Picnics, Potlucks, Parties

Happy Friday girls & boys!

The warm weather has arrived and that means lots of

time outdoors -- on the deck, in the park, at the beach.

As you and I prepare for all this fun, let me give you a

run down of some of my past blah to TADA! projects.

I'm pretty sure these will come in handy.

blah: a bottle carrier made of cardboard

TADA!: a caddy to organize utensils,

napkins & drinking straws

blah: empty mint dispensers

TADA!: instant salt & pepper shakers

blah: old jam jars

TADA!: dessert in a jar {add a napkin & fork;

secure these to the jar with a rubber band}.

blah: plastic containers to keep the shape of apples or

pears {a common packaging option of warehouse clubs}

TADA!: a cupcake or muffin carrier

{put the cupcakes in the grooves and cover

with a second container; secure with tape}

blah: a plastic egg container

TADA!: a great way to transport deviled eggs!

I wish you all a very awesome weekend!

Shaken not Stirred

This week, I've been busting out the pans & spatulas.

I know, this isn't a food blog but if you think of it,

a lot of recycling really begins in the kitchen.

I love me some apple juice and I consume

copious amounts, leaving me with

plastic bottles like this one.

Blah indeed.

Well, good thing it's picnic season.

Good thing too that I've been trying

some of Gwyneth's recipes:

Yeah, Gwyneth. We're on a first name basis now

that I've taken a peek into her domestic life as

an avid cook and mom through this cookbook.

I just made her Balsamic & Lime Vinaigrette.

It's simple to assemble:

In a bowl, place 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar,

2 tablespoons light agave nectar or honey and

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice. Whisk together.

Slowly whisk in 1/4 cup plus 2 teaspoons olive oil.

Season with salt & pepper.

Or just put everything in the plastic bottle

{now cleaned, dried & labels stripped off }

and shake until well-combined.

Take it to your next picnic to brighten up

salad greens or grilled vegetables.

Salad dressing that's homemade, packed

in a spill-proof, unbreakable & light bottle...

that's what I call TADA!

Slow Roasted

Here's a pretty cool cookbook I borrowed

from the library:

The great Gwyneth Paltrow has reinvented herself yet again.

From Oscar-winning actress, to wife and mother, blogger,

to singer performing on Glee, the Country Music Awards

and the Grammy's no less, she now has AUTHOR

tucked under her belt. Talk about superwoman!

My Father's Daughter is a memoir sharing her relationship

with her father, the late director Bruce Paltrow, from

which she learned everything about food. It's also a

cookbook where she provides healthy recipes

for her family.

Flipping through the pages, I feel like a voyeur,

getting a close-up look on what Gwyneth would

prepare for dinner tonight or for a party.

Most recipes are easy, don't require a lot

of ingredients and based on the stuff I've

tried making, are pretty tasty.

I was happy to see an abundance of

tomatoes {and only $0.99 a pound!} at

the supermarket last Sunday.

This is an indication that summer's here!

I just had to buy some to make

Gwyneth's Slow-Roasted Tomatoes.

Here's what you do:

Cut the tomatoes in half, rub with olive oil

and sprinkle with salt. Lay these on an

oiled baking sheet and place in a

preheated 275 degree oven.

Roast for 3-5 hours.

You know they're done when they look

like sun dried tomatoes {flat & shriveled}.

Make sure to take a whiff of their

caramel-scent -- so yummy!

Store in an air-tight container with

some olive oil. And because it's

all about recycling on my blog,

I used an old, blah jam jar that I

cleaned and sterilized.

If you add a tiny fork {secured to the jar with

a ribbon or kitchen twine}...

...and a label {plus points for name-dropping},

TADA!, you now have a perfect hostess gift!

Bake Me a Cake

This week on my blog, we're getting crafty in the kitchen.

Whether you're giving a gift to a neighbor who just

moved in or a token to some friends who invited you

over for a barbecue, something homemade isn't

really expected but is always appreciated.

Especially if you're savvy in the cooking or

baking department.

I made this German Apple Cake for a party over the

weekend. Apples are always available in the market

and the recipe was simple to put together.

Similar to yesterday's post, here's how I packaged it:

I left the cake in the baking pan, wrapped it up in an

extra-large cloth napkin and knotted the ends.

Then I added a vintage cake server.

{My friend loved it!}

When the hostess decides to add this cake to the

dessert buffet, she can easily warm it up in the

oven before serving it on a platter.

TADA! She gets to use the cake server, too.

{And I foresee that this will come in handy

in her future parties.}

You'll have to decide beforehand if you want to

give her the baking pan as part of the package

or whisper to her that you'll collect it

before you leave.

No blah foil. No blah plastic.

Just everyday TADA! objects that can be used

over and over again.

Not to mention TADA!-tasting cake, too.

Warm Weather Parties

Lately we've been invited to several parties, my husband & I.

As soon as we RSVP, we think about what we could bring,

either as a hostess gift or something yummy to add to the table.

When we're up to it and we have time to spare,

we whip something up from our kitchen.

Quick breads, like this banana loaf, are easy to prepare.

It goes well with a hot cup of morning coffee or

warm afternoon tea.

I'm a big fan of banana bread {sometimes I

buy bananas just for this reason} and use

different recipes like the one from this cookbook.

When it's out of the oven and cooled, it's ready to be

wrapped up for the party. Foil or plastic wrap are

the easy solutions. But what if I use something that's

environment-friendly and pretty at the same time?

With the bread still in the cake pan, I swaddle it using a

clean cloth napkin.

Then I tie kitchen twine around it to keep the napkin in place.

And remember the mismatched utensils I featured last week?

I thought they were perfect gift toppers which the hostess

can use later on.

You can give the cake pan to the party host

{e-mail her the recipe so she can make it too}

or if she decides to transfer the banana bread

to a platter and serve it, you can easily

take home your beloved pan.

TADA!

By the way, Clara over at Bloomize interviewed

me on my travel essentials. Thanks Clara!

Hang in There

Thanks for coming over today!

All this week, I've been finding inspiration

to turn these forks & spoons:

From blah to TADA!

Here's another one I found on Etsy:

It's the handiwork of JJEvensen,

who turns old spoons/forks into useful

stuff for the home like this coat rack.

I like that each spoon has the name

of a family member stamped on it.

This would fit well in the foyer or

mud room where most of us would

hang our jackets & bags.

This one's made of funky forks.

Indeed, there are many creative things

you can do with old silverware.

Have a superb weekend!

Carved in Silver

Reusing silverware is the name of the game.

And so far, I've found some winners already.

If you have some of these utensils

that have seen better days,

turn them from blah to TADA!

Here's what Jessica at Etsy did to hers:

She flattened the utensils, hand stamped them

with common vegetable names

and TADA!, instant garden markers.

Here's a version with power words.

And one that's wonderful to give

as a wedding present!