YumSugar

Come Party With Me: New Year's Eve - Music

YumSugar — Fri, 29 Dec 2006 07:02:08 -0800

The day of a party is always packed with excitement and millions of last minute details to complete. Once the candles are lit, the drinks on ice, and the party outfit gracefully draping your body, the last thing to do is to turn on the tunes. Music is a vital component to any party and like everything else involving your event (the invitations, the menu, the decorations), you should plan ahead. Lucky for me (and you!) I asked BuzzSugar to help me come up with a play list for my New Year's Eve bash. To see her picks and my tips, read more

When I began to think about hosting this party I asked BuzzSugar if she had any suggestions for a playlist. Since she is so incredibly nice, she offered to come up with an entire playlist of songs.

Good Weekend - Art Brut
New Years Eve - The Walkmen
Where It's At - Beck
Feel Good Inc - Gorillaz
Kiss - Prince
Portions for Foxes - Rilo Kiley
Use It - New Pornographers
Good Rockin Tonight - Elvis
Midnight Show - The Killers
Wild Night - Van Morrison
This Will Be Our Year - The Zombies
It Hurts to See You Dance So Well - The Pipettes

Along with her list, I plan on mixing good dancing music, both old and new (Kylie Minogue, Beyonce, Nelly Furtado) with a little rock (RHCP, Coldplay, the Killers), rap (Jay-Z, Akon), and Latino (Paulina, Mana). Ultimately, it's your party so play what you want to listen to. Remember to keep it upbeat and to vary the type of music you play. Plan a couple of hours worth of songs to avoid repeats throughout the night.

Know a song I forgot to add to the playlist? Tell me about it below so I can be sure to bump it at my party!

Come Party With Me: New Year's Eve - Decorations

YumSugar — Thu, 28 Dec 2006 07:01:01 -0800

New Year's Eve is just around the corner and so is my New Year's Eve party! I've already sent the invitations and prepared the food, so today is all about the decorations. Black and gold are the colors of my party and I want
everything to be over the top! To see how I'll transform my room from everyday to party day, read more

As Christmas was hardly a week ago, all of the decorations: tree (sadly, minus the presents), lights, reindeer, candles, and wreaths will still be intact for New Year's Eve. However, the red, green, and candy cane themed table setting totally must go. Instead, I'll take the leaves (extensions) out of the center of my table to create more space for guests to boogie down during the party.

Next, dimension will be added to the table by placing various sized boxes on top of it. It doesn't matter what kind of boxes you use as they will be covered by layers of sparkling gold and black velvet fabric. I love the coupling of glittering gold and rich dark velvet as it enhances the texture and illusion.

Guests can use small black appetizer plates and champagne glasses for the cava and pink elephants. The food will be laid out on large gold plates that reader Moni B found (and placed in the Yum Market, thanks Moni B!). After I put them on the boxes (which are now covered with pretty fabric), the plates will be at varying heights adding a touch of glamorous sophistication. Candles must be lit and I'll add some Christmas lights to the living room for extra mood lighting - this way I won't have to turn on any of my real lamps or chandeliers. Black and gold NYE confetti will be scattered on all of the tabletops and the railings along my stairway will be lined candy cane style with black and gold metallic ribbon.

Got some incredible black and gold decoration ideas that you are just dying to share? Send them to me or add your delish designs to the Yum Market. Stay tuned because tomorrow I'll discuss the final part of my New Year's Eve party plan (with a little help from BuzzSugar): music!

Come Party With Me: New Year's Eve - Menu

YumSugar — Wed, 27 Dec 2006 07:03:17 -0800

As you all know, I love throwing parties. This week I'm talking about hosting a New Year's Eve Party. Yesterday I created elegant invitations with black and gold paper and today I'm planning the menu. It's always a good idea to map out the menu as soon as you have decided to throw the party. This way you can purchase specialty goods early and prepare certain foods ahead of time. To take a look at the menu I'll be serving on Sunday, read more

Menu: I like to spend the afternoon before the last night of the year leisurely primping and prepping for the main event. Luckily I invited people late enough so that everyone should have had dinner which means that my nibbles can be light and small. In order for me to enjoy my beauty afternoon I'll plan a menu of easy make ahead appetizers. I'll offer Smoked Salmon Spread, Sweet Potato Cakes with Fresh Cranberry Relish, and Apple Chicken Salad in lettuce leaves. For dessert I'll make Samoas Cupcakes the day before and I'll place lots of little gold bowls with Champagne Grapes as a tiny tasty treat to munch on anytime throughout the night.

