Category Archives: Party

Anyone else dreaming of warm weather and sunny days?  I have a case of the Winter Blues and am thinking back to a fun summer weekend where we made “bucket drinks” to enjoy on a pontoon ride.  If you aren’t familiar with “bucket drinks”, they are cocktails made in plastic buckets…. like a jumbo, fruity cocktail.  And they are delicious! We made Blue Hawaiian Tropical Bucket Cocktails.  As the name states, they are tropical… and full of booze and fruit juice and garnished with some fun fruit, candy, and glitter.  We actually made them multiple weekends in a row after finding the perfect combination of each ingredient, and let me tell you, I’m craving a pontoon ride, sunshine, and a jumbo bucket cocktail right about now 😊 The recipe can be found here. You will need 32 oz plastic beverage buckets.  You can find them on Amazon (click here) or perhaps a local party supply store.  Make sure to wash them before … Continue reading

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The Super Bowl is fast approaching.  Are you ready for it?  Do you plan to watch?  Personally, I’m not watching for the game.  I like to see the commercials and eat some good food with friends.  And every year I like to create some tasty new recipes for our gathering.  This year, my recipes are all appetizer/snack based, are easy to make, great finger foods for a crowd, something the kids will like, and make good leftovers.  Here is what I have for you: Bacon Wrapped Potato Wedges Mini Chicken Cordon Bleu Sliders Taco Seasoned Oyster Crackers Mini Cheeseburger Bites   Let’s walk through how to make each recipe: BACON WRAPPED POTATO WEDGES This is a simple recipe that combines popular ingredients to create a wonderful finger food.  The potatoes are soft and tender, the bacon is salty and crisp, and the dipping sauce brings it all together.  It’s like a baked potato you eat with your hands 😊 The nice … Continue reading

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Occasionally during the winter, I start craving warmer weather, fruity cocktails, and a beach somewhere tropical.  Who doesn’t?  But we live in MN and that’s not a reality this time of year.  To curb the winter blues, I sometimes make fruity cocktails at home to feel a little more cheerful about the amount of snow outside 😊 I’m going to share with you 2 new cocktail recipes using Starburst Infused Vodka.  You read that right…I infused vodka with Starburst candy.  It was super simple and didn’t take any effort to make but patience is required to allow the vodka to sit for a few days. The cocktail recipes can be found here: Cherry Limeade with Starburst Infused Vodka Strawberry Lemonade with Starburst Infused Vodka   You want to start by infusing the vodka.  Use a fairly nice vodka because it’s literally 2 ingredients: vodka and Starbursts.  And you want to enjoy the cocktail, not feel like you ordered some … Continue reading

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The Harry Potter books are something I grew up reading and then fell in love with the movies as they came out in theaters.  To this day, we have a Harry Potter marathon at our house some weekend during the winter months to enjoy the films.  If you have about 20 hours of free time, I suggest you do the same 😊 Kidding!  We don’t watch the movies in one sitting but it is fun to watch them consecutively and within a few weeks of each other to get the full effect.  The one thing I struggle with is snacks and beverages.  I want something themed to go along with our viewing but don’t always plan ahead.  This year, I am planning way ahead.  We’re going to enjoy various versions of Butterbeer (IFYKY) and a few themed snacks.  Here’s what we’ll be enjoying! Copycat Hot Butterbeer Copycat Cold Butterbeer Copycat … Continue reading

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Look no further for fun and festive martinis that are packed with seasonal flavors and are delicious to drink!  I have 4 recipes to share with you today.  All are great for holiday parties or family gatherings because they are simple to make and don’t require many ingredients, and you probably have most of the ingredients at home already.  Here are the recipes: Espresso Martini Snickerdoodle Martini Mint Chocolate Martini Salted Caramel Martini   ESPRESSO MARTINI This martini tastes just like boozy espresso and it’s phenomenal…if you like coffee! Start by making the instant espresso, and let it cool completely.  Fill a cocktail shaker with ice.  Add the vodka, Kahlua, espresso, and simple syrup.  Shake vigorously then strain into a martini glass.  Enjoy! This recipe is for ONE cocktail and can be found HERE. SNICKERDOODLE MARTINI This martini tastes just like a snickerdoodle cookie.  It’s perfectly sweet with a hint of spice. Start by combining 2 Tbsp of … Continue reading

