Mom's Coffee

When I had my little surprise baby, Millie, two years ago I felt so excited about round two of motherhood!  I was thrilled to have friends who were having babies at the same time and I wanted to set aside a time during the busy holiday season to celebrate our friendships and the bonds we have over our experiences as mothers.  I invited a small around of mother's who all had babies in 2013 over for a Christmas Coffee.  We are all going through similar things and it is a great time to share, laugh, and learn from one another.

I love setting the table and had a great time bottle brush trees collected over the years. This year I added a few new trees from World Market, always one of my favorite stops before a party! The best part is that they stay nice all season long!  

I added a few flowers to the mix. For the largest arrangement, I used a plain and simple glass vase that I wrapped in velvet ribbon and hot glued ornaments to.  Even though the table didn't need any flowers with the bottle brush trees, I couldn't resist using these dahlias that were still available thanks to our unseasonably warm winter.

I also added a small collection of colorful mercury glass votive holders with vibrant roses in shades of pinks, reds and yellows.

We served simple treats that were perfect for picking up and having a quick nibble including these Preserved Lemons with Whipped Goat Cheese and Marcona Almonds.

I love serving a little something sweet in the morning like this Spiced Orange Cake with Sunkist® Glazed Oranges & Greek Yogurt Whip on a cake pedestal.

I loved serving the coffee in these darling snowman mugs.  Could they be any cuter?  I didn't need any more holiday mugs but I couldn't resist these!  I served a bit of ice cream to my children in them the other night too!  They are a great size and I can't wait to try some other treats this in them this holiday season.

Hosting a coffee get-together is a great format for busy moms. The kids are at school and they have time to unwind for a few minutes.  To make it special, I like to add little touches like these peppermint stir sticks.  They are such a delicious Christmas indulgence for your coffee!

These White Chocolate Peppermint Stirs are a great touch for those who want hot-chocolate too!

What kind of annual get together do you like to host?  What do you serve?  I'd love to hear!

Merry Merry Motherhood to all of you wonderful mommies who join me here on the blog!  I hope you enjoy these fabulous recipes from Sunkist! 

I can't wait to share details of the family friendly party favor I gave out in Wednesday's Post. Please check back in!

This post was created in partnership with Sunkist Growers and products were provided by World Market, Both are brands that I love!  

A Fall Fireside Gathering

I hope you have plans with your friends and family this Thanksgiving season and I hope they include marshmallows and a fire!  We held a gathering at White Oaks Ranch around the fire pit for all ages and enjoyed the crisp Fall weather we are now enjoying in Texas!  

 We threw on a fire and put together some sips and nibbles and had just tried to relax.

The crisp air was fresh and perfect for a cape and gloves!  I have been waiting for an excuse to pull out these monogrammed gloves from Mark and Graham! 

If you only make one thing from this post, I hope it will be the Warm Citrus Olives.  They were amazing and, by far, the most popular dish.  I served them in Belly-Shaped Saucepan with one of my Halo Home by KSW fringe napkins 

Holiday Cranberry, Orange, Walnut & Goat Cheese Dip was served in a silver dish on a wooden charger from World Market .  I love the charger as a serving tray but it is so versatile.  It can add height to a buffet or serve as a dramatic charger at everyone's place setting for a seated dinner.

These  Savory Cheesecake Bites with Crab, Grapefruit and Avocado were an unexpected twist on our outdoor casual theme but I like that they added something unexpected.

Of course, we treated the drinks with the same care as the menu! 

 A little something for all was offered including this spiced tea which hit the spot!  It is a family recipe that our amazing food stylist, Stephanie Greenwood,  shared with us.

Spiced Tea  - A Greenwood Family Favorite

2 qts. Water

½ tsp to 1 Tb of whole cloves

3 to 6 sticks cinnamon

Place these in a large pan and bring to a boil.  Let them boil for 10 minutes.  Remove from heat.

Add 3 Tb of loose black tea and steep 10 minutes.  Using a strainer, pour liquid into container for the tea.

Add 1 large can of pineapple juice (might be 1 quart and ¼ oz or something), 1 ½ cup of sugar, 1 small can frozen orange juice, a couple of Tbs of real lemon and 3 orange juice cans of water.

Zest 3 Sunkist Lemons and Juice and then add in the Dried Citrus at the end! 

