Tuesday, December 15, 2009

5 Simple Stunning Tips for the Holiday Host


It's the most festive time of the year! Why not invite friends and family to celebrate the season with you? Here are a few tips to help you put together an easy, elegant holiday gathering. Cheers!
  1. Narrow drink choices to make planning the party easy and more economical
  2. Mark each guest's glass with a colorful mini-bow or use an assortment of glasses to avoid mix-ups
  3. For a simple stunning twist or your party soundtrack, combine traditional music with new holiday offerings from your favorite artists
  4. For decor, choose a fresh winter-inspired color palette for your party. Metallics and white are hot this year, so why not accent with bold reds or modern icy blues
  5. Clear away clutter and move chairs away from your dining table so that guests can access food and drinks easily

Friday, December 11, 2009

One on One with Steve Adubato!

Producer Whitney Pennington and I chatted after the interview

Yesterday I had so much fun taping
One on One with Steve Adubato. Steve is amazing! We chatted about
party planning, design, and celebrating more often.
Check back to find out when the segment will air.

Holiday dessert idea!

Hi Everyone!
Need a great dessert idea for your Holiday Party?
Try my Pear Apple Crisp recipe from
Pear Apple Crisp


Serves 6


3 apples, peeled, cored, and cut into 1-inch cubes

3 pears, peeled, cored, and cut nto 1-inch cubes

¾ cup brown sugar

¼ cup granulated sugar

2 tablespoons lemon juice

¼ cup quick-cooking oats

¼ cup all-purpose flour

Pinch salt

Pinch cinnamon

4 tablespoons chilled butter, cut into small pieces


Preheat the oven to 375°F. Toss the fruit with ½ cup
of the brown sugar, the granulated sugar, and lemon juice.
Mix the remaining ¼ cup brown sugar and all other dry
ingredients together. Add the butter, working it with your hands
only until the ingredients begin to come together in a crumbly mixture.


Spoon the fruit mixture into 4-inch ramekins,
filling them about three-quarters full. Place the
ramekins on a baking tray to catch any overflow during cooking.


Sprinkle the topping over the fruit and bake the crisps
for approximately 25 minutes. If the topping browns too quickly,
cover the remekins with foil.


Serve warm, with vanilla ice cream, if desired.

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Karen's Party Rescue with LXTV

This past week, I teamed up with the marvelous and charming George Oliphant of LXTV to throw an art gallery-inspired party, with easy tips and inspirations for creating a fabulous celebration any time. Bar essentials, food presentation, gathering places, and decor ideas--the segment is full of fun info and ideas. Also, every great get-together needs some conversation pieces- check out the giant pig coffee table and life-sized horse lamp I used to accent the party. They were the life of the party and I daresay some FB photos of folks on/with the horse will show up somewhere!

View more news videos at: http://www.nbcnewyork.com/video.

Throw a SIMPLY Great Holiday Party!

It's easy to throw a festive holiday party at home.
Check out my article in the Houston Chronicle for simple decorating tips to improve
your holiday parties- my favorite is clustering
inexpensive, unscented candles to create a festive ambiance!

Pratt Legends 2009

What's better than a great party? How about a fabulous, eco-friendly, design forward gala honoring legends Patti Smith, Marc Jacobs, and David Rockwell? I created this gorgeous celebration on the 49th floor of 7 World Trade Center in a totally raw space. Every single thing you see in these photos was brought in for the party, so we made an effort to minimize our impact by choosing materials that are rented, reused, and recycled, while still being stunning.


Me with our events director Nicole Fazzini, on the Pratt Blue Carpet and Nicole, sporting radio and moving furniture during setup!


We created the Legends Lounge on the south side of the space--an after-dinner dessert space with a performance stage where Patti Smith sang some of her classics, wowing the crowd!




The beautiful space had views overlooking all of Manhattan and Brooklyn, and the recyclable, modern decorations all created a simple stunning atmosphere.






Local dahlias were used to make the centerpieces in collapsible "Vazus." To check out vazus, visit http://www.vazu-usa.com/

Serpentine and rectangular tables made the floor plan interesting and unique.



Words to work by!

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Staying in is the New Going Out

Hey Everyone!

I had the incredible opportunity to celebrate Wedgwood's 250th anniversary in Washington D.C. with the amazing Jorge Perez. While there, I got to meet some fabulous, super-stylish bloggers, and dine at a 25 foot long table all set with Wedgwood's dramatic Dynasty pattern.


Remember, this year, staying in is the new going out! Create a great home bar, and start a party pantry with funky napkins, place-mats, and dish ware. Choose a theme, get fresh, in-season food, invite all of your friends, and ENJOY!


Check out some of the blogger's who attended the celebration for more at-home party tips:

Saturday, September 26, 2009

Food for Thought

Hi Everybody!

Check out this fun video for some great entertaining tips and some of my favorite party recipes. Why wait? Let's celebrate!

video

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Keep it Cool at the End of Summer!

Hi Everyone!

I’m taking you behind the scenes as I talk about hosting a keep it cool party for late summer!





The heat at the end of the summer can definitely put a damper on home entertaining; you may not want to slave for hours in the kitchen, and your guests may not want the typical "hot" party food, which is why I recommend throwing a "Keep it Cool" late summer party.

