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Come Party With Me: Fall Lunch - Drinks

partysugar — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 12:50:02 -0700

Every aspect of my Fall lunch features a quintessential ingredient that screams Autumn - including the specialty cocktail I'll be serving guests as they arrive.

Instead of making mimosas with fresh-squeezed orange juice, this refreshing recipe employs pear nectar. A splash of lime juice brings a delicious tartness to the concoction.

With the rich, cheesy butternut squash lasagna, I'll pour a dry rosé and sparkling water. To look at the pear mimosa recipe, read more.

Pear Mimosas
From Real Simple

Ingredients

2 bottles Champagne (or ginger ale), chilled
4 cups pear nectar
1 lime, cut into 8 wedges

Directions
For each serving, pour 3/4 cup of Champagne (or ginger ale) into a flute or wineglass and top with 1/2 cup of pear nectar. Squeeze and drop in 1 wedge of lime.

Serves 8.

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Happy Hour: Mimosa

partysugar — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 15:01:51 -0700

The other day, a friend asked me what were the standard proportions for making a mimosa. While I pour mine with 3/4 Champagne and 1/4 orange juice, I wasn't sure if that was the normal ratio. I asked her to wait a second while I checked YumSugar.com. I went looking for our mimosa recipe and was shocked to see that we've never written about a mimosa before! How this classic brunch cocktail slipped through the cracks is beyond me - I enjoy mimosas on a weekly basis!

For the best mimosas, use fresh squeezed orange juice and a cheap but good sparkling wine. To look at the recipe, read more.

Mimosa
Modified from Williams-Sonoma

According to Wikipedia the ratio is three parts Champagne/sparkling wine to two parts orange juice.

Ingredients

2 Tbs. fresh orange juice
4 fl. oz. plus a splash of Champagne or sparkling wine
1 orange wheel for garnish (optional)

Directions
Pour the orange juice and Champagne into a Champagne flute. Stir briefly. Add the orange wheel.

Serves 1.

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Hangover Remedy: Mimosa or Bloody Mary?

partysugar — Sun, 28 Dec 2008 01:30:53 -0800

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Come Party With Me: Fall Lunch - The Look

partysugar — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 08:00:32 -0700

When creating a tablescape for an autumnal lunch, let the colors of falling leaves be inspiration. A mixed leaf wreath hanging on the front door immediately sets a festive tone. If hosting the event outside in an area where the weather is chilly, have a fire pit or heater. Pumpkins are an affordable and appropriate decoration when stacked near the dining table. Light cream pillar candles and place on the table or around the lunch location.

Cover the table with an orange cloth, brown placemats, and cream plates. Roll napkins, slide into leaf napkin rings, and place one on each plate. Serve the lasagna in a sage green baking dish. Selecting one versatile wine glass that can be used for the mimosa, wine, or water will save you time after the party. Instead of washing three glasses per guest, you'll only have to wash one!

Happy Hour: Ramos Gin Fizz

partysugar — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 12:45:26 -0700

As we head into the weekend, it's time to turn our attention to the very important topic of brunch cocktails. Though a bloody mary or mimosa is the obvious choice, I find that a Ramos gin fizz functions as an excellent morning drink.

If you're a fan of fizzes, you'll find plenty of the gin-infused variety. Yum celebrates her happy brunch hours with a family recipe.

This classic version, invented by New Orleans barkeep Harry Ramos in the late 1800s, uses orange flower water as a French twist. Though it sounds heavy, it's surprisingly refreshing and frothy. To get the recipe, read more

How-To: Orchestrate a Last-Minute Thanksgiving Dinner

YumSugar — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 15:00:17 -0800

Still deliberating over what to serve for Thanksgiving?

While it's true that there's less than 24 hours until the biggest meal of the year, don't let the timing deter you from preparing a fabulous feast that's still outrageously indulgent. Unless you reveal your secret, your guests won't know the difference between this meal and one that you spent days preparing. To get our top suggestions if you've only got a couple of hours to put everything together, read more.

