living well and creatively within your means

Garden Party (without the garden)

My treehouse is an addition built in the 30s to an arts and crafts house built in the 20s. Arts and crafts homes are one level, making me the only second floor in the neighborhood. My treehouse has so much character and the way is it decorated has somewhat evolved naturally to fit in with the mood already set by the bare bones of the space. I decided to have a garden party, a perfect opportunity to show how you can make your party, space and lifestyle, creative and special no matter what your means are. I have an ecelectic style centered around things classic yet preppy yet chic. Whether you have the a similar style or your taste is completely opposite, these ideas and approaches to living spaces and entertaining are meant to transcend.

Limited supply of vases? Save your pellegrino and other glass bottles and disperese your blooms into the narrow necked containers for a loaves and fishes effect. Stick to one or two types of bottles to avoid a cluttered look.

Rather than writing a step by step guide, I thought I would give you a few images.
Some food for thought...

Need more serving bowls? Try your kitchen-aid mixing bowl and bring the kitchen into the dining room.

Tea votives can break outside. Try using berry containers from the market when lighting a walkway.

Make snacks and sweets part of the decor. Pile vanilla meringues into a vase and put the flowers in a pellegrino bottle!

Champagne must stay chilled. Borrow a planter from your garden for a perfect champagne bucket. Line with a trash bag to ensure a leak free party.

This one resulted from a collapsed bookcase. A perfect work table can be built from work horses and an old shed door. Sturdy and perfect for the space. Books can look organized even when not on a proper shelf!

Be sure to designate a bar area. Sick of hanging pictures? I like to lean simply framed photographs against the wall rather than taking out the hammer.

While champagne flutes hold more bubbles, I am a huge fan of the old crystal champagne bowls. Whether is be juice or a cocktail they add a flair to any situation.

Rescued a couch because it was cheap or even free? Use a stretchy romantic or favorite blanked to soften the look of the eyesores that are random sofas.

wooden wine boxes are perfect trays for tabletop flowers and decor.

Mimosas are tasty, but why not give a variety of juices and purees for your bubbly. The pellegrino bottles come into play again for the peach, passion and calamansi juices.

I love vanities, but I just don't have one. Build a vanity with a shelf or table and in my case a found mirror from the 30s! Complete it with a swell picture of your grown man of choice!

Birthday Time

After sleeping on it I decided this cake was somewhat of a success. Always my own biggest critic, there are changes a plenty that I would make on the next go. At the end of the day, never serve anything that you aren't proud of! Inside the chocolate shell of sorts is of course cake!! Cake filling cake is boring for my brain, so the filling is a bit more fun. In order from bottom to top is:

Peach Torteau

Clear Scotch Caramel

Peach Torteau

Peach and white chocolate ganache (with a little jivara for some weight)

Peach gelee

Creamy Caramel Bavarois

Macerated Fresh Brown Sugar Peaches

Violet Whipped Cream (not so much perfume-y as it is delicious!)


and then candles of course!!!

Tempering and spreading bands of chocolate in my kitchen is not an easy feat...even when you are aiming for an uneven band it is still hmmmmm.....interesting to do!!

Eat more peaches!!!

The other little blue box

No I am not talking about that glorious little blue box tied with satin ribbon from Tiffany's. I am talking about that equally glorious little cardboard pint filled with berries from the farmer's market. Have you ever thought about re-using the pint container from your blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, mulberries....need I go on? Ditch the plastic clamshell from your grocery store and go to the source. Not only are berries from the farmer's market more tasty, the pints they come in have a multitude of uses. I am currently weaving grosgrain ribbon through the sides for a perfect container to put a mini peach torteau in. Think outside the little blue box!

Peachy Keen Torteau

Peaches are my fruit-of-the-moment. With juices running down my hands, I love peaches au naturel. Sliced and stewed, seared and carmelized or in a brand new torteau, peach desserts are always welcome in the summer months. I created this torteau in hopes it would do double duty for me. Filled with shingled peaches, a smaller version was baked in a wafer pan. A half sheet is currently resting in the fridge awaiting its fate as the bottom layer of a peach and caramel birthday cake for Mr. Josh. I am pretty sure he doesn't read Dirt Cake, so the surprise is not ruined. This torteau is so moist, satisfying a craving for cheesecake, birthday cake, buttermilk, and custard all at the same time. Stud the torteau with an array of stone fruits, or bake as is. The cake is great straight out of the fridge a la leftover pizza, or room temperature with ice cream.

Peach Torteau

8 eggs
250 grams granulated sugar
50 grams dark brown sugar
235 grams fromage blanc (small container)
225 grams plain cream cheese
150 grams buttermilk
235 grams melted butter
50 grams honey ( orange blossom is always pleasant)
50 grams corn syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
280 grams all purpose flour
2 peaches halved and sliced thinly

1. In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a whip attachment begin whipping eggs, sugar and brown sugar on medium speed.
2. Place fromage blanc, cream cheese, and buttermilk in a blender. Pulse together until smooth.
3. Add honey, corn syrup and vanilla to melted butter. Stream into the blender.
Continue blending until perfectly smooth.
4. Sift together the salt, baking powder and flour.
5. The eggs should be pale and voluminuous, stream in the cheese mixture.
6. Remove the bowl from the mixer and stir with a spatula to ensure a homogenous mixture from top to bottom.
7. With a balloon whisk begin gradually adding the sifted flour, being sure to incorporate the flour fully without overmixing.

For a sheet of torteau pour the batter into a half sheet pan lined with a silpat.
Bake for 15 minutes until just set and slightly golden brown on the outermost edges.

For a peach centered individual cake pour the batter into a pan sprayed small teflon pan. Lay shingled peaches atop the batter and sprinkle the peaches with sugar. The fruit will sink into the center during baking.
Bake for 8 minutes or until just set and slightly golden brown on the outermost edges.