Friends! Welcome to Penny Pinchin'!
A Little Background
I am Jenny, an LDS wife living in Utah! I love hosting little dinners, big parties, crafting, sewing, cooking and baking. Honestly, I could not be more of a cliché Mormon wife. But I love it!
The name of the blog was inspired by friends in high school. My maiden name started with a P, so my name evolved to Penny. I thought it was a little punny, too, so I decided to create a blog! Voila!
Recent Happenings
The other day, my husband and I threw a little get together to celebrate our marriage with our Utah friends. We were married in the Atlanta Temple in December.
The pictures don't do the deliciousness justice! I take no credit for these delicious dishes; they are my mama's pure talent she passed on to me! She helped me decide on the theme of Valentine's Day! It was the easiest party to decorate.
Ladies, the Dollar Store/Dollar Tree is the go-to for these parties! Honestly! Also, Walmart! This post will feature how to throw a party inexpensively!
#2: Make dishes out of ingredients you already have! Honestly, in the "Featured Recipe" section at the bottom, I will give you the recipe to the diving Special K bars. I can honestly say you probably have 75% of the ingredients already!
*Tangent*: Check out this website! It asks what you have in your fridge and pantry and then gives you recipes for everything. Ingenious! http://myfridgefood.com/
#3: Pick an easy theme. In our case: Valentine's Day! Honestly, even if the nearest holiday isn't ideal, GO WITH IT! For example, if you're throwing a party near Easter, steal the pastel theme! Or the Spring time colors! You can get away with more than you think (Just don't have too many bunnies and Easter eggs layin' around and you're safe!)
#4: Research, research, research! Call everyone and their mother (literally) and ask for their favorite recipes. My mother is a caterer, so she is the food guru, so I have the absolute advantage. Pinterest is your next best friend! Unfortunately, I didn't discover it until I got engaged and had to plan a wedding! It is seriously a lifesaver!
#5: Don't panic. Don't get overwhelmed with the bazillion things you feel like you need to do. That is one thing I learned very quickly when planning my wedding. There are a thousand things you can do for a wedding, and only 5 of them are actually necessary!
#6: Be realistic: Don't expect every table, chair, and lamp to be decorated. Throw a few silk rose petals on the table and call it good!
#7: Plan, plan, plan ahead! I was brainstorming dishes weeks and weeks in advance. Buy the ingredients early on and a little at a time and I promise it won't be as overwhelming and expensive!
#8: Thrift. No, I'm not kidding. 100% of my serving dishes were from a local thrift shop. Don't be above this! Honestly, it saved me so much money. I ended up finding a porcelain platter from France. When I googled that bad boy, I learned that it is worth over $65! What a steal! Seriously, do not second guess this! It is your best option. What college student has 15 platters and serving dishes? I didn't!
#9: Do NOT buy anything premade! This includes fruit and veggie platters, cheese cubes, etc. Honestly! It takes a little bit of preparation, but you will save so much money! A similar veggie platter from Costco (with less volume) is about $15. I spent about $6 for the entire platter, plus some extra veggies that wouldn't fit.
#10: Last but not least, PRICE MATCH! This should be a commandment for life, but especially for parties and dinners. If you know of any Hispanic markets or any other discounted grocers, call to request the advertisement! It's not hard. And they don't know that you're taking it to Walmart! Mwahahah!
I hope this helps you out in some way! I know these are all pretty obvious tips for parties, but I wanted to make sure I spread it to all!
Come and share your tips and tricks of life with us! We would love to hear your secrets!
The Menu:
Chocolate Mousse
I ran out of platters, so this is the lid to a mixing bowl covered in foil!
I had to get creative fast!
You can only kind of tell, right? ;)
For the Heart Shaped mold (Courtesy of my husband! He's so crafty!):
Line the pan with plastic wrap.
Throw in mousse or any other divine dessert.
Freeze.
Let thaw for a few minutes. (I was impatient and set it on the stove burner for a few seconds)
Lift wrap and peel!
I used candy coating chocolate for the squiggle!
I just melted it for 30 seconds at a time, mashing the candies.
If you have some lumps, DON'T heat longer. Just stir until they're evenly melted.
Set a plastic baggie in a cup and pour in melted chocolate.
Snip the end of one corner of the bag and drizzle away!
For this design, I just throw my wrist into circles.
You can't mess something like this up! I promise!
Can you tell it's a heart? Oops...
For the Heart Shaped mold (Courtesy of my husband! He's so crafty!):
Line the pan with plastic wrap.
Throw in mousse or any other divine dessert.
Freeze.
Let thaw for a few minutes. (I was impatient and set it on the stove burner for a few seconds)
Lift wrap and peel!
I used candy coating chocolate for the squiggle!
I just melted it for 30 seconds at a time, mashing the candies.
If you have some lumps, DON'T heat longer. Just stir until they're evenly melted.
Set a plastic baggie in a cup and pour in melted chocolate.
Snip the end of one corner of the bag and drizzle away!
For this design, I just throw my wrist into circles.
You can't mess something like this up! I promise!
Can you tell it's a heart? Oops...
Special K Bars
Featured recipe below!
Featured recipe below!
The most popular dish!
What could be better than peanut butter butterscotch delciousness?
