Valentine's Day Cocktail Party for Two - Dessert & Champagne Bar

Part two of this Valentine's Cocktail Party for Two might be the most essential part of this evening-- Dessert and Champagne!  I didn't want to go wild with the food and have my husband rolling out of the room at the end of the night, but there was no way that I was going to host a romantic Valentine's evening without a few chocolates and glasses of bubbly.  

I also want to point out that this evening works really well if you are single and want to host a Valentine's themed party for a group of your single friends.  The only adjustments I would make would be to add more cheese, appetizer plates and champagne (depending on your total number of guests).  This day is about being with those closest to you and having fun, so if that means friends, great!  

Desserts:

If there is one thing my husband LOVES, it's a "sweet treat" or two.  Still worried about overloading my husband with food, I wanted to have a modest dessert selection.  I decided to select little bites that kept in line with the Valentine's/Romantic theme and didn't require a ton of prep work.  The results were both delicious and festive. 

Champagne Bar:

I love serving champagne with all of the "fixings."  There is something about the ability to customize your own glass of champagne that really makes it unique, festive and extra delicious.  For this spread, I included  blackberries, raspberries and fresh red currants.  Other tasty additions could be pomegranate seeds and champagne cocktail ingredients (sugar cube + bitters).  

Table Decor & Other Accessories:

The concept I wanted to stick with when designing this table was simple, chic, festive and functional.  I kept the color scheme to red, gold, black and white, and brought over only one piece of patterned tableware from the cocktail table (my Scalamandre Cocktail Napkins).  This way I could create both a cohesive and romantic aesthetic without going overboard on the decor.   

As is my goal with every post, I want you to feel both inspired and empowered to recreate these concepts I'm sharing in your own home.  Whether you choose to have a romantic cheesescape for two or a Valentine's Dessert & Champagne party with your friends, I hope this post has given you a new perspective on how to celebrate this holiday.  

Valentine's Day Cocktail Party for Two

Valentine's Day is less than a week away and like previous years, I was having trouble thinking of what to do for my husband.  I have heard people say that this is a holiday for women, but that just seems like a poor excuse to get out of having to do something for your significant other to show them how much they mean to you.  Yes,  you should show your love and appreciation for your partner every day, but its nice to have this holiday to really go all out with a nice and romantic gesture.  

Brainstorming what to do for my husband….well immediately I knew what I didn't want to do--anything super traditional.  I am not a big fan of overloading on the hearts/cupid decor.  I can understand a touch of hearts decor, but after this holiday is over, when else are you going to be able to use this stuff?  The answer…next valentines day.  I just cannot justify spending that kind of money on stuff you are only going to use one day out of the year (Christmas Decor is up for an entire month in my house so don't even try to argue that one with me). 

What did I come up with?  I came across these Scalamandre Placemats by Caspari while perusing Amazon.com and was immediately hooked!  My valentines idea suddenly became clear, I was going to make a romantic cocktail hour for my husband (with a mini cheesescape of course) and then round out the evening with a  dessert and champagne bar (*I will be sharing those details on Wednesday).

Table Decor:

• Votives- I used my Tiffany & Co. Crystal Rock Cut Votives, which I have talked about in my article on Coffee Table Candles.  Other great votive suggestions for this coffee tablescape would be: 
  • CB2's Hatch Candle Holder, CB2's Frosted Glass Candle Holder, West Elm's Mercury Tea Light Holders 
• Flowers- I kept this aspect of the table very traditional with deep red roses.  
  • For the large rose bowl, I used slightly over a dozen roses.  If you don't have a rose bowl, I highly recommend getting one.  I am not an expert at flower arranging, but having this rose bowl has made this arrangement look professional.  Additional bonus- you can buy rose bowls very inexpensively like this rose bowl available at Amazon.com.  
  • For the bud vases, I used CB2's Ai Bud Vases and suggest filling them with either African Roses or Spray Roses.  

