Searching for a unique and out of this world speciality drink?  Look no further, this punchy twist on a classic will surly be a hit at your wedding or event.

Ingredients Per Cocktail:
1-3/4 ounces vodka
1 ounce simple syrup
Squeeze of fresh lime juice
3 strawberries, hulled
1/4  ounce balsamic vinegar (2 small spoonfuls—the better the vinegar, the better the martini will be)
Strawberry for garnish
Ice

Preparation

1. Muddle the strawberries with the balsamic vinegar, simple syrup and lime juice.

2.  Add the vodka and ice. Shake vigorously and strain into chilled short martini glass. Garnish with half strawberry.  

If you’d like the cocktail less sweet, cut back on the simple syrup.

Serving size:4 hors d’oeuvres
Prep time:15 minutes
Cook time:6 to 10 minutes
Difficulty:Average 

Ingredients:

1 ball pizza dough, defrosted
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Truffle Oil or Balsamic Glaze for garnish
4 oz. mozzarella, shredded
1 tablespoon shallots, minced
1 tablespoon fresh oregano, stripped and   torn
1 tablespoon fresh thyme, stripped
8 oz. assorted wild mushrooms, cleaned and cut
3 oz. goat cheese

Preparation:

Cut dough into 2 equal pieces.
Roll out into 1/4” thick, flat, free-form shapes.
Grill flatbreads on both sides in a preheated grill pan.
To a hot sauté pan, add a little olive oil, and shallots.  
Sauté until just beginning to color.  
Add mushrooms and season with salt and pepper.  
Cook through.
Scatter some mozzarella over the flatbreads.  
Next, distribute cooked mushrooms over flatbreads.  
Dot with goat cheese.

Heat in a 400ºF oven until flatbread is hot.

Remove from oven, sprinkle with fresh herbs.  Drizzle with a truffle oil or Balsamic Glace Slice into irregular shapes and serve.

With Valentines Day just 10 days away, out phones are a buzz with people planning romantic wine dinners, elaborate proposals and various other events related to the day.  With all those Happy Valentine’s in the air, I thought now might be a good time to give all you guys out there a little advice for gift giving on Valentines day. 

There are rules for everything it seems and Valentines day is no different.  It helps, if you know what you are getting yourself into, before you have all those roses delivered to your sweetheart’s door.

To all those men out there, listen carefully; here is the best piece of advice, and the explanation for it, that I can possibly give you to ensure a successful St. Valentine’s Day gift. 

A ROSE IS NOT ALWAYS, JUST A ROSE…and this is why….

There is no flower that has been revered and celebrated as much as the rose. It is known by everyone as the definitive floral symbol for love and appreciation.  It is also one of the only flowers with so many diverse varieties, which means in every variety, though out the years a meaning has been built.  And I am here to tell you what they are.

Red Rose
The red rose is the traditional Valentine’s day gift because it’s meaning is love an affection.  There is beauty and grandeur in the red rose that you do not find in other varieties.  The full bloodedness brings a richness that no other can compare.  

Cleopatra used red roses to carpet her bedroom when she received Anthony.  While all rose convey warmth, affection and love in some degree, it is only the red rose that is used to convey deep love and desire and passionate affection.  

Pink Rose
The Pink Rose signifies gentleness, joy, Admiration, Grace and elegance. A receiver of the pink rose can rest assured that he or she is admired for possessing a certain respectability and decorum not commonly found in others. 

Pink roses are generally seen as the flower of sweet thoughts and gentle emotions. It indicates an affection that may turn into deeper love or an innocent love that has not yet blossomed into passion.  

White Rose A White rose signifies purity and innocence, heavenly and honor, everlasting love, worthiness and new beginnings. 

This is the rose to use when you want to convince your love that your affections are straight from the heart, pure as virgin snow.

But there’s more than meets the eye when it comes to the meaning of a white rose.  White has ever been a symbol of innocence, of a world unspoiled and untarnished. So the white rose goes on to symbolize innocence and spiritual love, the love that is unaware of temptations and resides only in the soul.

It is sometimes called "the flower of light and everlasting love”, an eternal love that is undying and all sustaining.

