Super Bowl Sunday!

 Just a few days from the big game! What are you serving at your party? I'm sure you've all seen the food stadiums by now...sure they look so cool, it's really not my thing. But hey if a huge platter of meat and cheese is something you'd like to have, please make it and share your pictures! I did find one that was made of guacamole, cheese dip, and tortilla chips, now that's a stadium I could eat :) Back on track now... I like simple, easy party snack so I wanted to share a few recipes(click on the pictures for those that don't have recipes below it). Enjoy! 

  

Baked Jalapeno Poppers

Danielle's Guacamole!

 Ingredients:

3 avocados

2 tsp fresh lime juice

1 tomato

2 garlic cloves

1 jalapeno

cumin

pepper

Directions:

Cut avocados in half, remove pit, take the flesh out with a spoon, put in bowl. Use a fork to smash avocados to your liking(I like mine let a little chunky). Add lime juice and stir(lime juice helps prevent browning while adding flavor.) Next dice your tomato and jalapeno, stir into avocado. Use a garlic press to add the garlic cloves to the mixture. The simply season with cumin(I use about 2 tsp)

and add a few cranks of fresh ground pepper! And you have guacamole!

Buffalo Potato Wedges

Football Strawberries (so easy but so good and adorable!)

Photo by: domesticfits.com

Ingredients:

2 pounds strawberries

1 package dark chocolate chips

1 tsp. vegetable shortening(Spectrum brand is my favorite)

White icing( I make my own icing) or store bought frosting

wax paper, sheet pan, zip baggie

Directions:

Wash strawberries.Melt the dark chips and shortening in double boiler (I put a little water in a sauce pan, heat to simmer,add my chocolate to a metal bowl and place on top of sauce pan.) Once melted, dip all strawberries and place on wax paper lined sheet pan. The chocolate will harden within a few minutes. Put icing or frosting in baggie and zip shut, cut a tiny section off one corner and decorate your strawberries to look like footballs! So fun!

10 Super Cocktails for the Super Bowl!

 

No matter what team(go Pats!) you're rooting for, have fun and enjoy your company! One last thing, I pretty excited that both teams share colors, makes it a lot easier to decorate!

COLOR! how to choose your color theme and use it for your wedding!

Choosing colors for your wedding is a great way to incorporate your personal style into your day. With so many colors to choose from, how do you know what to do? Or how can you be sure that what you choose will work out? Well... one of my best tips is to always take your venue into account. For instance if you're getting married in a ballroom with gold chandeliers and a patterned maroon carpet, it may not be a good idea to choose silver and aqua as your color theme. By choosing colors that work with your venue and your style you will be able to create a cohesive, personalized, beautiful event design. Another thing I'd like to mention is you can choose more than TWO colors! I feel like a lot of times couples feel like they choose a main color and an "accent" but you are "allowed" to do more. You could use the same color with varied shades throughout your ceremony and reception. Or maybe choose 4 of your favorite colors, and make them work together to create an unique atmosphere. What ever color(s) you choose, just make sure you do what you love, make it your own and in the end your wedding day will be absolutely stunning! I'm going to share some of my recent favorite color combos to inspire you!

White, Blush, Rose and Slate create a romantic color palette. Add a ruffle wedding gown, chic slate gray bridesmaid dresses, modern and whimsy cake, and vintage inspired bridal bouquet and you've got the perfect color theme for an upscale, outdoor affair.

I love how striking cream, champagne and aqua look together. This gorgeous gown has lace and jewels in just the right places!

Sky blue, corn yellow, spicy orange and brown create a unique take on traditional fall colors. Adding a pale blue to yellow, orange, and brown adds a whole other element to your wedding design. The blue modernizes everything and adds a crisp, cool feel. 

White, Sage, Plum and Teal are great colors for a rustic, "earthy" wedding. These colors would make any space, especially a barn/farm, "pop" and help bring out your natural surroundings. These colors would add an elegant yet simple aspect to you wedding. Pair these colors with custom string lighting and you'll really have a perfect look!

I hope these four color combos can help you create the wedding of your dreams! 

White,Blush, Rose, Slate Credits: Wedding Gown, Bridesmiad Dress, Cake, Flowers
Cream, Champagne, Aqua Credits: Wedding Gown, Groom Attire, Cake,  Earrings
Sky, Corn, Spice, Chocolate Credits: Shoes, Fans, Cake,Flowers, Table Setting
Winter White, Sage, Plum, Teal Credits:Wedding Gown, Bridesmaid Dress, Bracelete , Cake, Flowers

New Logo!

After many revisions, the new logo is complete! What do you think? Website re-design will be completed soon!          

Our Seacoast Weddings magazine shoot!

Back in August Kerry and I were lucky to be chosen to participate in a COLOR photoshoot for Seacoast Weddings Magazine at the Rivermill at Dover Landing! We were given the color Chartreuse, which is a bright, "springy", happy green. To tone it down a bit we decided to pair it with deep purple. I think it turned out simply stunning! Below is our page in the magazine:

pg. 102 Seacoast Weddings

We collaborated with a group of great ladies:

Design & Execution, Flowers, Custom Runners: (us)Danielle & Kerry/Lily Belle Events

Dresses & Bridal headpiece: Chantily Place, Lowell, MA

Cake: Jessica/Nothing Bakes Like a Parrott, S. Portland, ME

Stationery: Yours Truly Boutique, Inc, Boston, MA

Hair: Lena/Hair That Moves

Makeup: Janelle/InspireGlam

Photography: Kate Baker Photography

We love this photo of us working on our florals. Thanks to Andrew Davis for this picture.

