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Stocking the Bar Cart: Celebrating New Years with all the “Fixings"| Tuesday’s Tip of the Day!

Photo by Papereskimo 

Photo by Papereskimo 

When it comes to a festive New Year’s, its important to stock the bar cart with an element of sophistication while not breaking the bank – or countless hours of sleep. Today I offer my top tips for a fully stocked, festive and show stopping bar cart primed for your guests every wish.

Sips:

  • To keep things simple, offer a signature cocktail that is pre-mixed and only in need of a shake, stir or few ice cubes to finish. By streamlining the bar cart – remember, less is more – you minimize clutter and spillage all while keeping your costs down. If you would like to take your bar cart to the next level, keep a supply of the basics like prosecco, whiskey, brandy, vodka, and even sparkling cider from which your guests can choose from. While on the subject of sips, consider offering a hot cider or mulled wine for those looking to take off the cold chill from their commute.

Add-Ons:

  • Don’t forget tonic water, club soda and freshly squeezed orange juice or grapefruit juice as well! Bitters, cherries, orange peels, simple syrup…consider your options and have fun with it. Heck, pomegranate seeds for your prosecco is another simple and festive way to take ordinary to extraordinary levels.

Glasses:

  • Depending on available drinks, have a collection for glasses available for guests to craft their drinks in. Prosecco? Champagne flutes. Old fashioned? Rocks glass. 

Ice:

  • Use the right cube for drink. Crushed ice simply won’t do with your scant of brandy – plus it melts faster – in your rocks glass. P.S. don’t forget that ice scoop and bucket!

Napkins:

  • Always have cocktail napkins on hand. One way to help adorn the bar cart, is by using festive holiday themed napkins which are both useful and practical.

Festive Accompaniments:

  • From festive colored straws, umbrellas, fancy bamboo pics skewered with olives or cherries, or really whatever may suit your fancy, have a collection of stirrers and straws to adorn even the simplest of sips.

Equipment:

  • Cocktail shakers, stir sticks, strainers, muddlers, lemon or lime juicers, peelers…don’t forget the details because each and everyone make the difference in your overall success! 

Decorations:

  • A small vase of flowers, Glassybaby’s, bowls of gold and silver M&M’ – don’t forget the spoon – and even outlining the bar cart with fresh garland, you immediately take your cart to a whole new level with minimal effort.  

Now that you have a fully stocked bar cart, prepare yourself for an incredible evening as you cheer to 2016 and toast to 2017!

For other terrific tips and hundreds of recipes, visit my website (thetabletogether.com). While there, consider “subscribing” and I will send a new tip or blog post directly to your inbox every Tuesday and Wednesday morning!

P.S. Make sure you check out my YouTube channel, The Table Together with Tiffany Lewis, for dozens of videos solely dedicated to bringing all of these fantastic tips and recipes to life!

Cheers to starting a new tradition around The Table Together!

Sincerely,

 

Tiffany Lewis

Founder and true believer in the power of bringing people around The Table Together!

 

Holiday Baking 101: How to Create a Parchment Overhang | Tuesday’s Tip of the Day!

Come that time of year where stockings are hung, trees are adorned with ornaments and carolers are singing songs of holiday cheer and yule tidings, it’s time to dust off our favorite hand-me-down recipes for Grandma’s fudge and peanut brittle. Today, I am going to show you a super simple way to make your holiday bars and candies that much more rewarding with minimal waste and cleanup.

Step one:

Using baking spray, like Pam Baking Spray, line the bottom and sides of your square or rectangular baking dish. Make sure you reach the corners as well! The baking spray will act as “glue” to hold your parchment in place.

 

 

110 T Holiday Baking 101 A How to Create a Parchment Overhang 01.jpg

Step two:

Using a pencil, trace the width of your baking dish while allowing a 2-inch portion hanging over the side. This is what you will hold on to when you neatly and gently lift the bars from the baking dish. Using scissors, trim the parchment paper making sure it fits perfectly width wise in the pan without any layover, bunching or creases on the side.  If there are creases on the side, the bars will take on that shape as the batter seeps between them using the crease as a mold during the baking process. 

110 T Holiday Baking 101 A How to Create a Parchment Overhang 02.jpg

Step three:

Repeat this step going the other way creating, also allowing a 2-inch overhang on either side. Now, both pieces of parchment paper should be overlapping on the bottom and reaching over on all sides.  If the parchment paper keeps rolling inside the pan, turn the parchment paper upside down as sometimes, depending on how the parchment paper was stored or rolled in the container, it naturally wants to keep rolling. In this case, I lay the parchment the opposite way it naturally wants to roll, think turning it inside out against the natural roll from the container it came in. 

Step four:

Add your batter and using an offset spatula, spoon or rubber spatula, smooth the top into an even layer. If the parchment paper keeps folding into the middle, hopefully you caught this under step three, make a crease at the overhang in the hopes the heavy crease will weigh down the sides helping to secure them where they belong.

Step five:

Bake or “set” according to recipe directions.

Step six:

If baking, allow the treats to “set” for 15 minutes before lifting. If you lift to early, and before the baked goods have had a chance to “set”,  they could break or crumble. When ready to lift, take hold of two opposing side’s handles and carefully lift. Transfer to a cutting board and allow to fully cool before cutting into desired size bars. 

For other terrific tips and hundreds of recipes, including numerous utilizing parchment overhang, like my Chocolate Pecan FudgePeanut Butterfinger Fudge, or even my Salted Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars,  visit my website (thetabletogether.com). While there, consider “subscribing” and I will send a new tip or blog post directly to your inbox every Tuesday and Wednesday morning! 

P.S. Make sure you check out my YouTube channel, The Table Together with Tiffany Lewis, for dozens of videos, including a tutorial on making the most delicious – and easiest – fudge ever, solely dedicated to bringing all of these fantastic tips and recipes to life! 

Cheers to starting a new tradition around The Table Together!

 

Sincerely, 

 

Tiffany Lewis

Founder and true believer in the power of bringing people around The Table Together!