Florist Vase = Useful Utensil Holder

Whenever I'm hosting a party, I'm always looking for ways to decorate the table with the items needed.  Case in point, what to do with utensils and napkins for a buffet style event?  For some reason, I just don't like putting the utensils on the table. Although, arranged nicely, that simple display can work well without creating a headache for yourself.

Plain Glass Florist Vase

I prefer finding a container of some sort to house it all. For a gathering of 12 guests a few weeks back, I needed something small to hold cocktail napkins and appetizer forks. The goals:

• it needed to contain the items, obviously

• it needed to be simple

• not take up too much room on the table

• not call too much attention but be a good team player

Searching around my home, I found one of those plain, nondescript florist vases. How many of us have several of these glass vases stashed away in our homes waiting to be used?  Let's face it, they are just plain.  From my POV,  I have vases much prettier for flower display than these, hence I rarely use them for flowers.   So, they sit in the back of the cabinet waiting for... waiting for who knows why I keep them!  But much like my maternal grandmother and mother, I do KEEP things for potential future uses.  (Oh, how this bugs my hubby.)

But lo and behold, the wait is over. I saw the potential for this plain jane vase and grabbed a simple brown cotton napkin to help enhance its usefulness, which also kept with my theme of a neutral table setting.  I stuffed a couple of other napkins at the bottom so the utensils didn't fall too deeply into the vase.  

Starting to lay out the table scape using fabric pieces from a garage sale

The final appetizer buffet with the Useful Utensil Holder making its debut at the corner of the table.

Now, that plain jane florist vase turned itself into a Useful Utensil Holder that keeps everything contained, and fits in with the table's theme.   

Look around your home and see what items can serve up another purpose, maybe even one more functional than its original use.  Don't forget to share some of your ideas.  It's always great to be inspired by other's creative spirit.   

Salad: Hot & Cold

Years ago when I lived in Miami, working crazy hours, and single, making dinners was sometimes the art of throwing together whatever I had. Thus, enhancing my "something from nothing" style.  
A favorite combination of mine was the Hot & Cold salad.  I would make a green salad with red onions or scallions, cherry tomatoes.  Then, I usually added two ingredients that made it more hearty and complete for dinner:  beans, either cannelini or chick peas, and warm potatoes.  The potatoes ranged from one large potato baked or boiled then cut into slices, or small new potatoes boiled and tossed with garlic and olive oil.  I used to love how the warmth of the potato felt against the coolness of the lettuce.   

A few Sundays back, with the cold winter's bite, I craved something warm but realized I should eat a salad.   I found some leftover roasted veggies (carrots, onions, asparagus) which also had potatoes and it reminded me of that old familiar combo. So, I slid the veggies into a pan to warm up, made a big salad consisting of just Boston lettuce and feta cheese, then topped it with the warm vegetable mixture. A squeeze of lemon, olive oil, salt and pepper, and I felt like I got the best of both worlds on that snowy day... Healthy salad with just the right amount of warmth.

You can make this with any type of lettuce you desire or have in the fridge,  and use any variety of leftover veggies you have.  The idea is to create a hot & cold combo that you like.  I think the key is using potatoes because it makes it a hearty meal.  If you don't have leftovers, go ahead and sauté a few vegetables. Whatever combo you use, I think you'll enjoy Salad: Hot & Cold

Citrus Cilantro Martini with a Kick

On evenings when I need something to put a smile on my face, I find my hubby's Citrus Cilantro Martini...with a kick, does just the trick.   He makes several different variations, mixing fruits and herbs, but this one is my go to cocktail. With the weekend fast approaching, I thought this was a good time to share some citrus cocktail cheer.

Ingredients

Makes 1 (strong) Martini

• 1/2 c Vodka (of your choice, we like Kettle One or Belvedere)

• Splash of simple syrup*
  

• Juice of pink or red grapefruit

• juice of 1/2 lemon

• juice of 1/2 lime

• mint or cilantro leaves

• 1/4 tsp minced jalapeño

*Simple syrup is equal parts water and sugar brought to a boil and then let to cool.  Refrigerate for future use.

