Work stuffz

Been working and schooling a lot lately, haven't taken much pictures and lord knows it's been over a year since I've done a proper food post on my old blog.. All the same, since I edited them up a bit I wanted to jot down some of the things we've been doing at work lately.

Bear in mind, all of these are taken with a cell cam. I don't take my good shizz to work where there's a large possibility of getting dressing or some other crap on it.

Fig & Prosciutto Salad with spiced nuts, feta cheese, white balsamic vinaigrette and fried sage

Heirloom Tomato Caprese Salad with Basil Vinaigrette

Roasted Artichoke Pepperonata Salad with Mediterranean Olives, Capers, and Basil

 Southern Ambrosia Salad (Mandarin Oranges, Pineapple, Mini Mallows, Toasted Coconut, Chopped Pecans and Cherries in a sweetened cream cheese dressing)

 

I like Pork Butts and I cannot lie.. Garlic Roasted Suckling Pig for a recent (Spanish) Wine Dinner

No one wanted to get near this thing, lol

Smoked Italian Speck Prosciutto

Roasted Veg Platter

Southern Broccoli Salad (with raisins, red onions, bacon bits and a sweet slaw dressing)

Roasted Corn Salad with Cherry Tomatoes and Basil Vinaigrette

A variety of heirloom tomatoes for brunch Lox station

Lobster Salad with Fingerling Potatoes, Shaved Fennel, and a Lemon Dill Emulsion

Lobster Spring Roll with Sweet Chili Sauce

Lox Platter with accoutrements

Italian Meats and Olives Platter

 

Grilled Speckled Red Prawn

Moroccan Summer Squash Salad with Sour Grapes, Peppers, Mint, and a Lemon Cayenne Vinaigrette

The beginnings of a pasta salad with Dried Cranberries, Feta, Toasted Almonds, Basil, and Strawberry Mustard Dressing. Didn't end up looking very visually appealing but I think I can fix that.

Asian Slaw with Broccoli, Peppers, Carrots, Black Sesame Seeds, and Sweet Soy Ginger Dressing

Catalonian Tuna Ensalada with Romesco Dressing

All that glitters..

So today I'm thinking about christmas projects that glitter! 

I am still considering garland and swag in my living room. I want to make a deco mesh garland for sure but I don't think the living room will be the best place for it as I'd likely have to make a great length of it. Still an option on the back burner though. 

I think another great option for swag is the idea of this tulle adorned string light project (which you can make as poofy as you want! - also you can use all kinds of different colors for different holidays, something to remember when I resume my annual Halloween party next year!)

I think it's definitely a project I'll be doing as I have so many fantastic places for swag with my abundance of vaulted ceilings. I don't just want to lay out appetizers and call it a party - I want to create ambiance!

For added string-light fun glitz, I like the idea of combining an icicle string of lights with mirrored garland (I think I'd have to buy three times the garland per one length of lights for this ultra glittery effect, which means placing this along a short length of space - I'm thinking possibly above my mantel/TV

It won't let me link a picture but I'm thinking this different oval mirrored garland from partyoasis - 9 ft for $5.99
http://www.partyoasis.com/9ftovgaw.html


My last thought is concerning my living room centerpiece. I thought of making an ornament chandelier that I'd juryrig to my ceiling fan but I'm not sure it'd fit well. But since I'm incorporating a lot of glitz into my decorations I though about the ribbon adorned disco ball idea I'd seen on pinterest. 

Come to find out disco balls, even small ones, are quite heavy and I don't think I want to chance hanging 10 pounds from my fan. 
Ergo - my backup backup plan. I thought about how I have a lot of disco ball ornaments on my trees regularly. Then I thought about kissing balls that are so popular (I already plan on having a few laced with mistletoe, strategically hung for photo ops). 

Why not combine the two? So my plan is to get a large round styrofoam form and hotglue various sizes of silver disco ball ornaments to it, along with tiny jinglebells to fill the smallest spaces. I feel that should be a fair compromise to getting the effect that I want and still tying into my theme.

Side Tables for Xmas Party *to revisit*

Jotting down some ideas for my "random" tables for the party. I've got the coffee table and metal side table in the living room I covered that will have the orange pomanders and pinecones. And then the dining sideboard is pretty mapped out (though, it's made of iron scrollwork on the bottom so maybe an opportunity for more ornaments?).

From there I've got a small console in the living room and a long console in the breakfast nook, along with the console in the entryway. 