With awesome, chilly items such as

Edy's Slow Churned Yogurt Blends and


POM Wonderful juice,


your party is bound to be a "cool" hit!

I absolutely love this POMtiki Smash recipe-
it's delicious and a great addition to any hot summer day!
2 oz. POM Wonderful- 100% Pomegranate Juice
1 1/2 oz. Rum
1/2 oz. Orgeat or Almond Syrup
2 oz. Unsweetened Pineapple Juice
*Garnish with a pineapple wedge and mint sprig

Some of my favorite recipes for a late summer party from my latest book, Simple Stunning Parties at Home, are my Go-To Guacamole, Coconut Shrimp Ceviche, and Chocolate Abstracts (to decorate the delicious Edy's Slow Churned Yogurt Blends)



Go-To Guacamole
Serves 6

This is an instant homemade appetizer for any time. Serve it with a big bowl of good tortilla chips and Homemade Fresh Salsa or your favorite store-bought brand.

3 ripe Hass avocados
Juice of ½ lemon
Juice of 2 limes (1/4 cup)
2 tablespoons chopped green chilis (optional-use them if you like it spicy)
Salt and pepper

Peel and mash the avocados in a large mixing bowl. Squeeze the lemon juice over the avocados to keep it from browning. Stir in the lime juice and chilis, if you like (or serve the chilis on the side), and season with salt and pepper to finish.


Coconut Shrimp Ceviche
Makes 16 bite-sized “spoon” hors d’oeuvres or 4 appetizer portions

Traditional ceviche is made from raw seafood that is “cooked”
by the citric acid in lime and grapefruit juice.

I’ve suggested cooked shrimp for this recipe in case you’re pressed for time,
but you can use raw shrimp if you prefer.
I suggest canned grapefruit because any skin ruins the texture of the ceviche.
¾ pound shrimp, peeled, cooked, and chilled
½ cup lime juice
½ cup canned grapefruit sections, cut into quarters
¼ cup coconut milk
¼ cup finely diced picked jalapenos
2 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
Salt and pepper

Chop the shrimp into small pieces. In a bowl, combine shrimp, lime juice, and grapefruit. If using raw shrimp, marinate for 40 minutes before adding the rest of the ingredients. Add the coconut milk and jalapenos and toss together. Stir in 1 tablespoon of the cilantro. Allow the mixture to marinate for 30 minutes in the refrigerator, then season with salt and pepper. Serve on Chinese soup spoons or regular tablespoons, garnished with the remaining cilantro leaves.


Chocolate Abstracts
Serves 6-8

The chocolate “abstracts” look very impressive and are easy things to make.

After you melt the chocolate, let it cool a little before making the abstracts. A plastic funnel will help you pour the chocolate into the squeeze bottle without making a mess.

4 ounces semisweet or dark chocolate chips
2 pints vanilla or coffee ice cream
¼ cup amaretto

Line a baking sheet that will fit in your freezer with parchment or wax paper. Place the chocolate chips in a microwave-safe container and microwave on medium for 20 seconds. Stir and return to microwave for another 10 seconds. Chocolate burns easily, so check and stir every 10 seconds until fully melted.

Pour the melted chocolate into a squeeze bottle. Squeeze the chocolate over the parchment paper, making abstract shapes. Leave a bit of space between each shape, for easy removal. Place the tray in the freezer for about 2 hours. Once the chocolate is set, use a spatula to remove it from the parchment. Chocolate abstracts may be stored for several days in the freezer between sheets of parchment paper.

When you are ready to serve dessert, scoop the ice cream into a bowl. Top with one of the chocolate decorations. Serve immediately, splashing amaretto over the ice cream at the table.

Monday, August 10, 2009

Throwing the Perfect Picnic!

Hey Everyone!

Last Wednesday, I had the awesome opportunity to spend my morning picnicking with weatherman Mike Woods in Central Park on GOOD DAY NY!

The day couldn't have been more beautiful- and more fun.

Picnics are one of my favorite ways to enjoy a sunny day,
so here are some of my easy-to-do tips, enjoy!

- Remember to always be environmentally friendly- I love recycled plates and utensils from Whole Foods, and Verterra flatware, which are made from fallen leaves! Vazu vases are also a great way to decorate, they re-usable, easily packable, and stylish.

- When picnicking in a group, get already prepared food! DINOSAUR BBQ is delicious, and one of my personal favorites! Whole Foods also has a great selection of both produce and prepared foods.

- If picnicking for two, feel free to splurge a little! Bouchon Bakery has great tote bags filled with food (Either breakfast or lunch/snacks).

Not everything has to be already prepared, however, and
I love making some easy, tasty treats to bring along.

One of my favorites is my MUDDLED BERRY LEMONADE:
Serves 6-8

Try to get the best raspberries. Their tart sweetness will work beautifully with the lemonade.

1 cup fresh raspberries, rinsed and dried

1 cup fresh strawberries, tops removed, halved

1 handful fresh mint leaves, stems removed

1/2 gallon (64 ounces) sweetened pink lemonade (or substitute regular)

In the bottom of a pitcher, muddle the raspberries, strawberries, and mint leaves with a wooden spoon. Add the lemonade and stir. Serve over ice in sugar-rimmed glasses.


CHECK OUT THE SEGMENT: