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Using Fresh Garden Herbs in Cool Summer Cocktails

Friday, July 16th, 2010

Image courtesy of Country Living

It’s definitely true that nothing spruces up a homemade meal and adds delicious flavor quite like your own home-grown garnishes. Herbs such as basil, cilantro, and thyme can add wonderful color and fragrance to your dishes- not to mention the best part of chowing down on them. Here is another idea that we love for fresh herbs- mixing them into some chilly and refreshing summer cocktails. Yes, it’s true. Not only can you cook and garnish with fresh herbs, but you can also mix them up with booze and drink them. The fresh herbs create an aromatic cocktail, which when drunk, creates a particularly complex and lovely sensation on the palate and nose.

At your next outdoor party, try making one of these your signature drink. Mix it up ahead of time in some pitchers, then keep plenty of ice on hand. Or, just shake up a couple of cooling drinks for you and your honey on a balmy summer night. Sip, savor, repeat.

Country Thyme and Berry Cocktail

Recipe from H. Joseph Hermann and Square One Vodka.Supplies:
1 muddler
1 10-ounce highball glass
1 cocktail shaker or mixing cup
1 cocktail strainer

Ingredients:
1 and ½ ounces vodka
A handful (approximately 10-15) fresh blueberries, huckleberries, or blackberries
1/2 ounce of fresh organic lemon cut into pieces
1/4 to 1/2 ounce organic agave nectar (natural sweetener)
2-3 sprigs of fresh thyme

Preparation:
1. In the bottom of a mixing cup or cocktail shaker, add the berries and lemon. Muddle to juice both.
2. Add the vodka, agave nectar, and ice.
3. Shake vigorously for 20-30 seconds.
4. Take 3 sprigs of thyme and slap them between your palms to release the natural aromatic oils.
5. Place 2 sprigs in the bottom of the highball glass, then fill it with ice.
6. Strain the cocktail over ice and stick the last thyme sprig in the cocktail as a garnish. It should stick out a bit like a small straw.

County Line Strawberry Basil Spritzer

Recipe from Allison Evanow and the 2008 Slow Food Nation event in San Francisco.

Supplies:
1 muddler
1 tall Tom Collins glass
1 cocktail shaker or mixing cup
1 cocktail strainer

Ingredients:
2 ounces vodka
3 strawberries
2 whole basil leaves
½ ounce of lemon juice
½ ounce of agave nectar
Club soda

Preparation:
1. Muddle the strawberries and 2 basil leaves in a cocktail shaker or mixing cup.
2. Add all of the other ingredients except for the club soda.
3. Add ice and shake for 10 seconds.
4. Strain into a Tom Collins glass filled with ice.
5. Top with club soda.
6. Thinly slice (chiffonade) an extra basil leaf. Serve the cocktail garnished with the basil chiffonade and a couple strawberry slices.

Fresh Basil Martini

Recipe courtesy of Square One Vodka.Supplies:
1 muddler
1 chilled martini glass
1 cocktail shaker or mixing cup
1 cocktail strainer

Ingredients:
4-5 basil leaves, lemon basil leaves, or Thai basil leaves, torn
2 ounces vodka
1 ounce fresh lime juice
½ ounce of organic agave nectar

Preparation:
1. In the mixing cup or cocktail shaker, briefly muddle the basil leaves to release their oils.
2. Add crushed ice and all of the other ingredients.
3. Shake vigorously for 10 seconds.
4. Strain into the chilled martini glass.

Oh Rosie! Rosemary Lemon Martini

Recipe from Cheri Loughlin and The Intoxicologist.

Supplies:
1 cocktail shaker or mixing cup
1 chilled martini glass
1 cocktail strainer

 

Ingredients:
1 and ½ ounces gin
½ ounce orange juice
¼ ounce rosemary syrup*
½ ounce of fresh lemon juice
Sprig of fresh rosemary for garnish

Preparation:
1. Slap the rosemary sprig between your palms and rub gently to release the fragrant oils. Brush the inside of the martini glass with the sprig, then set it aside.
2. Combine all of the liquid ingredients in the cocktail shaker with ice. Shake for 20 seconds.
3. Strain into the martini glass, add the rosemary sprig for garnish.

*Recipe for rosemary syrup:
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
1 4-inch fresh rosemary sprig

Directions:
Combine the water and the sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a gentle boil, stirring the mixture frequently until the sugar dissolves completely. This will take approximately 5 minutes. Once the sugar has dissolved, remove the syrup from the heat source. Place the rosemary sprig in a heat-proof bowl. Pour the syrup over the rosemary. Allow this too cool completely before transferring it to an airtight container and storing it in the fridge. This will keep for up to 2 weeks.

