May 30, 2018

Simple Summer Drink Recipes - Southern Style

Summer is almost here and it's a popular time for parties and other get-togethers. Don't just serve your guests boring beverages...think outside the box with some creative concoctions!

Here are three fun and simple drink recipes you might want to try this summer! They are perfect for everything from a backyard barbecue to a fancy bridal shower and everything in between.

Blackberry Lemonade 


There are a couple different ways you can make this delicious summer drink, one is a bit more labor intensive and the other is easy as can be!

For the recipe that's a bit more work, you need to make a simple syrup of blackberries and sugar. You'll need about a pound of blackberries, 1 cup of sugar and a half cup of water.

Bring the berries, sugar, and water to a boil in a saucepan over moderately high heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until fruit is soft, for five minutes. Then remove it from heat and let it sit to cool. You can pour the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, pressing gently it in and tossing the solids. Or you can use it with the berries and all, it's your preference.

Now pour this blackberry syrup mixture into a pitcher and add lemonade. I like the low-calorie version from Trader Joe's but you can use your favorite store-brand or make it from scratch.

The simpler method for blackberry lemonade requires, of all things, blackberry jam! Since this is my favorite type of jam, I always have a jar of the homemade variety on hand. Don't go thinking that I make it, but I have positioned myself well among talented jam-smiths (is that a thing?) who keep my larders fully stocked.

Add a teaspoon of blackberry jam to the bottom of a glass and top it with lemonade. I actually prefer a fizzy lemon soda which makes this drink seem even more special.

Best Homemade Peach Iced Tea Recipe 



Okay, now I know you're probably thinking...what's so special about peach iced tea? Seriously, what isn't special about it? The refreshing perfection of brisk iced tea mixed with the sweetness of peaches ripened on the tree in the summer sun! Need I say more?

I have a great secret for making peach tea and it's so easy. Two words....peach nectar. You can buy great quality peach nectar at most fancier grocery stores. I got mine at the Fresh Market on the same aisle with the cocktail mixers.

Of course you can make your own peach syrup (similar to the blackberry syrup above) but if you don't have time, go the easy route. Basically you just mix the peach nectar into your tea according to your tastes.

Another trick I like to use is to freeze some of the peach nectar in an ice cube tray. Then, you can just drop the peach cubes into the tea and enjoy more of a hint of flavor as they melt.

Easy & Delicious Non-Alcoholic Bloody Mary 



I've never made a Bloody Mary but the southern beau and I had one the other day at a great local eatery and ever since, I've been thinking about trying it out at home.

I grabbed a bottle of Fat & Juicy Bloody Mary mix at the Fresh Market and while perusing the drink aisle, I saw a four-pack of Dry cucumber soda.




For a simple and tasty non-alcoholic Bloody Mary, mix equal parts of the tomato juice mixture with the cucumber soda and voila, that's all there is to it. You can add vodka if you want a more spirited concoction but I think it's pretty tasty without it. This recipe is great for a summer brunch or a picnic!

And there you have it...three simple summer drink recipes! Don't forget to liven up your summer parties with some tasty treats. And always drink responsibly!

May 16, 2018

How to Host a Royal Wedding Watch Party


Saturday May 18th is the day that Prince Harry and American Actress Meghan Markle will say their "I do's." Will you be watching the Royal Wedding and hosting a Royal Wedding watch party? If you do watch, you'll be among an estimated more than 3 billion other viewers tuning in to witness Great Britain's Prince Harry wed his bride, Meghan Markle.


Since my invitation obviously got lost in the mail, I won't be in attendance at St. George's Chapel, in the grounds of Windsor Castle. I paid a visit to this site on my first ever trip abroad, as a recent high school grad traveling with friends. I remember how lush and green everything was and how knowledgeable I felt after having just finished my senior year of high school honors English, which was all about British history. What a nerd I was/am.

Just because most of us none of us will be in attendance at the wedding, it doesn't mean we can't celebrate the occasion. Want to throw your own royal wedding watch party? Here are some simple, last minute tips to enjoy the festivities.

How to Watch the Royal Wedding


The Royal Wedding will be shown on several networks, including NBC and PBS. Most coverage begins around 4 a.m. EST. 

Decor for a Royal Wedding Watch Party


Set the tone for your Royal Wedding party with some festive decorations such as Union Jack flags and anything with crowns, British symbolism or images of the monarchy on it. 


