Hand Knitted Wire and Bead Jewelry

I proudly present my new line of jewelry. This jewelry is hand knitted with wire and glass beads. Each piece is one-of-a-kind. What a great Holiday gift. Check it out at my Etsy store. Invitetheparty.etsy.com

It's All Greek to Me - Spanakopita Recipe

My father, George Manousos, came by boat, to this country from Andros, Greece in 1923. He was a 17 year old illegal immigrant who didn't speak of word of English. He joined the US Army during World War II to not only fight for his country, but become an American citizen. While he was stationed in England, he meet Anne Milne and they fell in love. She moved to America and they married in December 1946.

I grew up in a neighborhood of immigrants. We had Greeks, Italians, Scots, Norwegians and more. My Mom tried all their recipes. Here is one of my favorite Greek recipes that I grew up with.

Spanikopita (Spinach Pie)

3 (10 oz.) packages of frozen chopped spinach(I take the spinach out of the packages and put the spinach in a colander to defrost overnight. I then press the rest of the water out in the morning)
1/3 cup olive oil
1 cup chopped scallions
6 oz feta cheese, crumbled
1 cup cottage cheese
3 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1 teaspoon chopped dill
4 eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
8 oz. filo pastry
olive oil for assembling pie
1. Drain the moisture from the spinach.
2. Gently fry scallions in oil until soft and add oil and onions to spinach.
3. Stir in cheeses, herbs, eggs, nutmeg
4. Lightly oil a 13x9 pan.
5. Line dish with 10 sheets of filo pastry, brushing each sheet with oil.
6. Add spinach filling and spread evenly.
7. Place remainder of the filo on top, brushing each sheet with oil.
8. Trim excess filo pastry.
9. Brush top with oil and bake for about 45 minutes.
10. Remove from oven and let stand for 5 minutes before cutting into squares.

Serves: 6
Cooking Time: 45 minutes
Oven Temperature: 375 degrees
(This recipes also freezes well. Just put it together (don't bake it) and stick it in the freezer.)

I love to serve Spanakopita with a big Greek salad.

Hope you enjoy it as much a my friends, family and I do!

Hey That's My Luggage, Tag!

Who hasn't been to the airport and found 5 bags on the carousel just like ours? Well I decided that I would make myself a colorful luggage tag that you could see a mile away. It became such a big hit with my friends (and strangers at the airport) that I put them on my website. These are great for luggage, backpacks, diaper bags and more.

Indonesian Ginger Chicken

I'm always looking for easy but delicious recipes to make. I find the older I get the less I want to spend hours in the kitchen. I remember years ago cooking elaborate, time consuming recipes with joy. Now I get annoyed when I have to wait 20 minutes for the rice to cook. A friend of mine, who like me used to love to spend time in the kitchen, gave me this recipe. It is so delicious and easy that people will think you spent hours in the kitchen. And isn't that what really matters?

1 cup honey
3/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup minced garlic (8 to 12 cloves)
1/2 cup peeled and grated fresh ginger root
2 (3 1/2 pound) chickens, quartered or just pieces

Cook the honey, soy sauce, garlic, and ginger root in a small saucepan over low heat until the honey is melted. Arrange the chicken in 1 layer in a shallow baking pan, skin side down, and pour on the sauce. Cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil. Marinate overnight in the refrigerator.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Place the baking pan in the oven and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover the pan, turn the chicken skin side up, and raise the temperature to 375 degrees F. Continue baking for 30 minutes or until the juices run clear when you cut between a leg and thigh and the sauce is a rich, dark brown.

Serve with rice, a vegetable and salad and you're good to go.

Shameless Self Promotion of My Newest Note Card Creations

In the name of shameless self promotion, I present to you my newest designs for note cards at InvitetheParty.com.










My personalized note cards come in a cellophane bag with a matching ribbon. These are perfect for teachers gifts, birthday presents, wedding shower or baby shower gifts. Can't see what you want, just ask and I can create it for you.

Great Ideas for a Beach Wedding from BHG

I got my usual Better Homes and Garden email today and I just had to share some of their ideas about a DYI Beach Wedding. I wish I could take credit for them, but sadly I can't.

I just love the starfish boutonniere! All you need to do is glue a pinback to a starfish. What could be easier and more inexpensive.

Who wouldn't love the simplicity and elegance of a candle holder decorated with raffia and a starfish.

How cute is the ring in a shell instead of a pillow? Anyway, check out their ideas they are really great!

