Bridal Shower Adventures

Last weekend was a busy one since I was involved in two prenuptial parties with a surprise 50th birthday sandwiched between. It was busy but fun since I love to host showers and teas.

Saturday morning was my favorite of the two bridal events because my fellow hostesses were the sister and a favorite friend, and not a one of us is fond of minimalism.

It was a morning drop-in shower so around here, it would be called a Coffee. I love morning events because of the food and beverage. Carbs and coffee make a powerful duo.



We chose a toile tablescape because the wedding has a black and white color scheme.

 OK…it didn’t hurt that it looked nice against the sister’s red and white room as well.

We chose our hostess stations, and in my infinite wisdom, I chose to be the greeter. This means that I opened the door and helped older women up the steps in that hot Georgia morning for two hours. By the time they remembered to take the hostess picture… which will live in perpetuity in the bride’s scrapbook… my hair was a victim of the HHH: heat, humidity, and hormones. Even the Hair Crack gave up the ghost. Oh well, it’s not about me anyway, right? right?

The best thing about a Coffee in the dead of the southern summer is that you get to substitute coffee punch for the hot stuff.

The stuff is beverage bliss.

Miss Whimsy loves it so much

 that she intends to have a morning wedding

just to serve it.

The base is a coffee extract* made by combining a pound of coffee with about a quart of water and letting it stand overnight. Then, you drain the liquid, first through a sieve and again through a coffee filter or cheesecloth.

Coffee Punch

coffee extract

1 pint whipping cream

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

Dash of salt

1 quart vanilla ice cream

1 quart chocolate ice cream

Combine the coffee extract and the next three ingredients. Scoop vanilla and chocolate ice creams into a punch bowl; add the coffee and cream mixture, gently stirring until ice cream slightly melts.

*On a side note: I never have to do the extracting step because we keep coffee concentrate on hand 24/7.  It's the only way that we brew coffee. We got THIS GIZMO for a wedding shower present.

 ...and have been using it ever since.

It has a filter

And plug

.
You put the water in the top and a whole bag of coffee in the bottom. Let it stand, and out comes coffee extract. We keep regular and decaf at all times.

We use a shot glass to measure out custom cups of hot coffee.  It's great for coffee milk and our summer coffee smoothies as well.

Ah, coffee bliss...

Meanwhile, back at the Coffee...

Great fun. Hormone hair and all.

Do you like to throw showers?

*****

Sharing this on Foodie Friday.