Pop. Fizz. Clink: Champagne Cocktails

2014 has treated me exceptionally well with two happy and healthy babies and a stylish send off into the next decade. I’m hoping for anther rosy year so what better way to usher it in than sipping a festive pink champagne cocktail?

Style At Home recently highlighted some delicious new years eve-worthy champagne cocktails, styled in tones of gold and pink by my talented colleague Ann Marie Favot. I’m partial to this  blackberry lime fizz, which features one of my favourite liqueurs, St Germain Elderflower.

Blackberry Lime Fizz

serves 2

• 6 fresh blackberries
• 2 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice
• 1 tbsp simple syrup
• 2 oz St-Germain elderflower liqueur
• 8 oz chilled pink champagne or Prosecco

Directions

1. Place 6 blackberries on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and freeze until solid (the frozen fruit will help keep your cocktail nicely chilled).
2. Place the lime juice, simple syrup, elderflower liqueur and remaining blackberries in a cocktail shaker and muddle to release the flavours.
3. Add some ice and shake well. Strain into two coupes and top with the champagne.
4. Garnish with the frozen blackberries.

Bonus points if you mix your cocktail in these gorgeous gold-plated accessories from Cocktail Kingdom. I need that shaker, jigger and stirrer like yesterday!

(cocktail photo by Maya Visnyei , bottom photo: laura sant for saveur)

Gift Guide Picks

The holidays are upon us which means it’s time to shop for the ones you love and get them a little something something that will make them smile. This year I’m only highlighting things I’d truly buy myself, so don’t be surprised when you notice they’re mostly black, white and gold!

Every household needs a solid pair of scissors, so add some sparkle to the mundane with this shiny gold pair of shears from Nate Berkus’ Target collection. Target, $16.99

These glass water bottles by bkr are coated in a stylish silicone sleeve that protect from breakage while looking adorable all the way to your 8-glasses-a-day goal. Neiman Marcus, $30-35 each

 

This Tory Burch kerrington applique wristlet is kind of bizarre but also kind of fabulous with its creamy violet leather and amusing symbolism. It would be a great spot to stash your personal essentials in a larger diaper bag or tote. Tory Burch, $175

For your stylish gourmand, these black and white striped marble accessories up the chic factor of any kitchen counter. I particularly adore the cheeseboard and citrus press. Anthropologie, $24-98

This earthy yet smoky scent from Diptyque is perfect for snuggly winter nights and a luxury item you’d be hard pressed to buy for yourself, but be totally psyched to see under the christmas tree (or hanukkah bush). Holt Renfrew, $72

For the hostess with the mostess, the large white pedestal cake plate and glass dome from Rosanna is a perfect spot to display sweets and homemade treats while keeping them fresh. Red Letter, $44.95-72.95 

Who doesn’t love receiving chocolate as a gift? These handcrafted bars in exotic flavous like dark chocolate gold leaf take it to a whole other level with packaging designed by none other than Kelly Wearstler. I’d frame them they are so pretty! Kelly Wearstler, $13 each

Fans of Scalamandre’s classic zebra print will love this small tray from Lenox, which looks stunning sitting pretty on a console or used as a catchall for keys or change. William Ashley, $61.

For the art lover, this antique gold metal 3-D piece adds serious personality to your walls with an iconic mantra spelled out in all of its gilded splendour. ELTE Market, $95

 

For your friend who could always use some help in the organization department, this cheeky sticky note set has sayings that were ripped right from my and my friends’ daily diction, including a personal fave, “literally can’t.” Plus there is a bowtie involved - as the note says, “so cute!” Indigo, $12.95

Perfectly Healthy Pumpkin Muffins

Looking for a quick and nutritious snack this thanksgiving weekend? Try these tasty low-fat pumpkin muffins from Anna Olson that are a cinch to whip up and easy on the waistline.

These muffins get their delicious moist texture and natural sweetness from pureed pumpkin instead of relying purely on sugar and oil, so you can indulge in this classic autumnal treat and not feel guilty.

