J Schwanke’s Life In Bloom

>> "J Schwanke's Life in Bloom" is brought to you by the following... >> That flower feeling.

At home.

At work.

Or anytime.

CalFlowers is a proud sponsor of "J Schwanke's Life in Bloom," where flowers and wellness go hand in hand.

>> We have fresh in all our stores, from soups and steaks and all things flour to all things flowering.

Custom fresh arrangements designed by our in-store florists at Albertsons Companies.

>> With additional support from the following... >> On today's "Life in Bloom," we're thinking pink.

We're looking at the wide range of hues and flowers in pink.

Create arrangements in the pinks and learn a bit about the personality of pink with my friend Chef Jenna.

I'm J Schwanke.

Welcome to "Life in Bloom."

"Anything is possible with sunshine and a little pink."

Today on "Life in Bloom," we're tickled pink, literally and figuratively.

Being in the presence of flowers naturally gives one a healthy glow in the pink, is the saying goes.

Pink may be the most plentiful color across all of the flower world, surpassed only perhaps by white.

Therefore, it seems quite logical to devote an episode to the color pink.

Dianthus carnations have acquired the nickname of pinks over the years, not necessarily due to their colors, but due to the fact that the edges look as if they were trimmed with pinking shears.

However, they do appear in quite a wide range of pink hues.

So who's to say?

Let's take a deep dive into the plentiful world of pink flowers.

I think it's safe to say there's no one quite as dedicated to the color pink as my friend Chef Jenna.

You may recall Jenna has guested on the show before with her signature pink pompadour, literally just the tip of the pink iceberg.

Jenna is an incredible chef, savvy business owner, and caring philanthropist.

However, all of this may pale in comparison to her absolute dedication to the color pink.

Jenna is joining me today to create a plate of pink perfection and relate her passion for all that is pink.

So why pink for you?

>> So about 10 years ago, I started going to my friend Lauren, who did my hair, and we tried a whole bunch of colors.

And then when we did pink, I was like, "This is it.

Pink is it.

This is my color."

And then it just kind of snowballed from there.

And I have lots of pink clothes.

I have a pink car.

I have... Just... >> You have pink fingernails.

>> Pink fingernails, anything that can be pink and glittery.

Did you know that pink is the color of unconditional love?

>> And that's perfect for you.

Because there is no one that I know that has showed more unconditional love in the past five years than you.

You have your Food Hugs organization.

You are an entrepreneur.

You're a philanthropist.

You have a nonprofit yourself.

You're doing things.

You've been awarded national awards.

You've been on television shows for all the things that you've done because you're you.

>> Because I love people.

>> Right.

Right.

>> And I love all people.

And sometimes that's hard to do.

And that's just what people need.

They just need someone to care about them for the most part.

Honestly.

I hope that's kind of my, you know, legacy, is happiness, glitter, pink, and being nice, being kind.

>> So today you're going to fix something pink for us.

>> Yes.

And I wanted to make something that everyone could easily make.

>> Okay.

>> Simply and fast.

>> Okay.

So there's fire first, right?

>> We're gonna -- We're gonna blow some -- No, we're just gonna light a fire just because it's fun.

>> Okay, yeah, exactly.

>> Don't burn your eyebrows, your hair, burn down your house or anything.

>> Okay.

So always be careful when we're working with fire.

>> Yes, definitely stand back when you're doing this part.

>> Okay.

>> I got a stove here.

>> Yes.

>> So I'm going to get my pan a little hot, but here comes the fire.

You ready?

>> Okay.

>> Alright.

We're pouring the vodka in here, and then we just tilt this a little bit to catch some of it.

>> Oh!

>> You see how pretty and blue that fire is?

>> Ah.

>> See, I didn't blow anybody up.

>> No.

>> That's just a little vodka to start, and then I'm going to add butter.

See how it got bigger?

>> This is my favorite part.

>> Look at that.

>> Oh.

>> And a little bit of olive oil as well.

Because if you don't add olive oil, the butter burns.

>> Okay.

>> We don't want the butter to burn.

We just want it to get brown.

>> I always learn something from you.

>> Garlic.

>> Got it.

>> As much as you like.

You love garlic?

Put more garlic.

If you don't love garlic, leave it out.

But we're just going to get that all in that good butter mix there.

>> Oh, it smells so good, Jenna.

>> Already.

It smells good.

Right?

>> Right.

