The 25 Days of Christmas Posts: Day Sixteen For Your Holiday Party

If you're sick of eggnog and not so sure about hot buttered rum but still looking for a holiday drink then we have just the thing for you!

A Tom & Jerry is a Christmas drink created in the 1850s at the Planters' House hotel in St. Louis. The creator was a man name Jerry Thomas, "The Father of American Mixology", named for his work spreading cocktail culture across the country. While similar to Eggnog, a Tom & Jerry uses milk instead of heavy cream and calls for Jamaican rum as well as Brandy. It was a very popular holiday drink until the 1960s but 50 years later we think it might be time to bring it back! Click here for a recipe from Serious Eats.

Our Tom & Jerry set comes with everything shown in the photo above. The punch bowl is 11" across and 5" tall while the cups stand a little over 3" tall. The set can be purchased for $48 at our store, Hide & Seek (click for map). Please feel free to call us at (818) 763-2060 or email us at hideandseekla@gmail.com if you have any questions.

Happy Shopping!

"This hot Tom and Jerry is an old-time drink that is once used by one and all in this country to celebrate Christmas with, and in fact it is once so popular that many people think Christmas is invented only to furnish and excuse for hot Tom and Jerry, although of course this is by no means true." - Dancing Dan's Christmas, 1931

The 25 Days of Christmas Posts: Day Seven Deserves a Drink

And on the seventh day we rested....... with a nice stiff cocktail!

I could tell you how to make a peppermint martini or an eggnog martini but if you, or your guests, are anything like us here at Hide & Seek they'd appreciate a well made classic martini much more than indeterminable sugar sludge.

To this:

We say this:

And bring a different idea for your Holiday party: A Martini Bar! Now we know the "perfect martini" is as big a variable as the "perfect song" or the "best Beatle" which is why a martini bar is such a bright idea! You can set up small dishes with lemon and orange peel, olives, coriander seeds and any other garnishes you can think of! Now all you need is a bottle of Vermouth, one of Gin and another of Vodka. A small mixer like the one at our store (shown in top photo) is the perfect tool for each guest to make their individual cocktails, or one for them and a friend. Just put out a pitcher of the most basic martini you can make (we suggest 4 parts Beefeater gin to 1 part Noilly Prat dry vermouth)  for those who are a little shy to mix and they can go crazy with garnishes. It's a fun way to get your guests mingling and they will thank you for the break from the too sweet drinks they've been served at every other party.

Oh how they will thank you!

The martini kit in the first photo can be found at our store Hide & Seek (Click For Map). The shaker is $25, the martini glasses are two for $14 and the pitcher is $22. Please feel free to call us at (818)763-2060 or email us at hideandseekla@gmail.com for more information. 

Happy Drinking.. er... Shopping!

Item Of The Week: Enjoying The Last Days of Summer With A Tortilla Box (& A Recipe!)

Now my boyfriend and I make quesadillas all year around as they are a great way to use up extra produce, meats and cheeses that are sailing toward their expiration date but when summer comes they stop being a quick snack and become the main course mostly thanks to the wonder that is sweet summer corn. Nothing says summer to us like crisp crunchy corn with melted queso, cojita and some spicy cilantro! Easy to whip up and served along with a bowl of pico de gallo they are great for surprise guests or lazy dinners spend in the garden. 

So when we got this hand painted, vibrant, fun, floral tortilla box we knew we just had to offer it up as our IOTW while summer was still in play! The tortilla box is a wonder of craftsmanship and I seriously can't think of a more beautiful way to display your tortillas at a party or just for your own use. If you're not as big a fan of mexican food as we are here at Hide & Seek it doubles nicely as a place to hide ugly remotes, keep papers or fill with whatever culinary item brings you joy!

The box is a little less than a foot across and about 4.5"s tall. It retails for $38 and can be picked up at our store location: 12047 Ventura Pl or put up on Etsy by request. Please contact at us hideandseekla@gmail.com for any questions or call us at (818)763-2060.

This item has been sold, but check out our store or etsy page for more pretty little things. 

Now since it would just be cruel not to tell you about our super (not so) secret fresh corn quesadilla you can find the recipe below!

Courtesy of (copy & pasted from) Food52.com and MyFareFoodie

Rosted Corn & Cojita Quesidillas

SERVES 2

• 2 ears fresh corn, or 2 cups frozen corn
• Butter for sauteing corn and frying tortillas 
• pinches cayenne pepper or chili powder
• splashes fresh lime juice
• sprigs cilantro, chopped
• 2 large tortillas
• 1/2 cup queso fresco cheese, grated
• 1/2 cup cojita cheese, grated

1. Cut the corn from the cob using a sharp knife. This will be messy, so be ready for corn to fly in every direction. Sauté the corn with some butter in a pan over medium high heat until it has roasted a bit. Add a pinch of cayenne pepper or chili powder, splash of fresh lime juice, and some chopped cilantro. Stir and then pour into a bowl and set aside.
2. Melt some more butter in the same pan. Fill half of a tortilla with the grated cheeses and the corn and then fold it over. Fry in the pan until golden brown on both sides. Garnish with cilantro, salsa, and sour cream and enjoy!