I found a cool clock at the thrift store that said "London" on the face and thought it would be neat to use that as a decoration for my party, set to London time of course. 

Food for a Royal Wedding Watch Party 





Rumor is that the Royal Wedding cake will be a lemon and elderflower confection, which sounds perfectly heavenly and just lovely for springtime. I wasn't able to find anything about the history of this particular flavor combination. However, the elder tree is said to be a symbol of transformation, and "the crossing of thresholds." So that makes sense. 

For a much simpler variation of this sweet treat, I opted to make lemon elderflower parfaits. 

All you need are some good store-bought Madeline cookies, which I crumbled up in parfait glasses. Then I topped them with a bit of blueberry jam and some lemon curd. Drizzle some elderflower syrup or liquer over it and top with whipped cream. 


As for other snacks, you might want to snag some authentic English goodies to nibble on. My local grocery store has an International aisle, but World Market is also a great place to visit for traditional British snacks and sweets. McVitie's Digestives, Hobknobs, and Walker shortbread are all tasty options. Here's a fun guide to British biscuits, in case you were wondering what's what. 


As for drinks to serve at your Royal Wedding viewing party, tea is a must have! I have been drinking PG Tips, a popular brand in the UK. Make sure to serve plenty of milk and sugar too. 


For a signature cocktail to enjoy during your Royal Wedding watching party, how about incorporating the elderflower again, which should pair nicely with the royal wedding cake. Belvoir is a good option and available at many grocery stores, including The Fresh Market and Whole Foods. Add a splash of Pimm's for a spirited cocktail or drink the Belvoir by itself. It's really tasty! 


Favors for the Royal Wedding Watch Party 


If your guests are good enough sports to get up early and come to your house at the crack of dawn, at least make it worth their while with some fun favors. 

Butter mints or Jordan Almonds in little wedding favor boxes might be appreciated. You could also make DIY scented sachets using dried herbs or rice and essential oils. 


I hope you enjoy the Royal Wedding festivities however you choose to partake. Some might think it's silly for everyone to get so wrapped up in it all, but there's a part of me that feels hopeful that something happy and joyous could bring so many people together. People celebrating love and wishing someone well...What's the harm in that? 


May 2, 2018

How to Throw a Dog Party


May is National Pet Month and around my house, 'pets' = dogs. In fact, my husband and I share our home with three of them. Our dogs, a yorkie, a chihuahua and a terrier mix, are all rescued from local shelters and are all fairly small. Having small dogs works better for us in our small to medium sized mid-century home.

But that doesn't mean I've never pondered the idea of living in even less space. And I'm not alone. Lots of people are embracing minimalism and even opting to live in tiny homes. My best friend's daughter, who is currently in middle school, already has plans of living in a tiny home one day, with a few dogs of her own.

So when I got the opportunity to throw a dog party, along with my BFF yorkie girl Ruthie, in a tiny home, I jumped at the chance!

Planning a Dog Party 


When planning a dog party, it's important to manage your expectations. Dogs are man's best friend, but partying with our pampered pooches might be a little unpredictable.

Consider your guest list before you send out any invites. Which of your pal's dogs are most likely to get along with each other and enjoy the party? Make sure to consider your space and keep things manageable.

Time of day matters when party planning too. If you have a party during what is traditionally a lunch or dinner hour of the day, your guests will expect to be fed a meal. If you plan on serving lighter appetizers or just desserts, time your party right.

Brunch parties are always fun too! 

Creating a Custom Invitation for a Dog Party


Invitations always set the tone for any party, since this is the first thing your guest is going to see to let them know what fun is to come! 

I love the look of classic cut-out silhouette art so I decided to recreate this style with my dog party invitations. 

First, I created a template in Microsoft Publisher, but you could use whatever program you prefer. If you'd like to access a PDF of my invitation, with fill-in-the-blank options, click here. I had mine printed at a local print shop on nice cardstock. I left the space on the right side blank so I could add a bit of my own style with the hand-cut dog silhouettes. 



To create these, I just gathered a couple small photos of dogs and cut out just the outline. You can also do a Google search for "dog silhouette" and you'll find TONS of options to use for inspiration. Once I had my dog silhouettes picked out, I created those same shapes in bright colorful cardstock. 


Ruthie supervised the entire process, but was really no help at all. 

Finally, I glued my cut-out silhouettes to the cardstock invitations. 


I really love the way these turned out! 

