Easter Egg Decorating Party
Traditions for egg decorating differ from country to country and across cultures as well. Sometimes eggs are painted, dyed, and even carved! Three of my favorite techniques for decorating are below.
Dyeing eggs with Kool-Aid is a fun twist on traditionally decorating eggs. All you really need is unsweetened Kool-Aid packets, water, hard-boiled eggs, a spoon, and ball jars. For directions on how to dye your eggs with different patterns, click here.
Another favorite of mine is decorating eggs in a modern way – decoupaging or egg-oupaging if you will. The French term decoupage translates to “a cutting out” and I’ve made it modern by using fashion mags and celebrity rags. For further instructions on how to egg-oupage, click here.
Taking it to another level, mega modern, you can use crafting scraps for un-eggs-pected designs! They’re perfect as the prize egg in any fashionable egg hunt!
Un-eggs-pected sweet treats are great for hungry little (and big) egg hunters! You can make these egg-shaped treats ahead of time for your party or egg hunt. For no-bake eggs-treme marshmallow cereal treats, use Fruity Pebbles Xtreme for the bright neon colors. Egg sandwich pops, a variation on cake pops, are great for the spring as well! For directions on how to make both of these, click here.
An easy way to add color to your table is to mix and match your table décor. Start with a tablecloth (you can even use a shower curtain or window curtain with colorful patterns) and build from there! Add a centerpiece using some of the un-eggs-pected treats on sticks and plant them in a round vase of wheat grass. Layer different-colored plates on your table that compliment the colors of the tablecloth. For utensils and an added surprise for your guests, make a carrot pouch filled with jelly beans out of an orange napkin, green plastic utensils, and green pipe cleaners.
Easter Egg Decorating Party: Traditional Eggs
Dye your eggs with a Kool (Aid) Twist on the traditional way of decorating eggs! It’s a fun and easy way to utilize the bright colors Kool-Aid has to offer and it also smells great while you’re dyeing your eggs! You can also mix the different flavors in order to come up with new colors (for example: Lemonade and Berry Blue will give you a green). Tip: Lands’ End has cute monogrammed egg baskets that are perfect for an egg hunt!
All you have to do is remember 2 and 2 – two unsweetened packets of Kool-Aid (they can be the same two flavors or two different flavors if you’re mixing colors) and 2 tablespoons of water. I used wide-mouth Ball jars to mix my Kool-Aid because they have lids and are great for preventing spillage.
Place your hard-boiled egg into the jar and roll it around for even coverage. For deeper colors, submerge the eggs for longer. Quickly rinse the eggs with water to let the color set and transfer the eggs to a cooling rack with paper towels underneath.
You can create different types of patterns on the eggs with rubber bands, scrapbooking stickers, and rubber cement.
- When using rubber bands, double-wrap them over the eggs to make sure the dye doesn’t seep underneath and use varying sizes for different effects.
- You can monogram your eggs by placing scrapbooking letter stickers on a dry egg before submerging it into the Kool-Aid.
- Drizzle rubber cement onto an egg and let it dry completely (it will be slightly sticky/tacky). Submerge your egg into the Kool-Aid and after rinsing it, make sure the egg dries completely before peeling off the rubber cement. The rubber cement will give your egg an abstract design.
Tip: Make sure you let the Kool-Aid dry completely before you take off the rubber bands, scrapbooking stickers, and rubber cement.
Easter Egg Decorating Party: Modern Eggs
Decorate your eggs by decoupaging them or “egg-oupaging” them if you will. Decoupaging is the French term for “a cutting out” and you can make it modern by using cut outs of fashion mags and celeb rags. Display your eggs in a classic wire egg basket in order to really show off the designs.
Materials: hard-boiled eggs, magazines, scissors, mod podge glue, foam brush.
Cut out celebrity faces, fun words, and different patterns from magazines and separate them into different piles. Place a thin layer of mod podge glue on the part of the egg that you’re covering, then place your magazine cut outs on top of it. Secure your cut outs with a thin layer of mod podge glue.
Tip: Use colored tissue paper as a base or a filler as needed.
