by Helen Kain | May 15, 2022 | Antiques, Blue, Home, Recent, Spring Tablescapes, Yellow
It is almost peony time. The plants have gone from little red nubs poking through the ground to three-foot bushes in weeks. The flower buds are waxing fat, and my anticipation is mounting. I can’t wait! But in the meantime, we have peony tulips to help ease my...
by Helen Kain | May 12, 2022 | Cookies & Bars, Stock Recipes
We have Heather Baird at SprinkleBakes to thank for this excellent recipe. It’s perfect for cut-out cookies as the dough holds its shape beautifully. Print clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram...
by Helen Kain | May 10, 2022 | Holiday, Home, Ready to Publish, Recent, Salads, Summer Recipes, Vegetables
Easy to prepare and studded with colourful vegetables, this healthy salad is hearty enough for a summer main course. The slightly chewy farro has a delightful nutty flavour, enhanced by the light vinaigrette. It travels well for picnic season, too! Print clock...
by Helen Kain | May 8, 2022 | Home, Mother's Day, Pink and Red, Purple, Recent, Spring Tablescapes
Luscious lilacs are with us once more. Hooray! I can never get enough of their heavenly scent. Since we lost our ancient lilac bush a year ago, I’ve had to content myself with the relatively meagre offerings from the bushes planted to replace it. They’ll...
by Helen Kain | May 1, 2022 | Home, Marigold & Spencer, Pets, Recent
Hi everybody, We’re here! It’s us! The parent humans call us Marigold and Spencer. We’re ten weeks old. Marigold is on the left. She’s a little bit lighter in colour and a touch smaller than me, Spencer. Mum says I’m more serious....
by Helen Kain | Apr 14, 2022 | Blue, Easter, Recent, Spring Tablescapes, White, Yellow
It’s a soft, misty morning here in the South Downs, UK, where Glenn and I are based for the next few days. We arrived in England a little over a week ago and have already clocked several hundred miles in what has to be the worst rental car we’ve...
by Helen Kain | Mar 28, 2022 | Cookies & Bars, Desserts, Easter, Edited in Lightroom, Holiday, Spring Recipes
Buttery, crisp sugar cookies are welcome at any time of year. Fail-safe and endlessly adaptable, here they are decorated with Royal icing before edible transfer paper adds the final festive touch. Print clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag...
by Helen Kain | Mar 28, 2022 | Blue, Easter, Recent, Spring Tablescapes, White, Yellow
Easter is right around the corner, and the bunnies in this house can’t wait. We have hustled up a batch of sugar cookies to host our Full Nest of feathered friends. The soft, toasty shade of the linen runner and napkins encouraged a woodsy theme. Martillo...
by Helen Kain | Mar 20, 2022 | Clementine, Pets
This is a very tough blog to post, so I’ll cut right to the chase. This time last year, we learned that Clementine had idiopathic epilepsy. Unfortunately, despite everyone’s best efforts at managing the disease, the seizures became uncontrollable, and we...
by Helen Kain | Mar 13, 2022 | Pies & Tarts, Stock Recipes
Few recipes cause as much anxiety as those for pastry—it seems sometimes that there are as many pastry recipes as there are cooks. The key to successful pastry is matching the correct type of pastry to the filling. That and keeping the ingredients as cold as possible....
by Helen Kain | Mar 13, 2022 | Books, Home, Recent, Spring Recipes, Spring Tablescapes
After a decade of creating content for Entertablement, I have learned a number of things, principally about the various tasks associated with publishing blogs, books and magazines. My preferences, in order: Love: dreaming up designs for table settings, arranging...
by Helen Kain | Feb 26, 2022 | Books, Recent
It’s nearly the end of February, and we continue our journey through Edith Holden’s Nature Notes and Diary of an Edwardian Country Lady. This month, pussy willows, catkins, snails and snowdrops abound. I spent most of February in Canada, where few...
by Helen Kain | Feb 26, 2022 | Cookies & Bars, Desserts, Holiday, Winter Recipes
If you love lemon meringue pie and lemon curd, you’ll adore lemon squares. They’re a cinch to make, but don’t neglect to take the few extra minutes to thicken the filling on the stovetop before layering it over the partially baked shortbread. You...
by Helen Kain | Feb 22, 2022 | Holiday, Lamb, Pasta & Rice, Recent, Winter Recipes
Lamb shanks are the intended cut of meat for this dish, but I had purchased a partial leg of lamb from Whole Foods for New Year’s Eve dinner. Either the lamb in question had been training for a marathon prior to its demise, or it was actually mutton. Talk about...
by Helen Kain | Feb 20, 2022 | Blue, Green, Grey and Pewter, Recent, Spring Tablescapes
Snow, snow, snow. Every time we get it cleared away, more arrives. The dogs love it; the grandchildren love it, Us oldies? Not so much. Longing for warm weather, when I could clip fresh herbs from the garden, I picked up some pots of herbs from the grocery store and...