site.desideesreno.com Blog

Gather your canners before you need them. Having a bushel of ripe fruit or veggies can’t wait for you to search for availability. I especially like this one as it allows your to do both fruit and vegetables. So often you are restrained when you have only a water bath canner. Grab a canning tool kit. You’ll be amazed at the time you will save, the fingers you won’t burn, and the convenience you’ll have. Don’t forget  Dehydrating, it’s a  fast way to process food, and is easily stored. Think about tomatoes, peaches, apples…you name it. Juicing is also another great answer.

Whatever direction you decide to take, grab the right tools. You’ll have fun, have a satisfying feeling of accomplishment, and really feel that you are interfacing  with the earth’s bounty

Yes, I know my life seems to revolve around spinach, but sorrel is a pleasant new taste. It’s similar to spinach in looks, but has a vibrant fresh taste.  Toss fresh young leaves in salads for added zip, or steam it.  If you love cool   summer soups here’s a new one to add to your list

Sorrel is a green leaf vegetable native to Europe. It is also called common sorrel or spinach dock, and is actually considered less a vegetable and more an herb in some cultures. In appearance sorrel greatly resembles spinach and in taste sorrel can range from comparable to the kiwifruit in young leaves, to a more acidic tasting older leaf. As sorrel ages it tends to grow more acidic due to the presence of oxalic acid, which actually gets stronger and tastes more prominent.

Sorrel Soup

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 large onion, thinly sliced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 6 bunches sorrel, stems trimmed and washed
• 1 1/2 cups half and half
• 2 cups water
• Dash of Tabasco pepper sauce
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

Directions

Just picked a huge bag of spinach(about 8 cups)-

In a skillet lightly brown  three cloves of coarsely chopped garlic in a couple of teaspoons of olive oil.  Throw in a few squeezes of lemon juice and the spinach.  Lightly toss and cover.  Steam about five minutes, or until well wilted.  Toss with a third cup crumbled blue cheese. Season with freshly ground salt and pepper, and a few more squeezes of fresh lemon juice.  Fresh, fabulous, healthy, and ready in a flash.

DesIdeesreno.com

DesIdees

The season is upon us, and for all who strive to “think-of-everything” this is really a cool, cool idea. We all work in color themes, and want everything to coordinate. Well, here’s a great idea. I have glasses in champagne, white wine, or martini dressed in ribbon. The neat thing is that you can choose your own ribbon color. We have quantity discounts available. Don’t pass this idea up. Even better still, you can use the glasses over and over for other affairs with a mere ribbon change.

Desideesreno.com

Buffets can be both large and small, but it is really amazing how much you can get into a small space if you use levels. Levels are the key to an eye appealing display, as well as a  space-saving solution. It’s amazing how much you can slip under these  pieces to create  space, as well as the interest you need. I have two styles of level changes, one that can open to a quite large display and comes with or without plates, and the other on the more compact side.

Use baskets instead of plates if pastries and breads are on the line-up. Adding various colored plates can also create your theme.
These are both from Belaverra, and offer a creative, elegantly casual look.

The Buffet Experience

Yes, you can buy them.  Yes, they are a pain to make, especially on the third roll, but best of all–THEY are appreciated!!!! Gifts from the heart are the best!  The beauty of these cutters is you get to decide–chicken before the egg, or egg first.  Then there’s the basket-decorate and fill it with flowers, or a group of gangly animals. The coolest is the no-fail sugar cookie recipe, that’s good to the last crumb. Thank-you’s will abound, and you truly will have that warm, fuzzy feeling that you made someting “Good”. Paint them, frost them, or dust  them in colored sugar-just make cookies