I'm always on the look out for new recipes for hosting and entertaining that are EASY and IMPRESSIVE, and this Southern classic makes the top of my list.


Buttermilk Sage Fried Chicken

Ingredients:
8 pieces of chicken
2 cups buttermilk
Salt
Vegetable oil
1 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon paprika
Pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
Fresh or dry sage

1. Toss chicken, buttermilk, and 1 tsp of salt in a bowl. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
2. Heat 1 inch of vegetable oil in a skillet over medium high.
3. Mix flour, paprika, 1/4 tsp pepper in shallow bowl.
4. Roll pieces of chicken in flower mixture. Place into hot oil and fry until golden brown and completely cooked.
5. Sage can be added in the flour mixture with the paprika, or on top right after chicken has been removed from oil.

Flaxseed Waffles

Ingredients:
Whole wheat instant waffle mix
Flaxseed
Water or milk

1. Add waffle mix and flaxseed to bowl.
2. Add water/milk as directed, then add additional 1/2 cup (to balance out flaxseed--batter should be thin).
3. Cook as directed.

Bacon: Cook favorite thick cut bacon as directed.

Assemble waffles, chicken, and bacon. Drizzle with pure maple syrup.

This year we had the most fun Halloween party--a zombie prom! Here is everything you need to know to throw a killer zombie prom dance party!

1. The theme: We used black, red, and a bright green. This hand graphic became the symbol of the zombie prom. A zombie arm with an elegant corsage on it gave the right macabre feel.


2. The space: This year, we threw our Halloween party in a larger venue than normal. But, because of the prom theme, we were able to do some decor that wasn't too expensive. These balloon garlands were perfect because they made it feel very prom like, and the red was reminiscent of blood.

We made these garlands by blowing up balloons and threading fishing line through the tips of the balloons. Make sure to thread it through both sides so that the balloon hangs evenly.

Then we haphazardly wrapped the pillars of our venue in red streamers and zombie crossing caution tape (found this at the Dollar Store!).


Tulle and cheesecloth paired together make for some elegant/creepy vibes. We also used headstones, black flowers, and more balloons (with helium this time) to set the tone. The green balloons had little lights in them so they glowed.

3. The activities: We wanted mostly dancing to be happening, so that was our focus. We played songs that everyone could jam to, mixed with a few Halloween favorites. We also had a performance at the beginning by the BYU hip hop club to get the energy up, and in the middle of the event we taught the Thriller dance. Everyone really enjoyed learning it and dancing together! We had a dance off at the end to award zombie prom king and queen:


In addition to dancing, we had a few zombie games that we played on the patio:

Brain Toss: We took a brain gelatin mold and painted it red. Then we took some styrofoam heads and painted them so they looked like zombies. The objective of the game was to toss the brain on to the zombie head.



Eyeball Pong: We wrote number scores on some clear plastic cups and filled them with water and a few drops of green food coloring. We found some ping pong balls at the Spirit Halloween store that had eyeballs on them. Then we set up some tables and the objective was to see how many points you could get by bouncing the eyeballs into the cups.


Zombie Attack: We found these life size wall clings also at the Spirit Halloween store (for about $10). We put them up on a window and set out some nerf guns and darts. The objective was to hit as many zombies as you could and count up your points! Eyeball: 25 points. Head: 10 points. Arms/legs: 5 points. Everywhere else: 1 point.

4. The photo booth: People dress up for Halloween so they can show off their creativity and have fun, so obviously they will want some photos! Our photo booth consisted of white butcher paper (which came from our local party store) covered with red and black paint and a chalk sign from Target. We added the dripping blood at the top that we found at Spirit. Super cheap, easy, and creepy!



5. The lighting: Halloween calls for a spooky atmosphere. We had the lights limited to green and blue on the stage with this cool orange/red accent light. We also had strobe lights in either corner.


6. The ambience: Our particular venue for this party had a large chalkboard that spanned a wall and lots of TV screens. We used the chalkboard to reinforce the theme of the event (the zombie hand and corsage). Then on the TV screens, we showed zombie "news reports" (clips on YouTube of fake news reports covering zombie attacks). There was no sound on the TVs, but you could gather what was happening from the screen (the ticker at the bottom). It functioned as a mood element.


