Taste the Rainbow...

Rainbows are often seen in a lot of St. Patrick's Day pictures.  The end of the rainbow IS where a leprechaun hides the pot of gold!!

   

These treats are adorable, fun, and I am betting absolutely delicious!!  

The link gives instructions for making these as shots using vodka, but they would work just as well as jigglers so that  the kids can enjoy them, too.  My favorite part about this treat is the cherry stem sticking out of the top.  Pretty & functional!!

And now, cupcakes!!  I made these last year for St. Pat's, but too late to use them in a blog.    

The cupcakes above were made by me, but you can get the instructions from the Family Fun website.  The shamrocks are green gumdrops.  To shape these, first flatten the gumdrop.  Sprinkle sugar on them if they get too sticky to work with.  Once flattened, you can cut them into the shapes you need. 


Recently, I saw a picture of what must have been pudding.  (There was no caption with the picture, so hard to tell for sure.)  They had made different shades of pudding (my best guess, add food coloring to vanilla) and layered them in clear plastic cups for the rainbow effect.  I would top this with a golden coin!! 


Another snack idea I love are these fruit kabobs.  Pretty, tasty, and healthy.
                                


All of you Pinterest addicts may recognize the Skittles Vodka below.  I looked at a few different blogs about this project, and this one was the most detailed and easy to follow. 

For the kiddos, I would stick with different flavors of kool-aid. 

                              

St. Patrick's Day Cocktails

March makes me think of St. Patrick's Day, so when I needed to pick a featured party for the month, I settled on cocktail parties.  First I picture shamrocks, but then my brain immediately jumps to green beer!!

I will be working on a more kid-friendly party blog for my next post, but for today, I promised my Facebook friends some cocktail party inspiration.   

Number 1, you should have GREEN BEER available.  Depending on your group, it could be a huge hit, or after the first cup, no one will want to bother with it anymore.  Regardless, it's a simple thing to do.  All you need is a cheap bottle of food coloring, beer, and clear cups or mugs.  Drop a tiny drop of the green food color in the bottom of the glass, pour in the beer, and voila!!  Super simple!!

For those not really into beer (if anyone would dare to admit that on this day), APPLETINIS are the perfect color.  The most basic recipe is just 2 oz. vodka and 1 oz. Green Apple Schnaaps. Shake in a cocktail shaker with ice, and strain into a chilled glass.  If you can find green Pop Rocks, these are awesome for rimming the glass.  

  

MIDORI (melon-flavored liqueur) is also a perfect color for St. Patrick's Day.  It tastes great mixed with sour mix.  (The stuff used for Margaritas.)  Throw in the tequila, too, and you have MELON MARGARITAS.  Yummy!!  Sure, tequila is more "Cinco de Mayo," but hey, it's green!!

Corned beef & cabbage is the popular food for the holiday.  I found this CORNED BEEF & RYE DIP online today.  FYI, I haven't tried it myself yet, but it sounds good and I hope to get a chance to make it this year.  If you give it a try, please tell me what you think.  There were a couple of other recipes on the same page, but this one looked the tastiest to me.  

A few things to make sure of:

    

      -Have LOTS of ice.  If you have ice left over after a cocktail party, then it's a win.  If you used the very last piece in the very last drink, you got lucky!!

     

     -Cocktails need cocktail napkins.  They keep the drink dribbles at bay, and they can add a little color.  For St. Patrick's Day, you can go with all green for everything, or choose to use every color of the rainbow for some variety. Rainbows are a big deal with leprechauns!!  (A future post will contain some really fun rainbow ideas!!)

     

     -Make sure you have some finger foods available, too.  People will need a little something in their bellies so that the drinking is less likely to take an ugly turn. 

     -Most importantly, make arrangements for all of your guests to get home safely.  Drinking & driving ruins the fun for everyone.    

Superbowl Yum-Yums !!

     This year it's most likely me and a couple of teenagers watching the game at my house on Superbowl Sunday.  (Unless, of course, they get a better offer than hanging out with Mom.)  That doesn't really call for lots of decorations or plans, just lots of food!!  I am going to make game boards, but we'll see if they are in the mood to play.  (I always am!!)

     Our snacking staples are generally Little Smokies, Rotel Dip, a veggie tray (for the appearance of "healthy" on the buffet), and maybe some sort of dip in a bread bowl.  Hot wings are a favorite, too, but we have to order out for those.  This year, I want to try some new food, and this is a link to the recipe that looked the most scrumptious to me:

                           

BUFFALO CHICKEN BITES

    I LOVE hot wings, and we've almost always got some cooked chicken in our fridge already, making this a perfect recipe for me to try.  These sound yummy, I love that they are baked instead of fried, and rolling them into balls is something my kids might actually help with.