Table Setting:

• Placemats- Scalamandre by Caspari (Set of 4)
• Napkins- CB2 Restaurant Dinner Napkins (Set of 4)
• Napkin Rings- I had purchased my horn napkin rings from Williams Sonoma on sale.  They no longer carry the napkin rings, but here are a few similar options:
  • Pottery Barn Horn Napkin Rings (Set of 4), Simon Pearce Polished Horn Napkin Ring, Kenneth Cole Reaction Home Horn Napkin Ring
• Coasters- I used my Brass Chilewich Dahlia Coasters. 
• Stemware- Pictured are my William Yeoward Fanny Champagne Flutes.  A few additional champagne flute options would be:
  • Riedel Vinum Champagne Glass (Set of 2), Lenox Marchesa Imperial Caviar Gold Champagne Flutes (Set of 2), Williams-Sonoma Somerset Champagne Flute (Set of 4), CB2 Cheval Clear Flute
• Cheese Board- I used the Godinger Plume Cheese Board with Server
• Cheese Knives- The Godinger Plume Cheese Board does come with a cheese knife, however I opted for a set of 2 silver cheese knives.  Here are a few different options if you are looking to grow your cheese knife collection:
  • Jean DuBost Laguiole 3-Piece Cheese Knife Set- Stainless Steel, Sur La Table Hotel Cheese Knives (Set of 4), Michael Aram New Molten Cheese Knife Set
• Small Serving Bowls- The crystal bowls pictured below are actually antiques that I inherited, but here are a few small bowl alternatives:
  • Julia Knight Peony Round Bowl 6", Libbey Crisa Tempo Square Bowl (Set of 12), Sur La Table The Cambridge Collection Footed Serving Bowls

Food & Drink:

• For the Cheeseboard:
  • Camembert Heart Cheese- The only heart on this table!  I was perusing the cheese section at Whole Foods and came across this Camembert Heart from the Old Chatham Sheepherding Company.  I couldn't resist!  Pictured above I have garnished it with fresh julienned sage, because I felt it needed a little color for presentation purposes.  I've actually noticed a fair number of grocery stores carrying heart shaped cheeses right now, like Trader Joe's.  Even if you can't find a heart shaped cheese, there are still so many great cheese options available for your Valentine's Cheesescape.  
  • Cypress Grove Midnight Moon- This is a personal favorite of mine.  I cannot get enough of it and it's definitely a cheese that you will see time and again in my cheesescape photos.  Why do I love it so much?  This gouda has delicious nutty and brown butter notes, pairs beautifully with a variety of preserves/ chutneys and always seems to be a crowd favorite (especially for my husband and myself).  
  • Chutney- I went with a personal favorite of both mine and my husband (since we are going to be the ones eating it), Virginia Chutney Company's Hot Peach Chutney.  I love the combination of sweet and heat, plus it pairs beautifully with the Midnight Moon.  
  • Fresh Red Currants- I am totally in LOVE with currants at the moment.  Not a common choice, but their tart/slightly sweet taste is fantastic.  They pair beautifully with a  variety of cheeses and are a great addition to your glass of bubbly (as you will see in Wednesday's Post).  It is towards the end of their peak season, but I am still able to find them in some local grocery stores.

• Cheese Accompaniments:
  • Whole Grain 34 Degree Crisps- Available in a number of grocery stores, specialty food stores and online. 
  • Dried Pear Simple & Crisp-Available in specialty food shops, Whole Foods and Online. 
  • Sea Salt and Rosemary Crostini- Available at Whole Foods.  
  • Tart Dried Cherries- Available at most grocery stores and online at Amazon.com
• Nut Dish:
  • Spicy Cayenne Chickpeas by 2 Armadillos Co.
  • Trader Joe's Sweet and Spicy Pecans
  • Trader Joe's Rosemary and Seasalt Marcona Almonds 
  • **For additional nut ideas, check out my post on Cocktail Party Preparedness: Food & Beverage
• Champagne and Sparkling Wine Suggestions:  
  • I think champagne or sparkling wine is the perfect Valentine's cocktail.  Enjoying a bottle of bubbly with your significant other seems pretty romantic to me!  The type of champagne/sparkling wine and price point are totally up to you.  If you are looking for suggestions, I would recommend: Domaine Carneros by Tattinger, Moet & Chandon Champagne, Chandon or Perrier-Jouet Grand Brut.