- Celebrity-inspired eggs – celebrity couples, celebrity besties, and even the royal couple and the Queen! Use text to accentuate the images (for example, “Put a ring on it” for Beyonce).
- Text-covered eggs – layer headlines over article text and use words or hot sayings that pop or stand out!
- Designer eggs – layer different designs, patterns and colors! This is great for incorporating spring colors into your Easter eggs!
Get creative and have fun with your egg-oupaging!
Easter Egg Decorating Party: Un-Eggs-pected Treats
Make egg-shaped or “un-eggs-pected” treats ahead of time for your party guests to enjoy after their egg hunt! Egg sandwich pops, similar to cake pops and eggs-treme marshmallow cereal treats made out of Fruity Pebbles Xtreme are both no-bake spring-time treats and fun for the family!
Egg Sandwich Pops
Materials:
-oval-shaped butter crackers
-peanut butter
-Wilton candy melts in different colors
-lollipop sticks
-sprinkles
-wax paper
Directions:
1. Spread peanut butter over an oval-shaped butter cracker.
2. Place a lollipop stick on top of the peanut butter and sandwich it with another cracker. Repeat steps 1 and 2 for multiple sandwich pops.
3. Place them in the refrigerator to set.
4. Melt the Wilton candy melts in the microwave according to the directions on the packaging.
5. Dip your sandwich pops in the candy melts to get an even coating. Decorate with sprinkles or to your liking and set it on the wax paper to harden.
Eggs-treme Marshmallow Treats
Materials:
-11 oz. box of Fruity Pebbles Xtreme
-1 bag of regular-sized marshmallows
-1/4 cup of butter
-egg-shaped cookie cutter or plastic eggs that open and lollipop sticks
-large microwave-safe mixing bowl
-large cooking sheet
The marshmallow treats can be made two different ways, depending on your preference. If you decide to use plastic eggs to mold the treats into more of a 3-dimensional egg, you can put them on lollipop sticks and they make for a great centerpiece! You can also use an egg-shaped cookie cutter for flat cereal treats.
Directions:
1. Microwave the butter and marshmallows in a large microwave-safe mixing bowl on high for 2 minutes.
2. Stir together when melted and microwave on high for another minute.
3. Stir in the Fruity Pebbles and mix until evenly coated.
4a. For the pops, fill plastic eggs with the mixture and put them in the refrigerator to set. Once set, take them out of the shell and place a lollipop stick in the bottom of the egg.
4b. For egg treats using the cookie cutter, spread the mixture flat onto a cooking sheet. Use the cookie cutter to cut out egg shapes out of the cereal treats. Put them in the refrigerator to set.
Romantic Valentine’s Day Stay-cations
Valentines Day is the most romantic day of the year and the ideal time to plan a couples getaway to a romantic destination. What about those of us who can’t fly to our dream destination of choice or don’t have extra cash lying around so soon after the holidays?
I’ll show you how to create a romantic Valentine’s Day stay-cation without leaving the comfort of your own home and without the hefty price tag. I’ve created three Romantic Stay-cation themes based on three lover types; Languid Lovers, Sporty Lovers, Lover Lovers. Each dinner is comprised of food, drinks and décor inspired by the culture and landscape of each of the destinations.
A Tropical Stay-cation Destination for the languid lovers who love to lay around with each other, sipping on drinks wearing only a strategically placed lei. Click the link to see how you can cool off your hot night with exotic frozen drinks and savor the sensual tastes of the tropical islands.
A Ski Stay-cation Destination for the sporty lovers who love to cozy up to a warm fire and enjoy après-ski bites and nibbles without the hassle of suiting up…in ski clothes! Click the link to see how you can prepare hot cocktails to warm you up from top to bottom and how to satisfy your sweet and savory sides with a classic Fondue menu.
A City of Love & Lights (Paris) Stay-cation Destination for the lover lovers who love to fair l’amour en Francais. Click the link to see how you can prepare bubble cocktails that will tickle your palate and how to prepare a romantic picnic by the Seine-style menu.