     For dessert, I'm kind of feeling like some plain and simple cupcakes.  Maybe brownies.  We'll see.  If you are feeling like putting a little more effort into your sweets, try one of these:  

                                                      COCOA KRISPIE FOOTBALLS 

STRAWBERRY FOOTBALLS

     Both of the kids still living at home with me are football fans, but not for either of the teams playing this year.  I personally am looking most forward to the commercials, the half-time show, and "The Voice" that will be on after the game is over.  (Woo-hoo!!)  I hope everyone finds something they can enjoy about the game.  It's a great excuse for a celebration, and I live for those.  

     I would love to hear the new recipes you are trying this year, or even your absolute, can't-do-without-it old favorites.  Maybe I can try one of your recipes next year!!       

                                                                                                                                                      

Cinco de Mayo Celebration Ideas

This is a great holiday for me to research right now, because I am currently working on a reunion for my fellow Tres Hombres employees.  I had the pleasure of working with some very special people when I worked there.

The first thing Cinco de Mayo makes me think of is MARGARITAS!!  These are very simple to mix.  The main ingredients are:

1 shot of tequila

1/2 shot of triple sec

fill with sweet & sour

Personally, I add a splash of Sprite.  Some people prefer a splash of orange juice.  Shake the ingredients up and pour over ice.  The most important thing is finding a sweet & sour or margarita mix you really love the taste of.  For a virgin mocktail, leave out the alcohol and add orange juice to taste.

For a Peach Margarita (my personal FAVORITE!!) substitute Peach Schnaaps for the triple sec, and add a splash of grenadine (mostly for color.)  This one tastes especially good with sugar around the rim instead of salt.

A taco bar is great because you just have to set out all of the toppings, and your guests can help themselves.  Having a variety of salsas and hot sauces gives everyone a chance to try something new.

I found a really great (and simple) mini-pinata favor on Family Fun's website.

  

I can't imagine a party without some type of special cupcake or cake.  This one is super easy, but super festive.

Whatever you end up doing, make sure you have fun!!  And always take lots and lots of pictures!!

Food ideas for Superbowl Sunday

Maybe you're not a big football fan.  Maybe your team didn't make it to the bowl this year.  So what?  Superbowl Sunday can still be a great excuse to have an amazing Sunday evening with your friends, eating lots, yelling at the tv, and actually looking forward to commercial breaks for once.  (Why can't the advertisers try that hard all of the time?)

You can always go for an elaborate spread, but it really isn't necessary.  The most important things for a Superbowl party are a clear view of the television, and plenty of snacks around throughout  the entire game for constant munching.  If you feel like decorating, the teams provide you with the color scheme.  If your team isn't playing, that doesn't mean you can't use their colors.  A true fan stays loyal to their team, right?

Staples around my house for football game food are generally:  Rotel dip, Little Smokies, Cheese and Summer Sausage, and sometimes a veggie tray with Ranch dip.  (Mom tends to throw that last one in after seeing all of the meat and cheese that is being consumed in one sitting!!)

Now for dessert, a simple one that everyone seems to love is Rice Krispie Treats.  For this occasion, use Cocoa Krispies, and shape the treats into footballs.  Top off with white icing "laces" and you're all set.  You can actually do the same thing with brownies.  Just cut into football shapes.

This year I have been looking for some new things to try.  My cousin Rhonda brought this dip to a family gathering, and it  was a new favorite for everyone.  It's like chicken wings in less-messy dip form!!  Here is the recipe:

Buffalo Chicken Dip

8 oz. cream cheese, softened
2 cups sour cream
1 cup Ranch salad dressing
1/2 cup Franks Red Hot Buffalo Wing Sauce
2 1/2 cups shredded cooked chicken
8 oz. Colby Jack cheese, shredded

In a large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, sour cream, salad dressing, and buffalo sauce until blended. Stir in chicken and colby jack cheese. Transfer to a greased 2 quart baking dish. Cover and bake, at 350 degrees, 25-30 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

You can serve with any chips or crackers you prefer, but I like to serve it with Tostitos tortilla chips.  If you are a blue cheese fan, you can also substitute that for the ranch dressing.

Now for dessert, a simple one that everyone seems to love is Rice Krispie Treats.  For this occasion, use Cocoa Krispies, and shape the treats into footballs.  Top off with white icing "laces" and you're all set.  You can actually do the same thing with brownies.  Just cut into football shapes.

Well, that's probably what we will be doing.  I would love to hear ideas from the rest of you.  What are your favorite football foods, and what new things will you be trying this year?