Wishes For A Blessed New Year

On the eve of a brand new year we reflect on the events and happenings of  old year that passed so quickly.  In less than 24 hours we'll turn the page and begin a brand new chapter filled with 365 pages full of excitement and adventures.  We'd like to say thank you to all of our clients and vendors that made 2011 an incredible year for Grand Occasions and wish each of you a VERY Blessed New Year! 

!!!!!HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!

Stocking Stuffers for our 4 Legged Friends

Do you have some special 4 legged family members or friends on your Christmas list this year?  Making healthy, homemade treats are easy and fun and less expensive than all natural treats from the pet store.  Today we made Peanut Butter Bones for the special doggies on our Christmas list.  Tomorrow we'll make some treats for our feline friends and share more recipes for making tasty treats for you to bake and share.  

Peanut Butter Bones

2 cups whole-wheat flour

 1 Tbsp. baking powder 

1 cup peanut butter (smooth)
1 cup milk

Preheat oven to 375'F.  Combine flour and baking powder in a mixing bowl.  Heat peanut butter and milk in a microwave safe bowl or measuring cup and heat for about 25-30 seconds.  Whisk until blended, then add to dry ingredients and mix well. Place dough on a lightly floured surface and knead. Roll dough to 1/4 inch thickness and use a cookie cutter to cut out shapes. Bake for 20 minutes on a greased baking sheet until lightly brown. Cool on a rack, package 2-3 per treat bags, tie with a ribbon and their ready to share with man's best friend.   Store any leftovers in an airtight container.

Pumpkin Dog Treats

Ingredients:

1/2 c. canned pumpkin (NOT pumpkin pie filling!)
4 tbsp molasses
4 tbsp water
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 c. whole wheat flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

2. Blend all of the wet ingredients (pumpkin, molasses, vegetable oil, water) together.

3. Add the dry ingredients (wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon) and stir until a soft dough forms.

4. Scoop the dough by teaspoonfuls and roll it into balls with your hands (hint: wet hands work best). Drop the balls onto a cookie sheet and flatten them with a fork.

5. Bake until hard (approximately 25 min.). For crisper biscuits, turn off the oven and let them cool in the oven over night.

Versatile Cheese Ball Recipe

Here's another yummy recipe you might want to try for your next party or family get together.  It is easily adapted to suit your taste.   Be creative and add your own twist to either recipe,  have fun and ENJOY!

Pineapple Pecan Cheese Ball

2 ~ 8oz blocks of cream cheese (room temperature)
1 ~ 8oz can crushed pineapple (drained)
1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 cup finely chopped bell pepper (a combination of red and green is nice for Christmas)
2 Tablespoons minced onion
1  cup chopped pecans (1/2 cup mixed into the cream cheese, 1/2 cup for the outside of the cheese ball)


Mix together the above ingredients and shape into a ball or log.  Roll in the chopped pecans, cover and refrigerate until chilled thoroughly.  Serve with assorted crackers, toast points, celery sticks or pita chips.

Dessert Cheese Ball

2 ~ 8oz blocks of cream cheese (room temperature)
1 ~ 8oz can crushed pineapple (drained)
1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
2 Tablespoons Kraft Marshmallow Cream
1/4 cup chopped maraschino cherries
1/2 cup shredded coconut (save 1/4 cup for the top)
1/2 cup chopped pecans



Mix together the above ingredients and shape into a ball or log.  Roll in the shredded coconut, cover and refrigerate until chilled thoroughly.  Serve with vanilla wafers, gingersnaps, shortbread, graham crackers or graham cracker sticks.

Tomorrow......A Treat for Our 4 Legged Friends

Kids Will Be Kids ~ Que Sera Sera

"Let us pray"....one of the sweetest
 impromptu kid moments
 I have ever encountered.  

To have or not to have, that is a question most brides are faced with and most every bride has their reason to have or not to have children participate or be present at their special occasion.  Some brides have mixed feelings and aren't sure which direction to go.  The choice is totally personal preference and there are many reasons for the decisions made, some don't want to share the spotlight with anyone that might get equal attention (and let's be honest, kids can be pretty darn cute), for others it's an added expense their budget can't sustain and for yet others they want their affair to be adult oriented.  If you are leaning towards "to have" the main thing to remember is, kids are unpredictable, what they do or don't do at rehearsal isn't any indication of what they will do when it's showtime so you need to be willing to accept their spontaneity and embrace it as long as their behavior isn't heading down the path of disruption to the point of calamity.  That's when plan "B"  needs to be implemented.  If you have a wedding planner or wedding director they are there not only to get you down the aisle, but to handle any situations that may arise and generally have plan "B" established in advance.  

  We'd like to share with you a few of our favorite "spontaneous" kids moments from some of our past weddings.  We think they are priceless and hope you will enjoy them as much as we do. 

When the music began to play and Clay and Caroline took the floor 

so did our charming ring bearer 

and flower girl as if it had been rehearsed. 

