Hot coffee in cool carafes

 
  
What could be cooler than serving coffee in the Cylinda-Line coffeepots shown above, designed by Paul Smith and based on Arne Jacobsen’s iconic design. These pots are available from Stelton for a limited time during 2010. There’s also the attractively off-kilter Quack coffee pot, also shown, designed by Maria Berntsen for Georg Jensen.

Whatever you use to serve coffee, remember that only a clean coffee pot can make good coffee. Clean your coffeemaker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Or run a mixture of either vinegar or lemon juice and water through the pot and then flush it with three pots of fresh water. Lemon juice is pricier, but it does also freshen the air. Pour the water/lemon juice mixture in the sink and drop your dishwashing cloth in it to freshen it before draining – it acts as mild bleach, too.

I don’t have too much good to say about instant coffee, except that if you add a teaspoon of it to the recipe the next time you make chocolate chip cookies, you’ll get a wonderful mocha flavour.

With a drip coffee maker, avoid using it for pots less that 3/4 of capacity, because the water will tend to run through too quickly and give you a weak brew. Buy a coffee maker that’s about right for the amount you’ll be making on daily basis — if you’re an empty-nester or singleton don’t be tempted to get a 12-cup pot for the two times a year you’ll make coffee for a crowd.

For a fun summer coffee drink, try this recipe from PC Home:

What you need

• 1 1/2 cups (375 mL) brewed, chilled coffee
• 1 cup (250 mL) vanilla ice cream
• 1/2 cup (125 mL) butterscotch topping
• 2 cups (500 mL) ice cube
• whipped cream (optional)

What you do

In a blender, puree coffee, ice, ice cream and butterscotch topping until smooth, about 1 minute. Divide among four glasses. Top with dollop of whipped cream and a drizzle of additional butterscotch topping, if desired. And yes, you may add a squirt of coffee-flavoured liqueur if you’re of legal drinking age and the sun is over the yard arm.

How to deal with a grease fire

Gentle reader, I hope you never have to deal with a grease fire in your kitchen, but if you do, having watched this short video, sent to me by a friend, might save your life. Give it a look - it's super short. You can also get good information on prevention and safety at the Toronto Fire Services page on the City of Toronto website.

Have you heard?

The super-charged Ty Pennington is coming to Canada to host a new TV series, called Inside the Box, which will pit two “recreational” decorators against each other, each of them working within design parameters dictated and supplied by Ty. And here’s another tidbit — interior stylist Janette Ewen (a frequent guest expert on CityLine) will co-host. I’ve had the pleasure of working with Janette before, so I’ll try and track her down and get more dirt on this and report back. I love her quirky sense of humour and light-hearted approach to decor, which can sometimes get oh-so-serious. The two should make quite a team! Taping begins today. Watch this space for more news.

Pop over to a pop-up

Pop-up stores, for those of you that don’t know, are temporary showrooms that open up for a few months on a location remote from a flagship store. In retail, it’s what the coolest of the cool kids are doing right now — although, frankly, I haven’t quite figured out the strategy behind it. While I ponder that, and other mysteries of the universe, north Toronto residents can get themselves over to a new pop-up being opened by studio b, which offers very lovely, very luxe home furnishings from its downtown location (334 King Street East). The 5,000 square-foot pop-up at 1860 Bayview Ave will showcase the best of studio b’s outdoor collections, including Brown Jordan, Sifas, Kartell and DEDON, which makes beautiful outdoor furniture (see pic below). If you’re in the neighbourhood and want to look at more gorgeous outdoor furniture, swing round the corner to 812 Eglinton East and pop into BonaVista Leisurescapes.

 

Shades of Sarah

Sarah Richardson’s legions of fans, who love her tastefully timeless interiors, can now buy paint colours of which they can be sure the diminutive design diva would approve. Richardson has picked 75 Para Paint colours that will be marketed, not unexpectedly, as the Sarah Richardson Designer Palette. I can’t help wondering, though, if Tommy helped choose the slate of shades? If so, that’s a bonus — I have a secret crush (guess it’s no longer a secret!) on Sarah’s wry and style-savvy assistant. I think he's lovely.

The exclusive Richardson line will be distributed in all Lowe's Canada locations. Consumers can also get a trend brochure with tips on colour coordination at the point of purchase. Yes, yes, I know you want to see some pictures with colours from the line, dear reader. Because I love all things blue (with the exception of Pantone Turquoise) I’m leading with an image featuring Sapphire on the wall and Retreat on the ceiling. In the bedroom pic, you’ll see Citrine and Bloom on the walls and Dreaming on the ceiling. These images all come, apparently, from Sarah’s own home. BTW, the extra-large images are in response to a reader who complained that my blog pics are always too small. Happy now?

