National Ice Cream Day

17 Sunday Jul 2016

Hi Friends, Happy Summer!

{When Olivia comes for a visit in August, we’ll be headed to the beach at least once}

I’ve been enjoying a relaxing summer so far, how about you? When I’m not working at my day job I’m spending time in the garden (I’ll have to provide a post on some of my successes, and failures, on that score), entertaining via backyard BBQ’s, and reading a few good books.

Today is National Ice Cream Day and I couldn’t let it pass without sharing a few images of summer fun and ice cream. They truly go hand in hand, don’t they?

For obvious reasons I try not to eat ice cream everyday, but when I have an excuse [it’s hot and only ice cream will cool me down; we need a dessert for our back yard BBQ; I’m on vacation so calories don’t count, or it’s the weekend] I like to enjoy a scoop of ice cream in a bowl or prepare an ice cream cake for dessert for a summer dinner party. I make it a health food by throwing on a few berries! 🙂

Summer activities for Mr. B and me might include a Duffy boat excursion. There is a group of us that chip in, not only for rental fees, but to provide easy appetizers and a bottle or two of wine. This is one of my favorite summertime activities. Unfortunately, no ice cream can be included since there’s no way to keep it frozen.

This recipe from Southern Living looked too delicious to pass up. Find the printable recipe HERE This recipe is one I plan on trying for our upcoming backyard BBQ.

During the summer months, ice cream seems to be the ideal treat no matter what form you prefer. I love the idea of individual desserts and this sundae in a pastry shell with freshly made blueberry sauce looks scrumptious.

Ice cream sandwiches from Williams Sonoma sound like they would be easy to make and oh, so delicious!

{via}

These little ice cream cups look delicious and healthy topped with blueberries.

{via}

Pioneer Woman’s Ice Cream Pie with Easy Caramel Sauce looks like something I’d make year round.

Now I’m hungry for ice cream!

I hope your summer has been filled with more than your usual share of fun and ice cream! I’m planning to be back to blogging weekly in early September, I hope you’ll stop by!

{Garden, Home and Party} Happy Easter – welcome spring

18 Friday Apr 2014

Posted by Karen B. in Dessert, Easter, Entertaining, Food, Holiday/Seasonal cooking, Uncategorized

≈ 13 Comments

Tags

Easter

I sure hope my friends that have experienced the coldest winter in recent memory, are finally catching a glimpse of spring.

I’m hosting Easter this year for our west coast family members and I thought I’d share some of the inspiration and ideas I’m using for our celebration.

I’m finalizing the menu (the ham has been a staple to the meal for some weeks, but I have flip flopped on the sides). Here are a few of the items that I’ll fix. Sweet Sarah will prefer the fingerling potatoes I’m preparing (much healthier), but I know a couple of family members that will enjoy scalloped potatoes. My office gives Honey Baked gift cards to each of us at Christmas. Honey Baked stores, which are plentiful in California, not so much elsewhere in the U.S., are known for their honey glazed hams. It will make my day of food prep pretty easy to have the ham cooked and ready. I think I’ll prepare some deviled eggs, a slaw salad that Sarah introduced me to, a few appetizers, cookies for dessert and that should be plenty.

Table setting is the icing on the cake for me. I look for any excuse to create a pretty table. Here are some ideas I’m contemplating compliments of the creative bloggers I visit regularly. {Thank you!} I like the idea of potted bulbs (preferably in bloom) and nests with eggs. Trader Joe’s has been carrying daffodils, hyacinths and tulips in little pots. The place mats are really cool and I believe they’re paper. I may not be able to find these but I have a collection of Royal Doulton Beatrix Potter rabbits that I can scatter among the nests and flower pots.

The happy faces on these pansies make simple eggs look festive.

If it’s a pretty day we’ll sit outside for appetizers so I’ll create an Easter basket similar to what I did last year. I used an assortment of color-pack sized flowers and they lasted for most of the early part of summer before fading.

