Southern Protocol

It’s been awhile since we’ve posted about a new fave drink obsession on the Southern Protocol blog… and this is the perfect jump back into it! Just in time for Easter festivities this weekend, I present to you: The Peep Martini.

I literally squealed out loud when I saw Kathie Lee and Hoda drinking these this morning – and I don’t even LIKE Peeps! Too mushy – but absolutely adorable as a garnish on this pink cocktail. Switch it up from the typical brunch mimosa this weekend… you’ll be the most fashionable bruncher around.

Peep Martini (Yields 1 drink)
Ice
1.5 ounce vodka
1.5 ounce pink vodka-fruit fusion liqueur
Splash of triple-sec
1 ounce cranberry juice
Pink Peep

Fill a martini shaker about halfway with ice. Add ingredients 2-4 (through cranberry juice) to shaker. Shake for 30 seconds.

Pour the drink (no ice) into the martini glass. Garnish with the pink Peep, placing it on the rim of the glass so the bunny is “standing up”. Cheers!

Another holiday, another day with lots of eating, another week filled with leftovers. What’s the most common leftover after the bunny holiday? Ham of course! One of my favorite things to do with leftover meat is make sandwiches – as good as it was solo for your holiday meal, to me meat tastes even better between two good pieces of bread with a yummy spread the week after. Bonus for this pairing: blueberries are SO good for you!

Ham and Blueberry Chutney Sandwich (Courtesy of about.com: busy cooks)
Ingredients: Sandwich
Blueberry Chutney (recipe to follow)
Thinly sliced honey smoked ham
Brie cheese
Whole grain bread slices
Butter lettuce

Ingredients: Blueberry Chutney
2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
1/2 cup minced onion
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger root
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup dried blueberries
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 cinnamon stick
Dash of salt

Directions: Sandwich
Pretty straightforward – make your ham sandwich with the blueberry chutney as a spread!

Directions: Blueberry Chutney
Combine all ingredients in medium saucepan, then bring to boil over medium heat, stirring frequently. Boil 1 minute and remove cinnamon stick. Cool completely, place in tightly sealed containers, and refrigerate for up to two weeks.

This Blueberry Chutney recipe makes a pretty large quantity, but it freezes beautifully – so you’ll always have some of the delicious spread on hand. If you’re in need of a quick appetizer, serve it over cream cheese or softened Camembert cheese.

Enjoy!

Lizz and I got our full share of dying Easter eggs last week in preparation for our Early Spring Entertaining class; but alas, we went the “boring” route, simply dying our eggs in different shades of yellow, or painting them with the fantastically cool egg pens from Piggly Wiggly.

Who didn’t go the boring route? The editors over at AOL! Each editor decorated an egg to represent their site – and when I say decorate, I mean seriously decorate. As in, forget the simple tablet-and-vinegar-only option, and throw in fake hair, glitter, wiggly eyes and a whole lot of creativity. I’m not entirely sure I’d personally have the patience – it’s something that would sound like a fabulous idea, then turn awful 2 hours in – but they’re definitely fun to admire. Click here to see the full slideshow, courtesy of shelterpop!

A good (and educational!) time was had by all at 208 Coming Street last night, as Southern Protocol, Stems and Canape hosted our Early Spring Entertaining seminar. It couldn’t have been a more perfect night weather wise for the class – the warm weather really got all of us in the mood to talk about spring entertaining!

The specific focus of the class was on hosting a flawless Easter brunch or dinner. We at Southern Protocol put together a rustic-chic tablescape for both a sit-down meal and a buffet, with a fresh color scheme of whites, kelly greens, and shades of yellow. We loved our homemade runner (you don’t always need a full tablecloth, especially with a table as cool as this one in Anne’s studio) and filling up vases with dyed eggs.

Stems showed guests how to put together amazing arrangements both big and small, with an emphasis on what flowers are cheap and plentiful this time of year. Everyone was shocked at how easy it can be to make a gorgeous topiary like this one! The key? Practice and experimentation – always try to look at what you have in a new light.

Canape rounded up the night with delicious and oh-so-cute strawberry tarts! We were all a bit wary of working with dough, especially in a city with such high spring and summer humidity, but Cynthia gave great tips on how to quickly handle it, and easy fixes for when you run into trouble. This particular recipe can keep up to a week in the freezer before baking, making it perfect for a do-ahead party. Plus, you can take it from sticky sweet (with the strawberry preserves) to breakfast or savory appetizer by changing the filling! All guests went home with a fun Chinese takeout box filled with the simple treats.

It was a fabulous night of gossip, entertaining tips and a little bit of bubbly. Be sure to join us for one of our upcoming classes – next up is Late Spring Entertaining on Wednesday, April 21st!

(Thanks as always to the wonderful Jennifer Bearden for snapping a few shots for us!)