{unwinding at home with Starbucks + some deck updates}

I'm back with the final post in my series in partnership with Starbucks® flavored K-Cup® packs (see post one here and post two here) and today we're talking about the way that I like to unwind at home. By far my favorite place to unwind is out on our rooftop deck that is attached to our loft- you can see the before and after pictures of it in this post. We really poured our hearts into this one to make it a space we would be able to spend a great deal of time on whether it's a dinner party, morning breakfast or a lazy Sunday laying out. Since I work from home right now, I love to unwind in the afternoon with a little caffeine jolt to get through the rest of the day. Sometimes it just takes a little 15-minute break where I escape out on to the deck to enjoy a cup of coffee and distract myself with a little Pinterest or online shopping to become reenergized to finish out the day.

When I first starting drinking coffee back in high school, I used to order a mocha latte since coffee still tasted pretty bitter to me, so I needed lots of things like chocolate and steamed milk to distract me from the taste. While I certainly can't drink it black now, I have definitely graduated away from the more dessert like lattes and take my coffee with just a splash of cream. I was excited to try out the Starbucks® Mocha K-Cup® Packs for a little bit of a throwback to my original coffee flavor preference and was surprised to find the flavor quite enjoyable without overpowering the coffee.


Here's a few photos of some of the updates we've made over the past couple weeks out on our deck:

{we switched up the layout a bit since I first showed you the deck- moving the shuffle board to the center and the dining table off to the side}

 {I originally had a garden stool in between these chaises, but the top of it wasnt exactly level which made it obnoxious to try to rest drinks on.  I picked up this black metal table on clearance at Target recently along with the white hurricane from Home Goods}

{our next door neighbors moved out back in September and gifted us these three amazing (and huge) white planters which are now lined up against the back wall of the deck.  I planted ficus hedges in two of the planters for some added privacy and used the third planter for a orange tree, rosemary bush, lavender and a iceberg rose bush}

 {our lemon tree is alllmooost ripe!!}

I'd love to hear how you like to unwind at home?

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.

{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.

{dinner party prep & clean up tips}

Entertaining friends in our home is one of my greatest joys in life- there is really nothing more special you can do than invite people in your home for an evening and show them a good time.  While I do love to throw a big party (like this or this), I prefer the more intimate setting of a small dinner party with a fun mix of friends.  After our guests leave for the evening, Chris and I always find ourselves discussing the details of the evening to figure out how to make it even better for next time and I'd like to think after all this time we have figured at least a few things out!  

Today's post is all about my tips for the best dinner party prep and clean-up - brought to you by Electrolux's fancy new dishwasher (Electrolux Stainless Steel Dishwasher with IQ-Touch™ Controls (EI24ID50QS).  The food and conversation of a dinner is the highlight of the evening, but it will never be successful without a little forethought and careful preparation.  While most people don't like to think about the clean-up of a party, it's equally as important as prep because it resets your home to its normal setting and doesn't leave you regretting hosting the party when you wake up to a mess the next morning.  Check out this little dinner party set up on our new roof deck from the other night and then read on for my tips on prep + clean up! 

PREP

1. Cook the night before:  We always try to to pick a menu that will allow us to do almost all the cooking the night before a party so that we aren't spending all day in the kitchen.  This is also helpful for weeknight dinner parties where you might only have an hour after work to get everything ready before your guests arrive. You can check out a great menu for a prep-ahead dinner right here!

2. Make a Playlist:  Music is so important to the vibe of a party.  Have you ever been in a restaurant where they forgot to turn on the music?!? It's absolutely horrible.  Music fills in the gaps in conversation and generally helps people relax.  I like to use spotify to make playlists and you can check out the one I made for our Moroccan inspired dinner party right here.

3.  Assign Seats:  Some people have negative associations with assigned seats - probably reminds them of their stuffy grandmother's house on Christmas Eve.  I prefer to assign seats - it elevates the feel of the evening and it helps you control the conversation.  I love a dinner party that has a good mix of people who might not necessarily know each other well which makes it even more important to place people strategically around the table who will have common interests.

