You Say Poker, I Say Party

I don't like playing cards. Math is hard, and cards have numbers, and numbers mean math; hence, playing cards is hard. You have to do math and stuff.

Instead, if a playing card party comes up, I immediately default to the party aspect. So, when Chuck decided to have a group of guys over for Poker Night, I happily volunteered to plan the spread.

When straight, card-playing, beer-drinking men are your target diners, the following should inspire your menu:

Meat. Bread. Meat. Cheese. Meat.

REPEAT.

I'm broadly stereotyping here, but that's why stereotypes exist: there's some bit of truth to them. At risk of only serving delivery pizza (which did arrive at some point) and chips, the Fellow had to take it up just a notch...but not so far as to scare these guys.

Trade in standard pigs in a blanket for chicken apple sausages
wrapped in crescent roll dough, coated in cooking spray and
sprinkled with poppy seeds. Oink, indeed.

Guys like things they recognize, especially when they're gathered in packs, so I defaulted to 2 of my more manly appetizers: Mini Sweet BLTs and Chicks in a Blanket. Because, straight men love bacon and chicks. Period. 

Flipping a "pig" to a "chick" in a blanket is easy. Instead of buying hot dogs, opt for pre-cooked chicken sausages, also in the meat section. Chicken sausages come in lots of flavors including chipotle, cajun, and my personal favorite for this recipe, apple. Wrap them in crescent roll dough and bake according to the dough's directions. You'll want to cut the sausages and the dough into smaller pieces; as guidance, one pack of 4 sausages + 1 tube of crescent roll dough makes 16 pieces. I serve these with whole grain mustard on the side.

Bacon. Needs no introduction.

Besides chicks in a blanket, there's nothing easier than Mini Sweet BLTs.

MINI SWEET BLTs

• King's Hawaiian Sweet Rolls (12 pack)
• 1lb of thick-cut bacon (the "B" in BLT)
• Arugula (the "L" in BLT)
• Roma tomatoes (or smaller tomatoes for the "T")
• Sun-dried tomatoes (in oil), diced and added to regular mayo

Fry the bacon. After, simply assemble each mini BLT with 1 roll, 1 - 2 slices of bacon, a tomato slice, a bit of arugula and a slather of sun-dried tomato mayo. I recommend holding these together with a toothpick.

I'm not bluffing; we had a full house for poker night,
and this spread was all in.

After putting out the last dish of chicks in a blanket, I grabbed my coat and bid adieu to the boys. "Wait," they said. "You're not staying for poker?"

"Poker?" I said quizzically. "Gents, enjoy your tasty snacks. That was the fun part for me. Now, I'm going to drink wine with the girls."

Cheers!

Un-Decking the Halls: Winter-Inspired Decor

Every year after I take down my Christmas & holiday decor, the house looks empty. And kind of sad, really. Where once stood festively-adorned trees, bright lights and shiny bulbs now stands...well, bare spaces.

I've since realized you don't have to go 'cold turkey' on your cold-weather decor. While you may not be decking the halls with boughs of holly and red bows in January and February, you can most certainly add some winter whimsy.

Here's a picture of my mantel, where I swapped Christmas garland for season-appropriate decorations.

Glass vases and bowls filled with sugar make a snowy landscape
for candles, twigs and other winter-inspired decor. 

The key is to keep it simple and light: a few candles, a few twigs and other nature-inspired decor will set the tone. Even a bowl brimming with a combination of these items  will add some cool vibes:

• Pinecones
• Twigs & sticks
• Greenery
• Moss
• Rocks or stones
• And, even fresh fruit: lemons, pears, grapefruit and more are in season during the winter months

Bundle up and take a walk through the park or even your own backyard to see what's available. Or, if your access to nature is limited, take a trip to your local flower shop to see what they have on hand.

I found a fantastic collection of festive winter arrangements - 23 of them! - on Sunset.com. The photos here will inspire you to forage unique wintery & woodsy items for your home.

