Entertaining Tips – Debbie-Ann Scott

top 10 decorating ideas | home 4 Christmas

Christmas, Entertaining Outside the Box, entertaining products, Entertaining Tips, gifts from the heart, let's talk tables, special events at home

Keep Calm … Christmas is Coming

A few friends have asked recently why they haven’t heard from me lately. Good question! In truth, I think the Christmas mayhem hit home earlier than usual. At times like this, we often find ourselves overwhelmed by all the pre-Christmas house guests, the gift shopping, the food shopping (which generally starts a good month out), the festive social encounters, and getting the house looking like it’s just a little bit of Christmas. The action plan keeps growing by the minute (a little like my waistline at Christmas…argh!).

Why is it that we place so much pressure on ourselves in the lead up to Christmas? If I consider my relentless need to create, update and mark off a daily action plan, I suspect the problem could well be me.

Despite the mayhem and energy that drains me like the kitchen sink, I adore Christmas. Bringing together family, friends, fun, love, and laughter is worthwhile.

Our house consists of two these days … and yet this does not stop me from filling our home with Christmas joy. It is about creating a festive welcome for every guest who visits. Share the cheer, I say!

Let’s get to the more exciting part of entertaining at Christmas, home decorations! What better excuse than Christmas to pull out all your little bits and pieces and apply some decorating glory.

1: Christmas tree | black is black

A busy working mum said that she did not have time to put up a Christmas Tree for her children. She is so busy juggling her business, house and children, and I am sure many of us know exactly what that feels like (well, at least remember what that felt like). She is so not alone. Many of us feel overwhelmed, yet if we take a breath, we might find that decorating can be one of the most mindful things you can do leading up to the Christmas mayhem.

Decorations need not be extravagant or complicated work. Find a theme and do more with less.

This year I have gone with a lit black Christmas Tree adorned with baubles (a great eBay find). Black is more contemporary, and I love how the black worked back with an abundance of colourful, bauble splendour.

Photo | well, isn’t this a little ray of pitch black!

2: bauble delight

Each year I grow my collection of Christmas baubles. I invest in 10 new ones each year, in different colours and styles. Baubles work for me with a touch of heart here and there, while another friend has a collection of birds. I go with a more lux look while she has a more natural organic look. We love many of the same things, yet we both create entirely different looks. I love that! Share ideas, and then go make them yours.

photo | the more colourful, the better

3: light show | the easy way

I purchased a few outdoor lamps online this year. They were inexpensive and yet gave a great splash of Christmas cheer … with nothing more than the click of the switch. You don’t have to spend weeks installing outdoor lighting (but please don’t let that stop those who provide such magical wonder); you just place this in your yard, shine it on your house, and have an instant light show in red or green.

I plan to also install one in our internal courtyard for our Christmas dinner. In seconds it showers thousands of lights and movement all over the walls. What is a little more movement when the house is already awash with so many busybodies?

photo | google laser light

4: glorious tulle

Personally, I adore tulle (while my friend again prefers more natural fibres). The softer tulle gives a softer look and is easier to work with. It is a cheap way to get some wow. Fill gaps in your tree with a handful of tulle, which can resemble a rose when bunched correctly.

photo | naturally black tulle for a black tree

5: doing more with less

Hint | Don’t attempt to fill the entire house with decorations, as this can sometimes resemble decoration mania and quickly go from elegant to overwhelming. Focus on various locations throughout your home that you can decorate…more with less.

Don’t forget to layer your Decorations. So much more attractive to the eye.

Photo | decorations don’t need to be expensive!

photo | don’t forget your little touch of cheer in the guest bathroom

6: wrapping up Christmas

Wrapped boxes to match your tree makes for a gorgeous complementary look. Better still, shop where they wrap your gifts which can then be placed under your tree and create some additional wow (the added bonus of shopping in the same shop is that the packages all look lovely in the same boxes and paper).

Photo | we have a bit of a Chanel thing happening this year, so there is no great surprise for my family here.

7: the power of flower

Flowers are a gorgeous Christmas inclusion, yet they can cost the earth and not last past a few days! This is an already expensive time of the year. I prefer investing in white potted orchids because they keep giving for months and months (if you talk to them nicely and don’t overwater them). Dried stems can also look equally as attractive.

