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Tailgate Party Recipes~ Beer Brats On The Grill

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Happy Friday! It’s time for the weekend, and this time of year that means it’s also time for some football and a tailgate party or two! So get out the grill, throw it in the back of the truck (gently so there aren’t any broken piecs), and get ready for a tailgate party!

Today I thought I’d share my favorite (and easy) recipe for beer brats on the grill.

You already have the beer in the cooler (Just make sure you’re not drinking it if you’re the one behind the wheel!), just bring the brats, and a few other things and you’re ready to go.

Beer Brats Recipe

  • 1 pkg of your favorite brats
  • 1-2 cans of beer
  • 1 sliced onion
  • 1 sliced green pepper
  • your favorite buns
  • a disposable aluminum pan to cook them in.

Heat up the grill. Put the sliced onion, 6 brats, beer, and green pepper in the aluminum pan, and put over medium heat on the grill. Cook the mixture for 15-20 minutes, or until the brats are cooked through. If the beer does not completely cover the brats turn them every few minutes, or add more beer.

When they’re done cooking in the beer I like to throw them directly on the grill for a few minutes to brown them up before serving.

If you need to cook more brats, just add a can of beer, a half an onion, and a pepper for every 6 brats added.

You can also use this method to cook hotdogs, or italian sausage.

Serve your beer brats, with the onions and peppers, on a bun. Enjoy!

Image via stock.xchng

Snack Mix For Your Fall Harvest Party

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It’s super fun to incorporate some of your favorite fall flavors into a quick and easy snack mix for your fall or Halloween party. Just throw this easy snack mix together into a large bowl, and set it out for your guests to enjoy. Here’s the recipe I like to use for a simple harvest or Halloween party snack mix.

Fall Harvest Snack Mix

Mix together:

  • 5 cups of Chocolate Chex(tm) Cereal
  • 1 bag Brachs(tm) Autumn Mix
  • 2 cups of lightly salted peanuts

You can also spread this mixture out on a cookie sheet, or waxed paper, and drizzle it with melted chocolate, or white chocolate. Let it cool, then break it apart.

Yum, I love sweet and salty snack mixes.

Check out more kid’s: Halloween Party Ideas

Using Gourds For Fall Party Decorating

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Today I have some fun ideas for you using one of my favorite (and low cost) fall decorating materials~ gourds. I love using gourds to decorate in the fall, and they make fabulous party decorations and centerpieces. You can use gourds several ways, either by themselves with other fall favorites.

Gourds are inexpensive, and come in a large variety of shapes, sizes, and colors. I think that’s why they’re so versatile for fall decorating.


Here are some ideas you can use to make simple party decorations featuring gourds:

  • Scatter them around the center of your tables, with a few miniature pumpkins and colorful fall leaves.
  • Put them in a basket together.
  • Paint faces on them, and make them fun for a kid’s party.
  • Place them around the base of potted mums.
  • Add them to a cornucopia.
  • Dry them and cut them out to use as serving bowls.
  • Mix fall flowers in with them for even more color and variety.

Gourds are so versatile, and since they’re also very affordable, especially if you grow your own.

Fall Cocktail~ Caramel Apple Pie

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I love the fall season! When it comes around I know it’s also apple season around here, time for apple pies, caramel apples, apple cake, everything apple sounds good this time of year! It’s also time to start thinking about those fall harvest parties, and planning what’s on the menu. Today I have a fabulous caramel apple pie cocktail recipe you can add to your fall harvest party or Halloween party menu, courtesy of Three Olives Vodka. Enjoy!

Caramel Apple Pie Cocktail

  • 1 oz. 1800 Silver Tequila
  • ½ oz. butterscotch schnapps
  • 1 oz. apple cider
  • 1 tsp. lemon juice

Combine ingredients and shake well with ice, strain into martini glass. Garnish with an apple slice.

The Three Olives Vodka website has more cocktail recipes for your fall and holiday party planning.

You could plan your whole harvest party around apples, from the main dish, to dessert, decorations, and cocktails. If you know someone with an orchard rent it out for the day and hold your party there.

You might also want to check out the yummy Pumpkin-tini cocktail recipe I posted yesterday.

Don’t forget to always drink responsibly.

Pumpkin Cocktail Recipe~ Pumpkin Pie-tini

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Only a couple weeks until Halloween! Are your fall and Halloween party plans in full swing yet? Today I thought I’d share a recipe courtesy of Three Olives Vodka. One of my favorite fall flavors is pumpkin, so this pumpkintini recipe definitely caught my attention!

This yummy cocktail would be perfect for a fall harvest or Halloween party. Make a whole pitcher to shake and pour in your guests’ glasses as they arrive. It’s sure to be a big hit.

The crème de cacao, vanilla, and pumpkin flavors sound like a wonderful fall flavor combination. Yum!

Pumpkin Pie-tini

  • 1 oz. milk
  • 2 tablespoons pumpkin puree
  • 1 ½ oz. Three-O Vanilla vodka
  • 1 ½ oz. crème de cacao

Using a small amount of honey, rim martini glass with graham cracker crumbs.

Shake milk and pumpkin puree over ice to combine. Pour in remaining ingredients and shake well. Strain into the martini glass.

I have more fall and Halloween party cocktail ideas and recipes coming up. Maybe I’ll roundup some of my favorites! Don’t forget to remind your guests to drink responsibly.

Painted Pumpkins For Fall and Halloween Party Decorations

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Decorating a pumpkin doesn’t have to involve a sharp knife. We haven’t carved a pumpkin for several years at our house. We paint them!  Painted pumpkins will last longer than carved pumpkins do, and you can get very creative with paint. Here are some cute and fun painted pumpkins for inspiration.