>> So we're just letting that garlic kind of marinate in all the butter and the goodies.

Right?

And the vodka.

>> Music to my ears.

>> Just get a little drunk.

It's fine.

>> Yeah.

>> The fifth thing we're going to put in here is just tomatoes.

Crushed tomatoes.

>> Crushed tomatoes.

>> Yep.

So we're going to pour that in there.

>> Okay.

>> And stir that a little bit more.

Not tomato sauce.

Not diced.

Crushed tomatoes.

>> Crushed tomatoes.

>> And you can see that garlic just speckled through there.

This is what makes it pink -- heavy whipping cream.

>> [ Gasps ] I love that.

>> So watch how this changes.

>> Yeah?

>> From red.

We're just stirring it in and see how it's slowly becoming... >> Oh, yeah.

>> ...like a light pink color.

>> Because when you have red and you add white to it, you create pink.

You're creating a tint of that color because you add white.

>> Exactly.

You got this.

You know what I'm talking about.

>> Yeah, yeah, yeah.

>> So I'm adding more white.

But this is also saltiness, right?

Because it's parm.

So we're going to add parm.

And that's going to make it even more white and tastier.

Right?

Because the salt that we're -- we're adding that level of salt.

And I love cheese, so I'm going to add a lot of cheese.

>> That's good.

>> But you, like I said, this is kind of like making flowers.

>> Right.

>> You add and you taste, you add, you look, you know.

That's just how it rolls.

I'm going to put black pepper fresh grated because I like the fresh-- the freshness of a black pepper.

>> Sure.

>> And then this is one of my favorite things on the planet.

>> Right.

>> Basil.

Just the smell.

>> Oh, yeah.

>> The smell.

They need to make a perfume that smells just like... >> Wouldn't that be the best?

>> Fresh basil.

I don't know why they don't.

Alright, so I'm just, in my hands, just putting it -- >> Going to tear it up.

>> I'm just tearing it.

Yep.

Because I feel like that releases some of the flavor a little more when you tear it than when you cut it.

Okay, so we're done.

>> Okay.

[ Gasps ] Okay.

>> We're done.

>> Alright.

>> That's it.

Super easy.

Right?

And I just happen to have... [ Both laugh ] ...some lobster ravioli that I'm putting in here.

>> Stop it.

>> Yes, yes.

>> Lobster ravioli.

>> Thick, thick, filled with lobster.

>> Yeah.

Okay.

So I'm going to make a drink.

>> Okay.

>> A pink drink for us.

>> I love that.

>> So pink gin.

>> I love that.

Okay.

>> Okay.

>> And I don't know anything about this.

I've never had one.

You're going to be my first.

>> Okay.

So it was felt that this was developed by the Royal Navy because bitters helped prevent seasickness.

>> Yes, because it's good for your tummy.

>> Right.

>> Makes sense.

>> But bitters were unpleasant to drink.

>> They are.

>> Okay.

>> They're very bitter.

>> They went after gin.

>> Okay.

>> And they liked the Plymouth gin because the Plymouth gin is a little bit sweeter.

>> Oh, okay.

>> Okay?

And so it isn't like dry gin, you know, that would have dry -- >> Not like London dry gin.

>> Right.

So it's 2 ounces of those, a few dashes of bitters.

We're going to make sure we get enough bitters in there.

Alright.

>> I'm excited to try this.

I've never had this.

>> Okay.

Coupe glasses.

>> Yes.

Love this.

I love a coupe.

>> Twist.

>> Twist.

>> Served with a twist.

>> Oh, my goodness, look at that!

>> So it's pink.

>> Okay, so... >> So should we plate this and use these beautiful flowers?

>> Yes.

So, our flowers are from our friend Jill.

And we have Dianthus, which are carnations.

We have violas and we have pansies.

Now look there.

I'm going to put one on each one, Jenna.

Because we can, right?

>> Because we can because we have them.

>> Look how pretty it is.

>> It's so pretty.

>> The people always say, you know, that a little bite is your friend, but they've never met you.

>> No, they haven't.

>> Because when it's your food, I want a big bite.

>> Just get a big one.

You did a good bite.

Good bite.

>> That's so good.

>> Right?

And you can use any pasta.

Like, you can just cook up penne or spaghetti or whatever.

>> Yeah.

>> It all goes good with vodka sauce.

>> It's amazing.

I mean, and it was fast and it was easy and it was pink.

>> Right.

