Summer Cocktail Party

Skylar hosted a fun summer cocktail party a few weeks ago.  She makes it look so effortless so we decided divulge some of her secrets.

  

We have put together a few of our no-fail tips for planning a party or gathering!

1.   Plan Your Menu Early

Write down every ingredient you are going to need based on the item you are serving from appetizer all the way to dessert.  Then make a list that breaks up items based on what store you are going to purchase them at. This helps cut down on repeat trips to the store.

1   2.   Choose a Menu You are Comfortable Preparing

Our book club group prepares meals based on the theme of the book if the book lends itself to that. However, if the hostess does not feel comfortable preparing exotic foods it is better to just cook what you know.  Nothing is worse than being stressed out hoping something turns out that you have never cooked or even tasted. 

1  3.   Choose Foods That Can Be Prepared Ahead of Time

Any fruit or vegetable that can be chopped and ready to go without getting brown or mushy should be done the night before or the morning of your gathering.  Also, sauces or fresh salad dressings can easily be stored overnight.  It is best to store these in glass containers because of the acidity.  Foods that can be prepared ahead and popped in the oven or on the grill allow the host to visit with guests over appetizers and cocktails rather than being stuck in the kitchen. If your menu cannot be made ahead have all your ingredients measured out and ready to go.

1 

     4.   Wash Your Dishes as You go Along

Or enlist a good friend! Bribe with wine if needed. 

This saves a lot, but not all, of the hassle once your guests go home.

1   5.   Make Cocktails That Can Be Made in Batches

While we love our shaken dirty martinis, big batch cocktails save a lot of time because someone always needs a refill.  Find a recipe and then double it unless your friends are not lushes like ours! We also like to have different varieties of wines on hand and Prosecco chilling.  You never know what someone is going to want.  Two things that go along with this tip are have all the glassware you are going to need out and washed. Finally, do not forget the ice!

One of the most important tasks of a successful host is to have fun and relax! Done and done!!

Book Club: Three Wishes

Cindy’s pick was Three Wishes by Liane Moriarty.  We love to read Liane’s books.  They lend themselves to animated conversation. 

This one was no exception with tales of family dynamics, cheating and many types of romantic relationships past and present.

The Lovely Host

A Round of Salty Dogs

Salty Dogs by the Pitcher

·      5 Cups Good Vodka

·      2.5 Liters Grapefruit Juice (Not from Concentrate)

or

·      10 Cups Fresh Squeezed Grapefruit Juice

Stir and serve in salt rimmed glasses over ice!

A Tour of the Garden

The Menu

Humus with Pita and Apple

Basque Salad

Asparagus Fries with Aoli

Baked Herbed Salmon

This is a menu we have featured before but is a huge favorite. The above link will take you to our post featuring the Basque dressing recipe.  For our salmon we always choose wild caught Alaskan salmon, and our favorite time of year is Coho season!

Cindy’s Amazing Floral Creations!

Fondue Dessert 

Chocolate Fondue

In a small sauce pan, over low heat, warm ¾ cup heavy cream (no substitutions here) and 16 ounces of chocolate chips.  We like dark chocolate but any flavor would work. Stir continuously until the chocolate melts. Transfer into a fondue serving bowl that you have warmed.  Ours stays warm with a tea light candle.

Serve with sliced strawberries, chilled cheese cake pieces, pound cake and sliced bananas.

Our next installment will feature tips we find helpful when we are planning our get togethers!

Book Club: Brooklyn

Brooklyn by Colm  Tóibín is set in Ireland and New York City in the 1950s.  The novel was originally published in 2009 but regained popularity after the 2015 movie adaptation.  Our group as a whole loved both the book and the movie.  If you have not enjoyed either read the novel first! Our host, Gin Smith, prepared a wonderful Irish meal for the occasion.

The Cocktail

The Irish Shillelagh

1/2 Lemon, Juiced
1 tsp. Powdered Sugar
1 1/2 oz. Irish Whiskey
1 tbsp. Sloe Gin
1 tbsp. White Rum 

Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with fresh raspberries, strawberries, a cherry and two peach slices.

This was an interesting drink and one was plenty!

The Menu

Sunday Best Irish Soda Bread

Raspberry Pecan Salad with Raspberry Poppy Seed Vinaigrette

Roasted Winter Root Vegetables

Colcannon

Lamb Roast

Irish Soda Bread served with Dubliner Cheese and Preserves

Raspberry Pecan Salad with Raspberry Poppy Seed Vinaigrette

Gin slaved over a hot stove all day to prepare a traditional Irish meal  keeping with the theme of the book.  She used many recipes compiled by her sister, Kaureen, in a wonderful cook book. The Colcannon is an Irish dish consisting of mashed potatoes and sautéed cabbage.

For dessert she served coffee with Devonshire Cream and coffee ice cream topped with Irish Cream. 

Recipe Courtesy of Gin’s Sister Kaureen

The Devonshire Cream would be perfect on fresh berries too!

Thanks to Gin for a wonderful time.  Excellent job hosting!

Plant Some Succulents

Succulents are very hip plants.  They come in many funky shapes and varieties. What really captured our attention was the key phrases “low maintenance” and “minimal water”. We have been known to kill a few things in our day. Some terrible people have even suggested we have black thumbs!  We opened a bottle of Rosé and got busy making succulent planter boxes that turned out really great and appear to be surviving a few days later!

Step 1.  Make the planter box or just pick out a container.

  

 We used lumber scraps.  For full disclosure our planter boxes were assembled by a local woodworker, Ryan McGrath.  He got a really skeptical look in his eyes when we asked to borrow a hammer and nails. We probably could have done just as good of a job…Maybe.

After the boxes were assembled the wood was “aged” by Ryan using a solution of vinegar and steel wool.  To do this technique place a piece of extra fine steel wool in a glass jar, fill the jar with distilled white vinegar and let is set for at least 24 hours.  Brush on the wood liberally and then rinse well with water.

We lined the bottom of our planter boxes with screen to allow for better drainage without the soil spilling out.

Step 2. Selecting your plants.

Succulents have varying sun, water, and temperature needs.  Select complementary  zoned plants for your succulent box.  We wish someone, who has a lot of knowledge and was there while we were buying ours, would have told us that! Live and learn.

Step 3.  Prepare the soil.

To plant succulents use a mix of potting soil and gravel. This allows for really good drainage. We found the gravel we used in the aquarium section. Once mixed wet the soil.

Step 4. Plant.

 Step 5.  Finish the wine and enjoy your handiwork.

Of course Cindy had to outdo us by putting a bird on it!