Learning About Cheese

If there is one thing you should know about me by now, through my instagram or even previous posts, is that I love to "cheesescape."  I think that a cheeseboard is a great cocktail party staple and has the ability to be constantly reinvented depending on the time of year/season/occasion you are serving the cheeseboard.  In addition to my love of cheesescaping, I really do love to learn (sounds so dorky, I know). So naturally, I have an insatiable appetite for any/all information about cheese pairings, regional cheeses, serving and storing cheeses, etc.  I find myself constantly Pinteresting for new cheesescape presentation ideas and also with my head in books trying to learn all that I can to elevate my cheesescape complexity with each presentation.  

Over time, I have discovered a core repertoire of cheese resources (aside from Pinterest) that have been a huge help advancing my personal cheesescape skill level.  The Murray's Cheese Handbook, by: Rob Kaufelt and Cheese Primer, by: Steven Jenkins, are two resources that I would recommend to anyone looking to learn more about cheeses and the art of creating a cheeseboard (aka "cheesescaping").  Both books provide a wide array of applicable knowledge needed for selecting, pairing, serving and even storing cheeses.  These books are packed with great information on cheeses and tips on creating that perfect cheeseboard.   Below I have provided few of my favorite highlights about each book:

Favorite Features from Cheese Primer: 

• How to properly store cheese
• What to look for when purchasing Cheese and how to serve the cheese
• Tips on assembling a cheese board
• Suggested Cheeseboard Pairings with Wine Suggestions (themed by geographic region and/or season)
• What to do with leftover cheese
• A complete breakdown of all different types of cheeses around the world

Favorite Features from The Murray's Cheese Handbook:

• Cheese 101- Understanding the different types of milk used to make cheese, the difference between pasteurized and unpasteurized cheese, 
• Seasonal Cheeses
• Breaking down the 7 different categories of cheeses
• How to order the presentation of cheeses on your cheese board
• Some favorite domestic cheeses with suggested wines and other accouterments that pair well with each cheese.

In addition, Murray's Cheese Website has a great amount of helpful tips and resources available for learning more about cheeses and an array of different pairings. 

Favorite weekend morning activity - Breakfast and a little Cheese Reading

There is no denying that the best way to educate yourself on cheeses is to actually go to cheesemonger and taste/experience the varieties of cheeses firsthand.  However, if you aren't in a position (ex. geographic, available free time, knowing a good local cheesemonger, etc.), these books are excellent resources for learning the basics of cheeses, pairings and cheesescaping. 

Rum Bundt Cake

This rum bundt cake recipe has been a family staple and go-to birthday cake for years.  It has been passed down from my grandmother with the original recipe (written in pencil!) still in tact.  Over the years it has been a crowd favorite and the best part of this recipe (aside from being super moist and delicious) is how easy it is to make!  

Rum Bundt Cake

 Cake Ingredients

•  1 Box Yellow Butter Cake Mix
• 1 Box Instant Vanilla Pudding Mix
• 4 Eggs
• 1/4c Rum (Bacardi Light Rum Recommended)
• 1c Milk
• 1/2c Crisco Oil
• 1/2tsp Vanilla Extract
• 1/2tsp Almond Extract

Instructions

1. Combine ingredients and pour into a well-greased and floured Bundt pan. 
2. Bake at 350 degrees fahrenheit for 50 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean

**Note- For best results (and maximum fluffiness), I recommend using the Nordicware Anniversary Bundt Pan found at Williams-Sonoma, Crate and Barrel or Amazon. 

Nordicware Anniversary Bundt Pan

Rum Glaze Ingredients

• 1/2c Rum
• ½ Stick Butter
• 1c Sugar

Instructions Continued…

1.  Begin to heat glaze ingredients approximately 5 minutes before the cake is done cooking.
2. Bring glaze to a boil over medium/high heat until the ingredients combine to become a consistent glaze. 
3. Once the glaze is boiling, pour over the hot rum cake while it is still in the Bundt pan and let it soak for 30min. **I like to place a place a cookie sheet that have lined with aluminum foil under the bundt pan prior to pouring the glaze in the event that the glaze bubbles over the edges of the bundt pan. Less mess and much easier clean-up. 

