butterflyaniam

I'm leaving for St Thomas tomorrow and did not hear from the bride before me about Karla's starfish:( I'm pretty upset about it and hope nobody else will have it happen just before it's their turn to get it.

And still no news about Karla's blue starfish. I guess I will not have it on my wedding:(

I sent bnbmry few messages and she did not respond to any:( And it's 10 days till I leave for St Thomas

Cheap option:

Finally I took few pictures of my invites - I sent most of them 4 months ago just had one left. I ordered the invitations in Hanson Ellis at pretty good price. I was in love with the idea of the message in the bottle. My fiancee designed the message and I have decided to take care of the outside box. The plain white was really boring therefore I have made mine looking like a suitcase. That was a lot of work, especially that every strap is hand made - but it was worth it:) Our guests loved them - especially in Poland, where only regular invites are popular - so even my mom's friends were asking her to "borrow the invite for the day so they could show it to their friends:) Crazy!!!!

Few cute ideas of presenting appetizers:

Beef and Asparagus Negimaki Makes 24 Salt, for water 24 thin stalks asparagus, or 12 thick stalks sliced in half lengthwise 1/2 cup soy sauce 1/4 cup sugar 1 bunch scallions, greens only 1 1/2 pounds beef tenderloin Freshly ground black pepper, to taste Preheat a grill or grill pan until hot, or prepare oven broiler. Bring a medium saucepan of salted water to a boil. Cut off asparagus ends to within 3 1/2 inches from tips; reserve bottoms for another use. Place tips in boiling water; cook until bright green but still crunchy, about 1 minute. Prepare an ice-water bath. Drain asparagus; transfer to an ice-water bath to stop cooking. Drain asparagus again in a colander, and set aside. Whisk together soy sauce and sugar until dissolved; set aside. Cut scallions into 3 1/2-inch lengths, julienned lengthwise; set aside. Slice tenderloin into 1/4-inch-thick pieces. Place one slice between two pieces of plastic; pound lightly to an even thickness. Remove plastic; trim into 2-by-5-inch rectangle. Repeat with remaining beef. Dip a piece of beef in soy-sauce mixture, and place on a clean surface. Season with pepper. Place 1 piece of scallion and 2 asparagus tips across 1 end of beef, so vegetables extend over edges; roll. Set aside. Repeat with remaining beef and vegetables. Grill or broil negamaki, brushing with sauce and turning, until slightly charred and medium rare, about 2 minutes. Serve.

Iced Coffee Frappe with Cotton Candy Makes 3 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons skim milk 3 tablespoons instant-coffee frappe; mix (such as Nescafe; Classic; www.parthenonfoods.com) 3 tablespoons sugar White cotton candy, for topping Blend 3/4 cup milk, 3/4 cup cold water, the instant-coffee frappe; mix, and sugar in a blender until combined, about 30 seconds. Divide among 3 tall glasses filled with ice. Pour 2 tablespoons milk into each glass. Serve immediately, topped with cotton candy.

Chicken Satay Skewers Serves 8 2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (6 to 8 ounces each), thinly sliced lengthwise into 12 strips 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil 1 teaspoon soy sauce 1 garlic clove, minced 1/2 teaspoon red-pepper flakes Coarse salt and ground pepper 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter 2 tablespoons rice vinegar Vegetable oil, for pan In a bowl, toss chicken with sesame oil, soy sauce, garlic, and teaspoon red-pepper flakes. Season with salt and pepper. Thread each chicken strip lengthwise onto a skewer. Make dipping sauce: In a small bowl, whisk together peanut butter, vinegar, 1/4 teaspoon red-pepper flakes, and 2 to 3 tablespoons water. Heat grill pan over high. Working in batches, brush pan with oil, and cook chicken until opaque throughout, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Serve chicken skewers with dipping sauce.

Hot Spinach Dip: This rich, creamy dip can be assembled through step two up to three days ahead, then covered and refrigerated; it can also be served as a side dish. Two 10-ounce packages of frozen spinach can be substituted for the fresh. Thaw according to box instructions, drain well, and chop Makes 3 cups 2 teaspoons olive oil, plus more for baking dish 1 medium onion, diced 2 garlic cloves, minced 2 pounds spinach, cleaned, trimmed, and coarsely chopped 1/2 cup milk 6 ounces reduced-fat bar cream cheese 3 dashes Worcestershire sauce 3 dashes hot sauce, such as Tabasco 3/4 cup shredded mozzarella Coarse salt and ground pepper Baguette slices, breadsticks, or crackers, for serving Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a Dutch oven or large pot, heat oil over medium. Add onion and garlic; cook until lightly browned, 5 to 8 minutes. Add spinach in two additions, letting the first batch wilt before adding the next; cook until completely wilted, 5 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a colander; drain, pressing to release all excess liquid. In the same pot, warm milk over high heat. Whisk in cream cheese until melted, about 3 minutes. Add spinach, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, and 1/4 cup mozzarella; stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Pour into a lightly oiled 1 1/2-quart shallow baking dish; sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup mozzarella. Bake until bubbly and golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Serve hot with accompaniments, as desired.