 Needless to say, this precious moment received a lot of attention.

This is way too up close and personal for me.

Just one of the many ways for the ring bearer to get the flower girls attention
 and everyone else in attendance, no sleeping at this ceremony.

Can't be late for this very important date!

Now what?

Angelic!

Photography courtesy of Chris and Cami Photography, Lynn Daly and SjMPhoto. 

Recipe for Fun

From mid November to January 1st, there are many occasions to celebrate a host of holidays.  It's a time to get together with family and friends and reflect on memories of  the past, rekindle  and mend relationships and simply enjoy the company of one another. As the old year draws to an end and a new one is about to begin, we begin to reminisce, we become aware of how quickly time goes by and how important it is to make the most of each day and focus on the things that are the most valuable.  So, we plan parties and get~togethers and luncheons and dinners and before you know it we've filled our plates so full that we're exhausted and too tired to enjoy the simple pleasures that we were trying so hard to embrace, we're stuffed with preparation and hustle bustle and have no room left  for dessert or the sweetest part of our celebrations.  We think our homes need to be decorated to the hilt and look like the cover of The Ultimate Southern Living Christmas Book and everything we serve must be made from scratch and served on Lenox, Royal Daulton or Vietri.   Just to set the record straight, I'm not saying your home "Can't" look like the cover of The Ultimate Southern Living Christmas Book or that everything can't be made from scratch and served on fine china.  I love The Ultimate Southern Living Christmas Books and glean a lot of inspiration from them, I have a set of Royal Daulton and much I make for gatherings is from scratch.  Let me also say, I have been guilty of thinking everything has to follow those guidelines or it just isn't good enough.  All of those perceptions are a fallacy, the most important thing is the fellowship enjoyed, them time you spend together, not the decoration, the food we eat or what we eat it on.  If you are gathering together for the right reason, none of those things should matter, if they do, you've missed the reason for gathering together.  So, I'm encouraging you invite someone over even if it's for a bag of lays and a carton of French Onion Dip and celebrate the season together.  I know you and your guests will be glad you did, but in case you have the time and want to make some homemade goodies instead we'll be posting some simple and delicious recipes  we hope you'll try and enjoy.

Bon Appétit

Garlic Feta Cheese Spread

4 oz Crumbled Feta Cheese

4 oz Cream Cheese (1/2 of an 8oz block) softened

1/3 cup mayonnaise

1 clove of garlic minced

1/4 teaspoon dried basil, crushed

1/4 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed

1/8 teaspoon dried dill weed

1/8 teaspoon dried thyme crushed

Fresh thyme or basil ~ optional

Assorted vegetables and crackers

In a food processor bowl or mixing bowl, combine feta, cream cheese, mayonnaise, garlic and dried herbs.  Cover and process or beat with an electric mixer on medium speed till combined.  Cover and chill until time to serve.  If desired, garnish with fresh thyme or basil.  Serve with assorted vegetables and crackers.  Yields 1 1/2 cups

  

GO Green (and Red and Silver) The Recycled Wreath

Before and After
(Click on photos to enlarge)

Go Green!  Recycle!  We hear it every day, but just how much do we really do it?  We live in a very disposable world and sometimes  it seems like what's getting recycled is the packaging from the new stuff.   We get rid of the old and get new without much contemplation.  Granted, there are times when it's time for something to go, but often times an item could be shown a little TLC and tweaked and be better than new.  

  Now that we have 2 homes to decorate, I was contemplating making a new wreath (I always make my own instead of purchasing a pre-made) or purchasing some other sort of door decoration for the one in NC, but after looking around in my stock pile of "stuff" that wasn't being used I pulled out a very old sad looking little wreath and decided to give it a  face lift.  Why spend money when you don't need to?    I did purchase new ribbon, but not for full price (it was 50% off).  I removed all of the old trimmings, fluffed it and added the new ribbon and the old ornaments that were still in good condition.   Within a few hours I had a gorgeous "new" wreath and a lot of fun in the process.  I'm sure I can come up with a recycling idea for the old ornaments that aren't in such good shape.   

Out with the old~In with the new

   Why not look around and see what you have that could be tweaked and reused, invite some friends or family (or your spouse) to find items as well and get together for a make over party.   The Christmas season is a time for celebrating, sharing, giving and spending time with loved ones and friends. It's all about making memories and spending quality time with those we love and care about.  It doesn't have to be an elaborately planned affair and you don't need to spend a lot of money.  No expensive holiday outfit is necessary, just come as you are.  Put on some Christmas Carols to set the mood, open a bottle of wine and serve some fruit and cheese, make some homemade hot cocoa and bake or purchase gingerbread cookies, put on a pot of tea and bake a tray of scones, brew a pot of java (or sit out the Keurig) and serve assorted biscotti.   And if you've already done your decorating, why not make over something for someone in need or alone this Christmas.   With very little effort or money you can enjoy fellowship with family and friends and make some wonderful Christmas memories.  Happy recycling!

Better than new!