Well we're off to beautiful......

                                                                                  

                                                                    

 A L A S K A!!

                                                                                  

                                                                                   

We'll see the WHALES

        

                                                                                                                                                     

                                                                                   

and the georgeous  GLACIERS

                                                                                
      

and the Huskies

                                                                                   
                                                                                

And VISIT the charming towns

                   

  And eat entirely too much FOOD on the ship

                                                                                 

                                                                                 


                                                                                                                                                        

but I'll be sharing ALL the photos & recipes with you when we get back!!! It is going to be wonderful and we are so excited!!

                                                                          

Nann

Recipes from My Pink & Black Parisienne Luncheon

Today I want to share the dessert I made for my Parisienne Luncheon in Pink and Black.

Dessert Crepes

These really are easy to put together but the separate components need to be done in advance. I prefer recipes for my luncheons to be done as much as possible before the event.

Dessert Crepes with Vanilla Filling, Strawberries, Whipped Cream & Chocolate Drizzle

Note: I put these together right before serving them after we finished the main course.

                       It was very fast and easy, but then I was only serving 6. If it is a large group then

put  them together way before the party cover and chill.

The Crepes (make these ahead)

2 eggs 1/2 cup milk 1/2 cup water 2 tablespoons butter, melted 1 cup all-purpose flour 2-3 tablespoons white sugar 1 tsp. vanilla extract 1/4 teaspoon salt

In a blender, put eggs, milk, melted butter, flour, sugar, vanilla and salt and blend about 30 seconds until smooth. Pour into a shallow wide dish if using an electric crepe pan. Let the batter sit for about 15 minutes. Follow manufacturers instructions for making the crepes. OR Heat a small sized 6-7 inch  skillet or crepe pan over medium heat. Spray pan with cooking spray or butter pan with a small amount of butter or oil applied with a brush or paper towel. Spoon about ¼ cup crepe batter into hot pan, tilting the pan so that bottom surface is evenly coated. Cook over medium heat, 1 to 2 minutes on a side, or until golden brown. Carefully remove from pan and place between layers of waxed paper. Serve immediately or cool until ready to use.  At this point wrap crepes and refrigerate until ready to use. (See to assemble crepes below.) Note: Whether you use a small frying pan or an electric crepe pan usually the first one or two are ‘trial’ ones. It becomes easier with each use. Here you can see a video how to make basic crepes. It is excellent and worth the time to watch. Vanilla Filling (make ahead and chill) 1 small package vanilla instant pudding 1 cup milk 2 cups whipped cream or whipped topping 1 heaping tablespoon sour cream 1 tsp. vanilla extract. In a medium bowl put pudding and milk and mix well. It will be thick. When ‘set’ after just a few minutes, carefully fold in the whipped cream or whipped topping. Carefully add the sour cream and blend until well mixed. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use. Fresh Strawberry Sauce  (make ahead and chill) 2 pints Strawberries, washed and hulled (Reserve several whole strawberries with stem for the garnish) 1/3 cup water ¼ to ½ cup white sugar In a blender put one pint of the washed and hulled strawberries, the water and sugar. Blend well. Pour into a bowl. Slice remaining strawberries (accept those reserved for the garnish) thinly and add to the blended strawberry mixture. Stir. Cover and chill until ready to use. Garnishes * Sweetened Whipped Cream or Pressurized Can Whipped Cream *Chocolate Sauce or Hot Fudge Sauce *Reserved whole strawberries To Assemble Crepes: On a plate lay one opened crepe. Down the center, with a spoon put a nice amount of chilled vanilla filling. Fold over each side. Put filled crepe seam side down on individual dessert plate. Spoon some of the strawberry sauce over the top making sure some of the sliced strawberries are on each crepe. Put a nice amount of whipped cream either by spray can or with a spoon on top in the center of the strawberry sauce on crepe. Add a reserved whole strawberry. Carefully drizzle the chocolate sauce or hot fudge sauce back and forth over crepe, the strawberry and strawberry sauce. Repeat with remaining crepes. Serve. I shared the recipes for Le Salad & Main Course                                                                                 in a previous post that you can find here.

The Menu Card

              The Tablesetting with the Menu

See entire luncheon post here

And the Table and Side Board

Thankyou for joining me. It's so nice to have you come by. I appreciate your comments and read every one of them.

Nann

Happy 4th Birthday Pink Saturday!!

                                      

Happy 3rd Birthday to The Tablescaper!! 

