Today is the day and my daughter is the most excited of anyone. We’re hosting a little movie night at our house tonight complete with all of the spooky foods, cocktails, and mocktails. Here’s a snapshot of what we’re doing!

For your drinking pleasure…

Corpse Reviver no.2 Cocktail

Super kid (and kid at heart) friendly

Halloween-ies with ketchup blood

It’s delish and a little elegant

Apple Cider Skull cakes

Spooky enough to eat a handful

Eyeball Meringues

For a Harry Potter binge

Butter Beer Cookies

For the kid’s at heart

Ice cream floats made with purple & green sodas

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Today is my birthday! I love my birthday. I’m a big fan of getting older - it’s so much better than the alternative. But it’s also fun! A day to celebrate me! With everyone I love. I’m so lucky to get to have a birthday.

In honor of my birthday, I’ve put together a bunch of my favorite things so you can celebrate along with me!

Very Cherry Birthday Punch

Literally the best champagne punch I have ever made. It’s my absolute favorite. My birthday cake every year is a Black Forest Cake - this goes perfectly with it!

Spaghetti with Clams

This is the best dinner ever. I order it every time it comes up on a menu - it’s almost all I ate when we were in Italy. I’m obsessed with clams - and in pasta with delicious olive oil - I’m extra obsessed.

Birthday Cake Cookies

These are actually perfect. They’re fluffy, filled with white chocolate chips, and covered in sprinkles. I cannot get enough of them! They’re perfect for those of us who don’t care about cake - but LOVE cookies.

Leave a comment if you decide to celebrate with me! I love to celebrate with all of my friends and you are some of my favorite friends.

When I was little we never separated into kids table/adults table.  We sat at one extremely long table with all of my aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents, and random friends that someone showed up with.  And we ate.  If there is one thing that my family has always done well, it's eat.

But I love the concept of a table filled with fun.  And fun things to do.  And fun.  There's a chance I will turn the entire table into a 'kid's table' this year.  I'm sort of smitten with the idea.

In case you are smitten too, here's what I did:

1. Covered the table with kraft paper.  You can draw on it and when you are done it's compostable {at least the kind I bought is compostable}

2. Drew on placemats and place cards.  Black pen = outlines for coloring everything else.

3. Created snack cornucopias out of ice cream cones.  Here's how to do it ::  dip the base of the cone in water for 20 seconds.  microwave the cone for 20 seconds.  bend the cone around a pencil and let sit until hard.  Stale cones work best.

4. Printed out games and activities to play.

5. Made play dough.  Arguably, you can buy it too.  But more fun to make it.

6.  Made handprint turkeys with the little turkeys.  Easy, trace their hand, cut it out, glue on.  Let them cut it out.

7.  Apple juice in milk jars = happy little hands.

Links:

Julie Blanner’s Word Search Printable

Somewhat Simple’s Thankful for Printable Cards

Playdoh Recipe from I Heart Naptime

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Thanksgiving seems to kick off a season of over eating, loads of butter, and a massive amount of dessert. Not to mention the cocktails!! It’s a season where everything makes it harder to eat well. But it doesn’t have to be that way! There are simple solutions, swap outs, and mindfulness that can take this time fraught with heavy cream and turn it into the celebration it’s supposed to be.

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Everyone needs to have a turkey. The large bird are iconic of the season but if you aren’t hosting a huge crowd, try swapping that out for something smaller like a turkey breast or even turkey tenderloins. If you are cooking the big bird, here’s the best tips for making a centerpiece for your dinner.

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And don’t forget a cocktail! Even the healthiest of eating requires a little libation at the holiday. And on a holiday surrounded by family no less. These cocktails are fun and festive and add a little flavor of fall. Make these in big batches and you won’t have to be stuck trying to pour and shake drinks every few minutes! Trust me, a punch bowl full of booze goes a long way!

Last week Kim Hildebrand and I hosted a cooking class + mini photo session and it was EPIC! We cooked, we laughed, we ate. It was such a fun class. Not only was it a fun class, but the girls really pitched in and did 90% of the work themselves.

I set up the table the same way I do it for every cooking class with a giant table down the middle of the bay of the fire station. After we’d all cooked together, we went to the bay for our ‘family brunch’ and all ate together. The girls had the best time sitting together, chatting, and then diving into cupcakes from Trophy Cupcakes.