Yellow Rose Yellow Roses mean true Friendship.  They offer a promise of a new beginning.  They are unassuming and express all the joy and gladness of friendship.  Yellow roses are use most as a reminder to a loved one that you care. 

Unrestrained and uninhibited as the breeze, free from attachments, the yellow rose definitely says that the sender is keen on friendship alone. The sender of yellow roses delicately indicates that while his affection is straight from the heart, there are no hidden depths. 

Yellow roses are often congratulatory in tone and are typically are given to celebrate new beginnings.  You can’t do without yellow roses when you send flowers to express joy and pride in another's achievement.

While the color of the rose is one thing you have to consider on Valentine’s Day, you also need to keep in mind how many roses you are sending.  This is one time of the year that you shouldn’t pick a number of stems based on how it looks in the vase.  Keep in mind, that just like colors, every number has a meaning:

The origin of many of these meanings comes from Greek mythology.  It is said the bouquet of 12 roses symbolizes your love 12 months a year.  A dozen roses also symbolizes perfection and completeness because of the prominence the number 12 has in natural cycles (12 months in a year) and in religious and mythological traditions (12 apostles, 12 zodiac signs). Two dozen or three-dozen roses express deeper feelings of adoration or appreciation.

108 roses is a marriage proposal, or what is considered to be the etiquette dictated traditional accompaniment to one.  It is nine dozen roses, symbolizing, not only the deep feelings of love, indicated by the number of  dozens, but also eternity, and the eternal love symbolized in the number 9. 

Here is what the rest of the numbers mean. 

      1    Love at first sight and one true love
      2    A Mutual Love between
      3    I love you
      6    I want to be your love
      7    Infatuation
      8    Infinite love
      9    An Eternal Love
     10   You are Perfection
     15   I am truly sorry, please forgive me
     20   Believe me I am sincere
     21   I am devoted to you
     24   I can’t stop thinking about you – 24 hours a day
     33   I love you with great affection
     40   Genuine Love
     50   Regretless and unconditional love
     99   I will love you as long as I live
   100   Devotion until a ripe old age
   101   You are my One and Only true love
   365   I think about you everyday
   999   Eternal and everlasting love

As you can see, a rose is definitely not just a rose    

I promised our friend Rich that I would post another better option side dish, for those people who don't want to eat their daily calories in a side of Mac and Cheese.   

This Carrot Flan should do the trick, an oversized portion, is equally as tasty with the half the calories (under 200).  

Ingredients:

Butter for greasing ramekins
2 tablespoons butter
1 onion, diced
3 cups chopped cleaned carrots (about 1 pound)
6 eggs
2 yolks
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
2 tablespoons sugar
grated zest of 1/2 orange
Juice of 1/2 orange
2 cups hot milk
2 tablespoons butter, melted

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400° F.
Grease twelve 1/2 cup oven proof ramekins with butter.
Melt the 2 tablespoons of butter in a small skillet over medium heat.
Cook onion until soft and reserve.
Bring a medium pot of water to a boil
Add the carrots and cook until tender, about 10 minutes.
Drain and transfer to a food processor or blender.
Add the cooked onion to the carrots and purée until smooth.
Add the eggs, yolks, salt, pepper, nutmeg, sugar, zest, and juice and process to combine.
Pour in the hot milk and melted butter and Process to combine.
Pour into the prepared ramekins and transfer to a roasting pan.
Pour hot water halfway up the sides of the ramekins.
Bake about 40 minutes, until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.
Cool on a rack then invert directly on dinner plate.

Serves: 4

Ingredients
3 tablespoons white truffle oil
1 cup fresh breadcrumbs
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups half-and-half
1/4 pound Swiss cheese, grated
1/4 pound sharp cheddar cheese, grated
1/4 pound Fontina cheese, grated
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 ounces elbow macaroni

Preparation
Preheat the oven to 375°F.
In a small bowl, mix together 1 tablespoon of the truffle oil, the breadcrumbs, and the Parmesan and set aside.
In a large, heavy saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk for about 3 minutes, or until the flour blends with the butter.
Whisk in the half-and-half, bring to a simmer, and cook for 3 minutes.
Stir in the Swiss, cheddar, Fontina, and mustard. Remove the sauce from the heat once the cheeses have melted. Stir in the remaining truffle oil and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil over medium heat and cook the macaroni for about 7 minutes, until al dente. Drain the pasta and add to the saucepan with the cheese sauce. Stir well.
Pour the macaroni and cheese sauce into a 1-quart buttered baking dish. (At this point you could refrigerate the casserole dish for up to 24 hours.) Top the casserole with the breadcrumb mixture and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the casserole is bubbling.

