One of the topics I've talked about previously here on Blissfully Domestic is the importance of being organized when it comes to holiday entertaining. I put together this checklist for Thanksgiving some time ago, but it really does apply to all holidays when you are entertaining at home. One thing that many people overlook is how many appliances, burners, and how much oven space is needed to cook their holiday meal. Anything that can be prepared or made in advance, even a day or two beforehand, is essential to ensuring that things run smoothly on the day you have guests coming over. I have the added problem of ensuring I'm catering to one of my kids who is on a gluten-free diet, whilst the other kids don't enjoy the taste of a lot of gluten-free items so the more that I can make ahead … [Read more...]
Mini chocolate & coconut mini eclairs
A few years ago I was working in a pastry shop that mainly sold éclairs. There were about a billion different flavours and 3 sizes: the regular one, the tiny one and the small one, known as "baby" éclair. Needless to say, baby éclairs were my favourite, aside from having the cutest name in the world, they also have the perfect size for snacking and trying different flavours. These baby/mini éclairs are filled with whipped coconut cream and chocolate ganache. They're also dipped into melted chocolate. And sprinkled with flaked coconut. And da-da! the cutest and most delicious French dessert is ready to be devoured! Notes: You can freeze the (piped) choux pastry and bake it when you are ready (no need for defrosting). Choux pastry recipes usually suggest to … [Read more...]
Sparkling Wine Types for Holiday Entertaining
The holidays are here and it's time to break open the sparkling wine! Celebrating this time of year with family and friend's is one of life's joys. But what exactly should you serve your guests when you are entertaining at home? Walking into a wine store and trying to figure out which bottle of sparkling wine to choose can be overwhelming. Luckily, hosts have many options when it comes to what to pour for their guests. Champagne? Prosecco? Cava? Sparkling wine? Maybe Moscato d'Asti? Here I am going to give you a brief lesson in Sparkling Wine 101 and some of the fabulous choices: Champagne Only sparkling wine made in Champagne, France, using the Traditional Method, is allowed to be called Champagne. These wines undergo a second fermentation, in the bottle, which is called … [Read more...]
13 DIY Spooky Halloween Party Ideas
With Halloween still a few weeks away, there's plenty of time to gather your supplies and create the spookiest Halloween party in all the land. From spider web decorations and witch finger foods, monster cakes and sugar skull pinatas, we've got a bunch of fun ideas listed for you! /1/ DIY Halloween Party Invitation- If you're going to have a party you have to let people know. Print these invitations from home and send them to your closest friends and family. /2/ Trash Bag Spider Web Decoration- Chances are you have the supplies for this craft in your home already. /3/ Printable Halloween Banner and Bats- Banners are a fun touch to any party. You wouldn't have a birthday party without a Happy Birthday banner, would you? Exactly. /4/ Bat Mobile- No, it's not the … [Read more...]
20 Amazing School Lunches for Kids
We all would love to impress our children with elaborate Bento boxes, but in reality, most parents are incredibly busy, especially in the mornings, and are after lunches that are still fun, but also quick to make. I've rounded up 20 amazing school lunches for kids that are not only fun, but they are also fairly quick to make, and kids will love them. Teddy Bear Lunch. My kids especially love this Nutella teddy bear sandwich, surrounded by a corn sun, blueberry sky, and grape and lettuce grass. The ground is made of Tiny Teddy biscuits, fruit strips, and Cheerios. Holiday Lunches. Take a look at these 5 themed Bento boxes for Halloween, Thanksgiving, Valentine's Day, and Birthday's. Source: 5 Most Adorable Themed Bento Lunches. Turkey Lunch. Perfect for … [Read more...]
Cacio e pepe linguine with white asparagus
As the weather is getting warmer and sunny afternoons are followed by long evenings on the porch chatting with friends I feel less and less motivated to spend time in the kitchen and cook elaborate meals. This recipe is for one of those evenings: when you can finally say "Ah summer is coming" and all you want is a simple, delicious dinner that can be put together in less than 15 minutes. Recipe Ingredients 14 oz dry linguine (or fresh pasta of your choice) 1 bunch white asparagus 2 cups coarsely grated cheese (ideally ¾ of a cup parmesan and 1 ¼ roman pecorino) Pepper to taste 4 tbsp olive oil a handful of slivered almonds Instructions Bring one large pot of salted water to a boil In the meantime trim the ends of the asparagus, then peel the stems … [Read more...]
