July 26th, 2010 § 0 comments
I’ve been up in Massachusetts on location at wedding and had the opportunity to visit my Aunt and Uncle. They are master gardeners and have amazing vegetable and flower gardens. They also have rows and rows of blackberry bushes — one of my favorite berries. So I chucked when I saw these porcelain berry containers from Jayson Home and Garden. Adorable!
Farmers Market Baskets from Jayson Home & Garden
July 19th, 2010 § 0 comments
It’s no surprise that I have a soft spot for good baked goods. Pies, tarts, cakes, cookies… I am not picky! So I was particularly excited to find a bakery that not only creates delicious sweets, but also gives 15% of each purchase to a charity you choose.
Baking for Good is an “online bake sale that supports great causes.” They offer a variety of treats, ranging from cookies to bars to granola and they all look delicious. Their margarita shortbread, for example, is calling my name.
margarita shortbread from Baking for Good
They even offer gift packs and suites of themed iced sugar cookies. The cookies would be fabulous for a party, a baby or wedding shower, or an engagement party.
iced wedding-themed cookies
How fabulous would it be to share with guests that each bite they take of their sweet treat goes to an even sweeter cause like First Book (one of my favorite non-profits) or The American Cancer Society.
Here’s to all the charitable sweet tooths out there!
Tags: baby shower, cookies, engagement, favors, Gifts, shower, weddingJuly 16th, 2010 § 0 comments
After our upcoming kitchen remodel, my goal is to have as few things as possible cluttering the countertops. There are certain essentials, however, that need to be there — like our KitchenAid mixer and our Boos board.
We love our Boos board and use it everyday for chopping vegetables and herbs. We are careful to use a separate plastic board, though, for working with meats of any kind so that we can keep everything sanitary and clean.
I recently fell in love with this cutting board system by Joseph Joseph which offers an organized solution for keeping cutting boards from “cross-contamination.” Its sleek storage container and four color-coded chopping boards are not only aesthetically interesting, but practical as well. The illustrated tab on each board helps a cook easily identify the boards to ensure the same board is used each time for similar food types.
I am not sure if I need to add anything else to my already very full kitchen cabinets and countertops, but if I did, it might be this!
Index Cutting Boards available on A+R
a great way to organize cutting boards
July 10th, 2010 § 0 comments
Why not add some humor to your summer tablescape? This chip and dip serving set makes me chuckle every time I look at it! The little piggy set is available at Sur La Table.
July 6th, 2010 § 2 comments
We’re remodeling our kitchen in a couple of weeks and so I’ve begun the process of cleaning out cabinets and drawers in preparation for the new cabinets. It’s amazing what kitchen tools we’ve accumulated over the years. As people who love to cook, we’ve become “gadget and appliance freaks,” always loving to try new tools.
But the process of purging and sorting has really made me think about what the essential tools of the kitchen really are. What are the things that I could not do without? Here’s a list of my essentials — which I’d highly recommend adding to any registry!
All Clad Measuring cups and spoons — I am in love with these measuring cups and spoons and am still grateful to the friends who gave them to us as a wedding present! I love that the 1 cup measuring cup has marks for smaller quantities like 1/4 cup and 3/4 cups, that way I don’t have to dirty multiple measuring cups. They are also very sturdy and feel substantial in the hand.
All Clad measuring cups and spoons
Kitchen Aid Mixer — Makes the perfect batch of chocolate chip cookie dough. Need I say more?
Kitchen Aid Artisan Stand Mixer
Heat-resistant silicone spatula — I use this when I cook, when I bake… it is my go-to mixing spoon and I love that I never have to worry about it melting.
OXO heatproof silicone spatula
Nesting bowls — I use these every day. Ev-er-y-day! I keep them in the cupboard in two sets so that they are easier to lift out.
glass nesting bowls
Colander — I prefer this type of colander to the large mesh colanders as the latter are very hard to clean — especially after draining pasta.
Footed Colander
Creamer — My Apilco Creamer comes in handy for not only serving up cream with coffee, but also when making small batches of vinaigrettes or for serving sauces.
Apilco Porcelain Creamer
Zester — We use this microplane zester way more than I ever would have imagined. It is easy to use and washes fairly easily, too.
Microplane Rasp Grater
Whirly Pop — OK, this may not be an essential, but I really can’t live without it! My husband and I love homemade popcorn and the Whirly Pop makes the best popcorn we’ve ever had.
Whirley-Pop Stovetop Popcorn Popper
July 1st, 2010 § 0 comments
My iPhone is chock-full of apps: Epicurious, Zagat, Dragon Dictation, Scrabble, ESPN, OpenTable, Nike+, Shazam, Pandora…. I suppose apps say a lot about a person. (Apparently, I am a food-obsessed word nut who likes to workout to music while keeping up with her favorite teams?!?!)
There is one app I am sure every bride-to-be is feverishly downloading these days: the Tiffany & Co. Engagement Ring Finder. The app allows you to browse Tiffany’s settings, view carat weights, and find the perfect ring size. The ring sizer is so easy to use — just hold up one of your rings to the screen and adjust until it matches. And, of course, for those whom subtlety eludes, one’s favorite customized ring can be e-mailed. Hint. Hint.