You can use any acrylic paint, and top it with a coat of polyurethane to give the pumpkin a shiny finish.

Image via flickr

Dress them up like your favorite character, better yet make a pumpkin look alike for everyone in your family.

Here are some painted and carved pumpkins.

Image via boliyou flickr

Any of these would make wonderful Halloween party decorations, or a wonderful addition to your fall outdoor decorations.

Summer Party Planning Tips

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Today I have a few summer party planning tips to share. It’s wonderful when you have everything planned out, and ready to go, so you can kick back and enjoy yourself at party time. Summer parties always work better when they’re laid back, and easy. A complicated formal summer party just isn’t as much fun.

Guests love to hang out around the pool, or on the back deck in their chair, playing a game of cornhole, horseshoes or around the grill on warm summer nights, talking and laughing about good times.

Keep your summer parties easy going and fun. Here are a few summer party planning tips to get you started:

  • Set the mood for the party before your guests arrive. Add some tiki lights for decoration, or some candles placed on the tables to help set the mood.
  • Keep the decorations simple, let the great outdoors do your decorating, with some simple single flowers in vases for table centerpieces.
  • Look in your cabinets before you go to the grocery to see what you already have to serve to your guests. Sometimes some simple crackers and dip will save you from making an extra run to the store.
  • You don’t have to make everything from scratch, use a few prepackaged items in with your homemade and no one will know the difference.
  • Make dishes you can prepare ahead of time, marinade your meat the day before, make chilled desserts you can store in the fridge until party time.

I guess basically what I’m trying to say is, keep your summer party simple! Oh, and have fun and enjoy the night!

When Do You Open The Gifts?

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When do you open the birthday presents? The trend today is to not open birthday gifts until later, after the party is over, or to wait until the end of the party.

Opening gifts used to be part of the entertainment at a birthday party or wedding or shower, but more and more people are opting to wait until after the party to open the gifts.

There are several reasons why there’s a trend to not open gifts until later, here are just a few:

1. Saves Aunt Bessie, and Aunt Jean embarrassment if  they both purchased the exact same gift.

2. Leaves more time for other party activities, like food, games, and just socializing and hanging out.

3. Gifts can’t be compared to each other, smaller gifts may be just as special as grander gifts.

4. It’s a hectic time for the birthday child, or guest of honor. They don’t have as much time to enjoy each gift as they open it, without pressure to get the gift opening done so party goers can move on to something else.

If you don’t plan to open your gifts at the party, state that on the invitation so party guests won’t be disappointed, or ask them to omit gifts completely.

Don’t forget to send out those thank you cards!

Cucumber Sandwiches

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I have an easy Summer party appetizer or finger food recipe to share with you today. Cucumbers are a cool refreshing taste of summer.

Cucumber sandwiches are super simple to make. They’re great for bridal or baby showers, graduations, a summer garden tea, or backyard cookout.

Cucumber Sandwiches

Mini pumpernickel bread (in the Deli section at most supermarkets)
1-2 cucumbers~ sliced
Dill weed
1/2 cup Mayonnaise
1~ 8oz cream cheese (at room temperature)

Mix the Mayonnaise and cream cheese together with a blender until smooth. Spread the cream cheese Mayonnaise mixture on the pumpernickel slices, then top each one with a cucumber and sprinkle with dill on top for garnish and flavor.

Cinco De Mayo~ Summer Tequila Cocktail Recipes With a Twist

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Today I have some fabulous Cinco De Mayo cocktail recipes to share with you. These recipes would also be perfect vor any summer party. I can see myself beside the pool, or lounging in the beach chair with one of these in my hand.

These cocktail recipes would also be fabulous for a backyard barbecue, with a tropical island theme. Just looking at them makes me think of sandy beaches!

I might just have to make one of these tequila cocktails this weekend!

The recipes are courtesy of Oro Azul Tequila.

Island Sunset

  • 1 ½ oz Oro Azul Blanco Tequila
  • ½ oz Cointreau®
  • 2 oz pomegranate juice
  • 1 oz fresh lime juice
  • ½ oz simple syrup

In a cocktail shaker filled with ice add above ingredients shake well and pour into a Collins glass filled with ice.

La Bonita

  • 1 ½ oz Oro Azul Reposado Tequila
  • ½ oz Cointreau®
  • 2 oz fresh squeezed lemon juice
  • 1 oz pear juice
  • 1 oz simple syrup

In a cocktail shaker filled with ice add above ingredients shake well and pour into a Collins glass. Garnish with a lime wedge.

El Matador

  • 1 ½ oz Oro Azul Blanco Tequila
  • 3 oz pineapple juice
  • Juice of ½ lime

In a cocktail shaker filled with ice add above ingredients shake well and strain into a champagne flute.

Pomegranate Perfection

  • 1 ½ oz Oro Azul Añejo Tequila
  • ½ oz apple brandy
  • 2 oz pomegranate Juice
  • 2 oz fresh squeezed lemon Juice
  • Splash of cinnamon

In a cocktail shaker filled with ice add above ingredients shake well and strain into an ice filled 12 oz glass. Garnish with a cinnamon stick.

Mangorita

  • 2 oz Oro Azul Reposado Tequila
  • ½ oz Triple Sec®
  • 2 oz mango juice

In a cocktail shaker filled with ice add above ingredients shake well and strain into a martini glass.

Oro Azul is produced by the Lopez Garibay family, which has been in the tequila business for over 100 years. Established in 1921, their present ranch is located in the heart of the tequila region, Los Altos, where only the finest blue agave is found.

After five generations, the family continues to follow a traditional style, handmade tequila production process that focuses on 100 percent estate grown blue agave and attention to preserving the original cultivation and distillation techniques used over a century ago.

Always remind your guests to drink responsibly, and never drink and drive!