March 31st, 2013

Happy Easter!

Posted by Pam

cross

 

I saw this pic posted by a friend of mine on Facebook on Good Friday and to me, it says it all! Easter is the most meaningful day that I celebrate.  It changed the course of my life….infinitely for the better!  Easter is about Jesus and His unconditional love for me that I didn’t deserve and could never earn. That’s what the cross is all about to me….love, acceptance and hope…available to all!

 

cross love

Image

I wish you and your families all a very Happy Easter, filled with love…ok, and maybe even some really good chocolate!  It’s a seriously good day!

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March 21st, 2013

Pam’s Easter Tablescape

Posted by Pam

easter hyacinths

 

I’ve been trolling Pinterest a lot for Easter inspiration (you can check out my Pinterest Easter board here).   Pastels and the usual Easter colors don’t work well in my black, cream and gray dining room, so I was looking for something more natural….maybe even French rustic.  Here’s what I came up with using a lot of the things that I already had at home!

 

Easter overall table

I used neutral colors, black stemware, mercury glass and hits of green with the succulents and hyacinths.

 

My girls and I decorated styrofoam eggs that we bought at the dollar store with newspaper, glitter, tissue paper, feathers, pearl stickers and metallic Sharpies!

 

Eggs

 

I had purchased these silver mint julep cups a few years at Hudson Madison.  I think they are quite simple, yet elegant, with hyacinths in them (the blooms will be white).  I purchased 12 of these stainless charger plates a few years ago….I can’t count how many times I’ve used them…such a great investment!

 

easter hyacinths2

 

I also wanted to incorporate succulents…they are so popular right now!  I love the organic feel that they add to the table and they are supposed to be easy to maintain…we’ll find out!  We…ok, actually, Jason transplanted them into square vases that I had (I don’t have a green thumb!).  He put rock on the bottom, dirt, and then I added white sand on the top.  And the great thing is that once Easter is over, I will use them in my family room or bedroom!

 

easter succulents

 

In keep with the color scheme, I added shot glasses and votive holders filled with white and cream candies…Scotch mints, yogurt covered raisins, malted eggs and Hershey’s Cookies ‘n’ Creme drops.

 

easter candies

 

I created this natural Easter look mostly with stuff that I already had…I tried to think creativity how to re-purpose things and use them in a different way!

Wishing you a very Happy Easter from the sisters!

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April 5th, 2012

Easter Table

Posted by Pam

On Jason’s side of the family, we have a tradition of celebrating Easter with brunch on Good Friday.  I have always loved this idea!!  Instead of having two big meals in one day, you spread out not only the celebrating but also the food consumption!  This year it is my turn to host, so I’ve spent the last few days decorating my dining room table.  I like to take time….do a few things at a time….go away, look at it again and then decide what needs to be added, changed, etc.  I went with the theme of, let’s call it, “Rustic Glam”…..rustic and natural elements, but still hints of silver and gold with yellow accents!

 

I added egg ornaments from the dollar store to my crystal chandelier.

 

I have two of these candelabras and I use them embellished in different ways for almost every event I have. They were purchased at Target a couple years ago. Great investment!

 

I added a wreath and feather birds from the dollar store to the candelabra.

 

Each guest will receive this dark chocolate nest and Easter egg bonbon from http://www.chocolatas.com/

 

I found these two covered glass vases at HomeSense for $14.99 each. I stacked tea cups from my collection and my mom's. I added the yellow tulips in a vase that I already had. Luckily the proportions worked well!

 

I used Spanish moss from Michael's to make a nest at the top of the tea cups. I added a feather bird and some malted, speckled Easter eggs from HomeSense.

 

Wicker chargers add a rustic touch, while some glam is added by the mercury glass votives and the crystal chandelier.

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April 3rd, 2012

Meet Alice of the Savory Sweet Life

Posted by Laurel

Last fall, I felt as though i made a new friend..her name is Alice…only thing is, Alice didn’t know me!! Ahhh..the quirkiness of social media! i happened across this now favorite blog of mine: Savory Sweet Life. This blog features amazing, yet simple recipes that can be made by people, like you and me! No fuss, no muss…just great, flavorful food! What makes this blog different? Take a look and you’ll find Alice’s personal touches all over your screen. Her honesty, sense of humor and kind spirit are infectious!

