As a big believer in having your cake and eating it too I am a huge fan of healthy desserts and making a place for them on the table during wedding season. With this in mind, and based on the recommendation of a work friend, I reached out to our newest Survival Expert: LA-based chef, Matt Amsden of RAWvolution. Not only has Matt provided a delicious, healthy dessert recipe for you party planners out there, but he has also extended a limited-time promotional offer to our readers for $10 off RAWvolution’s weekly, prepared food delivery service. 

Why RAWvolution for wedding season? The RAWvolution box is a fantastic way to maintain a healthy diet while keeping a busy schedule and we all know wedding season can certainly keep us on our toes. So without further adieu, let’s make room for dessert. Please check out Matt’s recipe for Chocolate Coconut Haystacks below and enjoy the RAWvolution promo code at the bottom of the post. Cheers and thanks to Matt and RAWvolution!

CHOCOLATE COCONUT HAYSTACKS

Rawvolution Chocolate Coconut Haystacks

Makes about 16 Haystacks

Ingredients:

½ cup cacao powder
3 cups shredded coconut
¾ cup coconut butter (sometimes called coconut oil)
½ cup agave nectar

Directions:

1. In a mixing bowl, combine the cacao powder and shredded coconut, and mix well. Add the coconut butter/oil and the agave nectar and mix well.

2. Using an ice cream scoop or by hand, roll into approximately sixteen ping-pong-sized balls.

3. Freeze for at least thirty minutes before serving.

Why It Is Good To Go Coconuts: 

Coconut Oil/Butter consists of 90+% raw saturated fat - a rare and important building block of every cell in the human body. Unlike long-chain saturated animal fats (that have been associated with creating poor health), Coconut Oil contains healthy, healing, medium-chain triglycerides (MCT’s). MCT’s support the immune system, the thyroid gland, the nervous system, the skin, and they provide fast energy as well. The MCTs in Coconut Oil help increase metabolism and therefore help with weight loss. Historically, farm animals fed Coconut Oil were never found to be obese. When fed partially hydrogenated soybean oil, and other rancid fats, the animals quickly gained weight. MCT’s are known to have antiviral, antimicrobial, and antifungal properties.

About RAWvolution: 

Each week RAWvolution creates a box of prepared, organic, low-calorie raw foods that includes two savory soups, four gourmet entrées, four side dishes and two delicious desserts. This provides truly healthy meals that you can bring to work or have waiting for you when you return from a long day. The Box can be picked-up in Santa Monica, delivered anywhere in Los Angeles or New York City or shipped via Fed-Ex anywhere in the continental United States as well as Alaska and Hawaii. Order one week at a time with no commitment to continued service or set-up a standing order to be shipped to you each week! Visit http://www.rawvolution.com for more information.

RAWvolution Exclusive SWS Promo Code:

Promotional Code: SWS
Value: $10 off ‘The Box’
Valid: through September 30th, 2010

Related topics:

1. Recipes
2. Etiquette
3. Party Planning
4. Products/Solutions
5. Party Favors
6. Finance 

Have a great wedding survival tip to share with the Survive Wedding Season community? Email your tips to solutions@surviveweddingseason.com.

Your Attendance Is Appreciated! ^™

Meet Gilda Mulero, owner of Naturally-Tasty, a Personal Chef service dedicated to providing wholesome meals, dinner parties and private cooking instruction for families throughout New York City. Gilda has contributed today’s SWS Expert Survival Tip: an easy-to-make, tasty dessert recipe. Her inspiration, the summertime hostess.

Not only is Gilda providing our wedding guests with this naturally tasty dish, but she is also giving away one gift certificate for her class, Cooking 101 for Newlyweds!

Cooking 101 For Newlyweds has been featured in Manhattan Bride Magazine and is a terrific gift that keeps on giving. Why? Because Gilda comes to the newlyweds’ home and teaches a private, custom class right in their own kitchen. She teaches how to cook together and specializes in teaching proper knife techniques as well as how to use the items on your wedding registry. Since every class is personalized to fit each couple lifestyle and kitchen skills Gilda has it covered, even if your friends are vegans or thinking cooking means reheating leftovers from last night’s delivery. 