Kiwi and Cilantro Mojito

Recipe from Melissa Parks and Suite 101.

Supplies:
1 muddler
1 mojito glass (or other tall, slender glasses like the Large Botanical Inspired Glasses by aHa!)

Ingredients:
3-4 sprigs of fresh cilantro
3-4 fresh spearmint leaves
2 slices fresh lime
1 kiwi, peeled and halved
1 tbsp. sugar (or simple syrup)
1 and ½ ounces light rum
Club soda

Preparation:
1. Lightly muddle the cilantro leaves, spearmint leaves, fruit, and sugar together in the bottom of the glass.
2. Add ice, rum, and enough club soda to fill glass.
3. Stir lightly to mix, and garnish with an extra slice of lime.

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Posted in Entertaining, Grow | 7 Comments »

Grilling Vegetables from Your Garden

Wednesday, June 9th, 2010

Right up there with apple pie and baseball, cookouts are definitely one of America’s favorite summer pastimes. We think it’s not just the scrumptious fare that makes cookouts so great; it’s the smell of lit charcoal and lighter fluid, the carefree attitude of cooking out in the open air, and the simple joy of washing your barbecue-sauce smeared hands in a hose rather than in a kitchen sink. All of these things make summer grilling, in a word, awesome.

Now despite all the many joys of outdoor grilling, of course we are not going to deny that devouring the food is the very best part. And grilling is a wonderful opportunity to use some of the fresh veggies and fruits from your garden. Fresh home-grown veggies are wonderful straight from the garden, but when you grill them over an open flame, their flavor is magnified, and suddenly some simple garden fresh produce becomes a true treat.

Basic guidelines for grilling vegetables from your garden

  • Onions- Cut them into 1/2 inch slices, and cook for 10-12 minutes.
  • Bell Peppers- Cut them into halves or quarters, and grill them for 6-8 minutes.
  • Eggplant- Cut them into 1/2 inch slices, and cook them for 8-10 minutes.
  • Asparagus- Leave them whole, and cook them for 6-8 minutes.
  • Corn-Peel back the husks to remove the corn silk, then replace the husks. Pre-soak them in water for one hour to prevent them from charring. Cook them for 20-25 minutes.
  • Summer Squash and Zucchini- Cut into 1/2 inch slices, and cook them for 6 to 8 minutes.
  • Cherry Tomatoes- Pierce the skins and cook them whole for 2-4 minutes.

We know what you’re thinking right now. Despite the fact that you have all of these wonderful grilled veggies straight from your home garden, you still have a friend/spouse/child who will insist on reaching for a brat or hamburger. You’ll need to entice this person a bit in order to get him or her to reach for something fresher and healthier instead. No problem! We’ve got a terrific marinade recipe that will pump up the flavor of your veggies and make anyone’s mouth water.

Lemon and Thyme Vegetable Grilling Sauce:

Whisk together 1/4 cup of melted margarine or butter, 1/4 cup of olive oil, 2 finely chopped shallots, 2 tablespoons of Dijon mustard, 2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice, 1 tablespoon of grated lemon peel,  and 2 tablespoons of chopped fresh thyme. You can add salt and pepper to taste. Brush both sides of your veggies with this marinade before grilling them. Keep any of the remaining sauce warm in order to serve it with your veggies.  If you’d like, you can make this sauce ahead of time and store it in a sealed container in your fridge.

Hints for Grilling Veggies:

  • If you would like to try grilling vegetables that are too small to sit on your grill, try using either a grill basket, or a foil packet. For a simple foil packet recipe, try cutting up Brussels sprouts, pearl onions, carrots, green beans, snap peas, and cherry tomatoes. Place them all on a large piece of foil and season them with salt and pepper. Lift the edges and add one tablespoon of water, or one large ice cube. Bring the sides of the foil up so that they meet, and fold them over twice. (The sealed packet will look kind of like an envelope.) Grill this on the hottest part of the grill for about 10 minutes, flipping halfway through.
  • Full-size tomatoes are great for grilling, too. Just cut them in half and cook them directly on your grill.
  • Any time you place a fruit or veggie directly on your grill rack, first brush them with a little bit of olive oil or spray them with cooking spray to keep them from sticking.