                                       

I will be joining some of these fun linky parties:

Thriving on Thursdays; Share Your Cup; The Delightsome Life; Openhouse Party; Lets Dish;

Tablescape Thursday;Vintage Inspiration Friday ; Feathered Nest Friday ; Show and Tell Friday ; The charm of Home; Inspiration Fridays; Pink Saturday; Saturdays Sweet Treats; Seasonal Sundays; Sundays Best Par.tay; Sunday Showcase; On the Menu Monday; I Gotta Try That; Cozy Home Scenes; Tabletop Tuesday; The Bunny Hop; Wow us Wednesday; Whats It Wednesday;

Another Parisienne Party.....in Pink and Black

Greetings & Welcome...Last week I gave another birthday luncheon with a Parisienne theme. It turned out truly lovely and  I wanted to share it with you.This time it was in pale pink and black.

Le Table

A View from the Upper Balcony

The black Chivari chairs I picked up at a clearance outlet and what a buy. Brand new still in the box in sets of four. I was able to get four of them for the price of one used chair on the internet. I really scored there. We bought 10 as we were in need of more dining seating.

The Side Board is covered with bunched pale pink tulle with the Eiffel Tower as the centerpiece.

The cupcakes were vanilla with a chocolate filling and a delicious marshmallow butter cream frosting.The icing recipe I got from

 Kitty at Kitty's Kozy Kitchen.  It is so delicious and simple to make and pipes beautifully. I wish I had found this recipe years ago.

This photo doesn't show the detail of the pink icing that has soft pink dragees on it and topped with a petal from the snowball flowers. I got the idea to decorate them like this from Yvonne at Stonegable. I gave these to each of my guests to take home as a little birthday remembrance.

The Eiffel tower is on a beautiful mirror and 'jeweled' charger from Tuesday Morning and it's surrounded by these gorgeous white flower 'pom poms' from my Snowball bush. I wish I had added pink flowers to accentuate the pink color more. The charger is on a footed glass cake plate that is sitting on bunched pale pink tulle.

The black plates and silverware I've had for over 25 years. The goblets and silver place card frames are from the dollar tree.

I folded the napkin under at one end to fit across the plate and wrapped a small black satin ribbon around it. I loved the look of it with the printed menu on top.

The Table Centerpiece

These gorgeous white snowball flowers are from one of my snowball bushes. Mirrored charger I got from Tuesday Morning.

The Menu Card

I had alot of fun doing the invitations and menus. I used the same paper for both. I typed up both the inivitation and the menu and copied them to these beautiful plain white and black wedding cards that I purchased on sale at Michaels. There were 100 cards and 100 envelopes in the box and I got the box for $11. That makes each piece 5 1/2 cents each. And that my friends is a steal. I put pink satin ribbon that I glued together around the top with a white cloth 'rose' I bought by the yard at Joann's Fabric and then made small black polka dot bows and glued them on. I then glued on a faux 'diamond' in the center of the bow to give it a finished touch.  I was just tickled pink with the way they turned out. And I think they made a 'statement' centered on the pink napkins. One of the guests speaks fluent french as that is her native language and so she read the menu to everyone.  What a beautiful language. It added to the ambience of the occassion.

The Fete a la Parisienne in Pink and Black was a joy to give. I will be sharing the menu and recipes in my next post.

Thankyou for joining me. I hope you have enjoyed seeing my little soiree. It's always a pleasure to have you come by.

Nann

Happy 4th Birthday Pink Saturday!!

I will be participating in some of these fun linky parties: 

Time Travel Thursday; Wow us Wednesday; Whats It Wednesday; The Bunny Hop;

 Thriving on Thursdays; Share Your Cup; The Delightsome Life; Openhouse Party; Lets Dish;

Tablescape Thursday; Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Cottage; Show and Tell Friday at My Romantic Home; The charm of Home; Vintage Inspiration Friday at Common Ground; Inspiration Friday;  Pink Saturday;Seasonal Sundays; Sundays Best Par.tay; Sunday Showcase;

It was National Chocolate Chip Day!

                                                                               

LET'S  CELEBRATE!!! There seems to be a national holiday for everything  so let's have a   Hip Hip Hooray ....for yesterday was:

 National Chocolate Chip Day

      

Whether you eat them right out of the bag which I love to do or put them in your cookies, chocolate chips are one of America’s favorite treats and dessert staples. They were invented in the 1930’s by Ruth Graves Wakefield of the Toll House Inn.

There are of course a Zillion ways to use CHOCOLATE CHIPS.


Here is one of my personal favorites...
these are to DIE FOR

Decadent Delicious Party Potato Chips

Chocolate-Caramel-Pecan Potato Chips

1 (13-oz.) bag thick ruffled potato chips (Wavy Lays)

1 (14-oz.) bag caramels (Kraft)
1/3 cup whipping cream
1 (11.5-oz.) bag milk chocolate chip morsels
2 tablespoons shortening
1 cup finely chopped pecans, toasted 

Spread whole potato chips in single layers on parchment paper-lined wire racks. Combine caramels and cream in a heavy saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly, until smooth; remove from heat. Drizzle caramel over chips.

