The Perfect Little Glass

I have a thing for a small thin glass. It's so tough to find a good low ball glass, either the lip is too fat or the design isn't as elegant as its taller counterpart. I want to have just as much joy sipping from a juice glass as I do a great wine glass. So, I embarked on mission "mini glass" and lately I have found lots of great glasses to load up on.  I start my day with a hot water and lemon wedge, followed by a green juice or cashew milk. This glass is just the right size. And it's perfect for a glass of wine after a long day--or a cucumber vodka and pellegrino if it's been a really long day.

This Spanish wine glass from Canvas home store is an absolute front runner:

image via Pinterest

My green juice concoction

Another bar favorite is the Marta bar ware from CB2.  CB2 is one of my go-to's for affordable, easy entertaining staples with a modern edge. These super-thin glasses are great for serving up your favorite summer cocktails.  Can you tell I am already sick of winter?

Ina Garten's pink grapefruit margarita is my new libation of choice. Tequila and fresh grapefruit juice, need I say more? No time like the present to serve up some tangy pink grapefruit margaritas. Grapefruits and oranges are in their prime right now so squeeze yourself some fresh juice and go ahead, and plan your spring break while sipping on one of these delicious pink cocktails.

image via Pinterest

Still wanting more glasses? Get all of the juicy details here on my Petite Glasses Pinterest board.

Sandwich Artist: The Best Sandwiches. Period.

I love a good sandwich.  To me, there is nothing better than biting into a BLT on toasted white bread, preferably the kind that sticks to the roof of your mouth.   In keeping with the momentum of motivating my readers to entertain, I bring you the idea of a ladies lunch. Not the fancy kind with invitations and a motivational speaker, but rather the impromptu gathering of a few friends  a BLT , Ruffles potato chips and a good ole' fashioned Coke. Right now I am loving the new Oscar Mayer Butcher thick cut bacon with sea salt. I cook my bacon in the oven, 400 degrees for about 20 minutes. It's perfectly crisp and eliminates the dreaded bacon grease splatter from pan frying.

The perfect sandwich dessert? Nye's Key Lime Pie Ice Cream Sandwich. You WON'T be disappointed!

Nye's ice cream sandwich.

Speaking of Sandwich..... While hunting through Pinterest, the ultimate source for all things eye-candy, I came across these incredibly cool "Scanwiches." Wouldn't a few of these pictures be great featured together on a kitchen wall?  Which ones are your favorite? Get even more of the sandwich scoop on my Smashing Sandwiches Pinterest board.

BLT Scanwich

Turkey Hero

Lobster Roll

The Entertainer

A big thank you to Lonny Magazine for the wonderful article in the January / February issue.  This article features my home in Maine where my family and I spend our summers.  While in residence, I absolutly love to entertain people in our home. Be it breakfast, lunch or dinner.

Entertaining friends and house guests comes easy for me. I enjoy having people in my home because I feel it is  more authentic and intimate than going out to a restaurant. Entertaining friends and house guests comes easy for me. That is not always the case with many people.  Perhaps you are one of those individuals who is afraid of not being able to "pull off" a dinner party. Here is a simple suggestion and menu and idea for motivating you to plan a dinner party. The more you practice your host or hostess skills the more comfortable you will become with having guests in your home.

Keep it simple. Prepare a dish that you can make ahead so you are not stuck in the kitchen when your guest arrive.  Here are a few of my favorite easily prepared meals for a sit down dinner.

Cheeseburgers.  Totally unexpected. Why not haul out your good china. If you are like me, you might not use it much so here is an excuse to put it to use.

Make a plate of lettuce, onion, tomato so your guests may personalize their burger.  Buns in a basket and you are halfway there. If you want to step it up a notch, serve the burgers with home made sweet potato fries. I like Ina Garten's recipe. If cooking is not your thing, serve Alexia sweet potato fries.

I love a beautifully set table.  Placemats, linen napkins and the good silver and china. Why not? Life is short and usually the "good china" and the "silver" usually only come out at Thanksgiving and during the Holidays.

Not in the mood to wash dishes? I am equally content with Chinet. I am loving the new 9 1/2" square dinner plate!  Who knew Chinet could be so chic??

Now go on and plan a dinner party. Your friends will thank you for having them over and you just might enjoy how authentic and intimate a last-minute soiree can be.

images via pintrest, Alexia Foods.com, GDS interiors, and amazon

Tootin' Our Own Horn! Winter Press

Some days you deserve to give yourself a pat on the back and today is one of those days. We just got the latest issue from  Ivy and Piper, Australia's online design mag, and couldn't be more thrilled than to find our spread in their winter issue! There's nothing better than feverishly flipping through (or in this case, clicking through) a magazine and seeing your finished product on a page. Enjoy! And don't forget to look at the rest of the issue- they had some amazing gift ideas that I'm obsessing over.   
                                                                (all photos by Emily Redfield)



           

 

The Best Christmas Cutout Cookies

via Coastal Living

Cute coastal cutouts. Get the how-to here.

Everyone that really knows me, knows I have a terrible sweet tooth. I work really hard at trying to fend off cookies and cakes. I am swept in by the mere sight of a delicious cupcake. I am not a candy or soda gal, so I’ve got that going for me. Christmas is a time for baking. My favorites are the cutouts. I shop all year for great cookie cutters and look forward to showcasing my latest finds each holiday. Last year, I found a great lobster cookie cutter while we were in Maine. Who doesn’t love a Christmas lobster cookie? Get your own lobster here.

The sugar cookie receipie I follow is one of the best. It is dense, yet buttery and soft.  The cookies hold together for decorating and if you follow with my icing recipie, you won’t be disappointed!
This receipe originally appeared in the Children’s Hospital of Buffalo, NY Cookbook.

