October 26, 2016

Best Halloween Treat Ever

If you are like me, you are counting the days until Halloween! There’s still time to make plans for Halloween-themed treats and goodies. Today, I want to share the Best Halloween Treat Ever! Bat Bites! I can’t get over how adorable these Bat Bites are, and I never thought I would say that about a bat. LOL!

By far, this has been my favorite Halloween Treat to make this season. These Bat Bites just make me smile. If the cuteness overload isn’t enough, they are made with chocolate and peanut butter, the World’s sweetest flavor combination. All you need is 4 simple ingredients to make these Bat Bites that will be a huge hit at your Halloween Party! Let’s get started.

Best Halloween Treat Ever

These Bat Bites are very easy to make and take only a few ingredients. You’ll need:

Oreo Cookies Thins
Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Miniatures
Candy eyes (available at any kitchen or craft store, like Michael’s)
Melted chocolate

You can assemble them ahead of time and just store them in an airtight container until you are ready to serve them. These are made with Reese’s Peanut Butter cups and not a nut-free treat, please be sure make that clear before serving to your guests.

Tip – I always have chocolate chips in my baking pantry because they come in so handy for projects like these. I put a small handful of chocolate chips into a microwave safe bowl and heated them in 30-second increments until they melted. I highly recommend using chocolate chips instead of frosting because melted chocolate is super sticky and dries in a flash.

To assemble, read instructions below and scroll down to view the step-by-step photos:

Step 1 – Prepare a working surface and gather all your ingredients and tools, you will need a cutting board and sharp paring knife. You will be working with melted chocolate that dries fairly quickly and you want to have all the ingredients out and ready to be assembled.

Step 2 – Remove the wrapping from the Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Miniatures, you will need one per Bat Bite.

Step 3 – Separate the Oreo cookie into two wafers. Using the back of the paring knife, gently scrape away the Oreo filling and discard. Using the paring knife, make a gentle sawing motion back and forth across the cookie until it cuts in half. Do not attempt to push the knife down on the cookie to cut it, you’ll be left with broken pieces that you will not be able to use. On the flip side, you can eat these broken pieces (I may or may not have accidentally broken a few cookies).

Step 4 – Place a 1/4 of a cup of chocolate chips in a microwave safe dish and heat in 30-second increments, stirring between each heating cycle until melted.

Step 5 – Using a knife, smear a little dollop of melted chocolate on the back corner of the Oreo wafer, with the rounded side facing down (see photo below). Immediately press the Oreo wafer onto the Mini Reese’s piece and repeat on the other side. You want the tips of the wafers touching each other.

Step 6 – Using a knife, smear a little dollop of melted chocolate on the back of the candy eyes and press on to the top of the Oreo wafer.

That’s it! How easy was that? Now all you have to do it eat them. YUM!

October 25, 2016

Easy Halloween Party Favors

Making these easy pumpkin Halloween Party Favors is such a cute giveaway! Even if you are not hosting a party, you can bring these as a hostess gift or to hand out to students as a party favor during a school class party. These cute little tissue paper pumpkins are so simple to assemble and they are extremely cost effective. You definitely don’t have to worry about breaking the bank on these pumpkins. All you need is candy, orange tissue paper and green tape – that’s it, just three supplies!

My tip – At first, I tried using a single sheet of tissue paper, but found that you can see through the tissue paper and it took away from the solid orange pumpkin effect that I was after. Also, a single sheet of tissue paper will tend to tear more easily, so I doubled up and used two sheets per pumpkin. You can save yourself some time by folding the tissue paper into layers. Two standard sheets of tissue paper can be folded into fourths and the 8-inch cake pan fits perfectly into the size! Happy crafting!

| you’ll need orange tissue paper, green tape and candy |

| using an 8-inch round cake pan, trace the perimeter of the pan onto the tissue paper |

| cut out the circles, you can cut many layers of tissue paper at a time |

| add your favorite candy |

| lift the sides of the tissue paper to form a ball and twist the ends |

| using a small piece of green tape, wrap the ends of the tissue paper to make the stem of the pumpkin |

| if needed, cut off any excess tissue paper |

October 24, 2016

Halloween Treats – Frankenstein Rice Krispies

| Frankenstein Rice Krispies wrapped up in treat bags and tied with a bow |

Hi guys, did you have a great weekend? I certainly hope so! My weekend was a little out of the ordinary – in a very fun way. I spent most of Saturday preparing for a live TV segment that aired on Sunday morning for WTNH News 8 Good Morning Connecticut with anchor, Stephanie Simoni. It aired at 7:15am and that’s pretty early for a Sunday morning and I hope that most of you were still snuggled up in bed! I thought you might like to see some photos that I took in the News 8 Station Studio, and I’ve also included a link to the broadcast in case you are interested in seeing it.

