So you've decided to go furniture shopping! Whether you are updating a room with existing furniture or starting to plan a completely new space, you may be wondering where to start or what you might need to bring with you.
Our designers have put together their top tips...
So you've decided to go furniture shopping! Whether you are updating a room with existing furniture or starting to plan a completely new space, you may be wondering where to start or what you might need to bring with you.
Our designers have put together their top tips for preparing to go furniture shopping.
Continue reading
With Thanksgiving right around the corner, we wanted to bring you some festive fall flavours that you can serve up this weekend! These simple recipes can impress a table full of guests or make a small family celebration feel a little extra special!
We're showcasing the best that the fall season has to offer with a Thai flavoured Squash Soup, eye-catching & mouthwatering Fresh Baked Foccacia & cinnamon & apple spiced Harvest Sangria!
Thai Coconut Milk Squash Soup
(Serves 4 large portions, 8 appetizer portions)
Ingredients
2 Tablespoons coconut oil
4 cups carrots, chopped
1 Cup yellow onion, chopped
2-3 Tablespoons red curry paste (depending on desired spice level)
3 lbs squash, peeled & chopped (try acorn, butternut, kabocha - not spaghetti squash)
2 Tablespoons minced ginger
2 Tablespoons minced garlic
24 oz canned coconut milk
2 Tablespoons palm sugar (can substitute brown sugar)
1/4 cup lime juice
4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
Salt to taste
* Chopped peanuts, coconut milk and cilantro to garnish.
METHOD
1. Heat coconut oil over medium high heat
2. Add Carrots and onions, cook till soft & onions are translucent.
3. Add garlic and ginger, stirring. Cook for 2 min or till fragrant.
3. Add curry paste and cook for one minute.
4. Add remaining ingredients and cook until squash is soft and cooked through.
5. Let cool slightly and use either an immersion blender or base blender to blend soup into smooth mixture. Add more salt & pepper if desired.
6. Serve with a drizzle of coconut milk, chopped peanuts and fresh cilantro.
French Linen Oven Mitt
Cotton Dough Riser
Marble Spoon Rest
Fresh Baked Foccacia
Ingredients
431g Flour
5g Active Dry Yeast
11g Salt
235 ml Warm Water
50g Olive or Canola Oil, more for topping and greasing the pan
Optional for garnish: Roasted garlic, caramelized onions, shallots, fresh herbs, chopped olives, tomatoes or sliced apple
Method
1. Combine flour, yeast & salt in a mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. If mixing by hand, give the dry mix a little stir to ensure salt and yeast are evenly distributed.
2. Measure out 235ml of warm but not hot water and add it to the dry mix.
3. Reserve 4 tables spoons of oil and add the rest into the mixing bowl. If you would like any flavourings in your bread such as roasted garlic or rosemary, add them to the dough at this point, or you may use them to garnish the top of the focaccia in the last step.
4. Mix by hand or with mixer until dough is formed, it should not have any clumps of dry ingredients. If you have added the rosemary and garlic, there may be some lumps in your dough which is perfectly normal. When mixing by hand, you may have to transfer dough onto a floured surface and knead to achieve the consistency outlines above.
5. Once the dough is mixed. Use 1.5 tbsp of your reserved oil to lightly oil the bottom and sides of your selected baking dish. Transfer dough to the oiled baking dish and cover with plastic or beeswax wrap and allow to double in size in a warm to room temperature environment. This can take approximately 30-60 minutes.
Pro tip: if the baking dish of choice fits, you may place it in the chamber of your microwave with a glass of boiled water to trap steam. Do not turn the microwave on with your dough inside.
6. Once the dough has risen, spread your dough out by pulling it to stretch it and pressing it with your finger tips to reach the corners and edges of the baking dish. Aim to have an even thickness throughout your baking dish. If you have chosen a large baking sheet, create a “free form” shape.
7. Drizzle the last remaining oil over the surface of your dough and spread it around with your fingertips. If you opted to garnish the top of your focaccia with your rosemary and garlic, place them on the surface of the dough and press into place gently. You may also add your own personal touches such as : cherry tomatoes, pitted olives, sliced shallot or onion, coarse salt, and cracked black pepper to name a few.
Pro tip: Arrange the toppings in a design for a beautiful presentation!
8. Place the dough back where it was rising for another 30-45 minutes. When the dough is ready to bake it should have risen again, almost doubling in size and should leave an impression if poked by your finger.
9. Preheat oven to 425F. Place the focaccia in the oven and bake for approximately 18 minutes. You may add more time of you like your focaccia darker.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly. Slice and enjoy!
HARVEST SANGRIA
makes one glass
INGREDIENTS
1 oz Apple Sour Puss
4 oz white wine
3 oz apple juice
2 oz gingerale
apple slices
ground cinnamon & cinnamon sticks
METHOD
Fill a large wine glass or mason jar with 3/4 full with ice. Combine Sour Puss, white wine, apple juice & gingerale over ice. Top with apple slices, a dash of cinnamon & a cinnamon stick for garnish.
Pro Tip: try adding frozen cranberries and/or substituting cranberry juice for apple juice!
With the health of our environment as a growing concern, it's important to consider how we are contributing to our environmental footprint. There are a number of daily swaps & efforts that we can make, but one area that can be easily improved is your next special event.
Just envision the last party you attended...do you remember there being a big garbage bag collecting single use plastic cutlery, paper plates (or worse, styrofoam), party decorations, wrapping paper...
The List. Goes. On.
Often one of the major deciding factors in choosing to use all of these single use items is convenience. So, we've given a little more thought to how you can easily update your next event to be low waste and more eco-friendly - without sacrificing your time.
