Kick Off Your Heels and Call Over the Girls!

Hello my beauties!

Do you ever have those days where you come home from work and you just want something refreshing and delicious? But the kicker is you don't want to spend forever making it cause you don't think you can stand much longer on your feet! All you want is too kick off those heels let your hair down and chill.

Yeah I have those days sometimes! And I've found the perfect way to kick back relax and enjoy something cool and refreshing!

I shall share the perfect way to end the day!

             White Wine and Strawberry Slushies!

Talk about delish! Am I right?!

Not only are these tasty and delicious but they are not that hard to make!

What you will need:

• 3 Cups of  Strawberries (frozen ones work well too)
• 5 oz Simple Syrup
• 2 Tbsp lemon juice
• 2 Tbsp Limoncello
• 1 chilled bottle of white wine of choice (if you wish to make a cocktail)

How to make:

• blend all ingredients together
• let chill in freezer for 30 minutes (less time if you use frozen strawberries)
• pour desired amount of chilled wine into glass
• add on top desired amount of strawberry sorbet

This Yields 6 cocktails. 

So kick off your heels and invite over the girls!

Xox

It's Time to Party!

Let’s Have Ourselves a Fiesta!

Hello lovelys! Can you believe it’s already May! Where the heck did April go? April was great but now it’s time to welcome May and what better way to do that than with a little party!? And perfectly enough Cinco De Mayo is less than a week away! So dust off those margarita glasses and get out that piñata cause its fiesta time ladies! Cinco De Mayo parties are always a blast and such a great opportunity to celebrate Mexican heritage and culture! I mean the margaritas, delicious Mexican food, bright colors, piñatas, surrounding yourself with friends and loved ones…did I mention the margaritas?

So how does one throw the perfect Cinco De Mayo soiree? Well up first let’s discuss décor!

Decorations:

Decorations always set the tone for any themed party and creates a great atmosphere for you and your guests to enjoy!

When picking out your decorations keep these key words in mind; bold, bright, vibrant and fun. I mean it’s called a fiesta for a reason! Here are a few decor ideas I’ve gathered via my bff Google that I felt really captured the lively spirit of Cinco De Mayo!

Food

Next up on the party to do list is food! And really let’s be real Mexican food is pretty fantastic so it’ll be hard to go wrong with whatever Mexican inspired dishes you decide on! There are several different routes you can go for your Mexican inspired menu. Here are some classic Mexican choices that I feel would leave no guest disappointed and no stomach unsatisfied!

One option is guacamole and chips! Simple, delicious and a classic Cinco De Mayo staple if you ask me!

And how genius is this idea to create little individual cups of dip which helps to avoid all those double dippers out there! It also allows people to walk around with their food as opposed to everyone all crowed around the food table like a flock of hungry seagulls!

Another crowd pleaser that’s true to the Mexican theme would be tacos!

If you do include tacos at your fiesta, I recommend something similar to the picture above where you have a taco station with various fixings. That way each guest can create their own taco that will give their taste buds a party of their own!

Third is the oh-so popular Mexican rice! Easy and tasty, what more could you want from a dish?!

Now what would a good Mexican themed party be without some churros? These delectable treats will leave your guests on a sweet note!

Drinks

Now with all this food you don’t want your guests to get thirsty! Therefore a suitable array of cocktails is needed! Here are a few tasty drinks that’ll help cure your guests thirst!

The front runner is the classic margarita! NO Cinco De Mayo is complete without! 

Or perhaps you want to add a little twist to the classic margarita by making some fun margarita jello shots!

Another fun Cinco De Mayo drink is a tequila sunrise!.....or really anything with tequila!!!

Music

So you’ve got the decorations, the food, the drinks now what’s a party without some dancing! Create a catchy fast pace Latin flavored playlist to get your guests up on their feet and shimmying away! Here are a few songs to get your playlist started, but Youtube and Google are brimming with song perfect for a Cinco de Mayo celebration! With a mix of old school and some newer stuff your guests will be kept on their toes not knowing what to expect next!

Cinco de Mayo Playlist:

• Christina Aguilera "Ven Comigo"
• Cold Play "Viva La Vida”
• Hit Crew "Mexican Hat Dance”
• Los Lobos “La Bamba”
• Don Omar “Hot Hot Hot”
• Macarena
• Pit Bull “I know You Want Me”

Its Time to Party!

Decorations, food, drinks, music – all important aspects of any party but the most important part to any party is the people part! So invite all your fun loving, free spirited friends, your family, your neighbors, your co-workers! The more the merrier! Now let’s have ourselves a fiesta!

