Elizabeth
A Lovely New Book
A Warm Welcome
Easter is only weeks away. Actually it snuck up on me.
Will you have guests this Easter?
Once you move to Noosa, of course, more people want to visit you.
So, I thought you might like this book.
A Warm Welcome – How to be a gracious host to friends and family.
Really beautifully illustrated. Nice suggestions.
These images are not from the book, but indicative of those that are.
In the chapter on Preparing the Guestroom the author suggests, for the bed side table:
+ an alarm clock
+ a water bottle and glass
+ a reading light
Near a window seat or reading chair, you should have:
+ interesting books
+ cozy throw
+ daily newspaper
+ recent magazines
All I can say is…..INVITE ME ! It all sound wonderful.
I have two or three copies of the book in the store. Hardcover – $15.99.
I’ll write more from the book next week.
See you in the store.
Beautiful Preserving Jars – in store today
When I was growing up my Mum entertained alot. Usually dinner, often afternoon tea. Back then ….. you know, the olden days, guests bought something as a gift for the hostess. Small and practical. My Aunty Joyce often came with something she had cooked. Jam,chutney, preserved lemons once. I think this is a lovely tradition.
Bringing a gift of something you have made.
These jars, I think, are great for gifts. A little more special than the usual. The brand in Leifheit.
The shape is called marquis, like the diamond. Fits into spaces better. Proper preserving jars. Lovely emblem on the front.
In the store today. Four sizes.
See you in the store.
The Most Fabulous Jars EVER – Sydney Gift Fair Part 3
Do you love jars? Do you display things in jars? Love the way a bunch of everyday things look when placed in a jar?
Using jars for decorating is an age old idea. Lollies in jars in the local shop. Biscuits in jars in the coffee shop.
Antique apothecary jars are VERY popular at the moment. Here are some great jar ideas.
I lost sleep over these jars at the gift fair. Saw them on Day 1, couldn’t get back until Day 3 to order them and was really worried they would be sold out
Imagine these full of apples, or shells, or sox or anything. In the centre of your dining table or on the kitchen bench. Anywhere you put these they will be spectacular.
I got the guy importing them to stand next to this jar so you could see how big it is. OMG! as they say.
Three sizes, all huge. I ordered 3 of each size and two will come home with me. I’ll let you know when they arrive.
See you in the store.
Sydney Gift Fair – Part 2 – Colour is here!
If you were in any doubt that colour is coming back to interior design, the Sydney Gift Fair would have convinced you.
Our interiors have been white for as long as I can remember.
Have a look. Colour on show at the Sydney Gift Fair 2012. The pink velvet chair took my breath away.
See you in the store.
Sydney Gift Fair – Part 1 Kitchenware
Actually, Gift Fair is not really accurate.
All the Australian kitchenware suppliers have stands at the Sydney Gift Fair. I went with a reasonably large budget for new cooking tools…and spent it all.
This is a terrific new gadget. From Zyliss, so you know it is great quality. The Fast Cut Herb Mill. Our rep from Zyliss, Chris, demonstrated it for me at the fair. Take a looks.
NOW, pastry brushes
We sell lots of pastry brushes. The brushes we stock come from a hospitality supplier who supplies restaurants. Chefs use these pastry brushes and they are quite cheap. From $1.00. Great brushes for the price.
They are not Rolls Royce pastry brushes, and I have often looked for something more….crafted, beautiful.
I FOUND THEM.
Hand Crafted and French. Arriving in the store later this month.
We often get asked for Paella pans. The usual pans need seasoning and rust easily. I LOVED these and ordered several sizes.
# From Spain,
# Porcelain finish, no reasoning or rusting
# Use on cooktop, oven or on your BBQ
I think they will arrive this week.
Lots of other things. Cupcake cooking timers, great new preserving jars, a great variety of sizes in the pizza pans. Too many things to mention.
I’ll let you know when they start to arrive.
See you in the store.
New Shoes for the Gift Fair – movie, the Shoes I Didn’t Buy
In the weeks leading up to a Gift Fair people often comment, OH! a gift fair in Sydney how exciting. Really I want to respond, are you crazy….like a coconut!
Don’t get me wrong. Sydney is one of my favorite cities in the world. And, the gift fairs are something to look forward to, but……they are an endurance test. Any wise store owner does a few weeks of preparation prior, and rests upon return.
