Crafts

The brief history behind these delights is quite simple. I had a party coming up and decided I wanted to serve stuffed tomatoes. I had never made them before (actually, to be quite honest, I didn’t know anyone who had ever made them before) but I loved the idea, and thought they would fit my theme perfectly. But I didn’t have a recipe, so I went on a hunt. I searched the internet, and sure enough, in seconds I had hundreds of stuffed tomato recipes to choose from. I narrowed it down to certain ingredients, and started reading them all. I soon found I was disappointed. I couldn’t find the perfect combination that epitomized my taste, or my party. I wanted something simple (that seemed obvious to me since stuffed tomatoes aren’t usually your main course, so why would you want to spend all day preparing your appetizer? – DUH!) and something that sounded delicious. Apparently this was too much to ask. So I abandoned the internet and set out to make the perfect stuffed tomato. Based on the reviews I have received on these little beauties I think I did it! The only challenge I find is not eating them all before the company comes.

These are so simple there are only three real components:

The Tomato:

Okay, so I know it’s tradition to use cherry tomatoes for appetizers, but I have issues with that concept. First of all, that’s a lot of work for the tiny bite of food that you get, and second, there are better tomatoes out there. Oh don’t get me wrong, I love cute diminutive cherry tomatoes on top of my salad as much as the next girl but when used as a standalone food there are tastier options.

Personally, I love the vine ripened Campari tomato. They average about the size of a golf ball, so they are good for two or three good bites. The larger size also makes them easier to empty and re-stuff. Campari’s are juicy, and have a higher sugar level than other tomatoes. This makes them sweeter and less acidic. Their deep red color is gorgeous, and they aren’t overly farinaceous, or mealy in texture, which is a plus for me. I think they are absolutely perfect! And you can get lucky sometimes and find them at Sams and Costco. Yay!

The Mozzarella:

Mozzarella is mozzarella, right? Well yes, and no. I don’t think it matters much which brand you choose, just pick your favorite. I use low-moisture part-skim, because that’s what I like. As much as I love fresh mozzarella, I opted out for this recipe due to flavor and texture. What I did find that makes a big difference, however, is dicing the cheese. Chopping the mozzarella into small cubes instead of grating it allows for a richer flavor and creamier texture.

The Pesto:

This is where the “simple” comes in. You can slave all day making your own pesto, or you can find a great sauce already made. That’s what I do, shh! I’ve tried a dozen different pesto sauces, some of them imported directly from Italy, but believe it or not I found one that rivals the best of them right in my own Sams Club! The Members Mark brand is beautiful. It is made modestly with good ingredients: olive oil, basil, romano and parmesan cheeses, garlic and pine nuts. Delicious!

So what made me think of this triple combination? I don’t know, except I recognized that with these three you couldn’t go wrong!

The Recipe:

1 ½ cups diced mozzarella

¾ cup pesto

2 lbs. (aprox. 20) Campari tomatoes

Salt

Core the tomatoes with a small melon baller or fruit corer. Rinse out the seeds and sprinkle salt into the tomatoes. Turn upside down onto a paper towel, and refrigerate until filling is ready. This gives them time to drain and the salt helps eliminate excess moisture. Mix the pesto with the mozzarella, and use a baby spoon to fill the tomatoes. Serve immediately or refrigerate beforehand. Mangia! Enjoy.

Emily

I have been rather obsessed with Etsy for the last month or so.  Ever since I opened my WhipperBerry Etsy Shop I can’t help myself from becoming enamored with all of these amazingly talented people.  I have vowed to never buy any type of gift at a store EVER! 

I stumbled upon this tasty little shop yesterday called the Little Brown Pen.  Je suis amoureux {I’m in love!}  Ah, to live in France and be able to take weekend trips to Paris just to take pictures!!  Looking at these photo sets took me right back to that magical city.  What I love more than anything is how she groups them by color.  Genius!

{Click on image to view item in the Little Brown Pen shop.}

Can’t you just see this photo set in your kitchen. Ok, I know my kitchen would love this!!  I LOVE open air markets, it’s another obsession I have in life.  But more on that later!

Heather

Hi, everyone!  As promised, I am here with a tutorial on the paper garland I made for this dessert table. 