Not much.
What could be better than peanut butter butterscotch delciousness?
Not much.
7 Layer Dip
The runner-up!
I got a 5 pound bag of tortilla chips at Costco for $3. You can't beat that!
Find tips on the tomato rose at the bottom!
**Tip! Hide the avocado seed in the middle of the guacamole. It will keep it from turning brown!**
The guac was made from 3 avocados and a splash of lemon juice. That's all you need!
I got a 5 pound bag of tortilla chips at Costco for $3. You can't beat that!
Find tips on the tomato rose at the bottom!
**Tip! Hide the avocado seed in the middle of the guacamole. It will keep it from turning brown!**
The guac was made from 3 avocados and a splash of lemon juice. That's all you need!
Veggie Platter
Hand cut veggies!
Mmm... Olives...
Mmm... Olives...
What is Valentine's Day without candy?
Single Awareness day, but uncool!
Okay people. Metal tins? $1 at Target!
Doilies? $1 for TWENTY at Walmart!
Heart dish from a thrift store.
Awesome.
Partial Table Shot
Pink Fluff on far left!
Dollar store platter made from a candle stick and aluminum platter with kisses!
Cubed cheese (hand cut!)
Lemon Cake with lemon glaze!
With Cool Whip topping.
Drooling.
The pictures don't do the deliciousness justice! I take no credit for these delicious dishes; they are my mama's pure talent she passed on to me! She helped me decide on the theme of Valentine's Day! It was the easiest party to decorate.
Ladies, the Dollar Store/Dollar Tree is the go-to for these parties! Honestly! Also, Walmart! This post will feature how to throw a party inexpensively!
Tips for the Party!
Tip #1: Plan ahead! Don't buy ingredients at the last second. You'll end up spending much more than your husband would like (Hehe!).#2: Make dishes out of ingredients you already have! Honestly, in the "Featured Recipe" section at the bottom, I will give you the recipe to the diving Special K bars. I can honestly say you probably have 75% of the ingredients already!
*Tangent*: Check out this website! It asks what you have in your fridge and pantry and then gives you recipes for everything. Ingenious! http://myfridgefood.com/
#3: Pick an easy theme. In our case: Valentine's Day! Honestly, even if the nearest holiday isn't ideal, GO WITH IT! For example, if you're throwing a party near Easter, steal the pastel theme! Or the Spring time colors! You can get away with more than you think (Just don't have too many bunnies and Easter eggs layin' around and you're safe!)
#4: Research, research, research! Call everyone and their mother (literally) and ask for their favorite recipes. My mother is a caterer, so she is the food guru, so I have the absolute advantage. Pinterest is your next best friend! Unfortunately, I didn't discover it until I got engaged and had to plan a wedding! It is seriously a lifesaver!
#5: Don't panic. Don't get overwhelmed with the bazillion things you feel like you need to do. That is one thing I learned very quickly when planning my wedding. There are a thousand things you can do for a wedding, and only 5 of them are actually necessary!
#6: Be realistic: Don't expect every table, chair, and lamp to be decorated. Throw a few silk rose petals on the table and call it good!
#7: Plan, plan, plan ahead! I was brainstorming dishes weeks and weeks in advance. Buy the ingredients early on and a little at a time and I promise it won't be as overwhelming and expensive!
#8: Thrift. No, I'm not kidding. 100% of my serving dishes were from a local thrift shop. Don't be above this! Honestly, it saved me so much money. I ended up finding a porcelain platter from France. When I googled that bad boy, I learned that it is worth over $65! What a steal! Seriously, do not second guess this! It is your best option. What college student has 15 platters and serving dishes? I didn't!
#9: Do NOT buy anything premade! This includes fruit and veggie platters, cheese cubes, etc. Honestly! It takes a little bit of preparation, but you will save so much money! A similar veggie platter from Costco (with less volume) is about $15. I spent about $6 for the entire platter, plus some extra veggies that wouldn't fit.
#10: Last but not least, PRICE MATCH! This should be a commandment for life, but especially for parties and dinners. If you know of any Hispanic markets or any other discounted grocers, call to request the advertisement! It's not hard. And they don't know that you're taking it to Walmart! Mwahahah!
Tomato Rose Tutorial
Have you ever peeled an apple? Peel the tomato in a spiral pattern. Do not worry about it getting too thin or cutting it on accident. It isn't ideal to cut it into sections, but it will still work! Twist it back around into a spiral and you have a rose! So simple, yet it adds a pretty touch.Featured Recipe: Special K Bars!
18 oz. creamy peanut butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup Karo syrup
Melt together til smooth.
Add: 6 cups Special K cereal.
Press mixture of cereal and melted ingredients into 9x13 pan.
Melt together and spread over base:
12 oz butterscotch chips
12 oz chocolate chips
(For mine, I had an extra bag of butterscotch, so I melted it gently and
swirled it on top for extra deliciousness and design!)
swirled it on top for extra deliciousness and design!)
Chill til top is firm but not too cold. Bring to room temperature and cut into small squares.
Enjoy!
I hope this helps you out in some way! I know these are all pretty obvious tips for parties, but I wanted to make sure I spread it to all!
Come and share your tips and tricks of life with us! We would love to hear your secrets!
