Meeting Bette at Caesar's Palace

Bette Midler is about to end her run at Caesar's Palace at the end of this month. I've had the opportunity to see the show 3 times and I have loved it just the same each time. It is really great!

Well, last night, Bette was doing a book signing after her show, so I went to Caesar's and stood in line for about 2 hours to get a chance to meet her. Let me just say, she is an absolute delight! So nice, so sweet and so chatty!

To give you a little background information, all of the backup dancers for Bette's show are called the "Caesar Salad Girls", served with as little dressing as possible. So as a promotion back in April of 2009, I read in the paper that there was a competition at Whole Foods called the Bette Midler's Salad Competition and it was being judged by the Caesar Salad Dancers. Well, you know that I got busy writing my recipe and submitting! I created the "Christopher Todd Divine Italian Taco Salad", and it was chosen as one of the 5 finalist! Being a finalist, I was given tickets to Bette's show, but since I didn't win first prize, which was a sit down meet and greet with Bette, I was still a little upset!

So, at the signing, I printed off a copy of the recipe and took it to her. Not knowing if it will ever happen or not, she said, "that sounds absolutely divine and I assure you I will try it"! She then signed my book, To Christopher--Can't wait to try that Salad! It was great fun and a great memento to keep forever!

Thanks Bette for the great experience!

VIVA LAS VEGAS, VIVA CITY CENTER AND VIVA ELVIS!

The biggest and most talked about building project in the world recently opened to great reviews. Las Vegas City Center is now open for business. While the property is beautiful and very impressive, it really has a bit of an airport feel. It is really modern and very big, but it is also very well done. They didn't miss any detail in building this place! The main hotel tower, ARIA hosts the properties only casino, but it took about 2 hours to walk through the property and I still need to go back a few times to take it all in!

The new Cirque show "VIVA ELVIS" is a great and exciting addition to Las Vegas and is the 7th Cirque du Soleil show in Las Vegas. Although Viva Elvis isn't my favorite Cirque show on the strip, it is certainly a fun and exciting trip through the life of the King of Rock and Roll. The show takes you on a journey from Elvis as a child, his movie career, his marriage to Priscilla, and on to Las Vegas. A couple of the songs are a little bit of a snoozefest, but the show is still in the works. Hopefully they will make those changes!

As a lover of shows, I have seen all 7 of the Cirque shows on the strip and I thought I would give you a ranking of my favorite, from best to worst. . .for what it's worth. . .

1. LOVE
2. ZUMANITY
3. MYSTERE
4. VIVA ELVIS
5. KA
6. "0"
7. BELIEVE

Happy New Year!!! (a week late)

We are already 7 days into the new year and new decade and I finally have a few minutes to sit down and write a few things! I hope the remaining 51 weeks of 2010 are as good to me as the first one has been.

I started the new year off driving down Colorado Avenue in Pasadena, CA. It was a fun experience having corn tortillas filled with shaving cream tossed at my car as I drove through the mob of people that had camped out for a great seat to see the Rose Bowl Parade that was happening in just a few hours. I had reserved seats for the parade, so I just enjoyed the ride (and my heater) while everyone else stood in the cold! The parade was great fun and part of me missed being a part of the design team, so I may do that again in the future.

To reflect back onto 2009, I have to say it was a pretty great year. I was able to do some great fun jobs as always, and I also had the opportunity to meet some incredible new people from all over the country and world. I designed beautiful flowers for weddings, coordinated events for the CineVegas Film Festival, created visual displays for vendors at the Las Vegas World Market Center and also decorated a Christmas tree or two. . .

Thanks to the help of my friend and wonderful PR assistant Kelly, I was able to make some really great contacts throughout Las Vegas and I had the opportunity to create a full page spread in Luxury Magazine and I also appeared on Fox Television, NBC and ABC. I hope to be making regular TV appearances throughout the year. Hopefully this is the first step until National TV and then onto my own show. . .keep your fingers crossed!

