Making Cheese Markers

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

1. Peel off an adhesive banner sticker from the sticker sheet 
2. Fold the banner sticker in half matching and sticking only the two ends of the sticker together
3. 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 
4. Press the remainder of the sticker opening together to create the cheese flag
5. Apply a thin line of craft glue along the cut side of the sticker
6. 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
7. Once dry, write the name of the cheese and milk type on the flag using a fine tipped pen
8. Place flag into its designated cheese and serve

Host a Pumpkin Carving Party

This past Friday, I invited a small group of friends over to my house for cocktails and pumpkin carving.  Since none in this group (myself included) has kids, which is typically the most compelling reason for carving pumpkins, we had been missing out on this fabulous holiday tradition for quite some time.  So as you could imagine, the response from my guests to this party invitation was an enthusiastic "yes!".  After extensive plotting and planning, I came up with a pumpkin carving party that struck a perfect balance of sophistication with splashes of festive Halloween accents thrown into the mix. Below is a breakdown of the various elements from my recent pumpkin carving party, filled with great ideas and tips on how you can recreate this holiday tradition with your own group of friends!

Pumpkin Carving Station

Since there were a fair number of us carving pumpkins, I decided to transform my dining room table into the pumpkin carving station.  Here is a list of the supplies I used to create this space:

• Disposable Painting Tarp
• Pumpkins
• Set of Assorted Foam Brushes
• Carving Knives (I just used my favorite Victorinox Steak Knives)
• An assortment of paints (see this post for more details)
• Glitter 
• Glue
• Tea Lights
• An assortment of Halloween candies (to keep everyone's energy levels up)
• Free Pumpkin Stencils courtesy of Better Homes and Garden (so many fabulous options!)

Pumpkin Trivia

Instead of just sitting around the table carving pumpkins in silence or with generic conversation, I thought it would be a fun idea to take this time to share a little pumpkin trivia with my guests.  Not only was it fun to see what my friends knew about pumpkins, but it also added an extra element of fun to the party.  This site has everything you need to know about pumpkins. 

Food and Beverage

What cocktail party of mine would be complete without a cheesescape?!?  Here is a breakdown of what I served at this party:

• Cheeses: Jasper Hill Farm Clothbound Cheddar, Cypress Grove Midnight Moon, Cypress Grove Humboldt Fog
• Chutney: Virginia Chutney Co. Balsamic Fig Chutney
• Crackers: Raincoast Flats Kale and Walnut, Dr. Kracker Pumpkin Seed Cheddar
• Ina Garten's Tomato Crostini with Whipped Feta
• Other Nibbles: Edamame, Somersaults, Assorted Nuts, Veggies and Hummus
• Wine: Napa Cellars Pinot Noir

Goody Bags

What Halloween party would be complete without a little Trick or Treat!  Well, in our case it was more of a nod to Trick or Treating.  Each guest received a goody bag and mini bottle of Prosecco at the end of the evening  to take home along with their carved pumpkin. See my post on Halloween Treat Bags for more details.

This party was a huge hit with my friends and the perfect culmination of the various projects I had been sharing throughout this past month.  Even though it may seem at times like pumpkin carving should be more of a kid centric activity, there are so many ways to enhance the sophistication level of this activity, ultimately making it worthy of adults and even a cocktail party!  

Fall Entertaining Essentials

Over Labor Day Weekend, I decided to get a jump start on "Fallifying"(a word I've made up, meaning to prep for fall) my home.  Since it is only the beginning of September, I didn't think it would be appropriate to have my entire house decked out in fall decor just yet.  Instead, I spent the weekend looking for those items that would become the staple entertaining pieces for me throughout the Fall season.  While there are certainly more than just the 5 items listed below that will be part of my Fall entertaining repertoire, these 5 essentials are great ways to start incorporating small and festive fall accents into your home.  

