hosttoperfection01

Burrata, Peach and Tomato Salad

Featuredby hosttoperfection01Leave a Comment

Summer is in full swing, and there’s no better way to enjoy the warm weather than with a delicious and refreshing salad. This tomato, burrata, and peach salad is the perfect combination of sweet, salty, and creamy. The burrata cheese is the star of the show, and the peaches and tomatoes add a touch of sweetness. Burrata is a fresh Italian cow’s milk cheese that is made from mozzarella and cream. It has a soft, creamy texture and a mild, milky flavor. Peaches are a symbol of summer in many cultures. Did you know that in China, peaches are a symbol of longevity and immortality!?

Ingredients:

2 balls of burrata cheese
2 peaches, sliced
2 cups sliced cherry tomatoes, sliced
olive oil
salt
black pepper
Fresh basil leaves, for garnish

Arrange the peaches, tomatoes, and burrata cheese vertically on the serving platter.
Drizzle the olive oil over the salad and garnish with fresh basil leaves.

Tips:

Use ripe peaches for the best flavor.
If you don’t have burrata cheese, you can substitute mozzarella or goat cheese.

This tomato, burrata, and peach salad is a delicious and refreshing way to enjoy the summertime. It’s easy to make and can be customized to your liking. So next time you’re looking for a light and flavorful salad, give this one a try!

Here are some additional ideas for customizing this salad:

Add some grilled chicken or shrimp for a heartier meal.
Use different types of tomatoes, such as heirloom tomatoes or cherry tomatoes.
Add some other fresh herbs, such as mint, or oregano.
Drizzle the salad with a different type of dressing, such as a honey-balsamic dressing or a vinaigrette dressing.
Use grilled peaches

I hope you enjoy this delicious and refreshing salad!

Shop This Post

Tablescape

White and Blue Summer Tablescape

Featuredby hosttoperfection01Leave a Comment

Blue and white is a classic color combination that has been popular for centuries. It is often associated with the sea, sky, and purity, and it can create a sense of elegance and sophistication. Blue and white table decor can be used to create a variety of different looks, from formal to casual.

Start with a blue and white tablecloth. This will provide a classic backdrop for the rest of your tablescape.

Add blue patterned napkins. Don’t be afraid to mix patterns. When done correctly, mixing patterns can create a stylish look. However, it’s important to choose patterns that complement each other.

We used rattan round placemats and bamboo napkins rings; using various textures will help create visual interest and make your tablescape more dynamic. The plates are melamine. White melamine plates are a versatile and durable option for summer tablescapes. They are easy to clean and care for, making them perfect for outdoor dining. They are also lightweight and stackable, making them easy to transport and store. Acrylic glasses are a versatile and durable option for drinkware. They are made from a clear, lightweight, shatter-resistant plastic, perfect for outdoor events. We are absolutely in love with the design of this one .

Hydrangeas are a quintessential summer flower, and you can’t go wrong adding them as your centerpiece. They are beautiful and versatile flowers that can be used in various ways. Hydrangeas in baskets are a beautiful and elegant way to add a touch of nature to your table. Baskets can create a unique and eye-catching centerpiece.

A white and blue tablescape can be quite simple, but it’s important to keep the overall look simple. Too many elements can be overwhelming and detract from the beauty of the colors. No matter what your style, there is a white and blue summer tablescape that is perfect for you. With a little creativity, you can create a tablescape that is both beautiful and inviting.

Shop This Post

Flower Arrangement

Hydrangeas

Featuredby hosttoperfection01Leave a Comment

We love hydrangeas; they are one of our favorite flowers. It was one of our grandma’s favorite too; maybe that’s why we like them so much. It reminds us of her!! They are so simple yet have a significant presence with their large flowerhead. They always stand out, whether it is an all hydrangea arrangement or mixed with different flowers.

If you want to learn how to arrange flowers, hydrangea is a great place to start. They are easily accessible at most grocery stores and one of the easiest and least expensive arrangements to create.

Hydrangeas take a lot of water and can wilt quickly if not properly cared for. As soon as you bring them home, cut each stem at a 45-degree angle and put them immediately in water; this will allow the blooms to drink more water. When purchasing from your local store, often they come with flower food; make sure to use it.

