Beer Margarita

{photo by Celebrations At Home}

Celebrate Fiesta time with a Beer Margarita.  If you've never tried these, you'll be amazed at how delicious they are.  These are very easy to make, in fact this is one of our favorite drinks to make when we go to the beach.  The nice thing is you can use the frozen concentrate container to measure out everything since it's all equal portions.  Cheers!

{see more ideas for a Mexican Fiesta}

Beer Margarita:

1 can (12 oz) frozen limeade concentrate (thawed but still chilled)

12 oz tequila

12 oz water

12 oz beer (Corona is prefered, or a lime flavored beer)

ice

Pour limeade, tequila, water, and beer into a large pitcher. Stir until well-blended. Add plenty of ice. Adjust with additional water, if needed.

Garnish with lime slice as seen above, if you like.

Red Wine Sangria

by contributor Lisa Thiele

{photography & styling by With Style & Grace}

Whether or not spring has made its appearance where you are, I can give you at least one excuse to prepare a big batch of this delicious sangria, Cinco de Mayo! Make a big pitcher of this red wine sangria, invite over some friends, set out finger food (appetizers) and it’s a party!

Here are just a few menu ideas, which can be customized depending on your preference

• {Appetizer} Chips, Salsa + Guacamole

• {Main} Enchiladas, tacos or burritos

• {Kids} Nachos or quesadillas

• {Dessert} Mexican Brownies or Churros

Red Wine Sangria {Recipe adapted from Bobby Flay}

Ingredients

2 bottle of dry red wine

1 cup brandy

1/2 cup triple sec

1 cup orange juice

1 cup pomegranate juice

1/2 cup simple syrup (equal parts sugar & water, heated until sugar dissolves and cooled)

1 orange, sliced – I used a blood orange

1 apple, sliced – recommend Fuji or Honeycrisp

1 cup blackberries (OR blueberries, strawberries, raspberries)

Pomegranate seeds - optional

Directions

In a large container or pitcher, mix all the ingredients together, seal it and let it stand for at least 24 hours in the refrigerator before serving.

Cheers + Happy Cinco de Mayo!

Rustic-Glam Hot Cocoa Bar

Don't you just love hot cocoa bars?!  Katie of Katie Grace Designs hosted a baby shower this weekend and created the prettiest display that combined a little bit of rustic with a little bit of glam.  Katie is wonderful at infusing stylish details at every turn.  Nothing is left unadorned here, from the mugs, to the cocoa toppings, to the chocolate dipped spoons...

Katie's hot cocoa bar included crushed peppermints, butterscotch chips, peanut butter chips, whip cream, heath chips, peppermint syrup, raspberry syrup, caramel syrup and of course marshmallows.  The lovely lace and metallic details are offset perfectly by wooden stumps and spoons - and even the spoons have an adhesive gem attached to the handle!

You will definitely want to check out the rest of this shower on Katies blog.  Here's just a hint of the amazing sweets table!

"Sweet-Heart" Valentine's Day Cocktail

Nothing like a color coordinated drink to help you celebrate Valentine's Day!  Whether you're sipping it with your love or celebrating "singlehood" with your girlfriends, this yummy "Sweet-Heart" cocktail will hit the spot.  A little bit sweet, a little bit tart...the perfect signature drink for the night!

The Sweet-Heart {created by Chris Nease}

1/2 oz Amaretto

1 oz Vodka

3 oz Cranberry juice

Combine ingredients together in a shaker with ice, and shake or mix.  Strain into a martini glass and garnish with a jelly candy.  Cheers!

Build-Your-Own-Bloody-Mary Bar

Brandy of Simply Creative Insanity sent me her Bloody Mary bar design, that has many cute details.  She began with the name, "Hail Mary", to add some whimsy to the bar and used the argyle pattern as the prominent design feature.  She filled decorative bottles with vodka and served garnishes in small galvanized buckets.  One of my favorite details is the tiny bottle of Tobasco tied to each glass (canning jars). 

This idea is terrific for Superbowl or brunch, and you can find the printables available in Brandy's Etsy Shop.  Cheers!

