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Come Party With Me: Summer Solstice - The Look

partysugar — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 09:15:29 -0700

The color scheme of any party should coincide with the invitation. For a Summer solstice dinner, choose colors that are bright and fresh, like sunny yellow and herb green.

If you don't have an outdoor table, move one outside to your patio or deck. Cover with a tablecloth, or if the table is wood, a pretty runner. Green patterned plates draw the focus to the table.

Place simple flatware on folded yellow napkins. Hang lights or lanterns from the trees and arrange yellow flowers in clear vases. Green votives cast a welcoming glow on the evening. Write the guest's name on a piece of cardstock, punch a hole in the cardstock, slide on a piece of ribbon, and tie to the back of each chair.

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Come Party With Me: Summer Solstice - Drinks

partysugar — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 12:15:53 -0700

Besides icy-cold beer and white wine at all of my dinner parties, I like to offer guests one refreshingly potent cocktail. Serving guests a drink right after they've walked through the door gives them something to do, puts them at ease, and sets the party mood. For a solstice dinner, select a cocktail that is quintessentially Summer. Made with chunks of ripe watermelon, fresh lime juice, and white rum, this watermelon cooler is thirst-quenchingly perfect.
To check out the recipe, read more.

Watermelon Cooler
From Food and Wine magazine

Ingredients

3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup water
1 cup fresh lime juice
3 cups white rum
4 cups seedless watermelon chunks (one-quarter of a watermelon)
8 cups crushed ice
Watermelon spears and mint sprigs, for garnish

Directions

In a saucepan, combine the sugar and water. Bring to a simmer over moderate heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Remove from the heat and let cool.
In a blender, combine half of the sugar syrup with half of the lime juice, rum, and watermelon chunks and blend until combined. Add half of the ice and blend until smooth, then pour into a large pitcher.
Repeat with the remaining ingredients. Serve in chilled glasses, garnished with watermelon spears and topped with mint sprigs.

Makes 2 1/2 quarts.

Make ahead: the watermelon mixture can be blended earlier in the day and refrigerated. Blend with ice just before serving.

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Come Party With Me: Summer Solstice - Dessert

partysugar — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 16:15:33 -0700

After serving the Italian style meal at your summer solstice dinner, wait at least a half an hour before offering guests dessert. Set up a decadent dessert buffet with fresh berries and store bought sorbet. Supplement the menu with one show stopping, homemade dessert. A cold, creamy chocolate silk pie is rich and delicious. The pie has to be made in advance making it an ideal finish to a party. To check out the recipe, which I found on MyRecipes.com, read more.

Chocolate Silk Pie
From Cooking Light

Ingredients

Crust:
1 (10-inch) piecrust or 1/2 (15-ounce) package refrigerated pie dough (such as Pillsbury)
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 cups 2-percent reduced-fat milk
4 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
Meringue:
5 large egg whites
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups sugar
2/3 cup water
Grated chocolate (optional)

Get more recipes at MyRecipes.com

Directions

Prepare and bake piecrust in a 10-inch deep-dish pie plate. Cool completely on a wire rack.
To prepare filling, combine 1/2 cup sugar, cocoa, flour, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a medium saucepan; stir with a whisk.
Gradually stir in milk. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Reduce heat; cook 2 minutes or until thick and bubbly, stirring constantly.
Remove from heat; add chopped chocolate, stirring until chocolate melts. Spoon chocolate mixture into a bowl; place bowl in a large ice-filled bowl for 10 minutes or until chocolate mixture comes to room temperature, stirring occasionally. Remove bowl from ice.
To prepare meringue, place egg whites and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at high speed until soft peaks form.
Combine 1 1/4 cups sugar and water in a saucepan; bring to a boil. Cook, without stirring, until candy thermometer registers 238°F.
Pour hot sugar syrup in a thin stream over egg whites, beating at high speed until stiff peaks form. Fold 2 cups meringue into chocolate mixture.
Spread chocolate mixture into prepared crust. Spread remaining meringue over chocolate mixture. Chill 8 hours; garnish with grated chocolate, if desired.

Serves 10 (serving size: 1 wedge).

Nutritional Information: CALORIES 314(26% from fat); FAT 9.1g (sat 3.4g,mono 2.1g,poly 1.6g); IRON 1.4mg; CHOLESTEROL 4mg; CALCIUM 58mg; CARBOHYDRATE 55.8g; SODIUM 257mg; PROTEIN 6g; FIBER 2.2g

Like the recipe above? Try out some of these other ones:

- 10 Cool and Creamy Desserts Under 300 Calories
- Entertaining Menus and Party Ideas
- Eat Smart at CookingLight.com
- Get More Chocolate Recipes

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Come Party With Me: Summer Solstice - Menu

partysugar — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 07:45:35 -0700

Fresh Italian flavors inspire my Summer solstice dinner party menu. To maximize time spent with guests, all of the food can be made in advance or cooked outdoors on the grill. A buffet of salumi, flatbreads, olives, and store bought spreads will await my guests.

When sliced into triangles grilled mozzarella panini are delightful appetizers. Chicken cooked under a brick is crispy yet succulent. Classic panzanella and balsamic potato salad are delicious served on the side. If these recipes sound tasty, get them now when you read more.