If you are picking from your garden, after cutting them, boil water and dip each hydrangea stem into it for thirty seconds and then place it in a vase with room temperature water.

Hydrangeas drink water from their bloom heads as well, and spraying water on them helps prevent them from wilting. In case they do wilt, you can dunk its whole head in room temperature water.

Keep your hydrangea arrangement at a cooler temperature and away from drafts or direct sunlight. Replace the water every other day. With proper care, your hydrangea arrangement can last for weeks.

Potted hydrangeas look so beautiful and will last much longer than cut ones, especially if you pick one with few blooms and lots of buds.

Water the plant often, feel the soil, and if the top layer feels dry to the touch, it’s time to water it. Drainage is essential; make sure there are drainage holes at the bottom of the container you selected. Place your potted hydrangea where it receives bright light but not direct sunlight.

Shop This Post

Recipes

Blini with Smoked Salmon

Featuredby hosttoperfection01Leave a Comment

This appetizer is effortless to make and is such a crowd-pleaser. It’s a classic that everybody loves, perfect for any occasion! I bought the blinis at my local grocery store to make it even easier. However, you can make them at home.

The DILL CRÈME FRAICHE you can make the day before and store in the refrigerator. Recipe below.

Assemble:
Spread the dill crème fraîche on a blini. Coil on a piece of salmon, top with chives or dill.

Enjoy!!

Dill Creme Fraiche

Ingredients

4 oz cream cheese softened
3/4 cup crème fraîche or sour cream
2 tsp fresh dill finely chopped (or chives)
1 tsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp salt
pinch of black pepper

Instructions

Mix all the ingredients until smooth.

SHOP THE POST

Recipes, Uncategorized

Vanilla, Strawberry and Nutella Buttercream Cake

Featuredby hosttoperfection01Leave a Comment

Calling all Nutella lovers!! We are absolutely obsessed with Nutella, and we love anything with it. This vanilla, strawberries and Nutella buttercream cake is soooo good and beautiful. It’s perfect for Mother’s Day!

–Vanilla box cake: choose your favorite box cake, and prepare the batter according to the instructions. Split the batter into two round 8″ cake pans, and follow the instructions to bake them.

–Strawberries: put them in a strainer and rinse with cold water. Remove the green stems and slice them in half (vertically).

–Nutella buttercream recipe: the original recipe is from Sugar & Sparrow.

Jump to Recipe

Assemble the cake:

Once you have finished the Nutella buttercream, it’s time to assemble the cake. Level the vanilla cake, and add the butternut cream and strawberries.

Follow with another layer of the cake, butternut cream, and strawberries

Garnish with chocolate on top.

Nutella Buttercream

Ingredients

1 Cup 226g unsalted butter, room temperature
3 1/2 Cups 420g powdered sugar
1/2 Cup 150g Nutella
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 Tbsp whole milk room temperature
1/4 tsp salt or to taste

Instructions

Cream the butter on medium-high until it’s creamy and light in color, about 5 minutes.
Add the powdered sugar a few cups at a time, scraping down after each addition and making sure each cup is fully incorporated before adding the next one.
Add the Nutella and beat on med-high for a full minute.
Turn the mixer to low and add the vanilla, milk, and salt.
Mix for another 1-2 minutes, scraping down the bowl and paddle as needed, until smooth and fully incorporated

Recipes

Lime Naked Cake

Featuredby hosttoperfection011 Comment

Calling all Lime lovers. This semi-homemade cake is easy and quick to put together. It’s light and packed with fresh flavors—the perfect ending to a summer dinner.

Jump to Recipe

Start by baking two boxes of lemon supreme cake mix accordingly to the box baking instructions. We divide the batter in 4 round cake pans (about 9”). Allow cakes to cool completely in the pan. The cakes must be completely cool before frosting and assembling.

Now, it’s time to make the frosting!! In a large bowl, using a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment beat the whipping cream on medium speed until it begins to thicken. Keep mixing, add the condensed milk and the confectioner sugar. Increase to high speed, and beat until the cream is very stiff, and stands in firm peaks on the beater when it is lifted from the bowl.

Stop mixing and slowly add the lime juice and using a French whisk mix all together. Your lime Chantilly will be ready!