And much more coming:) Stuffed Mushrooms The stuffing in step 1 can be made up to a day ahead and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Per mushroom: 18 calories, 1 g fat, 2 mg cholesterol, 2 g carbs, 122 mg sodium, 1 g protein, 0 g fiber Makes 4 dozen 3 ounces day-old white bread (about 3 slices), crusts removed 2 scallions, white and light-green parts only, roughly chopped 1 red bell pepper, seeded and roughly chopped 3 ounces fresh goat cheese 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves 1 ounce dry Monterey Jack or Parmesan, grated on small holes of box grater 1 1/2 teaspoons salt 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 48 button mushrooms (about 1 1/2 pounds), stems removed and caps cleaned Pulse the bread in the bowl of a food processor until finely chopped. Transfer to a bowl. Place the scallions, bell pepper, and goat cheese in the bowl of a food processor, and pulse until finely chopped and well combined. Transfer mixture to the bowl with the bread crumbs, and stir. Stir in the cilantro, half the grated Monterey Jack, salt, and pepper. Heat oven to 350 degrees; position rack in the center of oven. Place mushroom caps, cups facing upward, on a large cookie sheet. Spoon a heaping teaspoon of stuffing mixture into each cap. Bake until mushrooms are tender and filling is hot, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove mushrooms, turn oven to broil, and position rack about 4 inches from broiler. Sprinkle mushrooms with remaining grated cheese, and broil until cheese is golden, about 1 minute. Serve immediately.

Mini Puff-Pastry Tartlets These mouthwatering mini tartlets have three different toppings, so every guest should find something to their taste. The steam created by the damp baking sheets helps the pastry to rise quickly and evenly. You Will Need 3 lb. (1.3 kg) puff pastry 1 large yellow bell pepper, seeded and cut into thin strips 3 oz. (75 g) Parmesan cheese, grated 4 tomatoes, sliced 6 oz. (175 g) goats' cheese, crumbled 6 thin slices prosciutto, cut in half 2 mozzarella cheeses, (10 oz./280 g), each cut into 6 slices Chopped fresh herbs, e.g. parsley, chives, basil, to garnish What to Do 1. Cut the pastry into six equal pieces and roll each to a rectangle measuring 9 in. x 6 in. (23 cm x 15 cm). Cut each rectangle into six 3-in. (7.5-cm) squares, to make 36 squares. 2. Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C/Gas Mark 7).Dampen enough baking sheets to lay out the pastry squares. 3. Place the pastry squares on the baking sheets, leaving a space between them, and divide the pepper slices and Parmesan between 12 of them. Top another 12 with the tomato slices and goats’ cheese, and the final 12 with the prosciutto and mozzarella. 4. Bake in the oven until the pastry is puffed and golden brown, about 10–15 minutes. 5. Serve the mini tartlets warm, sprinkled with chopped fresh herbs of your choice.

Mini Beef Fajita Bites Preparation Time: 15 minutes Total Time: 21 minutes Number of Servings: 10 Your choice-appetizer, snack or mini meal! A tasty combination of seasoned beef with crunchy chips topped with Cheddar cheese and guacamole. 2 Tbsp. Water 4 Tbsp. salsa 1 pkg. mini corn chip shells 1/4 cup shredded Cheddar cheese 2 pkgs. (1/2 lb. each) Ground Beef (#413) Buy this ingredient 2 Tbsp. fajita seasoning 1 pkg. Guacamole (#746), thawed & mashed Buy this ingredient 1. Brown beef according to package directions. 2. Stir in water, fajita seasoning and salsa. Cook an additional 3 minutes. 3. Place mini shells on a serving plate. Spoon fajita filling into each shell and top with cheese and a dollop of guacamole.

