Summer Entertainment

Summer entertaining, whether it be poolside appetizers or a formal garden party, is a great time to show off new china. While some china lends itself well to year round use, ideally you should have a summer china set that is brighter and more colorful; to more accurately reflect the season. Sometimes this can be accomplished with only accent pieces, but a complete summer set also helps you feel more in the mood of the season, while the variety keeps your dining routine from becoming boring.

A great new pattern for those who have a flair for presentation is the Lenox Ubiquity line. The perfect blank canvas allows you to ‘decorate’ the plate to highlight the foods you have spent so much time preparing. The plates come in a high gloss white finish, with some pieces offering a hint of color around the border as an accent. This versatile pattern is dishwasher safe for easy clean-up; nobody wants to be doing dishes during the summer!

Another must for any appetizer party is the Wine and Appetizer plate. This ingenious design allows standing guests to have a glass of wine, a plate of food and still have a free hand to sample delectable morsels with! No, it is not a third arm! The plate is designed with a ‘slot’ on the side which will hold the wine glass, right next to the appetizers, allowing a free hand to sample with. The plates come in a set of 4 with a handy carry-caddy. When seated correctly into the caddie it is almost impossible for the plates to fall out, making it easy to carry more then one caddy at a time, when preparing your dining area! The pleasing color palette combined with function will make this set a big hit at your next wine and cheese tasting event!

Probably one of the most versatile and sophisticated summer sets is Portmeirion “Botanic Garden”. This set has, literally, hundreds of pieces to choose from, featuring a vast variety of floral themes. All the pieces can be mixed and matched together to form your very own statement. It is highly improbable any two people would create identical sets! The variety of pieces is equally appealing, from ‘corn cob plates’ to ‘watering can’ pitchers and everything in between. You will have fun personalizing your own set with the pieces that most appeal to you, whether you select your favorite flowers, local flora or a selection to match your own garden.

So get out there and start planning your next summer soiree! Wow your guests with your sophisticated and innovative taste and super tasty snacks and entrees. Always remember food is 90% presentation, so don’t spoil all your hard work with the wrong selection of china pieces. The correct china selection and food presentation is what makes the difference between a back yard get together and a garden party!

Summer is the season for entertaining

Summer is the season of entertaining. It is a time to show off your best baking, cooking and BBQ, and have friends over to enjoy the great weather.

Johnson Brothers Summer Chintz is a pattern that features spring and summer flowers on a white background. With baskets to display flower arrangements,

Heart plates to serve cookies on

And covered heart boxes for accent and storage pieces,

As well as deviled egg trays,

There is something for every occasion.

Another great summer pattern is The Botanic Garden, by Portmeirion. With hundreds of pieces depicting all the flowers of summer, it is a pattern that always surprises.

With corn holders

Teacups in every floral variety,

And butterfly plates for showing off your favorite entrées,

This pattern is a must for any garden party this summer!

Summer gatherings on the patio can also feature some whimsy, like this great pattern by Lori Seibert.

And no wine tasting soiree would be complete without appetizer plates!

Appetizer plates allow a slot for your wine glass to sit when you are standing! No more searching for a nook in the corner to set your wine glass so you can pick up your fork!

Your guests will have one hand free to sample all the tasty morsels you have prepared, while still being able to enjoy a glass of the latest vintage you have uncorked.

And no party is complete without a nice set of linen napkins. You go to all the trouble of laying out a beautiful table, fine food, good wine, why ruin it with paper! Not only is a cloth napkin more environmentally responsible, it always elevates the level of your gathering.

I know many people still use paper napkins because they think cloth is too difficult. That is not the case! Once you have acquired a versatile collection of cloth napkins, you will never let another piece of wood pulp (which is what paper napkins are made from) rub against your skin. After using emollients to keep your skin smooth and firm, why sand your skin away with paper napkins when you can just as easily use cloth.

The trick with cloth napkins is you must have enough that you do not have to do a load of napkins every few days. I recommend starting with at least 48 napkins and a dozen kitchen towels and cloths. I have found this to be sufficient to only require 3 laundry loads a month. Start with 2 sets of twelve, 2 sets of eight and 2 sets of four napkins. This should cover most situations and allow for some versatility.

