Jennifer Carroll Events Blog

How-To: Thanksgiving Cheddar Biscuits

The big day is quickly approaching-- are you set with all your dishes and recipes? In case you're looking for another dish to pop in some extra flavor and texture to your Thanksgiving spread, Jennifer's Cheddar Biscuits with Herb Butter {featured in our November newsletter} are a delicious and easy addition!

2 cups Bisquick baking mix

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

2/3 cup milk

2 tbs butter, melted

1/4 tsp oregano

1/4 tsp thyme

1/4 tsp sage

1/4 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Mix Bisquick mix, cheese, and milk together in a bowl. Blend until well combined. Note: it's a very thick dough!

Using two spoons, drop dough by the spoonful onto an ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake 5 minutes. Meanwhile, combine melted butter with oregano, thyme, and sage. Pull biscuits out of the oven after 7 minutes and brush herbed butter on top. Place back in the oven to finish cooking, approximately 5 minutes, or until golden brown.

Brush warm biscuits with remaining melted butter before serving. Serve warm.

Makes 8 servings.

We just love this recipe-- it's simple enough not to overwhelm your busy Thanksgiving day cooking schedule, but it adds a tremendous punch of flavor! Drop biscuits are so easy because you don't even have to allow extra time for rolling out the dough. Instead, you just mix, drop, and bake! If you need more Thanksgiving menu inspiration, peruse the recipes we included in our November issue for more delectables to add to your feast!

Don't forget-- we'll be sending out our jam-packed December issue to newsletter subscribers this weekend! To be one of the first readers to receive it, head here to sign up!

Have a safe, warm, and thankful Thanksgiving! We'll be on a small blog break next week-- but make sure to check back in on Monday, November 29, to catch up on all the exciting projects we're working on in the meantime!

Happy Friday!

-Jennifer & Stephanie

Papers, Papers Everywhere!

We here at Jennifer Carroll Events know-- it's easy to forget just how many paper products a wedding entails! It's fun to pick out an invitation suite... but the signage? And the table numbers? And the escort cards?

Before you become too overwhelmed, take a deep breath-- the good news is that there are so many possibilities with papers nowadays that you can use them in so many ways to really tie together every fun design element in your wedding ambiance! Will personalized cocktail napkins add a delightful touch to your reception decor? Will your guests revel in the quirky, funky escort cards you created? Do you want to add a bit of whimsy in your table settings with fun Bride and Groom signs at your seats? Using papers in fresh, glamorous ways will add that special "Wow" factor to make your wedding truly your own.

Our recently hitched couple Valerie and David went the extra mile when working with us to craft papers that really spoke to their personality as a couple:

 

 

{photography by Jen Fariello}

There are so many options when dealing with wedding papers-- Valerie and David used chair signs, drink flags, personalized napkins, all echoing the design of their chic and pretty invitation suite. The possibilites are endless-- and that is so exiciting!

Happy Wednesday!

-Jennifer & Stephanie

Jennifer's Top Thanksgiving Tips

It's Monday, which means we are just over a week away from every foodie's favorite festivity-- Thanksgiving! Whether you are single-handledly trimming the turkey, peeling potatoes, and baking the pies or just traveling to relax with family and friends, Thanksgiving doesn't have to be the stressful, bustling day it's sometimes made out to be. As event planners, we at Jennifer Carroll Events have found several ways to keep the day running smoothly, the food cooked to perfection, and everyone focused on giving thanks. Jennifer offered her top tips for keeping Thanksgiving stress-free in our November newsletter; here, we've compiled a few of them below!

First things first: plan out your menu well in advance! Once you have all your dishes lined up, you can pinpoint which ingredients you need to buy, which is especially important if you want to buy locally!

After you have your menu planned, you can strategize about your time. Space out each dish evenly, leaving enough time (and space in your kitchen) to let things cool. Make sure you plan your turkey first-- occasionally the turkey will cook at hotter temperatures than other dishes, monopolizing your oven! Once you know how much time you need to dedicate to the turkey, you can plan out the rest of the cooking time accordingly. Jennifer recommends using a cooking bag for your turkey to reduce the need for constant basting and to save time.

If possible, make your desserts the day before the big feast. Most pies and cakes actually taste more delicious when the flavors have been allowed to meld together overnight.If you've prepared pies as part of your menu, pop them in a warm oven right before serving to ensure they're warm and gooey!

It's all about time management! Once you sit down and plan out your day, you can ease stress and approach Thanksgiving with a plan of attack.

Check back in later this week for more of Jennifer's Thanksgiving tips and tricks! If you missed the November issue of our montly e-zine, head here to check it out-- and make sure you sign up to receive each issue straight to your inbox each month!

Happy Monday!