Deviled Potatoes Prep: 30 min., Bake: 55 min., Cool: 45 min., Chill: 2 hr. Baking the potato shells before filling them sets the shape (so they will not break when picked up) and enhances the flavor. Don't overmix—the texture will be gummy instead of creamy. Petite indicates a potato about the size of a plum tomato. Yield: Makes 12 servings Ingredients 14 petite red or yellow oval-shaped potatoes (about 1 1/2 lb.) 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 teaspoon kosher salt 1/4 cup mayonnaise 2 tablespoons sweet-hot pickle relish 1 teaspoon cider vinegar 1 teaspoon spicy brown mustard 1/4 teaspoon pepper 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon hot sauce 1/8 teaspoon ground celery seed (optional) 1/2 teaspoon paprika (optional) Garnishes: fresh dill sprigs, coarsely ground pepper Preparation 1. Preheat oven to 350°. Place potatoes in a small bowl, and drizzle with oil. Sprinkle with 1 tsp. kosher salt; toss to coat. Place on a baking sheet. 2. Bake at 350° for 40 to 45 minutes or until tender. Remove from oven, and let cool 15 minutes. 3. Cut each potato in half lengthwise. Carefully scoop out potato pulp into a bowl, leaving shells intact. Discard 4 potato shells. Place remaining shells on baking sheet, and bake 10 more minutes. Let cool 30 minutes or until completely cool. 4. Add mayonnaise, next 6 ingredients, and, if desired, celery seed, to potato pulp in bowl. Beat at medium speed with an electric mixer until blended. Spoon mixture generously into each potato shell. Cover and chill 2 hours. Sprinkle with paprika just before serving, if desired. Garnish, if desired. Note: For testing purposes only, we used Wickles Original Pickle Relish

Hmm, I am going to write few florists in St Thomas and will see what flowers will be in season. I just wish to do something in white/blue/green

Great thread. Can't wait to see more. And I love your flowers inspiration - now it's mine as well:))

Guacamole You can make the guacamole several hours ahead, and keep it in the refrigerator. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, pressing the plastic directly onto the surface of the guacamole to prevent discoloration. 2 ripe avocados, peeled, pitted, and lightly mashed 1/2 cup minced onion 1 jalapeno chile, minced (remove seeds and ribs for less heat) 1 plum tomato, seeded and diced 1/4 cup chopped cilantro 2 to 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice Coarse salt In a bowl, combine avocados, onion, jalapeno, tomato, cilantro, and lime juice. Season with salt, and mix to combine.

Grilled Tomato Bruschetta Serves 4 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for grates 1 1/2 pounds plum tomatoes, cored and halved lengthwise Coarse salt and ground pepper 1 garlic clove, minced 1 tablespoon red-wine vinegar 1/2 teaspoon red-pepper flakes 4 thick slices country bread 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, cut into thin strips Heat grill to medium-high; lightly oil grates. In a large bowl, toss tomatoes with 1 tablespoon oil; season generously with salt and pepper. Arrange tomatoes on grill, cut sides down first. Cover and grill until soft and charred, 5 to 10 minutes per side. With a metal spatula, return tomatoes to bowl. When cool enough to handle, use kitchen shears to snip tomatoes into smaller pieces. To tomatoes, add garlic, vinegar, and red-pepper flakes; season with more salt and pepper. Reduce heat to medium. Brush bread with remaining oil; grill on both sides until beginning to char, about 2 minutes per side. Cut bread slices in half; divide tomato mixture evenly over each. Top with basil and serve.

Love the idea of serving it: Ice Cream Hearts with Arrow Tuiles Acknowledge Cupid's work with ice cream hearts in which his arrow has made its mark. Soften strawberry ice cream in a mixer on low, spread onto a rimmed baking sheet, and refreeze. Bake arrow-shaped tuiles (See recipe and ingredients below). Just before serving, cut ice cream with a cookie cutter and place arrow. To make the arrow stencil, print an arrow symbol from a computer; enlarge, if necessary, and trace it onto thin foam board, or draw it by hand. Using a straightedge to guide the blade of a utility knife, cut out the shape and remove the inside of the stencil. Makes about 3 dozen 4 large egg whites 1 cup superfine sugar 1 cup all-purpose flour, sifted Pinch of salt 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted 3 tablespoons heavy cream 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract 2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar Preheat oven to 400 degrees with rack in center. Using a mixer, beat egg whites and superfine sugar on medium just until combined and frothy, about 30 seconds. Beat in flour and salt. Beat in butter, cream, and vanilla. Place stencil on a baking sheet lined with a Silpat (French nonstick baking mat). Spoon 1 1/2 teaspoons batter inside stencil, spread batter over stencil with an offset spatula, and carefully remove stencil. Repeat, placing at least 2 inches apart. Bake just until golden around edges, 4 to 5 minutes. Working quickly, use an offset spatula to transfer tuiles to a wire rack to cool. Repeat with remaining batter. Dust with confectioners' sugar.

Baby Greek Salad Makes 12 three-ounce servings 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard 1 tablespoon red-wine vinegar 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper 1 pint cherry tomatoes, quartered or halved if large 2 baby cucumbers, peeled and cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices 1/3 cup pitted Kalamata olives, some halved, some quartered 1 1/2 ounces feta cheese, crumbled (about 1/3 cup) Whisk together mustard and vinegar in a small bowl. Add oil in a slow, steady stream, whisking constantly until emulsified. Season with salt and pepper. Toss vegetables and olives in a medium bowl, and toss with vinaigrette. Season with salt and pepper. Divide salad among 12 three-ounce paper nut cups, top each with some feta, and serve immediately.

