Tea Party Part 1

I am planning a bridal shower tea party for my dear friend Andrea. Her wedding is going to be an outdoor event with an 'vintage chic' feel. To compliment her style, the tea party will also have an eclectic, vintage, garden-y feel. Here are the invitations:



The cards are backed and envelope lined with mod patterned card stock from Paper and More. Adding a bit of whimsy is easy if you combine soft sherbet colors and prints. More to come...

Lovely Favor Download from The Martha

Well, here is a fun new twist on matchbook wedding/party favors. Check out these seed books from Martha Stewart:



She even bestowed a free template upon us. Thank you Martha, we are not worthy!

Fun with Fondu

Fondue is a great way to have a dinner party. It’s fun (they really should call it Fun-do). It’s inexpensive (how else can you fee you and five of your closest peeps on four dollars worth of meat). And, the sky is the limit (anytime you can use left-over craft paper as a place mat is a good time),

Here are a few snaps of my most recent fondue party:



I used the leftovers from a retro looking holiday stack of 12x12 craft card stock as place mats-an added bonus for easy clean up. I also used the same coordinating papers to make pace cards. One fondue pot is all you need for up to six people. Get all of your fondues ready on the stove, and chop and plate all of your dippers before the party. Serve the cheese fondue first as the appetizer. When guests are finished serve a small salad to cleanse the palate and allow time to soak the remaining cheese out of your fondue pot. Wash the pot and move on to your broth fondue and dippers. When you are ready to move on, send your guests to the self serve coffee station while you give the pot a quick wash. Now it’s time for the chocolate! A fondue party turns a meal into an event, and the self-serve atmosphere lends itself to a fun and casual gathering.

Here are the recipes I used.

Course 1

Classic Cheese Fondue

1 ½ c peach cider
½ lb shredded Gruyere
½ lb shredded Emmentaler
2 T corn starch
2 T lemon juice
½ t garlic power
Nutmeg and white pepper to taste

Instructions:
Pour cider into pot and heat over medium high heat. When liquid starts to boil, add cheese. Stir until melted and combined. In a small bowl, whisk corn starch and lemon juice until combined. Add to cheese mixture along with spices and stir.

Dippers:
crusty bread cut in cubes (check with your local bakery and see if they will sell you bread heals on the cheep. This will give you a wide variety of bread for very little money) and apple slices.

Course 2

A small dinner salad of your choosing.

Course 3

Fondue Mojo

5 1/4 c. vegetable/chicken broth
2 T. cumin
2 T. jerk seasoning
2 T. black pepper, cracked
1/4 c. orange juice, fresh-squeezed
2 T. lime juice, fresh squeezed
1 T. garlic, minced
1/4 c. cilantro, chopped

Instructions: Put it all in a pot and cook it.

Dippers:
Cubed steak (the ‘stir fry’ cuts sold in the butcher’s case)
Grape tomatoes
Baby potatoes (par-boiled)
Button Mushrooms

Sauces (all store baught):
Apricot Chipotle beef marinade
Teriyaki Sauce
Sour cream based lemon dill

Course 4

Classic Chocolate Fondue

1 lb semi-sweet chocolate
2 c heavy cream

Instructions: combine chocolate and cream in a double boiler and melt slowly, stirring constantly.
Dippers:
Strawberries, Bananas, Marshmallows

Added Goodness:
Set out small bowls of chocolate sprinkles, crushed candy bars, grahm cracker crumbs, and anything else wonderful you can think of, to ‘double dip’ the dippers in


Helpful Hints:

Be sure you have plenty of wine. A robust red will pair well enough with the cheese, beef and chocolate, or you could get fancy and pair a different wine with each course.

Oh, and a cleaver e-vite is never a bad idea for a super casual gathering among friends