Gilda teaches in the New York Metro area and will teach classes in New Jersey and Connecticut. So whether you live in the area, or are flying in for a wedding, Cooking 101 is a wonderful gift for the local-area bride and groom. All you have to do is sign up for our mailing list for your chance to win. Here’s to one lucky weddng guest who will save a lot on an amazing wedding gift this year!

THE CONTEST IS NOW OVER.

Cherry Clafoutis

(Serves 6)

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of fresh sweet cherries, pitted
• ¼ cup tablespoons of slivered almonds
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup of sugar
• ½ cup of whole wheat pastry flour, sifted
• ¼ teaspoon of salt
• 1 cup of whole organic milk
• 2 teaspoons of Amaretto, or ¾ teaspoon of almond extract
• 1 teaspoons of vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• Confectioner’s sugar for dusting

Method:

Preheat the oven to 350F. Butter and lightly flour a 9X9-baking dish. Toss the cherries and slivered almonds into the baking dish. Whisk the eggs, sugar, salt, ground cinnamon and flour together until smooth. Add the milk, Amaretto (or almond extract, if using), and vanilla extract. Whisk until smooth. Pour into the baking dish. Bake for 40-50 minutes or until lightly browned, and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Place on a wire rack to cool. The clafoutis will puff up a bit but will deflate while cooling. When cool dust the clafoutis with powdered sugar. Enjoy!

Register for a free trial of Tiny Prints’ Custom Greeting Card program & get your first 3 greeting cards free!

Description of the Cooking 101 for Newlyweds Class:

The perfect wedding present – a gift certificate for a private cooking class for the bride and groom taught by Chef Gilda Mulero of Naturally-Tasty (www.naturally-tasty.com). Chef Gilda specializes in teaching bashful beginners and personalizes each cooking class to the Newlywed couple’s culinary interests and skill level. Each lesson also includes a primer in knife skills, the most important tool in the kitchen. The charming class has been featured in Manhattan Bride Magazine and is a popular gift from the bridal party and parents alike!

About Gilda Mulero:

Gilda is a proud graduate of The Natural Gourmet Institute for Food and Health Chef Training Program. As a huge fan of the “little ones”, her focus is adapting adult recipes into fun and nourishing fare for kids. She also enjoys teaching and inspiring kids to have a great time in the kitchen and at the table.

Contest Rules:

CONTEST BEGINS AUGUST 3, 2010 AT 12PM EST AND WILL END ON AUGUST 16, 2010 AT 11:59PM EST. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER BUT BY ENTERING THIS CONTEST YOU HAVE OPTED-IN TO BOTH THE SURVIVE WEDDING SEASON AND NATURALLY TASTY EMAIL SUBSCRIBER LISTS. CONTEST IS OPEN TO U.S. RESIDENTS THAT MUST BE 21 OR OLDER TO WIN. ONE RANDOMLY SELECTED WINNER WILL BE NOTIFIED BY EMAIL AND WILL HAVE ONE WEEK TO CLAIM THEIR PRIZE BEFORE THEY FORFEIT THEIR RIGHTS AND A NEW WINNER IS SELECTED. ONCE THE WINNER HAS CONFIRMED HIS OR HER CONTACT INFORMATION WITH SURVIVE WEDDING SEASON HE OR SHE WILL BE CONTACTED BY A NATURALLY TASTY REPRESENTATIVE TO FINALIZE THEIR PRIZE. SUGGESTED RETAIL VALUE OF THE PRIZE IS $300. ONE PRIZE AND ONE WINNER ONLY. TO REDEEM GIFT CERTIFICATE, RECIPIENT OF WINNING GIFT CERTIFICATE MUST LIVE IN THE NEW YORK METRO AREA. IF YOU HAVE WON ANYTHING FROM SURVIVE WEDDING SEASON IN THE LAST 90 DAYS YOU ARE NOT ELIGIBLE TO WIN THIS PRIZE.

As I sit here watching Runaway Bride- for the very first time - I am not just realizing that this may be Joan Cusack’s best role ever, I am also gearing up for a month dedicated to wedding guest beauty and health. For starters, get ready for two recipes - special for you - from two professional chefs. Plus I will post product reviews and recommendations. As always I always love hearing from you, be it a question or a comment, so please feel to leave your thoughts on each posts.

