EAB Designs

Petite Bouquets

  

The first blossoms on the bare-root roses, which we planted in March, finally arrived and I couldn't wait to use them as a centerpiece on our table.  With only six roses to work with, I knew I wouldn't have enough for a single centerpiece so I decided to make petite bouquets and line them up down the center of the table.  My embellished mercury glass tealight votives were the perfect size to hold the bouquets.  To each single rose, I added a couple stems of trailing silver vine from the urns on our front porch.  So simple, but elegant too!

Simple Entertaining

   

Having some friends over tonight for dinner followed by an evening of fun card and board games.  The table is set; off-white dishes on copper chargers and an urn filled with ivory roses.  (Found these beauties at our local grocery store for only five dollars!)  The menu - baked salmon, roasted asparagus and brown rice pilaf.  The best part is, each dish takes only a few minutes to prep and only twenty minutes to cook. I made the dessert yesterday, lemon chess pie, so that leaves me the evening to relax and enjoy time with our friends and my sweetie.  He's mixing up some pomegranate margaritas tonight (yum!!).  Wishing you all a fun and relaxing weekend!

Weekend Entertaining - Sunday Brunch

   

The next time you're hosting a get-together, consider inviting your friends to brunch.  It's a terrific way to start your Saturday, or Sunday and the entire meal can be made ahead leaving you time to enjoy your company.  Welcome guests with a steaming cup of coffee or a sparkling mimosa or bellini.  I like to prepare a strata the evening before and place it in the oven as our guests arrive.  While you wait for the strata to bake, your guests can enjoy a platter of fruit and muffins.  A crowd favorite, are these Banana Crunch Muffins.  (The recipe, from the Barefoot Contessa, can be found here.)  The fruit dip for the strawberries is a family favorite recipe from my aunt - Beat together 8 oz of room temperature cream cheese, with one 7.5 oz jar of marshmallow fluff and 1 tablespoon of vanilla.  So easy, and yet so yummy!  It's also nice to send friends home with a treat.  I bake extra muffins and package them for my guests before they arrive.

Entertainment Journal

       

We love to entertain and have friends over for dinner or brunch as often as possible.  For many years, I've kept a journal where I record our guests' names, the date, and the menu I prepared (including cookbook references).  Since I usually try new recipes whenever we entertain, I take time the next day to write down a few notes with regard to how everything turned out, or any helpful preparation or timing tips I may want to remember.  It's also a good place to jot down a guest's favorite dish or dessert, food allergies, or fun memories from the evening.  When planning a new dinner party, I can refer back to my journal to be certain I don't prepare the same dish our friends have already been served.  Or, if entertaining on short notice, I can use my journal to quickly locate a menu I've already planned for someone else and then I'm good to go.  I just made this new entertainment journal for myself, along with a few for my shop, using stamps based from French vintage chocolate molds.