4.  Buy Consistently:  While I love to get distracted by the colorful vintage inspired dishes at Anthropologie, I try to only buy dishes in white, glasses in clear glass and decor accents in gold.  This makes it incredibly easy to put together a tablescape that looks polished (like the one pictured above) since everything I own can be used together.  You can always bring in holiday colors or party themes using a fun tablecloth/napkins or interesting paper goods!

5.  Review the steps for set-up:  I always make fun of Chris because before we have a dinner party he sits down and makes a list of all the things we need to do and at what time such as pre-heating the oven, assembling appetizers, etc.  It's always written in chicken-scratch and taped up on the cupboard.  Sounds like a pretty simple tip, but it really helps us make sure we dont forget anything so we arent scrambling to add the cheese to appetizers we prepped the night before as guests are walking the door!

CLEAN UP

1.  No Cleaning with Guests:  I absolutely will not allow guests to help clean and I have a personal rule in our house that we don't clean anything while guests are still there.  Your guests are there to spend time with you and relax- no one is making lifelong memories while loading the dishwasher.  Also nothing signals the evening is over like clearing a table and disappearing to the kitchen- you never know what hilarious things will happen if you allow everyone to linger leisurely over the after dinner drinks!

2.  Don't Put It Off Til Tomorrow:  There is nothing worse than waking up to a mess.  As much as I want to go straight to bed after guests leave- we force ourselves to clean up that evening.  The Electrolux dishwasher helps tremendously with this as it cleans in only 30 minutes so you could even be extra productive and put away all the clean dishes before going to bed, but if you do fall straight to sleep after cleaning you won't hear a peep out of the dishwasher is cleans silently (which is HUGE as our current dishwasher sounds like a garbage truck).

3. Make It Fun:  Chris and I love to set a timer on our phone to challenge ourselves to see how much cleaning we can get done in a short amount of time.  It makes cleaning up feel like a game and sometimes that's the little distraction you need to make it pleasant.

4.  Use Nice Cleaning Products: I'm obsessed with glamorous cleaning product brands like Caldrea & Murchinson Hume.  It may seem ridiculous to spend a bit more on cleaning products, but the luxurious scents make the whole process significantly better.  Lately I have been using this Rosewater Driftwood scent.

see more details on Electrolux Appliance's homepage right here. 

The new Electrolux dishwasher provides a professional level clean with its 30-minute wash and dry cycle. As the highest rated dishwasher on Reviewed.com (http://dishwashers.reviewed.com/content/electrolux-ei24id50qs-dishwasher-review ), it also features SatelliteSpray Arm technology which provides 400% more water coverage than a traditional dishwasher. Visit ElectroluxAppliances.com for more information on this and other stylish and functional options available from Electrolux.

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

{trio of gourmet s'mores}

S'mores just might be one of my favorite throwback desserts from childhood, but they so rarely make an appearance now outside of camping trips (which are not a part of my life) and bonfires (which I wish were a bigger part of my life).   For the last post in my series with Pinnacle Vodka I got to watch a series of fun cocktail videos they recently created and their recipe using Whipped Cream flavored vodka to make a S'mores cocktail got me inspired to try out some alternative s'mores combos this past weekend (you can check out the fun video at the bottom of the post!).  I'm not a huge chocolate person so I decided to try making three different s'mores combos all without chocolate.   The whole set up of ingredients laid out in our kitchen before we started assembling the s'mores reminded me of the fun idea of creating a "s'mores bar" for a party like this one- you could even add a couple dessert cocktail options alongside the s'mores toppings using Pinnacle's flavored vodkas!

