02 Wednesday Mar 2016
Posted in Decorating, Living Beautifully, New at à la Maison
Architectural accents are a great option for adding old world charm to your space. The detail and texture of our cast medallions will add instant warmth and elegance to your home.
Hanging them in a grouping of varied sizes, or combining them with more contemporary accessories, will add interest and a bit of sophistication to any room.
I love them hung in a garden or sunroom filled with plants and flowers too – so elegant!
14 Saturday Nov 2015
Posted in Cooking & Entertaining Ideas
Tags
#alamaison, #baldwinsville, #cooking healthfully, #downtownsyracuse, #fayetteville, Downtown Syracuse
`a la Maison has moved our Downtown store to the New York State Fairgrounds for the annual Junior League Holiday Shoppes… along with an array home decor and gifts… we’ve brought a great selection of gourmet and specialty foods.
Today shoppers can looks forward to sampling:
– Forever Herbs Blackberry and Blueberry Jalapeno Compote
– Hot Pepper Bacon Jam
– Lillie’s Q Bloody Mary Mix
– Delicious pulled chicken recipe along with Lillie’s Q barbecue and Caroline Dirt… my favorite rub!
The great thing about this recipe is that it is not only delicious but a little healthier for you than many of the pulled pork recipes you get out… plus it’s super quick and easy!
BBQ Pulled Chicken Sliders
Ingredients
3 lbs. boneless/skinl chicken breasts (or mix of boneless/skinless breast & thighs)
Sea salt & pepper
2 tsp. olive oil or grapeseed oil (for browning)
1 medium vadalia or sweet onion, sliced thin
1 cup Lillie Q Carolina BBQ Sauce*
Directions
Season chicken with sea salt and pepper, then brown chicken in 2 tsp. of olive oil or grapeseed oil (4 mins on each side). While chicken browns, place sliced onions in the bottom of a slow cooker.
Cut chicken breasts in half and place in slow cooker on top of onions. Pour Lillie Q Carolina BBQ sauce over the top. Cover slow cooker and cook on low for 5-6 hours, or high for 3-4 hours.
Shred chicken with two forks. Serve with a buffet of toppings including:
– Lillie Q Smoky BBQ*
– Lillie Q White BBQ Sauce* (If you have not had white BBQ sauce… Wow! Delish!)
– Creamy Coleslaw (if you’re short on time, grab it from your favorite deli)
– Diced dill pickle
Enjoy!
Michele
*You can find Lillie Q BBQ Sauces and rubs in both our Baldwinsville, Fayetteville and Downtown Syacuse stores.
14 Saturday Mar 2015
Posted in Decorating
Spring ahead and refreshen your home with a breath of the spring in just a day. These quick little projects will require minimum work & little investment… resulting in maximum return and instant satisfaction!
– Bring the lush, green look of spring trees indoors without committing to the care of an indoor tree – arrange artificial tree branches in a beautiful vase,
For added interest fill the bottom of the vase with acrylic water or river stones.
For added height, place the vase on a pedestal or tall piece of furniture.
– Lighten up a bedroom with new linens and bedding. One of the quickest way to change a bedroom is with new bedding. Lighten up room with white or soft yellow or green. Pastel botanicals are also a lovely choice.
– Make easy seasonal adjustments to your family room and living rooms by changing out heavy draperies, throw blankets and pillows. Bring it the light with shades of cream, beige and pastels. (Consider lighter fabrics such as linen or cotton… or adding organic texture with woven pillows in rattan or straw.
– Brighten kitchen and dining areas with pops of color. Replace fall/winter table cloths, placemats, napkins and kitchen towels with new brightly colored ones.
Bring a bit of nature to your walls, halls and entrways… add some botanical and floral artwork and wall decor.
Flowers shout spring! Bring in beautiful flowering branches, daffodils and any other blooms that make you happy. Fill and arrange a collection of vases on your fireplace mantel, dining table… add a pretty little spring flower arrangement to powder rooms and bedrooms too.
These quick and easy tips are sure to have your home spring ready!
24 Tuesday Feb 2015
Posted in Cooking & Entertaining Ideas
I love products that offer me flexibility, however, many pre-packaged convenience food products have a trade off – added preservatives, chemicals and loads of sodium.
However, I’ve found another product line that’s a keeper and has become a staple in my kitchen – To Market To Market Gourmet Spice Seasoning Mixes. I use them to make an array of dips, spreads, sauces, and much more.
These all-natural gems will sit ready and waiting in your pantry until you are ready for your next creative moment. Quite economical, most seasoning packets make 3 recipes per package. Today, I’m pretty excited about their “Shrimply Delicious” seasoning blend, which I’ve used in various ways for the past 3 events I held in my home.