Exactly.

>> So, you know the tradition.

Flower crown.

>> Oh, my gosh, I'm so excited.

I feel like I'm being crowned, like, for real.

Like, I dub thee.

>> I like that your little pink hair shows.

>> Miss Pink-a-lot.

>> Cheers, my friend.

>> Cheers.

To friendship and to pink.

>> Yep.

>> Mmm!

So good.

>> Yummy.

People can get really frustrated when they're trying to make an arrangement in a vase that has a big opening, and there's nothing to really hold the flowers in place.

So this little secret trick is really easy.

And it's called a tape grid.

So we're going to create a tape grid across the opening, which will help hold flowers in place and make you look like a pro.

So we'll create our tape grid.

I'm using a product that's called clear anchor tape.

You can find waterproof anchor tape in clear or green online or at a crafts store.

I like the quarter-inch, but it also comes in half-inch.

What you want to make sure is that it's waterproof so that it will stick to the container even when you're adding water.

I'll do strips about an inch apart all the way across the vase.

Then I'll turn it and add them again at a right angle.

So I have a crisscross pattern.

Now I have little chambers to stick my stems through.

Once I've done the crisscross pattern, I also reinforce it by running a strip around the edge of the container.

Typically I'll go around twice.

That's just to make sure it stays nice and secure.

Sometimes the anchor tape is very durable, and you can use it two or three times before you have to replace it.

Then we'll start with our flowers.

I'll start with the Kalanchoe in this bouquet.

I love these Kalanchoes because each and every one of those blooms is like a little rosette, and it opens up.

There are several stems on the one big stem, so I cut those off and remove the foliage so that there's no foliage going into the vase.

We don't want any foliage to be on the stems below the water line.

That causes bacteria and our flowers won't last as long.

So stripping it off before we place them through the grid is ideal.

Our gerbers have a protective straw on them.

I remove that before I place them into the grid.

We've got a couple pieces of foliage, and I'll cut those and place those around the outside, so it appears as if there's a collar of foliage going around our bouquet.

We'll finish up with our pom poms and carnations.

And I love the accent of the Hypericum.

It's the berry of St. John's wort, and it adds so much texture, so I'll place that right in the center.

As I mentioned in the opening, the various hues of pink make it the most populous color in the flower world, across the largest variety of flowers as well.

Drink in all the pink with your eyes as I create an arrangement with an opulent ombr effect.

The definition of ombr is going from the lightest color to the darkest color in a transition, so we're using the color pink in tints, tones, and shades.

We're using a rectangle vase.

We're starting at one end.

For those of you trying this arrangement for the first time, I would suggest using a tape grid or maybe even using flower foam.

Using this big king protea in the center helps stabilize one side of the vase, and it makes it easier to add the darker colored flowers on the other side.

I've laid out all of the flowers on the table in the tints, tones, and shades that I want them to appear in the vase.

That way I can work from one side of the table to the other.

Once I've completed it, I can go through and adjust the flower stems accordingly.

I love that it transcends from the very lightest pink to the deepest magenta on the other side of the arrangement.

Our featured flower is a lily that doesn't have pollen.

And I've asked my friend Tyler Meskers to tell us more about it.

So, Tyler, tell us about this beautiful pink lily, no pollen.

>> That's right.

It's completely dry, which is nice because most Oriental lilies have pollen which can stain your flower or your clothes.

This is completely dry, so nothing falls on the flower.

Nothing falls on your tablecloth or your clothing.

>> It's an amazing pink color and it's vibrant.

It's got yellow and it's got pink down deep inside.

And a lighter fragrance.

>> Lighter fragrance, super-tall stem, strong stem and lots of buds from a small size.

>> So we can look for a lily that's pollen-free like this, and the name of this lily variety is...?

>> This variety is called vendome.

There are not many with this characteristics, which makes it very unique for us to grow.

>> A pollen-free lily.

Our featured flower, vendome.

So when we're creating our hand-tied bouquet, I want you to think about your finger and your thumb as being the vase where we're going to create our bouquet.

Where the stems cross between my finger and my thumb is where we'll bind the bouquet together.

Everything that goes into my hand is going to go in at a 45-degree angle and on top of the last flower.

So when I place it in my hand like this, it's going between my finger and my thumb, and the next one is going to go at a 45-degree angle and on top of the last stem.

The next stem at a 45-degree angle and on top.