The menu for the class was simple. Pearl and I met the girls at the door with a Vanilla Float made with DRY Sparkling Vanilla and the moms with a glass of champagne. Have you tried a float with DRY Sparkling?? It’s just a scoop of vanilla ice cream topped with DRY Sparkling Vanilla. It’s so ridiculously good. The Vanilla soda isn’t as sweet as most sodas so it compliments the ice cream perfectly - it still forms the little crust that’s on the top of the ice cream when you make a soda float. Let’s be honest, that’s really the best part.

The girls then made us all Ham & Cheese Puffs - basically on their own! I gave instructions and each girl took on a different job from slicing ingredients to rolling puff pastry to brushing the egg wash on everything. It was adorable how excited each girl got about the tasks - and even more adorable how they all wanted to help in the kitchen! It was proof that if we give our kids age appropriate jobs, they can totally cook dinner for us. If I can get your kids to help AND/OR cook for you once a week then my job is done and I will retire.

I don’t always believe in making dessert. But this was a special occasion and we needed something fabulous to finish off our brunch. My friends at Trophy made us Strawberry Cupcakes - a classic that’s always a hit. It’s the most delicious cupcake I have possibly had in a long time. It has strawberry frosting on top & a strawberry jam filling - I did not mean to eat the whole thing, but there you go. It disappeared.

Are you interested in coming to a Mommy & Me class? If so, leave a comment below - it would be a blast to do this again soon! If you want to come to a kid-free cooking class, sign up for notifications on Eventbrite and we’ll find out as soon as it’s posted!

all photos by Kim Hildebrand Photography

I adore a good holiday that isn’t really a “holiday” - these days when you don’t get a day off of school or anything, but it comes with a great color scheme, pun-ny jokes, and clothing requirements. It’s also the only time of year when I buy Lucky Charms so my kids get really excited about that too.

These are the days I like to celebrate all day. It’s fun to start the morning off with a quirky breakfast - even a bowl of Lucky Charms is a fun way to kick off the day! While you have the box of Lucky Charms out, pop a handful on the top of a mug of hot cocoa - and since it’s a Sunday, why not spike the cocoa with a splash of Frangelico? Get really Irish from the start!

The problem with St. Patrick’s Day food is that corned beef takes FOREVER to cook. FOREVER. It literally has to braise and boil and everything else before it’s done and it takes forever. But corned beef is the epitome of St. Patrick’s Day. That and soda bread - and a good (very) dark beer.

St. Patrick’s Day does fall on a Sunday this year so technically you do have time to go through the entire process of making corned beef. I usually buy mine at Metropolitan Market when I buy it already seasoned. It takes a few hours and the instructions are always on the package. There are lots of other ways to cook corned beef, but I’ve never had any issues when I just follow the instructions on the package.

But if you don’t have time, a Reuben Sandwich is the perfect substitute! You get to have the glory of corned beef, but purchased from the deli and cooked for you.

A reuben sandwich is my favorite meal every single time. If it’s on a menu, I will order it. Every time. The best I have had was at a roadside dive restaurant on our way to Montana last summer. It was the perfect ratio of meat to sauerkraut and super greasy with extra thousand island on the side. Epic.

I like to make these sandwiches on small rounds of bread so I end up with manageable sized sandwiches that don’t fall apart when you lift them up. The biggest issue with a Reuben is when it falls apart when you lift it.

REUBEN SANDWICH

STEP 1

Combine together mayonnaise, ketchup, and lemon juice.  Let rest.

STEP 2

Butter one side of each piece of bread.  Spread the other side with Dijon mustard.  

STEP 3

Layer a slice of cheese on top of four slices of bread (on top of the Dijon).  Add pastrami equally divided amongst sandwiches.

STEP 4

Top pastrami with sauerkraut and another slice of cheese.  

STEP 5

Top cheese with remaining slices of bread and toast the sandwiches over medium heat in a skillet.  

STEP 6

Slice and serve with homemade Thousand Island dipping sauce.

1 lb sliced pastrami 

8 slices rye bread

2 tbs butter

2 tbs Dijon mustard

1 cup Sauerkraut

8 slices Swiss cheese

½ cup mayonnaise

¼ cup ketchup

2 tbs lemon juice

End the night with a fun martini that’s on theme. Any one else hate a really thick beer? I can’t handle more than a sip or two of a heavy beer, but anything that’s green in a cocktail seems nasty too.