After 30-45minutes, flip rum cake onto cake plate and dust with powdered sugar. 

*Note- This cake gets better after it has aged for a day and develops a crunchy sugary crust. 

Lemon Dijon Herb Pork Tenderloin (That you can make ahead!)

I don't know if you have ever felt this way before, but during the work week the only thing I want to do when I come home from the office is flop on the couch with a glass of vino and watch a TV show saved on my DVR.  My brain feels like pudding and my body like Jello (maybe too vivid of a description), but the point being--I don't want to do anything but relax!  The idea of preparing a homemade dinner seems herculean.  I don't want to have to think about shopping for the ingredients, chopping ingredients, cooking and then of course…the clean-up (woof, no thanks).   

Changing my tune...

Over the past few years, while dating and then engaged to my now husband, there were definitely nights during the week where I wanted to surprise him with a home-cooked dinner after work.  I've had a bunch of trial, error (ex. would not recommend making an apple pie from scratch on a week night), and success (ex. Barefoot Contessa's Herb Marinated Pork Tenderloin)!

This pork tenderloin recipe evolved from the success I have had with making Ina Garten's Recipe.  I have tweaked the ingredients a bit and will show you how to take the marinade and turn it into a sauce to serve with your pork.  The best part about this recipe is that you can start prepping this meal over the weekend but then cook it on a weeknight!  Cooking on a weeknight becomes infinitely easier when all you have to do is cook something because all of the prep has been done the day before.  Here is my recipe for Lemon Dijon Herb Pork Tenderloin:

Ingredients

• 3lbs Pork Tenderloin
• 3/4c Extra Virgin Olive Oil (plus 3Tbs set aside for cooking)
• 2 1/2 Tbs Fresh Minced Garlic 
• Zest of 1 Large Lemon
• Juice of 2 Large Lemons
• 1oz Champagne Vinegar
• 1/4c Dijon Mustard
• 1tsp Julienned Sage
• 2Tbs Fresh Chopped Rosemary
• 2Tbs Fresh Chopped Thyme
• 1/2tsp Fresh cracked pepper
• 1 Tsp Salt
• 1 Gallon Ziplock Bag (I like to double-up and use 2 bags to make sure nothing leaks in my refrigerator, but 1 Ziplock is certainly sufficient)

**Tip- When shopping for the ingredients above, instead of buying each herb individually, just buy the herb pack that says "Poultry Herb Blend" in the produce section.  The "Poultry Herb Blend" contains Rosemary, Thyme and Sage (and enough of each for this recipe!), so you can save money by only purchasing one herb box instead of three!

**Tip 2- Easy way to chop the Fresh Rosemary and Thyme--place herb leaves in a bowl, take a pair of kitchen scissors and snip contents until evenly chopped.  

4 Kitchen tools that help to make this recipe even easier

1. Mini Vegetable Chopper- Great for Slicing, Dicing and Mincing Garlic 
2. Citrus Reamer- Great for Juicing Lemons 
3. Microplane- Can be great for zesting citrus or grating hard cheeses.
4. Digital Meat Thermometer- Investing in a good quality digital meat thermometer will give you an accurate read for determining the internal temperature/doneness of your meat. 

Prep Instructions

1. Add Pork Tenderloin, Olive Oil, Garlic, Lemon Zest, Lemon Juice, Champagne Vinegar, Dijon Mustard, Sage, Rosemary, Thyme, Pepper and Salt to a 1 gallon Ziplock bag.  
2. Squeeze air out of bag, seal bag shut and mush around (apologies for this non-technical term but it is what you have to do) contents of bag.
3. Place in refrigerator overnight to marinate.

