Fall is my favorite season by far so styling a party and welcoming inspiration for this fabulous season came naturally. I paired up with Kim at The Polka Dot Press who created cute products that add festive flair throughout the outdoor gathering. Whitney Fletcher Photography captured every detail and made moments into memories.
The three of us Tallahassee women make a great team and enjoy combining our creative forces together to create unique parties and celebrations. Contact us at Polka Dot Parties for information about kids birthday parties, kids cooking and cupcake parties, adult/kid craft parties and tons of other fun ideas for celebrating with style!
Here is the article and pictures from the fall photo shoot we did back in August for the Tallahassee Woman magazine.
Summon your sweaters and find a few logs for the fire. Crisp cool air is on the way. Fall is finally here and with it comes a fresh feeling of sharing appreciation for friends, family and all the many blessings blowing your way like the leaves from a maple tree on a breezy autumn afternoon.
Savor the season by stepping outside and celebrating with a festive fall gathering. With the beauty that nature provides during this time of year, you can create a rustic backdrop for your backyard party in no time. Locally grown squash and pumpkins provide happy hues of warmth while hay bales and burlap create simple style that is casual and comfortable.
Make your party pop with The Polka Dot Press products to perk up your décor and add that extra flair your guests will be gushing over. Feed your family and friends fall food that embraces the season’s finest flavors and serve drinks in mason jars or pass out pumpkin flavored ale. Looking for something to keep the kids at the party busy? Line the children up for a game of “Pin the Nose on the Pumpkin” and send them home with a treat bag stuffed with Scarecrow Crunch.
Here are the recipes I featured in the magazine that will definitely keep your family and friends full with delicious fall flavors !
Caramelized Onion and Apple Brie en Croute
Impress your guests by adding puff pastry leaves for a fancy feel to this easy appetizer. Caramelize your onions the day before to simplify the steps to this savory before-dinner snack. Serve with your favorite crackers or toasted baguette.
1 puff pastry, thawed at room temperature for 30 minutes
1 wheel of brie cheese, sliced in half, horizontally
2 medium onions, thinly sliced
3 tablespoon butter, divided
1 tsp sugar
1 Golden Delicious apple, peeled and diced
1 tsp brown sugar
Pinch of cinnamon
1 egg, beaten
flour
Caramelized onions:
Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add onions, stir to coat in butter and cook 3-5 minutes. Add sugar and stir. Lower heat to low and cook onions 30-40 minutes, stirring often until onions are golden brown and caramelized. Set aside. (If making ahead, bring to room temperature before adding to brie.)
Preheat oven to 400.
Cook apples by melting 1 tablespoon of butter in a small sauté pan. Add diced apples and cook for 5 minutes. Add brown sugar and cinnamon. Stir and cook 3 more minutes, until golden.
Unroll thawed puff pastry dough onto a lightly floured surface. Using a rolling pin coated in flour, roll out the dough, pressing the seams while making a slightly larger square of dough to work with. Cut off two 1 inch wide strips of the dough and set aside to use for leaves (optional).
Take the top part of the brie off and set aside. Spread the apple mixture over the brie. Add a layer of caramelized onions. Place the top of the brie on the onions. Flip the brie over on to the puff pastry. Gently wrap the brie with the puff pastry, bringing all edges and corners to the middle of the brie and pinch dough to seal. Flip the brie over again so the seams will be on the bottom. Brush with egg.
If making puff pastry leaves, use small cookie cutters or fondant cutters to cut leaves from the strips of reserved dough in two sizes. Make markings with a sharp paring knife to resemble the veins on a leaf. Place leaves on top of brie in a circular pattern. Brush with more egg wash.
Bake for 18-20 minutes, until golden brown. Let cool 5 minutes before transferring or eating.
This recipe makes enough seeds for sprinkling on your salad and some to snack on. A great alternative to fresh pumpkin seeds are Pepitas. You can find these near the nuts and seeds at the grocery store. The word Pepita is a Spanish culinary term for the hulled kernel of pumpkin seeds.
Garlic Roasted Pumpkin Seeds:
1 cup fresh pumpkin seeds or Pepitas
1 tbs olive oil
½ tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
½ tsp garlic powder
Mix all ingredients together and spread pumpkin seeds on a foil lined baking sheet. Bake at 300 for 20 minutes, stirring after 10 minutes.
Dressing:
Mix the following ingredients -
1/3 cup olive oil
2 Tbs white balsamic vinegar (or regular balsamic)
1 Tbs apple cider vinegar
1 tsp honey
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 garlic clove, minced
Generous pinch of salt and pepper
Salad:
6 cups salad greens (I prefer a blend of spinach and red leaf lettuce)
½ cup thinly sliced red onions
½ cup shaved parmesan cheese (use a vegetable peeler to shave cheese into long strips)
½ cup garlic roasted pumpkin seeds
Toss the salad with ½ cup to 3/4 cup salad dressing.
This soup is hearty and flavorful. I always have a batch brewing in my crock pot for our fall festivities.
1 roll Jimmy Dean Sausage with Sage
1 onion, diced
3 large white potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 32 oz. box chicken broth
1 can corn
1 can cream corn
¾ package of cream cheese, softened
Salt and pepper to taste
In a large pot, cook and crumble sausage until brown. Remove sausage from pan using a slotted spoon. Cook onions in sausage drippings for 5 minutes over medium heat. Add potatoes and chicken broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and cook for 7-10 minutes, until potatoes are tender. Add corn, cream corn, and sausage to pot and simmer 5 minutes. Add cream cheese and cook, stirring often, until cheese is melted, about 10 minutes. Salt and Pepper to taste.
