A six-pack and a potato!

Of course with a name like McCann-Mulligan I can get away with a joke like that! With that said, here’s a creative twist on two Irish staples – beer and potatoes:

Beer Mug O’ Blooms

This fun floral arrangement makes a great decoration and is a perfect gift to send to anyone on St. Patrick’s Day – after all everyone is Irish on March 17th!  The beer is actually acrylic crystal nuggets and the beer foam is white floral foam.

If you don’t have the time to make a Beer Mug O’Blooms at home, 1-800-FLOWERS.COM has a version of their own. Check it out here!

Irish Potato Appetizers

Salmon, another traditional Irish food, brings these potato appetizers up a notch.  They’re very easy to make, look pretty, and you don’t need two hands to enjoy them which means you can hold onto your beer!

Directions:

1. Coat small red potatoes with olive oil and sea salt.
2. Roast in oven until fork tender (about 45 min).
3. Remove from oven and let cool slightly.
4. Cut a small cross in the top of each potato and press sides to open.
5. Put a dollop of sour cream in each potato.
6. Top with a slice of smoked salmon.
7. Garnish fresh a fresh herb such as rosemary.

Where’s the (Corned) Beef?

Probably the most popular meal to serve on St. Patrick’s Day is corned beef and cabbage. Think outside the box (or pot in this case).  Leave out the corned beef and create a unique centerpiece with the cabbage, potatoes, and fresh cut Bells of Ireland.  To create the “cabbage” vase simply remove a few outer leaves from a head of cabbage and place around a short beverage glass.

This Spud’s for You!

OK, one final creative use of a potato!  Scope out the center of a large baking potato and fill with 2-3 stems of green spider mums.  Insert a nametag and place on each guest’s dinner plate.

Remember what I always say, – “Just have fun with it” – and you can’t go wrong!

Erin Go Bragh!

Tea & Scones
March 17th is a grand day and what better way to start the day than with a cup of tea and a plate of hot homemade scones.  In this case, the tea is a bouquet of fresh “green tea” roses.  However, the scones are piping hot and ready to eat.

Here’s a traditional raisin scone recipe that you might want to try.  Let me know how they turn out!

Traditional Irish Raisin Scone Recipe

Ingredients:
1 lb. flour
¼ pint of buttermilk
1-cup raisins
1 teaspoon of baking soda
1 teaspoon of baking powder
2 tablespoons of sugar
2 oz of Irish butter

Directions:
Sift the flour, baking soda and powder into a bowl. Rub in butter. Add in the sugar and raisins. Stir with a wooden spoon. Make a well in the mix and work in the buttermilk. Turn on to a floured board and knead briefly. With a wooden rolling pin, roll out the mixture till it is one inch thick. Use a cookie cutter, or an upside-down plastic tumbler, to cut out the scones from the dough. Glaze with a beaten egg. Bake in a hot oven (425°F) for 15 minutes.

Tricolour – The National Flag of Ireland
I’m embarrassed to admit that I never knew the meaning and lasting relevance of the Irish flag.  I’ve held it high on many occasions without even knowing what the three colors represented.  In case there are any others of you like me, let me take this opportunity to share my newfound knowledge, as well as, my floral tribute to this piece of Irish hope and pride.

The three equal stripes illustrate the Irish political landscape, as accurately today as in 1848, the year the flag was first unfurled.

• Orange — standing for Irish Protestants
• Green — signifying Irish Catholics and the republican cause
• White — representing the hope for peace between them

The Wearin’ of the Green!
Green ribbons and shamrocks were worn in celebration of St. Patrick’s Day as early as the 17th century.  Keep the tradition alive by having green carnations available for your guests to pin on when they arrive at your St. Patrick’s Day celebration.  Fill an interesting and appropriately themed container, such as the old Bailey’s tin that I used here, with green carnations that are cut short and ready to be adorned with a ribbon or pinned on a lapel. The carnations I’ve used are a natural green variety called Prado.  It is one of my favorite flowers, because of its beautiful pale green color and its availability year round.