Materials needed:
Lightweight paper (I used cardstock for mine and it made things very difficult,  avoid it if you can).
Scissors
Needle and thread
String for garland

1.  Start by cutting strips of paper about 7″ long and however wide you want (the wider it is, the bigger your fan will be).
2.  Fold your strips into an accordion.  You’ll need 13 ridges to get a nice, finished shape.  Cut off any excess paper.  Double thread your needle so that it won’t tear.
3.  String your accordion close to the bottom edge.  Don’t get so close to the edge that it will rip through though!
4.  Tie the two ends of the string together by pulling tight.  This is the trickiest part of getting the fan just right.  My tie would loosen every time I tried to pull the knot.  Finally, glue the loose ends of paper together and you have a beautiful little fan!

You can use these fans to make paper garlands, put on cards, dress up packages… the possibilities are truly endless.
Here are some more fabulous garlands I’ve found around the blog world recently.  Try them all, and email them to me!  I’d love to see.

Whitney

There are two things you need to know about me: one, nothing motivates me more than having FUN! Luckily I have done a very good job surrounding myself with people who keep me grounded – namely my husband. The second thing you need to know is that I love to create! And I’ll do just about anything and everything, as long as it involves putting things together to create something new.
I have a passion for colors that resides deep in my soul. I love to paint and play with colors in a variety of ways. Paper crafting has always been my forte, and that involves card making, scrapbooking, and invitation design. I adore party planning and event organizing. I also love to design digitally and create printable publications.
There is one thing I don’t do, however. I don’t sew. And I mean it – I don’t knit, crochet, or even sew on a button. I thought I died and went to heaven the day Mighty Mend-it came out. It has saved me on many occasions from running to my mom’s house in a panic. This is not my mother’s fault. She tried so hard, but for some reason I took a moral stance against the art and dug in my heels. I haven’t put a needle to fabric since. 
I was raised in Las Vegas, and I got married at the mature age of eighteen, only three months after graduating high school. This was not the original plan, but what can I say? The man came in and swooped me off my feet, tripping up all of my independent college plans while he was at it. I did manage to go back to school here and there between having my four babies and becoming domesticated. I went into accounting to balance out my oil painting and creative writing classes. 
I became head of the accounting department of an Italian food warehouse, which abetted my taste for fine food. I started experimenting with all these fabulous imported ingredients (at wholesale cost of course!) and developed an enthusiasm for cooking.
Now I work part time from home, accounting for my brother’s business, while looking for ways to have fun and do it all (except sew of course)!

Emily

Besides growing up in the business surrounded by a constant flurry of weddings, celebrity parties, luaus, with Tommy Rocker jamming out on the roof of our facility, and helicopters landing on the tennis courts to whisk my grandparents away to Europe…I led a pretty normal and idyllic life here in Vegas. My father was a craps dealer for many years. He dealt to the stars, collected Porsches, and witnessed the original Hilton fire from within. He now owns Pierson Productions, the largest t-shirt screen printing company in Nevada. My mother was Martha Stewart before Martha Stewart was! She was always the creative force behind her multiple catering businesses, her antique store called Pandemonium (where I sat in an old satin pillow-filled trunk until I could walk), and finally the stylist and florist for the Secret Garden events.

 

We always frequented yard sales, vintage stores, and Goodwill for home decor and clothing admired by the richest of our friends (and still do!) We were by no means poor–just smart ;). Hence, my motto, “Never pay retail if you can help it!”

My sister and I always had “country club” birthday parties attended by hundreds of people at the Las Vegas Racquet Club that my grandparents owned. Kelli and I graduated from lifeguards, to face painters, to bussing tables, and finally to what we are today: Head event coordinator & pastry chef/cake designer. For our modest ages, we have accomplished much!  

I wish to divulge to you my wedding wisdom but at the same time captivate you with a whimsical account of my extraordinary experiences! Visit my famous wedding facility any time on Facebook at: Secret Garden Weddings. Please feel free to let me know if you have any questions or would like me to give you advice. Either Facebook me on WhipperBerry or e-mail at [email protected].

As my father always says: “Peace. Love. & Hare Krishna”

Erin