While this is only Part One of my two part Valentine's series, I hope that this concept has inspired you to possibly think beyond the typical Valentine's Day fare.  There are so many romantic gestures and home accessories that you can do/use to make Valentine's Day special, thoughtful and romantic for your significant other.  Stay tuned for Part Two of my Valentine's Series on Wednesday, where I show you how to round out this cocktail party with a very sweet ending.  

DIY Valentine's Favors

I love giving cute little edible gifts to all of my close friends for Valentine's Day.  This year I decided to step it up a notch not only with the gift contents, but also the wrapping.  Off I went in search of fresh wrapping supplies and inspiration for the actual gift contents.  

How did I fare?  Well it was certainly a very "fruitful" trip to say the least.  There are so many cute treats and ideas in stores at the moment.  And yes, I had some serious shopping success (probably more shopping success than I actually needed…but theres always next year, right?).

For the Wrapping: 

• Red Glitter Takeout Boxes- I actually found these at Pier1 on clearance from Christmas (Christmas Red vs. Valentine's Red = Same Thing!).  Since they no longer have these in stock, I was able to find a bunch of similar options to share with you all from OrientalTrading.com.
• Clear Cellophane Wrapping Paper- This is a wrapping "must-have" for me.  I use cellophane when wrapping any of my perishable gifts as well as many traditional gifts.  It's pretty, protective and displays my gifts beautifully.  Best places to find cellophane wrapping include: Michaels.com, Target, Amazon.com and World Market.  I also am a fan of using the clear cellophane treat bags for baked goods.  
• Ribbon-  I am a HUGE believer in saving nice ribbon that I receive on gifts.  My heart breaks a little each time I see to see perfectly good ribbon that could most definitely be used again, get thrown in the trash.  However, collecting ribbon doesn't guarantee that you will have the right colors available to you when you are say, wrapping Valentine's Day treat bags.  I went to World Market for the Pink Grosgrain Ribbon.  Purple and white grosgrain ribbons can be found on amazon.com or at Michaels. 
• Gift Tags- I used different types of tags for these little gifts.  On the takeout boxes I found these adorable chalkboard sticker hearts at Target.  Target has a second Chalkboard Sticker Heart with a red backing (also very cute!).  For the champagne bottle tags and other cookie bag tags, they were actually Home Goods finds, so I don't have a link to the exact tags.  However, I was able to find very similar tags to share with you from Target and Amazon. The best part about these tags is that they provided the perfect canvas for sticker decorating.  If you aren't up for buying tags that can only be used once a year, buy more neutral tags that you can adorn with festive stickers. (**Note- Metallic Sharpies and Chalkboard Pens are my recommendations for best writing utensils on these tags)

Valentine's Day Treat Ideas:

• Chocolates Wrapped in Metallic Foil- Valentine's Day is all about the chocolate.  These little hearts not only look great in a gift bag, they are delicious and the price point is what I'm talking about (I paid about $3 for 2 bags at Walgreens (or equivalent drug store).  You can also find these chocolates on Orientaltrading.com, Target and most Grocery Stores. 
• Popcorn- Love Angie's Boom Chicka Pop.  It comes in so many flavors and doesn't go stale immediately after opening (perfect for parsing out into small wrapped goodie bags).  
• Pressed Cookies-  I love my OXO Cookie Press.  Not only can I use this press year round (not just for Christmas anymore!), but it also comes with a mini recipe book (I made the chocolate and classic butter cookies for Valentines Day) AND each batch yields 50+ homemade cookies!  What's not to love about a homemade gift (especially when its cookies)?
• Mini Champagne Bottles (for ages 21+)-  This is the priciest part of my post, but a fun addition (so what the heck, why not!).  World Market sells an assortment of mini champagne bottles (in stores only).  I am also a fan of the Sofia Mini Champagnes and Pommery POP Rose Champagne Miniature.