Your napkins should be washed with your kitchen towels and cloths, all together once you have a full load. A hanging bag in the kitchen pantry makes for easy storage of soiled linens. A single capful of bleach, in warm water, will disinfect all your linens without damaging the color. Use care to take your linens out of the dryer before they are completely dry, and fold immediately, to avoid having to iron. Be careful not to use excessive fabric softeners, as this will impede the absorbency of your napkins and kitchen towels.

When selecting napkins, as well as tablecloths, stay away from polyester! Polyester and other man made fabrics are not absorbent, which means you are just pushing the moisture around! Cotton and linen are your primary materials, and silk is a nice touch for special occasions. If you know you will have a lot of spills, you can go with a tablecloth that has a polyester blend, for easy stain care, but never 100% polyester! A dark color cotton or linen would be a better choice.

Cloth napkins should not be just for entertaining, they should be used for every meal. Once you get in the habit of cleaning kitchen counters and stove tops with towels and cloths, you will soon find that not only are you saving money, by purchasing less paper towels, you are doing something good for the environment, as well as your skin!

RECIPE: Going Crazy For Berries

I have been going “Berry” crazy at the farmers market lately! All the berries look so good; I always end up leaving with more then I will use. My neighbors end up getting fruit pies, muffins, and cut up watermelon and other goodies every week.

This week I decided to make a ‘mixed berry’ pie - and even added some papaya.

The nice thing about making fruit pies is that you can use whatever you have on hand. I was going to add the strawberries, which you can see already cut up in the picture, but I ended up forgetting to add them. You can always add them in your own version of this pie: add them in addition to the recipe below, nothing will need to be omitted. Let me know about any creative changes you make!

This recipe is for a cream pie, which makes it great as a quick breakfast on the run. I am lazy and always use “store bought crust”, but if you are more motivated, by all means, a home made crust would only make this pie better!

Ingredients:

• 2 unbaked pie crusts
• ½ cup blackberries
• ½ cup blueberries
• ½ cup raspberries
• ½ cup diced red papaya, very ripe (soft)
• 3/4 c. plus 1 tbsp raw sugar (white can also be used)
• 2 rounded tbsp. flour
• Dash of salt
• 1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
• 1 c. sour cream
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• ½ tsp. almond extract2 eggs, beaten, separated
• 1/3 cup sliced almonds

Set aside all the fruit, the 1 tbsp raw sugar, the almonds and 1 of the eggs.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

In a 9 inch pie dish lay out one of the crusts and brush with the set aside egg and leave edges loose. Edges will be folded under top crust later.

Mix all ingredients, except those set aside, with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy and the sugar has dissolved into the mix.

Fold in all the set aside fruit, careful not to bruise the fruit.

Pour the filling into the pie crust and smooth out.

Fold the top crust under the bottom crust and crimp down with a fork. Poke vent holes in upper crust to allow steam to escape.

Bake for 25 minutes at 400 degrees; remove, and brush the top with egg, sprinkle with the sliced almonds and return to oven for an additional 12 minutes.

Remove from oven and let cool for at least 1-2 hours, until pie reaches room temperature.

I don’t refrigerate this pie since I know it will be eaten within 1-2 days; but this pie does contain dairy and in many climates it is best to refrigerate.

This is great by itself, with ice cream on top or as a delectable breakfast on the go.

Let me know what you think or any feedback on improvements you have made.

Serving Suggestion:

Serve your pie in a beautiful Johnson Brothers Old Britain Castles Pink Pie Dish.

RECIPE: Mexican Pizza

Here is a great recipe for what I would tell my nephews was “Mexican Pizza”. It combines some great summer flavors, such as avocados and sun ripened tomatoes, with brie cheese all on an easy to eat bread. The recipe calls for Cuban bread, but you can also use a baguette, or a loaf of French bread, or whatever your favorite bread. My friend Neil picked up this recipe somewhere in his travels and it remains one of my favorites.

