Rex & Regina’s Blog

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

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.

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

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

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

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.

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

Dear friends of ours (who also happen to be our next door neighbors) have three adorable children whom we’ve had the privilege of watching grow since the first was born over 8 years ago. We’ve watched as their personalities emerged and their tastes and dislikes developed.

The two oldest have recently become aficionados of Star Wars — particularly the Star Wars Lego video game. I’ve played it with them a few times, leaving each game with my tail between my legs, duly humiliated by my lack of hand-eye coordination. My husband, on the other hand, is a worthy opponent for them.

When I spotted these Star Wars cookie cutters from Williams-Sonoma I instantly thought of the kids. How perfect would these be for a birthday party or play date?

To my little friends across the street: may the Force (and yummy cookies) be with you!

Star Wars cookies (cutters available at Williams-Sonoma)

set of four Star Wars cookie cutters from Williams-Sonoma

Summer is upon us and with this hot, humid weather we’ve been having in DC I am always looking for a refreshing “cool down” treat. These Orange-Banana Smoothie Pops from Country Living are a good contender for the job.

Orange-Banana Smoothie Pops

The pops feature Greek yogurt which is my favorite type. (Fage is my brand of choice.)

Ingredients

1 container(s) (7-ounce) Greek yogurt
2/3 cup(s) thawed orange juice concentrate
2 large bananas
Zest of 1 lime
1 tablespoon(s) fresh lime juice

I love how they used baking tins instead of regular popsicle molds — they create a more festive pop! French Canele Bordelais Molds might also create a fun alternative. Sur La Table has them as well as Amazon (what doesn’t Amazon have?!)

Mauviel Canele 2-Inch Molds from Amazon

My husband and I recently returned from a wonderful trip to Paris. He extended a business trip into a vacation and we were able to “unplug” from the world for a few days in an amazing city. What a blessing!

Tops on my itinerary was to hit the organic market at Boulevard Raspail in the 6th Arrondissement. I had read a review of it by Ina Garten and knew I needed to check it out.

We decided to go to the market late morning and pick up some items for a picnic in nearby Jardin du Luxembourg. I salivated over the amazing bread, produce, cheese, and butcher stands. There is something about the freshness of the ingredients in France that doesn’t seem to compare to the U.S. (though we are certainly beginning to hold our own here).

We picked up an amazing baguette, some goat cheese, fresh strawberries, and some jus du pomme and headed to the park. We set up a little picnic on a bench with a lovely view, including active Parisians playing tennis, practicing tai chi, and learning martial arts moves. Just another Sunday in Paris!

I had packed some picnic essentials from home — knives, forks, napkins, cups… — so we were able to have a lovely meal and relax in the park for a while.

Summer picnics are one of my favorite things to do when the weather is nice. It doesn’t take much to create a little feast to enjoy on sunny day with friends: a blanket, some victuals, a few beverages and voila! Al fresco dining!

A great place in DC to picnic is at Wolf Trap. What could be better than reclining in the grass on a breezy summer evening listening to great music?! Here are some ideas for setting up a great picnic at Wolf Trap this summer.

Bon Appetit!

What a great idea from L.A. event planner Lulu Powers for setting out silverware. Couldn’t you see this at a summertime BBQ? It’s so simple and easy to do — pick up some terra cotta pots, label them with chalk, and set them on a nice platter or tray. This setup will make it convenient for guests to grab their silverware as they pass through a buffet.

For more fabulous entertaining tips, check out Lulu’s new book, Food to Flowers. I know I’ve added it to my library wish list!

image via Country Living

Tags: BBQ, book, Entertaining, flatware, summer, summertime