Host a Tasting Party

August 4, 2017 1 Comment A Well Crafted Party

I’ve always been the type of person that likes lots of choices. If you look in my fridge right now I have multiple choices for salad dressings, condiments, and even pickled items. If there is a “sampler” or “chef’s favorites” choice on a menu then you know what I’ll be having. This is why a tasting party is among my very favorite types of parties.

Host a Whiskey Tasting Party (Complete with free printables!)

Tips for hosting a whiskey party:

Tasting a multitude of whiskeys can get dangerous if you are not practicing responsible drinking practices. Help guests stay safe by offering the following items:

Start the tastings earlier in the day with plans for a full meal and plenty of time to sober up.
A bucket to pour out tasters that guests don’t desire to finish. (I know… it sounds painful to waste whiskey, but if they don’t like it then it is better to pour out then drink too much.)
Snacks and a meal— It is important to not drink on an empty stomach.
A measuring device. Really for a tasting of liquor you need no more than 1/2 oz to try. Small tasting cups (affiliate link) work really well for finding the type of whiskey you like before pouring a glass.
Provide pens and note pads (or the free tasting note printables below) for guests to write down their thoughts as they taste. This slows down the process and really gets them TASTING rather than just drinking.
Do not let people drive home! Use a ride share or designated driver.

Host a Wine and Cheese Tasting Party

When to break out the wine and cheese

Wine and cheese are pretty much staples at everything from dinner parties to the large scale events that I throw. However, I don’t know any better time to really break out a wine and cheese tasting than a birthday party! It is a great way to celebrate the wonderful things about aging by celebrating with other things that get better with age… like wine, cured meats, pickled items, aged cheeses, and wonderful friends.

Tapas Potluck & Wine Tasting (With Free Printable Potluck Cards)

Let others pitch in! Do a potluck-style tasting party.

Turn your tasting into a competition by having your guests bring taster sized portions of their favorite meal and hosting a tasting potluck! Tapas lend themselves perfectly for this type of tasting party as the portions are typically smaller or able to share easily. Have your guests write down the name and ingredients of the dish they brought and then have everyone in attendance vote on the best dish. Bring the tasting to the next level by pairing your food tastings with wine. If you are giving a theme to your party (such as tapas) you can select wines that typically go with those type of foods. We used Spanish wines to pair with our tapas tastings.

Have an ice cream tasting party (with free printables)

End a party on a sweet note with the ability to customize dessert

I love me some dessert, but my sweet tooth does have limits. Have a tasting style set-up for your desserts allow guests to try multiple yummy things within reason. At our wedding back in 2006 we had a dessert bar for guests to sample some of our favorite treats. Most recently we enjoyed an ice cream party to celebrate a birthday. The best part of the ice cream party? The toppings last for a LONG time so we can host another one on a whim!

Throw a Cider or Beer Tasting Party (Free Printables)

Ever want to figure out the best local IPA or see which type of cider is the cider for you? Host a tasting party allows you to test out a selection of beverages in a way that allows you to remember what you tried!

Tips for hosting a tasting party:

My number one rule for any tasting party is pick items that you LIKE! If all the websites everywhere says to pair blue cheese with the beverage you are trying but you and your guests HATE blue cheese… then, skip it! Find a different suggested pairing that is using something you know you’ll enjoy.
Make sure everything is labeled. You can do a blind tasting if you really want to try things without any bias, but make sure they are clearly labeled with numbers so you can keep track of which one you like.
Have something that allows your guests to write down their thoughts about what they are tasting. At the end of a tasting party they may not remember which food or beverage they liked the most, a small note page with their thoughts will help jog their memories!

Download the below printables to help bring your beer or cider tasting to the next level!

Hopefully all of these ideas give you some thoughts on how to create your own tasting party whether you are tasting 5 different types of chili to tasty frosty beverages.

A Well Crafted Pantry

DIY Ice Cream Party + Free Printables

July 6, 2017 7 Comments A Well Crafted Pantry

Did you know that the month of July is National Ice Cream Month? I mean…how fitting? I personally could (and do) eat ice cream ALL year long. However, it is the perfect treat on a hot summer day. Celebrate the summer with a DIY ice cream party! The great thing about hosting an ice cream party is that you can make it as simple or as elaborate as you like. You can get really fancy and have a whole table of topping options. Or, you can have your very favorite toppings out and call it good.

How to Host an Ice Cream Party

When hosting an ice cream themed party the only rule is that you absolutely serve ice cream at that party. There are so many ways you can really have fun with this theme from color scheme to food to serve. You can do a retro throw back party with a color scheme of red, white, and black and serve up tall hot fudge sundaes or root beer floats. You can do like I did and focus on all the colors of sprinkles for you theme. Heck, you can even throw an ice cream taco party if you want to go crazy!

Enjoy these simple tips will help keep your ice cream party fun for all… including YOU the host.

6 Creative Ways to Serve Ice Cream:

I like to give guess a few fun options for how they can make the ice cream of their dreams. Make the whole process easier by pre-scooping your ice cream and freezing the scoops on wax paper or in muffin liners in your freezer. You can then serve it up in bowls with a spoon and guests can easily grab a scoop without a lot of effort or mess.

