Food Lush

Mardi Gras Party Ideas

Editor's note: For our last week at Food Lush, I've asked the writers to share both a favorite post by another writer, from over the last three years, and a favorite post of their own. You'll see these posts linked to at the top of their new post for the week. Enjoy a stroll down Lush memory lane!

By Ariel

I'm sad to be saying goodbye for awhile, but thankful to the Lush editors for letting me in on this wonderful website. I learned a lot about food around here (like not everyone is ACTUALLY a gourmet chef in their spare time. Everyone loves a shortcut!) The first post that came to mind when I was asked to throwback a favorite was Carrie's cauliflower pizza crust!  I had never heard of such a thing before but the genius is astounding. I've used it several times and actually find myself craving it more often than regular pizza, go figure. My own favorite of mine is one of the first ones I wrote here at Food Lush, and continues to be my most-requested party food, my Bacon and Cheese Tartlets.  I make these for every. Single. Group. Gathering. And still people need confirmation that yes, I am bringing them, don't worry.

*** 

For my last post around these parts for awhile I thought it would be appropriate to send off with some Mardi Gras party ideas. Fat Tuesday is coming up February 12th, and while I'm a little too far north for the real party, my people and I never like to pass up an excuse to eat and drink in the name of a theme!

First and most important, the drinks:

[Photo credit Chicago Tribune]

The Mardi Gras Hurricane!  Rum, rum, and some other stuff, this is a staple and a favorite of mine.  Whenever I find these on vacation I'll usually down enough so that I won't notice a hurricane going on around me, but what a delicious drink!

Or, if you want to get everyone involved in some fun, how about a Virgin Hurricane?

[ Photo credit Taste of Home]

To spice up your appetizers with some theme fun, how cute are these claw picks?
 

 
[Picture from nolaimports.com] 

My husband and I are going to the beach for a week with a few other couples, I'm thinking I need a beach-themed party before we go and these little claw picks are just so cute I can't stand it.

Of course, you also need some Mardi Gras COOKIES!  You can pick up a set of your own Mardi Gras cookie cutters at Mardigrasoutlet.com for only $12 or browse all their cookie cutter shapes here.
 

For snacks, how about Mardi Gras Pretzels, King Cake Bars, or these Apple Beignets (which I am DROOLING OVER)

[Image from Babble.com]

For the main attraction (ah, who am I kidding, the booze up top is the main attraction!) how about this amazing looking citrus marinated shrimp dish from Southern Living?



[Photo credit Southern living]

And one of my absolute favorite things to eat in the entire world, the Shrimp Po' Boy:

 

[Image from cooking channel tv]

I recently discovered  restaurant nearby that made the most excellent shrimp po' boy I've ever found in this part of the country.  I'm so excited to go back I can't even tell you.

Hopefully I've put everyone in a party mood.  Rather than a Hurricane I'll probably be tipping back a few champane cocktails this weekend (today's my birthday!).  Thanks for two great years, you guys!  We truly couldn't ask for a better crowd around here.

Holiday Staple: Chex Mix

by Jess M

Every Christmas pretty much my entire life has included Chex Mix. We have always made it from a recipe my mom cut out of a magazine sometimes in the 80s. I'm pretty sure that piece of paper still exists, in the green metal recipe card tin my mom kept in the cabinet. For my bridal shower, my sister included a copy of that recipe for my own collection. Over the years the recipe on the boxes has changed but I stick very closely to my own version of the snack.

For reference: "The Original Chex Mix" recipe from Chex.com (picture those quotation marks as air quotes from me because it's not *actually* the original from the 1950s).

Also the Wikipedia article, with a link to the original ad for Chex Mix which appeared in Life Magazine in 1952.

Jess's version of Chex Mix (based on a circa 1980s magazine cutout, with my own modifications)

1/2 c melted butter

3 T Worchestershire sauce

2 t Season All seasoned salt

8 c any Chex cereal (I prefer corn and rice)

1 c pretzels

1 c peanuts

Measure out cereal, pretzels and nuts in a gallon ziploc bag. Melt butter, mix with the worchestershire and seasoned salt, and pour over the cereal mixture. Seal the bag and shake it until all the pieces are evenly coated.

