Hot-Chocolate and Smores!
There's just something very comforting to me about the idea of making smores and drinking hot chocolate when the weather gets rather chilly.
I don't know anyone who doesn't like oozing toasted marshmellows and gooey chocolate nestled between two graham crackers.
If you have an outdoor fire pit or an indoor fireplace, you have the makings for a fabulous evening with some good friends and of course, good eats - Smores!
You don't have to do anything fancy for invitations since this is a very low key affair. In the past, I have just sent out notecards to friends and neighbors to let them know we were "doing smores" on the back deck. Below are two different notecards just to give you an idea of what you could send out (if anything). You may just want to send an email, maybe an E-vite or even give them a call.
Hot Chocolate and Smores Decorations If you're entertaining outside, you really don't need that much. But you do need to make sure that there is enough seating available for everyone. And make sure your patio, deck, or back yard is clean. You don't want anyone to have to brush leaves or ice off a chair to sit down! If you have a table outside, make sure it is clean as well. Then take some roping and lay it in an "S" shape down the middle. The kind of roping you use will depend on which month it is. If it's October or November you can use branches with leaves that you've tied together with florist wire.
You can also use small gourds and pumpkins to make your "S" shape. Just place them close together down your table.
During December and January use the same kind of fir or pine roping that you buy for Christmas to rope your banister. Or you may want to use magnolias...this makes a beautiful garland as well. You can also use nandina if you want to add a little color (the have small red berries on their branches). Next, place small votive candles on either side of the roping and alternating down the line. Light right before your guests arrive and you'll have enough lighting for everyone to assemble their smores without having to turn the floodlights on! If you're inside, you're probably in the living room, den, or study. If you have a large coffee table, you can use that as your "focal point". You probably won't have a lot of extra room so take your votive candles and place them evenly down the fireplace mantle and throughout the room instead of on the table. That way, you can light the candles, turn off the overhead light and you'll still be able to see, but now you'll be enveloped by a cozy warm light. This always makes me feel snuggly when it's cold outside!
Now you're ready to set your table with with the supplies for making smores. Make sure you have enough marshmellow roasters. These are now readily available in stores but I still use the ones made from hangars. My part for recycling I guess. Have 1 platter for marshmellows, 1 for chocolate, and 1 for graham crackers. You can even use tin roasting pans if you want. This way your platters all look the same and help create a unified look. As far as plates and napkins go, go ahead and use paper if that suits you. For a fall get together, use a solid fall color like rust, orange, dark green, or even a yellow. For winter, if it's not part of a Christmas celebration, use a light blue color or even white for your plates and napkins. Before your guests arrive, you may want to set a graham cracker on a couple of plates and then put a piece of chocolate on top of each cracker. That way, the guests that really want to jump right in but won't go first will feel better about starting.
Hot Chocolate and Smores Party Food What You'll Need: Graham Crackers ( I always use Nabisco's Honey Made because they break apart into squares more easily) Marshmellows (the large marshmellows work the best) Chocolate (this is up to you but I've tried both milk chocolate and dark chocolate and milk chocolate works best for me)
This recipe comes from the cookbook, Taste of Georgia which is a Junior League cookbook from Newman, Georgia. What You'll Need: 1 (8-quart) package nonfat dry milk 1 (6-ounce) jar nondairy coffee creamer 1 lb box Nestle's Quick 1 1/3 cups powdered sugar
** Make a large batch of hot chocolate before the party and put it in an insulated carafe or a large thermos to make it easier on you and your guests. Set out a stack of large hot/cold cups and let people serve themselves.
What You'll Need: 4 cups boiling water 2 Tbsp instant coffee granules 3/4 cup butterscotch schnapps 2 cups warm milk 2 Tbsp sugar Canned whip cream Cinnamon sugar
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