Here are a list of zombie attack news reports we referenced:

Fall is in the air, and so is the smell of pumpkin everything. For whatever fall parties you are throwing or attending, these tasty little muffins are a must if you love pumpkin!

• Ingredients:
• 1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 (15 oz) can pumpkin puree
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup of mini chocolate chips (optional)

8 oz cream cheese

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg yolk

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 375°F. 

In a bowl, whisk flour, pumpkin spice, baking soda and salt until combined. 

In large bowl, whisk pumpkin, sugar and brown sugar.

Beat in eggs, vegetable oil and vanilla extract. Slowly whisk in the flour mixture, until there are no lumps. Fill muffin tins 3/4 full.

In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth. Add in sugar, egg yolk and vanilla extract and beat until well combined.

Top each muffin with about 1 tablespoon of cream cheese mixture and use a toothpick to swirl it into the batter. 

Bake muffins for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Recipe adapted from: http://www.thenovicechefblog.com/2015/11/pumpkin-cream-cheese-swirl-muffins/#bvGPVhDoiBiBVKCO.99

Crostini is just a fancy word for toasted little breads, and we think they are one of the best kept secrets of the appetizer world. So many different combinations, and so incredibly simple! These three are our favorite to serve up for any occasion. Super Bowl party, baby shower, birthday, you name it, and these little breads will impress your guests. Here are our three ways to do crostini:

1. Avocado Tomato


Mashed avocado
Sea salt
Pepper
Splash of lime juice

Mix all the above ingredients, spread on toast, and garnish with a small tomato wedge.

2. Pesto Pepper


Spread with ricotta cheese.
Add a dollop of red pesto.
Garnish with some chopped red bell pepper.

3. Cream Cheese Hummus


Spread with cream cheese.
Add a dollop of hummus.
Garnish with a cucumber wedge.

Do you have any crostini recipes you love? Let us know so we can try them out!

When you're planning a party as the fabulous hostess you are, the food needs to be easy to make and impressive to your guests. Crescent rolls can be dressed up in so many different ways for various events, so here are our twists on a tried and true, crowd-pleasing classic!

1. Apple Fritter 

Can of 8 crescent rolls
3/4 cup brown sugar
4 T melted butter
1/2 t cinnamon
8 apple slices

Unroll crescent dough. Combine brown sugar, butter, and cinnamon. Spread onto rolls. Add an apple slice. Roll up crescents. Brush remaining sugar mixture over the rolls. Put in oven at recommended temperature and recommended time.


2. Biscoff Graham

Can of 8 crescent rolls
About 1 t of Biscoff cookie butter (per roll)
Crushed graham crackers
Melted butter
Optional: strawberries or bananas

Unroll crescent dough. Spread cookie butter on each, add in crushed graham crackers and fruit. Roll up. Brush melted butter on top of rolls. Put in oven at recommended temperature and recommended time.
3. Nutella and Cream

Can of 8 crescent rolls
About 1 t of Nutella (per roll)
Strawberries
Fresh whipped cream
Melted butter

Unroll crescent dough. Spread Nutella on each, add in strawberries. Roll up. Brush melted butter on top of rolls. Put in oven at recommended temperature and recommended time. Let cool. Add fresh cream to the top.

Any of these would be a perfect dessert or appetizer for any kind of party!

As a party favor for our guests at the Mint to Be bridal shower, we decided to hand out mint sugar scrubs as they left the party. They were SO easy to make and did not take much time at all. They were perfect mementos honoring the bride to be and her future husband, and they added to the decor, as well!

RECIPE:
1/2 cup coconut oil
2 cups of sugar
1 tablespoon of mint extract (you could also substitute for essential oils and put in equivalent drops)
2 drops of food coloring





Combine all ingredients in a bowl to reach sugar scrub consistency. We added a bit of water to make it a little more wet after mixing it up.

The one and only Saudalia Spencer is getting MARRIED this week! Her shower theme was Mint to Be, because if you know her and Josh, they truly are :)