-Jennifer & Stephanie

{Friday Sneak Peek}

Wow, the week has flown by! We've been hard at work on some exciting new projects here at Jennifer Carroll Events, where the holidays are taking over our subconsiousness. One of our recent endeavours includes prepping for our upcoming December e-zine-- think holiday entertaining, tips on crafting a winter wonderland ambiance for any event, and gift ideas galore! Here's a sneak peek at one of our e-zine inspirations:

We love creating new ways to spice up the holiday season-- elegant touches in decor or crafty ways to glam up gift-giving! Whether you're a low-key holiday planner or you love to host family and friends throughout the season, you won't want to miss our December newsletter, which is packed with seasonal inspirations. If you haven't signed up for our monthly e-zine, head here to subscribe!

Have you "liked" us on Facebook yet? We post all our blog posts straight to our Facebook page, so they show up automatically in your newsfeed! We love all the support we get from friends, family, and the community-- so if you like what we're doing here at Jennifer Carroll Events, be our Facebook fan!

Happy Friday! Enjoy a gorgeous fall weekend!

-Jennifer & Stephanie

Happy Holiday {Cards}!

It's only November, but to some savvy holiday-planners that means you should already be looking into sending your holiday cards! Whether you love sharing a handwritten note to your loved ones or tend to slip recent family photos into the envelope before you send your cards, we have several sweet designs to cover all your holiday needs! From vintage-inspired lettering to whimsical winter imagery, our holiday cards are perfect for intimate notes to family and friends or office holiday greetings.

{Bringing Home the Tree}

{Let It Snow}

{Mistletoe Season's Greetings}

 

{Vintage Santa Merry Christmas}

Don't forget-- these cards are also perfect as gift tags or place cards! We love getting creative with papers. What else do you do with holiday cards? These designs, and more, are being featured on our Etsy shop-- head here to take a look.

Happy Wednesday!

-Jennifer & Stephanie

{Inspiring Ideas} Vintage World Travel

The week is off to a whirlwind start here at Jennifer Carroll Events-- but really, we wouldn't have it any other way! It's only Monday, and we're hard at work prepping for a travel-inspired photo shoot later this week. While we can't reveal all the details right now, suffice it to say you can make any occasion an Event {with capital letters} with the addition of dainty details and customized design elements. Today we're inspired by antique maps and vintage travel elements.

{photo courtesy Keur maps}

{photo courtesy World Globes}

The faded map colors, intersecting lines, scripty font, dark, mahogany elements-- swoon! What's inspiring you this week?

Happy Monday!

-Jennifer & Stephanie

Elegant {& Feathery} November Inspiration

 

 

Happy November! Can you believe how close we are to the holiday season? In case you haven't been eagerly counting down the hours until you can stuff the turkey and hang the trimmings, never fear-- we've created a set of glamorous and elegant Thanksgiving inspirations from Polyvore.

Thanksgiving doesn't have to scream "kitschy" if you don't want it to! The combination of robin's egg blue and chocolate are seasonally appropriate without straying too far from the traditional feel of Turkey Day. Add in some creams and taupes to create a color scheme that will soothe and delight your guests, or throw in a punchy orange or green for an extra pop. Spice up your dining room decor with rustic touches-- such as wooden serving bowls, distressed birdhouses as centerpieces, or non-scented candles in pretty wire holders (don't use scented candles-- it will take away from the delicious smells of your dinner!).

Thanksgiving is quickly approaching! And while these design elements are perfect for the holidays, they'll be sure to glam up any event you host.

Happy Wednesday!

-Jennifer & Stephanie

Melanie & Alex: A Pink-Tinged Summer Wedding

It might have been the Fourth of July-- but Melanie and Alex were celebrating unity, not independence, at their mid-summer Veritas Vineyard wedding in Afton, Virgina. The bride chose a palatte of navy and bright and blushing pinks to color her Big Day and the result couldn't have been more romantic and feminine! After tying the knot on the vineyard lawn, the couple and bridal party had a fun-- and slightly impromtu-- photo session with photographer Jen Fariello that included a vintage car and local roosters. The night ended with lots of dancing, a photo guest book, and, of course, a sparkler send-off!

Thanks to Melanie and Alex for including us in designing and executing your Big Day! We had so much fun working with your friends and family, and with all the incredible vendors who helped make the day a success:

Photography: Jen Fariello

Venue: Veritas Vineyard & Winery

Event Design & Planning: Jennifer Carroll Events

Papers: Jennifer Carroll Events

Florist: Pat's Floral Designs

Catering: Veritas Vineyard & Winery

Hair & Makeup: Face Value Studio & Salon

Videographer: United Wedding Films

Rentals: Festive Fare

Ceremony Music: Alan Gant

DJ: Derek Tobler

Cake: Cakes of Art

Vintage Car: Albemarle Vintage Limousine

Happy Monday!

-Jennifer & Stephanie