3 Hors D'oeuvres to Serve in Tasting Cups

I love to put out an array of hors d'oeuvres for guests to enjoy when I'm hosting a cocktail hour.  It's always nice to provide guests with a selection of foods to choose from so that even the most particular of guests will most likely be able to find something to eat.  Unfortunately there is one problem I seem to always run into when I take this approach with serving appetizers at a cocktail party.  The mess that usually results from sampling dips or spooning sauces onto appetizer plates is epic.  By the end of an evening, it's not uncommon to find my buffet table looking like a battleground.  So how have I addressed this issue?

I came across the Marta Tasting Cups at CB2 a little over a year ago and they have quickly become a staple in my serveware arsenal.  I use these cups for serving chili toppings (in this post), serving spices alongside hot mulled apple cider (see this post) and now I also use them to create the most fabulous individualized hors d'oeuvres!  Today I am sharing three favorite appetizers that are fabulous to serve in CB2's Marta Tasting Cups.  These ideas are definite crowd pleasers, easy to assemble and the reduction in table mess post party is incredible!  Suffice it to say, I highly recommend serving any of these tasty hors d'oeurves at your next party.  

Classic Chips and Salsa

• Blue and White/Yellow Corn Chips
• A delicious Pico De Gallo/Salsa ( store bought or homemade)
• Fresh Jalepeno (sliced thin)
• Fresh Cilantro
• Optional- Queso Fresco (crumbled) and or fresh lime zest

Lemon Hummus & Crudite

• Lemon Hummus (I highly recommend Whole Foods brand)
• Fresh Thyme Leaves
• Belgian Endive (Red and Green)
• Celery (sliced thin and some with leaves
• Mini English Cucumber (sliced thin on the diagonal)
• Fresh lemon zest (to garnish)

Shrimp Cocktail

• Really Good Cocktail Sauce (Regular or Spicy)
• Frozen Shrimp (thawed)
• Slice of Meyer Lemon
• Fresh Dill

February Kitchen Tools: Home Coffee Brewing Accessories

There is nothing I look forward to more each morning than greeting the day with a delicious cup of home brewed coffee.  Whether I am enjoying a classic drip in my favorite mug or a delicious almond milk latte garnished with cinnamon, I adore coffee and nothing beats a freshly made brew at home. 

I know I have said this before, but I really do believe that coffee is a very personal experience for each individual.  Everyone likes to enjoy their coffee a certain way so it would be silly for me to sit here and preach about certain methods of coffee making being superior to other methods.  Rather, I want to focus today's post on three of my favorite coffee brewing accessories.  These three items have made a huge difference in the way that I am able to enjoy a delicious cup of java from the comfort of my home and all three items are absolute essentials in creating the best at home coffee bar.  

Nespresso Aeroccino

We received both the Nespresso and Aeroccino as a gift set.  While I knew that I had always wanted the Nespresso, I had originally viewed the Aeroccino as a "nice to have."  Of course now I am sitting here laughing to myself because little did I know how much I would absolutely LOVE having the Aeroccino.  This electric can froth milk in 70 seconds hot or cold!  In addition, it's easy super easy to use (just add milk and push the button) and clean!  Lattes for breakfast?  No problem!  Cappucinos after dinner? You bet!  I adore this machine and it also works brilliantly for frothing both almond milk and soy milk.  This is a coffee making staple in my house and one that I would highly recommend for any coffee drinker.  

Krups Burr Grinder

Grinding my own coffee beans at home was something I started doing a few years ago.  If the truth be told, I only decided to start grinding my own beans after an unfortunate (but ultimately fortunate) situation at a very well known coffee chain.  

Every week I would visit this coffee store to buy my weekly supply of beans.  The store offered complimentary bean grinding for those bags purchased in store (whats not to love about that?!).  Well, on one of my weekly visits, I had purchased the bag and asked the barista to grind the beans.  Long story short, I was returned a half bag of grinds, which was frustrating since I had just paid for a whole bag of coffee beans.  When I questioned the barista about the discrepancy, she swore that it just looked like there was less because the beans had been ground.  Reasonable assumption if it hadn't been a whole half of a bag that was missing.  In any event, I decided to take matters into my own hands.  I bought a Krups Burr Grinder.

