Signature Popcorn Bar

Having a Popcorn Bar at an event is fun! Since this is Oscar weekend, this is a great DIY entertainment idea for your Oscar's celebration. Popcorn Bar's are great at weddings, birthdays, open houses and special celebrations. The first picture above shows the popcorn bar used at Carla David's Design open house. She collaborated with Chef's Expression to come up with some unique flavors. You can flavor your popcorn to you and your guests liking and decorate your buffet to reflect your theme or personality. I always emphasize to my clients to stay true to who you are as a person and that will shine through in your celebrations. Yours guests will have more fun because you are being authentic and true. Well, here are some popcorn recipes that Chef's Expressions came up with and I hope that you will enjoy them.

Cocoa Fireside Rub

1/4 cup of New Mexican Chili Powder

1/4 cup Dutch Cocoa powder

1/2 cup Light Brown Sugar

1 tablespoons of Kosher Salt



Moroccan Blend

1/3 cup Coriander

1/3 cup Ginger

1/3 cup Tumeric

1 tablespoons of Kosher Salt



Casablanca Blend

1/3 cup Sumac

1/3 cup Fennelgreek

1/3 cup Amchoor

1 tablespoons of Kosher Salt

So roll out the red carpet and come up with your predictions for an Oscar win and enjoy these delicious varities of popcorns!

Signature Sweets for Two

I thought of blogging again this year Valentine about inexpensive gifts for the holiday, but I changed my mind. After all it is a women's perogative to change her mind. I will instead give my readers a delicious Valentine's dessert for two. My inspiration for this you may ask? He's a wonderful man who loves chocolate and this recipe is for him and all the other couples out there who loves chocolate! It's a Chocolate-Covered Strawberry Cake from Better Homes and Gardens (BHG) website. My favorite chocolate is white, then milk chocolate follows. I will however make an exception this Valentine's day for my special guy! Bon Appetit...Enjoy!

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup strawberry jam
Bittersweet Chocolate Ganache
12 medium strawberries
3 ounces bittersweet and/or milk chocolate curls

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour or line with paper bake cups twelve 2-1/2-inch muffin cups; set aside.
2. In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Remove from heat. Let cool for 5 minutes. Stir in sugar and cocoa powder until combined. Add egg and vanilla. Using a wooden spoon, beat lightly just until combined.
3. In a small bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Alternately add flour mixture and milk to chocolate mixture, beating by hand after each addition. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups, filling each two-thirds full.
4. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the centers comes out clean. Cool in muffin cups on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Using a knife, loosen the edges; carefully remove cupcakes. Cool completely on a wire rack.
5. If cupcakes don't have paper liners, trim a thin slice from top of each cupcake so they will sit flat. Turn bottom side up. Place cupcakes 2 inches apart on wire rack set over waxed paper. (For cupcakes in liners, peel liners down but do not remove.) Spread 1 teaspoon of the strawberry jam over each cupcake.
6. Prepare Bittersweet Chocolate Ganache. (below) Spoon ganache over cupcakes, making sure to coat all sides. Place a strawberry on top of each cake. Drizzle each strawberry lightly with ganache, letting the strawberry show through. Top cupcakes with chocolate curls.
7. Bittersweet Chocolate Ganache: In a medium saucepan, bring 1 cup whipping cream just to boiling over medium-high heat. Remove from heat. Add 10 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped (do not stir). Let stand for 5 minutes. Stir until smooth. Whisk in 3 tablespoons butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, whisking until ganache is smooth.
8. Makes: 12 cupcakes
9. To Bake Ahead: Prepare as directed through step 4. Place cooled cupcakes in an airtight container; cover. Store at room temperature for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 1 month. Thaw cupcakes, if frozen. Continue as directed in step 5.

Signature Graduation Christmas Celebration

Blending a Graduation celebration with Christmas......what a challenge! Yet a welcoming one I must say. We truly enjoyed and loved the way we transformed the room into a festive celebratory scene of Christmas and Graduation. It blended so well...like it was meant to happen! Natalee graudated from Bowie State Univeristy with her Masters in Physcology and she wanted to share the moment with family & friends. The journey that she endured to achieve her degree was a challenging and arduous one. Natalee lost her mom several years ago and she faced numerous obstacles along the way. We focused on her school colors of black & gold and integrated it in the christmas and graduation decor. We wrapped gifts & stuffed bags and added congrats tags to them in her school's black and gold colors. The gift boxes and bags are perfect symbols for Graduation and Christmas. We added tiny christmas trees, ornaments, pines cones, wreaths, lighted garlands and centerpieces that helped to add the spirit of Christmas to the room. There was a table at the entrance of the room, that had a Class of 2010 frame that Y lowe Signature Events made. We displayed that along with a graduation hat box and more gift boxes. When the graduate arrived, she displayed her Graduate Thesis, Graduation Diploma and Program for all her guests to see. The DJ was jamming all night and her guests enjoyed delicious Caribbean food. The guest of honor was delighted and we were happy that we were able to translate her vision so beautifully. What a great way to enjoy the holidays!

