I succumbed to the charms of these photos. It is a fact that the team of stylists at Martha Stewart often make us dream. Here why these photos are my favorite ideas of the moment.

+ Eating s’mores around a campfire is a treat. In case you were not aware of this tradition, the basic campfire s’mores recipe has been popularized by the Girl Scouts. It called for two pieces of chocolate bars sandwiched between two graham crackers. You toast the marshmallows and place it on the chocolate in order for the chocolate to melt. I find that it is simpler to spread Nutella and its adds the hazelnut taste. Martha found a way to make the process more stylish by making Star-topped s’more sticks.

+ I like the simplicity of the wild flower centerpieces. Plus learn how to make these Message-in-a-Bottle Place Cards. Go for flat surface bottles since they safer than using round glass bottles. Square bottles are not too hard to find.

+ How to illuminate your outdoor table can be challenge. The LED lights do not always works and they require batteries. Instead, you can built on the look of a chandelier by hanging a dozen heat resistant glass jars and votive holders from your umbrella. Be careful to position them so that your guests will not hit them with their head. Create a sense of movement by alternating the heights of each do-it-yourself lanterns. You will need chains and S hooks to create this project.

+ The Origami Picnic Basket is a space saver. Through a clever folding technique you will transform a five-foot square of oilcloth into a basket strong enough to carry your food and drinks from the car to the picnic spot. Make sure to use an oilcloth, not a regular fabric.

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Inspired by the fabulous work of LA-based event design Flite, I examined how to best use silk lanterns in a garden party to get a stunning effect. It starts with the superb Vietnamese silk lanterns, which are a lot more sophisticated than Chinese paper lanterns.

When you are hanging lanterns, mix the shapes and alternate colors. Pumpkin, diamond, teardrop, balloon, cocoon shapes work well together. I encourage you to mix solids and patterns within a hue family. A two-color palette is more elegant. For the garden wedding in violets, you can broaden the scheme by adding a few pink lanterns. I think this installation was really successful.

Since you will need a large number of lanterns to make a statement, it is often best to rent them. Plus, they will do the installation for you, including doing the wiring if your party continues after dark. An event design studio with a remarkable portfolio is Flite located in Los Angeles, California. Looking at their portfolio is a treat.

If you wish to do it yourself, you can find sources online. Vi Gallery sells 4 shapes of Hoi An Silk Lanterns in two sizes (medium $20 USD large $30 USD) in an array of colors. For a larger selection, check Asia2you, a retailer based in Wisconsin that ships everywhere. This is where I found these beautiful parasol lanterns.

SOURCING:
+ Silk Lanterns by Flite - Photo credits for my first collage: top left photo by Cat Gwynn and Ben Hoffman, top right photo by Louis Felix, second row photos by Mark Carolin
+ Orange pattern prosperity lantern on sale at $33.95 USD
+ Solid Orange prosperity lantern on sale at $31.15 USD

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On August 20th, 2009, there was an outstanding picnic party in Montreal. The Dîner en blanc (White Dinner) was imagined by François Pasquier 20 years ago. He ran 20 editions so far in Paris. His son Aymeric, who now lives in Montreal, organized the first edition in Montreal. A bid crowd invaded a large place in the city that is kept secret until the last minute. The goal is simply to pass a good time around a good meal in an unusual urban place.

For this chic affair, guests bring their picnic with a or two bottles of wine. In France, many people bring Champagne. Everyone must wear white clothes and people should dress up. If you own a gorgeous white hat, you should wear it. Besides the guests, the tables and chairs are all white.

Dîner en blanc encourages people to bring white china and to carry their food and drinks in a white basket or bag. Do not forget to bring your wine glasses, white linen napkins and a few tea votive candles for candlelight dining.

I love the concept because it is an elegant party where everybody pitched in. This is a true experience. Everyone that went was thrilled. As I discovered how they organized this large-scale picnic, I thought you could recycle the concept for a big outdoor reunion.

