Cheese Puffs

When hosting a cocktail party, I always like to serve at least one hot hors d'oeuvre (see this post). There are plenty of pre-made hot hors d'oeuvres options in the freezer section of your grocery store, but today I wanted to share this homemade hors d'oeuvre option with you all because it is beyond easy and I would venture to guess that you likely already have these ingredients sitting in your pantry!  

Hot cheese puffs are a great addition to any cocktail party menu.  They can be made to be vegetarian friendly, but also taste fabulous when made with bacon!  Today's recipe can be made and garnished with a variety of ingredients.  I have included a few suggestions below, but the flavor possibilities reach far beyond what I am sharing today.  In addition to this recipe being delicious and versatile, prep + cook time for this hors d'oeuvre takes less than 15 minutes!  This recipe is most definitely a staple in my entertaining menu repertoire and I think it should be added to your repertoire as well!  

Ingredients

• Slices of White Bread
• 1/2c Mayonnaise (Light Mayo is also fine)
• 1/2c Grated Parmesan Cheese
• 1/2c Shredded Parmesan Cheese

Optional Ingredients

• 3 Tbs Finely Chopped Bacon
• 1 Tbs Fresh Thyme Leaves
• 1 Tbs Finely Diced Jalepeno
• 2 Tbs Finely Chopped Sundried Tomatoes

Garnish Ideas

• Fresh Basil, Thyme or Rosemary
• Smokey Spanish Paprika
• Cayenne Pepper
• Sundried Tomatoes
• More Bacon (is it ever possible to have too much?)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper
2. In a bowl combine mayonaise, both parmesan cheeses and any optional ingredients of your choosing.  Mix well and set bowl aside
3. With a very small biscuit cutter, cut rounds out of white bread slices and place on a baking sheet
4. Apply a light layer of the mayonnaise cheese mixture to each bread round
5. Bake in the oven for 8 minutes
6. Garnish with toppings of your choosing and serve promptly
7. **NOTE- If you notice that your cooked cheese puffs are no longer perfectly round due to an overflow of the cheese mixture melting off, take a clean pair of kitchen shears and trim off the excess edges. 

3 Culinary Resources I am Currently Loving

It is not a surprise that I love to both cook and bake.  However, for a while I had been stuck in a rut and was consistently making the same series of recipes over and over again (so boring!).  At the start of the summer I decided that I wanted to finally address this repeat cooking cycle issue and explore new culinary recipes, techniques and tools.  Since then I have learned to make creme brûlée, ciabatta bread from scratch, create husband approved dishes that contained lentils and purchase new kitchen tools as an informed consumer.   My culinary success over the summer can primarily be attributed to 3 resources:  Cook's Illustrated, thekitchen.com and Sprouted Kitchen.  Here is a little more detail on why I think these resources have been so inspirational and worthy of sharing with you all today.  

Cook's Illustrated

Cook's Illustrated has been around for a while and is a staple resource for a lot of people.  I have only recently come to the party and discovered the wonderful world of Cook's Illustrated.  Better late than never!  Cook's Illustrated can best be described as Myth Busters meets Consumer Reports meets The Joy of Cooking.  This cookbook along with the monthly magazines are great resources for not only laying out the best way to, for example- butterfly a chicken or properly season hamburger meat, but Cook's also provides you with the reasoning/evidence for why a certain technique is preferred and the best cooking tools to use for specific tasks.  The Cook's Illustrated cookbook contains a wealth of information for all of the most common recipes, so if you are looking for a resource that can help you to hone your culinary skills and provide you with a excellent knowledge base, I highly recommend checking out Cook's Illustrated Cookbook and Magazine Subscription.    

The Kitchn

The famed website Apartment Therapy, which features unique and well decorated spaces all over the country, has a culinary spinoff site called The Kitchn.  The Kitchn is a fabulous website filled with great recipes and all sorts of culinary information extras.  In addition to the extensive database of delicious recipes, what really sets this website apart is the way in which they present each recipe.  Not only does the Kitchn provide you with a detailed list of all of the ingredients and equipment you will need to successfully execute a given recipe, but they also include a gallery of images detailing what every step of the recipe should look like.  Love that!  I cannot tell you how many times I have gone through an entire recipe step by step and ended up with result that looked nothing like the picture (so frustrating!).  When I decided to try my hand at making my own ciabatta bread from scratch, it was beyond helpful to have images presented of what each step (for example- making the biga) should look like.  The Kitchn provides very detailed recipes that have really helped me to perfect the art of say, making creme brûlée or baking homemade biscuits from scratch.  All in all, this is another exceptional resource that I highly recommend checking out.  *Note- the Kitchn also has a cookbook available for purchase (see here).   