For the entryway table I want to keep it simple with new holiday candles for the scones and three painted picture frames with vinyl lettering that spell out "Ho Ho Ho" like so

Except with colors more in my theme. I've already picked out some scrapbook paper for these. It'll be simple and fun. Clustered around the frames I'll place some unraveled metallic curling ribbon. 

There is a lower shelf to this table that I'll place my favorite sparkly santa I got from Pier1 some years ago. 

In the living room I have a narrow console table with a large scrolled iron wall candelabra hanging above it. I plan on having the candelabra all light up with tealights and the table will serve as my Coffee/HotCocoa Bar. 

I'm going to paint a simple sign from posterboard with the phrase "Have a cup of cheer" and hang it from the middle of my candelabra (similar to this idea)

On the station I plan on having two carafes (I only have one right now but I want two matching so I'm going to get a set of cheapies [$12.50] from the WEBstaurantstore.com)

Slap a bow on it, call it festive. Job done.

For mix-in options you gotta have whipped cream, (homemade) marshmallows, shaved chocolate, cinnamon sticks, peppermint sticks, turbinado sugar, and cream. Maybe more metallic curling ribbon for the tablescape and/or confetti (using that paint strip/paper punch idea on pinterest). Maybe small jingle bells. Dunno, sure it'll flesh out later.

For the long table, that will be my signature cocktail table - with the sangria, eggnog punchbowl, & martini pitcher. I've got one small silver tinsel tree already so I'm going to spring for another and use those, along with table confetti.

Somewhere along the table I'll have a sign reading "Making Spirits Bright" for a little cheek :)

On both drink tables I was thinking of trimming the tables with this glittery felt "snow" *insert picture later*. Might not be needed, IDK. I think I'll set up the stations with dishes, bowls and pitchers a few days before hand to see what needs adjusting.

And I'm losing my thought process because it's late so I'll come back to this one laters!

Christmas Dining Room

I'm so excited! Yesterday my dining room table finally arrived and I have all my chairs too! I'm eager to post pictures although I don't have the room nearly together but first.. I have to put the table legs back on the CORRECT way lol.. I was looking at it after I flipped it over thinking it looked a little funky.. I put the damn legs on backwards, ha. 

I've got ideas swirling around my head for the dining room but that'll be for another post with pictures of the table. 

Still thinking of the dining room, I'm thinking about how I want it to look for my soiree. 

I'll be setting the chairs aside elsewhere and using the formal dining table for my hot appetizer foods in two chafers. I'll have plenty of room on the table so for my centerpiece, I'll be utilizing my new apothecary jars and I'll be raising them a bit on a covered platform. 

This is an example of the direction I'll be going with the jars

Filled with christmas goodies - for mine I'm thinking of filling the smallest with glittered old fashioned light bulbs in my theme colors (white, silver, red and prep green)

Some of those same candycane ornaments (my decor will be very ornament heavy)

And for the third perhaps a modge podge of glittered pinecones, jingle bells and some other random vase filler

As for the platform, I'll be keeping my eye out for some sturdy plastic containers that I can flip over and cover with colored tulle. Under the tulle I want to lay a string of battery powered led lights for this kind of effect

Overhead, I'll be hanging a few ornaments from the chandelier (though perhaps not this low, I won't know til I actually hang them)

That will wrap up the table, I'm sure it'll look busy enough. When not in party mode, I'll just have a simple lantern on the table with some votives
For the sideboard I want to keep it simple - I want to re-create two of these mini ball-style topiaries

And I want to hang a similar banner between them reading "rejoice"

 

Other components of the room will be the first time I put out two main trees - I'll be putting my smaller 7.5 foot tree on a revolving stand in the dining room and it's theme will be all things Santa! I have so many gingerbread ornaments, I'm sure I'll be able to use some on that tree - I won't know how it will all work out til I finally get them up but I'm hoping to keep it exclusively santa with red, white, silver and black. That's one thing that I need to look up ideas for but I think it will be adorable - especially adorned witha  Santa hat topper. 

The last component will be garland bundting hung across the top arch of the wall connecting the dining room to the entryway/foyer. This garland I'm hoping to make from deco mesh and work garland, ala

And that will be my ultra christmasy formal dining room

Gingerbread Topiary Idear

I had an hour to kill this morning before a meeting I had at the kid's school so naturally, I spent it trolling Hobby Lobby for some ideas on materials to use for xmas decor projects.

I've had my eye on topiaries lately. As I've said, I have a lot of table space to fill this year and I think an assortment of topiaries will really fit the bill.

