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Archive for the ‘Entertaining at Home’ Category

Add Frogs to Your Flowers

Posted in Entertaining at Home, Entertaining Ideas, Quick and Easy, tagged , , , on May 13, 2009| Leave a Comment »

gramercy vase fall 08gramercy vase spring 09If creating floral arrangements is not your cup of tea, think about using flower frogs. These great inserts make it so simple to create a stunning arrangement with little effort.

Flower frogs sit inside your container and have pre-made holes where you place the stems. Those holes hold the stems upright and make putting together a centerpiece a breeze.  One of my favorite containers  is this crème colored vase that has a frog insert. It is so versatile and fits in well with most seasons and themes.

You can see from the photos you can make the look informal with a garden-like bouquet or very formal with some outstanding stems.

To use the frog, place into your container. If it is loose, anchor it with a bit of floral adhesive (look in your local craft store in the floral section). Add enough water to completely cover the frog and start arranging from the middle of the frog outward.

When you are making an arrangement plan to use an odd number of stems, especially if it is a small grouping.  Remember your flowers should be about one and a half times as tall as your container.

Keep your flowers in water – whether purchased from a store or cut from your garden. Each time you expose them to air, be sure to recut the stems on an angle under lukewarm water. If you will be storing the flowers before making the arrangement, put them somewhere cool and dark in a clean bucket with lukewarm water.
If you don’t have a frog, you can always use floral tape (available at the craft store) to support your stems. Just criss-cross the tape over the top of your container to create a frame for your flowers. Remember to add plenty of greenery to the arrangement to hide the tape.
 You can also use floral foam to keep your stems upright and in place. Floral foam (again, look at your craft store) should be soaked in water until there are no air bubbles and then placed in the container. Trim the foam with a serrated knife, leaving about one-inch above your container. Use the trimmed off pieces to stuff down the sides of your container, filling in gaps to hold the foam in place. If it still feels wobbly, use some floral tape across the top of the container to anchor the foam. Arrange your flowers and greenery in the foam, making sure you stick some in the sides and all around the top to conceal the foam.

Have fun with your flowers and they will not only be a welcome touch of color to your home, but also a reflection of your personality!

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Crowd Pleasing BLT Dip

Posted in Easy Recipes, Entertaining at Home, Fast Recipes, Quick and Easy, tagged , , , , , , on May 11, 2009| 3 Comments »

Here is a quick and easy dip recipe that has generated a following in our group of friends. Whenever we all get together, someone has to bring this dip. It is so yummy and fast to make.

BLT DIP

1 cup Sour Cream

1 cup Mayo

1 cup Shredded Colby-Jack Cheese

1 cup Chopped Tomatoes

1/2 cup Crumbled  Cooked Bacon (I use the pre-packaged real bacon crumbles to save time)

2 heaping teaspoons Parmesan Peppercorn Herb dip mix*

In a large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients. Serve with warmed crostini or baguette bread or crackers of your choice. Mix this up the night before your party to give the flavors time to blend. Don’t be surprised if the bowl is scraped clean!

*For details on where to find Parmesan Peppercorn Herb Dip Mix, post a comment or subscribe to my newsletter. Ranch Dip Mix may also be substituted.

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Mother’s Day Entertaining

Posted in Entertaining at Home, Entertaining Ideas, Holidays, tagged , , , on May 8, 2009| Leave a Comment »

MomIf you are hosting a Mother’s Day get together, think about what you can do to make all the mothers feel extra special in your home.  By implementing a few simple ideas, you will ensure they know how much they are loved and appreciated.

Have a door greeter (one of your children would be great at the job) who hands every Mom a single stem flower as they walk in the door. These can be flowers from the florist or fresh cut from your garden. Have the flowers in a basket with individual water tubes on each stem to keep them fresh. Water tubes are available in craft stores or from a florist.

If you are serving a sit-down meal, have something special for each Mom at her place setting. It can be something as simple as a tiny box with one decadent truffle or a piece of her favorite candy. You could have an individual flower or votive floating in a small bowl. Even a poem hand-written or photocopied on nice card stock would be appreciated.

To truly touch her heart, spend a few minutes writing down the reasons you appreciate her. Put it on nice cardstock or in an inexpensive frame. This will definitely be a keepsake and probably much more appreciated than other gifts you could buy.

And don’t forget those who may not be mothers, but have a mother’s-heart. If you have a special aunt, sister, cousin or friend who goes out of her way to make you or your little ones feel special, make sure you show your appreciation to them as well.

Think with your heart and I know you’ll be able to give your Mom a special memory she’ll always treasure.

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Entertaining at Home Defined

Posted in Entertaining at Home, Entertaining Ideas, Quick and Easy, tagged , , , on May 5, 2009| Leave a Comment »

So many people have a preconceived idea about entertaining at home. Some think it is an involved and much-to-be-avoided process. If you are one of those, I  want to help you change the way you view entertaining.

In the most basic form, entertaining at home can be  defined as opening your doors and making others feel welcome. It isn’t so much about your cooking or decorating talents, if your manners would make Emily Post proud or if you have the swankiest house on the block. It is about the way your guests feel when they head out your door. Did you create some fun or warm memories? Did you focus on enjoying the time spent together? Were you present in the moment, interacting with your guests? That is successful entertaining.

We use outdated yardsticks to measure our entertaining abilities, creating a lack of confidence in our role as hosts. Changing times have brought new ideas and relaxed standards.

Think about what “entertaining” means to you. Entertaining doesn’t have to be time and money consuming or stressful. It doesn’t mean people will notice if the kids have toys out, the hallway could use a coat of paint or your “good” silver isn’t the type that requires silver polish. Concerns like this are not important to entertaining at home and having nothing to do with true hospitality. Adjust your attitude, do some planning and implement simple tips to find yourself in the position as the host with whom everyone wants to spend their time!

 To be a successful hostess, take the focus off the material things: your yard, house, serving pieces and food and instead focus on your guests.

A warm and gracious host is the one who views entertaining at home as an opportunity to share, to welcome guests into your home and make them feel like they are the most important people in the world to you right at that moment. When guests feel truly welcomed and appreciated, the fact that the bathroom rugs don’t match the hand towels are of absolutely no importance at all.

Get a new yardstick, put your guests at ease, make them feel special and see how much easier entertaining becomes.

Happy Entertaining!

Shanna

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