Holiday Door Décor
‘Tis the holiday season and it’s time to deck the halls, tree…or other parts of your home!
Don’t have your Holiday decorations all wrapped up in a bow? Not to fear, I’m here with holiday decorating cheer for tips on decorating the most visited spot in your home…the front door, inside and out!
I’ll show you how to decorate your front door in one of the three themes; traditional, modern and free form. The outside of your door is the first thing guests see when entering your home, so why not make it the most festive spot as well! The inside of your front door is the last thing they may see; so don’t forget to decorate the inside to make a lasting holiday impression!
Click on the links below for details and instructions on how to decorate your door with ease.
The Traditional Door
Using holiday colors, you can decorate your door with a traditional pine wreath adorned with ribbons, bows, ornaments, and lights.
The Modern Door
With an empty wire wreath form, you can “fill in the blanks” with ornaments, holiday tchotchkes, toys, and decorative lights.
The Free Form Door
By using damage free clips, you can outline the shape of your choice with lights and then fill in the shape with ornaments to transform your front door into something festive.
Candy Coated Easter on The Better Show
Every year, the Easter Bunny brings baskets full of candy for everyone to enjoy but this year Mark Addison, is bringing you a candy coated Easter! Inspired by an Easter Gingerbread house, Mark is using tabletop items that everyone already owns, to create a edible Easter tabletop with sweet silverware, sugared stemware, M&M mosaic dinner plates, and much, much more! To turn your tabletop into a Candy Coated Easter, just follow the direction of Mark the Candy Man!
My Candy Coated Easter segment will be featured on The Better Show on Friday, April 6th!
Check your local listings for network and showtimes here!
For all of my Candy Coated Easter tips and recipes, click the links below!
Candy Coated Place Settings
Edible Easter Centerpieces
Candy Coated Easter Egg Cakes
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Candy Coated Place Settings
My Candy Coated Place Settings are an easy and fun way to sweeten up your next dinner party!
Start your place setting off with my candy mosaic plates. They are a lot of fun and very easy to make; plus, it’s a great opportunity go get creative with your design.
You’ll Need:
- Royal Icing
- Candies such as Reese’s Pieces, Jelly beans, etc.
- Plates
Method:
- Spread the royal icing onto your plate with about 1/4 inch thickness. This will act as the grout to hold the candies in place.
- Lay the candies onto the royal icing and press lightly to secure them.
- Let dry until royal icing is hard before using.
Tip:
Royal icing is the perfect adhesive because it is easily washed off and will not ruin your plates!
My Sweet Silverware is an easy way to sweeten up your eating utensils!
You’ll Need:
- Twizzlers Pull n Peel
- Silverware
- Royal Icing
Method:
- Dab the bottom of the silverware with a small amount of royal icing and apply a strand of the Pull n Peel. Allow the icing to dry, holding the Pull n Peel in place.
- Wrap the handle of the silverware with the Pull n Peel strand, all the way to the top and then apply another dab of royal icing to hold the Pull n Peel in place
My Sugared Stemware is the perfect way to sweeten up every sip of your drink!
You’ll Need:
- Sour Punch Sip-n-Chew straws
- Royal icing
- Stemware/Glassware
Method:
- Cut the Sour Punch Sip-n-Chew straw to the length of the stem of your stemware.
- Cut the Sip-n-Chew vertically and wrap it around the stem of your stemware
- Apply small dots of royal icing to the bowl of stemware and glassware
Tip:
Add a Sour Punch Sip-n-Chew to your glasses and your guests can sip their beverage while enjoying a sweet and sour treat!
My Candied Napkin Ring is a great way to sweeten up the napkin in your place setting!
You’ll Need:
- Sugar Sheet Paper
- Royal Icing
- Candies such as jelly beans or Reese’s Pieces
Method:
- Cut the sugar sheets into long strips. The strip should be long enough to fit around a folded napkin.
- Dab one end of the sugar sheet with royal icing and adhere it to the other end to form a circle.
- Decorate the circular sugar sheet with the candies, using the royal icing to adhere the candy to the sugar sheet.
