At Home with Kim Vallee

DINING, FOOD + drinks | March 2, 2010

My Take on 4 Cooking Tips from Martha Stewart

Amongst the Top 40 Good Things on Martha Stewart, I feel that 4 truly makes a difference when you cook. 1. Mise en place The “mise en place” is the first cooking lesson that my mother taught me. I still do it today. If you prepare all the ingredients – meaning cutting, slicing, measuring – before starting to [...]

ENTERTAINING, EVERYDAY entertaining | March 2, 2010

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Infuse a Burst of Flavor in Ice Cubes and Water

Today, it feels like Spring in Montreal. I am thinking about summer drinks to serve on a terrace. Here are a few tips to cheer up water and cocktails. Drop berries, herbs, strips of citrus zest and ginger bits before you add water to your ice cube trays. It cannot be simpler than that. Adding Tonic [...]

HOME + GARDEN, ORGANIZING | January 11, 2010

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Tips To Keep an Organized Closet

Chick Advisor gave us 6 steps to an Organized Closet. One suggestion is to place your hangers in backwards after every big cleanup. Flip the hanger the other way once you worn something. After a few months, you can get rid of the clothes that are still backwards since you clearly do not want to [...]

ENTERTAINING, HOLIDAY entertaining | December 20, 2009

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Gingerbread Houses Fitted for the Edge of a Mug

Wow! I declare it the most holiday baking I have seen this year. Megan of Not Martha did it. If you can resist the urge to make your own tiny gingerbread houses that perch on the edge of your mug, hurry to Not Martha for the instructions. I like how Megan decorated each gingerbread house. [...]

ENTERTAINING, HOLIDAY decorations | December 13, 2009

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The Making of my Christmas Tree

It has been 6 years since I made a Christmas tree at home. But this year, I was unable to resist the urge to deck my home with a festive tree. It also meant that I needed to come up with a brand new Christmas theme. The Design The craftsy animal ornaments were my starting point. Except [...]

ENTERTAINING, HOLIDAY entertaining | November 18, 2009

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Achieving Turkey Perfection the Simplest Way

If you avoid the traditional Thanksgiving dishes because you feel it take too much work but your family request a roasted turkey, you will be pleased to know that Gourmet found a no-fuss way to cook a golden-brown skin turkey with moist, tender white and dark meat. Simply seasoned the turkey with salt and pepper, [...]

ENTERTAINING, TABLESCAPE | November 16, 2009

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Napkin Folding: Diagonal Pocket for a Fresh Look

The diagonal pocket fold is not harder to make than the (square) pocket napkin fold. I prefer the diagonal pocket fold for its elegance. It is a twist on the basic silverware pouch. The difference is that you create a band instead of simply diagonally folding the top layer (step 1). I think that the [...]

CAKES and baked goods, ENTERTAINING | October 27, 2009

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How to Make Spider Web Icing

To conclude today’s marathon on Halloween treats, I am leaving you a link to a tutorial I spot on Bake at 350. You can learn how to make this awesome two-color spider Web icing. The technique is demonstrated on cookies but it could be adapted for decorating cupcakes. Bridget of Bake at 350 is a source [...]