Melt milk chocolate morsels and shortening in a small bowl in microwave at HIGH, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes, stirring after 1 minute; cool slightly. Drizzle chocolate over caramel on potato chips; sprinkle with pecans. Cool until chocolate and caramel harden.
Makes about 9 dozen.

Note: These chips are best served the day they're made. Use the thickest ridged potato chips you can find.
Recipe and photo from Oxmoor House

 OTHER  WONDERFUL  WAYS

Using Chocolate Chips

Homemade Hot Fudge Sauces YUM!

Chocolate Covered Strawberries

All these GORGEOUS photos of chocolate covered strawberries are from
http://wyldestonecottage.blogspot.com/2010/04/chocolate-covered-strawberries-tutorial.html

With a complete tutorial on how to do them.

  Recipe Girl gives 100  RECIPES using chcolate chips http://www.recipegirl.com/2011/04/01/chocolate-chip-recipes/

Here are a few of them

Brownies and  Bars

Chocolate Chip Cookie Brownies by Evil Shenanigans

                         

Pies Cakes and Cupcakes

                                  
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes by Kevin and Amanda  

    

     

 Frozen Treats

                                                     
Peanut Butter- Chocolate Chip Cookie Cups by Sing for Your Supper

                                                    

Other Desserts and Snacks

                                          
     Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Truffles by RecipeGirl 

Breakfasts

                                                    

      Whole Wheat- Chocolate Chip Pancakes by RecipeGirl  

      and of course cookies

 Hope you have enjoyed this delicious indulgent blog post. Please go to these sites above to see alot more...you'll be glad you did!!

Nann

I will be joining some of these linky parties:

Brambleberry Cottage and Time Travel Thursday- Share Your Cup http://jannolson.blogspot.com/, Thriving on Thursdayshttp://domesblissity.blogspot.com/ , Masterpiece Monday Sundays Best Par.tayhttp://my1929charmer.com/ Cowgirl UPhttp://cedarhillranch.blogspot.com/ On the Menu Monday http://stonegable.blogspot.com/ Pink Saturdayhttp://howsweetthesound.typepad.com/my_weblog/2012/04/pink-saturday-april-28-2012.html Tatertots and Jello http://tatertotsandjello.com/2012/05/weekend-wrap-up-party-and-jessica-sprague-class-with-16x20-print-giveaway.html Feathered Nest Friday, Sunday Showcase, Sundae Scoop, Seasonal Sunday, Made By You Monday, Show Me How, , Masterpiece Monday, Party Time With Cheri, DIY Project Parade, ,, Making Monday Marvelous, Creative Bloggers Party, Mad Skills Monday, Show Off Your Cottage Monday, Metamorphosis Monday, , Tip Me Tuesday, Tuesday Treasures, Table Top Tuesday, Love It And Link It Up Party, Show Me What You Got, Nifty Thrifty Tuesday, Tutorial Tuesday, Tutes And Tips Party, Show And Tell Wednesday, , Whatever Goes Wednesday, Creative Share Wednesday, We Did It Wednesday, Whatever You Want Wednesday, Share The Love Wednesday, Transformation Thursday, Strut Your Stuff, It's A Keeper Thursday, Cozy Home Scenes http://cozyhomescenes.blogspot.com/ Wow Us Wednesdayshttp://savvysouthernstyle.blogspot.com/ Full Plate Thursday;

                                                                                                                               

It's My 6th Month Blog Anniversary and to celebrate I am...

Greetings All....To Celebrate my 6 month Anniversary I am PAYING  IT  FORWARD. In my last blog post I showed you the darling teacup arrangement that Michele from The Nest at Finch Rest sent me. And now it's my turn to pay it forward to someone else.

Pay It Forward Spring 2012

Here's how it works:

Make something handmade for three people who you may or may not know OR bloggers OR three who comment on your blog. In turn, then those 3 people pay it forward the same way and report on their blog if they have one. You may send or give something handmade to people who comment on your blog and want to do this, OR  it can be as simple as giving an unexpected gift to a friend OR paying for the next person in line's drink at McDonalds...just as long as you pay it forward this spring in 2012! I think this is a fun way to give back to friends & strangers  AND  to followers and readers of my blog. I wish I could make something for all of you readers, but....well, you understand. So I chose to:



Make three gifts....one  for a blogger who just happens to live in my neighborhood. (Neither of us knew about each other until a couple of months ago.) And two wonderful gals who are always giving freely of their time and talents and serving so many and who live in this valley. And I hope to daily pay it forward to someone I may not even know. That is one of my goals this year.