If you really want to impress your special Irish lad or lass, look into their eyes as you pin on their carnation and say "Tá tú go h-álainn" (You’re beautiful).

When Irish Eyes Are Smiling!
Your guest’s eyes will surely smile when you serve them a pretty green cocktail in one of these beautiful Waterford goblets available by the pair at 1-800-FLOWERS.COM.  This cocktail is called Irish Eyes and is similar to the vodka based White Russian.  Crème de menthe adds just a hint of mint and gives the finished drink its light green color.  A few of these and you’ll all be singing “When Irish Eyes Are Smiling” and no one will care what key it is in!

Here’s a special deal! Use promotion code: IRISHEYES to receive 30% off these beautiful goblets.
*This offer expires on April 30, 2010.

IRISH EYES COCKTAIL RECIPE
Ingredients:

• 1 oz Irish Whisky
• ¼ oz crème de menthe
• 2 oz cream

Preparation:

1. Pour the ingredients into a cocktail shaker with ice.
2. Shake well.
3. Pour into glass

Recently, I was told that this Friday, March 5^th, the Jewish holiday of Shabbat will be celebrated across America and Canada.

Like any good holiday, Shabbat is generally celebrated with a meal shared with family and friends. Reconnecting with friends and within oneself fulfills the commandment to Remember Shabbat. 1-800-FLOWERS.COM has partnered with Jewish Treats to make this Shabbat Across America extra special. So, this made me do a little research to find out just how flowers play a role in the holiday.

With the help of Jewish Treats, I learned some basic facts when it comes to bringing flowers for a Shabbat celebration.

Bouquets of flowers are certainly thoughtful, but putting those flowers into water during Shabbat can be a problem, as this falls into the m’la’cha (creative work prohibited on Shabbat). As you know, cut flowers will not continue to grow, but they will last longer in water and possibly blossom.

If you intend to bring flowers for your Shabbat hosts, it is very important that they are brought into the home before Shabbat. A flower arrangement may be placed on the table as a centerpiece and even moved about the house, as long as they remain in the same vase of water (and are not placed in a specific location where they might blossom better).

The fact that flowers can be moved distinguishes them from potted plants. A potted plant is already planted and growing. And remember, just as one may not put cut flowers into water on Shabbat, one may not water a potted plant– but what could be the problem with moving it? The answer is sunlight. When a person moves a potted plant on Shabbat, they directly affect the amount of light the plant receives, and, therefore, its ability to grow.

Wow! I can tell you I learned a lot about what to do (or not do) when it comes to flowers during Shabbat. This is very helpful whether you are celebrating the holiday or helping make this holiday special for others.

In honor of this Friday night’s Shabbat Across America and Canada event, 1-800-FLOWERS.COM is offering a 15% discount.

Use Promotion Code: SHABBAT
*Cannot be used on promotion code restricted items

Don’t forget to schedule your arrangement to be delivered Friday afternoon (before Shabbat) to wish someone a special Shabbat Shalom.

For more information, visit Jewish Treats and follow them on twitter @JewishTweets for a chance to win one of eight $40.00 gift cards to 1-800-FLOWERS.COM.

At this point the new mom’s nesting instinct is in over-drive so why not make “nesting” the theme for her baby shower. I did just that recently for my niece’s shower, but also included pears, as they were a theme from her wedding, which my sister creatively incorporated into the baby shower invitations. And as luck would have it, I found these fabulous pear shaped glass votive candle-holders on clearance at one of my favorite home good stores.  Instead of a candle, I filled the pear with a fresh cut rose “nesting” within a green hydrangea.

Décor

There are many nest themed home décor and entertaining pieces in the market right now.  Think outside the box and incorporate flowers in containers that might originally be intended for other purposes such as this iron and twig dip dish.  I think the addition of the faux egg really plays into the baby shower and nesting theme.

