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We hope you find it easier to navigate through the new blog and the almost 400 posts from 3 years ( still transferring them but we're working on it!).

Soup For Summer - Focus on guests not the grill!

Roasted Red Bell Pepper Soup makes a great lunch or light dinner served with salad and grossini when entertaining summertime guests. A perk with soup is that it can be made ahead of time so your focus is on friends and family and not on the stove - great for entertaining. In addition, Red Bell Peppers not only taste great, they are great for you. They packed a more powerful punch then citrus when it comes to being a good source of Vitamin C and are also a good source of beta carotene. So you are serving your guests a healthy and fresh meal.

This recipe comes from Kathy Ireland's website, which is an excellent resource for home entertaining. I tweeted with Kathy regarding the recipe and she agreed a dollop of ricotta cheese would be a perfect addition to this summer soup. She told me the recipe is the creation of Chef André Carthen, who provides cooking, entertaining and culture solutions for Kathy Ireland Home and acafe. After a tweet or two with Chef André, I discovered his original recipe called for a Feta Cheese topping. I always stick with a chef's recommendation, but if you are feeling more Italian than Greek, Chef André okay'd the substitution.

Thanks Kathy and Chef André Carthen, big smiles on this soup! For more great recipes visit Kathy Ireland Home and acafe .



Roasted Red Bell Pepper Soup
Serves 6-8

Ingredients

• 4 red bell peppers, seeded and chopped
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 4 tbsp. olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 3 tbsp. tomato paste
• 6 cups chicken stock
• 2 tsp. dried cilantro
• Salt and ground black pepper
• Cilantro leaves to garnish
  

Directions:

• In a large saucepan, cook peppers and onion gently in the oil for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Stir in the garlic, dried cilantro and tomato paste. Add in half the stock, then bring to a boil. Cover the pan, lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
• Puree the mixture in a food processor or blender. Return to the pan, then add the rest of the stock. Season with salt and pepper.
• Bring the soup back to a boil, and then serve at once with cilantro leaves placed on top of each serving.

Watermelon Sangria - Friday's Featured Cocktail

Food & Wine Cocktails


I am digging this recipe out of the archives of Food & Wine Cocktails and dusting it off. It deserves a fresh look and now is the perfect time of year to mix up this cocktail. Watermelons are available domestically May through October, with May - August being peak season. They are grown in 44 of the 50 United States so you should be able to get this produce locally - that means a fresher melon and a better tasting cocktail!


Watermelon Sangria
Food & Wine 2007
Servings: 6 to 8 drinks

Ingredients

• 2 pounds seedless watermelon, peeled and cubed, plus 1/2 pound watermelon cut into balls with a melon baller and skewered on picks
• 1 bottle dry white wine
• 6 ounces vodka
• 4 ounces Cointreau or other triple sec
• 4 ounces Citrus Syrup
• Ice

Directions

In a blender, puree the watermelon cubes. Pour through a fine strainer into a pitcher. Add the white wine, vodka, Cointreau and Citrus Syrup. Stir and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Stir again, then pour the sangria into ice-filled white wine glasses and garnish with the skewered watermelon balls.

For more great summer cocktail recipes check out F&W

Cowboy Caviar

When I think of "Cowboy Cooking", I think of Chuck Wagons and hungry cowboys huddled over the campfire starving after a long day of driving cattle. This recipe is a bit more refined, yet it does incorporate the same ingredients (corn, beans and onions) used on the Chuck Wagons in the 1800's. Cowboy Caviar doesn't require a campfire, in fact it doesn't require an oven, stove or grill either! Not only is this southwestern style recipe quick and simple, it follows the Partybluprints' rule of simple and special. Serve alone in a bowl with tortilla chips for dipping or over a green salad (add thin strips of steak or chicken or try shrimp). Your guests will love it and they will love spending the day with you since you can prepare this dish entirely ahead of time.