My Candied Coasters will add a sweet touch to your place setting!
You’ll Need:
- Jolly Rancher candies
- Baking Pan
- Parchment Paper
- Cookie Cutters
Method:
- Preheat your oven to 275 degrees Fahrenheit
- Smash a variety of flavors of Jolly Rancher candies into small pieces and arrange the pieces in fun and colorful designs on parchment paper.
- Bake for 7-10 minutes or until completely melted
- Immediately upon removing from oven, firmly place cookie cutters into the melted candy and let cool for 5-10 minutes
- Peel parchment paper away form the melted candy and remove excess
My Chocolate Bunny Place Cards will add some fun, edible shimmer to your place setting!
You’ll Need:
- Chocolate Bunnies
- Edible Sugar Glitter
- Wilton Edible Sugar Sheet Paper
- Wilton Edible Markers
- Royal Icing
Method:
- Roll the chocolate bunnies around in edible sugar glitter until they are nicely coated
- Cut small shapes out of the sugar sheet paper and write your guests’ name on them using edible markers.
- Attach the sugar sheet card using a dab of royal icing. You may need to secure the sugar sheet card in a few spots. Allow time to dry.
For more of my Candy Coated Easter tips and recipes, click here!
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Romance Rendezvous with your Valentine – Mark Addison on The Better Show
Valentine’s Day is about showing your lover how much you love them. What better way to celebrate than with a romantic rendezvous? I have curated three different rendezvouses to romance your Valentine: A Shared Romance, Romance On-the-Go, and The Ultimate Romance. I have decided to go beyond the norm of greeting cards, flowers and chocolate and shows you how to romance your Valentine the right way!
Champagne is synonymous with Valentine’s Day. I have decided to incorporate three different gift sets from Moet Hennessey to pair with your romantic type, shared, on-the-go, and ultimate as well as a sweet treat to share with your sweetie and a gift or gadget to “wow” your significant other on Valentine’s Day.
Click the links below for more information on the three romantic types
A Shared Romance
Romance On-the-Go
Champagne Cupid Cups
The Ultimate Romance
24K Gold Creme Brulee
Check your local listings for dates and showtimes!
For more of Mark’s tips and tricks, “Like Us” on Facebook or “Follow Us” on Twitter!
Romance Rendezvous #1: A Shared Romance
A shared romance is for the couple who shares everything and loves to spend all their time together.
With this romantic type, I have chosen Moet Hennessey’s Ruinart One-For-Two. The Ruinart Rose is a charming treat that two can enjoy. Each set contains a 750 ml bottle of Ruinart Rose and serving spoon to pour two glasses of champagne simultaneously. The Ruinart Rose, which is presented in an elegant package, retails for $75.00.
Whoopie Pies are the new cupcake. Cranberry Island Kitchen bakes adorable whoopie pies in the shape of X’s, O’s and hearts for Valentine’s Day which allow you to spell out your desires; xoxo = hugs and kisses, xx = kiss kiss, and xxx = sex. The cream in the whoopie pies come in four different flavors, Vanilla, Chocolate, Chambord and Champagne. These delicious treats pair perfectly with the Ruinart Rose!
Hook -Link Bracelets are the perfect accessory for the couple that is attached at the hip! These magnetic love bracelets now allow this romantic couple to now be attached at the wrist! Hook-Link Bracelets retail for $30.00.
For more of Mark’s tips and tricks, “Like Us” on Facebook or “Follow Us” on Twitter!
Romance Rendezvous #2: Romance On-The-Go
Romance On-the-Go is perfect for the active couple that likes to take their romance to the beach, park or rooftop.
For this romantic type, I have chosen Moet Hennessey’s Krug Flanerie with leather carrying tote. The Krug Flanerie is the perfect on-the-go Champagne. The original and unique carrying tote sports an interior cooler that will keep your Krug Flanerie at the ideal temperature of 50 degree Fahrenheit. This gift set retails for $200.00.
