Monday, July 26, 2010

Stella&Dot Trunk Show


We were fortunate enough to be invited to plan and make the food, flower arrangements, and decorations for the hostesses, Sarah Elder and Amy Cort, of a Stella&Dot trunk show! Lori Tahsler is a senior stylist for Stella&Dot which is a line that sells amazingly beautiful and unique vintage and couture jewelry. The event was on Thursday, July 22 and it was so fun and beautiful! Since it took place during the "after work hours" from about 7-9 pm we decided to do an array of hearty appetizers. We made tuna tar tar which we featured in adorable and edible won ton party cups, skewered flank steak in a delicious marinade, homemade bread sticks, an antipasta platter with cheeses, olives, and crackers, a uniquely presented vegetable platter with a yummy dip, and, lastly, the biggest hit were our Spanikopitas! For dessert: what is better than bite-sized brownies and chocolate-covered strawberries?!?

We received very positive reviews from the party-goers and since I sampled all of the appetizers and desserts myself, I can tell you first-hand that they were all quite tastey : )

We want to thank Sarah and Amy for inviting Dazzle Party Planners to style their event. Thank you to Lori for introducing us to Stella&Dot's amazing jewelry and for being so interested in us and our business. AND thank you to Jennifer Ricketts of Jennifer Ricketts' Photography for taking the time out of your hectic life to come meet with us and see what we are all about. We look forward to working with all of you again in the future!

To everyone else, as always, please call or e-mail any of your Dazzle Party Planners to schedule a meeting if you are interested in having us style your event! To find out more about our events and to see more pictures please visit our facebook page. Additionally, our offer for 60% off your party expires with the passing of July so call us soon!!!

E-mail us at Courtney@dazzlepartyplanners.com or Ashley@dazzlepartyplanners.com or call us at (925) 989-8497.

Monday, July 5, 2010

Report on the Fourth!





Well, on the Fourth we had some friends over at my Mom and Step Dad's house for a Loiusiana craw fish boil. It was delicious and a great party that I would definately reccommend you host for something a little different than the usual barbeque.

We were originally going to have jumbalaya with it but then decided against it because we ended up just adding to the "elements" of the boil. The boil included craw fish, corn on the cob, blue crabs, shrimp, and sausage. On the side we had coleslaw, and to end the meal we had a flag cake.

To hear more about this party idea and all others the others that we have please contact us anytime!

(925) 989.8497 or arawitch@gmail.com

Friday, July 2, 2010

Best Fourth of July Cake by Ina Garten


So, this is a cake I have made for several years, however I skipped last year because I was away for the weekend getting engaged! Anyway, this is so delicious and festive. I obviously can't take credit for it as it is clearly one of Ina Garten's own, but I will tell you that it is definitely a crowd pleaser! People will be so impressed because it seems as if it would be so complicated to make, but it's actually quite simple if you have a bit of time and patience.

However, if you are short on time, you can always pick up a box of Betty Crocker white cake mix instead of making the cake from scratch because the frosting and berries will still "dazzle" your guests! If you choose to make the cake from scratch, I have learned that it is important to follow her directions as precisely as possible to get the best results. Another thing is that Ina serves the cake directly from the pan, but I really like to serve it on a tray with extra berries around the sides. It just makes it look extra special! If you do decide to serve your cake on a tray remember to ALWAYS wait for the cake to cool COMPLETELY before attempting to remove it from the pan! The recipe is as follows...

Ingredients
18 tablespoons (2 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature
3 cups sugar
6 extra-large eggs at room temperature
1 cup sour cream at room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3 cups flour
1/3 cup cornstarch
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon baking soda

For the icing:
1 pound (4 sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature
1 1/2 pounds cream cheese at room temperature
1 pound confectioners' sugar, sifted
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
To assemble:
2 half-pints blueberries
3 half-pints raspberries

Directions
Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Prepare an 18 by 13 by 1 1/2-inch sheet pan by spreading butter all around the pan and generously dusting flour onto the butter.

Using a hand mixer or electric mixer, blend the butter and sugar on high speed until airy and creamy. Reduce mixing speed and add 2 eggs at a time. After eggs are completely blended in, add the sour cream and vanilla. Continue blending, being sure to scrape the sides and stir until smooth.

Mix flour, cornstarch, salt, and baking soda, then sift into a bowl. Reduce mixer to low and slowly add the flour mixture to the butter mixture for a short time until just combined. Pour cake batter into the prepared pan being sure to smooth the top with a spatula. Bake in the center of the oven for 20 to 30 minutes. Be sure a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the thickest part of the cake before removing it from the over. Completely cool the cake to room temperature.

To prepare the icing, bring the butter to room temperature. Beat together the butter, cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla with a hand or electric mixer until smooth and fluffy.

Spread the majority of the icing on the top of the cake. Using a toothpick or knife, "draw" on the frosting where the berries will go by making a rectangle in the top left corner. This is where the blueberries will go. Create 1" lines all the way down the cake. In the first row, put 2 rows of raspberries, in the second row, pipe in two rows of the remaining frosting. To pipe the frosting, cut the tip of a plastic bag, and squeeze the frosting through it. If you have a pastry bag and a star tip you can use that to pipe the two rows of frosting. Make a pattern of the two rows of raspberries and two rows of icing until the flag is completed. Lastly, pipe stars on top of the blueberries, and... you're done!


Well, that's the recipe! I will post the picture of my cake when I make it, and please feel free to do the same, but for now we will stick with Ina's picture perfect Flag Cake. Stay tuned for pictures of the rest of our Fourth of July bash. So far on the agenda is a crawfish boil, jumbalaya, and an assortment of hot sauces to pay homage to the south on our Country's Birthday!