For the envelopes, I chose some plain brown paper ones and gave them a little bit of pizzazz with a stamp technique. Using acrylic paint, I added a bright pink puppy paw to each envelope. Like I said, the invites are really what set the tone for the party so your guests will know something fun is inside this envelope before they even open it! 


Who wouldn't want to attend what is sure to be a tail waggin' good time? Now that you've got your invitations taken care of, it's time to get to my favorite part of any party, the food and decorations! 

Decorations & Food Ideas for a Dog Party 


To really create a memorable dog party, it's important to set the scene. Contrary to popular belief that dogs are color-blind, they do actually see some colors, including blue and yellow. So Ruthie & I made sure to use plenty of those shades for our party, including a bright blue tablecloth as a backdrop for other punchy shades. 

Use party hats in bright colors instead of a big floral centerpiece. This will add lots of color to your table, but still be dog-friendly. I also found some multi-colored cardboard cake rounds from the baking section of my local party supply store. Then I snagged some cardstock circles in vibrant hues from the scrapbooking department. These are an inexpensive way to add more color to your decor. 

When planning the food for your dog party, consider delicious options that guests can eat in a couple of bites. Since your guests might have to double as dog wranglers, they probably don't need to try and eat anything too involved. No spaghetti please! 


Antipasti salads on wooden skewers are always a crowd-pleaser. I made mine with cured salami, pepperocini, green & black olives, and small mozzarella bites. 

When in a smaller space, I find that it helps to serve your food buffet style and create small stations where people can enjoy different things as they move about the party. 

I also grabbed a few doggie food dishes at my local Dollar store and used these (after washing them) as serving dishes for popcorn and other snacks. It definitely helped keep with the theme and made for a fun conversation piece. 


Another great dog party food option is some type of slider or mini sandwich. You can't go wrong with ham and Swiss on Hawaiian rolls with a pickle on top. I have said this before, but the secret to planning memorable parties is all about presentation. You can put out a few bags of chips and open some plastic tubs of dip for a so-so gathering, or you can put in a tiny bit more effort and pay attention to how things are presented, for a really wow-worthy shindig. 

Small plastic stemware from your local Dollar store makes a great way to serve some individual cups of guacamole with a few pita chips. I snagged some colorful doggie chew toys (including the cute braided rope pictured below) to use as an accent on my food serving station. 


Some other doggie chew toys from the Dollar store made a great addition to the decor, scattered around the table and food serving station.


For beverages, Ruthie & I decided on a variety of flavors of classic sodas, which we served in a big metal tub. You could also create a signature drink for your dog party, like this cherry soda mocktail, made with cherry syrup and club soda (or your favorite lemon-lime soda) over ice. Garnish with a maraschino cherry and a brightly colored paper straw. Cheers!

And we can't have a dog party without at least one treat for the dogs! I found a great recipe for a healthy doggie treat made with pumpkin and peanut butter on the blog Pinch of Yum.

These were super easy to make and a BIG hit with the pups in attendance at our party!


Pet-Friendly Party Favors for a Dog Party


Something else you might want to consider when planning your dog party is what to give your guests as a favor to remember all the fun they had!

Ruthie and I had a blast making these fun custom tote bags as party favors for our guests. To make these, all you need is:

1) Plain canvas tote bags
2) Iron-on letters & shapes 
3) An iron 

We selected gold glittery letters in a classic font as well as a few pink glittery hearts. These, plus the canvas totes were purchased at my local craft store. Using the letters, we created bags that said fun dog-related phrases, such as "Arf," "Wag More," and "I (Heart) Dogs!"


You could also customize your canvas tote bags with the names of various furry friends in attendance at the party. What a fun favor to leave the party with!



Enjoying Your Dog Party! 


After all your party planning is complete, the best part is getting to enjoy your fabulous shindig. Our guests seemed to have a wonderful time. Even my Yorkie Ruthie, who is normally a refined English lady, let her hair down enough to hop up onto the table. Keep in mind that dog parties don't have the same etiquette rules as people parties and a dog on the table means it was a success!


We thoroughly enjoyed every aspect of our dog party in the beautiful tiny home. It served as the most beautiful backdrop for our event and with just 452 square feet, we had plenty of space for everyone to feel comfortable and enjoy themselves.

From planning and creating our dog party invitations to gathering our food and drinks, decorating for the party and entertaining our guests, this was a truly memorable experience for my adopted dog Ruthie and me. And finally, it was fun to send everyone home with their custom tote bags!


I hope your next dog party is as fun as ours!