Fruit: it's not just for eating any more, but rather, decor!
One of 23 easy winter decor ideas, courtesy of Sunset.com. 

Enjoy!

A Winter Party in "1-2-3"

No doubt we've all had our share of holiday hoopla by the time January rolls around. From Thanksgiving to New Year's, our schedules are packed with parties and filled with festivities.

But, then it hits - the winter doldrums. Yes, we can all appreciate a break, but after a few weeks, if you're like me, I'm in need of a small soiree! Some sips, some nibbles and the chance to unwind with friends and family.

Enter the "1-2-3" Winter Party. Hosting beverages and light fare can be, literally, as easy as 1-2-3. What follows is a sampling of some of my favorite appetizers, each with only 3 ingredients. 

BACON WRAPPED DATES
24 large dates
+ 12 slices of bacon, cut in half lengthwise (24 strips, one for each date)
+ 1/3 cup of goat cheese (log or crumbles)

Slit the dates and remove the pits, if not already pitted. Stuff each date with cheese and wrap with a bacon strip. Secure with a toothpick as needed. Bake for 20 minutes at 375 degrees. Finish briefly under the broiler to further crisp the bacon, if desired.

STRAWBERRY BRIE BRUSCHETTA
1 small baguette
+ 1 pint of strawberries
+ 1 small wheel of brie (8 oz)

Slice the baguette and top each with a slice of brie. Toast in the oven on high heat or under the broiler until browned. Remove from the oven, top with sliced strawberries and serve.

CHOCOLATE RASPBERRY CUPS
1 box of phyllo cups or chocolate dessert cups
+ 1 tub of Philly Ready-To-Eat Cheesecake filling (in the dairy section)
+ 1 pint of raspberries

Scoop the cheesecake filling into a plastic baggie. Snip the corner with scissors for a make-shift pastry bag and pipe the filling into each cup. Top each cup with a raspberry.

SMOKY LINKS
1lb of mini smoked sausauge links (cocktail weiners)
+ 1 cup of barbecue sauce
+ 1/4 cup of orange marmalade or cherry preserves

Stir together the sauce and preserves, add to the sausages, heat and serve.


More "1-2-3" appetizers and cocktail recipes will be coming throughout the winter months to keep you inspired.

Cheers!

Stencil It So

Ah, the days of the stencil...and they're back again!

My earliest memories of stencil-made-decor go back to Mom, who was the eternal painter in our house. If it wasn't nailed to the floor, she'd paint it: baskets, chairs, wooden geese, anything. On that note: what was up with the geese in 1980's home decor? I remember my Mom, in her paint clothes, carefully balancing herself on a chair while stenciling geese - yep, more geese - onto the wall, a border of feathered friends all the way around the room. And you bet your bottoms those geese were in 'country blue.'

Honk if you heart geese!
*ring ring* Hello...1983 called, and they want their goose stencil back.

Today, when you search for "stencil" on Etsy, you get 19,297 results...and not a goose in sight. 

Today's stencil prints are Moroccan tiles, damask and paisley, while others are simply classic numbers and letters. And they're an extremely affordable, fun way to make a statement.

The next time you're having company, roll out the Scotch postal wrapping paper (the big brown roll, available at any department store or office supply store) and use stencils to add names, phrases or occasion wishes. Bam - instant table topper. (Happy Birthday, Krista!)

A simple, stylish way to customize any table top for any occasion.

Burlap banners are popping up on Etsy and Pinterest as well. Here's one Shelley made for my house during the holidays. Festive, no? 

You can DIY this banner with burlap, twine, stencils and paint.
Fold the burlap flags over the twine and seal with a glue gun.

Some of my favorite stencils are from Martha Stewart because they are clean and classic. They're available for purchase online at Kmart.com.

Got ideas for what else you'd like to see stenciled? Send 'em my way and I'll feature them.

