Hello and happy Wednesday. How has your week been going? Mine has been good and productive. I have been on a serious productivity binge lately and it feels great. I know when it slows down, it normally comes to a grinding halt so taking full advantage while these productivity juices are flowing! Lets get right down to business.......
I love to share cooking tips, recipes and ideas with you. I want to include the pesto cheese dip that is always and I do mean always such a huge hit. Several of you asked for it so here it goes. It is easy as pie and wonderful for a small group or to double up and serve to a larger crowd. Served with crostinis...I could make a meal out of this alone!
Pesto cheese dip
1 8 oz cream cheese
A pinch of sea salt and fresh pepper
A pinch of sea salt and fresh pepper
Pinch of salt and pinch of pepper
2 cloves garlic very thinly minced
1/4 cup pesto ( I add a little more)
1/2 cup feta
thinly sliced 1/2 red onion
About 3 tbsp olive oil
1 small roma tomato sliced thin
Mix together everything except the tomato in a pyrex dish.(or you can make a mold out of it as I did with the mini springform pan or any other small baking dish). Add tomato on top. Cover and heat in preheated oven at 350 for about 25 min. Then remove aluminum and turn up oven to about 450 and let broil/slightly bubble for maybe 8-10 min. Take out. Spoon onto warmed crostinis or serve directly. This is sooooo good!
Also made a really good and tasty meal a few nights ago (and my picky husband will second this) he looooved this dinner. My white clam sauce is a staple, but have been searching for a good caesar salad recipe and I discovered a fabulous one from my buddy, Kate over at Party Resources. My personal benchmark for caesar salad is from the Waterlot Inn in Bermuda, they make it tableside and it is out of this world. This salad comes mighty close to that one and is one of the best I have eaten. Delicious! So I have included a few pics and the caesar salad recipe that is a must make!
Here is Kate's recipe...and its a hit!
Funny I made it the first time without anchovies, becuase of my kids but she said to try it again and we wouldn't even taste them, and she was right...you must include them!
Also made a really good and tasty meal a few nights ago (and my picky husband will second this) he looooved this dinner. My white clam sauce is a staple, but have been searching for a good caesar salad recipe and I discovered a fabulous one from my buddy, Kate over at Party Resources. My personal benchmark for caesar salad is from the Waterlot Inn in Bermuda, they make it tableside and it is out of this world. This salad comes mighty close to that one and is one of the best I have eaten. Delicious! So I have included a few pics and the caesar salad recipe that is a must make!
Here is Kate's recipe...and its a hit!
Funny I made it the first time without anchovies, becuase of my kids but she said to try it again and we wouldn't even taste them, and she was right...you must include them!
Caesar Salad
Ingredients
Small tin of anchovies
3 large garlic cloves
3 generous tablespoons mayonnaise
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
Freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons)
Worcestershire Sauce to taste
Salt and pepper to taste
1 1/2 cups good mild olive oil
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus additional cheese to mix in to the salad
Croutons
Romaine hearts
For the dressing, place the garlic and anchovies (dump entire tin with the oil) in the food processor and blend until smooth. Then add mayo, mustard, lemon juice, Worcestershire, salt, and pepper and process until smooth. With the food processor running, slowly pour the olive oil through the feed tube and process until thick. Add 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese and pulse 3 times.
Toss the lettuce with enough dressing to moisten well. Add a generous amount of grated Parmesan and croutons. Toss and enjoy.
Lets move away from food, I am getting hungry again! I am in love with this leopard ottoman, I want it. I need it. I must have it. Period. Maybe for the library? I am doing a whole post on leopard soon so stay tuned......
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| Though the red looks beautiful I would pipe mine in moss green to match the gorgeous velvet moss green sofa I have visions in my head of for that room..... |
Hey what is Tory doing on MY sofa....lol. This one is a beauty.........
Antlers....do you like them? I don't know but I have developed a real crush on them. So I impulsively bought a pair on One Kings Lane. Thinking of putting them above my stone hood in my kitchen or mounted somewhere in my family room. What do you think? Here they are! (these are faux antlers FYI) I remember seeing them all over in France, above doorways, in kitchens, libraries and foyers....they really captivated me. I like how the black base compliments my island.
On the house front.....working on my bedroom, dining room and loggia simultaneously. Its a lot of fun and I am making really good progress. Here's a mood board I designed for my loggia, the furniture has been ordered, unfortunately the lanterns from Currey I found out are not suitable for outdoor use to back to the drawing board on the lanterns. So here are my ideas (the furniture has been ordered)......
Here is my new tole blue lamp that looks perfect in my little office/nook off my master bedroom .Its like it was made for this wallpaper! I love it..
I am also getting closer to making final decisions on my bedroom. Pulling the trigger and ordering the ivory background carpet with blue accents. If down the road I want to bring in another color its less limiting than the blue though both were winners in my book. Fell madly in love with the chinoiserie upper left fabric, its a linen and I am just determined to use it....spoke to my fabricator about possibly using it for the bed crown, I think it could be really pretty and line it with a softly toned mini silk check or solid can you visualize? Also love a rich velvet, maybe for an otttoman or bench........
Anyone out there a serial cookbook collector like myself? I tend to go on binges, won't buy anything then I will go on Amazon who makes it mighty easy with one click and buy 3 or 4 at a time. Here is what is due here anyday, anyone have them and if so what are your thoughts?
Anybody out there a stationary fanatic like me? I would throw a party every month just to have an excuse to go out and pick and buy a beautiful invitation if it wasn't so much work to host one. I LOVE stationary and am shocked that I have not opened up a stationary business at this point in my life. One of the lines I love is Lobird, have spoken of them before.....just ordered some of these notecards. They offer a lot of customization, and their selections are fabulous and sophisticated. I ordered one for me (wonder if you can guess which) and a few for gifts.......click here to visit them.
Last order of biz...here are the latest and greatest items just added to my online store. Some are available in limited quantities. As usual if you have any questions just ask! Email me here.
New chargers! These are beautiful nickel and such an easy way to dress up even a simple dish. I snagged a large lot (85 pieces) and these are officially up under new additions, click here to visit.
And how pretty is this two tiered garland silver serving piece? Its a love for me! Also under new additions.......such a beautiful serving piece for desserts, petit fours, any kind of appetizer, etc.....
When I find unusual and beautiful things, I get very excited. Here are a few new cake dishes that I am just getting in, in addition to the spectacular new addition featured first. Are these not the most beautiful cake dishes!! Heirloom quality, and soooo classically elegant.
And how about this sensational ginger jar!! LOOOOVE it.... standing at a whopping 30" tall this is what I call a serious statement piece!!
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| Gorgeous painted tole bracket....a real showstopper! |
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| In love with this absolutely breathtaking wastepaper basket...only 3! This is exceptional for any tole lovers! |
All of these pretties can be found under my new additions on my online store. Click here to visit.
I love when i get your pictures and thank you all for sending them. I had put together a new album to upload of customer pictures and somehow the album totally disappeared, literally have no idea where it went. So.....if anyone cares to send in pictures of their bell jars, dough bowls, blue and whites, napkin rings, or any other Enchanted home item in use...sure would love to see them and add them to my online collection of customers homes! Click here to email me your pictures. And thanks in advance and apologies if you sent me them and they were lost:(
Well that wraps up things over here. Wishing you a wonderful day, will be back in a day or two on a wonderful post all about one of my favorite subjects.........until then!
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