Microwave: Pour contents into a large microwaveable bowl, cook on high 5-6 minutes, stirring every 2 minutes. 

Oven: Heat oven to 250 degrees. Spread the mix onto a foil-lined baking sheet. Cook for 40-50 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes.

Cool on paper towels.

It freezes well, so if you can make a whole bunch at a time, you can put it away for later, but it doesn't really last all that long in my house.

~~~

 Last year, Caitlin's dad shared their family's recipe for Cereal Mix.

Pigs in a blanket and other upcoming appetizers

by Caitlin

Notice how I cleverly avoided titling this "Holiday appetizers," "Christmas appetizers," or "New Year's appetizers"? But consider this the ole bait & switch. I do love a good hors d'oeuvre, and I think this can be considered the season of the appetizer. And the season of the cocktail, cookie, baked good, giant meal, and anything else you want to justify indulging in.

I've got a few menus and meals to plan for, and I can't stop thinking about pigs in blankets. A few years ago on a whim I decided to make some (for the first time ever) for a party my husband and I were throwing. He'd just made his own duck breast prosciutto, was plotting a fancy cheese plate, and didn't see a place for pigs in a blanket on our snack table. Guess what was the first to go? Apparently people just can't resist processed meat products wrapped in processed pastry, especially when you offer them something to dip them in. They've become a favorite once-or-twice-a-year indulgence for me ever since, and this is the perfect time of year for them. 

Photo: me

Last year I felt much more virtuous buying cans of crescent rolls and Morally Superior Hot Dogs* at Whole Foods. They didn't have Humane L'il Smokies* at the overpriced hippie grocery store, so I bought regular sized Virtuous Hot Dogs* and cut them into L'il Smoky size. It worked great. Press some poppy or sesame seeds on the top to show you mean business. 

*Not the actual names.

Photo from browneyedbaker.com

In the past I've also had great success with buffalo chicken dip (again using Virtuous Chicken because chicken in a can = ew), and I am currently contemplating Things That are Wrapped in Bacon. Contenders: water chestnuts, scallops, dates stuff with goat cheese. 

Photo from sheknows.com

Yep, I think we've got a winner.

Do you have any fun appetizers planned? What are your feelings on pastry wrapped meat products?

Clever Christmas Food-Related Ideas

Tara C.

I recently came across this compilation of 38 Clever Christmas Food Hacks That Will Make Your Life So Much Easier and thought I would highlight some of my favorites here. You've probably seen some of these on Pinterest before, but some were new to me.

Personally, I will probably try the simplest ideas that require little to no effort. If they don't work, so what? For example, putting ice cream in a plastic bag to keep it from getting too hard:

(photo from: fullpunch.com)

Or for your smaller ornaments, try storing them in egg cartons.

(photo from: toostinkincute.blogspot.com)

We don't eat Pringles, but now I'm going to be on the look out for food containers that I can re-purpose for gifting baked goods.

(photo from: momsbyheart.net)

Using condiment bottles for cookie icing looks like a great way to minimize the mess.

(photo from: bakeat350.blogspot.com)

So, those are some simple ideas. I have to disagree with the title, which suggests that all of these ideas will make your life easier. Some of these ideas don't look easy to me at all. But I guess if you're going to choose one time of year to fuss over the details of your food, it's probably Christmas. For me, the following ideas fall into the category of Things I Think Are Adorable But Will Probably Not Attempt Because I Know Myself to Have The Attention Span of a Flea.

Take, for instance, these tiny elf donuts made from Cheerios. (The Buzzfeed list calls them elf cookies, but they are clearly donuts, right?) Maybe I'm just a sucker for wee little foods, but I think they are precious. I am actually quite fascinated by all the teeny dollhouse-sized foods pictured in this post.

(photo from: unconfidentialcook.com)

Likewise, this tiny strand of Christmas lights made from candy is adorable, but probably requires patience beyond that which I possess. But is your gingerbread house feeling under-dressed? How great would it look with these little lights? Or wouldn't this look great on a cake or cupcake?