Stephanie asked me to stay behind to do a video for their Facebook page, it is longer and much more relaxed because we didn’t have to watch the clock. Click here to watch the Facebook video. The link will take you to Stephanie’s Facebook page and the video should be in the top left. To get to the Frankenstein Rice Krispies Treat just scroll down…

| me and Stephanie Simoni on the set at News 8 Connecticut |

Today marks the first day in another week-long series dedicated to one of the best holidays of the year. Halloween! Depending on where you live, you might be Trick or Treating on Saturday. In Connecticut, we typically trick or treat on Halloween, regardless of whether it’s a school night. Either way, it is just around the corner and I have some fun and creative DIY Halloween goodies to share with you. Each one is easy to make and kid-friendly, except for the wicked cocktail that will debut on Friday! If you are new to Connecticut in Style, I did a similar week-long series about Halloween-themed ideas and inspo, check here to take you to a blog post that will show you all the things I did last year: Candy Corn Cake, Spider Cupcakes, Mummy Juice Boxes, S’Mores Witches’ Hats and the Suffering Bastard Cocktail.

Halloween Treats – Frankenstein Rice Krispies

I LOVE Rice Krispies Treats! When I was pregnant with Catherine I craved these like crazy and for whatever reason, they helped take the edge of my morning sickness. When it came time to planning content for Halloween, I made two Rice Krispies Treats this year. First were adorable pumpkins, click here to see the post. Next up is my favorite monster, Frankenstein.

Here is the recipe, instructions and step-by-step photos. I hope you enjoy!

Recipe:

Two 10 ounce bags of mini marshmallows (save a dozen for the neck bolts)
1/2 stick of sweet butter
Two drops of yellow and six drops of green food coloring
Five cups of Rice Krispies Cereal
1/2 cup of melted chocolate, I used chocolate chips
Candy eyes (available at kitchen and craft stores)

Instructions:

Step 1 – Put the mini marshmallows in a large microwave oven safe bowl and heat for one minute. Add 1/2 stick of sweet butter to the mini marshmallows and heat for another minute. Stir until butter and marshmallows are blended.

Step 2 – Add 2 drops of yellow and 6 drops of green food coloring

Step 3 – Mix food coloring into melted marshmallow mixture

This is the color you are aiming for, a sickly green!

Step 4 – Add five cups of Rice Krispies Cereal and mix until combined

Step 5 – Spray a pan with cooking oil spray and press the mixture into the pan evenly, allow to cool

Step 6 – Once the Rice Krispies have cooled, cut into squares

Step 7 – Using a spoon, paint on Frankenstein’s hair using the melted chocolate

Step 8 & 9 – Using melted chocolate as your “glue” add candy eyes and mini marshmallow neck bolts (the neck bolts in the photo are too high, they look more like ears so I ended up moving them down)

Step 10 – Put some of the melted chocolate into a plastic bag, cut a small opening in one corner (to make a piping bag) and draw on the mouth.

I suggest putting them clear plastic party favor bags and tying them with a festive ribbon.

Frankenstein Rice Krispies Treats

October 19, 2016

Cutest Halloween Rice Krispies Treat!

These little Rice Krispie pumpkins are so CHARMING! They are super easy to make, it took me less than 30 minutes and I love how they turned out. I made one small batch using a 10 ounce bag of mini marshmallows, half of a stick of sweet butter, two cups of Rice Krispies cereal, about 6 drops of orange food coloring, Rolos candy (for the stem) and green M&Ms (for the leaf). Step-by-step photos, instructions and recipe follows.

IMPORTANT TIPS:

I found this idea on Pinterest and after doing a little research and reading about all the problems other “bakers” were having with the rice krispies sticking to their hands – I decided to use an ice cream scoop to form the balls.
After you form the balls, insert one Rolo into the center and add one green M&M before the Rice Krispie cools. One of the advantages of pushing the Rolo into the ball is that it flattens the ball and makes it look more like a real Cinderella pumpkin!

| 10 ounce bag of mini marshmallows, Rolos candy and green M&Ms |

| microwave the mini marshmallows for one minute, add 1/2 stick of sweet butter and microwave for another minute |

| add about 6 drops of food coloring, you can also combine red and yellow if you don’t have orange |

| stir the food coloring into the melted marshmallow and butter |

| this is the color I ended with |

| add two cups of Rice Krispies cereal and gently combine all ingredients |

| use an ice cream scoop to form the balls, trust me – do not use your hands |

| put the pumpkins on a sheet of wax paper and push in one Rolo and add a green M&M |

