Create My Event - Event & Party Ideas Blog

mood music.

Because every good event host knows that no party is complete without a bit of tunes! Here's a fabulous playlist for your holiday enjoyment, courtesy of Snippet and Ink:

1. Santa Claus is Back in Town - Elvis Presley
2. Sleigh Ride - The Ronettes
3. Baby It's Cold Outside - Dean Martin
4. Merry Christmas Baby - Otis Redding
5. Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree - Brenda Lee
6. The Man With the Bag - Brian Seltzer Orchestra
7. Santa Baby - Eartha Kitt
8. Holly Jolly Christmas - Burl Ives
9. Run Rudolph Run - Chuck Berry
10. Happy Xmas (War is Over) - John Lennon
11. Skating (Charlie Brown Christmas) - Vince Guaraldi Trio
12. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen - Nat King Cole
13. Carol of the Meows - Guster
14. I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus - John Mellencamp
15. It Must've Been Ol' Santa Claus - Harry Connick, Jr.
16. Please Come Home For Christmas - Charles Brown
17. Five Pound Box of Money - Pearl Bailey
18. Feliz Navidad - Jose Feliciano
19. Jingle Bell Rock - Bobby Helms
20. White Christmas - The Drifters
21. Winter Wonderland - Ray Charles
22. Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) - Darlene Love
23. All I Want 4 Christmas - Mariah Carey
24. Little St. Nick - Beach Boys
25. Santa Claus is Coming to Town - Jackson 5
26. Let it Snow! - Dean Martin
27. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas - Judy Garland
28. It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas - Perry Como
29. What Christmas Means to Me - Stevie Wonder

Christmas Cocktails

As the holiday season approaches, it's time to mix it up and test drive something festive for the five o'clock hour.  Finding something that appeals to a broad range of guests can be a trick...enter the CHAMPAGNE MOJITO, a classic cocktail made holiday-worthy when topped off with a splash of champagne.  For your consideration...

• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup water
• 1 1/2 cups packed mint leaves, plus 12 mint sprigs, for garnish
• 6 limes, cut into wedges
• 2 cups light rum
• Cracked ice
• 3 cups Champagne

1. In a small saucepan, combine the sugar and water and cook over high heat just until the sugar has dissolved. Let cool to room temperature.
2. In a large pitcher, combine the sugar syrup with the mint leaves and lime wedges and muddle well with a wooden spoon. Add the rum and stir well. Strain the drink into another pitcher.
3. Fill tall glasses with cracked ice and pour in the drink, filling them about two-thirds full. Top with Champagne, garnish with the mint sprigs and serve.

Sake Tastings

  Impress your friends and inject some Asian inspiration into your next cocktail party by having a sake tasting.

Sake is the alcoholic beverage from Japan that is made by fermenting rice.  This might make sake sound like its manufactured like a special type of beer, but there are no bubbles, which leads some to believe it is more like a wine.  But sake is truly in a category of its own. 

Sake has a relatively high alcohol content, between 15% and 18% but it contains no sulfites, additives or preservatives so there is very little to none of those pesky hangover feelings the next day ;)  My favorite website for information about sake is John Gauntner's Sake World which answers just about every question an amateur (or pro) could have on the subject of Japanese alcoholic beverages.  Did you know that premium sakes are served chilled on ice and that an older, aged bottle of sake is in no way better than young bottle? Hmmmm? Read on to find out more about the type of sake you can try and their tasting profiles. 

Look out for different types of sake that might be sold in specialty stores in your area or go on-line at World Sake Imports (US) or Ozawa Canada for some ultra premium sake.  Pictured above is my all-time favorite, Onikoroshi "Demon Slayer", a Daiginjo sake from Wakatake.

Have fun with family or friends over the holidays with Japan's most popular drink -Kanpai!

 

Planning your Floral Arrangements

Martha Stewart Weddings

Whether you're planning a wedding or a tea party, floral arrangements make a big statement regardless of their size. Whether you enjoy a more spur of the moment pick of the season, or custom designed masterpiece, here are a few tips for making your trip to the florist worthwhile.

--If your event falls on a major "floral holiday"--Mother's Day, Valentine's Day, Prom, or Homecoming--you need to plan far in advance. Popular flowers for that season may be in high demand, and you should try to get some initial figures and designs from the florist at least three months in advance.

--For weddings, try to complete your initial floral planning six months in advance. Ask the florist to use in season blooms to lower the price. Bring photos to your consultation--pick photos that demonstrate the color scheme, shape, flowers, or containers that you admire.

Martha Stewart
Weddings

--You can add an extravagant garden look to arrangements by using less florals. Seasonal fruits, twigs, and weedy plants may also lower the price. Try faux grapes--their rich colors and frosty texture are easy to imitate, and will add succulence to your arrangement.

--Ask the florist to write or type up a quote for you that includes the flowers used in each arrangement and the quantities of arrangements. Typically you have these categories to concentrate on for a wedding:

    bridal bouquet, bridesmaid bouquets, groom boutonnière, groomsmen boutonnière, flower     girl bouquet, ring bearer bouquet, parents boutonnière, grandparents boutonnière, alter     arrangements, table centerpieces, cake table arrangement, and bridal party table             arrangements.

You can leave out any combination of these to lower your price.

--If the florist plans on keeping the quote they've given you, ask for a copy of the writeup. You can take this to other florists to see how their prices might compare for the same arrangement. You can also refresh your memory by looking up the flowers you chose at sierraflowerfinder.com. Here you can search for flowers by name and browse photos.

--Lastly, like most pretty things, your arrangements are at the whim of nature. Don't expect your flowers to look exactly like the glossy you pulled from the magazine. Embrace the surprise of it all.