Click on image to read the recipe:

Drinks: Now that the food is sorted out, it's time to discuss drinks. I will serve tons of cava (the Spanish version of champagne) and one specialty cocktail, a Pink Elephant (Eva Mendes is a fan of this drink). When my guests RSVP, I'll let them know that if they want to drink beer they should bring their own. I'll also offer a non-alcoholic mocktail in the form of Virgin Strawberry Bellinis.

Think my menu lacks your most requested appetizer recipe? Well post it in the recipe section with the tag New Year's Eve and I may serve it at the party and feature it here!

Come Party With Me: New Year's Eve - Invitations

YumSugar — Tue, 26 Dec 2006 07:04:23 -0800

I love the holidays because there are multiple days of celebration. The day after Christmas you have no reason to feel let down because New Year's Eve is just around the corner. With that said, it's time to get started planning my New Year's Eve Party. Each day this week I will write about a different element of the party, so if you want to plan with me you'll have some time to do so.

After deciding to plan a party the first step is to create a guest list. A very key factor in the success of a party is the group of people who will attend. Sure it's tempting to invite everyone you know to your party but more is not necessarily merrier. The night of a party a hostess has too many other things to worry about than whether or not there will be belligerent friction, uncomfortable silences, or unwanted cliques. Once you figure out exactly who will be on the guest list, it's time to make the invitations. To see the invitations I have sent out for my New Year's Eve party, read more

Invites: As I have mentioned before, invitations should reflect the mood, atmosphere, and theme of the party. Let's apply that concept here. The mood is festive - it's the start of a new year; the atmosphere is full of excitement and anticipation for the clock to strike 12, and the theme is New Year's. Black and gold will be the dominating color scheme running through the party (pair a metallic with any other color: silver and blue, purple and gold, silver and pink, red and gold). I'll start by folding a sheet of black cardstock in half lengthwise to make a long skinny card 11x4.25 inches. Next I'll take shiny gold paper that is slightly smaller than the folded black card stock (10x3 inches) and will add a sculpted edge by using fancy crafting scissors.

Using gold glitter glue (or with gold alphabet stickers), I'll write You are like Gold to Me on the paper. Once the glitter has dried I will glue the gold paper to the front of the folded black card. Next using my computer I'll type the following information in gold ink:

And I want you to be there when I celebrate the arrival of 2007! Please join me in a blowout bash to ring in the New Year on Sunday the 31 of December at 9:30 pm. After dinner nibbles and champagne. Festive and fabulous attire requested. Please RSVP by December 30.

I'll print it out on another piece of black card stock and cut a rectangle (with my fancy crafting scissors) that is slightly smaller than the folded black card. Finally I will glue this piece to the inside of my invitation to complete it.

Instead of using a plain old envelope I will wrap the card in shiny gold paper - different from the one on the front of the invitation. I will tie the wrapped invite with black ribbon that has a whole punched tag looped through it. On the tag I will write the name of the invited guest. Lastly I will drive around to each of my friends houses and place the package invitation in their mailboxes.

Now some of you may be thinking, YumSugar that sounds like a great idea, but I don't have time to make an elaborate homemade invitation. Don't worry. I have found some great invites-below-that you can turn into your own by taking the picture and adding it to a word document that has the text of your party.

Now that I told you all about the process of creating my New Year's Eve Party invites, feel free to share your ideas with me! Check back tomorrow to read about the menu for this party.

Source

Come Party With Me: New Year's Day Lunch - Menu

partysugar — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 11:45:32 -0800

Instead of hosting a crazy party on New Year's Eve, invite friends and family over for a decadent lunch on Jan. 1. Begin the soirée in the early afternoon (around 2:30) to allow late-night partygoers plenty of time to recover. Serve a menu that is rich, satisfying, and luxurious.

Start with caviar on brioche toasts with creme fraiche. Slice smoked salmon and cream cheese frittata into bite-size pieces and serve as appetizers. Have guests sit down to a creamy leek and potato soup paired with a simple salad of mixed greens dressed with champagne vinaigrette.

This menu would also make a delightful first day of the year dinner. To check out the recipes, read more.

Toasted Brioche Rounds With Creme Fraiche and Caviar
From Martha Stewart

Ingredients

1 one-pound loaf brioche, cut into 1/2-inch thick slices
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 eight-ounce container creme fraiche or sour cream
2 ounces black caviar, or more

Directions

Using a 1 1/2-inch round cookie cutter, cut 36 rounds of brioche from slices.
Place 1 tablespoon butter in a 12-inch skillet. Melt over medium heat. Add half the rounds; cook until golden, turning once, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Repeat with remaining butter and rounds. Let cool on a wire rack or paper towel. Store rounds in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.
Place a dollop of creme fraiche on each round, and top with caviar.

Makes 36 appetizers.