Sugar Cookie Recipe:

2c. Salted Butter, softened  
1c. sugar
1 egg, beaten  
4c. Flour
1tsp. good vanilla

In a blender fitted with paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar. Add egg to butter and sugar mixture, slowly add flour until combined, then add the vanilla at the end. Refrigerate dough 2-3 hours or overnight. I like to refrigerate in small sections, that way when the dough gets soft again, I can return it to the refrigerator and pull out chilled dough.

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

Flour surface, roll out dough. Make cut-outs and place on baking sheet. Bake for 6-8 minutes or just until the edges are slightly browned. Do not over bake!

Icing:

2c. Confectioners Sugar          
2tbs of softened butter ( unsalted)

1tsp. of good vanilla          

heavy cream

Mix sugar, butter and vanilla together. Slowly add heavy cream until combined. The mixture should be about the consistancy of maple syrup.

Prepare the icing and set aside. Gather 4-5 bowls that are wide enough that you could dip a cookie into. Spoon out the white icing into the bowls and add food coloring to make desired colors. I usually stick with red, green and white as my icing colors.  I typically dip the entire cookie in one color, then decorate with dragers and colored sugar crystals. I am a purist. I don’t love a lot of gloppy icing and sprinkles on my cookies. 

Set them on wax paper to allow the frosting to cure, about 30 mins. Once they are set, transfer them to a sealed container and stack cookies between sheets of parchment paper. They make great gifts. I love to give bags of cookies to neighbors and guests. Check out some of my favorite decorating ideas:

Ornaments and snowflakes.
via Google

Simple stars.
via Martha Stewart

You'd have to be a freaking pastry chef to pull
these off but it's super cute.
via Martha Stewart

My favorite. Simple, classic Christmas cutouts.
via Google

More costal cookie ideas.
via Coastal Living

Color the doughs if you're not an icing fan.
via Martha Stewart

For more cookie inspiration, follow me on Pinterest!

Non-Traditional Thanksgiving Menu

I am not the biggest fan of the Thanksgiving meal. While I love the holiday tradition of Thanksgiving and the inevitable “Turkey Bowl” football game that evolves with family and friends, I just really don’t care for the traditional Thanksgiving fare. The entire meal is brown, orange and white, with a touch of cranberry. No pun intended! There is never anything green on the plate! Call me crazy, but gobs of sticky mashed potatoes, dried turkey, and a handful of bland casseroles just doesn’t do it for me anymore.

I'm over it. 

 I have been thinking about what my ideal Thanksgiving Day meal might be. I would completely be satisfied ordering really good pizza (I know…uncultured swine that I am) but my husband wouldn’t go for it. As someone who enjoys cooking, I thought I could do better than pizza. I came up with the following for an alternative Thanksgiving meal. Click the links for our favorite delicious and fail-proof recipes.

Menu

Pimento cheese sandwiches and shrimp cocktail

Kale salad with dried cranberries, apples and toasted pepitas

Butternut squash risotto topped with crispy pancetta

Steamed haricot vert with brown butter and shaved toasted almonds

This year we are not travelling for the Thanksgiving holiday (thank goodness!!!!) and we are celebrating with just the four of us.  I think I will save myself the hassle and disdain for turkey and stuffing and hopefully head out on the slopes for some Thanksgiving Day skiing!

What will you serve for your Thanksgiving meal this year? Need more inspiration? Don't forget to follow us on Pinterest!

Thanksgiving Décor and Entertaining Ideas

Most people dread the holidays. The amount of work that goes into making a "magical moment" for family and friends turns into a total stressed out disaster that is so scarring you remain gun shy for the next 365 days until it rolls around again. We used to take a turn or two on the crazy holiday merry-go-round until we realized how to jump off. We've rounded up our must-know tips for a semi stress-free holiday entertaining and easy decorating ideas.

Centerpiece: We love a gorgeous arrangement of grand blooms. However, if you don't have enough time to create an arrangement yourself, arrange a collection of potted herbs, boxwoods, and plants in decorative ceramic planters on the table for a nice touch without spending tons of time. 

If you're more traditional and can't live without a classic centerpiece, grab a few bundles of pre-cut flowers at the grocery store (we especially love chocolate lilies) and arrange with seed pods, fruits and veggies you can get in the produce section while knocking off the rest of your Thanksgiving grocery shopping trip. Asparagus, squash, figs, artichokes, pomegranates, and kumquats work great in a fall-themed floral arrangement.

It's not necessary to set the table with a water, champagne, red wine, white wine, and tea glass. Instead, keep your setting minimal. You can always add more as the night progresses. 

GDS Tip: Don't be afraid to play with patterns and prints. Mix your formal china with a traditional napkin, whimsical table cloth, and rustic candlesticks for a layered look with personality.

Give kids a spot of their own. Have a few snacks ready-to-go on the table so they're not starving and you're not running around the house looking for a little bite for them before the meal starts.

Get crafty: a few makers, glue sticks, embellishments and blank cards will do the trick. Let them make the place cards so they stay busy while you're putting the finishing touches on your sweet potato soufflé.

People love to congregate in the kitchen and that's the last place you need bystanders. Instead, set up a seating group away from the action so you can finish cooking without dodging a traffic jam while your guests relax. A fire pit with a few throws is a great spot to unwind.

Keep a bar cart nearby for a mobile wet bar. Stock it with spirits, champagne, mixers, garnishes, non-alcoholic options, ice, and glassware. 

Want more fabulous inspiration? Check out our Turkey Day Pinterest board!