chocolate fix, fixed

I have this horrible habit of attempting far more than is reasonable when I entertain. Lately, I’m trying to rein myself in.

I had a successful foray in restraint when I prepared an Easter dinner and decided to nix the homemade apricot custard tart I was planning in favor of a build-your-own-s’meeps station. The s’meeps were a hit (mainly for their sheer kookiness), and, quite frankly, a good lesson for me in successful-yet-totally feasible entertaining.

So when friends invited me over for dinner recently and gave me dessert duty, I decided to go interactive again. But this time with five-minute microwavable individual chocolate cakes.

First, I’ll give you the recipe—it’s from a forward my mother sent me that doesn’t list the original source of the recipe. (Sorry, Original Source Person—speak up if you’re out there!) Next, I’ll tell you how my friends and I fared on the project.

question of the week: potluck preferences

So you receive an Evite invitation, and you usually reply, "What should I bring?" Right? Potlucks are the default for many people, and for good reason: They're easier and more economical for hosts, guests are guaranteed to like at least one dish, and everybody gets to feel involved in the party. 

But let's be honest, sometimes potlucks can be a bit of a pain. As a host, you could end up with 5 mac and cheeses and nothing else (actually, that sounds like a pretty good party), or you could find yourself assigning dishes to each person...or having to endure some nasty, fun-reducing food-like concoctions. And as a guest, you have to figure out what to bring and find a way to transport it to the place you're going without it spoiling or spilling all over you. Good luck with that.

twiigs.com

party by numbers: engagement party

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Reader Holly wrote in to get ideas and suggestions for an engagement party she's throwing for her sister and brother-in-law-to-be. We thought a Party by Numbers post would be the perfect way to get her started.

Invitation: Pick one of the invitations in our Wedding / Engagement category. If you want to make it more personalized, you can change the main image to one of the couple. Just choose any invitation with a background or color scheme that you like, then click the "Upload New Main Image" button.

Here are some important details to keep in mind:

• Mention your relationship to the bride- and groom-to-be in the invitation. Traditionally, the parents of the bride throw the engagement party, but nowadays, anything goes.
• Etiquette suggests that only wedding guests should be invited to the engagement party. There are exceptions to this rule (like if the wedding will be family only or in a far-off locale), but it's a pretty good rule to stick to in almost all cases. Make sure to get a guest list directly from the couple and/or their parents.
• Giving gifts at engagement parties is strictly optional. Don't include where the couple is registered in the invitation — let guests who want to bring a gift ask you directly.

Food and Drink: Since toasts to the couple are the main event at an engagement party, you'll want to have plenty of bubbly on hand. This can mean champagne, but if you want to save a little, cava, prosecco or any sparkling wine will do.

Stick with serving finger foods instead of a full meal. It'll promote mingling between the families and among the guests.

Special Touches: Keep the couple of honor in mind for the party décor. Adding lots of photos to tabletops is always a good bet for sprucing things up. Also incorporate things that are specific to the couple. For example, I went to an engagement party where the couple had gotten engaged in Hawaii, so the hosts pulled in subtle tropical elements — hibiscus flower arrangements and background music from The Beach Boys and the Blue Hawaii soundtrack — without going overboard on a theme.

Want even more rules of engagement? Check out our engagement party guide.

popcorn roasting on an open fire...

We all know what happens when you mix graham crackers, chocolate and marshmallows with an open fire. Answer: magic.

Attempt the same feat in your kitchen and you get something pretty great, but it's not the same. So, does the same hold true when you take popcorn out of the kitchen? With this Grill Popper from Nordic Ware and a campfire or outdoor grill, you can find out.

Bring it camping, tailgating, to the backyard grill. And that mesh lid? It becomes your serving bowl. Awesome!

Fun with pancakes

Have you noticed an increase in expensive kitchen gadgetry for kids, like bendy man spatulas and mouse measuring cups? The aim is to make cooking fun for children. Hello! Put away the credits cards and just do this: Clean an empty plastic ketchup bottle and fill it with pancake batter.

The opening is perfectly sized for making funny pancakes. Before the ketchup bottle discovery, the most I could do to impress my toddler was drop two blobs of batter into the skillet to make a lopsided snowman. Now I can spell names and create turtles, flowers, puppy dogs, caterpillars and bunny ears (well, that one looks more like the “peace sign” hand gesture, but whatever). The point is, the sky’s the limit, almost.

Here are a few tips:

• If you’re spelling a name in batter, write backwards so the pretty, golden brown side will be on top when you flip it.

• Since the batter expands, it's best to stick to shapes with rounded features, avoiding sharp angles and triangles. Sadly, that means no kitty ears.

• Use ¼ more mix than your recipe calls for. Otherwise the batter will be too thin to hold a shape.

• To fill a standard 24-ounce ketchup bottle, use about 3 cups of batter.

• Add a tablespoon a flaxseeds for a tasty health boost. Flaxseeds are a great source of Omega-3s, but they also add a mild nutty flavor to pancakes.

Chickens are the new black

Sure, the Obamas planted a Victory Garden, and these days urban and backyard gardeners from Brooklyn to the Midwest to San Fran are impressing their guests with salsas and salads plucked from their own sunny plots.