 {how fun would this tray be to bring out after a summer dinner}

{to make it easier to assemble/devour- I crumbled the pretzels in a ziploc bag before
adding them to the toppings tray} 

 {this was by far my favorite flavor combo- I even added a tiny sprinkle of finely ground black pepper to add a bit of kick. in the humble brag department I'll inform you that I grew that basil myself - it's really all about the small wins in life ya know?}

 {this simple combo was inspired by my all-time favorite street crepe flavor that I would find myself purchasing on our late nights in Paris- I would recommend not cutting the bananas like this, but rather cutting the banana on the bias to create longer pieces so they dont slip out of the s'mores set up - you can learn from my mistakes}

Check out this fun video that inspired this post with a S'mores cocktail recipe using Pinnacle's Whipped flavored vodka:

Pinnacle Vodka shakes things up with unexpected experiences and delightful discoveries. Explore with other fun flavors at http://www.pinnaclevodka.com.  Also, check us out at www.facebook.com/pinnaclevodkas and https://twitter.com/PinnacleVodka or find more fun entertaining and drink ideas on our Pinterest page at http://www.pinterest.com/pinnaclevodka/.

Pinnacle® is a registered trademark of Jim Beam Brands Co. and is used with permission.  This is a sponsored partnership, with Pinnacle® Vodka, via Mode Media.  The information, comments, and ideas expressed on this website are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions or positions of Jim Beam Brands Co., its affiliated companies, or any of their directors or employees.

{friday cocktail: green bloody mary}

For a long time I was strictly a mimosa drinker for brunch situations, but in the past couple years I have become a full blown bloody mary convert.  In partnership with Pinnacle Vodka, I'm bringing you a fabulous way to enjoy your bloody mary at brunch this weekend in the form of a green bloody mary.  Using lots of fresh green veggies like tomatillos, peppers  and cucumber, I mixed up a green bloody mary base that is almost healthy enough that you might forget it's actually a cocktail.   In fact you could probably add some kale to this recipe and consider it your green juice for the day!

Despite how much healthy veggie ingredients are here, this mix is delightfully flavorful and a nice change from the normal red tomato bloody- sometimes you just gotta switch it up.  You can see my classic bloody mary recipe right here and a unique korean inspired version here.   Scroll down for both the green bloody mary base recipe and the cocktail recipe- as always make sure to get your garnish on!

Green Bloody Mary Base:

what you need:

• 1 cucumber 
• 6 tomatillos
• 1/2 cup parsley
• 4 stalks of celery
• juice of 2 limes
• 1 Roasted and skinned pasilla pepper*
• 1 roasted and skinned green bell pepper*
• salt, pepper, and cayenne to taste

*the roasted part of these peppers makes them taste super yummy, but roasting them is a totally optional step. we just got excited about getting out in the sunshine and grilling stuff. ya know? 

1. Peel skin off roasted peppers and chop.  Peel, de-seed and chop cucumber.  Roughly chop parsley and tomatillos (leave skin on).  Juice limes.
2. Puree all chopped ingredients in a food processor or blender until well combined.  
3. Strain entire mixture into serving container.
4. Add salt, pepper and cayenne to taste.
5. Mixture should keep in the fridge for a few days, but I wouldn't push it too far!

Cheers!

Pinnacle Vodka shakes things up with unexpected experiences and delightful discoveries. Explore with other fun flavors at http://www.pinnaclevodka.com.  Also, check us out at www.facebook.com/pinnaclevodkas and https://twitter.com/PinnacleVodka or find more fun entertaining and drink ideas on our Pinterest page at http://www.pinterest.com/pinnaclevodka/.

Pinnacle® is a registered trademark of Jim Beam Brands Co. and is used with permission.  This is a sponsored partnership, with Pinnacle® Vodka, via Mode Media.  The information, comments, and ideas expressed on this website are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions or positions of Jim Beam Brands Co., its affiliated companies, or any of their directors or employees.