Here are a few shots from Kate Baker. I'll be posting more soon so check back!

 

Happy New Year! Goodbye 2011!

I'd like to quickly thank our clients of 2011 for a great year! Being in business for a year and a half already and we have slowly grown,  and more than doubled our weddings/events in our 2nd year. We hope to double that in 2012! We have met some fantastic vendors in 2011, had weddings at some amazing venues and participated in our 1st photo shoot(would love to do more, contract us if interested!) Be sure to pick up your copy of the 2012 edition of Seacoast Weddings Magazine!

 So again thank you to our clients, vendors/venues, and friends,family and supporters. Here's to 2012 being our best year yet!

Now onto the fun stuff;New Year's drinks! Oh and a few simple but delicious recipes to accompany your drinks ;) First up is a champagne cocktail. I'm a big fan of the Chelsea Lately show. Her brother Roy(a personal chef) was on last night and made a perfect-sounding Peach Champagne Cocktail:

 Ingredients(makes 4)
8 oz peach nectar or fresh peach puree
4 tsp. fresh lemon juice
4 oz peach schnapps
4 oz chilled sparkling Champagne
2 cups crushed ice

In a pitcher combine the peach, lemon juice, peach schnapps and crushed ice. Pour the Champagne into the pitcher. Stir it up and serve.

After already shopping for my New Year's food/drink supplies, I'm going to have to go out again because this is a must try tonight!


Here's my go to drink and I must say I make it perfect(Kerry would agree)!

Danielle's Hot n extra Dirty Martini:

 

Ingredients

2 oz. Vodka

2 oz. olive juice

1 oz. extra dry vermouth

.5 oz. peperoncini juice

3 quick dashes of tabasco

Fill a shaker with ice, combine vodka,olive juice,vermouth,peperoncini juice & tabasco(in this order)

Shake, shake, shake vigorously for 40 seconds(very important!)

Strain into a chilled martini glass and garnish with 3 large olives and 1 peperoncini

 Now vodka brand is usually a preference, my favorite is Tito's, way better than even Grey Goose,which used to be favorite until I discovered Tito's Handmade from Texas!  (see older picture above) Tito's has a smoother texture than Goose and just tastes better to me. Try it, I bet you'll love it!

Next drink is super easy and my husband's favorite:Honey & Lemonade:

 Ingredients

2 oz. Tennessee Honey

5 oz. lemonade(Newmans Own Roadside taste best with this recipe)

Simply fill a shaker with ice, combine ingredients and "roll" back and forth in glass and shaker

That's it, easy huh?!

Mine has pink on top because my husband used pomegranate limeade(Trader's Joe's)

to make ice cubes!

Okay that's it for drinks, please share your recipes on our Facebook page. I love getting more for my stash :)

Now you need some food to go with your drinks, right? I like to make quick,easy but absolutely tasty apps and "picky" foods. Who really wants to be cooking all day? Here's my menu for the evening:

-Bite-sized Baked Brie:

Photo credit: Joythebaker.com

I have never made these but am today and they look fabulous! And yes, I am putting the popsicle sticks in(my kids will eat anything with a stick!) For the recipe click the photo above! 

-Mexican Layer Dip(every party has to have one of these!):

I don't have a picture, but I'm sure you've seen one and honestly they all look the same. 

Ingredients 

*(all items from Trader Joe's, but you can substitute)

 1 can Black Beans(I heat these up for 2 minutes)

1 package of guacamole topped with spicy pico de gallo

 about 20 green olives(sliced, you have to slice them)

1 cup lite shredded Mexican cheese

1 cup fat free sour cream

1 small can of sliced black olives(these ones are sliced for you;)

1 cup lite shredded Mexican cheese

Layer all ingredients in order I posted, it's so good!

Eat the dip with carrots, pita chips, and/or tortilla chips!

-Tropical Romaine Salad:

Ingredients 

 1/4 cup canned pineapple juice
    1/4 cup olive oil
  3 tBsp. red wine vinegar
  Salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/4 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
1 large head of romaine lettuce, torn into bite size pieces
1 cup diced fresh pineapple
  4 lean bacon slices, cooked crisp & crumbled
  3 scallions/green onions, chopped (both white & green parts)

For instructions click the photo above. The original recipe calls for macadamia nuts, my oldest has a severe nut allergy so we omit these, but I'm sure the taste great in it! I just like how refreshing this salad is, especially in chilly New England.

-Provolone & Prosciutto stuffed Peppers:These I do not make, I could but I don't have time to core and marinate peppers! These are wonderful and can be purchased from your local butcher or Whole Foods. 

Now for dessert! I made Salted Sunflower Truffles!(sorry can not post recipe, it's my own secret :) But wanted to post a picture for you:

I know, I know what a tease! But how am I ever going to open my own cafe(10 year dream), if I give away all my best recipes? I will make them for you, if you ask nicely!

I will however share this:Champagne Vanilla Pudding

This dessert will make a gorgeous and tasty treat to ring in the New Year(with a special drink in the other hand of course!) 

I hope everyone has a fun-filled evening to ring you into a healthy, happy, and perfect 2012! Enjoy!