Print recipe with images | without images

Smoked-Salmon and Cream Cheese Frittata
From Gourmet

Ingredients

8 large eggs
1/2 cup whole milk
1/4 cup chopped fresh chives
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons olive oil or vegetable oil
2 oz cold cream cheese, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
3 oz thinly sliced smoked salmon, chopped
thinly sliced red or sweet onion, optional for serving

Directions

Whisk together eggs, milk, chives, basil, pepper, and salt in a bowl.
Preheat broiler.
Heat oil in a 12-inch ovenproof nonstick skillet (if handle is plastic, wrap it in a double layer of foil) over moderate heat until hot but not smoking. Pour egg mixture into skillet and scatter cream cheese pieces on top, then cook, lifting up cooked egg around edges using a spatula to let raw egg flow underneath, until frittata is set on bottom and egg is almost set but still moist on top, 3 to 5 minutes.
Remove from heat. Sprinkle salmon all over frittata, then press on salmon lightly and shake skillet to allow salmon to settle into top.
Broil frittata about 6 inches from heat until set, slightly puffed, and golden in patches, 1 to 1 1/2 minutes.
Cool 5 minutes, then loosen edge with spatula and slide onto a large plate. Cut into wedges and serve warm or at room temperature.

Serves 4.

Print recipe with images | without images

Creamy Leek and Potato Soup
From Food and Wine

Ingredients

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 large leeks, white and tender green parts only, thinly sliced
1 baking potato (1/2 pound), peeled and cut into 2-inch chunks
5 cups chicken stock or canned low-sodium broth
1 cup heavy cream
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Chervil or parsley sprigs, for garnish

Directions

Melt the butter in a large saucepan. Add the leeks and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 8 minutes.
Add the potato and chicken stock and bring to a boil. Cover partially and simmer over low heat until the potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes.
Add the cream and simmer for 10 minutes longer.
Working in batches, puree the soup in a blender, then return it to the pan. Season the soup with salt and pepper, garnish with chervil and serve.

Serves 6.

Make ahead: The soup can be refrigerated overnight.

Print recipe with images | without images

Come Party With Me: New Year's Day Lunch - Dessert

partysugar — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 09:15:37 -0800

After a rich menu of caviar toasts and creamy potato-leek soup, serve guests a classic dessert like shortcakes. In this recipe the beloved cake stack gets a Winter makeover. Fresh strawberries are replaced with roasted pears.

An easy, homemade toffee sauce adds a buttery warmth to the dish. Pillows of lightly whipped cream finish off the decadent, not-too-sweet dessert. To look at the simple recipe - it would be a divine finish to any Winter dinner party - read more.

Roasted Pear Shortcakes with Warm Toffee Sauce
From Everyday With Rachael Ray

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup plus 3 tablespoons light brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 sticks plus 3 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 large egg
2 cups heavy cream, 1 cup whipped
6 pears (about 2 1/2 pounds)-peeled, halved, cored and sliced about 1/4 inch thick

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400°. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Using an electric mixer, beat the flour with 1/4 cup brown sugar, the baking powder and salt. Add 1 1/2 sticks butter and mix on low until crumbly.
In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and 1/2 cup unwhipped heavy cream. Add the liquid to the mixer and mix until just combined.
Pat the dough out until about 1 inch thick on the prepared baking sheet and cut into 6 equal pieces. Place the pieces 1 inch apart and bake until lightly golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool on a rack.
Meanwhile, place the pears with the 3 tablespoons brown sugar and the 3 tablespoons butter on a rimmed baking sheet and toss to coat. Cover the pears loosely with foil and roast until tender and caramelized, about 15 minutes.
In a small saucepan, combine the remaining 1 stick butter with the remaining 1/2 cup unwhipped heavy cream and the remaining 3/4 cup brown sugar and cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar dissolves. Increase the heat to medium-high and simmer the toffee sauce until thickened, about 5 minutes.
To serve, slice each shortcake in half and layer the bottom halves with the toffee sauce, roasted pears and whipped cream. Drizzle more toffee sauce over the whipped cream and cover with the shortcake tops.

Makes 6 shortcakes.

Print recipe with images | without images

Say Cheers to Chic Champagne Flutes

partysugar — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 14:30:16 -0800

Champagne is chic, so why shouldn't your glassware be? Ring in the New Year with a champagne flute that puts a contemporary twist on the traditional look. These modern, sleek designs can capably contain your bubbly while looking surprising and sophisticated.

From the minimalist MOYA Champagne Flute ($27.50) to stylishly simple offerings from fashion designers Monique Lhuillier and Calvin Klein, these glasses add punch to any New Year's party - as if you needed help. Check out my favorite finds below.

