Recent Posts

Blog, Books, Theater

Hamilton’s Shots from Break an Egg! Cookbook

I’ve waited for it. And finally, the Hamilton movie is coming! The recording of a performance with the OBC (Original Broadway Cast) is coming to Disney+ on Friday. My friends and I will all be watching, and I’ll be enjoying the production with some of the drinks from my upcoming Broadway cookbook.

Hamilton is one of my favorite shows, so I wasn’t able to just make one drink. I had to make multiple “shots” inspired by the main characters. Whether you’re more of an Angelica or a King George, there’s something for you. Take a look:

Which of these drinks makes you say “Awesome, wow”? And will you be watching Hamilton on Friday?

Recipes, Theater

Totally Shucked from Break an Egg! Cookbook

Break an Egg!: A Broadway Cookbook won’t be here until September 1st, but I’ve got a couple sneak peek recipes to hold you over. Today: a broiled oyster recipe and one of my favorite puns of the book: “Totally Shucked” inspired by Spring Awakening!

Yeah, you’re shucked all right. You can kiss your sorry oysters goodbye. A bunch of hungry, hormonal adolescents came over and ate them all, and there’s nothing left for you. That’s the bitch of entertaining.

Next time, double this recipe, and you’ll have plenty of tasty, cheesy broiled oysters on the half shell. Just make sure you clean them properly before shucking. Blah blah blah blah blah.

Totally Shucked from Break an Egg! Cookbook
 
Author:
Serves: 12 oysters
Ingredients
  • 12 fresh oysters
  • Rock salt for baking
  • ¼ cup shredded Emmentaler cheese
  • 1 tablespoon bread crumbs
  • 2 teaspoons chopped parsley
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 tablespoon salted butter
Instructions
  1. Preheat your broiler with an oven rack 6 inches from the top.
  2. Clean and shuck the oysters, leaving them in half shells.
  3. Spread rock salt across a baking sheet, and balance the oyster shells on the rock salt.
  4. Mix together the cheese, bread crumbs, parsley, salt, pepper, and garlic powder in a small bowl. Sprinkle the mixture evenly over each oyster.
  5. Melt the butter in the microwave, and pour a small amount over each oyster.
  6. Place the baking sheet on the top oven rack, and broil for 2 minutes or until cheese is melted and bread crumb mixture on top of the oysters is browned.

 

Recipes, Theater

Laurey’s Prize-Winning Tarts from Break an Egg! Cookbook

Break an Egg!: A Broadway Cookbook won’t be here until September 1st, but I’ve got a couple sneak peek recipes to hold you over. The first: this delicious strawberry rhubarb tart inspired by Oklahoma!

Want the farmers and the cowmen to fight over your picnic hamper at the annual auction? Better make sure you include a delicious tart. In Oklahoma!, Laurey makes her signature gooseberry tarts, but gooseberries can be difficult to find. However, mix together some strawberries (Oklahoma’s state fruit) and some rhubarb, and you’ll have a delicious treat that fits the same flavor profile. So good a cowman would give up his own saddle for a chance to enjoy them with you!

Check out the recipe below and pre-order your copy of Break an Egg! today!

Laurey's Prize-Winning Tarts from Break an Egg! Cookbook
 
Author:
Serves: 12 tarts
Ingredients
  • Shells:
  • ¾ cups all-purpose flour
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons shortening
  • 2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter
  • 2 tablespoons cold water
  • Filling:
  • 2 cups chopped rhubarb
  • ¼ cup sugar
  • 2 tablespoons orange juice
  • 1 cup diced strawberries
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla
  • Whipped cream for topping
Instructions
  1. To make the shells: Combine the flour and salt in a large bowl, then cut in the shortening and butter using a pastry blender or your hands. Add the cold water slowly, mixing until a dough forms.
  2. Mold the dough into a flat disc, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
  3. Take the dough out of the fridge and place on a lightly floured surface. Roll out the dough, and then fold it in half and then half again. Roll out and fold the dough once more, then wrap and chill for another 30 minutes.
  4. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Roll out the dough to ⅛ inch thick and cut rounds with a 4 inch biscuit cutter. Turn a muffin tin upside down and spray the tin with cooking spray. Wrap each round of dough over the back of each muffin cup to form cup shapes. Place the tin with the dough in the oven (still upside down), and bake for 30 minutes. Remove and let cool for 5 minutes, then lift the shells off the tin and let cool on a wire rack while you make the filling.
  5. To make the filling: In a medium saucepan, mix the rhubarb, sugar, and orange juice, and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat till the mixture is just simmering, and simmer uncovered for 5 minutes or until the rhubarb has softened. Add the strawberries, cornstarch, and vanilla, and stir to combine. Cook for another 5 minutes, until strawberries have softened and the mixture has thickened. Let cool.
  6. Fold in the strawberries.
  7. Fill each tart shell with the strawberry rhubarb mixture, and top with whipped cream.

