Hip Tip: Clean Sweep Your Bathroom Before Parties November 30, 2012

This isn’t a glamorous or creative tip, but it’s a very practical one that many people overlook when entertaining.  Do a sweep of your bathroom the day of your party to stash anything you wouldn’t want your guests to see.  Check your medicine cabinet, under your sink and empty the bathroom garbage right before guests arrive.  I don’t think most people purposely snoop in your bathroom, but looking for the spare roll of toilet paper or a feminine product may lead to an embarrassing discovery.  Your friends would likely rather not find something so personal, so do them a favor and stash it in the back of your linen closet or another discreet place.

If you’re curious, that is my bathroom pictured above.

Hip Tip: DIY Coffee Candles October 25, 2012

I’m not a coffee drinker, but I love the scent of really good coffee.  That’s why I am loving these DIY coffee bean candles.  Fill a small bowl or ramekin with flavored coffee beans (like hazelnut), nestle a tea candle into the center, light it and the warmth of the candle will send the smell of delicious coffee into the air.  These candles are perfect for brunch.

Hip Tip: Host a Honey Tasting September 14, 2012

During a recent trip to the Finger Lakes, I was treated to a selection of beautiful local honey.  I picked up several different varieties and plan to put out a little bowl of each for a honey tasting on Rosh Hashanah.  I’ll be serving chunks of challah and apple slices for dipping.  Create your own honey tasting or order a honey sampler pack from the Kline Honey Bee Farm in Ohio.  The sampler pack ($12 plus shipping) includes: orange blossom, wildflower, buckwheat, blueberry, fall goldenrod and spring blossom.

A honey tasting would be a nice treat after a day of apple picking or for a fall cocktail party.  Serve the honey with toasted baguette and a high-quality ricotta cheese.  Pair it with a cab franc or sauvignon blanc for a truly decadent treat.

Hip Tip: Hit Sahadi’s for Middle Eastern Goods August 21, 2012

Long before I worked in Brooklyn, Sahadi’s was a part of my pre-party grocery shopping.  This amazing middle eastern market has a selection of super-fresh, authentic bulk foods, imported specialty items and delicious house-made dips.  Sahadi’s is a true hostess’s gem – with delicious offerings and great deals.  In college I worked on a Kibbutz in Israel, where I picked fresh dates from the trees, and they melted in my mouth like a warm spoon-full of maple brown sugar.  The dates at Sahadi’s remind me of those dates, as do the figs and fresh nuts.  Sahadi’s sells a huge volume of bulk food so their stock is always fresh.  There are two down sides to their offerings: (1) the dried fruit tends to go rancid quicker than other store-bought pre-packaged brands because most of their dried fruits are preservative-free; and (2) the lines can be really long (though it’s worth the wait).  If you hit the store in the late afternoon – after the lunch crowd has been served and before the post-work shoppers descend, you can get it and out fairly quickly and the nice gentlemen at the bulk section may even give you leisurely samples as you order your bounty.

Here is a short list of my favorite items to buy at Sahadi’s:  Dried dates, dried figs, dried strawberries, organic dried apricots, Turkish pistachios (for the Zenobia cult-following – you know who you are – these are the real deal), Armenian string cheese (caraway seeds and regular part-skim), hummus, labna (a thick, garlic yogurt dip), za’atar spice mix (Arabic spice mixture made from sesame seeds, sumac, salt and other spices – awesome on pita with goat cheese), olives, French feta (ask to taste the different feta cheeses – this one is my favorite) and pomegranate molasses.

If you don’t live in the NYC area you will miss out on the whole Sahadi’s experience, but you can still get in on some of the fun by ordering online.  Their online selection is limited, but you can still find some of their signature items that are worth the shipping cost.

Hip Tip: Wrinkle-Free Linen Storage July 10, 2012

As much as I love using fabric napkins for entertaining, I hate to iron.  I found a way to keep my linens reasonably wrinkle-free without the need for a last-minute press.  Using leftover cardboard from paper towel rolls, I wrap fabric napkins and table runners around the cardboard rolls as soon as I take them out of the dryer to prevent wrinkling during storage.  If the linens are slightly wrinkled after removing them from the dryer, I give them a quick press before rolling them for storage.  This trick is a simple way to ease pre-party prep.

Hip Tip: Summer Party Dresses June 20, 2012

The wine is chilled, the candles are lit and the food looks great, but what about you?  Feeling beautiful while hosting is the icing on your entire party menu.  Dresses make getting ready simple – an outfit all-in-one.  Here’s a selection of fabulous summer party dresses, courtesy of Refinery29, with my suggestions for when to rock these party frocks.

  

Hip Tip: White Cow Dairy Yogurt April 24, 2012

My newest obsession is yogurt from White Cow Dairy – a small, family farm in Western New York that uses dairy produced from their grass-fed cows.  White Cow yogurt is hands-down the most delicious yogurt I have ever tasted.  Their flavors are amazing: rueberry (rhubarb berry), lemon raspberry, lemon ginger, pumpkin and red fruit (grapefruit) are a few of my favorites.  The flavors are seasonal and change often.  

The yogurts contain purees and chunks of fruit rather than being flavored and strained.  The grass-fed milk produces a wonderful texture – rich and creamy with a luxurious mouth-feel. 

These amazing yogurts are pricey ($3.25/ 5.5 oz jar), but worth every penny.  They’re a nice treat and would be wonderful to serve at brunch.  Set out several jars in various flavors with pretty teaspoons to give your guests a taste of this truly special yogurt.      

White Cow yogurts are available in select Western New York store (including Wegmans) and in NYC at Murray’s Cheese (both locations).  Hopefully they’ll expand their retail outlets.  For now, they’re worth a special trip.

Hip Tip: A Penny for Prettier Tulips April 8, 2012

I totally forgot about this trick for making tulips bloom and stand upright until a facebook friend reminded me via her status.  Here’s the great tip: Place a shiny copper penny in the water with tulips to make the buds open and prevent the stems from flopping.  The copper in the penny acts as a natural antibacterial and will even extend the life of your fresh-cut flowers.  Using a shiny/ new penny will yield the best results.

Hip Tip: Horseradish Cheddar {Passover foods} March 31, 2012

Spice up your cedar by serving horseradish – a traditional Passover ingredient – in an unexpected way.  Several different brands make horseradish cheddar cheese, and the best ones (in my opinion) have large chunks of fresh horseradish in them.  Here are a few horseradish cheeses to look for:

Hip Tip: Citrus “Caviar” March 6, 2012

If you’re looking for a super fancy way to garnish your cocktails or anything else that’s delicious with lime, get yourself a package of Finger Limes.  These funny looking little limes are known as citrus “caviar” because they house beautiful, tiny balls of tart citrusy goodness.  They look like roe but taste like a burst of lime.  Serve them on your favorite ceviche or on oysters.

Finger limes are available (from Australia) from January through April.  Fresh Direct recently had finger limes available, but I don’t see them listed this week.  Look for them at your local grocery store, or ask for them in the produce section and hopefully they’ll start to carry them.