Geometric Lanterns

Geometric lanterns are a trend that I am noticing in an array of home stores this season, so of course I have immediately jumped on the bandwagon.  I love the fact that these lanterns are a hybrid between a hurricane and a traditional lantern with modern/rustic flare.  You can find these lanterns with closed peaked tops or open hurricane style in copper, brass or zinc, like the ones I have featured above from World Market.  In addition to the fabulous look of these hurricanes, they retail for anywhere between $9.99 and $29.99!  Love that!  With that said, my favorite feature would have to be the fact that the base of these lanterns is nonstick.  Meaning that when the candles melt down into the base, don't worry about it!  Just wait for the wax to harden and then it will lift right out of the lantern.  Great price, chic look and easy care, makes these lanterns a must-have for this fall season.  

Cocktail Napkins

I love a good cocktail napkin and have a bit of a cocktail napkin habit (similar to my pillow, flower and cooking tool habits).   With all of the decorating and redecorating I have been doing lately, I have been a huge fan of prints from various fabric designers like Schumacher, Lee Jofa and Scalamandre.  As it turns out, Scalamandre has collaborated with my favorite paper cocktail company, Caspari, to come up with the most fabulous line of products featuring the famous Scalamandre Zebra and Arrows.  I am in love with these orange zebra cocktail napkins for the Fall season, because they give you that autumn feel without being too kitchy.  These napkins are definitely a chic and updated accessory that I highly recommend adding to your entertaining repertoire this season.   

Wood Slice Serving Board

I have a serious weakness for anything rustic chic and this serving board definitely fits the bill!  Not only is it rustic and very reminiscent of Autumn, it is also extremely versatile.  Whether I am crafting  a new fall cheesescape, serving up delicious sugar cookies or even using it as a base for  a fall centerpiece, this board adapts to an array of situations.   I have seen all sorts of variations on this board in a number of stores, but ended up purchasing mine from Sur la Table, because the care for their board is super easy and it gives off the most wonderful smokey cedar fragrance.  Love love love this board!

Copper Wine Coaster

I love a splash of copper. Well, if we are being honest, I really would love a whole sea of copper.  The reality- not in my budget, so I am sticking with loving a splash of copper.  Most home good stores are chock full of copper accessories right now.  My favorite piece at the moment would have to be this Copper Wine Coaster from Williams Sonoma.  With the chic style of the rustic brass handles and the warmth of the coaster's color palette, this is the perfect accent to any autumn table setting.    

Phantom Wine by Bogle

There is no question that I enjoy a nice bottle of wine on occasion. Sometimes to a fault.  Recently, I was talking about wine with a friend of mine and she asked if I had tried Phantom by Bogle.  Bogle has been known to produce wines that are great for everyday drinking, so naturally I was a little confused when she emphatically recommended this particular label.  It still peaked my interest, so I purchased a bottle to share with my husband over the weekend.  Let me just say…I totally understand now why my friend was raving about Phantom by: Bogle.  This wine is FABULOUS!!!!  OMG so delicious and instantly became worthy of my Fall entertaining essentials, because in addition to this wine being very delicious, it is only offered seasonally (in the Fall).   If you are looking for a great bottle of wine to try this fall, I highly highly recommend picking up a bottle of Phantom by Bogle.  I promise, you most certainly will not be disappointed!

This happens to be my favorite time of year, so of course I have wasted no time with starting to transition my home from Summer to Fall.  I absolutely love these entertaining pieces mentioned in today's post as well as other items that I will be sharing in the upcoming weeks/months.  Now if only the Fall weather would get the memo that it is time to start cooling off our 90+ degree city! 

34 Degrees Giveaway!

I am so excited to announce that this week I have partnered with 34 Degrees to bring you a very special (and my first) Instagram giveaway!  As you all know, 34 Degree Crisps are a cheesescape  and entertaining essential for me .  The versatility of these delicious crisps has afforded me the latitude to not only create delicious cheesescapes (see here and here), but also creating delicious hors d'oeuvres and even desserts!  

This prize package for this giveaway is the ultimate entertaining starter kit.  Not only will the winner receive a complete set of 34 Degree Crisps (yep, every flavor!), but they will also receive a cheese pairing guide and a complete set of recipe cards that are chock full of ideas and inspiration for how to pair and share these delicious crackers.  To round out this fabulous prize package, 34 Degrees will also be including one of their fabulous canvas tote bags and an array of fun buttons (I am personally obsessed with the I {heart} Cheese button…too cute!).  This tote also makes for a great picnic basket for say, packing/carrying a delicious and romantic cheesescape for two!

