Gatsby Themed Party

About a month ago my dear friends Ben and Megan asked me to do the food for their housewarming.  This was no ordinary housewarming, it was Gatsby themed from attire, food and cocktails.  It was an amazing night full of great memories.  I wanted to share images from the party to help inspire you for an upcoming event of your own.  It's not too late to host a New Year's event with this theme or even take some ideas from the night! I hope you enjoy the photos and commentary, post any comments or questions below!  

xxo Lexie

The assorted appetizers and signature cocktail of the evening. 

I made an array of crostini selections from classic tomato bruschetta, salami, ricotta and pepper jelly, grilled steak with chimichurri and pretzel with sausage and whole grain mustard.  Ben was amazingly creative in some of these crostini combinations he requested, they were delicious. Assorted mini quiches and lettuce cups filled with mushrooms completed the one appetizer table.  The cocktail was a classic Gin Fizz.

Megan picked up some fun accessories to play with in photos!

I loved these fun assorted mustaches, lips and glasses we were all able to play with to add some fun photo op moments!

Assorted mini grilled cheese were oh so tempting.  

I love this shot of one of the appetizer tables, you can see how Megan added these incredible feathers to her cupcakes for a dramatic effect.  She also placed a vase on the table to grab the fun party favors on a stick!

The gorgeous and handsome hosts!

We definitely had fun throughout the night creating/capturing fun themed moments.  I love their sitting chair in the living room, was a perfect piece to add to photos!

The dashing gents

I used a few different apps to play with colors and effects to add different elements to the photos! 

Could these men look more dapper? I love a well-dressed man!

Lovely gals

Everyone brought their own style to the party, flair was a must!  These ladies had incredible hair pieces, jewelry, stockings and dresses.  The hair and makeup were so fun!

Someone got a little heavy handed with refilling the Gin Fizz....I won't name names because I love the guy too much and he was efficient in making the cocktail happen fast!

GIn Fizz Large Batch Recipe

Yields 56oz about 14 cocktails

2 1/2 cups of Gin (We used Plymouth)

1 1/2 cups Mint Simple Syrup*

1 cup Fresh Lime Juice

2 cups Soda Water

In a large dispensing container, fill the bottom 1/4 with fresh lime slices (about 4 limes) and several handful of fresh mint.  Add the ingredients to the container, stir to combine.

Have a bucket of fresh ice next to the container along with glasses for guests to serve themselves.  

*Mint Simple Syrup

1 1/2 cups both water and mint.  Combine in a saucepan and bring to a boil.  Stir till sugar is dissolved.  Remove from heat and add 2 large handfuls of mints.  Let the mint steep in the hot liquid.  Let the syrup come to room temperature, discard whole mint ( you may need to strain if leaves have fallen off stems).  Syrup can be made ahead up to 3 days and kept in the refrigerator. 

Candid moments from the night

What a lovely night for revelry.  Guests not only sipped on the Gin Fizz, bubbly (or champy as I like to call it), wine and delicious scotches were enjoyed!

Besties, my twinkie, aka blondetourage

I feel blessed and lucky to have such lovely friends. Thank you to M&B for all your love and support.  I am happy I got to help make your event a memorable one!  Love you guys!

Buttermilk Biscuits

Buttermilk Biscuits

Over the weekend I attended a wonderful brunch hosted by my dear friend Maiysha.  In honor of the holidays and with so much to celebrate she made it a “B” themed occasion.  Brunch, booze, biscuits and of course the new Beyoncé album played on a loop in the background.  The celebration was great and full of deliciousness.  I offered to bring over the biscuits and used my tried and true recipe.  I have been making biscuits for a few years now and found them to be much easier than I had originally thought, no need to fuss too much like most great things in life!