The Sprouted Kitchen and Bowl + Spoon

I first learned about Sara Forte from Ina Garten.  I had attended one of Ina's book tour events in DC at the Sixth and I Synagogue (if you are a DC local, I highly recommend signing up for their newsletter- they host a variety of great events).  During the Q&A portion of the event, one audience member asked Ina who her favorite chefs were at the moment.  Ina rattled off a few favorites including Sara Forte.  That evening after the event I went home and immediately googled Sara.  Lo and behold, I discovered the Sprouted Kitchen!  Sara's recipes are the very definition of whole foods cooking.  She has created a series of recipes (both vegetarian and non-vegetarian), which her husband has beautifully captured in photographs, that are delicious and filled with healthy ingredients.   Her most recent book, Bowl + Spoon, certainly does not disappoint!  More beautiful photos, delicious recipes and everything served in a bowl (love that!). If you are looking for a new and healthy repertoire of recipes, I highly recommend checking out Sara's website and her two cookbooks (The Sprouted Kitchen and Bowl + Spoon).  

Dulce de Leche Banana Cream Pie

I have heard for some time now that you can take a can of sweetened condensed milk, boil it in water and turn it into dulce de leche.  This concept sounded way too good to be true so of course I had to try it out and see for myself.  

While at the gym earlier this week, I dreamt up this recipe (somewhat comical when you think about it) for an ultimate banana cream pie.  I had honestly been wanting to make my own version of a banana cream pie for some time now and realized that the Dulce de Leche might be the perfect pairing for this recipe.  Before I knew it I had laid out the blue prints for this pie and got to work.  The recipe ended up being a major success (my test group-- myself included) all gave the pie rave reviews and the green light to share with you all today.  This pie is more time intensive than labor intensive.  All cooking techniques used are relatively simple and at its core, this pie is more of an assembly recipe than anything else.  If you have some free time over the weekend, I highly recommend trying this recipe. 

Ingredients (for the Dulce de Leche)

• 1 can Sweetened Condensed Milk

Instructions

**This step takes a little over 2hrs so it needs to be the first step in this recipe.  All other components of the pie can be made while this can is cooking. 

1. See this post from Serious Eats for complete step-by-step instructions.

Ingredients (for the Crust)

• 1 Package of Sandies Cookies (Pecan or Plain)
• 1/2 Stick Salted Butter, plus 1 Tbs
• 1 tbs Granulated Sugar
• Pinch of Salt

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees and place oven rack on bottom third tier
2. In a food processor, pulse 1 package of Sandies Cookies until finely ground
3. Pour contents into bowl, add 1/2 stick of melted butter, sugar and salt
4. Combine with a fork
5. Melt 1 Tbs of butter and use it to coat the bottom and sides of the pie dish
6. Dump crust mixture into pie dish and press down so that it is evenly packed throughout the bottom and sides of the dish
7. Bake crust for approximately 20 minutes
8. When done baking, set aside to cool

Ingredients (for the Banana Rum Filling)

• 5 Bananas, sliced into 1/4in thick medallions
• 5 Tbs Brown Sugar
• 5 Tbs Salted Butter
• 3 Tbs Rum

Instructions

1. In a large skillet on medium high heat, melt the butter
2. When the butter is melted, add the sliced bananas and brown sugar
3. Stir until combined and cook until the sugar completely dissolves to become a caramelized sauce.
4. Add the rum and continue to cook until the liquid evaporates
5. Once the liquid evaporates, remove from heat and set aside to cool.

