Friday, April 30, 2010

Burgundy Beef Brisket

Serves: 8

Ingredients
  • 3-4 pound beef brisket
  • 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon Stonewall Kitchen Burgundy Marinade(available at the shop!)
  • 2-tablespoon light olive oil
  • 1 Tablespoon butter
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 3/4 cup carrots, 1-inch dice
  • 3/4 cup celery, 1-inch dice
  • 1 medium leek, 1-inch dice
  • 1/2 cup red wine, such as burgundy
  • 4 cups beef stock
  • 2-tablespoon tomato paste

Kir Royale Sorbet

Serves: 6-8

Ingredients
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 jar Stonewall Kitchen Kir Royale Brunch Jam(Available now to pick up at the shop)
Directions
  1. To make a simple syrup combine the water and granulated sugar in a saucepan over medium high heat. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat.
  2. Place 1 jar of Stonewall Kitchen Kir Royale Jam in a food processor. Using a metal blade process jam until currents are fine pieces.
  3. Add pureed jam to the simple syrup and mix until uniform. Chill for at least 1 hour in the refrigerator.
  4. Place chilled mixture in an ice cream maker. Process for 30-35 minutes until the sherbet is thick and creamy. Freeze in freezer 8 hours or over night before serving. Can be kept frozen for one week in the freezer.

click here for recipe

Monday, April 26, 2010

Blueberry Sour Cream Coffee Cake

Drop by to pick up your jar of Stonewall Kitchen Wild Maine Blueberry Jam. Once one of our favorite baking mixes, we've broken down this delicious recipe for you to make and enjoy all on your own! Serves: 8-12
Ingredients
2 cups granulated sugar
2 cups all purpose flour
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/4 Tsp salt
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter
2 eggs, beaten lightly
1 cup sour cream
1 - 13 oz. jar Stonewall Kitchen Wild Maine Blueberry Jam, stirred well
For the Crumb Topping:
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons flour
1 cup walnuts, chopped
1 teaspoon cinnamon
4 tablespoons cold butter in pieces
click for directions here

Gift Wrapping

If you didn't know we have complimentary gift wrapping at the store. And we're pretty good at it too! Need a special gift for someone and want it to be extra special? Let us help you pick out something and then have gift wrapped in our special papers and ribbons...


Friday, April 23, 2010

French Pastries & The Eiffel Tower

Perhaps Mexican Food in Texas will cheer me up tonight as I look at these beautiful pictures from Miss Venita...sigh.....I would rather have an Éclair or a Pain au Chocolat!
While all patisseries will have their own variations and unique creations, there is definitely a standard array of flaky, buttery treats you are sure to find at most pastry shops around France. It's also highly recommended asking the patissier which pastry he or she thinks is best that day–as sometimes different specialties are made on different days of the week.
Here is a link of some of the tastiest pastries in France and recommendations-now can you pronounce them???
http://www.francetravelguide.com/french-pastries.html

The Eiffel Tower is a 19th century iron lattice tower located on the Champ de Mars in Paris that has become both a global icon of France and one of the most recognizable structures in the world. The Eiffel Tower, which is the tallest building in Paris, is the single most visited paid monument in the world; millions of people ascend it every year. Named after its designer, engineer Gustave Eiffel, the tower was built as the entrance arch for the 1889 World's Fair.
The tower stands 324 m (1,063 ft) tall, about the same height as an 81-story building. It was the tallest man-made structure in the world from its completion until 1930, when it was eclipsed by the Chrysler Building in New York City. Not including broadcast antennas, it is the second-tallest structure in France, behind the Millau Viaduct, completed in 2004.

