Janice Benoit's Blog
Posted by Janice Benoit
I was watching Food Network's The Next Food Network Star, when I realized how much information I could gather from these wonderful young cooks. Kelsie, the self-proclaimed queen of homestyle cooking, has an ease about her that radiates as she is preparing the dish du jour. The lesson learned here is that regardless of how the food tastes, Kelsie makes you feel comfortable and welcome at her table -- GREAT hospitality lesson!
Aaron is a teddy bear of a man who creates buttered, barbecued and fried comfort food that is phenomenal. His passion for his work is intoxicating, and the joy he gets when people sample his food indicates that his work is an expression of love for the lucky recipient. I would LOVE to be a guest in his kitchen!
Adam understands that a host can be an entertainer, however, it's important to NOT be the center of attention at your own event. To truly be a great host or hostess, you need to make the guests feel special, and that is difficult to achieve when you are drawing attention to yourself.
Posted by Janice Benoit
I've just found a wonderful tool that will compost all your organic scraps, in a clean, efficient, and quick manner. Nature Mill makes a home composter that will change the way you deal with all the kitchen scraps generated at your next function. Check out their website and see if it's something that will work for your family!
Posted by Janice Benoit
Once your guests have left, you've cleaned up the majority of the party items, and you're about to go to bed, don't forget to treat yourself to a post-event spa pampering!
Arbonne International makes the most phenomenal products that can be used in your own home, to relax, rejuvenate and inspire you to take on your next entertaining challenge! Follow these simple instructions to create an amazing foot spa in your own home.
Fill the bottom of a dishpan (about $1 at any discount store) with marbles (can be found in the craft section of the same discount store). Pour hot water in to a depth of 2 or more inches. Stir in a scoop of Arbonne Aromassentials Unwind Bath Salts and two squirts of Arbonne Aromassentials Unwind Massage Oil, and swirl the products into the water.
Soak your feet, massaging them over the marbles until the water cools (about 15 - 20 minutes). Towel off your feet and apply a light coating of Arbonne Aromassentials Unwind Body Lotion or Arbonne Intelligence Herbal Foot Cream. Enjoy the fact that you're now relaxed, your feet feel phenomenal, and with Arbonne's everyday wholesale pricing you can purchase your products at 35% off the catalog/internet price.
Email me at Janice@ChezBenoit.com for more information.
Posted by Janice Benoit
Whenever you have a group of more than eight people to dine at your home, it's always a great idea to consider serving the meal buffet style. Even for a more formal dinner, unless you have help to serve the pre-plated meals, a buffet set up will work wonders for minimizing the time spent filling a plate and maximize the time spent enjoying one another's company at the dinner table.
For best efficiency, check out my previous article on Effective Buffet Design, and remember to walk through the buffet line before the guests arrive to make sure that everything is within a comfortable reach, is intuitively ordered, and the appropriate serving spoons, forks or tongs are handy.
Posted by Janice Benoit
The other evening, I hosted a group of female friends for dinner. Rather than slave over a hot stove (or a buzzing microwave!), we all divided and conquered and ended up with a totally enjoyable menu.
Here's what we did --- half of the women brought appetizers (all cold) and the other half brought salads. I prepared the buffet set up, incorporating levels and decorative elements. Once the dishes were placed, I added a basket of sliced french bread, a couple of dessert options, and pitchers of iced tea, water and lemonade.
We each got to make up our own custom plates with all the different food options, and not one person spent more than 20 minutes creating their dish to share. What a great use of time and resources! You should try it yourself.