For the sea food lovers - not me (but I need to think about my future husband): Spicy Shrimp and Avocado Makes 2 dozen 1 ripe avocado, halved and pitted 1 teaspoon fresh lime juice Coarse salt 6 slices of white bread 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 teaspoons achiote paste 24 medium shrimp (about 1/2 pound), peeled and deveined 2 tablespoons sour cream 1 ounce golden fish roe Fresh cilantro, for garnish Scoop avocado flesh into the bowl of a food processor. Add lime juice, and season with salt; process until smooth. Transfer to a small bowl; set aside. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Arrange bread slices on a baking sheet, and bake, turning once, until dried out and slightly toasted, 10 to 14 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add oil and achiote paste, and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add shrimp; cook, stirring occasionally, until shrimp are pink and cooked through, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a bowl, and let shrimp cool slightly. Using a small offset spatula, spread 1 tablespoon avocado puree on each bread slice. Using an 1 1/2-inch round cookie cutter, cut out 4 rounds from each slice. Top each round with a shrimp; top shrimp with sour cream and fish roe. Garnish with cilantro. Serve immediately.

Goat-Cheese Appetizer Give your wedding or bridal shower a Mediterranean flair with these simple hors d'oeuvres. Balls of fresh goat cheese are coated with chopped pistachios; beds of baby spinach leaves make them easy to lift and eat Makes 48 11 ounces fresh goat cheese 4 ounces coarsely chopped pisatchio nuts 48 washed and dried baby spinach leaves Bring goat cheese to room temperature. Using your hands, roll forty-eight 1/2-inch balls, and place them on a piece of parchment paper. Shake the nuts in a fine mesh sieve to remove dust, then place in a small, shallow bowl. Roll each cheese ball in the nuts to coat evenly. The cheese balls can be prepared the day before the event. Store them in the refrigerator in an airtight container until ready to serve. To serve, arrange the spinach leaves on a serving tray, and place each cheese ball on a leaf. Serve immediately.

This will be just great for any salad: Heart Crisps Replace the boring crouton cubes in your salads with savory heart-shaped versions. These crisps consist of three layers of phyllo dough filled with Asiago cheese and ground pine nuts. The layers are seasoned with thyme, shaped with a cookie cutter, and then baked. They go well with any mixed green salad or even soups. Makes about 30 1/2 cup toasted pine nuts 1/2 cup Finely grated Asiago cheese 3 sheets frozen phyllo dough, thawed 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Finely chop pine nuts in a food processor; transfer to a small bowl, and stir in cheese. Lay one phyllo sheet flat on a clean work surface. Generously brush with butter; sprinkle evenly with half the nut mixture. Top with second phyllo sheet; repeat process. Top with third phyllo sheet. Brush with butter; sprinkle with thyme. Using a 2-inch heart-shaped cutter, cut out hearts; transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Lay a sheet of parchment over hearts, and bake until lightly browned and crisp, 12 to 15 minutes.

My fiance will love this idea - I will try it on him before the wedding:)) "Potted" Chocolate Pudding Celebrate the season of buds and new beginnings with pretty seedlings for guests to admire -- and savor. Composed of flowering herbs nestled in chocolaty "soil"-covered pudding, the decadent desserts are a sweet, witty symbol of your fresh start. Makes 20 three-ounce servings (5 1/2 cups) 3/4 pint sugar 6 tablespoons cornstarch 3 tablespoons cocoa powder Pinch of salt 2 1/2 cups heavy cream 2 1/2 cups whole milk 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract 12 ounces best-quality semisweet chocolate, finely chopped 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into bits 14 chocolate cookies, ground fine 20 sprigs edible, organic flowering herbs Whisk sugar, cornstarch, cocoa, and salt in a medium pan. Combine cream, milk, and vanilla in a large measuring cup. Whisk 2 cups liquid into dry ingredients until cornstarch is completely dissolved. Whisk in remaining cream mixture until smooth. Place pan over medium heat. Cook, whisking constantly, until mixture comes to a boil and thickens, 7 to 8 minutes. Add chocolate; cook, whisking until melted, about 1 minute. Remove from heat; whisk in butter until melted. Divide pudding between glasses, leaving about 1/2 inch at the top. Refrigerate until completely set, about 1 hour; chill until ready to serve. Just before serving, top each with 1 1/2 teaspoons crushed cookies, and "plant" an herb sprig. Serve cold.