I’ve ordered these tags from Everyday Occasions and will bake Jenny Steffens Hobick’s cookies with buttery icing. Recipe HERE. I’ll plate some and send each person home with a cookie or two wrapped like this. Jenny’s blog is filled with great recipes and ideas for setting the table. She provides detailed instructions for each recipe, and the best part? She has an online store filled with fun items for home and entertaining.

I hope my cookies turn out as well as Jenny’s. Aren’t the baby chicks cute?

So tell me, what are you doing this Easter?

{Party} It’s summer time and the livin’ involves cobbler

26 Wednesday Jun 2013

Posted by Karen B. in Dessert, Entertaining

≈ 25 Comments

Tags

summer dessert

It’s been a very long time since I published a post with a recipe attached to it. But it’s summertime and who doesn’t think of a piping hot cobbler made with fresh berries, straight from the kitchen with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top? Other than strawberry shortcake, I can’t think of a dessert that says summer better than cobbler.

This recipe comes via Blackberry Farm Cookbook. I first read about this amazing farm/inn from Talk of the House and from her post alone, I decided I had to have the cookbook which was scheduled to be published just in time for Christmas. Kevin and Sarah bought it for me and I decided I needed to prepare the cobbler for Father’s Day dinner, when they could enjoy it with us.

Details about Blackberry Farm from their book: Nestled in the blue mists of Tennessee’s Smoky Mountains, the 10,000-acre bucolic refuge of Blackberry Farm houses a top-rated small inn with one of the premier farm-to-table restaurants in the country. This sumptuous cookbook offers a collection of recipes that are as inspired by the traditional rustic cooking of the mountainous south as they are by a fresh, contemporary, artistic sensibility. Some of the dishes are robust, others are astonishingly light, all are full of heart and surprise and flavor — and all are well within the reach of the home cook.

For information on the book visit Amazon.

{image source}

Blackberry Cobbler

[Blackberry Farm Cookbook]

8 cups fresh blackberries

1 ¼ c. sugar

Zest and juice of ½ lime

1 Tablespoon cornstarch

1 ¼ c. all-purpose flour

1 ¼ teaspoons baking powder

¼ teaspoon baking soda

1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt (I omitted the salt because I used salted butter)

6 Tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, cut into small cubes and chilled

¼ cup buttermilk

1. Preheat the oven to 350°

2. In a large bowl, toss together blackberries, 1 cup of the sugar, and the lime zest. In a small bowl, whisk together lime juice and the cornstarch until smooth. Drizzle the lime juice mixture over the blackberry mixture and toss to combine. Scrape the blackberry mixture into a 10-inch cast-iron skillet or any other oven proof pan. (I used an oval baking dish).

3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and the remaining ¼ cup sugar. Use your fingertips to rub the butter into the flower mixture until it is the texture of coarse meal. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients. Pour the buttermilk into the well and stir with a fork until the mixture comes together. Crumble the dough evenly over the top of the blackberry mixture.

4. Bake the cobbler for 40 minutes or until the blackberry filling is bubbling and the topping is golden brown. Let the cobbler rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Serve with whipped cream or ice cream.

In addition, as per my usual pairing of a good recipe, here are some lovely table settings with the season in mind.

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Do you have a favorite summer dessert? Share, I’d love to try it. There are some desserts that just taste best when served during the season.

I’m linked to: Art @ Home for her Happy List ~and~ Kim over at Savvy Southern Style for her Wow us Wednesday ~and~ Stone Gable’s : Tutorials and Tidbits.

{GHP} Let’s go on a picnic!

19 Wednesday Jun 2013

Posted by Karen B. in Dessert, Drink, Family, Food, Holiday/Seasonal cooking, Traditions

≈ 28 Comments

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Picnic

Because this is National Picnic Week…

I think it’s time to pack a picnic and head someplace picturesque and relaxing. Want to come along? This idea of picnicking has become an annual theme for me, but when I read about this cookbook by Tori Finch I couldn’t resist another dream picnic.

