Patriotic Party!

It's a chore going out and buying decorations for just one day of fun, or maybe even just a few hours. Plus, most of the decorations only get used one time before you have to throw them away. So, this year, keep your money in your wallet and let your food do all the decorating!

Celebrate the 4th of July with this festive, All-American menu featuring all things RED, WHITE, and BLUE!

Patriotic Summer Salad
Red, White & Blue Cookies	Stuffed Strawberries	Patriotic Cheesecake
Patriotic Spritzer	Patriotic Sangria	Patriotic Shooter

Want more? Check out all our easy recipes! Happy 4th of July!

Quick Summer Cocktails

Summer is here and that means it's time to whip out the ice bucket and blender for some sensational libations. Try our Southern Gentleman, Barbie Slippers, or Raspberry Jammer for a cool evening during the summer heat. And for something booze-free, check out our Blackberry Ice Cream Soda or Watermelon Smoothie.

Southern Gentleman
Barbie Slippers	Raspberry Jammer
Blackberry Ice Cream Soda	Watermelon Smoothie

For more ideas, check out all our easy drink recipes!

Brunch Fit For a Royal

Here's a grand idea: If you have the luxury of a free morning on Friday, April 29, why not gather the girls for brunch and watch the Royal Wedding from this side of the pond? It starts at 5 am ET (yikes!) but televised highlights of the event will run all day. Serve up our classy Artichoke Quiche, Scrumptious Strawberry Salad, and swanky Brunch Mimosas to enjoy a royally decadent brunch!

Artichoke Quiche
Scrumptious Strawberry Salad	Brunch Mimosas

For more ideas, check out all our easy brunch recipes!

Holiday Cheers!

With all that's involved in getting a holiday party together (appetizers, Christmas tunes, tacky reindeer sweaters) drinks often get overlooked. Yet they can be the difference between throwing the same old party your friends have been to before and hosting an exciting holiday-themed soiree. Here are some tips for making drinks that appeal to a large number of guests without being a ton of work:

1. Select drinks that can be made in large batches and prepared ahead of time. Pull the punch bowl/pitcher out of the refrigerator when the first guest arrives and you're set!


2. Prepare a signature cocktail that only uses a few ingredients and make that the focus. Supplement with a few bottles of wine, a few varieties of beer, and some sparkling water for people who aren't into hard liquor.


3. Serve warm drinks - not only can most of them be made batch-style but your guests tend to drink them slower, meaning they won't be swinging from the chandelier before midnight (no promises for what happens after midnight, though!).


4. Stock up on extra juice/mixers because not everyone likes to drink as much as you, party animal!

Inspired? Try one of these recipes and see how simple (and fun!) hosting a holiday party can be:

Poinsettia Champagne Cocktail	Winter Sangria
Baileys Egg Nog	Cinn-ful Apple Cider
King's Cider	Mulled Wine

Enjoy the festivities!

Egg Nog Three Ways

Egg nog is that fabulous spreader of joy that only rears its intoxicating head around the holidays, only to leave you with a heavy hangover the next day. Or maybe that's just me. Despite that, I figured I'd try a few variations and get the party started early!

Baileys Egg Nog	Egg Nog Latte
Pumpkin Nog

And if you somehow manage to have leftover egg nog, try this Egg Nog Bundt Cake!



Cheers to a hangover-free holiday celebration! (But if you're not so lucky, here are some hangover tips.)

Happy National Liqueur Day

How appropriate that National Liqueur Day fall on the weekend? Celebrate in style with a Chambord Cosmo (or two)!

5 Days of Fall: Currants and Gooseberries

Hope you're enjoying our 5 Days of Fall series so far and that it's getting you in the mood for the new season. Today we're featuring ribes, which are a classification of fruits that includes edible currants (black currant, red currant and white currant) and gooseberries. Who knew there was even a categorization for that?

Black and Red Currants

• Selection: Red currants should be deep red and soft when ripe. Black currants will be a deep purple, almost black.


• Storage: Refrigerate unwashed in a plastic bag for up to 4 days. Can be frozen for 1 year.


• Usage: Black currant is most commonly used in the syrup called cassis - which is great in cocktails!


• Fun Fact: Black currant became popular in the UK during World War II since they're a great source of vitamin C and oranges weren't as readily available. After the war, the popularity continued and most of the black currant crop was made into syrup and given to children for free.

Gooseberries

• Selection: Picked when at full size but before they ripen.


• Storage: Use within three days. Keep refrigerated.


• Fun fact: Gooseberries are often said (who knew?) to be one of the fruits in the Fruit of the Loom logo but in fact those are green grapes.

