Inspired By Martha, A Grilled Cheese Challenge.......

I caught the episode of Oprah, the other day, that featured Martha Stewart. To say I am inspired by Martha, is an understatement. I am not only inspired by her creativity and business acumen, but by the way she conducted herself during her whole "unfortunate incarceration" (see my blog entitled Martha, Martha, Martha!! 5/25/10) - but I digress.......
During her appearance on Oprah, Martha made "grown up" grilled cheese sandwiches. She had all kinds of combinations: gruyere, procuitto, arugula and tomato on white... fontina, harissa, and pear on rye.....cheddar, jalapeno and cilantro on white, to name a few. She also had tips on how to perfectly grill the sandwich.
I love grilled cheese!! It, to me, is the perfect comfort food. When I was first pregnant, a toasty, warm, silky smooth grilled cheese was the only thing I could keep down!! During Martha's presentation, I was salivating!! She suggested having a grilled cheese bar as a party theme; please invite me!! A gourmet grilled cheese and a glass of crisp white wine sounds like a perfect evening to me!!
I was inspired to develop my own combination and challenged myself to come up with one from ingredients already in my house. Below is my creation - not as creative as Martha, perhaps and my pictures aren't expertly styled as hers (I took them in actual time as I cooked) - but, please enjoy.


Mozzarella, asiago, pesto and roasted red pepper on 8 grain bread....

I buttered the backs of both bread slices and
covered the inside with pesto

Added mozzarella, asiago and roasted red pepper
to one side of the bread.

Covered the roasted red pepper with another
layer of the 2 cheeses to help the bread stick
to the roasted pepper.

Grilled the sandwich on a panini press. Buttering
the bread first gives it lovely dark, crisp grill marks.
I served it with nice crisp, sweet honeycrisp apple
slices.
What I like about this combination is that the mozzarella's mild flavor and great melting ability works well with the sharpness of the asiago. The sweetness of the roasted red pepper goes nicely with the sharp taste of the asiago, while the pesto adds a herbed freshness. It would go well with a nice crisp sauvignon blanc, but I had it for lunch so I had sparkling water.
The combinations are endless when it comes to this great sandwich type; I challenge you to come up with a grown up grilled cheese sandwich with ingredients available in your kitchen today. What can you come up with?

Portmeirion

I started out my Saturday morning with a cup of coffee and the July issue of Canadian House & Home. As I was flipping through the magazine, I came across the image below of Sophie Conran's collection for Portmeirion.

I stopped in my tracks..... because, if you have been reading my blog, you will know that this photo represents a lot of the things that I like: white dishes, white table linens, white hydrangeas, white roses.... I also thought this photo was fitting for a Saturday morning because it reminds me of the "remnants of a party". It made me think of waking up the morning after a party and seeing all the dishes and serving pieces ready to be put away, the flowers awaiting a new spot, boxes of presents ready to be looked through, a chance to reflect on the festivites the night before.......
This photo also reminded me that my "love affair" with dishes started with Portmeirion. When I was in my teens, Martha Stewart was just becoming well known. She had a Thanksgiving special that I saw on PBS. I was hooked!! I remember her having a dining room that had a closet, she opened it up and it was full of stacks of dishes, serving pieces, glassware..... she was looking through the closet to find the appropriate pieces for her table and was explaining, "this came from a tag sale at such and such", "this piece was passed down from whos it", "this was a wedding present". I remember watching this and thinking, I want one of those closets someday!! I didn't know what a "tag sale" was, but I surely wanted to find out!! I come from a large family and have always been interested in setting the table for the various holidays, parties and dinners. My mom used to let me shop for the table accessories for her from a young age.
After that, I decided to find a pattern of dishes to start my collection. I went to the china department at our local Hudson's and fell in love with Portmeirion's Botanic Garden. It appealed to me because, it was floral, but not too "girly" and I was fascinated that each piece had a different floral motif on it. The Botanic Garden collection has been around since 1972, designed by Susan Williams Ellis. She based the pattern on herbal and botanical drawings from the 1800's. She named them after an 18th century poem, The Botanic Garden by Erasmus Darwin, Charles' grandfather. The pattern has stood the test of time, becoming an icon of English design. When I traveled to England, I saw it everywhere.
I was very pleased to see Sophie's collection for Portmeirion, because, although I still love my Botanic Garden, my taste runs now to a more modern white set. It is good to see that they are catering to a wide range of tastes, but still sticking with their classic styles. Their pieces are all well made and stand up to oven and dishwasher, pieces that you will have in your collection for years. I occasionally mix pieces of my Botanic Garden with white dinnerware. It will always have a special place in my heart, as I have been collecting it for years dreaming of my future. My then boyfriend, now my husband, would buy me pieces stocking up for our life together, it was a reminder that we would someday be married. When we registered for our wedding, he was with me selecting serving pieces and the dinnerware we still needed, thinking to the dinners and parties we would have together. The pattern, to me, represents my dreaming of the future, family and togetherness. Although I have not been collecting it for years, my husband came home awhile ago with a set of Botanic Garden square plates. He said he saw them and knew I would like the different shape; it touched me because we have been together for so long and that was one of the first things we collected for our future together.
Looking online for the Sophie Conran collection, I saw it is available widely at stores such as Bed Bath and Beyond and Macy's, perfectly accessible for someone collecting and dreaming of their future....

