Pretty pink flower arrangement for the holidays

Flowers arrangements are such a pleasure to design, and an even greater joy to offer. So why not combining the two by creating a stunning arrangement you can give as a gift? During the Holiday season, I'm always looking for original ideas to convey our love and appreciation for those around us. Offering something we have handcrafted ourselves is not only meaningful for us, but also for the person that will receive it. Thanks to their natural beauty, amazing floral gift rhymes with easy.

The featured design is an easy monochrome arrangement made out of three different types of roses: standard rose, spray rose and rose hips, which is the fruit of the rose plant. Because roses are always available in a wide range of colors, you can choose a different hue that will better reflect the emotion you are wanting to convey, or the recipient’s preferences.

Simply tie a beautiful ribbon with a note card around the container, and in no time, you will have created a beautiful gift filled with love and special meaning.

The arrangement presented here without ribbon. Plant pot from IKEA 


The addition of ribbon creates the perfect gift for the Holiday Season.

Pink rose arrangement

1 tall white container (6” – 16 cm)
1 brick of Oasis foam
12 roses, pink
10 stems of spray roses, pink
1 stem of rose hips
Short sticks made out a small tree branch*
Moss*
Ribbon
Note card

* Available at Art & Craft stores

Soak your oasis bricks and shape it to fit the ceramic container, leaving enough space to add water. Bevel the edge of the foam and add water.

Start by placing your standard roses, inserting the stems at a 45° angle. Try to group your flowers and turn the arrangement as you design it, to make sure you achieve a visual balance. The stems will be rather short, with at least 2” being inserted in the foam.

Continue with the spray roses, inserting them by cluster. Remove the flowers located on the lower section of the branch and insert them individually. This will help create a round form where all the flowers heads are at the same level. Insert the clusters of rose hips last.

Finish your design by adding the short sticks on the higher part and the moss around the edge of the container. You can secure the moss with some pins made out of a wire. The moss and sticks are adding texture and volume to this arrangement.

If the arrangement is a gift, tie the ribbon around the container and include your note card.

Flavorful Mini Pizzas

Finger food is an important element to any successful party. Because of their convenient size, guests can enjoy them while sipping their drinks and exchanging conversations. They can be dressed up for formal events or dressed down for more casual gatherings. Many catering businesses are specializing in preparing these little delicacies and they certainly represent your best ally if you are planning a big event. If however, your plans converge toward a more intimate happening, we may have what you are looking for: an easy recipe that will delight your guests.

The featured recipe is a delicate and flavorful mini pizza. Depending on your preferences, the pizza can be prepared with a soft French Gruyère or a sharper blue cheese. In no time, you will have these elegant mini pizzas out of the oven and ready to be the perfect companion to a glass of champagne or a red wine. Cheers!

Mini Pizzas
(Recipe for 18 – 20 mini pizzas)

2 sheets of high quality puff pastry
1 cup (250ml) of your preferred tomato sauce
½ b (220g) of shredded Gruyère or blue cheese
2/3 lb (300g) of cherry tomatoes, sliced in two
½ lb (200g) of black olives, pitted
4 stems of Basil
Salt & pepper


Preheat the oven at 390˚F (200˚C)

Use a 2 ½’ (6cm) round cutter to cut 18 – 20 rounds from the pastry and place them on the baking sheets that were beforehand covered with parchment paper. Top each round with a teaspoon of the tomato sauce, then add the cheese and 2 half cherry tomatoes. Finish the pizza by adding a leaf of basil (or half a leaf, depending on the size) and the black olive on the top.

Bake for 18-20 minutes or until the pastry is golden and puffed. Turn out immediately into a cooling tray. The mini pizzas can be served warm or at room temperature.

Mushroom tartlets with goat cheese

L’esprit Sud Magazine is presenting today another delicious finger food to include in your hostess repertoire: mushroom tartlets with goat cheese. If you like mushrooms, this easy and tasteful recipe will without a doubt, become one of your favorite appetizers to prepare. Another original way to prepare these tartlets is by baking them in muffin tins with the puff pastry on the top of the mushroom mixture. The result will be an incredible mushroom tarte tatin. So do not be afraid to experiment with the 2 alternatives as your guests will for sure say “encore”.

Happy holiday season!

Mushroom tartlets with goat cheese
(Recipe for 16 - 20 mini tarts)

1 tbsp of olive oil
2 tbsp (30g) of butter
9 oz (250g) of button mushrooms
1 clove of garlic, crushed
1 ½ tbsp of brown sugar
¼ cup (60ml) of red wine vinegar
Sea salt and cracked black pepper
1 sheet store-bought, ready-rolled puff pastry
9 oz (250g) of goat curd
Chervil leaves, to serve


Preheat the oven at 395˚F (200˚C) and line a cookie sheet with wax paper.

Heat the oil and butter in a non-stick frying pan over high heat. Add the mushrooms and cook for 3-5 minutes or until browned. Add the garlic, sugar, vinegar, salt and pepper and cook for a further 1 minute or until caramelized. Set aside.

Use a 2 ½” (6 cm) round cookie cutter to cut 16 – 20 rounds from the pastry and place on the baking sheet. Divide the mushroom mixture between the rounds. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until the pastry is golden and puffed. Turn out immediately onto a baking tray. Top with the goat’s cheese and chervil leaves to serve.

Notes

1) Goat’s curd is fresh goat’s cheese with the consistency of thick yogurt. It is available from specialty food store. If unavailable, substitute with a soft goat cheese.

2) Original recipe adapted from Donna Hay magazine.