Hmm . . . . maybe I'll have to marry my husband again just so I can use some of these ideas? Perhaps for our 20th. That gives me 5 more years to butter him up.

Check out the ideas on BHG for yourself, you won't be disappointed.

The Greatest New York Cheesecake with Cherry Topping

I was looking for one of my tried and true dessert recipes for a party the other day. As I've stated previously, I am not a baker. My ADD brain just don't enjoy having to be so precise. What I have done over time is find a couple of great dessert recipes that keep people coming back for more. So here is one of the best. Please note that if you are looking for a diet dessert, quickly click out of this page. By just reading the ingredients, you will gain at least a pound.

Crust

2 cups graham cracker crumbs

6 Tablespoons butter

3 Tablespoons sugar

Cake

5 packages (8 oz. each) cream cheese at room temperature

1 2/3 cups sugar

3 tablespoons flour

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

5 eggs

2 egg yolks

1/2 cup sour cream

1 can (21 oz.) cherry pie filling or topping

CRUST: Position oven rack in lower-third of oven; preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter 9" springform pan. Combine graham cracker crumbs, butter and sugar; press into bottom and 2" up side of pan. Bake 10 minutes or until golden; remove from oven.

CAKE: Increase oven temperature to 500 degrees. At medium speed beat cream cheese until fluffy, about 4 minutes. At medium-low speed gradually beat in sugar. Beat in flour, vanilla and zest. At low speed beat in eggs and yolks, one at a time, until combined. Beat in sour cream. Pour batter into crust. Bake 8-10 minutes or until golden and edge is beginning to rise; reduce oven temperature to 200 degrees. Bake 1 hour. Turn off oven; leave cheesecake in oven without opening door (this is the hardest for me) for 20 minutes. Cool in pan on rack 30 minutes. Run small spatula around edge of cake to loosen. Refrigerate until completely cooled, at least 4 hours. Remove side from pan; transfer to serving plate. Top with pie filling.

Note: I don't know if this is really true, but I do it anyway. Someone told me to place a pan of water on a rack under the cheesecake rack while it's baking. It is supposed to keep the cheesecake from cracking to much because it adds moisture to the baking. Again, I really don't know if this is true, but that's what I do.

Makes 20 servings.

Your time in the kitchen: 30 minutes

Ready to serve in 6 hours

Not Your Grandmother's Candy Wrappers

Years ago I bought a candy wrapper program. I started using it and realized something, I hated their designs. They were all so boring with really cheap clip art. I wanted to offer a fresh and new design to candy wrappers. With my party planning experience, I found that invitations, candy wrappers and thank you notes should follow the same theme. It makes your party planning easier when you follow a theme. Luckily my customers have agreed with me. Even if you don't buy the matching invitations, there will be one that will suit your party needs. So check out some of the candy wrappers I’m talking about or check out my website at invitetheparty.com.

Outdoor Movie Party

My daughter just turned 13. She still wants a birthday party but it get harder as they get older. No one wants to do crafts or anything that might be perceived as embarrassing to another 13 year old. Just the fact that her parents are present at the party is risky to her reputation. So I decided it might be fun to have an Outdoor Movie Party. I really miss being able to go to the "Drive-in". There was nothing more fun than family and friends packing up the car and hanging out watching a movie. So that's just what I did.

First I borrowed a movie projector. You can also rent them. I used a sheet against our swing set to project the movie on.

I decided that the food should only be drive-in movie food. We grilled hot dogs and hamburgers and had chips and dip, nachos and lots of soda. The kids (21 of them) had a great time just hanging out and talking.

I did put out some things for them to do. I had a bean bag toss game, horseshoes and our trampoline. The trampoline, as always, is the most popular. I also set up a table with tattoos on them. These were tattoo designs for older kids so it was cool to use. I happened upon a sale at Michael's. It was a box of tattoos, body glitter and markers for $3.00. I went crazy and bought 2 boxes.

Once the movie started I brought out bowls of candy (Sam's Club) and popcorn in plastic popcorn containers (Dollar Store 2 for a $1.00). I had some beach chairs, comforters and blankets to sit on.

As far as favors, I had the kids take home their empty popcorn containers and I put loads of the candy in them. The kids where thrilled to get the plastic containers filled with candy.

I do have one tip for thank you cards. I always take a group picture at the party. I like to use that picture on my thank you cards. That way the kids get a second favor and a memory that they won't forget.

These movie parties are also great when you have a pool. There is nothing better than lounging in the pool watching a great movie.

