Shop like a pro: Thanks to the chef

Nothing makes cooking Thanksgiving dinner with all the fixings more enjoyable than appreciative guests, quality food and, of course, these kitchen equipment picks from Shop like a Pro's Angela Koszuta.

Apple corer, $16.50, available at www.pamperedchef.ca.

Dolce Gusto Circolo beverage maker in red, $179.99. Exclusively at Home Outfitters.

  Cuisinart appetizer warming tray, $29.99. Available at Home Outfitters.

Seven piece condiment serving tray, includes slate tray with porcelain insert, 3 porcelain dipping bowls and 3 spoons, $29.99. Available at Home Outfitters.

Chunky glass tealight holder, $10.90. Available at Ziggy's at Home.

365+ serving bowl with lid, double walled metal for heat retention, $25. Available at Ikea.

Faberware stainless steel immersion blender set, $39. Available at Walmart.

 
Chicago Cutlery Fusion 18-piece block set, including 8 steak knives, $199.99. Available at Walmart.

Olive wood grater, $12.99. Available at Homesense.

PC Home soup tureen, $11.99. Available at Loblaws, www.presidentschoice.ca.

And don't miss our tips for getting your home decor holiday-ready and our 30-minute cleaning guide.

An easy trick for cleaning your blender

After the scorcher that was the long weekend (hello summer!), I think it's finally safe to say that blender season has arrived. Whether I'm whipping up smoothies or daiquiris, I always pull mine out with a certain sense of dread, knowing that I'll need to clean all those strawberry seeds out of it later.

But, while catching up on some reading, I came across this brilliant and oh-so-easy tip from Lifehacker that almost guarantees the blender holding pride of place on my kitchen counter all summer long!

Instead of scrubbing all those finicky bits, or crossing your fingers that the dishwasher does the trick, when you're finished with your blender just toss in some hot water and a squeeze of liquid dish detergent. Blend it on high for 15 seconds, rinse, and it should be clean! After all, it's the blender's mixing that put the goop there in the first place.

If it's not clean after the first pass, try whirring your hot, soapy water mixture with different blend settings, including whatever one you used for your beverages.

Get more great cleaning tips in our spring cleaning guide (I promise, they'll work in summer too!)

Eat these, you will

Whether it's for pint-sized fans who love their lightsaber battles, dads who can recite all the lines from the original trilogy or that special guy who is the Han Solo to your Princess Leia, these new Star Wars pancake moulds and cookie cutters are just too cute to pass up.

Taking inspiration from a galaxy far, far away, the pancake set includes Yoda, Darth Vader and a stormtrooper. And, in theory, they seem easy enough for even a Jedi Padawan to use: place on a preheated griddle and pour in your batter.

 
 

The cookie cutters, which come in a set of four, includes Darth Vader, Yoda, Boba Fett and a stormtrooper - and are a great chance to practice your mastery of the force, or at least your icing skills.

I love the retro sci-fi geek meets foodie vibe, and they might even spur on some brunches that I don't have to make myself!

The pancake moulds and cookie cutters both retail for $29.95 each, and are available at Williams-Sonoma.

(Found via Globe Life Style Counsel newsletter)

5 hostess gift ideas

Holiday visiting season is very much upon us. And, in light of all of that present shopping burnout, you may have forgotten to pick up a few treats for the kind folks who will be hosting you.

And, really, it's no wonder. Hostess gifts can be tricky, so a lot of people end up opting for the old standbys of a bottle of wine (though Tommy Smythe, from Sarah's House, says even that can be dressed up and personalized with some help from a vintage mag - check out his tips here) or a scented candle. And, while those can be nice gifts, odds are your host will have a room full of them going into the new year.

So, here's my list of five hostess gifts that hopefully won't end up tucked away in the closet!

(Photo of chocolate shortbread cookies by Keith Beaty for the Toronto Star.)

