Today's letter: H

H is for Happy Faces! :)

Don't happy faces just make you happy?!  :)

Smiles are contagious:) 

Share the happiness at your event!

xox :)

Sierra

Today's letter: G

G is for Grammy Awards!

Every year, musicians, singers, bands, celebrities and everyone "music", gets together to present the year's awards in music. They present the winner with a Grammy Award, pictured above.

Look up the date of this year's Grammy's. It will be fun to dress up, celebrate music and watch the awards with your friends!

DRESSCODE: black - tie, red carpet, glamorous.

FOOD: appetizers, finger foods, elegant courses.

DRINKS: champagne.

DECORATIONS: music-themed, guitars, record players, CDs, glitter, red carpet.

MUSICMUSICMUSIC: make sure you have a constant playlist of Grammy nominees and popular songs!

before the awards start, have your guests predict or vote for your own winners! Have blank pieces of paper and a decorated old shoebox ready to cast ballots.

HAVE FUN!

XO,Sierra

Today's letter: F

F is for Fajitas 

Fajitas are a fun, do-it-yourself food that can be fun for the kids or fancy for the adults!


There are so many different types of fajitas:

• chicken, steak, beef, vegetable, tofu, shrimp, guacamole
• they can be served hot, cold, grilled, pre-made or do-it-yourself

Here are my favorite top 3 unique fajita recipes that are fun for any occasion!

1. Tequila Lime Chicken Fajitas (andreasrecipes.com)

Ingredients

6 boneless chicken breasts

MARINADE
1 cup freshly squeezed lime juice (not the bottled stuff)
1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1/2 cup gold tequila
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3 or 4 grinds fresh black pepper

ACCOMPANIMENTS
refried beans
Mexican rice
sauteed or grilled onions and peppers
whole wheat flour tortillas
tomatoes or salsa
sour creamguacamole

Preparation

1. In the medium bowl, stir together the lime juice, orange juice, tequila, cilantro, garlic, salt, and pepper.

2. Put the chicken breasts into the freezer bags, 3 per bag, and pour the marinade over the chicken. Turn the bags over a couple times, then put them in the refrigerator for up to 12 hours.

3. Preheat the grill to medium heat, and brush the grill rack with oil. Grill the chicken 10 minutes on the first side, then turn and cook another 8 minutes.

4. Slice the chicken diagonally across the grain and serve with the fajita accompaniments.

2. Chipotle Shrimp Fajitas (www.bitchincamero.com)

1. 30 de-veined shrimp (sans tails)
   1/2 a thinly sliced red pepper
   1/2 a thinly sliced green pepper
   1/2 a thinly sliced yellow pepper
   1/2 a thinly sliced red onion
   1/2 can black beans
   1/2 small can of chipotle sauce (or 1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce)
   1 tsp. cumin
   1 tsp. chili powder
   4 smallish whole wheat tortillas
   1/3 cup sour cream for garnish
   1/3 cup shredded light cheddar cheese
   1. Sautee the shrimp with the chipotle sauce til they get turn opaque (3-5 minutes), then put them in a bowl
   2. Sautee all the veggies with the spices
   3. Add the beans
   4. Add the shrimp back in with everything else
   5. Put the shrimp and veggies and beans in a bowl
   6. Warm the tortillas
   7. Build ‘em as you like ‘em
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   3. Gold Medal Sizzling Fajitas (foodnetwork.com - Paula Deen)
   • 1/4 cup vegetable oil, divided
   • 3 tablespoons lemon juice
   • 1 garlic clove, minced
   • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
   • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
   • 1 teaspoon onion powder
   • Dash hot sauce
   • Salt
   • Freshly ground black pepper
   • 1 1/2 pounds meat (boneless, skinless chicken breast, skirt steak or peeled and deveined shrimp)
   • 1 medium onion, halved and sliced lengthwise
   • 1 green bell pepper, sliced
   • 1 red bell pepper, sliced
   • 8 (8-inch) flour tortillas
   • 1 lime, juiced, for topping
   • Sour cream, for topping
   • Salsa, for topping
   • Guacamole, for topping
   • Cheddar cheese, shredded, for topping

   Directions

   In a heavy duty resealable plastic bag, combine 2 tablespoons of the vegetable oil, lemon juice, garlic, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, hot sauce, salt, pepper and your choice of meat. Seal and toss the bag around to coat. Marinate in the refrigerator. *Cook's Note: 15 minutes for shrimp, 20 minutes for chicken and 1 hour for skirt steak.

   Preheat your cast iron servers in a preheated 400 degree F oven for at least 20 minutes, to get a good sizzle when you plate the fajitas.