The structure was built between 1887 and 1889 as the entrance arch for the Exposition Universelle, a World's Fair marking the centennial celebration of the French Revolution. Eiffel originally planned to build the tower in Barcelona, for the Universal Exposition of 1888, but those responsible at the Barcelona city hall thought it was a strange and expensive construction, which did not fit into the design of the city. After the refusal of the Consistory of Barcelona, Eiffel submitted his draft to those responsible for the Universal Exhibition in Paris, where he would build his tower a year later, in 1889.
Three hundred workers joined together 18,038 pieces of puddled iron (a very pure form of structural iron), using two and a half million rivets, in a structural design by Maurice Koechlin. The co-architects of the Eiffel Tower were Emile Nouguier, Maurice Koechlin and Stephen Sauvestre. The risk of accident was great, for unlike modern skyscrapers the tower is an open frame without any intermediate floors except the two platforms. However, because Eiffel took safety precautions, including the use of movable stagings, guard-rails and screens, only one man died. The tower was inaugurated on 31 March 1889, and opened on 6 May.
The tower was met with much criticism from the public when it was built, with many calling it an eyesore. Newspapers of the day were filled with angry letters from the arts community of Paris. One is quoted extensively in William Watson's US Government Printing Office publication of 1892 Paris Universal Exposition: Civil Engineering, Public Works, and Architecture: “And during twenty years we shall see, stretching over the entire city, still thrilling with the genius of so many centuries, we shall see stretching out like a black blot the odious shadow of the odious column built up of riveted iron plates.” Signers of this letter included Jean-Louis-Ernest Meissonier, Charles Gounod, Charles Garnier, Jean-Léon Gérôme, William-Adolphe Bouguereau, and Alexandre Dumas.
Novelist Guy de Maupassant—who claimed to hate the tower—supposedly ate lunch in the Tower's restaurant every day. When asked why, he answered that it was the one place in Paris where one could not see the structure. Today, the Tower is widely considered[by whom?] to be a striking piece of structural art.
One of the great Hollywood movie clichés is that the view from a Parisian window always includes the tower. In reality, since zoning restrictions limit the height of most buildings in Paris to 7 stories, only a very few of the taller buildings have a clear view of the tower.
Eiffel had a permit for the tower to stand for 20 years, meaning it would have had to be dismantled in 1909, when its ownership would revert to the City of Paris. The City had planned to tear it down (part of the original contest rules for designing a tower was that it could be easily demolished) but as the tower proved valuable for communication purposes, it was allowed to remain after the expiration of the permit. The military used it to dispatch Parisian taxis to the front line during the First Battle of the Marne, and it therefore became a victory statue of that battle.






First Day In Paris

First day in Paris, France...more pics to come! Monet's Garden today-beautiful!

Thursday, April 22, 2010

Allée:A landscape design element

There is actually a term for this landscape design element – it is called an ‘allée’. An allée is an walkway or path lined with trees of the same species, and is a formal design concept where the view is extended to a emphasize something in the distance, or extended to the horizon. This picture, with landscape architecture by John Howard of Howard Design Studio, beautifully illustrates this concept; the pea gravel driveway lined with trees frames the view and leads the eye to the house at the end.
Another iconic picture that beautifully illustrates an allée was taken at Oak Alley Plantation in Louisiana. The live oaks (believed to be 300 years old) provide a picturesque canopy that frames the quarter mile walk to the entrance of this magnificent Greek-revival style home.

More Burlap Ideas

Love this long tailored burlap tablecloth. Simple and beautiful for spring & summer...
Wouldn't this be so much fun to do for an outside party...how easy the burlap runners are on this farmhouse table...

Close up of the table set....Check out the lemon as a placecard/name-so creative! And a yellow bandana...hmmmm


Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Working In The Garden

We have got in so many wonderful new garden items. Antiqued large Saint Francis', wonderful aged pots in cream, greens, and turquoise. A variety of concrete mushrooms, flaming hurricane lanterns, and so much more. Stop by and check it out!

Spring Breakfast

This past weekend we had our quarterly shop employee breakfast. It was so much fun getting everyone together and enjoying good food and company. The breakfast consisted of:
*Glazed Ham with Garlic Rosemary Fruit Sauce(I used the Stonewall Honey Mustard and Stonewall Garlic Olive Oil, fresh lemon juice, and rosemary instead-so different and yummy!)
(click here for recipe)
* Baked French Toast with Mimosa Jam(wonderful and so easy!)
(click here for recipe)
*Raspberry, Strawberry, and Blackberry fruit salad with toasted pecans and fresh mint
*Mimosas
Feel free to stop by the store and let us show you the Stonewall products we offer in our kitchen-they make the difference in a recipe

Baked French Toast with Mimosa Jam

Table set-next time I will get pictures of people eating and enjoying! Lessons learned!


Fresh lilacs, rosemary, and mint as centerpiece-easy, beautiful, and simple. I had to walk down a muddy alley to cut the lilacs but it was worth it!
They look beautiful in anything!

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Antiqued Mercury Glass

Love these antiqued zinc/mercury medicine bottles with the wire mesh wrapped around them...I have three on top of my antique piano and they look so old and wonderful! Even though mercury glass is so beautiful during Christmas it's just as stunning mixed with green ferns and white tulips for Spring...We have recently gotten in some mercury that has a tint of aqua blue in it-so it's different and fresh for this year.
Mercury glass was made in Bohemia, England and the United States from around the mid 19th century through the first few decades of the 20th century.Blown double-walled, then silvered between the layers with a solution containing silver nitrate and other materials, the glass was made in many forms, including vases, goblets, tableware, figures, lamp reflectors, and curtain pins.
Mercury glass, invented in 1849 and first produced in Bohemia (now the Czech Republic), was once thought of as a sterling silver copy, but now it is revered for its unique beauty even with its imperfections.

