Independence Day is just around the corner! A snack bar is a great way to get creative and celebrate with your friends and family.
For ours, we did a mix of things: decadent whoopie pies, juicy summer strawberries, cold root beer, and light-as-air cheddar popcorn.
Grab your favorite snacks, choose some festive decorations, and set yourself up for a great day!
Eleanor Frameless Mirrors, Pottery Barn, from $79; Balcony Planter, A+R Store, $28; Bodum Fyrkat Grill, Crate and Barrel, $50; Martha Stewart Cupcake Stand in White Eyelet, Shop Martha Stewart, $10; Hobnail Pitcher, Anthropologie, $78; Bird Bottle Opener, West Elm, $9
These smoked salmon bites make the perfect warm weather (or any weather for that matter) party appetizer. I first got the inspiration for these at a friend’s wedding. The caterer made a sweet potato “nest” and topped it with smoked salmon and a dollop of something like creme fraiche.
I wanted to create something similar but wanted to find a way to achieve the “nest” with a more simple technique. I needed something super crispy and not too salty. Enter unsalted kettle cooked potato chips. I use Trader Joe’s potato trio chips. They’re made with red bliss, blue, and yukon gold potatoes and have zero added salt.
And no worries if you don’t know what creme fraiche is! It’s a soured cream, similar to American sour cream, but less sour. You can usually find it in the dairy case right next to the sour cream. Places like Whole Foods and Trader Joes will most definitely have it as well.
Serve these little one-bite wonders at your next party – they look glam, are so delicious, and you’re sure to be popular!
Ingredients::
World, meet Ava. Ava, world.
S&B has a new addition, Ms. Ava “Piggie-Smalls” Misner. Thirteen weeks old, approximately seven pounds. And obviously adorable.
If her face doesn’t make your day, I just don’t know what will.
I’m so excited that warmer weather is here! We will have a super-cute, majorly adorable surprise to share with you early next week, but for today, here are some fun, bright things we’re loving this May:
Vintage gadgets like this kitchen timer from Anthropologie.
Aprons that look like gorgeous, high-end dresses - from IceMilk Aprons.
Lovely, bright, outdoor furniture from Crate and Barrel.
I finally experienced my first married Easter! It was so fun to plan a menu and start new family traditions of my own. Last year, Easter fell the day after our wedding so we didn’t really get a chance to celebrate in what we consider a traditional way.
In other firsts, I made my first solo ham this year. My mom or grandma always made the ham for our family, so I was a bit nervous to take it on. I learned a couple of lessons for next time, but overall things were a success!
The OTT recently turned the big 3-oh. To celebrate even further (he turned 30 while we were visiting the Panama Canal in February – talk about a cool birthday), we put together a party centered around one of his favorite sports – golf.
The party dishes were named after golf terms, like “Barbecue Birdie Sandwiches” and “Dip and Chip Out,” there were golf-theme cupcakes (idea courtesy of the ever-fabulous Martha Stewart), and we even instated a golf/preppy dress code. Favor bags included tiny round brownies and golf-ball look-alike Mexican wedding cookies.
Invites:
Menu:
- Divots and Hummus (veggies and hummus)
- Dip and Chip Out (black bean dip with tortilla chips)
- Green and Rough (warm spinach artichoke dip)
- Barbecue Birdie Sandwiches (slow-cooked bbq chicken on potato rolls with monterey jack cheese)
- Bucket of Balls (powdered donut holes in a metal bucket)
- Golf Cupcakes
- 19th Hole Special Drink
Favors:
- Mexican Wedding Cookies and Bite-Size Round Brownies
Decoration:
- Golf balls in tall, round vases
- Table backdrop made with colored paper
Sources:
- baking cups, white candy pearls, favor bags – Layer Cake Shop
- paper for invitations, food cards, favor cards, cupcake flags, and wall decoration – Paper Source
- green sanding sugar – Williams Sonoma
