Just Beachy...

Yesterday we woke up,

went to the beach,
read (the best book!),


ate lunch,


went back to the beach,
showered,
went to a birthday dinner,
sat on the porch (no, this is not the actual porch we sat on)

and went to bed.

We did the same thing the two days before and will again today.

Must this end?

Now the two best things about yesterday are the book (which you all must read) and the drink in the second picture.

The Taco Bar at Seaside has the most amazing red sangria I have ever had. I think I could have drunk an entire pitcher...considering the heat, I really could have. Does anyone out there have a recipe that compares? If you do please share it!

Vacay

I am here for the week. I couldn't be happier.

Fun Finds

I was looking at a new post from Snippet & Ink and saw this lovely picture.

These cake plates are by Potluck Studios. I was introduced to them in college when my favorite shop had them in the window. I was fortunate to receive a sizable gift certificate to the shop upon graduation and purchased the set of three.

Not only are pretty, but they are quite useful! I've used them for numerous birthdays, parties and showers. The picture above reminded me how much I love them. If you are in the market for a cake plate (or a great wedding gift) check out their website - the plates come in all different colors and sizes.

It's the simple things. Smile.

Birthday Fun!

About a month ago I had the chance to try out a few fun ideas for my roommates birthday party!

We had a "Mexican Fiesta" for supper and, thanks to this idea from Darby, we had Petit Fours for dessert!


The Birthday Girl loves petit fours and I thought it would be an adventure to try out the recipe. They turned out pretty well!

I also took the opportunity to try out a Watermelon Peach Sangria Sorbet recipe and it was soooo good!

We added a little decor to the porch too.

I had seen the "make it yourself" kit for these at the craft store and then I found the directions on-line from Martha Stewart.

Here are the recipes:

Petit Fours:

1. 1 box white cake mix (plus eggs, oil, water)
2. Jar Lemon Curd (you can also make it if you are up for the challenge)
3. 1 recipe of icing found here from Darby

One box white cake mix. Follow the instructions on the box, but bake on two sheet pans lined with wax paper. The cakes should only take 15+ minutes to bake.

When cooled and turned out, I found it easiest to cut the cakes in half before doing anything else. If they are overcooked at all trim the tops off of the cakes (no brown!).

Spread Lemon curd (you can make it, but I bought it at Kroger) on one cake and carefully place another on top of it. Be careful! The cake is VERY crumbly. After the cakes are stacked in two layers, carefully cut them into squares.

At this point you should place the cakes on a cooling rack set over a baking pan.

Slowly pour the icing over each cake. You might have to stop and scrape up some of the fallen icing in case you run out.

You won't be able to coat each completely, but at least the tops and most of the sides.

After the icing has dried you can pipe designs on them with a decorator's frosting.

Watermelon Peach Sangria Sorbet:

• 2 medium peaches
• 2 ½ lb piece of watermelon
• ½ cup sugar
• ½ cup water
• 1 T fresh lemon juice
• 1 t grated fresh ginger
• ½ cup semi-dry rosé, blush wine, pink Zinfandel, (any slightly sweet wine)

Heat the sugar and water in a small saucepan. Stir until sugar is dissolved and liquid is completely clear, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool completely. Cut peaches and watermelon into 2″ chunks and puree in a food processor or blender.

Add the grated ginger and lemon juice. Pour into an airtight container and add the wine and cooled sugar water, and stir. Chill in a refrigerator 2 hours.

Pour the mixture into an ice cream maker and follow your machine’s instructions for making sorbet. Freeze in an airtight container about 1 hour or so before serving to “set” the sorbet.

Makes 1 quart

How to make Wizarding Food

Here are the recipes used for party. I know you'll want to use them in November 2010 and July 2011 :)

Mint Humbugs: Combine 1 lb. powdered sugar, 4T. butter, 1/2t mint flavoring, 1/4c whipping cream and a few drops of food coloring. Mix well (best with hands). Mixture is THICK and you may need to add more cream. Press into candy molds and let dry out a bit before storing in airtight container in the refrigerator.

Cockroach Clusters: Mix one small jar peanut butter with 2c. Chow Mein Noodles and 1/2 c powdered sugar. Drop onto wax paper and freeze. Melt 12oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips and 2T. Crisco in a double boiler. Dip in frozen "cockroaches" and keep in airtight container.

Chocolate Frogs: Melt 12oz. dark chocolate chips in a double boiler. Mix in 1tsp. Grand Mariner and 1 tsp. Orange flavoring. Pour into candy molds. Remove when cooled completely.

Cauldron Cakes: I used Martha Stewart's recipe for Sunken Chocolate Cakes. They are very light and fragile so I served them in glasses with whipped cream on top!

Butter Beer: For the summer we wanted something cool, so a friend whipped a concoction of cream soda and butterscotch schnapps!

Polyjuice Potion: Mix any combination of fruit juice, Sprite, club soda and liquor together to taste.

Wands: Take a pretzel rod and dip into dipping chocolate (same method as above in cockroach clusters). Lay on wax paper to dry.

In Case You Didn't Know...

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

came out yesterday!!!!!!!!!

And I was there, that is, after I threw a Premier Party! That's right. Me and my crazy love of a themed party had a grand old time. Here is a photo montage so you can get a good idea of what we were doing:

When you walked up the steps to the front porch and the front door...


Remember our light fixture at Christmas? Well here it is with snitches! Gold Christmas ornaments, a little hot glue, gold paper cut into wings and fishing line. (In case you're wondering where to get Christmas ornaments in July have no fear, Hobby Lobby has had them for a month)


Bertie Bott's Every Flavored Bean & Cockroach Clusters


Mint Humbugs & Chocolate Frogs


Wands, Polyjuice Potion and Butter Beer


Don't have Hogwarts Textbooks? No problem! Just grab a role of brown paper, a stack of Glomeratas, and a few of the thickest books on your bookshelf.


My roommate painstakingly made the Hogwart's banner for our mantel.


I found another temporary use for my candelabra!


And the Black Family Tree complete with burned out "traitors."

Away we go...

I'm getting out of town this weekend with a few friends.
I'm super excited to see MOUNTAINS again. After growing up in the midst of them, it's hard to get used to life with only a few pitiful "hills".

It will also be nice to reach a cooler climate...I'm done with 100+ weather.

While I'm out of pocket let me give you a taste of what I'll be doing (obsessed with) next week:

Ummm...our living room may not be recognizable.

This was made for me...

This movie, Julie & Julia, was made for me. I truly hope it lives up to my expectations, or I may never recover... I think I'll take my new mantra (at least for the kitchen) from the movie's website: "with the right combination of passion, fearlessness and butter, anything is possible."

Check out the trailer and let me know what you think!

*Here is the link to the blog that the movies is based upon.


And speaking of good movies, I saw Public Enemies the other night and loved it.



Johnny Depp and Christian Bale...not a bat combination. Seriously, I was a great film and I think I would even go see it again in the theaters (that's saying something).