JC squeezing up some citrus goodness

Put all the above ingredients into a shaker with ice, and do your best jig.  Shaking for 30 seconds or until you feel like you've jumped around enough.  Pour into a martini glass, add a few cilantro leaves and sit back and let the kick kick in.

Grapefruit with cilantro

I find this drink both refreshing and warming at the same time, which makes it perfect for any season.  The crispness of the grapefruit is clean and light.  Definitely use the pink or red version, as the traditional yellow kind can be too tart. The jalapeño gives it the heat which warms you up. Plus the color is just plain inviting.  I clink my virtual glass to yours wishing you a wonderful weekend.

Winter Fresh Endive Boats

Whenever I'm in need of a light bite to add to my appetizer table, I immediately think of endive. Their scoop-like leaves make a perfect boat to float a variety of fillings plus super easy to pick up and eat.  

A couple of weeks ago just such a heavy appetizer menu gave way for the endive to make an appearance and bring some freshness to the party.  Since I wasn't originally thinking of serving endive boats, I wasn't sure what the filling would be this time.  A quick glance around the kitchen revealed a few fresh, clean items raising their hands saying "Pick Me! Pick Me!" 

The "Pick Me" ingredients ready to do their part

Ingredients

• 1/2 Pink Grapefruit (originally slated for the citrus martini)

• 1/2 large Avocado (just because JC wanted some in the house after our Chile trip)

• 1/3 c shaved Fennel (because I was serving it in another dish)

• 1 Scallion (because I always have some in the house)

• 1/3 c Pomegranate seeds (Left over from another event)

• 2 Endive, leaves separated (I cut the end to get a clean edge)

• 1-2 tbsp minced red onion

• 1 tsp grapefruit juice

• 1 tbsp lemon juice

• 1 tsp olive oil

• salt

Instructions:

I segmented the grapefruit.  Cut the avocado into small chunks. Shaved the fennel, chopped the scallions, minced the onion, added the pomegranate seeds, then added a touch of grapefruit juice, a squeeze of lemon juice, 2 pinches of salt and an ever so slight drizzle of olive oil.  Lightly tossed and filled the endive leaves.  As an added touch, I chopped and sprinkled the fennel frounds on top.
And there you have it, a fresh medley of flavors to float this boat.  

P.S. for a tad more plate decor, when I was segmenting the grapefruit I sliced the ends off leaving a bit of pulp to use as a center plate adornment.  I also saved the middle of the endive, whose leaves are too small to fill but make for a nice little torch-like finishing touch.

How it appeared on the party table

I have several other ways to fill endive leaves.  Look for the future post entitled "Endless Endive".

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Better than Smuckers Grape Jam

Yikes! What do you do when you've over purchased and now have an abundance of red grapes?  This is not the type of item that has a long freshness life.  Before they went all mushy and moldy on me, with the inevitable destination:  Garbage Pail, I decided to make my own grape jam.  Now full disclosure here, I don't really like grape jam. That may be because the kind I've had in the past was usually made from concord grapes and was that super sweet, purply stuff.  But I had an abundance of regular red eating grapes and didn't see why they wouldn't work.  So I experimented.  I found a few strawberries and I thought the grapes might need a friend, plus they looked like they were destined for the garbage soon, too.

Ingredients:

1 c red grapes, whole
4 strawberries, quartered
1/4 c sugar
1/2 c water
1/2 tsp orange or tangerine zest
1/4 c juice of an orange or tangerine

In a saucepan, cook all the ingredients together.  Simmer until the grapes breakdown and the liquid becomes thicker. 

Let cool and spread it on whatever you want.  I pulled out my favorite gluten free cracker, Mary's Gone Crackers, spread some whipped cream cheese and added a dollop of my freshly made red grape jam.

I have to admit that this made me like grape jam. You can do this with any fruit, really. So, next time that piece of fruit seems like it might not last another few days, breath life into it and make it JAM...again   

Post script:  After making this jam last week, I went searching the fridge so I could smear some on a cracker only to come up bare.  Juan Carlos confessed to using it everyday and finishing it off. Lo and Behold, I found another bag of red grapes (I must have really overbought) and made a new batch.