Lastly, Chelsea Clinton married today and as much as I did not really want to post anything about it, her Vera Wang dress was incredibly stunning and borderline to-die-for. I am pretty sure that for years to come wedding guests will see a lot of “Chelsea” inspired dresses walking down the aisle. This dress is going to be an instant, popular classic. 

I would also like to point out that Mrs. Clinton looked stunning as well. A truly rockin’ mother of the bridelook that should be replicated. Here is the link to the New York Times wedding slideshow: http://nyti.ms/cdOgYP. 

Your Attendance Is Appreciated! ™

For my friend Monica’s Bachelorette weekend seven of us (three Angelenos, two Seattlites, one DC girl and a Hawaii transplant) traveled to Santa Barbara for a girl’s weekend away. Monica is my busy bride friend who guest blogged the other week and her wedding is in July in less than eighty days. I know this because my friend Neena’s August wedding is in exactly 80 days per her wedding website. Both on the calendar - and sooner than I realize - yet I still have to RSVP for both. 

So while customarily bachelorete parties occur closer to the wedding date - Neena’s will be in July, this April weekend, three months out, was the only one that worked for everyone.  Monica’s Maid of Honor, Neha, the organized MOH whose party planning email I shared back in March did a fantastic job putting together a memorable, stress-free, fun and affordable bachelorette weekend. Here are some of the highlights from the trip:

What to do:  

Captain Jack’s Santa Ynez Valley Wine Tasting Tour

For most of Saturday we spent the day wine tasting around Santa Ynez and Los Olivos (est. thirty minutes from Santa Barbara). Captain Jack provided the itinerary and the driver/guide, Dominic, who was top-notch and funny and I would totally recommend requesting him. Not sure why, but I really expected our driver to resemble Wilford Brimley not the Hawaii-raised, UC Santa Barbara college student who picked us up. We paid for the bride so for six of us it was $99 each plus tip for the day and that included all of our wine tastings, transportation and reservations.

Wineries and tasting rooms we hit included: Gainey, Bridlewood, and Daniel Gehrs. Bridlewood was by far my favorite in part because I most preferred their wine, our server was hysterical and the grounds on the estate were stunning. But Gainey is where I bought my only bottle - a delicious Sauvignon Blanc, as well as some mustard and horseraddish mayonaise. We also experienced an olive oil tasting at Global Gardens ($3) - where I bought an amazing walnut oil - as well as had lunch at the Los Olivos Cafe.

Where to eat:

On Saturday night we had a 9pm dinner reservation at a tapas restaurant called Milk & Honey. The check - split six ways including gratuity, drinks and the bride’s meal - came out to $42 per person and these were the largest ”small plates” of tapas any of us had ever had before so no one went hungry. And with half of the party being vegetarian there were many selections - both for the vegetable and meat eaters. My favorite dishes included the Brussels sprouts, the Tortilla Española and the “Nice Rack” lamb pops. What was also a nice surprise to kick off our meal was that the groom-to-be, Gary, arranged for a bottle of champagne to be poured upon our arrival. Aside from champagne - after a day of wine-tasting - the most popular drink on the table was the Passionfruit Mojito.

Milk & Honey is located at 30 W Anapamu St, Santa Barbara, CA 93101.

On Sunday the Maid of Honor and one of the bridesmaids treated all of us to a bridesmaid brunch at the Four Seasons Biltmore in Santa Barbara. We ate at the Bella Vista restaurant that is known for its exquisite Sunday Brunch Buffet. We sat on the terrace overlooking the beach and made Monica open her lingerie shower gifts at the table. If you are looking for a memorable and delicious location for a small group, special event I definitely recommend this Four Seasons.

The Four Seasons Biltmore is located at 1260 Channel Drive, Santa Barbara, CA, 93108.

Where to play:

After dinner on Saturday night we walked - for quite awhile - to a club called EOS Lounge where we got a patio booth for our party. There was definitely a line outside, but Monica went right to the front and requested a table and we got it. Monica decided that this bottle service situation was going to be her gift to us, but we independently put together some money because we didn’t want her to pay for the whole table. It was fun, the design was engaging, and the music was good. But it felt like they closed early so went back to our hotel for our own dance party.