 

Blog, Books, Everything Else, News, Theater

Announcing Break an Egg!: The Broadway Cookbook!

Ten years ago today, I published the first post on The Geeky Hostess. TEN YEARS. At that point, I just wanted an excuse to learn a bit more about cooking and parties, and wanted to showcase a bit more female representation in the geeky fandoms I loved. In that time, I’ve written for some of my favorite people and companies, I created a line of sprinkles, I hosted a variety of events, I spoke on panels and podcasts, and I’ve published two cookbooks. Yes, TWO! Today I get to announce that my second cookbook is available for pre-order!

Announcing Break an Egg: A Broadway Cookbook. This book has 55 recipes based on Broadway musicals and a ton of puns and inside jokes for drama kids and theatre lovers. Check out the book trailer!

 

I’m a huge Broadway musical fan and have been attending shows and performing in my community and school theater troupes since I was a kiddo. I assumed I’d be the only one that would love a themed cookbook this much, and was delighted when my publisher and agent were as excited about the idea as I was! This entire cookbook was a labor of love and resulted in a ton of really fun conversations between my editor and I on which shows we absolutely should include and what recipes/jokes should be used for each. I’m so proud of this book and can’t wait for you to see it in person.

The cookbook isn’t out until September 1st, but you can preorder it now on Amazon. Check back here in the coming week as I showcase two of the recipes from the book. In the meantime, let me know what musicals you hope to see included!

I can’t imagine a better way to celebrate ten years of the Geeky Hostess. Thank you all for going on this ride with me. I can’t wait to see what the future holds!

Blog, Star Wars

Introducing The Child

Life has been a bit busier around here lately, and that’s because The Geeky Hostess recently became a Geeky Mom! Leonidas (or Lil’ Geek) was born on April 15th, 2020. Everyone is healthy, happy, and sleep deprived. Not much will change for The Geeky Hostess, but I may include some geeky parenting posts here and there, and hope to put together some epic kids birthday parties in the future.

In the meantime, enjoy my son looking just as cute as that other child that seems to be so popular right now…

Blog, Parties

Keep The Party Going Digitally!

These are strange times we’re in. While almost all of us are sheltering-in-place and keeping physical distance for others to help flatten the curve of COVID-19, many events have had to be canceled. And while the introvert side of me is loving the chance to catch up on my tv watch list and TBR pile, the party-planning side of me is ready for something a bit more creative. If you had to cancel one of your upcoming events, take a look at some of these alternative options below to keep the party going.

Almost all of these include meeting with others through a video call. You can do this on the platform of your choice (Skype, Google Hangouts, FB Messenger, What’s App, etc.) but Zoom has been getting a lot of attention lately. If you do use Zoom, make sure you’re not posting your call number publicly unless you want uninvited guests to join. And while you’re at it, make sure you download some of these fun fandom-based Zoom backgrounds for your call. Just click on “virtual background” and upload the image.

Baby Shower

You can still have a baby shower complete with decorations, invitations, photo albums, and cheesy baby games with Web Baby Shower. It’s a paid service, but adds something a bit more special to the idea of a digital party, and includes guest books, registry, site, and private chat options that can continue up to a year later, so guests can see all of your updates once the baby arrives!

Birthday Party

Purchase some cupcake decorating kits for yourself and your closest friends, and decorate them over a video call. Have everyone sing awkwardly while you blow out the candle on your own cupcake! If you’re local to Trophy Cupcakes (Seattle area) or Sprinkles Cupcakes (assorted locations), they will deliver some delicious and adorable kits.

Book Club

Suggest a cheery, uplifting book title to a group of your friends and schedule a call for a week or two where you can discuss it. Bonus points if you pick a book that’s available through ebook/audio book or something you know you all have and can re-read. Try to avoid anything too dark or dense at this time.