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On ice...

         

Question: How long does it take to bring wine to the proper serving temperature?

Answer: White wine should be served at 55 degrees, so plan on 1.5 hours in a refrigerator, 40 minutes in a freezer, or 20 minutes in ice & water. Red wine should be served at around 65 degrees, so you can refrigerate a bottle of red for 20 minutes before your guests arrive.

We love

Food and Wine Magazine.

By Kate Sinclair of Life in Style.

The world is my oyster...

In November I like to do a little something...for myself.  November can be a very gray, cold and damp month in Toronto and in most northern States, so I like to have a small indulgence before the whirl-wind of holiday gift giving and good deeds is in full swing.  I had the good fortune of attending the Toronto Gourmet Food and Wine Expo last week and I came across many great ideas for indulgences.  I had a lovely time relaxing at the Food Network Canada Cooking Stage where Kevin Brauch from The Thirsty Traveler and Rodney Clark from Rodney's Oyster House did a demonstration of one of Rodney's favorite dishes, Pan Fried Oysters.  Both Kevin and Rodney were informative about oysters and the wine paring they had for us, but it was the hilariously entertaining banter, jokes and comments that kept the audience attentive and laughing through the whole demonstration (not to mention the alcohol!). 

I have been to Rodney's Oyster House a number of times and I religiously watch the Food Network and Kevin's show so this was a great treat for me to be able to see both of them live and interacting with the audience in a relaxed, non-scripted and easy way.  I was reminded that it had been a very long time since I had a plate of oysters on the half shell and an even longer time since I had them cooked or in a chowder.  I decided then that I would make it a point to indulge in some raw/cooked oysters this month and try to bring some of the excitement of the oyster bar into my home.  The following recipe, as demonstrated by Rodney, is very simple but makes you look like an oyster superstar and is a great one for entertaining a few friends.

Pan Fried Oysters, from Rodney at Rodney's Oyster House

Ingredients:

• 12 Medium sized oysters, Pacific Coast preferably
• 3 cups Japanese panko or breadcrumbs
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 2 large eggs
• 1/4 cup of milk
• 1/4 cup clarified butter or olive oil for frying
• 1/8 tsp each of salt and fresh ground pepper

Preparation:

1. Open oysters with a shucking knife (or have your fishmonger do this at the store for you), remove oyster and scrub the bottom shell for later use.
2. Wash oysters under cold running water and discard shell fragments.
3. Arrange 3 bowls in order from left to right: 1st bowl - Mix flour with salt and pepper, 2nd bowl - Whisk eggs together with 1/4 cup of milk, 3rd bowl - Breadcrumbs
4. Taking 3 oysters at a time, dust the oysters in the seasoned flour (1st bowl).
5. Transfer oysters to the egg wash and roll the oysters in the eggs (2nd bowl).
6. Using slotted spoon, transfer oysters to the breadcrumbs (3rd bowl).  Coat the oysters in crumbs so that they are covered evenly.
7. Transfer breaded oysters to a plate.
8. Heat the oil/clarified butter over med-high heat in a cast iron pan.
9. Wait 15 seconds until the butter gets hot then gently place the oysters in the pan.
10. Cook until golden on one side then flip over and brown the other side.
11. Place cooked oysters on the oyster shells that were previously cleaned and serve with your favorite tartar sauce and a squeeze of lemon.

Make sure you pick up a nice crisp white wine or a dry bubbly with which to enjoy these and toast to yourself...because the world is your oyster!

 

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Win an Umbrella Stand!

Every party needs an umbrella stand this rainy time of year. Win this modern umbrella stand from 2Modern.com. It's easy!

Two lucky readers will win an umbrella stand based on comments to this post. Comment on your favorite gift idea in the 2Modern Holiday Gift Shop to enter the sweepstakes! Remember to use either your blogger login or first name and last name so that we can identify you if you win. We will post the winner's name with instructions for collecting your prize, please check back soon to see if you won!

Giveaway ends Saturday December 1st at midnight PST (and sorry, prizes can only be sent to locations in the US). Good Luck!

Pre-Thanksgiving Bites

My family always has a pre-Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner round of appetizers and drinks as I am sure many other families do too.  There is plenty of time to nibble while the turkey/roast/ham is cooking in the oven, while family members are stuck in traffic jams, while the chef frantically looks for a replacement dessert (burnt apple pie or stale graham crackers with chocolate syrup?)…Some of us think, “Just a bite or two before the main event”, and some of us think, “Let’s graze for the few hours before the main event.”  I am definitely a grazer and I have all of my holiday favorites requested beforehand, such as my Grandmother’s Famous Cheese Balls and her Mushroom Tarts (unfortunately there isn’t even a recipe to share for these!).  My sisters and I traditionally buy very exotic and fragrant cheeses and dips to try with fresh rustic breads and locally made flat breads.  Everyone will have a favorite appetizer for the holidays and below are some ideas with links to recipes, all inspired by Thanksgiving/Christmas dinners past.

Some “less is more” options:
• Spiced Pecans or Herbed Spiced Nuts
• Stuffed Mushrooms
• Cold Shrimp Cocktail
• Cheese Tray with Artisanal Flat breads and Crackers
• Veggie Tray with Gourmet Dips (Beet, Chickpea and Almond dip, perhaps?)
• Fresh Fruit

Some “more is more” options:
• Cheddar Cheese Straws
• Mushroom Tarts
• Crab Cakes
• Spanakopita
• 1960s Swedish Meatballs
• Seven-layer Tex-Mex dip
• Filo-wrapped and Baked Brie

 

Thanks to Artisanal Premium Cheese, My Recipes, and Epicurious for the mouth watering pictures and recipes.