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A colorful and Refreshing summer drink to serve at a gathering with family and friends is White Sangria flavored with citrus, melon and mint.
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Summer White Sangria {citrus, melon, and mint}
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Archive | entertaining
Mother’s Day ⎜Herb Bouquets ⎜Sweet Pastries
A bouquet of lavender leaves and rosemary flowers.
These precious hands {Hannah} held a sweet and simple herb bouquet for Mother’s Day. Clay pots that were once filled with dried herbs and lavender have new purposes as containers for fresh herbs. To see and photograph my children holding and preparing these bouquets were as much of a gift as it is to receive them.
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Susan Wheeler HOME
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“When you find something you really love, you will always be able to find a spot for it in your home,” Susan Wheeler.
Located in Seattle’s Georgetown neighborhood is this lovely shop, Susan Wheeler Home. It is brimming with unique vintage items, collectibles, antiques, salvage pieces, and furnishings. Susan Wheeler opened her shop to the public in October 2009 and for the past 5 years it has become a destination for shoppers and interior designers. The idea of having a shop filled with her favorite things wasn’t something Susan had set out to do. Before she began this new chapter in her life, her priority for 20 plus years was to be at home with her kids. Reflecting on this change in her life, Susan said,
“I am lucky to be able to have a shop where I can gather together things that I like and have the good fortune to have nice people come and find things they like too.”
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Basic Cheese Platter
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The holiday season is upon us and it’s time to prepare for this festive time of year, especially if you will be hosting and preparing wonderful meals. Creating a simple, elegant, and delicious cheese platter or a cheese board is a great start to a gathering with friends and family.
I created the “basic cheese platter” illustrations above as a guide to help answer some of the questions as to what could be included on the cheese platter. Once familiar and comfortable with preparing it, have fun experimenting with other items by changing or adding to it depending on the season or occasion.
Cheeses – The three basic go to cheeses I like to use are brie {mild/buttery flavor}, sharp cheddar cheese {medium/intense/nutty flavor}, and blue cheese {strong/bold flavor}. Here are the other varieties that might be of interest to include, Gruyère cheese, Gouda cheese, Mozzarella, Goat cheese, Stilton, havarti, camembert, cheddar, Manchego, Pecorino Romano, and Roquefort.
Crackers & Bread – Offer 2 to 3 varieties of crackers and/or bread {baguette} with different shapes and sizes.
Meats – Preserved meats {salami, prosciutto} and sea food {marinated shrimp, smoked salmon}. Smoked salmon is a must have for our family.
Fresh/dried fruits – grapes, pears, apples, apricots, figs, dates, and berries.
Nuts – The crunchy and salty texture of nuts {almonds, walnuts, pistachios, pecans, walnuts, and cashews} just give it another taste and texture to it all.
Others – honey, vegetables, jams, roasted garlic, and olives
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I like to keep the cheese platter simple with just enough variety, texture, flavor, and color without it looking cluttered and over crowded. To bring out the flavor of the cheese, let it rest at room temperature for about 30 minutes before serving. When the cheese plate is visually pleasing, everything seems to taste even better.
Here are a few more ideas on how to create an inviting, beautiful, and tasty cheese platter…..
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French Cookware, Cookbooks & Other Things
A visit with my good friend Ruthie Cook became a morning photo shoot of her beautiful French cookware and other things. It all started with the conversation about her bike travel through Central Europe during the summer of 1961. Along with her travel, the introduction to the cuisine of Europe became the inspiration of her retail store specializing in European cookware. Her beautiful French collection have brought enjoyment to her and all who come to visit.
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