Date Night

Not quarantined with your cutie? Trolling Tinder for some digital dates? Order delivery from the same restaurant for the same time, and schedule a call while you eat. Pour yourself a glass of wine, light some candles, and enjoy a romantic dinner for two!

D&D Session

You know how you’ve always talked about putting together a weekly D&D session, but you could never get your friends’ schedules to line up? Your time has come! Wizards of the Coast has put together a great list of online resources and free material to get you started.

Escape Room

Being stuck in a small room with a group of people that are all frantically touching everything is probably not the best idea right now. But some escape room companies are coming up with digital versions to tide you over! Check out Palace Games’ “Palace of Destiny.”

Game Night

Get your friends or family together to play some remote party games! I’m a fan of You Don’t Know Jack and Codenames. Want something a little crunchier? Tabletop Simulator lets you play some of your favorite tabletop games through Steam.

Movie Night

Netflix Party allows you to watch your fave Netflix shows while chatting with your friends. It’s a great way to watch a movie or binge an entire series together!

Wine Tasting

Have everyone order the same bottle(s) of wine or put in a large order that can be dropped off at friends’ houses. Pick a time to hop on a call and taste the wine together! (Bonus points if you put together a nice little cheese plate to pair with it.) I’m doing this with the Brooklyn 99-inspired “Wine Wine“!

 

What are you doing to stay sane during your shelter-in-place? Any great digital events you’re planning on attending?

Blog, Entertaining, Events

Create Modern Invitations with Greenvelope

It is the year of love in my friend group. Half a dozen of my friends have gotten engaged in the last 6 months, and I’ve been keeping close tabs on all of their wedding preparations. I’m an event planner–I always like to see what’s new and trendy. And one trend I can get on board with? Digital invitations. I’ve received them for save the dates, bridal showers, engagement parties, the weddings themselves…. these invitations allow the couples to get a bit more creative with the invites using animations, textures, and details that wold otherwise cost an arm and a leg, and it’s way easier for them to manage their guest list. Instead of receiving RSVP cards in the mail or phone calls from each guest, guests can just RSVP right through a link on the invitation and the couple sees it all organized through the invite’s website.

One of my fave companies doing these digital invites is Greenvelope. They have gorgeous, modern designs for every occasion/holiday, and give you the option to work with one of their designers to change the colors, text, or even create a completely unique design. If you’re an artist yourself, you can upload your own design and turn it into a digital invite.

The invitation itself isn’t all–Greenvelope’s invites also include a personalized digital envelope, liner, stamp and RSVP tracking. They allowed one of my friends a chance to make their save the dates, and I’m in love with how it turned out. When I received it in my inbox, there was an image of an envelope covered in stamps. When I clicked on it, it went to a page where it showed an animation of the envelope turning around, opening up a wax seal, and showcasing the card and liner. My friends picked the envelope and liner colors to match their wedding scheme, and it’s the perfect way to set the mood early. After seeing the invitation, I had the opportunity to put in my address for when the more formal physical invitation arrives, and received a link to their wedding website for more info. Abbey tells me that the process was super simple.

Plus, digital envelopes are helping save the world a bit by reducing paper waste. And Greenvelope helps a little more by donating a percentage of every sale to Mountains to Sound, a non-profit organization that maintains forests.

Even if a wedding isn’t in your future, Greenvelope has invitations for any celebration. I’m in love with their Halloween line–they have the perfect invites for a murder mystery dinner, haunted house outing, classy masquerade, spooky movie night, or whatever you have in mind. Want to make your next game night a bit fancier? Their Poker Night invites can be used for any card-based game.

Greenvelope has set us up with a promo code so you can give them a try: Take 15% off one purchase of any single event or membership with code “GeekyHostess”.

Clearly I’m hooked. Have you sent digital invites before? Are you thinking about them for your next event?

Recipes

A Refreshing Autumn Mocktail with Moscow Muled

I have been craving Fall. I want cool breezes, crunchy leaves, apple, pumpkin, and cinnamon everything, and sweaters. So many sweaters.

However, it is currently sunny and 80 degrees in Seattle. So I’m dreaming of cooler days while clutching this icy autumn drink.