Signature Christmas Table Decor

Wow! Christmas is 10 days away. As you prepare to set your table for your holiday festivities, do it in a way that is beautiful and inviting to your guests. Above you can see traditional table decor and Christmas colors in play. The table settings are traditional & formal and is for a small gathering. The two centerpieces above were created by Y Lowe Signature Events craft specialist Winsome Mitchell and are perfect for your dining table or a sidetable at your home or in an event space. Our company creates Christmas decor and wreaths for holiday decorating. The above centerpieces can be created with fresh greenery or with craft materials as indicated above. Another place that you can grab some fresh and exciting ideas from for your dining table  and home decor, is Better Homes & Garden (BHG). I love to visit their website around the holidays for great entertaining ideas for food, drink and decor. From our family to yours...we wish you a happy and safe holidays!!!!

Signature Christmas Tree Decorating Ideas

Every year my family decorate our Christmas tree around my daughter Maya's birthday, which is December 14th. Decorating the family's Christmas tree is a personal, fun and exciting thing to do. Every family have their own traditions around the holidays regarding decoratiing their home & tree, baking cookies & tasty treats and participating in annual rites of passage. I remember my family Christmas trees in Jamaica where I grew up. We always had a fresh tree and mummy & daddy would spray the tree with snow from a can and put cotton balls at the root of the tree on top of the container that it was in because we didn't have snow there. In the picture above my son Marc, my daughter Maya and my cousins children Deanna & Kathy (left to right) is having fun putting decoration on the Christmas tree. Some traditions from my childhood still continues to this day regarding my Christmas tree...it MUST be a fresh real tree. Whether you like a fresh tree or the one that you pull out of the box year after year, here a few tips in making your tree beautiful. Stick with a theme for your tree and use ornaments that means something to your family (like ones made by the children and picked out together as a family) and mix those with store bought ones. Use oversize ornaments to hide holes or imperfections in the tree. Add glamour to the tree by adding crytsals and sparkles (I found beautiful ones in the dollar store this year...I was amazed). Use colors and themes that relate to the room where the tree is displayed. To further enhance your decor, the gifts under your tree should be wrapped and ribboned in complimentary colors of the tree and the room. Use garlands and ornaments, more ribbon, flowers to complete the look. Themes can be American (use american flags, ornaments of American monuments and buliding) , wooden ornamented tree theme (I did this when my children were younger) can be all wooded ornaments that are sleighs, snowman, drummer boys etc. How about a Fruited tree? Yes...this can be beautifully done. Use all fruit ornaments to decorate the entire tree. My cousin's children who are in the picture above, every year decorate their tree with handmade crocheted angels that are absolutely beautiful. This tree theme On Ice is tieing in the decorations of the whole room where the tree is located.  Whatever theme or decorating you decide to do this year with your family, enjoy it and create new memories. Happy tree trimming!!!!

Signature Thanksgiving Decor

The Thanksgiving holiday is right around the corner and who wouldn't want a beautifully decorated table to share with their loved ones and friends. Thanksgiving is a time to share good food, drinks and reflect on what we are thankful for all year. It is a time when anxiety sets in for some because the in-laws are coming maybe for the first time, the cousin who is always so critical, the mom who thinks that you can never get it right. Well, lets put all the naysayers to rest this Thanksgiving holiday and set a beautiful table that will not only shock but delight your guests. Above you can find simple & rustic and elegant & chic designs for your table. There is something for the creative spirit and for the not so creative mind. Whatever you decide to do with your Thanksgiving table, make it a reflection of who you are and the spirit of  your home. After all, the celebration is a an extension of you, your family and your home. So start designing and have fun with it. Then sit back, relax and enjoy!

Signature Leafy Fall Ideas

   

Its Fall again and the holidays are fast approaching. Your guests are coming into town and you are seeking new and interesting decor and entertaining ideas for your dining tables. Well here is a leafy idea! Select one element of the season and play with that element throughout your centerpieces and place settings. Here we are focusing on the fallen leaves. The leaf vases above were great finds for my colleague Winsome and myself. We found them in Michaels for a great steal...$3.99 a piece. With these low lying leaf vases...you can add small pots of moms. Place the leaf candles above in the middle and each mom filled leaf vase on either side. Place the The Classic Maple-Leaf Card Holder at each place setting. Write a note to each of your guest letting them know why you are thankful for having them in your life in the Maple Leaf Thanksgiving Card. Make a Leaf Thanksgiving Box and stuff it with these delicious Leaf Cookies. What leafy ideas!