Set Up the Tables and Chairs

A bus brought the guests to the location. This process ensures a steady flow of people, which is key to the set up of the tables and chairs. In France, people bring their own chairs and tables. In Montreal, they were supplied.

The guests reserved as a twosome formed by a man and a woman. This is because the event design implies that you need to be accompanied by someone from the other gender.

Every pair/couple gets a specific place (row and number in the row). Each twosome received an overall floor plan to locate their row and a detailed plan of their section. Then, an orchestrated ballet started. Men picked their folding table and 2 chairs. Women grabbed the white tablecloth. You eyeball the location of your table in the row and as your table neighbors arrive you move to the right or to the left until the long communal table is built. It sounds complicated but it is not. 1200 guests were ready to sit down in less than 20 minutes last week.

All the men sit on one side while the women sit on the other side. The event design is based on symmetry. It is beautiful to see the alternating rows of people all dressed in white.

Fancy Food

The food that people bring is fancier than at a typical park picnic. If you do not wish to make it yourself, you can always ask a caterer to prepare the food for you. This way, it is already package to be carried around. With picnic basket on wheels, you can go the extra miles. I saw a Parisian couple who brought their cast-iron fondue pot to eat a cheese fondue.

Like I said, everyone that went to Montreal 2009 White Dinner had a fabulous time. I think that recycling their concept for your party in a park would be a hit. Watch this TV report from Radio-Canada about the first Dîner en blanc that happened in Montreal. Even if it is in French, just watching the images would give you a good idea of the event.

MORE:
+ Images from the Facebook group of the Montreal’s Dîner en blanc
+ Montreal’s Dîner en blanc

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First of all, you need to use loose leaves. No powder and no special machine. All you need to make the perfect iced tea is a glass jar, cold water, possibly a kettle, loose tea leaves, other ingredients to add flavor and garnishes.

Chances are that you make iced tea with hot water but I prefer the cold-brewed technique. I also enjoy the fact that it is simpler to prepare. I discovered the technique when I was in San Francisco in June. We stopped by a Lupicia shop to taste and buy tea leaves for my husband. The Grapefruit Green leaves make a sublime iced tea.

The Fridge Iced Tea Method

Cold-brewed iced tea is becoming more and more popular. It produces a more subtle tea than the hot-brewed technique. It is recommended to use filtered water or natural source water. You can use tap water as long as it is tasteless.

Basically, the cold-brewed iced tea method is done in 5 easy steps:

• Pour the cold water into a glass jar,
• Put your tea leaves in a generous size tea strainer,
• Place the tea on the fridge to infuse overnight,
• Remove the strainer in the morning,
• Pour you a glass filled with ice, garnish and enjoy your creation on the porch.

You can do two batches of iced teas with the same leaves. The second batch will be weaker but it will be still delicious.

The Teas Dictate Which Brewing Methods

Use hot water if you are making your iced tea with Assam, Ceylon or Darjeeling second flush. You can add fine sugar while the water is very hot. But I prefer to let people sweeten their tea they way they like it. Therefore, I serve simple syrup.

If you use flavored green teas, Japanese green teas, white teas and Darjeeling first flush, go for the cold-brewed method.

Lemon verbera and green tea mix very well. Lemon verbera has a strong lemon scent. If you rub the leaves, your finger will be filled by the wonderful scent. Elise of Simply Recipes published a Lemon Verbena Mint Herb Tea recipe.

Simple Rules for Making  Teas

If you want a stronger tea, have more leaves and respect the recommended infusion time. Never steep longer as it adds an unwanted bitter taste.

Know the ideal water temperature for your tea. Let the boiling water cools down a bit before pouring the water. if you are making hot-brewed iced tea, wait until it is cold before putting it on the fridge. Otherwise, your tea will be more cloudy than usual.

If you still prefer the hot-brewed technique, Chow published a Mint and Lime Iced Tea recipe done with green tea leaves.

