Wedding Preparations

On Friday I did the a press check (visit to the printer to sign off on the invite - mostly to check color) at Print NW (love them!) and gave the final ok to send them to print. The invites will be delivered on Tuesday and be ready for the assembly stage.  My goal is to get the invites out next week so between a busy work schedule I have to find time to get this done. Once they have been mailed, I will post an image of the invitation. My best friend Heather Stajgr of Hemisphere Design, did the most amazing job with design - I LOVE them and could not be happier with the way they turned out. I have been doing a little shopping over the last two days for the wedding, which is now only 78 days away! This 13 month engagement has gone by very quickly - I am very happy with the amount of time that Adam and I

Maracas that I purchased at Fun Express for the wedding - I have a fun plan for these! 

New swimsuit that I purchased at J.Crew 

Love these wedges, they were a must have for Mexico - J.Crew 

Make it: Pineapple Salsa

We have the BEST pineapple salsa that is served on out fish tacos at the restaurant. It was created by Chef Eligio who is one of the superstars here at Varsity Grill. With his permission I am sharing this recipe with you. This salsa is fabulous on fish tacos, with fresh tortilla chips and grilled fish. Enjoy!

Chef Eligio 

Eligio's Pineapple Salsa 

1 Pineapple 

3 Green Peppers 

3 Red Peppers 

2 Jalepenos 

1 Bunch Cilantro 

2 Cups Mango Chutney 

1 Cup Water

Mojitos, Margaritas & Mingle at Tacoma Lawn & Tennis Club

Last week we catered (The Vault Catering Co.) the summer social, Mojitos, Margaritas & Mingle at the Tacoma Lawn and Tennis Club.  It was an amazing lawn party overlooking the tennis courts & adjacent to the pool. I worked with their social chair (Karen Donahue) to create the look for this event. They wanted either turquoise & green or magenta & orange as their color inspiration -  I loved the magenta & orange idea because I has just done this color scheme for Zoobilee and thought it was a fun combo. I made the tissue poms in magenta and orange to be hung on the pool fence and in the trees by one of the buffets. They added the perfect pop of color against the brilliant green grass and trees. The menu was inspired by bite size appetizers with some comfort food. We served some delicious mojitos, margaritas (created by social chair, Karen Donahue - a recipe I want!), wine and beer to the guests. Below are some images from this fun party! 

bruschetta served in martini glasses 

the skewer bar: roasted vegetable skewers,  rosemary & pomegranate glazed chicken skewers & teriyaki beef tenderloin skewers 

chocolate mouse cups topped with a triple chocolate brownie and fresh whip 

mojitos + lime = ingredients for a perfect mojito 

flowers moved onto the lawn for the party - topped with mini tiki torches added the perfect garden feel and ambiance once the sun went down 

A month of lovely events and friends

I have not posted anything in almost a month - things have been very busy with the restaurant, catering & events and planning our wedding (only 3 months away now). I wanted to post a few pictures from some of my favorite events over the last month.

Birthday BBQ Dinner for my Dad's 60th Birthday 

Fresh Fruit Salad for my Dad's Birthday 

Zoobilee - the booth that was created for Big Whisky 

Zoobilee - the fun tissue poms that Heather and I made our booth 

Zoobilee - the past Event Chairs from the last 20 years! We had a celebratory patron shot as a group. I co-chaired this event in 2006. 

Zoobilee - my amazing friend Heather

Zoobilee- Dancing with the love of my life

Our flower girl - Lyla 

40 Under 40 Event ~ Business Examiner

Event images from the 40 Under 40 Event that we did for the Business Examiner ~ July 8th 2010. We were the proud venue sponsor for 360 guests this year. It was a great event and I am honored to be an alumni of the 40 Under 40 group.

{The menu}

Mini Gourmet Grilled Cheese Sandwiches 

Tomato Vodka Soup Sips 

Lobster Soup Sips 

Chef Attended Pasta Station 

Build Your Own Caesar Station 

Bruschetta Bar 

International Cheese, Fruit & Crackers 

Build Your Own Sundae Bar with all the Toppings 

Cupcakes 

Espresso Beverages by Black Tie Espresso 

Bake It ~ 4th of July Dessert

My sister and I made this last year for a party that we went to. I did post this last 4th of July but thought it was worthy of a re-post. So if you do not have your dessert planned for your 4th of July festivities this weekend this is a yummy and fun one to make. Happy 4th of July to you! 

FLAG CAKE

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

Heat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Butter and flour an 18 by 13 by 1 1/2-inch sheet pan.

Cream the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on high speed, until light and fluffy. On medium speed, add the eggs, 2 at a time, then add the sour cream and vanilla. Scrape down the sides and stir until smooth.

Sift together the flour, cornstarch, salt, and baking soda in a bowl. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture to the butter mixture until just combined. Pour into the prepared pan. Smooth the top with a spatula. Bake in the center of the oven for 20 to 30 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool to room temperature.

For the icing, combine the butter, cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mixing just until smooth.

Spread three-fourths of the icing on the top of the cooled sheet cake. Outline the flag on the top of the cake with a toothpick. Fill the upper left corner with blueberries. Place 2 rows of raspberries across the top of the cake like a red stripe. Put the remaining icing in a pastry bag fitted with a star tip and pipe two rows of white stripes below the raspberries. Alternate rows of raspberries and icing until the flag is completed. Pipe stars on top of the blueberries.

~recipe from Ina Garten, Barefoot Contessa, Family Style 

Summer Dessert

Tonight we had our dear friends Sheryl and Nate and Adam's sister Randee and her husband Carl over for dinner. It was the perfect night for a bbq. Adam grilled Teriyaki Sesame Chicken Kabobs and Chipotle Rosemary Chicken Kabobs and we served them with a mixed greens salad with sunflower seeds and a poppy dressing. For dessert I served one scoop of  Haagen- Dazs Strawberry Ice Cream & one scoop of Haagen -Dazs Vanilla Raspberry Swirl frozen yogurt and sorbet topped with fresh Puyallup strawberries. It is a simple and yummy summer dessert!