By the way, full disclosure, I never really got around to taking a picnic someplace other than our patio in the backyard last summer. Enjoying the relaxation of a view, food that’s delicious and easy to eat without fuss, and maybe a bottle of wine (or a jug of iced tea) just never happened. The last grown-up, memorable picnic I went on with Mr. B was before we had children and it was in this picturesque spot…

[Note: We enjoyed picnics when the kids were growing up, but they were always more play than relaxation—I look forward to continuing that tradition with grandchildren]

{Crescent Bay Point Park ~ Laguna Beach, California}

In fact, when I think of going on a picnic I think of this location. During summer months nature’s air conditioning works beautifully to keep it comfortable and there are picnic tables and benches to use or you can spread your blanket out on the grass. The view is guaranteed to relax you.

But since this post is as much about the idea of a picnic as it is a travel plan, I have some images that are what I imagine a picnic would be like in a perfect world. Of course, this is my car! Isn’t it cute with that little picnic basket attached?

{source}

{Turkey Caprese Sandwich ~ Martha Stewart}

Packed in that pretty blue and white picnic basket I might make the Turkey Caprese Sandwich from Martha Stewart for me and the egg salad (below) for Mr. B.

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I love the idea of a wine box shipping crate (large enough) to use as a little table for a picnic…okay, maybe the cloche and footed cookie plate with dome are a bit over the top, but I love the flowers and the quilt.

{source}

This is my kind of picnic…the shade of a tree in the country, maybe the soft sounds of a stream nearby….ahhh, what could be better?

{source}

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Why stick with the predictable cookie for dessert when you can have these at the ready for the end of the meal? I don’t have a recipe but I believe it’s a simple shortbread cookie (that may be cooked so as to be slightly chewy), whipped cream and large strawberries cut and skewered. How fun.

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No matter how you get there…by car

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~or~

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Will you be making time for a picnic this summer? Tell me what you usually prepare, or do you benefit from a great deli nearby that can make the perfect sandwich?

I’ve linked to Savvy Southern Style for her Wow us Wednesday! ~and~ I’ve joined Ricki Jill at Art @ Home for her What makes me Happy!

{Party} Please join us for a Valentine’s dinner

13 Wednesday Feb 2013

Posted by Karen B. in Dessert, Entertaining, Food, Holiday/Seasonal cooking, Simple Meals for the Avid Cook

≈ 25 Comments

Tags

Valentine's Day

{Slim Paley}

There was a time when I would have thought of St. Valentine’s Day strictly as a date for two. As I’ve matured I find that any occasion can be more fun with a small group of close friends.

So my post for today is an invitation for you to join us for a Valentine’s dinner…this is pure fantasy, unless all of you can manage a flight to California and join us in real life!

My invitation will be simple, but I enjoy receiving hard copy invitations so I think I’ll order this for my informal dinner party…

I don’t know who the Logan’s (below in sample invite) are but I wouldn’t expect guests to leave my party at 10:00 p.m., lights out at our home would be 10:30…ha,ha,ha. Just kidding, I think parties have a way of letting you know when they are winding down, organically, don’t you agree? Honestly, none of our friends ever overstay their welcome and we all seem to get tired after several hours of good food, good wine and good conversation.

{via Tiny Prints}

All of you will know my house because you’ve been there many times before…

{remember, this is pretend}

For table settings and flowers I can go in a few different directions. Below are some of my ideas, maybe you should weigh in and let me know which table you’d most enjoy…

Here is my Valentine table last year, or the year before, I don’t remember. I could use the same cloth but the Petite Fleur dishes might be too busy for meatloaf, what do you think?

This (above) table is technically one I found around Christmas, but the frosty greens could be traded out for others while the mercury glass and silver and white, especially with the pearl heart, could easily work for St. Valentine’s Day.

The red and white grain sack cloth with the red candles really work for the holiday…I love the simplicity of this with the fire in the grate and candles on the mantle, what could be more inviting or romantic?