Some of my favorite ways to serve ice cream:

Cones: Okay, so serving ice cream in an ice cream cone isn’t exactly the most creative way to serve ice cream. However, you can make it more fun and interesting by adding a chocolate and sprinkle rim to your waffle/sugar/cake cones. Simply dip the cone in melted chocolate or candy coating and then roll in sprinkles or mini chocolate chips.
Cups/Bowls: Create a fun ice cream Sundae bar with disposable cups and bowls. One of my favorite things to do is build a sundae in my cup and then topping it with a waffle cone!
Cookies: Set out a bunch of delicious cookies and some ice cream and allow everyone to make their own ice cream sandwiches!
Waffles: Is there anything better than a big, delicious Belgian waffle topped with ice cream? A lot of people are now making sundae tacos by filling a waffle with ice cream and toppings and folding it over for eating.
Edible bowls: Creating edible bowls means that there is nothing to throw away after all the eating! You can create a chocolate bowl with a balloon and some melting chocolate, purchase waffle cone bowls, or create a cookie bowl with a muffin tin and cookie dough!
Cups & Soda: Have an ice cream float bar with cups, straws, spoons, and a variety of sodas.

Ice Cream Topping Ideas:

Ice cream is wonderful all by its lonesome, however, when celebrating a party with an ice cream theme then it is time to pull out the toppings! Let your guests have fun creating the most outrageous combinations of ice cream sundaes. Here are some of my favorite topping ideas:

Fresh fruit – I particularly love strawberries and bananas
Maraschino cherries – Or hey, fresh, in-season cherries with the pits taken out are a delicious treat to serve with ice cream!
Sprinkles… lots and LOTS of sprinkles
Chopped up candy bars
Marshmallows
Chocolate Chips
Broken up waffle cones
Syrups
Fruit puree
Whipped Cream
Nuts (just be aware of allergies)

Highlight your toppings with these free mini table tents. Click the image below to download to your computer. Print on white cardstock, cut around outer line, and fold in half.

Activities for an Ice Cream Party

Creating ice cream sundaes is an activity in itself. But, besides the creations and then eating those creations, you likely want to have a few activities to help work off some of the sugar energy! I’d recommend doing any high-intensity activities before eating ice cream as you don’t want to have upset bellies.

Ideas for ice cream party activities include:

Ice Cream coloring sheet (print off the free printable coloring sheet below and let your guests color after they are done with their desserts and are waiting for the next part of the party.)
Ice Cream sundae contest – Have a contest as to who can make the most delicious, best looking, and most extravagant sundaes! Everyone will want to get in on the judging of these!
Pin the cherry on the ice cream sundae – Take a big poster and create a couple of ice cream scoops to post on your wall. Then get cherry stickers or print out cherry images and put double sided tape on the back. Have your guests spin while blindfolded and stick the cherry on the sundae! (This cute activity from 30 Handmade Days has a free printable for a pin the cherry on the ice cream cone activity.)

Download your free printable coloring sheet by clicking the printable sheet below and saving to your computer. Print on copy paper in black ink.

How to Decorate for an Ice Cream Party:

I let the ice cream be the start in my ice cream party and really didn’t decorate a bunch. Things like toppings and containers can make for really fun decorations that do double duty.

Decoration Ideas for an Ice Cream Party:

Balloon Ice Cream Cones: Print off the mini paper waffle cone below, wrap into a cone adhering it with hot glue. Put hot glue on the rim of the top of the cone and adhere a slightly inflated and tied balloon to the cone. The hot glue does not pop the balloon and it works for keeping the cone and balloon combined!
Sprinkles: Sprinkles are great for decorating. Put sprinkles in the bottoms of your platters and create a fun, colorful backdrop for your treats to sit in.
Decorative paper cups & napkins: I found great little “sprinkle” inspired paper cups and napkins that were both useable and decorative.
Use cones or ice cream sundae cups for floral arrangements: Anders Ruff created beautiful ice cream themed floral arrangements using an ice cream sundae cup and carnations. Chicabug featured another ice cream party with a similar floral idea but using tissue paper rather than flowers.
Sprinkle Backdrop: Oh Happy Day shared a great DIY using long skinny balloons to create a sprinkle backdrop.

Ice Cream Party Favor Ideas:

There is really so much you can do for an ice cream party favor. I opted to do something that didn’t include sugar mainly because I didn’t want to add to the sugar that I’d already given the kiddos at the party. I love that Yoobi currently has some seriously cute ice cream themed goodies at Target right now. Side note about Yoobi (this is not sponsored, I just love this fact)… for every item that is purchased from Yoobi there is an item given to school children in the U.S. So, not only can you feel great about getting cute favors to hand out, you can also feel good about helping other kids have school supplies!

