Spring Cleaning can be so overwhelming you want to just skip a season and pick it up later. However when you go through and really clear those corners and polish the copper you will feel invincible. This checklist is a starting point for you to create your own master plan to finally get your home in order and sparkling clean.

Spread the honey mustard butter combination liberally on the sourdough, layer on a few pieces of prosciutto. Finish with some micro greens and freshly cracked black pepper. These tartines are easily made ahead and are can be served room temperature so they are a great choice for entertaining. If you are joining another party offer to make these and bring them along, they travel well and you will be sure to get invited back again!

What other things are you dreaming about making but they are just too expensive?

Making a delicious restaurant quality steak at home can seem intimidating but it is way easier than you think.  Put on that apron pour yourself some wine and lets do this! When you hear that sizzle come out of your own oven and slice in to reveal the perfect inside you will be so impressed by yourself. Look at you steak master!

Shopping the meat department is much more confusing than cooking the meat itself. Save yourself the trouble and head to a grocery store that has a proper butcher counter. For this searing and oven method look for cuts that have some fat running through them like NY Strip or a ribeye. The fat will give your steak a great texture and flavor don’t be afraid of it. That fat is so coveted it has a fancy term called marbling, and we thought that was just for counters!

You can cook an incredible steak without having a fancy grill or a million pans all you really need is:

Cast iron or other heavy bottomed pan, preferably not non stick
A neutral oil that has a high smoke point like canola, sunflower or grape-seed
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Metal tongs
Instant read thermometer, it is really the best way to know when the steak is done
Sheet tray with a cooling rack

Pat Dry:

Pat the steak dry using a paper towel to remove as much moisture as possible. This step is essential remember  water is the ENEMY of that coveted golden brown crust you want.

Season:

Season your steak from up high using Kosher salt, this salt is a coarser grind which is great for seasoning.. Raising your hand makes the salt go on more evenly (think salt bae) too close and the salt sits on one spot like a laser pointer.

Heat The Pan & Oil:

Pre heat your pan over medium high heat, you want this HOT! Once your pan is hot pour in enough oil to thinly coat the surface 1-2 tablespoons. Let that heat up just until it is about to smoke.

Sear:

Its showtime! Lay the steak into the pan on its prettiest side first. Now don’t touch! Let the magic happen and peak after 3 minutes to see how well your golden brown crust has formed. Once it looks gorgeous flip the steak and sear the other side for 1 minuite. 

Roast:

Transfer the entire pan into a 450° oven to finish cooking. One of the biggest challenges you will face is how long to cook a steak, timing varies so widely that following a set time just wont guarantee success. To make sure you don’t over or under cook your steak invest in an instant read thermometer and go by temperature instead of time.

Temp:

 Take your steak off the heat once it is 5° under your desired level of doneness and let the steak finish cooking using the heat that is already generated inside the meat (this is called carryover cooking) use this chart to figure out what temperature you want.

Setting this beauty on your table and enjoying it with a friend or family is going to be so rewarding. Once you master the main event next you will want to make the best steakhouse sides ever! What are some sides you would order at a restaurant with this gorgeous steak?

With so many ways to “de stress” its stressful trying to figure out which one to try. Should you take a hike, go to a yoga class, group meditation, try a sound bath!? Instead of all of that go old school and try your hand at candle making. Candle making is not only super easy but also quite relaxing once you get the hang of it. This project is also a great excuse to text a friend to join and make something instead of always doing brunch. When you un-mold your first candle you will get all the DIY gold stars and want to do more!

Once you heat up that wax and watch the magic happen your worries will slip away in no time. This is great DIY regardless if you consider yourself crafty because it is sooooo easy!  Once you go through the steps the first time it will all make sense. Warning candle making can be addictive and there are no support groups for that (or are there?)

For this project you need a few simple things that are easy to find online or at the craft store. One of the most important details to making a candle that burns well is matching the wick size to the candle you are making. Its easy to figure out because most wicks will say what size container they are made for on the pacage description. You will need the wicks, wax pouring pot, beeswax, plumbers putty, candy thermometer, candle mold, wooden skewers.

