At the last minute we decided to invite the neighbors over for Christmas Eve. Since it was last minute, we didn't have time to attempt to turn our home into a winter wonderland or go overboard with food and drink. I'm proud to say it was fairly simple but was still a great time! Here are some tips to throw your own last minute shindig (quick, call your neighbors and invite them over for NYE!)

I'm thrilled to be working with such a fun and delicious brand today.  Thank you Cold Stone Creamery for sponsoring this post.
For me, the holidays can feel overwhelming enough without adding a complicated set up to my task list, so I'm sharing a simple and pretty Thanksgiving dessert table to inspire. Luckily there are plenty of ways to keep it easy without sacrificing style.

I know Pinterest has made recipe posts irrelevant but I'm digging my heels in and posting about recipes anyway.  One thing I've noticed about recipes on Pinterest is that they A) don't seem to have been tested or have reviews and/or B) all say that they are the BEST "X" you've ever had.  I'm sorry, but sometimes (in fact, oftentimes) that's just not true!  So here are my top FIVE easy weeknight chicken recipes that have been tested and Joe and Tiff (and other family members) approved:

I should say this isn't necessarily the order I like them best. My "favorite" changes depending on what I'm in the mood for. And yes I know I said top 5 but then I remembered a Pinterest one that has made its way into the rotation.

1. Easy Chicken Cordon Bleu.  I've been making this for years.  In fact, I made it tonight and my husband (who didn't know I planned on this post) said "I think that's my favorite meal." Of course he says that about a handful of meals but I guess I'm insecure because I never tire of getting kudos when it comes to meal planning/cooking!
2. French's Crunchy Onion Chicken.  I saw the French's commercial for this last year and it worked like a charm.  It looked so yummy that I grabbed a box of French's on the next grocery trip.  And the one after that.  And the one after that.  To make this one even tastier (and more indulgent), pound the chicken to about a 1/2 inch thickness.  You have to increase the "batter," by about half but it's totally worth it.  mmmmm.
3. Easy Garlic Chicken.  I found this one on Pinterest.  If you don't like garlic this one is not for you.  But if you do, the few ingredients blend together just right.  And a bonus--you probably will always have these few ingredients on hand.
4. Rachael Ray Honey Nut Chicken Sticks.  This is another I've been making for years.  But I have to say it's the least "easy" of the six.  It's not complicated in terms of instructions; it just takes a lot of ingredients and a bit of blending.  It only takes 15 minutes to bake once you've put it all together and it's SO good.  As a side note I always use generic Honey Bunches of Oats.  (photo from here).
5. Monterrey Chicken. This is probably the newest addition to my faves.  I always ask my sister-in-law (who's great at sniffing out delish new recipes) what was her new fave and this is the one she mentioned.  Thanks sis!
6. Stove Top Sweet Citrus Chicken.  Another Kraft favorite.  And only a few ingredients to boot.  To clarify, by "Stove Top" it means the brand of stuffing.  It does require baking.  (photo from here).

I didn't get a photo with the refrigerated desserts but you get the idea!

I'm no Amy Atlas but I've done a few dessert buffets in my day and I've learned a thing or two that   I wanted to share.  I'm all about you learning from my mistakes!  I recently created one for Thrive- Shiloh's women's conference, which is what prompted this post.  It was the first time I created one for something other than my own kids' parties.  I was a bit nervous but it came out great!  So here's what I've learned:

- Choose a theme or color scheme and stick to it!  Don't be tempted to do every cool thing you've seen on Pinterest or the big blog world. I've done pink/vintage princess, pumpkin themed, pink & brown (i.e. chocolate) [picture at the end], and bright and summery [pictured]. Also check out Megan's beautiful (and delicious) pink and yellow buffet from Grace's sunshine party!

- Keep it simple.  This advice varies depending on your budget, taste, and style.  You may have the budget to hire the best confectioners and bakers in your town and if so, go for it! However even if you do have the budget you still want to streamline the table so that it's not overwhelming.  I made the mistake of doing a bit too much for Genevieve's first birthday (the photo in the blog post doesn't even show all the desserts-they wouldn't fit on one table!) and realized for her 2nd birthday that a little goes a long way.  You don't want all your cute and tasty creations not to get the 'play,' they deserve because there's too much going on.

-Create a menu comprised of store bought, semi-homemade, and homemade items.  Obviously you can do all of any of those mentioned but in my experience the mix mentioned above helps with three things: 1. the dessert bar is "special" because you included some homemade treats that people can't just go buy at the store.  2. You don't drive yourself insane making every little thing from scratch. 3. It saves money. (The one exception is if you are doing a dessert bar comprised of candy only.  If you are Willy Wonka you can go crazy making candy but there are so many cool bulk candy sources that sell beautiful, tasty, and color coordinated candy)! Which brings me to my next point:

- Know your audience.  In my experience adults don't eat a ton of hard candy, so although it's easy AND gorgeous AND super easy to color coordinate to your party, you may end up with tons of leftovers.  Kids eat candy but kids also have parents who are sure to try to limit their sugar intake.  The exception is chocolate--both kids and adults love chocolate.  BUT it's also pricey.  (I guess this isn't advice so much as something to keep in mind...

- Use various heights to create a balanced display.  Cake plates, platters, cupcake stands, footed plates/bowls, etc.  Get creative here...(and see this post for a DIY cake/cupcake stand). I've also made these which were so easy and pretty!

-Use a pretty backdrop if at all possible.  I've used: banners, balloons, drapes, and poms, but have also seen streamers, chalkboards, fabric pennants, paper pinwheels, etc...Also paper products go a long way! Tent cards/labels not only make everything pretty but saves you from answering 'what is this?' questions over and over again!

- Map out which desserts will go in which dishes ahead of time.  Double check any details ahead of time.  For the thrive conference I realized at the very last minute that the foam I bought for my cake pops wasn't thick enough and they wouldn't stand up in it!  I was trying not to panic as a few of my friends (and attendees of the conference) helped me come up with something cute that would work for the table set up.  Phew!! Love you Jill, Danielle, and Melissa!! ;)

As for the food, I was a little nervous about it. It was only immediate family but other than Joe’s birthday, I've barely hosted anything without my mama’s help.  I decided on a brunch mostly because I love breakfast food but also because it’s easy and inexpensive.  I was careful to choose a menu that would allow me to do most of the prep the night before.