You've Got To Taste This

One of the most common questions I'm asked is, "I'm having a party. How much wine should I buy?" And with entertaining season approaching, I thought it was the perfect time to talk about wine for a crowd.

Here is an average guide of how much wine to buy for a dinner party and a cocktail party. One (750mL) bottle of wine yields about 5 glasses of wine.

Dinner party: 4 guests per bottle. (To slow down the flow of wine at a dinner party make sure there is water on the table so the guests have something to sip on besides vino.)

Cocktail party: 2 guests per bottle for a four-hour party; for an afternoon party plan on 3 guests per bottle. (When guests serve themselves you’ll be amazed at how fast the wine goes.) If you really don’t want to be caught running out, plan on 1 bottle per person (and then you can enjoy any leftover wine yourself!).

If you know your crowd, then buy according to taste. But if you’re planning to drink with unknowns, plan on more people drinking white than red. Generally it’s 60/40 white to red, but again, it depends on if you’re serving roast lamb or grilled fish or hosting an appetizer and wine party.

            Two tips to remember before you hit the wine store:  If you’re having more than 6 guests, think about buying by the case. You’ll save at least 10 percent in most wine stores. And remember, it’s always better to have too much than too little; nothing kills a party faster than the booze running out.

         Finally, one other question people often ask: Do you have to serve the bottle of wine that you got as a hostess gift? In a word, no. It’s a gift, not a demand. If it goes with the meal, then open it up. But if it’s something special that you want to savor or it just doesn’t fit the party or the menu, smile, say thank you, and stash it in the pantry.

Ahhh fall. It's in the air. It's about time for colorful leaves, football rivalries, and warm soups and ciders. And after browsing my Facebook newsfeed the other day, I realized it's also time for something else: the season of high school dances. Oh, high school.

Remember the stress? Must find the perfect date. Must make sure his tie matches my dress. Definitely must not be caught in the same dress as someone else -- the horror! Must decide: corsages and boutonnieres or no? And whose parents are least embarrassing and could drive us...I don't get my driver's license until next month. :/

Wow, I'm a little stressed just reminiscing.

Yet among all the chaos, my high school friends and I did manage to make one thing easier on ourselves: the pre-dance dinner plans. 

One year, we discovered that instead of blowing an entire month's worth of our minimum-wage salary on one meal before a big dance, we'd eat in.

One friend had a brother-in-law who loved to cook, and another friend had a dining room table big enough for our party. It was as easy as that. Before boogieing the night away, we gathered ourselves at one house and enjoyed a delicious dinner of steak, potatoes, green veggies, and cheesecake.

The total bill? Just the price of groceries (which I think came to somewhere around $7 a person).

So, the next time little Susie or Bobby has a big school dance coming up, consider casually throwing this idea out there. At first, they may not think it's the hippest idea to have Mom and Pop cater dinner, but when they think about their wallets, they might just think again.

For restaurant-style dinner on a budget, try these delicious recipes from All You that each provide the price per serving.

The Main Dish:

• Balsamic Marinated Flank Steak ($2.02 per serving)
• Chicken with Lemon and Capers ($2.30 per serving)
• Maple-glazed Salmon Fillets ($2.41 per serving)

Easy Sides:

• Garlic-Shallot Mashed Potatoes ($1.27 per serving)
• Broccoli Gratin ($1.08 per serving)
• Roasted Carrots ($0.59 per serving)
• Quick Risotto ($0.77 per serving)
• Roasted Autumn Vegetables ($0.70 per serving)

Delicious Desserts: (or just pick up a pie or cheesecake at your local bakery)

• Baked Apples a la Mode ($2.20 per serving)
• Applesauce-Spice Cake ($0.27 per serving)
• Chocolate Cream Pie ($0.87 per serving)

Have fun!

Well, this weekend is the start of college football season and tailgating. (Technically the season started on Thursday, but my team plays on Saturday, so that's when I'm starting.)  Proper tailgating is of extreme importance as it sets the tone for the whole day and, as I believe, helps us be in the right mindset to cheer our team onto victory.  Go Tigers!

For my group, the emails have been flying and everyone is getting their assignments for what food to bring to the tailgate gathering.  If the coaches have put as much effort into the details of the game plan as we've put into the tailgate menu, we're sure to win!   Over the years we've simplified things a bit because parking is a challenge and we can't all pull our cars and respective tailgates right up to our "perfect tailgate spot".  So, the less we have to haul to the "perfect tailgate spot" the happier we are.  We all agree that coolers with wheels are the best invention since go-cups.  

I'm bringing spinach dip and salsa, along with the appropriate chips for each.  Neither of these appetizers requires further preparation when I arrive, other than just placing the bowls on the table. The fresh salsa is especially great for tailgating because it doesn't have to stay chilled. 