Champagn Punch

Do you want to get the biggest bang for your champagne buck this New Years Eve?  Serving a Champagne Punch is a great way to control the budget and alcohol content, which will ensure everyone has a good time.  This recipe from Taste of Home combines several juice flavors with sprarkling wine for a light and refreshing toast!  Give it a try!

4 cups orange juice
1 cup ruby red grapefruit juice
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup lime juice
2 bottles (750 milliliters each) Champagne, chilled
Directions
In a 3-qt. pitcher, combine the juices. Refrigerate until chilled. Just before serving, stir in Champagne. Serve in Champagne glasses. Yield: 16 servings (3 quarts).

  Have a Happy and Safe New Years Eve!

Stocking Your Family-Friendly Bar {Guest Blogger}

Continuing with our "Bar" theme, I'd like to introduce you to Coryanne Ettiene of Housewife Bliss.  We "met" on Twitter and she is a delightful resource for all things "Homemaking."  She's offering tips today, for insuring that you have a Family Friendly bar to accomodate adults & kids alike:

Celebrating with family over the holidays inevitably means catering to a variety of drinking styles, and stocking a family friendly bar is not an easy feat. Not only do you need to account for the cocktails, but you need to consider the mocktails, children’s drinks and inspiring ways to keep them festive. When stocking a family friendly bar, here are some tips to remember:

• Plan ahead - Be sure to consider your guests drinking habits before they arrive as there is nothing worse that rushing to the shops to get the diet version of the drink you have in your bar. Likewise, if you know that more guests are not drinking this year, ensure you have extra mixers, and festive accessories for your drinks.
• Keep it Festive - Adding a little cheer to your ice trays will keep the most drab of drinks festive. Everyone loves a cheeky napkin, a sparkler for flair, an unusual straw or festive ice cubes added to their drinks. I add cranberries, currants, mint, citrus and cherries to my ice trays…they are always a hit and so very simply to make that it makes the perfect activity for the children.

• Be Prepared - Drinking and spilling go together like Vermouth and olives. No one wants to see his or her red wine spilled on your new cream carpet. To avoid the embarrassment and frustration of cocktail stains on your carpet or upholstery, opt to serve vodka, gin, champagne, and white rum. Compliment with clear mixers like 7up, Indian tonic and soda water, then garnish with lime, lemon and olives.

• Mocktail or Cocktail? - Telling the difference between a mocktail and a cocktail is not an easy feat, and is a standard that should be sought after in the family bar. There are very few guests who would prefer to sip a cola while the drinking crowd is enjoying margaritas, likewise those not yet old enough to drink but old enough to be included in the family toast should have an appropriate glass to raise. For every drink you offer, ensure that you have a duplicate mocktail to offer. This year I will be serving 2 sparking cocktails/mocktail:

Bliss Toast Mocktail:

A splash of white cranberry juice, topped off with sparking cider.

Bliss Toast Cocktail:

A splash of Tripple Sec, a splash of white cranberry juice, topped off with Champgaign.

• Youthful Drinks - The delight of being a child at a family bar is the endless supply of Shirley Temples and Roy Rogers. The best way to be a hit amongst your younger set is to keep these free flowing, heaping with maraschino cherries, fancy straws, swords and fun napkins for them to set their drinks on.
• Keep them flowing - If you are serving mixed drinks, serve them in a carafe to ensure that your guests can return to the bar for a quick top up.

Thank you Coryanne for your wonderful tips!  Check out Housewife Bliss for lots of other ideas and advice for better home living.
If you would like to participate in our Guest Blogger series, please send me an email at cdnease1@yahoo.com!

 

Photos: tablesetting

DIY Ice Bottle Cooler

This icey bottle cooler as seen on my Holiday Bar Design, is a stylish way to present vodka or white wine on the bar while keeping it cold at the same time.  It's a simple project but you need to give yourself a couple of days to freeze the layers.  This works well for vodka because it can go in the freezer without turning solid, and is best served very cold anyway.  Here's how it works...

What you'll need:

•  A 3-liter empty soda container that you will cut the top off of
• distilled water for more clarity in your end result 
• fruit such as lemons, limes, star fruit, or cranberries
• duct tape - only in case your bottle floats up in the water 

Place the bottle of vodka inside the 3-liter container and fill with an inch or two of the distilled water - freeze until solid.

