Hostess Jo at Home

Simplified Cinco de Mayo

Cinco de Mayo is on a Friday this year!  Yay!  I could eat Mexican food everyday.  Could you?  It's my favorite.  Along with margaritas, sangria, Corona...you get the idea!

Why not have a few friends over this year?  Below is a super easy way to make your table look more festive.  All I did was grab a few empty Corona bottles and fill them with Carnations!  Ole!

(excuse the photo quality, this was years ago!)

Grab some brightly colored serving ware, plates and napkins and you're set. 

Chips and salsa, quacamole, mini tacos, quesadillas and a batch of margaritas or sangria... 

Check out this recipe  for Frozen Sangria!  Yum

For a sweet treat try these Mini Key Lime or Lemon Pies.  They are super simple and NO BAKE!

You can see I used regular pie crusts but they would be better with graham cracker crusts.  Either way they are super tasty.

I found the same recipe I used here.  I just did a mini version.  That way you aren't slicing pie.  Everyone can serve themselves.

Well I'm ready to celebrate!  How about you?

 

XOXO,

Jo

Football Fare

With the Super Bowl coming up Sunday you may be looking for some appetizing food to feed your family and friends.  I am not a fan of NFL football I'm more of a college football fan (War Eagle!), but I can always appreciate a gathering that involves food and drink!

This is my most popular dish to date!  Ham and cheese sliders.  They are yummy and easy to eat.  Everyone loves them.

Click here for recipe.

 

This is a super easy cheese plate I made into the shape of a football!  Just place your cheese and crackers around the edge working your way to the center.  Then layer pepperoni in the middle.  Top it off with string cheese to make the laces.

 

This recipe was really popular when I posted it years ago!

 Football Deviled Eggs

 

And for a sweet treat what about these cute football brownies from The Simple Parent?

 

To wash all this down, I'd suggest a Moscow Mule.  They are my current favorite cocktail.  To the standard recipe I added fresh cranberries and a splash of cranberry juice.

Recipe from Exclusively Weddings Blog

 

For more ideas check out my Pinterest board-Football Fare!

 

XOXO,

Jo

 

 

White Christmas Sangria

I love sangria!  White or red.  It's the perfect cocktail for a crowd.  It involves WINE, fruit and other goodies and looks beautiful!  What's not to love?

This is a recipe for a White Christmas Sangria.  It is stunning and tastes great too.  I love the addition of the rosemary. 

White Christmas Sangria

1 Granny smith apple

1 Braeburn apple

1 cup of fresh cranberries

1 large sprig of rosemary

1 bottle of Pinot Grigio

1/2 cup white grape juice

1/4 sugar

1 can club soda

In a large pitcher combine all of your ingredients.  Mix well and refrigerate at least an hour. 

 

Cheers!

Jo

 

Recipe from Jerry James Stone via Pinterest

 

Shimmering Dessert

There will be a lot of champagne flowing over the next few days!  Whether you are toasting on New Year's Eve or sipping Mimosas at your New Year's Day brunch, it's always fun to serve and drink.  

Here is a tasty twist on the traditional Mimosa. 

Mimosa Granita

Yield: 8 cups (serving size: 1/2 cup)

Ingredients

• 1  cup  sugar
• 1  cup  water
• 3  cups  fresh orange juice (about 10 oranges)
• 2  cups  Champagne or sparkling wine
• 2  tablespoons  fresh lime juice
• Lime wedges (optional)

Preparation

Combine sugar and water in a large saucepan, and bring to a boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Remove from heat, and cool completely. Add orange juice, Champagne, and lime juice; pour into an 11 x 7-inch baking dish. Cover and freeze for 8 hours or until firm. Remove mixture from freezer; let stand 10 minutes. Scrape the entire mixture with a fork until fluffy, and garnish with lime wedges, if desired.

I hope everyone has a fabulous New Year's!  Welcome 2010!  

I am taking a short break for vacation but will be back very soon!  See ya next year!

(photo and recipe from myrecipes.com)
 

Christmas Party

This weekend we had our Christmas Potluck Party.  I kept decorations simple and went with a red and aqua snowflake theme and it looked great!  The colors were fun and really popped against each other.  I ended up using one of my manzanita branch centerpieces.  They are just so versatile, I couldn't resist.  Hope you enjoy the pics!

Dining Table/Centerpiece

Plates from Hostess Jo

Red and aqua snowflake napkin rings from Print Your Party.  These were a big hit.

Red glitter snowflake ornaments.

Peppermints made the perfect filler for the base.

Drink Station
 

Pretty AND tasty Champagne Punch-get the recipe here.

