You Don’t Have to Throw A Party To Enjoy Beverage Dispensers
Last week, I talked about my elation after I purchased some beverage dispensers for my party. Well, I got to thinking and I really had no idea how useful they would really be post-party. Most party supplies, you use them and put them away in the cupboard until the next party rolls around. Unless you really like drinking things from punch bowls. Well unlike a bulky, uncovered punch bowl, beverage dispensers are party tools that are great for everyday use.
I got a juicer for my birthday, and have been a juice making fool ever since. So where do I keep all these fancy juices I make? In my beverage dispensers! My kids love always having fresh squeezed lemonade on hand. And it really saves me a bundle by not having to buy expensive bottled juice from the store. Personally, my all-time favorite beverage is ice water with lemon. Call me plain, but it’s true! Nothing cools you off like a nice glass of ice water. So to keep a constant supply on hand, I have a beverage dispenser dedicated specifically to ice water with lemon. It’s so convenient. So if you don’t have at least one beverage dispenser at home, what are you waiting for?
Permalink | Tags: Arte Italica, Barware, Beverage dispensers, Hostess gift, Tabletop accessories | Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off
Enjoy Every Drop of the Party With Beverage Dispensers
I have kind of a quandary when I’m hosting parties. I love the control the role of host gives me. I like that everyone gathers in my home, and enjoys a party that I spearheaded. It’s a great feeling when you look around a room and see a bunch of your friends and neighbors enjoying good food, drink, and each other’s company and you know that you’re the catalyst for the whole thing.
But then there’s this other side of me that just wants to kick back and enjoy the party like the rest of the attendees. I hate that I am always running around making sure everyone’s drinks are filled, that there’s enough ice, and that there are enough hors d’oeuvres out to keep the guests satisfied. That’s when I got the genius idea to get beverage dispensers from Elegant Tabletop.
Beverage dispensers are the perfect solution to my quandary of being a host but wanting to enjoy the party. They allow the host to have one less thing to look after. They are great because they allow the guests to get their own drinks at their leisure, and they give you, the host, more time to sit back and enjoy your surroundings. So enjoy every drop of your next party and get some glass beverage dispensers.
Permalink | Tags: Arte Italica, Barware, Beverage dispensers, Hostess gift, Tabletop accessories | Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off
Top 3 Favorite Hostess Gifts
There’s nothing I love more than going to a great party…except for gracing the hostess with a lovely gift. Finding the perfect gift is no easy task because so many gift ideas available in most stores are ordinary items that are readily available elsewhere and chances are, the hostess already has something similar to it. When I came across ElegantTableTop.com, I found three great items that are surefire ways to uniquely impress all hostesses and their guests!
The White Rosanna Salad Bowl is a high quality footed bowl that stands above all others. This elegant all-white salad bowl is classy and elegant, making it an all-time serving favorite. Try using the bowl as a centerpiece for a new way to serve salad favorites!
The Gelato Colored Scalloped Dessert Pedestals are made with high quality porcelain featuring scallop shaped designs perfect for serving ice cream, chocolates, and of course gelato! These fun dessert pedestals also make wonderful birthday or Mother’s Day gifts and are sure to be a crowd pleaser!
The Versailles Coffee and Tea Hostess Set With Metal Caddy adds old world elegance to afternoon tea or after-dinner coffee and desserts. This four-piece set includes a sugar bowl with spoon, covered creamer, sweetener jar, and sprinkle shaker in a metal tray. Serve guests tea or coffee with this fun and unique set!
Permalink | Tags: Hostess gift, Tabletop accessories | Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off
Barware FAQ: To Decant or Not to Decant?
A decanter is one piece of barware that can be a little controversial when you bring it up around wine snobs. Some swear by it and won’t drink a wine until it’s fully decanted. Others say it’s totally unnecessary because the wine aerates in the glass. I’m not a big wine connoisseur myself. You can give me that junk that comes in a box and I’ll swirl it around in my glass, sniff it, put in my mouth, and say “Ah, this is truly a delectable selection—Vintage?”
I have no idea what I’m talking about of course. Wine is wine to me, but to others, it’s a whole lot more and decanting is a way to get the most out of it.