Ingredients

15 1/2 ounce(s) (can) pinto or black beans, drained and rinsed
11 ounce(s) (can) corn kernels, drained
2 medium tomatoes, seeded and diced
3 green onions, minced
1 large (or 2 small) avocado , diced
1 cup(s) chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 cup(s) prepared salsa
3/4 teaspoon(s) salt
1/2 teaspoon(s) pepper

Directions

1. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Gently toss to combine. Chill for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Serve over greens as a salad, or with chips for dipping.

All credit to : Jean Scobie of McKinleyville, Calif., the top prize in the Quick & Simple No-Cook Summer Recipes contest.

Wine Pairing for Surf & Turf

Summer usually means at least one great Surf and Turf BBQ or maybe you treat yourself to this special meal while on vacation. Either way, picking the right wine to compliment your meal is important. We went to our resident wine expert to find out which wine works best with land and sea! Here is what he said . . .

“Comments from Kirk” – Kirk Sprenger is a wine expert and proprietor of Chappaqua Wine & Spirits in Chappaqua, NY. Kirk provides his expert opinion and advice on our wine selections, pairings and rules.

The following are Kirk’s comments for a Surf & Turf pairing:

White wine with fish, red wine with meat. Always obey the rules, when possible. However, sometimes life throws us a curve ball. Periodically we are faced with little obstacles such as Surf & Turf. Herein lays the dilemma. There happens to be a simple resolution though. The answer is Pinot Noir. Oily fish and tannic reds have a tendency to clash, yet Pinot Noir usually contains lower tannins and can unite very favorably. For this type of dish, I would certainly recommend Irony from Monterey which has an abundance of cherry rich fruit and a very delicate texture. For those who are looking for a bit more depth and body with the same lushness of fruit, seek out Domaine Chandon from Carneros. Irony ranges in price from $14-17/Domaine Chandon ranges in price from $28-32 (current market prices)

Pesto Tortellini - Terrific for Summer Entertaining

This dish is one of my all time favorites for quick and easy summer entertaining. This time of year means fresh garden basil is plentiful and cherry tomatoes are ripe and in season at the markets. You can make this delicious meal in 30 minutes. That means you can feed a hungry crowd a home cooked meal and still spend the day at the pool or on the beach! If you are so inclined, grill up some steak or chicken to accompany the tortellini, but with fresh bread and a nice wine it's perfect alone. A nice crisp Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc will pair well with the pesto.

Ingredients:

• 2 packages (9 ounces each) refrigerated cheese tortellini
• 2 cups loosely packed fresh basil leaves
• 1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
• 1 small garlic clove, crushed with garlic press
• 1/2 pint cherry tomatoes, each cut in half or into quarters if large

Directions:

1. In sauce pot, prepare tortellini in boiling water as label directs. Drain tortellini, reserving 1/2 cup pasta cooking water. Return tortellini to saucepot.

2. In blender, combine basil, pine nuts, Parmesan cheese, olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic, and reserved pasta cooking water and blend until mixture is smooth, stopping blender occasionally and scraping down sides with rubber spatula.

3. Add basil mixture and tomatoes to tortellini; toss until evenly mixed.

4. Top with shaved Parmesan cheese and pine nuts


Preparation Time: 15 min.
Cooking Time: 25 min.
Serves 6

recipe adapted from http://www.barlowsrecipes.com

Sangria - Friday's Featured Cocktail

Sangria is the perfect summer party punch. Make up a batch and enjoy with friends at any of your summer celebrations. Sangria is great with barbecued food, especially those that are spicy! Be adventurous and add in fruits that you like, try apple (make sure it has no wax), strawberries, peaches, etc... Here is a great recipe to get you started.

Recipe
makes 6 cups

Ingredients

1 orange, in wheels sliced thin
1 lemon, in wheels sliced thin
2 tablespoons fine granulated sugar
1 bottle chilled dry red wine
1/2 cup cognac
1/4 cup Grand Marnier
2 tablespoons orange juice
1 cup chilled seltzer or club soda
1/2 cup Blueberries
Ice cubes

Directions

Our red wine into a pitcher. Squeeze the juice from the lemon and orange wheels in to the red wine and then add the lemon and orange. Add sugar, cognac, Grand Marnier, and orange juice. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Chill until ready to serve. When ready to serve add ice cubes, blueberries and stir in seltzer.