   Heat the outside grill or a large indoor grill pan to medium-high heat. Remove the meat from the marinade and place it on the hot grill, discard the marinade. Cook chicken until cooked through, about 5 minutes per side, skirt steak about 3 minutes per side for medium-rare and about 2 minutes for shrimp. Slice the chicken and steak into strips if you are using.

   In a large skillet heat up the remaining 2 tablespoons vegetable oil and fry the onions and bell peppers until crisp-tender with some salt and pepper.

   Wrap the tortillas in foil and warm them in the oven with the servers for 15 minutes.

   When you are ready to serve, remove the cast iron servers from the oven and quickly arrange the meat and peppers and onions on it. It will immediately start to sizzle from their fat and moisture. Serve sizzling immediately with the warm tortillas and other accompaniments.

   
   

   ENJOY! xo, Sierra

Today's letter: E

E is for Egyptian-Themed




Egyptian-themed parties are a great, fun way to show off your creative side! Here are a few super easy tips to turn your party into an Egyptian success! Kids will love this theme, especially if they have just learned about Ancient Egypt in school. For adults, it is a great time to dress up as gods and goddesses!

• invitations - this is something you can really have fun with! By staining papyrus-like paper with tea bags, you can age your invitations in a matter of seconds. Wait for the paper to dry and write the invitations by hand. You can even glue dowels to the top and bottom of the paper so it looks like a scroll. Finish with a gold ribbon. Gold will be a great ongoing theme for this party.

• decorations - it's a great idea to include the Egyptians ideas we all know : Pharoahs, goddesses, pyramids, mummies, etc. For a tablescape centerpiece, cut up cardboard and paint it to look like sand-colored stones. Stack the rectangles into a pyramid shape. Use a red tablecloth & accent the table with glitter and gold utensils. 

• dress up - by using sheets, tablecloths and fabric, you can easily wrap any shape or sized person to look like an Ancient Greek God. By using fake leaves - available at your local craft store - you can make a circular headpiece. Accent with gold string/fabric. *For women, check out this video on how to make yourself look like an Egyptian queen with hair, accessories and makeup! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k4qNRmwli-A

• font - utilize hieroglyphics however you can. You can have a guest book set up with how to translate your name into hieroglyphics. For kids, it may be a fun arts and crafts activity!

& now for everyone's favorite...

• dessert - check out these awesome Egyptian-themed cupcakes!

HAVE FUN and remember, gold is a great touch for any Egyptian party!

xo, Sierra

Today's letter: D

D is for Do-It-Yourself Guest Books


click this link for great pictures and ideas on how to make a guest book special and memorable!

http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/3NmaVt/www.loveandlavender.com/2010/03/creative-guest-books/

Today's letter: C

C is for Circus




Clowns, bright colors, animals, red & white, merry-go-rounds, popcorn, animal crackers and elephants are all great ideas to incorporate into a circus theme.  

For kids, dressing up is a fun idea for a circus themed birthday party or event. 
- Clown: face paint, clown nose, big shoes, wig, baggy clothes.
- Ringmaster: long red jacket, top hat, black pants, white shirt, boots.
- Elephant, lion, camel: make your own masks, ears and tails!
- Fortune teller: headscarf, gypsy skirts, make up, big jewelry.




Don't forget CONFETTI & BALLOONS!!!!

TIP: Use red and white fabric to drape a tent or a room to instantly give a room a circus-y feel.






LINK: rent carnival machines/contraptions here. (popcorn maker, sno-kone machine...)


---> http://fct.proxy.voicestar.com/food_machines.html

                                                                      XO, Sierra

Today's letter: B

B is for Black & White


Black and white is one of my favorite themes for any event. It is a great way to catch your guest's attention. Black & White could be an appropriate theme for a birthday party, wedding, black tie event, etc...

^This is an example of a beautiful black and white themed table scape for a black-tie wedding. Black and white linens, with sparkling china, glasses and candles really pop off of each other. Gorgeous white flowers, such as hydrangeas (used here) can give a full, sophisticated effect.


Project wedding has a great selection of photos of black and white weddings: Please see here:
***http://www.projectwedding.com/post/list/black-white-tablescapes-and-centerpieces***






FOOD! My favorite topic! Black and white food can be incorporated easily into a casual event. These black and white cookies have a custom twist and are available at Etsy.com

- Rye, white and marble bread are perfect to serve finger sandwiches on
- Oreos
- Chocolate and vanilla brownies, cupcakes, cakes
- Black bean soup with corn tortillas
- Cheese and olive pizza
- Blackberry and white grape fruit kabobs
- Black and white cookies
- Black pasta with alfredo sauce (it exists!)



*Have all guests dress in black and white and give presents in black and white. Sticking to the theme throughout makes the party that much more fun!

ENJOY! XO, Sierra