October 5, 2016

5 Halloween Treats!

| Candy Corn Cake |

I can’t believe that it’s been almost a year since I blogged about Halloween Treats, where has the time gone? Many of you know that my love for Halloween knows no bounds and this year I am working on a brand new roundup of Halloween ideas and inspiration that I can’t wait to share with you! I’m scheduled to be on News 8 CT in a few weeks to show their viewers some of the treats that I have planned and I will keep you posted on when that airs. In the meantime, I wanted to create direct links to each of the Halloween blog posts that I did last year. This is for new CT in Style subscribers and for my existing subscribers in case you missed it last year! I normally don’t repost my blogs, but I was so happy with how these came out.

The round up from last year includes Mummy Juice Boxes, S’Mores Witches Hats, Spider Cupcakes, Candy Corn Cake and of course a Suffering Bastard Cocktail. I’ve included the links to each of these posts below, I hope you enjoy!

5 Halloween Treats!

Mummy Juice Boxes

| S’Mores Witches Hats |

Spider Cupcakes

Candy Corn Cake

Suffering Bastard Cocktail

5 Halloween Treats

September 27, 2016

PHOTOS! Greenwich Wine and Food Festival

Post sponsored by Serendipity

| Old Crow Medicine Show |

Once again, I was thrilled to be invited to attend the Greenwich Wine and Food Festival this past weekend! If you have never attended this festival, you don’t know what you’re missing. Wine and food enthusiasts from the Tri-State area, descended on Roger Sherman Baldwin Park in Greenwich, CT on Friday and Saturday to imbibe in a gastronomical feast. Celebrity chefs performed live cooking demos, showdowns were held for the top burger and bartenders, and restaurants served up food samples from their menus.

| wine glass in hand, I’m ready to enter the Grand Tasting Tent! |

Lucky for us, the weather was perfect and set the stage for a full day of enjoying the finest wine, beer, cocktails and food. My girlfriend and I mix and mingled, made new acquaintances and hung out with friends – and got silly with props in the free photo booth! A reader asked me about my favorite moments, and it is a tough job to narrow it down. I have to say that the highlights for me were seeing Alex Guarnaschelli cook live, eating the most delicious fried eggplant chips with sea salt and honey drizzle while waiting in line to get a draft of Stella Artois beer, a Bloody Mary featuring Tito’s handmade vodka, sampling 4 different burgers in the burger tent and dancing to the vocal stylings of Ziggy Marley. Local CT in Style readers, below are the winners of the contests, you might want to check out these restaurants:

Burger Battle Winners:
Cask Republic from Stamford, CT won the Judges Choice.
Bareburger won the People’s Choice vote.

Top Bartender Showdown:
Eastend from Greenwich, CT won the Judges Choice.

The Ultimate Sandwich Takedown:
Judy’s Bar + Kitchen in Stamford, CT won the Judges Choice.

| Celebrity Chef, Alex Guarnaschelli during her live cooking demo |

Plans are already in the works for 2017 (yes!) and I am already looking forward to attending next year. I can’t wait to hear who will be performing the live music in 2017, Serendipity always manages to line up amazing artists for the headline entertainment. This year, we were all treated to Ziggy Marley who opened for Old Crow Medicine Show. Marley got the crowd to their feet early by singing many of his father’s songs and mixing in some of his own original music. Not only does Ziggy look like his Dad, he sounds like him too – and he had the entire audience singing along to Bob Marley and Peter Tosh’s famous song One Love.

| Marley and Me |

Today, I want to share some photos of this absolutely spectacular event that took place last Friday and Saturday. I hope the photos do justice to how much fun we had at one of Connecticut’s best and most lively festivals! Congratulations to Tiffany F. for winning two free tickets to this year’s event and thanks to Shelley Kapitulik of Splash PR for arranging for the tickets (she’s also the PR genius this event). Check back in 10 months for news about the 2017 event!