Step 1:

Pour the beeswax pellets into the wax melting pot. Set over a medium sized saucepan with enough water to surround the pot and bring to a simmer.  Once all of the wax has melted and the heat has risen to 160° you are ready to pour.

Step 2:

Measure out a length of wick and dip it into the melted wax, this will help the finished candle burn evenly.

Step 3:

Feed the waxed wick throught the hole in the bottom of the candle mold.

Step 3:

Fold over the wick and plug up the hole using plumbers putty. This prevents the wax from seeping out through the hole.

Step 4:

Tie the rest of the wick to the wooden skewer. Make sure the wick is straight and centered so your finished candle burns evenly.

Step 5:

Pour the wax into the prepared mold in a slow and steady stream until it is 1/2 inch below the rim. If you pour too fast you can create unwanted air bubbles.

Step 6:

Let the mold sit for 30 minutes then use a skewer to poke a few holes around the wick. This releases any air bubbles trapped inside.

Step 7:

Fill in the holes with more melted wax. Let the candle cool  for 45 minutes and repeat.  Cool the candle at room tempurature for at least 8 hours.

Step 8:

Place the candle in the freezer or refrigerator to make it easier to loosen from the mold. Give it a few taps on the sides to release the candle. This can be tricly the first few times and is aditedly the least relazing part of the whole job.

Step 8:

If the top edge needs to be smoothed  you can easily do this by heating up a small metal with a lighter and smoothing the edges.

Now you have a beautiful home made beeswax candle that you can light and enjoy immediately.  Candles also make great gifts that are not only loved by all but really affordable!

The center of this board is an easy cashew “cheese” that you can whip up in a blender or food processor (if the only blender you own is a beauty blender just buy a cashew “cheese”) The texture is more like a goat cheese and the flavor is surprisingly delicious with the addition of miso paste and herbs de Provence (one of our favorite herb blends ever!)

For the rest of the board take the typical thing you might see like prosciutto and swap it for beet chips. Crackers become diagonal sliced cucumbers and dried persimmons. For some texture try mixing dehydrated and fresh fruits like these blueberries. For color cut the skins off and slice your favorite citrus like grapefruit and oranges, top with some pomegranate seeds and you are good to go!

Instead of your go to wine or cocktail brew some special tea and have your friends bring over the latest healthy drink they discovered.

With all of the challenges that come upon when you attempt to change parts of your diet or lifestyle missing your friends doesn’t need to be one of them. It just takes a bit of creativity and some thinking outside the box or in this case the board.

This Easter leave the bunnies and eggs for the kids and try a different kind of Easter table setting. This Gucci inspired Easter table setting is full of flowers and high fashion details that are sure to set the tone for fun. And in case you are worried we are taking this too seriously there are butterflies in the flowers, feel better?

Setting a beautiful table starts with a surface. This can be anything from a fancy dining table to an affordable pop up version. If you have a surface that isn’t anything  worth writing home about use a full table cloth to disguise it. There are so many beautiful fabric table cloths to choose from, look for something that sets the color palette you want to go with. Sometimes what you envision simply doesn’t exist so  you have to get creative. Head to the fabric store to find what you want and make your own. If you don’t own an iron let alone a sewing machine, call your local tailor and see if they can help. Often you will find they are happy to take on such a simple job to give them a break from one more boring hem.

Where Do I Start?

Inspiration for hosting a party can come from anywhere. A movie, wallpaper swatch, or even a favorite peice of jewelry. This party is inspired by the classic Gucci Flora collection that comes in and out of fashion every few seasons. The gorgeous flowers combined with the playful butterflies make this a great choice for an Easter table. Once you have your inspiration nailed down the fun of gathering all of the elements begins. As you get a few peices put them all together to see if something needs adjusted. Sometimes a color looks amazing in the store but when you see it all together its just not working (save those receipts!) and needs to be changed.

Where Should I Go To Get The Best Flowers?

Finding great flowers can be as hard as shopping for a bathing suit. Save yourself the trouble and check out Petal Driven, its this incredible service that will send flowers direct from the grower.  All of the flowers on this table came from them and it couldn’t be easier to get these incredible blooms.  To make a great impact with the flowers use several different vases in varied heights. Use the same color palette and add in clear if you find you need more vases. Adding these butterflies mounted on wire from the craft store make these arrangements pop even more and you just cant help but smile when you see them.

