Wild about Wine Party

To cap off the end of my/our summer, the monthly dinner girls and I decided to put together a trip to the Temecula wineries.  In anticipation of this fun trip, our August monthly dinner carried this theme as well...A Wild about Wine Party!

Invite: I received a thank you card years ago with wine corks cut and placed in the shape of a bunch of grapes.  This idea was so cute that I stole the idea.  It made a perfect invitation for a wine tasting party.  Simply cut a wine cork in small circles and glue in the shape of a grape vine.  Then add embellishments.

Decor: I set the table with a cream tablecloth and a burgundy table runner that I already owned. I used a large sconce in the center with a smaller vase inside ($1 at the Dollar Tree) and filled it with wine corks as part of the centerpiece.  I filled the inside vase half full with rocks and placed a tea light candle on top. I used wicker place mats (Crate and Barrel) under each plate.

To add more candlelight and tie in the wine theme, I cut wine bottles to cover the remainder of the table center and placed tea lights beneath them. I read several tutorials on this, and decided to try the easiest/cheapest version...it worked! I bought a glass cutter from Home Depot ($8) and got busy.  Special thanks to The Twisted Vine in Fullerton who donated a case of empty bottles for me to use!  If you haven't been to their wine bar...it is a must...love it! Note: No matter how accurately you score the bottle, the glass may split imperfectly.  Make sure you have plenty of bottles to try. Also, some imperfections actually help the candle to stay lit because it allows air to enter.  If your candles do not stay lit, place a toothpick under the bottom to raise it a little.  I had to do this on some of mine.

As a place card, I made cork napkin holders with the guest's initial on them.  These were super easy.  I simply drilled a hole through the cork with an electric drill, fed a ribbon through the hole, and tied the ribbon around the napkin. I bought a set of alphabet stamps at Michaels on sale for less than $10 that I used to stamp the guest's initial on the cork.

In addition to this place card, I also made cork wine charms with the same alphabet stamps.  I sliced corks in quarter inch slices using a sharp knife on a cutting board.  Then I hand-screwed small eye screws I purchased at Home Depot into the edge of the cork.  A little ribbon gave it color and tied it to the glass.

On the wine tasting table, I made a cork board as decor.  I bought a 10x10 frame at Michaels because this is the size I was planning to make for my kitchen anyway.  I wanted all the corks horizontal because I liked this look.  I had a little less than 1/2 inch on each row left which is not enough room for a 6th cork, so I cut a cork using the same knife I used for the wine charms.  Because I had to include this small piece of cork in each row, I alternated rows so that the small piece was on the right in one row and the left in the next, etc.  I actually like how the corks are staggered because of this. I used hot glue to adhere them one at a time to the frame back and to each other.

I created covers for each of the 7 tasting wines on Microsoft Word and placed them on top of coasters I bought in the dollar bin at Target.  I also cut circles out of felt and placed them on the table to look like a bunch of grapes for added decor.  Make sure you include a carafe for guests to discard any wine they do not like, a bit of bread, as well as a pitcher of water for in between taste tests.

Each guest received a rating/note sheet packet with a page for each of the 7 wines.  At the end of the evening, we revealed the name and vintage of each bottle including the cost.  For a pencil holder at this table, I lined the inside of a small vase with corks (not glued or anything), and put the pencils in the middle.

Menu:  On each plate, I typed up the evening's menu. I made stands out of corks.  Again, this is easy.  Slice off the bottom side of the cork so that it sits flat on a surface.  Then use the knife to cut a slit half-way down the cork.  My slit had to be a little thick because I backed my menu in card stock.

The meal was very tasty and was definitely something I would make again.  The Risotto was a huge hit as well as the mushroom sauce on the chicken. 

Mushroom Sauce

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 (8-ounce) package sliced mushrooms

1 teaspoon chopped garlic

1 cup chicken broth

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1/3 cup sour cream

In a skillet over medium heat, melt the butter. When it is melted, add mushrooms and season them with salt and pepper. Cook until they are browned, about 6 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds then add the stock and simmer for 4 minutes and reduce by one third. Add the Worcestershire sauce. turn the heat off, and let cool for a minute before stirring in the sour cream. Serves 4.  Note: I added a couple teaspoons of corn starch to thicken up this recipe.