Other items on this week's menu include barbecue sandwiches, chicken fingers, hummus, baked brie, chocolate chip cookies, and brownies. Sometimes my cousin brings his little grill and cooks Conecuch County sausages, but we may have to wait until later in the season to be worthy of this kind of fare.  Check out our Tailgating Guide for more ideas and recipes, and let me know what you take to your game day festivities.   We'll be doing this pretty much every weekend until November, so I'll need some new ideas.  Happy Tailgating and War Eagle!     

This past weekend, my dearest friends hosted a baby shower celebrating the fast-approaching (only 7 weeks!) arrival of our baby Parker. They asked if I had any requests, and my only one was a laid back, casual afternoon with the girls. And boy did they deliver! The shower was incredible, and as you can see, so was the food. They went with a wine and cheese spread (and a few other sweet treats, which calmed all my cravings!).

Ok, I know you're thinking, "Wine at a baby shower?" But don't worry, they concocted a fabulous blue lemonade for me! By simply adding a few drops of blue food coloring and fresh blueberries as garnish to Fresh Squeezed Lemonade, the ordinary sipper became a baby shower treat! Here are some other party ideas I picked up on that fun afternoon!

(photography by Abbi Masters)

Since I've been pregnant, my cravings can be summed up in 3 words: beef, cheese, and chocolate. The latter of the 3 is pretty much a necessity each day, so when my brother-in-law picked up this curious little tin while my husband and I were vacationing with the family, I had to try it out.

What lied inside was truly fabulous! Upon further investigation, I learned that Sin in a Tin (visit http://sininatin.org/), as it was cleverly named by its creator, Chef William Guthrie, can be served by itself, with fresh fruit, or spread on cookies. It's also gluten-free and makes a GREAT gift! But I had to know, would others love this treat as much as I did?

I go crazy for themed parties and the last bachelorette night I hosted was a platform to fuel this party passion. As a bachelorette party veteran I wanted to steer away from the conventional party ideas. I was working with a really fun group of girls who would dress up and play along with almost any theme. This was used to my advantage when deciding on Kristen’s Bachelorette Bar Golf Classic.

I sent out the argyle print invitations for the ladies to reserve their tee time and started planning, booking hotel rooms, scoping out local pubs, and hunting for golf décor.

The Check List

1. Food and Drink: Coordinating an out of town gathering has its set backs when you’re trying to dig for local eateries or bringing food to coincide with the theme. We teed off at Dan McGuinness Irish Pub for some classic fish n’ chips, frosty pints and live music.

Here are a  few more go-to golfer cocktail and starter recipes

Pimm's Cup

Cheddar and Hot Mustard Sandwiches

Smoky Ranch Dip

2. Gift Buckets: I found these great little buckets (pictured) for a dollar and had to use them.  They were stuffed with a miniature bottle of Yellow Tail wine, a "Who's Your Caddy" cocktail napkin, green party beads, golf balls, and a score card. We wore the score cards as necklaces. These were originally intended for the girls to jot down places we visited, but everyone we encountered that night wanted to autograph.

3. Attire: Kristen (pictured holding the coveted golf tournament cup) sported an adorable golf fanatic baseball cap with a vale draped down her back, argyle socks, a plaid skirt, and the classic polo with her future initials on the front and bride-to-be on the back. To pull it all together Kristen carried around an enormous, blow-up golf club. Hilarious!

We truly had a memorable night and the golf theme was a hit! I'm ok with always being a bridesmaid, never a bride. 

As I plan this "Big White Wedding" (or BWW, as I've learned it's called in the blogging community), I've slowly learned more about my region, specifically what sounds weird to my friends around the country.  First there was the bridal portrait, displayed for all at the wedding ("So, the bride gets all dressed up ahead of time and does a portrait by herself but the groom doesn't get one?"  "Er, yes.").  Then there was the non-seated dinner style.  And now, the groom's cake.

Groom's cakes are a Southern phenomenon, though I hear the groom's cake trend is spreading a little outside the area.  They're typically chocolate, delicious, and more fun than the bride's cake.

When my fiance and I met with our baker Al, we talked about ourselves a little and he came back with a proposal.  For me, an ivory buttercream-covered cake with almond filling.  For Brian?  A 3-D chocolate baseball stadium featuring all the teams he's played on, beginning with his high school wildcats and going through his three-year stint in the minor leagues.  I can hardly wait to see it and you better believe I'll be posting pictures!

If you're looking for a way to personalize your wedding, the groom's table is the way to go.  Forget cake, you can have chocolates, cheesecakes, fondue... anything.  The only rule is that it shouldn't be white.  Unless you're a sassy bride and want to have a colorful cake yourself.  Check out our menu for A Groom's Chocolate Table.  For a fraction of the cost of commissioning an entire cake, you can load up a table with dipped pretzels, brownie trifle, and pecan clusters. 

