Let's Mingle Blog

Easy Entertaining for Everyday Celebrations

Archives for October 2015

Black Licorice Ice Cream Spiders

Oct 30 2015 by Leave a Comment

Black Licorice Ice Cream SpidersThe witching hour is almost upon us, and what am I doing? Making ice cream.

Black licorice ice cream, to be exact.

I was never really a fan of black licorice until I got older. I feel like one day I just woke up and started liking it. Weird? Maybe. But either way, I’m sold now and I couldn’t let Halloween pass by without concocting a little bit of my own black magic.

But black licorice ice cream alone isn’t much fun. I needed to add a little something…

And that something turned out to be eyeballs and some creepy legs. And before I knew it, black licorice ice cream spiders were born!

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Sweet Stops: La Bonne Vie

Oct 29 2015 by Leave a Comment

Sweet Stops: La Bonne VieIf you’ve ever been to downtown Salt Lake City, you may have seen the gorgeous and large structure that happens to be the Grand America Hotel.

The ornate building is filled to the brim with gold details, marble accents, amazing chandeliers, and stunning outdoor grounds.

I’ve been lucky enough to throw and attend a few events there, and each time I discover new details, shops, or amenities that I didn’t notice before.

And one of those little discoveries happens to be this month’s sweet stop!

I’m making a trip to La Bonne Vie, which means “the good life”, a darling little french bakery nestled inside the Grand America hotel.

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Mini No-Bake Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake

Oct 27 2015 by 1 Comment

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #EffortlessPies #CollectiveBias

Mini No-Bake Pumpkin Pie CheesecakeMini No-Bake Pumpkin Pie CheesecakeWith the holidays right around the corner, I’m always on the hunt for a delicious recipe that is easy and quick to put together, but doesn’t sacrifice on taste. It’s definitely not fun (or polite!) to be the host of a party or gathering and spend the entire time in the kitchen while your guests are waiting, so I try to select menu items that are easy to make, serve, and of course, are delicious to eat too!

Today, I’m sharing a recipe for mini no-bake pumpkin pie cheesecake that check off all of those boxes and are simple enough for anyone to make! (Even those of you that think you’re kitchen challenged! No excuses!)

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Jack O’ Lantern Caramel Apples

Oct 26 2015 by Leave a Comment

Jack O' Lantern Caramel ApplesHalloween desserts will be the death of me. Actually, any holiday desserts are.

I always get sucked into their cuteness and the idea of creating new traditions that end up with me eating way more sugar than I originally planned for. (But, what’s new around here?)

Case is point…? These Jack O’ Lantern caramel apples!

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DIY Beaker Candles

Oct 23 2015 by 1 Comment

DIY Beaker CandlesBeakers, flasks, tongs, bunsen burners, test tubes, and clamps. All things that you can find in a chemistry class, or a mad scientist’s laboratory! And what’s more Halloween-ish than bubbling beakers and crazy concoctions? Not much if you do them right!

If you plan on crafting the perfect laboratory for your halloween event or just plan to up your halloween home decorating game, today’s DIY is for you!

I’m sharing an easy tutorial for these awesome DIY beaker candles!

DIY Beaker Candles

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Halloween Floral Arrangement

Oct 22 2015 by 1 Comment

Halloween Floral ArrangementI’ve been doing a lot of Halloween shopping lately, as I always do around this time, and I recently stumbled upon the CUTEST witches cauldron ceramic container at Michael’s Craft Store.

Of course, I snatched it up and began envisioning all of the things I could do with it.

At the top of my list…? A “bubbling” witches brew Halloween floral arrangement!

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Chocolate Body Parts

Oct 19 2015 by Leave a Comment

Chocolate Body Parts Halloween is the perfect time to creep out your friends, family, and party guests.  It’s the season that we celebrate serial killers, terrifying ghosts, and lots of blood. Whether cute or down right scary, it’s a month filled with all of the things that we usually try to avoid throughout the rest of the year. And everyone is looking for the next best scare, while trying to make sure their decor looks as realistic as possible.

So, I created my very own crime scene complete with lots of bloody body parts! And body parts that you can eat, nonetheless!

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White Bean Chicken Chili

Oct 16 2015 by Leave a Comment

White Bean Chicken ChiliAs a host or hostess, many times you don’t have the resources, or the time, to create everything from scratch.

And guess what…? There are no rules that say you have to bake a mean casserole, poach a perfect egg, or whip up a demi glaze to entertain guests. (Shocking, right?!).

Entertaining is about the company, the memories, and the experience. People will remember the event, not the twenty hours you slaved away in the kitchen to create it.

So give yourself a break. Don’t let Pinterest and the web scare you into thinking that you have to be a great cook to have a dinner party. It’s totally acceptable to go the semi-homemade (or even store bought!) route!

Sande Lee would be happy with today’s semi-homemade recipe that’s perfect for autumn nights, pupmkin carving parties, or just for a yummy meal with the fam.

I’m sharing a recipe for white bean chicken chili that is oh, so yummy and a cinch to make too!

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