EOS Lounge (photo from their Facebook Fan Page)

EOS is located at 500 Anacapa Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93101.

Where to stay:

We stayed at The Beach House Inn in their King Patio apartment that included a full kitchen and two sofa beds. The cost came out to $99 each for both nights. For less than $50 per night this was an amazing find and right between the beach and the main street in Santa Barbara. The only tricky part about this hotel was that we had one bathroom for seven girls - not ideal - but it was only two nights. The Beach House Inn also brewed delicious coffee in the morning.

Miscellaneous:

Know that if you are going to have a big group to get around in Santa Barbara you can call for a minivan cab which is perfect - and budget-supreme. Also, getting away does not have to mean getting out. We spent our Friday night in the hotel. This way everyone could get there afterwork (approx. 90 minutes from LA) with no pressure to be there by a certain time and it was a very chill way for everyone to either catch up or meet each other for the first time.

Since our hotel room had a full kitchen, for dinner we decided to make personal pizzas and salad - ingredients from Trader Joes - and for dessert the MOH had brought two dozen outrageously decadent cupcakes from Sprinkles. After dinner we played three bachelorette party games: 1- Monica trivia, 2- Toilet Paper Wedding Dress design competition, and 3- a game I can’t really even begin to explain that involved panty hose and two small oranges. I won no games but still ended up with a lovely lavendar soap and dish as a favor.

Related topics:

1. Mobile Day Spa Bachelorette Party
2. Bachelorette Party Game - Here Comes The Panty Personality
3. South Beach, Miami: The Bachelorette Party Destination
4. Expert Survival Tip: Luck Be A Vegas Bachelorette Party by Tracey Kumer-Moore
5. Dancing Around the Bachelorette Pole
6. Pin The Macho Elsewhere & Get Me A Cocktail 

Once a month Chef and Lifestyle Expert, Pace Webb, hosts a traveling, underground Supper Club here in Los Angeles.  It was at her January dinner that I came to have the pleasure of both meeting Pace and experiencing her Supper Club. In addition to serving a beautifully presented and delicious three-course meal, Pace also created a welcome cocktail and invited musicians to play live after dinner. This is how she wonderfully bookends every meal.

At the Supper Club dinner that I attended Pace served a tasty drink called a Grapefruit Peppercorn Habit.  And in brainstorming ways to help you plan your upcoming Bridal Shower I thought you should know about Pace’s Habit (every pun intended). With Pace’s “go for it” blessing I not only share with you her cocktail recipe, but I have also included a video of Pace preparing seasonal drinks as originally featured on Claire Thomas’s The Kitchy Kitchen.

Remember, alcohol can be a serious expense when preparing a party budget.  This is why I really support the idea of a signature party drink.  It will both cut your alcohol costs and add a creative and memorable party accent for your guests to enjoy. Also, if you do serve a signature drink think about printing it on a recipe card and including the card in your party favor. Your guests will definitely enjoy taking home the recipe.

Grapefruit Peppercorn Habit

Pace Webbs Grapefruit Peppercorn Habit

Ingredients:

1/2 teaspoon peppercorns, crushed
1 oz. fresh squeezed ruby red or pink grapefruit juice
1 oz. pomegranate juice
3 oz. gin (I use Deaths Door Spirits Gin)

Method:

Pour liquid ingredients over rocks and stir. Garnish with peppercorns.

Pace Webb is also an independent caterer and teaches cooking classes. For more information on her Supper Club check out her blog: http://tasteofpace.blogspot.com/. Have fun.

Related topics:

1. Basic Bridal Shower Etiquette 101
2. Hosting A Bridal Shower? What Will You Serve?
3. Email Never Looked So Elegant! Try Paperless Post.
4. Now This Is An Organized Maid Of Honor!
5. Expert Survival Tip: Design Affordable Flowers Like A Pro by Sarah von Pollaro
6. Survive Wedding Season’s New Favorite Bridal Shower Gift  

Have a great wedding survival tip to share with the Survive Wedding Season community? Email your tips to solutions@surviveweddingseason.com.

Your Attendance Is Appreciated! ^™