MORE:
+ Lemon Verbena Mint Herb Tea recipe by Simply Recipes
+ Lupicia Handy Cooler 1 liter $18 USD
+ Grapefruit Green Leaves $5.50 for 50 g
+ Bodum Ceylon Iced Tea Maker and Water Infuser $23.57 USD
+ Mint and Lime Iced Tea recipe by Chow

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Montreal, like the rest of the North East region, is in a heat wave right now. We welcome the chance to eat outside at night. I started a search for cool ideas to enjoy the summertime. I found on design*sponge a few ideas to make your party a success.

+ To hang out outside all night, you can make your own lantern. Erik Anderson taught us how to turn a wine bottle into a modern backyard tiki torch.

+ Brooklyn-based photographer Tara Donne made a Rhubarb and Strawberry Compote that she served with Aged Balsamic and Ricotta. It looks delicious.

+ From Buenos Aires, Eliza Jane Curtis prepared fresh appetizers by replacing the typical bread or biscuits by a cucumber. Get her recipes of Boursin filling, hummus and more tasty combinations. Eliza created height on her buffet simply by raising a plate with a cafe au lait bowl.

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For the start of the weekend, I wish to inspire you to organize an easy get-together with your friends.  This is a time to have fun, have great conversations and laughs. You will find for each picture, the recipes on Martha’s site.

+ If you are planning a picnic style, go for the Chicken Sandwich Menu made of Heirloom Tomato Salad with Garlic Oil, Grilled Potato Slices with Salt and Vinegar and Grilled Chicken Sandwiches with Mustard. Serve a Peach-and-Basil Crumbles for dessert.

+ Explore a hint of Spanish culture with the Tortilla Espanola Menu proposed a a saffron-infused potato omelet, asparagus with sherry vinegar. The meal starts with roasted piquillo peppers stuffed with goat cheese.

+ The Wine Mussels Menu starts with Flageolet Bean and Frisee Salad, Mussels in White Wine and Garlic served with french fries and Blueberry Upside-Down Cake for dessert

+ Opt for Mexican ingredients with Grilled Shrimp and Chorizo on Skewers for the main dish, Cabbage-and-Herb Slaw with Oranges and Grilled Corn with Cilantro Salt for the side, Tequila-Soaked Watermelon Wedges for dessert

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I saw that trick yesterday at the Fairmont San Francisco. I had to share it with you. It looks great on the cucumber water and the lemon water as shown here. But it would be even better for sangria, punch and any other summery cocktails.

The idea is that instead of putting the ice cubes directly in the drink, which will water down your drink on a hot day, you insert a tall square vase into a jar to separate the ice cubes from your beverage. A tall square vase is easy to find at your local florist shops.

Depending on the beverage, it may be appropriate to place an ice bucket with tongs next to the jar to fill the glasses with ice cubes before serving.

If you wish to make your own flavored water, check out my recipes:

+ Cucumber and Rosemary Water + Citrus and Apple Water
+ Spa cucumber water

Take a tasty cucumber, the fresher the better. Cucumber with smaller seeds delivers a more refined look.

September 26th, 2009 Update: Since this post, I learned that the manufacturer of these square canisters is Cal-Mil. Click here for more details.

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Without going into details, I needed some relaxing views today; you may have noticed that my blog was down for a couple hours. It happens as I was sitting and live blogging at the Social Gaming Summit 2009 in San Francisco.

Therefore, I was glad when I came across this amazing modern architecture project done in Ireland by LiD Architecture. I found my dreamy moment for the day.

LiD Architecture created a lounging indoor space that opens up to a cool outdoor space. The fireplace, the in-ground flower bed and the small pond are beautiful. If it was my space, I would prefer a deeper outdoor space so it would be easier to put furniture outside. But otherwise, it is a great place.

CREDITS:
+ Photography by Christopher Heaney and LID Architecture
+ Via Comtemporist

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If there is a place in your house where you can infuse an array of colors is your backyard. You use mostly in sunny days and at night under candle lights.

Most manufacturer of outdoor tableware and accessories produce their products in 3 to 5 colors. Take advantage of that fact and mix colors. The key is to create a sense of repetitions. You can accomplish that through different methods.