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Nouvelle Candle Company

Tired of the same old candles? I am-glass jars are getting a bit boring right? These Nouvelle candles are hand poured in wonderful rustic looking urns in fabulous fresh and new scents such as Italian White Sunflower, Fresh Linen, and Sweet Olive. Light one of these delightful candles and your house will smell so clean and inviting! They last forever speaking from experience and are a perfect house warming gift!
Nouvelle Candle Company LLC was founded in 2001 with the simple goal of filling a void they felt existed in the hand poured candle industry. While most of their competitors claim to be hand poured and offer expensive packaging that ultimately ends up being disposed of, where is their actual product produced and packaged?
They take great pride in the fact that their product is blended, poured, and packaged by hand in our warehouses located in the heart of South Louisiana. They feel that a candle should accomplish several things when it is lit. A fragrant candle should fill your home with an aroma that is pleasing, while burning clean with no smoke, for a long period of time. Their product achieves these tasks while being retailed at a competitive price. Simple yet classic packaging, warm muted colors, and divine custom blended fragrances join together to invoke a sense of old world charm that is Nouvelle.


Vintage Inspired Clipboards

So maybe the days of the clipboard are not over? These vintage inspired clipboards make taking notes fun! I would love one to use at work, at home to keep up with notes, or it would be a great gift for anyone that tries to or enjoys being organized...
The baseball inspired clipboard would be perfect for dad that coaches the little league team...the Paris one to keep in your kitchen for a grocery list...you can see the potential right?

Saturday, April 10, 2010

Baked French Toast with Mimosa Jam

We discovered that everyone’s favorite Sunday morning cocktail makes a fantastic jam. This jam, the simple blend of oranges and sparkling champagne, makes every morning a celebration of flavor! What's more delicious then french toast? French toast with mimosa orange syrup!
Ingredients
For the French Toast-
1 2/3 cup light cream
5 eggs, slightly beaten
2 Tbsp. plus 1 Tbsp. granulated sugar
¼ tsp. pure vanilla
Pinch of cinnamon and nutmeg
1-12 oz. loaf rich egg bread, cut into 1-inch slices (trim crust if desire)
1 Tbsp. butter, softened For the Mimosa Orange Syrup-
½ cup Stonewall Kitchen Mimosa Brunch Jam
2 Tbsp. fresh orange juice
1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 Tbsp. butter
Sour cream and mint leaves for garnish.
Mimosa's
Glass: Flute(champagne), Wine glass

Step 1: Fill half of your glass with orange juice, make sure it's cold
Step 2: Tilt the glass and fill it with your champagne or sparkling wine
Step 3: Give it a stir with you bar spoon or any long thin object
You can also use:Any citrus fruit can make a great mimosa, you can use grapefruit juice instead of orange, or cranberry juice, or make few of each kind, the colors are beautiful.
*Dip the rim in fine granulated sugar...Garnish with an orange on the rim of the glass, just cut a piece of orange any way you like, the person drinking the cocktail will be happy for that small bite at the end of the drink, or put a cherry in the glass.

Mediterranean Pottery

This pottery mirrors the shapes in a debut line of decorative, distressed pottery perfect for display in your favorite niche or other focal point. Presented in beautiful antique colors inspired by the Aegean, and with unexpected, intricate features such as triple or curled-rope handles, these substantial, distressed beauties will add the perfect visual element wherever you place them.
"Decorative, functional favorites with the allure of the Mediterranean." - KC Cunningham

Basket Arrangment

Nothing brightens up the front of your house more than a beautiful basket or container filled with bright seasonal florals...Have a basket or container already? Let us help you put something together with our wonderful new florals and ribbons....This arrangement has forsythia, purple lilac picks, and blooming fruit blossoms....

More Terrariums...




Large Terrariums & Hurricanes

Love this extra large hurricane which could also be a terrarium...Looks great filled with these hand-blown small green vases! Can't you see this filled with gravel with tiny pots of ferns and succulents on your patio table? How interesting that would be! Even a large candle in the center with succulents planted around the candle inside would be wonderful....
Here is an article by Martha Stewart on how to put together your own terrarium:
Martha's Terrariums

Want an indoor garden? One of the most unique and attractive ways to garden indoors is to garden with Terrariums. An attractive, well constructed terrarium garden can become the focal point of any room. Indoor gardening could never be easier.
Terrariums are wonderful, magical environments. Decorative, attractive, and easy to care for: you just plant and forget. Because terrariums recycle their moisture, they need very little attention. A closed terrarium can often go a month or more between watering. They actually thrive on neglect! Now even people who tend to neglect plants can develop a "Green Thumb".

Peach Bellini Shortbread Bars

One of the favorite things Stonewall brought back from a trip to Venice was a love of the classic Bellini cocktail. The wonderful taste of white peaches mixed with prosecco, a sparkling white Italian wine, is refreshing and the flavor makes this jam a perfect choice for brunch or breakfast.