Photo | this orchid has been given back to me for 18 months. I am still astounded by its kindness.

8: secret scents

Loads and loads of candles always look fabulous at Christmas. Combine plain with scented because nothing looks better than when it gives off a wonderful scent.

Hint | tie bunches of cinnamon sticks together with black ribbon (or a colour of your choice) and place them in your tree to add another beautiful slight secret scent.

photo | there can never be too many fairy lights

9: adorn the table with all your little wonders

Your table is a great space to decorate. You can provide a look filled with Christmas decorations before and on Christmas Day. Load your table with anything you think looks festive, and move it around. Add coloured stones, candles, nuts, potted herbs, etc. My husband knows that the table is not for eating in December.

I appreciate this is not terribly practical if you need to use your table in the lead up to Christmas, but since when has practicality played a role in the art of decorating? Remember to layer your table and add your little treasures here and there to make a gorgeous splash of Christmas. Many looks can be achieved very affordably.

Don’t be limited by colour. Christmas does not need to be red and green, you know.

Photo | Lesley would be proud of me for shopping at K Mart and buying a few table decorations. So affordable and so good!

9: all plated up

I cannot believe that we are switching to disposable plates this year (can you hear me gasp). We are opting for a more leisurely Christmas Dinner, and paper plates come with that option. Finding the ones that actually look great on the table can be a challenge. So many of the more decorative plates are way too small and very expensive. So, what to do? I opted for a mix of more expensive paper plates, which I now plan to team back with a cheaper Coles variety.

photo | paper plates and paper napkins – mix up for larger gatherings

10: just how sweet can one get?

Don’t forget the lolly jar. When you fill it too early (as we have done), you will just need to keep on refilling. Every house should be filled with lollies for our little treasures and big kids.

How can I do a Christmas blog without sharing a pav! I tried this one out last night to see how we could make it look more like Christmas. Add some pistachio and dried raspberries to a brittle, and then add the shards to the top of the pav for a little added wow! Note, however, I had 3 goes at this before I got the brittle to look more like shards and less like a slab of peanut brittle. The key I found is to make sure the sugar is totally melted before bringing it to a boil.

Sending you loads of love and sugar!

tip | removing candle wax & water stains

Entertaining Tips, on a personal note..., special events at home

Tip 1 | When candle wax falls on your stone bench (as it did on mine), your first thought is, that the bench is ruined. Naturally, I had purchased dripless candles (dripless my foot), and by the end of the evening, the wax was all over the benchtop (so nasty).

Possibly you already know how to resolve this, and yet despite the many years I have on my odometer, I didn’t! There might be a reason my husband calls me “Mrs Google”, and yet, thankfully, for google, the day was saved.

Google | to the rescue. I scraped (ever so carefully) the excess wax off the benchtop with a blunt knife (in my case, a butter knife). Then I placed paper towels directly on top of the wax and put warm iron on the paper towels. I continued doing this until all the wax melted its way onto the paper towels. BTW…paper towels are my best friend in the kitchen! I can’t move sideways without grabbing a paper towel for one thing or another.

It worked! I restored our stone bench. p.s. my sister said she does this (who needs Google when you have a sister), and yet she uses a brown paper bag! You can use either, yet I don’t find too many paper bags in my house, whereas I can find a cupboard full of paper towels.

Photo | my trusted paper towels and the iron did the trick!

Tip 2| It was only a year earlier that I awoke to a water stain on our dining room table (a dinner party and teapot can do this). I don’t do colours well and thought the table would need to be put out on the next verge pick up.

Fortunately, before I had time to do this (and the table is a tad heavy), I googled and found on YouTube that several videos showed you how to iron the water stain out of your table. I could not believe it! I considered sending the table out to the ironers (just kidding…remember it is too heavy), and it worked just like magic.

Photo | With stain and photo below post stain!

The only difference with the water stain was that I had to cover the colour with a tea towel and then with a steam iron and iron away (I started ever so slowly)! I so wished I had taken a video of myself doing this so that I, too, could join the world on YouTube. And yet I wasn’t quite sure how to handle iron in one hand and my iPhone in the other. Trust me, it works! Our table was saved for another occasion.

