About us...

Montreal-Toronto-Ottawa-New York-Mexico City
Sisters, Paulina Flores Rutenberg and Daniela Flores McEntyre are co founders and owners of PFR Design. Based in Montreal PFR Design has been providing upscale goods and Interior Design services since 1999. Specializing in residential design, Paulina’s trademark style incorporates the elegance of old-world Europe with the streamlined glamour and careful editing of modern day design. At PFR Design you can find European Inspired exclusive collections and luxury lines from around the world. Our distinguished collections go beyond home accessories and furniture lines and range from luxury children's clothing to educational toys, to tabletop and antique silver. Our lines, above all, represent our vision of elegance, sophistication and originality. Daniela believes strongly in allowing a child's creativity, learning and social development to flourish with age appropriate materials and toys. She focuses on bringing in children's lines that speak to the novel and the unique, while remaining mindful, always, to respect traditional and environmentally conscious methods of production: Products that are inspired and are meant to inspire.

Blog Archive

Monday, July 30, 2012

Recipe Monday! 5 Great cocktails to make this week!


An ode to summer! We can't get enough of the heat, long lazy hazy vacation days.  The beach. The lake. Good friends and doing absolutely nothing!  This week we feature 6 great cocktails to try this week.  With fresh seasonal ingredients these drinks are sure to become some of your summer favourites.  


xoxo daniela & paulina




Peach Old Fashioned





Ingredients

  • 2 ripe yellow peaches
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 6 sprigs thyme, plus more for garnish
  • 4 dashes of bitters
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
  • 6 ounces bourbon

Directions

  1. Quarter peaches and grill until charred. Muddle sugar, thyme, bitters, and lime juice in a cocktail shaker. Add bourbon, and divide among 4 ice-filled glasses. Garnish with peach section and thyme sprigs.

    Summer Sangria



    Summer Sangria

    Today looks a lot like cookouts, pool parties, fireworks, burgers, and salads all under the hot summer sun. It’s just missing one thing—Sangria. Cheers to a festive Fourth!
    Sangria
    Serves 4-6 people

    1 bottle of dry red wine
    1 c. freshly squeezed orange juice
    1/3 c. sugar
    1/3 c. tequila

    1 orange, sliced
    1/2 lb. (8 oz.) strawberries, sliced
    1 lime, sliced
    sparkling water

    1. Add about half of the orange juice into a sauce pan with the sugar. Cook on medium heat and whisk until sugar dissolves. Allow to cool completely. Stir in remaining orange juice.
    2. Pour wine into pitcher. Add tequila and cooled orange juice. Stir.
    3. Add sliced fruit and place in refrigerator for at least 4 hours before serving.
    4. Serve with ice and sparkling water. Optional—garnish with lime or orange wedge.






    Pomegranate, Blueberry, Matcha Tea Slushy Recipe




    INGREDIENTS

    • 2 Tablespoons of high quality Matcha green tea powder
    • 1 or 2 Tablespoons of raw honey or the sweetener of your choice (adjust sweetness to taste)
    • 1 cup (140g) frozen blueberries
    • ½ cup (120ml) 100% pomegranate juice (no sugar added)
    • 200 g of ice cubes

    INSTRUCTIONS

    1. Briskly whisk the 2 Tablespoons of Matcha powder into ½ cup of hot water. Add sweetener of choice and stir until completely incorporated. Set aside until cool.
    2. Puree the frozen blueberries, pomegranate juice, prepared Matcha tea and ice cubes in a high powered blender until smooth.
    3. Serve immediately.

    NOTES

    This is equally delicious made into Popsicles, just fill a mold with the slushy mixture and freeze.
    Preparation time: 10 minute(s)
    Number of servings (yield): 4

    Eldeflower Champagne Cocktail
    (sourced from zested.wordpress.com)

    Elderflower Champagne Cocktail

    (sourced from zested.wordpress.com)



    Fill a tumbler with ice. Fill three-quarters of the glass with dry champagne or prosecco. Add thinly sliced cucumber and fresh mint. Top off with St-Germain.

    Fruity Frozen Vodka Slushi Recipe



    Frozen Vodka Slush
    Recipe Notes: Prepare this recipe a day or two in advance so the slush can freeze and be extra delicious when served. You also may want to double the recipe -yes, it’s that tasty- so pick up 2x’s the ingredients when you’re at the market!

    Ingredients:
    8 cups water
    3 cups white sugar
    juice of 2 lemons
    juice of 2 oranges
    one 48oz can of pineapple juice
    one 12oz can frozen Minute Maid grapefruit juice
    one 12oz can of frozen Minute Maid lemonade
    26oz Vodka - I prefer Ketel One

    Method:
    First, make a simple syrup. Boil 8 cups water and stir in 3 cups white sugar. Continue to stir until the sugar incorporates with the water, for about 15 minutes. Let cool.