When bringing your romance on-the-go, what better way than to pack an intimate picnic for two. I have found these great eco-friendly picnic boxes from Boxsal that come in a variety of great designs. For Valentine’s Day, The Paint By Numbers picnic box is the perfect fit! The picnic box is broken down into sections to house your food, such as cheese and crackers, fruit, mixed veggies and a cold bottle of sparkling water, and come equipped with compostable dinnerware. The Boxsal picnic boxes retail for $25.00.
The perfect dessert to share during your romantic picnic is the Cupid’s Champagne Cup. This delicious treat is easy to make and is perfect to pack in a picnic box because it will not spill!
The 3M Mobile Projector is the perfect travel gift. The mobile projector allows you to take videos and pictures and project them from wherever you are with the battery operated devise . The two hour batter life makes is perfect to show a feature film or your favorite home movies. The 3M Projector streams content from your iPhone, iPad or iPod and with the option of an additional adapter for other media players. The 3M Projector retails for $299.99.
For more of Mark’s tips and tricks, “Like Us” on Facebook or “Follow Us” on Twitter!
Romance Rendezvous #3: The Ultimate Romance
The Ultimate Romance is for the couple that feels you can’t put a price on love.
For this romantic type I have chosen Moet Hennessey’s Dom Perignon Side by Side. This gift set is a limited edition with two bottles of Dom Perignon with two different levels of maturation. These bottles were created for one to enjoy a new experience and an unforgettable champagne tasting experience. This gift set retails for $459.00.
24K Gold Creme Brûlée, made with edible 24K Gold and Silver Leaf is the ultimate dessert for this amazing couple! Each creme brûlée is adorned with a gold or silver gilded white or dark chocolate truffle.
You & Yours Signature DNA Rings are the perfect personalized gift for the person who has everything. These rings bring a new meaning to sharing your DNA. With these rings, you are able to give your loved one your DNA to treasure for the rest of their lives. Signature DNA Rings are an intimate reflection of a one-of-a-kind person and the one that means the most to you. These rings retail at $400.00/each.
For more of Mark’s tips and tricks, “Like Us” on Facebook or “Follow Us” on Twitter!
Cupid’s Champagne Cups
Ingredients:
- 1/2 bag Wilton Light Cocoa Candy Melts
- 2 cups boiling water, divided
- 2 packages (3 oz. each) JELL-O Raspberry Flavored Gelatin
- 1 cup cold Moet & Chandon Champagne
- 1/4 cup Chambord
- 1/4 cups cold water, divided ice cubes
- 1 cup thawed Cool Whip Whipped Topping
- Decorations, assorted Valentine sprinkles and candies
Method:
- Make heart candies using by squeezing melted chocolate out of a piping bag onto parchment. Place in refrigerator until hardened, approximately 10 mins.
** Helpful Tip: When making the hearts, pipe multiple layers on top of each other allowing time to set in between, this will help prevent breaking! - Add 1 cup boiling water to 1 package gelatin mix in a medium bowl, stir 2 minutes or until mixture is completely dissolved
- Stir in 1 cup cold water and mix thoroughly
- Pour into champagne cups, refrigerate 1 hour or until gelatin is firm
- While JELL-O is firming in the refrigerator, add remaining boiling water to remaining gelatin mix, stir for 2 mins until completely dissolved.
- Mix remaining water and Chambord and add enough ice to mixture to measure 1 cup. Add to gelatin and stir until thickened.
- Stir in Cool Whip, spoon over gelatin layer in cups
- Refrigerate for 3 hours or until firm
- Decorate with chocolate hearts and Valentine’s candies or sprinkles
How to melt chocolate: Place Wilton Candy Melts in a piping bag and microwave on high for 1 minute, mix until chocolate is completely melted.
For more of Mark’s tips and tricks, “Like Us” on Facebook or “Follow Us” on Twitter!
The Ultimate Dessert – 24K Crème Brûlée
Ingredients:
- 1 vanilla bean
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 4 large egg yolks, beaten
- 1/2 cup superfine sugar
- 1/8 teaspoon of 24K gold flakes
- 24K gold gilded chocolate truffle
Method:
- Preheat the oven to 275 degrees Fahrenheit
- In a medium saucepan, cook the cream and the vanilla bean over moderate heat until the surface begins to shimmer. Remove the vanilla bean and let sit for 10 mins.