Who's Your Daddy? Father's Day Gift Ideas

Father's Day is around the corner and Dad's these days really deserve a day of celebration and adulation. Every Dad has his own personality and finding the perfect gift for him can be challenging. Gifts.com has come up with a great way to organize their menu of amazing gifts. This year you can search the site by Dad personality and find gifts that match his special lifestyle.

Categories include gifts that would appeal to The Guy's Guy, The Geek, The Devoted Dad, The Achiever, The Adventurer, Field and Stream Dad, Metro Man, The Thinker, The Hipster and Country Clubber. I checked out the results for each Dad type and you should be able to find the perfect gift in your price range.

Gifts.com really is an easy way to find great gifts. Now that the site has filtered it's search function in even more detail for Father's Day it's a great option for finding the perfect gift at a great price too!

To shop Gifts.com Go>

Blueberry Crumble for Blueberry Season

Image from http://www.findyourcraving.com

It's blueberry season and time to take advantage of the this great tasting, good for you, super food. Blueberries are on most food guru's top ten list and are usually the only food on the list you can use to make a delicious dessert - unless salmon or broccoli pie floats your boat. This dessert is one of my favorites and the recipe is great. It uses fresh blueberries, prep time is 30 minutes or less and doesn't take hours of baking. It meets my criteria of simple yet special. I hope you enjoy it!

Blueberry Crumble (recipe from whole foods)

Ingredients

• 6 cups blueberries
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 2/3 cup flour
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup oats
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 4 1/2 tablespoons butter

Method

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Rinse fruit and drain thoroughly. Put berries in a mixing bowl and add lemon juice and one tablespoon flour. Combine, and pour into a 10' pie plate. In a food processor, pulse together the remaining ingredients until they resemble coarse breadcrumbs ( or mix with your hands but it will take a bit longer) . Cover the berries with the topping and bake for thirty minutes until the top has browned and the fruit is bubbling. Serves 6. For a special touch, add vanilla ice cream or whipped cream!

It's Blueberry season so here are some tips:

• Best used raw in fresh fruit desserts, salads, and smoothies.
• Best cooked in cobblers, crisps, jams, muffins and pies.
• Excellent source of vitamin C.
• Good source of fiber.
• Berries should be firm, plump, and fully colored.
• Store at room temperature or refrigerate in a single layer.
• Use within a day or two.
• Wash when ready to use.

Make a Splash with Jones Soda Favors

Make a splash with a favor that will be remembered long after the soda has been sipped!

Celebrate your special day with personalized soda from Jones Soda that both you and your guests will cherish. Simply choose from a selection of premium Jones Soda flavors, upload your photo or image onto the label, write a message for the back of the bottle, and in a few short weeks your personalized bottles will arrive ready to be enjoyed. I think these personalized beverages are great for graduations, weddings, birthdays, retirement parties and anniversaries. The bottles dress up and decorate party tables too and give you more bang for your buck! I love them for celebrating a milestone for a loved-one, they really make a statement.

Friday's Featured Cocktail - Blueberry Smash

This cocktail is perfect for Blueberry Season. Elizabeth and I love cocktails made with fresh fruit and the combo of citrus, blueberry and mint is sheer bliss! Cheers to a wonderful weekend.


Blueberry Smash

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 oz. citrus rum
• fresh mint leaves
• fresh blueberries
• crushed ice

Garnish: blueberries

Muddle mint and blueberries, then add citrus rum and shake. Pour over crushed ice in a cocktail glass and garnish with blueberries. (Cocktail created by: 15 Ria at the Washington Terrace Hotel)

Key West Staycation Party

If economic woes have you grounded this summer, host a Key West Staycation Party! Key West is the perfect location for a staycation "Come as You Are" Cocktail BBQ. Surprise your friends and family with a tropical twist on the typical barbeque. Treat them to the specialties of Key West where nothing is too important or pressing, except enjoying a cocktail (or two), kicking back, expressing yourself and experiencing the sunset. The free-wheeling attitude, tropical cocktails, Floribbean cuisine and Key West music are the perfect solution to the staycation blues. Encourage your guests to be creative and show their personality - live by the Key West motto, "come as you are." Turn the key to paradise and enjoy! Here are a few ideas to get you started. . .