Let's create a larger pink bouquet using the hand-tied method.

We'll start with our roses.

This variety is called crazy eye.

I'm placing all five stems of those together and at different levels.

Then we'll add our boronia.

I love boronia because of its deep-pink-colored shell-like flowers, but also because of its amazing fragrance.

Then we'll add our peonies.

These are so large and absolutely gorgeous.

So just three will make a very big impression.

Then we'll add some pink parasol spray roses, which have a classic rose fragrance.

Next we'll add some blush pink rose lilies.

That completes our selection of flowers for this pink bouquet.

We'll finish off the bouquet with two different types of foliage.

The first one is xanadu.

It's a member of the Philodendron family, and I love its finger-like appearance.

Then I'll add some green aspidistra, or cast-iron plant, to complete a collar of foliage around the bouquet.

We'll hold all the flowers and foliage in place by binding the bouquet with craft covered wire.

I'm binding it right above where my hand was holding all the stems.

The large aspidistra leaves can be a bit overpowering.

So here's a fun trick.

I'll bring a few of the points of the aspidistra leaves back to the binding point and hold them in place with my hand as I add another layer of craft covered wire to secure them in place.

Because we created this bouquet using the classic hand-tied technique with our 45-degree-angle placements and layering each flower on top and to the right of the last flower.

When we cut the stems off flush and even, our bouquet will actually stand up on the table.

We could even stand it in a low dish of water or place it easily into a vase.

This is a great way to present flowers.

We could use it as a wedding bouquet, it could be used for a presentation, or we could even use it as a gift.

And the great part about this is it can just be cut off and dropped into a vase.

A hand-tied bouquet is a fun way for you to use any kind of flowers.

It's time for one of my favorite things -- sharing some flower fan mail with you.

Today I have flower arrangements to share from Deborah Lawrence, who watches the show on Create TV in the state of Washington.

She took particular notice of the arrangements in the barware in our show called "Simply Flowers."

Deborah shared the following on social media.

"You inspired me to turn a half a dozen wineglasses, red carnations and Gypsophila into these valentine table decorations.

Happy Valentine's Day!"

You know how I love red carnations, Valentine's Day or otherwise.

They're one of my favorite flowers.

Deborah further writes, "It would be difficult for me to say whether I favor your sharing of flowers and plant knowledge, floral design, flower cocktail recipes, or your gifting of flower crowns because all these elements of your show would be personal favorites."

Deborah concludes, "I enjoy experimenting with simple propagation in my greenhouse and listening to the sound of running water from three small streams falling into my backyard pond."

That sounds dreamy.

I'm envious.

Thanks for sharing, Deborah.

I love to see pictures of your flower arrangements.

We call them Schwankes after a viewer's nickname.

Send them to [email protected] -- the letter J at the letter U bloom.com.

And watch for more Schwankes on upcoming shows.

Perhaps you're feeling more in the pink after this episode with a new appreciation for all flowers pink and some new ideas for beautiful flower arrangements.

For "Life in Bloom," I'm J Schwanke.

When I got to go to England for the first time... >> Okay.

>> ...I had a friend over there and she said, "What do you want to do while you're here?"

And I was like, "I want to drink pink gin with two little old ladies in a bar."

And I was waltzing around London and I walked into this bar.

There were two wonderful ladies just talking to each other, sitting there.

And I went up to the bartender and I said, "Can I have three pink gins?

Because I want to go drink them with those ladies over there."

And he said, "Are you ready for that?"

"Yes, I am."

And I took them over and I said, "I'm from America.

I've always dreamt -- I wanted to drink pink gins with two little old ladies in a bar in London," and they were like, "Oh, sit down!

Sit!"

And so we had the best time.

And it was just -- You know, it was just fun.

"J Schwanke's Life in Bloom" is filmed in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

>> Visit J's website, uBloom.com, for flower projects and crafts, complete recipes, behind-the-scenes videos, J's blog, flower cocktails, and more.

"J Schwanke's Life in Bloom" is brought to you by the following... >> That flower feeling.

At home.

At work.

Or anytime.

CalFlowers is a proud sponsor of "J Schwanke's Life in Bloom," where flowers and wellness go hand in hand.

>> We have fresh in all our stores, from soups and steaks and all things flour to all things flowering.

Custom fresh arrangements designed by our in-store florists at Albertsons Companies.

>> With additional support from the following... Closed-caption funding provided by Holland America Flowers.