    In a separate bowl, combine the juice of 2 lemons, 2 oranges, 1 48oz can of pineapple juice, 1 12oz can frozen Minute Maid grapefruit juice, 1 12oz can of frozen Minute Maid lemonade and 26oz Vodka.
    Once the simple syrup is cooled, add the juice/vodka mix to the syrup. Stir and transfer into an air-tight tupperware container(s) with lid(s). Freeze.
    When your guests arrive, stir the slush and fill the glass half-full with frozen vodka slush. Fill the rest of the glass with diet 7-Up. Enjoy!

    Blackberry Sage Cooler




    sourced from scalingbackdog.com)

    Blackberry sage cooler
    (sourced from scalingbackdog.com)
    Ingredients:
    15 medium sage leaves
    4 tablespoons sugar
    1 cup water
    8 ounces of blackberries
    Method:
    Bring the water and sugar to a boil over high heat just until sugar dissolves.  Crush the sage leaves with the back of a spoon and add to the syrup mixture and set aside to let the sage infuse for 15 minutes and then remove the herbs.
    Meanwhile puree the blackberries in the blender and then strain the mixture through a fine strainer.
    To serve place a tablespoon of the blackberry puree in the bottom of a glass, add a tablespoon of the sage syrup and top off with 8 ounces of club soda.  


            






    sourced from scalingbackdog.com)

    sourced from scalingbackdog.com)




    Toasted Coconut Vanilla Limeade





    (sourced from the kitchy kitchen)

    For 4 cups
    1 cup lime juice (about 10 limes), fresh squeezed
    1 cup sweet coconut flakes, packed
    2 1/2 cups hot water
    1 1/2 cups coconut water (optional, just use regular water if you prefer)
    1/4 cup agave nectar
    1/2 vanilla bean, scraped (or 1 teaspoon vanilla paste)


    Preheat oven to 350 F.  Lightly toast the coconut on a baking sheet, thinly spread out, for about 5-7 minutes, stirring once halfway through. Juice the limes and put all of the used halves into a bowl, along with the coconut and vanilla bean (or vanilla paste), and cover with 2 cups of hot water.  Let it sit for about 10 minutes.  The hot water pulls all of the natural oils out of the lime skins and adds so much flavor. Strain into a blender and add the coconut water, lime juice, and agave nectar.  Blend until just incorporated. Pour into a pitcher and chill in the fridge until ready to serve.

Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Wednesday's Fashion moment. Currently obsessed with...Beige!

It is usually about this time of the year where I begin to weep when I see new Fall Collections out.  We are barely through summer and already we seem to be bombarded with back to school clothes, shoes, advertisements and more.  We promise to not do that here!  Inspired by the weather, summer heat, and our love for neutrals we decided to keep this week's fashion moment clean and crisp with nudes.  

Enjoy 

xoxo daniela & paulina


Never say Goodbye

Never say goodbye

Never say Goodbye

never say goodbye
au lit fine linens

au lit fine linens

au lit fine linens

au lit fine linens

au lit fine linens

heart is everything

decorpad

designshuffle

designsponge

my design chic

paloma81.blogspot.com

didntseeathing.tumblr.com

didntseeathing.tumblr.com

didntseeathing.tumblr.com

Monday, July 23, 2012

Recipe Monday. 5 Great summer salads to stay cool in the heat!

It's Hot and we love it! Inspired by this months amazing heat waves we decided to dedicate this week's recipe ideas to great salads.  Not just for lunch or sides, these rich and textured salads can easily pass for a late light dinner.  

All photos and recipes are sourced from one of my favourite food blogs called 


Full of delicious foods and stunning photography this blog has us coming back for more.  please follow this link for more information and inspiring recipes.

www.loveandlemons.com




INGREDIENTS:
2 cups asparagus, tender parts only, cut into 1 inch pieces (blanched)
a few handfuls of arugula or other salad greens (about 2 cups)
2 Tbs. sesame seeds, toasted
3 Tbs. sliced almonds, toasted
feta or other cheese, optional
dressing: (use only as much as needed, there will be extra)
1 shallot, minced
2 Tbs. lemon juice
2 Tbs. white wine or champagne vinegar
1 Tbs. dijon mustard
1/3 c. olive oil
1 teaspoon honey
salt & pepper to taste
METHOD:Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. While the water is boiling, get a medium bowl of ice water ready. Drop asparagus into the boiling water for 30 seconds or until it’s bright green but still crunchy. Remove from boiling water and transfer to the bowl of ice water to quickly stop the cooking process. Once asparagus is cooled, lay it to dry on a towel.
Toast sesame seeds and almond slices in a small skillet with a few pinches of salt. Set aside.
Whisk all dressing ingredients together.
Toss arugula and asparagus in the dressing (taste and decide how much or little you want to use).
Arrange greens on a platter and top with the toasted almonds, sesame seeds & a bit of cheese if you wish.