Favors

My niece and her husband gave each guest at their wedding a fresh orchid nestled in a ceramic pear vase by ceramist Barbara Eigen with a tag that said “Julie Anne and Tom – The Perfect Pear”.  For her shower, each guest received a miniature pear nestled in a tiny nest with a card that said, “The Perfect Pair is Nesting”!

The Chinese New Year begins on the first day of the New Moon. This year, the year of the tiger, the Chinese New Year falls on February 14^th – Valentine’s Day! So even if you’re not in a “love relationship” you’ll have a reason to celebrate and host a party that weekend. There are some traditional Chinese customs, foods, and colors that can inspire you and point you in the right direction. Don’t be afraid to have some fun with it and use your imagination. Here are a few ideas to get you started:

Decorations

The Chinese are fascinated by the color red, not only because of its intoxicating vibrancy, but also because of its rich meaning in Chinese culture and history. According to Chinese customs, red is the color of the soul of the nation. The color red signifies reunion, health, happiness, harmony, peace and prosperity. So guess what color palette I would suggest for your Chinese New Year’s celebration? That’s right – red!!

Flowers are an important part of the Chinese culture and New Year’s is the busiest day in the Chinese flower market. Flowers are said to bring good luck and are given when visiting family for the traditional New Year’s Eve feast. Pick up decorative take-out containers from a party supply store and fill them with flowers in shades of red, gold, and orange – both in honor of the New Year and the tiger. These sweet petite arrangements can also be given as gifts to your guests when the party is over.

Food

Lettuce wraps are a fun, easy, traditional Chinese food. They are served at New Year’s, because the Cantonese word for lettuce sounds like rising fortune, and the wraps are filled with other lucky food such as noodles and peanuts.

Gifts

Hongbao, small red envelopes stuffed with money, are often given to unmarried children. You can find these envelopes at party supply stores.

Do you know someone who loves the Twilight series of books and movies? Seriously who doesn’t?  Why not surprise them this Valentine’s Day with a beautiful bouquet inspired by one of Stephanie Meyer’s darkly romantic novels.

Twilight

This is the book that introduced us to Edward and Bella. According to the author, the apple on the cover represents “forbidden fruit”.  The characters and the book cover inspired the vignette below.  Believe it or not the vessel that holds the bouquet of Black Magic roses is a very inexpensive hologram cup that I picked up at party supply store.  As soon as I dropped in the rose bouquet the cup became almost magically transformed.  It was almost as if Bella and Edward became alive!!

New Moon

According to Stephanie Meyer, she was not involved in the cover of New Moon so does not know exactly why the ruffled tulip was chosen.  The best explanation that I could find is that tulips symbolize love and the ruffled tulip in particular symbolizes perfect love. There’s a Turkish legend, which says that there was a prince who fell in love with a maid, and when he discovers that she had been killed, he is grief ridden and he rides his horse off a cliff. For every droplet of blood that was spilled, a red tulip appeared from the surface of the sea. This links to Bella, she does jump off a cliff, for different reasons, but all linked to the same idea of not being able to live without your love.

This bouquet of ruffled tulips has even more significance when arranged in a black teardrop vase, symbolizing all of the tears that have been shed because of love.

Tulips are one of my favorite flowers and a lovely way to let someone know just how special they are to you.  Unfortunately, they are not available year round, but luckily they are just coming into their growing season and ready to help you show your love this Valentine’s Day.  See the selection available now at 1-800-FLOWERS.COM.

Flowers have a magical way of saying what words sometimes cannot. The words that accompany the flowers can have a power all their own. Those words can be heart wrenching or funny, a simple “I love you” or something a bit more complex such as those the great Irish writer and poet James Joyce wrote to his wife:

“You are my only love. You have me completely in your power. I know and feel that if I am to write anything fine and noble in the future I shall do so only by listening at the doors of your heart. I would like to go through life side by side with you, telling you more and more until we grew to be one being together until the hour should come for us to die”.

Unfortunately, we were not all born with the ability to so eloquently put our feelings into words. However, there is help out there! Do you remember the wonderfully romantic book of love letters that Carrie Bradshaw read to Big in the movie Sex and the City? At the time this book did not actually exist. However, there was such a demand for it after the release of the movie that St. Martin’s Press quickly published a version called Love Letters of Great Men.

