{late night snack tray with starbucks}

For the second post in my series in partnership with Starbucks® flavored K-Cup® Packs, I thought it would be fun to think about times other than the morning to serve coffee (see the first post in the series here).  I love to pull inspiration for dinner parties and entertaining in our home from wedding blogs (especially my two faves: 100 Layer Cake & Grey Likes Weddings).  One thing that I have seen become a staple at weddings is the idea of late night snacks that reinvigorate guests for an evening of dancing well after the dinner plates have been cleared (we even did late night milk and cookies at our wedding!).  I decided to try that idea on a smaller scale with a late night snack tray accompanied by a little caffeine jolt from fresh cups of coffee.

After guests have arrived, enjoyed your meticulously arranged appetizers, served themselves a few cocktails and settled in for a night of lively conversation there will ultimately come a lull in the evening.  How fun would it be to reinvigorate your get-together by presenting your friends with this fun snack at your next cocktail party?  The key is to pick small bite foods that won't have you prepping in the kitchen for hours.  I chose to pick some easy frozen treats like mini tacos and churros- not necessarily items I would normally present guests, but later in the evening they are the exact comfort foods that people love!

I always opt in for a late night cup of coffee to end a long dinner so I figured serving the dessert inspired Starbucks® Cinnamon Dolce K-Cup® Packs as a little evening kick would be the perfect accompaniment to the snack tray!  The best part of a Keurig machine is the ease of use- so rather than having to ask each of your guests whether they want coffee and how they prefer to take it you can easily set up your machine in an accessible place alongside a selection of mugs and coffee toppings so that guests can serve themselves.  We actually did this for a big group brunch a while back and it worked perfectly to have people serve themselves.  This time around I placed this Keurig on our outdoor bar cart along with sugar, cream, a selection of K-Cups and glass mugs!

 {tossing the freshly baked fries with a little garlic and truffle salt to give them a special touch}

{a handful of freshly baked fries served with ketchup and chipotle aioli in these mini cups} 

I'd love to hear about your favorite tricks for fall entertaining!! Share in the comments what you like to do to delight your guests at fall get-togethers.

The rich aromas and sweet flavors you love from Starbucks®, now brewing at home. Introducing two new K-Cup® flavors for fall, inspired by our café favorites.

LEGAL: Developed in partnership with Starbucks Coffee Company and their new Starbucks® K-

Cup® packs. K-Cup® packs for use in Keurig® K-Cup® brewing systems. Keurig, the Cup and Star Design, Keurig Brewed, K-Cup and the Keurig brewer trade dress are trademarks of Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Inc., used with permission.

Disclosure: Compensation was provided by Starbucks Coffee Company, via Mode Media. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of Starbucks Coffee Company.

{mini appetizer trio}

While shopping for some decor items for our Moroccan themed dinner party, I came across this mini tasting set for only $20 and my mini food loving heart basically stopped.  So obviously I brought that immediately and started brainstorming exactly what dishes to make for it.  Initially I thought it might be perfect used to serve a trio of desserts at the end of the meal, but it's such a fun piece I decided it would be better to greet guests with it (because who knows what anyone is going to remember once we are three bottles of wine in at the end of the dinner so it's better to lead with fun stuff!).

For the tasting spoon piece I created a rosewater cucumber gimlet jello-shot (based on the success of this recipe).  For the mini square bowl, I placed a handful of spiced cashews from Trader Joe's in the interest of saving time - I had considered the idea of a mini salad in that vessel, but I figured my time was better spent on the main dinner entrees.  For the small glass, we whipped up a big batch of spicy tomato gazpacho which turned out to be my favorite dish of the entire evening!  Our guests were absolutely delighted with this fun sampler set up for the appetizers and I am definitely planning to use this set again for future dinner parties utilizing any number of the dishes from this inspiration board. I can't wait to share the rest of the decor, recipes and photos from this entire dinner party soon!

Scroll to the bottom of the post for links and tips on these recipes:

{garnishing the jello shots with a sprinkling of sugar}

Rosewater Gimlet Jello Shot:

3/4 cup gin
1/3 cup lime juice
1/3 cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons of rosewater
3/4 cup water
2 packets of Knox gelatin
ice cube mold

Lightly spray silicone mold with cooking spray making sure to wipe down any areas where excess oil collects.  Mix together gin, lime juice, sugar & rosewater in a bowl and set aside.  In a small saucepan, heat water to just before boiling then remove from heat.  Add knox gelatin to heated water until fully combined then immediately add to gin mixture and stir until well incorporated.  Immediately add jello mixture to desired mold or you can use a small pan and cut out whatever shape you want once the mixture is set.  Place in fridge for 2 hours or overnight.  To remove from silicone molds, it helps to run a small knife along edges of mold or run warm water along the back of the mold.  Shots will hold at room temperature for about 2 hours before they start to melt a bit so it is best to serve immediately.