Needs green tips, not hype?

Has all the hype about Earth Day got you wondering what little ole you can do to help? Or do you need some motivation to get started? Then check out Papermate’s Pledge for the Planet program  The national campaign includes the creation of a bookmark with twelve easy-to-execute tips for homeowners that will be distributed at ten Earth Day events. At each event, there will be a banner, and participants will write on the banner the eco tip that they pledge to perform. The plan is to 10,000 pledges across Canada. By the way, did you know that Papermate makes a biodegradable pen? For more information about Earth Day Canada and its environmental programs, visit the Earth Day website.

A crazed woman with a handkerchief

Getting lots and lots of press releases in the run up to Earth Day. Too many, in fact, to fit into my next two columns. So I’m adding some extra stuff here. In the paper product category, Kruger Products, which makes Sponge Towels and Scotties facial tissues under the name EnviroCare, has just launched a line of 100 per cent recycled, premium-quality paper products that are competitively priced.They all bear the EcoLogo symbol, a North American wide environmental standard and certification mark. Here’s my little eco-tip — don’t forget that soiled tissues and paper towels , which you use sparingly, of course, should be disposed of in the green bin, rather than tossed in the garbage. I have little mini waste bins from Umbra  in my bathrooms and bedrooms for just that purpose. They look fine and take up hardly any space. I’d also admit to carrying a hankie in my purse instead of tissue, but the last time I wrote that publicly, an angry reader told me I must be a crazed and dangerous bundle of germs. Or something like that. But I still carry my little hankie from Grassroots. Crazed? Perhaps. Dangerous? I think not.

An outdoor chore I can get behind

Looking for an excuse to spend a few hours outdoors this weekend? You know you are. If you’re a Type- A personality, you may feel you have to justify your al fresco time by doing a “chore”. Here’s one that’s I actually enjoy — giving outdoor furniture made from hardwood an annual going over with Teak or Tung Oil. It’s an environmentally-friendly way to protect wood and really brings out the grain. I became a fan of these oils after doing one or two refinishing jobs and getting queasy and loopy while using stains and sealants. I switched to oils in subsequent projects. LOVE IT.

Minwax also has a new water-based Woodsheen product out that I’m planning to try. It promises a hand-rubbed finish that’s easily applied with a rag, dries on one hour and cleans up with soap and water. Sounds good to me! To give your furniture an extra layer of protection, you can apply a topcoat over a layer of oil. Just choose the right one. Minwax says its Helmsman Spar Urethane can, for example, be applied over its Teak Oil. But I’m sure I’m read in a recent article in Canadian Home Workshop  that putting a hard finish over a softer one can lead to cracks in the top coat, so do your homework on this one. And don’t use Teak Oil on deck floors.

If lovingly rubbing oil into your outdoor furniture doesn’t sound like fun to you (no, but it is – really!) you can opt for a pre-finished or painted version, like the one from PC Home shown above ($100).

Grocery shopping made bearable

 

 

I don’t normally look forward to grocery shopping. With a teenage boy who eats eight meals a day in the house, it’s become a time-consuming and expensive exercise. But I am just a little excited about a planned jaunt to my nearest Real Canadian Superstore tomorrow, since it will give me chance to look at the new PC Home Spring line, which is hitting stores now. I’m dying to see the Eco Corn Starch dinnerware, (shown above) which I’m told is biodegradable. It’s not like paper or plastic – the finish is supposed to be similar to melamine, and it’s got an indefinite life span. It can be washed in the upper rack of the dishwasher and sets of four plates top out at about $8. Also dying to see the cute solar light discs that come in rainbow colours (also shown above). These are just one in a line of solar lights, with prices starting at about $10 for a set of two. I’ll report back on how the plates look and feel, and on other finds after the shopping trip!

Land of Liberty

 



 

I’m back. And I kept my promise. Here are a few pics of what I loved best at my favourite U.S. mass retailer, Target — the line of housewares from Liberty's of London. This iconic British design house first started selling silks imported from the Far East in 1875, gaining fans among such artists and designers as William Morris, Alma Tadema and Burne-Jones. By the 1880’s owner Arthur Liberty started working with English textile manufacturers to produce art fabrics. In the 1920’s, Liberty’s cotton buyer William Haynes Dorell launched Tana Lawn, finely-threaded cotton with predominately floral designs, which became one of the company’s best sellers. They are the inspiration for the line now available at Target (for a limited time). Not only did I love the pillows, quilts, lamps, tea mugs and canisters, but my daughter went crazy in the clothing department picking up adorable little cotton tops and dresses from the line. So pretty, and so affordable. Music to my ears.

If you have reason to go stateside over the next little while, do check out this line.