Yields 12 2 inch diameter biscuits

Ingredients;

3 cups of ap flour

1 tbsp. of baking powder

1 tsp. of salt

3/4 tsp. baking soda

½ cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter cut into small squares

1 cups to 1 1/2 cups of Buttermilk

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.  Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  Add the butter to the mixture and with your hands blend it into the mix.  You want to move quickly and the texture should begin to become a bit coarse with pearl size beads forming.  Create a well in the center of the mixture and pour the buttermilk into the mixture.  With a spoon stir the ingredients a few times till they are combined, you want the dough to be more sticky than dry, add more buttermilk if needed to acquire that consistency. 

Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead about 8 times.  With a floured rolling pin roll the dough out to about 1/2 inch thickness.  Take a fork and lightly prong the top of the dough every ½ inch.  With a 2” floured biscuit cutter begin to push through the dough to cut out the biscuits.  Place them onto an un-greased or parchment lined baking sheet.  

Bake from 12-15 minutes till a nice golden color.  You can rotate them mid way through cooking if needed.  Once the biscuits are out the oven, brush with a little melted butter and serve warm.

Don’t re-roll the scraps, just place on the baking sheets and enjoy!

They didn't last very long in true biscuits fashion, I didn't want the day to end! Between the Bey and food it was perfect!

Eggnog Cocktail

'Tis the season for celebration and what better to toast with than delicious eggnog.  I love to have this beverage during this time of year, it's definitely decadent and I can only handle it in moderation.  Last night while pouring over an early Christmas gift from my dad (The Hoosier Mama Book of Pie....sooooooooo good) I decided to sip on this delicious eggnog cocktail.  The recipe below yields one full martini but I split it between two smaller glasses and shared with my roomie.  Cheers!

The lovely note that reads on my kitchen chalkboard!

Ingredients;

1oz Cognac or Brandy

1oz Amaretto (Almond Liqueur)

1oz Eggnog

Freshly Grated Nutmeg

In a martini shaker fill half way with ice and pour the liquid ingredients over. Place the lid on and shake vigorously for about 15-20 seconds.  When the whole shaker feels cool you know the drink is ready.  Pour the contents into glasses and grate the piece of nutmeg over the contents and serve

I chilled the cups in the freezer for about five minutes before using, this helps keep the beverage nice and cool while you enjoy!

Happy Holidays!

Banana Bread

I love the flavor of fresh banana.  This is a simple recipe to whip up with turned bananas you have forgotten to use.  I love having a fresh loaf bread in the house to nibble on as long as it lasts.... sometimes not long at all.

Ingredients;

Butter for pan

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (plus more to dust the pan)

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon fine salt

2 large eggs at room temperature

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup light brown sugar (I sometimes use dark if I want to intensify the flavor, it makes it a little more rich)

1/2 cup of canola oil

1 tbsp vanilla extract

3-4 ripe bananas mashed (depending on size you want a little over 2 cups)

1/3 cup of plain yogurt (I like to use 2% Greek yogurt)

1/4 cup roughly chopped walnuts for garnish (try to keep some pieces larger)

Directions;

Pre-Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Butter and flour a 9-by-5 inch loaf pan.

In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt.

In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs till combined, add the sugars, oil and vanilla and mix till combined.  

Add the mashed bananas and yogurt to the egg mixture, slowly folding ingredients together.  

Add the flour mixture to the banana egg mixture, folding about a 1/3 in at a time until combined.  Should be about three times.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and place in the oven.  Bake for thirty minutes, remove the pan from the oven. 

Take the chopped walnuts and top the bread with them.  Place bread back in the oven for 20-25 more minutes.

Depending on your ovens heat you may want to reduce the temperature 15 degrees if you are nervous the nuts will burn on top.  

Insert a wooden stick, if it comes out clean of batter the cake is done.  

Let cool for an hour, slice and serve.

Warm Apple Cider

Yesterday my niece and nephew poured into my house to kick off my Thanksgiving holiday.  Before they arrived I put this cider on the stove so when they got here the house smelled warm and full of delicious spices.  This is super easy, all you have to do it put everything in one pot and let the ingredients simmer together.  In about an hour you have the most delicious cup to enjoy and you must top it with homemade whipped cream.....I need to go refill my cup this very instant!

