I was so thrilled to once again partner with Lenox who has the most perfect tabletop pieces for Halloween including the Valencia all purpose glasses, Contempo dinner plates, Vintage Halloween dessert plates, Colebrook flatware and pumpkin salt and pepper shakers. I repurposed this Etsy burlap runner from years past and filled my Julia Knight Florentine bowl with faux pumpkins and added a pepper plant and black bird for an extra pop of fun.

 

 

Caramel Apple Nachos

Ingredients

30 large marshmallows (I substituted these with white chocolate)

5 Tbsp butter

1 bag caramel bits

1 tbsp water

4-5 apples (sliced)

Toppings (mini chocolate chips, sprinkles, peanuts)

Instructions

In a saucepan, melt the marshmallows and butter over low heat. Stir periodically until completely melted. If you choose to use white chocolate chips instead, combine chips and a bit of olive oil in a bowl and microwave until melted.

Combine the caramels and water in a bowl and microwave until melted (I microwaved in 30 second intervals, stirring in between until caramel smoothed – it will bubble if it gets too hot)

Arrange the sliced apples on a plate and pour the caramel and marshmallow mixtures over them.

Add toppings of choice and serve immediately.

 

 

Sprinkle Cookies

(inspired by Shop Sweet Lulu)

Ingredients

Wafer cookies

Sprinkles

White Chocolate Chips

Instructions

In a bowl, microwave white chocolate chips with a bit of olive oil.

Cover the ends of your wafer cookies in the melted chocolate.

Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Add sprinkles.

Storing in refrigerator will harden the chocolate faster than leaving out.

 

 

Mini Rice Krispy Treat Ghosts + Mummies

Ingredients

Rice Krispy Treats

Frosting

Mini Chocolate Chips

Instructions

Apply frosting to Rice Krispy Treat.

Decorate with additional colors to create ghosts, using mini chocolate chips as eyes, or using decorative frosting create mummies, again using mini chocolate chips as eyes.

Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and store in fridge until hardened.

Serve and enjoy.

The post Halloween Treats + Tabletop Styling first appeared on Lindsey Boova.

Honestly though, I’m mostly excited to set a beautiful table and break out our new Lenox dinnerware and a few finishing touches from La Dentelliere. Our table will be set for adults and children so I thought I’d share how we’ll be dining and a few of the tot-friendly recipes that we’ll be serving. 

I kept our Fourth of July decor and styling classic with a red, white and blue color palette, grounding the table with a polka dot linen. I partnered with Lenox, the American leader in tableware, selecting their classic yet modern Profile dinner plates, fun vintage cherry dot accent plates, all purpose Valencia glasses and Roxbury Red place setting to add a fashionable flair. Tying everything together, I used durable wooden placemats and navy plaid napkins from La Dentelliere, a shop in Westchester, NY that has the most beautifully curated selection of home decor and giftable items.

Putting our Father’s Day gift to use, we grilled up burgers, chicken kebobs and plenty of veggies. I threw together an Avocado Tomato Salad with fresh vegetables from our local Farmer’s Market, a kid-friendly Watermelon Ginger Mock-jito and Rice Krispy Treats, an easy to make July 4th dessert the whole family enjoyed.

I even made sure Wesleigh was dressed for the occasion in her new Monogram Mary customized sweater. We love a good personalized piece!

Avocado Tomato Salad

Ingredients

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

Lemon Juice (1 whole lemon)

3 avocados (cubed)

1 pt cherry tomatoes (halved)

1/3 cup corn (optional)

1 Jalapeño (optional)

2 tbsp chopped cilantro

Instructions

In a small bowl whisk together the oil and lemon juice.

Season with salt and pepper (to taste).

In a large serving bowl combine remaining ingredients.

Toss gently with dressing.

Serve and enjoy.

Watermelon Ginger Mock-jito

(as recommended by my wonderful friend, neighbor and recipe developer, Kathleen)

Ingredients

⅓ cup seedless watermelon, diced 

4 fresh mint leaves, plus a couple of sprigs for garnish

1 cup ginger ale

2 lime wedges, cut into halves (4 pieces total)

Crushed ice

Sparkling water

Instructions

In each glass, distribute the watermelon, mint leaves, and lime wedges evenly and muddle the ingredients with the end of a wooden spoon or cocktail muddler. 

Use a little elbow grease to puree the watermelon a bit and get the oils and flavor out of the mint and lime. 

Add a handful of crushed ice and evenly distribute the ginger ale.  

Top with sparkling water and stir lightly.

Garnish with some fresh mint and enjoy.

Rice Krispy Treats

Ingredients

3 tbsp butter

½ tsp vanilla extract

1 bag JET-PUFFED mini marshmallows

6 cups Kellogg’s® Rice Krispies® cereal

Instructions

In a large saucepan melt butter over low heat.

Add marshmallows and stir until melted completely.

Add cereal and stir until well coated.

Transfer into 13×9 pan lined with parchment paper and coated with non stick spray.

Softly spread and stretch the mixture into the pan with greased fingers or a greased.

Cover top with sprinkles.

Let cool.

Cut into 2” squares, serve and enjoy.

The post Easy Fourth of July Backyard Entertaining Ideas first appeared on Lindsey Boova.