Entertaining & nesting
with do-it-yourself details.

Krispy Kreme Bread Pudding with Bourbon Sauce

I’m a firm believer that holiday calories don’t count. Especially the sweets. Thanksgiving Pumpkin Pie? Eat away. Christmas cookies? Have a dozen.

It’s this philosophy that allows me to enjoy—nay—to revel in this dessert, whose recipe calls for more than a dozen gloriously glazed Krispy Kreme donuts.

Because this is really the perfect holiday dessert. It reminds me of Christmas celebrations: Sweet, sugary, warm, and with a touch (or a lot) of bourbon.

The sauce isn’t as sweet as you’d expect, and complements the strangely satisfying soft-crunchy-sweet bread pudding perfectly.

Salivating yet? Get the recipe below, but first here’s a tip: The best part is the very top, where the glazed and soaked Krispy Kreme pieces get all crispy and crunchy. If you have a big, shallow dish that maximizes top-surface area, use it.

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Guest Post: Mini Pumpkin Cheesecakes

I’ve got a sweet guest post for you today. These adorable pumpkin cheesecakes come to you from Meredith K. on behalf of Reddi-wip. I think they’re the perfect treat to serve at your next holiday party or to round out your Thanksgiving dinner.

Halloween may be over, but pumpkin season is just getting started. Just because your Jack-o-lantern is headed for the trash bin doesn’t mean it’s time for your pile of pumpkin-flavored recipes to be stashed away until next year, which is excellent news for all us pumpkin-lovers! November and December are full of holiday parties, family get-togethers and general fall and winter festivities, meaning you’ll have plenty of reasons to indulge in pumpkin goodies galore in the coming weeks.

Pumpkin pie has always been the most popular pumpkin dish out there, but if you’re anticipating a pie-overload this season, these mini pumpkin cheesecakes are perfect for putting a little twist on your typical pumpkin dessert. These cheesecakes are made with a nutty walnut crust, filled with a creamy mixture of pumpkin, vanilla, cloves, cinnamon and nutmeg, and finished with a dash of sweet whipped topping; is there any combination more perfect for the holidays?

Need another reason to make these cuties? They’re mini! Mini things are not only easier to serve to a crowd than are big desserts that need to be sliced or scooped, but they’re also lighter for when you just need a mouthful of something sweet—perfect for rounding out a huge holiday dinner. And if you can’t tell from all of the yummy ingredients, these cheesecakes are absolutely scrumptious.

Get the recipe below.

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Life According to Instagram: October

Games, crafts, drinks and football. I love the fall.

Favorite activities: Miniature golf, pool at the bar and seeing a few bands. The best was seeing the insanely talented Delta Rae live in Atlanta. Check out their single “Bottom of the River” if you haven’t already.

Favorite crafts: The painted pumpkins I featured here on Formal Fringe, and the London 2012 silver medal I put together for my Halloween costume; I went as McKayla Maroney from the McKayla is Not Impressed meme.

New obsessions: Tea. Warm, unsweetened tea. Oh, and the vanilla Slurpee I got my hands on when we visited Florida last month. There’s no 7-11 near us in Atlanta–what a bummer!

Good news/bad news: My Florida Gators were on a roll in October, staying undefeated until a late October loss against the Georgia Bulldogs. I lost a bet living here in enemy territory and have to spend the season with a Georgia flag at my desk.

Stamped Ice Cream Spoons

I know, I know… Who can think of Ice Cream at a time like this? It’s practically freezing outside! But let me tell you a little something about myself: I’m a Florida girl who tends to exaggerate when it comes to cold weather, and I love ice cream. If you love ice cream too, you might love this simple DIY project I pulled together.

To fancy up an ice cream bar or just a cozy night in, dress up your ice cream with rubber-stamped spoons. It’s an easy way to tie a store-bought dessert into your party theme, and guests will appreciate the little personal touch.

Start with a set of small alphabet stamps and pack of wooden spoons; I used these craft spoons, but this wooden cutlery would work for a more refined bash. Assemble your phrase with the stamps and tape them together in place, then ink them up and stamp them down.

“Yum!” is a great phrase for anything you’re serving up. You could also use this project to label individual servings by flavor, or stamp spoons with names to make sure everybody gets their share.

A Wedding Cruise to the Bahamas, Part 2

If you missed part one of my cruise recap, click here.

After a long night of trying to sleep on a moving vessel, we woke up somewhere near Nassau, Bahamas. Along with the rest of the wedding guests, we sat on the top deck and watched our ship sail into port sipping on a few cold ones.