Indulge yourself even more with these tasty Peach Bellini Shortbread Bars....these would also be a great party favor or delicious with a hot cup of cinnamon toddy coffee....yummy!
Serves: 24 bars
Ingredients
1 cup butter, room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup Stonewall Kitchen Bellini Brunch Jam
1/2 cup Sliced almonds
click here for recipe

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Barefoot Contessa Coffee Cake

A perfect Saturday morning starts with this yummy coffee cake mix-so easy to whip up!
“Coffee cake tastes infinitely better warm from the oven. Delicious sour cream cake plus a rich swirl of chocolate makes this the ultimate breakfast treat.” - Ina Garten

Dry Feet & Toes?

A scrumptious bottle of love for heels and toes. This divine honey-based moisture veil seals in moisture and brings rich color back to tired feet - simply brush on and rub into feet for chalkless bliss. This golden jar is a true guilty pleasure from the first moment you let it breathe - fragranced with velvety cinnamon notes, sweet cloves and actual honey. The finest of moisturizing elements have been incorporated from genuine honey, and aloe leaf juice to pineapple and papaya fruit extracts. Honey Heel Glaze is ultra-smooth, non-greasy, and addictive in every way. Includes application brush in a darling carrying box to delight your gift recipients.

Monday, April 5, 2010

The Ultimate Airstream

I had to share this one-I think I could just move into this airstream and become a professional traveler! My own bubble of tartan & plaid...
"Here's one way to take a trek through the Scottish Highlands! This vintage Airstream trailor is bedecked with plaid fabric lining and flooring, creating a 'bubble of tartan' in which to camp. I love the Scotch pies on the plate by the toaster-oven, the multitude of canned Heinz beans and I can just imagine opening the door to the view of some foggy loch at the base of a heather-filled mountain."

More RL Plaid

Here are a few more RL plaid rooms to inspire! Love the kilim rugs mixed in, the black furniture with large braids, and the pine...
Makes me want to go to the mountains and pick flowers for that indian basket...

RL Plaid Spring Bedroom

So we all think plaid is wonderful(most of us anyway) Love this RL room with the plaid with a touch of spring. Think of Scotland and images of bagpipes, remote craggy castles and tartan spring to mind. But now, thanks to savvy designers, plaid is making its mark on interiors all year round.
Fashion houses have often peppered their collections with touches of tartan, but this season the pattern is far more prominent than usual.

This Ralph Lauren room mixes black wicker dining chairs with redandbrown gingham, herringbone tweed blankets and red, plum and green plaid on bedroom walls.

Friday, April 2, 2010

Happy Easter

The meaning of the many different customs observed during Easter Sunday have been buried with time. Their origins lie in both pre-Christian religions and Christianity. In one way or another all the customs are a "salute to spring" marking re-birth.
The white Easter lily has come to capture the glory of the holiday. The word "Easter" is named after Eastre, the Anglo-Saxon goddess of spring. A festival was held in her honor every year at the vernal equinox.
The Easter Bunny is a rabbit-spirit. Long ago, he was called the "Easter Hare", hares and rabbits have frequent multiple births so they became a symbol of fertility. The custom of an Easter egg hunt began because children believed that hares laid eggs in the grass. The Romans believed that "All life comes from an egg." Christians consider eggs to be "the seed of life" and so they are symbolic of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

New Spring Florals

We have received a wide selection of spring/summer florals in. Cosmo bushes, dogwood garlands, tulip bouquets, and peony sprays. Mixed in are also berry sprays, boston fern bushes, and cornflower bushes....
Spring up your house with bird nests, daffodils and wild daisy bushes-all are very beautiful!

Spode Grove "Special"

Don't miss out on our special priced Spode Grove. For a 5 piece place setting they are offering a fabulous price of $48.95 due to a misprint (it's missing the Christmas tree in the center!) They are running out and this is a one-time offer!

Firelites For Summer

Our hottest and coolest introduction ever, Firelites produce a dramatic flame that crackles and dances as if to music. Our Firelites are an unexpected addition to any romantic evening, dance party, poolside celebration or whatever you can imagine. Firelites make a great gift item and double as an artistic object for your home.

We have them in a variety of bright & summer colors-these are also beautiful in a large glass hurricanes. Glazed ceramic pots come in soft earth tones of red, blue, green, and yellow and in three shapes honey pot, oval jar, and flared square. Stainless steel lines the inside for the gel. The gel burns clean without hazardous fumes and smoke. The gel is "green." It is non-carbon based and made from recycled material in the USA.The gel is economical. One 32-ounce bottle of gel lasts eight hours. Use Firelites indoor or outdoors. Choose citronella gel to discourage insects from coming to outdoor parties.