How Did You Celebrate New Year's Eve?

partysugar — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 06:01:31 -0800

Source

Black-Eyed Pea "Caviar" Is a Deep-South Delicacy

YumSugar — Mon, 18 May 2009 16:15:17 -0700

Don't let the name fool you: this "LA Caviar" is neither from Los Angeles nor made from caviar. Rather, the "LA" stands for "Lower Alabama," the coastal corner of Alabama that's home to Lulu's at Homeport Marina, a beachside restaurant owned by Jimmy Buffett's sister, Lucy Buffett. I borrowed this recipe from a Southern friend a few years back, and it's since become one of my favorite easy and healthy dips to whip up for parties.

Similar to a salsa, this chunky bean salad gets its tang from tomatoes and bell peppers, a touch of earthiness from the peas, and a delightful sweetness thanks to balsamic vinegar and sugar. To learn more and get the recipe, read more.

This dip is delicious on tortilla chips or crackers - I love to serve it with seeded flatbreads. It's a satisfying Summer dish, and since black-eyed peas are a good-luck food in the South, this makes a great New Year's Eve nibble, too.

Lulu's LA (Lower Alabama) Caviar
Lulu's at Homeport Marina via Atlanta Journal Constitution

Ingredients

3 (15-ounce) cans black-eyed peas, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup chopped red onion
3 tablespoons chopped green bell pepper
3 tablespoons chopped red bell pepper
3 tablespoons chopped yellow bell pepper
1/2 cup quartered cherry tomatoes
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
Salt and pepper

Directions

Combine black-eyed peas, onion, peppers, tomatoes, parsley, vinegar, oil and sugar
Season with salt and pepper.
Marinate for 12 to 24 hours before serving.
Serve with crackers or tortilla chips.

Serves 10.

Per serving: 203 calories, 8 grams protein, 27 grams carbohydrates, 6 grams fiber, 8 grams fat (1 gram saturated), no cholesterol, 279 milligrams sodium.

Print recipe with images | without images

Celebrate With Fig Tapenade, Goat Cheese Amuse-Bouche

YumSugar — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 16:00:23 -0800

New Year's Eve is an ideal time to serve simple appetizers that can withstand hours of partying. After making Roquefort and Walnut Canapés, I had leftover walnuts, so I looked for another amuse bouche that could use up the nuts.

With its easy fig and olive tapenade, this delicious bite is served on a cracker with a small dollop of goat cheese and a roasted walnut topping. The tapenade can be made three days in advance, and the whole thing is quick to assemble just before party time. Every bite is the perfect combination of sweet, salty, creamy, and crunchy. To celebrate with these appetizing hors d'oeuvres, read more.

Fig Tapenade and Goat Cheese Amuse-Bouche
Adapted From Bon Appétit

Ingredients

1 cup chopped stemmed dried Calimyrna figs
1/3 cup water
1/3 cup chopped pitted kalamata olives or other brine-cured black olives
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon drained capers, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
3-4 ounces logs soft fresh goat cheese
1/2 cup toasted walnut halves
1-2 boxes of crackers or 1-2 baguettes cut in rounds and toasted
Fresh thyme sprigs (optional)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350. Place walnuts on a cookie sheet. Bake for 8-12 minutes or until fragrant. Watch closely as they can burn quickly.
Combine chopped figs and 1/3 cup water in heavy medium saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat until liquid evaporates and figs are soft, about 7 minutes. Transfer to medium bowl.
Mix in olives, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, capers, and chopped thyme. Use a hand mixer to better incorporate all ingredients. Season tapenade to taste with salt and pepper. (Can be made 3 days ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature before serving.)
Arrange crackers and top with 1 1/2 teaspoon goat cheese and 1 teaspoon of tapenade. Garnish with walnut halves and thyme sprigs, if desired.

Makes 36-42 appetizers.

Print recipe with images | without images

View 8 Photos ›

Olya Champagne Flute - $22.50	Calvin Klein Home "Boulle" Champagne Flute Pair - $60.00
ELINA Champagne Flute - $31.50	Champagne Flutes - $24.95
Monique Lhuillier for Royal Doulton "Joie" Champagne Flute - $35.00	Dansk "Karin" Organix Flutes, Set of 4 - $43.00
Monique Lhuillier for Royal Doulton "‰toile" Champagne Flute - $35.00	Nambe Champagne Flutes, Pair 11" - $79.00
Robert Mondavi by Waterford Champagne Flute, Pair 6 oz. - $50.00	Calvin Klein Home "Halcyon" Flutes, Set of 2 - $50.00
Orrefors "Amor Vincit Omnia" Champagne Flute, set of 2 - $150.00	Morph Champagne Flutes by Nambé - $79.00
Calvin Klein Home "Angled Cut" Flute, 6 Oz. - $35.00	MOYA Champagne Flute - $27.50