• 1 loaf Cuban Bread, sliced in half lengthwise
• 3 medium avocados
• 1 6-8 oz round of brie cheese
• 1/3 cup sun dried tomatoes packed in olive oil
• Teaspoon lemon juice
• Pinch of salt
• Pinch of pepper
• Oregano

Slice the avocados in half, remove the pit and scoop out the inside. Mash well with a fork.
Add the lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste.
Spread the mashed avocados evenly over both halves of the bread
Slice the brie into thin strips and place over top of the mashed avocados
Slice the sun dried tomatoes into thin strips and place over the brie
Sprinkle oregano to taste over everything

Bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven until the cheese is melted and bubbly, approximately 10 minutes
Slice and enjoy! Any leftovers can be saved to be reheated, but this usually goes fast!

Family Memories

Family memories, we all have them. Many times it is little things, like remembering an ornament from childhood that was always hung on the Christmas tree. Or a punch bowl mom used to always use for special company. Little memories like these stick with us all our life.

Now is the time to create special memories for your children. Everyday objects take on memories when they are used for special events. Just like when you look at that special ornament, you mind pictures events from the past, you can create object which will hold memories for your own families.

Special nights of the family together, creating themes, is one way to build memories.

A pizza night during the summer, maybe every Tuesday night, can be the start of a family tradition.

LINK: You can buy this pizza dinner set in our store.

Family movie night is another great way to get everyone together.

LINK: You can buy this popcorn set in our store.

Or even theme dinner nights, like a Mexican night.

LINK: You can buy this Mexican chili set in our store.

A great way to get your children involved and excited about such nights, it to have them play an active role in not only planning these ‘family nights’, but to help in the kitchen as well.

Children as young as 6 years old can start learning there way around the kitchen. Simple tasks, such as making guacamole, can expose children to new foods as well as new cultures. Children will be much more willing to try these new foods if they have played a role in shopping and preparing them. I remember when my nephew was 5 years old. I took him to the grocery store with me to get all the ingredients for a “Mexican Fiesta”. He helped my select avocados, and when we got home he helped ‘mash’ them into guacamole. He not only tried the guacamole, he liked it! His older brother, who did not help us with any of the preparations, would not even try to strange looking green food.

RECIPE: Spring is here - Fruits & Berries

Spring is here at that means fruits and berries! Living in Dallas, the local Farmers Market receives a bounty of fresh fruits from Mexico and South American, so I get an early taste of summer. Berries are great this time of year, Blackberries, Blueberries as well as Raspberries. I picked up a quart of fresh Blackberries and decided to experiment a little. I try to cut back on carbohydrates as much as possible, so I made a Blackberry Cream Pie with a Pecan Crust, instead of the traditional pastry crust. I also added a Pecan Streusel topping, but that topping was a little too much Pecan, so I have omitted that from the recipe below. Give it a try and let me know what you think.

For the Crust:

• 3 cups Pecans, ground to meal (coffee grinder works great)
• ½ stick of butter
• 1 tablespoon of cocoa powder (chocolate goes great with anything, but can be omitted)

Mix the pecan meal and butter together and form with your hands in a 9 inch pie dish

Bake at 400 degrees for 8 minutes

For the Filling:

• 4 cups fresh blackberries, washed and dried
• ¾ cup Raw Sugar (golden in color, but regular refined sugar can also be used)
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• Juice of ½ a small lemon
• 1 egg, beaten
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• Pinch of salt

Mix all ingredients, except berries, with an electric whisk until smooth and creamy.

Fold in berries

Pour filling into pie crust

Bake at 400 degrees for 40 minutes

Let cool for at least 1 hour for filling to set.

I know it will be gone within 2 days, so I only cover it and leave it on the kitchen counter, to tempt everyone walking by. But it does have dairy (cooked) in it, so you may want to cover and refrigerate. When I lived in Florida I would never leave it out, but in a dry climate like Texas, I have found I do not need to refrigerate pies if they are going to be eaten within a couple of days.