I will buy my husband one of those t-shirts, “I don’t need Google; I have my wife”. 💋

cheese please | platters

Entertaining Outside the Box, entertaining products, Entertaining Tips, it's all about the food, special events at home

“Life is too short for fake butter, cheese or people” SheFinds

After a fabulous relaxing girlie week in Bali, I got to spend a further girlie week with two wonderful friends in our equally fabulous South West. Life just keeps getting better!

We did what every great woman does; relaxed, slept, movied, chatted lots (and naturally the world is now a better place) and dare I mention we ate lots!

I ask myself, why it is, that in my life, all roads lead back to food? Maybe we will let that one slide for the time being. Girl time is such an important time for me (and I hope for you). While food fills your belly, girl talk fills your head and heart. All three of us are experiencing little brain freezes for one reason or another (mostly treatment-related) and this at times makes for a very funny conversation. It feels great to be able to laugh at yourself in safe company. The beauty is that when I think back to those conversations I can’t remember them! Girls your conversations are safe with me. I have become the most trusted friend of all, the keeper of secrets because I can’t damn well remember them! Well, some maybe.

Each night, we pulled out the rather large cheeseboard and pretty much emptied the fridge onto it. It was surprising how that small fridge just kept on giving back to us.

We purchased our little “girl in bathers” in Bellagio, Italy last year (so important that I add this bit to the story, serving no or little purpose whatsoever other than to say we went to Italy) and she now has a home in our beach house, oh and of course sometimes on the cheeseboard (for that little bit of drama).

Photo | girl in bathers and cheeseboard (cheeseboard from Empire Homewares, Mt Lawley and small bowls by Ecology). Cheeses are no longer whole after a few nights of being regurgitated time and time again onto that same board.

The cheeseboard became our happy time of day. Where we sat together around the table, with a drink in hand (and surprisingly mostly sparkling water filled with delicious fresh berries and fruit). Some of you might argue the toss that a “Claytons Cocktail” cannot possibly be as good as the real thing, and yet it tricked this little brain of mine.

Susie tried to teach us Bridge, which is difficult with only three people (and remember women who are experiencing memory malfunction). She made it more difficult by creating a fictitious fourth player named “Drongo”. So I found myself playing my hand and the hand of this idiot named Drongo and I am starting to think that maybe Susie had intended the name for me. It was difficult juggling my hand, the hand of Drongo and a fist full of cheese and biscuits.

Not every night was filled with quite so much food (oh…maybe most), however, we did manage to bring out the smaller board on one occasion as the fridge stock tragically started its slow descent into nothingness and was fast becoming depleted of all things delicious.
Photo | a BIG cheeseboard is the next best thing to an Italian long table!

Photo | a small board can work just as well (small blue and white coasters, doubling as small serving plates from Ecology).

I love a great cheese board! For me, it needs to be packed and is a great excuse to clean out your fridge (remembering to keep it fresh). It should result in an abundance of glory on the board. Done well, this can also double as an alternative to a dessert at a dinner party. You could add a few sweet treat items and fresh fruits to the cheese board, and voila, dessert is done!

A few ideas | homemade rocky road, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, walnuts, pistachio nuts, dark chocolate, dried apricots and how about trying your hand at homemade violet crumble.

Check out my Pinterest boards (Debbie-Ann Scott) for more ideas – photos saved under the board titled “Event Food | Cheese & Fruit”. I have 220 photos that have been pinned to this board alone. Many an hour has been wasted pinning!

Photo | cheeseboard from Empire Homewares, Mt Lawley

Photo | Tom Dixon cheeseboard

While cheese plays a massive role on a board, it is more than just cheese. It is about the board, the plating and the other wonderful items which fall onto the board as little bits of heaven. Imagine your board with just cheese, biscuits and grapes for example. How bland! Cheese needs to sit alongside rich colours and flavours, anything which is in season.

Photo | a recent backyard party – talk about a massive cheese board! The fairy lights simply added impact.

