I have a problem. I have a little thing called a prop addiction. I’m constantly finding my next must-have props in vintage and thrift stores, at the grocery store, in sales bins at Pottery Barn or Crate & Barrel, and most recently on ebay. Now, you might think that the problem is the fact that I am buying too much. Some might argue that. Not me. My problem is that I simply don’t have nearly enough room, and the stacks are growing ever more precarious. It’s not too much stuff, it’s simply a lack of storage space. At least, that’s what I tell myself. I’m hoping one day I’ll get to be like this shop in Chicago. My family may not be able to move in our house any more, but man, we’ll have some nice props. The photo above features two of my new ones… the palest-yellow oval dish, on sale at Whole Foods and the shabby chic breakfast tray was from ebay.
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I saw this food styling technique in Food & Wine a few issues back, and absolutely loved it… cool shapes of ice with a frozen treat inside. Brilliant, and so easy to do. I gave mine a whirl with some cranberries and fresh mint, with thoughts of mojitos to come. The little cubes stay just fine in the freezer for several months, although they do tend to loose their clarify. Still, they look fantastic in drinks.

For tips on making picture perfect ice, be sure to see Matt’s ideas. Then, once you’ve got that down, try some styled cubes:

1. Fill an ice cube tray just a hair over 1/3 full.
2. Drop something in it, like a berry or an herb.
3. Freeze it.
4. Remove the tray from the freezer, and top with water.
5. Freeze again.

Remove from the tray and use immediately, or store in a freezer container.

While you are at it, there are some great silicon ice cube trays now available. I love this square cube maker that I got at C&B. They also have them at Amazon:

“Perfect Cube Silicone Ice Cube Trays” (Netixchange)

Just make sure they are dishwasher safe before you try to wash them. I wrecked my all-to-cute penguin one.

If you are looking for one last idea for the white challenge, ice makes an interesting choice! You still have a few more days for shots!

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