The Craft Begins

Here is a sneak peak from the first official party Peak Events put on!  The theme was “Brazilian Carnivale”.

I’m in love with the photographs and the style of this first anniversary party.  I wish that I could get together with a bunch of my friends in an orange orchard and have a little picnic.

See more photographs from Jill Thomas here.

I made a last-minute batch of cupcakes last night to take to a LOST party – pina coloada cupcakes, to be exact!  I love the way they turned out.

Do you watch LOST?  What did you do to celebrate the premier?

Wow, just found this post languishing in my drafts section.  Might as well update in case anyone is looking to throw a Luau soon!

Now it’s time to get into the nitty gritty of our military style Luau party.

First was the food.  Since I was doing all of the cooking myself (for 80+ people) in my tiny kitchen, I wanted things that were easy to prepare but still had a tropical feel to them.  Here’s the menu:

The meatballs you can get in bulk at Costco or any other big store.  I went for the beef (as the pork wasn’t very good) and it complimented the curried ketchup well.  You can find the recipe for that here.  The Polynesian pulled pork sliders were a big hit, and they were easy for everyone to eat.  The recipe for those are here.  Peanut chicken satay was an easy choice for picky eaters, and vegetable wraps are easy to throw together ahead of time and chill.  I added a little spice by adding curry powder to the mayonnaise.  Fruit salad is always a big hit, and we had a variety of salsas to go with the chips, some homemade, some store-bought.  And of course, deserts!  Cupcakes are easy to transport and easy to eat.  Key Lime and Pina Colada fit the theme nicely.

The food is important, but so is the presentation!  It’s so easy to make the party themed and interesting with little touches here and there.

1.  I love a decorated cupcake.  They’re like little presents for your mouth.  Since it was an army party, I thought that a bright pink army man would add the perfect touch.  Allegedly, some super high-ranking officer was eating one of these and everyone gasped in horror as he actually licked the frosting from the army man.

2.  All food looks great served on colorful plates, and it doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg to add a little flair.  I bought these Hawaiian plates from the dollar store, at 2 for $1!

3.  One really easy and inexpensive way to make everything better is curried ketchup.  Just take ketchup, add curry powder and a dollop of molasses, and you’re done!

4.  I got a bunch of these leaves to use as display underneath plates on the buffet.  They were really inexpensive and the addition of live plants adds an element of luxury.

5.  Big parties for lots of people are easiest when everything to eat is finger food.  These great hibiscus toothpicks really set the scene.

There’s lots of things that you can do to make a Luau fun and memorable.  Colorful lanterns, party lights, plastic pink flamingos and a great soundtrack go a long way.  Have a great party!

I served these at the Luau party, and they were a hit!  It’s easy to prepare ahead of time, and they’re a snap to assemble.  They’re really great served with pickled red onions as well.

Ingredients:

1 package pork loin (about 3lb)
1/2 c. pineapple, chopped
1/2 c. onion, chopped
1/2 c. red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 c. soy sauce
1 c. white vinegar
1 c. brown sugar
4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tbsp. cornstarch

For the pork, it’s best to make it the foolproof way.  Pull the pork loin out of the package and toss in a crock pot with 1 c. water and a package of gravy mix, if you have it.  Cook on high overnight until it is nice and tender.

For the sauce, saute bell peppers in a pan over medium heat.  When they are somewhat softened, add onions, pineapple and garlic and cook the whole mixture until everything is softened, or about 10 minutes.  Transfer mixture to a blender and blend until smooth.  Pour it back into the pan and add the brown sugar, soy sauce, and vinegar, and mix well.  Whisk cornstarch with 2 tbsp. water and add to pan.  Cook all ingredients, stirring occasionally, until sauce is nice and thick.

At this point, take the pork loin and chop it into sections width-wise so you get nice short pieces of meat.  Add the sauce and cook, stirring vigorously, until most of the moisture has been absorbed.  Cut up some tiny dinner rolls, add a little bit of the Polynesian pork, and serve!

That’s it.  I want to get all of my friends together and throw colored powders at each other and dance and generally frolic and have a good time.  Anyone want to join me?

You can find more pictures of the Indian Holi Festival here…The festival is in the spring.  I think I’m going to have to book a plane ticket.

1.  Saddle Stitch Studio is a relatively new Etsy seller, but she’s got great stuff.  If you’re looking for an invitation for an event, it’s a great place to start.  I also love these popsicle prints.  Summer is going by so fast!

2.  Tissue paper poms are all the rage right now, and for a good reason.  They’re fun and colorful and add great atmosphere to any party.  If you don’t want to make them yourself, you need to stop by Party Poms.  They’ve got every color, shape and size you could ever want.

3.  I love the way that these butterflies look descending down a layered cake.  What a great look for a wedding or party where the only requirement is COLOR!  Butterfly Bazaar has these rainbow butterflies and more.

