"Pig in a Blanket" Party Favors

This past weekend, I brought some of my friends and family together for a big family style dinner to celebrate my 33rd birthday. The menu? A lavish whole pig feast at DBGB, a restaurant here in NYC, that included appetizers, sides, a whole roast stuffed suckling pig, and a giant baked Alaska for dessert.

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Homemade Winter Berry Granola

I love making homemade granola. It's one of those things that's so simple, but which just feels really satisfying for some reason.

It feels like there is something super wholesome and substantive and old time-y about it, straight out of a Little House on the Prairie novel.  I'm not sure why that is; maybe it's the fact that the vast majority of people just buy their granola and other cereals, so to make it yourself feels extra special.

The other cool thing about it is that it's absurdly easy to personalize or adjust. This recipe is really forgiving about swaps.

Prefer maple syrup or molasses or all honey or white sugar or rice syrup? Go for it! They all work. Or skip the spices. Or swap in a different extract (orange or almond would both be lovely).

Add crunchy banana chips or dried pineapple or coconut. Use all cherries or add huge spoonfuls of chocolate chips.

As long as you keep the proportions the same, you're pretty much golden.

I made about 15 pounds of this granola recipe last week to gift as the party favor at the baby shower I hosted for my friend. I filled clear cellophane cones with it, then labeled them all with a homemade sticker I designed and printed.

It was a simple, affordable and crowd-pleasing treat that went well with the rustic winter theme of the party I hosted. Doesn't get much better than that!

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Loved this recipe? Here are three other Granola recipes you might like:

• Spiced Pumpkin Granola
• Homemade S'Mores Granola
• Triple Chocolate Quinoa Granola

And let's connect so you can find out the next time I post! Follow me on Twitter, Instagram, or Pinterest, become a fan on Facebook, or sign up to receive my once-a-week e-mail updates.

Thanks so much for reading

Winter Berry Granola
Brown sugar, spice, and dried berries come together to create this lovely winter granola recipe. This takes about 5 minutes to prep, then bakes up easily in the oven. Make a huge batch at a time; this keeps well for weeks and is wonderful as a breakfast, snack or garnish over yogurt or ice cream.

Makes about 12-13 cups of granola

Ingredients
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons molasses or maple syrup
3/4 cup coconut oil or unsalted butter
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract (optional, but awesome)
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
6 cups rolled oats
3 cups chopped nuts (I used 1 cup each of pecans, cashew, and almonds)
1 cup pumpkin seeds
2 cups dried berries (I used a mix of cranberries, goji berries, cherries, and mulberries)
1 cup chocolate chips (optional)


Directions
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease 2 large baking sheets with coconut oil.

In medium saucepan over low heat, combine the honey, brown sugar, coconut oil, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, vanilla, and salt, whisking until the sugar is melted and it's all very smooth and evenly combined.

In a large bowl (I use a big pot), combine the oats, nuts, and pumpkin seeds, and stir to combine. Pour in the hot oil and sugar mixture and stir well to coat completely.

Divide into the two prepared pans, and bake about 40 minutes, stirring and rotating the pans after about 20 minutes. Bake until golden, then remove from oven and let cool completely. (It will get crunchier as it cools.) Stir in the dried berries and chocolate, if using, then store in an air-tight container, or divide into bags to use as party favors.

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Pistachio and Cherry Popcorn Balls

Popcorn balls have always been one of my favorite holiday treats, and this recipe from the Wonderful Pistachios event I attended last week was wonderful.

Though this recipe calls for dried cherry, feel free to improvise, adding other dried fruits (or a mix of them!). Dark chocolate chips would also be lovely, as would a dash of almond extract, to bring out the nutty flavors.

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Thanksgiving Favors: Spiced Pumpkin Granola

One of my favorite things about having people over is the excuse to make party favors. I'm not sure why, but there is something about packaging up little-somethings that makes me super happy.

For my party this past weekend, I decided to make a big batch of homemade Spiced Pumpkin Granola and send each guest home with a bag of it.

Homemade granola makes a great favor because it's very easy to make, can be made in huge batches, and keeps well over long periods of time, so you can prepare it in advance.

This granola starts off with plain rolled oats (I used good ol' Quaker Oats for this), mixed with spices like cinnamon and ginger, brown sugar, olive oil, and real pumpkin puree.

It toasts up in the oven until crunchy, and then you can toss it with your favorite granola mix-ins. I chose toasted pecans, shaved coconut, and white chocolate chips.

I was low on time so instead of making individual tags for each baggie, I just displayed a little "Thank You" card near the basket of favors and called it a day.

A simple and sweet favor that will leave your guests with a little bit of extra fun to enjoy after the party ends.

More Homemade Granola Recipes:

• S'Mores Granola 
• Triple Chocolate Quinoa Granola 
• Chewy Hazelnut & Chocolate Granola Bars 

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Love Always Order Dessert? Let's connect! Follow me on Twitter or Pinterest, become a fan on Facebook, or sign up to receive my once-a-week e-mail updates. And if you ever need any entertaining or cooking advice, please don't hesitate to e-mail me. Thanks for reading!   

