We love to give parties and we love to celebrate. Someone gave me a tea towel containing the words “Celebrate Everything!” And, we are always looking for an excuse to have a party.
We celebrate new babies with baby showers, gender reveals, and “sip and sees.” We celebrate weddings with announcement parties, bridal showers, couples’ showers, and engagement celebrations. We celebrate graduations from kindergarten, elementary school, and high school with special parties. Confirmations, christenings, bat mitzvas, and baptisms are all reasons to celebrate. We even celebrate the life of a loved one who has just died with huge wake or a funeral lunch.
Each culture has special traditions and customs used in celebrations. In the South, many celebrations are involved the ironing of dozens of linen napkins and tablecloths, setting out all the “good china” and polishing all the silver utensils and serving dishes. The entire house must be cleaned and the outside must be pressure washed and painted, if possible. Joking? Only a little. Sometimes these celebrations can be exhausting.
While I still love a fancy party and the chance to use any of my family’s fine china and serving pieces, times have changed. Showers these days tend to be a little bit more relaxed, and a lot more fun.
Recently, I had the pleasure of hosting a bridal shower for a close friend, Lizzy Rhett. Lizzy is one of those very special people who is one of my closest friends and also one of my daughter’s friends. She is just that kind of person. She is smart, kind, funny, and absolutely beautiful. She is friends with the widows in our church, the young moms, the teens, the children, and even some middle-aged empty nesters like myself. Everyone wants to be friends with Lizzy because she exudes love and true friendship in all that she does. She is special.
Lizzy is a busy working woman and did not have time for multiple showers in the area so we opted for just one to include all her Jackson friends from work, from college, from her time here in Jackson and from our church. We decided that a casual weeknight dinner would be best so as to not interrupt a busy weekend in the fall. The invitation list included many working friends who could swing by after a long day at work and celebrate Lizzy‘s engagement. She insisted that it be casual and laid back and that is exactly what we did.
I called our shower a “modern bridal shower.” We swapped out the fine China and silver for recyclable, bamboo plates, forks, and knives. No linen needed, we used colorful paper napkins, and cute disposable cups. We did not take the time to sit and open every gift, but instead Lizzy thanked everyone and just took the time to laugh, tell stories, eat some food, and have a great time. This may be my new way to celebrate. The excitement and celebration remained, but the hard work disappeared.
A group of friends helped prepare a simple but delicious meal and no one was overworked or tired in the end. Everyone, including the bride to be, was relaxed as we laughed the evening away.
A Bridal Fiesta was the theme of the evening and quite a fiesta we had. The food was easy to prepare and could be prepped ahead of time. Nothing involved too much work, too much preparation, or too many moving parts. That night, we served about 75 hungry folks out of my little kitchen and everything went smoothly. People crowded around tables and chairs and just found a place to sit and laugh. I think this might have been the best shower I have ever given and it was a true tribute to my good friend Lizzy Rhett.
We wish she and her fiancé, Connor all the best as they begin their new life together. Showers allow us to be a part of the fun and the excitement of something. This shower was just that and I wanted to share our recipes and menu from the evening.
Rose Sangria
No party would be complete without a signature cocktail and we settled on a light summer concoction for Lizzy’s shower. Missy Wyatt prepared our drink and although the original version of this rosé cocktail from the Barefoot Contessa contains raspberries and plums, we opted to just use strawberries.
1 bottle rosé wine
1/2 cup Pom Wonderful pomegranate juice
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (3 lemons)
1/4 cup superfine sugar
3 tablespoons Grand Marnier
1 tablespoon brandy
Water and ice, plus extra ice for serving
8 large fresh strawberries, hulled and quartered
(2 red plums, pitted and sliced 1/4 inch thick, we did not use the plums)
Combine the rosé, pomegranate juice, lemon juice, sugar, Grand Marnier, brandy, one cup of water, and one cup of ice in a large glass pitcher. Stir in the raspberries, strawberries, and plums if using. Cover, and refrigerate for at least two hours but preferably overnight.
When ready to serve, fill glass halfway with ice. Pour the sangria over the ice, spooning some of the fruit into each glass. Serve ice cold.
Lizzy‘s Chicken Enchiladas
I used an old enchilada recipe but because I needed to make enough for a very large crowd and did not have time to cook all the chicken separately, I improvised a shortcut in my crockpot that I will now use over and over.
Please, double, or triple or four times this recipe as needed for big fiestas.
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 can chopped green chilies
1 cup salsa
1 envelope taco season
3 ounces cream cheese
1 cup whipping cream
10 corn tortillas
2 cups grated Mexican or Monterey jack cheese
Put chicken breasts, green chilies, taco season, and salsa in a crockpot and cook on high for about four hours or until chicken breasts can be easily shredded. Add cream cheese, and stir well to combined until cream cheese has melted.
Mixture can be set aside at this point or refrigerated until ready to use.
When ready to serve, soften corn tortillas according to package directions. Place about three tablespoons of chicken mixture in the center of each tortilla. Top with a few tablespoons of cheese and roll up. Place seam side down in a greased casserole dish. Repeat with remaining tortillas and chicken mixture until all is used. Pour whipping cream over the enchiladas and top with any remaining cheese. Bake in a 350° oven for 25 minutes or until hot and bubbly.