I love the detailing on these candelabras, and the tailored feel to the black and white linens and dishes. This is totally a Valentine’s look that I could get behind.

I will have fresh flowers in the house and probably keep to the traditional selection of colors where they are concerned…and I’m sure the price of flowers for that weekend will be astronomical. Is it too late to cancel this imaginary dinner? LOL

If only I could find these beauties in my garden, its still a little early for me to have enough to cut and bring in ~ via Studio Choo

I prefer simple appetizers since I don’t want you to fill up on a first course only to discover you’re not hungry when the main course is served. This (on a smaller but similar scale) is what I’ll set out for guests.

~and~

Because St. Valentine’s Day lands in the winter, I plan to serve you a hearty fare.

Cheese board ~ Olives ~ Bread

1770 house meatloaf

Mashed potatoes

Green Beans Gremolata

Dessert: Brownies with homemade Caramel Sauce

and

Vanilla Ice Cream

{Photo by Jenny Steffens Hobick} ~if you love to cook, please visit Everyday Occasions blog, you will be inspired with her wonderful recipes and beautiful design ideas.

{Peeking Thru the Sunflowers}

So what’s planned for those of you that can’t make it to our house for dinner?

xo, Karen

I’m over at Stone Gable for her Turtorials and Tips party.

I want to send a special thank you to Debby at the fabulous Inspired Design for hosting a book giveaway that I won! {By the way, she’s hosting another book giveaway this week, you may want to stop by and comment to be entered}

This is going to be on my nightstand until I plan my next trip to Paris, then I’ll take it with me on the plane. It’s filled with beautiful images and fabulous insider tips for traveling to the city of light and romance.

Note: On my previous post about my friend’s house I inadvertently made a few errors about the age of some of the lighting fixtures. I’ve corrected the errors HERE.

{Party} Autumn entertaining ideas and an easy recipe

09 Tuesday Oct 2012

Posted by Karen B. in Dessert, Entertaining, Halloween, Holiday/Seasonal cooking, House and Home, Recipes, Simple Meals for the Avid Cook

≈ 12 Comments

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Apple Tart

I may have mentioned that I like to entertain, and cook. {I guess it wouldn’t be a very fun party if food wasn’t involved} The problem is this, I really, really like simple recipes and preferably recipes that can be made in advance when I entertain.

{Jenny Steffens Hobick}

Fall entertaining is especially fun and I enjoy some of the ideas I have ~~stolen~~ borrowed from very creative people across blog land. Jenny Steffens Hobick is one of my favorite sites for entertaining menus and table settings. She and her family recently moved, and with a baby, her recipes are practical and simple but her presentation is always beautiful and many can be made ahead of time. As you can see from the table setting above, simple but stylish tablescapes are the standard with her. If you’re interested in cooking, visit Jenny.

Another favorite site for delicious and healthy recipes is Marina over at Yummy Mummy Kitchen. Marina makes every dish she serves look appetizing and pretty on the plate, and her recipes are almost always lean towards healthy, although you’d never suspect it by the fabulous flavors each recipe provides. One more creative blog site to visit and borrow from when planning a menu for family and friends. I’ve you’ve never visited Yummy Mummy Kitchen I urge you to have a look.

{Yummy Mummy Kitchen}

Autumn table settings appeal to me partly because you can use natures bounty from the farm, {wish I lived on one}, the surrounding outdoors, or your market. Pomegranates, apples, leaves, acorns, nuts, gourds, mums and the ever-traditional pumpkin can all be arranged in any combination to create a beautiful and festive table.

~ Recipes from Yummy Mummy Kitchen and Jenny Steffens Hobick will be featured in an upcoming post ~

If you are planning a party that requires an invitation there are a variety of papers you can purchase that can be printed on a home laser jet printer. We have the good fortune of living near a Paper Source store, where there are more options than I can think of ideas for, but it’s sure fun to mix and match the various papers with inserts and envelopes.This is an invitation I made when a few years back I hosted my friend, Cayley’s birthday luncheon. She enjoys an autumn birthday, so brown tones seemed fitting.

