Daily Party Dish

Memorial Day Menu: Recipes for your Holiday Cookout

Moms move aside this weekend. It’s Memorial Day and time for Dad to show off his grilling skills.  After a spring of record setting rain and terrible storms it’s time to get outside and at least pretend it is summer.

I’ve put together some of my favorite recipes for a holiday cookout. I did not include burgers, brats, dogs or steaks since that is grilling 101. If you don’t know how to cook them do your best to get an invite to a neighbor’s cookout. :P

I used recipes from The Food Network since that site is easy to search for a recipe you like and I added my thoughts and suggestions.

Bobby Flay is their grill guru so it makes sense to start with his Top Ten Grilling Tips. I worked in restaurants for 30 years and I would say the first four tips are crucial. First, know and trust your butcher. Even a good supermarket will cut meat to your needs. Second buy good meat. Flay suggests Prime or Black Angus. You can go with a lesser cut and have a great steak this way. Third, look for marbling. You can go on your diet tomorrow. Fourth, bring your steak to room temperature before you cook it. This is probably one of the biggest mistakes I see.

Main Courses

• Glazed Double Cut Pork Chops: I think pork chops are one of the hardest things to cook on the grill. The time between cooked enough but juicy and shoe leather are very close. Using a double cut pork chop makes things a little easier and the presentation is stunning.  
• 50 Kebab Recipes:  I usually do a traditional steak kabob with sirloin, mushrooms, onion and cherry tomatoes but here are 50 recipes. So take your pick.
• Grilled Shrimp:  This is Rachel Ray’s recipe. I like to go minimalist with shrimp since I think it is very flavorful by itself.  Doing a shrimp cookout with three or four shrimp recipes is real fun and sure to make everyone happy.
• Greek Orzo and Grilled Shrimp Salad:  This can be a main course or a side. Very tasty and different. You can also make it in advance which is nice.
• Asian Grilled Salmon:  This recipe has mustard, soy sauce and garlic which makes it a surefire hit around my house. Salmon can be tricky so cook this once for practice before you  served 20 of your closest friends.

Side Dishes

• Paula Dean’s Southern Baked Beans:  I made this for a party of 60 at my house and we ran out of it early. Paula will never get the Heart Association Seal of Approval but her food sure tastes good.
• Grilled Peaches with Prosciutto and Balsamic: This recipe is one reason that Bobby Flay is a genius. Pairing fruit and prosciutto is something I’d done but I had never thought about the grill. Yummm!
• Grilled Corn on the Cob:  This recipe uses husked corn.
• Perfectly Grilled Corn on the Cob:  This recipe keeps the husk on and is my preference. Make sure the husks are soaked though or you will have some flame ups.
• Grilled Vegetables:  I usually just grill asparagus, eggplant or zucchini but this recipe suggests more. I like using grilled veggies because they are not only tasty but good at room temperature so you can make them in advance. A big challenge in a cookout is timing the sides and main course. This makes it easier.

Dessert

• Patriotic Berry Trifle: They say it only takes 35 minutes, and it looks well worth it.
• Stewed Fresh Berris: Over some vanilla ice cream? Sounds good to me.
• Snickers Milkshake: This is a big hit in the office. I would suggest it for smaller gatherings.
  

Of course there are many more options but this is a good starting point for your Memorial Day Cookout. If you have a recipe that you would like to share feel free to share in the comments section below.

• Memorial Day Party Ideas from Party411.com
• Memorial Day Party Games
  

Graduation Party Food Ideas

Menu Ideas for a Graduation Party

Most graduation parties are open houses and most are in summer so that means outdoor parties. Of course this isn’t always the case but here are menu ideas for an outdoor graduation party. That means you need food that’s easy to eat (it’s hard to use a knife and fork sitting on a lawn chair or on the grass), and that will hold up for a few hours outside. For high school or college graduations you will have teen-agers there which means more than one feeding (at least if they’re like my kids).

Appetizers

Graduations are family affairs and most families like to bring something to the party. I usually point them to appetizers and desserts. That means I can focus on the main course and I don’t have to do things I’m bad at (desserts). Even if the aunts are bringing food you will want some basics.