{tailgating snacks: mini corndogs 3 ways}

While living in Chicago,  I found myself watching a lot more football than I previously had in my life between Northwestern's team, the Bears and rooting on the Georgia Dogs or USC Trojans alongside friends.  I would say that now I am about 10% more interested in football than I was previously which is a solid jump for me.  But I'm 100% more interested in the act of tailgating (something previously foreign to me as I went to a college with a forgettable football situation).  More specifically- the elevated version of tailgating (like this amazing tailgate).   You might remember a post on here for mini corndogs with fancy ketchup pairings.  That post has actually been seeing a lot of action lately - maybe because football season is beginning or maybe it's getting bounced around on pinterest... who knows.   I thought it would be fun to do a little update to that post adding in some more interesting flavor options for the mini corndogs.  I tried out jalapeno, onion/chive and maple versions- all of which are soooo good that Chris and I probably ate 6 each (not sorry.).  Scroll down for the recipes and happy tailgating season!

 {fyi- thats the "real talk" photo of the kitchen. I didn't move things out of the way so it looked pretty. my cell phone is within arm's reach. all thats missing here is a glass of red wine or a stiff drink, but I made these in the early afternoon so you know how it goes...}

Mini Corndog Flavor Trio

what you need (makes 24 mini corndogs) :

• corn bread mix (I used Trader Joe's version) and ingredients listed on box for mix which for me was vegetable oil, 1 egg & whole milk
• 2 jalapenos
• 1 bunch fresh chives
• 1 white onion
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1 pack of Hebrew National Beef Franks
• mini cupcake pan
• cooking spray 

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Mix corn bread according to box instructions. Then divide the mixture evenly among three small bowls.
3. Finely chop jalapeno.  Dice one half of a white onion. Fine chop chives.
4. Carmelize onions on stovetop until golden brown (about 10 minutes over medium heat).  Set aside and allow to cool.
5. Mix in 1/3 cup of the jalapeno into one bowl of cornbread mix.  Mix in cooled onions and 1/4 cup cut chives in the second bowl of cornbread mix.  Mix in 2 tablespoons of maple syrup into last bowl of cornbread mix.
6. Cut hot dogs into 1-inch long pieces- usually about 4 pieces per hot dog.
7. Spray mini cupcake pan with cooking spray.
8. Place about 3/4 tablespoon of cornbread mix in each cupcake basin. 
9. Place one hot dog piece in the middle of each "muffin."
10. Bake corndogs for about 12 minutes or until edges just start to get golden brown. 
11. Allow to cool before removing from cupcake pan. 
12. Enjoy!

You can also check out a fun video I did with Hebrew National all about elevating your tailgate right here. 

With grilling season upon us, everyone is craving an all-American hot dog. What makes a kosher hot dog different? It's all about what makes the cut (and what doesn't). Hebrew National is choosy about what goes into their franks – only 100% pure kosher beef so you know what you’re getting and they taste great. No artificial flavors, colors, fillers or byproducts.

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

{gourmet flavored ketchup line up with Hebrew National}

While I love an interesting gourmet hot dog recipe like the Banh Mi inspired one I shared with you a few weeks ago, I also appreciate the simple classic grilled Hebrew National hot dog with just a drizzle of ketchup.   Inspired by the DIY hot dog bar in my last post with Hebrew National, I decided to try experimenting with a line up of flavored ketchups.   Using this adorable squeeze bottle set from Oh Joy's line for Target I decided to come up with four flavor combos using Hunt's ketchup.  The prep time on this is incredibly quick - it only took me about 15 minutes to whip up all of these.  I think my favorite one is the spicy chipotle combo, but I also was pleasantly surprised at the interesting tangy taste the balsamic combo added.

How fun would it be to show up at your next summer bbq toting this arsenal of gourmet condiments?!? Scroll down for the proportions for each flavor.

For each of the below combinations, simply mix together both ingredients in a bowl and add to a squeeze bottle or condiment serving dish.  I actually added both ingredients directly to the squeeze bottles and shook them up to combine to save the amount of dirty dishes I was creating.

With grilling season upon us, everyone is craving an all-American hot dog. What makes a kosher hot dog different? It's all about what makes the cut (and what doesn't). Hebrew National is choosy about what goes into their franks – only 100% pure kosher beef so you know what you’re getting and they taste great. No artificial flavors, colors, fillers or byproducts.

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