Image source: Fresh From Florida

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Posted in Entertaining, Garden, Healthy Livng | 2 Comments »

Easy Flower Arranging for Outdoor Entertaining

Thursday, May 27th, 2010

When you’re throwing an outdoor garden party, create informal flower arrangements that compliment, rather than distract, from the surroundings. If you’re having a seated dinner, or small cocktail tables for guests to sit around, you also want to steer clear of towering (potentially unstable) arrangements. Bud vases provide easy floral design tools, and it’s quick and easy to create a pretty centerpiece.

We have a variety of bud vases in the aHa! Modern Living catalog, including our Glass Bird Vases, Cube Tube Vases, Jacks Vase, and the Windowsill Herb Holder. Here are a few ideas for each vase, and ideas for mixing these vases with other household containers.

Glass Bird Vases: These vases look best with delicate flowers and greens. Thin ornamental grass leaves, flax flowers, and other long-stemmed, delicate blooms look good in these birds.

Cube Tube Vases: You can display larger flowers in these sturdy vases. Their hard-edged lines are calling out for either 1) specimen flowers like a small sunflower on a short stem, a hydrangea, hybrid tea rose, or a large tuberous begonia or 2) wispy, floating ornamental grass stems, sprouting from the tubes in a cascading waterfall of greenery.

Windowsill Herb Holder: Use this vase to hold your edible centerpiece of garnishes. In each glass cup, place herbs that compliment the taste of your appetizers. Dill, basil and thyme are all different enough, and will highlight most savory dishes. Alternatively, you could place cut stems of mint, lavender, and pineapple sage as garnishes for sweet items and drinks. (See “Grow your own Garnishes,” below, for more garnish ideas.)

Mix and Match

The fun of flower arranging with bud vases is that you really can’t make a mistake. Go out to your garden and snip cuttings of anything that catches your eye. You could stick with a color theme (cool colors: blues, purples, greens or warm colors: reds, pinks, oranges, yellows), or a shape (spiky, round, daisy-shaped), or just cut a riot of colors and shapes.

Cut the flower stems at different lengths (though, none more than three times as tall as the container itself), and start putting them in vases and containers. Bud vases look best when mixed and matched together, along with other glasses, jars, and tumblers from around the house. Part of the fun is the mixing and matching. The space around the vases, once they are arranged in their final place before the party, is also part of the design. Draw attention to the group of vases by placing a large hosta leaf under several of the containers.

Most importantly, have fun with your arrangements. A grouping of bud vases is a chic and simple table arrangement, fitting for most garden parties.

Cultivate Your Style

So what’s your outdoor entertaining style?  Not sure?  For inspiration, check out these images of some of the best outdoor spaces. Notice the placement of flower arrangements and potted plants, and how different arrangements can create or add to the style and atmosphere of an outdoor patio.  We love the way simple additions of clipped or potted flowers, herbs, and succulents on or around outdoor tables can help to create a balanced, complete outdoor space fit for both entertaining and personal enjoyment.

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Posted in Entertaining, Garden, Home Decor | 3 Comments »

Garden-Themed Outdoor Entertaining Tips

Wednesday, May 26th, 2010
Brazil 66 Cocktail and perfect ice cubes

More recipes at www.cocktalia.com

After you work so hard to create a beautiful garden, why not show it off with an outdoor cocktail party or get-together? There are endless ways to put together a fun event. Here are some of our tips for throwing a party that’s as fun for the guests as it is for the host.

  • Have plenty of ice on hand: When the weather warms up, never underestimate the ability of party guests to run through ice. You need ice for cooling drinks, putting in drinks, keeping food cold (shrimp, dips, cheeses—all benefit from sitting on a plate that’s sitting on ice). Designate one cooler/ice bucket for “clean ice” that goes in drinks, and keep extra bags in the freezer or other coolers.
  • Keep the food in the fridge until guests arrive: That means you’ll have to stage the food so that it is easy to reach and pop on the table. Put dips in their dishes, veggie platters together, and add serving spoons or forks to each before covering. Then, you can bring them out of the cold, put them on the table, and un-cover.
  • Serve only one “specialty drink” that can be mixed ahead: Nobody likes to be stuck behind the bar all night. Provide a range of drinks, including water, lemonade or tea, beer and wine, and one specialty mixed drink (if you like). Try to serve something that can be mixed ahead of time. Sangria, margaritas, daiquiris, and other “punch” concoctions will allow your guests and you to have fun.
  • Provide “bug-off” products: Depending upon how rowdy your guests get, how dry it is in your neck of the woods, and local open-flame ordinances, you might not want to have citronella-filled tiki torches all over your garden. There are plenty of natural “bug off” products, and synthetic products, as well. Place a little basket of these in your powder room so your guests can stay comfortable, even if mosquitoes are out in full force.

