Archives for August 2013

As August comes to an end, Bottle Your Brand is prepping for a festive Labor Day celebration in honor of the many hardworking people across the nation. Labor Day is Monday, September 2nd! Will you be hosting a party and participating in the festivities?

We’ve done some brainstorming to collect recipes of our favorite refreshing drink, dishes, and desserts. We’ve even gathered ideas on how to decorate your home especially for Labor Day.

Fresh squeezed Lemonade is a classic summer favorite, so it’s our drink of choice for this Labor day holiday.  Make it a little fancier with the the flavor of thyme (and some gin) before enjoying this beautiful drink…

Sources | TopDreamer.com, Martha Stewart

(8 servings)

INGREDIENTS

• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 bunch fresh thyme, plus sprigs, for garnish (optional)
• 2 cups fresh lemon juice (from about 10 lemons)
• 1 cup gin (optional)

DIRECTIONS

1. In a medium saucepan, bring sugar, thyme, and 1 cup water to a boil; stir until sugar is dissolved, about 2 minutes. Stir in lemon juice, gin (if using), and 6 cups cold water; strain into a large pitcher. Refrigerate until cold, at least 1 hour (and up to 1 week). Serve over ice, garnished with thyme sprigs, if desired.

 

 

Source | Martha Stewart

For a delectable appetizer your guests will love, broil tomatoes and stuff them with fresh oregano and fresh goat cheese.

(6 servings)

INGREDIENTS

• 2 pounds large cherry tomatoes (about 24)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 ounces fresh goat cheese
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh marjoram or oregano
• Coarse salt and ground pepper

COOK’S NOTE

To store, cover and refrigerate, up to 1 day; bring to room temperature before serving.

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat broiler. Place tomatoes, stem side up, on a rimmed baking sheet and brush with oil. Broil just until skins blister, 1 minute. In a small bowl, lightly mash goat cheese and stir in marjoram. Season with salt and pepper. With a paring knife, cut a small opening in the top of each tomato; stuff with 1 teaspoon goat-cheese mixture.

 

 

Source | Martha Stewart

Try this delicious Macaroni Salad from the famous, Emeril Lagasse.

PREP: 30 mins
TOTAL TIME: 35 mins
SERVINGS: 6

INGREDIENTS

• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 1 pound elbow macaroni
• 2 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto, cut into strips
• 1 small shallot, minced
• 1/4 cup red-wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 medium tomato, chopped
• 1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese (2 ounces)
• 1/4 cup pitted Cerignola olives (or your favorite olives), sliced
• 2 tablespoons capers
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

COOK’S NOTE

To store, refrigerate up to 1 day.

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook macaroni until al dente. In a small skillet, cook prosciutto over medium until crisp; discard fat.
2. Combine shallot, vinegar, and mustard in a large bowl; whisk in oil in a slow, steady stream. Add tomato, cheese, prosciutto, olives, and capers.
3. Drain pasta; add to bowl with tomato mixture, and toss. Add parsley; season with salt and pepper. Cool to room temperature, and serve.

 

 

Source | Martha Stewart

And, for the main course, baby back ribs that fall off the bone.

PREP: 15 mins
TOTAL TIME: 3 hours
SERVINGS: 6

INGREDIENTS

• 2 racks baby back pork ribs (about 2 1/2 pounds total)
• 1/2 cup packed dark-brown sugar
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 1/4 cup Cajun seasoning
• 3 tablespoons smoked or sweet paprika
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground mustard
• Chipotle Sauce (see Cook’s Notes)

COOK’S NOTE

Chipotle Sauce
Stir together 1 cup chili sauce, 1/4 cup chopped chipotle chiles in adobo, and 2 tablespoons honey.

DIRECTIONS

1. Prep the ribs: Depending on how the butcher has trimmed the ribs, there may be a tough, rubbery membrane on the underside. If so, score meat between bones (being careful not to cut the meat) and pull membrane away.
2. To cook on the grill, set up grill for indirect cooking: arrange heat source (charcoal or gas) on one side of grill and heat to medium-high.
3. Combine brown sugar, 1/3 cup salt, 1 teaspoon ground pepper, Cajun seasoning, paprika, cayenne, and ground mustard. Reserve half the rub for later use (store in an airtight container, up to a month). Working with 1 rack at a time, lay a large piece of parchment-lined foil on a work surface, place rack on parchment, and liberally coat both sides with rub.
4. Place rib packets on cooler side of grill, standing them upright on long sides. Cover grill and cook until a knife can pierce meat with no resistance, about 2 1/2 hours (if using a charcoal grill, add a couple handfuls of coals every half hour to maintain 300 degrees).
5. Fold foil and parchment around ribs, crimping the edges together to form a packet.
6. Remove ribs from grill, unwrap, and brush with Chipotle Sauce. If using a charcoal grill, lift grate to carefully spread out hot coals. On a gas grill, place ribs directly over heat source. Grill until sauce is bubbling and ribs are lightly charred, 2 minutes per side, brushing with more sauce if desired.
7. To cook in the oven, preheat oven to 300 degrees. Place rib packets on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until a knife can pierce meat with no resistance, 2 to 2 1/2 hours.
8. Remove ribs from oven. Heat broiler. Unwrap ribs, place on sheet, and brush with Chipotle Sauce.
9. Broil until sauce is bubbling and ribs are lightly charred, about 5 minutes, brushing with more sauce if desired.

 

 

Source | Martha Stewart

For dessert, these Honeydew-and-Cream ice Pops with Pistachios will freshen and sweeten your tongue at the same time.

We suggest preparing these a day in advance to cut down on preparation time the day of the party.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 honeydew melon (3 pounds), halved, seeded, and cut into 1-inch chunks
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/2 cup (1 ounce) roasted, salted pistachios, coarsely chopped

DIRECTIONS

1. Working in batches, puree honeydew in a blender until smooth. You will have about 4 cups puree. Stir together cream and honey in a medium bowl. Stir in honeydew puree.
2. Sprinkle about 1 teaspoon pistachios into each of 16 ice-pop molds. Pour honeydew-cream mixture into molds. Freeze until slushy, about 2 hours. Insert an ice-pop stick into each. Return to freezer until completely frozen, about 6 hours more or up to overnight.

Or consider having your party desserts catered by King of Pops (Southeast Region) — an all natural popsicle company — or a similar ice cream vendor in your area.

 

Now that we’ve got the menu in place, let’s talk decor for your holiday party.

There are a lot of different ways to decorate your home or celebration party for Labor Day, but if you stick to Red, White, and Blue you’ll surely please your guests.  See our inspirational suggestions below, to celebrate Labor Day in a patriotic spirit!

Source | TopDreamer.com

Happy planning! Let us know if you have any questions…

Next, we’ll talk invitations.