Here are some creative ways to use this delicious seasoning mix:
Shrimply Delicious Dip (standard recipe)
1 cup sour cream
1 cup mayonaise
3 Tbs. Shrimply Delicious seasoning
8 oz. Baby Shrimp
or
Shrimply Delicious Dip (My lighter version)
2/3 cup light sour cream
2/3 cup olive oil mayonaise
2/3 cup fat free greek yogurt
3 Tbs. Shrimply Delicious seasoning
1 cup chopped cooked shrimped
1/2 tsp sea salt (or to your personal taste)
Squeeze excess moisture from the shrimp by placing between a couple of paper towels and squeezing firmly. Mix all the ingredients together. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours. Serve within 48 hours with crackers, baggette, or fresh cut vegetables.
Another fantastic recipe, from To Market To Market’s kitchen is their Hot Shrimply Delicious – rich, warm and bubbly!
To Market To Market’s Hot Shrimply Delicious
1 cup chopped cooked shrimp
1 cup mayonaise
1 cup parmesan cheese
2 Tbs. Shrimply Delicious seasoning
Squeeze excess moisture from the shrimp by placing between a couple of paper towels and squeezing firmly. Mix all the ingredients together and refrigerate for 3 hours. Transfer dip to an oven-proof baking dish and bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes or until warm and bubbly. Serve immediately with crackers. Low fat products may be substituted.
Here is one of my personal creations with this awesome seasoning mix:
Shrimp & Prosciutto Stuffed Mushrooms
2 cups chopped cooked shrimp
2 oz. diced prosciutto
1/2 cup olive oil mayonaise (or mayo or your choice)
1/3 cup shredded parmesan cheese
1/3 cup shredded fontina cheese
2 Tbs. Shrimply Delicious seasoning mix
1/4 tsp salt (or to your personal taste)
30 Cremini or baby bella mushroom caps
2 Tbs. chopped fresh parsley – optional garnish
Squeeze excess water from shrimp between two paper towels. Sauté proscuitto for about 6-7 mins or until lightly crisp. Drain and set aside to cool for a few minutes.
Brush clean mushrooms with a light cloth or paper towel. Remove steps and place the mushroom caps on a baking sheet . Chop about a dozen of the stems for the dip.
Mix together the chopped mushroom stems, prosciutto, the shrimp, mayo, parmesan cheese, fontina cheese, seasoning mix and salt. Mix together and refrigerate for 2 hours.
Fill mushrooms caps with shrimp/proscuitto filling and bake at 400 degrees for 17 minutes or until hot and bubbly.
Garnish with parsley, if desired… and enjoy!
21 Wednesday Jan 2015
Posted in Gift Ideas
Vinnebago by Corkcicle is stylish stainless steel insulated beverage container – sort of a modern day canteen. Vinnebago keeps your beverages perfectly chilled for 25 hours… yes, 25 hours!… and piping hot for 12 hours.
Its versatility makes it one of my personal go-to gift options and a solid recommendation for customers looking for:
Corporate and employee recognition gifts
The Vinnebago is back in stock in both our Downtown and Baldwinsville stores and ready for your gift giving needs. Gift wrapping is also available.
If you have questions or would like to order a Vinnebago, please call 315-440-6637.
19 Friday Sep 2014
Posted in New at à la Maison
For those who wear a work ID badge everyday… why not turn it into a piece of jewelry with one of the great new beaded ID lanyards at ‘a la Maison. Whether you prefer a necklace style or the clip-on with a pull tag… we got a selection to fit your personal style and wardrobe.
11 Monday Aug 2014
Posted in Decorating, New at à la Maison
You will start to see evidence of my recent trip to Atlanta’s Home Market at our Downtown and Baldwinsville stores.
Beautiful new artwork, accent furniture, seasonal wreaths and floral arrangements with the rich colors of fall are making their way to the floor.
25 Friday Jul 2014
Posted in Events
It is Arts Festival Weekend and we are celebrating at our Downtown Syracuse store with 10% off everything. Save on furniture, wall art, hand-made pottery and much more!
19 Saturday Jul 2014
Posted in Decorating, New at à la Maison
Tags
New at our Baldwinsville store – this beautiful vintage oak cabinet would make a lovely night stand or accent table. Great detail on the hardware too! Solid oak – priced at only $159.95.
18 Friday Jul 2014
Posted in Decorating, Gift Ideas
Looking for a great gift idea?… We’ve got lots of them for you – such as the beautiful new reclaimed glass serving bowls and platters at `a la Maison.