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Posted in Entertaining, Garden | 1 Comment »

Grow Your Own Garnishes

Tuesday, May 25th, 2010
Herb Garnish

From Left: parsley, basil, cilantro

One of the easiest and most fun ways to dress up your party platters is with edible garnishes. Flowers like nasturtium, marigold and chamomile make good garnishes.  Herbs are great, too. You can buy the garnishes at your local farmer’s market or grocery store, but many of them are so easy to grow, and expensive to buy, that it makes sense to grow your own.  It isn’t too late in the growing season to start growing your own garnishes. aHa! Modern Living has seeds for many of these, and we’re having a seed sale!  Save 15% OFF all Botanical Interests Seeds – many organic and heirloom varieties.

Here are some of our favorite edible garnishes, and their suggested food pairings:

Photo Credits from left: Earth Spirit Organics, LeeAnn Smith, Smithsonian Blog

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Posted in Entertaining, Garden, Grow, Shopping | 1 Comment »

How to Make a Modern Winter Centerpiece

Wednesday, December 23rd, 2009
Image source: weddingbee.com

Image source: weddingbee.com

When you hear the word “centerpiece” the first thing you probably think of is a floral arrangement, right? An elegant flower arrangement has the power to transform a simple white tablecloth into a lush and beautiful setting. However, floral arrangements are not particularly practical in the winter. Unless you’re fortunate enough to be living in a tropical climate, it’s not an option to snip an arrangement of buds from your backyard. While your garden hibernates, here are a few ideas for modern winter centerpieces, sans flowers.

1.  Centerpiece Using Candles

If you’re going to use candles as a centerpiece, make sure to use soy candles. Why? Well, first and foremost, paraffin candles are made of oil. We all know that oil is not a renewable resource. The United States is the number one producer of soy in the world, so when you purchase soy candles, you are purchasing a renewable resource and you are supporting American farmers. Another factor to consider is that soy is clean burning. If you are going to be eating with lit candles, you definitely do not want the fumes from burning paraffin to interfere with your taste buds.

Lime-Tumbler-details

Parker Collection Soy Candle in Lime Blossom

Have you seen the soy candles that we have here at aHa! Modern Living? The Parker Collection Soy Candles produce hardly any smoke or soot, so there will be nothing offensive combating your meal. They are available in three delicious, delicate scents, too. For an easy centerpiece, try placing a candle in the middle of a bowl or platter, then scattering fresh cranberries and limes or lemons around it. Or, for a cool effect, place a few candles on top of a mirror. Try grouping the candles in an odd number, such as 3 or 5, since this adds visual interest.

2.  Centerpiece Using Greenery

Pine branches are a classic and treasured symbol of Christmas and wintertime. But depending on which region you live in, you can add some other gorgeous sprigs of green to your centerpiece as well. If you live in Northern California, you may be lucky enough to find some European mistletoe, or Viscum alba.It crept into this region by way of an apple stock from Europe. If you live in North or South Carolina, you may have already noticed people on the street corner selling large bunches of North American mistletoe, or Phoradendron. Mistletoe is the floral emblem of the state of Oklahoma, too.

For a pretty green centerpiece, try placing some little sprigs of mistletoe in the fun and modern Cube Tube Vases. So simple, so chic. Just make sure to keep the vases out of reach of pets and small children. The waxy white berries on mistletoe are delicious to birds, but poisonous to humans and other animals.

Mistletoe + Cube Tube Vase

Mistletoe + Cube Tube Vase

3.  Centerpiece Using Branches

For a really cool modern look, you don’t need any greenery at all. Just borrow this great idea from the photo below and snip some branches off of a tree.  If you want to, you can lay the branches out on some newspaper and give them a quick coat of metallic spray paint. We think they look just as pretty left au naturel, because it’s really about the shape here and not the color. A bunch of thin, twisting branches grouped together in a vase makes a big impact. The higher your celing is, the taller you can go with the branches. Try placing them in the Ivy Pitcher and Vase. Stunning.

Twigs + Ivy Pitcher Vase

Twigs + Ivy Pitcher Vase

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Posted in Entertaining, Holiday Stuff, Home Decor, Shopping | 1 Comment »

Host a Holiday Dessert Party

Friday, December 4th, 2009

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Mini Cheesecakes

This holiday season, skip right to everybody’s favorite part of the meal…the desserts! Hosting a dessert party is an excellent way to simplify in regards to both preparation and budget. Desserts are fabulously cheap compared to the ingredients for a full dinner, or the ingredients for a cocktail party with a full bar. To host your own holiday dessert party, borrow these great tips from Sunset Magazine.