When the base is frozen you can begin adding slice fruit or berries around the bottle and fill with more water to just cover the fruit layer - freeze until solid.

Once the first fruit layer is frozen you can add your next layer in the same manner, filling with distilled water enough to cover the fruit.  This layer should take you to the top of the vodka bottle - freeze until solid.

Once the cooler is frozen, take it out of the freezer so it can thaw slightly - enough to work the 3-liter container off of the ice (about 30 minutes).  You may still need to dip in luke warm water to help ease it off.  Once you have the ice cooler out of the container store it in the freezer until ready to set on your bar.

Important Tips:

When setting the ice cooler out on your bar, set it in a shallow dish or tray that is lined with a small towel.  This will prevent the icey base from slipping around on the dish, as well as help contain the melting ice.  Under normal home temperatures this should last a few hours. 

If you would like to use the ice cooler for white wine or other cold drink, just insert an empty bottle (wine bottle or other decorative bottle) into the 3-liter container and follow the same steps.  You can add your beverage to the empty bottle inside (using a funnel) after the cooler is frozen.   

Cookie Cocktails {Guest Blogger}

Hello Celebrations at Home readers! This is Carrie from Half Baked - The Cake Blog and I cannot tell you how excited I am to be guest blogging for Chris today. Celebrations at Home is one of my daily reads, so I am just thrilled to be here! In case you're not familiar, Half Baked is my blog where we chat about sweet events and sweet treats. That means we cover everything from birthday parties to weddings and showers. You'll find hot new dessert tables, the latest cake designs, cupcakes, cookies, cocktails and more! Speaking of cookies and cocktails...

Have you ever wondered if Santa gets tired of milk and cookies? Maybe after centuries of cookies he'd like something a little more interesting. Something new to spice things up! After all, he has a long night of delivering presents across the globe. This will be the first year Santa makes a visit to our little girl and maybe she’ll be a sweet baby and leave Santa one of these delicious cookie cocktails. Classic cookie inspired drinks make for a very Merry Christmas!

 

Chocolate Peppermint Cookie:

3/4oz Partida Blanco Tequila

1oz Peppermint Schnapps

3/4oz Godiva Liqueur

1-1/2oz cream

Chocolate syrup and candy canes for garnish

Rim martini glass with chocolate syrup and crushed candy canes. Shake ingredients in a shaker with ice and strain into martini glass.

Toasted Macaroon:

1 oz Coconut Milk

1-1/2oz Coconut Rum

1/4oz Licor 43

1/2oz Partida Blanco Tequila

1/2oz Frangelico

Combine ingredients in a shaker and shake with ice. Strain into a glass filled with ice and garnish with toasted coconut shavings on top.

A special thank you to Chris for the opportunity to share with you today! And thanks to our friends at Partida Tequila for sharing these delicious and creative Cookie Cocktails to make our holidays festive! Be sure to come visit us at Half Baked to find the Snickerdoodle, Sugar Cookie and Seven Layer Cookie recipes. Happy Sipping!

______________________________________

Thank You, Carrie for you fantastic post!  If you have an idea you'd like to share with Celebrations At Home, email me at cdnease1@yahoo.com

Christmas Cocktail {Jolly Old Elf}

The perfect signature cocktail to make you jolly!  This is what I recommend with the Cocktails & Cheers party.  Garnish with frozen cranberries to keep it cold and make it pretty.

Jolly Old Elf

In a fluted glass add:
1/2 oz Amaretto liqueur

2 oz Cranberry juice

Fill to top of glass with brut champagne (sparkling wine)

Delicious!

Autumn Cocktails

Enjoy the flavors of Fall in these cocktails I blended together.  Like most martinis, they pack a punch so take it slow.  The slightly sweet-sour blend goes down rather smoothly.

Caramel Appletini
1 oz Vodka
1 oz Sour Apple Pucker
1/2 oz ButterShots
3 oz Apple Cider
Shake up incredients with ice and strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with slice of green apple or caramel candy piece.

