Seasonal Sweet of the Week!

For so many of us, Fall is our favorite time of year! The temperate weather and turning leaves just make  me so happy, but also the subtle changes in the foods we start to prepare. During the fall we are more apt to indulge in some warm soup, our start incorporating pumpkin and apple flavors into our recipes. To show our love for Fall, we have started featuring a seasonal sweet of the week on our delicious Sunday buffets, and I thought I would share the love by sharing one of my new favorite Fall recipes! Our chef made cookies like this, and they were absolutely divine!!! I went online in search of similar recipe and this is what I found... I hope that you enjoy these as much as I did!!  

30 Years of Food Trends

So a few weeks back as we were planning our Southern Living Saturdays menu, I stumbled upon this book 30 Years of Our Best Recipes. While flipping through I realized that they had completed a food trend profile for each decade. There is nothing this girl loves more than a good history lesson, trends, and food, which means I was in Southern Living heaven. So today I am diving back into this book to bring you blast from the past food trends even though some may not be too far gone. 

For the 70s...

• Scooped out and stuffed zucchini, eggplant, potatoes, peppers, and mushrooms took the main stage, as stuffed vegetable "boats" were big.
• Molded fruit salads loaves for everyday lunches and big family events like Christmas.
• Oysters every way- fried, scalloped, on the half shell, and skewered
• Meatloaf and soufflés were all the rage.
• Popular kitchen colors were avocado, harvest gold, paprika, and copper tone. 

From the 80s...

• The sizzling fajita surfaced.
• Fruit kabobs and cheesecake were the chic dessert.
• Food processors, pressure cookers, and microwaves became popular as a way to cook quickly.
• Ads of the day: Jello pudding, boil-in-bag rice, and unflavored gelatin. 

From the 90s...

• Salsa snuck past ketchup in popularity.
• Tall food was tops, with towering appetizers and desserts.
• Salt and fat got the cold shoulder in favor of fresh herbs and seasonings.
• The USDA convinced us to cook all our eggs.
• Fusion cooking, as well as vegetarian cooking, became more wide spread.

As for the new Millennium, here is my take on food trends from the past decade:

• Fondue pots became the new entertaining norm, both with chocolates and cheeses.
• Experiential elements, where guests personalize their own dishes, became the new hit in party planning.
• Organic produce began gracing our tables as a way to appease the health craze.
• Everything in miniature. Amuse-bouche style hors d'oeuvres allow party goers to try several different options. Cupcakes, cake balls, sliders, tacos, and hot dogs are just a few examples. 
• Fresh herbs and spices still find their way into most dishes, including desserts. 
• Lastly, every type of food can be served beautifully on some sort of stick. 

It seems like every time I finish a blog post for 500 Park Drive I leave hungry... But in conclusion, I would encourage you to visit the 500 Park Drive Pinterest board for inspiration in planning any and all parties, dinners and events. Hope you enjoyed this Tuesday morning's walk down memory lane, and don't forget that the best is yet to come with our Southern Living Saturdays! Check out the menus below!

Saturday, September 15th

Tomato Herb Salad
Spinach and Herb Stuffed Pork
Orange Herb Rice
Dilled Green Beans
Southern Honey Cake

Saturday, September 22nd
Bacon Monkey Bread
Orange Slices with Honey Yogurt
Corn and Squash Fritatta
Pumpkin Donut Drops  

Saturday, September 29th
Spicy White Bean Soup
Bourbon Chicken
Sautéed Apples, Onion, and Pears
Corn Fritters
Sweet Potato Bread Pudding

Fun at the Club!

So Jennifer, our fabulous Special Events Coordinator, has been working quite diligently to create an updated banquet guide for all special events but she was needing more pictures of table settings, different event areas, you know the usual stuff. So we decided to make a day out of it and pull out lots of different items, put together some different centerpieces and experiment with some new draping ideas. 150 pictures later, I think we got some winners! I was pretty excited about some of them and had to share! 

First off, let me ask how many of you have spent any time at ACC's picturesque stone patio area? I will admit I hadn't before today, but I will be a regular now! It is so beautiful!!

A little fun with glitz, glamour, and napkin folds!

These photos were taken using some light 'pucks' (for lack of a better word) we have here at ACC, and let me tell you they were so-o cool! They didn't photograph nearly as cool as they were in person!

This is just a taste of some of the tablescapes we created, but be looking for the rest in our new banquet guides and other publications from ACC. I hope you enjoyed the photos as well as gained some inspiration for a party you may be having soon! We always hope that when you think fun, you also think of ACC! Happy partying! 

Trend Alert: Taking the Cake...

It's no surprise that when you think wedding, shower, or birthday, your mind automatically goes straight to cake. Oh, your's doesn't? Well, maybe it's just me. Anyway, you always know that the cake is going to be the crowning jewel of the party. You know that so much time, effort and thought has gone into planning the perfect cake for the event. However, these days you aren't always sure what form that cake will be in... For example, cupcakes, cake balls, cheesecakes, miniature cakes, you get the picture. But whatever form the cake takes you know you love it! Lately, I have found sooo many cool examples of unique, fun, and nontraditional cakes that I wanted to share with you! You know me, and know how I harp on making each element personal to you, your party, your family, everything should remind people of you.  When people can think back to the party details and relate them to their friendship with you or an experience with you, that's what makes your party memorable. Take a look at some of my favorite cakes right now...

{via}

What a beautiful example of both an elegant way to use cake pops and excellent usage of the ombre effect! This creates such a striking statement on your cake table, as well as a refreshing change from the traditional wedding cake.

{via}

Do all of your friends know that you will love them forever if they bring you a box of a certain candy? Just so you all know, mine is Mike and Ike's Red Rageous. How fun to take a simple, cheap, plastic champagne flute or decorative glass, fill it with your favorite candy (or candies), and top with a color-coordinating cupcake! Again, the personal touches make these details spectacular.

{via}

I love the look of this icing. This style screams luxury and beauty.  Along with this fabulous icing, these cakes are miniature. This party had one of these small cakes per place setting. At first I was thinking to myself, "Oh my goodness, that is huge!" but when you look at the scale based on the dessert fork sticking out of one you realize that these are comparable in size to a larger cupcake. Maybe it's big enough to share, but oh the indulgence.

{via}

Isn't this fun for any one, big or little? I love specialty shaped cakes, especially ones covered in M&Ms.

{via}

I love peacocks. Can you imagine being served this cupcake? I don't think I would be able to eat it, it's too pretty!

{via}

A little snap, crackle, and pop at your party! Who doesn't love a good Rice Krispy treat?

{via}

Is your groom a super fan? This groom was crazy about Spiderman and the bride added this little detail to her cake to represent him. I think most of us can agree that we haven't seen anything like this before, and it just drives home the fact that small details like this can make any of us smile! 

I feel like I am a broken record, but these unique details will make your party the best ever and so memorable to all your guests.

After writing this post I am, of course, craving cake and sweets of all kinds. I might also need to see someone about my obvious obsession with sweets. My ACC grilled chicken and vegetable lunch is going to be so yummy, but will pale in comparison to the daydreams I am currently having of frosting and candies.