Here is a technique that produces a sophisticated look. Select a pattern with four or five distinctive main colors as the starting point and select the rest of the accessories or furniture in solid colors of the main colors in the pattern. This is what happen with the sun loungers and the paper lanterns.

Getting the items in all colors will create a sense of continuity as long as there is always the same number of items per color. To make it easy for you if you are unsure of what goes with what, look at color packs.

I found all these affordable products that could transform your backyard in a festive oasis at UK-retailer Next Home. I wish they have a store in North America because I would visit them often.

SOURCING:
+ Small wood parasol, director’s chairs and Panama dining table parasol £30, chairs and table £50 each
+ Mesh lounger and Floral Lounger £25 each
+ Patterned Paper Lanterns £10 for set of 3 – two floral and one green
+ Plain Paper Lanterns £10 for set of 3, orange, pink, green
+ Bright Mini Lanterns £12 for 4 color pack
+ Plastic tableware
+ Glass Votive Tealight Set £12 for 4 color pack

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Whenever possible, I reuse and recycle tableware and decorations for designing my parties. By interchanging some table accessories and the menu, your party will look and feel different. Here changing the table cloth plus a few decorative allows you to create a look for Father’s Day and another for the Fourth of July.

This theme plays with red and blue. You could bring the star at the fourth of July through food presentation. Serve slices of carambola as a side dessert for example.

I selected picnic accessories from Crate and Barrel to illustrate the principles of this concept.

+ Preserve Flatware $5.95 USD for 8 place settings, 24-piece set
+ Bamboo Picks $2.95 USD
+ Alethia Stripe Napkin on sale $1.95 USD, reg. $3.95
+ Star Candleholders on sale $1.50 each, reg. $2.95 in red and blue
+ Carnavale Picnic Blanket $39.95 USD

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Although most Americans treat the Memorial Day’s weekend as the start of summer, it technically happens on June 21st.  Use the longest day of the year as an excuse for hosting a party in your backyard or at the beach. I would start the party around 5 pm and plan for a late night finish.

I like the do-it-yourself square room that they created with 4 poles and white fabric. You can do it with bamboo or use a grouping of trees as the main structure. Lay down deep cushions and picnic throws on the grass. Or transform a flat wooden lounge chair into a day bed. The ÄPPLARÖ chaise lounge at IKEA is pecfect for that because this pool lounger lays absolutely flat and you can sit at both the ends. I owned it. It is a great buy for the prize.

Prepare in advance a few pitchers (one or many according to the number of guests) of white sangria, Berry Vodka Spritzers or a Ginger Ale, Mint and Gin drink. This way, you have you are all set for the entire party. You could freeze the fruits the night before. The frozen fruits would cool your drink longer. As a bonus, it reduces the amount of ice cubes you will need.

Put the food table and bar station under a pop-up canopy. It helps preserve the freshness of your food and drink from the sun and protects against a sudden rain fall. These days, you can find very affordable option. Having the mosquito netting is a good option for not serving food to insects.

CREDITS
+ Summer Solstice Party: photography by Rob Howard for Real Simple
+ Food stations: photography by Miki Duisterhof for Real Simple
+ ÄPPLARÖ chaise lounge $129 – Same price in Canada and the United States

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Festa caught my eyes with its sunny summer tones and a comprehensive line. At last, a melamine collection that proposes a mingle plate. Party Dish is practical and beautiful. It is well-thought with a whole to hold solidly the plate, a wine holder and a recessed plate to make sure nothing falls when you walk and socialize.

Eight elements compose Festa. It includes a dining plate, a fruit/dessert plate, a sectional barbecue plate, a social plate (party dish), serving bowls, cups/soup bowls and utensils. Festa is white inside to highlight food. The exterior is available in 4 colors: yellow, orange, red and green.

Sebastian Conran is the son of Sir Terence Conran and the brother of Sophie Conran, the baker and designer of tableware for Portmeirion that I owned.

SOURCING:
+ Festa Collection by Guzzini $9.99 – $19.99 CAD at Cuisine Gourmet

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