Seriously, what could a three-layer cake that is bedecked with fresh flowers, a fully-loaded charcuterie board and a fresh ocean-centric wall art print all have in common?

Flower-crowned 3-layer cake

The Rose basket enjoyed by my nephew Parker and his fiancee Kenzie

Land & Sea III

The answer is they are all a way to simultaneously:

• Do something nice for yourself or someone you love.
• Support our battered and beloved restaurants that are trying to hang on through the ups and downs of business during the covid pandemic.
• Pay it forward to our heroic frontline healthcare workers who are caring for our communities.

How can this be? There is a little story behind this, so grab a coffee, an iced tea or a glass of wine and kick up your feet. It's all happy good stuff. I promise.

Something New For Dinner and Hardware House Kitchen Are Joining Forces to Support Frontline Foods

Me picking up goodies from Angela

Since the covid virus hit, I have been tapping into a secret guilty pleasure once or twice a month. Let me explain. I began the covid experience by cooking A LOT. I would really go all out in the kitchen five days a week, but then after five days, I was ready for a break. I also longed to get back to some sort of in-person socializing and away from Zoom parties.

Click to download our free e-cookbook: 15 Recipes To Make You Look Like A Star

So my husband and I rigged up our backyard with an outdoor table that expands to 12 feet, allowing us to invite one couple over and have each couple sit at opposite ends, giving us a dining space that seats each couple more than 6 feet apart. Our outdoor table has plenty of fresh air where any lurking virus can be blown away by the wind. All the science we have read (and we have read a LOT of science on this subject) says outdoor transmission is extremely rare, especially when you add distance between people, a little breeze and better yet, some masks.

Covid-safe outdoor dining

In normal times when we entertain I always cook, but I found cooking for others during the covid pandemic was stressful. Why? I am lousy at having everything cooked and ready to go before my guests arrive. Typically, my guests walk in the door, I offer them a drink and then they either chat with me while I finish up the meal or lend a hand and do some chopping, stirring or grilling. Either way, this is all usually done shoulder to shoulder in the kitchen. Something that just doesn't work during the pandemic.

My almost-son Chip entertaining Bobbi while I cook

With covid, I want everyone to stay outdoors and definitely out of my kitchen. Likewise, when dinner is over, I want everyone to keep away from the dishes and again, stay outdoors. The problem is guests want to help with the work which really can't be done safely these days. So the solution was to eliminate their desire to help by eliminating the kitchen work and ordering dinner in.

Angela  delivering a Rose basket to me

I began by ordering take-out from local restaurants, but the real break through in my covid-era entertaining strategy came when I met up with Angela of Hardware House Kitchen Catering. She is also known through her food blog New Food Tuesdayz. The world is intriguingly connected because Angela is also the step-daughter-in-law of my dear friend Nancy who I grew up with in Honolulu, a billion years ago. Really? Was this a cosmic sign that the Something New For Dinner & Hardware House Kitchen relationship was meant to be? Angela and her husband Wes have developed their Hardware House Kitchen catering business around their deep love of food, cocktails and helping people gather together for meals. And they do an amazing job. They will cater small events suitable for covid times and they recently added a delivery menu for people living in Orange County, California, particularly Costa Mesa, Newport Beach, Laguna, Huntington Beach, Orange, Villa Park and Tustin.

Delicious chocolate layer cake with whip and cream cheese frosting

Additionally, angela and wes are incredible bakers. She makes beautiful cakes suitable for birthdays, weddings or just because.

Wes' chocolate chip cookies

Some darned delicious bread

And don't even get me started on their homemade bread loaves.

Tomato confit with torn and toasted Hardware House Kitchen dipping bread

Their bread is so good it can be sliced and eaten plain or buttered up. I like to use it to serve it torn and toasted with my Tomato Confit.

Picnic and Boating Baskets

Rose picnic basket with cake

Hardware House Kitchen delivery offers an array of appetizers, salads, mains and sweets, but what I am really enjoying right now are their Picnic and Boating Baskets. They offer three different baskets that are cleverly named White, Rose and Red. Each comes with an appetizer, a meat and cheese platter and a salad. Each basket serves four and is a wonderful way to have a casual outdoor meal with your family and friends at the beach, in your cul de sac, in your backyard, at a park or in a boat. And the beauty is Hardware House delivers to most of Orange County.

So What Does This Have To Do

With Supporting Frontline Workers?

Angela, Wes and I all feel a need to pay-it-forward and do something meaningful for the crisis workers who help make our lives safer. The way to magnify our personal donations is through our craft. In my case, through sales of my wall art and in their case through their Hardware House Kitchen catering offerings. Frontline Foods is the natural non-profit organization to accomplish our mission. Frontline Foods uses our donations (raised through your purchases) to buy individual meals from local restaurants, who deliver the food to frontline healthcare workers. So...back to the beginning of the story, this is how a three-layer cake, a charcuterie board and a ocean-centric wall print have the power to do good for you, your family, your friends, your local restaurants and our crisis workers. What a fun and painless way to do good!

Hardware House Kitchen Is Donating 25% of Their Profits to Frontline Foods

From August 17th to the 31st, 2020

Homemade butternut squash ravioli, coffee-rubbed tri-tip and Hardware House salad

So if you live in Orange County, California please contact Angela and Wes via email at Hardwarehousekitchen@gmail.com and try out one of their new picnic baskets. Or order their homemade ravioli, coffee-rubbed steak or DIY pizza package. It is all very good. And if you have an occasion, definitely order a cake! Even if you don't have an occasion, create one and definitely order a cake. My husband was very glad I did.

Something New For Dinner is Donating All Profits

Generated from the Sale of Our Wall Art to Frontline Foods

Check out our line of prints here. Each print has a story behind it and is meant to evoke peaceful and calm feelings as well as a promise for returning to the joys of travel and adventure when we pass through our current pandemic. We offer 24 different prints on the site in two formats and three sizes (click here for more details). Additionally I am available to create custom prints to suit your particular needs. I am currently working with two clients on large scale pieces, which are particularly rewarding and so much fun to develop. I can't wait to show them to you! Send me a note if you are interested in a custom print and I will work hard to make you happy.

The Hue of Blue Custom Wall Art

I am thrilled with the way this 50" x 40" custom piece turned out. It gives this dining room a simple and calm vibe that makes me want to sit down and relax over a Rose Hardware House Kitchen basket.

How to Order From and Follow Hardware House Kitchen

You can follow Angela and Wes on their IG accounts The Hardware house Kitchen and New Food Tuesdayz. To place an order or get a proposal for an event contact Angela at hardwarehousekitchen@gmail.com.

Follow SNFD's IG

While you are at it, don't forget to check out Something New For Dinner's IG for the latest recipes, food knowledge, wall art prints, travel and dogs working from home. Wishing you, your family and friends health and safety and moments of joy,