Ooooh I love this!

It’s so simple and delicious! There is just one watch- out I want to offer: DO NOT OVERMIX! If you do you’ll get a pink spread which is far less appealing that the herb and tomato-flecked result you’ll get if you gently mix to combine.

Here’s my recipe for peppermint spray that I swear by. Spray it on your front door wreath, the door frame and any area you want to keep spiders, bugs and even mice at bay.  Ants, spiders, and even mosquitoes tend to dislike strong mint scents

It’s a perfect alternative to harsh chemical sprays - especially right at your front door where guests arrive

There are some invitations that don’t require much convincing. “Come on over for Mexican and margaritas” is one of them.

It promises a table full delicious flavors, endless chips and salsa and a pitcher (or two) of margaritas. No fuss. No formality. Just good food and good drinks.

What time?

When my kids were little and it was a pancake morning, I’d be in the kitchen flipping them while everyone else was at the table eating them! Sheet pan pancakes changed all that! Now you can have pancakes with the rest of the crew- warm and wonderful- no flipping required!

What’s better than a bourbon slush? Not much that I can think of. And from an entertaining standpoint, it checks all the boxes: it’s make ahead and it tastes great! Thanks to my former neighbor Marjorie for sharing her recipe all those years ago!

This recipe is in my cookbook,Amy’s Table: Food for Family and Friends. It remains a go-to dessert in spring and summer. It’s easy, beautiful, delicious and oh-so perfect for variations. From the cookie crust to the creamy filling to the fruit you choose, make it your own!

Oh Grilled Cheese, how do I love thee?

So very many ways…….

Try one or try them all…..here’s a compete Kentucky Derby Party menu to celebrate the most exciting 2 minutes in sports!

These are everything you love about a classic bánh mì tucked into a  soft slider bun. Juicy pork meatballs layered with tangy pickled carrot and daikon, a little heat from jalapeño, and a swipe of chili mayo that brings it all together in the best way.

Play with your food! Unleash your inner creativity by making gumdrop flowers for Spring.

Gum drop flowers add such a special touch to cupcakes and layer cakes. I love to make them for Easter, and Mother’s Day. For Easter I turn orange gumdrops into carrots. For Mother’s Day I like to cascade a gumdrop roses down the side of a layer cake.

This simple salad becomes especially fresh with the addition of delicate flowers.  Just toss field greens with the Champagne Vinaigrette and garnish with a few nasturtium blossoms or a scattering of petals. Garnish each plate with a couple of long, slender chives.

(I grow Nasturtiums and Chives on my Lettuce Grow tower, but you can grow them in a pot on your deck, too)

Add salmon or chicken to turn this into an entree salad.

These adorable flowers generate a lot of scraps. Stir them into yogurt or use them to make fruit salad.

My take on the Sweet and Sour Coleslaw from the General Denver in Wilmington, Ohio. Yum!

These little cuties disappears faster than you can make them.

This is one of those oh-so-easy, oh-so-delicious dishes that somehow slips your mind - until you make it again and wonder why you ever stopped. Don’t forget this one.

This is just like a root beer float, only with Guinness. The Guinness and ice cream alone are interesting but the magic happens with the addition of a little chocolate drizzle. If the ice cream is a little soft, good. If you want to stir it up a bit, even better. Cheers!

Even if you aren’t Irish, St Patrick’s Day is the day to act like you are and that means celebrating with an Irish menu. This bread and butter combo may inspire you to act like you’re Irish the rest of the year.

What I love about this stew, aside from the deep flavor the Guinness adds, is the way the dumplings magically plump up and fill the pot.
I use good old Bob Evans mashed potatoes for my dumplings (hey- if they’re good enough for Ina they’re good enough for me!)

Selected by the experts at The Party Source

Don’t need a whole tart? The Chocolate Mousse makes a great dessert on its own, served in wine glasses or in Chocolate Bowls. Try it as a cake filling, too.