Investing in a couple of great cheese boards is an investment well made. Ideally, three boards are best. A small one for more intimate grazing, a medium for a dinner party for 8-10 and a massive one for that dinner party when you need to please a much larger crowd. I won’t tell you how many we have!!! They are starting to look a little like my napkin collection.

Photo | cheeseboard by Tom Dixon comes in many shapes and sizes

Photo |farmhouse serveware from the Ecology range. A gorgeous new (and massive) whitewash cheeseboard just waiting to be filled.

Photo | long-styled boards perfect for grazing platters.

No ordinary butter | Of course, we made our butter! Nothing beats (and trust me there is a lot of beating and is the reason why every girl should have a sister) homemade butter!

Tip |As a minimum you should have the following 3 kinds of cheese on your board. Don’t forget the honeycomb!

soft cheese

hard cheese

blue cheese

💋

cooking class in Bali | the fish that should have got away

dinner parties, Entertaining Tips, it's all about the food

I am relaxing at the Bali InterContinental Resort about to share in an Indonesian Cooking Class organised by Encanta.

Yes, how exciting a Perth based PCO managing events in the warmth and accomodating Bali, and they have been running this particular medical conference here for the past three years. They say the life of a PCO is tough!

Last night, I watched a delegate walk into the welcome reception (located outdoors, on the grass, overlooking the ocean as the sun set, barefoot and thongs in hand). I thought how wonderful and how quickly delegates relax in a location such as this.

Photo | Sunset Bar

The hotel is secluded within boundaries of the exclusive Jimbaran Bay overlooking the beach. The Resort is reasonably isolated from the busier parts of Bali, and this is music to my ears. It is exactly the location I was looking for, tranquil, despite being full, the space here is so abundant that you can sit on a daybed (as I did yesterday, overlooking the calmest of calm lakes, and feeling that the world had stopped for 4 blissful hours). I barely saw a soul that entire time. Talking about soul, how totally soulful!

Photo | Tranquility and Peace

Naturally the delegates and their partners are taking full advantage of the day spa and its many services and treatments and I am reminded that with each treatment (trust me there have been a few) the Balinese women truly make you believe that they love what they are doing. Each treatment, you are left feeling just a little bit more loved and pampered.

Photo | Day Spa Ritual

So the cooking class, which Encanta organised for the accompanying partners (and lucky me gets to do this as well…after all it was a birthday gift from Alison) starts with a bus ride into the bustling seafood markets (which is interesting given I am allergic to seafood and you will never see me serving seafood at our table). The smell is often more offensive than the side effects from eating it. It is very likely that I will be that difficult person who declines the walk through the markets. I don’t think this girl is ready to come face to face with any big fat or small groper today (and is there even a fish called groper)?

Let me not digress, after all my blog is all about food and entertainment, not self indulgence and tranquility (seriously…food is all about self indulgence)!

So proud of myself! I thought stop being a wimp and get on that bus headed for the seafood markets, and I did!

I made it off the bus, right to the front door of the markets, took one whiff and pulled away, and I am left asking myself what am I doing…a seafood cooking class…I must be seriously mad!

The gracious Chef from the hotel takes pity on me after seeing the distraught look etched across my face, and I am liking this man just a little bit more now.

Photo | Chef and Seafood Markets behind

I see a man, resembling an Australian (maybe the thongs). His plate is not filled but piled with prawn shells. I have a vision of the inside of his belly and trust me it is not the prettiest thought. I think he has just eaten someone else’s lifetime supply of prawns in one sitting. He even let me photograph his plate, quite possibly unaware how the photo would be used.

Photo |let me say no more…

Photo | this is quite possibly one of the ugliest photos I have seen! Taken by Stacey who was couragious enough to venture inside the markets! What is it…a groper? Definitely think it should have gotten away this one.

OMG how fantastic am I!

I made it to the front door of the markets. Who would have thought and all I can think is, how totally disgusting! I think maybe I might throw myself under a passing motorbike, which pretty much happens without me even trying.

I am thrilled that I get to now sit under a canopy, far enough away from the markets and my nostrils start to clear (and yet sadly the smell still etched in my brain) looking out onto another glorious and tranquil beach.