But can a tomato plant decorate your party? Will it entertain your guests? Certainly not. That’s where chickens come in. They’re budget-friendly — we paid $11 for each of them, plus a coop — and they even supply food!

Plus, chickens bring:

• An element of drama. Where will they run next? What are they scratching at? Can I pet them?
• The ultimate eco-friendly appetizers. From the backyard to the kitchen, there is no carbon footprint for fabulous deviled eggs!
• Coolest kid on the block status. Sure, your friends have the newest iPhone, but chickens? That’s the next level.
• Children love chickens! For petting, have an adult hold the chicken, beak facing away, while the tyke pats the smooth back feathers. Kids love chasing them too; don’t sweat it, chickens outrun little ones. Warning: My birds peck at beak-level food; when kids eat ice cream cones, put your feathered friends in the coop.

Ultimate, No Carbon Footprint Deviled Eggs!
Match the herb to the cuisine you’re serving. Going Greek? Add oregano. Good old American? Chives or dill will do. Italian? Try basil.

• 1 dozen fresh eggs
• salt and freshly ground pepper
• 3/4 cup mayonnaise (low-fat will taste just as good)
• 1 teaspoon. dried herb of your choice, plus a dash for sprinkling (got fresh? Use about 3 times as much, minced)
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

Place eggs in pot; add cold water until eggs are covered by an inch. Bring to boil over high heat. Cover, remove from heat and let sit 17 minutes. Fill a large bowl with ice cubes and water. Transfer eggs to bowl, and chill until cool enough to handle, about 5 minutes (this makes eggs easier to peel and prevents the dark coloring around the yolk).

Crack shells gently; peel, rinsing if necessary to remove shell. Slice each egg in half lengthwise. Transfer yolks to medium bowl and whites to platter.

Using back of fork, break up yolks. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add mayonnaise, 1 teaspoon dried herb and mustard; stir to blend thoroughly. Correct seasoning if necessary.

Using small spatula or spoon, portion yolk mixture evenly into halved whites. Sprinkle yolk mixture with herbs and serve.

Serves 12 as appetizer

question of the week: summertime blues

Well, today's already the second day of summer. The thrill is gone. Let the griping begin.

We spend the rest of the year looking forward to days that live up to the summers of our memories and complaining about all the bad things we blocked out from last summer. Mosquito bites. Peeling sunburns. Just how long the drives and lines were to do anything fun.

Get your crabbiness out of your system here and then head out to enjoy this gorgeous day!

poll by twiigs.com

just chillin'

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White wine might be the perfect accompaniment to a summer dinner party. But how many times have you realized only moments before your guests arrive that you've forgotten to chill your bottle of wine? We've got a tip that'll give you ice-cold wine in less than 10 minutes with nothing more than ice, water and salt.

Here's what you do: Fill an ice bucket about a third full of ice cubes. (Staying true to my statement above, if you don't have an ice bucket, you can always use a large mixing bowl or even your kitchen sink.) On top of the ice, spread a generous handful or two of salt — about a third of a cup. Work the bottle of wine into the ice cubes, then fill the ice bucket the rest of the way with cold water making sure as much of the bottle is submerged as possible. Violà! You've got super-cold wine in no time. And trust me, this works a million times better than shoving it in the freezer for a few minutes.

We're filing this under another one more way that salt saves the day.

Bacon Doughnut Burger recipe

Leave it to sexy soul singer Luther Vandross to come up with the ultimate in over-indulgence. Elvis, your fried peanut butter and bacon sandwich has nothin’ on this.

For Fathers’ Day, here’s what most people usually make: hot dogs, beans, burgers served on normal buns (I shudder at the thought). Imagine how excited Dad will be when he experiences the crazy salt/sweet intensity of the bacon doughnut burger.

It’s certainly not good for you. In fact, if you have high cholesterol, for the love of God, stop reading now. But it’s unquestionably tasty and popping up all over the place, from a tiny doughnut shop in Massachusetts to the Food Network (Paula Deen created one for the “ladies” with an egg on top).

Here is the original recipe: glazed doughnut, hamburger patty, cheese and bacon. For a truly authentic experience, use a Krispy Kreme.

hey, mr. dj, put a record on

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Are you adding music playlists to your invitations? Here's why we love them: It's not just the host who gets to play DJ — guests can also add songs to create the perfect party soundtrack.

Setting it up is easy. When you're entering your party details, open the invitation options and select "Add Music Playlist." Follow the instructions to search our music database and add your songs.

Rock out while you check out the invitation's guest list and leave your comment. And hosts, you can use these songs as requests to help you decide what to play at your event. Handy!

Wanna know what songs are on other people's playlists? Here's the current top 10.

10. Girls Just Want to Have Fun — Cyndi Lauper
9. Happy Birthday — Stevie Wonder
8. Just Dance — Lady Gaga
7. I Kissed a Girl — Katy Perry
6. Round Round — Flo Rida
5. If I Were a Boy — Beyonce
4. Celebration — Kool & the Gang
3. I'm Yours — Jason Mraz
2. Hot 'N Cold — Katy Perry
1. Poker Face — Lady Gaga

Requests? Long-distance dedications? Let us know in the comments....