1. Home baked goods. Whip up a batch of cookies, squares, biscotti or other goodies to hand out over the holidays. Dress them up in a pretty bowl wrapped in a dishtowel, and don't forget the recipe! Need some recipe ideas? Check out our Cookie a day calendar.

2. Hand soap and moisturizer duo. It looks pretty sitting next to the sink, and will certainly come in handy during all of that holiday food prep. I love the olive oil soap and hand cream duo, with bamboo holder, shown, from Fruits & Passions, $35.

3. Paul Smith for Evian water bottle. It's pretty, collectible and luxe - and cheap, too, with a suggested retail of $4.99 for a 750mL glass bottle. Available at gourmet retailers, it will dress up any holiday table, and is a great gift for the design savvy, or non-drinkers, on your list.

4. Ornaments. A sparkling bauble can be a lovely addition to your host's tree or mantel display. But - be warned - a whimsical ornament may not fit in with your friend's stylish silver and blue palette, so if you're not familiar with their decor style, it's best to skip this one. I love gifting these ornaments from Amos Pewter, $17, which are made near my hometown. 

5. Pretty serving ware. If you're going to run out of serving platters (or break them), it's likely to happen during the holidays. Look for a beautiful wood piece with a handcrafted look, like this Acacia platter, shown, from Crate&Barrel, $15, or on-trend hammered-metal trays.

And check out our Festive Guide for more holiday entertaining and gift ideas.

5 places to clean before holiday guests arrive

Last weekend, I hosted my first holiday guests: my family, from Nova Scotia, who were seeing my house for the first time. I spent the week, dusting, scrubbing, tidying and re-arranging furniture until I was so wiped that the final tasks on my lists - scrubbing a few more baseboards, finishing my partially-painted bathroom and a few Christmas-type errands - had to be dropped, and I'm still catching up on sleep from my mad domestic diva dash.

And, you know what, my parents didn't care about what hadn't been done. I probably could have taken it way easier, perhaps skipping some painting or the organizing of my spare utensil drawer, leaving me way more relaxed for their arrival. Next time, I'm giving myself permission to have things less than perfect!

That said, however, if you're going the relaxed hostess route, there are still a few spots often overlooked in the holiday cleaning spree that shouldn't be forgotten:

1. Light switches. They're conveniently placed at eye level, so a grimy one will be staring your guests right in the face. Plus, they're generally a light colour, so all those fingerprints really show. And they're touched so frequently that just thinking about the potential germs living in there has me reaching for a cleaning cloth ...

2. Doorknobs and frames. Like light switches, they're used frequently and don't always get the cleaning TLC they deserve. At our house, a lot of conversations happen in the doorways, particularly the ones to our kitchen and mud room, so the oversight is obvious when you're standing there chatting with someone.

3. Windowsills. You know all those Christmas tchotkes or decorative items carefully placed in the window? You're drawing attention to the sill - which, if you're like me, doesn't always get a wipe down when the rest of my shelving is getting a clean sweep. And, like the light switches and doorframes, they're often light colours, which means even the tiniest speck of dust really shows. (It's certainly an argument for jumping on the black trim trend bandwagon, isn't it?)

4. Mud room/entryway. It's easy for these spaces to get overwhelmed with coats, boots and other winter garb, so plan ahead and make space well before guests arrive to prevent muddy boots and snowy coats from landing on your living room chair. Plus, with all that traffic, make sure to give the floor frequent sweepings to keep the dirt from getting tracked through the house.

5. Bathroom mirror. You've probably wiped down the sink and the toilet, maybe even laundered your shower curtains and bath mats, and put out fresh towels. But even if you've only wiped it down yesterday, the mirror could probably use a second look before guests arrive - they seem to be a magnet for toothpaste spatters and other grime, which can make the whole space feel less than gleaming.

What would you add to the list?

Centrepieces for cooler weather

Earlier this week I shared my winter maintenance plans for my home, but today I'm turning my attention to the more fun part of the changing seasons: swapping out my decor!