• Chips and Salsa. Easy to do. You buy the chips and you can buy commercial salsas and everybody will be happy. If you want to make your own salsa try this Artichoke Salsa. Of course I happen to love artichokes! 
  
• Mushroom Appetizers. Most recipes you can prep in advance and just throw a tray in the oven as you need them. Lots of variety too. Here are 20 top mushroom appetizers. Again, I'm a huge fan of mushrooms.
  
• Pizza. My Aunt Ann makes the greatest pizza ever and she insists on bringing enough for everyone. You may not have an Aunt Ann so just buy some. It’s easy and it’s universally liked. Oh, and it will hold up for entire party (even if it doesn't last).

Main Course

If you like to grill and if you think most people will be eating at the same time this works. You all have your own grill favorites. Make what makes you comfortable. Trust me if you make burgers, brats and some chicken everyone is happy.

• Burgers. I’m sure you make a great burger and if you provide lettuce, tomato, onion and condiments you have a winner but I have to share the recipe for Michael Symon’s Lola Burger. I had this at his B Spot restaurant recently. Amazing.
  
• Six foot sub. Always a hit and really makes a WOW statement on your table. The key to success if finding a bakery that makes a great 6 foot loaf.  Here are some suggestions for toppings but in the end put the things you or your graduate like on your sandwich.
  
• Pulled Pork Sandwiches. I like making pulled pork for large groups. It holds well in a crock pot and it’s delicious. 
• Southern Fried Chicken. Here’s Paula Deen’s recipe for chicken or you can just grill some yourself. I do think that managing a lot of chicken on the grill is tougher than burgers or brats so I tend to order a full pan or two from our local deli. A bit pricey but it makes managing the rest of the meal easier.
  

Desert

I am very lucky because I never have to worry about desert. The family in a treasure trove of great bakers. If you have to do this the easiest thing is to buy a graduation cake and have some cookies. Who doesn’t really like cake and cookies? I also added a couple of ideas that can look great on any table.

• Grad Caps. This one is easy and really works for a grad party.
  
• Balloon Cupcakes.  I think this one is fun for a smaller party or maybe a preschool graduation party.  
  
• Hazelnut Butter Cookies w/Chocolate Cookies. All of you have some great cookie recipes but this one is great.
  
• Peanut Butter and Jelly Cookies. The PB&J one looks delicious but I haven’t tried it yet but what a great concept!

Have fun celebrating graduation!

• Graduation Party Ideas from Party411.com
• Graduation Open House
• 2012 Graduation Announcements
• 2012 Personalized Graduation Invitations

Valentine's Day Recipe

We're getting ready for Valentine's Day in my home.  My parents always greeted my brother and I with a great big bag of candy Valentine's Day morning.  What fun!  I've been stocking up on chocolates and small gifts for the kids. 

My kids and I decided to make a small Valentine's Day treat.  I thought about a super easy treat that my cousin Lisa had taught the kids a few months back that you make with pretzels, Hershey's Kisses and M&Ms.  Here's how we made our chocolate treats.

Step 1. We first preheated the oven to 185 degrees. 

Step 2: We took out our 3 ingredients: Hershey's Kisses,  square pretzels and red, white and pink M&Ms. 

Step 3: We arranged the pretzels on a baking dish and added an (unwrapped!) Hershey's kiss on top of each pretzel.

Step 4: The pretzels and chocolate go into the oven for about 6 minutes or until the chocolate is soft.

Step 5: Take the pretzels out of the oven and gently put a M&M on top of each Kiss and push it down a touch.  Let them cool off until the kisses are hard and then enjoy!


Because each season M&Ms are available in seasonal colors, these make a fun, colorful and delicious holiday treat. Our family ate about 200 in Fall colors over Thanksgiving weekend!

• Valentine's Day Party Ideas from Party411.com
• Valentine's Day Trivia
• Valentine's Day for Kids
• History of Valentine's Day

Super Bowl Party Menu

I focus on 3 things when I put together my Super Bowl Party Menu.   