You can add spiced rum to it if you want as well! 

 For those who were wanting something with a bit of a kick, this Grapefruit IPA Twist  did the trick! 

I don't know who enjoyed this hammered copper tub of Vintage Style Sodas from World Market more, the children of the adults!   Not only were they delicious but they sparked some fun conversations too!  They are sold in a twelve pack that makes a fun gift too!

 But, of course, the highlight of the afternoon was roasting marshmallow.  We put our own citrus twist on the marshmallows after they were roasted by adding a slice of citrus and drizzling them in Annie B's Baking Caramel.  It was so good!

 I swear that I didn't ask my children to stand like this.  It just happened and, thank God, the camera was near by!  What a precious moment I will always remember and cherish.  

Big Thanks to the fabulous team who helped put this together!  

Assisted by Kathy Short

Photographer: Kelsey Foster Wilson
Photography Assistant: Rachel Strum

Food Stylist: Stephanie Greenwood

Food Stylists Assistant: Amanda Mobley

This post was created in partnership with Sunkist Growers and products were provided by World Market, Both are brands that I love!  

Make Your Own Margarita Bar

When it comes to summer entertaining, I love setting up a do-it-yourself element for my guests. Whether it is a DIY food stationer or bar, it gives guests a chance to get in on the action and make their own custom creation exactly the way they like.

This summer, I set up a Make Your Own Margarita Bar in my yard.  Everyone has their own margarita preferences and some take those preferences very seriously so this was a fun way to let them have it just the way they like it.

Here is what you need to set up on your table or bar:

 Cocktail glasses

Cocktail napkins

Freshly squeezed Sunkist Grapefruit Juice

Freshly squeezed Sunkist Lime Juice

Freshly squeezed Sunkist Orange Juice

A bottle of Cointreau

A bottle of Casa Dragones Tequila

Rimming Sugar and Salt

Garnish (Sunkist Lime Wedges)

A Shaker and Strainer and Jigger

Ice Bucket

and a recipe!

I asked the talented gals at Halo Home to make this for us and I thought they did a great job!

Then your guests can start having some fun creating their own concoctions....

I loved this Lemon Sugar and Salt option for the rims!

And don't forget to set out a few little nibbles.  I thought guacamole was the perfect snack to go along with the margaritas.

Happy Hosting! 

Tablecloth: Citrus Garden by Schumacher

Cocktail Napkins - Custom by Halo Home

Napkins in Tray: Anthropologie

Blue and White Dish: Similar from One Kings Lane

Yellow Urns: Similar from One Kings Lane

Lemon Sugar

My dress: Vivetta

This post is in partnership with Sunkist Growers, a brand I love. All opinions here are my own. 

Everyone's Favorite Summer Sip!

There is nothing like a fresh and cold cocktail on a hot summer day!  I've added a new spin to one of my favorite tried-and-true party tricks, Popsicle Prosecco.  You might have seen me share this idea in vlog (a video for my blog!) or on Today Show but this summer I've added a new twist, a straw!  

The straw has replaced the popsicle stick in this simple party trick!  Most popsicle molds either come with their own plastic sticks or a small space for a traditional wooding stick but, don't fret.  All you need is a sheet of tin foil wrapped around the top of the popsicle mold. Carefully make a slice where in the center of each mold and wiggle the straw into the juice and freeze.  We made Cucumber Lime popsicles by juicing cucumbers with the skins still on and adding fresh juice from Sunkist limes.  

Now, the straws won't be strong enough to hold up a popsicle the traditional way but we are not going to serve the that way anyway so don't fret!

Once your homemade Cucumber Lime Pops are frozen and your guests are arriving, it is time to start assembling!  Run a little bit of hot water over the base of the popsicle mold to loosen up the pops.  Remove the tin foil and carefully tear it around the straws so that you don't bend them. Place each pop with the straw side up in a wine glass. 

Pour your favorite Prosecco or Champagne over each popsicle and serve right away.  As the popsicles melt, the cocktail comes to life and, now, instead of an awkward stick in your glass, you have a straw to enjoy your drink with!  That means less mess and easier to enjoy!

By the way, I've also had made the Cucumber lime pops with lime zest in them.  They were delicious but not right for the cocktail and straw.  You could make another batch of those for the children at the party with traditional sticks.

Enjoy and Happy Hosting!