Some fun ice cream party favor ideas: (* affiliate links)

Ice Cream themed back-to-school kit: Yes, it is summer… but, school supplies will ALWAYS be welcome in my house. These ice cream themed school supplies are perfect for a favor for staff. Yoobi makes fun ice cream themed items such as their ice cream side walk chalk*, ice cream bar erasers*, ice cream pens*, or the composition note books covered in treats*.
Build your own ice cream sundae kit: Send home sprinkles, waffle cones, ice cream cups, etc.
Gift Card: Send a gift card to a favorite ice cream place.
Ice Cream Minis: Send home a mini ice cream pint. Just remember to keep them SUPER cold and let your guests know that they are taking home ice cream so that they don’t go home to a melted mess!

Download free printable ice cream favor tags by clicking on the printable photo below and saving to your computer. Print on card stock in full color (or on sticker paper) and cut out the circles around the edges. If hanging as a tag punch a hole with a small single hole punch and attach to a bag with ribbon. If printed on sticker paper, simply pull off the back and attach to your favor!

I hope that you are feeling inspired to host your own Ice Cream Party this summer and that these tips and printables help make the party just a little more sweet!

A Well Crafted Pantry

Portobello Caprese Burgers + Free Printables

July 3, 2017 No Comments A Well Crafted Pantry

I’m a meat eater. I love, love, love me a good beef burger. However, for a variety of reasons, my family and I do try our best to NOT eat meat one day a week at least. As much as we enjoy meat, we enjoy vegetables just as much. I really thrive on creating meatless menu options for our weekly dinners. This Portobello Caprese Burger is a great substitute if you’re wanting to cut back on the meat a bit but still want something hearty and flavorful. It is also a fantastic for a vegetarian burger option at your next cookout! (Just remember to cook BEFORE cooking your meat on the grill so that you’re not giving your vegetarian friend meat drippings on their vegetarian burger!)

Portobello Caprese Burgers

Portobello mushrooms are rich and earthy. They are also fairly affordable. I substitute portobello mushrooms for beef often because it creates that bold flavor and bit of chew that beef typically gives a dish. We chose to serve the burgers with a side of grilled zucchini spears. This made for a really tasty and fairly healthy meal!

Serves 6

Ingredients for Balsamic Marinade:

Olive Oil (approximately 3 tablespoons)
Balsamic Vinegar (approximately 3 tablespoons)
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
salt & pepper

Ingredients for Portobello Caprese Burgers:

Hamburger Buns
6 Portobello Mushroom Caps whole with stem removed
6 slices of mozzarella cheese
6-12 slices of tomato (I did roma tomatoes so the burgers had two slices each, but if you use a bigger tomato then 1 slice would work.)
Fresh Basil leaves (you’ll want enough to top each burger)
Balsamic Marinade

For Grilled Zucchini Side:

5 medium sized zucchini cut into spears
Balsamic Marinade

How to Make Portobello Caprese Burgers with Grilled Zucchini Spears:

Directions for Balsamic Marinade:

Mix ingredients together in a large bowl

Directions for Portobello Caprese Burgers:

Brush the Balsamic Marinade onto each side of the clean, de-stemmed portobello mushrooms
Put on a grill, smooth side down over medium heat for 6 to 8 minutes or until tender
While the portobello mushrooms are cooking add mozzarella to your top bun and place your buns on a toasting tray on your grill or above a cooler side of the grill to toast the buns and melt the cheese. Be careful to not burn the buns.
OPTIONAL: I chose not to use any condiments on my burger because the mushroom with the balsamic marinade was plenty moist and flavorful and I’m currently watching extra calories. However, if you’d like I’d suggest using a nice garlic aioli or a really good quality mayo on the bottom bun. Topping the burger with a balsamic glaze would also be delish!
Top your bottom bun with a few basil leaves, the portobello mushroom, slices of tomato, and a few more basil leaves. Top with the mozzarella covered bun. ENJOY!

Directions for Grilled Zucchini Spears:

Toss your raw zucchini spears in the leftover balsamic marinade. If you use all of your marinade up brushing them on the mushrooms then go ahead and make some more marinade. Also, you’re going to have some seriously tasty mushrooms! 😉
Put in a grilling basket or on top of a foil lined grill. Grill until tender, approximately 6-8 minutes. (We grilled our mushrooms and zucchini at the same time and everything was ready to go around the same time.)
Serve alongside the burger. Add an optional dipping sauce of garlic aioli for a nice flavor punch.

We served these tasty little burgers with some of the Julian Hard Cider that I shared yesterday. The portobello was especially nice with the Cherry Bomb cider!

4th of July Free Printable Food Tray

I of course had to serve up my Portobello Caprese Burgers in something fun for the holiday. I created these fun stars and striped food trays to make serving these burgers a little more festive.

Directions for Use:

Click on file and save to computer
Print on white cardstock in full color
Cut around the outside of the food tray and on the dotted lines
Fold where there are white solid lines.
Glue the tabs into the panel directly to the right of the tab you are gluing.
Once complete, line your food tray with wax paper and top with food. The heavier the weight of your card stock the more sturdy these food trays will be.

Download your Free Printable 4th of July Food Tray

Have a fantastic 4th of July holiday tomorrow! Stay safe and have fun.

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