If you are looking for a fun way to translate your love note into a different voice, visit the Hand Me A Line Facebook application from 1-800-FLOWERS.COM. You can always use help turning your typical Valentine’s Day message into a work of art.

Sometimes you can just have fun with a line! Here are some ways to let your Valentine know you love them and give them a good laugh at the same time.

I Love You A Bushel And A Peck

This is one that I made for my husband to give to our youngest daughter. When she was a baby he always told her “I love you a bushel and a peck to pieces so much! Pals are pals and pals stick together!” He combined a few famous sayings and made up one that is all their own. They still say it to each other 22 years later!

Orange You Glad We’re Friends

Valentine’s Day is about all kinds of love, including the love that you have for a friend. This is a fun way to let someone know how much their friendship means to you.

Your Two Lips Are The Only Lips For Me

This play on words along with the stunning purple and red tulips makes this gift both beautiful and funny – just like your Valentine!

You Really Know How To Sake It To Me

This year the Chinese New Year – the year of the tiger – falls on February 14th. Celebrate both with a few stems of fresh orchids displayed in a sake vase and add a votive candle to the sake cup. Anyone old enough to remember the ground breaking TV show Laugh In would get a kick out of this play on words! “Sock it to me, sock it to me, sock it to me…”

I Love You “Sew” Much

A sweet rose bouquet nestled inside of a vintage sewing basket would be a beautiful way to show any Mom she’s loved on Valentine’s Day, and everyday.

Valentine’s Day is all about love and expressing your feelings, so I prefer to keep the event itself low key and comfortable. At the same time the mood should be sensual, encouraging contact and communication. There are a few key elements that definitely help you to create this vibe: flowers, candles, and food that can be eaten (and fed to each other) with your fingers!

Food and Flowers

The simple act of sharing food has long signified trust and bonding. There are however, certain foods that are know to be natural aphrodisiacs for various reasons. Fruits are said to entice passion with their sweetness and succulence. Oysters have been linked with love and sexuality for thousands of years. “Aphrodisiac” was born from Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love, who was said to have been born from the sea, causing many types of seafood to have reputations as aphrodisiacs. According to the website Alternet.org, the top ten aphrodisiac foods are: honey, oysters, garlic, figs, chocolate, basil, bananas, avocado, almonds, and asparagus.

The presentation of the food itself can be the strongest aphrodisiac. Here are a few ideas to help you set the mood this Valentine’s Day.

Oysters on the Half Shell
How’s this for a sexy way to serve oysters?! Simply fill a tray with crushed ice and line the sides with red roses – the flower of love and passion. Cut the stems very short and place them right into the crushed ice and lay the oysters over the “bed” of ice. Certainly a good way to get the party started!

Chocolate Strawberries and Champagne
Enjoy strawberries dipped in rich dark chocolate with a light bubbly glass of champagne – this is a sweet and sensual way to end the night.

Candles

Can you really have too many candles when setting the mood for love? An easy and inexpensive way to add a Valentine touch to a simple clear glass votive is to wrap it with ribbon, decorative trim, or real rose petals. What’s nice about doing this is that you can have a dozen or so plain votive holders that you change out according to the occasion or event.

A Super Bowl party is not the time to fuss too much with decorations – food, drinks, and of course the game will take precedent for this occasion. However it’s still a theme party and what’s a theme party without themed decorations! Just keep it simple and make it fun. I decided that in honor of the sport I would use only white “football” mums. White flowers will work with all color schemes, whether you decide to go with the official navy blue and bittersweet orange colors of Super Bowl XLIV or your favorite team colors. Game Day Parties (www.gamedayparties.com) has a great selection of Super Bowl XLIV paper goods, as well as, solid blue and orange so you can mix and match.

