Chocolate & Champagne Gala

I attended a fundraising event this weekend called the Chocolate & Champagne Gala. I enjoyed the concept and thought I would share it with you as a theme to replicate for your own event, either at an event facility or in your own home. (I apologize for not having any photos to share; I was working for part of the event and the lighting was horrible in the photos I did manage to take!)

The event had several components: food stations, chocolate stations, silent auction, loud auction, champagne table, and dancing. The evening began with the silent auction and food stations. Guests had the opportunity to bid on fun gifts and sample delicious food! Food offerings included a fresh pasta station, fruit and cheeses, carving station with beef, pork, and rolls. The chocolate part consisted of many tables staffed by local vendors offering their chocolate wares for your palette's delight; chocolate covered strawberries and espresso beans, truffles, chocolate candies, pretzels, and coffee. The food stations closed just before a short program and loud auction began. Once the bidding was over, a local swing band played and guests stayed behind to dance.

So, how can you adapt this event to fit your next soiree? It's easy!

1. Food stations. Provide hot and cold food options for your guests. If your home or event space allows, consider placing food stations in different rooms (i.e., kitchen, dining room, living room, patio, etc.). This allows guests to mingle and will hopefully prevent traffic jams around a single food table. It also offers the option of providing different types of food without being too chaotic on one table. This can work well with a potluck event.
2. Dessert station. The event I went to offered chocolate-themed desserts, but you can choose another theme if you wish, such as cheesecake, mini desserts, ice cream sundaes, etc. Allow guests to pick and choose items that satisfy their taste buds. Offer your guests an after dinner drink to go with dessert.
3. Beverage bar. Allow your guests to mix their own drinks at a drink station. Provide the mixings for 3 recipes, and they can choose which drink to mix in their glasses. You can choose to provide alcoholic or non-alcoholic mixed drinks.
4. Donation station. Throw a party for a good cause! Consider incorporating a fundraising or other element to your event to give back to your community. Put together a small auction (silent or loud) by asking each guest to bring a basket for the rest of the party guests to bid on. Or, simply ask guests to bring non-perishable items or cash to donate to a local charity.
5. Dress code/theme. Most of us don't get the opportunity to dress up and attend a nice event on a regular basis. I'm one of those people who loves to do that, so I think it's a fun way to spice up an at-home celebration! You don't necessarily have to dress up in suits and heels, but consider choosing a theme that everyone will have fun with (i.e., Hawaiian, Roaring '20s, Safari, etc.).

I hope you enjoy the inspiration board above!

I am currently working on a fundraising auction for my "day job." I will be sure to post details and photos of the event once it is completed in a few weeks!

Chocolate Tasting Party

Host a chocolate tasting party as a fun way to celebrate Valentine's Day... or a Girls' Night Out, or any other special occasion (bridal shower, baby shower, etc.).

Enjoy drinking chocolate, chocolate truffles, chocolate bars, chocolate dipped fruit, and more in your own home. Find a local store that sells a wide variety of chocolate. Pick out several types of light and dark chocolate, plus other varieties in-between. As you sample the chocolate, move from light to dark because the flavor becomes more complex (like wine).

At your tasting, throw in a chocolate trivia or a chocolate-themed board game. Check out these 50 trivia questions from brownielocks.com. Or, do your own research on chocolate and create your own game!

Don't forget to develop a creative ambiance for the party. Consider a color scheme like white (to show off the chocolate) or pink and brown. Have music playing in the background and some nice dessert wine ready to pour. In addition, you may want to provide other food options such as appetizers to help combat the sugar rush from the chocolate!

If you have additional thoughts or ideas to share, please do so in the comments section. Have fun!

Red Velvet Cake Balls

I just came across this recipe for Red Velvet Cake Balls from the Bakerella blog (which is fabulous, by the way!). I love this idea and can't wait to make them myself! Click here to see the original post. Check out the comments to find helpful tips to assist you in making them.


Red Velvet Cake Balls (From Bakerella Blog)
This recipe is based on a mix, but I imagine you can follow the same directions substituting from scratch cake and frosting (I'll try that one day). You can also try it with other cake combinations.
1 box red velvet cake mix (cook as directed on box for 13 X 9 cake)
1 can cream cheese frosting (16 oz.)
1 package chocolate bark (regular or white chocolate)
wax paper

1. After cake is cooked and cooled completely, crumble into large bowl.
2. Mix thoroughly with 1 can cream cheese frosting. (It may be easier to use fingers to mix together, but be warned it will get messy.)
3. Roll mixture into quarter size balls and lay on cookie sheet. (Should make 45-50. You can get even more if you use a mini ice cream scooper, but I like to hand roll them.)
4. Chill for several hours. (You can speed this up by putting in the freezer.)
5. Melt chocolate in microwave per directions on package.
6. Roll balls in chocolate and lay on wax paper until firm. (Use a spoon to dip and roll in chocolate and then tap off extra.) I also only melt a few pieces of chocolate bark at a time because it starts to cool and thicken. It's easier to work with when it's hot.

For additional photos to help you along during the process, check out the original post over at Bakerella (link above).

This recipe is great as a simple treat for family or co-workers. I think it's also a great idea for a princess party or an adult soiree (remember, you can customize the cake and frosting combination to suit your taste/needs). Any way you incorporate these pieces of heaven, you're sure to have a hit on your hands!