Cooking Instructions

1. Remove pork tenderloin bag from the refrigerator an hour before you are planning to cook it.
2. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit 
3. In an oven safe 12 inch skillet, heat 3 Tbs of extra virgin olive oil on medium high heat
4. When the pan is hot, pull the pork tenderloin out of the marinade bag shaking off as much excess liquid as you can and place the tenderloin in the heated pan
5. Brown the tenderloin on all sides (**If there is an excess of liquid in your pan you may need to drain some of it out…otherwise it will take significantly longer to brown the meat because you will have to wait for all of the liquid to evaporate first).
6. Once the meat has been browned on all sides, remove from stove and place entire pan straight into the oven to finish cooking
7. Cook the tenderloin in the oven until it reaches an internal temperature between 160 (medium-well) and 170 (well-done) degrees.  
8. Once the meat reaches the suggested internal temperature, remove from oven and cover meat lightly with aluminum foil.  Allow meat to rest for approximately 10 minutes before slicing and serving.  (Cutting into the meat right out of the oven will cause all of the juices to run out and your meat will be dry.)

For the Sauce

1. Once the pork tenderloin has been removed from the marinade bag to cook, dump the remaining contents of the ziplock back (the marinade) into a small sauce pot (2qt) and set aside
2. As soon as the pork goes into the oven, bring the sauce pot to a boil stirring frequently
3. Continue to cook/boil the marinade for approximately 20min (stirring frequently)
4. Once the sauce is done cooking, pour through a sieve into a heat safe container (I use a pyrex measuring cup)

To Serve

1. Cut the pork tenderloin into 1/2 inch thick pieces on the diagonal
2. Assemble on plate and drizzle with sauce
3. I like to serve this dish with my Roasted Sweet Potato Discs and Microwave Steamed Green Beans   (*Reference first photo  in this post*)

Throwing a Birthday Party at Home

I love birthdays.  I am pretty sure that the reason why I love them so much is because of all of the special traditions my mom created for me and my siblings on our birthdays when we were younger.  

Growing up, when it was your birthday, you would be greeted in the morning with the breakfast in bed tray that had been outfitted with a breakfast of your choosing, all of your birthday cards/gifts, the family birthday crown (encrusted in only the finest plastic gems)  and most importantly, your birthday horoscope cut out from the morning newspaper.  To this day, I still make a point of getting the birthday horoscope from the actual newspaper, since that was the original tradition.  Actually come to think of it, not too much has changed with my personal birthday routine as I have gotten older (birthday crown included….yes, my husband is a saint!).

In addition to family birthday celebrations, I love hosting birthday parties for my close friends.  It gives me an opportunity to celebrate my friends individually, share some of my old birthday traditions and come up with some new birthday ideas.   

The main reason why I am sitting here regaling you with all of the family birthday traditions I have enjoyed since childhood, is because it was the inspiration for my first birthday party blog post.    

Party Overview

This was an all girls birthday cocktail party.  I kept the food pretty simple with a cheeseboard, cupcakes and a specialty cocktail.   I wanted it to be relaxed and assembled all of the hors d'oeuvres on my coffee table.  My thought was that it would be nice to have everything right there so I would be able to enjoy my guests and not have to get up and fuss with different entrees.  It ended up being just that, which was great.  Of course, the "Birthday Tradition Musts" for this party included: party favors, cupcakes, party hats, decorations and a birthday horoscope.

All desserts and birthday decor were set up on my dining table. My dining table happens to be the first thing you see when you enter my home, so focusing the decorations on the table created the immediate birthday vibe when I welcomed my guests.  

Dining Table Details:

• DIY Tissue Pom-Poms (Easy to make and cost approx. $2 to make as opposed to the $20 cost of buying them already made)
• Paper Source Table Confetti- Classic or Trend
• S'more Cupcakes
• Sugar Cookies
• DIY Floral Arrangement using some of my favorite Budget Friendly Florals
• Mini Birthday Party Hats -Oh Joy! for Target
• DIY Party Favors
  • Nail Polish-Save on cost by purchasing a multipack and then parsing it out to each favor bag. 
  • Sofia Coppola Sparkling Wine - Champagne in a pink can complete with straw. Need I say more?
  • Novelty Candy- Like these adorable Brut & Rose Gummi Bears from Sugarfina
  • Kitsch Hair Ties- I found the hair-ties featured above at Home Goods for 60% off their suggested retail value
  • Nail Files- Again, I was able to save on cost through buying a nail file multi pack and then parsing it out to each goody bag.  These Glass Nail Files are fantastic and known to have a very long lifespan.  
  • Cellophane Bags with Flat Bottoms
  • Ribbon (I am a huge fan of saving good ribbon and reusing it).