Thai Lime & Chili Cashews from Trader Joe's


Tomato Gazpacho:  We used this recipe from Cooks Illustrated, but be warned that it is a very involved recipe and if I were to do it again I would omit the "finely chopped" portion of the recipe which is intended to be added to the blended gazpacho at the end of the recipe.  I would avoid this part of the recipe partly because it's time consuming, but also because I prefer a smooth gazpacho and this step makes it more of a chunky salad texture.

{appetizer essentials}

No dinner party is complete without a great spread of appetizers to get everything going (and cocktails- let's never forget those.)  While I love to try out interesting dishes and greet guests with something truly special (like this or this), many times I would rather spend the time focusing on helping Chris cook or getting our place "party-ready".  In those cases I rely on a tried and true spread of appetizers including a mixture of unique flavored nuts (Trader Joe's has an extensive selection), gourmet olives, a few different cheeses and crackers or bread.  I also love to add a few interesting spreads like the seasonal fig butter from Trader Joe's and artisanal honey alongside the cheese to give guests the option of getting creative with their cheese assembly!  If we are having a bigger group of guests or I anticipate the meal needing more prep time after guests arrive I will add in a tray of charcuterie to make the spread a little more full/filling.

As I have mentioned before, I try to only buy white dinnerware and clear glassware, but with serving pieces I'm willing to branch out a little bit.  One of my favorite materials for appetizer pieces is acacia wood- it has a deep rich color to it and based on my experience it holds up really well to heavy use as well as a variety of foods.  I already have a couple acacia pieces like the paddle ones pictured above from our wedding registry and this vintage one from a recent Palm Springs trip.

Target just released a line up of acacia and other wood serving pieces right in time for the holiday season so I scooped up this olive tray and this bread bowl.  Both pieces are pretty singular in their uses.  Chris would call them "uni-taskers" and he usually won't allow them in our house- I have been unsuccessfully trying to bring this avocado slicer into our lives for years among other silly kitchen gadgets.  Regardless of their singular nature, theese new acacia pieces are something we have desperately needed for our entertaining line-up- especially the bread tray because up until now I have been using random salad bowls to serve sliced bread in!

Disclosure: Compensation was provided by Target via Glam Media. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of  the opinions or positions of Target.

{entertaining tips for a girls night in with Sauza Tequila}

Remember that little sneak peek I gave last week of my trip to New York to shoot a fun video with four other fabulous bloggers?  Well I'm back today to show the final video the team at Glam & Sauza put together starring Hallie, Ali, Mel, Devon & yours truly.  The video is inspired by a fun girls night in showcasing the new ready to serve Sparkling Margaritas by Sauza (a classic cocktail made into a sparkling version?!? count. me. in!)  Plus read on past the video as I share some of my favorite tips on entertaining for a girls night in!!

I just love watching that video! We had so much fun making it that I wish I could go to that fabulous beach house every weekend.  I wish I could say the five of us single-handedly made all the dishes and decor, but while we were laughing (and drinking) there was a huge team behind us making everything look gorgeous (including some very talented food stylists!).  While you might not have a glam team behind you next girls night, you can still put together a beautiful evening with some of my tips for a quick, easy, and girly entertaining set up....

{I like to scoop up cute wrapping paper whenever I come across it (most of these are from Home Goods!)- its great to have on hand for last minute gifts, but it can also double as a fun tablecloth or runner! I store all my gift wrap in this vase from Target}

{the same goes for dinner/cocktail napkins- whenever I see a fun design, I make sure to buy it. I can always find something fabulous at Home Goods or Ikea}

{Although I love to whip some mini appetizers (usually inspired by this pinterest board), I also make sure to keep our freezer stocked with tasty and quick frozen apps.  While fresh dishes are always preferred, if you keep a good selection of bites in your freezer you will always be ready for impromptu guests or a great spread of food when you are short on time!}