Kir a la Maison

Chimayo Cocktail

Liverpool Kiss

Miss a post? Catch up for the week!

Monday: Cranberries
Tuesday: Pumpkin
Wednesday: Currants and Gooseberries (above)
Thursday: Sweet Potatoes
Friday: Mushrooms

Simple Summer Picnics

Summer is (obviously) a great time to get outdoors and enjoy the fabulous weather. And picnics can be an easy way to have inexpensive and fun meals outside. To make sure your picnics stay simple (and don't make you miss the conveniences of home!) try these tips:

FAMILY PICNICS

Food. Keep it easy with this Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad, which you can make in advance and refrigerate. It has all the food groups so you know your family will get a full meal. Bring along some baked potato chips and fresh fruit, like watermelon and apples, and you're set!

Drinks. Fill a cooler with juices boxes for the kiddo and soda, beer, or white wine for the adults, and plenty of water for everyone.

Entertainment. Bring a volleyball net or badminton set if you're going to an area that allows set-up. You can find them pretty inexpensively at your local sporting goods or discount store. Or even just a ball or frisbee to throw around.

Miscellaneous. Bring plenty of napkins and wet wipes - watermelon is great but somehow manages to end up all over the place. Toss in a few paper plates and plastic forks and you're set.

Remember - the goal is to keep it simple! Grab just a few things and head to the beach/park and enjoy a family night out. No need to bring everything from home!

ROMANTIC PICNICS

Food. Grab a selection of gourmet cheeses and sausages at your local wine and cheese shop (or even grocery store), and toss in a baguette as well. Prepare this easy Fruit Pizza in advance for a refreshing dessert. Simple and totally tasty!

Drinks. Grab a bottle (or two) of sparkling wine or white wine. Either is great when enjoyed al fresco. Splurge and bring real champagne/wine glasses on your picnic. If you have a wine chiller, that's ideal. Otherwise, just keep it in your picnic basket out of direct sunlight and drink it fast enough that it doesn't get hot! And don't forget the corkscrew!

Miscellaneous. Little touches like a real knife, a wooden cuttingboard, and a traditional picnic basket really jazz up a romantic picnic while still keeping it simple.

The main thing to remember with picnics is that everything you use, you have to carry. So choose wisely and pick the few things that make it special while leaving everything else at home. And remember - you don't need to eat any more on a picnic than you would at home. No need to bring vats of potato salad or 20 pounds of watermelon - you'll just end up trashing most of it or lugging it home. Keep it simple and enjoy the great outdoors!

Bubbly Basics

Cheers! Everyone celebrates a Sunday brunch with a Mimosa or Bellini, but how much do you actually know about the key ingredient: Champagne?

• Champagne is a sparkling wine named after the region in the north of France in which it is produced. Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are the two predominant grapes that make champagne. The label "Champagne" is copyrighted, which means that any other region that produces it cannot label it such, but must call it "methode champenoise."


• Champagne is expensive because it is produced in limited quantities from only one specific region. It is different from other sparkling wines like Cava and Prosecco because it undergoes a double fermentation process: once in the barrel and once in the bottle.


• Contrary to other wines, champagne does not get better with age.


• The Benedictine Monk, Dom Perignon, invented champagne by testing the process of carbonation. He learned that trapping carbon dioxide causes bubbles. The bubbles are actually the reason people get drunk easily from champagne; they carry the alcohol into the bloodstream faster.


• The quality of champagne is determined by the size of the bubbles; the smaller the bubbles, the higher the quality. Another way to determine the quality of your champagne is to check the bubble trains rising along the sides of the flute; there should be many different trains.


• Vintage champagnes are made from different blends of grapes during a specific year (or vintage) and are more expensive than non-vintage champagnes.


• Champagne bottles are thicker than regular wine bottles in order to prevent them from exploding from the interior pressure. Be warned that a projectile cork can travel between 40-100 miles per hour! The solution? Chilling champagne reduces the interior pressure.


• Champagne is best drunk from a tall narrow glass, which confines the bubbles and concentrates the aroma and taste. Bottoms up!

Ready to indulge in some bubbly cocktails? Try one of these easy recipes:

Barbie Slippers

Hawaiian Royale

Poinsettia Champagne Cocktail

We are happy to have Nola Solomon on board as an intern for FunnySpoon.com. As a French-American, she offers unique culinary insight on how to enjoy your food and efficiently plan for a hectic schedule. Give her recipes and tips a try!

