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Entertaining

Stress-free entertaining.


Easy recipes & elegant ideas for a gracious hostess.

Summer BBQs, Kentucky Derby, drink recipes, feeding a crowd, How to feed guests with food sensitivities. Goods, kitchen tools, and gadgets to make entertaining more enjoyable and stress-free

Entertaining: Minos Moka Pot 6 Cup Espresso Maker

October 7, 2016 · Leave a Comment

Nothing makes your morning like a good cup of coffee or two. While I love a morning Starbucks run, I am often in a rush and don’t have the time to stop. For me, quality coffee equipment to make coffee beverages myself is a worthwhile investment. I have invested in a few espresso and coffee maker machines over the years. But nothing beats the kind of espresso my Grandmother would make for us in an old-fashioned Moka espresso maker directly on the stovetop. Minos has done it one better than what our Grandmother used in their Minos Moka Pot Espresso Maker It is a modern updated twist on a classic.

Minos Moka Pot 6 Cup Espresso Maker

Minos Moka Pot 6 Cup Espresso Maker

 

The Minos Moka Pot Espresso Maker is a convenient way to get your morning (or afternoon) caffeine fix of artisan style espresso coffee. It makes up to six cups of espresso at once. In this case, a “cup” means espresso cup sized portions, or “shots,” not a full coffee mug sized “cup.” In total, it makes about nine to ten ounces total of espresso. If you are used to ordering your favorite Starbucks beverage with multiple shots of espresso, this Moka is a good size for one to two people, or enough to serve a traditional espresso with a twist of lemon after a meal.

Some features:
1) It is Stainless Steel. This is important as the coffee oils build up over time and create a richer coffee taste. It is also important so that you get a long-lasting Moka pot. A sturdy one can last for years, my Grandmother’s Moka lasted since the 60’s. This Minos Moka Pot seems much sturdier to me.
2) It also has Stainless Steel and switchable, colorful Silicon Handle options. This is a cool, practical and innovative modern twist. The reason for this option is because while Moka Pots last a long time, the handles are often the first to break or melt due to intense heat. The spare handles extend the life of your Moka pot if the handle starts to melt. They are also useful if you wish to color coordinate to match your kitchen or bar area.
3) It is suitable for Gas, Electric And Ceramic Stovetops

 

Minos Moka Pot 6 Cup Espresso Maker

Minos Moka Pot 6 Cup Espresso Maker

 

HOW TO USE THE MINOS MOKA POT EXPRESSO MAKER

The Moka pot comes with easy step-by-step instructions. Here is how to use it:

1) Remove the tamper and funnel from the inside of the coffeemaker
2) Pour cold water into the bottom chamber. Fill up to one cm below the safety valve. This is roughly between 1/2 inch and .75 of an inch. When in doubt, fill with less water so that the safety valve is NOT submerged.
3) Grind fresh coffee beans to a medium to coarse grind. A fine grind will block the funnel. Alternatively, you can use pre-ground espresso.
4) Place the funnel inside the bottom chamber
5) Fill the funnel with ground coffee until it is full.
6) Using the tamper, flatten the grounds so that they are level with the top of the funnel.
7) Brush away any grounds that have spilled on the threads or funnel top.
8) Remove the tamper from the funnel. DO NOT LEAVE IN THE TAMPER DURING OPERATION.
9) Tightly screw on the top of the Moka pot.
10) Place Moka pot onto a heat source.
11) Keep the cover (the lid) open while brewing.
12) Turn off the heat once the coffee stops coming out of the tube.
13) Add espresso directly to your coffeehouse-style beverage or for a traditional espresso style drink, pour espresso into espresso cups and add a small curl of lemon peel.

CONCLUSION: This is a high-quality Moka Pot made of sturdy stainless steel. It looks sleek and attractive. It is easy to clean and use, and best of all, it makes tasty artisan espresso that would make any Grandmother proud. A quality Moka pot like this one, with proper care, can last a lifetime and is an excellent investment for entertaining friends with a traditional post-dinner espresso or your own personal coffee needs. I am very happy to have gotten this Minos Moka pot for my daily coffee fix!

Buy it here.

 

 

I received this item for testing and review purposes. If you have any questions about my experience with it, leave it in the comments section below, and I’ll do my best to answer it!