Mozzarella Panini
From Gourmet magazine

Ingredients

12 slices firm white sandwich bread
1/4 cup drained bottled capers, chopped
6 oz fresh mozzarella, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices, at room temperature
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 tablespoons olive oil

Directions

Divide capers among 12 bread slices and spread evenly.
Divide mozzarella among 6 slices and sprinkle with pepper to taste. Make into 6 sandwiches, then cut off and discard crusts to form 3-inch squares.
Coat sandwiches with flour, knocking off excess.
Beat together eggs, milk, and a pinch each of salt and pepper in another small shallow bowl.
Heat 1/2 tablespoon butter with 1 tablespoon oil in a 10-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat until foam subsides.
Meanwhile, coat 3 sandwiches, 1 at a time, with egg mixture. Fry, turning over once, until golden brown, about 5 minutes, then drain on paper towels. Coat and fry remaining 3 sandwiches in same manner.
Cut sandwiches into quarters and serve immediately.

Makes 24 hors d'oeuvres.

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Northern Italian-Style Chicken Under a Brick
From Emeril Lagasse

Ingredients

1 cup olive oil
1/2 cup lemon juice
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1 tablespoon freshly chopped rosemary leaves
1 tablespoon freshly chopped thyme leaves
1 tablespoon freshly chopped parsley leaves
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 whole chicken, 3 to 3 1/2 pounds
2 teaspoons Essence, recipe follows
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
2 bricks, wrapped in aluminum foil

Directions

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F and preheat grill to medium-low.
In a small mixing bowl, combine the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, lemon zest, rosemary, thyme, parsley, kosher salt, and crushed red pepper. Mix to combine and set aside.
Place the chicken on a cutting board. With a boning knife and/or poultry scissors, cut along both sides of the backbone and remove. Place the chicken skin side down on a clean work surface and, using a paring or small boning knife, cut underneath and around the breast bone on both sides, cutting the cartilage away from the flesh so that you can work your fingers underneath the bone, and then carefully remove the breast bone. The chicken should lay flat like an open book. Tuck the wing tips behind the joint of the wing that meets the breast. Cut small tips in the skin that hangs beneath the thighs and tuck the tips of the drumstick bones inside.
Place in a 9 by 13-inch, nonreactive baking dish and add the marinade. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 6 hours, turning occasionally to evenly coat.
Preheat the bricks for 20 minutes.
Remove the chicken from the marinade and season on both sides with the Essence, salt, and pepper. Place the chicken, skin side down, on the grill. Place 2 bricks on top of the chicken to cover completely and flatten. Cook until the skin side has nice grill marks, about 20 minutes. Remove the bricks and turn the chicken so that it is skin side up. Cook on the second side for about 15 minutes longer, or until juices run clear and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the deep portion of the thigh registers 165 degrees F.
Remove the chicken from the grill, place on a cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes. Cut the chicken into quarters and serve immediately.

Serves 6-8.

Emeril's Essence Seasoning

2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried thyme

Combine all ingredients thoroughly.

Makes 2/3 cup.

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Panzanella
From Martha Stewart

Ingredients

1 garlic clove
2 pounds ripe beefsteak tomatoes, cored and cut into large chunks
1 medium red onion, peeled and thinly sliced
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
5 one-inch-thick slices day-old Tuscan-style bread
4 (about 12 ounces) Kirby cucumbers, peeled and sliced
1 cup packed fresh basil leaves

Directions

Place garlic on a cutting board; hit it with the side of a large knife to break it open a bit.
Place tomatoes, onion, and garlic in a large nonreactive bowl. Drizzle oil and vinegar over the vegetable mixture; season with salt and pepper. Toss; let stand, covered, in a cool place, for 1 hour or more.
Place bread on a hot grill or under a heated broiler; toast until both sides are slightly charred, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat, rub lightly with garlic if desired; tear bread into bite-size chunks. When ready to serve, add cucumbers, basil, and bread to tomatoes.
Toss to coat bread thoroughly with the marinating liquid. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper, and remove garlic clove.

Serves 6.

Variations: Try adding bocconcini (cubed fresh mozzarella), roasted bell peppers, sliced fresh fennel, or capers. Experiment using other seasonal vegetables.

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Balsamic Potato and Green Bean Salad
From Everyday With Rachael Ray magazine

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds small new potatoes
Salt
10 ounces green beans, trimmed and halved crosswise
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
4 scallions, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme, plus whole sprigs for garnish

Directions

In a large saucepan, place the potatoes, 2 teaspoons salt and enough water to cover by 1 inch. Bring to a simmer and cook until the potatoes are tender, 12 to 15 minutes. Add the green beans and cook for 3 minutes. Drain and let stand.
Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the vinegar, lemon juice, sugar, mustard, pepper and 1 teaspoon salt. Whisk in the olive oil until combined.
Toss the potatoes and beans with the dressing to coat. Using a fork, mash several potatoes. Toss in the scallions and thyme. Season with more salt and pepper to taste and top with thyme sprigs. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Serves 8.