THE LOOK

Orchids, Birds of Paradise, shells, bamboo disposable plates and forks, and lots of fruit especially limes are great for creating the look of an island get-away in your own backyard. Purple Orchids and limes look great together and create a real tropical atmosphere. Use them to create arrangements, garnish platters and decorate the dinning table. Tiki torches and candles are a must for when the sun goes down. They are the perfect mood enhancer.


THE FOOD



The Original Margarita
As Jimmy Buffett proclaims, “It’s 5 o’clock somewhere.” Set up a cocktail port in the inlet of your island party to make it easy and convenient for your guests to enjoy the endless cocktail hour. Serve Fresh Margaritas!



Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 oz. 100% blue agave plata Tequila
• 3/4 oz. freshly squeezed lime juice
• 1-1/4 oz. Cointreau

Preparation:
Shake together all ingredients with fresh ice cubes in a cocktail shaker until well chilled, about a count of ten. Take one of the lime rinds and run it around the outside edge of a cocktail glass (Be careful to avoid the inside of the glass, or you’ll have salt in your drink.) Dip the edge of the glass into Kosher salt (iodized table salt just won’t work) so that half of the outside edge of the glass is coated. Strain the drink into the glass. You can also mix up a pitcher and serve in a rock glass with ice. This is much easier for a large crowd.


Conch Ceviche – Our Recipe for Key West Ambrosia
Conch is King in the Conch Republic that is Key West. Instead of an uninspiring salad, serve your guests Conch Ceviche, conch marinated in fresh key lime and lemon juice and loaded with lots of fresh produce and herbs. Serve it up in a shell and your guests will know they are eating in paradise. If you can not find Conch at your local seafood market, it is available year round through Fresh Choice Seafood. Serve the ceviche with some fresh Cuban bread if it is available in your area, if you you can order online at CubanFoodMarket.com



Ingredients:

• 2 lbs. Conch
• 8 Key Limes (regular limes are fine if you can’t purchase Key Lime)
• 4 Lemons
• 1 Tbl. White Vinegar
• 2 Garlic cloves
• 2 Bell Peppers (red and orange)
• 2 Jalapeno Peppers (if you choose a Serrano pepper, you’ll only need 1)
• 1 Bunch Scallions
• 8 On the Vine Tomatoes (if you use another tomato make sure it’s a juicy one)
• ½ cup finely chopped Cilantro
• 2 Mangoes
• Olive Oil
• Fresh Cracked White Pepper
• Sea Salt

Preparation:

• Partially thaw frozen conch and cut into small pieces (it’s easier to cut when slightly frozen), then finish thawing. When fully thawed, blanch the cut conch (boil for 1 minute, remove and plunge into bowl of ice water). This step is an optional precaution when serving seafood. In most island recipes for ceviche the raw seafood is cooked in the bath of citrus juice.

• Place cut and blanched conch in large glass bowl (don’t use metal – it could give off a metallic taste) and set aside.

• Squeeze the juice from 8 key limes and 4 lemons into a small bowl, remove any seeds, add 1 Tbl. white vinegar and 2 minced garlic cloves, whisk together and pour over cut conch. Cover and refrigerate while cutting produce.

• Wash red and orange peppers, finely chop and place in second bowl.

• Mince Jalapeno pepper (you can substitute a Serrano pepper instead for more heat if you have a spicy crowd coming) and add to peppers. (If you wear contacts, use rubber gloves when preparing hot peppers, the oil from the peppers stays on the skin and can be transferred to your contacts.)

• Wash tomatoes, dice and place in third bowl.

• Finely slice scallions and add to tomatoes.

• Dice mango and add to tomatoes.

