1/4 oz. Rose’s unsweetened lime juice
1 oz. heavy cream

Shake well with ice cubes. Serve in claret or large cocktail glass. Sprinkle chopped pistachio nuts on top.

Irish Cheer

2 oz. Irish Whiskey
1/2 oz. sweet vermouth

Stir well with ice and serve in a cocktail glass. Garnish with lightly cooked cranberries.

Red Velvet

3/4 oz. crème de noyaux or crème de cassis
Iced Champagne

Pour the crème de noyaux into a tulip champagne glass and top with iced champagne. No garniture.

Wassail Bowl

Serves 12

1/2 pound sugar
1 teaspoon nutmeg or 1 whole nutmeg, grated
7 12-oz. bottles light beer
1/2 pint sherry

Heat one bottle of beer and sherry and pour over sugar and nutmeg, stirring until dissolved. Add remaining six bottles or beer and let stand covered for three hours at room temperature. Garnish with apples roasted with sugar and spices (no butter), and lemon slices or apple wedges dipped in red cinnamon. Serve in silver punch cups.

Christmas Rose

1 1/2 oz. applejack or bourbon
1/2 oz. cassis
1/2 oz. grenadine
1/2 oz. sweet vermouth

Shake well in cocktail shaker and serve on the rocks in an old fashioned glass. Garnish with a slice of lime.

These drink recipes were written by Allan Lewis and originally appeared in the December 1960 issue of House Beautiful.

for more holiday bar ideas check out drinkoftheweek.com

in the library 11.23.09

Still gearing up for Thanksgiving, but now I'm on to planning the table. This week's book pick is all about that, with some beautiful inspiration and helpful tips on place settings and centerpieces.

You can find this book at Amazon, or your favorite local retailer

The Menu

This week I've been menu planning for our Thanksgiving feast. We will be serving turkey, but we mostly stick to vegetarian fare in our home so I'm on the lookout for interesting twists on traditional veggie dishes, and I've come across some awesome recipes that I just had to share.

For Starters
This sounds delicious, simple and it's pretty cute (the perfect combo). Recipe is from the October issue of Southern Living.

A new spin on the classics:
Carrot Soufle

recipe from House Beautiful

Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Mushrooms & Spinach

from Sunset Magazine. Click here for the recipe

Browned Butter and Hazelnut Mashed Potatoes, also from Sunset mag

And for the morning after...

French Toast Bread Pudding! This is a Barefoot Contessa recipe from a recent issue of House Beautiful. I'll be serving this with fresh squeezed orange juice mimosas. Yum.

If you want a recipe for anything that wasn't included or linked let me know and I'll send it to you. Happy cooking!

in the library 11.16.09

I'm still a-buzz with excitement over hosting Thanksgiving this year! This week I will be working on planning my menu, so The New Thanksgiving Table is a perfect book to add to the library. It has some beautiful food images, but the bread and butter (pardon the pun) are the amazing recipes inside.

Check it out.

Find it at Amazon, along with these other holiday books:

Thanksgiving 101: Celebrate America's Favorite Holiday with America's Thanksgiving Expert

Williams-Sonoma Entertaining: Thanksgiving Entertaining

Betty Crocker Complete Thanksgiving Cookbook

in the library 11.09.09

The countdown to Thanksgiving is on and I'm excited about this holiday particularly because we will be hosting it. I love being a host and since we just moved I can't wait to show off our new place. So the book I'm into this week is all about being a great host.

A Warm Welcome: How to Be a Gracious Host to Friends and Family promises some inspiring tips for impressing guests and enjoying it too. I ordered my copy from Amazon but since I haven't received it yet I thought you might enjoy this post from the Real Simple blog, written by Holly Becker of Decor8.

Happy Reading!

get your weekend started early

This is a great article posted today on the Daily Green, with recipes and ideas on cocktails you can literally whip up from your backyard.

Organic Cocktails: I Grew It in the Garden, Then Drank It with Booze

End of Summer Party

Labor Day usually signals the end of summer (and the use of white pants and shoes) but it doesn't mean that you have to give up that laid back summer attitude. Give your grill and patio furniture one last go-round before the weather starts to turn with an end of summer party.

fretwork glass and wood tray, Dransfield & Ross
ceramic take-out dishes, Lorena Barrezueta
black and white table runner, plum party
natural oval baskets, plum party
tree towels, Branch Handmade
strawberry angel food trifle, epicurious - recipe
frosted glasses, vivaterra
parmesan roasted butternut squash, epicurious - recipe

summer sundae party

I was wandering around Martha Stewart.com and came across this fun image for a sundae party, which inspired me to plan a little virtual party of my own.


for directions on how to make these cool containers click here

You're Invited

Sol mini-bowls and saucers, Vivaterra

Bamboo charger, Crate & Barrel
Riviera serving platter, Target
Ice Cream Scoop, Crate & Barrel
Organic cotton napkins, Grasshopper 510
Bamboo cutlery tray, Crate & Barrel
Piper candle holders, Crate & Barrel
Ice cream maker, Cusinart

inspired to entertain

Lately I have been seriously jonesing to entertain, so in my constant quest for ideas on recipes, decor and fancy little details, I have stumpled upon an awesome blog called eatmakeread. This blog has some serious food porn (pardon the term - amazing images of food that make you, um, hungry). Check it out.

garden party

Spring always puts me in the mood for entertaining. I love the idea of simple, impromptu parties in the backyard; the kind where people shuffle in with their sandy flip-flops (from spending the day at the beach) or tennis shoes (from a full day of shopping) and swap stories over a margarita and some great food.

I love being a host almost as much as I love preparing for the party - planning meals and coordinating drinks, creating the right atmosphere and choosing the perfect little details to make my guests feel important. Did I say simple??? Well, it does take a little work...but it's fun work...and fun work is twice as rewarding.

Here's what I imagine my little garden soiree to be like.










all images courtesy of Martha Stewart