{One of my go-to simple desserts are these cheesecake bites (seen previously here), using a regular frozen cheesecake, a few raspberries & fun appetizer picks this dessert looks like it took all day to assemble when really it takes only a couple minutes.  The instructions on the frozen cheesecake will probably tell you to let it thaw in the fridge for a couple hours, but I prefer to let it thaw at room temperature for about 30 minutes then cut it into the bite sized cubes while it is still slightly frozen as it makes it easier to cut.  After you have the cubes, simply let them thaw at room temperature for about another hour then pop a raspberry one top of each one secured with a wood appetizer pick}

{Who doesn't love pita chips and tasty hummus?!?! I like to fancy this classic snack spread up a bit, by placing the pita chips in a vintage pedestal bowl and transferring the hummus from its store bought container into a simple rectangular bowl}

{the best part about the Sauza Sparkling Maragritas is that they are all ready to go out of the bottle! No prep or mixing needed, but that doesnt mean you can jazz them up just a bit more with fresh garnishes like mint sprigs or lime/lemon wedges!}

{I love to display fresh garnishes in vintage cocktails coupes (like at this party) and allow guests to serve themselves as they desire}

{peach mango garnished with fresh lemons, wild berry with raspberries & original margarita with mint and a lime wheel}

{this simple spread does takes some planning ahead of time, but you can have almost all these ingredients on hand in your fridge or freezer so that your next girls night in takes minimal prep time on your part- which leaves you with more time to pick out a fun outfit and spend time with your friends!}

Sauza® Sparkling Margarita is our brand new, ready-to-serve sparkling margarita. It's available

in three delicious flavors: Original Lime, Mango Peach and Wild Berry. Now you can add a little 

more sparkle to your ladies' night. Connect and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest.

Disclosure: Compensation was provided by Sauza® via Glam Media.  The opinions expressed 

herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of Sauza®.

{easy appetizer: mini toasts with boursin, tomato & mango}

I had never eaten Boursin cheese until I happened across the recipe I used to make these cucumber bites for our last birthday party, but ever since then I have been hooked.  I love to keep cheese and crackers on hand in our fridge/pantry for unexpected guests and Boursin is particularly perfect for this since it keeps for so long.  This appetizer has only four ingredients that require so little prepartion you could whip up this recipe at a moment's notice and delight your guests who will think it took you considerably longer.  The mixture of mango and tomato topping make the whole thing feel decidedly fresh and summery. Recipe at the bottom of this post!

what you need:

• one pack of garlic & fine herb Boursin cheese
• one tomato
• one fresh mango or one can of sliced mangos*
• one pack of mini toasts or cracker of choice
• a few tablespoons of cream, half & half or whole milk

*I used canned mango because it tastes the same and I am lazy. I guess if you really want to put zero effort into this you could also used canned diced tomatoes! :)

1. Mix Boursin with a few tablespoons of cream until you get a consistency that allows you to "pipe" the cheese.
2. Place Boursin into a piping bag with simple round attachment.  If you dont have a piping bag, simply place the cheese mixture into a large ziploc bag and cut a tiny whole in the corner!
3. Chop mango and tomato slices into small quarter inch sized squares. Toss together in a bowl and set aside. 
4. Pipe Boursin directly onto the border of each mini toast- essentially creating a cage for the tomato/mango topping to sit inside. 
5. Place a small spoonful of tomato/mango topping onto each toast. 
6. Lightly salt & pepper if desired. Then serve immediately! 

{cacio e pepe two ways}

Even though Chris is half Italian and we have traveled throughout Italy, I had never had cacio e pepe up until very recently.  It's one of those minimal ingredient dishes that seems ridiculously simple to prepare, but in actuality takes acute precision to get it just right.  We were lucky enough to have an expertly prepared cacio e pepe at Mercato di Vetro in Los Angles on our last trip back which happened to my first time having the dish.  It inspired us to try our hand at preparing it on our own and I think we nailed it following this recipe.

Now that I know about cacio e pepe and have experienced it, I keep seeing the dish popping up everywhere.  I recently came across a version with burrata, butternut squash and kale right here.  Now let's get one thing straight- when you start adding things to cacio e pepe then it's not really cacio e pepe anymore, but I'll overlook technicalities like that when we are talking about adding three ingredients that rest safely in my list of favorite ingredients.  I loved how this dish had the same base flavor and kick from the original cacio e pepe part of the recipe, but brought in a little seasonal heartiness from the squash and kale.  It would be fun to serve both dishes at your next dinner party and let your guests compare for themselves!

{we sprinkled some of the toasted butternut squash sides on top for an added crunch}