| soaking up the sun |

| STELLLLAAAAA! |

| the Thanksgiving themed mini burger with stuffing |

| the line for Stella Artois beer, you get a free beer glass too! |

| there is a distinct possibility that I ate this many mini burgers |

| the park is situated right in Greenwich Harbor |

| festival goers enjoying the view of the harbor |

| perfect photo of the festival vibe |

| the crowd waiting for Ziggy to perform |

| after a day of drinking and eating, there’s nothing better than Reggae music |

| Ziggy Marley |

| Old Crow Medicine Show |

September 8, 2016

GIVEAWAY! 2 TICKETS GREENWICH WINE + FOOD FESTIVAL

FLASH GIVEAWAY! 2 TICKETS to the GREENWICH WINE + FOOD FESTIVAL

| last year’s Hibiscus Margarita by Bodega in the South of the Border tent |

SURPRISE! I’m so excited to once again offer two free tickets to the Greenwich Wine + Food Festival for Saturday, September 24th located at Roger Sherman Baldwin Park, Greenwich, Connecticut starting at 12:00pm! These are the hottest tickets in the area because you and your guest will be able to spend the day sampling some of the most delicious food, beer, wine and cocktails in Fairfield County, CT. In addition, you will be treated to live cooking demos, speciality food tents, and witness Bartender and Burger Showdowns. Of course, the only way to top off an amazing day like this is to watch two Grammy Award winning musicians perform live! Ziggy Marley opens for Old Crow Medicine Show on Saturday night. These tickets are valued at $300.00, you do not want to miss this event!

Last year, I was given a press pass and invited a friend to attend with me and it was bigger and waaaaaay more fun than I expected (that could have been the tequila). It was one of the best events I have ever had the privilege of blogging about. If you want to see some pics, click here to see the blog post from 2015.

| my press badge from last year and some cute photo booth pics with my date |

Entering is easy. Simply “like” the Connecticut in Style facebook page AND follow Connecticut in Style on Instagram! Links to the Connecticut in Style social media channels are below. If you don’t win (Boo!) you can purchase tickets to the Saturday All-Day Pass ($150.00 each) and they also offer other ticket options such as a Two-Day Pass and VIP tickets that include intimate dinners with celebrity chefs. Tickets are now on sale via www.greenwichwineandfood.com or by calling 203-588-1363.

HOW TO ENTER:

Name: 2017 Greenwich Wine + Food Festival
Start: 2017-09-22T16:00:00+00:00
End: 2017-09-23T03:00:00+00:00
Location: Roger Sherman Baldwin Park

2 Tickets to the GREENWICH WINE + FOOD FESTIVAL

To enter, simply “Like” the Connecticut in Style facebook page AND follow Connecticut in Style on Instagram!

Click here to go to the Connecticut in Style facebook page to “Like” us

Click here to go to the Connecticut in Style Instagram account to Follow

A random winner will be chosen on Friday, September 16th.

PLEASE NOTE: Ticket holders must be at least 21 years old to attend the festival.

GOOD LUCK EVERYONE!

What to expect? The Grand Tasting Tent is open to all Saturday ticket holders on Saturday @ 12:00 pm – 5:00pm. As the heart of the Festival on Saturday, this tent hosts 150+ food and beverage vendors. Guests sample from decadent dishes, savory snacks, sweet desserts and elegant wine. It is a feast for the senses. Purchasing tickets to this event is well worth the money, you will not regret it. Imagine that you can eat and drink all day and watch some awesome live music. It’s so much fun, I can’t wait!

| Ziggy Marley – One day I will blog about my Jamaican roots and share my family’s history with Bob Marley |

| Old Crow Medicine Show |

For all the festival details, visit the sponsor’s website, Serendipity.

Here are some of the highlights that Saturday ticket holders have full access to:

Special tents set up like South of the Border Tent, The Ultimate Sandwich Tent, The Grill Master Tent and for some friendly gambling, The Empire City Casino Tent.
3rd Annual Top Bartender Showdown – Open to all Saturday ticket holders on Saturday @ 3:00 pm – 4:00 pm Best Mixologists curate their awe-inspiring signature cocktails in a competition to crown the Cocktail King or Queen. An esteemed panel of judges will evaluate the contestants’ offerings, while guests sample all of the creations. Event location: Empire City Casino Tent.
Bud and Burgers presented by Budweiser – Open to all Saturday ticket holders on Saturday @ 4:00 pm – 8:30 pm Top restaurants feature their artisan burgers. Guests can taste and vote for which burgers should get the Foodies’ Choice Award!
5th Annual Burger Battle hosted by Adam Richman – Open to all Saturday ticket holders on Saturday @ 4:45 pm – 5:45 pm Top restaurants feature their custom-crafted burgers for the highly anticipated Burger Battle judged by our panel of Festival Celebrity Guests, Michel Nischan, Marcus Samuelsson, Marc Murphy, Rui Correia and Alex Guarnaschelli. Hosted by NBC’s Food Fighters Adam Richman, this popular event draws an enthusiastic crowd.