Tips and Tricks:
Make this dish in muffin tins, for a smaller easier few bite plate!

So now that you are engaged, its time to party… Don’t stress about it, and engagement is a joyous occasion, but just like the wedding they are rich in tradition, however the good part is, they are not very formal.  In so many ways, the engagement party is a good excuse for couples to declare their love and tell their friends about it.  There are however a few engagement party rules that need to be followed:

Organizing the Engagement Party

The format of an engagement party can range from a sit down dinner to a raging party that continues into the wee hours of the morning.  The style of the event should depend on the personality of the couple, as well as the budget.  In either case, a close friend or relative should organize and host the event.  Keep in mind however, if you are organizing the event, it is perfectly acceptable to  ask the couple what type of event they would prefer.

Although, the engagement party affair, though the years has become a much less formal, however, if seated, the bride a groom should either have their own table or be seated with their families, much like they would at their wedding reception. 

In recent years, a cocktail party is often more common,  in which case since there is not a table for Guests to address the couple at, the bride and groom to be should make sure they address each guest at some point throughout the evening.

Keep in mind, Guests will be itching to congratulate the couple, so what ever the plans are, the environment should be kept quiet enough for people to hold a conversation.  

The Guest List

Just like the wedding, deciding who to invite to the engagement party could be a daunting task.  To make it easier, just remember this one rule when you are writing the Guest list.  Anyone you invite to the engagement party, should also be invited to the future wedding.  In other words, if you have a huge engagement party, be prepared to have a huge wedding as well. 

The Saving grace to this rule is that it doesn’t work in reverse.  You don’t need to invite everyone that you are inviting to the wedding to the engagement party.  It is perfectly acceptable that the Guest list for the engagement party will be considerably smaller than that for the wedding.   The engagement party, really is for the inner circle of friends and family.

Gifts and Presents


The most commonly asked engagement party question is, are the guest required to bring gifts?  Surprisingly, the answer is actually No.   It isn’t, however, that simple.  Engagement party etiquette generally states, the engagement party is simply a time to announce and celebrate a couples declaration.  Gifts are to be given at a later date, during the bridal shower and at the actual wedding.

It is however acceptable to bring a symbolic gift, a small token, that is personal between you and the couple, such as a framed photo, or a bottle of their favorite wine. 

A note from the host, on the invitation, stating gifts are not expected, and attendance will be considered a gift in itself, is perfectly acceptable and will put an end to the Guests questions regarding gifts.  Ultimately,  people may bring presents if they so choose. 

Party Games

Party games are not traditional at the engagement party, however it is very common to play some sort of on going ice-breaker, which Guests can take party in though out the evening, in order to meet other Guests that they may not know. 

It is also common for the host to have a raffle, the proceeds of which will go to the couple for  spending money on their honeymoon.  If you choose to do a raffle, it is the responsibility of the host to collect raffle prizes and find someway to sell the tickets at the event. 

Other than these two activities, the engagement party is for socializing – it is best to leave the planned activities for the bridal shower or Jack and Jill.

Speeches

According to formal engagement party etiquette, the father of the bride should make a speech at the party, however, in more modern years, that has changed quite a bit and it has become acceptable for anyone to make a speech.   It has also become very common for both the father of the bride, as well as the father of the groom to say something.   Whoever speaks, it is generally expected that there be an even distribution from the bride and grooms sides.   

Speeches at an engagement party need to short.  A few sentences of introduction, a funny story, and a heartfelt sentiment to the couple, finished with a toast. Humor is acceptable, however the speech should be clean and above the belt.

It is also important that the future bride and groom say something, and thank all of their Guests for coming.  

So there you have it, the most important and overlooked Engagement party etiquette.  Just remember that this party is a celebration of your love and dedication to each other, and not your regular Saturday night kegger.   Keep that in mind and have fun, the rest of your Guests will follow your lead.  

