Anatomy of a Dinner Party: a day in the life of a hospitalityaholic
 

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Brunch Boards!

Monday, December 4th, 2017

Good Morning Darlings!

Happy Monday – the first Monday of December. Which means lots of celebrating is around the bend.

If you’ve been with me a while, you know brunch is one of my favorite ways to entertain. Whether in the morning or the wee hours after a black tie gala, bacon, eggs and brunchy foods make everyone happy.

I love this new article by Kate Williams at Southern Kitchen telling you how to put it all together. Visit her here to learn how you can do the same!

Brunch works anytime of the day!

Now get to brunching, my loves!

xoxo, Patti

InStyle Parties

Thursday, November 16th, 2017

Good Morning Darlings!

It’s no secret that I love a party. I love them so much! The lists, the menus, the guest list, the beverages, the decor. Between you and me, I almost love the planning as much as the actual party.

We are heading into the busiest party season of the year. The lovely people at InStyle Magazine sent me a copy of their newest book, InStyle Parties  and it’s a stunner. Packed full of great tips and ways to make your life easier when throwing your soiree. They even have a recipe for Black & White Cookies – my favorite of all the cookies.

I love all the ways this book helps you plan. Each party helps you plan with a Countdown so you won’t feel rushed on party day, Shortcuts so you don’t have to create every detail, The Pour with terrific cocktails and of course, wonderful menus with recipes and the most gorgeous and swoon worthy photographs.

InStyle Parties would make a perfect gift for a friend, or a treat just for you (you deserve it!). This tome is going on my coffee table so I can refer to it frequently as I plan my next get together.

In stores now!

xoxo, Patti

Pineapple O’Lanterns!

Thursday, October 26th, 2017

Good Morning Darlings!

Argh – I feel like I’ve neglected you this Halloween season. And you know I adore you.

How about this? Pumpkins are soo….well, they’re still cool, but I really love pineapples. And my friends at Southern Kitchen are using them to make jack o’lanterns. How fun is that?

Happy Pina Colada!

You can read the how to here. And browse the site. My good friend, Chef Jeffrey is the star of their fab cooking videos.

Off to buy a pineapple!

xoxo, Patti 

Strike a Pose – Vogue (TableVogue)

Tuesday, July 11th, 2017

Good Morning Darlings,

With all the summer parties still to come, you’ll want your tables to look festive.

I love a pretty tablecloth but want it to look perfect without ironing. You, too?

Enter, TableVogue. I swear by these. Truly. Open up your six foot folding table and throw it on. Voila! You look like the perfect hostess. Saving you more time to pick out the perfect party dress. Or have that cocktail before the crowds descend. I don’t judge.

How perfectly pretty is this?

Buy these stunners here. And they didn’t even pay me to tell you about them. I love them that much.

xoxo, Patti

More Lemony Goodness

Thursday, July 6th, 2017

Good Morning Darlings,

I can’t get enough of anything lemon this summer. I leave you with this today. Go, make it. Treat yourself and all your loved ones.

You need this tart. I need this tart.

Find the recipe here. 

xoxo, Patti

Feeling Golden

Tuesday, June 27th, 2017

Good Morning Darlings!

The sun is finally shining in Atlanta.

Madea and me are loving this weather.

In honor of the sun shining, I am posting gold things today.

I bought these gold beauties on a recent shopping trip in Tampa with bestie Holly (we saw U2, too, but that’s another story).

There’s no place like gold…

And Eric and I finally got around to bottling up the limoncello that has been brewing for months in the pantry (note to self: don’t let it sit so long next time).

The homemade stuff is on the left.

 

Here’s a fun recipe for a yummy cocktail to make with your limoncello. Limoncello Gin Cocktail with Grilled Thyme.

What’s making you feel golden this summer?

xoxo, Patti

 

Tiki Drinks

Wednesday, June 21st, 2017

Good Morning Darlings,

This coming weekend we will gather to celebrate our dear Valerie’s birthday with a tiki bash.

I think this is the perfect drink, shared by my friends at everyone’s party invitation go-to, Evite.

Doing the Pink Flamingo!

You’ll need these for your drinks

 

I would add more rum than this calls for, but that might just be me. In fact, I would use coconut rum because that’s how I roll.

What are you drinking this summer?

xoxo, Patti

 

 

 

Stubb Your Ribs + A Giveaway!!

Thursday, May 25th, 2017

Good Morning Darlings!

Summer is here (To me, at least. Memorial Day = Start of Summer).

Are you grilling out this weekend? Need some ideas? I’m here to help!

My friends at Stubb’s Legendary BBQ are hooking us up with awesome tips (clean your grill with an onion?! check it out below) and a couple of coupons for $5.00 off any of their fabulous products. That’ll take care of your rub and sauce needs. Wait, that sounded bad..you know what I mean.

DIY sauce recipes: Kick the ketchup habit with some fun, easy and tasty DIY burger sauces that you can make with some items you might already have on hand.

  • Mustard + Original BBQ Sauce: ¼ cup mustard to every 1 cup of BBQ
  • Bang Bang Sauce: Mix together 1/2 cup of mayonnaise, 3/4 cup Stubb’s Original BBQ sauce, 1 heaping tablespoon of hot sauce and either a tablespoon of honey or some brown sugar depending on what I am cooking.
  • Spicy Mayo: ½ cup of mayonnaise and 3 tablespoons of Stubb’s Spicy BBQ sauce
  • Not Just Basic BBQ:

o    For a sweeter BBQ sauce – add 2 tablespoons brown sugar and 2 tablespoon honey to 1 cup of Original BBQ

o    To give your BBQ sauce a spicy kick – add habanero peppers to 1 cup of Original BBQ (add as many as you like depending on your level of spice)

Tips for Grilling your Meat:

  • Start with a clean grill so your burgers don’t stick and fall apart. My tip is to use an onion to clean your grill. Cut the onion in half, and while the grill is heating up, rub the onion across it. The juices from the onion clean the grill and get it ready for use. Note: I DIE! How cool is this, y’all?
  • Make a thumbprint in the middle of the patty before putting it on the grill. This will help the patty come our nice and flat (not puffy in the middle) and the meat will be cooked evenly throughout.
  • Avoid burning or charring your meat by flipping it every couple of minutes. It’s a myth that you shouldn’t flip your meat! The hotter the grill, the more often you should turn it.