4.  It seems like everyone I know is having babies lately, so I’ve been on the hunt for cute baby gifts.  These blankets from Ciuccio fit the bill perfectly.  Interesting modern colors and designs, backed with organic fleece.

5.  There’s something about colorful picados that really make a party.  Ay Mujer makes picados that are personalized to your liking or event.  I can’t get enough of that airstream trailer – fits perfectly down here in snowbird filled Arizona!

Thanks to this week’s fabulous sellers!

Looking for an event idea for a large group of people?  Something outside, that gets people excited, and is lots of fun?  You need to have a low country boil!

We like doing this in our family when we get large groups of people together.  Everyone gets to pig out and get really messy and since everyone else is in the same boat, there’s no judgement.  Plus the food is good too.  Here’s the typical menu:

The best part of the whole party is that you just throw everything into the center of the table and let people go at it.  There’s no utensils necessary.  Plastic tablecloths underneath and newspaper on top guarantee easy cleanup.  Here’s what it looks like when it’s out on the table:

As you can see, it sounds weird but in actuality it looks great.  Accessorizing with red everything (tablecloths, bowls, napkins, cups) holds it all together.  String up some basic party bulbs, and you’re good to go!  Don’t forget the PBR and the Johnny Cash.

Want to do it yourself?  Here’s how to make all of the food (it’s super easy):

Sausage:
I like to do two different kinds of sausage – spicy and regular.  I cut them into chunks (the spicy at an angle, the regular straight so you can tell them apart) and grill them until they are nice and charred.

Corn on the Cob:
Supposedly easy to make, but also easy to screw up.  Break the cobs in half, and put into a pot with cold salted water and a splash of vinegar.  Set on high, and just as the water starts to boil, remove the corn.  You don’t want to overcook it and make it tough.

Potatoes:
Boil the potatoes until tender.  Drain, and then toss (carefully) with lots of butter and fresh chives.  Remember, lots of butter.  The more butter, the better.

Roasted Onions:
Cut onions into 1/8ths.  Toss with butter, garlic and a bit of salt and pepper.  Place on a cookie sheet or baking dish and place into a 400 degree oven until softened and slightly caramelized.  You’ll know they’re done when you start to smell them, in a good way.

Southern-Style Shrimp:
You’ll need frozen, shell-on, tail-on deveined shrimp.  They’re not always so easy to find but people love shelling those things, it’s part of the fun.  If you can’t find them, you can do without everything else, but they’ll need to be uncooked.  Fill a large stockpot about half full with cold water.  Add your seafood boil seasonings – I like Cajun Land Brand.  Just a warning – the more you use, the spicier it is, so be a bit judicious with your seasoning.  Bring water to a boil.  When it’s boiling, add the shrimp, and then bring back to a boil.  Just as it’s starting to boil again, remove from heat and drain, and you won’t have overcooked shrimp.

Cobblers:
These are great served with ice cream, and are probably the exception to the “no silverware” rule.  Melt 1/4 c. (1 stick) butter in a 13X9 baking pan.  In a separate bowl, mix 1 c. flour, 1 c. milk, 1 c. sugar, and 2 tsp. baking powder.  Pour into the pan over the melted butter, and then add whatever fruit you like (peach and cherry are my favorites) chopped up over the top of it.  Sprinkle with 1 c. brown sugar, and bake for 30-35 minutes in a 350 degree oven or until the top is golden.  Serve with ice cream.

That’s everything you need for a homestyle broil!  You can also add whatever other side dishes you like, such as coleslaw or dirty rice.  I like to serve bread to soak up all the extra butter.  You could even substitute the shrimp for lobster if you were feeling really fancy.  The important part is to get your hands dirty and have fun!

If you’re looking for something special for an event or party, and you love vintage, look no further than Hemlock Vintage.  This plaid gray number is one of my favorites.  There’s not too much in the shop at the moment, but there is the promise of more to come.

If you’re planning an event or wedding, and are looking for an interesting and different centerpiece, why not try something new?  It’s a great way to cut down on costs associated with flowers, and you’ll be able to re-use the pieces over and over.  The best part is that it can be done very cheaply and easily!

To make this centerpiece, I scoured thrift and secondhand stores to find lots of similarly-sized glass containers.  You could use tumblers, or mason jars, shot glasses, or just about anything.  I think that having lots of different sizes, shapes and patterns makes it more visually interesting.  All of these containers were found for $.25 apiece.  Inside all of these jars are just cheap tealights that you can find at any neighborhood store.

You could do an arrangement like this on a round table or a rectangular one.  I used a long piece of leftover granite (these make great serving platters, by the way, and you can often get scraps at your local stonecutter for next to nothing) to elevate the candles in the center.  Throw in a couple of cheap pillars in the middle and cascade the heights down as you move outside of the center.  Try to keep all of the candles the same color, as it will unite all of the disparate elements.  Light, and enjoy all of the compliments!