12 Days of Christmas Entertaining Ideas!

Happy Holidays! Is it just me, or did the holidays sneak up on us this year?  2011 has flown by! With that being said, I know the holidays are a time of gift-giving, friends, and family, but let's not forget one of the best parts-- the FOOD! I've decided that I'd love to post fun, festive holiday entertaining ideas centered around food and drinks.  This first recipe is for those of you who have out-of-town guests to entertain, or if you're just looking for a cute idea for your family to wake up to Christmas morning.  I ran across Wolfgang Puck's recipe for Red Velvet Waffles, and thought these would be a great Christmas breakfast.

Red Velvet Waffles with Cream Cheese Glaze

2 cups flour
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2cups buttermilk or regular milk
2 large eggs, separated
1 tsp pure vanilla
3 tbsp red food coloring
1. Sift together flour, sugar, baking soda, cocoa powder and salt and whisk thoroughly
2. In another bowl beat egg yolks slightly. Stir in buttermilk and oil. Stir in red food coloring.
3. Add egg yolk mixture all at once to the dry mixture and stir thoroughly.
4. In another bowl, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form.
5. Fold egg whites into flour and egg yolk mixture.
6. Spoon waffle batter into your waffle iron and let cook.
7. Serve with cream cheese glaze.

Cream Cheese Glaze
4 oz. softened cream cheese
About a 1/2 cup or more powdered sugar
About a tsp. vanilla
Enough milk to make the consistency of the glaze thick but pourable
1. Beat cream cheese until soft and then add in powdered sugar to desired sweetness. Add in milk a little at a time until desired consistency is reached. Add vanilla, mix, then serve with hot waffles.

Real Soirees: Wonka Chocolate Factory!

Chez Soiree recently had the pleasure of planning a wonderful Wonka birthday party for a special little boy named Nicholas.  Take a peek!

Custom candy bar invites were handed out with golden tickets, of course!

A peek at the candy buffet

What's a Wonka party without Fizzy Lifting Drinks!

Welcome Sign

Personalized candy bars

Contact us to plan your custom Wonka Chocolate Factory party! Email us at  chezsoiree@gmail.com


**Please credit Chez Soiree when using our pictures.

Inexpensive Wedding/Party Favors

The favors you give to your guests should be a reflection of your appreciation for their attendance, as well as a memorable token they'll remember for years to come.  In this economy, people are looking for ways to do both without breaking the bank, so I've compiled a list of my favorite inexpensive favor ideas.

1.  Cake Pops- Cake pops are inexpensive to make and are extremely popular right now.  You can make them in any cake flavor, and the chocolate coating comes in a variety of colors and flavors that would be perfect for your event.

2.  Designer/Couture Oreos - these have become my latest obsession! You take regular Oreo cookies, dip them in chocolate, and adorn them with beautiful patterns in various colors to suit your event.  Not sure if you're ready to do it yourself? Chez Soiree can provide these for only $20.00 per dozen (shipping and handling may be extra).

3.  Cupcakes in a Jar - These can be made by alternately layering cake and icing in a Mason jar, and adding your own personalized label to the top of the jar.  You can use a variety of cake and icing flavors, and you can also get creative and color your cake mix to match your event.  Stay tuned for the tutorial!

Nautical Wedding Ideas

Since our Nautical Theme Baby Shower post seems to be extremely popular, we thought we'd give you some nautical wedding ideas as well.  Although the traditional nautical theme incorporates navy, white, and red, try pairing navy and white with another bright color like yellow, lime, or orange. Check these out!

Dear Chez Soiree Sweeties...

Hi all! We've noticed that our viewer traffic has picked up lately! We're SO excited that you all take time out of your busy day to come visit our blog.  It's also cool to see viewers from all around the world.  When we started this blog, we never thought we'd have viewers from Germany, South Korea, the Phillipines, the UK, etc. Please know that your comments & feedback are appreciated.  Let us know what you want to see more (or less) of, and we'll do our best to comply. Also, if you like what you see, follow the blog!

Until next time!

Be Inspired,

Kids' Corner: Charlie & the Chocolate Factory Party!

As the mother of three (count 'em 3 boys), I absolutely LOVE planning children's parties! I think it all stemmed from my birthday parties I had as a child.  I vividly remember one that was cowgirl-themed (don't judge me) that my mother planned and had actual ponies and horses in our front yard that my guests and I actually rode! Imagine my delight as a little girl that loved the My Little Pony toys to go outside and see real ponies! My mom and I still try to bring that same level of nostalgia to every children's party we plan. Being that all of my kids' birthdays are in consecutive months (September, October, & November), I'm always looking for party theme ideas as far in advance as possible.  This year, while watching one of my all-time favorite movies, "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory," I decided to make that one of my themes this year. 

Of course I immediately googled for inspiration, and found the most adorable Chocolate Factory party ever. The party was for a little girl, so of course I'll make major revisions, tweak it and make it our own, but it looked like a child's paradise. See if you agree.

How cute is that ?! They even gave out toothbrushes as party favors! I would've loved to see the fizzy lifting drinks incorporated.  Now if I can only figure out how to make lickable, flavored wallpaper!
**All pictures and event design courtesy of TSJ Photography

Parisian & Coco Chanel Inspired Parties

"A girl should be two things--classy and fabulous." -Coco Chanel

This is one of my favorite quotes, and for good reason.  Every girl wants to be classy and fabulous, and wants her event, be it a wedding, shower, or party, to be classy and fabulous as well.  This theme incorporates classic ideas and color schemes with fabulous and innovative food, decorations, and favors.  The Parisian/Coco Chanel theme is usually done in black and white, but take a look at how some of these parties below turn the tables on tradition while maintaining fabulosity.

Something Blue! Wedding Ideas

You know the saying.  Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue. Having blue decor at your wedding or bridal shower is a unique way to have your "something blue." 



Purple Passion Bridal Shower

 I came across this gorgeous bridal shower done by Erin Borges Event Design, and absolutely fell in love! They even had purple food and drinks! Take a look!

Purple Martini

Purple Cauliflower Soup

Purple Salmon & Mashed Potatoes

Until next time, happy planning!

Trend Alert: Vintage-Style Ruffle Cakes & Cupcakes

In the world of event planning, trends come and go; some come back around and repeat themselves every few years.  Such is the case with these beautiful vintage-style ruffle cakes and cupcakes.  The ruffles are reminiscent of the 1950s-style ruffled dresses and the HUGE trend in ruffle throw pillows going on right now. I love the way this trend combines vintage concepts with modern design sensibilities. These cakes and cupcakes would look great for weddings, bridal showers, or princess party for a lucky little girl!


Vintage 1950s Ruffle Dress



Image:  cakelava.blogspot.com