entertaining – Pure Sugar

Delicious Teas for Holiday Entertaining

Posted on November 26, 2018 by Carol — No Comments ↓

I don’t know about you, but this time of year I find there are so many opportunity to celebrate and entertain! One thing I like to do to make any event special is offer a delicious beverage instead of just lemon water or cans of soda or seltzer. An easy way to do that is with Tea Concentrates from HVA Ceylon. A representative of the company reached out to me and asked if I’d be interested in sampling their product. I was definitely intrigued!

As a tea drinker, I am used to making iced teas the traditional way — boiling water, steeping the tea, then cooling it. However, HVA Ceylon’s tea concentrates makes it faster and easier to create delicious beverages — perfect for parties! I was a bottle of Peach Tea Concentrate and Chai Tea Concentrate to sample. The bottles retail for $8.50 (at the time of writing this blog post) and each bottle makes 2 gallons of tea. Personally, I think you could even stretch that amount if prefer a tea that is less sweet.

Both teas were delicious, but the Peach Tea Concentrate was hands-down my favorite! It had a very natural peach taste to it, and it was so refreshing! I tried it with both cold water and sparkling water. I’m not sure which I liked better! For a delicious cocktail, you might consider adding an ounce of sweet tea liquor. !

Chai tea is a yummy treat during the cold weather. Whether you like it hot or iced, that unique blend of spices makes you feel so cozy, doesn’t it? I love the chai teas I’ve had at Indian restaurants and the tea bags I have purchased have been good, but I’ve never been able to get that authentic flavor. HVA Ceylon’s Chai Tea concentrate makes the perfect iced chai! I tried it mixed with water, per the instructions, and also mixed directly into a glass of creamy milk. Both made great beverages! I also tried it blended with milk and ice to make a delicious frozen drink.

HVA Ceylon sources the tea for these concentrates from Sri Lanka — they are 100% Pure Ceylon tea. In addition to concentrates, the company offers a wide variety of organic and conventional Pure Ceylon tea and coconut products. I can only imagine how full-flavored their black teas, green teas, and herbal teas are! HVA Ceylon even offers a monthly tea club — talk about a great gift.

I can definitely speak to the quality of the tea concentrates. In addition to the peach and chai flavors, you can purchase strawberry and lemon. I would definitely consider giving the other flavors a try!

Creamy Crab Rangoon Dip with Wonton Chips

Posted on July 30, 2015 by Carol — 1 Comment ↓

Creamy Crab Rangoon Dip

My two favorite treats when we order Chinese food are hot & sour soup and crab rangoons. A couple years ago I created a hot & sour soup recipe that I am quite happy with. (It’s on my old blog — I’ll have to move that post over here!). But crab rangoons always seemed like they’d be fussy (and fried — and I don’t really like to deep fry food in my kitchen). After browsing several recipes for crab dip, I cobbled together a recipe for crab rangoon dip! It is so easy to put together and was a big hit when I brought it to a girls’ night out dinner (my friends are the best recipe testers).

Creamy Crab Rangoon Dip

Last night I made it again, just to make sure I had everything right (not because I wanted to lick the bowl or anything, LOL!). My family also raved about it, including my picky son who remarked, “Actually, it’s not bad!” Trust me — that was a compliment. This is a dip that I think will go into frequent rotation around here!

Creamy Crab Rangoon Dip with Wonton Chips

2015-09-29 19:10:46

An easy, cheesy, yummy dip. Perfect when you have a craving for those delicious crab rangoons from your favorite Chinese restaurant!

