As Spring blooms, we find ourselves outside much more for dining and evening cocktails.  The next time you are out for drinks with friends, check out the cocktail menu.  One of my favorite cocktails to enjoy this Spring is an old classic, a French 75.

Champagne, makes most cocktails ideal for a late spring brunch or perfect to stroll the back patio with on cool evenings. Like the Sidecar, the French 75 has World War One connections, probably being named after a WWI artillery gun. Returning French pilots, familiar with the guns deadly potency, demanded a drink equally disarming and were given one. You can substitute Gin for the Brandy.

½ oz Lemon Juice

1 oz Brandy or Gin

½ oz Cointreau

Champagne

Add lemon juice, Brandy or Gin, Cointreau to a shaker or pitcher with a bit of ice, stir or shake till cold. Strain contents into a champagne flute and top with champagne and a lemon twist.

Cheers!

One of my favorite design elements for an event is the “Lounge”.  Creating a lounge environment or lounge seating area allows guests the opportunity to sit, relax, chat, enjoy a cocktail and take in the ambiance whether the event is inside or out.

Creating a lounge space can be done many ways, from the simple DIY to the elaborate and over the top.  If you are hosting an event at your home in your backyard and are a DIY’er…cover an old mattress (full or larger) with an amazing fabric, place throws and coordinating pillows in the center of the mattress, position like chairs opposite each of the four edges of the mattress with a small table and viola…instant lounge.

If you are throwing a big fancy soiree and want a more elaborate design, an event pro can design a look using drapery, daybeds, sofas, ottomans, cool chairs, coffee tables, end-tables and finish it off by adding table lamps, pillows, floral arrangements, serving trays and candles.  The possibilities, configurations and décor styles are endless.

One of my fondest childhood memories was going to the local department store with friends and putting a few coins in the photobooth.  We would sit there, pose, make faces, wait a minute for the filmstrip to develop and laugh. There was and still is an instant gratification when the photostrip drops down to be grabbed and shared with friends.

Whenever possible at events, I like to suggest a photobooth…weddings, bar or bat mitzvahs, corporate events, wrap parties, etc…a photobooth is always a huge hit with guests.  One of my favorite photobooth vendors is Photoworks Interactive.  They offer amazing retro styled booths with today’s technology, combined with background and strip customization, props and even corporate logo booth wraps.

If you live in California, Arizona, Nevada, Texas or Utah chances are you have tasted the deliciousness of In-N-Out Burger.  If you haven’t and you like burgers, get in your car and go to one immediately or least in the next few weeks.  Founded in 1948 as California’s first drive-thru hamburger stand, their philosophy is simple… “Give customers the freshest, highest quality foods you can buy and provide them with friendly service in a sparkling clean environment.”  The same philosophy holds true for their “On-the-Go” Burger truck.  In-N-Out’s food truck and trailers are a great option to cater your next company picnic, party or special event and your guests will genuinely get excited when they see this truck.

If you like small tasty treats that combine cake and chocolate…you must try Lollibakes!  Lollibake are the creation of Diana Sproveri.  They take cupcakes to the next level of deliciousness.  These amazing bite sized cake treats are served on a lollipop stick, covered with chocolate and sprinkled with ‘flair’.

“I love making Lollibakes,” says Lollibakes dessert baker Diana Sproveri. “They’re like creating little works of art. I have so much fun coming up with new flavors and being creative.”

Since each item is hand made, prices and available flavors vary…Lollibakes can be found at select gourmet markets in Los Angeles and also ordered at www.dianasproveri.com.  Lollibakes make a great gift or serve them at your next soiree.

Who doesn’t love an ice pop on a hot day?  Here are a few suggestions for making fresh, unique, fun and delicious frozen snacks all of your guests will enjoy.

Honeydew Cucumber Margarita Popsicle

Makes five 2-and-1/4-oz. popsicles

1 cup honeydew juice (approximately a whole melon weighing 1lb)
1/3 cup cucumber juice (approximately half a cucumber weighing 5oz.)
½ cup tequila (or omit)
1 tablespoon triple sec
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon mint simple syrup
3 large mint sprigs

Instructions:  Place the honeydew and cucumber in a food processor or a blender and process until everything is pureed. Add tequila, triple sec, lime juice and mint syrup and process for another 20-30 seconds to blend well. Pour mixture into popsicles molds or similar sized glasses.  Freeze for about 2 hours or until mixture starts to solidify enough to hold a popsicle stick upright. Insert popsicle sticks and finish freezing popsicles overnight. To release popsicles run hot water on the outside of popsicle molds for a 2-3 seconds.

