About that blank wall...

Originally I planned this wall as a screen for our projector and when we first moved in we used it as such. Issues with ambient light and bulbs and controller boards lead us back to a traditional set. So there this blank wall stood waiting for a piece of art large enough to fill this space in proper proportion to its size. I considered gallery photo walls but found them too busy for my more modern minimalist preferences. I tried placing the couch there under a long bold mirror but still it was not right. So long it lived a blank reminder of my inability to create a well decorated home.
And then it was time to really focus on learning our ABCs and the arrival of these smart geeky and thought provoking flash cards by NerdyBaby. Laid out and affixed to the wall with reusable wall mounting squares by Scotch they have become a joy to look at, a fantastic teaching tool and a jumping point for many a good academic conversations.

Yup That's One Trendy Backsplash

My new chevron backsplash is testimony to me jumping on a trend late in the game. I put it up despite the fact that my interest in the fad is alreading fading. I have always planned to install a backsplash in my kitchen but never could commit to a material or spare the resources on such a permanent addition. Then I came across this gorgeous white marble tile set in a chevron design. It took my breath away and I thought I think this is it. Then I became afraid of commitment. Then I saw chevron contact paper and tah dah a six dollar non permanent way to get a feel for life in zig zag.
Does it get to stay?

Grandpops Give Good Advice

Somtimes snail mail still delivers something worth reading.

Old English

My sister gave me an old singer machine recently which had belonged to my great grandma. It was rough but now it's fine. So this one goes out to Great Grandma for the hand me down singer and to Old English furiture polish which renewed this piece in about 5 minutes.

Chicken Noodle

So the last time I was under the weather my husband whipped up this amazing chicken noodle soup. The presentation is worthy of a post. No recipe here. I just like remebering the beauty of this simple gesture. Love.

Little Honey Babies

I am not one who believes in giving party favors which I don't know to be useful. For a recent baby shower I co-hosted I made simple tags which read Little Honey Baby and attached them to tiny jars of sweet french honey.  I can't be the only person who still calls babies honey baby. Am I?

Good Night Kisses Hedgehog.

Sweet dreams to Logan on his first birthday. Love those Kickee Pants jammies. They are made from a bamboo viscose blend that's super silky and the printed kissing hedgehogs could not be cuter.

Zoom! Airplanes! Candy airplanes!

Smarties, Life Savers, a stick of gum and a rubberband, you'll be soaring on a sugar high in no time flat.

Brown paper packages tied up in string.

Here's the simplest thing I've done recently that made a big impression. I wrapped toll house cookie bars in parchment paper and tied them off with bakers twine. Presented in a paper bag these little packages looked really special but required so little effort. Lets face it, little details like this don't really effect the quality of the food but I firmly believe they make people feel good.

Tie Dyed Cakes

For my son Logans first birthday I made this cake which was inspired by something I ran across on pinterest. Easy peasy. Just use an ordinary box of cake mix, preparing the batter as instructed on the box.  Split it six ways and color with gel food coloring. Use about 3/4 of the a bowl for the first color into the cake pan, then add the rest about a half a cup at a time right on top. Use a knife to swirl lightly and bake. Frosting it simply in white made the colors pop. I served it on a holographic poster board for an over the top visual effect.

Pork Belly with herbes de provence

Found a great source for local meat this week and slow roasted this lovely little number. The best of connecting and old fashioned roasting session with a modern kitchen gadget. I used my Cuisineart panini press to really take this cut to a new level. After roasting and cooling I sliced it thickly and served it as a panini with a dijon vinegrette over a watercress and radish slaw... To die for...

A Quilt for Little Kukla.

So I made this little cuddle for a friend who's baby is due next month. I used a selection from a set of fabrics named Little Kukla. The bold patterns looked funky in any sort or traditional or complex quilt block so I changed gears and went with modern bold stripes. Win-win as I was able to finish the whole thing in about 4 hours. Obviously I am a machine quilter. I just cannot wilfully pass up using a gadget or machine to accomplish what can be a really tedious task. I still have great appreciation for the real deal but I choose to feel lucky that I live it a time where technology is available to me.

Blueberry Cookies

I came up with this one while trying to make something tasty with the plethora of blueberries we picked last August. I brought them to my in-laws annual Labor Day Wienie Roast and they were gone before anything else. This might be the best recipe I have ever invented, and I hate baking!

Blueberry Cookies
3/4 cup butter
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/8 tsp cinnamon
1 egg
1/2 bag white chocolate chips
2 cup flour
1/2 tbsp baking powder
pinch of salt
1 cup blueberries
Preheat oven to 350°. Melt butter Cream together with sugar, cinnamon and vanilla extract. Then incorporate the egg, followed by white chocolate chips and baking powder and pinch of salt. Add flour and blueberries. Mix gently. For a neat cookie, take about 2 tablespoon of dough and form into a ball with your hand (will make about 20). Or you can do a drop cookie and just scoop dough straight to baking sheet. Remember to space them out, they will spread but not alot. Bake for 15 minutes. They should be light golden brown all around.

Rustic Apple and Raspberry Tart

The best use for my favorite Bennington Potters baking dish thus far is this rustic tart. The crust is never fail as I use vodka in place of water. Vodka evaporates as it bakes to leave a crisp crust. I'll post the recipe at a later date... Where did I right down that recipe?

