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!
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 Partiesand 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.
Things have been hopping around here, so I thought I would post a few photos and give you an update.
Candy Experiment
Eric and I went to see Nathaniel Hawthorne and the Night Sweats on Halloween night, so we weren’t here for most of the candy-handing-out. I put a sign on our candy bowl and set it out. It worked pretty well. No one took the bowl!
Larry. Oh, Larry.
This is crazy Larry. No, he won’t make you a great deal on a new car, but he lives with us now. Larry loves long walks, chasing balls, driving Karen insane and sleeping on the bed. Get off the bed, Larry. We are learning to love Larry.
These ladies are electric!
This was a group of ladies I brought together that pretty much run this town. From the Arthur M. Blank Foundation to the Georgia Chamber of Commerce and beyond, these ladies taught me so much in one evening. Looking forward to plenty more dinners with women of substance like these five.
Cream Puffs!
Did you know that cream puffs are insanely easy to make? You can make tons in an afternoon and watch your friends gobble them all up. This is a before picture, but they turned out great. I topped them with chocolate ganache and filled them with…GASP…vanilla Jello pudding (I dumped all the jello into a piping bag and hid the evidence). Don’t judge. They were delicious. Here’s a recipe. Go make them right now.
I love my friends.
After I made the cream puffs, we had a lovely dinner party for 6 friends. I made a beef bourguinon and served it over Israeli cous cous with a crisp green salad and yeast rolls.
The photo above is my kitchen after the dinner party. Our wonderful friend Teague rolled up his sleeves and washed all the dishes. Our dishwasher is on the fritz. I could tell you why, but the story is too gruesome. If you live in a 100+ year old house, you can imagine.
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.
My friend Sherry shared this on Facebook and not only are they fabulous for Halloween, they look easy to make and tasty too (if you can get past the creepiness – is that a word?)
Anyhoo, get the deets here at Genius Kitchen and amaze your friends. These are awesome.
Here in Atlanta, it’s getting a bit cool. My thoughts turn to fried chicken and chili – college football and autumnal get togethers.
That also means my cast iron is fixin’ to get a work out. How do you keep your cast iron like new, only better? My good buddy, Chef Jeffrey tells you right here.
Ever wonder how chefs get the food out of the kitchen to your table so quickly and deliciously? Is deliciously even a word? Whatevs.
Check out this article that will make your home cooking so much easier. Of course some of the tips are obvious- get a sharp knife…really? But some tips you might not know that could help you out.
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.
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).