Alice Currah....baker, writer, photographer, and busy mum!

We are thrilled that Alice took the time to talk with us…

1. We feel a connection to you in that we are both stay at home moms, we both have 3 kids and we’re both bloggers. How do you manage to juggle everything?

I’ll never forget the night I started Savory Sweet Life. I was awake nursing my son long after my two daughters and husband was in bed. Holding him in one hand and using my other hand to type, I posted my first recipe for Mango Pico De Gallo. Since then, not much has changed. I take care of my kids and manage the household during the day and I work on my site (and PBS Parents) after everyone else has gone to bed. My “work” typically starts around 9:30pm and I go to bed after midnight.

Mango Pico de Gallo

 

2. I love it that you make brunch a big deal on Sunday mornings with your family. What is your favorite brunch recipe(s)?

I love baking something warm and comforting on Sunday mornings for brunch. Sometimes it’s a casserole or muffins, but lately my kids love eating my Perfect Buttermilk Pancakes (http://savorysweetlife.com/2012/01/buttermilk-pancakes/).

Perfect Buttermilk Pancakes

3. Easter is the most important holiday that we celebrate. We like to make a really big deal of Easter. What would be your favorite Easter dinner dish?

Easter is a day of joyous celebration for our family too. Typically one of my siblings or I will host Easter dinner and we all contribute a potluck dish. I don’t really have a favorite because I always enjoy other people’s cooking. With that said, I love dessert – any kind of dessert, especially homemade cake.

We made Alice's divine molten lava cakes at our Sugarplums blog launch party and they were a hit!

4. We can’t wait for your cookbook to come out in June. What was your inspiration for this book? Will it be available in Canada in June?

Two years ago I turned down the opportunity to be represented by a NYC literary agency to write a cookbook because I did not feel inspired to write one. However, a few months later I re-considered writing a cookbook after speaking with my-now editor, Cassie Jones at William Morrow/HarperCollins. Before I signed with them, she felt very strongly that if I were to write a cookbook I should write one based on my blog instead of a singular topic. Guided by her suggestion, I felt writing a cookbook inspired by everyday life moments was a true reflection of how my family and I enjoy life together -with great food. The Savory Sweet Life Cookbook : 100 Simply Delicious Meals for Every Family Occasion will be released June 5, 2012. To the best of my knowledge the cookbook will be available in Canada the same day.


 
 

5. We live on a farm where we grow red, orange and yellow bell peppers. We eat A LOT of peppers. Any favorite pepper recipes?

I am obsessed with red bell pepper relish. I make this savory and sweet condiment once every other week; and always make it for parties or as an appetizer to bring to potlucks. Everyone always raves about it and it is one of the first dishes to disappear quickly. The recipe can be found on my site  and has also been included in the cookbook.

Red Pepper Relish

6. What are 5 ingredients that you cannot be without in your kitchen?

This is an easy question for me – coffee, chocolate, bread, cheese, and salt..in that particular order..

7. And one last one….i gotta know…do you paint Easter eggs? I have to admit, this is one thing that seems like way too much work for me!!

Paint? Uh, no. However, we dye Easter eggs using the traditional food coloring and vinegar method. My kids also love using crayons to draw on the eggs before dipping them to create a very cool artistic effect.

Thanks, Alice, for inspring us moms to pursue our passions, while never losing touch with the things that matter most: our families!
For more of Alice, visit Savory Sweet Life, or her personal blog: Everyday Alice … I always ALWAYS feel encouraged reading her posts!
You can also find her weekly contributions for PBS Parents Kitchen Explorers as well, Alice is a regular contributor for The Pioneer Woman’s Tasty Kitchen Blog.

PS..our farm’s first pepper harvest of 2012 was just last week. Can’t wait to try the red pepper relish recipe..it’s going to be a winner, i can tell!

Simple Fruit Dip recipe...