Adios Amigos - Until Next Time!

#krimsonkutie

Happy Easter all you little bunnies!

Easter Brunch

Happy Easter all you little bunnies! What a fabulous time Easter is! I can’t help but be a sucker for cute little chicks and all the pretty pastel colors floating around! Another thing I love about Easter is the grand ol’ Easter brunch! What’s not to love, everyone’s decked out in their best attire, family, friends, and an abundance of delectable food – all at once!

Perhaps I love Easter too much…or I’m addicted to Pinterest (likely a combination of the two) but I have scoured through Pinterest high and low, day in and day out this past week to find the perfect contribution for me to bring to the Easter brunch I am attending (note: It is at my boyfriend’s parents place with all of his family so pressures on!). I want to bring something that says I put a lot of thought and heart into making something…but I didn’t obsess for two weeks what I would bring (which I totally did – Shhhh!).

I’m still debating between something on the sweet side or something more savoury. Who knows perhaps in my sheer panic to impress I’ll decide to bring something of each! I figured if I am in this pickle of what to make for Easter brunch that others out there may be as well! And if you aren’t and your only job is to show up and eat, well count your blessings you lucky lucky ducky! But for those in the same boat as me I want to share with you some delicious Pinterest creations that I have come upon in my almighty quest to find the upmost perfect mouth-watering, drool-worthy brunch contribution! 

If I decide to go the more savoury root here are some of my top contenders. These options are all easily portable and look delectably drool worthy!

Option One:

Bacon Pull Apart Bread

Serves: 8-10

Ingredients

• 6 slices Hormel bacon, diced small

• 1/2 stick of unsalted butter

• 1 tube of Pillsbury refrigerated Grands Homestyle Butter Tastin’ biscuits

• 1 egg, beaten

• 2 tablespoons half-n-half

• 1/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

• 1/4 cup shredded monterey jack cheese

• 2 scallions, finely diced

Directions:

      1.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Cook Bacon until crispy
3. Put the cold butter in a nonstick bundt pan and let it melt in the preheating oven.
4. Cut the Grands biscuits into quarters. In a bowl, gently toss the biscuit pieces, bacon, egg, half-n-half, both cheeses, and scallions together.
5. Once the butter is melted, give the bundt pan a little swirl so the bottom is evenly coated. Add the biscuit mixture to the pan, sprinkling with any cheese and bacon pieces that get left behind.
6.  Bake for 25 minutes.

Option Two:

Mini Spinach Breakfast Quiche

Serves:12

Ingredients:

• 2 cans Great Value refrigerated crescent roll dough
• 1/4 cup onions, chopped
• 3 slices bacon, chopped
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 (9 oz.) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well drained
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• pinch of nutmeg
• 1 cup mozzarella cheese

Directions:

1. Sautee chopped bacon and onions in a skillet until the onions are translucent and the bacon is cooked through and allow to cool.
2. Whisk the eggs well, and then stir in the sour cream, spinach, salt, pepper, nutmeg, and the cooked and cooled bacon and onion mixture. Fold in the mozzarella cheese.
3. Spray 16 muffin cups with cooking spray or grease with butter, and press one triangle of crescent roll dough into each cup, sealing any holes, to form the crusts. Then fill each crust to the top with the egg mixture.
4. Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 20 minutes, until the crust is browned and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

Option Three:

Ham and Pesto Crepes

Serves:16

Ingredients:

• 200g (6½oz) plain flour
• ½tsp salt
• 3 medium eggs, beaten
• 375ml (12fl oz) milk
• 1-2tbsp vegetable oil
• 150g (5oz) pesto
• 16 slices thinly cut ham
• 50g (1¾oz) butter, melted
• 50g (1¾oz) gruyère, grated
• 50g (1¾oz) freshly grated parmesan

Directions:

1. Mix the flour and salt in a mixing bowl. Combine the eggs and milk and mix into the flour. Add extra milk if needed - it should be the consistency of double cream. You can make the mix up to 2 hours ahead.
2. Grease a small, non-stick frying pan with a little oil and place over a moderate heat for 1 minute. Ladle 2-3tbsp batter into the pan and tilt until the base is thinly coated. Cook for 1-2 minutes, or until set. Using a spatula or fish slice, flip the pancake and cook for a further 45-60 seconds before turning out. Cook the remaining crepe batter in the same way.
3. Heat the oven to 180°C (gas mark 4). Spread each crepe with pesto and place a slice of ham on top. Fold in half, then in half again and finally fold once more, making a triangle.
4. Layer the crepes in a buttered oven dish, drizzle with the melted butter and sprinkle with the Gruyere and Parmesan. Season with freshly ground black pepper. Cook for about 15 minutes or until heated through and the cheese has melted.