With so many games over the next few weeks - there are football parties popping up everywhere! 

Every good Host needs food to please their fans.  Not to worry, The Perfect Affair is here to help, so pull out your pans and LET US ENTERTAIN YOU, with our Recipe of the week.

Buffalo Chicken Dip

8oz Cream Cheese
1/2 Cup Blue Cheese Dressing
1/2 Cup Hot Sauce (we use Redhot)
1/2 Cup Crumbled Blue Cheese
1/2 Cup Shredded Mozzarella Cheese 
11/2 tsp Celery Seed
1lb Cooked Chicken Breast, chopped ( you can also use 2 Cans of chicken)

1.  Heat Oven to 350
2.  Place Cream Cheese in deep baking dish, stirring until smooth
3.  Add Blue Cheese Dressing, Redhot Sauce, Cheese and Celery Seed
4.  Stir in chicken 
5.  Bake for 20 minutes or until heated through
6.  Serve with pita crisps, crackers and veggies 

Enjoy!

Today, there’s much debate over whether or not it’s worth working with a travel agency when planning a honeymoon or a trip.  

When asked whether or not a client plans to use a travel agent to book their vacation, the answer usually depends on what type of vacation they’re looking to go on.  It is more typical for clients to book their once in a lifetime vacations using an agent, then it is for them to book the little weekend getaway. 

My mother the semi-retired “Event Planner”, just can’t get a grasp on todays globe- trotting, tech savvy, super original do it your self Brides,  “It’s just not like it used to be”, she keeps saying to me. 

She’s right, as weddings get more original, and they are held in different destinations with added technology like online RSVP’s it is incredibly tricky, for brides and planners alike to follow the old rules of Etiquette. 

As more couples plan destination weddings, new problems such as travel and sleeping arrangements, add a unique dynamic to the planning of an event.  While the etiquette of some traditions will always remain the same, others like the ones below require a little updating.   

Should you send out Save the dates, and have a wedding website:  Its important to remember that if you are planning a destination wedding, your Guests may need to plan just as much as you do, in order to make it there for your big day.  Save the Dates are extremely important for both the destination event and the hometown reception.  Rule of thumb is that they should be the first thing you do, this way Guests can make plans to be able to share in your day.  Include information about your date, and hotel options.   In addition your should make sure that the wedding invitations go out a little early, at least two months before the event, so that Guests can have any other details they may need.   

We think that in the case of a destination wedding it is important to have a wedding website.  You can update the site with pertinent information and details as you get them.  If there are additional activities you want your Guests to participate in, there is a place to talk about it!  

What should the couple pay for? And what do the family’s pay for?  This is a question I see with EVERY wedding, destination or held in your hometown, old or young couple.  Everyone wants to know what they are responsible for.  Old Etiquette remains the same with this one.  Typically the Brides family covers the cost of the wedding, although these days the burden is often split between the couple and the bride’s parents.  T

The Couple should cover the expense of housing out of town attendants if they are having a hometown wedding.  If they are having a destination wedding they should cover the cost of the hotel rooms for all of the attendants. 

The Grooms family should pay for the rehearsal dinner, which should include, not only the close family of the bride and groom and the attendants, but also all Guests that have traveled from out of town, if it is a hometown wedding.  If the Host is not able to afford to include all of the out of town Guests for dinner,  a solution is to host a cocktail hour, after the meal to which you should invite them.

If you are planning a destination wedding you are not required to pay for the activities that you plan at the destination, although some couples do choose to do so. 

The attendants should pay for their own attire, including shoes.  Typically the accessories that attendants will wear in the wedding are gifts from the couple.

It is important to remember as a couple, if you are planning a destination wedding, there is a significant expense for your attendants, They need to cover the regular expenses such as gifts and clothes, but they also have to cover their travel expenses to get to the destination, as well as meals and activities while they are there.  When planning it is a good idea to remember how your decisions will affect the people closet to you, and adjust accordingly.

Kids or no Kids?  I spoke about this in a earlier post on the etiquette of wedding invitations, however it bears mention here as well.  If the children’s names are not on the invitation they are not invited.  In the case of a destination wedding, while you can keep parents from bringing the kids to the ceremony, you cannot ban them from the entire trip.  If you have many “no kids” activities planned, you might consider hiring childcare at the resort or arranging a group activity for the children to participate in to keep them busy. 