Mexican Coleslaw
Fellow church member Sue Davis brought a fantastic Mexican coleslaw. Knowing that Lizzy and some guests are adverse to mayo, Sue found just the right recipe that provided the perfect twist and side dish for the enchiladas.
As an extra sidenote, we had some of this slaw left over and I served it three days later. It was just as good as the evening of the party. I drained the extra liquid, but it was still fantastic.
14 ounce bag, coleslaw mix, one head of cabbage, shredded thin
1 15 ounce can black beans, well rinsed and drained
1 tomato, seaded and diced
1 small red onion, minced
1 cup frozen grilled corn
1/2 cup cilantro, minced
1 fresh jalapeño, seeded and minced (Sue did not include this as she did not want it to be too spicy)
For the dressing
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
3 to 4 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
When ready to serve. Mix the coleslaw, all the vegetables and black beans in a large bowl. Whisk together the salad dressing ingredients and pour over the slaw tossing gently. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow flavors to develop. Serve and enjoy.
Red Lentil and Brown Rice Taco Filling
This recipe was prepared by my good friend, Sarah Cole. Everything she makes is amazing and she had shared this recipe with me after her kids described the red lentil and brown rice taco filling as “better than ground meat” on tacos. I did not believe them at first, but they were right. It is amazing and was the first empty dish at the party.
1 cup dried red lentils
1/2 cup brown rice
1 onion, diced
6 cloves of fresh garlic, minced
4 1/2 cups water
2 tablespoons of chili powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon paprika, I use smoked paprika
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Put all ingredients in a slow cooker and cook on high for three to four hours. Stir a few times during the last hour of cooking. Occasionally, I have added about 10 chopped sun-dried tomatoes during the last hour for additional flavor.
Creamy Jalapeno Dip
Hands down this is my most requested recipe.
1 24 ounce container of sour cream
1 package dry ranch dressing mix (I use Hidden Valley Ranch)
1-2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
1/4 cup pickled jalapeno pepper rings (more or less depending on your taste)
1 bunch fresh cilantro, cleaned and chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
Place all ingredients, except cilantro, in bowl of food processor and process until combined. Add cilantro and pulse a few times to mix. Feel free to add in a few tablespoons of buttermilk for a thinner dressing. Do not over process or the mixture will turn green. Store in refrigerator. Best made a day in advance.
Suzi’s Salsa
1 26 ounce can peeled tomatoes, including juice (I use fire roasted)
1 medium onion, peeled and quartered
1 teaspoon salt
3-4 cloves fresh garlic, peeled
5 pickled jalapeno peppers, or 1 teaspoon chopped chipotle chili peppers in adobo
1 can green chilies
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
In a food processor, pulse onions and garlic, then add all remaining ingredients except cilantro. Pulse four to five times. Do not over process. Add cilantro and pulse two to three more times. Store in refrigerator for up to a week.
Sarah Cole‘s
Guacamole Salad
This was another addition from Sarah Cole, and it is both colorful and tasty.
1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
1 yellow bell pepper, diced
1 15 ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup small diced red onion
2 tablespoons pickled jalapeño peppers, minced or about one fresh jalapeño pepper depending on your heat tolerance
1/2 teaspoon finally grated lime zest
2 ripe avocados, seeded and peeled
For the dressing: Mix 1/4 cup fresh lime juice, 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, 1/2 teaspoon garlic, minced, 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper.
Mix dressing and toss with remaining ingredients. This can be served on a bed of shredded iceberg lettuce or as a side dish.
Roasted Corn Salad
4 cups corn kernels, canned, frozen or fresh
4 rings pickled chopped jalapeno or 1 fresh jalapeno chopped
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
4 tablespoons crumbled cotija cheese
4 tablespoons fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1 clove garlic, pressed
Juice of 1 lime
Spread corn kernels on a heavy cookie sheet and roast in a 450-degree oven until kernels are starting to turn brown. Toss kernels and cook for a little more browning. Cool corn and mix all ingredients. Serve on shredded lettuce or as a taco topping. You can add a can of drained and rinsed black beans. Can also serve as a dip with chips.
Chocolate Mousse: Fiesta Style
Elise Turner stole the show with her decadent and delicious chocolate mousse with just a slight touch of spice and cinnamon.
She told me that she did not use an official recipe, but I tried to put together her basic instructions. She said that she just mixes everything together until it tasted good to her. Feel free to do the same.
1 12- ounce bag “good” semi-sweet chocolate chips (We prefer Ghirardelli)
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon instant coffee granules
2 cups heavy whipping cream
Slowly melt chocolate in the bowl of a double boiler until smooth. Remove from heat and add in spices, instant coffee, and vanilla. Taste to make sure that the flavor is suitable. Feel free to adjust to your preference. Allow chocolate to cool slightly while you whip the cream.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat whipping cream until firm peaks form. Then, fold in the chocolate until well combined. Spoon into individual serving cups and store of the refrigerator for at least one to two hours before serving. Top with a dusting of additional cinnamon and dot of whipped cream for garnish.