Now on the sweeter side of things, here are a few options that look absolutely scrumptious!

Option One:

Chocolate Covered Strawberries

Serves: 8

Ingredients:

• 1 dozen ripe strawberries
• 1 cup chopped chocolate or chocolate chips (colored chocolate if looking for a more Easter theme like me!)

Directions:

1.  Prepare a baking sheet by lining it with aluminum foil.
2.  Wash the strawberries and dry them thoroughly.
3.  Place the chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave until it is melted, stirring after every 30 seconds. Overheated chocolate gets thick and hard to work with, so it's important to keep a careful eye on the chocolate. Remove it when some pieces are still not melted, and stir until they melt. If you are using low-quality chocolate chips, you might need to add a little vegetable shortening to thin it out and make it easy to work with.
4.  Holding a strawberry by the stem, dip it in chocolate, twirling it in a circular motion to evenly cover most of the berry. As you lift it from the chocolate, twirl it so that any excess chocolate drips back into the bowl.
5.  Place the berry on the prepared baking sheet and repeat with remaining berries and chocolate.
6.  Refrigerate them for 30 minutes to set the chocolate.

Option Two:

Cinnamon Rolls with Frosting

Serves: Nine

Ingredients:

• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons instant dry yeast
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ¾ cup whole milk, at room temperature
• 3 eggs, at room temperature
• 4 tablespoons butter, softened

Cinnamon Filling

• 4 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• ¼ cup sugar
• ¼ cup flour

Icing

• ⅔ cup confectioners’ sugar
• ⅓ cup heavy cream
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Make the dough: In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment and set on low speed, mix the flour with the yeast, sugar and salt to combine.
2. Add the milk and eggs and mix on low speed until the dough comes together, 4 minutes. Increase the speed to medium and continue to mix for another 5 minutes, or until the dough is smooth. During the last minute of mixing, gradually add the softened butter.
3. Lightly grease a large bowl with nonstick cooking spray, then transfer the dough to the bowl. Cover the bowl loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight (8 to 10 hours).
4. Make the cinnamon filling: In a small bowl, mix the butter with the cinnamon, sugar and flour until smooth. Set aside. Preheat the oven to 400°. Grease a 9-by-9-inch baking pan with the softened butter.
5. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough into a rectangle about ½ inch thick. Pour the filling onto the dough and spread it evenly with a spatula all the way to the edges.
6. Roll the dough into a long log. Using a sharp knife, cut the log into 1¼-inch-thick slices. Place the rolls flat on the prepared baking pan.
7. Place the pan in the oven, then immediately lower the temperature to 375°. Bake until the cinnamon rolls are golden brown and baked through, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool for 15 minutes.
8. While the cinnamon rolls are cooling, make the icing: In a medium bowl, whisk the confectioners’ sugar with the cream and vanilla until the mixture is smooth. Drizzle the icing onto the slightly cooled cinnamon rolls. 

Another reason I’m in a pickle is because they all look so good! Would it be too much if I brought all five options with me too brunch? Because right now that’s what I’m thinking! If that’s the case I better get my booty to the kitchen and get my Martha Stewart on! Well whatever I end up bringing I know it will be great (here’s hoping I can follow a recipe that is!).  Once I figure out what to bring its smooth sailing into Easter brunch – except don’t even ask me what I plan to wear, cause that’s a whole other story in its self!

I hope you all have a fabulous Easter weekend filled with love and laughter, family and friends, and food… lots and lots of good food!

xo

Websites of recipes: (in order)

http://veryculinary.com/2014/04/06/breakfast-pull-apart-bread/

http://unsophisticook.com/mini-spinach-quiche/

http://www.houseandgarden.co.uk/recipes/breakfast-brunch/ham-and-pesto-crepes

http://cutediypins.com/2013/03/07/chocolate-covered-strawberries-for-easter-dip-into-chocolate-and-then-decorate-the-dipped-strawberries-with-candy-writers-get-some-fruit-with-your-chocolate-for-easter/

http://www.purewow.com/entry_detail/recipe/8413/Cinnamon-rolls-with-vanilla-frosting.htm