World Cup 2010: Escape to Spain

The US may be out of the World Cup but it doesn't mean it's not worth following and showing our support! Here's Nola's latest take on this world-famous sport.
- Vicki

Although I, like everyone else, want to forget the USA/Ghana game, I found myself at match end fuming over the announcers. Everyone and their mother knows that the USA is a fledgling soccer nation, but the announcers were chattering about how proud the USA team should be at having made it out of the bracket and how they can hold their heads held high. Why should we give ourselves any other standard than say Brazil or Argentina? Would Spain hold their heads up high if they had lost their round of 16 match? Doubtful. It's time the world stop babying and belittling our soccer playing capacities, and recognize us for the potential that has yet to, but will soon, be reached.

On another note, for those of you who weren't lucky enough to catch the Spain v. Portugal game this past Tuesday, it was really quite a match! I joined my good friend and fellow soccer enthusiast at Boqueria, a Spanish Tapas restaurant in Soho. For 90 minutes, over calamari a la plancha and a large (yes, large) pitcher of Sangria, we escaped New York City and American disappointment for the vibrant atmosphere of Barcelona.

Despite USA elimination, rest assured World Cup blogs will continue. BIG GAMES OF THE WEEKEND: Brazil v. Netherlands, Friday, July 2, at 10AM EST, Ghana v. Uruguay, Friday, July 2, at 2:30PM EST, Argentina v. Germany, Saturday, July 3 at 10AM EST, and Spain v. Paraguay, Saturday, July 3, at 2:30PM EST!


Did you start drooling at just the mention of sangria? Try this Sangria Spritzer at home! The splash of cava makes it refreshing in the summer heat, and almost makes you feel like you're watching the game along Las Ramblas in Barcelona. Almost.

We are happy to have Nola Solomon on board as an intern for FunnySpoon.com. As a French-American, she offers unique culinary insight on how to enjoy your food and efficiently plan for a hectic schedule. Give her recipes and tips a try!

8 Pairings for a Wine and Cheese Tasting

Wine and cheese tastings are a great way to sample new wines and cheeses, as well as have a party with minimal set-up and clean-up. The pairings below make for the perfect party - a variety of different tastes and textures, with each wine complementing the cheese.

Cheese: Brie
Wine: Cabernet, Beaujolais (except Beaujolais Nouveau), Champagne
Taste: Brie is a comparatively mild cheese and it plays nice with most wines.

Cheese: Bleu Cheese
Wine: Any sweet white, a strong red, or port wine
Taste: The strong flavor of blue cheese requires either a strong glass of red alongside it or a sweet wine to accent it. It also goes well with foie gras.

Cheese: Cheddar or Cantal
Wine: A strong red like a Cabernet Sauvignon or Syrah, or a white like Sauvignon Blanc.
Taste: Mature cheeses like the company of strong wines. Be bold!

Cheese: Camembert
Wine: A light red like a Merlot or Burgundy
Taste: Stonger than brie, softer than bleu, you'll want a wine somewhere in the middle for this cheese. Or for something different, try cider or stout beer.

Cheese: Chevre
Wine: A dry white from the Loire River Valley, like a Sancerre or Vouvray, or a Gewurztraminer
Taste: Chevre goes with the same wines you would choose for fish - nice, dry whites. You can also pair with champagne.

Cheese: Manchego or Comte
Wine: A light rosé
Taste: These hard, nutty cheeses like the fruitiness of a rosé, but don't go too sweet.

Cheese: Boursin or Alouette
Wine: Pinot Gris, Pinot Grigio, Gewurztraminer
Taste: Smooth, easy cheeses like the company of smooth, easy wine.

Cheese: Havarti
Wine: A red Bordeaux
Taste: Splurge on a red Bordeaux to go with your classy Havarti.

The above spread is ideal for 10-12 people; you can buy more or less depending on the size of your party. Be sure to buy several baguettes (slice them into 1/2-inch slices before the party) and various crackers for spreading. Bon appétit!

Hump Day with Bradley: Summer Drinks

Happy Hump Day, ladies. Since I've been talking about beer a lot lately, I figured I'd throw this one out to you. Hope everyone is enjoying their week so far.
- Bradley

For me, summer is great - time for cutting the grass, grilling out, and sitting back with an ice cold beer. But I know not everyone (I'm talking to you, ladies) is the biggest fan of beer. So as a compromise you can serve this Punchbowl. Everyone can agree it's refreshing and it's really easy to make. So go ahead and serve it at your next BBQ and you'll be surprised how many guys drink it. I may even be drinking some right now, you know, as part of the job ...

Celebrate Cinco de Mayo

Cinco de Mayo is a lot more fun when you don't have to work the next day!

So have a tiny celebration tonight with a few tasty Margarita Spritzers, then check out all our Mexican Recipes to plan your full-blown Friday fiesta!


Pssst! This recipe idea was sent straight to the inboxes of our email subscribers, who get tips like this about twice a month from us. Want in? Sign up now!