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Come Party With Me: Summer Solstice - Invite

partysugar — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 11:15:28 -0700

The longest day of the year, June 21, is this Saturday. To celebrate the official arrival of Summer, I'm hosting a Summer-themed dinner party. All this week, I'll provide the details to my outdoor extravaganza, so take my ideas and make them your own. Start by sending invitations. To see how I made these fun, lantern-inspired invites, read more.

To make an invite similar to the one seen here, you will need the following supplies:

white and yellow cardstock
scissors
gluestick
satin ribbon in three different colors and sizes
computer and printer

To assemble the invite:

Start by creating a new Word document. On one page write the front message: "You are invited." On a second page, write the details of the party, for my invite I used the font Abadi MT Condensed Light in Italic, size 14:

To Light Up the Summer!

The Longest Day of 2008
(Saturday, June 21st)

7:30 pm
PartySugar’s Backyard
San Francisco, CA

Let me know if you can attend the dinner.
415.555.5555

Center the text to the left side of the page. Print both sheets out and check for grammar and spelling errors. Once satisfied with the text, print out the front page on the white cardstock and the inside text page on the colored cardstock.

Cut the white "You are invited" page down to size. Create hanging lanterns with the ribbon. Glue to the cardstock.

Fold the second invite page in half, covering the text. Cut off the bottom and sides of the invite.

Glue the white decorated "You are invited" cardstock to the front of the invite. Slide into an envelope and send.

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Yoga and the City

FitSugar — Sun, 24 Jun 2007 02:30:00 -0700

Yoga, for a lot of us, is practiced for its serene and calming effects. But how would you feel about practicing yoga smack dab in the center of NYC?

NYTimes reported that over 800 people attended the most recent "Mind Over Madness Yoga” event in Manhattan on June 21st. In celebration of summer solstice, this unique (and free) yoga class allowed you to experience Times Square, and yoga for that matter, like never before. Me, I usually like to keep my upward and downward dogs confined to the space of a studio, but hey, I'll try anything once. Keep an eye out for it next year on TimesSquareNYC.com and if you want to attend, be sure to sign up early. If you're in the area, there's still time to check out "Dancing at the Crossroads," which is a free performance on June 24, 2007 featuring local, international and student dance companies performing right where the folks were doing yoga a few days ago.

Celebrate Solstice: Get Out and Do Something

FitSugar — Thu, 21 Jun 2007 15:45:00 -0700

Ultra-marathoner Dean Karnazes has decided to take advantage of the longest day of the year and run, since after all that is what he does best. Oddly enough he will be running on a treadmill.

Karnazes is attempting to break the world record for the most miles logged on a treadmill in 24 hours, and to do so he needs to run 153.76 miles. After running 50 marathons in 50 states in 50 days, Karnazes feels confident he can set a new treadmill world record. He began his run at midnight EST in New York's Times Square and hopes to get you moving too, as do I.

Celebrate summer solstice and get active tonight. Go for a walk. Go for a run. Go for a ride (wear your helmet and bring a bike light in case you manage to stay out after dark). Play some tennis. Play catch. If you can't make it outside do some sun salutations.

Happy Summer!!!

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Top 10 Reasons To Have A Party This Summer

partysugar — Thu, 21 Jun 2007 01:38:19 -0700

Today is the first official day of summer, also known as the summer solstice, the day with the longest amount of sunlight in the year. Now that summer is finally here, I suggest that each and every one of you host a party at least once (I'm hosting several!) this summer. There is often the unfortunate misconception that in order to throw a party, one must have a special occasion. It doesn't have to be a birthday, anniversary, or retirement, so here are my top 10 reasons to throw a fiesta this summer:

4th of July
A heat wave (have a water balloon/gun fight)
National Piña Colada Day (July 10)
French Independence Day (July 14)
Somebody's half birthday
The All-Star Baseball Game
It's the middle of summer (A Mid Summer Night)
The arrival of the first tomatoes (substitute peaches, corn, zucchini, etc)
You've Bought New Patio Furniture/Tiki Torches/Margarita glasses, etc.
Swimming alone isn't as fun as having all of your friends over for a pool party

Got a great reason to host a fabulous fete? Share it with me below!

Summer Solstice Invite: Step by Step

partysugar — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 10:33:29 -0700

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Get Your Summer Kicks With ViX!

FabSugar — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 17:12:44 -0700

The Summer solstice came into effect on Saturday so what better way to kick it off than with a week of ViX bikini giveaways. Vote for Summer! All week long we're going to auction off fun, sexy ViX bikinis so tune in and keep your eyes peeled for our daily giveaways. Let's start with this adorable ViX "Rachel" bikini ($68) in Fab's brilliant turquoise color - peruse all ViX styles here. The halter top guarantees a sturdy fit and you know I love my animal prints.

To enter to win, log in to take our quiz. Your eligibility is not based on getting the answers correct, just on taking the quiz once you are logged in. You need to be a TeamSugar member to take the quiz; if you're not already a member, register here for an account and join in all the fun on the Sugar sites! Just click on "take the quiz" below and we will do a random drawing to determine the winner. US residents eligible only (sorry!). Click here for the official rules.

Take the quiz