Part of the Sophie Conran collection for Portmeirion.

Gorgeous bowls from the same collection. I like how the grooves and irregular shape make it seem as if it just came off the pottery wheel.

Such an interesting pot, by Sophie Conran, I would love to see it sitting on my countertop.

This collection, by Sophie Conran for Portmeirion, is called White Oak.

The Botanic Garden Collection, near and dear to my heart!!

A place setting from my collection.

Part of my collection of serving pieces.

Stacks of Botanic Garden dinnerware in a small corner of my dish closet; thanks, again, for the inspiration Martha!!

Funny how something as simple as an advertisement for dinnerware can make you think back through good memories. That is truley one of life's little luxuries!!!

Weekend, here we come!!

Love this stone liner, wonder if I'll have the patience for doing it!!

I always add a tall and spikey plant to my containers

Violas and pansies ,planted close together to form a big cluster, are my favorite!!

Trailing out of the pot, so elegant

I love a rooftop garden!!

Simple, green and lush!!
All images from MarthaStewart.com

Weekend here we come!! I have had such a busy week, this is my first time posting!! I am planning on taking it easy this weekend. This is the first 4th of July weekend we have stayed at home in the last 5 years!! My plan is to add my container garden to my deck and surrounding yard. I am very late this year doing so, but we had 2 families of groundhogs living under our deck and until we had them relocated, planting was a futile effort!! We had 2 last year and they ate almost every plant in the 20 planters I had on the deck!! This year we had 16 taken away!! My containers would have been a lovely buffet for the little guys!! But, now that this seems to be taken care of, I can concentrate on my plants.

I'm not sure what plants are left to choose from, so late in the season, but I will approach this with an open mind. Big, soft bundles of pansies are my favorite in a pot. In my experience, you have to buy them early in the season, they go fast. They are always cheerful and hardy. One year I found the most beautiful pale blue pansies, gorgeous!! But this year I am looking for anything lush and low maintainance!! I am using the above photos as my inspiration, I like the pots full and lush!! Wish me luck in finding some plants at this time!! I will post pictures of what I find. Give yourself the luxury of having a wonderful weekend!!!

Let me entertain you!! Outdoor table setting inspiration.

Image from Southern Accents

Image from Country Living

Image from MarthaStewart.com

Image from MarthaStewart.com

Image from MarthaStewart.com

I love a beautifully set table outdoors. There is something so lovely and indulgent about dining alfresco with all the amenities of dining indoors. Enjoying the company of friends, while eating a great meal and enjoying your favorite beverage in the fresh air, surrounded by vegetation, isn't that what summer time is all about?