I also taught a series of classes at Whole Foods Market in Las Vegas about entertaining for the holidays. We had great fun doing those and I posted all of my topics to my blog. It was a great experience and I met a great friend, Shelly while working on that project. Also this year, I created a fan site on Facebook for my friends to keep up with what is going on in Christopher Todd Land. So far, we are 427 fans and growing.

With the over 400 fans that I have gained on Facebook, I lost the biggest fan of all this year when my sweet mother passed on August 6th. If there was anyone proud of their child's accomplishments, it was Annette Hall. She will be missed, but in her absence, I feel that it is making me work harder to honor her. It's funny that when a major player in your support chain is missing, you have to work much harder to make up for the void. . .that is the attitude I am trying to keep at least.

In closing, I want to say thank you to all of my friends and fans on my page. Some of you I don't even know, but I appreciate you wanting to follow me and my work. Please share my page with your friends and help me build my site.

Thanks so much and I wish you all a happy and prosperous NEW YEAR!!

Wow, I'm really running behind. . . .

I have gotten so far behind in my blog. . .Like everyone, the month of December is so busy! I don't have a lot of time to sit down, much less sit down and make blog entries! I will try to catch up with a few entries over the next few days before my schedule gets crazy and hectic again.

Market season is about to start up in full swing, so I am going to be bringing you a lot of information about latest trends and new and exciting things that are going to be introduced this year at the trade shows. I am going to be attending many informative classes, taught by some of the most powerful people in the business, so I plan on bringing home some exciting information!

Moss Pots!

Terra cotta, stone, and concrete containers and sculptures all lend themselves nicely to having moss grown on them, giving each one an antique look and depending on what kind of garden or yard you have, sometimes it's fun to make new clay, stone, or concrete container look old.

Of course, terra cotta and concrete pots will age into beautiful works of art after years of sitting in your garden, but why wait, when aging and antiquing techniques are fast, easy, and inexpensive to do.

Not only are these containers beautiful in your garden, they also make great gift for someone you know who is an avid gardener. What better holiday surprise than to deliver a beautiful garden plant in a aged container that you created yourself!

Here is the easy recipe for creating moss covered clay pots:

*Blend pieces of dried moss or purchased moss spores into

*2 cups yogurt or buttermilk.

*Paint onto your pot with a paintbrush.

* Put your pot into a plastic bag to create a humid environment for the moss to develop.

*Set the pot and bag in a cool, shady spot until the moss begins to form, which will be about 10 days.

* Make sure to plant the container so you will be watering it regularly, which will keep the moss alive and growing.

Christopher Todd on KTNV Las Vegas ABC!

If you didn't catch me live, this is the video of me on Las Vegas ABC on November 3rd 2009. We discussed table settings for the holidays. Hope you enjoy!!

Happy Holidays!!

This is probably the only free second that I am going to have for the next few days to make any entries to my blog. This is officially the busiest time of my year. . .decorating Christmas trees, planning and decorating parties and also decorating a Las Vegas resort. I can't wait to share all of the beautiful trees that Christopher Todd Design has and will be decorating this season. We have already done some beauties, and the work has just begun!! I'll catch everyone up with pictures in a few days!!

I hope that everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday. Eat lots of turkey, watch some TV and relax! Log on Thursday evening and check out some helpful Christmas tree decorating tips!

One of my most favorite things. . .remote control lighting!

I know this might be simple, but this is, as my friend Paul says, "a quality of life issue". As you get ready to decorate for the holidays, pick up this little accessory. They sell these at Wal-Mart and Target for $10 and it is one of the best purchases you will ever make! I have these remotes on almost everything!

These are not only for the holidays, I use them for anything that is might be the least bit difficult to turn on or off.

For some reason, these remotes are difficult to find in stores any other time than the holidays, so go get one today and you will thank me when you do!