1 gallon apple juice (I prefer Martinelli's)

1 cup of fresh squeezed orange juice (about 3 oranges)

3 cinnamon sticks

1 tablespoon whole cloves

2 tablespoons all spice

Pour the apple juice into a large stock pot.  Squeeze the oranges in a glass, if pulp bothers you pour the liquid through a strainer before adding it into the stock pot.  Place the cinnamon sticks into the pot.  I use a tea ball for the whole cloves to steep in the pot or you can easily wrap them into a piece of cheesecloth.  Lastly, I add the allspice.  I stir the contents together and bring the mixture to a boil.  Reduce the heat to a simmer and let the ingredients marry together for about an hour, stirring occasionally.  You can remove the cloves and cinnamon sticks to make it easier to scoop the cider.  

Homemade Whipped Cream

1 pint of heavy cream

1/4 cup confectioners sugar

1 teaspoon of vanilla

1 whole piece of nutmeg

In a metal bowl, pour one pint of heavy cream, 1/4 cup of confectioners sugar and a tsp. of vanilla extract together.  Turn an electric mixer onto medium speed and beat until cream gets stiff, about 2-3 minutes.  Be careful not to over beat, the mixture can turn quickly, you just want to beat it until the cream holds shape. You will use the nutmeg in the last step!

Ladle the cider into mugs and top each with a heaping spoonful of whipped cream. The first bit that hits the hot cider will melt right into the cider and create a layer to keep adding more whipped cream to the mug.

Once you reach your desired whipped cream amount (my preference being the more the better) take the nutmeg and grate it over the cream so you have a lovely sprinkle.

Serve and enjoy! 

Pumpkin Pie with Gingersnap Crust

This recipe is a great addition to any Thanksgiving table.  This crust offers a little something extra, the pumpkin seeds offer a great subtle nutty flavor.

CRUST

1 cup ground gingersnap cookies (20 to 25 cookies)

½ cup ground toasted pumpkin seeds (can be bought toasted at store or do it yourself at home)

1 tablespoons sugar

1½ teaspoons ground ginger

¼ teaspoon sea salt

4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter, melted

FILLING

3 large eggs, beaten to blend

15 ounces cooked sugar pumpkin or organic canned pumpkin

1 cup half and half

1/2 cup sugar

¼ cup light brown sugar

1 tablespoon tapioca starch or cornstarch

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon sea salt

¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

¼ teaspoon ground cloves

To make the crust: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Pulse pumpkin seeds in a food processor 5-6 times or roughly chop by hand, you want the pieces to still have some texture and size to them.  Empty the seeds from processor if using and begin to pulse the gingersnap cookies to a fine grind.  Combine the pumpkin seeds, ground gingersnap cookies, sugar, ginger, salt, and melted butter in a food processor. Blend until the crumbs are evenly moistened. Press the crumb mixture evenly onto the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch deep pie dish. Refrigerate the crust for at least 15 minutes before baking. Bake the crust until set, 12 to 15 minutes. Cool completely. (The crust can be prepared up to the day before, let stand at room temperature.)

To make the filing: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Whisk the eggs to blend in a medium bowl. Add all remaining filling ingredients and whisk until smooth. Pour the filling into the cooled crust. Tap the dish gently on the counter to remove any air bubbles. Bake the pie until the filling is set, 50 to 60 minutes. Transfer the pie to a rack and cool completely.

Cut the pie into wedges and serve with dollops of whipped cream.

The pie is not complete with out whipped cream, homemade obviously being best. 

Whipped cream: add 2 cups chilled heavy whipping cream, 2 tablespoons vanilla extract, and 1 tablespoon powdered sugar to a stainless
steel bowl. Using an electric mixer, beat until peaks form.

*If available, I love to add fresh vanilla bean, about ½ teaspoon works.  The taste is intense, a little bit goes a long way.