Things to think about when setting your outdoor table:

• Pick a unique setting in your yard. Instead of dining on the deck or patio, set up a table by the garden or under a big shade tree for some variety.
• Think of your outdoor table as an extension of your indoor table. Use real dishes and glasses. Use cloth napkins and table cloths. Save the plastic for the kids!! Place a row of crystal or glass vases, with your favorite flower, down the center of the table with votive candles in between.
• Don't forget the lighting!! Hang a candle chandelier from a canopy, use lots of votive candles, hang rows of lights from trees or your umbrella, place votives around your deck. Candle light adds such a beautiful sparkle while outdoor dining. Search your space for areas to add the sparkle and drama of candles.
• Add a pop of color. It's the outdoors so have fun with the color. Use all white dishes with pink napkins and colorful flowers. Add a colorful table cloth. Have fun playing with color.
• Think about comfortable seating. Just like in your dining room, you want your guests to want to linger and converse after dinner. Having comfortable seating will keep them at the table longer. Add pillows to the chairs, this can also help to add a pop of color.
• Surround your table with a variety of potted plants.
• I like to set a smaller table for holding extra food and drinks. This way everything is at your reach, no running inside for extras. Cover with a table cloth and flowers!!
• Most of all, have fun!! Enjoy your food and friends!!

I hope the above pictures and suggestions inspire you to dine outside this weekend. I am ready to! Enjoying the beauty of the outdoors is certainly a luxury!!

Martha, Martha, Martha!!!

Martha in her guest house, courtesy of Martha Stewart.com

Just say the name Martha and everyone knows who you are talking about; she is a one name celebrity to the likes of Madonna and Cher. Her name conjures up all kinds of beautiful images of parties, flowers, home decor and clean organized spaces. She has become the world's best known lifestyle expert; Ask her any question about entertaining, cooking, crafting, decorating, home maintenance, and she has an eloquent answer at the ready!!

Martha wasn't always "Martha" to the world. Before she created an empire she was a student, a model, a stockbroker and a caterer. I am sure she wore all of these hats with as much finesse as the one she wears now. The one thing she has always had for herself was faith and a vision. I admire Martha immensley; not only for the empire she has created, but for the way she accomplished this. Her vision and her drive have kept her focused on her goal, no matter what was happening around her or what was said about her. She has always come back with such grace and a beautifully set table to boot!!

If you think about what she accomplished during the climate of late 1980's and early 1990's it's amazing. She built an empire out of "home making", during the era of the "super woman", who wanted to be out in the workforce, full time, and turning their backs on the "June Cleaver" days of their mother's. She made embracing the home and all the chores that come along with it, beautiful and graceful, instead of mundane. Woman everywhere wanted a little "Martha Stewart" in their homes. She is doing what she loves and in embracing that vision she has created a beautiful lifestyle for herself and has influenced countless millions of lives in the process.

Martha Stewart has the most "Luxurious Life", not because she has dined with Presidents and Kings, owns countless properties, has lots of money and lavishly travels the world; But because she dreamed a beautiful dream for her life that was so big that the world embraced it. She believed in her vision, stuck to it, had faith in it and has proven that if all her luxuries are taken from her tomorrow, she is still "Martha"; She will come back bigger and better than ever with even more fans!! Her faith and her vision is stronger than any detractor!! She is larger than life!

So Martha, I raise my glass of crandberry cassis, (properly aged for 22 days in my antique cordial glass bought at an estate sale), to you!! For you are a true inspiration of spirit. I hope to take your lessons of faith in yourself and vision with me on my journey, for they are truly something to be embraced.

Today's little luxury is to take a que from Martha's life. Have faith in yourself and who you are. Do what you love and be who you want to be. There will always be "nay sayers", but if you have a true sense of who you are, live your life to the fullest to please yourself and always have good in mind, you will have the most luxurious life of all!!