This recipe puts regular pumpkin pie to shame with a crunchy topping and fantastic flavor. It is best served warm with whipped cream, Cool Whip, or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
1 can solid pack pumpkin
1 and ½ cups sugar
1 can evaporated milk (12 oz)
3 eggs
4 tsp pumpkin pie spice
½ tsp salt
1 box butter flavored cake mix
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup butter, melted
Preheat oven to 350 and spray a 13x9 pan with cooking spray. Combine pumpkin, eggs, evaporated milk, sugar, pumpkin pie spice, and salt with a whisk. Pour into the greased pan. Sprinkle the dry cake mix evenly over the pumpkin mixture. Top with chopped pecans. Drizzle melted butter over pecans. Bake for 50-60 minutes, until golden brown. Refrigerate leftovers.
1 puff pastry, thawed at room temperature for 30 minutes
1 wheel of brie cheese, sliced in half, horizontally
2 medium onions, thinly sliced
3 tablespoon butter, divided
1 tsp sugar
1 Golden Delicious apple, peeled and diced
1 tsp brown sugar
Pinch of cinnamon
1 egg, beaten
flour
Caramelized onions:
Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add onions, stir to coat in butter and cook 3-5 minutes. Add sugar and stir. Lower heat to low and cook onions 30-40 minutes, stirring often until onions are golden brown and caramelized. Set aside. (If making ahead, bring to room temperature before adding to brie.)
Preheat oven to 400.
Cook apples by melting 1 tablespoon of butter in a small sauté pan. Add diced apples and cook for 5 minutes. Add brown sugar and cinnamon. Stir and cook 3 more minutes, until golden.
Unroll thawed puff pastry dough onto a lightly floured surface. Using a rolling pin coated in flour, roll out the dough, pressing the seams while making a slightly larger square of dough to work with. Cut off two 1 inch wide strips of the dough and set aside to use for leaves (optional).
Take the top part of the brie off and set aside. Spread the apple mixture over the brie. Add a layer of caramelized onions. Place the top of the brie on the onions. Flip the brie over on to the puff pastry. Gently wrap the brie with the puff pastry, bringing all edges and corners to the middle of the brie and pinch dough to seal. Flip the brie over again so the seams will be on the bottom. Brush with egg.
If making puff pastry leaves, use small cookie cutters or fondant cutters to cut leaves from the strips of reserved dough in two sizes. Make markings with a sharp paring knife to resemble the veins on a leaf. Place leaves on top of brie in a circular pattern. Brush with more egg wash.
Bake for 18-20 minutes, until golden brown. Let cool 5 minutes before transferring or eating.
Roasted Pumpkin Seed Salad with Shaved Parmesan
This recipe makes enough seeds for sprinkling on your salad and some to snack on. A great alternative to fresh pumpkin seeds are Pepitas. You can find these near the nuts and seeds at the grocery store. The word Pepita is a Spanish culinary term for the hulled kernel of pumpkin seeds.
Garlic Roasted Pumpkin Seeds:
1 cup fresh pumpkin seeds or Pepitas
1 tbs olive oil
½ tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
½ tsp garlic powder
Mix all ingredients together and spread pumpkin seeds on a foil lined baking sheet. Bake at 300 for 20 minutes, stirring after 10 minutes.
Dressing:
Mix the following ingredients -
1/3 cup olive oil
2 Tbs white balsamic vinegar (or regular balsamic)
1 Tbs apple cider vinegar
1 tsp honey
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 garlic clove, minced
Generous pinch of salt and pepper
Salad:
6 cups salad greens (I prefer a blend of spinach and red leaf lettuce)
½ cup thinly sliced red onions
½ cup shaved parmesan cheese (use a vegetable peeler to shave cheese into long strips)
½ cup garlic roasted pumpkin seeds
Toss the salad with ½ cup to 3/4 cup salad dressing.
Creamy Corn Chowder
This soup is hearty and flavorful. I always have a batch brewing in my crock pot for our fall festivities.
1 roll Jimmy Dean Sausage with Sage
1 onion, diced
3 large white potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 32 oz. box chicken broth
1 can corn
1 can cream corn
¾ package of cream cheese, softened
Salt and pepper to taste
In a large pot, cook and crumble sausage until brown. Remove sausage from pan using a slotted spoon. Cook onions in sausage drippings for 5 minutes over medium heat. Add potatoes and chicken broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and cook for 7-10 minutes, until potatoes are tender. Add corn, cream corn, and sausage to pot and simmer 5 minutes. Add cream cheese and cook, stirring often, until cheese is melted, about 10 minutes. Salt and Pepper to taste.
Pumpkin Pie Crunch
This recipe puts regular pumpkin pie to shame with a crunchy topping and fantastic flavor. It is best served warm with whipped cream, Cool Whip, or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
1 can solid pack pumpkin
1 and ½ cups sugar
1 can evaporated milk (12 oz)
3 eggs
4 tsp pumpkin pie spice
½ tsp salt
1 box butter flavored cake mix
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup butter, melted
Preheat oven to 350 and spray a 13x9 pan with cooking spray. Combine pumpkin, eggs, evaporated milk, sugar, pumpkin pie spice, and salt with a whisk. Pour into the greased pan. Sprinkle the dry cake mix evenly over the pumpkin mixture. Top with chopped pecans. Drizzle melted butter over pecans. Bake for 50-60 minutes, until golden brown. Refrigerate leftovers.
Welcome fall with your loved ones and linger with the inspiration of a new season and all it has to offer. Fall in love with the beauty of a simple celebration that starts the season with anticipation and excitement. Happy fall y’all!
1 comment:
I am not sure if it's just me (& my computer), but I can't see any of the photos on this post. :(
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