• Drizzle olive oil over pepper and tomato mixtures, sprinkle sea salt and fresh cracked white pepper, add chopped fresh cilantro and gently mix both.

• Let both mixtures sit on counter for ½ hour to marinate.

• Add pepper mixture to marinated key lime conch and return to refrigerator for at least 4 hours.

• Let tomato mixture sit on counter to marinate.

• Just before serving conch ceviche, mix in tomato mixture and let sit on counter for 15 mins.

• Serve with tortilla chips.

Sunset Skewers – The Perfect Ending to a Perfect Evening
Once the sun has set and your guests have enjoyed their cocktails and cocktail tasting menu, offer them a refreshing bit of paradise with our Sunset Skewers. As an indulgence, we’ve added a Green Flash Dip to commemorate the elusive Green Flash that has been spotted by a few at a Key West sunset. This unusual sighting apparently can occur as the top of the sun dips below a low, clearly defined horizon, i.e., a large body of water, creating a bright green flash for a split second, appearing where sea meets sky.



Ingredients:

• Wooden Skewers
• 1 Pineapple
• 2 Cantaloupes
• 5 Kiwi
• 2 – 1 lb. containers Strawberries
• 2 Containers Blackberries
• 1 Box Pistachio Pudding Instant Pudding Mix
• 1 Small tub frozen Cool Whip
• Splash of Amaretto (optional)

Preparation:

• Wash outside of pineapple and cantaloupes, cut into bite size pieces and set aside.
• Peel and slice (not too thin) kiwi.
• Wash blackberries (you can use red grapes also) and strawberries in a colander and let dry.
• Using bamboo skewers, skewer the fruit in the following order to represent the Key West Sunset at Mallory Square: (starting with) blackberry or red grape (reddish/purple), strawberry (red), cantaloupe (orange), pineapple (yellow) and last, kiwi (green).
• Arrange kebabs on a platter in an arc to simulate the sky at sunset.
• Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
• Defrost frozen cool whip.
• Prepare pistachio pudding according to directions and fold into cool whip.
• Add a splash of Amaretto (optional).
• Cover and refrigerate.
  

Key Lime Pie



Key Lime Pie is a local and national favorite. The tart flavor of the key lime, the sweet creaminess of the pie and the crunchy graham cracker crust satisfy many cravings in one bite. You can’t have a Key West party without Key Lime Pie! You can order Key Lime Pie from the Key Lime Pie Company in Key West Florida, they are hand made and shipped to your door!
You can’t have a Key West party without Key Lime Pie!

THE MUSIC



We have selected some great tunes for to get guests in the mood. See our private music mix on iTunes: Partybluprints Private Key West Mix

THE FAVOR


Margaritaville FINS UP Bracelet

The Fins Up bracelet program began in response to the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina in August, 2005. Initial proceeds of over $100,000 were sent to the Red Cross to assist in their efforts not only in New Orleans, but along the entire Gulf Coast.

Since that time, the proceeds of this bracelet has been used to benefit a variety of causes throughout the Florida Keys such as: Reef Relief, Monroe County Association for Retarded Citizens, Heron House, Exotic Bird Rescue, the Dolphin Research Center, Domestic Abuse Shelter, among others.


For the full Eparty Plan (electronic party plan) go to Partybluprints.com

Cakebox Cookies - Not just pretty on the outside!

Once in a while you find a cookie that looks as good as it tastes. Cakebox cookies seems to have met this challenge ! The mission of Cakebox Cookies is to make the best tasting, prettiest cookie you've ever had. They specialize in cookie favors, which are individually wrapped and tied with ribbon, perfect for weddings, baby showers, birthdays and other events. The cookies are soft and thick with a hint of lemon in the icing. They are made thick enough to hold their shape, yet still delicate enough to melt in your mouth.

For those on a tight budget and who isn't these days, Cakebox Cookies are a simple and special party solution. Because these cookies are so pretty and colorful display them on a cake dish in the center of a table and they can double as a centerpiece and dessert or as a centerpiece and a take home favor!

To learn more visit Cakebox Cookies at their esty shop GO>