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Summer Party Theme Ideas

June 15, 2010 by Shanna Hatfield

If you are planning to do some entertaining this summer, why not incorporate a fun summer party theme?

It creates a whole new level of excitement for your guests and makes the entertaining process much easier on you. When you choose a theme it narrows down the work and thought you have to put into your party because it creates some boundaries. Instead of choosing from thousands of recipes, you can select those that go along with your theme. A theme also creates guidelines for decorations, invitations, and color schemes.

Here is an A-Z selection of summer party themes. Have fun with them!

Summer Theme Party Ideas

Around the World

BAD (Beverages, Appetizers, Dessert)

Chocolate Tasting

Drinks & Divas

Easy Living

Flip Flops & Fun

Garden’s Bounty

Home on the Range
Ice Cream Social
Jazz Fest
Kid’s Day
Luau
Marshmallows & More
Night in Paris
Ocean Escape
Picnic Time
Quesadillas
Rainy Day (create your own rain with sprinklers outside in front of a picture window. You could even put it close to the front door so guest would get wet if they don’t have their umbrella.)
Sippers & Sandals
Taste of Tuscany
Under the Stars
View the Sunset
White-Out (this could be quite lovely – use all white, cream and clear glass serving pieces with white linens and ask guests to wear white. The food would provide brilliant pops of color. Would be beautiful outside with the colors of nature as the backdrop.)
Xmas in July
Yummy Bites
Zucchini Fest  (Okay – so this one is stretching it a bit…. but it could be quite tasty: fried zucchini for an appetizer, maybe some eggplant Parmesan with zucchini for a main dish and, of course, chocolate zucchini cake for dessert!)

Whatever themes you use for your summer entertaining, have fun with them!

Happy Entertaining!

Shanna

Posted in Entertaining at Home, Entertaining Ideas, Party Theme | Tagged , , | Leave a Comment »

A Merry Heart…

June 14, 2010 by Shanna Hatfield

The Word of the Week is mirth.

[murth]

–noun

1. merriment or jollity, esp. when accompanied by laughter
I spent Saturday with my BFF and let me tell you, when the two of us have all day together there is a lot of mirth, merriment and laughter and downright silliness that goes on. It was awesome and just what I needed!
Who makes your heart merry?

Posted in Musings | Tagged , , , | Leave a Comment »

Delicious Sour Cream Chocolate Bundt Cake

June 11, 2010 by Shanna Hatfield

Be generous with the chocolate frosting. Let it drizzle down the sides and pool along the bottom.

Hubby’s Grandma Nell loves to cook and she shared this chocolate cake recipe with me years ago. I start drooling just thinking about making it because it is so moist and good. It turns out delicious every time and is really simple to make.

My BFF and her husband came to help us with a project a few weekends ago. I made this cake to serve for dessert and her husband, who is a fellow chocolate devotee, seemed to really enjoy it as well.

The ingredients.

The cake batter will be really thick, so don't be surprised when it turns out that way. All will be well in the end.

Once the cake is baked and cooled, put it on your platter or cake stand. I love this bundt pan made of silicone. It is a breeze to get the cake out.

The bare cake, begging for frosting.

As I mentioned before, be generous in your chocolate drizzle.

Finally, enjoy the fruits of your labor. Your taste buds will thank you!

Chocolate Bundt Cake

1 Triple Chocolate Betty Crocker Cake Mix (18 ounce box)

1 small box of instant chocolate pudding

1 cup sour cream

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup oil

3 eggs

1/2 cup chocolate frosting

berries (optional)

whipping cream (optional)

mint leaves (optional)

Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl and pour into a greased and floured bundt pan. Bake at 350 degrees of one hour or until edges start to pull away from the pan.

You can use a fun bundt pan shape to make this cake look like you went to a lot of work (when you really didn’t). I like to finish the cake with some pre-made chocolate frosting (yes, right out of the can) that has been warmed. Use about 1/2 cup and microwave for 10-15 seconds, just until it starts to melt. Pour over the top of the cake. You can dust it with powdered sugar or cocoa powder or top with festive sprinkles. You can also pour on caramel sauce and serve while the cake is warm. This is especially taste when served with a side of Dulce de Leche ice cream. Trust me. It will nearly make you faint with bliss.

I like to make the cake the day before, frost it then refrigerate and serve chilled. My favorite presentation is to serve it with a dollop of whipped cream and fresh raspberries. So good!

Enjoy and Happy Entertaining!

Shanna

(aka – The Chocoholic)

Posted in Desserts, Easy Recipes | Tagged , , | 8 Comments »

Blooms of Death

June 10, 2010 by Shanna Hatfield

Dracula Lily - a plague in my backyard bliss.

When we moved into our current home, it came with an assortment of  beautiful flowers and plants. I enjoyed the rose bushes, the mums,  and hydrangea. Because we moved in during the summer, I had no idea what interesting plants would bloom in the spring.

I was in for a great surprise.

One warm and lovely spring day, right around this time of year, I was enjoying the breeze blowing in the window from the back yard when the most atrocious smell came floating in. Whoa, Nelly! It smelled exactly like something dead and decaying.  I hurried to look outside and see if someone had drug the rotting carcass of a large animal into our backyard. The smell was that bad. I couldn’t see anything from the window, so I went outside to investigate. What I found was the oddest plant with the most horrendous smell issuing forth from its blooms.

According to the information I found, the plant is called Dracunculus Vulgaris,  also known as the Voodoo Lily or Dracula Lily. I can see how it acquired those names. I think it is a great insult to the beautiful lilies that grace formal bouquets at special celebrations to even be in the same family as this blight on the plant world.

Honest to goodness, the plant smells like death and decay. If you’ve never smelled that rotting decayed smell count yourself fortunate. Growing up on a farm, I’m unfortunately well acquainted with that particular odor.

Because I hate the two plants that burst forth in prolific and horrific bloom each year, Hubby absolutely loves them. I’ve threatened to dig them up, spray them, mow them over and do anything I can to destroy them. He won’t have any of it. So the deal is I put up with the awful lilies and he leaves my roses alone.

Wish me luck, it looks like the plant is heading into full bloom!

Shanna

Posted in Entertaining at Home, Home and Garden, Musings | Tagged , , | 1 Comment »

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