Homemade Touches
Adding personal and homemade touches to your gatherings at home can create a warm and inviting atmosphere that enhances the overall experience for your friends and family. Homemade decorations, centerpieces, and and menu items can make your event memorable for your guests. These touches also help your guests feel connected, inspired, and at times, impressed.
For dessert you might consider a recipe that you learned from your mother or grandmother. This will allow you to either share something new with friends and family or provide an opportunity to reminisce togther. Consider making placecards with your kids for sitdown dinners. This is a sweet touch that will make your kids feel proud and helpful. Find ways to make your own decorations like centerpieces made with flowers from your garden or even simply arrangements that you create yourself that your guests can take home.
This year I decided to find some creative ways to use the herbs from my garden to create some unique elements that I will use at gatherings over the year ahead. Sharing how these turned out below - I hope you get inspired!!
Remember, incorporating personal and homemade elements into your gatherings at home not only adds a special and memorable touch, but also fosters a sense of community and connection among your guests. It shows that you've put thought and effort into creating a welcoming and meaningful experience for them. Have fun with it and you'll be glad you did.
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Rosemary or Mint Simple Syrup
1 Cup of Water
1 Cup of Sugar
1/4 Cup of Mint or Rosemary
Combine and bring to a boil - stir throughout
Remove from heat, cover, and let steep for 30 minutes
Use a small strainer and funnel to pour the syrup into a jar for storage - I got these cute swingtop bottles on Amazon - they are perfect and come with the labels
Use the finished product in cocktails or event give as favors to your guests. See below for a couple fun cocktail recipes to try!
Parmesan & Chive Butter
1 Stick of Butter (leave out for a few hours so it is soft enough to mix in the other ingredients)
1/4 Cup Finely Cut Chives
1/3 Cup Grated Parmesan
Stir together all of the ingredients
Use a mason jar (Amazon) or other container with a cover to store the butter in your fridge
Use the finished product to compliment rolls or even potatos at your gatherings. This can also be a great favor for your guests.
Olive Oil Herb Cubes
Bottle of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/2 Cup of Herbs (this can be a single herb type or a mixture
Fill an ice cube tray with the herbs, make sure to fill about 3/4 of each cube - I got this Ice Cube Tray set on Amazon and it was super easy to remove the frozen herbs
Pour the Olive Oil over the herbs and Freeze
Once frozen pop out the cubes and store in an airtight container or ziplock bag in the freezer
Use these cubes throughout the year for cooking - just toss 1-2 cubes in a hot pan and saute
Rosemary Simple Syrup Cocktail Recipes
Rosemary Greyhound
4 ounces freshley squeezed grapefruit juice
2 ounces vodka
1 ounce rosemary simple syrup
1 sprig fresh rosemary (garnish)
1 slive fresh grapefruit (garnish)
Rosemary Gin Fizz
2 ounces gin
1/2 ounce fresh lemon juice
1/2 ounce rosemary simple syrup
3 ounces club soda
1 lemon slice (garnish)
1 rosemary sprig (garnish