Anna Olson’s Low Fat Pumpkin Muffins

• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• ⅔ cup all-purpose flour
• 1 ½ tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp ground nutmeg
• ¼ tsp ground allspice
• 1 ½ cups pure pumpkin purée
• ⅔ cup packed demerara or dark brown sugar
• ⅔ cup buttermilk
• 2 egg whites
• 3 tbsp vegetable oil
• pumpkin seeds (optional)

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F and line a 12-cup muffin tin with large paper liners.
2. Stir the whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, nutmeg and allspice in a large mixing bowl.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk the pumpkin, brown sugar, buttermilk, egg whites and vegetable oil.
4. Pour the liquids into the dry mixture and stir just until blended. Spoon the batter into the muffin cups and sprinkle pumpkin seeds on top.
5. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until a tester inserted into the centre of a muffin comes out clean.
6. Cool the muffins for 20 minutes before removing from the tin. The muffins can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days or frozen. Do not refrigerate.

I added pumpkin seeds to the top for some added crunch but you can also sprinkle them with raw sugar, or stir in cranberries or other nuts into the batter to mix it up. Happy baking and happy thanksgiving everyone!

Shana Tova and a Little Jewish Humour

As the second night of Rosh Hashanah draws to a close, here is a video that will start off the year 5575 with a smile and a good chuckle:

Watching non-Jews’ reactions to typical Jewish fare such as gefilte fish and chopped liver had me laughing out loud and I hope you enjoy it too!

Wishing you all a sweet new year full of health and happiness!

Seder E-Cards from Paperless Post

When hosting the Passover seder, your invitations to family and friends usually go out via a quick e-mail or phone call, but why not mark the occasion with a free e-card? Paperless Post has some clever invites ranging from festive and fun to more sophisticated and savvy that will add extra flair to your seder. 

Here are a few of my faves:

This Matzo e-card is a rather literal take on a seder invite and is great way to get your little ones excited to munch on matzah at a more modern relaxed seder.

This seder invite feels a little more elegant but still low key, with the foods from the seder plate depicted as a fanciful border.

The most formal is this swanky invite, which asks the age old question of “ma neeshtana?’ in beautiful black and gold script. This is probably the card that I would choose!

Puppy Chow

Who doesn’t love themselves a good old fashioned Staffordshire dog? And who doesn’t love a cookie?  Well those two delectable things unite in this whimsical cookie jar from Anthropologie that is so blatantly up my alley that I had multiple colleagues tag me on social media when they saw it in stores.

It would be pretty at home in my kitchen, but at $128 and considering I already have two pairs of Staf dogs on the main floor of the house, I may have to restrain myself for now.

A Mommy-To-Be Friendly New Years Mocktail: Apple Ginger Sparkler

This year champagne is off limits, so here is an alternative from Miss Martha that has the same colouration and festive spirit, without the alcohol.

For Ginger Syrup:

1. Place 2 cups of sugar, 1 six-inch piece of fresh ginger finely diced, and 2 cups water in a medium saucepan.
2. Bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, and cook about 1 hour, until ginger flavor is quite strong. Let cool and strain before using.

For Mocktail:

• 1/4 cup Ginger Syrup
• 4 1/2 cups sparkling apple cider (make sure it is pasteurized)
• 6 cinnamon sticks
• 6 pieces crystallized ginger

1. Place 2 tablespoons ginger syrup in each of six glasses.
2. Fill glasses with ice cubes, pour in cider, and stir to combine.
3. Garnish with cinnamonsticks and fresh ginger, and serve.

(image via marthastewart.com)

Ice Ice Baby

Christmas cookie baking for holiday gifts is an annual tradition in my mother’s kitchen and hopefully next year will be in mine too. But for now, being 7.5 month pregnant with twins tends to get in the way of those types of standing-required activities, so I was content to be doing the sitting-friendly tasks this time around on her behalf, such as icing and cutting out shapes from her pre-rolled dough.

Having taken the pastry courses at George Brown, my mom just LOVES her culinary gear and I laughed at her when she first wheeled in a commercial rack into the kitchen for her baking exploits. The joke’s on me though as it totally does come in super handy when baking and icing for a crowd.

Having a plethora of both sugar and gingerbread cookies already baked up from a previous kitchen session, I organized my tools for the icing and decorating so I could move quickly between designs without letting the royal icing get too stiff.

I had the most fun with the gingerbread snowflakes but  went a little crazy on the sanding sugar for the sugar cookie versions due to my insistence that it looks like real snow (well it does!)

I also made some mittens (not of the kitten variety) using crushed peppermint candy shards for the cuffs- cute and minty fresh!

What’s your favourite holiday cookie recipe?

Tea To Go

You can’t go wrong with blue and white, which is excitedly the theme for the upcoming July issue of Style At Home, so it’s no wonder I was drawn to these stunning tumblers at Teavana on the weekend.