Quinoa, Strawberry & Feta Salad
serves 2 as a main course, 4 as a side
I’m not gonna lie, while I was making this my husband Jack was doubting. He’s not particularly crazy about strawberries as it is, so he wasn’t so thrilled to see them for dinner… but he loved this. I feel like I deserve a pat on the back for winning him over, but really the guy can be convinced of anything as long as there’s cheese involved.
The salty feta is the perfect contrast to the sweet, juicy strawberries. They’re mixed together with hearty quinoa, crunchy walnuts, and tossed in a light, tangy lemon dressing. This would be great as a side dish for a picnic but it’s also hearty enough to be a full meal. We ate it along with some simply grilled salmon. The plan was to save the leftovers for lunch the next day, but if you put a bowl of food between the two of us, leftovers don’t stand a chance. —Jeanine
Ingredients
1 1/2 c cooked quinoa (3/4 c uncooked, plus 1 1/2 c water)
3/4 c sliced strawberries (about 5-6 large strawberries)
1/2 c chopped or crumbled feta
1/4 c chopped mint
1/4 c chopped scallions (green and white parts)
1/3 c chopped walnuts, toasted
2 c baby salad greens
1/4 c sprouts (optional)
Lemon Honey Vinaigrette:
2 tbsp olive oil (plus a little more to drizzle on at the end)
2 tbsp lemon juice (plus a little more to squeeze on at the end)
1 tbsp champagne vinegar
1/2 garlic clove, minced
1/2 tsp honey
salt & pepper
Cook your quinoa. I like this method.
In a small bowl whisk together the vinaigrette ingredients.
Toss all salad ingredients together and pour on the dressing. Taste and adjust seasonings to your liking. I added a final squeeze of lemon juice and a drizzle of olive oil on top.


This is the kind of salad that gets better as it sits and the flavors mesh together… so if you have the patience, let it chill for 15-20 minutes before serving. Make extra if you want leftovers for lunch the next day.






Grilled Peach Salad with Mint & Basil Pesto
serves 2 as a main course, 4 as a side
I’ve been a peach purist until now. Peaches and cream, cobblers, and peach cakes have never been my thing. Plain ripe peaches with sticky hands and peach juice running down my elbows is more like it … So why mess with a good thing? Because it turns out that sometimes good things can be made even better.
The natural caramelized sweetness that came out of these peaches straight off the grill was to die for. Paired with contrasting flavors—spicy arugula, creamy fresh mozzarella, and herb-y pesto. It’s complete perfection. This one has moved to the top of my list for favorite summertime dishes. It’s simple enough to put together for a light weeknight meal, but fancy enough to serve as a starter at your next dinner party. This one’s sure to impress even your snobbiest of foodie friends. —Jeanine
Ingredients
2 firm, yet ripe peaches
2 tsp olive oil
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
2 c baby arugula
fresh mozzarella, sliced
a few dollops of pesto
2 Tbs pine nuts, toasted and chopped
salt & pepper
Mint & Basil Pesto:
1 c packed mix of mint & basil
1/4 c pine nuts, toasted (you could also use walnuts)
1/2 garlic clove, roughly chopped
juice and zest from 1/2 a lemon
1/4 c olive oil (or more)
a few pinches of red pepper flakes
salt & pepper
Slice the peaches into 6 segments per peach. In a small bowl, toss peaches with olive oil, balsamic, and just a small pinch of salt.
Heat your grill (or grill pan) to medium-high heat and brush it with some oil. Place the peach slices on the hot grill and cook each side for 2-3 minutes without moving them (near the end you can gently peek to see how your grill marks are coming along).
A few notes about grilling peaches: They will pick up the flavors of what you previously grilled on your grill. Depending on what that was, you may want to clean your grill well before beginning. Also, I experimented with using grill pans—a cast-iron (seasoned) grill pan and a nonstick grill pan. The nonstick created “prettier” grill marks because the peaches stuck less. The seasoned cast-iron pan imparted a hint of zucchini flavor from a previous dinner (that was surprisingly not awful tasting). Both ways, the peaches tasted wonderful.
When your peaches are grilled, set them aside and allow them to cool to room temperature.
Meanwhile, make the pesto. Combine all ingredients in a small food processor and pulse to combine. Add more oil for a smoother pesto, or leave it chunky—whichever consistency you prefer.
Toss the arugula with just a little bit of olive oil and a few pinches of salt. Assemble on a platter and top with mozzarella slices, peaches, dollops of pesto, and a few pinches of red pepper flakes. Squeeze just a bit of lemon on top and serve.