Wine Week: Fun Friday Wines

I've heard that you should pick wine based on what label appeals to you, under the assumption that if you have classic tastes you'll pick a more serious-looking label, and if you like lighter, fruitier fun wines, you'll pick less traditional labels. I guess that's true, depending on my mood. Sometimes I'll look for a Bordeaux with a schmancy chateau on the label, sometimes I'll look for something totally off the wall. Since it's Friday, I figured I'd share some of my favorite "fun" wines:


Mad Housewife Wine: It's not just attitude - it tastes fabulous, too!









Bitch Wine: A South Australian wine with a lot of flavor!









Marilyn Merlot: If you like Merlot, check this one out.









Fat Bastard Wines: You've probably already heard of this French wine, but if not, definitely pick up a bottle!







Be sure to bring a bottle to your next get-together - they're great conversation starters!

Wine Week: Avoiding "Monster Mouth"

If you're like me, you really enjoy a good glass (or three) of red wine. But about halfway through that bottle, your enjoyable evening takes a turn for the worse and you end up with "Monster Mouth", aka "Red Wine Lips", aka blue teeth and purple lips. Yikes!

Here are my top tips for avoiding the dreaded Red Wine Lips:

1. Start out right. Brush your teeth before your party (including a quick pass on the tongue and lips). You'll start out with a clean palette, plus brushing the tongue and lips gets rid of dead skin that red wine just loves to grab hold of.


2. Lube up. Ladies, put some lip gloss on as a base layer - the wine won't stick as well to it. Men, dab a little chap stick on your lips and drink up! Also, (and you should be doing this anyway), drink plenty of water throughout the evening. It'll help wash away stains before they have a chance to form.


3. Try a white or rosé. Even if you're a die-hard red wine lover, you can still get down with an Ecco Domani Pinot Grigio or a Toad Hollow Dry Rosé. If you simply must have red wine, save it for the meal, when you'll be able to wash some stainage down with food.

Or, you can always just wear your Red Wine Lips with pride, knowing that you've enjoyed a fabulous bottle among friends, friends who incidentally are also sporting the same purple grin you are!

Wine Week: Pairing Wine With the Right ... Music?

Yep, it's true. According to this MSNBC clip, not only do we need to pair the right wine with the right meal, but we need to match it up to our music, too!



So, depending on your choice of music and your choice of wine, here's the right match-ups!

Wine	Music
Southern Rhone or Syrah	Reggae
Pink Pino Grigio	Disco
Champagne/Sparkling Wine	Opera
Cherry Pie Pinot Noir	Country
Chardonnay	Pop

Have a combination of your own that goes over well every time? Share in the comments!

Wine Week: Affordable Wines

We all know that wine drinking can be very expensive! Just ask my husband - he jokes that his entertainment budget tripled when we started dating as I tend to like expensive wines ... not the Bud Light he was accustomed to paying for! However, you don't have to fall prey to this trap. There are TONS of great wines that are very, very affordable.

The first, general piece of advice we can give is to look for wines from lesser known regions. There's no reason to stick to French wines, Napa Valley Chardonnay or Oregon Pinot. Look for wines from Argentina, South Africa and Greece. There are tons of great wines available and they don't all come from the uber trendy regions (along with the uber trendy price tag).

Here are some of our favorite, affordable wines. These are great for parties and for sipping at home.

Sparkling Wine
We really like the Veuve du Vernay. It's a great sparkling wine that stands on its own (or makes a great champagne cocktail) and it's less than $10 per bottle! The Cavas Hill Cava is also excellent. It's about $15 per bottle and very, very drinkable (you should probably get a few!)

Sauvignon Blanc
We have found the Geyser Peak Sauvignon Blanc is nice and citrusy. Perfect for an outdoor, warm event - like the beach!! About $13 per bottle.

Chardonnay
You can't beat the Mad Housewife Chardonnay. It's fruity and slightly oaky. And it's $6-$7 per bottle. WEEEE!!

Pinot Noir
We've got a soft spot for the Hob Nob Pinot Noir - it's really smooth so it's a great wine for drinking on its own and pairs well with a meal. You can find it for about $13-$15 per bottle, too.

Cabernet Sauvignon
Again, we have to say that we like the Mad Housewife Cab ... especially for it's price. It's a silky cabernet with a nice cherry, mocha flavor. Give it a whirl. Great for drinking and cooking! Less than $7 per bottle.

Looking for more options? Check out these featured on the TODAY Show. Oh, and check out Trader Joe's if you have a chance - they have a fantastic selection of affordable wines.

Sure, we all have the occasion to celebrate with something special, but even I have gotten my expensive wine habit under control!