(photo from: hungryhappenings.com)

And, finally, I would love to try one of these gingerbread men jello shots. I may need to have a party just so I have an excuse to make these. Unless Wednesday night is an excuse to make gingerbread men jello shots?

(photo from: thatssomichelle.com)

A New Tradition: Friendsgiving

By Dani

I'm convinced that all food tells a story. Most homemade recipes have love behind them - the dessert your best friend loves, the green beans your grandmother made, the scrambled eggs that taste just like Saturday mornings with your dad. Even when we try new recipes, I'm convinced that we're drawn to flavors based on the people and feelings they remind us of, even if it's subconcious.

This year, we got together with some of our closest friends and had a "Friendsgiving" a few weeks before the real thing. We're from all over the country, so our foods and stories were diverse: Turkey brined "St Louis style", vegetarian stuffing from California, sweet carrots from Michigan, homemade ice cream from Kansas, green bean bundles from Texas, potatoes from South Carolina, a relish tray from Oklahoma. We all had reasons for our foods, a memory or a special person who gave us our inspiration, even if the recipe wasn't exactly "the way mom made it".

It was one of the most fun (and tastiest) evenings of the year. It's nice to know that you can take your family and your traditions with you wherever you go, and we'll definitely be making "Friendsgiving" a priority every year.

Have you ever had a Friendsgiving? What's your signature recipe?

Preschool Potluck: What I Made

by Jen L.

First off, lushes, THANK YOU for the wonderful suggestions! Each and every one of them has been added to my list o' potluck dishes/birthday party foods.  You guys are the best.

So what did I decide to bring to the potluck?

Tiny, slightly blurry iphone picture. Gotta love it.

 

I went with my version of baked ziti, complete with homemade tomato sauce, and strawberry brownies.  My husband, who gets panicky about things like this, asked me to PLEASE make something I knew he and Dean would like.  Pasta is our fail-safe around here.  I made my simple tomato sauce with diced onion and green bell peppers, tons of garlic, ground beef and herbs.  I even threw in a can of diced tomatoes for good measure.  I cooked the sauce all afternoon, then boiled the noodles about 30 minutes before time to leave.  Once it was all mixed together, I put it in a 9 X 13 pan, topped it with a mound of mozzarella and parmesan cheese and zapped it in the oven on 375 til the cheese was bubbly and just starting to brown.  It was a great comfort food dish.  And it went over well with parents and kids.  Success!

The strawberry brownies, by the way, didn't stand a chance.  All that was left was the pan.

Thanks again for your help, dear readers!

Little Monster Party Sandwiches and Cookies

By Tara C.

Last weekend I helped host a Little Monster-themed baby shower for my sister, whose first baby (a boy!) is due in November. These "monster" sandwiches came together much faster than I expected. We copied the idea from this Little Monster 1st Birthday Party. We made two plates of sandwiches--one with lunch meat and cheese and the other with cheese slices or herbed cheese spread.

I used a combination of wheat and white breads, which I cut with a biscuit cutter. For the cheese slices, I used a scalloped-edge cookie cutter. Both are shown below. If you don't have cutters like these, you could just use the back of a glass to cut the bread and cut jagged "teeth" in the cheese slices by hand.

The olives are pinned on by toothpicks, which also help prop up the sandwiches on the plate.

Aside from a Little Monster-themed shower or birthday, I think these sandwiches would be fun at Halloween, too.

I also made little monster sugar cookies as party favors. The cookies were cut out with the scalloped cookie cutter shown above. I am not much of a cookie-decorator, so the candy eyes I found at the grocery store really helped.

I put each cookie into a cookie sleeve in a bread basket to give to guests as party favors.

(Peek-a-boo!) More Little Monster shower pictures can be found here.

(photos from: me)

Summer Party: Sundae Bar

By Erica H.