GOOD LUCK!

Thank you to Splash PR for sponsoring this giveaway.

Press Release:

2016 GREENWICH WINE+FOOD FESTIVAL

Event Updates Include Additional Celebrity Chef Participants, Saturday Event Schedule and More

Greenwich, CT – The countdown is on! The sixth annual GREENWICH WINE+FOOD FESTIVAL, presented by Serendipity magazine (www.serendipitysocial.com) and benefitting Paul Newman’s Hole in the Wall Gang Camp,Wholesome Wave and The Greenwich Department of Parks and Recreation, is now just 60 days away, and with ticket sales open, event organizers have announced some exciting additions to this year’s event:

· Friday’s Master Chef Dinner, hosted by Adam Richman, will feature the 2016 class of Most Innovative Chefs serving their signature dishes. In addition to the previously announced 10 chefs, Gregori Pena and Eric Haugen of The National in Greenwich, have been announced. Confirmed Ambassador Chefs who will also be serving up their favorite dishes include Jes Bengston (Brick and Wood), Rui Correia (Douro, Gaia), Samantha Mittler (The Dessertist), Stephen Lewandowski (Harlan Social), Christian Petroni (Fortina), Nadia Ramsey (Meli-Melo) and David Snyder (Char).

· Celebrity chefs Alex Guarnaschelli (“Chopped,” “Iron Chef,” Food Network’s “All-Star Academy”) and Marc Murphy (Executive Chef of Landmarc restaurant at the Time Warner Center, “Iron Chef,” “Guy’s Grocery Games,” “Beat Bobby Flay”) have been added to this year’s line-up of celebrity chef participants, and both will be special guests at the Saturday Michel Nischan VIP Sustainable Dinner. Rui Correia (Douro, Gaia) will be the Master of Ceremonies.

The schedule for Saturday’s events, the signature day of the Festival, has also been released as follows:

· 12:00-5:00pm – Grand Tasting Tent, hosting more than 150 food and beverage vendors.

· 12:30-5:30pm – Two stages and a demo tent will feature more than 15 cooking demonstrations and wine, beer and cocktail seminars from renowned experts and celebrity chef participants:

Dacor Kitchen Stage One presented by Aitoro

12:30-1pm Blue Tulip Chocolates

1:30-2pm Adam Richman

2:30pm-3pm Marcus Samuelsson

3:30-4pm Christian Petroni

4:30-5pm The Dessertist (Samantha Mittler)

Dacor Kitchen Stage Two presented by Aitoro

1-1:30pm Michel Nischan

2-2:30pm Marc Murphy

3-3:30pm Alex Guarnaschelli

4-4:30pm TBD

5-5:30 Rafael Palomino

Demo Tent (additional events to be added)

3:45-4:45pm Meet The Masters – We’re introducing a special “Meet the Masters” segment with celebrity chefs Marc Murphy, Adam Richman, Alex Guarnaschelli, Michel Nischan and Marcus Samuelsson. It will be an Q&A style conversation (moderater TBA) on how they got to be where they are, from obstacles they encountered to branding themselves to finding inspiration.

· 12:30-6:00pm – Celebrity Green Room, presented by Serendipity, will host attending celebrities, culinary experts and musicians while being interviewed by industry experts in a luxury lounge:

12:30-12:50pm Marc Murphy

1:00 – 1:20pm Marcus Sameulsson

1:30-1:50pm Alex Guarnaschelli

2:00-2:20pm Michel Nischan

2:35-2:50pm The Dessertist

3:00-3:20pm Adam Richman

4-4:20pm Rui Correia

4:20-4:40pm Christian Petroni, John Nealon, Rob Krauss

4:50-5:10pm Kevin Des Chenes

· 12:30-10:00pm – Festival VIP Tent, offering private bars, secluded seating areas, private restrooms, private concert viewing area and a special VIP Sustainable Dinner, hosted by Alex Guarnaschelli, Marc Murphy and Michel Nischan, featuring Nischan and more than a dozen local chefs serving up locally sourced and sustainable cuisine (Open to VIP Ticket Holders only).