- Meanwhile, beat 1/4 cup of sugar and egg yolks together in a large mixing bowl. Whisking constantly, pour warm cream mixture into the beaten egg yolks and pour through a very fine sieve into 4 (4 ounce) crème brûlée dishes
- Place the dishes into a shallow baking dish large to hold them without crowding. Place the dish on the middle rack of the oven. Carefully fill the baking dish with boiling water so it comes halfway up the sides of the filled dishes
- Bake for about 45 minutes or until the custard is set in the center. Remove the custards to a wire rack to cool. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or until ready to use.
- When ready to serve, preheat the broiler. Generously sprinkle the top of each chilled custard with an equal portion of the sugar, taking care to cover all of the custard, so that it gives an even finish
- Place the chilled crème brûlée dishes under the preheated broiler and broil for about 2 minutes, or until the tops are crackling brown
** Pro Tip: Use a culinary torch to brown the sugar, taking care to constantly move the torch around the surface to avoid burning the sugar topping - Remove from the broiler and serve immediately sprinkle with 24K Gold Flakes and top with a Gold Gilded Truffle
For more of Mark’s tips and tricks, “Like Us” on Facebook or “Follow Us” on Twitter!
Super Bowl XLVI with Mark Addison on The Better Show
The Super Bowl is the most watched annual sporting event of the year and has been noted a defacto American National Holiday called Super Bowl Sunday. Each Year, Super Bowl is held at a different stadium throughout the United States and this year it is being held at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana.
When planning a Super Bowl Party, football fans usually focus on the standard Super Bowl fare, wings, pizza, beer and seem to forget the host city. I have decided that the theme of my Super Bowl Party is “Location, Location, Location!” incorporating a mix of traditional New York and New England flavors with some home town favorites from Indiana: Pork, Pierogies, and Pop Corn!
I used three of my favorite Tabasco sauces to spice up Indiana’s favorite pork recipes: Tabasco Buffalo Style Pork Wings, Fried Pork Tenderloin Sandwiches with Tabasco Green Pepper Sauce and Chipotle Pulled Pork.
Pierogies are a hometown favorite in Indiana and are celebrated each year with an annual Pierogi festival. Using Mrs T’s Pierogies, which are found in the freezer section of your local grocery store, I created three great recipes that everyone will enjoy, Pierogi Pesto Bites, Zesties and Traditional Pierogies with Butter and Onions.
Indianapolis, Indiana is also the birth place of Orville Redenbacher Popcorn. Using traditional flavors from New York and New England, I created six delicious popcorn recipes: Deli Mustard, Everything, NY Pizza, Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookie, Boston Baked Bean and Seafood Boil.
The hottest new 2012 bar trend is the Beer cocktail. Using hometown favorites from New York and New England, I created six beer cocktails that everyone will enjoy! The Tom Brady, Cape Ale, Berry Patriotic, Hail Manning Mary, Big Blue and Hopps to it!
Click here for links to all of my recipes!
Pork Recipes
Tabasco Buffalo Style Pork Wings
Fried Pork Tenderloin Sandwiches topped with Tabasco Green Pepper Sauce
Chipotle Pulled Pork
Beer Cocktail Recipes
Tom Brady
Cape Ale
Berry Patriotic
Hail Manning Mary
Big Blue
Hopps to It
For more of Mark’s Tips and Tricks, “Like Us” on Facebook or “Follow Us” on Twitter!
Tabasco Buffalo Style Pork Wings
Ingredients:
- 2 lbs Pork Tenderloin
- 1 cup all-pupose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon Paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon Salt
- Oil for Deep Frying
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1/2 cup Tabasco Buffalo Style sauce
- 1 dash Ground Black Pepper
- 1 dash Garlic Powder
- Blue Cheese Dressing
- Celery and Carrot Sticks
- Wooden Skewers
Method:
- Cut pork into small “wing sized” pieces
- In a small bowl, mix together flour, paprika, cayenne pepper and salt
- Place pork wings in a large non porous glass dish or bowl and sprinkle flour mixture over them until they are evenly coated
- Cover dish or bowl and refrigerate for 60 to 90 minutes.