Where Do I get the Napkin Rings?

Sometimes you cant find what  you want in a store and you just have to get creative. You can totally make these Gucci inspired bamboo napkin rings with just a few tools and some DIY time. There is something so incredibly satisfying about working with your hands, and when you are done you have soemthing to show for it!

How To Make Bamboo Napkin Rings:

Step 1:

Using a small saw like a Dremel (or a simple hacksaw) cut a 2.5″ section of a bamboo stick. Make sure the burnt “bump” is in the center.

Step 2:

Next drill two holes completley through on either side to accommodate the D-ring.

Step 3:

Using 2 pliers or a needle nose plier and a vice grip bend the D-ring just enough to slide it into the hole in the bamboo.

Step 4:

Now pop the D-ring into the hole of the bamboo on one side and then the other. ( you might need to bend the D-ring back a bit)

Step 5:

Finally put a piece of ribbon doubled up through the rings and sew them together. (either by hand or on a machine)

Putting the effort into setting a beautiful table makes guest immediately feel welcome and excited for whats to come. Save yourself the stress and set the table the day before so you can enjoy it and also to make sure you have everything you need. Have you been inspired by something unexpected to create a beautiful table setting of your own? Let us know in the comments below!

When you read the words Home Made Chicken Stock you might find yourself glazing over because you have put this in the “too much work” folder in your mind. If you are bothering to cook at all, trust chicken stock is one of the easier jobs but also one of the most important. If you are already lost take a deep breath you’ve got this, it’s chicken stock no one will get hurt! Once you make a meal with this liquid gold you will absolutely taste the difference and find yourself on a new culinary high. While chicken stock won’t magically turn you into the Barefoot Contessa, it will certainly get you one step closer to a Jeffery of your own.

Why is homemade chicken stock important?

There are an infinite number of recipes that rely on some sort of stock weather it is chicken, beef, vegetable, fish even mushroom. Risotto for example gets almost all of its flavor from stock otherwise it’s just shallots and wine with bland rice, boring! When you make stock yourself you are controlling the flavor and creating something that simply cannot be bought. The term “homemade” sold in a store is a lie, it’s only home made if it happened in your house, sorry to burst your bubble doll.

Can I use kitchen scraps?

Making stock gives you a way to save all of those kitchen trimmings from things like onions, carrot, celery, mushroom that would otherwise end up in the trash. Put these along with chicken bones in a freezer bag labeled “stock” with the date you started it and keep adding to it as you cook. Once you get into the habit of making stock regularly this will become second nature. It just makes sense to save things that can be useful to you in another form, and actually use them! As the bag gets full you will know that it’s time to make stock again and you can put those scraps to good use in your next batch.

What do I need?

Gather what the French call Mirepoix (aromatic vegetables) onions, carrots, celery. Along with those beauties grab some peppercorns, parsley, thyme bay leaf & garlic. Food safe containers that freeze well will also be helpful to store this liquid gold you are about to make. Fair warning simmering chicken stock on the stove has been known to bring people out of the woodwork so you might want to brush your hair and put on a lip!

Chicken Stock Step By Step:

Step 1:

Start by adding the chicken backs to the stock pot and fill with cold water (leave enough room for the veggies you will be adding later).

Step 2:

Bring the water to a simmer and using the ladle skim off the foam (you are doing this to create a much clearer and cleaner tasting stock)

Step 3:

Roughly chop the aromatic vegetables. Once the foam has subsided add the vegetables, herbs and spices.  

Step 4:

Continue simmering for 1.5-2 hours. (This is when your house starts to smell amazing and make even your neighbors hungry) Skim fat off of the top every 30 minutes.

Step 5:

Strain the stock into a large bowl using the fine mesh strainer (or a colander with cheese cloth draped inside) If you just pour it all in at once the stock will get cloudy. Fill food safe containers with stock up to one inch from the top, and let cool with the lids off. Label your stock and refrigerate overnight. Use within 5 days or  freeze the refrigerated stock and use within 3-6 months.