Every October I look forward to picking out pumpkins. There's a great ranch near my parents house that has a pumpkin patch along with a picnic area and hay rides, so I'm grabbing a group of friends and hosting a picnic at the pumpkin patch! Since we'll be heading out this weekend, I invited everyone by phone. The menu will be a hearty Fall-themed lunch. I'll start by setting up an assortment of Read more

Last weekend I attended California's Artisan Cheese Festival. While the highlight was tasting tons of scrumptious cheeses, I did learn how to create a beautiful cheese plate. A cheese plate is wonderful for parties because it doesn't involve any cooking; it's more about assembling and displaying in an attractive way. To see my tips for creating a beautiful cheese display, read more Read more

I've already got a portion of the menu planned for this week's travel party - where the theme takes itself from five countries. The Mexican, Japanese, and Russian rooms will have delicious savory nibbles, dips, and tasty appetizers for guest to enjoy while they mingle. For an element of surprise, create an English cheese tasting platter for the British room. Generally cheese platters consist of Read more

An engagement party is often thrown to announce the forthcoming marriage of a couple, and in my case, the arrival of Wedding Season on the Sugar Network. The creative juices are flowing and I'm pulling out all of the stops for the most fabulous party yet: a dessert party. The elegant invites set the tone for an extravagant menu full of sweet treats: chocolate brownie cupcakes, salty almond Read more