Colomba Cake for Easter Brunch

nudo easter panettoneDo you serve the same thing for Easter Brunch every year?  While most of us have traditions that we like to stick to, I usually like to try something new as well.  I knew that Panettone was an Italian tradition at the Christmas holiday but I didn’t know they had a version to share at Easter too.  This makes me really happy as I am somewhat obsessed with Panettone.  Nudo makes a Colomba Cake for Easter that is available online.  Like their other products, their packaging is gorgeous!  It arrives like a gift and would be perfect to take with you if celebrating Easter at someone else’s home.

panettone for easter brunchThis cross between bread and cake is so yummy!  It is light and airy with hints of citrus fruit and the crunch of nuts.  This Easter cake is made with Extra Virgin Olive Oil and is perfect for brunches during spring.

italian tradition for EasterThose white “sprinkles” are made of sugar and the cake is shaped like a dove (although I wouldn’t have made that connection on my own) to symbolize peace and renewal for spring.

easter brunch ideasNudo’s Colomba Cake is a limited edition and is $25.  Order now so it arrives in time!

nudo italian food productsThis cake is rather impressive to look at.  It is sure to get the crowd talking when you debut it at Easter brunch.

easter morning breakfast ideasThey suggest serving it at the end of the meal but I say put it out for the guests to enjoy all morning.  But be warned, it is totally addicting!!

Disclosure: On occasion, I receive products, compensation and/or services gratis or at discounted rates. This practice does not influence my point of view or the outcome of the review. All descriptions are factual and accurately reflect my experience. The opinions are my own.

 

Football Party To Go with Rubbermaid

football party food to goHave you guys heard that there is a big game coming up?  It is just weeks away.  I’m not a big football fan, but there is something so exciting about that game.  Ok, well maybe I’m not excited about the game, but I’m excited about the food.  I love a good party.  And every party has food.  Make it a football party, and you’ve got a party that doesn’t need much fuss.  Just yummy food, a little fanfare and good friends.

parties to go Our house is on the smaller side.  We really just don’t have the space to invite a lot of people over for big shindigs so most of the time, my parties end up taking place somewhere other than my house.  I’ve become really good at packing things up and hauling it with me all to ensure that it looks a certain way.  Sure, you can consider me a bit of a control freak.  I prefer to think of myself as a traveling hostess, on a mission to give people a good time in their own homes.  I’ve tried many different ways of bringing food and supplies to and fro but we really need to look no further than Rubbermaid.  Dare I say they’ve revolutionized the way I pack up my parties to go?

rubbermaid at targetNow is the perfect time for you to try them out for yourself.  Did you know that Target offers coupons on their site?  Check out the Rubbermaid coupons, found exclusively at Target, and go pick up a set.  I had a really hard time choosing which sets to get.  The Take Alongs, which are light-weight and leak proof, offer an awesome range of sizes perfect for entertaining.  They have big bowls that can be used for taking along chips or serving salads, dip-sized containers and even containers specifically for beverages.  The Easy Find Lids sets offer the sizes you need at home for storing food and leftovers.  They are sturdy and well designed and the snap on lid idea is plain genius.  I decided to go with the 34 piece Easy Find Lid set.  And oh hey, it was on sale for $16.99.  Plus I had a dollar off coupon so I felt great about the deal I got!

fave rubbermaid sizeI also picked up these 4 cup rectangle Take Alongs containers.  I was kind of stupidly excited over these.  This is the perfect serving dish size for small get togethers and I haven’t seen it in a storage container before!  For some reason I get bent out of shape when you put food in a dish and it doesn’t reach the top of it…so odd, I know.  I feel like it just wastes a ton of space, especially in terms of fridge real estate.  These are perfection!  And they have the slightest little flecks of sparkle to them.  Men probably wouldn’t even pick up on it.  But all the ladies are going to love it!  You may not have thought to use storage containers in your entertaining before but I’m telling you, Rubbermaid is the only way to go.  Here are my tips for putting together a football party that won’t stress you out.

pretzels and beer for football partiesThere is  no need to make a ton of food.  Choose ready made items that you know everyone likes to nibble on.  Instead of flopping the bag on the table, take just a second and put them in one of your new storage containers.  Pretzel rods fit perfectly!   And the best part is, if you are like me and have to bring your stuff to another location, these containers will protect the pretzels and keep them from getting smashed in transit!  When the party is over, snap on the lid and bring them back home.  They can be stored right in your cupboard for late night snacking.

onion dipMix and serve an old favorite, onion dip, right in the same 2 cup Rubbermaid storage container.  You don’t need to get crazy with decorations, but food labels are a great way to add flair and let the guests know what they are eating.  This cheese ball recipe is also a great option!

diy chip packetsAs a way to add in some team colors to the food area, you can easily make these chip bags.  I used a roll of kraft paper purchased from Lowe’s for under $10 (it’s a pretty big roll, I’ve used it for wrapping presents, creating table runners, craft projects with the kids…you will use it for ever!) and some washi tape.  If you aren’t feeling particularly crafty, just grab a set of  Take Alongs serving bowls!

horseradish cream cheese beef rollsMake something easy, but tasty, that your guests have never had before.  These delicious Horseradish Cream Cheese Dried Beef Rolls are sure to be a hit.  ”What’s that?!” you say, probably a little bit in horror.  It is the most delicious appetizer you’ve never heard of.  And I don’t even like cream cheese.  Or horseradish.  True story.  Pick something simple with elements that you know are crowd pleasers (hello, beef and cream cheese) and try something new.  See, I knew these low sided four cup containers were perfect for serving!

rubbermaid perfect for fridge storageWhether you are hosting the party at your house or somewhere else, these containers make it super easy to plan ahead with your prep work, put together a crowd pleasing spread and then easily store leftovers.