1. There will be more people than chairs so finger foods or meals you can eat while standing are key.
2. The food has to stay out for a long time. People eat before the game and again at halftime.
3. I don’t want to miss any football so no muss, no fuss foods are key. I like to make simple foods I can use a couple of different ways. You’ll see what I mean below.

The menu below is what works for me. We have about 30 people over and start about 3 hours before kickoff.  Our group is not shy around the table so this menu is pretty large. You can certainly trim this down with no problem. Make sure you leave time for conversation, eating and watching The Game!

Jimmy’s Super Bowl Party Menu

Appetizers. I'm looking to do more than pizza, pretzels, peanuts this year. Not that I'm against those, but I want to spice things up this year. 

• Quesadillas. Good Housekeeping has an easy to make Cubano quesadilla.   I would cook my own pork and use a sharper cheese. I cook enough pork loin so I can use it here and as a main course.
• Kielbasa Puffs. This is easy enough to do and it lets me serve kielbasa for sandwiches.
• There are many options for dips including commercial dips and salsas or Rachel Ray’s 7 Layer Dip which I think I will be making.
  
• Nachos. I empty a bag of nacho chips on a cookie tray. Then cover it with hot chili and lots of shredded cheddar. Ten minutes in the broiler, add some jalapenos and bam! Great nachos. Of course you could always make Super Chili Nachos.
  
• Healthy stuff.  As we get older my friends are much more conscious about what they eat so I try to put out some healthy options. The vegetable tray is always a hit and I’ve had good luck with a simple fruit bowl.

Main Course. Yes, you read that correctly, a main course. Even after all of these delicious appetizers. All of these allow you to put them out early and they will last (and still be delicious) at halftime.

• Roast pork.  I use a 3 -5 pound loin with a simple recipe of garlic, olive oil and black pepper. I serve it on a cutting board and let people cut it how they like it. Don’t forget to serve a very good mustard with this.
• Chicken Wings. I would offer a variety of spices because not everyone likes hot. These are sure to be a hit. And yes I consider them part of the main course.
  
• Sausage and Peppers.  This is probably overkill. If you have two main courses you are probably good but this is one of Jimmy’s “signature” items so my guests expect it. Holds up well during the afternoon.  I use Sicilian Sausage and a mix of hot and mild peppers.
• Chili. You all have a great recipe for this. I go spicy but not 5 alarm.
• Grilled Veggie Wrap.  Again you have to have a healthy option. This works for me since I don’t mind grilling the vegetables before-hand but there are easier options. 

Beverages. You have to remember to have something for your guests to drink during the course of the game. I like to put two coolers out in the main area so guests are able to reload without missing any of the game.

• Beer. This is almost guaranteed. I think though this year I'm going to attempt to find local beers from the cities playing in Super Bowl XLV.
• Pop. There will be kids running around so I have to keep them happy as well.
• Wine. Now this may seem as a surprise, but last year when I had my Super Bowl party, we had wine when the party started, and none when the party ended. Give your guests what they want.
• Bottled water. Some people want nothing to do with Beer, Pop or Wine, so give them bottled water. It's simple and easy.

So cheer on your team with a full and happy stomach!

• 2011 Super Bowl XLV Party Ideas from Party411.com
• Super Bowl XLV Theme Party
• Super Bowl Recipes
  
• Super Bowl Invitation Wording
  
• Super Bowl Decorations

Christmas Recipe: Antipasto Appetizer Christmas Party Recipe

I love Christmas, especially the appetizers. I like to pick and mingle when I’m out and about at a Christmas party. (Don’t worry; I consider Christmas cookies as appetizers too.) There is always such an array of treats that it’s almost overwhelming. For this Christmas I would like to share a red white and green appetizer.

Antipasto Appetizer Recipe
Ingredients:

• Green Olives
• Cherry Tomatoes
• Your favorite white cheese, cubed
• Toothpicks
• Italian dressing

Directions:

• Place the Olives, Cherry Tomatoes and Cubed cheese onto toothpicks
• Drizzle with Italian Dressing

This is a simple, easy and delicious recipe that will be great to take over to any Christmas Party this holiday season.