Grilled Panzanella with Poached Eggs
serves 2 as a main course, 4 as a side
I love charred bread, but I haven’t always.  When I was younger, my dad ate all the family reject burnt food. Overdone toast, accidentally burnt pancakes, cookies we left in the oven too long … my sister and I had a preference toward underdone and doughy food so whatever we messed up and overcooked, we’d pile on a plate for my dad. And he’d say “this is the best kind.”
The first time I put burnt toast on a plate for Jack, he looked at me and said, “What’s this, am I your dad now?” I had just always assumed that burnt food equaled man food. So over time, I selflessly became the eater of the black toast … not quite as black as the way my dad liked it, but I’ve come to love bread with a nice deep char. Especially in a salad like this.
Toasty, garlicky bread cubes kick up your average panzanella. That char offers such a delightful contrast to the juicy tomatoes, sweet basil, and fruity olive oil.
Make it a full meal by topping it with a poached egg. —Jeanine
Ingredients
1 small red onion, sliced thin
half loaf of day-old ciabatta bread
olive oil
1/2 garlic clove
1 1/2 c cherry and/or pear tomatoes, sliced in half
1/2 c ricotta salata cheese, chopped into 1/2 inch cubes
5 or 6 basil leaves, torn
1/4 c toasted pine nuts
2-4 eggs, for poaching (optional)
Dressing:
1/4 c olive oil
2 tbsp champagne vinegar (or white or red wine vinegar)
squeeze of lemon juice (1-2 tbsp, to taste)
salt & pepper, to taste
a few pinches of red pepper flakes
Optional step: In a small bowl, toss red onion slices with a teaspoon or two of the champagne vinegar. Set aside while you work on the rest of the steps. This helps cut down on the harsh raw onion taste.
Slice bread into 1/2-inch thick slices, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle a few pinches of salt and grill both sides until lightly charred. Remove bread from grill and rub it it with the sliced side of the garlic clove while the bread is still warm. Chop the bread into cubes and set aside.
In another small bowl, whisk together dressing ingredients and set aside.
In a large bowl toss the bread cubes, tomatoes, onion slices, ricotta salata, and basil together with the dressing. Top with toasted pine nuts and a few more red pepper flakes. Allow the salad to sit for 15-20 minutes for the dressing to soak into the bread. Taste and adjust seasonings.






INGREDIENTS:serves 2-3 as a full meal, 4-5 as a side
charred corn & poblano:1 poblano pepper
1 ear of corn, kernels sliced off the cob (about 1/2 cup)
cherry tomato pico:1/4 c. sliced tomatoes (cherry)
1/2 lime (1-2 tablespoons)
1/4 c. sliced scallions, white and green, 2-3
a few pinches of salt
chipotle lime dressing:1/4 c olive oil
1/4 cup fresh lime juice (about 1 lime)
1 teaspoon ancho chile powder
1 teaspoon chipotle chile powder
1 tablespoon agave syrup
salt, pepper, to taste
other salad components: 
red quinoa – 1 cup, cooked
2 cups arugula
1/2 cup cubed tofu (or meat or cheese of your choice)
1/2 c. cilantro
1/2 sliced avocado
tortilla strips from 1 tortilla, sliced, baked, salted
METHOD:Roast the poblano pepper and char the corn. Place poblano under the broiler for 20 or so minutes, until blistered on all sides. (time will vary depending on the heat of your broiler). When it’s fully blistered, remove and place in a bowl and cover (not touching) with plastic wrap or at towel. Set aside for 15 minutes or so, until it’s cool enough to handle. Using your fingers, slide off the skin and remove the stem and seeds. Chop into roughly 1/4 inch pieces and place in a small bowl.
Toss corn kernels with a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of salt. Roast corn kernels under the broiler for 4-5 minutes or until they just begin to blacken. Remove from oven, toss with chopped poblano and set aside.
In another small bowl, toss together cherry tomatoes, lime juice, scallions, and a few pinches of salt. Set aside.
In another small bowl, whisk together the dressing: olive oil, lime juice, ancho chile powder, chipotle powder, agave, salt and pepper. (It might tasted too tangy/spicy/sweet on it’s own… but remember that it will get diluted when you mix it with everything else). Set aside.
In a large bowl combine red quinoa, arugula, tofu and cilantro with the dressing. (you might not need all of the dressing, start with half and add more to your liking). Toss in the charred corn, chopped poblano and pico. Taste and adjust seasonings. Top with sliced avocado and tortilla strips and a squeeze of lime.