{Victoria Magazine}

{via}

If you are planning a Halloween extravaganza, wouldn’t it be fun to have Hubby or a friend dress up like a butler and serve beverages for guests?

{via}

The table setting below is interesting and doesn’t follow the typical fall standards, bust out and try some of the new colored vegetables with your flowers and candles the next time you entertain. It’s fun to think outside the box sometimes (the rule-follower, ‘fraidy cat said).

{via}

So, on to a great recipe…

Pioneer Woman posted a recipe for a “Quick Easy and Yummy Apple Tart” What’s not to love about this, right? But since I ~~insist~~ usually test recipes that I offer, I tried it. It is beyond really simple and it turns out {and tastes} as good as Ree’s picture looks, without stress or strain in the making. Rather than make you copy and paste the recipe, since I can’t figure out how to create a “printable copy” on my blog, I’ve given you the link, PW not only makes printing this recipe easy, she gives you a step by step pictorial tutorial on how to make this yummy dessert.

{Pioneer Woman Cooks}

If your weather hasn’t changed yet, or like a few of my blog friends, you live where it is just changing seasons to spring, you may want to move your party outdoors.

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Even the birds are into the season!

I hope Autumn will bring you plenty of fun meals with family and friends.

♥ Karen

{GHP} Preparing for Thanksgiving…Fall installment #4

22 Tuesday Nov 2011

Posted by Karen B. in Dessert, Entertaining, Fall Entertaining and Decorations, Family, Food

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

Table Settings, Thanksgiving

Whether you’re here (U.S.A) …

~or~

abroad…

Thanksgiving Day is looming and since we have the good fortune to be celebrating with our future in-laws (for more on this story) in our home, I’m in full turkey day countdown.

I really do enjoy this time of year. Much like those that love the warmer months of summer and seem to get a boost of energy during “their” favorite season, I have to say, I feel my best in these fall months. I’m always motivated to clean the yard, clean out my closet and drawers and do a deep cleaning on the house in anticipation of the holidays.

Getting the opportunity to cook Thanksgiving dinner in our home is a treat. I enjoy entertaining and love the planning process as much as the food prep details. Our table will be set for 8 and I’ve got the centerpiece already in place…

{Note: I will probably not use Redfern, our pheasant, due to his size; don’t want him to accidentally end up with gravy on his tail so he’ll be moved to the side buffet and I’ll feature a low spread of fall leaves and pumpkins down the center of the table}

…so it was just a matter of determining the dishes and linens and menu. I have the table set-up figured out, now I just need to finalize the menu. {Ahem, I’m working on it!}

Meanwhile, I thought I’d post a few pictures of inspiration in case you’re still working on the details of your final menu and table setting.

via Small Stump + Studio Choo

I love Small Stump’s unique floral design style. They always feature fresh arrangements using A-typical flowers. They’re in Northern California, wish they were closer to Irvine.

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If you have the good fortune of great weather, maybe you would want to take the meal outdoors. I’m thankful for nature and this setting would drive that home.

via Stone Gable

Yvonne, of Stone Gable set this table for a high tea…the blue and white in contrast to the orange is staggeringly beautiful to me. I love her creativity with this table setting.

via Flair by Joe Nye, order here

I’m not sure I’d think to put red and orange together for the fall, but when you think about it Mother Nature does it each and every October/November, and she knows what she’s doing.

via Ralph Lauren

The neutral palate of the Ralph Lauren table is appealing. His hammered bowl fits the occasion.

via Toby West via Veranda

This table setting is a long time favorite…but then I’m all about the barley twist candlesticks, horn handled mugs and brown and white transferware!

Something like this would be a fun way to greet guests as they approach the front door, but you could also use an urn with a pumpkin on the table, like this…

~or~

Above 2 images via Vignette Design

I hope you are all enjoying the season and that you aren’t stressing too much about the cooking, planning and cleaning involved if you’re hosting this event. There’s always dessert…

Happy November!

