Entertaining Tips

date night ~ gypsy dinner

Gypsy dinner is fun to put together and will help you use up a ton of those fresh garden veggies and herbs. Play romantic music while you work in the kitchen together and enjoy all the beautiful flavors and textures of these fragrant, colorful ingredients. We always make extra veggies and potatoes so we can…

sweetie pie dessert pizzas

I know I already told you how fast summer is going by for me. I can hardly believe it’s already August. We have several little “staycations” blocked out so we can savor the last of this delicious season before autumn. How are you making memories this summer? One of our favorite things to cook in…

six senses saturday

tasting :: campari and tonic on ice…one of our favorite summer libations that always reminds us of our vacation to Riviera Maya, puffy crispy amazing hard shell chicken tacos at Red Wing’s Brick House Pub and Grill…soooo yummy with pico, guac, sour cream and (of course) just enough Sriracha to make me cry a little….and…salt…

tea tasting notes ~ seven flower puerh

~ seven flower puerh ~ “When you buy this puerh tea, you receive four different puerh squares (approximately 3-5 grams each-perfect for an individual cup or small pot).  While the same high grade puerh (shu or cooked puerh) is used throughout; each square has different additional ingredients: either jasmine, rose, carnation, naturtium (tropaeolum), forget-me-not (myosotis),…

herbal simple syrup

~ herbal simple syrup ~ Transform sugar, water and herbs into a flavorful syrup that will make your iced tea and lemonade sing! It’s so simple I could hardly believe it. The result is a gorgeous syrup that will keep in your fridge all summer. Little bottles of this would make lovely favors for a…

carrot cheddar curry tea sandwiches

~ carrot cheddar curry tea sandwiches ~ Today I made some of our favorite tea sandwiches for teatime. Carrot cheddar curry. We made these little sammies at both of the tearooms where I was employed, and everyone loved them! The mincemeat is my addition, and I think it makes these sandwiches even more wonderful. If…

frozen cappuccino

~ frozen cappuccino ~ These little iced cappuccinos are easy to make and every bit as good as the more expensive coffee shop variety. Serve these up in clear depression glass teacups (like the one pictured above) or your favorite floral cups for a fun and fancy garden party treat! one serving: 2 heaping teaspoons…

italian ice

~ italian ice ~ A refreshing, warm weather dessert. I love to eat this in place of ice cream because it curbs that craving without the fat…and it has the added benefit of vitamins from the fruit juice. Also, lovely served in tiny little scoops as a “palate cleanser” between courses of a more elaborate…

garden party tea punch

~ garden party tea punch ~ “UNDER certain circumstances there are few hours in life more agreeable than the hour dedicated to the ceremony known as afternoon tea. There are circumstances in which, whether you partake of the tea or not—some people of course never do—the situation is in itself delightful. Those that I have…