Where's the Bloody Bar?

If you read the title of this one, you might think I've gone British. Everything sounds better in a British accent, right? "Where's the bloody bar?" could be interpreted as a plea to be directed to the nearest pub while in the UK.

On the contrary, I'm channeling you breakfast boozers to bring you the "how-to" on hosting a Bloody Mary Bar at your next brunch.

Bloody Mary's are popular with the Sunday brunch crowd, as many find the combination of vodka, spicy juice and pickled garnishes the "hair of the dog" needed to get through the morning. Others just think they're tasty. Regardless of your reason, it's easy to offer your guests a do-it-yourself Bloody Bar that allows everyone to have it as they please.

Setting up your Bloody Bar requires a few key ingredients.

A spicy Mary? Tasty. A salty Mary? Yum.
A virgin Mary? Nah. There's nothing virgin about me after a couple Bloody Mary's. 

THE SAUCE
Tomato juice is the base of a Bloody Mary, but standard tomato juice doesn't cut it. There are many varieties of pre-made Bloody Mary mixes to try, each with their own jazzed-up flavors & spices. Two of my favorites are Simply Stirrings (found in most liquor stores and grocery stores that sell liquor) and McClure's (found online and in high-end specialty grocers).

Regardless of what mix you use, you should also have some Tabasco sauce on hand for guests to adjust the Bloody to their desired spice level. Hey - some like it hot.

THE SPIRITS
Vodka, brand of your choice.

THE "SNACKS"
I consider "snacks" all of the fun garnishes you can add to a Bloody Mary. Celery stalks are a must. If your guests like it salty, serve up olives, gherkin pickles and pearl onions, all found in the same aisle of the grocery store. For a heartier cocktail, add pepperoni and cheese cubes. All of the aforementioned accoutrements should be stuck on toothpicks or threaded on small wooden skewers for a little extra panache. 

Put out plenty of lime wedges, glasses and ice, and let the brunch boozing begin.

You say tomato, I say to-mah-to...
eh, who cares? Let's get drunk on Bloody Mary's.

Cheers!

Save the Best for Last: Fast Forward to 12/31/13

A New Year...and with it, new ideas, new energy and a renewed sense of "This is the year I finally [fill in the blank with your resolution]!"

I'm not immune to that energy. In fact, I'm caught up in it, right there with you. As do many, I'm resolving to focus on my fitness - and, I've been to the gym every day since January 1st. (Pay no mind it's January 2nd.) But, as time ticks on, we become mired in the daily grind. Career, family and commitments cry for attention, and in the end, we put ourselves - and our resolutions - last. What started out as an annual challenge lasted for a mere few weeks.

Now, what if - what IF - there was a way to guarantee we celebrated the successes of our year? This might be the easiest resolution you make in the New Year, and it just might bring you the most happiness.

START THE JAR
This week, start the year with an empty jar. It can be a Mason jar, a fancy jar or any other type of jar you wish. Next, place a pen and Post-It notes or small pad of paper near the jar.

Now, fill it with good things that happen throughout the year. Celebrate successes, capture cherished moments - just be sure to jot them down. Nothing is too big or too small to celebrate.

One jar + one pen + one pad of paper = countless memories.

Fast forward to New Year's Eve. With your significant other, family, friends, or in a quiet moment alone, picture yourself reaching into that jar and slip after slip, reading about all of the amazing happenings of the past year. Imagine being able to sit in a place of gratitude for the year and relive all of those memories.

That's it. Kind of like saving pennies for a rainy day, think of this as saving up for the best pay day of all at the end of the year.

SHARE THE JAR
If you're inspired, pick up a jar and pen and paper for your friends and family. Dress them up with a ribbon or sack them in a gift bag and share this idea with them. Who knows? Maybe you'll all share your jars, together, on New Year's Eve

Whatever memories you capture this year, I hope your jar is jammed full.