Tiffany & Co Engagement Ring Finder app
customize your own ring
ring sizer
June 29th, 2010 § 0 comments
I have a pretty serious obsession with serving trays — something I’ve confessed to in an earlier post. Perfect for entertaining and incorporating into one’s decor, they really are very versatile. One tray with books sits atop my coffee table, another hems in my toiletries in the bathroom, one is for a grouping of candles on a table, another is used for meals in bed when one of us is sick, there are two we use every-so-often for dinner on the couch… and the list goes on!
There are so many fabulous options for trays in stores, but I am very fond of these recent DIY trays that I spotted — both using cork. Cork is a sustainably-produced, natural material with a very organic feel. It is easy to work with, readily available, and fairly impermeable, making it a great material to use on a tray.
The first project I spotted came from Design*Sponge, one of my favorite sites for inspiration. The basket-weave pattern of the cork provides texture to an otherwise drab tray (I know because I own that tray!) from IKEA. The process looks fairly simple and the instructions are easy to follow.
an IKEA tray transformed by cork
the weaving process
This Martha Stewart-inspired tray also features cork but in a completely different way. The punched cork adds a bit of whimsy to the tray and will also help to keep things from slipping.
Martha Stewart-inspired Punched Cork Serving Tray
"How to" for the Punched Cork Tray
June 23rd, 2010 § 0 comments
These adorable wrapped beverages, featured on Donna Hay, would be perfect for a baby shower! They would be so easy to create — and to customize. Choose fabric and pins that coordinate with the gender of the baby and the theme. Izze sparkling beverages would be a perfect bottle to wrap. Too cute!
Bottle wrappers, featured on Donna Hay
Izze sodas
June 22nd, 2010 § 0 comments
I am a big fan of Arnold Palmer… the drink, that is. (Though the golfer is pretty great, too!) Half iced-tea, half lemonade, the Arnold Palmer is refreshingly sweet — particularly during a heat wave like the one we’ve been having here in DC.
This month’s Bon Appetit features a fun “spiked” version of the drink, created by Damon Boelte, bar manager at Prime Meats in Brooklyn. The drink combines gin, jasmine tea, limoncello, lemon juice, and grapefruit juice. Delish!
The "Leland Palmer"; photo by Nigel Cox
Ingredients
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup hot water
3 cups freshly brewed jasmine tea, cooled
3/4 cup gin
3/4 cup limoncello*
3/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup fresh grapefruit juice
1 cup chilled club soda
Ice cubes
6 lemon slices (for garnish)
Preparation
Stir honey and 1/2 cup hot water in small bowl until honey dissolves. Cool completely. Combine honey water, jasmine tea, gin, limoncello, lemon juice, and grapefruit juice in large pitcher. Add club soda and stir to blend. Fill six 1-pint mason jars or 6 tall glasses with ice cubes. Divide tea mixture among jars; top each with lemon slice.
* Limoncello, a lemon-flavored liqueur, can be found at many supermarkets, at Trader Joe’s markets, and at liquor stores.
June 17th, 2010 § 0 comments
I have fallen head-over-heels for this tray, spotted in Martha Stewart Living. It would be perfect for a teacher appreciation event, back-to-school kick off, or PTA meeting, though I think I could find lots of use for it everyday!
Cookies lined up on the tray from www.fishseddy.com
Memo Notebook Tray Light Yellow from www.fishseddy.com
June 15th, 2010 § 1 comment
I had such a pleasure working with Kristin & Carl as they prepared for their recent wedding at The Mayflower. Yes, they were planning a beautiful wedding which was fun to work on, but the real joy for me came when I saw not only how they loved each other, but also how evident it was that they really are each other’s best friend. They were kind to one another, laughed heartily together, and showed great love to both of their families. A sweet couple!
I also loved the way they made their wedding personal to them — right down to a Mets groom’s cake and processional music that the bride had been dreaming of for years and years.
The parents and grandparents entered to “Like A Prayer” and the processional, including the bride, walked in to “Don’t Stop Believin’” — both played beautifully by the Cherry Blossom String Quartet. The bride wanted to enter at a certain point in the song and we were able to time it perfectly so that the doors opened and the beautiful bride processed down the aisle. Later at the reception, one of the bride’s closest friends sang a toast to the tune of “Don’t Stop Believin’” — a fitting tribute!
The groom chronicled the wedding preparations in the Washingtonian’s Tales From the Groom blog. Be sure to check out his witty posts!
The fabulous photos below were taken by Merkle Photography and tell the story of perfect wedding day!
Congratulations, Kristin & Carl!
pinning a groomsman (with some antics in the background!)
adding the finishing touches
A stunning bride
A sweet "First Look"
The wedding party at the Jefferson Memorial
The couple at the Jefferson
Gorgeous!
Preparing for the walk down the aisle
The ceremony took place in the Chinese Room at the Mayflower
Introducing... Mr & Mrs Carl and Kristin Monaco!
The Grand Ballroom was a beautiful backdrop for the reception
Ready for guests to enter
Encore had the crowd on the floor all night
The couple enjoys toasts from their dear friends
The ceremonial cutting of the cake
In honor of the groom: A Mets cake
a monumental kiss
Venue: The Mayflower
Photography: Merkle Photography
Florals: The Mayflower
Makeup: Aisha Alves, Picture Perfect Makeup
Hair: Sarah Bombard, Premiere Makeup
Ceremony music: Cherry Blossom String Quartet
Reception music: Encore
Groom’s cake: Furin’s
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