Ingredients (for the Toppings)

• 2 c Heavy Whipping Cream
• 4 Tbs Confectioners Sugar
• 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
• 1/3 c Flaked Coconut (Toasted)

Instructions

1. In a large bowl combine heavy whipping cream, sugar and vanilla extract
2. With an electric mixer beat contents until stiff peaks are achieved

Pie Assembly

1. Pour banana rum filling on top of cooked pie crust
2. When the cooked condensed milk can has cooled, open and spread on top of the banana filling mixture.
3. Spread the whipped cream evenly on top of the cooled condensed milk "Dulce de Leche"
4. If you have any remaining unbaked pie crust, sprinkle on top of whipped cream and finish with a generous sprinkling of the toasted flaked coconut
5. Serve and enjoy!

Caring for your Bed and Bedding

Last week, while I was writing this post on how I went about designing my bed, I realized that in addition to the design aspect of the bed, there is a whole other element of bed care/maintenance that I needed to cover.  From protective layers for your pillows to laundering bed linens and everything in between, there are plenty of bed and bedding care tips to share with you all today.  What I love most about these tips is that they not only aid in keeping your bed clean and protected from allergens/irritants/mites (like bed bugs…yuck!), but these tips will also help to increase the longevity of your mattress and pillows.  Let's face it, every aspect of the bed is an investment, so why not make sure that you are not only protecting that investment, but also getting the most bang for your buck when it comes to longevity.    

Rotate your mattress every 3 months

This is a tip that I learned from (guess who) Martha Stewart and absolutely love it!  Rotating your mattress every 3 months will prevent indentations from forming in certain places on your mattress as a result of nightly sleeping, ultimately increasing the longevity of your mattress.  Simply take a safety pin and attach an index card with it to the bottom left corner of your bed with a card that reflects the month in which it was rotated, that way you will never lose track of when (and in which direction) you last rotated your mattress.

Use Pillow Protectors

I actually use 2 different types of pillow protectors on each of my standard sleeping pillows.  The first cover I use to encase my pillow is a Sleep Safe Pillow Protector.  This pillow case is an allergen barrier, bed bug/house mite protector and water proof to boot!  Preventing oils, mites and liquids from entering your pillows helps to keep them in tact improve their lifespan significantly.  

The next layer of my pillow is a basic linen pillow protector, which I can remove monthly to launder and provides a more comfortable layer of fabric over the heavy duty Sleep Safe pillow case.  I know this sounds like I am going overboard but living in the city, paired with allergies and the crazy cost of purchasing a high quality pillow are all compelling reasons for taking the extra step to adequately protect myself and my pillow/investment. 

Consider Mattress Protectors and Comforter Covers

In addition to pillows, protecting your mattress, duvet insert and even your feather bed are all extremely important.  Two of the biggest threats to these items are bed bugs and liquids.  So how have I outfitted my bed to combat these potential issues?  

Starting with the foundation (aka my mattress), I have encased it in a breathable all-in-one mattress protector.  This cover acts as a shield against bed bugs, house mites and various allergens.  I have actually included my featherbed in this encasement (since the mattress cover can fit both, why not save a little money??), but if you are looking to have separate protective layers, I would recommend this feather bed protector.  For a waterproof layer over your mattress, I would recommend this mattress pad (it's breathable, comfortable, functional and relatively inexpensive).  

While your duvet insert has an external protective barrier (the duvet cover), it is still susceptible to moisture, body oils and infestations from various mites/bugs.  I would recommend purchasing this duvet insert cover to not only aid in protecting your insert, but also to minimize the quantity of feathers that escape out of the blanket and into the room. 

Washing

Properly laundering your bed linens is critical for maintaining proper bed hygiene and increasing the bedding longevity.  In addition to laundering, I would also recommend having a second set of sheets on hand in order to decrease the frequency of replacing sheets.  Here is a breakdown of how often I launder/clean each aspect of my bedding:

• Sheets and Pillow Cases: Every 1-2 Weeks
• Pillow Protectors: Monthly
• Duvet, Blanket and Blanket Cover/Coverlet:  Monthly
• Quilt: Every 3 Months
• Pillow Shams: Every 6 Months
• Duvet Insert and Pillows: Every 6 Months
• Feather Bed: *Not necessary, but I do this-- steam every 6 months to kill any dust and/house mites that may be lurking*

A Few Additional Best Practices

Using protective coverings on the various components of your bed and regularly laundering your linens are the essentials for maintaining a healthy and long lasting bed.   In addition to the items outlined above, here are a few additional suggestions/tips for keeping your bed in tip top shape!

