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Happy Hour: X-Rated Fusion Liqueur

partysugar — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 13:00:54 -0700

While I normally prefer a classic cocktail or a glass of good whiskey, I've been known to enjoy a girly drink (or two) in my lifetime. Recently I've become obsessed with this brilliantly pink liqueur, X-Rated ($27).

At first, the cheesy name and vibrant color made me nervous. I was afraid it was going to be overly sweet - more like cough syrup than a luscious liqueur. However, the rosy liquid is absolutely delicious! A fusion of French vodka and organic blood orange, mango, and passion fruit juices, the liqueur tastes fresh not artificial. It's sweet, but not overly so. I served a chilled shot to girlfriends before a night on the town, but it would also be a flavorful addition to specialty cocktails.

If you're hosting a bachelorette party or bridal shower, consider serving X-Rated. Your girlfriends will love the taste and the experience of sampling a new liqueur. A bottle also makes a lovely birthday gift for a fashionable 21-year-old.

Have you tried X-Rated? What did you think?

Come Party With Me: Bachelorette - The Look

partysugar — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 09:15:00 -0700

When browsing the party supply store for bachelorette party decorations, I came across nothing but tacky, raunchy, over the top accessories. However with a little ingenuity, an elegant and sophisticated look can be created at your bachelorette party. A purple, gray, and snake print theme is fabulous fun.

Place a gray placemat on a side table and have guests leave their presents there. Set the snacks and pecker cookies on snake print serving plates. Chill the Champagne in a faux snakeskin wine cooler and line flutes next to the cooler. Dim the lights and put candles in purple glass votives. Drape gray feather boas over the beds and dressers and arrange purple flowers in glass vases.

Purchase festive paper cocktail napkins with a bachelorette trivia game print. To keep the snake theme going with the party favors, give each guest a lip venom lip gloss. For more wedding ideas, check out IDoSugar.

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Come Party With Me: Bachelorette - Drinks

partysugar — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 12:15:40 -0700

Having a fabulous selection of alcoholic beverages at your bachelorette party is as important as having delicious food. Drinks will help unacquainted guests mingle more freely and will allow the entire group to loosen up.

For Elena's lingerie shower in my Vegas hotel room, I'll have an unlimited supply of her favorite Champagne, Sofia Blanc de Blancs. To get guests in a wild mood, I'll set shots of kamikaze on ice around the room. Plenty of chilled bottled water is also a must. For more wedding ideas, go to IDoSugar. To check out the the kamikaze recipe, read more.

Kamikaze
From Better Homes and Garden magazine

Ingredients

2 ounces vodka
2 ounces lime juice
1 ounce orange liqueur
Lime wedge

Directions

In a cocktail shaker combine vodka, lime juice, and orange liqueur.
Add ice cubes; cover and shake until very cold. Strain liquid into vodka glasses set in a bowl of ice or, if desired, into a glass filled with additional ice cubes. Garnish with lime wedge.

Makes 1 shot.

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Come Party With Me: Bachelorette - Dessert

partysugar — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 15:00:56 -0700

Although most of a bachelorette party in Vegas will be spent living it up in the casinos, bars, restaurants, and nightclubs, I'm hosting a small lingerie shower for Elena in my hotel room. Along with some simple snacks, I'll serve sugar cookies.

However, these cookies won't be round like in the picture: I'm making them festive by using pecker cookie cutters!

To take a look at the cookie recipe, read more.

Sugar Cookies
From Gourmet magazine

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups self-rising White Lily or cake flour
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened
1-1/2 cups sugar
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F.
Put flour in a bowl and make a well in center.
Beat together butter and sugar in another bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, then beat in egg and vanilla until blended.
Add butter mixture to flour and rub it into flour with your fingertips just until dough comes together in a ball (do not overwork dough, or it will be tough).
Halve dough and work with 1 half at a time. Roll out dough 1/4 inch thick on a floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin.
Cut out cookies with a floured cutter (we used a 2 1/2-inch fluted round cutter), arranging cookies, as cut, 1 inch apart on ungreased baking sheets. Reroll scraps once, using as little flour as possible, and cut out more cookies.
Bake cookies, 1 sheet at a time, in middle of oven until very pale golden, 12 to 15 minutes.
Cool on baking sheet 1 minute, then transfer to a rack to cool 5 minutes if serving warm, or to cool completely.

Makes about 3 1/2 dozen (3-inch) cookies.

Make ahead: cookies keep in an airtight container 1 week.

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Come Party With Me: Bachelorette - Menu

partysugar — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 07:45:15 -0700

When hosting a destination bachelorette party in a glamorous location like Vegas, set aside plenty of time to plan the party. Being organized with a schedule of events, set dinner reservations, and selected club locations will aid in making the event fabulously seamless. Let guests know what's up in advance, so they can pack appropriate clothing.