Keep the palette simple

Stick to just one or two shades for dishes and linens. This will help to create a clean, sophisticated look. You don’t want to end up with a tabletop that is childish or busy looking. Plus, as L.A. pastry chef Diana Sproveri points out, “the food is the star of the show, so don’t overwhelm the table with too many colors.”

Upgrade your cookie jar

Sunset suggests using clear glass apothecary vessels with a set of tongs to display your delicious goodies. We love the idea of using our Glass Tea Light Logs in a totally unexpected way. Some yummy little tarts or brownie bites would nestle right into the spaces of the tea light log.

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Save a Turkey – Have a Vegetarian Thanksgiving

Tuesday, November 17th, 2009
Too funny looking to eat?

Too funny looking to eat?

Every November since 1947, the President of the United States has been gifted with a live turkey from the National Turkey Federation.  Don’t you think that President Obama would appreciate an update? I mean, how about a gift with a little more staying power, like the adorable Owl Salt and Pepper Shakers?  These are better than real-life birds.

Owl Salt & Pepper Shakers

Owl Salt and Pepper Shakers

How the turkey gift tradition started

Anyway, the tradition began of giving the President a turkey so that he and his family could then eat it for Thanksgiving dinner. It wasn’t until 1963 that the tradition of consuming the presidential turkey was upset. President John F. Kennedy was the first one to irk the system. He looked at the turkey and simply said, “let’s keep him.” Hence, the first presidential turkey pardon occured.

Now, despite President JFK’s trend-setting ways, turkey still remains the ubiquitous symbol and favorite food of Thanksgiving day. Did you know that every year, 5.32 million turkeys are slaughtered for Thanksgiving? Yikes, that’s a lot of birds!

Eco-impact of a turkey dinner

Meat production isn’t particularly earth-friendly. Conventionally raised meat does not contain as many pesiticides as produce, but it can contain both hormones and antibiotics. Plus, it takes multiple times the fuel and water to produce one meal’s worth of meat as it does to produce a meal’s worth of grain. So a veggie Thanksgiving menu is better for the earth, and for your body!

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Posted in Entertaining, Gifts, Holiday Stuff | 1 Comment »

Update Your Thanksgiving Favorites

Thursday, November 12th, 2009

It's easy to think of Thanksgiving as old-fashioned. Create your own modern celebration.

The time has come for us, as busy working adults, to admit that perhaps the traditional Thanksgiving has become a little bit archaic. How many of us have time to spend three days cooking one single meal, and two additional days to clean the house in preparation for guests? Not to mention the mountains of dirty dishes that must be tackled after they leave. Plus, with the cost of groceries these days, you could be looking at a single meal that sets you back one month’s salary.

Maybe you have visited your parents’ or grandparents’ house in years past for this cherished American holiday, and now you’re ready to start new and different Thanksgiving traditions of your own. Your small one-room efficiency prevents you from holding a sit-down dinner.  Fear not. With our easy, fresh take on Thanksgiving, you will be ready to host a modern and fabulous Thanksgiving that reflects your own personal style.

Decor

If you place fresh flowers at the eye level of your guests, they are not going to notice a little dust in the corner. While your home garden may be looking rather brown and dry by this time, beautiful fall blooms like gerbera daisies and sunflowers are available in supermarkets. Either of these strong-stemmed flowers would look gorgeous in the Ivy Pitcher & Vase. As we always say, we love products that do double-duty, and this one serves as a pitcher for your favorite beverages when it’s not working as a vase. We love its versatility!

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Host an Autumn Beer Tasting Party

Wednesday, November 11th, 2009

While summer smacks of goodies that are light, fresh, and fruity, autumn flavors turn darker, richer, and spicier. Fall is the perfect time to indulge in warming flavors like cinnamon and cardamom. If you are like the average busy working adult, however, your oven remains cold for 6 out of 7 days a week, and you balk at the idea of hosting an elaborate dinner party. Fear not. There are many ways to celebrate the fall and winter months with your friends, and without slaving over a hot stove for days.

A tasting party is a fun, no-fuss way to celebrate the season, and if there is a social lubricant that will get people to relax and start chatting, well, it’s beer! Here are the steps to throwing a cool autumn beer tasting party that is sure to be a great time:

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