The Girl in Charge

Support What is Local and in Season

 One of my closest friends is getting married this September in Hendersonville, NC and there are many folks coming in from out of town that are not familiar with this area and all that it has to offer.

As I began to go over her wedding plans and details we got hung up on the idea of providing all the out of town guests staying at the Inn with a bag that has some bottled water, nuts and an information card with things to do while in Hendersonville, NC.

My first thought is that this well thought out goody bag will get thrown out and not truly appreciated for the time and effort put into it, so I asked, "what is a local treat in Hendersonville?" It turns out that apples are the Gross Domestic Product during the fall in Hendersonville.  What better way to celebrate the area and invovle the local farmers in your special day is to give everyone a small basket (3 or 4) of apples with a information card including where to go apple picking or perhaps hop on an organized hay ride for wedding guests.

Viva the local farmer - try to include them in any of your events - it makes your celebration that much more special.

Remembering to Say Thank You

We all get caught up in the ease and efficiency of email and ecards but nothing shows pure gratitude like a hand written thank you note. The stationary does not need to be fancy or monogrammed. The joy of getting a piece of social mail in your mail box is elegant enough.

In a time when we are all a bit stressed and inwardly focused on our own plights, saying thank you to a friend for meeting you for a coffee break or a note to a neighbor telling them how much you have enjoyed seeing their garden bloom this summer is the kind of serendipity we all need right now.

Two of my favorite note card creators are R. Nichols www.r-nichols.com and Felix Doolittle www.felixdoolittle.com . Get some note cards today or make your own and spread a little thanks!

The Ball Jar Revisited

I found a new use for the Ball Jar a few weekends ago when I was tasked with finding a hot pink vase for an event. The Ball Jar has many uses in my house such as; holding preserves, housing odd nuts and bolts that will never have a proper home and of course the occassional drinking vessel when all the other glasses are dirty.

I grab the smaller size Ball Jar and thought, "what if I paint the inside pink?" and that is exactly what I did. The outside of the jar had the shiny glass and embossed lettering in cursive with the hot pink back drop of my ingenious idea of spraying the inside pink. I added a bit of glamour by screwing the gold lid ring on and voila, I had the perfect vase for the event.

 

A collection of these jars colored with 3 complimentary colors would make a beautiful vase collection for a dining table. Try it today!

 

The Wonton Wrapper

Over the weekend, I had an event and tried out a new hors d'oeuvre which was a roasted shrimp salad served in a crisp wonton. I had my reservations as to how this would turn out and in a word it was AMAZING!

I roasted the shrimp in the oven for about 7 minutes with a bit of olive oil, salt and pepper. Rough chopped the shrimp and added mango, chopped in small pieces, cilantro and celery. I then added a dressing which consisted of lime zest, lime juice, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper and olive oil.

Now for the wonton. I brushed each wonton wrapper with a small amount of canola oil and then fitted them into the cups of a mini muffin tin - sprink with salt and bake until the edges are golden brown.

At the event I filled each wonton cup with the shrimp salad and they were a complete hit of the party. So easy to make with a big impressive wow factor.

Let me know if you want the recipe - great for a dinner party or if you are bringing an appetizer to a party. You could totally put something sweet in these as well as savory.

As always enjoy and pass along.

Noon to Midnight

About a year ago I came across a sophisticated sparkling, fizzy tea-based elixir that was so refreshing and exciting that I actually thought I was becoming more glamorous by the moment as I sipped away at it.

Last week something jogged my memory about this experience and I went on a google hunt to see if I could find this concoction or did I simply make up this whole experience in my head. Good news is I found it and the good news is I did not make it up!

This wonderful beverage is called Twelve(12). It was developed by David Burke (famous chef from Davide Burke and Donatellain NYC) and Alfred Portel (another famous chef) who for various reasons decided to create a beverage that would be easy to drink from noon until midnight and enhance the taste sensation of the masterful food they were creating unlike seltzers, colas and ice teas.

Twelve is an experience on it's own. I prefer to drink it from a champagne flute, because everything instantly tastes wonderful from that glass or make up your own twist on this versatile nectar. Word on the street is that it goes brilliantly with rum or vodka infused with a bit of lemon.

www.twelvebeverage.com

Enjoy - R

 

Jam Session

June is the month that strawberries in the Northeast are in season. The taste of a field grown strawberry is a taste sensation that blows away any strawberry that you would get in the grocery store.

In the next couple of weeks I am going to find a farm where you can pick your own berries and then I am going to make some jam. I am not going to make the laborious multi-step jam, because I have events to get ready for, instead, I am going to make some quick jam. I hope you will do the same. Here is the recipe below.

Ingredients

1 quart of freshly picked and hulled strawberries

1/2 cup of sugar

2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice

Directions

In a food processor coarsely chop the strawberries. Transfer berries to a large skillet and stir in 1/2 cup of sugar and 2 tablespoons of lemon juice. Cook over medium high heat, stirring frequently, until jam is thickened and bubbles completely cover the surface, 9 - 10 minutes. Transfer to a jar and let cool to room temperature. (To store, seal jar and refigerate, up to 10 days). Makes 1 3/4 cups

Ideas for Jam

• Stir into yogurt, cottage cheese or hot cereal
• Use as a topping for some homemade ice cream
• Sandwich between two homemade cookies
• Fold into whipped cream and layer with more broken cookies, cake or fruit to make a parfait
• Spread on some toasted baquette with ricotta cheese for a quick breakfast

Finding the Beauty In Everyday Objects

As an event planner, I am lured by sparkle, color and elegance, however I never overlook the utilitarian objects of everyday life. I am constantly looking for an alternative use to everyday items to be used at my events in a creative and unexpected way.

I was recently given a beautiful rotating cake decorating stand. I immediately looked beyond it's intended use and decided to arrange a beautiful petite flower arrangment reminiscent of a jewelbox for the center of the stand and then display elegant mouthwatering hor d'oeuvres around the arrangement. Since the stand spins, this will allow guests to access the delectibles from every angle.

What's your fantastical find that has a new use? Please share it with me as i love new ideas.