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Fall is here!  AKA pumpkin spice season has begun.  It officially started a few weeks ago and I’m behind but don’t worry, I’ve been participating in the craze and am ready to share my recipes with you 🙂 My first recipe for the Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Blondies.  I call these “blondies”, but they have a more cakelike texture than a traditional blondie and are quite dense.  They are thick, chewy, soft, and moist, and hard to not eat all at once!  It’s the perfect combination of flavors with the pumpkin spice and chocolate chips. The recipe can be found here. Start by preheating the oven to 350 degrees F.  This part is optional, but you can line a 9×13 baking pan with parchment paper or you can skip this step.  The parchment paper helps lift the blondies out of the baking pan when cool and ready to slice but you can … Continue reading

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I recently posted a blog for Halloween food called Ghouls, Ghosts, & Goblins Alike but now it’s time to talk cocktails!  I think cocktails can be the highlight of any party or holiday gathering and are often overlooked.  Most people tend to opt for beer or wine, something that’s simple to serve and comes in a variety of flavors.  I like to explore cocktails that are on theme to the event, easy to make, and don’t require a lot of ingredients to prepare.  That’s what I have for you today. WITCHES BREW COCKTAIL This cocktail is sweet, citrusy, and festive.  You probably have most of the ingredients on hand already but if not, they are pretty standard cocktails ingredients, so they are worth the purchase. I admittedly thought the cocktail would be more purple in color due to the combination of grenadine and blue curacao, but it actually turned out to be blacker in color.  To be honest, that’s OK … Continue reading

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Spooky Season is upon us and it’s something we look forward to at our house every year!  We decorate for Halloween pretty early in September, start making themed food and beverages all throughout October, and enjoy watching all the Halloween / Horror movies we can find.  This year I got a head start on some recipes and want to share them with you today.  The recipes can be enjoyed as a standalone meal (if you consider dessert a meal), or you could combine them into one big meal.  The hand pies can be an appetizer while you make and bake the pot pies to enjoy with a side of skull cornbread, finishing off with cookies for dessert.  Try them all! SPOOKY CHEDDAR & JALAPENO SKULL CORNBREAD These are both fun and festive and make a great accompaniment to any soup, chili, or stew.  The cornbread is perfectly crumbly, the jalapeno adds a bit of heat, and the cheddar … Continue reading

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Star Wars Day is upon us!  If you aren’t familiar, it’s an informal commemorative day observed annually on May 4th to celebrate all things Star Wars.  It’s not an official holiday by any means but any diehard fan is aware as observance of the day has spread quickly.  The title of this blog, May the Fourth Be with You, is a play on the popular catchphrase May the Force Be with You.  It you’ve watched the movies, you know what I’m referring to 😊 It’s a popular day for franchise fans and whether you plan on celebrating at home or in a galaxy far, far away, I hope you enjoy the recipes I’m going to share with you.  As expected, all are Star Wars themed. Here is a list of the recipe: Copycat Blue Milk Copycat Green Milk Stormtrooper Cheeseball Rebellion Pizza Chocolate Covered Pretzel Lightsabers   Copycat Blue Milk and Copycat Green Milk are beverages popular to … Continue reading

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Bacon wrapped anything is good, but a variety of bacon wrapped appetizers to serve at a holiday gathering or tailgating party is even better!  You and your guests will devour each recipe I’m going to share with you today.  I don’t remember when the “bacon craze” started but it seems to be sticking around, and I’m here for it!  These recipes are all fairy easy to make, can be made ahead of time, are bite-sized / finger foods, and make a decent amount so you shouldn’t have to double or triple the recipes (but you can if you want). Here are the recipes and we’ll walk through how to make each one: Glazed Bacon Wrapped Water Chestnuts Bacon Wrapped Tater Tot Cups Brown Sugar Bacon Crackers Parmesan Bacon Crackers Brown Sugar Bacon Wrapped Lit’l Smokies   One thing I want to point out is you want to use normal, everyday bacon that is thin or … Continue reading

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