Prize Details:

• A set of 34 Degrees Crisps (all flavors)
• 34 Degrees Canvas Tote Bag and Buttons
• 34 Degrees Recipe Cards

How to Enter:

1. Follow both calliecagney and 34 Degrees on Instagram
2. Tag 2 friends to at least one of 34 Degrees Giveaway photos that I post this week. **The more tags and likes you make on photos posted by myself and 34 Degrees throughout the week increases your chances of winning.  

Announcing a Winner:

On Friday, August 21st, 2015, we will select a winner and announce the results that afternoon on Instagram.  

Even though this contest will only produce a single winner, 34 Degrees has recently partnered with Destini Store Locators to launch the most fabulous app, that anyone can use to locate every flavor crisp in their area.  

For more information on the latest happenings and recipes from 34 Degrees I definitely recommend checking out their Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter accounts.  I have found all of these resources to be extremely inspirational when preparing my cocktail menu for upcoming party.  Stay tuned throughout the week for more ideas on how you can pair and share these most delicious crisps!  

Thank you 34 Degrees for sponsoring this post. 

Summer Cheesescape

This past Friday I hosted a small cocktail party in honor of my mom's visit to DC.  I had a small group of friend's come over for an evening of cocktails, hors d'oeuvres and of course a cheesescape!  Prepping for this party was a new challenge for a few reasons. First and foremost- this was the first time my mom would be attending one of my soirees so I wanted to make sure that it was thoughtful, delicious, aesthetically pleasing and of course, fun!  

The second aspect that I had to consider (and most challenging) was the size and shape of my new coffee table.  Even though my new coffee table still yielded ample surface area,  the width is about 4 inches shorter than my old coffee table and my new table has a rounded shape as opposed to my traditional rectangular table.  While the table logistics sound trivial, the new size/shape affected the types of linens, flowers and serving pieces that I could use when scaping this spread.  Below is a breakdown of both my menu and entertaining accessories used to compile this recent table setting.   

The Menu

• Cheesescape
  • Cypress Grove's Humboldt Fog
  • Cypress Grove's Midnight Moon
  • Jasper Hill Farm Cabot Cloth Bound Cheddar
  • Cherry Glen Goat Cheese Co. Monocacy Chipotle
  • Virginia Chutney Co. Hot Peach Chutney
  • Trader Joes Truffle Marcona Almonds
  • Dried Tart Cherries
  • Fresh Thyme
• Assortment of Olives from Whole Foods Olive Bar
• Lemon Hummus Garnished with Fresh Lemon Zest and Thyme
• Ina Garten's Roasted Eggplant and Red Pepper Dip
• Olli Salumeria Chorizo Salami
• 34 Degrees Crisps - Natural and Rosemary
• Simple & Crisp- Pear
• Fine English Charcoal Squares
• Not Pictured - Lemon Honey Ricotta Bites

Entertaining Accessories

• Cheeseboard- Nambe Cheese Block with Knife and Spreader
• Votives- CB2 Archer Candle Holder
• White Dip Bowls- Williams Sonoma Open Kitchen Snack Bowl, Set of 4
• Cocktail Napkins- Caspari Zebra Cocktail Napkins, Orange
• Cocktail Plates- CB2 Small Cuatro Platter
• Cocktail Picks- Julia Knight Classic Cocktail Pick Set
• Cheesescape Cracker Stand- Target West Emory Multi-Tiered Stand
• Crudités and Pita Chip Bowls- Tiffany & Co. Windham Bowl
• Olive and Chorizo Bowls- Crate and Barrel 6" Snack Bowls

This party ended up being a huge success.  My mom had a wonderful time catching up with everyone and I was ecstatic that there were very few leftovers to clean up at the end of the night.  Small bowls, a tiered cracker stand, bud vases and votives all aided in creating a table that accommodated my entire menu along with all decorations.  More importantly, these specific entertaining accessories also provided enough breathing room to avoid the look of a table traffic jam.  While it was most important to show my mom a great time on Friday night, I love that I was able to takeaway a new found awareness for both the space and serving potential on my new coffee table.