Let’s assemble the cake! Turn the cakes down and using a large serrated knife, slice a thin layer off the tops to create a flat surface. Place the 1st cake layer on your cake stand. Spread about 1 and 1/2 cups of frosting evenly on top. Top with the 2nd cake layer, and evenly cover the top with another 1 and 1/2 cups of frosting. Do the same with the 3rd and 4th layer.

After the last one, spread the remaining frosting on top and around the sides using an icing spatula. Use a bench scraper to smooth out the frosting on the sides of the cake. Decorate the cake with lime and mint.

Lime Naked Cake

Ingredients

2 boxes of Lemon Supreme Cake Mix
700 ml of heavy whipping cream
1 can of condensed milk
2 limes
2 tbsp of confectioner sugar.

Instructions

Bake the 2 boxes of lemon cake mix accordingly to the box baking instructions. We divide the batter in 4 round cake pans (about 9”);
Allow cakes to cool completely in the pan. The cakes must be completely cool before frosting and assembling.

Frosting

In a large bowl, using a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment beat the whipping cream on medium speed until it begins to thicken. Keep mixing, add the condensed milk and the confectioner sugar. Increase to high speed, and beat until the cream is very stiff, and stands in firm peaks on the beater when it is lifted from the bowl.
Stop mixing and slowly add the lime juice and using a French whisk mix all together. Your lime Chantilly will be ready!

Assemble

Turn the cakes down and using a large serrated knife, slice a thin layer off the tops to create a flat surface.
Place the 1st cake layer on your cake stand. Spread about 1 and 1/2 cups of frosting evenly on top. Top with the 2nd cake layer, and evenly cover the top with another 1 and 1/2 cups of frosting. Do the same with the 3rd and 4th layer.
After the last one, spread the remaining frosting on top and around the sides using an icing spatula. Use a bench scraper to smooth out the frosting on the sides of the cake.
Decorate the cake with lime and mint.

Flower Arrangement

Flower Arranging Tools

Featuredby hosttoperfection01Leave a Comment

It is no secret that we love fresh flowers at home. They quickly brighten up any space and makes it more inviting. If you are new to flower arranging, the idea of creating your own bouquet can be a little overwhelming. But don’t get discouraged!! With the right tools, flower arranging can be fun and simple.

If this Spring, you feel inspired to start creating your floral arrangements, make sure that you have some basic tools on hand. And don’t forget: The first step to mastering a skill lies in the dedication and practice you put into that new hobby.

There are a lot of florist’s tools right there. But to make it simple, we have listed some of the basic tools that we use in our arrangements:

Floral clippers

A good pair of floral clippers is key to creating a flower arrangement and ensuring that each stem is cut correctly to allow the flowers to drink water.

Pruners

Thicker stems and branches can be a problem without the right tool. The branch cutters are similar to floral clippers but can easily cut and clip more rigid stems.

Floral Tape

Floral tape is a must-have! They come in different colors and can be used for wrapping stems and lining vases. We use the clear tapes more often than the green ones, but both work great.

The clear floral tape is helpful to create a grid on top of the containers to help flowers stay in place and add support. We replaced the floral foams with clear tape and the chicken wire, and we don’t regret it! The green waterproof tape can be used to secure the bases of stems together.

Chicken wire

They are also called ‘wire mesh’ or ‘wire netting’. Like the floral tapes, the chicken wire adds support to the arrangement and gives you control over the structure of the arrangement. They can be bent to help guide and hold your arrangements in large containers.

Flower Thorn Strippers

This tool is easy to remove thorns and leaves from the stems, especially from roses. Begin by pulling down gently down the stem of a rose. It is important, to begin with, enough space down from the rose head to prevent it from falling off.

Moss

Add green or Spanish moss for a more finished look at your potted arrangements, terrariums, and baskets. Don’t use the moss in a vase of water with flowers; use it in an arrangement that doesn’t sit in vessels of water. If using the green sheet moss, make sure to saturate it before using it.

Spray bottle

After we complete an arrangement, we finish it with a light mist of water to hydrate the blooms, especially the hydrangeas.

Optional: If you have a lazy Susan, prop your vase on it to easily move around your vase and check all sides.