Because I'm perpetually cold, I do keep a few blankets within easy reach all year long, but I'm thinking that's it's time to spread them out a little bit more liberally throughout the house. There's nothing more blissful than curling up with a cup of hot chocolate, a blanket and a shelter magazine once the weather turns chilly!

And, while I'm seriously tempted to pull out all the Christmas ornaments, I'm going to try a slower transition into the holiday, persuaded in part by our poll results that show people switch to winter decor right up into December!

So, this weekend, I'm swapping out my fall centrepiece of mini fairytale pumpkins (they're white!) and candles with something a little bit more wintry, but I still haven't decided quite what that will be.

So, as I often do when I'm stumped, I turned to Twitter! Here are a few ideas as suggested by my Tweeps:

- My first inclination was nuts still in the shell; which are both pretty and a fun snack. If you go this route, make sure to stock up - there's nothing sadder than a handful of nuts rattling around forgotten in a dish.

- I also thought cranberries, which are still a little bit of a fall tradition, but a lovely shade of festive red. 

- Twitter friend @Sarah_kiriliuk seconded my cranberry inclination, suggesting I pair it with dark green, stiff foliage and crimson roses. So pretty!

- Meanwhile @Larked and @MargotAustin (Style at Home senior design editor) both suggested pine cones. Larked went the glittery route, suggesting sparkle encrusted versions in gold, green, silver and red while @MargotAustin said to go with whatever suited my style!

- Other suggestions (thanks @melaniedaigle and @GeorgeLatto!) included combining mixed nuts and cranberries (like trail mix!) or trying rice or coarse salt for other pretty, and wintry, fillers. 

Trolling the blogs, I've also seen some pretty vases filled with cinnamon sticks (bet it smells great too!), miniature ornaments - which I've got my eye on for a little closer to the big day - and seasonal favourite evergreen boughs.

I'll be shopping this weekend and will be sure to share when my table is picture-ready! What are your choices for a seasonal centrepiece?

(Shutterstock image)

Serve up some stylish cake

Entertaining season is upon us, and I'm starting to scope out the perfect serving ware to share sweet homemade treats -- whether I actually succeed in baking them, or end up picking them up at the local grocery store.

And, I can't help but appreciate this stunning cake server from Magisso.

The Finnish-designed server is made from a single piece of mirrored stainless steel and is pretty enough to display with all your holiday goodies. 

You press down on the cake with the server to cut "a perfect piece", then by squeezing the handle you can lift the slice and serve it to your guest.

It is definitely a splurge - retailing for almost $70.

And, some of my Twitter folks have expressed concern about how difficult it would be to clean. It certainly would require a thorough, and near-immediate, wipe to handle all that frosting!

For more information and retailers, visit Urban Butik's website. And check out some more goodies to entertain your holiday guests here!

Holiday reno stress?

The holidays mean friends, family and entertaining. It also means whipping your home into shape before guests arrive! This will be our first Christmas in our new home, so I'm feeling a little pressure to make it picture perfect in time for the holidays.

That means, among other things:

- Painting three bedrooms, along with potentially painting the hallway, kitchen and bathroom
- Replacing two light fixtures
- Glamming up my faux fireplace
- Getting a guest bed for the guest room
- Assembling the last book shelf and unpacking the rest of our books
- Tackling those last five or six boxes that have been hanging out unobtrusively in the guest bedroom closet

And, of course, filling the place with holiday decorations and festive cheer.

Can Mr. Speedy and I get it done? Maybe, but probably not. So I'm trying to prioritize, and keep repeating to myself that the only thing that absolutely needs to be done is a guest bed, so that said guests will have a place to sleep. Everything else will just be icing on the cake.

What about you? Do you feel pressured to complete a few projects around the house before the holidays? Let me know in the front page poll, and share your plans in the comments below. For more renovation inspiration, check out our articles on renos that pay, green renovations and safe DIY tips. 

Last week's poll, inspired by one artist's cool Spiderman makeover for his son's room, asked if readers would create a themed bedroom for their kids, with 29 per cent saying they would. Twenty-one per cent said they wouldn't do a superhero space or princess palace, and the remaining 50 per cent said they don't have kids.

