Pinterest Worthy Halloween DIYs

October 31, 2016 Callie Cagney

I've never been a big halloween person. I have always liked the holiday and have great memories growing up trick or treating with all of my neighborhood friends, but celebrating this holiday as an adult never seem to be a priority for me. Well, that is until this year.

My office floor at work just so happens to be filled with a large number of halloween enthusiasts. For the past few years one side of the floor has participated in a Halloween office decorating contest that grown into quite the elaborate competition with each passing year. This year, my side of the office was invited to participate in the floor decor competition. Naturally we all jumped at the opportunity to participate. The one hiccup on my team was that our boss was going to be on vacation the week we were scheduled to decorate, but graciously offered up his office to decorate for the competition. I think that's the last time he will ever trust us with the keys to his office for an event like this. We ended up creating the most fabulous and elaborate, roach infested (400 fake roaches to be exact) doctors office complete with a dead body on his desk and fake blood splattered practically everywhere. As if that wasn't enough, we also created a dessert buffet for the judges including spider web cupcakes and candy corn rice crispy treats, which I am sharing today in this post.

In addition to the office decorating competition, the floor also decided that it would be fun to have a pumpkin decorating/carving competition as well. My team and I were in it to win it and immediately turned to Pinterest for a few pumpkin ideas. We ended up settling on a movie theater pumpkin scene (pictured above) that was inspired by this picture, courtesy of Brit + Co.

In the end, my team came in second place for the office decorating competition and first place in the pumpkin carving contest. Truth be known, we ran unopposed in the pumpkin competition, but I was still really proud of the masterpiece we created. Most of all, I think I surprised myself at how into Halloween I got during this competition. We had a great time working together and are already plotting and planning for next year's floor competition.

For today's post, I couldn't resist sharing two easy Halloween dessert ideas that I am loving this year as well as the cutest idea for a Halloween hostess gift. I hope you all have a wonderful and treat filled Halloween!

Indian Corn Rice Crispy Treats

See this post from pintsizedtreasures.com for the complete how-to guide (plus video) on how to make these absolutely delicious treats.

Spider Web Cupcakes

Bake and frost 24 chocolate cupcakes with chocolate frosting
Using a pre-made piping bag of white decorating icing (like this one)
Pipe a bulls-eye onto the top of each cupcake
Then, starting at the center dot, pipe lines around the cupcake (pictured above)
Take a wet toothpick and drag it through each straight line to help blend the lines and create a web effect
Top each with a plastic toy spider ring

**Note- Each cupcake must be piped one at a time and toothpicked before moving on to decorating the next cupcake. The decorating icing dries quick, so if you wait too long to drag the toothpick through, it will crack and you won't achieve a fluid looking web.

Wine Bottle Witch Costume

Mini Witch Hats by Meri Meri Party
Black Raffia
Natural Raffia Ribbon
Paper Bat Tags
6-8inch Tree Branches/Sticks for Mini Witches Brooms
Red Wine (I suggest Trinchero Napa Valley BRV Cabernet Sauvignon)

To Make the Mini Witches Brooms

Collect sticks from outside that are roughly 6-8 inches in length
Wrap raffia ribbon around your 4 fingers 20 times.
Carefully removed the coiled ribbon from your fingers and tie them off at the top using a piece of 6 inch raffia ribbon
With the excess raffia from tying off the raffia coil, secure the coil to the end of a stick
Cut another piece of raffia ribbon (8-12inches) and wrap that piece along the top of the attached coiled ribbon and stick to tightly secure (optional- use a hot glue gun for this step).
Trim the exposed coil ends to achieve the clean broom look
Use a piece of black raffia ribbon to secure the broom to the neck of a wine bottle, like my latest obsession pictured in this post Trinchero Napa Valley BRV Cabernet Sauvignon (literally to die for, so delicious! A quintessential Fall wine for sure!).
Top wine bottle with a mini witches hat from Meri Meri Party.