{GHP} Fall installment #3 and introducing my pheasant

08 Tuesday Nov 2011

Posted by Karen B. in Dessert, Drink, Entertaining, Fall Entertaining and Decorations, Family, Flowers, Food, Holiday/Seasonal cooking

≈ 6 Comments

Tags

fall, Thanksgiving

So how are we doing? Is everyone happy with the season so far? We’ve survived Halloween and now it’s onward and upward to the best holiday of the year, turkey day, otherwise known as Thanksgiving. I am grateful every day for so much, but I’m especially thankful that there’s a specific day during the year when we can reflect on the people and things in our lives we feel fortunate to enjoy.

via the little book of secrets

via vignette designs

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My friend Carla told me she put pumpkins in her bird bath this year. I’m going to try the same thing (copy cat? why yes, there are only so many original good ideas out there). 🙂

What I love about Thanksgiving is there are no presents to shop for, just ‘splurge on calories’ food. Even if you don’t love turkey (I know folks that feel that way), you have to admit, it’s a holiday that easily adapts to whatever “traditions” in menu selections you and yours decides to embrace. Branch out, try at least one new dish, maybe create a dish that is similar to the annual _________[fill in the blank] …it will make cooking so much more fun.

We’re fortunate enough to be hosting our future daughter-in-law, Sarah (Kevin’s fiancé {he’s the baby of the family}) and her very fun family. Kathy, her mom, Tristan, her brother and Charles, her grandfather are delightful, and we’re thrilled to be able to share Thanksgiving in our home, with soon to be family, for the first time in a few years.

via Ralph Lauren

The past few years have found us at a dear friend’s home and one year was spent in Arizona, which turned out to be my mother’s last Thanksgiving, so I’m so happy we made the trek.

So, let’s get going on the planning, shall we? Oddly, as important as the menu is, and believe me, it is, I think of the table first. This year I’ll have my early Christmas gift from future DIL…“Redfern”, the pheasant, to decorate the room with. I have mentioned to anyone who’ll listen that I’ve always wanted a taxidermy pheasant. (I understand if you’re asking, why?!). Fortunately, my sweet DIL-t0-be surprised me with this in October, assuming (as only a thoughtful person would) that I would want to use him for the fall decorations. Note: he’ll be out year round, he just may move from one piece of furniture to another.

It took me a few days of walking past the dining room table and my new friend to not jump (we have all kinds of critters in our neighborhood and it made me think a giant bird had landed, uninvited, on our dining table!

Redfern, the pheasant

via Party Resource

I happened upon a Pottery Barn sale on their fall linens (the only silver lining to the stores rushing all of the holidays by starting to sell fall items in August, by September they want to usher in Christmas and you can often find some pretty hefty cuts in pricing for the items you want/need for Thanksgiving). I found the table runner in our local store and then a very nice sales person helped me by ordering the 8 napkins to match and having them delivered to my house. They came from Minnesota (I live in California).

I’ve always thought this (above) was a very nice way of using a place card that adds to the seasonal feel of the table. I really like pears, can you tell?

*Turkey plates were purchased years ago through a Ross-Simons catalog for a song.

I’ll use my white chargers and the PB table runner with Churchill’s Thanksgiving plates.

As far as the menu, it’s still in the works. I know I’ll prepare Creamy Mashed Potatoes, I salt the turkey (as opposed to brining) and I’ll prepare stuffing. Kevin has volunteered to prepare a side dish and I’ve given some thought to a gingerbread trifle that my friend, Linda, introduced me to. Beyond that I’m still in the planning stages. I’ll keep you posted.

There’s a truly clever and delicious sounding recipe for a Deconstructed Pear Salad HERE:

Happy fall, I’d love to hear from you regarding some of your favorite sides for the Thanksgiving feast!

I’ve joined Sherry for her Open House at No Minimalist Here…stop by for a visit.