Then I discovered that if you muddle basil, it dyes the drink green! Shaken with Hendrick’s Gin - which has an herbal quality to it - it’s a perfect martini! You can serve this with any dinner - including a reuben sandwich.

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Watching the Oscars is so fun. So glamorous. So exciting to see who will win! I haven’t seen many of the movies - unless you count the animated series where I am literally rocking the category! It never seems to matter to me if I do know any of the movies; I love seeing the stars in their gowns, the beautiful jewelry, and all of the glitz.

When Pearl was three I had the Oscars on and she came and sat beside me. She was enamored with the same things I am - the glitz, the glamour, the spectacle. Practically one minute into it, she declared “I’m going to be up there one day.” Who knows if that will ever be true. But isn’t that what we all dreamed of as a little girl? Getting to walk a red carpet in a stunning, custom made gown, loaded with gorgeous jewels and drinking champagne?

It’s no movie star party without popcorn. All of the popcorn. I could literally make this my dinner. And I have - on occasion - made popcorn my dinner! This is the night to take popcorn up a notch with every mix-in you can find.

There’s a simple way to host this party - make a popcorn bar! You can even do this for just your little family - the kids will think it’s a real kick. If you’re making this for the kids, then choose toppings that they will like. But if you’re doing it for a crowd, you can get a little more interesting and daring. Unless your kids are daring? Mine are not. Mine would pick only the candy and nothing salty or savory, but I cannot recommend enough adding bacon bits. And wasabi peas. And toasted pecans. OMG they are so good!

Here’s the ultimate (and incomplete) list of popcorn mix-ins:

• Mini Chocolate Chips

• Toasted Pecans

• Wasabi Peas

• Bacon Bits

• Rasinettes

• Crumbled Butterfingers

• Goldfish Crackers

• M’n’M’s

• Crushed Oreo Cookies

• Mini Marshmallows

• Parmesan Cheese

What movies are you rooting for? I’ve only seen a few so I’m not really in for the movies. I’m in for the popcorn and the gowns. Tell me how you celebrate! Are you a fancy gowns type party person or a sweat pants type person? Can’t wait to hear!

EASIEST POPCORN BARS

These are basically like Rice Krispie Treats but with popcorn which makes them delicious and - in my opinion - better than your basic Rice Krispie Treat. Sprinkled with a little salt over the top they are EPIC. There are no tricks, no secrets, etc. It’s just easy.

4 tablespoons butter

10 ounces marshmallows

1/2 cup un-popped popcorn

STEP 1

In an air popper, pop the popcorn until totally popped. Let cool.

STEP 2

In a pan, melt together butter and marshmallows over medium heat until totally melted.

STEP 3

Combine the popped pop corn and the marshmallow mixture until totally coated. Spread in a greased 9x12 pan and pack in a little bit but don’t push too hard. You don’t want to break the popcorn. Let rest about 1 hour until cooled completely. Cut and serve.

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There are so many options for how to spend Valentine’s Day, but a fun way to celebrate with all of your friends is with a simple cocktail party - after all, Valentine’s Day is on a Thursday this year! Instead of celebrating just as couples, invite everyone over for drinks and small bites and celebrate together. This is especially great if some of your group is ‘coupled up’ and some of your group isn’t. And the planner-ahead-ers can pop over before their dinner reservation!

I have found when you’re hosting a party that the best thing you can do for appetizers is pick three good ones and go ALL IN! So be prepared to make tons of them because no one will dig into a partially empty buffet. I usually make one batch of each of these per every 10 people. But if you are cheese lovers, then maybe add a little more.

BAKED CAMEMBERT

1 wheel of camembert cheese

10 sprigs rosemary

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

2 tablespoons honey

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Place a bed of rosemary sprigs on a baking sheet and place the unwrapped wheel of cheese on top.

Bake 30-35 minutes until the cheese browns on top. Remove from the oven and let cool 5 minutes.

Move the cheese to a serving dish and discard the cooked rosemary branches. Drizzle the top with honey and sprinkle with walnuts.

Serve with slices of bread or crackers.

I found all of these serving platters at Anko - my new favorite obsession because everything is darling and really well priced. I picked up these pink platters because they’re pink but not PINK. I was friends with a guy who used to call PINK menopause pink because when he was growing up in the south, every woman around 50 years old remodeled her kitchen and added those pink appliances that were so hot for a while. It was the ‘60’s after all. Ever since then I have been super picky about my color pink. I DO NOT WANT menopause pink in my life.