• Christmas Party Ideas from Party411.com
• New 2010 Christmas Invitations
  
• Custom Caricature Holiday Cards
• Christmas Party Favors

Halloween Party Ideas: Black Light Bar

Last year for our Halloween party we set up a black light room with a glowing bar. We served up cocktails which glow in the dark under a black light!

The secret to the glowing drinks is tonic water (diet tonic water works too).  It contains quinine, and quinine is photochemical reactive. That means it glows blueish white when exposed to a blacklight.

Gin and Tonics were a staple for our bar, but they are bitter. Other great options are Blue Curacao and tonic, vodka and tonic and the Mind Eraser with tonic instead of soda (Vodka, Kahlua and tonic).

To decorate I covered the wall behind the bar with a Halloween scene setter and those inexpensive streachy spiderwebs.

I picked up decanters and clear glass pitchers from the local thrift store, and made sticky labels for the containers. (a la Martha Stewart - Cyanide Soda Label, Elixir of Doom Gin Label, Toxic Tonic Label, Black Death Vodka Label).

The table I covered in white flat beadsheets. At the back of the bar I set a large blacklight. Then I set out glasses, fun Halloween drink napkins, and the mixers. Everyone loved it!

If you are looking for more fun ideas for your Halloween party check out these links -

• Halloween Party Ideas from Party411.com
• Dead Rock Star Halloween Theme Party (perfect for a glowing bar)
• How to make Jello Shot Syringes
• Find the perfect Halloween Costume

 

Delicious Party Dip

 

The NFL Playoffs are upon us, and you know what that means?  It’s time for some delicious recipes all for the anticipation of the big boy, The Super Bowl Party.  We want to share with you a recipe which actually made it to the holiday office party last year. 

Don’t tell your guests but this recipe is as simple as it’s delicious.

Needed:

• 8 oz cream cheese softened
• 1/2 of an 8 oz. jar of salsa of choice
• bag of shredded Monterey jack/cheddar mixed cheese
• Tortilla Chips to dip (We prefer the scoops but it’s up to you)

Directions:

• Spread the softened cream cheese on the bottom of the pan (Shelli uses a pie plate)
• Pour jar of salsa on top
• Cheese on top of that
• Microwave 4 minutes

 

At the office party we devoured this dip so if you want to impress your guests this is for you.  Or if you need a last minute dip then this is the dip for you! Enjoy!

Feel free to check out our Super Bowl Party Ideas!

Traditions are like kolachy… you can never have too many!

Since Christmas is right around the corner, I thought I would share one of my favorite holiday traditions. Every year my sister and I spend the day at my grandmother’s home baking cookies. A lot of cookies.

Last year we baked about 80 dozen. This year we scaled back a bit and did about 50 dozen.  The cookies we make rarely vary. Sugar cookies, walnut tassies and kolachy.

 

This year my brother joined us and made the sugar cookies. His first batch was a fail. He did not beat the butter and sugar together long enough and the cookies came out flat and hard. The next batch was better, and I am really glad he joined us. It’s fun to watch traditions grow and change.

My sister makes the tassies, despite the fact they aren’t her favorite cookie. We all love them though, and we appreciate her selflessness! My dad usually helps her for the first hour so he can claim a plateful at the end of the night.

The kolachy are my area of expertise (they are also my favorite, lucky me!) Grandma taught me years ago how to make these, but hers are still the best.

Kolachy
Makes a plate full :)

1 - 8 oz package of cream cheese
1 cup butter
2 cups all purpose flour
apricot pie filling

Creams butter and cheese. Work in flour slowly. Form into ball, cover in plastic wrap and foil, refrigerate overnight.

Lightly flour your surface roll our dough 1/8 inch think and cut into 2 inch squares. Spoon apricot filling into center. Bring together and fold over. Bake on ungreased cookie sheet for 11 minutes at 400 degrees.

Dust with powdered sugar before serving.

Here I am right before the last batch of kolachy go in the oven…. After 12 hours of baking!