Photo | Beach on Jimbaran Bay, near the seafood markets

The Cooking Class | Note all recipes provided below

Shopping for seafood is complete and we are back at the hotel. We arrive at the InterContinentals famous Japanese Restaurant, Ko, to commence a further 3 hour cooking class.

The restaurant is exclusively ours, and the Teppanyaki Bar is filled with glorious fruits, vegetables, and gorgeous Indonesian spices and yes…seafood.

Photo | Cooking Class area

My white orchids which I have at home in a very minor way are everywhere here and in such great abundance that I am suffering a massive dose of orchid envy.

My Chefs hat keeps falling off my head and I am hoping it is a child’s size as opposed to the size of my head. It erks me just a little that Liousa’s hat fits perfectly and yet beware of the woman with a small head and massive knife.

Photo | Luisa ready for action

What fabulous value; a bus ride to the markets with our lovely chef, water supplied throughout, our group is exclusively seated around the stunning Japanese Bar of the Ko Restaurant, a chefs apron and hat (which on my head is now looking a little more like a member of the ku klux klan than a chef), chopping board and massive chefs knife sharper than sharp. Added to this cooking class we get to enjoy a substantial 4 course meal with an abundance of red and white wine flowing.
Photo | Stacey trying her hand at cooking (note hand…because the other has wine in it)

Luckily for me my meal was especially prepared (no seafood) and I am eternally grateful. Staff constantly refresh our scented hand towels, and I see the mess Luisa makes alongside me and I start to understand why (sorry Liousa, but you don’t get to be the spunky model and be tidy).

Don’t worry, all the recipes have been provided below for the seafood die hards and my brother.

By this stage I am starting to feel very special as my meals start coming my way and this includes the Gado Gado (my Father’s favourite), photographed below.

We have made our way through four courses and drank a little more wine than we possibly should and I start to think that any moment now I might die and fly away to heaven…but hey what a way to go…totally stuffed with food! How good is life!

Seafood Menu

Note | this salad menu above is pictured below with the prawn wrapped banana leaf

Photo | Dessert and the recipe will be added shortly

To finish, the resort’s head chef (French and need I say more) came to welcome us and thank us! Perfect way to finish a perfect cooking class!

Thank you Alison for 5 wonderful hours. The perfect birthday present!
Thank you Encanta, the perfect accompanying partner event. You did well yet again!
Can’t talk anymore, at the spa after yet another exhausting day in Bali!
Photo | waiting for Balinese massage

it’s all about the food | dinner menu

dinner parties, entertaining products, Entertaining Tips, it's all about the food, let's talk tables, special events at home

It is An Ottolenghi inspired dinner party for 12 guests.

I am blogging this from Bali, surrounded by the many wonderful foods and let’s not mention cocktails at sunset. What better time than right now to blog about food! So here goes, my blog on a dinner party for 12, which includes the menu and photos from a recent dinner party held at our table. Hope it inspires you for your next home entertaining.

Starters | Ottolenghi’s Labneh with Olives, Pistachios and Oregano. Search http://www.ottolenghi.co.uk for this recipe. The best thing about this is that you can make the labneh 2 days ahead of your dinner party. You can cut up all the other bits and pieces and store them in small containers, ready to serve at the night. I served this with Lebanese flatbreads purchased from the Lebanese shop (I was too lazy to make the yoghurt flatbreads from my earlier blog).

Entree | Antipasto Platters and small serving dishes. Again this is a very easy option because everything can be prepared ahead of time and stored in the fridge. I prepared 2 antipasto plates, one for each end of the table. To accompany this was fresh baguettes and flatbreads. Don’t forget the olive oil and balsamic vinegar and those little dishes of other lovely antipasto items such as olives, marinated capsicum, dried fruits and the likes.

Main Meal | Simple Spinach Salad with spinach leaves, roasted tomatoes, purple onion, pinenuts and a great dressing of zesty olive oil, lemon and honey dressing. Again you can prepare the dressing ahead of the dinner party and throw it together at the last minute.

Ottolenghi’s Roast Potatoes and Jerusalem Artichokes. All Ottolenghi’s recipes can be googled if you cannot find them in one of his cookbooks. This is one of my favourite potato dishes. If you cannot find Jerusalem artichokes you can substitute using water chestnuts which can be purchased in a tin. I have tried both and I prefer the tinned water chestnuts because they give a slightly nuttier result. I always make more than is needed. It is a great left-overs dish.