For my friend Elena's bachelorette party in Las Vegas, all of the meals will be eaten out. However, one of the nights before we go out, everyone will gather in my room for a lingerie shower. I've ordered a trio of appetizers - white bean hummus with kalamata relish, Bloody Mary cocktail meatballs, and spinach gruyere pinwheels - from the hotel, so everyone can sip Champagne and have a snack.

For more wedding coverage head over to IDoSugar. To take a look at these recipes, read more.

White Bean Hummus with Kalamata Relish
From Martha Stewart

Ingredients

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for garnish
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3 sprigs fresh thyme
One 4-inch sprig fresh rosemary
Two 15-ounce cans white beans, such as cannellini
2 teaspoons coarse salt, plus more as needed
Freshly ground black pepper
Pinch of cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons tahini (sesame paste)
2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
4 pita breads, warmed and cut into triangles
Kalamata Relish, recipe below

Directions

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, thyme, and rosemary. Cook until onions are translucent, 5 to 6 minutes.
Add beans with their liquid, 1 cup of water, salt, pepper, and cayenne, and bring to a simmer. Cook until liquid is nearly evaporated, about 8 to 10 minutes.
Remove thyme and rosemary sprigs; discard.
Carefully transfer mixture to the bowl of a food processor, add the tahini and lemon, and puree until smooth. Adjust seasoning, if necessary. Transfer to a serving bowl, let cool.
Top with Kalamata relish and drizzle with olive oil before serving. Serve with pita triangles.

Makes about 3 1/2 cups.

Kalamata Relish

1 plum tomato, seeded and very finely chopped
2 tablespoons pitted Kalamata olives, very finely chopped
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a small bowl, stir together the tomato, olives, olive oil, parsley, lemon juice and zest until well combined. Season with salt and pepper.

Makes about 1/2 cup.

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Bloody Mary Cocktail Meatballs
From Food and Wine magazine

Ingredients

1/2 pound lean ground beef
1/2 pound ground pork
1 small tender celery rib with leaves, finely chopped
2 teaspoons prepared horseradish
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 slice white sandwich breadsoaked in warm water, squeezed dry and crumbled into pieces
1/2 teaspoon hot sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/2 cup Three-Pepper Bloody Mary, recipe below

Directions

In a bowl, combine the beef and pork with the celery, horseradish, egg, bread, hot sauce, salt and pepper and knead well. Roll the meat into 1-inch balls.
Heat the oil in a nonstick skillet until shimmering. Add the meatballs and cook over moderately high heat until browned all over, about 5 minutes.
Add the Three-Pepper Bloody Mary and simmer over moderate heat until the liquid is reduced by half and the meatballs are glazed, about 2 minutes. Serve hot.

Makes 32 meatballs.

Three-Pepper Bloody Mary

1 cup vodka
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1 small garlic clove, smashed
1 small jalapeño, seeded and coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon hot sauce, preferably habanero
2 1/2 cups tomato juice
4 teaspoons prepared horseradish
1 teaspoon celery salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Lime wedges and celery ribs, for serving

In a blender, combine the vodka with the onion, garlic, jalapeño, lemon juice and hot sauce and puree until smooth.
Add the tomato juice, horseradish, celery salt and pepper and blend.
Strain into tall glasses over ice and serve with lime wedges and celery ribs.

Makes about 4 cups.

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Spinach Gruyere Pinwheels
From Paula Deen

Ingredients

1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed
4 tablespoons butter, divided
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
4 ounces Gruyere cheese, grated
1 (17 1/2-ounce) package frozen puff pastry sheets, thawed

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Drain spinach well, pressing between layers of paper towels to remove excess moisture.
Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add mushrooms and cook, for 5 minutes.
Stir together spinach, mushrooms and cheese; set aside.
Roll 1 pastry sheet into a 13 by 11-inch rectangle.
Melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Brush 1/2 melted butter over pastry. Spread 1/2 spinach mixture over butter.
Roll-up, jellyroll fashion, starting with the long side. Repeat procedure with remaining pastry sheet, butter, and spinach mixture.
Wrap rolls in plastic wrap and refrigerate up to 2 days, if desired. Cut rolls into 1/4-inch thick slices.
Place on lightly greased baking sheets. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown.

Serves 12-15.

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Download Our Bachelorette Party Invitations!

partysugar — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 07:45:51 -0700

Hosting a bachelorette party is a rite of passage that the majority of women go through at some point in their life. To help you ladies who are hosting one this year, I asked our designer to create these fabulous free, downloadable invites! A memorable bash starts with the invitations and we have two divine designs for you to choose from. All you have to do is download the invite, print it out in color on white cardstock, fill in the details, and send!

This week I'm planning my girlfriend Elena's bachelorette party. We're heading to Vegas for her last fling before the ring, so her best gal pals will receive these Vegas inspired invites. To download this exact invite or another fun zebra print invite, read more.

Come Party With Me: Bachelorette - The Look

partysugar — Fri, 15 May 2009 09:15:05 -0700

For Ronda's belly dancing themed bachelorette party, the decorations will be opulent and rich with lots of gold accents. Here's how you can achieve a similar look.

