Hosting a party ? looking for the perfect menu?

It´s Christmas time and we all love to get together with our closest family and friends to enjoy a delicious dinner, drink a good wine and enjoy time together!

I love hosting parties and it is really more simple than it sounds! The secret is not to stress out by trying to do a very complicated recipe and rather allow you to enjoy the party!

I would love to share with you 3 menu party ideas you could host and I guarantee your friends will be delighted!

1. Small Plate Tasting Party.- I hosted this party on Thursday night. We had some friends over and I made some appetizers and little cupcakes for dessert. The best part was that for the main course my hubby was the Chef! he prepared a cooking class lesson with one of his top 5 star recipes hahaha an awesome Peruvian sauce called "Salsa a la Huancaína" that you can put on almost everything and it tastes incredibly good! I prepared small plates that accompanied this sauce  and I printed small personalized handouts with all the cooking instructions and gave them as souvenirs to our guests <3.

2. Cheese n´ wine.- Simple and you can have your guests be part of the logistics by asking the boys to bring wine and the girls different kinds of cheese. Beforehand google cheese and wine pairings... http://www.winemag.com/wine-and-cheese/ and you can decide which kind of wine/cheese they need to bring. Prepare also a nice fruit/nuts platter, you could use some kiwi, blueberries, strawberries, pineapple, almonds and halzenuts! And do not forget to have a freshly baked baguette on a side of the cheese platter... mmm delicious, enjoy!

3. Chocolate lovers.- You can host a pretty sweet party! Prepare simple appetizers to start with, such as creative canapes, play with prosciutto, basil, red peppers, olives, cream cheese... and save the best part for the end... prepare and amazing home style hot cocoa,  you can combine it with nice decorated vanilla-chocolate cupcakes!

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Homestyle-Hot-Cocoa/Detail.aspx?evt19=1
http://allrecipes.co.uk/recipe/31637/vanilla-and-chocolate-cupcakes.aspx

Inspired?? If so... I can now say mission accomplished! Good luck with your next home party!!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO ALL!!

KISS ( Keep It Super Simple) your CHRISTMAS!!!

Hi there!

Are you already feeling that wonderful Christmas spirit wherever you go? Are you bringing it home? Well as this post tittle suggests.... why not Keeping It Super Simple...?? enjoy these picture collages I did for you of really simple Christmas ornaments projects... It just took me a morning to finish them:

 1st. Buy the supplies
2nd. Get started putting all the pieces together.

Our colors and "star ingredients" : Red, Gold, Silver, white feathers, white lights and of course... CANDLES!!!

Is our first Christmas married!!! and we are very excited about it!! when my husband got home from work and saw all the decorations he was flattered :) and during dinner he kept playing Christmas songs in his mind and couldn't help it  mumbling them for a while hahaha  it was sooooo cute!

This song is one of my favorite ones this year.... listen to it is pretty catchy!


HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO ALL!!! 

The perfect excuse for CUDDLING!!!

Let's all go back to " Relationship 101 "..... PRIVATE COUPLE TIME, this is essential and  excluding all the fun and romantic date night-out ideas (which, by the way, I will write an entire post on  shortly :)

So,  you definitely need to think about taking time to just enjoy each other at HOME. Having a MOVIE NIGHT for example can do wonders for your relationship and is the perfect excuse for CUDDLING! something you do in a movie theater.... "lovin' seats" are not the same as your  comfy coach!

This post is about:

 1. Sharing with you a list of movies for those CUDDLING NIGHTS (once a week is great!). I assure you all this movies are awesome... we watched already most of them and they are a mix of genres: action, romance, adventure, drama, comedy.... 100% recommended! If you have others  please feel free to share on the comment section at the end of the post!

 2.  Giving  you a couple tips to make that night more special.

1.THE LIST

- Trainning Day (2001)... One of the best of Denzel Washington.

- Flowers of War (2011)... Christian Bale acting as a priest in China.

- Revolutionary Road (2008)... after Titanic the cutest couple: Leonardo and Kate, now in a drama movie.

- American History X (1998)....Edward Norton and his best performance!

-  The Shawshank Redemption (1994)... Morgan Freeman and Tim Robbins... simply a master piece!

- My Blueberry Nights (2007)

- Manhattan Murder History (1993): one of the best movies with Woody Allen.

- Les Miserables (1998)... this is the best version with Liam Neeson and Uma Thurman.

- Rachel Getting Married (2006) with the beautiful Anne Hathaway

- Collateral (2004)...Tom Cruise ;)

- Intocable (2011)... very good french movie.

- Carlito's Way (1993) Al Pacino?? Mafia?? this is the one!

- Both Hunger Games movies.... I started reading the last book of this trilogy.... it is just GOOOOOOD!

2.TIPS

- Set the Mood

Get some cozy blankets and pillows, turn off the lights and light up some scented candles, unplug your brain from the outside world by putting away your cellphones, iPads, laptops, etc... Your focus should be in your movie night date ;)

- Homemade / Easy  to get Movie Treats

Popcorn is a must! sprinkle some Parmesan cheese on top, get something sweet as well like your favorite chocolate bar and enjoy piece by piece sharing it during the movie! Thirsty?? what about some flavored sparkling water or a couple of you favorite wine coolers???

There you go... easy and affordable!! now it just time to say....ENJOY!!!

Candles, Camara and Action!!!!