Skip the tedious roasting and carving. Serve this 60-minute turkey platter instead.
Need a hasty vegetable side? Heat up frozen creamed spinach, plated with a garnish. Creamed spinach is such an all-around favorite dish, we promise it'll be a winner.
While the turkey's cooking, make stuffing squares with saltines and vegetables on hand.
Punch up frozen mashed potatoes by stirring in chicken broth, half a cup of Parmesan cheese, and a teaspoon of truffle oil. Nobody will know you didn't make it from scratch!
Store-bought, whole-berry cranberry sauce does double duty as a both a condiment as well as a sweet and tart topping for pound cake.
Pour a cocktail made of ingredients you likely have on hand, such as this cranberry mimosa, which simply calls for cranberry juice, orange juice, and sparkling wine.
Still scrambling to get everything together? Employ your guests to help out in the kitchen.

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Come Party With Me: Baby Shower - The Look

partysugar — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 10:30:35 -0700

Butterflies in pastel yellow, pink, and khaki color tones are a wonderful inspiration for a baby shower's look. Start by covering the table with a pretty neutral-colored tablecloth. Serve the brunch food on pink platters and let each guest use a pretty butterfly plate. Serve both the mimosas and sparkling mocktail in modern square wine glasses. Add a touch of elegance by using your best silverware and nice napkins. Even though the event is in the morning light candles in embellished hurricane lamps.

Arrange a beautiful bouquet of yellow flowers. Pink diaper pins are the perfect finishing touch when delicately pinned to the napkins.

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Come Party With Me: Baby Shower - Drinks

partysugar — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 12:30:17 -0700

At a baby shower, it's incredibly important to have a nonalcholic specialty drink. That way the mother-to-be can join in the festivities. For Denise's baby shower brunch, I'll offer guests mimosas and spiced pomegranate sparklers.

The concoction is made with a cinnamon-spiced pomegranate juice and sparkling water. Do take the time to make the garnish - frozen whole cranberries - because it's a lovely addition to the drink.

Also have an assortment of juice, coffee, and tea on hand. To get the refreshing recipe to the sparkling mocktail, read more.

Spiced Pomegranate Sparkler
From Whole Living

Ingredients

1 cup pomegranate juice
1 stick cinnamon
2 cups sparkling mineral water
Frozen whole cranberries

Directions

In a small saucepan, heat pomegranate juice to near boiling, add cinnamon stick, and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool completely, at least 1 hour. Remove cinnamon stick.
Divide the spiced juice between 2 tall glasses; add 1 cup sparkling mineral water to each glass. Stir, add ice, and serve with a garnish of frozen cranberries.

Makes 2 drinks.

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Happy Hour: Bellini

partysugar — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 16:00:56 -0700

During the Summer's peach season, I love to enjoy bellinis. Similar to a mimosa, a bellini is Prosecco diluted with fresh white-peach puree. When made with perfectly ripe peaches, this glamorous cocktail is slightly sweet and delicately bubbly.

Named for the 15th-century Venetian painter, Giovanni Bellini, the drink was created at Harry's Bar in Venice sometime between 1934 and 1948. Now it is considered a classic cocktail and can be found on menus across America.

To make the peach puree, score a cross on the bottom of each peach with a knife.

Drop into a pot of boiling water for a couple minutes, plunge into an ice-water bath, and remove the skin. Chop into chunks, puree in the blender, and strain through a fine mesh sieve. For the proportions of this sublime concoction, read more.

Bellini
From Tony Abou-Ganim

Ingredients

3 ounces Prosecco or other sparkling wine
2 ounces fresh white-peach puree

Directions
Mix and serve in champagne flute.

Makes 1 cocktail.

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Happy Hour: Barefoot Bubbly Chardonnay

partysugar — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 14:27:33 -0700

Recently I had the chance to taste Barefoot's new Bubbly Chardonnay. Like a classic Chardonnay, it has a fresh fruit aroma, citrus apple flavor, and golden straw color. The body is refreshing and buoyant and the finish is crisp and light. The best thing about this bubbly is the incredible price; I've spotted it at Trader Joe's for only $4.99!

If you plan on hosting a Mother's Day brunch or shower and need to stock up on a good, affordable sparkling wine, I highly recommend you try Barefoot's Bubbly Chardonnay. It also makes a perfect bubbly for cocktails like a mimosa or bellini.