Designing Your Menu
A grazing table is a perfect way to offer a no fuss, low waste meal for a group. Here are some reasons why this option works well for easy entertaining as well as a low waste option.
1. A charcuterie or snack board not only offers a selection of tastes, textures & flavours for your guests, it is aesthetically beautiful - it can often be party decor in itself.
2. You can use what you already have - the beauty of a charcuterie board is that it has a little bit of everything. So use up that half-full jar of pickles or add some fruit or nuts that you already have in the kitchen.
3. This can be a great way to accommodate dietary restrictions - guests can pick and choose foods that work for their needs.
4. You'll spend less time in the kitchen, as you won't be heating & plating individual plates of food. You can also prep your boards in advance, so that you can be present with your guests and not hustling & bustling during your party.
5. You won't need individual cutlery for every guest, or multiple plates like you would for a served dinner.
A FEW TIPS TO HELP REDUCE YOUR WASTE
GET CREATIVE WITH ECO FRIENDLY OFFERINGS
If you're feeling like trying something a little different than traditional charcuterie, check out this book - On Boards - which offers inspiration for unique themed snack boards for absolutely every occasion! It also offers advice on amounts to prepare for the number of guests you're entertaining, drink pairings and so much more!
Let's move on to the other aspects of the party - serve-ware & decor. Yes, using regular dish-ware will mean that you have some dishes to do after the event, but since we aren't doing a four course meal, you should really only have a plate and a glass or two per person to wash. You also won't have the pots, pans & baking sheets that are the biggest cleaning job. If you have a dishwasher - even better!
For napkins - why not use cloth! Not only will this feel more upscale than paper, there really is no more work to throw a dirty napkin in a washing machine versus a garbage can. You'll also save on the cost of all the typical single use napkins & dishes by using what you already have!
For decor, a beautiful serving board or wood cutting board offers a little bit of decor in itself. You can easily accent your spread with potted plants, or some cut garden flowers or greens from your yard (or local Farmer's market). Try moving home decor like lanterns to help decorate and create a relaxed but beautiful presentation.
We've already mentioned how the most common reason we choose those single-use items for events is the convenience they offer. Nobody wants to make a special event more work than it has to be. Here are our favourite "clean"ing products!
1. We love beeswax wraps for so many reasons. You can use them to replace your plastic wrap and sandwich bags! They're completely customizable to any size of bowl or tray and can be folded into any size of storage bag. They're reusable, antibacterial and very eco-friendly. Oh and one more thing - they come in so many adorable patterns.
2. Fabric covers can stretch to fit any shape of bowl, plate or platter. They replace your plastic wrap and keep food extra fresh and are machine washable.
3. Another great option are Stasher bags. These bags are another great storage option. The benefits - they're freezer and dishwasher safe, eco-friendly and have that familiar pinch-lock seal. From mini to freezer bag size, you can even write on these bags, they'll be your new best friend.
4. Swedish dishcloths are made of cotton and plant-based cellulose fibres; they offer a sustainable alternative to sponges, dishcloths and paper towels and become soft and pliable when wet for easy clean-up. They can be machine washed up to 200 times.
5. Public Goods Surface Cleaner will finish the job with pleasing scents and absolutely no harsh solvents or chemicals. Their entire line of cleaning products are designed with health & sustainability in mind.
SHOP BEESWAX WRAPS
SHOP STASHER BAGS
SHOP FABRIC BOWL COVERS
We truly feel that making your next event more eco-friendly doesn't mean a bigger job to do. From planning, to dining, to decorating there is room for improvement for our Earth and creating an experience that every person in attendance can enjoy on multiple levels.
Do you have more low waste entertaining tips? Comment below!
It's hard to find a cocktail that's quite as refreshing as a mojito! Fresh mint and vibrant lime mixed with bubbly water and a hint of sweetness...it's just the perfect treat to enjoy on the deck in warm summer air. While a classic mojito is delicious with a shot of white rum, you can also skip the alcohol for a perfectly pleasant mocktail.
The combination of ingredients just happens to work perfectly as a canvas for other flavours. Almost any berry works to take this classic drink to the next level. Try blueberries, strawberries or if you want to try something new & exciting - haskaps!
Haven't heard of a haskap berry before? Read more about them in our article, The Prairie Super Berry! They taste sweet and tart, similar to a raspberry and are packed full of an impressive list of antioxidants and nutrients.
You can make your own simple syrup with haskap berries (or any berry of your choice) and follow our recipe below, the next time you're craving some summer flavours.
INGREDIENTS:
- Fresh mint
- 1 lime cut in half
- 2 tablespoons haskap berries
- 1 oz haskap syrup
- 1 can soda water or Lime Bubly
METHOD:
1. Fill your glass 1/4 of the way full with ice.
2. Add a sprig of fresh mint & squeeze the juice of half a lime into the glass.
3. Add haskap berries & haskap syrup and muddle all ingredients in the glass.
4. Top up glass with more ice, until 3/4 of the way full .
5. Fill with soda water or Lime Bubly.
6. Garnish with mint or lime slices.
One bar tool that you simply cannot be without this summer (and every summer from now on) is this 4 in 1 Mojito Tool! You'll use this tool every step of the way while making your Haskap Mojito. First, use the end to crush your ice. Next, squeeze every drop of flavourful juice from your lime by using the tool as a juicer. Measure your syrup and spirits with the shot glass in the end of the handle and finally, muddle your ingredients as you would with any other (single function) muddler.
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Has ice ever looked this fancy? It does now with this Gold Ice Bucket!
Try your hand at some other cocktails, using this Cocktail Syrup Set!
A simple muddler to add to your entertaining tool kit!
If you're looking for more delicious drinks to try this summer, check out our Shimmering Elderflower Mocktail post, for another delicious drink using locally grown ingredients.
