Rock UR Party | Recipes & Food Ideas To Get Your Party Started!

Pixie Stix Martini

Posted June 25th, 2011 by tbspangela

When my favorite restaurant closed its doors, it took with it a fabulous menu, an extraordinary wine list and an amazing martini cocktail. The Pixie Stix Martini. On a recent trip down "restaurant memory lane" with my friends (yeah, we're foodie nerds), we reminisced about one of our all-time favorites, JP's Bistro in Minneapolis. While there were heated debates surrounding the succulent merits of the rib eye versus the porterhouse, there was on... Read More ›

Modern Baby Shower Themes

Posted June 24th, 2011 by celebrationsathome

When was the last time you attended a baby shower? If it's been a while, you may be surprised to find out that they’re more chic than ever. Gone are the days when powder-pink and baby-blue paper honeycomb decorations would suffice. Modern baby showers have personality! Here are five of the most popular themes today: Circus The bright colors, geometric patterns, and whimsical nature of a circus or carnival theme puts a smile on everyone's fa... Read More ›

Besties BBQ

Posted June 24th, 2011 by Jackiefo

My friends and I are really into movie quotations...and barbecues. I would estimate that about 35 percent of our speech is actually just hilarious movie quotes. So when we fired up the grill for the first time this season, we declared every Friday would be “BBQ at Best Man’s House”—a reference to a scene in Meet the Parents, featuring a party that’s supremely awkward and excellent at the same time. But our BBQs are not awkward at al... Read More ›

Sweet Ice Cream Sodas

Posted June 23rd, 2011 by scaron

Ice cream sodas aren’t just for malt shops and old-time diners. They’re also a really fun dessert to offer at barbecues and dinner parties. When it comes to making ice cream sodas, you have to start with cold soda. Ice cold, really. So make sure it’s been well-refrigerated before you start to make your ice cream soda. Also, the ice cream should be soft enough to scoop. Hard ice cream just doesn’t work here. As for flavors, that’... Read More ›

Lychee Martini

Posted June 22nd, 2011 by michelle.p

I need to mix things up a bit, in the cocktail department. When dining out, I typically indulge in a creative cocktail – it seems like even our local bar and grill has a wildly creative cocktail menu. At home, however, I tend to fall into the old standbys – wine with dinner, or maybe margaritas or a pitcher of Sangria if we are entertaining. Now that summer is here, it’s high time to break out of the cocktail rut with something sweet,... Read More ›

How to Arrange Flowers

Posted June 21st, 2011 by Jackiefo

Flowers are a universal language. They say, “I love you,” “I’m sorry,” “I miss you” and a lot more. They brighten up a room, a patio, a front yard—and my personal favorite, a party. In my humble opinion, if you have a $20 budget for party decorations, you should spend it on flowers. It’s like saying, “I love you” to all your guests. Not sure how to make the flowers look their best? Here are a few tips that will have you... Read More ›

Mango Cosmopolitan Jelly Shot

Posted June 20th, 2011 by jellyshottestkitchen

I often receive requests from readers of the Jelly Shot Test Kitchen blog for recipes. Usually, it’s the nomination of a favorite cocktail for gelatinization. Sometimes, it’s for a specific liquor. These Mango Cosmopolitan Jelly Shots were created in response to such a reader inquiry (we’ll call this reader Mr. X, not to be mysterious, but because I don’t know his name). Mr. X’s wife loved mandarin vodka, and he wante... Read More ›

ReHeat – Rock UR Party

Posted June 19th, 2011 by tbspangela

This week the Rock UR Party bloggers threw down the gauntlet and came up with party ideas all in the name of "Fun." From packing the perfect picnic to celebrating the longest day of the year in style, here are the articles we thought deserved a second look. 1. 8 Tips for Packing the Perfect Picnic from Scaron I don't know about you, but I always seem to forget something when I pack for a picnic, camping trip, whatever. Whether it's eating utens... Read More ›

Bites and Pieces – Rock UR Party

Posted June 18th, 2011 by tbspangela

Hooray for Father's Day! For all the times that special man was there for laughs and tears, good times and bad, what better way to say "thanks dad" than with a big, juicy burger? Since "one-burger-does-not-fit-all," here are three great burger recipes we found on the web that cater to any kind of meat preference. 1. Western Burgers from Blog Chef For the "hard-core" meat eater: this burger will not leave you asking "where's the beef?" It has al... Read More ›

Summer Solstice Party

Posted June 17th, 2011 by SandiArata

This has been one crazy year for weather. Piles of snow, endless rain, dangerous storms, sigh.... So we need to celebrate the first day of summer more than ever: with a bash that’s all about sunshine. Decorations Think yellows, oranges and reds. Table linens, flowers and streamers are quick and easy ways to add color to your celebration. If you have a little more time on your hands, make some tissue paper pompoms to hang above the party... Read More ›