Posted by Style Chicks / Filed In: Entertaining, Food, Gadgets, Gifts, Travel
Tagged: Coffee, Entertaining, Espresso, Minos, Minos Moka Pot 6 Cup Espresso Maker

Home Spa: MARSEE Zero X Portable Bluetooth Speaker

October 6, 2016 · Leave a Comment

I like a long, luxurious hot shower. The only thing that makes it better is an epic playlist to go along with it. That is why I love the MARSEE Zero X Portable Bluetooth Speaker.

MARSEE Zero X Portable Bluetooth Speaker

MARSEE Zero X Portable Bluetooth Speaker

First of all, it is waterproof, not just water-resistant. I’ve found that water-resistant speakers tend to konk out far too quickly. This speaker is so well crafted that water just isn’t getting in this little gadget. It has a hook, which I like to hook onto my shower caddy so it is handy.

The sound is amazing. I laughed when I realized that the sound is better than on my actual iPhone. The bass is rich and deep. The instruments are nuanced, and the vocal is crisp. The sound is nice and loud without losing clarity. My Mom taught me the value of investing in good speakers when I was young, and as far as shower speakers, this is the best sound I’ve found.

Here’s how I use it: I leave my iPhone in the adjacent room after pairing it with the speaker. I am always worried about my phone getting wet even if it isn’t near the water stream in the shower, but if it is in the next room, it works out great since it has a decent range. This is by far the easiest Bluetooth speaker I’ve used regarding connectivity. It automatically pairs with other Bluetooth devices. I just select the speaker in my iPhone’s Bluetooth list, and it pairs instantly.

If you aren’t using the Bluetooth mode, it comes with an audio cable as well to directly link it to your phone. As a nice added bonus, it comes with a micro-SD card slot, so you can load up your music before you go, which is great for a picnic or if you have a standard playlist and don’t want to bother with pairing. It has an 8-hour battery life (the battery is rechargeable), so it will last through several showers or a few completely luxurious baths.

MARSEE Zero X Portable Bluetooth Speaker

MARSEE Zero X Portable Bluetooth Speaker

It also has a microphone and can be used to answer phone calls. Though personally, if I’m enjoying a shower or bath, I want to be left alone. I can understand if you have kids, however, the need to always be reachable, so this is a nice feature.

I don’t know if this happens to anyone else, but if I’m doing a timed beauty treatment in the shower, on occasion I’ll glance at the clock to be able to time my treatment, and then forget what time I started. Since I got this speaker, I don’t have that problem as I can load up a playlist with songs that are the timings of each step. For example, let’s say you are using Pravana Hair Color Extractor. Once you are in the shower, you massage in your shampoo and then you put a plastic cap over it for 2-3 minutes. Turn on your speaker, and have a song ready that is 2-3 minutes long. Pick songs that repeat that process for the entire 20-minute process. So when the song ends, you know it is time for the next cycle! That’s a whole lot easier (and enjoyable) than using a stopwatch or trying to figure out the time you started!

 

MARSEE Zero X Portable Bluetooth Speaker

MARSEE Zero X Portable Bluetooth Speaker

 

I really enjoy this speaker. I’m picky about my sounds equipment, and speakers that I have tried that is this size tend to be tinny, but there is no trace of that in this speaker. I’m thrilled!

Buy it here. Style Chicks readers get 15% off with code USDFTGTN.

 

MARSEE Zero X Portable Bluetooth Speaker

MARSEE Zero X Portable Bluetooth Speaker

 

I received this product in exchange for my unbiased review and received compensation for my time and effort. However, my experience with the product and the opinions expressed in this review are 100% mine.

Posted by Style Chicks / Filed In: Entertaining, Exercise, Gadgets, Gifts, Spa Economy, Vanity Table
Tagged: Bluetooth Speaker, MARSEE Zero X Portable Bluetooth Speaker, Shower Speaker

How to Infuse Olive Oil: Domestic Corner Precision No Drip Oil and Vinegar Infuser and Dispenser

September 28, 2016 · Leave a Comment

My mother’s side of the family (the Italian side) has been in the food business for six generation. Anytime we’d go out to a restaurant with our grandmother, there was always an analysis of any particularly good dish and how she could duplicate it at home. I remember a time we were enjoying a particularly excellent bread that came with a lemon infused olive oil for dipping. It wasn’t a tremendously pronounced lemon taste. There was no acidity to it at all. Just a light, fresh, slight taste of lemon that did not overpower the taste of the olive oil (if you are using a high-quality oil, then it should taste good on its own merits.) It was simply a co-existing lemon note to the olive note.