Ottolenghi’s Za’atar Roasted Chicken Breast | is another of my favourite dishes because the chicken is packed with flavour. Check with your butcher when purchasing the chicken breast, bone-in, skin-on, that they can supply medium size breasts. These were massive and it felt as if you were eating a full chicken. I would have preferred smaller breasts so that our guests didn’t have to experience an “I feel stuffed” kind of moment.

Ottolenghi’s Meringue Roulade with Rose & Morello Cherries. What a surprise, another meringue/pavlova dessert from me! At least I am not rolling out the same one each time, because we are always keen to try out a new pav and meringue recipe! I must say this was delicious! It was more about the meringue and the cream than the actual fruit which was a change from the usual fruity pav. Well so “the other half,” said …and he does love his pav! I have had morello cherries in the fridge in the past and never quite knew what to do with them. Now I know!

The photo looks a little like a dog’s breakfast, but don’t let that put you off. Hard to prepare and photograph sometimes!

table talk | it’s all about the little stuff

dinner parties, Entertaining Outside the Box, entertaining products, Entertaining Tips, it's all about the food, let's talk tables, special events at home

Part 2 | For fear I might forget Part 1 of “a well-laid table” it seems pointless to wait.

Laying the foundation of your table setting is one thing, building it up can be great fun!

Photo | a well-laid table – from Part 1

I always start setting the table a day, and sometimes 2-3 days ahead of a dinner party. You might well ask why, and the answer is simple. Starting early allows me time to gradually build the table setting as the mood takes me. I can then focus on the food during the day and have fun at night.

In all honesty, I am still working on the having fun part, spending way too many hours in the kitchen. I never know if it is my menopausal flush or the heat of the ovens, and yet I suspect both!

Tip | invest a large net to cover your dining table. I purchased a white roll of mosquito net, 5000 x 2000 (or thereabouts) from Spotlight. Even better still, it was only $50! It works magic on a dining table, once set, keeping everything clean and free of dust (but hey who has dust in their house 😩).

My best investment has been the black food stands. I purchased these from Table Culture (my absolute favourite exclusive housewares store in Subiaco). I understand that they are now difficult to purchase, possibly because a number of my friends have them as well. Ask anyway, Paddy can always put your name down.

Photo | my stands come in 3 different heights

You can also use bowls (refer to my home page photo…that table was built on an assortment of glass bowls). Whichever you select as your “special” make sure they are sturdy enough to accommodate your serving dishes. Could be an absolute nightmare if your dinner collapsed under the weight of the stand. However, let’s be optimistic!!!

My stands play out on the table and our stone bench (the serving area). I love to layer in as many ways possible. Think about how much more interesting this is when the eye travels across space in many different directions. The sensory load for the eyes are just as important as the mouth.

Invest in some great boards and serving bowls (including oversized) and use these to further elevate your food.

Photo | serving bowls in white (and stands of course)!

Photo | bowls and stands in use on the stone bench (a different occasion)

On this occasion, I wanted to get away from flowers and do something a little more organic. I potted a mix of fresh herbs and small cacti. Each potted in different size glass bowls, adding large nuts to decorate the inside of the bowls, adding walnuts and some dried limes which I purchased from the Iranian shop. The fresh earthy mint and coriander gave off a delicious aroma. Better still, you can plant them after your dinner party and you have fresh herbs at the ready.

Surprisingly, I went to Ottolenghi style (my absolute favourite style) and served the main dishes to the table in a large round serving dishes. In all, I used three large serving dishes (all the same because I like continuity) and ran them down the centre of the table on the black stands, (having removed the wooden boards post the antipasto entree).

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Think of your table as a work of art. It can be minimalist or it can be extravagant, it doesn’t much matter. Just let it reflect you and your style.

Photo |table ready for the food (oh and guests of course)!

Photo | the potted herbs worked well on the dining table after the dinner

To follow | I will share in my next blog, the Ottolenghi inspired menu for the evening. This might give you some ideas for your next social dinner with great friends.