We are so happy to introduce Andrea Howe – our latest NOVICA Tastemaker. Andrea is the founder of For The Love Of, a lifestyle blog dedicated to approachable, modern living. She writes about style, her love of DIY, and living a healthier life through wholesome, nutritious cooking. You can also follow her latest delicious creations on her instagram account, @gwynethmademedoit
My collection of serving ware is growing and evolving as time goes on. While I seem to naturally gravitate towards white platters and bowls for their simplicity and versatility, I’ve been slowly adding in pieces crafted of wood and bits of color here and there, to mix things up. The latest additions to my collection are these wooden bowls and platters from the NOVICA Serverware collection. They tie in seamlessly with some of my white pieces, and add just the right touch of whimsy and texture to the table.
The carved wood and dip dyed bowls add a great pop of color, and work brilliantly with a few things I already own. The shallow bowls are so versatile, and the small serving bowls are the perfect size for sauces and condiments.
For this particular meal, I was recreating a family favorite – nachos, and making them a bit healthier by baking some thinly sliced potatoes, and replacing them with the traditional fried corn tortilla chip.
The nachos worked as a sort of build your own bar, which always helps to please picky and robust eaters alike. I balanced fresh tomatoes and lettuce with homemade tomatillo salsa and guacamole, and instead of sour cream, replaced it with plain yogurt.
Black beans and cheese added some protein and depth to the meal, so that everyone ate and felt more than full and nourished. The wooden bowls held both cold and warm foods alike.
There wasn’t a bite left, and no one really seemed to miss the fried tortilla chips. Having delicious food to serve my family is always the main concern, but of course presenting the meal in a beautiful way doesn’t hurt either. My new wooden serving pieces will definitely help me create many more gorgeous spreads just like this one.