· 1:00-5:00pm – Celebrity Bookstore, presented by Barbara Zaccagnini, offers guests the chance to meet the minds behind cookbooks and culinary reads, and have their books signed:

1-1:30 Marc Murphy

1:30-2pm Marcus Sameulsson

2:00-2:30pm Alex Guarnaschelli

2:30-3pm Adam Richman

2:30-3pm Michel Nischan

· 4:00-8:00pm – Burgers and Brews features area restaurants serving up their best burger. Guests will be able to vote for the Foodies’ Choice Award.

· 3:30-4:30pm – The third annual Top Bartender Showdown in the Empire City Casino tent will feature area bartenders serving custom cocktails to be judged by a panel of judges, as well as offering samples to all guests.

· 4:00-8:30pm – The Grill Master Tent will feature samples of flavorful BBQ specialties, with local pitmasters on hand to offer grilling advice for home cooks. The Grill Master Stage will feature the following demos:

4:15-4:45pm Fleishers Craft Butchery

5:15-5:45pm Knife Skills with Wusthof

· 4:45-5:45pm – The fifth annual Burger Battle, hosted by Adam Richman, will feature local restaurants serving up their custom-crafted burgers for judging by a panel of Festival Celebrity Guests including Rui Correia, Alex Guarnaschelli, Marc Murphy, Michel Nischan and Marcus Samuelsson.

· 5:00-8:30pm – The Ultimate Sandwich Tent will feature local restaurants, delicatessens and cafes creating unique and innovative sandwiches for attendees to sample.

· 5:45-6:30pm – The Ultimate Sandwich Take-Down is a brand new event this year, featuring competitors from local restaurants, delicatessens, and cafes creating the most over-the-top sandwiches! Participants will work with ingredients like: cheese steak, meatballs, chicken cutlets, grilled veggies, French fries, eggs, cheese, marinara sauce, BBQ sauce, lettuce, ketchup and mayo — sometimes all in the same sandwich, with just one being named the Ultimate Sandwich Winner. Festival Ambassador Chefs will be judging this event, including John Nealon, Christian Petroni and Rob Krauss from Fortina, and Samantha Mittler from The Dessertist.

· 6:00-8:00pm – Taco Party! will feature local restaurants showing off their top tacos to taste, along with a festive cocktail.

· 6:00-10:00pm – VIP Intimate Dinner featuring Marcus Samuelsson and Red Rooster Harlem, offers a limited number of attendees the opportunity to sample the best of Harlem in a stunning waterfront setting. Award-winning chef, restaurateur and cookbook author Marcus Samuelsson will prepare a meal inspired by the roots of American cuisine at a seated dinner with table service. Attendees can take in the evening’s musical performance from private tables on an elevated stage or from reserved, lawn table seating (this is a separate ticketed event).

· 6:00-10:00pm – Michel Nischan VIP Sustainable Dinner with Alex Guarnaschelli and Marc Murphy will feature top local chefs, including Devin Bozkaya (Campagna at The Bedford Post Inn), David DiBari (The Cookery), Nick DiBona (Madison Kitchen), Walter Estrada (Napa & Co.), Eric Gabrynowicz (Restaurant North), Frederic Kieffer (l’escale), Rafael Palomino (Sonora), Forrest Pasternack (Bailey’s Backyard), Debra Ponzek (Aux Delices), Nancy Roper (Truck), Matt Storch (Match), Bill Taibe (The Whelk, Kawa Ni), Luke Venner (Elm) and David White (Vespa), preparing an incredible feast sourcing all proteins, seafood and produce locally and sustainably to ensure the highest quality and minimal impact on the environment. This event will also feature a full bar with premium liquors, beer and wines, VIP private restrooms and a private viewing area for the main stage music entertainment (this event is open to VIP ticket holders only).

· 6:30-10:00pm – The Pepsi Music Stage, featuring Grammy Award winning co-headliners Ziggy Marley (6:30pm) and Old Crow Medicine Show (8:30pm).

· FREE parking will be available on Saturday at Greenwich Plaza and at the Horseneck Lane Commuter Parking Lot, with guest shuttles sponsored by The Ashforth Company.

Tickets are now on sale via www.greenwichwineandfood.com or by calling 203-588-1363. Options are as follows:

· Friday’s Master Chef Dinner, hosted by Adam Richman with live music by The Bacon Brothers: $325.00 per ticket.

· Saturday All-Day Pass, including admission to the Grand Tasting Tent, cooking demonstrations, celebrity bookstore, Top Bartender Showdown, Burger Battle, Grill Master Tent, Taco Party! and lawn seating to co-headliners Ziggy Marley and Old Crow Medicine Show: $150.00 per ticket.