I found these awesome paper mache tree forms that I'll be going back tomorrow to scoop up

It was 9.99 for the big one and I can't recall the small but if I get then for 40% that's a deal either way! Sure I could do the posterboard method that a lot of blogs you read on these kind of trees employ but buying these will save me time and frustration and these will be much sturdier anyway.

My immediate thought for one of these was a Gingerbread tower. (Most of my holiday decor is gingerbread). I was thinking about how I would accomplish that and so far my thoughts are to paint the whole thing a darker brown and then make all the trim and "candies" from polymer clay. This is going to be my inspiration pretty much

From there I'll hotglue the candies and trim, lacquer it all, and top it with a bow.

I'm sure this project is going to be a pain in the ass and that I could never hope to make two of the same so this'll be for one of the topiaries that I intend on placing on top of my kitchen cabinets.
Of the other two (I plan on three total in that location) I plan on making a sparkly red santa's hat with sparkly poofy white trim and a yarn candy cane patterned one.

Xmas-y D'Lights!

*I've updated this entry to a closer draft*

So today, well, I was really thinking about dozens of things but now that I'm home.. Just wanted to jot down some ideas for the menu.

I'm going to go heavy on appetizers and try to stay away from anything that really resembles dinner. BUT, at the same time I want everyone to come hungry so I'll be offering a little more than I normally would in the horsdeurves department.

Planning on feeding around 30 people with
5 Cold/room temp apps
4 Hot apps (I have two chaffers with half pans)
5 Desserts
4 Cocktails

Cocktails, previously discussed, are to be:
Fresh Nog (with Vanilla & Nutmeg)
Winter Sangria (with pomegranate, clementine & blackberry)
Cranberry Martinis
And a Coffee/Hot Chocolate Station with whipped cream, home made marshmallows, milk and mini liquors for flavor blending (I'm thinking a trio - like kahlua, bailey's, and creme de menthe)

Hot apps I'm thinking:

Bacon Wrapped Dates
Spinach Artichoke Dip (with Lords Chips)
Chorizo Stuffed Pequillo Peppers
Crab Stuffed Mushroom Caps


Cold apps I'm considering:

Crostini Duo of Whipped Creamed Bleu Cheese with Cabernet Poached Pears
Walnut Crusted Creamy Muscat Grapes
Antipasto Meat/Veg/Olive Platter
Drunken Tomatoes (marinated in vodka and tossed in crazy salt)
Grilled Lamb Rib Chops with Red Currant Sauce


As for Desserts, I'm sure I'm going to change my mind a long in the weeks coming but I'm thinking:

A Classic Yule Log (Perhaps yellow cake and fudge filling with berries)
Duo of Truffles & White Chocolate Covered Cherries
Prosecco Gelee with Mandarin Oranges & Cranberries
Pumpkin White Chocolate Mousse Tartlettes
Mini Eggnog Cheesecakes


I'm also thinking of making some traditional sugar plums via this recipe
http://www.foodtimeline.org/christmasfood.html#sugarplums

And a traditional figgy pudding just so everyone at the party can say they've tasted "traditional" centuries old christmas dessertsd

Ahh.. now to go pin!

Xmas Centah-fold!

Perhaps I'll come back and edit this since it's just a quick thought - but I'm also thinking about decorative pieces on the cheap. I'll have about 5 more tables to decorate than I had last year so I'm going to need a good many more idears. For the coffee table i was thinking about a simple basket or charger of pomanders. Totally cheap and the kids can get involved too!

Something else I'd like to do (another one for getting kids in on the action) is going to the park to gather pinecones so I can spraypaint a bunch of them silver and use them to either fill an apothecary vase and/or to strew about my dessert table.

Or I could hang them from the curtain rods like so

For sure this would be cheap and do-able - hope the kids don't eat all the peppermint candies, ha!

Dining room rough draft

And I just wanna say, when I'm ready for it, I want this corner bakers rack thingy to put in my dining room. I think I'll be able to paint the iron to match the other piece I have in mind (hell, I'll post that too).

http://www.bakersracks.com/corner-bakers-racks/wood/porticacornerbakersrack.cfm?alt=results#pr-header-ALZ629
Currently $279.99 with free shipping - I think it'll be perfect for some hidden storage of more miscellaneous things.


And the other major piece of furniture to round out my dining room - this console which I intend to use as my sideboard/buffet

The Azzurro Iron Console from Ballard Designs
http://www.ballarddesigns.com/azzurro-iron-console/furniture/consoles/14871?defattrib=&defattribvalue=&listIndex=14
With an $80 delivery surcharge and best 15% coupon, I could score this for about $420 (a bit more economical than the pottery barn alternative I was eyeing at $1800).

