Home Sweet Home:Bring Beauty To Your Kitchen With Polmedia Polish Stoneware

10/2/2012

When I was little, one of the things I remember the most is hearing my Grandpa talk about all things Polish. He would sing polkas very loudly, mostly to annoy my Grandma and make us kids laugh. (I can still hear it...."In Heaven there is no beer...That's why we drink it here"...) He also talked about Polish foods like Kielbasa, and of course he'd show us the Ogorek family crest. Interesting fact: Ogorek is an Americanized version of Ogurek, which means cucumber or pickle. So I come from a long line of pickles, apparently! My Grandpa is Polish, through and through, and is still very proud of his heritage to this day.

That's why I was so excited when I learned about the Polish Pottery and Stoneware from Polmedia. This is a great company that brings handpainted, artisan stoneware pieces to the American buyer at wonderful prices. These pieces are lovingly made by Polish artists and are truly works of art. There are so many beautiful pieces to choose from, all with vibrant colors and an Old World feel.

They offer so many different products from dinnerware and serving pieces to cups and mugs, and even some gorgeous home decor items. I have spent hours on this site just admiring the beauty of their work, and I have to say I am in awe of the attention to detail Polmedia shows in all of their work.

Here is a bit more about Polmedia, from their owner, Artur:

Hello! Thank you for stopping by. My name is Artur and I am the owner of Polmedia, LLC. We are a family run business. Our family has been in business together ever since "The Wall" collapsed and capitalism was allowed in the post communist countries of eastern Europe, including Poland where I am from. A few years after opening our first shop in Poland, I emigrated to the United States to study, while my family continued running our business in Poland. I first earned a Bachelor's Degree from Purdue University and then moved on to obtain an MBA from Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University in Chicago. I had always wanted to lead my own business, so in 2003 I opened our first office in the USA. Currently, we own a 12,000 square ft. warehouse outside San Antonio, Texas. It is here that we process and distribute several thousand pieces of Polish pottery every month. In addition, our family runs one of the largest warehouses of Polish stoneware in Boleslawiec, Poland where our Polish pottery from various local manufacturers is processed before it is shipped to San Antonio.

My promise: The single most important thing about my business is my customers' full and unconditional satisfaction. I am proud to say that over the years we've earned thousands of very satisfied customers around the world. I have posted some of their unsolicited testimonials on our Customer Testimonials page. I would like for you, too, to become our very satisfied customer and have you tell all your friends and relatives about us. That is why we always strive to provide the best possible service. We will do our best to exceed your expectations every time you give us a chance to serve you. That is my promise!

Here are just a few of my favorite pieces:

This rectangular baking dish is stunning!

This heart-shaped dish is beautifully hand-painted.

Yes, they offer pitchers, too!

Aren't those absolutely breathtaking?! I love the rich, vibrant hues and European styling of these pieces. It makes me daydream about the stoneware my Polish ancestors surely used back in the Old Country.

The generous folks at Polmedia sent me a gorgeous casserole-style baking dish with cover for my review. It arrived very well packaged and was undamaged. This dish was made by Ceramika Artystyczna in beautiful Boleslawiec, Poland. It is a nice size for side dishes at about Height: 4¾"Width: 7¾"Length:10¼".

This dish is painstakingly hand-painted, and features wonderful shades of red, yellow, green, and blue. It has a very nostalgic feel, and is definitely heirloom quality and will last for generations.

Aside from its good looks, there is a lot that makes this stoneware special. For one, it's incredibly durable and is made to be used daily. It is microwave safe, dishwasher safe, freezer safe, and oven safe up to 480 degrees. It's also chip resistant, so no need to worry about breaking it easily. Oh, and for those who are concerned about potentially hazardous materials being used, this stoneware is also lead and cadmium free.

Take a look at how stunning this Polish Stoneware baking dish is! I took these photos outdoors in natural light.

I just love the patterns and design!

The inside of the baking dish is also beautifully adorned!

This is sure to be a conversation piece at your next dinner party!

This also includes a maker's mark on the back.

We absolutely love this bake ware, and I have used it often. I generally make side dishes in it, as it's not quite large enough to accommodate a main dish for my family of 5. I found some wonderful Polish Recipes on the Polmedia site, and we have made a few of them. I especially like the Potato Pancakes. Since I come from Polish roots by the last name of Ogurek, I think I will need to try the Pickle Soup sometime soon as well!

Another great (and easy!) dish we love is my glazed baby carrots. These came out wonderfully tender, sweet, and cooked to absolute perfection in our Polmedia stoneware.

Here's my recipe:

Ingredients:
-1 (16 ounce) package baby carrots
-1/2 cup butter
-3 tablespoons honey
-1/2 cup brown sugar
-Freshly chopped Parsley, if desired
-1/2 teaspoon minced garlic

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 F

Place the carrots into a large pot and cover with salted water. Bring to a boil over high heat until slightly tender, about 5 minutes. Drain and allow to steam dry for a minute or two.
Melt butter. Stir in the honey, garlic and brown sugar; add the carrots and stir until evenly coated.
Place in Polish Stoneware baking dish and cook another 10-15 minutes.
Sprinkle with fresh parsley. Serve.

Overall, we are loving our Polmedia stoneware. It's beautiful, durable, and functional. I love the fact that it's super easy to clean and it's not terribly fragile. This makes a huge difference when there are toddlers in the home! The quality of food that comes out of these dishes is also superior. This stoneware allows food to cook evenly, and the lid keeps all of the juices and flavor in. I can't wait to order more of these beautiful pieces to add to my collection. There are thousands to choose from, so shopping with Polmedia should be a fun experience. You never know what treasures you'll find! And since it's all Polish made, my Grandpa would be proud! Now if only they carried his Polish Potato Vodka, he'd definitely be in Heaven! Anyway, be sure to check them out! You definitely won't be disappointed! They have beautiful products at affordable prices. These pieces are made to last a lifetime and are sure to add Old World charm to any decor!

HOW TO CONNECT :

You can check out all of the beautiful Polish stoneware on the Polmedia website.

Be sure to check out their offerings for the Holiday season!

You can also follow them on Facebook and on twitter to stay on top of their latest products and promotions!

***Disclosure: I received a complimentary sample to facilitate my review. No other compensation was provided, and all opinions are 100% honest and have not been influenced in any way.***

2 Comments

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