And, for some more weekend reading, be sure to check out what happens when Colin and Justin channel a country vibe, find out what Colour Confidential's Jane Lockhart has to say about the hottest hues for your home, get the skinny on making your garden gorgeous for autumn and check out some gorgeous glass to spice up your home decor.

Mixing it up at the home show

The suave sixties ad men and their gorgeous wives and girlfriends on Mad Men have made mixing cocktails even cooler. And, with the entertaining season rapidly approaching, I figured I could use a few lessons on the topic! So, on Friday while perusing the Fall Home Show (more on that later), I made a point of sitting in on the cocktail session with Dee Brun.

Along with her mantra that "everything is better with vodka", she also taught us how to mix up some great cocktails (or mocktails) (check out the recipes here). And, to make it simple for us newbies, she only uses ingredients easily available at liquor and grocery stores, which means easy refills when you run out mid-party.

For a well-stocked bar cart, she recommends vodka, gin, rum, a fruity liqueur (she used the fabulously pink Xrated fusion liqueur at the show) and a lot of ice. Of course, a pretty shaker is also a must for all of us Mad Men wannabes.

Previously, I found mixing up a proper beverage a little bit daunting - I've always been more of a just pour and mix kind of gal, or, if I'm feeling adventurous, a little shake. But, after that session, not only did I want to drink but I also wanted to mix up a drink that required muddling -- or as she calls it "smushing." How could a squirt of simple syrup plus your item to be muddled and a few squishes with a spoon in a bowl have seemed so scary?

I also appreciated the styling tips! For pretty punch, Brun said she'll use a very tall rectangular vase, along with a long soup ladle. Isn't that so much trendier than your grandmother's enormous punch bowl? And instead of a clunky ice bucket, she brought out a small square glass vase filled with ice.

She also gets creative with the garnishes. To jazz up her chili martini (which includes peach juice, grape juice, muddled chili pepper and vodka) she showed rimming a martini glass with Cajun pepper, topping it with cranberries in a wine glass for a festive Thanksgiving look or garnishing it with a hot pepper in a highball glass for the manly men in your life. And, she says, you can make it as spicy as you like.

Another highlight was what she calls the "Canadian Liquid Breakfast Martini, Eh?" While I didn't taste test this one, other audience members said it tasted just like blueberry pancakes! With a mix of blueberries, maple syrup and, of course, vodka, doesn't it sound like a great thing to ease your way through those holiday brunches? Did I mention it can be rimmed with icing sugar?

What libations will you be serving this weekend? What are your tricks for the perfect cocktail (or mocktail)?

A tea-off? Sounds like my kind of contest!

'One Teakettle' to rule them all? That's the idea behind the World Kitchen (which counts Corelle, CorningWare and Pyrex among its subsidiaries) Tea-Off. The competition asked designers to update the classic teakettle, and, I must say, I'm impressed. Who would have thought the humble teakettle could be recreated in so many ways?

The winner, the "One Teakettle" by Chicago-based Vessel Ideation, is designed to both boil and serve your tea, with blue-on-white heat-activated designs that appear only when the kettle's contents are hot. It also has an "intuitive magnetic trivet" that attaches to the base only when it's hot, which lets you place it directly on the table for serving.

I, of course, desperately want the Space Invaders one. It toes the line between stylish and nerdy, making it perfect for Mr. Speedy and I. They also designed more classic china patterns for those who aren't quite ready to deck their servingware out with retro video game images.

There were also two impressive runners-up. Martin M. Giroud's "Spin", which is a sphere shaped kettle that is supposed to have a safer, and more controlled way to pour. You pour by sliding a switch that activates a mechanism to tip the spout (not the kettle) forward.

And TEA-GO, by New York's ram industrial design inc, is a heat and go, single cup, design. TEA-GO includes an electric base that allows the user to set the water temperature, a no-spill container, travel cup and a lip to facilitate the steeping and removal of tea bags.