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Ingredients

6-oz. can of crabmeat
4 oz. softened cream cheese.
1/3 c. mayonnaise
1/2 tsp. Worstershire sauce
1/2 tsp. Tabasco sauce
1/2 tsp. lemon juice
3-4 scallions, chopped
1/2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese
won ton wrappers

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
TO MAKE THE WONTON CHIPS: Take a stack of wonton wrappers and cut on a diagonal so you have piles of triangles. Arrange in a single layer on a cookie sheet and bake for about 5 minutes -- just until the wontons are crispy.
Using a fork or a hand mixer, combine the crabmeat, cream cheese, mayo, Worsterhire sauce, Tabasco sauce, and lemon juice in a medium bowl. Stir until the ingredients are well combined. Add the scallions and mozzeralla cheese and stir to incorporate into the mixture.
Transfer dip to a shallow, oven-safe dish and bake uncovered for approx. 20 minutes until the dip is hot and bubbly.
Garnish the dip with additional scallions if desired. Serve with wonton chips for dipping.

Notes

Ovens vary, so be sure to keep an eye on the wonton chips to avoid burning them.
To create an elegant appetizer, line mini muffin tins with the uncooked wontons, then fill with the dip. Bake for approx. 10 minutes or until dip is bubbly and wonton edges are crisp.
No wontons? No problem! Simply substitute tortilla chips.

By www.puresugar.net

Pure Sugar http://www.puresugar.net/

CLOSED {Review & Giveaway) Hostess Gifts and Merci Chocolates

Posted on December 12, 2013 by Carol

I received a box of Merci Chocolates and a promotional item for my honest review.
I received no monetary compensation for this post. All opinions are my own.

If your December calendar looks anything like mine, you’ll be attending several holiday parties. I am always looking for great hostess gifts. What could be better than chocolate? Merci chocolates seem to be made for saying “thank you.” I think the name alone gives that away! And indulging in a piece of yummy chocolate is such a great way to wind down after a whirlwind party.

Each box of merci includes a delicious selection of rich, European chocolates in flavors like milk chocolate, hazelnut-almond, marzipan, dark mousse, and coffee and cream. I think my favorite, however, is the praline-creme. Such a delicious treat paired with a cup of dark roast coffee!

As someone who enjoys entertaining in my home, I know how much goes in to party planning. I don’t think there is anything out-of-the-ordinary that makes a great hostess, though, as long as she is having a great time too. Enthusiasm is contagious! I do appreciate always being greeted at the door, and taking guests special needs into consideration is always appreciated, too. (These are things that I try to do myself.)

I’m really looking forward to our Christmas movie party in a couple weeks, so you can bet I’ll be keeping in mind what I enjoy when I attend someone else’s party. Basically three things: good friends, good food, and good fun. Sounds simple, but I think it’s true! I will also be bringing a gift of merci to my mother-in-law’s on Christmas Eve as a token of thanks for always having a lovely holiday dinner and making everyone feel welcome.

The sweet people at merci have generously offered to give away a gift pack to one of my readers so that you can also say “thank you” to someone!

Rules

Open to U.S. residents 18 and over only.
Giveaway will close at 12 PM Eastern Time on Thursday, December 19, 2013.
Winner will be chosen by Random.org and posted on the blog the next morning. To enter, please leave a comment telling me what qualities you think make a great hostess OR a party that you are looking forward to this holiday season.

And don’t forget to check out merci’s Facebook app, the Thank-You-Maker! You can send a friend a meaningful thank you, and in return receive a Buy One Get One Free coupon for merci chocolates! If you’re on Twitter, send a tweet about giving a meaningful ‘Thank You’ using the #merciHoliday hashtag.

You can find merci chocolates at many stores including World Market, Target, and Amazon.com.

Thanks to you, my readers for supporting my blog. And good luck with this giveaway. Trust me, the winner will truly enjoy these scrumptious chocolates!

5 Easy Last-Minute Thanksgiving Dishes

Posted on November 27, 2013 by Carol — No Comments ↓

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving and if you’re still agonizing over the menu, don’t fret! I’m sharing 5 easy recipes — 3 for side dishes and 2 for desserts. I’m actually making up the sweet potatoes today and bringing them to my in-laws’ house tomorrow!

Maple Baked Sweet Potatoes