oh, how posh! daily blog

What are your plans for this weekend? Are you entertaining tonight on the deck, having neighbors over tomorrow for some much need spring fever laughter and cocktails? If so then welcome to Margaritaville! Here’s a line up on some of the season’s best Margarita’s. Mix up a batch, lay out some easy appetizers and enjoy the party.

First up: Blue Margaritas – The coloring in these margaritas comes from blue curaçao orange liqueur so it tastes just like a traditional frozen margarita but with added color. With just four ingredients, this margarita can create an instant party.  For the recipe and more Margarita’s read more… »

Yummy Delight! I am addicted to cupcakes  and seriously how delicious do these cupcakes look, Coconut Cupcakes with Coconut-White Chocolate Frosting.  Coconut and white chocolate – it’s definitely  a perfect pair. For spring have your cupcake and eat it too!

Here’s the recipe:

Makes 24 cupcakes

Ingredients

Cupcakes

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup sweetened flaked coconut

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

1 1/2 cups sugar

3 large eggs

1/2 tsp coconut extract or vanilla extract

3/4 cup light coconut milk (not cream of coconut)

Coconut–White Chocolate Frosting

1 cup (6 oz) white chocolate baking chips

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened

1 brick (8 oz) cream cheese, softened

1/2 tsp coconut extract

2 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar

Garnish: sweetened flaked coconut, toasted

Preparation

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Line 24 muffin cups with paper liners.

2. Whisk flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl; stir in coconut.

3. Beat butter and sugar in large bowl with electric mixer until creamed, about 2 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, until blended. Beat in coconut extract.

4. With mixer on low speed, alternately beat in flour mixture and coconut milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture, until just blended.

5. Spoon about 1/4 cup batter into each muffin cup. Bake 20 to 23 minutes until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove cupcakes from pan to wire rack to cool completely.

6. Frosting: Melt white baking chips in a small glass bowl in microwave as package directs. Beat butter, cream cheese and coconut extract in large bowl with electric mixer until creamed and blended. Beat in melted white chocolate until blended. On low speed, gradually beat in confectioners’ sugar.

7. Spread 2 Tbsp frosting onto each cupcake; sprinkle tops with toasted coconut.

Enjoy!

celebrate life in style…

I would like to introduce  Courtney, a fabulous young lady who lives in Nashville (by way of Raleigh NC and Vanderbilt University) and loves to entertain. She just launched her new hip and chic website  Pizzazzerie – which I love.  So here’s her story on how she got the party started over at Pizzazzerie along with some entertaining inspiration.

“Hi, I’m Courtney from the newly launched Pizzazzerie! The idea behind Pizzazzerie actually began last August, and I have been daydreaming my plans for it ever since. I love nothing more than throwing my own parties and events for friends and family, so I am excited to share these ideas with you! Parties are my passion and finding ways to add a little pizzazz is my goal. Everyone can buy a cake, throw on a tablecloth, and call it a party – but I want to help people take their parties to a new level. That might be a neat cupcake idea, a great dip recipe for your next sports viewing party, or a glamorous do-it-yourself centerpiece idea for a wedding.

I chose black and white for this dinner party (recently designed for a sweet friend’s birthday) because the classic beauty of black and white matches her perfectly! I used 12×12 scrapbook paper in a cute black and white pattern as placemats to add pizzazz. All my parties include favors, so for this party, I wrapped mini cookbooks in black boxes with a whimsical polka dot bow to jazz up the table! Let your food add pops of color with a vibrant caprese salad or fresh green vegetables. The dessert table included chocolate and vanilla cupcakes, black and white cookies, and chocolate covered strawberries!

I hope you can use some of these tips for your own Black and White Party soon! To see other exciting DIY ideas, recipes, and more – visit me over at Pizzazzerie.

Entertain with energy and style!

Courtney

celebrate life in style…

Spring is officially here, so let the spring entertaining commence! Spring was ushered in this weekend with warm sunny weather for some and wintry rainy weather for others. No matter what kind of weather the first day of spring brought you, we are in the season of renewal, birth, and best of all outside parties! When you’re ready to host your guest for the first soirée of the season and need the perfect spring centerpiece, no need to look very far, just check out you own backyard!

The Natural Wonder centerpiece (above)  is perfect for your spring table. Here’s the idea: Pluck large leaves from your backyard and place them in bowls and pitchers. Add a few sprigs of sage and rosemary, and you’ll have a centerpiece that’s easy to love all season long. How chic and elegant!

Have left over firewood or branches in the yard from winter? Great then Branching Out (top left) is just for you. Here’s the idea: Gather leftover firewood or branches from the yard and trim them into similar sizes. Tie a few together in bundles and place them in glass cups and vases. Place some spring leaves underneath. What is cool idea and it cost nothing!

Bargain Blooms (top right) I love this one and it will cost you about six bucks. Here’s the idea: Purchase a cheap bunch of supermarket flowers and a bag of colorful dried beans and add in some tall glasses from your cabinet. Fill each glass with a 2- to 3-inch layer of beans and add a few tablespoons of water. Trim one flower stem to fit inside each glass, then arrange the “vases” down the center of the table.

Easter is right around the corner and the Shell It Out centerpiece (bottom right) is the perfect place to hide Easter eggs. Here’s the idea: Poke small holes in the eggs, drain the yolks and fill each shell with water. Add a few wildflower stems and nestle the eggs in a flat of wheatgrass.

Recycled Chic (bottom left)  is very mod and witty. Want to create this fab centerpiece here’s the idea: Choose retro-looking cans from your own market, empty them—to make a pie, perhaps—and fill them with small bunches of flowers. Very simple and easy.

So which one of this easy spring centerpieces is your fav?

Source: Everyday with Rachel Ray

Enjoy!

celebrate life in style…