· All-In VIP Weekend Pass includes admission to Friday’s Master Chef Dinner and a VIP Pass for Saturday, which includes access to the Sustainable Dinner: $600.00 per ticket.

· Saturday VIP Pass with Intimate Dinner featuring Marcus Samuelsson and Red Rooster Harlem includes access to all events and areas of Saturday’s festival, VIP parking and restrooms, all-day access to the full bar in the VIP tent, Samuelsson’s private dinner and private seating for the evening’s main stage musical entertainment: $450.00 per ticket for lawn table seating; $4,000 for a lawn table of ten; $525.00 per ticket for on-stage table seating; $5,000 for an on-stage table of ten.

· VIP Festival All-Day Pass with Sustainable Dinner includes access to all events and areas of Saturday’s festival, VIP parking and restrooms, all-day access to the full bar in the VIP tent, Nischan and friends’ dinner and VIP viewing for the evening’s main stage musical entertainment: $375.00 per ticket.

The event’s Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/GreenwichwinefoodFestival, and website will also continue to post event news, restaurant participants and schedule updates over the coming weeks.

The event will be held rain or shine, and anyone under 21, including infants and those with strollers, will not be admitted. Animals are also not permitted.

GREENWICH 2016 WINE+FOOD FESTIVAL

The GREENWICH 2016 WINE+FOOD FESTIVAL is a multi-day event that benefits The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp, a nationwide organization dedicated to providing healing to children and their families coping with cancer, sickle cell anemia and other serious illnesses, as well as The Greenwich Department of Parks and Recreation and Wholesome Wave Organization. The festival is presented by Serendipity magazine, along with Pure Leaf, PepsiCo, Citi®, Empire City Casino, and Stamford Lincoln. Other official sponsors include Coldwell Banker Preview International, Cabot, Stamford Tent, Barbara Zaccagnini, Whole Foods, Westy Self Storage, Rudy’s Executive Transportation, Dacor, Deutsch Family Wine and Spirits, Granoff Architects, Shearwater Organic Coffee and Wusthof.

# # #

July 1, 2016

July 4th Mason Jars

Hi everyone! This project wraps up the week-long series on July 4th ideas and inspo. I’ve included quick links to all the July 4th themed posts below and just scroll down to see the step-by-step instructions for these festive and patriotic July 4th Mason Jars. Have a wonderful weekend! See you back here on Tuesday xo

4th of July Outfit – a lightweight red sweater paired with blue and white seersucker shorts and All-Star Converse sneakers.
Delicious 4th of July Dessert – S’Mores Dip! Warm gooey chocolate and marshmallows with graham cracker dipping sticks!
Individual S’Mores Desserts – your guests will love these mini mason jars filled with S’Mores ingredients.
July 4th Sparklers Station – no July 4th is complete without sparklers, set up a station with all the supplies you need.

July 4th Mason Jars

| patriotic inspired mason jars |

Yahoo! I’ve been waiting to publish this post for months! I came across this idea for Patriotic Mason Jars on Pinterest several months ago and immediately fell in love with it. I knew that as soon as the July 4th holiday came around, this would be the craft project. I wanted to do something fun that my kids could get involved with too. Catherine is only four years old, but she wields a paintbrush like nobody’s business. Together, we sat down at the patio table outside and painted these patriotic mason jars drawing inspiration from the American Flag.

July 4th Mason Jars

For this project, you will need:

3 large mason jars
red, white and blue chalk paint (it adheres really well to glass)
a paint brush and a sponge brush
painter’s tape (if you have a steady hand and can paint straight lines, the tape is optional and you should be a surgeon)
self-adhesive foam stars

Begin by protecting your work area, you can use a newspaper or a paper grocery bag. Paint all the jars white and allow to dry for about 20 minutes. You will be painting one jar with stars and two jars with stripes. You can start with either the stripes or star jar.

| this paint adheres well to glass |

| paint all three jars with white paint |

| one down, two to go |

| my little helper |

For the two striped jars, you can take your chances and paint the red stripe freehand or you can apply painter’s tape if you are obsessed like me. Press firmly on the painter’s tape at the seams to prevent the red paint from seeping through the tape and getting onto the white paint. Allow to dry for about 20 minutes.

| apply painter’s tape to the jars once the paint has completely dried |

| using red paint, paint between the painter’s tape |

Moving on to the star jar, apply the foam stars to the jar in a random pattern. Note: The package of stars that I bought at the craft store had stars in different sizes. I like the idea of different size stars, but it you want to use the same size for the entire jar you probably will not have enough to cover the entire jar. This is easily solved, because once you are done painting with one section of the jar, you can carefully remove the stars and reapply them to another section until the entire jar is covered. Once you have applied the stars, blot on blue paint using a sponge brush.

