Posts in Parties
30 Minute Romantic Valentine's Day at Home {featuring Steak au Poivre}
Ali Hedin's Steak au Poivre

In the event you forgot to get a dinner reservation for Valentine's Day - or if you're like me - you don't want to waste a perfectly good evening out on a prix fix menu and overly crowded restaurants. - let's eat in!

I have become a master of the "indoor steak" technique over the last few years for a number of reasons, but mostly because it is so freaking easy!  SO EASY!  It's how restaurants do their steaks - there aren't grills in most restaurants - so they skillet sear and broil them too.  It keeps in the moisture (worst word ever) and creates the deliciously crispy crust on the outside.

The video will show you how easy it is to cook steak in the oven + a bonus cocktail and a side dish you can make in minutes.  (Also, my cute husband is at the end)

Ali Hedin's Valentine's Day at Home!

Steak au Poivre

serves 4

4 NY Strip steaks

4 tbs crushed peppercorns

2 tbs butter

2 shallot, chopped

½ cup cognac

½ cup beef stock

3 large russet potatoes, sliced in rounds

2 tbs olive oil

2 tsp flake salt

 

STEP 1

Preheat the broiler to 500 degrees. Heat a cast iron skillet over high heat until the pan is smoking hot.  Pat the steaks dry and push each one into the peppercorns. 

 

STEP 2

Pop the steaks on the hot skillet.  Sear 3 minutes each side until browned.

 

STEP 3

Toss potatoes in olive oil and salt.  Spread out on a baking sheet and pop in the lowest rack in the oven for 5 minutes.  Check and flip as needed to brown them but not burn them.

 

STEP 4

Top each steak with ½ tbs butter and pop the pan into the oven.  Cook 5-8 minutes until meat thermometer reads 145 degrees. Remove from the oven and let rest covered on a plate with foil for 5 minutes.

 

STEP 5

Place pan on a high burner and pour in shallots – cook quickly.  Add cognac & stock and whisk.  Season with salt.  Cook to reduce by 1/2.  Plate steaks and top with sauce.

 

NOTES

-       Traditionally this is cooked with heavy cream.  That didn’t seem needed with this gorgeous steak but if you want to add ½ cup cream with the sherry, it’s delicious.


I don't think you need me to tell you how to make it romantic at home.  But I will remind you that music helps.  A lot.  Have music.  

Ali Hedin's Valentine Playlist
 

as seen on tv | galentine's day
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Ali Hedin | Galentine's Day

I am so lucky to have a great group of girlfriends who are supportive, fun, and are always ready for a gif in the text string.  This January seemed to take us down hard.  Everyone got sick, or their kids got sick, or something dramatic happened that kept us all apart.  

We're due for a girls day.  One involving booze.  

I can't wait to celebrate my lady loves with a fun boozy brunch.  This one is so simple that you can whip it up after the kids have left for school and be done in time for a p.j. clad brunch before 9am! (My kids leave at 7:30am)

Ali Hedin | Galentine's Day
Ali Hedin | Galentine Party
Ali Hedin | Galentine's Day
Ali Hedin | Galentine's Day

Simple & Fun Family Valentine's Dinner
Ali Hedin | Fun Family Valentine's Day!

We don't usually go out for Valentine's Day.  We used to.  But then with kids it became more challenging for us to find a sitter, a reservation, and a restaurant we'd want to spend a fortune at for a prix fix menu.  

So we stay at home.  It's fun to spend time with the kids and do something special for them.  I started making a family friendly valentine's dinner when my oldest was a baby and the tradition has carried on.

And then we go out to dinner another night when it's not the night every other couple goes out to dinner.

My favorite part is having them make their own heart shaped pizzas.  They could make plain shapes too, I guess, but it's Valentine's!  Have a little fun with it!  For my kids, all I really need is cheese and pepperoni.  But you can add olives, bell pepper, sausage, artichoke hearts, kalamata olives, and different kinds of cheese - like feta.

Hedin-Valentine-4.jpgAli Hedin | Fun and Easy Family Valentine's Dinner
Ali Hedin | Family Valentine's Day
Ali Hedin | Family Valentine's Day
Ali Hedin | Family Valentine's Day

In the video I made fun soda floats with my kids.  It's a simple option that's a huge win for the kids - and doubles as dessert.  But I really really like dessert and I am not the hugest fan of soda floats...

The point is to have a fun cocktail that's just for the kids.  Floats are a great time for everyone - but Shirley Temple's are just as popular.  My kids also love Dry Soda's - the Rainier Cherry flavor is a favorite!  

Ali Hedin | Fun and Easy Family Valentine's Dinner
Ali Hedin | Fun and Easy Family Valentine's Dinner
Ali Hedin's Simple and Fun Valentine's Day for the whole family!
 

Oscar Parties aren't as hard as you think! {with Pop Secret}

Last month my girlfriend and I were out to a boozy lunch and we decided to host an Oscar Party - we've even figured out how to project the show on a big screen in the Fire Station!  

But what to serve...

Nothing goes better with movies than popcorn - and I love popcorn.  I worked with Pop Secret to plan a fabulous popcorn bar with delicious flavors and dreamy mix-ins.  I literally can't think of a better way to watch the Oscars and hang out with the girls.  Except for the cocktail - that's coming later this week!

The fun part about a popcorn bar is popping up a few flavors of popcorn {I popped Double Butter and Cinnamon Roll} and filling bowls with loads of your favorite candies, nuts, etc.  We even tried a few savory things and they were delicious.

How are you celebrating the Oscars?

Popcorn c/o Pop Secret

Photography by Alexandra Hedin

Styling by Jenny Batt

A Football-tastic Party

Last night the Oregon Ducks competed for the National Football title, this weekend the Seahawks hope to defend their Super Bowl trophy - even if you aren't into football, this is a good excuse for a party.  And food.  And great if you live in the Northwest because I literally don't know anyone who isn't watching football right now.

Seahawks Beast Mode Punch

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White Chicken Chili  

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Slow Cooked Street Tacos

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Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars 

Decanting & Aerating Wine

If there is anything that has ever seemed sillier to me than decanting and aerating wine, I'm not sure what it could be.  I pay a lot of money for the nice bottle of wine.  Why on earth am I going to pour the wine OUT of the fancy bottle?  Then no one can appreciate the label and revel in my genius of buying such a swanky bottle of wine.

But then I was introduced to a new fancy aerator and I decided it was time to grow up and figure out what the hub bub was all about.  I texted with my friend the wine maker, researched online, and taste tested {it was hard work and it was all for you}.

Here's what I learned.  Always decant a nice bottle of wine.  If it's old, there could be sediment in the bottom and that's yucky.  If it's not old, it brings out the aromas by being exposed to air.  If you bought a cheap bottle of wine, decant or aerate that thing so it isn't so "biting."  So basically, always decant.

Aerating is a quick and dirty way of skipping the decanter and leaving the wine in the bottle {hooray!  see my fancy label!}

Lenox Decanter

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Waterford Linsmore Decanter

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Riedel Apple Decanter

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TRIbella Aerator

A Weeknight Party Girl's Thanksgiving

By the time Thanksgiving is here my family is going to be so tired of turkey.  And stuffing.  And everything else.  Luckily, no one tires of a cocktail.  

To celebrate all things Thanksgiving, I put together a tiny little video to get you excited for the easiest side dishes ever - Weeknight Party Girl style.