A creepy sweet sixteen party

This was truly an interesting day.  I drove to my granite vendor, to meet a client's 21 year old daughter, to look at and select granite for her bathroom.  A fun and enjoyable time, but it is a very serious project and I can't wait to see my finished design come to fruition.  After that, I was excited to get back into my car, because I was off to decorate for a Halloween birthday party.  I LOVE HALLOWEEN!  Now mind you, this was for a sweet sixteen OR pretty.  I was asked to bring items for creepy and scary.  Since I was not sure how many items they needed, I loaded up a large plastic bin with just a few things from my private prop arsenal.  

A Very Berry Centerpiece

Here is a scrumptious looking centerpiece that was just sent to me by Tish Boyle, who is editor in chief of Chocolatier and Pastry Art & Design magazines.

Driscoll’s Very Berry Holiday Tree

Makes one table centerpiece

Special equipment:
1 green styrofoam cone (measuring 4-5 inches in diameter at the base and 12 inches high)
1 box of toothpicks

Supplies:
4 one pound containers of fresh Driscoll strawberries
1 bunch fresh mint
1 slice from a carambola fruit (also known as star fruit)*

*Note: If you can’t find a carambola, you can use a 1-inch star-shaped cookie cutter to cut out a star shape from a mango slice instead.

Directions:
1. Wash the strawberries and blot them dry with paper towels. Pull off the green stem from each strawberry. Reserve a perfect strawberry for the top of the ‘tree’.

2. Push a toothpick halfway into the side of the cone, about 1/2 inch from the bottom edge. Secure a strawberry to the toothpick, piercing it through the stem end. Secure another strawberry right next to the first one. Continue securing strawberries to the cone in circular rows up to its top, covering the cone completely. Secure the reserved strawberry to the top of the tree.

3. Remove some mint leaves from the bunch of mint and tuck them between the berries, placing them at about 3-inch intervals.

4. Secure the star-shaped carambola or mango slice to the top of the cone using a toothpick.  For more centerpiece ideas you might like some of the ideas on my web site.  New England Fine Living under the entertaining section.