InspiringKitchen.com Crate and Barrel Archives

Sep 22

6 Easy Fall Home Decorating Ideas

Posted by Inspiring Kitchen | Design, Interior Decorating | 12 Comments

We are heading into my favorite time of year. The air is cool and refreshing. The trees will soon have multi-colored leaves. And the chance to do a little home decorating is here. Since today is the first day of Fall, finding ways to change the “seasons” inside your home brings new design opportunities. We designate Springtime to cleaning out our homes, filling the rooms with colors whether pastel or bright, open and inviting. When Fall rolls around, we have a similar mentality, only the point of the transition is the opposite–we swap out our summery items for winter whites or deep colors, rich textures and cozy pieces.… Read more

May 11

Create Your Wedding Registry Part Two

Posted by Inspiring Kitchen | Wedding | 32 Comments

Congratulations on your wedding and engagement! Such an exciting time in your lives! Last week, we started our discussion on what items you should consider adding to your wedding registry. It is very easy to get carried away when you walk into your favorite stores and are given a scanner or are using your cell phone along with the store’s app to zap away at anything and everything. A registry is your wish list after all. However, it is important to be strategic when doing your registry.

Inspiring Kitchen wedding registry continues

There are a number of important points to keep in mind when registering as are mentioned on Inspiring Kitchen’s wedding menu as well as throughout my previous post on registering.… Read more

May 06

How To Create Your Wedding Registry

Posted by Inspiring Kitchen | Wedding | 15 Comments

This next post may seem like a departure from what Inspiring Kitchen typically shares with you. But, it isn’t! I actually created Inspiring Kitchen at the insistence of wedding registry couples I was working with who appreciated the kitchen knowledge I was sharing with them. No matter where you are in life, having a kitchen appointed with all that you need makes cooking that much more fun. That’s why in the next two posts, you will find all that you need to create a wedding registry that is designed just for you.

Inspiring Kitchen Wedding Registry

You said, “Yes”! How exciting! So many details to be taken care of in preparation for “The Big Day”.… Read more

Oct 16

How to Build a Home Bar

Posted by Inspiring Kitchen | Bar, Education, Entertaining, Entertainment, Favorite Finds, Housewares | 16 Comments

Making cocktails for your friends and family doesn’t need to be intimidating or complicated. You are all set in the kitchen with your ingredients and cookware, but what about your home bar? Do you have everything you need? Or is the question, do you know what you need? Having the basic components and equipment available is a really good start. Knowing how often we like to entertain this time of year, it seems appropriate to showcase how simple it is to build a home bar.

I recently had the privilege of speaking with Mixologist Extraordinaire, Lynn House. Lynn shared her recommendations on what you might want to consider for your home bar.… Read more

Apr 02

Expert Tips Wood Cutting Board Maintenance

Posted by Inspiring Kitchen | Cutlery, Cutting Boards, Education | 5 Comments

As someone who sells high quality kitchen knives, there are a handful of questions I get asked on a regular basis. This post is going to answer one for you that is critical in the maintenance of your knives.

When you make an investment in kitchen cutlery, it is so important to do your part in taking caring of your knives. And by that I am referring to the cutting surface you are using. I cringe every time a customer or client tells me they are cutting on plastic, glass, granite or any other type of stone. They are causing such damage to their blades by using these materials.… Read more

Oct 10

Cookware 101

Posted by Inspiring Kitchen | Bridal Registry, Cookware, Housewares, Kitchen Design, Wedding | 19 Comments

Having been involved in the bridal registry space from a housewares standpoint for a long time now, I recognize how intimidating the walls of cookware in a store can be for someone unfamiliar with all the brands, sizes, styles and surfaces. When I talk with registrants about what cookware they are currently using, many times they tell me it is from college, their mom or a discount store. All absolutely fine answers. Until I ask them if they like to cook. When they say they love cooking, then I know we need to have a deeper discussion on their style of cooking and how many people they tend to cook for.… Read more

Jul 12

Marinated Grilled Vegetable Sandwich with Pesto and Mozzarella

Posted by Inspiring Kitchen | All-Clad, Grilling, healthy eating, Housewares, Le Creuset, Lodge, Recipes, Sandwich, Vegetables, Vegetarian, Weber Grill | 19 Comments

I love to grill. Vegetables. Yes, there it is. Not gourmet but so delicious! One of my favorite sandwiches is super easy and very customizable as you can see from comments on Inspiring Kitchen’s Facebook page. (https://www.facebook.com/inspiringkitchen). What works so well with this dish is being able to have friends over and everyone gets to make their own personalized sandwich varying with the choice of filling. What I will typically do is have a platter of all different kinds of vegetables (colored peppers, onions, zucchini, squash, eggplant, tomatoes, fennel, etc), sauces, spreads (salsa, pesto, sun dried garlic paste – yum!), cheeses and even meat for those who want it.… Read more

May 10

Mother’s Day Ideas

Posted by Inspiring Kitchen | Dinnerware, healthy eating, lotions, Mother's Day gifts, mugs, Spices, tea, wooden tools | No Comments

Mom’s favorite day is fast approaching as Mother’s Day is Sunday, May 11. Yes, that is just two days away. Have you found that special something that will show your Mom how much you appreciate all she has done for you? Well, in case you are past the age where giving those lovely noodle art pictures is acceptable, I thought I would share with you some of my favorite kitchen items that may just make your Mom happy.

In my family, we are always trying to cook healthy dishes. This means finding new ways to make vegetables interesting not just from a taste perspective but also in presentation.… Read more

Mar 13

Top 5 Knives for your Kitchen

Posted by Inspiring Kitchen | Cutlery, Knives | 36 Comments

This is the most asked question when I begin working with clients and the subject of cutlery comes up. They quickly say that they don’t want to buy a set because they won’t use all 20 knives included in the block. I totally agree with them!

There are three basic knives that most homeowners need in their kitchens:

Paring knife:

Serrated knife:

Chef’s knife:

The paring knife does your detail work like peeling or slicing strawberries and mushrooms, the serrated knife helps you to easily slice anything with tough skins like peppers, tomatoes and breads, and the final knife is your chef’s knife.… Read more

Jan 10

Bridal Registry Season

Posted by Inspiring Kitchen | Uncategorized | No Comments

It’s bridal registry season! February is a wonderful month to register at your favorite stores. Crate and Barrel stores across the country have dedicated registry events at their stores this month. Check out their website for more information. If Williams-Sonoma is your preferred store, they offer Sunday morning private registry appointments. Give them a call to schedule your registry set up. Remember you can do online registries as well. There is something said though to see, touch and learn about the products that can’t be experienced online. Just remember to have fun!… Read more

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