Apple Pie Martini
1 oz Vanilla Vodka
2 oz apple cider
1/2 tsp lime juice
1/4 tsp cinnamon
Pour the ingredients into a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake well. Strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with a slice of apple.

Dressing Up Your Drinks

What is the one thing everyone has in their hand at any given party?  A drink of course!  Whether serving iced tea, juice, wine, or a cocktail, these are some great ideas for dressing up your glass.

Stylish Stemware - wrap your glasses in a unique way using colored rubber bands, or thin ribbon.  You can write guests names on the wide rubber bands for a fun drink marker.  Thin colorful ribbons can be tied around the glass to add a pretty and festive look.

Stir it up - Pretty drink stirrers are all the rage and you can make an organic version using wooden skewers and a wheel of fruit.  Try lemons, limes, star fruit, oranges, or kiwi.

Keep the bugs at bay - No need to worry about finding a fly floating in your summer sipper when you top it with an easy to make cup cover.  Cut squares of translucent fabric or tulle and thread the corners into craft beads.  The volumn of the fabric you've pulled through will help keep the bead on.  Make things even more convenient by cutting a tiny slit in the fabric, to insert a straw.

Wrap it up - You've been wrapping water bottles for years now.  This idea carries it a step further by wrapping glasses with a wide strip of fabric or paper, with a label for names. 

"Fan"tastic addition - Paper fans, rosettes, and pinwheels are another great trend that finds it's way into your glass.  Craft your own stir stick with wooden skewers and coordinating paper.  

CHEERS! 

Sources:  rubber bands(Martha Stewart), ribbons(unknown)

fruit sticks(Semi Homemade magazine), net topper(unknown)

wrapped glass, pinwheel(unknown)

Creative Drink Bottles {DIY}

I couldn't resist sharing this unique little project I found on My Creative Cafe.  You can dress up small plastic bottles of juice, gatorade, or even water, for birthday parties or favors.

Simply layer scrapbooking paper (or felt or fabric) flowers, and glue on to the top of the drink.  Embellish with buttons, a tag, and ribbon.  Ta Da!  You've just created the cutest drink ever!

I'll Drink To That! {Glass Stenciling}

After learning about stamping your party plates with food coloring gel, you can imagine my jubilation when I found this equally fabulous party project, for your glasses! This genius idea comes from The City Cradle, and was done for a Roast & Toast Housewarming party. She simply used stencils, corn syrup, and cinnamon to 'etch' the word temporarily onto the wine glasses. I would love to do this with the word "Cheers" as well, or "Baby" for a baby shower, "Love" for a bridal shower...you get the picture. Read the 'how-to' here, and see more of the Housewarming party.

Cheese, Glorious Cheese! {And Wine}

Simple-Elegance doesn't get much better than Cheese & Wine. The pairing of the 2 works equally well for a rustic picnic, or a glamorous soiree. The photos above offer some great suggestions for serving your cheese with style.

• Consider slicing your hard cheese into 'sticks' and laying them in a criss-cross form...adds height and interest.
• Looking for great ways to label which cheese is which? Use pieces of slate or broken terra cotta pots to write on with chalk, or marker.
• More home-improvement-store materials to use are small slabs of granite, or ceramic tiles.
• Find mirror 'trays' at local craft stores, or use your all-purpose white dishes for a streamlined look.
• For best results when tasting your cheeses, serve on plain baguette slices or water crackers so as not to mask the flavor of the cheese itself.

Good Suggestions for Wine & Cheese Pairings:

• Salty Gorgonzola with Sweet Reisling
• Brie with a California Chardonay
• Goat Cheese (Chevre) with Savignon Blanc
• Edam or Havarti with Pinot Noir
• Gouda with Merlot or Reisling

Some of my favorite wines for around $10-$12:

Cavit Pinot Grigio

Chateau St. Michelle Reisling (not overly sweet...it's just right!)

Barefoot Moscato (around $7, but very good with the taste of muscadine grapes)

Rober Mondavi Private Selection Pinot Noir

Woodbridge Cabernet (not too heavy for a cab)

Have fun planning and tasting your own Cheese & Wine combinations!