Birthday traditions can be fun to create, hold on to and share with your friends and family.  Personally, the best part of celebrating birthdays would have to be the people.  Being with family and friends can instantly turn a birthday into a memorable celebration.  

Coffee Table Decor Ideas

Decorating and redecorating my coffee table has definitely morphed into a hobby for me.  I actually have found it to be somewhat salubrious, given my insatiable appetite for home decor.  Let me begin by saying that the styling and restyling of your coffee table decor does not have to be expensive.  Often I find myself taking different items from around my home to reinvent my coffee table.  The biggest change is often in the flowers, which you know from reading my post on Budget Friendly Florals and Greenery does not mean that you have to break your bank account.  I have put together a list with links of my best advice for decorating your coffee table, along with links to items that I love to use when decorating and redecorating my own coffee table.    

Make it functional  

Whatever you choose to display should be at least 80% functional.  Meaning that it's great to have to decorative trinkets, but also remember to include items like: 

• Coasters- Chilewich Dahlias (my favorite as of late), Caspari Lizard Embossed or these Agate Coasters
• Candles- See my post on the different types of Coffee Table Candles that I like to incorporate into my decor. 
• Matches for Candles- I love the oversized decorative match boxes sold by Caspari or HomArt

Fresh is Great

Florals and Greenery can really freshen up a space.  I think that the addition of something living/alive helps to create a warm and welcoming environment.  

• Plants- Peace Lilies, Orchids, Succulents, Cactus
• Flower Arrangements- There are so many great varieties of flowers available at all different price points.  Some of my personal favorites include: Hydrangeas, Ranunculus, Freesia, Carnations, Roses, Zinnias and Sunflowers.  
• Vases -I love having an assortment so that I can accommodate whatever flowers I may be working with on a given week.  A few of my favorites include: Happy Chic JA Nina Link Vase, CB2 Hook-up High Gloss Vase, Metallic Honeycomb Vases
• Bud Vases- A great addition or filler on your coffee table when you have a little extra space or maybe a few leftover flowers from a recent arrangement.  My favorite bud vases include the CB2 Ai Bud Vase, Dartington Little Gem Vase, Small Mason Jar Vases or even these Opalescent Tumblers from Anthropologie
• Planters- Plants last much longer than fresh flowers, but theres no reason why you can't change the look of your planter as your coffee table decor changes.  A few of my favorite planters include: West Elm Metallic Planter, CB2 Bennie Low Vase-Planter or this Metallic Crackled Herb Pot.

These opalescent juice glasses from Anthropologie can also be used as a bud vase. 

Coffee Table Tray

Coffee table trays are great for many reasons, but my top 4 reasons for using a coffee table tray are: 

1. They consolidate all of the decor on your coffee table into a single organized space.
2. hey can serve as a foundation for the theme of your coffee table decor aesthetic.
3. Coffee table trays make it easy to pick up your table decor efficiently when  you need to make space on your table for cocktail party hors d'oeuvres.
4. Coffee table trays (depending on the tray you use) can also serve as additional serveware.  I have used my West Elm Lacquered Metallic Wood Tray to serve cocktails, desserts and even breakfast in bed!

A few of my favorite coffee table trays (in addition to my West Elm Lacquered Metallic Wood Tray of course!) are: the Z Gallerie Pascual Mirrored Tray, CB2 Square Walnut Tray, Williams-Sonoma Leather Tray, West Elm Reclaimed Wood Tray, World Market Rattan Tray and this Barclay Butera Large Horse Bit Handle Tray (had to include one splurge!). 

This is the first of what I am sure will be many coffee table decor posts.  I hope that this post provides you with the initial information and inspiration to start scaping your coffee table.