Shop our tools

Note: As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

Easter, Tablescape

Pastel Pink and Yellow Easter Tablescape

Featuredby hosttoperfection01Leave a Comment

Easter is a time to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus, so it’s important to gather with our family and friends. We love creating a special tablescape for this holiday! Follow along to learn how we put together this one.

This tablescape is simple and easy to replicate. You don’t need something over the top to create a festive decor. Here, we accessorized the table with bunnies and medium-sized decorative easter eggs. They can be found almost at any store during this time of the year. Check the bottom of this post to shop. Since we used so many easter accessories, we kept the flowers simple. Remember, less is more!!

For the flowers, we used a spring classic, Hyacinth!! They are an early spring blooming bulb and are widely available in stores during this time of the year. They are incredibly fragrant with a sweet scent.

The pastel gingham pink linen napkins complemented the hyacinths and the flower vase’s pink shades. We love this pattern for Easter. We made the place cards a little more special with a spring feel by adding yellow spray roses. They are miniature standard roses easily found at stores. Using a hole puncher, punch a hole in the top of the place card.

Who doesn’t love chocolate!? We placed a few Lindt Chocolates on each place setting. After all, Easter is not complete without chocolate.

SHOP THIS POST

Uncategorized

Brownie and Chocolate Ganache

Featuredby hosttoperfection012 Comments

Looking for a last-minute dessert for your Valentine’s Day gathering!? Or just a cute and yummy one to make it to your kids!? Look no further; it doesn’t get easier than this one.
Brownie paired with chocolate ganache, it’s decadent, delicious, and a super-easy dessert. After all, Valentine’s day is not complete without chocolate!! Top it off with strawberries and serve on an adorable heart bowl. Voile, you got yourself a Valentine-inspired dessert.

I used Ghiradelli’s Double Chocolate Brownie mix, but feel to use your favorite brand. There is nothing like a warm brownie fresh out of the oven. However, you can even skip this step and use store-bought brownies.

Homemade chocolate ganache it’s super easy and quick, requiring only two ingredients. It’s also incredible versatile with endless uses. You will need semi-sweet chocolate bars and heavy whipping cream for this recipe. Make sure to use high-quality chocolate bars and avoid chocolate chips as they will not melt into a good consistency. It’s important to note that if you let the ganache cool, it’s not pourable anymore but spreadable; therefore, don’t let it cool too much for this recipe.

In a heart-shaped bowl, place pieces of the brownies on the bottom, pour the chocolate ganache (recipe below), top it off with strawberries and garnish with mint.

Watch the video below for tutorial

Chocolate Ganache

Ingredients

2 4 ounce semi-sweet chocolate bars use high-quality chocolate
1 cup heavy whipping cream

Instructions

Heat the cream in a small saucepan over medium heat until it begins to simmer
Pour the chopped chocolate over the cream
Let it sit for a minute or two to soften the chocolate
Use a spatula to slowly stir the mixture until well combined

Uncategorized

Valentine’s Tablescape

Featuredby hosttoperfection01Leave a Comment

Do you celebrate Valentine’s Day? If you plan to set the table for the occasion, here is a simple but adorable inspiration for V-day. I’ve linked most of the things I have used on this table and similar ones. Check the end of the post for info.

When I went into Citarella, these hot pink flowers spoke to me, and I couldn’t get my eyes off them. I was in love with this shade of pink, and I knew they were the ones. I then decided to go with the blue-pink color combination for my valentine’s day tablescape.

I used a blue patterned tablecloth from Julia Amory; she has a beautiful selection of table linens. When using an impactful tablecloth, I keep all other elements clean and simple; there is no need for too many flowers or decor. A patterned tablecloth can be very impactful and transform any table decor.

For the plates, I selected Juliska’s Berry & Thread French Panel Collection dinner and salad plates. I love this design and the off-white color; they are versatile and can be used on many occasions.

I picked napkins that were clean and simple, these blush linen ones from Pottery Barn coordinated nicely with the blue patterned tablecloth.
Candles!! They make any setting cozier and more intimate. I love them! These candlesticks are from Crate and Barrel and are always a show stopper. Small blue bud vases as a final touch decor.
Valentine’s Day is not complete without chocolate!! I added Godiva heart-shaped dark chocolate to every setting. A little something sweet to make V-Day more special.