Pretty in Pink Party

One of my favorite appetizers is a deviled egg.  After hardboiling, peel and submerge in beet juice.  (drained from a can of sliced beets which will be used in the salad, also).  Turn to allow for color all over.  Refrigerate for a day, remove, halve, and fill.  I use a cranberry horseradish mustard that gives a jolt of color to the filling as well.  For this party,however, the eggs will be quartered and not filled.  Allow one egg per salad.  Add beets and feta cheese crumbles.

 

An festive themed drink might be a Pink Cadillac.  While many margaritas go by this name, the vintage cocktail was made like this:

1 oz Galliano

1/2 oz Creme de Cacao

1 oz Creme

Splash of Grenadine

Combine in a shaker with ice.  Shake and strain into a martini glass.

Pretty in Pink Party

  The glamorous fashion editor in the Audrey Hepburn film Funny Face  sang  "Red is dead, blue is through, green's obscene, brown's taboo! Think pink!" So......let's set the table in pink, serve some pink food and drink pink.  I'm thinking a "ladies who lunch" party.  Do you have pink dishes?  If not, use your white and bring in color with napkins and flowers and place cards.  Menu can begin with a chilled strawberry soup, a salad with pink hard boiled eggs, parmesan popovers, and  pink frosted cupcakes.  All accompanied with pink champagne.  Perfect for National Pink Day tomorrow.

the first day of summer

Summer Solstice occurs this year on Tuesday, June 21.  It is the longest day of the year which means the shortest night so party early!  Start with a delightful drink:  

Caipiríssima

1.5 ounces Oronoco Rum (a Brazilian white rum) 5 wedges lime 1 tablespoon sugar 3 ounces fresh squeezed lime juice Crushed ice In shaker, muddle 4 lime wedges and sugar. Add rum, lime juice, and ice. Shake vigorously. Strain contents into a chilled martini glass and garnish with lime wedge.

International Picnic Day

How to pack a picnic basket:  Backwards! 

Put in last what you'll need first.  In the bottom of your basket or tote, place a bag for trash.  Then, smaller bags to bring home the dirty dishes unless using disposables.  Next a cutting board and knife if bringing bread and cheese.  Then plates and wrap your flatware and serving utensils in your napkins.  Now layer your food items. Sandwiches or fried chicken, whatever, packaged in plastic bags so less to carry home or discard.  Salad, also in a plastic bag, is last so it stays crisp next to the ice. Top with a zip loc bag filled with ice cubes.
These will be used to chill your drinks and when melted will wash sticky hands.  Wrap in foil and paper towels ( again, for cleanup and leftovers).  Next are snacks and drinks and glasses.  You can package cocktails in zip loc bags and there will be one less container to bring back.  Chill or partial freeze first.  Don't forget a corkscrew unless you have wine in a screw-top bottle.  This is an appropriate time for the bag of wine in the box.  Lastly, cover with tablecloth or blanket.  These are essentials  but your picnic is made even more enjoyable with the addition of pillows, sunscreen, citronella candles and music.  Your picnic can be fun - bring the frisbees or romantic - bring the book of sonnets. 

Black and White luncheon

The invitation must play off the black and white theme. I found great double sided paper stock at Michael's & then considered the wording. What I thought was: there is little in life that is black and white but what is definite is the last day of school. Join me for the first "Ladies Who Lunch" of summer 2011......Further thought morphed it into letter form which I felt was less formal and more personal. But if a letter, how could I write it on my double sided black and white patterned paper? Idea: make the paper into an envelope and include the letter written on plain white paper with black ink.  
Buzz: send invite on the 16^th so to allow a week for guests to respond.

< template for envelope       &  finished envelope

                                                                                                                                  invitation >

National Fudge Day

Girl Scout Samoa Fudge Recipe

1/2 cup Samoas Girl Scout cookies, crushed

2 cup Sugar

6 oz Heavy cream

12 Regular marshmallows

1/2 cup Butter

1 tsp Vanilla

6 oz Chocolate chips

Heat and boil together sugar, heavy cream, marshmallows and butter for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add vanilla and chocolate chips, mixing until the chips have melted. Add crushed Samoas; mix well. Pour into 8-by-8-inch buttered pan and cool.

Source:  www. fudge-recipes.net
Buzz:  Keebler Fudge Shoppe Coconut Dreams can be substituted

Black and White luncheon

A party begins with an inspiration; it could be an event, occasion, or an idea born of an image. item, book. etc. The inspiration for my luncheon began with a 25 year old dress. When purchased, I loved this Oleg Cassini shirtdress. A classic that gave many years of service: with flecks of a gold metallic thread through the checks. It could be worn dressed up or down. However, it was time to say goodbye. For those who know me, you know how difficult it is for me to part with anything. So I took one last look at it -tried to decide if I would cut off the top half and make a jacket. Or save the bottom half since there was so much material...well, the skirt looked like it would make a great round tablecloth. Thus the inspiration for a Black and White luncheon. Then the idea for the invitation had to follow that color scheme. The decor, even the food, will employ black and white. My friends wonder at the workings of my mind!