This mocktail (or cocktail, if you add a bit of bourbon) is the perfect match for a copper mule mug, and was made for the blog by the folks at Moscow Muled. I’m a sucker for a good drink vessel, and their copper mugs are some of the nicest I’ve seen. They’re handmade and lined with nickel, which makes them stronger and prevents you from ingesting copper while drinking your mule. Plus, they’re a great price point and I always feel warm and squishy supporting small businesses. They’ve hooked up Geeky Hostess readers–you can save 15% off your order with code “GEEKYHOSTESS” until September 29, 2019. Grab them at moscowmuled.com!

Once your mugs arrive, you can get started on this delicious drink. It’s like apple pie in a mug, but chilled enough to help you survive these last few days of summer.


Apple Butter Old Fashioned Mule Mocktail
 
Author:
Ingredients
  • Brown sugar, for the rim
  • 1 cup apple cider
  • 1 tablespoon of lemon juice
  • Dash of orange bitters
  • 1 tablespoon apple butter
  • 1-2 ounces bourbon (optional)
  • Ginger beer or ginger kombucha
  • Sliced apples and cinnamon, for garnish
Instructions
  1. Rim a copper moscow mule mug with brown sugar: first rub some simple syrup or lemon juice along the rim, and then turn the mug upside down onto a plate of brown sugar.
  2. In a cocktail shaker or mason jar, combine the apple cider, lemon juice, orange bitters, and apple butter. For an alcoholic version, add bourbon. Shake to combine.
  3. Pour into a copper mug filled with ice. Top with ginger beer or ginger kombucha. Garnish with cinnamon and apples and enjoy!

Are you looking forward to Fall? What’s your favorite part of the season?

Blog, Geeky Fashion

I’m a Damsel in Dis Dress

From the first time I saw Hercules, I was obsessed with Megara. She’s more than just a Disney princess–she’s a complicated, sassy, femme fatale. And “I Won’t Say I’m in Love” is in heavy rotation when my friends and I go to karaoke. So when Elhoffer previewed their “Damsel in Dis Wrap” Dress right before I left for a trip to Greece, I knew my dreams of becoming Meg were about to come true.

I brought the dress to the beautiful island of Skyros and took these photos on a breezy summer morning. While I didn’t have my own Greek chorus, I still felt the part, and I’m not afraid to say that I am in love with this dress. The fabric is magic–it’s stretchy, hardly wrinkles, durable, can be machine washed, and dries in an instant. The dress is a bit heavy, like all Elhoffer wrap dresses, but not enough to keep the wind from moving beautifully through it. I look like a sculpture! Plus, IT HAS POCKETS.

Need the dress in your life? Act fast. Supplies are limited post-SDCC. Get it at Elhofferdesign.com.

Do you have any Elhoffer pieces? Are you as in love with them as I am?

Blog

Become a Criminal with Cat and Canary

If I gave you the chance to commit some crimes–pickpocketing, theft, and fraud to name a few–and get away with it, would you?

I had the opportunity to do just that a couple weeks ago, and while it wasn’t technically real (I am posting about this publicly, after all), it gave me the same thrill I assume criminals get.

Cat and Canary Co. reached out to my friend Kristina about a new experience called The Confidence Game, and we were instantly intrigued. The experience lets you and three friends turn into conmen for the night. You meet up with contacts in bars, break into hotel rooms, steal diamonds, and sell them to diamond dealers. It is extremely realistic and there are a few fun surprises throughout the night, but if anything gets “too real” for you, you’ve got a safe word at your disposal. They split us up into groups of two: The hustlers and the thieves. Joe and I took on the roles of rogues, while we let our counterparts Alexander and Kristina do the sweet talking.

I learned a few things about myself that night: I’m a horrible pickpocket and liar, and while I can pretend to be a hardened criminal, my lawful good side comes through when you try to make me jaywalk. For now I think I’ll keep the lying and stealing to my D&D characters and continue to live a lawful life. But the next time Cat and Canary comes out with another adventure, you know I’ll be ready to suit up and play evil for the night.

In addition to doing specific experiences, Cat and Canary can also create something custom for you. You’ll go around your city, interacting with amazing actors, and doing things you’ve only seen in movies. I would absolutely recommend you do this. I’m already imagining the most epic birthdays, proposals, and more. If you end up doing something with them, let me know what you think!

Would you let a group of strangers turn you into criminals for the night?