A lot of the people we traveled with made plans to visit the world-class water park at Atlantis or swim with dolphins at Dolphin Encounters.

But not me and J.R. Nope. We decided we wanted to see the sights in Nassau. Quickly. So we rented a zippy little scooter and took our own little adventure around Nassau and Paradise Island.

It cost us $60 for the whole day, and it gave us a chance to see some of the spots that the locals hang out at, like the Fish Fry at Arawalk Cay, along with the more touristy spots, like the ever popular Senor Frogs.

It was after the scooter ride at Senior Frogs where we did the most damage to our livers and our wallets. There were plenty of frozen margaritas, coconut cocktails (served in a real hollowed-out coconut—how’s that for presentation?) and beer to go around (I really liked Sands Light, brewed in nearby Freeport, Bahamas).

It was a great day out at port. And I was pleased to see that we had a guest waiting for us back in our stateroom. I mean, It’s not a cruise until you get a towel animal wearing your sunglasses, right?

The next day we were supposed to spend a beautiful day at Coco Cay, Royal Caribbean’s private island, watching friends recite their wedding vows on the beach. But Tropical Storm Patty had other plans.

Instead, the girls donned their dresses and the boys donned their slacks and got together to shoot some wedding photos out on the open seas as our cruise ship sailed to better weather.

That’s the lovely and talented Becky of Leigh Photography up there precariously balancing on those risers. What a photographer won’t do to get a good shot! Like this one of the boys “passed out” at the bar (inspired by Pinterest of course).

Despite the setbacks with the weather, it was a beautiful “wedding” and tons of fun, as we carried the celebration long into the night.

Usually, vacations can have a lasting effect on you. For a few glorious days after you return you stay tan,
or relaxed, or feeling well-fed. If you’re lucky, you feel all three. If you’re unlucky, you feel sea sick.

As I’m typing this, I still feel like I’m rocking back and forth. After being on a shaky boat for four days, my body is still trying to compensate, even though we’re safe on dry, relatively un-moving land. They tell me it’s normal. It was my first ever cruise, so I wasn’t sure what to expect.

But I know one thing: A few days of unbalanced equilibrium is well worth it. I had a blast!

A Wedding Cruise to the Bahamas, Part 1

See that beautiful water up there? That’s what I was surrounded by for four glorious days last weekend.

Last year, after our good friends announced their engagement and plans to take their show on the road, er—sea for the wedding, we booked a cruise with 28 other glowing guests for a destination wedding to The Bahamas.

I’d been looking forward to the trip for a while; it was my first time ever taking a cruise (apparently I missed the Spring Break cruise phase in college). After months of counting down the days and shopping for the perfect bikini, it was time to set sail!

J.R. and I decided to drive down to Cape Canaveral, Florida, instead of flying, and stay the night in Orlando before we left the next morning. The weather was perfect. The crazy money we spent in tolls trying to navigate the highways of Mickey’s hometown was not.

We woke up the next morning bright-eyed and bushy tailed to make our way to the coast, stopping at nearby Cocoa Beach for lunch before we went to the port. We found this great little pier with a few dive-bar-style seafood spots.

We sat down at Boardwalk for a few beers and to grab a bite to eat. I thought I would be too excited to eat, but changed my mind as soon as I saw Gorgonzola & Shrimp Skins on the menu. They’re basically like potato skins, but with gorgonzola cheese and shrimp instead of the normal toppings. Amazing. Only at the beach can you find a dish like this.

Then it was time to set sail!

Our boat was Royal Caribbean’s Monarch of the Seas. It’s one of the older and smaller ships in their fleet, and scheduled to be retired next April. But the ship was huge with tons to do, so I’m sure sailing with any of the other ships in Royal Caribbean’s fleet would be just as great an experience.

If you’re like me and want to spend your cruise vacation laying out and enjoying the rays, there’s a huge pool deck. Not long after we boarded, it was packed with people catching sun and having a blast.

If being active is more your thing, there was also a rock climbing wall and sports deck, complete with ping pong, shuffleboard and basketball.

And of course, lots to eat and drink.

And if there’s not enough salt on your pineapple margarita, you can always pick some up off the railings. Everything on the ship was coated in sea salt from the ocean spray. I almost wanted to bottle it up and bring it home. Almost.

After exploring the boat for a bit, it was time to set sail, go to bed and wake up in Nassau. Click here for Part 2 of my cruise recaps to check out our time in Nassau and the rest of the destination wedding cruise.