Fun Finds Friday
May 20th, 2011 § Leave a Comment
I’m all over the board with this week’s Fun Finds Friday! From brownies to handbags to grilling tools – enjoy.
Umm…bourbon-soaked cherries in a brownie? Yes, please! girl next door baked goods knows how to do it up right. In addition to these lovelies, there’s her chile-cinnamon-vanilla brownies, peanut butter cookies and lots of other delish options that are sure to satisfy any sweet tooth.
Ah, Kate Spade. Classy. Chic. Stylish. Fun. Flirty. {Insert your own fabulous adjective here!} I adore her style. So much so that I have several of her bags in my purse rotation. I love this bag! It just screams fun.
Hooray for BBQ’ing! With summer right around the corner, cooks everywhere will start to turn off the oven and head out back to fire up the grill. How fun is this customizable branding iron from SteakBrands.com? I can already picture my initials in a grilled chicken breast or burger.
So, it’s on to the weekend. I have some running to do to prepare for the Rock ‘n Roll half marathon in San Diego next month, I want to try out a new cookie recipe that I have an idea for and of course there’s a bunch of stuff to do around the house! Have a great one, all. (p.s. There are still a few changes to my blog that I’m working on…so stay tuned!)
Summer Sangria
May 18th, 2011 § 1 Comment
Ah, summer. I love everything about it. The warm weather and sun bathing. The get-togethers with family and friends. The fun fare that emerges from the grill. The wonderful array of sweet fruits and crisp veggies at the farmers market. What’s not to love?
Summer is an ideal time to take advantage of some of the succulent fruit available and make white sangria. It’s cold, refreshing and slightly sweet – all the right qualifications for an ideal summer drink. I recently made this recipe at a graduation party (along with a red sangria) and it was so popular that when I make it again for my upcoming Summer Solstice party, I’ll be doubling (or perhaps tripling) the recipe.
Ingredients
2 small peaches (white or yellow – yellow looks really pretty)
1 granny smith apple
1 navel orange
1 bottle cava
1 3/4 cups apple juice
1 1/3 cups Triple Sec
1 cup club soda
Directions
Slice fruit into thin slices and place in large pitcher. Pour in sparkling wine, apple juice and Triple Sec. If possible, refrigerate 2+ hours to draw out sweetness of the fruit. When ready to serve, add the club soda and stir. Spoon some fruit pieces into glasses filled with ice and pour. Makes 8 drinks.
ASU Graduation Party
May 16th, 2011 § 1 Comment
I am so proud of my sister, Jenny! She just graduated from ASU and to help her celebrate, I wanted to create a special table to house the red and white (recipe to come soon) sangria, as well as a few other treats and surprises.
Going for a maroon and gold theme, I made the table cloth from fabric I found at a bulk fabric store (thanks to Baked by Joanna for the tips); the tall candy jars, which are filled with lemon heads and cherry licorice, the glass bottles filled with lemonade and fruit punch, and pitchers with gold lids were all purchased at a thrift store (Ross). All the pieces came together nicely and I now have some great pieces to use for my next party! I also found a lovely dark cherry wood frame that I used to show off a picture I took of my sister and her husband at the graduation ceremony the night before the party.
Just by looking at the layout, you can tell I’m still learning how to style a table. All in all, though, I was pretty happy with how it turned out (don’t mind the funky looking cake balls in the center – I’m still learning those, too!).
p.s. I also had a chance to decorate her graduation cap so we could find her in the sea of maroon caps!