Red Wine Risotto

3 1/2 cups canned low-salt chicken broth

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 cup finely chopped onion

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 cup arborio rice, or medium-grain white rice

1/2 cup dry red wine

1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves

1/2 cup grated Parmesan, plus additional for garnish

Bring the broth to a simmer over medium-high heat. Cover the broth and keep it warm over very low heat.

Melt the butter in a heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and saute until translucent, about 8 minutes. Stir in the garlic and saute for 30 seconds. Stir in the rice and cook for about 2 minutes until the rice is toasted. Add the wine and stir until it is absorbed, about 1 minute. Add 3/4 cup of hot broth; simmer over medium-low heat until the liquid is absorbed, stirring often, about 6 minutes. Repeat, adding 3/4 cup of hot broth 2 more times, stirring often, about 12 minutes longer. At this point, the risotto can be made 4 hours ahead. Refrigerate the risotto (the rice will still be firm) and remaining broth, uncovered, until cool, then cover and keep them refrigerated until ready to proceed.

Bring the remaining broth to a simmer, then cover and keep it warm over very low heat. Stir 3/4 cup of hot broth into the partially cooked risotto over medium heat until the broth is absorbed and the risotto is hot, about 3 minutes. Add the remaining broth and simmer until the rice is just tender and the mixture is creamy, about 5 minutes longer. Stir in the peas and parsley. Add the 1/2 cup of Parmesan. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Spoon the risotto on plate. Sprinkle additional cheese over and serve.

Angel Food Cake with Wine-Glazed Strawberries

Angel Food Cake Mix

Strawberries

Sugar

White Wine or Sparkling Wine

Bake cake as described on the box.  For the glaze, slice strawberries into the size you desire.  Place in a bowl and sprinkle with sugar.  Then pour white wine over the mixture.  Mix with a spoon.  Stir the mixture every 15 minutes or so before serving to make sure glaze covers all strawberries.  Serve with whipped cream.

Favor:  Remember the wine bottles I cut for the centerpiece?  Well, the bottoms did not go to waste.  I cut each bottle just above the label, placed a candle inside, and this was my favor. I had originally intended to make candle wax and poor it inside to fill the entire wine bottle, but ran out of time for this.  Ended up just buying candles. Note:  Many wine bottles are not flat on the bottom, so my candles did not sit flat unfortunately.  If I were to do this again, I would make my own candle to avoid this.  This is a great way to save that champagne bottle from your wedding or wine bottle from a special event.  It makes a great keepsake!

This was another fun and inexpensive party to throw (minus the wine of course, but you could always ask each guest to bring a bottle). I basically used supplies I had at home and finally used all the corks I had been saving from years of monthly dinners!!  Makes my husband happy to not have them in the kitchen anymore!!

Hope you enjoy this post!

ABC Personalized Baby Gift

Here's another adaptation I made on a baby shower gift idea I found on THIS link for Etsy.  The print is $15 on their site, but I chose to make mine a little different to make it three dimensional.

The supplies you will need are an 8.5x11 frame ($6 at Michaels), card stock or paper to print it on, wood letters (I bought mine at Michaels for .99 a pack), glue, and paint in whatever color(s) you desire. 

First, I painted a cheap wooden frame to add color.  This is obviously not required, but I wanted to do it with my son's frame.

I designed the layout on Microsoft Word. I played around with font and size, and decided I liked Century Gothic in size 105 for the alphabet and Lucida Handwriting size 50 for the "is for".  It took me a while to figure out the spacing, but this is what worked for me.  If you would like the Microsoft Word file of this, just comment below or email me.  Then, it is an easy editing job for you!!  Remember, I am using an 8.5x11 document frame.  If you are using an 8x10, you will need to re-size the document.

