appetizer

Tortilla Pinwheels

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These tortilla pinwheels that I showed how to make during my Access Hollywood Live segment for Memorial Day are a great topper for a salad or as the star of a crudite centerpiece. Corn tortillas Large, black pitted olives Toothpicks 1. Place a stack of 10 yellow corn tortilla on a paper plate and cover […]

May 24, 2013 CONTINUE READING THIS POST →

Watermelon Soup

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Here’s a simple cold soup recipe that’s great as a summer appetizer. 3 cups watermelon, cut into 1-inch cubes 1/4 cup sweet white wine (Birthday Cake Vineyards Cheesecake Wine) 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice Sweetened whipped cream Blueberries Lemon zest Combine watermelon, wine, and lemon juice in a blender and blend until pureed. Transfer to […]

May 24, 2013 CONTINUE READING THIS POST →

Cooking with Cans Grill Recipes! (video)

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In this episode from Cans Get You Cooking, I make some delicious side dishes that are perfect accompaniments to summer grilling entrees! Check out the Cans Get You Cooking Facebook Page for more great recipes and tips!

May 24, 2013 CONTINUE READING THIS POST →

The Academy Awards Party Ideas from my NBC Chicago Segment (Video)

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One of the best parts of watching The Academy Awards is hanging out with friends at home party where everyone votes for their Oscar Winner favorites. This Academy Award party segment I did on NBC Chicago is packed with fun ideas from food to drink for a Hollywood A-list party in your living room. Click […]

February 8, 2013 CONTINUE READING THIS POST →

Mad for Plaid Holiday Party Brought to You By RumChata Cream Liqueur

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RumChata liqueur, with its delicious blend of real Wisconsin dairy cream, cinnamon, sugar and vanilla perfectly balanced with five times distilled Caribbean rum, inspired this Mad for Plaid Christmas Party theme! The name “RumChata” comes from the fact that the liqueur is essentially horchata, a Latin sweet rice beverage, with rum. The horchata keeps the […]

December 4, 2012 CONTINUE READING THIS POST →

Christmas Tree Shaped Hard Boiled Eggs

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This idea could not be easier and it is spectacular for a holiday open house brunch or a Christmas Breakfast. All you need to know is how to hard boil eggs or rather how long for hard boiled eggs to cook depending on what is perfect for you! I have been thinking about unique and easy […]

November 10, 2012 CONTINUE READING THIS POST →

Gazpacho

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One of the biggest time-savers to serve at a dinner party is a cold soup during your cocktail hour or as a first course, and it doesn’t get better than Gazpacho!It’s a perfect make-ahead item that you can keep cold in a pitcher, and then easily pour into a Margarita glass or stemware for a […]

August 18, 2012 CONTINUE READING THIS POST →

Clams Casino

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 This recipe was the big hit of the night for my MAD MEN Party! So classically 1960s! 6 slices bacon 3 slices white bread, crusts removed 3/4 cup Ritz Crackers 2 tablespoons bacon fat (reserved from cooking bacon) 2 tablespoons butter 1/4 cup minced green pepper 1/4 cup minced onion 1 (6.5 oz.) can chopped […]

March 7, 2012 CONTINUE READING THIS POST →

Ham Balls

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This Ham Ball recipe was updated from a version in 1960′s entertaining bible “The Calvert Party Encyclopedia.” More like an “egg salad ball,” I ate these tasty leftovers for days after the MAD MEN party! (Calvert was a brand of whiskey popular in the 1960s.) 6 hard-boiled eggs, finely chopped 1 tablespoon minced chives 1/2 […]

March 7, 2012 CONTINUE READING THIS POST →

Academy Awards Party Food Bleu Cheese and Olive Clapboard

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Here’s a sneak peek of a tasty dish I’m serving at my Oscars Party to watch the Academy Awards. It’s actually very simple made with cream cheese and bleu cheese dressing, minced olives, provolone cheese, and A-Z Spaghettios for the letters on the clapboard! Easy Recipe: 6 (8 oz.) blocks cream cheese, softened 1/2 cup […]

February 20, 2012 CONTINUE READING THIS POST →

Photos! New Year Party with a Chinese Modern Theme sponsored by Walmart and Sam’s Club

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This New Year Party with a Chinese Modern Theme is one of the prettiest parties I think I have ever hosted and it’s all thanks to my sponsors Walmart and Sam’s Club. A couple of days ago, I shared some of my product picks and inspiration items from both Sam’s Club and Walmart in the blog […]

December 31, 2011 CONTINUE READING THIS POST →

New Year Party with a Chinese Modern Theme sponsored by Walmart & Sam’s Club

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I am beyond excited about my upcoming New Year Party with a Chinese Modern theme! I’ve partnered Walmart and Sam’s Club for this new year event and after browsing through both stores during the party planning stage, I’ve discovered some amazing products with incredibly low prices that are going to give this themed Chinese New Year party a […]

December 23, 2011 CONTINUE READING THIS POST →

Chinese Chicken Wonton Tacos

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These tacos were a big hit at a recent cocktail party I hosted for my husband and the crew from a TV show he worked on, Fashion Star! (This show is going to be a huge hit – premieres February 2012!) This recipe takes off where minced squab on lettuce cups and mu shu chicken […]

September 13, 2011 CONTINUE READING THIS POST →

Vegetarian Kabocha Curry on Papadum Crisps

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I stumbled upon a package of papadum disks, large crispy wafers served in Indian restaurants, in the store while shopping for a cocktail party and thought they would make tasty round crisps for an Indian-inspired recipe. Typically, papadoms are about 6 to 8 inches in diameter. For this recipe I quartered each uncooked disk, making […]

September 13, 2011 CONTINUE READING THIS POST →

Baja Shrimp Tortilla Cones

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I’ve been experimenting with various edible containers for appetizers using wontons, papadum, and tortillas! The tortilla cones were definitely the most challenging to work with because I had to hold the cone shape together while immersing it in hot oil. The Baja shrimp blend is delicious, but the cones take some time and effort to […]

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September 13, 2011 CONTINUE READING THIS POST →

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