Pioneered by the ancient Romans, wine decanting is the ultimate way to get maximum aroma and flavor out of your wine while removing any sediment that may have accrued during the aging process. But wines today are already pretty well filtered, so where does that leave our friend the decanter? According to the TheWineDoctor.com, you really don’t need to decant young wines because they aren’t old enough to have sediment at the bottom, but if it’s say, a ten year old bottle of red, you’ll need to decant because there will be sediment. All in all, a decanter is always a good barware item to have around, in case you have that finicky wine nerd over who HAS to have their wine aerated before it touches their palate.
Permalink | Tags: Arte Italica, Barware, Beverage dispensers, Hostess gift, Tabletop accessories | Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off
Top 3 Summertime Cocktails
During summer, you want to drink a light liquor. Light rum, vodka and gin are all great alcohols from which to choose. Here are our favorite ways to mix them.
3. If it’s happy hour, you don’t want something that will knock you on the floor. Especially when combating the summer heat, a refreshing beverage is what you crave, with minimal sugar. The rum and coke, or Cuba Libre when you add a lime twist, is easy and hardly requires any barware (tip: look for imported Coke, it comes with real cane sugar, and makes it tastier).
2. TNT: Tanqueray and tonic is another light drink that packs a bit more of a punch. When you your glass starts sweating you know it’s time to make sure you have enough ice for a second one.
1. Greyhound: This tart drink gives you a fruit serving and a relaxing way to begin the evening. Not to mention it’s pretty color will mix well with your tabletop accessories.
These drinks are light, refreshing and mix well with barware or a spoon. If you really want something special, add or muddle them with some fresh herbs like mint, or maybe some thyme or basil. And remember, the ice makes the drink, as any good bartender knows.
Permalink | Tags: Arte Italica, Barware, Beverage dispensers, Hostess gift, Tabletop accessories | Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off
The Rooster Pitcher
Arte Italica is a great way to mark your kitchen as extraordinary. The rooster is a common motif in arte italica. Italian rooster pitchers symbolize good fortune and good luck and are wonderful tabletop accessories. They are traditionally given to friends and family as housewarming gifts.
The history of the rooster pitcher dates back to the Renaissance, when the Medicis, one of Italy’s most important ruling families, held a feast in a neighboring town of Florence in the autumn of 1478. The rival Pazzi family sent assasins to murder Giuliano de Medici, a leading member of the powerful family and co-ruler of Florence with his brother Lorenzo the Magnificent. But when the cocks started crowing, Giuliano awoke in time to find his assasins, who were soon put to death. A major patron of the arts, Giuliano commissioned artisans to create wine pitchers with rooster emblems to honor those that saved his life. After the feast, the pitchers were given to peasants and friends for protection against danger.
Unfortunately, Giuliano was assassinated soon thereafter. He was stabbed 19 times while walking with his brother out of the Duomo. The Pazzis never assumed control of Florence, however, and the Medicis continued to rule. The above Boticelli is likely a memorial portrait.
Permalink | Tags: Arte Italica, Barware, Beverage dispensers, Hostess gift, Tabletop accessories | Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off
The Best Ice Tea to Combat the Heat
Ohoho when it is hot there’s only one place to go. The kitchen. Ideally your kitchen is air conditioned, because it makes it downright difficult to cook when it’s not. Beverage dispensers can help to ease your pain and they will really make a difference when you’re wondering about how to stay cool.
Cold lemonade or ice tea is your best bet. The hint of sweetness will give you a little energy that can make you less lethargic and languid on these dog days. Here’s a recipe that will give you the perfect ice tea:
For 2 quarts of ice tea you will need:
2 cups of fresh cold water.
Ice
4 bags of green tea or orange pekoe tea, or a mix of both
Lemon
Sugar, or simple syrup
Boil the tea and pour it over the tea bags. Steep for 20 minutes. This is the concentrate. Take out the bags, drain any excess water and pour in an additional 2 quarts of water into your beverage dispensers. If you want to serve immediately, fill a little less and add ice cubes until the 2 quart mark is reached.