Next, I painted the wooden letters of my son's name to match the initial in the document. You can use spray paint or any kind of paint. I bought the .39 cent bottle of craft paint from Michaels since I was using so little.  You don't need to paint the back of them since they will not be seen.  If you are giving a baby shower gift and don't know the baby's name yet, you can just use "Baby" which is still really cute.

Lastly, insert the document into the frame.  Then glue the painted wooden letters to the glass.  I placed my letters so they were sitting on the bottom frame so I could make sure they were level.  I adhered them with a little (not a lot because you don't want it to spill over and be seen) Mod Podge.  That's it!  A cute little addition to my son's bedroom and an easy, cute, inexpensive shower gift for friends!

Nighttime Fun with Daytime Soaps!

Now that it is summer for many of us, that means the occasional lapse into daytime television.  We all love to avoid drama in our own lives, but so many women love to obsess over the drama of soap operas! This is why I decided, in July of 2009, to have a little fun with this idea.  My monthly dinner theme became: Nighttime Fun with Daytime Soaps!

Invite:  I created a simple postcard-shaped invite with the party details using the Days of our Lives logo.  I used a little television lingo to fit with the theme in my wording.  As a fun addition, I asked guests to come prepared to divulge a dramatic moment from their own lives that the writer's of daytime soap operas could use for their next script.  It was fun to hear everyone's stories, and since we are all close friends after years of these dinners, no one minded sharing!

Decor:  I set the table with a black tablecloth, and incorporated as many daytime soap operas as possible into my centerpiece...

• Camping Lantern for Guiding Light
• Hourglass for Days of Our Lives
• Vase with Photos of my guest's children attached to sticks for All My Children
• Globe for As the World Turns
• Stethoscope for General Hospital

I also included a Soap Opera Digest magazine as part of this centerpiece.

The funniest decor aspect was these place cards I made for each guest.  I found photos on Google images of soap opera couples.  Then replaced the female stars face (not hair, etc). with my guest's face.  These were hilarious!! *Note: these are scanned, so the picture is not very clear...sorry!

Menu:  Wanting to stick with the theme as usual, I made a menu card to list all the entrees as well as let guests see how I altered the names to fit with soap operas.  Our menu was:

The "Bowled" and the Beautiful Spinach Dip

(served in a bread bowl)

All My Chicken

(aka my recipe for Gourmet Chicken)

Young and the Restless Baby Vegetables

(baby carrots and baby peas)

As the "Salad" Turns with Guiding "Lite" Ranch

General Hospital Dessert

As you can see the dessert was Cheesecake bars that I cut and shaped to look like band-aids.  The red "blood" is a bit of cherry pie filling. 

Favor:  As a parting gift, I made Soap Opera Soap for each guest.  All you need for this is a bar of soap, the photo you wish to use, glue, and paraffin.  Cut out the photo (mine is the image of a cover of a Soap Opera Digest) and glue it to the front of the soap so it covers the brand name.  Then melt the paraffin and dip the soap in it to create a glossy cover and permanently adhere the paper to the soap.  I dropped these in a clear candy bag tied with a ribbon and attached a tag that read "We shared our Soap Opera Drama; Now Cleanse Your Mind of the Filth!"

Thank You Card:  At the party, one thing I did was take a photo of each guest acting out a dramatic face.  I made a collage of all of our faces and crafted a magazine cover to represent our evening in a funny way.  This can serve as the front of your thank you cards for an added laugh!

Overall, this is a pretty silly theme, but great for a girl's night party.  It definitely brought out some laughs with the place cards, the poses, and the drama stories that were shared!!

Fun at the Fair

Summertime means a trip to the Orange County Fair (where my husband and I had our first date!).  In August of 2010, I themed my monthly dinner after this summertime activity with some Fun at the Fair!  This is an easy theme because there is so much yummy (and strange) food at the fair as well as lots of great activities, animals, exhibits, etc.

Invite:  Make your invitation a fair ticket with the details of your event. This is a very simple one using a Circus font.  Mail it.  Or if your guests are local, place a pail of popcorn ($1 at Target for the pail) on their front porch with this ticket attached.

