Annual Haunted Mansion Party

 Hello my darling readers.... So yes, it has been very busy, but I have not forgotten you...One of the many many things we have had going on is hosting our annual Haunted Mansion Party. True, our home is not haunted, nor is it a mansion, but it sure does create a good theme doesnt it? It takes about three weeks to set up... Now, that of course mans and hour here and a few hours after work... but there are just so many details and little pieces that have to fall into place to creat the perfect ambiance. Now, remember, Haunted Mansion is a theme, we dont actually 'do' a haunted mansion... No people hiding and jumping out at you... No one preending to grab you and take you to the underworld.... just a more elegant way in my opinion to hold a party for what is usually an otherwise childlike holiday...

 The fireplace gets filled with pumpkins of various shapes and colors every year, but this year we added LED candles and spanish moss.... Spanish moss is a very messy, but ! totally cheap way to add instant spook to your home for Halloween... Kind of add that aura of Bayou to any Halloween decor. We replaced out family photos on the mantle with those halogram pictures that turn from a sweet old lady or a blushing bride, into a freakishly devilish beast...The mantle scarf I found on ebay, and I flanked it with two big black bows that were yes, covered in glitter.

 

 

 The centerpiece of the dining table was all stuff I found at the dollar store... minus the antique silver trophy base it all sets in... glittered skeletons hang from the chandelier. We added extra crystals to the chandelier and replaced its normal bulbs with fire bulbs... a small low voltage lightbulb that flickers like a candle... The sell them at Lowes and Homo Depot.

 

 

As gorgeous as we make the inside of the house, lets face it... the backyard is where the real party starts... so naturally we have to decorate back there as well. this year Kevin and Amanda were nice enough to bring me manzanita branches back to Phx from their pre halloween voyage to the high country. I tool those branches and affixed them to the roof of tha patio and wove in black 'freaky fabric'.. I added a few bats.. a few spiders and voila ! Instant Bayou territory Haunted Mansion Terrace.

 Some of the guys....

 

 Some of the gals...

 

Annual conga line around the pool, led of course by Amy

Healthy Chicken Lettuce Wraps

 

Chinese takeout is all but a distant memory... Thankfully it was a pleasnt breakup, since I was able to create a fabulous version of the otherwise calorie laden lettuce wrap. By combining ground white breast chicken, soy sauce, and a few packets of truvia with some canola oil, red peppers, and green onions in a pan... I was able to create just the right flavor and texture with no sugar. Just before serving, I added a can of water chestnuts and a small... and I do mean small palm full of raw cashews. All of this was then wrapped in gorgeous red lettuce leafs. Yummy Asian Healthfulness.

Pesto Green Beans & Tomatos

 

Its no secret that with domestic bliss comes fabulous trips to the antique store, weekend trips to the beach... and yes, extra weight ! So in preparation for our return to the islands.. and just to in generally look andf feel better, Dough and I have been making a super concious effort to eat better. No white flour products, no sugar, and at least 75 percent vegetables and fruits during the day... 50 percent of which are raw. Behold... a fabulous side dish that utterly satisfies. Take a lb of green beans and lightsly steam them..When steamed, toss with two tablespoons of store bought, all natural pesto and a cup of raw cherry tomatos...

Easy breezy and delicious...

 

33 going on 15...

Well it was another birthday....and while my birthday always brings me a certain amount of anxiety, this year the party Doh created for me certainly helped ease me into the big 3-3. While in my mind I am still 21, the calendar and the early beginning of crow's feet tell me otherwise... The party helped me forget the wrinkles and made me realize there are perks to getting older. Like having a family around me on my special day, the best man I could have ever asked for, home ownership, and a job that is stable and lets me shop regularly. Yes at 33, I am exactly where I want to be. The theme was Tuscan Wine Country... the entire house was bedecked in sunfklowers, candles, and grapes...

 

 

One of several centerpieces... the people at Hobby Lobby probably are sick of seeing us.

 

The wine glass table.Centered  by a cork trivet that Doug made.. The jadeite plates were a gift from Dough and really set off the cheese table (below) which consisted og a hand painted cherub statue and 12 different wines, and nearly 30 cheeses.

 

 

Baby Nicholas made his debut... he was quite the party animal.

 

The buffet table... More sunflowers, lavender bundles, and candleight

 

 

The buffet table set for dinner...

 

~The Menu~

 

Assorted Breads

Antipasti Salad

Peas and Procuitto

 

Chicken Madiera

Sausages and Grapes

 

Fusilli Arrabiatta and Meatballs

Lemon Fettucini

Lasagna Bolognese

 

Pink Champagne Cake

 

My fabulous birthday cake... Pink champagne cake with vanilla custard.

Annual "Family Campout"

 

Just last weekend was our annual family campout. A weekend where we all come together in the name of beating the heat, pack our Chanel overnight bags and head to the wilderness. This summer in AZ has been particularly awful and long and awful-er, so we had high hopes for cooler temperatures and maybe a few light afternoon showers up North... we did not expect what Mother Nature had in store... its my personal opinion that like many women, Mother Nature also suffers from PMS.. and we caught her on her worst day....Sunny skies quickly turned dark and vibrated the ground with its claps of thunder... moments later, a torrentul downpour that I havent seen in years hit us... and it kept going and going and going...

 

 

Though the rain subsided in time for dinner... it was damp and heavy aired throughout the night... We fell asleep to the sound of the raindrops falling from the trees onto the tent... For Dough it was serene and relaxing... For me, it was equivalent to Chinese water torture... all that tap-tap-tapping. However, the next day, the sun was shining and it was perfect weather for the rest of our weekend...

 

 

 

The volleyball net came out and so did the Pinot Grigio... I made a great spectator... who knew volleyball and wine drinking were such a great match !?

 

Ummm... Have I had too much Pinot Grigio, or is that a cow marching through the campsite????

 

Homemade Confetti Cupcakes

For Sara's 32nd birthday, I wanted to make her a special cupcake... Just having had a baby herself, I thought it would be fun to go retro and make a 'funfetti' cupcake from scratch... It was quite simple... Take the recipe for your favorite yellow cake, and add 1/4 cup of pareils at the end... and there you have it. No mystery, no special techniques... and netter than anything that could come out of a box ! I topped mine with traditional butercream icing and of course, added more sprinkles ! They were very cute and delicious.

Peach and Blueberry Chopped salad

 

 

With summer nearing its end, I welcome the use of one of my favorite fruits; the peach. I grill them, roast them, eat them chilled or warm. I bake with them, juice them, and garnish with them... A perfect summer peach (preferably from the Southern area of the US) is one of lifes simple pleasures. For a perfect light summer dinner, I chopped a peach and mascerated it in a little honey, salt, olive oil and of course, a 7 year old balsamic vinegar. I tossed in a hand of dehydrated blueberries... The dried berries sucked up the dressing juices like Lindsey Lohan at a kegger... I threw the softened peaches and revitalized blueberries over a bed of arugula and sprinkled some chopped gorgonzola over it.