My husband and I are not big fans of Valentine’s Day. It’s a little too commercial for our taste. So from the start, we vowed not to make a fuss of the holiday. Instead, we created our own tradition: staying home and cooking lobsters — one of our favorite meals.
This year, our lobster feast was fairly low key. We had spiced shrimp with cocktail sauce to start, a mixed greens salad, lobsters, all followed by strawberry shortcake for dessert.
I often blog about the presentation of a meal — the place setting, the tablescape — the little details that make the event special. While those things are important, the practical work of preparing and cleaning up after the meal should also not be overlooked. Here are a few practical matters we ran across when preparing our Valentine’s Day lobster feast:
serveware and lobster tools
Our lobster platters aren’t used everyday so we keep them stored in a sideboard rather than in the kitchen. Items you don’t use regularly need not be crammed into your kitchen cabinets. Make sure they are clean before you store them and set them in a sideboard or your storage room. If the item is decorative, you might wish to display it in a hutch or elsewhere in the dining room.
The lobster tools were on our registry. Knowing we loved lobster, we knew they would be useful to have on hand. We only registered for a set of 4 tools, realizing we probably wouldn’t be having large lobster dinners at our home. And in the case of lobster and crabs, not everyone always needs their own set of tools. When registering for or buying speciality kitchen items, linens, or serveware, consider how you will use them and only buy what you need.
lobster rolls
We decided to cook four lobsters and eat two for Valentine’s Day and prepare the meat from the other two for lobster rolls — another all-time favorite of ours. I always buy Pepperidge Farm top split buns for the rolls — the sides of the buns are perfect for buttering and toasting. Fill them with some lobster meat mixed with chopped celery, a little mayonnaise, salt & pepper and voila! Decadence!
lobster shells
After cleaning all of the lobsters we were left with a mountain of shells. My husband suggested we make lobster stock. Brilliant! We added the shells to water, chopped onion, celery, and carrots, and a little white wine and let it simmer for a couple of hours. Now, we’ll have homemade stock on hand when we need it.
freezer label for lobster stock
We often end up with a ton of things in our freezer and sometimes it’s hard to tell how long something has been in there. (Scary!) So I’ve started using freezer labels to mark the date on each item. Martha Stewart’s template for freezer labels came in very handy. I printed the template onto full-size label sheets and cut them with paper cutter. I keep a stash in my drawer near my freezer for when I need them. No more guessing how long something has been in the freezer!
Simple things like properly storing serving pieces, making full use of every food item in your kitchen, and keeping food organized and well-stored can make the behind-the-scenes preparations of any party much more enjoyable.
I’ve always been a big fan of the “wedding wish” idea at weddings. Instead of a guest book, set out little note cards for guests to write advice, wishes, or a special memory for the bride & groom. The wishes can be dropped in a beautiful vase or other container that complements the wedding decor. While simple slips of paper would suffice, I do love Martha Stewart’s idea of creating pre-made “conversation starters” for guests to write their wishes on. Martha has made this one super easy with templates in several different colors. After the wedding, having the sweet wishes to read over and over again is far more interesting than just a book full of names!
This fun idea need not be used exclusively at weddings. Why not collect wishes at an engagement party, anniversary, or other major milestone? The “wish station” can add an interactive element to any party.
I popped into Anthropologie yesterday looking for some Christmas gifts. No luck on the gifts, but I did fall in love with their display in the front of the store featuring playing cards as holiday decor.
Punched cards were used as garland, gift tags, and even sewn together as a runner. So clever — and inexpensive to re-create at home!
playing card garland draped across the "fireplace"
garland adorns the tree
playing cards cut into circles are sewn together with red thread to make a simple garland
a playing card accompanies a "to/from" gift tag and red bow -- great for topping a present
Wreaths are a beautiful way to decorate one’s home for Christmas. There are plenty of store-bought options out there, but why not try to create one yourself, customizing it to your home and decor? Click on the photos below for DIY instructions on how to make each lovely, festive wreath!
Personal and unexpected touches can set a wedding apart and make it even more memorable for the bride & groom and their guests. Thinking through each step of the guests’ experience — down to the smallest detail like checking a coat — can help a bride create personal touches along the way for her guests to ooo and aaaahhhh over.
I absolutely adore the idea of custom coat check tags. Since we are in the colder months now, the idea is particularly appropriate as guests will need to wear and check their coats at weddings and other events.
This coat check recently featured on Style Me Pretty is stunning. Instructions for making similar tags are included on the site.
custom coat check tag featured on Style Me Pretty; photo by Corbin Gurkin
Elizabeth Anne Designs also created an adorable DIY coat tag template that is featured on her blog. This particular one shows how even black and white tags can be striking.
DIY Coat Check Tags via Elizabeth Anne Designs
A similar template for coat check tags is available on Putting the R in Mrs, a site which chronicles other beautiful DIY wedding projects, as well.
DIY coat check templates available at http://mrs.allieandjosh.org
Every Halloween my husband and I stock up on mountains of candy in anticipation of an onslaught of trick-or-treaters. It never fails the next day we’re left with a ton of candy. You’d think we’d learn!
I love this idea from Martha Stewart on what to do with leftover candy — particularly the wrappers. Absolutely brilliant! I could see the cans used as a decor for a children’s birthday party or used next year for trick-or-treat pails.
While the idea of using frames to display table numbers at weddings is not a new one, I love how My DIY Wedding Day finds a way to make it fresh — and easy!
Simply find frames that complement your tablescape, choose a decorative paper (think wrapping paper, scrapbook paper, etc) that reinforces your color scheme and overall design, affix a printed table number (using the same font as your other wedding stationery) and voila! Simple. Elegant.
The idea could be used equally well at a rehearsal dinner, bridesmaids luncheon, or shower.