- Heat oil in a deep fryer or cast iron skillet to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. The oil should be just enough to cover the pork wings entirely, an inch or so deep.
- Combine the butter, hot sauce, pepper and garlic powder in a small saucepan over low heat. Stir together and heat until butter is melted and mixture is well blended. Remove from heat and reserve for serving
- Fry coated wings in hot oil for 10 to 15 minutes or until parts of the pork wings begin to turn brown
- Remove from heat, place wings in serving bowl, add Tabasco Buffalo Style hot sauce mixture and stir together.
- Serve on a skewer with Blue cheese dressing, celery and carrot sticks.
For more of Mark’s Access Hollywood LIVE or The Better Show Super Bowl Recipes and Tips, click the links!
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Tabasco Chipotle Pulled Pork Sliders
Ingredients:
- 2 lbs Pork Shoulder Roast
- 1 bottle Tabasco Chipotle Sauce
- 4 cups Water
- 1 tbsp Garlic Powder
- 1 tbsp Onion Powder
- 1 tbsp Butt Rub
- Potato Hot Dog Buns, sliced in half
Method:
- Cut pork shoulder into two even pieces
- Rub pork with garlic powder, onion powder and butt rub until surface is completely saturated with seasoning
- Place into crock pot
- Pour water and Tabasco Chipotle Sauce over meat
- Cook in crock pot on high for 6-7 hours or until meat is tender and pulls apart easily with a fork
- Add additional Tabasco Chipotle Sauce to taste
- Serve on potato hot dog buns
For more of Mark’s Access Hollywood LIVE or The Better Show Super Bowl Recipes and Tips, click the links!
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Mark’s Holiday Must Haves
Three of my “Holiday Must Have’s” this season are Champagne with the accompanied by a great homemade cordial to mix a signature champagne cocktail and a selection of Scandinavian inspired homemade chocolates.
I had the pleasure of sharing my Holiday Must-Haves with Audra and JD from The Better Show at their Holiday Special at Rockefeller Center. The holiday special will air on December 23rd, 2011. Check your local listing for scheduled show times in your area.
Click the links below for recipes, tips and holiday must haves.
Holiday Must Haves:
Champagne and Sparkling Wine for the Holidays
MYO Holiday Haute Chocolaut
MYO Holiday Cordials
For more of Mark’s tips, recipes, and trends, “Like Us” on Facebook or “Follow Us” on Twitter.
Mark on “Better” TV for Summer ’11 Entertaining Essentials
Mark’s segment from “Better” TV aired and is now up on his YouTube channel. Click here to check it out!
Mark’s Appearance on Better TV for Father’s Day
Mark will be on Better TV on Friday for a segment on Father’s Day. Check your local listings here to see what time it’ll air in your city!
Mother’s Day
This Mother’s Day will be fun for the whole family. Kids and Moms (with Dad’s help) can create easy, fun, and unexpected variations on the classic French Toast, because now, there are two ways to enjoy your favorite breakfast – sweet and savory! For more interactive fun, create your own sparkling drinks that are full of all your favorite flavors. Mom will be happy to wake up for such delicious quality family time!
Lay out your french toast with as many toppings as you can think of, from syrup and brown sugar to nutella, peanut butter, fruit, and even more unexpected flavors like shrimp, ham, and cheese that will dazzle the taste buds of everyone in your family. There is no limit to the number of toppings, as long as you have enough french toast to try them all!
Get more creative than sliced white, there are too many beautiful and delicious types of bread not to experiment. Try challah, baguette, cinnamon raisin, and seven grain. The different flavors each bring to the table will prompt even more ideas for toppings.
I created a french toast croque monsieur and topped it with a poached egg, as well as one of my new favorites, the french cajun toast, a delectable mix of sauteed shrimp, remoulade sauce, fresh cracked pepper, and an egg.