We all had a great time. I hope your holiday is as blessed and tasty as mine.

Merry merry!
Kathleen

Spooktacular is indeed a word!

So, I’m on vacation walking through a Saveway Supermarket, minding my own business, when Pillsbury’s newest impulse buy magazine hits my eye from the racks.  Screaming “HALLOWEEN—Food, Parties, Fun”…I had no choice but to buy it.  A party planner (and a good one) I may be, but a house with two ovens later, the words creative and kitchen have never mixed nor mingled and probably never will.

Yet, leafing through this tome of ideas, my mind raced and I leapt forward to October 31st and the thought that maybe I’d have a party just to show off these incredibly creative treats—costumes being the least of it.  Even I, a woman who has never cooked, never created anything from scratch, could pull this off.  I think.

 

 

For instance, they have sandwiches where the bread is cut in the shape of a coffin and jelly is used (it seems—I only look at the pictures) to spell out R.I.P. on top.  They’ve taken deviled eggs and actually made the “devil” out of them with what looks like pimento, peppers and pieces of carrots to name a few.  They’ve made bugs out of pigs in a blanket using shoestring potatoes out of a can with ketchup and mustard for eyes and skin pigmentation (yes, you read that right).  They’ve even made creepy crawlers by wrapping meatballs in their refrigerated flaky biscuits, using cut olives for eyeballs and connecting them together to look like a centipede.  Excited yet? 

 

 

Everything has eyes and legs and creepy appendages.  A simple potato turns into a terrifying twice-baked mummy, a salad changes into a scary clown and a loaf of bread turns into a cheese-filled jack-o-lantern.  And I haven’t even talked about dessert!

So, if you’re in the mood for Halloween wrapped in a Pillsbury crescent roll or buttery biscuit (and you’re missing a chromosome if not), you can check out Pillsbury’s Halloween recipes or get Volume 18, Number 1 of their Most Requested Recipes™--since the website does not do this Halloween issue justice.

Gotta go and get a “chef” costume.  Have a great Halloween!
    The Party Girl

Tie Dye Cupcakes - Woodstock and 60's Theme Party Recipe

Everyone around the office is excited about the 40th Anniversary of Woodstock on August 15, 16, and 17th. Amy is planning a 60's theme party that Saturday, and we are having an office Woodstock party/lunch on that Monday.

Last week we tie-dyed t-shirts while enjoying some of Kim's jell-o shots (the latter really has nothing to do with the 60's, but they were quite tasty), so that covers a Woodstock party activity and favor. Now we are going to cover one of our favorite subjects ... food. Specifically dessert :)

Keeping with the tie dye theme, this Woodstock party recipe is for easy Tie Dye Cupcakes.

Tie Dye Cupcakes

What you need -

• White Cake Batter (either mix or homemade)
• Food Coloring
• Frosting (homemade or pre-made)
• 4 Bowls and Spoons
• Muffin Pan and Cupcake Liners

Make your cake batter according the recipe or instructions (I used a boxed mix for my cupcakes). Seperate into 4 bowls.

Add a few drops of food coloring to each of the bowls to make four seperate colored batters. Add the food coloring a little at a time and stir. You can always add more dye, but you can't take it out if you make it too dark!

Fill the cupcake liners 2/3 of the way with the colored batters. The easiest way is to gently spoon the colors on top of each other. Do not mix! Layer the colors randomly so the cupcakes are varied.

Bake the cupcakes according to your recipe or instructions on the box, and let them cool before frosting. I used a butter creme frosting and some colorful sprinkles as the finishing touch! Brian was nice enough to help me illustrate the fun tie dye centers :)

 

To add a little Woodstock to the presentation I decorated the serving dish with peace sign beads. You could also set some tie-dye napkins next to these.

So there you are, Tie Dye Cupcakes! They are the perfect recipe for your Woodstock theme party.

If you are planning on throwing a 60's theme party you should definitely sign up for our free newsletter Party Talk. The next issue will have an exclusive 60's Trivia Party Game printable. Sign up now!

Peace!
Kathleen