OMG, what a difference freshly ground coffee can make!  I have the ability to customize the degree to which the beans are ground and the quantity produced during each grinding.  I now have delicious coffee every morning made to my exact brew strength specifications.  Coffee is even better now that I have freshly ground beans and something that I recommend for anyone who enjoys a fresh cup of joe in the morning.  

Coffee Caddy

When we initially moved into our current house (as you may recall from this post) I was faced with some serious storage challenges in the kitchen.  I was able to come up with some very creative storage solutions and eventually we were able to build a beautiful pantry, but there are still a few solutions that resulted from dealing with the initial storage challenge that I am keeping, like this fabulous coffee caddy.  Not only does it provide an organized and compact space for all of my coffee accessories, it fits seamlessly in most spaces and cost less than $10!  Whether or not you are faced with storage challenges in your kitchen, this is a wonderful organizer that helps me corral all of my coffee making necessities and easily keep track of my inventory.

Something Blue - A Few Favorite Finds

With all of the Valentine's Day prep over the past few weeks, it occurred to me that both pink and red have been in abundance on the blog lately.  While it has been fun to showcase various ways to incorporate the festive color pairing into food, decor and entertaining, I have to admit that I am actually more of a blue and grey girl at heart (coincidentally my alma mater's colors as well!).  Of course, that's not to say that I don't enjoy a variety colors, I have just noticed over the years that my color preference has always leaned towards a cooler color palette.   So for today's post, I wanted to reintroduce those cooler tones back into the blog and highlight a few pretty blue finds that I am currently loving.

Sugarfina

About a month ago, Sugarfina opened a store in Bethesda, Maryland.  For those of you who may not be familiar with Sugarfina, they are a Beverly Hills based gourmet candy company focused on catering to the sophisticated adult sweet tooth.  Yes, a candy store for adults!  

Visiting one of their store locations is reminiscent of walking into Tiffany & Co.  Beautiful displays featuring a wide array of the most delicious jewel-like candies, packaged in the prettiest blue gift bags.  These candy treat boxes make for fabulous party favors, birthday gifts, hostess gifts and will satisfy almost any sweet tooth craving.  If you don't live near one of their brick and mortar locations, not to worry!  They also have an online storefront.  Bottom line- this candy store is a definite must try!

Crate and Barrel Union Square Bedding

Ever since my acquisition of this fur throw blanket (featured in this post), I have become totally obsessed with faux fur blankets.  Over the holidays I learned of the bed-sized version of my faux fur throw blanket and have been dreaming of owning one since!  

Over this past Valentine's weekend my husband surprised me with a new addition for our bed (the faux fur bed blanket), which had me jumping for joy.  Naturally, the new blanket addition inspired a mini bed linen updating.  Swapping out my Dwell Studio Citrine Peacock Linens for this Crate and Barrel Union Square pattern, has given my bed a refreshed look that is very seasonally appropriate and soooo comfortable!  

Hyacinths

Every year around this time, I look forward to Hyacinths coming into season.  They are gorgeous in color (the blue/lavender is my absolute favorite!) and super fragrant, making them an ideal flower for a large open space and/or a powder room.  Trader Joe's currently has them in stock for less than $6/bunch.  Such a beautiful flower from top to stem and one that I recommend incorporating into your home decor during this time of year.  

Cobalt-Colored Drinkware

Adding a splash of color to my table decor is essential.  In addition to flowers and table linens, I occasionally enjoy adding colored drinkware to my tablescapes.  These cobalt glasses from Pier 1 Imports are a personal favorite.  They are inexpensive, gorgeous in color, dishwasher safe and the small stem gives them a very elegant feel.  Regardless of whether you choose to dress these glasses up or down, they are a fabulous addition to almost any table. 

Love You S'more

The first year my husband and I were dating, I knew I didn't want to go overboard with gifts for Valentine's Day since our relationship was still fairly new.  Instead, I wanted to put together a fun and delicious dessert activity for us post dinner.  While on Pinterest, I came across the idea of "Love You S'more," a DIY Valentine's Day S'more bar.  I absolutely loved this concept and immediately got to work prepping this sweet Valentine's day surprise.  The end result was a rather large cellophane bag filled with marshmallows, graham crackers and Hershey chocolate bars, tied up with cute ribbon and 2 roasting sticks attached to the bow.  My husband absolutely loved the gift and we had a great time making s'mores on our first Valentine's Day together (complete with roasting marshmallows over a hot coil stove….it's all we had at the time and all I can say is that it definitely worked!).