Summertime in central Texas can often be a bit of a struggle. What seems to be a time of freedom and outdoor fun for many areas of the country feels more like a prison sentence--too hot for a walk, too hot for the park, too hot to leave the house unless absolutely necessary. In a (valiant!) effort to take the edge off of this miserable, broiling sesason, I have been attempting to cook all 60 "SUMMER RECIPES" in the June edition of Bon Appétit (starting here). There have been some high highs and some low lows, but I think I finally hit summertime gold with the Sundae Bar Party.

It's simple, it's fun, it's sugar-packed, and it's indoors. I made all five toppings/sauces recommended:

Hot fudge sauce. A classic. I'm pretty sure hot fudge and ice cream are the only true requirements for a sundae. When I asked my daughter which ice cream she wanted, she kept pointing insistently to this bowl. "THAT ONE."

Marshmallow Sauce. I could take or leave this, but it garnered the most comments and questions from my guests. If you're into corn syrup, there are worse applications for it.

Sweet-and-salty peanut butter sauce. Ah, here's the one for me! A splash of this on some chocolate ice cream is heaven. Or you could follow my lead and spend all day dipping pretzel sticks in it.

Cherry compote. This is easy and lovely and allows you to tell yourself "At least I ate some fruit today."

Wet walnuts. Haaaaa! Wet walnuts.

The party I hosted was child-oriented, but I promise adults will go for this as well. BONUS: leftover toppings provide an excellent excuse to make pancakes the next day.

Zucchini Fritters

by Maura

Last year I was a member of a CSA from which I received many, many zucchini every week. Will and I ate roasted zucchini until we turned a little green. Truth be told, I still have a little bit of a zucchini hangover. I still buy it at the store, though, because it is an easy and economical vegetable. Last week I was perusing the contents of my refrigerator and saw three large zucchini that needed to be used ASAP. Naturally, I turned to the internet and to my Twitter friends to get some suggestions. Nicole suggested zucchini fritters, which lead me to this recipe and these gorgeous and tasty goodies, which I served along side roasted salmon.

(photo source: Baked Zucchini Fritters (Kolokithokeftedes) by Souvlaki for the Soul)

These fritters were perfect: crunchy on the outside, soft in the middle and speckled with salty bits of feta cheese. Initially hesitant because I do not own a food processor, my old school box grater was surprisingly efficient in grating the zucchini and the recipe came together easily. I estimated the amounts of ingredients since the original recipe uses metric measurements. The original recipe is also gluten free. I don't have almond flour, so I used panko, which worked out quite well. I paired the fritters with a sauce of sour cream, Greek yogurt and lemon juice, but they tasted so good I didn't eat the sauce on them.

We ate these two nights in a row, they were so delicious. I also think they would make great appetizers or party food. Hope you enjoy!

Southern Caviar

by Jen L.

Being southern, I adore potlucks, partially because they typically feature at least 6 different types of dip.  My favorite dip offering for the potluck table is Southern Caviar, a southerner's take on salsa.  You can make it as spicy or mild as you want and tailor it to your own preferences.  Hate black eyed peas?  Use black beans instead!  One thing I've learned by making what seems like a million batches of this stuff is to use fat free Italian dressing or the Wishbone "Just 2 Good" dressing which has only 2 grams of fat. Those dressings tend to have more chunks in them, which adds to the yum factor of this recipe.  I prefer mine with tortilla chips (especially the blue ones), but it's also tasty atop crostini or crackers.  Give it a try at your next potluck.

SOUTHERN CAVIAR

• 2 (15-ounce) cans black-eyed peas, drained
• 1 (15-ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
• 1 (10-ounce) can diced tomatoes and green chiles (recommended: Ro-Tel)
• 2 cups chopped red bell pepper
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh jalapeno peppers
• 1/2 cup chopped red onion
• 1 (8-ounce) bottle Italian dressing
• 1 (4-ounce) jar chopped pimentos, drained

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Serve with tortilla chips or crackers.

Image credit:  Food.com