On Mother’s Day, play around with something sweeter than syrup, after all, who’s sweeter than your mom? I’ve topped baguette french toast with lemon curd and whipped cream, chocolate sauce, fresh fruit and sliced almonds.
I call these stackables. Fill your french toast sandwich with whatever you like, including fresh fruit, nutella and confectioners’ sugar, or something more traditional like PB, honey and banana. Maybe you can convince mom to put one in your lunchbox…
Orange juice is out! Fill your glass with something more exciting. Use champagne, sparkling cider, or juices for a base, then add sprinkle rims, lemon twists, and essences like rose sherbet to create unique flavors. To make this really exciting, use the Twist n’ Sparkle to make any drink a sparkling one!
Mad Scientist Bar on Better!
If you enjoy ghosts, ghouls and goblins, then you’ll surely have a blast experimenting with some kooky concoctions at my Mad Scientist Bar. Get a hand from my Specimen Punch or try your luck taming the Galactic Serpent; but beware, side effects may include dizziness, loss of sanity and Einstein-ian white hair!
Put on your lab coat and goggles and follow me as I conduct a few experiments with host Audra Lowe on Better TV.
[Find recipes and descriptions here!]
A "Better" Easter Party with Mark
Mark took “Better” host Audra Lowe for a stroll along an Easter-inspired table that will WOW any guest. Using “egg”-cellent inspiration, Mark created a four-person place setting complete with jelly-jeweled charger plates and topiary trees made from Peeps. Follow his four easy steps to ensure your Easter WOW table success!
Mark's Super Bowl Party Style on "Better"
With Super Bowl Sunday hot on our heels, it’s only natural that we get into the spirit of the game with football-themed party ideas. Most of us can recall the default Super Bowl party: everyone huddles around the TV drinking beer and eating potato chips and onion dip… not so SUPER!
This year, score a touchdown (pun intended…) with friends and family with a WOW table equipped with food, fun and, yes, even games fit for all “whether your there for the love of the game or just to watch the commercials”. Mark recently met up with “Better” host Audra Lowe and gave her a few pointers on how to create an exciting environment inspired by this year’s Super Bowl home: Miami, Florida!
For the pre-game festivities, we brought the thrill of competition from the tube to the table. Taking inspiration from Super Bowl XLIV’s dualing sides, we created two drinks that will surely get your guests into the game. The Colt 45 cocktail, named for the Indianapolis Colts, takes a bit out of the competition with a secret ingredient: energy cola. On the other side, we have the All-Saints, named for the New Orleans Saints. The All-Saints explodes the flavors of the French Quarter on your taste buds.
As an extra special treat, we’ve created customized scoreboards that tally which team drink is consumed the most number of times. At the end of the game, pending the fun leaves at least one sober participant, tally up and see which team won!
Miami has a flair that is hardly matched to any other city in the United States. To start the game off right, we have a starting line-up of chips and salsa, Miami Style! Mixing a variety of exotic potato crisps served up in a football helmet with two flavorful homemade dips will keep hands greedy for a taste.
The half-time festivities are the star of your show. This is when you present guests with your main course. For our half-time presentation, we created a mini version of a Miami favorite: Cuban Sliders served with Mojo Mayo and Cumin Ketchup. We added a few party decorations to our platters and – voila! – we brought all the glitz and glamor of a half-time celebration that not only entertains guests, but also adds a much-needed pizazz to the table.
Another great option for a half-time meal is Twice Drunken Chili. Made with Mexican ale and our Thai-Chili infused tequila, Twice Drunken Chili kick starts any lagging tongue with over-the-top flavor.
We end the game on a sweet note with Post-Game Desserts. We couldn’t create a Miami-inspired WOW table without some Miami-style desserts. And what goes better with burgers than milkshakes! In classic flavors like Papaya, Dulce De Leche and south Florida’s own Key Lime Pie. The trio of mini milkshakes are just the perfect size to enjoy all three!
If you’re really looking to impress your Super Bowl party guests with something off the beaten path of beer and pizza, try this WOW table out. It’s entertaining and, best of all, an easy solution to get you out of the kitchen and into the game!
