Vibrant Plant Based Recipes
Cherry Sorbet Champagne Floats – a fresh and fruity cool summertime refreshment! Perfectly sweet cherry sorbet is elevated to a great thing with champagne!
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One of the first things I made with our cherry haul was …
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Summertime is upon us, and summertime means pool parties.
The house we just moved from had a pool, and we had many a fun summer there. We basically lived in our back yard for three months. Jason did a great job of keeping the pH levels perfect and the pool sparkly blue. I did a great job of blending margaritas, inviting people over, and keeping air in Basil’s floaty cactus.
From years of my pool party past, I bring you the Guide To The Ultimate Pool Party.
Invite Your Friends.
Friends love the house with a pool. Especially on really hot days… it’s surprising how fast they are able to show up to an impromptu invite, almost as if they were already driving over…
Have extra towels handy for your guests.
Stack them by doors, in case people need to dry off before entering the house. Towels close to the pool (but not too close they get wet) are a good idea also.
Designate food and drink area, pool and play area, sitting and relaxing area.
Your guests will want a place to sit or lay in the sun once they get out of the pool:
Invest in plastic plates and drinkware, keeping glass away from the pool.
this margarita was dachshund – supervised.
Plan games and have pool accessories / toys available.
Basil is surprisingly good at the ring toss.
Provide the ultimate in pool party food and drink:
grilled pineapple bacon sandwiches
seven layer dip with noocho cheese
reuben rolls with thousand island dip
strawberry habanero margaritas
My advice with hosting any party – prepare as much as you can ahead of time, make a timeline so you have stress free planning, and have decor double as useful – pinatas, beach balls, pool toys…
Most of all, remember to relax, enjoy the sun, and have fun!
Cheers!
Orbit® gum is a global brand, enjoyed by millions of people around the world. Chew Orbit after any meal to leave your mouth with “A Good Clean Feeling®”. Eat. Drink. Chew™ Orbit! Like us on Facebook here.
Strawberry Habanero Margaritas may have a spicy heat from habanero peppers, but there is also a cool ingredient to balance the peppers. Strawberries for sweetness, a simple recipe!
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Growing up in Lake Oswego, we had one of those “pie house” restaurants. I loved it. From the Lyons mints and Lifesavers at the counter to the grilled cheese sandwiches and french fries on the menu, I wanted one of everything. Including the pie.
I’d sit in front of that glass case and watch so many pies rotate around and around. Tall pies. Cream pies. Fruit pies. Chocolate peanut butter pies. I could never decide which to choose. Back then, one of my …
Celebrations are a big deal at our house, are frequent and range from impromptu and very informal to the thoughtfully planned and extravagant. I love to host all kind of events, and have hostess tips and tricks as well as ideas for recipes and decor.
The first part of planning for me is to create two lists: one listing foods I will make, decor and other essentials, and a timeline. The other list is what I need to shop for.
One thing to add to the list? Ice, and plenty of it.
When hosting any kind of gathering at our house, I plan for small bite appetizers that can be handheld or dipped. I also try to have as many things as possible that can be made ahead of time, or from components made ahead to assemble at the last minute. I get to enjoy the party more when I’m not prepping food, and small bites mean guests don’t have to awkwardly balance plates or find a surface to knife and fork it.
Here are some of my favorite party picks:
apricot & goat cheese on fig crisps
reuben rolls with homemade thousand island sauce
seven layer dip with noocho cheese
Unless I am throwing a themed party, I keep decor to a minimum. I may include some fresh flowers, and then focus on using unique glassware and pretty serving pieces and linens to bring some festive flavor to the party.
A fun and easy serving vessel that adds instant decoration? Food!
I use hollowed out peppers for serving all the time, and they are always well received. This recipe also follows my make ahead tip – make the guacamole and fill the pepper ahead of time, setting out at the last minute with chips and veggies:
Unless you hire or designate someone, a good way to avoid playing bartender is to make a signature cocktail for the event. Choose one that many people would enjoy, and make several batches that can be kept cool in the fridge until needed. Bottled wine and beer provide options and round out the libation menu.
Remember to also have several choices for non drinkers and designated drivers – assorted sodas, juices and bottled water in a tub filled with ice makes a great presentation.
Suggestions for the make-ahead signature cocktail:
homemade Irish cream with espresso
Bottles in ice goes against the signature cocktail idea, but does go along with making things ahead, and also incorporates using edibles as decor. You could offer this fun attention-getter in an area set up with ice, mixers and glasses for a DIY cocktail station.
Following the hand held theme of eats, I plan several sweet options for dessert:
saffron doughnuts with rosewater icing
A fun treat to serve at the end of a party – hot chocolate peppermint shots. Have a tray of them near the door, as people are leaving they can have a sweet and quick wake me up.
Another fun out-the-door treat: set out a large bowl of Orbit® packs of gum for guests to take with them – a cool refresher for the drive home!
Do you enjoy hosting parties? What are your best planning tips?
Orbit® gum is a global brand, enjoyed by millions of people around the world. Chew Orbit after any meal to leave your mouth with “A Good Clean Feeling®”. Eat. Drink. Chew™ Orbit! Like us on Facebook here.
Baileys and Black Tea French Toast – crispy and soft, this vegan French toast is richly steeped in black tea and Irish cream, making this a brunch – perfect toast!
I have told you about the time we were able to get almost the whole first class cabin of a flight to change their drink order to Baileys and coffee. Baileys and coffee was also a standard mid morning indulgence when we were snowed in for three weeks a few years back. We’d go on walks in the snow, come back home, start a fire and enjoy a coffee.
I have a new favorite Baileys drink!
Baileys and black tea.
Served in the ceramic version of my favorite New York deli cup. Everything tastes better in the New York deli cup.
Very easy, really. Not even a recipe.
I brewed my favorite black tea. I added a couple shots of my homemade Baileys to it.
Mmm, this is my newest obsession. I may have to wait until Saturday to enjoy this as a Valentines breakfast… and I’ll have to wait until my nursing shift is over, but we will have this with breakfast.
We will also …
these vegan Hot Chocolate Peppermint Shots are festive and fun for all of your holiday parties – fill with hot chocolate, spiked or not, or any other holiday beverage that pairs with mint!
recipe originally published December 31, 2011
My last beverage of the year is deliciously non alcoholic – a hot chocolate made with dark chocolate.
Seeing as I bring it to you in a Candy Cane Shot Glass, I did include a variation on the recipe that does include that chocolate vodka… or rum. or peppermint schnapps.
These hot chocolate peppermint shots make parties fun! Serve with a simple hot cocoa for kids and as a mocktail, or spike that cocoa for a festive cocktail.
As much as I would like to …
Hosting or attending a party? Liquor Bottles on Ice is a fun and quick addition to any last minute prep you might be doing – super fun and festive.
This is one of my favorite over the top, super fun …