Fall Entertaining Essentials

September 30, 2016 Callie Cagney

I am back in the mountains this weekend to celebrate my husband's birthday and the fall season is definitely in full swing here. The leaves on the trees are beginning to change colors creating the most gorgeous fall landscape and there is a crisp chill/snap in the air. In any event, this atmosphere has totally gotten me in the mood for some fresh fall entertaining! As I begin to shape my fall entertaining repertoire, I wanted to share my initial picks for favorite entertaining essentials this season. A great mix of classic and fresh, these items will have you ready for entertaining this season!

Napa Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon

With notes of ripe blackberry, black currant, herbs, cocoa and a velvety finish, Napa Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon makes for the perfect wine to enjoy during the Fall season. This wine pairs beautifully with an array of delicious cheeses (see this post) and it's full body profile makes it an ideal pick for cozying up to a fire during these cooler months. A definite crowd pleaser amongst my friends and family, you will love sipping this wine during the Autumn season.

Figs

Did you know that figs have two in-season periods each year? The first in June, known as the "Breba" season, only lasts a few weeks. The second season, known as the "New Wood" season runs from August through October, so we are currently in the midst of peak fig season! The most common type of fig is the Black Mission Fig, followed by the Brown Turkey and the Green Kadota. I love figs because they are rich in taste, accompany a cheeseboard beautifully and compliment my Fall wine pick (see above) perfectly. For more information on figs (storing, preparing, etc...) check out this page from Whole Foods.

Leopard Cocktail Napkins

This is the craziest thing because I would say that my taste tends to be on the classic side with a predominantly solid color palette. However, recently I have had a hankering to add a little leopard to my life. Whether it be these fab smoking slippers from J.Crew or these gorgeous Caspari cocktail napkins, leopard is my neutral this season. It adds an instant touch of fun and I am not kidding when I say that you will be shocked at how well it pairs up with a variety of colors and patterns (yes, even red tartan!). For an instant touch of chic this season, I highly recommend incorporating a little leopard print into your entertaining repertoire.

Olivewood Cheeseboard

A new season definitely calls for a fresh cheeseboard! I have always loved the olivewood aesthetic when it came to finding casual and slightly rustic serveware. Recently while perusing the aisles of Sur La Table, I came across this Italian Olivewood Slice Serving Board and instantly fell in love ( yes, love for a cheeseboard!). The thick weight and earthy color tones make this board the perfect addition to any fall party and great for serving up a flight of tasty cheeses or charcuterie in style. This olivewood slice board is a serving piece that will instantly freshen up your entertaining repertoire with a unique rustic flair!

Host a Labor Day Wine & Cheese Picnic

August 26, 2016 Callie Cagney

Labor Day weekend is finally here which means that we are approaching the end of Summer. Personally I say "Good Riddance!," after the sweltering summer we have endured in DC this year, but of course I know that not everyone echoes my same sentiment towards summer. In fact, most people are probably mourning this time of year because it means that we are back to school and summer break is over. In an effort to try and savor the last few weeks of summer, I thought it might be fun to host one last summer fete before officially turning the page to Fall.

Today's post features a simple and delicious cocktail party idea for enjoying those last few summer days, with an assortment nibbles and delicious wine that can work in almost any setting. Here is how I went about creating this Labor Wine & Cheese Picnic:

Food & Beverage Details

For this spread I opted to keep it simple, since it is a picnic after all and who honestly wants to transport a ton of food for a cocktail hour? For this delicious summer cheese board, I opted for Trader Joe's new Jalepeno and Honey Chèvre topped with thin slices of fresh jalepeno and garnished with a drizzle of honey. To accompany this sweet and savory chèvre, I selected a current obsession of mine at the moment, Jasper Hill Farm's Clothbound Cheddar. I swear, cheddar is making a comeback and this particular cheese is the primary reason! To serve with these cheese, I selected an array of nuts (Virginia Peanuts, Spicy Crunchy Chickpeas and Chili Lime Roasted Almonds), a fabulous Spicy Plum Chutney and a small basket of Rosemary Crisps.