Christopher Todd and Whole Foods Market was a WHOLE lot of fun!!

Thanks to everyone who attended my entertaining class at Whole Foods. I hope you enjoyed and learned a few tips for entertaining! If you will scroll through my blog, I have listed all of the recipes that I created. Everyone's favorite, the "cheese ball" was added a few days back, so you will have to keep looking through the blog to find it. . .just like a TV show teasing you, huh!!

Remember to join me again on December 3rd for my next class on Classic Christmas Entertaining. It will be fun! Make sure you bring a friend, too!

Christopher Todd’s Italian Taco Chopped Salad

1 lb. lean ground beef or chicken breast
1 head Iceberg Lettuce
1 head Leaf Lettuce
1.5 oz. Fresh Basil
4 Roma Tomatoes
6 Green Onions
1 can of dark red Kidney Beans (drained)
8 oz. Sharp Cheddar Cheese (grated)
1-12oz bag of Nacho Cheese flavored tortilla chips
8 oz. Zesty Italian Dressing


Brown and Drain the ground beef or chicken and set aside to cool. Crumble tortilla chips into a coarse texture and set aside. Chop Iceberg and leaf lettuce and basil into small pieces and mix together. Make 8 medium to thin slices of tomatoes and set aside. Chop all of the remaining tomatoes, along with the green onions and add to the greens mixture. Drain, wash and add kidney beans to greens mixture.

Right before serving: Add meat, ½ of the grated cheese, ½ of the tortilla chips and the Italian dressing to the greens. Mix thoroughly. Add the remaining tortilla chips to the top of the salad.

This salad is great as a meal or is a great side salad. If serving as a meal, this recipe yields 4 servings and as a side, yields 8 servings. Also, this is a great Vegetarian meal if the meat is either omitted or substituted with ground Boca meat.

Your guest will not know whether to say “Delicioso” or “Delizioso”!!

Strawberries and Goat Cheese with Balsamic Vinegar and Roasted Garlic

This recipe includes many of my most favorite foods and what I like to call a "Buffet on a Cracker".
Here are the ingredients:

Strawberries (sliced)
Goat Cheese (I prefer garlic flavored)
Glazed pecans
Roasted garlic
Balsamic Vinegar
Brown Sugar
Toast

Cap and clean your strawberries. Slice the strawberries horizontally.

Mix the glazed pecans and roasted garlic together.

Measure 3 teaspoons of brown sugar in a small bowl. Add Balsamic vinegar to the sugar until the texture is smooth.

Place the goat cheese, strawberries, pecans and garlic and vinegar on a tray with toast.

This can be a "messy" appetizer, since there are so many different ingredients. I recommend this as a beginning to a meal or to eat with a fork.

Best Bruschetta

I know that bruschetta is a common and familiar appetizer, but if you will follow this recipe, this will be the best you've ever tasted!

Many times, bruschetta is served very dry and the tomato pieces, although diced, are very large, mostly because large tomatoes are used. I use cherry and grape tomatoes for my recipe and it makes a huge difference. Not only are these tomatoes better for this recipe, they are much sweeter in taste.

2 boxes of Cherry or Grape tomatoes (I like to use 1 of each)
Fresh Basil chopped**
3 tablespoons of Pesto
Olive Oil
½ cup of Shredded Parmesan cheese**
Toast**

Finely chop the tomatoes into small pieces. I use my kitchen scissors to cut my tomatoes. Next, remove the large stems from the basil and finely chop the leaves and add to the tomatoes. Add pesto and 4 tablespoons of Olive Oil. Refrigerate (this allows the flavors to fully marinate)
Top with shredded Parmesan cheese and serve with toast.

A few tips. . .
At the beginning of the spring, plant a few basil plants in your garden. They are very easy to grow in pots and like almost any condition.

Make sure you shred your cheese and not simply grate it. The shredded cheese gives a much more gourmet look and also makes the cheese flavor more intense for such a small appetizer.