packing up a party to go with rubbermaidAnd they aren’t just for food.  They are the perfect way to transport decor items and other supplies to wherever your party is going to take place.  There is an Easy Find Lid container that is approximately 9×13 (not pictured, I’ll be printing off another coupon and heading back to Target for that!) that can fit larger signs, banners and food picks.  And the small 1/2 cup containers are just the right size for confetti (and more of course)! And of course, beyond parties Rubbermaid containers can get your entire life organized!  Make sure you are following them on social media for all their tips! (Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest)  And to make sure you are all set for your football entertaining, Rubbermaid is hosting a Game Day Party Sweepstakes.  You can win an Easy Find Lids Party Pack, a 48 Qt Cooler and a $100 VISA gift card!  To enter, click HERE!  Contest is open through, today, January 21, 2013, so hurry!  One entry per person, per email address, per day.  See full rules on contest page.  Good luck!

horseradish beef roll recipe ingredientsAnd now for the recipe.  For real.  Try it once.  They are salty and creamy with a kick.  Yum!

Horseradish Cream Cheese Dried Beef Rolls

Ingredients:

1 5 oz jar Dried Beef (found by the rest of the canned meats, I think by the Chili)

8 oz. cream cheese

2 TBSP (or more) Prepared Horseradish (not Horseradish cream)

optional:  Garlic Powder, Worcestershire Sauce

spread cream cheese on beefGrab a Rubbermaid container that will hold at least 2 cups.  Place your softened cream cheese in the container.  Add 2 TBSP of prepared horseradish and mix well.  Taste.  If you want more heat, add more horseradish.  If you are feeling like you need more depth of flavor try adding garlic powder or a little Worcestershire sauce.  Spread cream cheese mix on a slice of dried beef with a knife or off-set spatula.  Make sure the cream cheese goes to the edges so that when you roll it up, it will stick to itself.

cut beef rolls in halfRoll it up, cut in half and place in whatever Rubbermaid container you want to serve them in.  They are ready to serve or can go in the fridge for later.

beef roll appetizerYou can also vary how much cream cheese you put on each one.  I prefer a light spread while others might like a whole lot more. I love recipes like this!  If any of you try this, let me know what you think!  What are your football party plans?

This shop is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with Pollinate Media Group™, but all my opinions are my own. http://cmp.ly/3/8vNxcO

Champagne for Awards Season

edible stars in champagne coupeMany of you might not know this about me but I studied TV and Film in college.  I had big LA dreams.  I interned for some pretty great casting agents but when it came time to pull the trigger and actually move to LA, I just couldn’t leave my little Orange County bubble.  I prefer more stability in my jobs and the idea of a show being cancelled or always looking for the next job did NOT appeal to me.  But what does appeal to me is awards season.  You can often find me crying right along side the best whatever winner.  I love when people share real joy.  And while the actors might just be adding a little something extra for the cameras, it gets me every time.  I don’t throw a big bash to celebrate the awards shows, but if I did I would totally add these adorable edible gold stars to everyone’s champagne.

champagne and cheese ball for awards season entertainingThe stars like to cling to the bubbles and they start to dissolve and turn the champagne a bit yellowish.  But I still kind of love it.  Oh yeah and I’d serve it up with a cheese ball.  Instant party.

easy flair for the awards shows and partiesAnd it wouldn’t take much more to turn to turn it in to a real legit party with some simple gold flair.  The Golden Globes are this Sunday.  Will you watch?

 

Surprise Birthday Party for Dad!

invite to b's party

My husband’s birthday is in November and I always ask my two boys what they want to get their dad.  Their ideas are usually Legos (my oldest) and toilets (it is my youngest’s go-to answer for everything right now…no idea why.)  But then, my oldest said that he wanted to throw him a surprise party.  Since I love a good party I said yes.  BUT, I told my son that he was going to do the whole thing.  Above is the invite we sent out to family (it wasn’t a HUGE party so I could relinquish control).

decoration for dad's birthday partySome of you may have seen this on Instagram.  I love it.  He picked out the colors and did all the decorating.  I purchased a couple of items to give it a little pizazz but he and his brother and cousins did all the amazing artwork.  P.S. there were bits and pieces of that small tissue garland all over the house stuck to things with washi tape.  It was amazing.

dad's surprise partyAlthough I controlled the menu and bar, he wrote some food signs including this one.  I will help translate in case you can’t read his six year old writing.  ”Make a whiskey sour or an apple cider whiskey or juice box.”  Complete with a guy holding a cocktail shaker.  He totally nailed the details.  By the way, the apple cider whiskey cocktail was delicious!  I used this one.  Do it!

surprise party for dad chocolate cake

We kept the menu simple with slow cooked bbq chicken sandwiches on King’s Hawaiian Rolls with my husband’s favorite chips and homemade apple sauce.  My son asked his aunt to bake a chocolate cake and my mother-in-law made my husband’s favorite chocolate cream pie.  We also tried out a chocolate chip panetonne which was amazing!!!  It was such a fun night.  There was an extra special energy from the kid’s excitement.  It was awesome to do an easy-going, un-fussy party for once.  And my husband absolutely loved it.  :)

Hostess Gifts – Gift Guide 2012

Gift Guide Hostess Gifts

All this week I will be sharing my 2012 Gift Guides to help you with all of your holiday shopping.  These are mostly things I either have and love or would love to get.  Some of them I have tried, some I haven’t.  None of these are sponsored.  I take my gift giving very seriously and I hope I can help you out a little with some good ideas.  First up, go check out the Hostess Gifts Guide I put together for A Fabulous Fete while she was off on a tropical vacation.  What are your go-to hostess gifts?

Don’t forget to check out last year’s gift guides!  Day 1, Day 2, Day 3