{GHP} Engagement Party pics

01 Tuesday Nov 2011

Posted by Karen B. in Dessert, DIY (do it yourself), Drink, Entertaining, Fall Entertaining and Decorations, Family, Food, Outdoor living

≈ 10 Comments

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Engagement Party

My friends in Turtle Rock and blog land will know that we hosted an engagement party for *Kevin and Sarah (formerly Son #2 and his darling fiancé).

*I’ve decided to use first names in my posts. What are your thoughts on this? Am I crazy? (Please don’t answer that last question) I’ve noticed most bloggers that I read use pseudonyms for their family members and friends. I’m not sure I like the pseudonym for Lyn, my husband. I found “Hubby” too cute and decided I’d make the leap and use first names. I could have created other names for loved ones but decided against that in fear that I’d need a key to keep them all straight. So as of now, first names will be used unless I hear from people that they really would prefer to stay completely anonymous.

Anyway, I digress, here are some images I took of the party and while I didn’t get nearly as many pictures of the actual event as I’d hoped, it was a success and I’ve been told a good time was had by all.

By hosting this party in late October, decorations were easy for me. I love fall and everything about it. In Southern California the season is generally mild, weather-wise. I was hoping for sunny day-time temps in the high seventies and for nightfall to bring just a slight chill to the air…we were lucky. That is exactly how the day turned out.

Guests included dear friends and family, Kyle (Son #1) flew in from Austin and Sarah’s family and friends were in attendance along with long time friends of Kevin’s. It was so much fun celebrating the engagement with everyone.

{pumpkins in the birdbath, thank you for the idea, Carla}

Our home is small but we were able to utilize the yard. We moved furniture to create seating areas all around the back yard. One thing I failed to take a picture of (darn it) was a picture of some Ikea lanterns I hung at different levels out in the trees that border the back yard. Ikea had little battery operated strands of LCD lights that I bunched into each lantern. Because the LCD bulbs are so much brighter than regular twinkle lights, the little lanterns illuminated the outer reaches of the yard.

I had 3 of these larger lanterns and hung a couple of them on hooks near the ground with candles.

I made the burlap pillows with burlap from JoAnns Fabrics and some down pillow forms I had saved from old pillows. I used an acrylic paint and Martha Stewart stencil from Michaels. I gave the pillows to Sarah and Kevin for their patio after the party.

Meanwhile, the menu for the evening was as follows:

Teriyaki Flank Steak Skewers

Herb-Marinated Chicken Tender Skewers

Roquefort Tartlets

Tapenade & Crostini

Salami Bites

Skewered Italian Salad

Feta w/ Caramelized Onion

Mushroom Turnovers

Brandied Sausages

Humus & Pita Chips

Mixed Nuts ‡ Potato Chips ‡ Pretzels ‡ Cheese Platter

Chardonnay ‡ Cabernet ‡ Beer ‡ Soft Drinks ‡ Water ‡ Pink Margaritas

Dessert (cookies, See’s candy and blueberries, strawberries and raspberries)

{we offered some wonderful cheeses, thank you, Julie; it takes a village to throw a party!}

Deadly, but delicious Pink Margaritas (from Barefoot Contessa’s latest book, “How easy is that?”.

{The dessert table was a hit with everyone, thank you, Glenys}

Email me if you want any recipes or have any questions. Thanks for joining me at the party.

Garden, Home & Party

~ My love of gardening, making home comfortable and entertaining friends and family.

Category Archives: Dessert

National Ice Cream Day

Hi Friends, Happy Summer!

{Garden, Home and Party} Happy Easter – welcome spring

{Party} It’s summer time and the livin’ involves cobbler

{GHP} Let’s go on a picnic!

{Party} Please join us for a Valentine’s dinner

{Party} Autumn entertaining ideas and an easy recipe

{GHP} Preparing for Thanksgiving…Fall installment #4

{GHP} Fall installment #3 and introducing my pheasant

{GHP} Engagement Party pics