I must say that I did feel somewhat like a Valentine's Day Goody Bag Factory while coming up with all of these different options.  It was fun, delicious and I definitely perfected my cellophane wrapping technique in the process (another great skill for my resume).  In all honesty, I really think that a homemade gift (even if the contents are store bought, adds a special touch.  Whenever someone makes that extra effort (even if its just adding stickers to a gift tag), it doesn't typically go unnoticed and gift recipients really do appreciate the additional thought associated with something homemade (at least thats how I feel, but I hope you do too!).  Happy Valentine's Day!    

Cocktail Party Preparedness - Food & Beverage

Have you ever run into a scenario where at some point during the day you might be talking with your friends about dinner plans for the evening and the opportunity for you to host an impromptu cocktail party arises?  Well, I have run into this scenario all too often.  

I hate the feeling of not being prepared (regardless of what the situation may be).  A pop quiz in school always made me sick to my stomach and that deer in headlights look that typically results from a stressful surprise has never been flattering on me.  

Wouldn't it be great to be able to say to your friends at a moments notice, "Why don't you come over to my place for a quick drink before we head out to dinner."  You're confident with offering up an impromptu cocktail party at your house, because you know you have all of the necessary supplies to entertain.  This is actually very attainable and in all honesty, it doesn't take a lot to adequately equip your home for simple cocktail entertaining.  

Over the years I have learned a great deal from hosting my various cocktail parties (both planned and impromptu).  This post breaks down what I consider to be the cocktail party pantry essentials.  A list of the cocktail party food and beverages to have on hand, so that the next time you offer to host an impromptu cocktail party at home it will be naturally effortless.     

Drinks

• Red and White Wine- If its a quick cocktail party (like an hour or two), I usually buy enough for the wine drinkers to have at least 2 glasses.  If its full on dinner party that I am hosting, I budget a bottle per guest to be on the safe side (Is it really a bad thing to end up with left over wine? Um no, definitely not a bad thing at all!).  A final note- Keep a bottle of white in the fridge at all times.  That way you won't be caught off guard if a guest asks for a glass of white wine (unless you are serving spritzers, white wine + ice cubes = suboptimal). 
• Beer- My first piece of advice with beer buying for a party is this…know your audience.  If you have a bunch of beer drinkers coming over, head to Costco and pick up a 24pack of Glass Bottles.  If theres only going to be 1 or 2 light beer drinkers, you can stick with a 6-12pk.  If I am buying 12 beers, I will usually break it up into a 6pk of Regular beers and a 6pk of Light Beers.  
  • Brands- Again, unless you know your guest's beer preferences, its best to stick with a more well known brand that is mid-priced.
• Liquor - I typically keep a bottle of vodka on hand because I find it to be the most widely liked by my guests.  Again, a mid-priced vodka would be my recommendation.  
• Water -Have a carafe/pitcher of iced water available for your guests.  Cocktails and salty snacks tend to make people very thirsty, so having water available is never a bad idea.  In addition, I also like to keep both sparkling and tonic water on hand.  Whether sparkling water is needed hydrating or tonic water is needed as a mixer for a cocktail, they are certainly entertaining must haves for my parties.  

Food

2 Armadillo Spicy Cayenne Chick Peas, Rosemary Marcona Almonds and Roasted Almonds Lightly Salted

• Nuts- The cocktail party staple!  A mortal sin (in my opinion) is to host a gathering where you are only "watering" them.  Meaning, if you provide your guests with only beverages, it won't be a very long party.  Snacks not only take the hunger "edge" off but snacks also keep your guests from feeling buzzed or ever so slightly inebriated after a single cocktail.  Nuts are a great snack to serve at a cocktail party.  There are so many varieties, they taste delicious and they can be stored in your pantry for months at a time without spoiling.  
  • A few suggestions- Marcona Almonds (Love Trader Joe's Truffle and Rosemary Flavors), Virginia Peanuts, Mixed Nuts (Roasted and Salted), Sahale Crunchers Almond Snacks