Watermelon Mojito Popsicles

Makes 12 2.5 oz Popsicles

8oz. watermelon juice (2 ½ cups chopped watermelon)
2 oz fresh lime juice
1 oz. simple mint syrup (recipe follows)
8 oz. light rum (or omit)
14 oz. club soda

Instructions:  Place chopped watermelon in a food processor or blender and process until watermelon is juiced (will be slightly pulpy).  Combine watermelon juice, lime juice, mint syrup and rum in a shaker and shake well. Fill popsicle molds or similar sized glasses, 3/4 of the way up with mixture. Fill remaining popsicle mold with club soda and stir to combine.  Freeze for about 2 hours or until mixture starts to solidify enough to hold a popsicle stick upright. Insert popsicle sticks and finish freezing popsicles overnight. To release popsicles run hot water on the outside of popsicle molds for a 2-3 seconds.

Mint Syrup (for both of the above recipes)
(You will have more syrup than you need. Save for other cocktail uses)
1/2 cup water
1/2 cups sugar
1 cup mint leaves, loosely packed

Instructions:  Place sugar and water in a pot over heat until sugar dissolves. Allow mixture to cool to room temperature and place mint leaves in mixture and muddle. Allow mint leaves to steep for 20 minutes. Strain and discard leaves. (Depending on the fine-ness of the sieve tiny pieces may remain).

Or for an even simpler recipe, try an Arnold Palmer Pop.  Iced tea, lemonade, little soda water and freeze with a stick.

Summer is here and so is the heat, well at least this week and that means outdoor dinners, happy hours and fun with friends.

Here are my Top 5 Spots to enjoy the summer sun or a warm outdoor evening…

Polo Lounge at The Beverly Hills Hotel If you are feeling fancy, this is the place.  Great food, overpriced drinks, incredibly accommodating staff and a beautiful inviting patio.  Truly one of a kind in LA.

The Eveleigh Pronounced “everleigh”, a well hidden Sunset Blvd retreat.  Playing cool music, great food and a fun specialty drink menu, this place is a great option for early evening drinks, dinner, or weekend brunches.

The Wilshire A favorite among Westsiders.  The expansive split-level courtyard is consistently considered as one of the top 10 outdoor dining spots in America.  Large trees, outdoor fireplaces, water features…romantic, cool and all around great spot.

Geoffrey’s Malibu If you don’t mind the drive up the coast, this place is a gem.  Located on PCH overlooking the ocean, what more could you ask for?  Beach sophistication for drinks, dinner or weekend brunch.

Chateau Marmont Definitely one of the prettiest garden patios in LA.  A longstanding top destination for outdoor dining & drinking, day or night.  This place makes you feel completely removed from the city stresses, just north of the Sunset strip.

Bon Appetit & Cheers!

On a recent trip to San Fran I was recommended to try out this cool (no pun intended) ice cream shop called Smitten Ice Cream.  This place is soooo “cool”!

Robyn Sue Goldman hit the streets of San Francisco in 2008 with a Radio Flyer wagon, a liquid nitrogen infusing machine named “Kelvin” and a passion for ice cream.

Now located in a custom built recycled shipping container in Hayes Valley, Smitten Ice Cream’s philosophy is to make every scoop from scratch, from raw ingredients to ice cream in about a minute.

And how do they do this?  A mixer that uses liquid nitrogen.  “Why liquid nitrogen? Because it is super cold (-320 degrees F or 76 degrees Kelvin), and a lower ice cream-freezing temperature, results in smaller ice crystals…. And smaller ice crystals mean a creamier texture for the finished ice cream. Our mixer was specially designed to make the smallest ice crystals possible, which results in a mouthwateringly smooth and delicious ice cream for you!”

No preservative, no additives, no nothing…just the freshest, simple, natural, local seasonal ingredients.

If you love ice cream…“Prepare to be Smitten”

Like many of us, I like to surf the web and personally enjoy checking out furniture & design websites for event inspiration.

Recently while killing time on the ipad, I  found DuffyLondon…A unique London based, hence the name, manufacturer and designer of furniture, lighting, mirrors, wall coverings, etc…aka…really cool stuff!

One of my favorite items on the website is the “Swing Table”.  Basically its a four post table that uses its frame structure to suspend an overhead dining lamp and eight hanging chairs.

If I owned one, I’d have swinging dinner parties all the time…and yes, the pun was intended.

Bon Appetit.