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Fall or Holiday Party Idea: Apple Tasting Party

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Today I have a fun twist on a holiday wine or cheese tasting party from, home entertaining expert Domenica Marchetti. Domenica suggests a fun (and healthy) twist on the wine and cheese pairing party. The author of Big Night In says, “Embrace the season’s bounty and involve the whole family: host an apple tasting!”

I think it sounds like a wonderful idea! There are so many wonderful apple varieties and flavors, and so many ways you can present them to your guests.

More than 2,500 apple varieties are grown in the United States, and about 20 are widely available nationwide, according to the U.S. Apple Association. “Yet, many consumers gravitate to the same two or three varieties,” she says. “An apple tasting can be a fun experience for your guests as they sample the range of flavors, textures and colors along the apple spectrum.”

Marchetti offers some great tips to help you host your apple tasting party:

  • Select three to six varieties, including sweet and tart. One suggested lineup: Golden Delicious, Gala, Jonagold, Braeburn, Fuji, Honeycrisp, and Granny Smith.
  • Line up each variety and identify them with a simple place card, then place sliced apples for sampling in front (provide utensils for safe handling). TIP: to prevent browning, dunk apple slices in vitamin C-fortified 100% apple juice.
  • Provide toasted walnuts as a palate-cleanser and tools for note-taking.
  • Have guests sample varieties individually. Challenge them to note unique characteristics, such as size and shape. Also discuss skin color, flesh firmness, and the apple’s aromas and juices. Finally, have them describe the flavor — sweet, tart, spicy, floral, etc. Perhaps one emerges as a favorite. TIP: For adults, refrain from drinking alcohol during the tasting as it will dull the taste buds.

Once all the apples have been sampled, showcase their versatility through creative pairings, from artisanal cheeses to sweet and savory spreads, Marchetti suggests.

“You may also choose to incorporate an assortment of delicious apple products,” she says. “Include apple butter as a bread dipper, or serve dried apples. And don’t forget to toast to your guests with a steaming cup of apple cider or an apple cocktail!”

See Marchetti’s suggested “Pairings and Simple Recipes,” or visit www.usapple.org for inspiration.

SOURCE U.S. Apple Association

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.

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.