To pull in the "exhibit" part of the fair, I asked each guest to email me a photo or two to be entered into a "Photography Exhibit".  I backed the photos in black cardstock and placed them on the walls as decor.  I made paper ribbons for the winners.  The ribbons were displayed next to the photos on the wall then awarded to the guests after dessert.

Decor:  Use bright colors.  I set the table with a royal blue tablecloth and used bright green and yellow napkins.  As a centerpiece, I made this super cute Ferris wheel.  It took me a LONG time to put together as was not as easy as the directions say, but it ended up being cute and a yummy treat for guests to nibble on at the party. I also added popcorn buckets filled with popcorn and red tickets to the table.  As a place card, I made mini cotton candy cones.  I used polka dot scrapbook paper to make the cone, cut out a white square in which the guest's name was typed to glue to the front. I placed real cotton candy inside.  However...if I were to do this again, I would use pink cotton balls.  The August heat melted the cotton candy rather quickly.

Menu: I wanted to serve fair food, but since some of my guests are somewhat picky eaters, I tried to stay with general rather than the completely fried/crazy foods.  Here is what I decided...

Giant Turkey Legs

9 giant turkey legs (one per person)

BBQ Sauce

In a large pot, place all turkey legs and cover with water.  Boil turkey legs until they are cooked and tender (approx. 45 minutes).  Remove legs from pot and place on the grill for approximately 10 minutes.  Baste with bbq sauce.

Corn on the Cob

Season corn with butter, salt, and pepper and wrap in tin foil.  Grill until done.

Crispy Seasoned French Fries

2½ pounds russet potatoes, peeled

1 cup flour

1 teaspoon garlic salt

1 teaspoon onion salt

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon paprika

½ cup water, or as needed

1 cup vegetable oil for frying

Slice potatoes into French fries and place into cold water so they won’t brown while you prepare the oil. Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat.  While the oil is heating, sift the flour, garlic salt, onion salt, (regular) salt, and paprika into a large bowl.  Gradually stir in enough water so that the mixture can be drizzled from a spoon.  Dip potato slices into the batter one at a time, and place in hot oil so they are not touching at first.  The fries must be placed into the skillet one at a time, or they will clump together.   Fry until golden brown and crispy.  Remove and drain on paper towels.

Funnel Cake

1 egg

2/3 cup milk

2 tablespoons sugar

1 ¼ cup flour

¼ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

In a deep skillet, heat about 2 cups of oil over medium-high heat until hot.  Test the temperature by dropping a pinch of flour into the oil.  If it sizzles right away without smoking, it’s perfect.  Beat eggs and milk.  Mix all other ingredients in a separate bowl and slowly add the egg mixture, beating until smooth.  Using a funnel, drop into hot oil working from center outwards in a web pattern. (You may use a gallon size freezer bag instead of a funnel.)  Cook for about 2-3 minutes, remove from oil when golden brown and crispy. Sprinkle with powdered sugar right away and serve.

I never miss funnel cake when I go to the fair, and these were very easy to make.  Of course, you could just have guests eat the Ferris wheel centerpiece as your dessert.  Either way, this is a simple party and was a lot of fun.  Add some fair games if you want as well!

Swim Teacher Thank You Gift

 Today was the last day of swim lessons for my two little ones.  I wanted to give a small thank you to their teachers, but I wanted to stay away from goldfish crackers or Swedish fish gummies.  This is what I came up with...

I crafted the card on Microsoft Word, and the saying was just something I came up with as I was toying with random swim-related terms. I oFISHally like it!

You only need a few supplies for this one:

1.  Candy melts (the more colors you incorporate the better,

but I didn't want to buy white and black just for eyeballs)

2. Wiltons Sea Animals candy mold - bought at Michaels for $1.99

3.  Lollipop Sticks

4.  Clear bags

5.  Ribbon

6. Tag

If your kids are taking swim lesson this year and you want to say thank you....here's one idea!