Of course, Granny made it better at home.

I have tried to duplicate the recipe, but I have always found dedicated olive oil infusers to be messy, or I have had difficulty pouring out the right amount of oil. Whether it is adding it to a recipe or onto a salad, the right amount of olive oil can make or break a dish. So I am very happy to have found Domestic Corner’s Precision No Drip Oil and Vinegar Infuser and Dispenser.

Domestic Corner Precision No Drip Oil and Vinegar Infuser and Dispenser

Domestic Corner Precision No Drip Oil and Vinegar Infuser and Dispenser

 

First off, this is one good looking dispenser. It is made of thick, high-quality glass and has a Louboutin Red stripe where the dispenser button is located. It is also a generous size: 17 oz, which allows for infusing and dispensing larger quantities of oil. If you use olive oil regularly or are feeding a group, it’s great to be able to infuse and decant either a little or a lot of oil.

Second, it is incredibly easy to measure exactly how much oil you want to use. By pressing the button on the bottle, oil is brought to the measuring chamber at the top. You can see the measurements exactly – teaspoon, tablespoon, even milliliters. From there you can easily and precisely drizzle the oil onto your dish. There is no sputtering or uneven pouring, just a slow, controlled dispensation.

If you are interested in infusing your oil, there are plenty of recipes on the internet, but here is my spin on the lemon-infused olive oil recipe: peel the rind of a lemon in thin strips (ideally a Meyer Lemon, as it will have a lemon taste with less acidity.) Twist the strips gently to extract the lemon oil. Add them to the olive oil and leave it in the oil for 12 hours. It will produce a light, fresh lemon taste without being too tart or overpowering.

Domestic Corner Precision No Drip Oil and Vinegar Infuser and Dispenser

Domestic Corner Precision No Drip Oil and Vinegar Infuser and Dispenser

An “off-label” use for this item is for beauty. If you use an oil like Safflower Oil on your skin, this is a fantastic way to dispense the right amount of oil for use without contaminating the rest of the product.

Find it here.

 

 

I received this item for testing and review purposes. If you have any questions about my experience with it, leave it in the comments section below, and I’ll do my best to answer it!

Posted by Style Chicks / Filed In: Entertaining, Food, Gadgets, Gifts, How to...
Tagged: Cooking, Domestic Corner Precision No Drip Oil and Vinegar Infuser and Dispenser, Food, Olive Oil Infusion

Entertaining: SHIKSHOOK Professional Cocktail Shaker Set

September 24, 2016 · Leave a Comment

I don’t drink just for the sake of drinking; I want to enjoy my drink. I also don’t like noisy bars, so being able to make an enjoyable drink at home is a definite plus for me. Plus, I don’t have to tip myself $7 if I want a complicated drink. So I’m loving the SHIKSHOOK Professional Cocktail Shaker Set.

SHIKSHOOK Professional Cocktail Shaker Set

SHIKSHOOK Professional Cocktail Shaker Set

 

First of all, I like the size. It holds 25oz, which is a decent size for drinks that need to be shaken over ice or to serve multiple people at once. I have friends who make the most amazing margarita you can imagine, but their shaker set of choice can only do one 3oz drink per time. Each drink is laborious, but if they had this shaker set, they would be able to make more than one at a time. I was able to make three decent sized Martinis.

This set comes with everything you need. It comes with a high-quality Cocktail Shaker with a built in strainer. The large 25 oz size allows for ice or other ingredients to be added without crowding out the actual drink ingredients. I am impressed that the strainer kept all of the crushed ice out of the drink when I was pouring it, but it poured at a reasonable speed.

I’m used to just eyeballing amounts when it comes to drinks, but to make a truly sublime drink, amounts should be exact. That is why I like the Double Jigger to measure and pour ingredients. One side measures out 1oz, the other side a half ounce.