What To Serve New Years Eve

I think New Years Eve calls for something different, something a little more special, something interactive even! How about setting up different serving 'stations' or 'bars'? We already know Champagne is a must-have. Why not kick it up a notch by setting up a Champagne Bar. You can't read this blog without knowing my love for the champagne bar! All you need to do is set out some small containers of various juices like pomegranite, cranberry, peach, oj....you get the picture. A few new recipes to try: the Tropical Tinsel-adding pineapple juice; the Berry Mango-adding mango juice. My no-fail recipe: fill the bottom of a champagne flute with an inch or 2 of the juice, then fill with champagne (sparkling wine). Some people like to add a sugar cube, but personally I've never found it neccessary. You can experiment with different juices or combinations of juices as well. Important to Remember: Use dry (Brut) champagne when mixing with juices.

Two more fun, interactive food stations to incorporate are cheese fondue, and a mashed potato martini bar. First of all, who doesn't love cheese or mashed potatoes?? It's comfort food! Cheese fondue is actually very easy to make and you can keep it warm with various pots on the market. And there is an old 'rule' about whomever drops their dipper in the pot has to kiss the person next to them...perfect for NYE! Perfect dippers are chunks of bread, slice apple, veggie sticks, and more bread chunks.

Remember a few years back mashed potato bars were all the rage? I think it's high time we bring them back! Serving mashed potatoes in a martini glass is just so fun! Your guests will think you are brilliant for thinking of it! Just whip up a larg batch of mashed potatoes (I am NOT opposed to using pre-made from the grocery store), and set out toppers of shredded cheese, bacon bits, sour cream, butter, chives, even gravy or sauteed mushrooms. Keep the potatoes warm in a crock pot on low, or chafing dish. Presentation is everything so serve your toppers in martini glasses, small glass square vases from the dollar store, or other coordinating dishes.

Hot cocoa may not be a traditional NYE drink, but it IS a cute 'bar' idea, and if you are having children, then this makes perfect sense. I love the presentation above and look how cute the glasses are with the marshmallows and candy sticks. Add-ins you'll want to have set out are grated chocolate, whipped cream, mini marshmallows, candy sticks, maybe even some Kahlua, Godiva liqueur, or Irish Cream for the adults.

Send your guests home with a New Years fortune (or prediction). There are several options for this. Set out a plate of fortune cookies for people to pick up at the party, or pre-bag a single cookie as a take-home favor, or create your own paper fortune cookies using paper to match your party decor. If you're serving real cookies, you can buy them pre dipped & drizzled, or you can buy them plain and decorate them yourself. Below is an excellent tutorial from Once Wed for the paper cookies.

I hope you will incorporate some of these ideas for your New Years party or any party in 2010!

Food & Drink

Wondering what to serve the masses at your next cocktail gathering? Here are 2 tried-and-true recipes that should satisfy the taste buds as well as your need for prepping early and easily.

This Open House Punch is a classic thirst quencher, and I've never met anyone who didn't love it.
1 regular size can frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed and undiluted
1 regular size can frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed and undiluted
2 1/2 cups Bourbon
2/3 cup lemon juice
1 (2 liter) bottle Sprite, chilled
Combine first 4 ingredients and keep chilled if you are making it ahead. Add Sprite just before serving. Garnish with sliced orange, lemon, or cherry if desired.

These Sweet & Sour Chicken Cups are a delicious finger food.  Prepare the filling ahead of time and then just scoop them into the filo cups when ready to serve.
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 TBsp Vegetable oil
2 cups chopped cooked chicken
2/3 cup jarred sweet & sour sauce (from the Asian cooking isle)
1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted
2 TBsp light soy sauce
2 packages frozen filo cups
Sautee red bell pepper and onion in vegetable oil over medium heat until tender.
Combine vegetable mixture with chicken, sweet & sour sauce, almonds, and soy sauce.
Refrigerate filling until ready to use.
To serve, heat oven to 400. Fill filo cups with filling and bake for 8-10 minutes or until filling is hot. This recipe easily doubles.
Note: I use the canned chicken breast from Sams (Members Mark brand). This is a premium canned chicken unlike that which you get at the grocery store.