A SET OF BERRIES

In early 2012 I created this set of berry illustrations. I must have been dreaming of sweetness in the midst of winter.

I've included these on a set of cards in my Etsy Shop too. You can take a peek here.

RASPBERRIES IN A CUP

Such pretty fruit, should be served in a pretty cup.

SWEET LITTLE RASPBERRIES

As I celebrate the planting of our new raspberry shrubs it made me think of a trip my mother-in-law made last year with my husband's aunt.  They visited a raspberry farm and tasted several different cultivars of these pretty berries.  I didn't realize how many types there were...even yellow and orange ones!  I would have loved to try all those sweet little things.

RASPBERRIES IN A BOX

I am so excited! We planted our first raspberry shrubs!  Though it may take a couple of years to enjoy these sweet, red fruits - I'll attempt to be patient.  We'll just relish the strawberries we planted last year for now.

Raspberries

There is no need for candy when raspberries exist.  I love these and wish for a large raspberry patch.

Raspberries

Today I wanted to share one of my favorite raspberry illustrations...in honor of my third challenge submission to the Foodbuzz Project Food Blog competition.

If you'd like to VOTE and read more about The Secret Society of Raspberry Revelry just click here!

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PFB Challenge #3: Luxury Dinner Party

Today you'll gain a sneak peak into The Secret Society of Raspberry Revelry and the festivities in which they partake.

The Society is composed of my two oldest children and their four friends. They met for dinner to share their love of the sweet and perfect raspberry. This post will share some of their most devout secrets.

Don't forget about having luxury dinner parties for your kids. It's a fabulous time to get away from cutesy birthday party themes and try something fresh and new.



Secret #1
They love to have dinner themes. Tonight they are focusing on the sweetness of raspberries. Did you know that choosing a theme actually expands your creativity? Try it.

To develop a dinner party theme...pick a favorite food, then pair it up with a fun word. Some examples include: A Pancake Picnic or a Souffle Soiree!

Secret #2
They love to dine outdoors. By choosing the coveted front porch, they enjoyed the fresh air, yet were still protected from obscure weather.





Secret #3
They insist on fresh flowers. Tonight they chose zinnias from the cutting garden, then paired them up with raspberries in small fruit boxes. To add a little punch we painted the boxes a bright blue.

Our theme dictated the color scheme (red and raspberry blue), so we chose fabrics to match. A little hint...when mixing patterns, always pair up a larger pattern with a small one.





Secret #4
They love making crafty decorations using what they have on hand. Today they made these nifty banners by dipping coffee filters in red and blue kool-aid. Once they dried, we stapled them onto twine. I just can't bring myself to take them down. They are so lovely.





Secret #5
They focus on simple and delicious food. By borrowing fabulous recipes from other talented cooks and using some of their own concoctions, The Society can focus on a beautiful setting and good company.



Secret #6
They enjoy picking goodies directly from the garden. Unfortunately, time constraints meant cutting out the berry patch this time, but don't forget to show your kids the source of their tasty foods.

Recipes for this course:

Frozen Melon Balls

Cranberry Raspberry Shirley Temple Sangria (cranberry raspberry juice and ginger ale, then drop in a clementine orange slice and a raspberry)

Recipes for this course:

Raspberry Pancakes (pancake mix, fresh raspberries)

Mini-Broccoli Quiche

Raspberry Chocolate Milk (chocolate milk, plus cranberry raspberry juice)

Recipes for this course:

Peanut Butter and Raspberry Jelly Cookies

Raspberry and Banana Smoothie (fresh raspberries, bananas, vanilla yogurt, raspberry juice and ice - blend together)

Secret #7
They love pairing drinks with each course. Tonight a different raspberry delicacy was combined with each food creation.

Secret #8
They enjoy the process of planning ahead. Tonight's meal was created over three days, spreading out the love of cooking, while eliminating stress.

Secret #9

They make sure to balance out their sweet and salty foods. Because the raspberry theme tended to be towards the sweet side, we added the cheese, quiche, and sausage to even it up a bit.

Secret #10

Well, maybe we'll just keep this last one a secret.

I hope you've enjoyed taking a peak into the The Secret Society of Raspberry Revelry. Look for our next agenda items soon.

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Green Tea Cheesecake

Here is a fantastic cheesecake to add to this green tea madness.  Please visit My Kitchen Notes to get the full recipe and great photos to boot.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

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R is for Raspberry Tea

With my new love of iced tea, I've started to really like certain flavors. One of those is raspberry. Of course, raspberry is good in anything.

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Raspberries

I love raspberries. They are just like candy, minus the bad stuff. I can easily empty a whole container popping them in my mouth one-by-one.

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