DECORATIONS

Bloomin’ Football Koozie

These fun little arrangements are so inexpensive and you can put them all around the house, on the buffet, even in the bathroom. The container is an actual can or bottle koozie that I found. I lined the koozie with the bottom half of a disposable water bottle. You can even give one to each guest at the end of the party as a parting gift!

Beer Mug Arrangement

Can you believe that this mug of beer is actually an innovative fresh flower arrangement? You can find this Beer Mug of Blooms at 1-800-FLOWERS.COM. It would be a great, unexpected gift to send to a friend that you are unable to be with on Super Bowl Sunday. Let them know that you are together in spirit!

Did you notice the arrangement in the background using the referee bottle koozie? Fun, simple, inexpensive, and easy – that’s the way I like it!

Super Bowl XLIV Centerpieces

I love the graphics and the colors for this year’s Super Bowl. To create these themed vases, I scanned the image on the napkins that I ordered from Game Day Parties and sized the image accordingly for the glass cubes. For the smaller version with the single football mum, I used double-sided tape and attached the image to the four sides of the cube. With the larger version I had a smaller cube inside the larger one and placed the super bowl image on each side between the two vases.

FOOD

I am trying not to think too much about all of the Super Bowl type food right now. I am trying to eat healthy and in moderation (of course I am – it is still January), but I still love all of the chili cheese dogs, hot wings, nacho type of food that is standard Super Bowl style grub. What I plan to do is make a few of my favorite dishes healthier. For example a quick, easy, and delish dip is:

Chili Cheese Dip

Ingredients:
1 – package of cream cheese softened

1 – can chili
1 – 8 oz. cheddar cheese

Directions:
Spread the cream cheese around the bottom of a baking dish
Top with the chili.
Cover with shredded cheddar cheese.
Microwave for 2 minutes or until cheese is melted
Serve with tortilla chips.

This year I am going to use fat free cream cheese and cheddar cheese, salsa in place of the chili, and baked pita or tortilla chips. There are so many sources for making your traditional Super Bowl food healthier. Websites like Weight Watchers and Hungry Girl, as well as, new books from Bethenny Frankel and Rocco Dispirito are a few to check out.

Football Cake

For a dessert that is as much fun to look at as it is to eat, make a football cake using a football cake pan. To display the cake, I used a Clementine crate. The ends of the crate reminded me of goal posts. I reshaped the scanned image of the Super Bowl XLIV napkins and scaled it to fit the sides of the crate. You can fill the crate with wheat grass or green paper shreds to mimic the football field. And if you wanted to continue with the lower calorie versions of your favorite recipes, you can try a diet soda cake recipe. I’ve never actually tried it myself, but I have heard that it is quite good!

Additional Super Bowl Party Tips:

• Play CD’s from The Who to get everyone psyched up for the group’s performance during the half time show.
• Order yourself something football themed, yet feminine to wear to the party. The NFL Shop has a nice selection of clothing, including a few hot items from Touch by Alyssa Milano. You could encourage your friends to order something for themselves and put on your own half-time fashion show!

I’m still thinking about this whole feeling good and being happy thing. Of course, I immediately think of the power that flowers have on one’s well-being and state of mind, but there are so many little ways and things we can do each day to make a difference. Have you heard of The Happiness Project? It’s a book by best selling writer, Gretchen Rubin, that is an account of the year she spent test-driving studies and theories about how to be happier. She also has a website and a blog where she shares insights to help you create your own happiness project. I highly recommend checking it out. At the very least, take one minute to watch this utterly charming, sweet, and heart-warming video that Gretchen made based on one of the Four Splendid Truths that she identified – “The days are long, but the years are short.” To view the view click here.

One of my goals this year is to work on my own personal happiness project. From time to time, I will share with you some of the things that I have found or learned that might be of interest to you too. It might just be a quote or a beautiful image. Please feel free to pass these along and share your thoughts with me. As Chris McCandless (on whose journey the book “Into the Wild” by Jon Krakauer was based) wrote at the end of his Alaskan journal in big block letters: “HAPPINESS ISN’T REAL UNLESS IT IS SHARED.”