Part of my preparation was new shoes. The temptation is to wear gym shoes….with thick socks….BUT a certain amount of dressing up is required.
I bought these. Leopard print flats. Found them in a shoe store in the new Westfield in Pitt Street in Sydneys CBD.
I did my research online firstly. Looking for something comfortable/presentable. Found the leopard flats.
Had a good look at what passes for fashionable shoes. I mean really. Many of them look like something developed to correct some sort of foot imperfection. Orthotic! Maybe I am getting old. Would you wear any of these?
More great things from the Gift Fair tomorrow.
See you in the store.
Using a Mandolin – vegetable slicer
We received these a few days ago. I took one out of the box and put the camera in Tonys hand (my husband and movie director). And voila! Very easy to use.
I loved it so much I took one home.
Very handy. I use it all the time.
See what you think.
See you in the store.
I Love Jamie Oliver + a great short video
Cooking shows! I could watch them all day. Well…I could watch the few TV chefs I love all day. I don’t love them all. But…Nigella,of course, Ina Garten the Barefoot Contessa, just to see her kitchen (the old one in the first few seasons as well as the new one).
And, Jamie Oliver. His last two seasons – Jamie at Home and most especially the 30 Minute Meals. One of the best cooking shows on TV at the moment.
Not just the cooking, I mean we all LOVE his enamel baking tins. You have all been in asking me for them. I have posted enamel baking tins around Australia. (Still lots in stock).
But also, the presentation. So relaxed and interesting. Serving food laid out on a wooden board. – I am inspired to find more timber boards for the shop.
Anyway, here he is, explaining a little of his philosophy about presentation. Set in his 30 minute meal kitchen. Have a look.
See you in the store.
It’s all About Salad- Part 2 Asian Salads
The first Asian salad I ever had was about 10 years ago at a restaurant in Brisbane called, The Green Papaya. They were famous for their Green Papaya Salad.
To me it was a revelation. So tasty, so light, so refreshing. The key ingredient was, of course, green papaya.
Last week I went to visit Lloyd at Pardons Fruit Market here in Noosa Junction. Lloyd assures me, a green papaya is simply a raw paw paw. Used while it is still green and crisp. He sometimes buys special long paw paws, more traditionally used for Vietnamese recipes, but a round one is the same thing.
Did you see Luke Nguyens series on SBS? How fabulous did Vietnam look! I know many of you have been there. This was one of my favourite segments. Green Papaya salad. I want to sit in that park and order the salad from the street vendor.
You may know Gwyneth Paltrow is at the centre of an interesting whole foods, no sugar, food movement. Take a look, it obviously works for her. Asian salad again.
The challenge,however, with an Asian salad is the shredding. Lots of julienne-ing.
A mandolin is the best tool for this, but they can be a bit confronting.
In my next post I’ll show you the latest we have in stock. You can come in and have a try.
See you in the store.
It’s all About Salad – Part 1
I have been doing it wrongly
Gordon Ramsay showed me a better way…..watch him below.
Is your life all about salad at the moment?
If, as I did,you made some sort of vague resolution about losing weight, or eating in a more healthy fashion in 2012, your life is probably all about salad at the moment as well.
So I bought some new salad cookbooks. Misnomer,very little cooking in most of them,salad are more about tossing together.
The best of these I bought for the store. This one above, is wonderful,the chunky cookbook on salads. Chock a block full of interesting recipes and great pictures
And one of the Womens Weekly salad cookbooks. You can’t beat the WW cookbooks for great, basic,delicious,every day recipes. Both of these books are in the store at the moment.
So, I have been eating lots of salads and learning even more. For example….dressing a salad. Typically I would make the dressing and pour it over the greens in the bowl. WRONG!
You don’t have to watch many youtube or celebrity chefs to realise the intention is to COAT the leaves….GLAZE the leaves. I think Gordon does it best. I love his big timber bowl.
We have big bamboo bowls on special at the moment. Were $39.95 NOW 19.99 until they sell out. BACK TO GORDON. The quintessential vinaigrette.
See you in the store.
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Elizabeth Simpson
Simpsons Mitre 10
Noosa Junction
24 Lanyana Way
Noosa Junction
PH: 5447 4888
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