In an effort to be thoughtful and romantic this year, I have decided to recreate the dessert from our first Valentine's Day together.  However, this year I am putting a little spin on my "Love You S'more."  Instead of sharing a romantic moment roasting marshmallows over a coil stove, I have decided to create a s'more dip to be served with a side of graham crackers.   This is super easy to make, absolutely delicious and perfect for sharing.   Here is how I went about making this delicious treat: 

Ingredients

• 1 Jar of Coops Hot Fudge
• Jet Puffed Marshmallows
• Graham Crackers
• Mini Chocolate Chips

Instructions

1. Turn your oven on to "Broil"
2. In a 6.5 inch skillet, heat 1 jar of Coop's Hot Fudge over medium-low heat stirring intermittently (approx 3-5 min)
3. Once hot fudge is heated throughout, remove from stove and sprinkle mini chocolate chips on top of the hot fudge
4. Then stand jet-puffed marshmallows on top of hot fudge mixture, making sure to cover the entire surface (about 21 marshmallows)
5. To achieve the charred look, I used a kitchen torch to lightly singe the tops
6. Once tops are slightly singed, place skillet under the broiler for approximately 2-4 minutes, until marshmallows are puffed and tops are golden brown
7. Remove from oven and serve along side a dish of graham crackers

**Note- To take this dessert to the next level, I recommend pairing this "Love You S'more" skillet with a bottle of Napa Cellars V Collection Carneros Pinot Noir.  Red wine is notorious for pairing beautifully with chocolate and the lighter fruit of this Pinot Noir grape will accentuate the chocolate flavors, but won't overpower the other s'more flavors. 

A few other accessories to consider when serving this spread: 

• CB2 Cheval Clear Wine Glasses
• Caspari Zebra Placemats
• CB2 Bento Matte Black Appetizer Plates
• World Market Heart Chalkboards, Set of 2
• Caspari Jute Charcoal Cocktail Napkins
• An abundance of red roses makes for a great finishing touch

Happy Valentine's Day!

Valentine's Day Champagne Cocktails

I absolutely love all of the planning leading up to Valentine's Day.  Whether it's baking, decorating, shopping for a gift to get my husband and then of course enjoying a romantic dinner for two.  I mean honestly, what's not to love about this holiday!?!  Even if you are spending the holiday with friends, it's a great opportunity to incorporate a little festive entertaining into your evening plans.  

I know I have said this before, but it's really true…Champagne is an absolute essential for my Valentine's Day festivities.  Last year I set up a really cute/romantic Dessert and Champagne Bar, which was fabulous.  However, this year I have decided to make my Valentine's Day champagne mobile (thanks to the recent addition of my bar cart).  Yes, this year I am going to be serving champagne cocktails fireside (well actually just in my living room, but fireside would be picturesque if we had one).  My husband and I are both big fans of making champagne cocktails, so I have set out all necessary cocktail accoutrements along with a few holiday treats on my very "decked out" bar cart.  Here is how I went about creating this very festive and delicious setting:

Bar Cart Details 

• Champagne Coupes
• Paper Heart Scatter
• Paper Party Straws
• Zebra Die Cut Placemats
• Zebra Cocktail Napkins
• "Cocktails" Decorative Matchbox
• Nonpareil Gummy Heart Candies
• Knotted Cocktail Picks
• DIY Paper Heart Garland
• Terrace Bar Cart
• Veuve Clicquot Champagne
• Assorted Chocolates (here and here)
• Bitters
• Champagne Cocktail Recipe
• Assorted Bar Cart Spirits
• Brass Swan Bottle Opener

While I am really looking forward to enjoying this delicious looking bar cart of treats with my husband on Sunday, I am equally (if not more) excited to share Friday's post with you all.  One last Valentine's post is coming to Redefining Domestics on Friday, and I must say that it is probably the sweetest yet, so stay tuned!