There are two bottle pourers that fit very well into the various bottles I tried them in and made it far easier to measure into the Jigger.

 

SHIKSHOOK Professional Cocktail Shaker Set

SHIKSHOOK Professional Cocktail Shaker Set

 

All of this comes with a lovely velvet storage bag and a recipe e-book so you can get started making quality cocktails on your own!

SHIKSHOOK Professional Cocktail Shaker Set

SHIKSHOOK Professional Cocktail Shaker Set

 

I’m looking forward to using this for brunches with friends. Over the years I’ve found that Mimosas are far better if mixed (in this case, stirred, not shaken) and then poured than mixed in the flute.

Find the ShikShook Set here.

Espresso Martini made with SHIKSHOOK Professional Cocktail Shaker Set

Espresso Martini made with SHIKSHOOK Professional Cocktail Shaker Set

Here’s a clip of me spilling ingredients like I already had a drink in my system, when I didn’t – I’m just klutzy:

 

I received this product for testing and review purposes. If you have any questions about my experience with it, leave it in the comments section below, and I’ll do my best to answer it!

Posted by Style Chicks / Filed In: Entertaining, Food, Gadgets, Gifts, Weddings
Tagged: Cocktails, Drinks, Entertaining, SHIKSHOOK Professional Cocktail Shaker Set

Decor: Bib&Sola Hand Blown Glass Water Decanter

September 23, 2016 · Leave a Comment

This is a hand blown artisan glass water decanter. It has a vibrant, opaque infusion of color. I chose the blue to match the decor of my office. My office is very arid to forced heat and air conditioning, as well as the environment of the computers and equipment. My eyes and skin feel dry quickly. I got this decanter to remind myself to drink enough water during the day and thought it would be nice to have something stylish on my desk for some artistic flare that coordinates with my office decor, which has accents of cobalt and lapis blue as well as other artisan glass pieces.

Bib&Sola Hand Blown Glass Water Decanter

Bib&Sola Hand Blown Glass Water Decanter

The decanter itself is heavy enough to not accidentally knock over (as I have accidentally done from time to time with Perrier bottles) yet not so heavy that it is hard to lift. The lip on the mouth makes for easy pouring, and it does not splash

 

Bib&Sola Hand Blown Glass Water Decanter

Bib&Sola Hand Blown Glass Water Decanter

 

It does not come with the drinking glass; those are sold separately. However, plain or coordinating artisan glassware (such as the one I have in the picture) is easy enough to obtain on websites such as Etsy. They are also easy to paint yourself with glass painting kits. There are some bubbles in the colored glass that show it is hand made; they are not imperfections or blemishes.

 

Bib&Sola Hand Blown Glass Water Decanter

Bib&Sola Hand Blown Glass Water Decanter

 

The decanter comes in a gift-worthy white box with company Bib&Sola logo; it is very suitable for gift giving, especially if you know someone’s colors for their kitchen, bar or dining area. At 1.2 liters it is suitable for use when serving dinner to guests as well. If giving as a gift, I might wash it first as it looked much nicer after rinsing it off. There seems to be some residual surface dust that washes off quickly, revealing more beautiful, quality piece.

It is nice to have a clear container on my desk that prompts me to drink the recommended 1.2 Liters a day, and generally, I prefer when my supervisor comes by, to have something more adult and professional on my desk such as this piece instead of plastic bottles that look sloppy.

Makes for a beautiful gift, I believe my photos are true to the color blue, a mid-blue that is not as dark as a lapis.

CONCLUSION: Nice artisan style piece that matches with several decors and is suitable for use in a kitchen, barware, dining room, or office setting.

Find the lovely Bib&Sola Hand Blown Glass Water Decanter here.

 

Bib&Sola Hand Blown Glass Water Decanter

Bib&Sola Hand Blown Glass Water Decanter

 

I received this product at a discount for testing and review purposes. If you have any questions about my experience with it, leave it in the comments section below, and I’ll do my best to answer it!

Posted by Style Chicks / Filed In: Decor, Entertaining, Food, Gifts
Tagged: Bib&Sola Hand Blown Glass Water Decanter, Decor, Entertaining, Water

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