Mustachio the Great.

Why must my kid have a dirty face every time he does something cute?

Tunamus Prime

Nuff said. Roll out.

Lovely Rustic Chicken Thighs with potatoes.

Something homey for a gray rainy spring day. Serve it with a simple pile of dressed spring greens.

• 6 Red potatoes, scrubbed
• 4 bone in chicken thighs, skin on
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 Jar roasted red peppers or one large roasted red pepper
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 Tablespoon oregano
• 2 Cloves garlic roughly chopped
• Extra-virgin olive oil
• Red wine vinegar

Start by preheating the oven to 400 degrees F. Cut your potatoes up into rough quarters and halves. Throw them in a pot of salted water and boil until cooked.

In a bowl toss about your chicken thighs in olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Heat a large frying pan until screamin' hot, and put the chicken into the pan, skin side down. Fry for 10 minutes or so, until almost cooked, and golden brown on all sides, then remove to an oven proof dish. Scrape the brown bits from the bottom of your pan and reserve the drippings.

Roughly chop up the red pepper and throw it in with the chicken. Check the potatoes for doneness. Use a good set of kitchen tongs to pull them out of the water and lightly crush them by giving them a good squeeze before dropping them into the dish with the chicken.

Toss the cilantro garlic and salt and pepper over the top of everything. Pour the reserved chicken dripping and a generous glug of vinegar in as well. Toss it all up gently and spread it all out in a single layer. Bake for 35 minutes until golden.

Sour Strawberry Cream Muffins

Sour Strawberry Cream Muffins

So I love strawberries, but the good ones are in season for such a short time that I don’t feel I get to use them often enough. This winter morning I tried something that might make use of those out of season berries, or make a really bad for you substitute divine. Ultimately I hope this strawberry shortcut brings on spring.

Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

1 1/2 cups AP flour

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 tsp baking soda

3/4 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp vanilla

½ tsp salt

2 eggs

1 cup sour cream

1 Tbsp oil

Brown sugar for sprinkling

Strawberry syrup (Make your own or the Hershey’s type)

In a large mixing bowl or mixer, mix all ingredients until well blended. Split the batter between the 12 spaces of a foil cup lined muffin tin. Sprinkle the tops with brown sugar and dribble with the strawberry syrup. Use a knife to fold the syrup into the batter a bit. It should look pretty rustic, so no need to be a perfectionist here. The goal is to leave swirls of the syrup in the batter. Pop them in the oven for about 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Banana Bread

Banana Bread

Somethings very good and comforting about quick bread, and its really the only type of baking I tend to enjoy. Getting a quick bread to be right it like trying to re create your mothers lasagna, it will just never be as good...

But this time I came close.

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
• 1/4 cup butter melted
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 eggs
• 3 mashed ripe bananas
• 1/3 cup water
• 2 tablespoons oil
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 2/3 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder

Preheat your oven to 325ºF. Spray 5 smooth, dark coated mini bundt pans with nonstick cooking spray for baking. Alternately you can go old school with grease and flour. You can also do this in loaf pans, or as a full sized bundt just be sure its got a dark coating.

In a Kitchen Aid mixer or large bowl mash the bananas (use the paddle attachment). Mix the sugars and butter in until the mix is smooth but some chunky banana is OK. Next add eggs, oil and water beat that about for 30 seconds. Add in remaining ingredients mixing until just until moistened. You you like them throw in a handful of nuts right at the end.

Pour the batter into your pans. Fill them about half way this bread has a nice loft to it. Bake until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Thats about 30 minutes for mini bundts or mini loaves and 50 minutes for a full sized bundt. Loaf pans will be about 40.

Let the bread sit in the pan for 5 minutes before you use a knife to loosen sides of loaf from pan, invert it onto rack or a cake plate. Everyone else would say and allow to cool completely before slicing. Don't do it! Get the peanut butter out of the cupboard and eat that baby while its still warm. Just be sure to save some for tomorrow, its even taster once the flavors spend some good quality time together.

Jo etvagyat!

Tortellini Bella

My twist on Mushroom Ravioli, Twilight inspired.

4 Tablespoons Butter

4 Tablespoons Flour

3 Cups Milk

1 Clove of garlic chopped or minced

1/4 Cup Romano

Salt and Pepper to taste.

Two pounds of Tortellini or Ravioli

1 1/2 Tablespoons Butter

2 Portabella Mushrooms

Bring a big pot of salted water to a boil.

Rinse your mushrooms and spoon out the gills. In a saute pan melt 1 1/2 tablespoons of butter. slice your mushrooms thin and the chop into two inch long pieces. put them in the pans with the butter over medium low heat. Give them a shake and let them sit still while you make your sauce.

Basically your going to make a bechamel. Melt the butter in a saucepan add the garlic. Wait thirty seconds or so and then add the flour. Whisk it around a minute or two add your Milk and whisk smooth over medium low heat. Don't boil.!! Mix until your sauces starts to get thicken.

At this point shake your mushrooms they should be lightly caramelized. Lightly salt them. Drop your Tortellini in the water.

Pull your sauce off the heat and stir in the cheese. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Strain your torillini after it has floated for 3 to 5 minutes. Toss the sauce with the tortillini and add your sauted mushrooms.

Plate and garnish with cheese and a sprinkle of parsley if you've got it.

Mmm.