Check out more photos on our Facebook page.  

Hope this inspires you to try different color combos for the holidays!  These colors would also be great for New Year's and winter themed parties.
 

Candy Cane Cocktail

There are several recipes for Peppermint Martinis BUT have you ever seen one with strawberry vodka??  Surprise your guests this holiday season with this twist on the original.

Candy Cane Cocktail

Ingredients

Makes one cocktail

• 1 candy cane, crushed, for garnish
• 2 ounces strawberry vodka
• 4 dashes white creme de menthe
• 2 1/2 ounces cranberry juice
• Ice cubes

Directions

1. Place crushed candy canes on a small plate or saucer. Wet the outside rim of a chilled martini glass with water. Holding the glass by the stem, rotate the rim to coat with candy.
2. In a cocktail shaker, combine vodka, creme de menthe, cranberry juice, and ice; shake until well combined. Strain into prepared glass; serve immediately.

(photo and recipe from martha)

 

Holiday Punch

If you are entertaining anytime over the holidays here is a great punch to serve your guests.  I like serving punches or sangria versus having a bar because you can serve a crowd without spending a fortune on several different kinds of alcohol, mixes, etc.  With its frozen cranberries, oranges and champagne this one is sure to please everyone.

AJ's Christmas Punch

Serves 10

Ice (in block form if possible, if not, large chunks)
4 oz. Cointreau
4 oz. brandy
2 oranges, cut into wedges
1 cup frozen cranberries (optional)
2 bottles chilled champagne

1. Add ice to a large punch bowl. If using chunks (as opposed to a large block of ice), fill the bowl just under half way.
2. Add Cointreau and brandy. Using a ladle or long spoon, stir briefly.
3. Add orange slices and cranberries (if using) and then pour in the champagne.
4. Stir 12 times and let sit for a minute, so the ingredients can get acquainted.

(photo and recipe from fineliving.com)
 

Cranberry Craze

Well my previous post got me searching for cranberry recipes.  There are a ton of cranberry sauce and cranberry muffin recipes out there... but how many of you have ever used cranberries in your appetizers?  Here a couple of yummy ones I've found so far...and of course the cocktails to go with them!

(click titles for recipes)

Cranberry Salsa

Cranberry Apple Spritzer

Cranberry Turkey Crostinis

Sparkling Cranberry Blush

Cranberry Feta Pinwheels

Crantini

 
  

Friday's Fall Cocktail

Try a Falling Leaf Fiz at this fall's gatherings.  It's so pretty and sounds so tasty!  Sure to impress your guests.

Falling Leaf Fiz

 

Ingredients per cocktail:

1 part Grey Goose La Poire (pear-
flavored vodka)

1 heaping teaspoon pumpkin
butter

Pinch of pumpkin pie spice

Dash of simple syrup

4 parts of sparkling wine

Garnish: dried apple chip

Prep

Place vodka, pumpkin butter, spice and syrup in the bottom of a Champagne glass. Stir well.
1. Top with sparkling wine and garnish

Spiced Pomegranate Sipper

There is nothing like a hot beverage in cool weather to give you that warm and fuzzy feeling.  Many new recipes are popping up for them I would like to try.  This one sounds especially good to me.  How could you go wrong with pomegranate and pineapple juice?!  BONUS:  the cinnamon and cloves simmering on your stove will make your house smell divine, naturally.  Simmer right before your guests arrive to fragrance your home.

Spiced Pomegranate Sipper

Prep: 10 min., Cook: 18 min.

Makes about 8 cups

Ingredients

• 1  (2 1/2-inch-long) cinnamon stick
• 5  whole cloves
• 5  thin fresh ginger slices
• 2  (16-oz.) bottles refrigerated 100% pomegranate juice
• 4  cups  white grape juice
• 1/2  cup  pineapple juice
• Garnishes: pineapple chunks, orange rind curls

Preparation

1. Cook cinnamon stick, cloves, and ginger in a Dutch oven over medium heat, stirring constantly, 2 to 3 minutes or until cinnamon is fragrant.

2. Gradually stir in juices. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat; reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 15 minutes. Pour mixture through a wire-mesh strainer into a heat-proof pitcher; discard solids. Serve warm. Garnish, if desired.

Note: For testing purposes only, we used POM Wonderful 100% Pomegranate Juice and Welch's 100% White Grape Juice.

Tipsy Hot Spiced Pomegranate Sipper: Prepare recipe as directed. Stir in 1 1/4 cups almond liqueur just before serving. Makes 9 1/4 cups.

(image and recipe frommyrecipes.com)