I’m a couple weeks behind schedule on the annual reader survey following an epic run of endless snow and endless sickness. I’ve spent way too much time under blankets and guzzling tea, friends, but I am on the mend and feeling human again. Hooray! Without further ado, it’s time for the 2019 reader survey and one lucky person is going to win a $150 Target gift card as a show of my appreciation.
After the hustle and bustle of the holidays, we tend to keep things a bit more casual when it comes to hosting parties over the winter months. An easy yet elegant dinner party is kind of the way to go! (Or a rowdy game day party with lots of snacks. I’m flexible!) Today I’m walking you through my tips for setting the table for just such a dinner party. Think sweet and simple with a casual vibe that will make your friends feel right at home!
I’m sure I’m not alone in being pretty convinced that tacos are the greatest food inventions ever. As a vegetarian I’m always playing around with different variations of veggie tacos, which I swear are better than meat-based tacos even if you’re an omnivore. Here I’ve rounded up a dozen vegetarian tacos totally worthy of your Taco Tuesday (or your Meatless Monday) dinner needs! (And since I love veggie tacos so much, you can find 15 additional veggie tacos here!)
Happy New Year, friends! After my requisite slow start to January, I’m working on jumping back into the groove, still trying to sort out where 2018 ran off to so quickly. This year will mark eleven years since I started blogging, founding one of the world’s very first entertaining blogs. Now solidly more than a decade of my life has been spent in front of a computer screen and behind a camera, elbow deep in paint, cheese, booze and flowers crafting content for The Sweetest Occasion. In the last 10+ years I got married, bought a house, got divorced, had a baby, bought a house and got married. Again. Some days those 10 years feel like they’ve passed by in an instant. Other days I struggle to remember who that girl was who started this blog all those years ago.
The countdown to the holidays is officially on, friends, and by super popular request I’m sneaking in a couple more Christmas cocktails before all the merriment commences! Champagne cocktails are, of course, perfect for Christmas and also make the ideal New Year’s Eve cocktail. Might I suggest this blueberry bubbly sparkler? It’s the loveliest, tastiest champagne cocktail for either holiday…or both!
Wrapping gifts is one of my favorite things to do during the holidays! Each year I’m committed to the perfect wraps, ribbons and bows, because I really believe the care that goes into wrapping a gift is part of the gift itself! It’s amazing to me how a sweet and simple touch or two can make family so excited to open a package. Today I’ve rounded up 10 chic and cozy Christmas gift wrapping ideas, all of which have me totally inspired this year.
We have so many parties coming up and I’m 100% living for it, friends! We’re hosting three days in a row this weekend, a combination of cocktails and full scale dinners so I’m making my lists and prepping today so I’m good to go. Are you hosting this week? I vote you skip fancy hors d’oeuvres and go right for an epic Christmas cookie board served alongside champagne. That sad old cookie platter has nothing on us.
Fact: I kind of hate marshmallows. Additional fact: Marshmallows are so much better when they’re homemade! And in our house where I keep all the fixings for a hot cocoa bar on hand all winter long, homemade marshmallows have a starring role in the show. Have you ever made them before? They’re easier than you think! I’m sharing my homemade marshmallow recipe (specifically, a peppermint marshmallow recipe) that you and your kids will love! Even you, fellow marshmallow hater.
This cheerful Christmas Moscow mule recipe is a fruity, tart cocktail made with cherry juice, ginger beer and festive garnishes galore.
It’s cookie exchange day, friends! Every year my blogger besties and I host a virtual cookie exchange, going so far as referring to ourselves as the Christmas Cookie Squad. In short, below I’ve linked up every single Christmas cookie recipe you could possibly want this season, perfect for hosting or bringing to your own cookie exchange parties. I’m jumping into the game with these fudge dipped double chocolate peppermint cookies. They are melt in your mouth good and worth the tiny bit of effort it takes to crush up some candy canes! Join in the fun on Instagram with our hashtag #christmascookiesquad!
Recently our neighbor and BFF Nikki perfected the ultimate chocolate chip cookie recipe. They’re the pillowy soft, melt in your mouth chocolate chip cookie that people crave and beg you to make over and over again. (We have. And she has.) This cookie recipe was entirely inspired by said perfect cookies. I think of them as the slightly more sophisticated older cousin – dark chocolate chip toffee cookies with pecans.
I started baking with my mom when I was a tiny little thing. On Thanksgiving it was helping roll out pie crusts and then playing with the scraps of dough for hours. For Christmas it was unwrapping Hershey Kisses to make her world famous peanut butter blossoms. When my boys came into my life, we would bake cookies nearly every weekend, logging hours in the kitchen. Baking with kids is something I’m pretty passionate about, and over the years I’ve worked out a few hacks and easy baking recipes for kids that make it more fun and less stressful than you might imagine. Keep scrolling for my best tips!