Can I e-mail my wedding invitation and get an online RSVP?  While e-mail and online invitations have become the common trend for parties and impromptu social gathering, part of a wedding is the pomp and circumstance that goes along with it.  If your wedding is going to be a formal affair, then traditional formal wedding invitations should be sent out, and a traditional response card should be sent back.  You can however include an online RSVP page on your website that will allow guests to indicate they are coming and even converse and make plans with others, this is especially handy when you are planning a destination wedding and people are looking to make hotel and travel arrangements together.

If you are planning a wedding you might consider some of these other wedding etiquette resources, Something New: Wedding Etiquette by Elise Mac Adam or Emily Post's Wedding Etiquette, Fifth Edition, by Peggy Post.

What are your etiquette Questions?  Are you planning a wedding or social event and want to know if it ok to do something “these days”, Leave us a comment and one of our planners will get back to you with an answer to your question!  

The most common war that engaged couples and their families battle is over the Guest list.  It's a simple fact: people and space cost money.  The Bigger the wedding Guest list the more space you need to hold more people and inevitably, the more money you will spend. It is a vicious circle and if you are in the middle of this fight, trust me, you are not alone.  

The Key is to be realistic when making your list, generate a dream list and then work from that.  You will need to find your breaking point, in other words at what point will you either max out the venue or your budget.  Know that it is unavoidable for you not to cut people from the list.  The easiest way is to separate out the must attends versus the people you may be able to skip.  In other words, the A list is Grammy, while the B list may be a co-worker at your last job. 

With that being said, it also may be helpful to consider the etiquette for certain situations.

Traditionally the bride's parents paid for the wedding, giving them the upper hand in extending invitations. You will always be subject to who your parents want to invite.  That is just the way it is.  They are as excited as you are.  If your parents are paying for it, they get to invite away, however if you are paying for it one solution that has seemed to work very well is to provide your parents with a certain number, anything that they insist on over that you ask that they pay for. 
   
Your wedding is obviously going to be the talk of your office. The bigger the office the easier it is to offend someone unintentionally.  A god rule to follow is if you socialize outside of work, you have their home number and use it frequently, then you should probably invite them.  You should invite your supervisors, but don’t try to use an invitation to secure a promotion, it likely will not work. 
There are two big questions that often loom over the chore of a Guest List.  Kids or no Kids, and, and Guest or not?

Kids are really the preference of the Bride and groom.  Some love the chaos of having many children running around, and some just believe that a wedding is an adult function.  If you decide you want an adults only reception you need to set a guideline and stick to it, absolutely no children under the age of….Keep those names off of your list.  If you want to fall back on etiquette for a decision on weather to have kids or not, the rule of thumb is if they are awake you should invite them.  For example, if your wedding is in the morning or afternoon, it is more than appropriate for young ones to attend.  Evening affairs usually are a good time for mom and dad to have a drink or two and relax, so a babysitter is usually a better option.  You also might consider a separate room with a babysitting crew to watch them.

The second major issue arises with single friends, do you let them invite a guest or not?  I can see both sides of the coin on this one, allowing single guests to bring a date, keeps them from feeling left out or awkward, however the other side of the coin is also a valid point, if you are trying to keep your Guest list down this is a great place to cut extra Guests and money.  Traditionally, single Guests over the age of 16, received their own invitation and with invited “and Guest”.  If this is an issue because of space or budget,  my advice would be to tread lightly, and deal with your particular Guests on a case by case basis. If you have unmarried Friends or relatives that have been in long-term relationships, you should invite their significant other. The rest of the single friends and family could be invited without guests and be seated together, so that they wont be stuck at a table with all couples.  You never know in a few years you might be attending their wedding.
If you have worked through your list with this process and considered all these points an you still have more guests than you do money or seats you will have to start the real cutting process.  Unfortunately you will have to come up with some criteria, so no one feels terrible for taking someone off the list.  Consider the question, “what makes this person important enough to witness my wedding?”, put the focus on the people that are in your life currently, and who will continue to be in your life five years from now. 

They say that the key to the cut is to do it as quickly and efficiently as possible -- kind of like removing a Band-Aid.