So what blogger am I paying it forward to....It's

   Jann Olsen

  from

       Have a daily cup from Mrs. Olson

     http://jannolson.blogspot.com

First I found three darling LARGE cups and saucers at Home Goods. I was lucky to get out of the store in one piece because in the check out line ladies kept asking me where I found those in the store... and I had bought the only ones that they had.

              Aren't these pretty....

 I took off the ribbon and binding and filled the cup with  two basil plants, one oregano plant and some purplish pink petunias. I tried very hard to match up the colors to the cup and saucer the best I could.

I then added some pink tulle ribbon and the green ribbon that originally came with the cup & saucer. I think it gives it the finishing touch!

I knew she would be transplanting the plants to her beautiful garden so I wrapped six flavors of Herbal tea to enjoy in her cup when it was empty. I used the leftover ribbons from the cup. And it all worked out perfectly.

We walked out to Janns front yard where she has so many beautiful flowers growing. I could not believe these pale peach colored irises. They were Huge and absolutely GORGEOUS!

Here is a closeup of these gorgeous flowers. Look at the beautiful  lavender petals on the outer edges. These irises took my breath away. They were the largest irises I had ever seen!!

Janns husband took a picture of us together in front of her lovely home.

I loved Janns shirt. And I wanted to show the Eiffel Tower on it. It reminded me of my next party I'm giving this Friday which features that great monument.  Doesn't Jann look beautiful!! And she is, both inside and out!!

Jann has become a good friend to me from this wonderful blogging world. And what is SO neat about it  is that she lives so close by. 

I now hand the baton to her to Pay It Forward.

THANKYOU for joining me today for my 6th month celebration. I LOVE having you visit!! And I read each and every comment you make too. It's just so nice hearing from you!

Nann

I will be participating in some of these fun linky parties:

Show Off Your Cottage Monday Masterpiece Monday DebbieDoos Newbie Party http://debbie-debbiedoos.com/ Sundays Best Par.tay Cowgirl UPhttp://cedarhillranch.blogspot.com/http://my1929charmer.com/ On the Menu Monday http://stonegable.blogspot.com/ Pink Saturdayhttp://howsweetthesound.typepad.com/my_weblog/2012/04/pink-saturday-april-28-2012.htmlShow And Tell Friday, I'm Lovin' It Friday, Show Off Your Stuff, Inspiration Friday, Feathered Nest Friday, Friday Favorites, Flaunt It Friday, Frugal Friday, Friday Unfolded, Tickled Pink, Vintage Inspiration Friday, Saturday Nite Special, Country Momma Link and Greet Party, Show And Tell Saturday, Sunday Showcase, Sundae Scoop, Seasonal Sunday, Made By You Monday, Show Me How, CraftOManiac Monday, Masterpiece Monday, Party Time With Cheri, DIY Project Parade, Craftastic Monday, Craft Catwalk, Making Monday Marvelous, Creative Bloggers Party, Mad Skills Monday, Show Off Your Cottage Monday, Metamorphosis Monday, Handmade Tuesday, Get Your Craft On, Tip Me Tuesday, Tuesday Treasures, Table Top Tuesday, Love It And Link It Up Party, Show Me What You Got, Nifty Thrifty Tuesday, Tutorial Tuesday, Tutes And Tips Party, Show And Tell Wednesday, Outdoor Wednesday, Whatever Goes Wednesday, Creative Share Wednesday, We Did It Wednesday, Whatever You Want Wednesday, Home Decor And Organizing Party, Share The Love Wednesday, Transformation Thursday, Strut Your Stuff, It's A Keeper Thursday, Craft Soiree, Fresh Cut Friday Share your cup Thursday http://jannolson.blogspot.com/2012/04/share-your-cup-thursday-6.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+HaveADailyCupFromMrsOlson+%28Have+a+daily+cup+from+Mrs.+Olson%29 Lets Dish http://www.cuisinekathleen.com/ Thriving on Thursdays http://www.domesblissity.blogspot.com/ Tablescape Thursdayhttp://betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com/Wow Us Wednesdays http://savvysouthernstyle.blogspot.com/Whats It Wednesdays http://ivyandelephants.blogspot.com/The Bunny Hop http://bunnyjeansdecorandmore.blogspot.com/Cozy Home Scenes http://cozyhomescenes.blogspot.com/ Rose Chintz Tea Time Tuesday Tabletop Tuesday A Return to Loveliness Pink Saturday

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