Everyday Celebrating

Review & Win! NEW Hershey's Chocolate DROPS

Who doesn't love Hershey's, right?  Well, Hershey's just expanded on their offerings and I want to tell you about them AND.. give away 30 bags!  Yep. THIRTY BAGS!  One bag for 30 of my readers!

I met Kristen of the Hershey's PR Team back at BlogHer in NYC.  What a great team they have and when she shared with me their new product and asked if I'd like to try them before they hit stores, well.. umm.. YES!

Next thing I know, these 2 bags of chocolatey goodness were on my doorstep. 

Introducing chocolate DROPS! Oh.. and a very pretty cat catching some sun on the floor. :)

These are bite sized drops of chocolate WITHOUT the crunchy shell you would expect.  They have a light, shiny covering that protects the drops - edible, of course. (It feels slippery almost but a good texture. I might add that these do NOT melt in your hands.)

I had 2 different drops to test. One was the tried and true Hershey's Milk Chocolate.  Fabulous!  I am a huge lover of a simple chocolate bar so these drops were right up my alley.  They taste just like a square of a Hershey's bar but in a drop form.  Glorious!   My only wish and I'm hoping they come out with these.. adding almonds.  One of my FAVE candy bars is Hershey's with almonds.

I also was given the Cookies and Cream drops to try.  Since I'm not a fan of Cookies and Cream in general, I passed those along to my husband to try and he actually preferred them over the milk chocolate.  Goes to show that there's something for everyone!

These drops would be GREAT in holiday candy dishes!  The protective coating keeps them fresh and they won't melt!   These are also good for family movie nights or something to add to popcorn or granola.  They would also make a great item to add to a college student care package... finals are coming up!

Hershey's would like to celebrate the launch of their new product by sharing drops with my readers!  I'm giving out THIRTY bags of drops.  One to 30 lucky readers! 

What YOU do....

COMMENTS ARE CLOSED.  Thank you for entering!

 

Now what? Eat it? Throw it away?

My friend, Robyn, at Mix Mingle and Glow, has compiled a useful list of practical ideas on what to do with all the leftover Halloween candy.  Really great, useful tips on how you can put your leftovers to good use at future events like crushing up candy to use as cocktail garnishes or saving tootsie rolls to use on gingerbread houses.

And while you're there, if you're an event junkie like me, you'll want to take the time to peruse her blog.  She's an amazing bi-coastal planner who features not only inventive events, but also ideas that the "average joe" can pull off in everyday life so everyone can "mix, mingle and GLOW!"

 

Everyday Events: Grown Up Grilled Cheese party

Grilled cheese is a crowd favorite.  Most everyone likes one.  I love the idea of throwing a grilled cheese party.  It's fall, the weather is cooler and what a great idea to invite friends over for grilled cheese and soup.

Jessica of The Garden Patch shows how she upped the ante' and created an adult style grilled cheese buffet.

She included items such as thinly sliced pears, apples, sage, cilantro.. multiple types of cheeses...

along with a variety of meats to add... tomato and onion...

After everyone piled their sandwiches high, she grilled them all the perfection.

A great addition to a game watching party or tailgate!

Still time to make: Pumpkin Pops

I love pops!  I've been making them for a long time because a) they are cute!  b) they are easy!  and c) who doesn't like sweets on a stick, right???

Above are my Valentine's Day pops from 2009.

For Halloween this year, I made pumpkin pops for my son's daycare party.  Here's how ya do it:

Here's what you need:

• orange candy melt
• large marshmallows
• lollipop making kit
• green ribbon 
• wax/parchment paper

First, spread wax/parchment paper on a cookie sheet.

Heat up your candy melt in the microwave and while it's melting, place the sticks into marshmallows.
(I use lollipop sticks but you can also use toothpicks.  I'm not using toothpicks because this batch is for smaller children.)

 

Dip the marshmallows into the candy melt, covering each.  Then pop them into the fridge to let them harden.

From here, you can draw pumpkin faces on each one.  Do not try using a pastry bag.  One of the easiest ways is to use a toothpick and dip it into melted chocolate.  Much easier to draw with, less bulky, etc.  I had originally planned on doing this but realized at the last minute that I had run out of chocolate.  

Another option is covering in sprinkles!

When they are dry, add the "stem" by using green ribbon.  I'll be individually packaging these in the lollipop bags that came with the kit.  They make great treats for children to take home.  

Still time to make: Easy Halloween snacks - BONES and FINGERS!

 

I love this idea for Bones and Blood shared by Our Best Bites.

Simply use breadstick dough (storebought or homemade). Cut into strips.  Use scissors to snip the ends in half. Roll back the ends to create the bone affect. Dip in "bloody" marinara!

These are great too!  Cheese fingers!

Cut string cheese in half.  Create knuckle marks with a knife. Attach slivered almond (nails) with a dab of cream cheese!

Hop on over to Our Best Bites for lots of adorable Halloween food ideas!  Fun and easy items that you can create last minute for your Halloween gatherings.

DIY: Trick or Treat party!

Today, I'm over at Everything Mom talking about a great SAFE alternative to having your children go door to door this Halloween.

Host an easy Trick or Treat party!  Come on over and find out how.

Candy Corn Cookies

A great recipe for these colorful swirled candy corn cookies can be found over at Red Couch Recipes.
Makes a wonderful treat to bring to your next Halloween gathering! 

Everyday Events: Minnie Mouse Birthday

How adorable are these Minnie Mouse party centerpieces?  Gumdrop topiaries with a pink bow for Minnie.  I love what she used to fill the pots - rainbow colored twizzlers!

These centerpieces and this amazing cake were made by the ladies of Lil' Bella Boutique. Located in south Florida, these ladies make some spectacular cakes.  Look at these!

This cake had working headlights!

If you're in the South Florida area, Lil' Bella Boutique is the one to call! 

Everyday Events: Mastering the Art of French Cooking Dinner Party

The time of year is perfect for an outdoor dinner party!  Julie of A Reason to Get Together took advantage of the perfect weather and her love of Julia Child to put together a French dinner party in her back yard.

Julie had each of her guests bring a dish out of a particular cookbook as well as the wine that complimented the dish.   For invitations, she used Evite which kept track of what everyone was bringing and avoided duplications.  

This party was extremely budget friendly and Julie shopped her decor from previous parties as well as her local thrift stores and yard sales.  For example, the ties on the backs of the chairs were strips of sheets she found at yard sales.

She created 60 YARDS of bunting herself that draped from the fence and trees.  The same patterns of fabric were used as napkin rings.

I love the fabric flowers! 

Drop in to Julie's blog to see more photos of this fresh vintage design!  

Easy halloween candy presentation

 

A great way to serve individual portions of a favorite BLACK candy over at Room to Inspire.  Just wrap a few pieces in scrapbook paper and lay out on your favorite tray.  Embellish with creepy Halloween creatures to create interest.  Great for a children's party or to take around to people's offices for a worktime treat.