Author: thewexfordhousewife

How to host a successful party!

Posted on by thewexfordhousewife

I love any excuse to get out my serving trays & wine glasses.  Whether it’s a dinner party, Labor Day BBQ, game night or ladies night in, getting friends & family together is always a blast!  For me, the key to hosting a successful party is being prepared and organized.  I start my planning process by answering the following questions…

  • Where will I be entertaining i.e. kitchen, dining room, living room, outside deck/patio?
  • What food can I serve that’s appropriate for where we’ll be gathering i.e. full meal, hors devours, chips & dip?
  • What kind of beverages will go with the food I’m serving i.e. wine & cheese, beer & burgers?

Last night I had the opportunity to host a Ladies Night In!  My girlfriend sells Thirty-One Gifts so it was a great reason to get everyone together.  Before I got myself ready for the evening I set the stage by arranging the serving trays, making sure there was enough seating and lighting a yummy pumpkin spice candle.  I have learned that it’s less stressful if I can prepare as much as possible before guests arrive.  I hate when people are arriving & I’m still getting organized.

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Once I was dressed & ready for the evening I poured myself a glass of red wine and put the white wine on ice.  It’s important to have variety of beverages on hand.  I suggest having a dry & a sweet wine as well as non-alcoholic options for those that don’t drink.  Last night I offered my guests Cabernet (dry red), Chardonnay (dry white), Riesling & Prosecco (both sweeter whites) as well as soda and bottled water.

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I invited my guests to arrive at 7 PM.  By inviting them post-dinner I was able to prepare lighter fare and avoid preparing a big meal.  I offered cheese & meat trays, fresh fruit, bread with dipping oils and blondie brownie bites.  My go-to for hosting any get together is a big cheese tray!  It’s so easy to prepare and I get the chance to use my favorite cheese board.

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The most important thing to remember when you’re hosting a party is to have fun!  As the hostess you set the tone for the party, so relax & enjoy yourself.

For some great cheese tray ideas & wine pairing options visit the below links.

http://positivemed.com/2013/03/05/pairing-wine-and-food/

http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/holidays/guide-to-wine-and-cheese/building-cheese-plate

Tis the season for apple picking and making sauce

Posted on by thewexfordhousewife

I love this time of year…the leaves are starting to change, the house smells like pumpkin spice & I can finally break out my scarves and boots!  It also means that we can venture to the local farm for hayrides and apple picking.  Over the weekend we took our son to the apple orchard; he loved picking his own apples!

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By the time we were finished we had a 10 lb. bag and one happy little boy!  Since we had plenty of apples to go around, I decided to make applesauce!  Follow my simple recipe for an applesauce the whole family will love.

Laura’s Apple Cider Applesauce – Prep time 15 min, Cook time 20 min, Yields 1-1 ½ quarts

Ingredients:

7 – 10 Apples (we picked Jonathan, but Granny Smith or Golden Delicious would work too)

3 tbsp. Lemon Juice

1 Cup Water

½ Cup Apple Cider

1 tbsp. Cinnamon

Put the water and 2 tbsp. lemon juice in a large pot.  Peel, core and cut apples into quarters.  Add apples to the pot of lemon water as you cut them to prevent browning.  Halfway through cutting the apples add the remaining lemon juice and stir to make sure all of the apples are covered.

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Once all of the apples are in the pot add the apple cider, bring to a boil, and then lower the temperature.  Cover and maintain a low simmer for 15-20 minutes or until cooked through.

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Once the apples are fully cooked, remove the pot from the heat.  Add the cinnamon and use a potato masher (or a fork) to mash the apples in the pot.  My family likes a thicker applesauce, but if your family prefers a smoother style you can mix the apples in a blender.  Taste the applesauce, if you believe it’s too sweet add more lemon juice or if it’s not sweet enough add 1/4 cup brown sugar.

You can serve the applesauce hot or cold, with pork chops or mixed with yogurt!  It also freezes for up to a year in a cold freezer.  Enjoy!

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(Took inspiration from http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/applesauce/)

Tips and Tricks to look taller

Posted on by thewexfordhousewife

I’m short.  There’s just no other way to put it.  I am 5 ft. and thankfully I love my heels!  However, as a SAHM not every day calls for heels.  I’ve read magazine articles and blog posts on how to look taller but I’ve never experimented to see if they really worked.  Today I’ve pulled together some easy tips & tricks, I’m going to test them out & report back at the end of the week!  I’d love to hear any feedback or success stories from your experiences as well!

Top Knot – Putting all of your hair on the top of your head creates a vertical line giving the impression that you’re taller – who knew!  Now I have an excuse to rock a top knot besides the fact that I ran out of time getting ready.  If you don’t have enough hair to create a top knot, you can create the same effect with volume.

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V-Neck Tops – V-neck shirts are a short girl’s best friend.  They not only make your torso look longer, but bonus, they make you look slimmer too!  I love the plunging neckline on this LAmade pocket tee from Zappos.

LAmade Pocket Tee

Short Dresses & Skirts – The trick to wearing a dress when you’re petite is choosing one that’s either really short or really long.  A shorter length shows more skin which creates the illusion of a longer leg and a longer dress, you guessed it, makes you look longer/taller.  (Pictured – Plunging Neck Long Sleeve Dress from Rosegal.com).

Rosegal Plunging Neck

 

Pointy Flats – Pointed flats, or any pointed-toe shoe for that matter, elongates the leg.  I recommend investing in a comfortable, neutral pair that you can piece into any outfit.  (Pictured – D’orsay Flats with metal detail from Zara)

Dorsay Flats

Small Bags – If you’re petite, a large bag can be overwhelming and make you look shorter.  Unfortunately, since my son is only 1 we’re still in the diaper bag phase.  I always opt for a small cross-body on date nights like the Cambridge Satchel Company Crossbody from Madewell.

The Cambridge Satchel

Flared Jeans – Flared denim helps to create the illusion of a longer leg, especially when worn with a pair of heels. To make the most of this look make sure your top is tucked in and that the denim is fitted throughout the leg like the Seafarer Drake Denim from Shopbop.com.

Seafarer