• Never place the following items on your bed:
  • Luggage
  • Handbags
  • Cellphones
  • Shoes
  • Clothes that you have been traveling in and have yet to be laundered
  • Dirty Clothes in general
• Make your bed every morning
• Use Downy Wrinkle Releaser to keep your sheets looking sharp (i.e. Freshly Ironed)

Thanks to these bed and bedding care tips I can honestly say that my bed is most definitely my sanctuary.  I love snuggling up in it after a long day at work and consistently wake up well rested.  It really is worth it to take the time to not only put your bed together, but also properly care for it.  If you have any bed care questions that were not covered in today's post please feel free to e-mail me at redefiningdomestics@gmail.com.  Sweet Dreams Everyone!

Coffee Table Updating

This past weekend was highly productive.  Between cleaning out/organizing this one closet I had been eying for some time now, buying a new car and finally "scaping" my new coffee table, I am feeling very accomplished on this Monday morning.  For today's post, I wanted to share some of the latest updates to our new coffee table.  As you may recall from this post, we purchased a new coffee table to better fit the scale of our living space and provide guests with a little more leg room when gathered around our coffee table.  Opting to go with a glass/metal coffee table was a must for lightening up the space, especially since the perimeter of our room is a sea of dark wood.  When I came across the Claremont Coffee Table, I was absolutely over the moon!  In addition to being the ideal color, shape and size, this coffee table also came with an antique mirrored lower shelf.  New look and additional storage had me totally smitten.  

While everything about this coffee table is exactly what I was looking for, it did present one challenge - my traditional coffee table tray of decor didn't translate to this new table. In addition, I was now tasked with designing 2 levels. 

For the top layer, I decided to keep it simple with a pretty vase that I have currently filled with a mix of fresh white roses and gladiolas.  This minimalistic approach keeps the table functional and doesn't detract from the lower tier display.  Here is a breakdown of what I used to create the lower tier display:

Coffee Table Books

I love to decorate with books, so using coffee table books on this shelf was a no brainer.  I decided to go with a set of completely fresh books on this my coffee table, since they would be displayed prominently for everyone to see (unlike my bookshelf where people only see books from a distance).  Note- When purchasing coffee table books to stack for display purposes, it is important to make sure that the book dimensions are similar in order to create a cohesive look.  Here is a list with links for the coffee table books I selected:

• The Big Book of Chic, by: Miles Redd
• The Houses of VERANDA: The Art of Living Well, by: Lisa Newsom
• Garden Inspirations, by: Charlotte Moss

Succulents

I love the look and texture of a succulent.  The pop of green color, paired with the low profile and rustic box makes this a perfect addition to this display shelf.  The one thing that I would like to note about succulents is that they require full light to thrive (since they are a member of the cacti family), so I would recommend using a faux succulent (like this one or this one) in a space like your living room where full light might not be an option.  

Coasters

I have said this time and again, set your guests up for success by placing coasters throughout your various sitting/gathering areas.  Keeping in mind my mantra and my concept of varying textures, I have opted to stack this set of Bali Coasters.  Not only do they provide protection for my coffee table from drink condensation, but I also love the handwoven look of these round coasters (and at a cost of $5.95, how could I resist?!).

Decorative Bowls

Decorative bowls are a great addition to any display space.  For this coffee table, I opted to include my large CB2 Brass Pinch bowl to balance out the side opposite my coffee table books and give the space a pop of metallic color.  In addition, I included my small Simon Pearce Chaplain bowl in the middle to dress up the space and balance out my more casual accents (succulent and coasters).   

Match Box

A book of matches and/or a lighter is extremely useful to have in every room that contains candles and/or votives.  While commercial matchboxes and lighters are not the most aesthetically pleasing, a decorative matchbox cover like the one pictured above or this one, will provide you with the ability to have a practical item on display without junking up the look of your coffee table.  I am particularly fond of this matchbox not only because it was a gift from my best friend but also because it ties in perfectly to the orange/coral color in my throw pillows.  

Just like designing a bookshelf, creating this display required a great deal of mixing, matching, arranging and re-arranging before I achieved an end result that I was happy with.  I would encourage you to thoughtful with the items you choose to include on your coffee table and remember to stay focused on functionality, design and color scheme.  Keeping these thoughts in mind will ensure coffee tablescaping success!