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Archive for the ‘Entertaining at Home’ Category

Summer Entertaining Essentials

Posted in Entertaining at Home, Entertaining Ideas, Holidays, tagged , , , on May 24, 2012| Leave a Comment »

Here are some tips for Summer Essentials to make your warm weather gatherings simple and easy!

She Who Needs to Plan a Party

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Memorial Day Party Tips

Posted in Entertaining at Home, Entertaining Ideas, Holidays, tagged , , , , on May 22, 2012| Leave a Comment »

Here we are heading into the Memorial Day weekend. How did that happen? Wasn’t it just Easter?

For those of you planning a barbecue or party this weekend, here are my top ten condiment rules.

If you are looking for other picnic, barbecue and summer party or entertaining tips, download a free copy of my Savvy Summer Entertaining guide.

You’ll find a bunch of fun ideas, useful tips and recipes!

Whatever you decide to do this weekend, be safe and have fun!

She Who Needs to Plan a Barbecue

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Salted Caramel Shortbread Bars

Posted in Cookies, Desserts, Entertaining at Home, Recipes, tagged , , , on May 18, 2012| 2 Comments »

I love shortbread. I love caramel. I’m even learning to appreciated salt on my caramel. So why not combine the three?

This is a quick and simple recipe that will earn you many rave reviews!

Ingredients for Shortbread. Cream butter and eggs, stir in flour and vanilla.

Press dough into an 8×8 baking pan and bake until set.

Ingredients for caramel filling. Mix in a heavy saucepan and follow directions below because I realized after I started making this that my sweetened condenses milk expired a year ago and being the paranoid-freakazoid I am, I just couldn’t make myself use it even though it looked fine. In a panic, I used caramel sauce from a jar, which I would not recommend if you want these to look pretty.

Chill the bars until caramel is set then sprinkle with sea salt. You can also drizzle with chocolate if you desire (which I always do).

Salted Caramel Shortbread Bars

For the Shortbread

1 cup flour

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 stick of butter

1 tsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cream together sugar and butter. Stir in flour and vanilla. Press into a greased (spray with Pam) 8×8 baking pan. Bake until shortbread is set but not brown (about 10-13 minutes). Remove from oven and let cool slightly before pouring on caramel layer.

For the caramel layer

1  sticks  butter, cut into pieces

1/2 cup sugar

2 tbsp. light corn syrup

1 (14 oz.) cans sweetened condensed milk

To make the caramel layer, combine the butter, sugar, corn syrup and condensed milk in a medium saucepan over medium heat.  Heat, stirring occasionally, until the butter is melted.  Increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat to maintain a simmer, stirring constantly.  Continue simmering and stirring until the mixture turns an amber color and thickens slightly.  Pour the mixture over the shortbread layer, smooth the top, and allow to cool completely and set.  Make sure you use a heavy-duty saucepan or you’ll have burnt bits in your caramel.

When cool (I stuck mine in the fridge to hurry things along) sprinkle with sea salt. Cut into squares and enjoy!

She Who Needs to Stock up on Sweetened Condensed Milk

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Tulips and Raindrops

Posted in Captain Cavedweller, Entertaining at Home, Flowers, tagged , , , , on May 9, 2012| 2 Comments »

The other evening we had a rain storm that blew past fairly quickly. The sun came out afterword and the sky turned to a lovely shade of blue.

In fact, all the colors in our little corner of outdoor world seemed oddly, and beautifully intensified.

It is usually in moments like these that I forget that I

1. own a camera

2. can make it function

Running into the house, I grabbed the camera and snapped a few shots of my favorite tulips. These gorgeous blooms came from bulbs dragged across the country a hundred years ago by Captain Cavedweller’s great-grandmother.

 

She Who Loves These Tulips

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