Simple Anniversary Gift

I like to give my husband gifts that match the traditional or modern anniversary gift categories each year.  This year, we are celebrating our 5th anniversary and the traditional gift is wood.  I didn't have much time and didn't want to spend too much money, so this is what I came up with...

I "borrowed" this idea from a Pinterest photo I saw.  You can order it on Etsy, but I wanted to customize the colors to match our bedroom, spend less money, and get it quickly, so I decided to make it myself.  It's more special that way anyway, right?

I wanted similar fonts, so I browsed the internet to find a free font that I liked.  I used Serial Publication font.  This font does not include periods though, so I just found a different font I already had for the periods (Tempus Sans). The script font is also one I already had, Edwardian Script. I wish I was a stud at Photoshop, but I am not, so I settled with making it in Microsoft Word.  This design is so simple, it worked. I was putting the final print in an 8x10 frame, so I scaled the document it fit with that.  If you would like this template, comment below and I will email it to you to save you the time in creating it yourself!! All you would need to do is download Serial Publication (it's free) and edit the dates/events.

After presenting this to my husband in a wood frame to represent our 5th anniversary, I hung it on the wall of our bedroom and surrounded it with a framed photo from each of the 5 dates represented on the gift.  Wasn't planning to do this originally, but I really love reliving these moments each time I walk in our bedroom.

Happy Anniversary Honey!!

A Taste of London

With the Olympic games taking place in London this year, I thought I would post a past party I did with a London theme (for other Olympic ideas see Going for the Gold post).  This monthly dinner fell on my friend's birthday, and she didn't want me to change the date, so I chose a theme that would match her. She studied abroad in London, visited again with her husband, and loves a local British restaurant, The Olde Ship in Fullerton.  Hence...A Taste of London dinner.

Invite:  I found an image on Google for a staycation party and recreated it for my invite. If your guests live close, place this by their front door attached to a British beer or cup of tea and crumpets for added fun!  If you are hosting an Olympic party this year, check out this invitation from The Party Hostess...

 

Decor:   I started with British flags outside my door along with a sign on my door that read "Casto Pub".  Inside I continued with the red, white, and navy decor.

I created a sign for my bathroom door that read "Loo".  We had a bit of fun with these signs after the party!

I set my table with a red tablecloth and a large (3x5 foot) British flag I purchased for $10 on Amazon. (I still have this if anyone needs it).  I borrowed Christmas china from England from a British family friend to use as my centerpiece.  I also purchased British beers and placed them at each place setting.

As a place card, I created standup cards of the Underground symbol used for the Tube in England.  Instead of the word "Underground" I had the guest's name.

Menu:  Of course, I wanted to serve British food, so I made a trip to a local store called The British Grocer.  They were super friendly, and helped me craft a menu and get the ingredients I needed.

Appetizer: Banger Rolls 

I bought these pre-made at the British Grocer, but there are recipes online as well.

Main Course:  Shepherds Pie

 

1 packet of Colman’s Shepherd’s Pie Recipe mix

1 pound lean ground beef

1 large onion, diced

2 carrots, sliced

6 ounces frozen peas (I left these out)

½ pint cold water

1½ pound cooked mashed potato

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Fry the ground beef and onion in a large pan until well browned.  Drain off excess fat.  Mix contents of packet with the water, stir into mince with sliced carrots and peas.  Bring to a boil, stirring, then transfer to an ovenproof dish. Spoon the mashed potato over the meat and bake in oven for 30 minutes or until potato turns golden brown.  Serves 4 according to packet.

Accompaniment:  Green Beans

Dessert: Mince Pie with Pudding

 

I bought individual mince pies from the British Grocer.  I heated these up and served them on a plate with vanilla pudding (or custard if you want) and whipped cream.

Favor: I created these silly bottle cap tags and affixed them to brown paper bags with red ribbon to hold the favor.  Each guest was given one of the British beers from my table setting to place in the bag to take home.

Even if you never throw a British-themed party, try out the Shepherd's Pie recipe.  It was delicious, and I have made it several times since for my family.  It is always a big hit.  Thanks for stopping by!!