And, because you don't need one more thing on your list, let your guy pick the treats for this table.  He'll get what he wants and your guests will enjoy seeing some of your personality shine through.  I'm getting married in 16 days and I can't wait to see what Brian's cake looks like.  I'll be back with details!

This weekend, my fabulous sister gathered my favorite girlfriends from three different states to the lovely city of Birmingham for an out-and-out girls weekend packed with a shower, plenty of red wine, and, you guessed it, delicious food.  Whether we were brunching at Jackson's or dining on tapas at Sol Y Luna, the 11 of us spent the weekend feasting on the best food this city has to offer.

While we did go out for two meals, we tried not to be a one-group stimulus team and opted to eat in for a few of our gatherings, starting with the welcome pizza dinner on Friday night and ending with the breakfast-casserole departure brunch on Sunday morning.  But my favorite do-it-yourself dish was this amazing black bean dip one of the girls made for the shower. 

I've scoured the internet for the origins of this dip, but I'm pretty sure it's simply an appetizer of legend and lore, handed, emailed, and texted from friend to friend for various parties and gatherings.  One thing's for sure, it's darn good.  Slightly sweet, this dip is a flavorful departure from the typically salty black-bean-and-corn-salsa offering.  I can't wait to make it for my fiance; I know he'll go crazy for it!  And, besides, he should be privy to at least one thing from the whole "girls only" event.

If you're planning a bachelorette party or a shower, check out our Girls' Night In guide to the perfect girls-only night.  It's easy on the budget and big on the fun. Plus the "Party Plan" section takes all the guesswork out of the prep, getting you out of the kitchen and back into the festivities. 

Sweet Bean Feta Dip
1 can black beans (rinsed and drained)
1 can white corn (drained)
8 oz feta cheese (I use 2 packages Athenos reduced fat feta crumbles)
Handful green onions, chopped
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup distilled white vinegar
1/2 cup white sugar

Mix all ingredients together and serve with chips.  If you can, make it the night before and let it hang out in the fridge so the flavors can mingle overnight.

I'm no sushimi master and I still haven’t tried making the real deal, but rolling candy sushi is a great start! These bit-sized enjoyments are fun for kids like myself to make and gobble down by the handful. Beware of the high volume sugar rush. A box of roll-ups, gummy worms or Swedish Fish, Rice Krispies, marshmallows, and butter is all you need to make 32 rolls.

While I was rolling a batch for a work related project last night I couldn’t help but imagining ways to incorporate these sweet sushi bites into party ideas. This partially originated from an invitation I received last week to attend a ladybug themed birthday party for a precious 2-year old, Megan. So it made me think, wouldn’t these sweet sushi bites be fantastic incorporated into a Japanese themed Birthday party? Cute kimonos, beautiful paper lanterns, and creative origami art. I've decided that candy sushi can be fun for everyone and the possibilities are endless in how you can incorporate these colorful treats. Enjoy!

What are some fun foods you’ve made or seen? 

Last week, I had the distinct pleasure of sitting down with my Mom and a favorite caterer of ours to plan my upcoming wedding reception.  So far, the wedding planning has been easy.  Flowers?  Whatever the florist thinks will look nice.  Ceremony lineup?  Let's look at what the strings quartet recommends.  The reception food, however, is a different story.  As a budding foodie (if craving box-mix brownies and three-ingredient-or-less appetizers even gets me there), I'm super invested in the food, but I quickly learned that there's more to think about than just pleasing the palate.

The caterer gave me a list and asked me to mark of the things I didn't want.  Or maybe she didn't.  (I was HUNGRY!) Either way, that's what I did, which narrowed out, among others, mini quiches, tiny sandwiches, and chicken fingers.  The list of things I loved was small, but powerful, including crab cakes, smoked salmon, pork tenderloin, shrimp & grits, and more.

She told me she'd sit down with the chef to figure out the plate.  The plate?  Aren't we using their standard white set?  She gently corrected me, "Think of having all your offerings on one plate. What does it look like?  Do the flavors mesh?  Are they balanced?" It dawned on me: planning a party, even one with passed appetizers and dishes, was just like planning a dinner, only on a massive scale. 

We're still working on the menu, but once I thought about "the plate" instead of individual dishes, I started to understand what she meant.  Ahi tuna doesn't really swim nicely with chicken tenders, and a heavy, creamy pasta bar might not sit well with an imported cheese offering.  It's all in the balance.

How did you pick the menu for your last party?  Are you a plate planner or a "my house, my favorites" kind of cook?