For your toast, I recommend purchasing a whole French baguette. Use an electric knife to slice your bread and spray with either spray butter or cooking spray before toasting in the oven. You can also used fresh black pepper on the bread to intensify the flavor.

Enjoy!

Goat Cheese and Pear Salad

This is a quick and easy salad that is really delicious! Very little prep work involved in making this and the flavor is amazing! Enjoy!

1 slice of goat cheese
1 sliced pear
Mixed field greens
Sweet balsamic vinaigrette dressing
Glazed walnuts

Take a rounded slice of goat cheese and place in the center of your serving plate.
Slice pear and place pear slices around the cheese wheel.
Add dressing to the greens. Place greens on top of goat cheese.
Sprinkle glazed walnuts to the top
Serve and enjoy!

El Cacino Punch

2 1/2 quarts tea
2 c. sugar
2 c. orange juice
2 c. pineapple juice
1 c. lemon juice

(Yield 1 gallon)

Brew tea. Add additional water with tea to make 2.5 quarts. Add sugar and stir to dissolve. Add other juices. May be served warm or cold.

For the holidays, boil one packet of whole cloves in water. Drain 2 cups of the liquid and add to the mix. Only use 2 quarts of tea.

Whole Foods Tonight!!

Just a reminder that my first class on Holiday Entertaining will be tonight at Whole Foods in the Town Square Shopping Center on the Las Vegas Strip. I will be adding all of the great recipes I share on my blog so if you aren't able to attend, you can still take advantage of a few of my delicious dishes I'll be serving! Hope to see you at Whole Foods tonight!

Pictures from Halloween

I wanted to share a couple of pictures from Halloween 2009. If you don't know, I am a drummer, so the band that I play with had a performance on Halloween night, so I dressed as a vampire. It was the only thing I could think of that wouldn't obstruct my view. . .or hands and feet. . .that's kind of important for the drummer!!






Here are a couple of pictures of my "spooky" Halloween decor!!

Christopher Todd to appear on KTNV Channel 13 in Las Vegas

Christopher Todd will be demonstrating a few easy and affordable holiday decorating techniques as a teaser to the class being held at Whole Foods on November 12th. If you are in the Las Vegas viewing area, please tune in to KTNV Channel 13 on Tuesday morning, November 3rd at 9:00am.

Christopher Todd featured in Luxury Magazine

Check out the November issue of Luxury Magazine and read Christopher Todd's article on setting the perfect Thanksgiving dining table!

Have you planned your "Whole" week?

Check out all of the exciting things happening at Whole Foods on Las Vegas Boulevard! From cooking classes with some of the most extrordinary chefs in the world to fresh flower classes, wine tastings and oh yeah, don't forget party classes with Christopher Todd! Check out their calendar of events and see what's happening!


http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/stores/lasvegas/storecalendar.php

Say Cheese. . .Ball!!

As we get ready for all of the holiday celebrations, there is one thing that all of us could use. . .more time! If there is anyone on Earth that knows about that, I promise you that it is me!! That being said, I know a lot of tricks for making it seem like you have all the time in the world to make your parties perfect. I am going to share one of those tips with you today.

This appetizer is inexpensive, super quick and easy and all of your guests will be asking you for the recipe. (please just direct them to my blog!!)

For this appetizer, you only need 3 ingredients: Cream Cheese, Ham and Green Onions.




Step one:
Open 2 blocks of cream cheese and allow them to soften.



Step two:
Using one package of sliced ham, dice the ham into cubes.
I use thin deli-sliced honey ham. The flavor is great!



Step three:
Dice 5 green onions.




Mix all of this together and shape into a ball.

As a little extra, I like to add pecans to the top once I have the formation made.



Garnish and add crackers and you are ready to party!





This recipe literally takes no more than 5 minutes to make and costs about $6!

ENJOY!!!