Cover the appetizer table with a raw silk brocade fabric. Peacock feather placemats add texture to the tablescape. Serve the pita rounds, Turkish cigars, lamb flatbread, and skewered shrimp on luxe teal platters. Set the fudge brownie tartlets on a golden elephant cake stand. Fill an elegant drink dispenser with lavender peach bellini and let the girls fill up the champagne coupes.

Hang festive colored lanterns from trees or the ceiling and arrange an exotic bouquet of flowers. Belly dancing jewelry is a fabulous and unexpected party favor.

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Come Party With Me: Bachelorette - Drinks

partysugar — Thu, 14 May 2009 12:50:58 -0700

If you're hosting a party - like Ronda's belly dancing-themed bachelorette - that begins in the early evening and carries on until the wee hours of morning at a second location, skip the shots and hard alcohol. You don't want guests getting too wasted too quickly, and you'll save money by not having to purchase a bunch of liquor.

At a bachelorette, serve a girly, bubbly cocktail like this lavender and peach bellini. Its vibrant color matches the sunny Mediterranean appetizer menu, and the easy recipe makes a large batch. White wine and sparkling water are other good beverage options to have on hand. For the recipe to this fruity and floral concoction, read more.

Lavender and Peach Bellini
From Epicurious

Ingredients

1 part peach puree
2 parts Prosecco or another sparkling wine
1 pinch of edible, nontoxic, dried or fresh lavender

Directions

Place the puree in the bottom of a champagne glass.
Carefully pour in the sparkling wine.
Don't stir, but use a spoon to pull the puree up along the sides of the glass, so that you won't lose the bubbles.
Decorate with the lavender.

Serving size varies.

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Come Party With Me: Bachelorette - Dessert

partysugar — Wed, 13 May 2009 11:30:40 -0700

When planning a party, remember the guest of honor's culinary needs. Although Ronda's bachelorette party has a belly-dancing theme and a spread of Mediterranean-inspired appetizers, she's requested that the dessert be something bite sized and chocolaty. These delightful fudge brownie tartlets are sure to satisfy her sweet tooth. The shell is a butter pastry, the filling a gooey chocolate batter, and the frosting a chocolate buttercream. They can be prepared up to three days in advance, making them the ideal party dessert.

If you aren't hosting a bachlorette party any time soon, you'll want to add this divine recipe to your collection: do so when you read more.

Fudge Brownie Tartlets
From Better Homes and Gardens

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 3-ounce package cream cheese, softened
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate pieces
2 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
Macadamia nuts, hazelnuts, almonds, or walnut pieces (optional)
Chocolate Butter Frosting (recipe below)

Directions

For pastry, in a medium bowl, combine the 1/2 cup butter and the cream cheese. Beat with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Using a wooden spoon, stir in flour. Cover and chill dough about 1 hour or until easy to handle.
Shape dough into 24 balls. Press each ball evenly onto the bottom and up the side of an ungreased 1-3/4-inch muffin cup.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
For filling, in a small saucepan, combine chocolate pieces and the 2 tablespoons butter; heat and stir over low heat until melted.
Remove from heat. Stir in sugar, egg, and vanilla. If desired, place a macadamia nut, hazelnut (filbert), almond, or walnut piece and about 1-1/2 teaspoons of the chocolate mixture into each dough-lined muffin cup.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until pastry is golden and filling is puffed. Cool tartlets in muffin cups on wire racks for 5 minutes. Carefully run a knife around the edge of each muffin cup to remove tartlets from pans. Transfer tartlets to wire racks and cool.
Pipe or spoon Chocolate Butter Frosting onto tartlets. If desired, top with additional nuts.

Makes 24 tartlets.

Make ahead: Place cooled, unfrosted tartlets in a single layer in an airtight container; cover. Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. (Or place cooled, unfrosted tartlets in a freezer container; cover. Freeze for up to 3 months.) To serve, thaw tartlets, if frozen. Continue with final step of recipe to frost.

Chocolate Butter Frosting: In a large bowl, beat 1/4 cup butter, softened, with an electric mixer on medium to high speed until smooth. Beat in 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder. Gradually add 3/4 cup sifted powdered sugar, beating well. Slowly beat in 2 tablespoons milk and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Gradually beat in 2-1/4 cups sifted powdered sugar. Beat in enough additional milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, to reach piping consistency.

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How to Host a Stylishly Vintage Bachelorette Party

partysugar — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 05:50:28 -0700

Throwing a memorable bachelorette party is tricky. The event should be festive and fun, but not gimmicky and gross. There's a fine line between elegantly tongue-in-cheek and over-the-top tacky. Does anyone really want to wear a headband with a giant dildo in public? I don't think so. Recently I went to a wonderful bachelorette party that succeeded in celebrating the bride-to-be in a traditional yet sophisticated way. It was delightful, so I took pictures to share the experience and ideas with you! The soirée was inspired by 1950s housewives and retro glamour. Here, you'll find all of the little details that made this party fabulous.

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