I plan on painting the black iron a more bronze color for more neutrality. Other than that I think it'll be perfect. A nice guarded place to store my liquor and prepped up sidework (folded linen, trays and such) for dinner parties.

Xmas Heights!

Xmas-y thoughts on this lovely first of September. I think I've decided on a date of December 8th so that gives me.. 14 weeks, ha!

Well today I'm thinking about what I'm going to do with my ceilings. I've got vaulted ceilngs in the living room and kitchen and these rooms are partially divided  by a wall with three arches. I don't think I'll do much in the kitchen but for the living room I'd really like a garland type deal. I was thinking of tinsel garland at first but I think I'm gonna scrap that in favor of the ultra cheap crepe streamer ($4 for a roll of 500 ft, chyeah).

In turn, I think that's pretty much cemented my idea of theme - just lots of red & white, with silver accents. Very santa/peppermint stick-esque. In fact, I think I'm going to put a tree in the dining room and make that my new Santa tree.

So basic horizontal streamer duo on the ceiling a la

Though perhaps not that many. Thinking 6 - 10 tops. And more droopy.

With the leftover crepe paper (out of 500 ft, there's bound to be some left) I can either make christmas wreaths like this halloween one (just get some cheap wood cutout saying from the craftstore and paint glitter)

Or I can make a large "Kissing Ball" by rolling crepe rosettes and sticking them to foam balls. Then I'd stick on some faux gems and fix some mistletoe to it - then I'd hang this in the middle arch dividing my living room/kitchen for photo opts

As far as my arches go, I plan on spiraling some tinsel garland down the both of them - I was going to do red and white for peppermint sticks but since that will be the ceiling maybe I'll just stick with silver. Very much like this but inside and not so grandiose

And in the wide open space over my television I definitely want to do a home-made banner.. Either Merry Christmas or Rejoice. I'm thinking I could find some basic circle wood cutouts from the craft store, hopefully different sizes, and I can hand paint them then stack them for effect. Will try to drill holes and thread ribbon myself.

And last but not least, I need to find a way of hacking my ceiling fan so that it will hold the added weight of about two dozen ornaments and some ribbon - a la

I just need to find a way of hanging this flush in the middel, which probably requires some engineering on opposing sides of the base of the fan, but I think I can swing it.

Thinking Xmas-y Thoughts

I don't really feel like whipping out a pen and paper and then I remember this blog! And how I've been awful at neglecting it. I go back and forth between pinterest and here and just writing things. I get overwhelmed with pinterest often and lose my place in my umpteen notebooks so this is perfect.

I know it's early but, I want to be super prepared with a detailed gameplan. I'm planning a Christmas soiree for all of our friends and hubby's coworkers so I definitely want to bring an A game. The way you do that? All in the details baby..

So here are my xmas-y thoughts for the day:

I want to put out some eggnog. Gotta have Nog dude. Only, what to put it in. Definitly don't want to just put it out in a bowl. Boring AND I can't stand to think of drinking lukewarm nog. I need a punch bowl anyway and this might be a great way to parlay a purchase of something heavy duty to use for years to come.

So I'm looking at this piece on Amazon - a double-walled hammered punch bowl (3 gal)

This is perfect for a number of reasons. Being doublewalled, it's got better insulating properties. It's metal so it can be chilled a head of time and will be able to hold that chill for awhile. It's also hammered, which is a metal-finish effect that I love that I also plan on purchasing more of so - when it's not in use for parties it can be put out for everyday display purposes. It's about $73 on amazon right now which isn't too bad considering many other places are asking $180 and up for the same product.

Second thought about nog, I know it's great with booze but not everyone is a fan. How to keep both the boozers and temperance-ists happy?

Put out a bottle of Jack with a pouring spout and don't forget to wrap the bottle with a festive bow!
Something like this

Last thought about the punchbowl - I'm gonna want to festive it up to the max and place a wreath at the base - kind of like this idea

And this.. I'm sure.. will be the centerpiece of my beverage table. I plan on offering hot spiced cider in the dining room with the chaffers and hot items and still need to come up with two more signature cocktails and one winter sangria (so far thinking definitely pomegranates and clementines). Alls I know so far is I need something with vodka and some kind of awesome margarita because we need a little tequila at christmas time to satisfy my Viejo.