Spiced Pumpkin Granola
This makes a huge batch meant for favors, and makes about 10 party favor-sized bags of granola. Feel free to divide in half for a smaller amount.

Ingredients
8 cups rolled oats
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground ginger
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1 1/4 cups pumpkin puree
1/2 cup olive oil or melted butter
1/2 cup maple syrup
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 cups pecans, toasted
1 cup dried shaved coconut (unsweetened)
2 cups your choice: white chocolate chips, dark chocolate chips, or dried cranberries (or use a mix!)

Directions
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease two large baking sheets (I use baking spray) and set aside.

In a large bowl, mix oats and spices. In a second large bowl, mix sugar, pumpkin, oil, maple syrup, and vanilla. Combine with oats and toss until evenly and completely coated.

Divide into two baking pans and spread out into a single layer. Bake for 15 minutes, then stir and return to oven for about 20 more minutes, or until golden (will still be soft, but will get crunchy as it cools). Let cool completely, then stir in pecans, coconut, and chocolate or dried fruit.

For favors: Divide into cellophane bags and seal with a twist-tie.

To store, divide into gallon sized zipped bags and store in a cool dry place. 

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Inspired Entertaining: DIY Goat Cheese Favor Bar

Last week, I attended a small reception at Murray's Cheese Bar down in Greenwich Village. The event was hosted by Vermont Creamery Butter & Cheese, a wonderful artisan cheese company that makes some of my favorite dairy products.

(Their cultured butter with sea salt crystals is one of the most delicious things I've ever tasted--highly recommended!)

As much as I loved tasting the different kinds of cheese on offering (Raclette! Cheesy Beignets! Beet & Goat Cheese Lollipops!), my favorite thing about the event was the DIY Goat Cheese Favor Bar featuring their delicious chevre.

It was such a pretty and clever idea that I instantly started taking photos of it to share with you.

I think this would be a wonderful favor idea for a bridal shower, cocktail party, luncheon, or even a small wedding. It's a really creative and non-sugary alternative to the usual candy bar.

Here's how you can set up your own DIY Goat Cheese Favor Bar:

Set up a station with plain small goat cheese logs or buttons -- you can order them directly from your favorite cheesemaker or cheese shop (like Murray's!), or request a large order in advance from your grocery store.

Stores like BJs and Costco also sell these at a great price--I would get the large logs and then cut them down into small portions for each guest.

Then provide bowls with an array of toppings, which can also easily be purchased in bulk online through a store like nuts.com.

Think things that would go well with goat cheese like: lavender, chile flakes, brown sugar, dried rosemary, cinnamon, dried cranberries, cocoa nibs, crushed nuts etc.

Offer up both sweet and savory options.

Instruct your guests to combine the toppings in a small tray and then roll the cheese over it to create an artful log.

Non-latex gloves are a good idea to keep your guests from getting cheese and toppings all over their hands!

(Or you can offer up a tray of warm wet washcloths for when they're done.)

Provide small cartons or clear cellophane bags for the guests to package up their goodies. Bits of twine or raffia also add a nice touch! These can be easily found at a crafts store like Michael's.

You can even go a step further and gift each guest a small inexpensive cheese knife, a box of crackers, or tiny bottle of honey to drizzle over the cheese at home.

At the event, they also had dried slices of blood orange and apple, which made lovely toppers (and snacks!)

And that's it! Each guests gets to go home with a unique and personalized treat that they can enjoy at home with a nice loaf of bread and a glass of wine.

At the Vermont Creamery event, I chose to roll my goat cheese log in a combination of lavender buds, fennel pollen, and shredded coconut.

My friend Olga from Sassy Radish also rolled hers in fennel pollen and lavender. (It's a seriously wonderful combination!)

Topped with a bit of honey at home, it's been a delicious treat to spread on crackers and warm crusty loaves of bread.

What do you think about this idea? Would you try it?

Photo Credit: Photos of me, the beet lollipops, the finished favors, and the Bonne Bouche trays taken by Rachel Gardam. 

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Love Always Order Dessert? Let's connect! Follow me on Twitter or Pinterest, become a fan on Facebook, or sign up to receive my once-a-week e-mail updates. And if you ever need any entertaining or cooking advice, please don't hesitate to e-mail me. Thanks for reading! 

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Inspired Entertaining: S'Mores Pop Favors

photo by Monica Navarro

I recently made these cute and inexpensive engagement party favors and thought I'd share them with you.

Last week, my friends Monica and Chris hosted a party to celebrate their new house and recent engagement. The evening was going to be a casual one with a potluck dinner and lots of dancing in the as-yet unfurnished living room, but we still wanted the guests to leave with a little something special to mark the occasion. With a chilly night theme of "Baby, It's Cold Outside," I decided to make personalized s'mores pops for the guests to enjoy either right on the stick or nuked for a few seconds to make them oooey and gooey.

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