Flower arrangments

Flowers!! They bring the bees, and make me smile!

There are so many interesting ways to display flowers - and instead of a glass vase, these are some ways to present nature!

For our wedding, we made paper flowers - I recently stumbled upon tissue paper flowers...which I fell in love with. Simply because they will last always!

This wire teapot can easily be found at a Home Goods store or Michaels Craft store. The flowers are simple - yet it looks wild and fun. Have a spot of tea?

This is perhaps my favorite arrangement ever seen by a florist. This is perfect for ladies day or just to spice up your day!!

Lose your drink? never again.

You are at a party, and there are atleast a dozen solo cups on the tables. You had the punch....but so did everyone else! You can use a marker and write your name on the cup, OR.....

http://etch-it.com/wheretobuy.htm

Etch it on!! This brings me back to when I was 6 years old, and I would turn the white dials of my etch-a-sketch to write my name. Now, 22 years later, I can use my finger nail to write my name on my cup at parties!

The only problem I might have is I wouldn't want people to throw them away!

The company sells solo cups with the labels, or just the labels.

Neither way, I think this is a fun and retro way to mark your territory!

Summer Soup served with fun!

Make any chilled summer soup look spectacular by serving it “up” in a martini glass. Chill the glasses in the freezer until you are ready to serve the soup for a nice frosty alternative to a bowl. A summer soup recipe that would definitely be ultra tasty is the Coconut Corn Chowder.

Perfect for the summer when corn is in season. Canned corn works well when you’re longing for summer.

Ingredients

1. 8 ears of fresh corn
2. 2 stalks of celery roughly chopped
3. 1 carrot roughly chopped
4. 1 bay leaf
5. 6 cups of water
6. 1 onion chopped
7. 1 clove garlic chopped
8. 1/2 – 1 thai red chili (adjust according to taste) roughly chopped
9. 1 can coconut milk
10. 1 tbs fish sauce
11. 2 in piece of lemongrass crushed
12. 1 kaffir lime leaf
13. 1 tsp salt
14. 1/2 c finely diced red and green peppers
15. 1 Tbs lime juice
16. 1 thai red chili finely sliced (or more according to your taste)
17. 1 finely sliced green onion

Method

1. Cut corn off it’s ears and set aside
2. Make a stock by simmering corn cobs, celery, carrot, bay leaf in water for 30 minutes
3. In a separate pot sweat onion over medium heat until translucent
4. Add garlic and thai chili and sweat for 1 minute
5. Add corn, coconut milk, fish sauce, lemon grass, lime leaf and enough stock to cover
6. Simmer for 20 minutes
7. Remove lime leaf and lemon grass
8. Pour soup into blender, leaving out half of the corn kernels
9. Blend until thick and somewhat smooth
10. Pour blended soup back into the pot with whole corn kernels
11. Bring back to a simmer and adjust thickness with more stock if needed
12. Stir in chopped peppers and lime juice, adjust seasoning to taste
13. Garnish with sliced chillis and green onion

*Note: Canned stock and canned corn can be substituted for fresh.

Dress your table!

Labor day is approaching, and to totally dress up the table - you could use seersucker napkins to put out during lunch or dinner! The preppy fabric reminds me of New England summers, though I only enjoyed my summers at the Jersey shore - this is how I would imagine it!!