And some recipes to help you win that burger cook off. You go, girl!

Full Recipes:

  1. Toasted Pecan Burger:
  • Ingredients

–       1 pound ground chuck

–       ¼ cup chopped red onion

–       ¼ cup chopped pecans, toasted

–       1 tablespoon finely chopped green bell pepper

–       3 tablespoons Stubb’s Original BBQ Sauce

–       2 tablespoons Stubb’s BBQ Spice Rub

–       Lettuce, mayonnaise, and toasted buns, for serving

  • Instructions:

–       Mix together the chuck, onion, pecans, bell pepper, Stubb’s Original Bar-B-Q Sauce, and Stubb’s Bar-B-Q Spice Rub. Shape into 3 large or 4 average-size patties. (The burgers may be mixed and shaped earlier in the day; refrigerate until ready to use.)

–       Prepare a grill for direct cooking. For a charcoal grill, when the coals are ashed over, rake or spread them out in the bottom of the grill so the food can cook directly over the coals. (For a gas grill, fire up the burners so the food can cook directly over the heat.)

–       Grill the burgers over direct medium heat, first on one side then on the other, 7 to 10 minutes, until they reach your desired degree of doneness. (Medium burgers register an internal temperature of 160°F.) Serve with lettuce, mayonnaise and toasted buns.

  1. Stubb’s Fried Egg Burger with Spicy Mayo:
  • Ingredients

–       ½ cup mayonnaise

–       3 tablespoons Stubb’s Spicy BBQ Sauce

–       2 lbs. lean ground beef

–       1/3 cup Stubb’s Texas Steakhouse Marinade

–       2 tablespoons vegetable oil

–       6 eggs

–       6 hamburger buns

–       Tomato

–       Lettuce

–       Blue Cheese (optional)

 

  • Instructions:

–       In a small bowl, mix the mayonnaise and Stubb’s Spicy BBQ sauce. Set aside.

Using your hands, mix the ground beef and marinade. Divide meat into six patties.

–       Prepare the grill for direct cooking. Cook the burgers for 6-7 minutes on each side for medium doneness.

–       Heat a large non-stick skillet on medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil. Crack eggs into skillet and cook until the whites are set but the yolk is still runny, approximately 3 minutes. If you prefer your eggs over easy, flip and cook for an additional 15-20 seconds.

–       Assemble the burger in the following order: bottom bun, lettuce, tomato, cooked burger, blue cheese (optional), then egg. Spread the spicy mayonnaise on the top bun and place on top of the egg.

  1. Stubb’s Stuffed Burger: 
  • Ingredients

–       2 lbs. ground beef

–       3/4 cup Stubb’s Original BBQ Sauce

–       2 tablespoons Stubb’s Beef Marinade

–       2 tablespoons Stubb’s BBQ Spice Rub

–       7 oz. can of nacho sliced jalapenos

–       3/4 cup shredded cheese

  • Instructions

–       In a large bowl, mix the ground beef, Beef Marinade, and Bar-B-Q Spice Rub together with your hands.

–       Use about 1/3 cup of meat and press it into a thin patty with your hands. Top the patty with one tablespoon sliced jalapenos and two tablespoons shredded cheese, leaving at least a ¼” rim around the edge. You can adjust toppings per your taste.

–       Press out another thin patty. Place the second patty on top of the first patty and use your fingers to seal the two patties together well. Repeat another five times to make a total of six burgers.

–       Grill burgers over medium-high heat for 4-5 minutes per side, flipping once during cooking. Baste with Stubb’s Original Bar-B-Q sauce during last 3 minutes of cooking.

–       Serve on a bun with your favorite toppings.

Okay – leave a comment and you might be one of the winners of those $5 Stubb’s Certificates. If you do not comment, I will use them all myself, make all of these burgers at my house and not invite you. And nobody wants that.

xoxo, Patti

 

Oh Happy Party Day!

Wednesday, May 24th, 2017

Good Morning Darlings!

I get so many emails everyday touting everything from vacation spots to dog collars. It could make a girl’s head spin.

Once in a while, something comes across my desk that makes my head spin in a good way. Today that something is Oh Happy Day – a website packed to the brim with everything I love and makes me scream “TAKE MY MONEY!”

With Memorial Day almost here – can you believe it? Some friends actually had to remind me that it was THIS WEEKEND. Gah. I am so not ready. But I might be if I can get speedy shipping from my friends at Oh Happy Day. Take a look a some of their adorable offerings. And, no, they didn’t send me any product, I’m just in love.

Peacock Balloons! Oh my word.

Beach ball napkins!  I need a beach house, y’all!

Step aside, Imma need this to serve lemon layer cake on.

I’ll take the ‘Cheers’ cocktail stirrers, please.

 

You get the idea. If you need me, I’ll be shopping!! Tomorrow, we’ll talk about grilling out.

xoxo, Patti

Let’s Get Cheesy

Thursday, March 16th, 2017

Good Morning Darlings!

I’m always on the search for the perfect cheese and charcuterie board. How about you? The same old thing gets boring.

My friends over at The Gander NYC shared their ideas with me, and now I’m sharing with you. Take a well, Gander…

What’s on your cheese board?

xoxo, Patti