You can change the teas according to your favorite flavors, and add some fresh mint for a kick. Use barware to mix and serve.
Permalink | Tags: Arte Italica, Barware, Beverage dispensers, Hostess gift, Tabletop accessories | Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off
Summer Needs in the Kitchen
Enhancing your kitchen is easy with a few simple tabletop accessories. During the summer, beverage dispensers can anchor a corner of your counter, and can provide the artistic flourishes and filigrees that will make your kitchen classier.
There’s nothing better than coming in from working the garden, with sweat dripping down your face and the remnants of the hot sun beating on your neck, and seeing an ice cold container of ice tea or lemon water. You grab a glass pour it full and quench your thirst, without a qualm. The liquid is ice cold against your tongue and you don’t stop until it’s gone – your dehydration evaporates and your sweat dries instantly.
Arte Italica is another way to make your kitchen look more romantic. Plates, pitchers, and cups with fine details and paintings are a great way to add a specific touch to your home. These pieces of artistry give your kitchen the sense that quality is not only in the décor, but also in the food prepared on the stove top.
Among other tabletop accessories, arte italica and beverage dispensers are an excellent beginning to making your home beautiful and more elegant. Visit www.ElegantTabletop.com to start shopping.
Permalink | Tags: Arte Italica, Barware, Beverage dispensers, Hostess gift, Tabletop accessories | Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off
Beautify Your Home with Arte Italica
What can I say, I love to beautify my home with eclectic home décor. Some may call me a clutterer, but I like to think of myself as a collector. For me, nothing is worse than a sparse, minimalist house; my kind of home is one that’s filled with interesting bits and bobs like paintings, vases, beautiful printed china, candles, photo frames, antiques, clocks, and…Arte Italica.
Arte Italica makes such a beautiful range of home décor items that I just can’t resist; my guests are always, without fail, impressed by my weird and wonderful collection. I recently bought a Muro Village Ceramic Plaque for the guest room, a beautiful hand-painted picture of a girl in a quaint village by a stream. It adds a peaceful and calming touch to the room.
My bathroom doesn’t have any old bar of soap lying around in it. I’ve got a very suave Arte Italica Coccodrillo Square Soap Dispenser featuring a crocodile skin pattern made of solid, shiny silver Italian pewter. It’s stylish yet functional.
Beverage dispensers are displayed on the kitchen counter, alongside apples, oranges, figs, lemons, pears and pomegranates from the Arte Italica Puccini Fruit Collection – these clay, glazed figurines are all handmade and feature vibrant colors, faux cracks and classic distressing, capturing the craftsmanship of Italian artisans.
Permalink | Tags: Arte Italica, Barware, Beverage dispensers, Hostess gift, Tabletop accessories | Posted in Barware | Comments Off
Host a 1950s Tea Party With Hostess Gift Sets
Who doesn’t love a little 1950s-style domesticity? To host a 1950s afternoon tea party, all you’ll need is colorful tea cup and saucer hostess gift sets and a selection of your favorite teas and Betty Crocker cakes and cupcakes.
First things first – the cakes. For orange cupcakes, combine 2 egg yolks, 1 stick of softened butter, 1 cup of sugar, and a teaspoon of vanilla extract. Mix 1 ¾ plain flour, ½ teaspoon salt, and 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder in a separate bowl. Gradually combine the wet and dry ingredients, slowly adding ½ cup orange juice. Fold in 2 beaten egg whites, then spoon the mixture into half-full cupcake liners. Bake at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes, and top with a delicious orange icing made of powdered sugar, grated orange rind, softened butter, orange juice, and a dash of salt.
Set your cakes on the table, along with your prettiest cups, saucers, plates, cake forks, tea pots and other tabletop accessories. Have a selection of teas on offer – white, black, green, and also herbal teas like chamomile, peppermint, rose hip and lemon. Don your most demure Betty Draper-style dress, an apron if you wish, and a headband, and prepare to welcome your guests!
Permalink | Tags: Arte Italica, Barware, Beverage dispensers, Hostess gift, Tabletop accessories | Posted in Barware | Comments Off