~All photos courtesy of Savory Sweet Life~

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March 30th, 2012

Easter Chocolates

Posted by Pam

Easter and chocolate are synonymous.  Laurel and I both love chocolate, but in the last number of years, we’ve discovered that we really love GOOD, high quality chocolate.  A few days ago, we popped in at ChocolaTas in Abbotsford…our favorite place for divinely handcrafted Belgian chocolate.  We visited with Veve Tas who owns and runs the business with her husband Wim, chocolatier extrordinaire! Veve showed us what they have created for Easter and both Laurel and I left with all our chocolates for our Easter tables!  (er….and maybe a couple of treats for ourselves too, if you must know..)

 

Easter bonbons...

 

The exterior design is so beautiful...they add to the decor of any event...and guests love to go home with a couple of these treats!

 

Wim and Veve came to Canada from Belgium about 10 years ago.  They create beautiful chocolates, each a work of art, out of the finest ingredients.  They are a small operation with about 11 employees between their Abbotsford and Granville Island locations.  This allows them to maintain a very high standard. Wim carefully watches over production and creates chocolate masterpieces while Veve comes up with creative ideas for the business.  We absolutely love their packaging, pretty ribbons and the fact that you can totally customize a gift you are giving someone!

 

we are loving these jewel-toned boxes

 

All of their chocolates are peanut free and most are also gluten free.  They don’t use any preservatives. They also have a special vegan selection.  We so enjoyed chatting with Veve…not only is she passionate about chocolate, but she’s passionate about life.  We loved her positivity and we could have visited with her all day! She’s one of those people that just emits joy….and when you’re around her, you feel like it rubs off on you! Hmmm..chocolate and joy? Sounds like a pretty perfect pairing!

 

Minature works of art!

 

Here are some of our favorites for Easter….

Wim Tas made this giant egg as a labour of love.  What child, or adult for that matter, wouldn’t love to sink his teeth into this amazing Easter egg.  This egg is decorated with metallic paint and edible diamonds. Wim created this egg with the idea that it would bring huge smiles to his “little” customers eyes…

 

We love these adorable nests with Easter egg filled bonbons.  These are going to look amazing on my Easter table!  Veve kindly tied them with yellow ribbon to match my Easter decor.

 

Laurel and I both sampled some of the  filled Easter egg bonbons.  Laurel sampled the egg filled with hazelnut salty caramel and I tasted the hazelnut with cinnamon.  Delish!

 

Not only do these bonbons look like miniature pieces of art on the outside, but the inside matches the artistry of delicate yet richly flavored chocolate.

 

 

My kids will be the lucky recipients of these delicate nests overflowing with milk, dark and white chocolate eggs...the little chickee is pretty cute too!

 

We also seized the opportunity to ask Veve some questions about chocolate…

How long do the chocolates last, as they don’t have preservatives?

The more sugar in the chocolate, the longer the shelf life.  Sugar acts as a natural preservative.  The solid chocolates last about 2 months and the filled bonbons (which contain cream) can last in a Ziploc bag in the fridge for about 3 weeks.  Veve said it’s always best to store chocolate in a dark, dry, and cool place.

You and your kids must eat a lot of chocolate!

Veve  and her family embrace the philosophy of quality over quantity when it comes to chocolate.  Her kids have one chocolate a day.  ”A chocolate a day, keeps the…” Veve herself favors 70% cocoa Valrhona chocolate.  She likes to have just a few pieces a day.

Wine and chocolate…thoughts?

Veve likes to have her chocolate with wine.  She prefers merlot but says it’s really up to your individual likes and dislikes.  Not everyone likes the same chocolate and not everyone will like the same wine pairing.  She suggests trying a few and see what works for your palate.  As a very general rule of thumb, merlots tend to work well with dark chocolate, and dark chocolate ganache with pepper or salt (try their Himalayan Salt and Rosemary Caramel or their Pepe Rose, dark chocolate ganache with Szechuan, pink and black pepper).

 

ChocolaTas currently has a fantastic selection of Easter chocolates for your Easter table and for your kids!  They are two locations that you can visit…

Abbotsford 101- 31060 Peardonville Road., Abbotsford, B.C.

Granville Island In the public market 151 – 1689 Johnston St.,Vancouver, B.C.

Or you can order from their website .

We are promising you…once you try their exquisite chocolate, you’ll be hooked!

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