• Nut Alternatives- Nut allergies…people have them, they exist and it's not in your best interest as a host/hostess to ignore those needs.  You want your guests to feel comfortable in your home, which includes having a snacking option that meets their dietary needs.   All suggested snacks that I have listed below are delicious! 
  • A few suggestions- 2 Armadillos Crunchy Chickpeas, Somersault Snack Co., Doctor in the Kitchen Seedsters, Half Pops (Partially Popped Natural Popcorn)

• Frozen Apps- Trader Joe's Pastry Bites with Feta Cheese and Caramelized Onions, Edamame in the Shell, Flatbread Pizza (Love American Flatbread Cheese & Herb)
  • These are just some of my favorite frozen appetizers, but definitely go ahead and buy whatever you think that you and/or your guests would enjoy most.  

Entertaining Accessories

• Check out my post on Entertaining Essentials for Hosting a Cocktail Party to get a breakdown of my cocktail party accessory essentials.  

The goal of this post (like so many of my posts) is to let you know that even though you may be busy and not have a lot of time to plan, you can still easily host an impromptu cocktail party.  Hosting can really be nbd (no big deal).  Next time you are at the store for the weekly grocery shop, throw a few of these items in your cart.  Just like Rome not being built in a day, you can build your pantry over time.  Who knows, maybe the next time the opportunity presents itself you might surprise yourself and proactively volunteer to host an impromptu cocktail party.  

Learning About Cheese

If there is one thing you should know about me by now, through my instagram or even previous posts, is that I love to "cheesescape."  I think that a cheeseboard is a great cocktail party staple and has the ability to be constantly reinvented depending on the time of year/season/occasion you are serving the cheeseboard.  In addition to my love of cheesescaping, I really do love to learn (sounds so dorky, I know). So naturally, I have an insatiable appetite for any/all information about cheese pairings, regional cheeses, serving and storing cheeses, etc.  I find myself constantly Pinteresting for new cheesescape presentation ideas and also with my head in books trying to learn all that I can to elevate my cheesescape complexity with each presentation.  

Over time, I have discovered a core repertoire of cheese resources (aside from Pinterest) that have been a huge help advancing my personal cheesescape skill level.  The Murray's Cheese Handbook, by: Rob Kaufelt and Cheese Primer, by: Steven Jenkins, are two resources that I would recommend to anyone looking to learn more about cheeses and the art of creating a cheeseboard (aka "cheesescaping").  Both books provide a wide array of applicable knowledge needed for selecting, pairing, serving and even storing cheeses.  These books are packed with great information on cheeses and tips on creating that perfect cheeseboard.   Below I have provided few of my favorite highlights about each book:

Favorite Features from Cheese Primer: 

• How to properly store cheese
• What to look for when purchasing Cheese and how to serve the cheese
• Tips on assembling a cheese board
• Suggested Cheeseboard Pairings with Wine Suggestions (themed by geographic region and/or season)
• What to do with leftover cheese
• A complete breakdown of all different types of cheeses around the world

Favorite Features from The Murray's Cheese Handbook:

• Cheese 101- Understanding the different types of milk used to make cheese, the difference between pasteurized and unpasteurized cheese, 
• Seasonal Cheeses
• Breaking down the 7 different categories of cheeses
• How to order the presentation of cheeses on your cheese board
• Some favorite domestic cheeses with suggested wines and other accouterments that pair well with each cheese.

In addition, Murray's Cheese Website has a great amount of helpful tips and resources available for learning more about cheeses and an array of different pairings. 

Favorite weekend morning activity - Breakfast and a little Cheese Reading

There is no denying that the best way to educate yourself on cheeses is to actually go to cheesemonger and taste/experience the varieties of cheeses firsthand.  However, if you aren't in a position (ex. geographic, available free time, knowing a good local cheesemonger, etc.), these books are excellent resources for learning the basics of cheeses, pairings and cheesescaping.