I hope this helps.

New Twist to an Old Baby Birth Announcement

When I was looking for ways to expand my invitation design business, I discovered this great way to announce the arrival of your bundle of joy. If you are tired of the same old birth announcements, or favors then this is the way to go. Send out a baby announcement in the form of a baby driver’s license. Imagine what fun it would be to receive an announcement like this. I have a “baby license” for every U.S. State. I also make candy bar wrappers the same way. Why give out cigars when you can give these out? It’s a great favor for a baptism, christening, bris or naming ceremony. (this is available on my etsy store site www.invitetheparty.etsy.com)

A Fantasy Faux Beach Wedding on a Budget.

Have you always wanted a beach wedding? Dreamed of waves splashing the bottom of your wedding dress. Walking hand and hand with your new husband in the white sand. So what’s holding you back? You don’t have a beach near by? The cost would be too much? Well these problems shouldn't stop your dream wedding. Do you really want a beach wedding or just the feel of a beach wedding?

Do you want an elegant beach wedding, then price and place shouldn't stop you. Whether you are having your wedding at home, a firehouse, clubhouse or reception hall, you deserve your fantasy beach wedding.

Let’s start with the invitations. Let the invitation indicate what the theme is. Let it be known that they should dress as if it were an elegant beach wedding. Your dress should also do the same. No matter how elegant a beach wedding is, remember that they are always elegant on the casual side.

Why not have your guests greeted at the reception with leis. Nothing feels more "beachy" than that. Have a CD player playing the sounds of the ocean when your guests walk in.

Cocktail Hour: Your wedding drinks should also reflect that feel. Why not have daiquiris, margaritas, wine or sangria and beer. If you keep to that, you will keep your liquor budget down. Remember with these kinds of mixed drinks, you don’t use top shelf liquor. Have a sand box or two at cocktail hour so that everyone can feel the sand between their toes. The most economical way to do this is to buy a plastic kiddy pool at the end of the season. Fill it with sand and some shells. Not only will it bring a smile to everyone’s face, but it will get everyone in a beach mood. Have the DJ or band play tropical music during cocktail hour.

Food: What food do you think of when you think of the beach? Well fish of course but I also think of grilled chicken with a fresh fruity salsa or shish kabob. You can have someone barbecue for you. Have a beautiful salad (you can buy flowers to go into a salad that adds to the elegance) a vegetable that’s in season, and rice and you’ve got yourselves an elegant meal on a budget.

Tablescaping: The tables would look great with blue table clothes and white napkins. The center of the table could be as simple as a mound of sand in the middle with tea lights and shells. If you want flowers, how about a couple of tropical flowers stuck in the sand (use a test tube flower vase to keep them fresh).

Cake: Decorate a very plain wedding cake with chocolate sea shells and tropical flowers.

Favors: Have the favors reflect your invitation. You could do candy wrappers with the same theme as your invitation. When you are buying or making chocolate sea shells for the cake why not buy extra to give out as favors. Put a chocolate shell in a little box, wrap it in blue paper and glue a little shell on the top and you've got an elegant and inexpensive favor.

Don’t feel that because you live in the Midwest and don’t have an ocean or you live by an ocean but can’t afford it that you can’t have the feel of a beach wedding. Remember weddings are about fantasy. Live your fantasy!

Grandmom's Italian Easter Custard Pie

With Easter soon upon us I feel a need to give out my favorite Italian Easter Custard Pie recipe. I got this recipe from my husband's 95 year old Italian Grandmother. I learned as soon as I met my husband that all of the Italian women have their own special cake or pie they make at Easter. Some are delicious, and others, well let’s just say it makes you glad you’re not Italian. This recipe always stood out in the crowd. I went over for lunch one day just so she could dictate her recipe to me. This was a long and slow process since her English is not great and my Italian is non-existent. Trust me it was worth my time.

Grandmom’s Italian Easter Custard Pie

4 cups milk
½ cup rice
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 tablespoons Amaretto
1 tablespoon almond extract
6 eggs (beaten)
½ cup almond slices

Put milk in a pan and let it boil. When it starts to boil, put in the sugar, rice and vanilla. Let it boil (very low flame) for about 20 minutes. Put in a bowl and let it cool. Preheat oven at 300 degrees. Beat eggs. Mix together cooled rice mixture, eggs, Amaretto, almond extract and almonds. Grease a glass pie pan with butter and put in mixture. Put the pie in a 300 degree oven for 1 hour.

Enjoy!