These are not. These are awesome. There are dinner plates and bowls too.

PESTO GORGONZOLA

Undoubtably the simplest appetizer you will ever make. Two ingredients; ten minutes; served hot or cold!

1/2 cup pesto

1/2 cup gorgonzola cheese

1 baguette, sliced

In bowl, mix together the pesto and gorgonzola until evenly mixed. Spread on the top of toasted bread. Toast again for 2-3 minutes in a broiler - or serve cold. Delicious either way.

CANDY COCKTAIL

1 packet grape poprocks

slice of lemon

1 tablespoon chambord

champagne

Rub the edge of a champagne coupe with the slice of lemon and rim with poprocks. Pour in chambord and top with champagne. Serve quickly!

I love combining new things with my collection of vintage barware. These champagne coupes are from the 1950’s and I adore them. I use them all the time because there is literally never a time when gold rimmed champagne coupes aren’t appropriate. If you can find some yourself, I highly encourage you to grab them! I set them on top of a marble board from Anko. I like to have everything grouped together - the marble is a great landing place for glassware ESPECIALLY if you have marble countertops. The slab creates a spot that’s unique but won’t damage your real marble counters in the event anyone spills.

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Pin these for later!

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There is not only one good way to spend Valentine’s Day but I think this is the best way - with your family at home. This is the best way for loads of reasons: 1. Going out for Valentine’s Day is expensive. 2. Most restaurants have a prix fix menu, servers that are grumpy, and are overly busy. 3. Your kids will feel super special if you spend this day with them instead of out on a date. 4. You can go out on a date tomorrow night when everything is back to normal and you can get a seat at a restaurant.

For our family game night I made a fun dinner everyone will eat - but also made it a little bit cheeky and really leaned into the ‘valentine’ theme. Kids love it. And, let’s be honest, I love it too.

Our family’s new favorite game is this hilarious combination of pictionary and being blindfolded - it’s called Googly Eyes. It is hilarious! You roll to land on what color glasses you’ll wear while you attempt to draw something as simple as popcorn. The glasses make it surprisingly challenging. Unless you are Pearl and I - we are a dream team.

HEARTTHROB PASTA

serves 4

STEP 1

Bring a large pot of water to a boil.  Slice the beets in half and add them to the water as it begins to boil.  When the water has come to a boil, add the pasta.

STEP 2

When the pasta is nearly cooked, turn the heat off and let rest for 30 minutes.  

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

STEP 3

Unroll the package of crescent dough and press together all of the seams.  Slice the dough into strips.  Twist the dough and form it into a heart.  

Bake 10-12 minutes until golden brown.

STEP 4

Heat a skillet with the olive oil.  Cook the peppers, onion, and garlic over medium heat until softened. Remove the beets from the pasta, remove the skin with a paper towel (by rubbing it off), chop them and add them to the skillet.

STEP 5

Drain the pasta – reserving at least one cup of pasta water – and toss the pasta with the peppers.  Add the pasta water and toss until a sauce has formed.  Remove from heat and sprinkle parmesan on top.  

1 red bell pepper, sliced

1 sweet onion, sliced

2 cloves garlic, chopped

2 tbs olive oil

2 beets

½ lb pasta

½ cup parmesan cheese

1 package crescent dough

CUPID SPRITZ

1 ounce pomegranate juice

1 ounce vodka

DRY Sparkling Lavender

In a glass filled with ice, layer vodka and pomegranate juice. Top with DRY Sparkling and serve! For those without booze, just skip the vodka and don’t forget to garnish with a cherry.

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THIS IS A SPONSORED POST. ALEXANDRA HEDIN HAS RECEIVED PAYMENT OR PRODUCTS IN EXCHANGE FOR PROMOTING. ALL OPINIONS STATED ARE MY OWN AND I ONLY PROMOTE PRODUCTS AND COMPANIES I LOVE.

Are you hosting a Super Bowl party this year?  It's such a fun excuse to have a party.  The struggle of course, is that it's an all day type thing.  You start at kick off, claim your spot on the couch, and it lasts until well after the awards ceremony.  

Here's how I'm making Super Bowl super this year.

Shop the party

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