The porcelain finish and patterns remind me of an antique lamp I grew up with in my childhood bedroom. Such a stylish way to sip!

PS- how cute are the solid coloured tins from David’s Tea? What a great way to organize your tea collection and add colour to your countertop!

Weekend Cocktail #36: Swedish Mule

In honour of my impending inaugural visit to Sweden for an IKEA adventure (more on that later), I am reviving the weekend cocktail with a Swedish Mule from Karlsson’s Gold vodka:

Swedish Mule

• 2 oz Karlsson’s Gold Vodka
• 4 oz Ginger beer
• 1 oz Fresh lime juice
• 0.5 oz Simple syrup (one part sugar, one part water)

Add all ingredients to a Collins glass filled with ice and stir to combine.

(image via liquor.com)

Sweet on Sweet Tables

Inspired by the Amy Atlas interview in Style At Home’s July issue, I put together a sweet table for the latest SAH episode of CityLine. (If you haven’t yet, make sure you check out Amy’s site for amazing inspirational tablescapes and dessert styling- she is quite the talent!)

Our table for CityLine would of course not have been possible though, without the awesome companies who donated their sweets to our segment, including Cake Opera Co. (obvs they had to be included) and Oak Leaf Candy. Their to-die-for cake centrepiece and other decadent treats had everyone in the studio drooling over their beauty! Crate and Barrel and Shop Sweet LuLu were also kind enough to provide some killer containers for the table as well-  how awesome are the straws and little glass jars!

Watch the clip here for some tips on creating your own sweet table!

Shopping Sweet LuLu

For a woman as possessed by decorating and entertaining as me, I have been hard pressed to tear myself away from Shop Sweet LuLu- an online boutique selling some of the cutest tabletop items and favour packaging that I have seen on market in one convenient adorable place! All the amazing product has inspired dozens of different ideas on how to incorporate them for future soirees, but for now here are just a smattering:

Striped paper straws in your colour scheme add zip to any signature cocktail you serve at a party. For a retro theme, mix up all of the various hues for a nostalgic sipper!

These greek-key paper napkins and plates are divine with their juicy and spunky colours! Use them to add a glam Palm Beach vibe to your table.

These adorable striped paper candy cups would be perfect to fill with  assorted flavours of gelato, ice cream, or granita and pass around on a tray at a summer BBQ.

These chevron-printed tiny treat bags are so au-courant and festive filled with candies and other sweet takeaways at the end of a party.

Plain jane grocery store candles pale in comparison to these adorable striped and polka-dotted babies in a variety of great colours.

Happy browsing!

Engagement Party Cookie Favours

Our engagement party that my generous parents threw for us was last weekend and it was absolutely wonderful! Dave and I had smiles plastered across our faces the entire night and both of our families and friends had an amazing time.

In addition to making sure the soiree incorporated some of my favourite things, such as pink peonies and signature cocktails, I also dove headfirst into the Martha-inspired task of making homemade sugar cookie favours for an edible and memorable save the date treat to our guests.

Inspired by our silhouettes that we used on our invitations by Paper Ideas, I had custom cutters made by Victor Trading Co to match our eerily accurate profiles. My mother and I made 12 batches of my favourite sugar cookie dough, baked them up and then iced them over four very long nights. Rolling them all out took twice as long as anticipated (my pesky ponytail didn’t want to cooperate) and piping them first and then flooding later with the royal icing proved to be super time-consuming! We packaged them in cello bags with a scalloped card backing to help protect them from breaking and tied them up with black and white grosgrain and the little save the date card.

Despite my incessant borching throughout the lengthy process, the favours turned out great so here are some snaps I took of the cookies out of their packaging and next to our invite so you can get a closer look of our hard work:

PS- this weekend we also had our engagement portrait session with our wedding photographer Storey Wilkins!  We got dressed up and had some fun with nature and props, so I can’t wait to share some proofs when they come in :)

Cotton Candy Clouds on Canvas

Last year I was introduced to the awe-inspiring paintings of Will Cotton and months later looking at them still leaves me breathless. The American artist studied in France and New York and combines his love of baking and sweets with his craft to create each of his luscious pieces.  All of his work is delicious but it is the pastel pink cotton candy clouds mixed with feminine flesh and the playful ribbon stripe crowns that make me smile the most.

PS- Does Miss Katy Perry look familiar? Cotton collaborated with the pop star for her most recent album cover! You can even watch a video of their work together here.

(all images via willcotton.com)