To drink, I opted for a crisp chardonnay by Napa Cellars and garnished each glass with a few fresh currants. The perfectly chilled wine with notes of apples, baked pears and a lemony acidity, accented by the tartness of the fresh currants, created the perfect balance for this outdoor spread.

Entertaining Essentials

In an effort to create an homage to the final days of summer, I started by covering this picnic table in one of my favorite white picnic tablecloths/beach blankets. For a pop of fresh floral color I opted to include four small bud vases filled with red roses that flanked the cutest wine basket which held three american flags. For serveware, I choose to keep the color scheme fairly neutral with this olivewood cheeseboard and these white hors d'oeuvre plates. I then added pops of gold to accent the table using gold cheese knives and these fabulous wine tumblers. I selected cocktail napkins from Caspari's summer collection to incorporate an additional pop of color and summer flair to complete this look.

Summer may be coming to a close, but there are still a few more weeks to enjoy one of the most celebrated seasons of the year! Happy Labor Day everyone!

Making Cheese Markers

July 29, 2016 Callie Cagney

Cheesescapes are a fabulous no-fuss menu item for any cocktail party. There are endless ways to assemble and serve a delicious cheese platter and you can always count on a cheeseboard to be a crowd pleaser.

While there is no doubt that I love to serve and enjoy a good cheesescape from time to time, my one frustration would be the constant need for explaining a cheeseboard to guests before dining. Sure there are the obvious cheeses like blue, brie and classic cheddar, that a guest can usually identify. However, for the majority of cheeses, I find myself giving multiple explanations in a given evening to my guests, which can be extremely challenging to keep up with while hosting a party.

I know that there are all sorts of cheese markers available for purchase, however my issue with store bought cheese markers is that most come pre-labeled with the four most common cheese types (ex. gouda, brie, etc.) since they are mass produced. After spending some time researching on both Etsy and Pinterest, I realized that it wouldn't be so hard to make my own cheese markers and it would give me the ability to more accurately label the cheeses I serve to guests.

This is an inexpensive and extremely easy DIY that I absolutely adore! Here is how I went about creating my own custom cheese markers:

Here is what you will need:

Toothpicks
Glue
Adhesive Kraft Banner Labels (like these)
Glitter
Metallic Pens and/or Fine-Tipped Markers
Fine-Tipped Pen

Instructions

Peel off an adhesive banner sticker from the sticker sheet
Fold the banner sticker in half matching and sticking only the two ends of the sticker together
Place the end of the toothpick (about 1/4 inch) through the center loop of the banner sticker and press it against the center most point of the sticker
Press the remainder of the sticker opening together to create the cheese flag
Apply a thin line of craft glue along the cut side of the sticker
Gently dip the glue-lined end of the cheese flag into the jar of glitter, making sure to gently tap off any excess glitter before placing the flag down to dry on a paper towel
Once dry, write the name of the cheese and milk type on the flag using a fine tipped pen
Place flag into its designated cheese and serve

Creating an All-in-One Hors D'oeuvre Platter

June 17, 2016 Callie Cagney

I'm constantly evolving and fine tuning my entertaining style. Of course I love trying new recipes, hosting different groups of people and on occasion, even coming up with different themes for some of my get togethers. While the party presentation is certainly important, it's equally (if not more) important that I create a sound, efficient and effortless (in appearance), operational process for every gathering. As a hostess the last thing you ever want to do is spend the party running around and looking frazzled. Your guests have come over to spend time with you, so you need to make sure that you do just that.

In an effort to minimize the time I spend clearing a cocktail/hors d'oeuvre spread before serving dinner, I have developed an all-in-one hors d'oeuvre platter. This platter is made up of all of my favorite go-to cocktail party foods with the added benefit of only having to serve and clear one dish! I am really kicking myself that it's taken me so long to figure this out. Fab summer veggies, hummus, two different cheeses and even those tasty cocktail nuts can be served on one platter! Less time making trips to the kitchen to add and/or clear food means more time with your guests. Cocktail parties made even easier! What's not to love about that?!?

See below for full details on this All-in-One Hors D'oeuvre Platter.