ArcaMax

Task: Cuties are for Kids. What is a Cutie? And put a Cutie in your bag. Five points (I had a whole bowl of Cuties in the kitchen).

Task: Zola has a collection of paperweights. They are scattered throughout the house. One of them actually peers back at you when you look at it. Take a picture. 10 points

Task: Finding a needle in a haystack can be difficult but finding a safety pin should be a piece of cake. 1 point for each one in your bag at the end. (I had scattered safety pins in not too hard to find places). No one had to open a drawer to find anything so no one was snooping in our ‘stuff’.

There was one task we had everyone do. In order to be eligible to win they had to take a picture of their team in a fun pose of some kind. Those were hilarious. The winner was chosen by us as hosts, and it scored a whopping 25 points.

There was another task that was optional but also scored big. I have an affinity for sheep, so the group that had someone do the best imitation of a sheep and did a phone video of it won another 25 points. Those videos had everyone laughing. Maybe you have a hobby or interest everyone could be inspired to imitate?

The winning group scored 139 points! Very impressive. You decide how big you want your list of questions to be and how long they will have to attempt to complete them. The 45 minutes was enough to get them to know each other a bit better but also left plenty of time for getting a plate of food at the buffet as well as conversation around the house after the hunt was over. Party started at 7 p.m. Scavenger hunt/trivia began at 8 p.m. and party wound up not long after midnight.

I’m thinking I can use the exact same list of questions with our older friends too, and duplicate the party. I had one thank you email already from a young man who’s wondering when the date of the 2nd Annual Martinis and Magic party will be. I guess it was a hit.

Apricot Cream Dream

Ingredients:

4 packets (4 tsp) of Truvia (divided)
1 pint fresh apricots (or canned) (Cut the apricots in half and take out the pit.) Cut the apricots into chopped bits.
8 oz cream cheese, room temperature (Light or regular will both work.)
2 heaping Tbl sour cream
1 tsp vanilla

Instructions:

Before you begin you need to prepare the apricots. Put the cut apricots in a bowl with 2 packets of the Truvia. Stir them around so you are coating the apricots. Let this sit on your counter or in the refrigerator for about two hours. This process is called macerating. You're getting the apricots nice and sweet.

In a medium bowl, put in your cream cheese, the sour cream, the vanilla and the other two packets of Truvia. Beat until fluffy.

To assemble, drain the apricot bits and toss out the sweet juice. You won’t need it. Combine the apricots and the creamy filling. Put scoops of the mixture into your dessert bowls. In this case I used teeny martini glasses for a fancy party. This made mini desserts. I piped sweetened whipped cream on top.

Chill until ready to serve. Keep leftovers in the refrigerator.

I multiplied this recipe by three so make 24 small desserts. This should make approximately eight portions of a regular-sized dessert.

Enjoy!
Cheers,
Zola