| these foam stars work perfectly as stencils |

| paint over the foam stars with blue paint |

| you can carefully remove the stars and adhere them to other parts of the jar and continue painting |

| this is what the jar looks like when you remove the foam stars |

I also found it helpful to use a small paintbrush to get in between the “v’s” of the stars. As previously mentioned, once the paint has dried, you can carefully remove the stars and reapply them to another section of the jar and continue painting over the stars with blue paint. When you are finished painting and everything is dry, remove all the stars to reveal the white stars.

| the final product |

If you are having a party, you can use these jars to hold utensils like knives, forks and spoons. Once the sun goes down, remove the utensils and add tea lights – so pretty! This would make a very thoughtful hostess gift, I don’t know anyone who doesn’t love a handmade gift that is as practical as it is beautiful.

| add tea lights and convert these mason jars into lanterns |

Happy Birthday America!

June 30, 2016

July 4th Sparklers Station

| Sparklers Station for the July 4th Holiday |

July 4th is simply not complete without sparklers. Are you with me? Even though they only last a short time after you light them, I find them so enchanting. It’s like having a mini firework in your hand! I wanted to set up a “sparklers station” that would hold sparklers, matches and a jar of water to put the used (but still hot) sparklers in. When it came time to assemble the sparkler station, I wanted something really fun and festive that screamed “Happy July 4th!” Then I remembered a metal tray that I bought at a tag sale for a couple of dollars. At the time, I had no idea what I was going to do with it but it came home with me anyway.

Trays are such useful and practical items and they can serve so many different purposes. One of the reasons that I am attracted to them is how organized I feel when I use them. Everything I need goes in one spot, and when I am finished, it all comes back in – in one trip. Easy peasy. And, the romantic in me appreciates how everything that gets put on a tray gets elevated. Getting handed a glass of champagne is just not the same as having one served to you on a tray. Trays are fancy.

July 4th Sparklers Station

I just needed a can of silver paint and metallic star confetti to transform it. Here are the before and after photos. I love how it turned out!

| I sprayed the tray with clear adhesive and randomly scattered the confetti on the bottom of the tray |

| using little dabs of glue, I stuck the confetti to the sides of the tray |

| I spray painted the match boxes too, why not? |

| a mason jar filled with water is a smart way to immediately cool used sparklers and matches |

June 29, 2016

Individual S’Mores Desserts

Obviously, I can’t get enough S’Mores! I wanted to share another alternative for serving S’Mores dessert for the July 4th holiday. If you missed the recipe for the delicious S’Mores Dip (yes, a dip!) click here. The idea behind this variation is to elevate the dessert by providing guests with individual S’Mores ingredients in mason jars. This is a more elegant and better organized approach than passing around a bag of marshmallows and box of crackers. Pre-assembling all the S’Mores ingredients for your guests can be done several hours before the party begins and helps your event go smoothly.

I used small mason jars and added marshmallows, graham crackers and individually wrapped Ghirardelli chocolate squares. And I want to take a moment now and address how important the quality of ingredients and marshmallow roasting technique is to achieving the best tasting S’More you will ever have. It is not a matter of opinion, but a fact, that using high quality chocolate makes a HUGE difference. In addition to a vastly superior taste, the chocolate melts faster because it contains fewer preservatives.

| using high quality chocolate for S’Mores makes a big difference |

When it comes to roasting the marshmallow, I know that some people like it completely charred. I do not recommend using blackened marshmallows, they will impart a bitter taste to this dessert. You are far better off by taking the time to slowly and evenly roast the marshmallow thus allowing the inside of the marshmallow to melt which will then melt the chocolate. A charred marshmallow is burnt on the outside and cold in the middle and will not get the results you want.

| a perfectly roasted marshmallow |

A fire pit (or something similar) is needed for this one. If you do not have a fire pit but feel ambitious – click here for a link to a post I did on DIY fire pits. They are not as difficult to make as you think.

Individual S’Mores Desserts

I love how easy and stylish this dessert is. Your guests will be delighted at how pretty the presentation looks because it feels gourmet! I found cute little pinwheels that are attached to tiny clothespins and clipped them to the edge of the mason jar. Kids and adults will love blowing on these pinwheels and it adds some whimsy to this dessert. Once everything is assembled, simply place the mason jars on a tray, hand out wooden skewers for roasting the marshmallows and the guests take of the rest!

Supplies: