Summertime in Chicago is definitely our family’s favorite time of the year. There are all kinds of festivals, concerts and events and everywhere you look everything is green and the flowers are blooming. Our neighborhood sponsors a summer concert series in the park. There is live music every week and my girls love to go and listen to the music and dance. We like to bring a picnic dinner with us when we go. So this pasta salad was something I created recently for one of our picnic dinners. The roasted potatoes and the pasta made it hearty enough for a one dish dinner and I can make it a few hours ahead of time and have it all ready to go. My husband said he thought the salad “tasted like summer.” The fresh basil dressing and the mustard roasted potatoes make this delicious pasta just a little different than your ordinary pasta salad.
Picnic Penne Pasta Salad (Serves 4 to 6 as a main course)
2 cups of roasted new potatoes
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
2 celery stalks, diced
2 carrots, diced
2 cups dried penne pasta, boiled and drained
2 cups of baby spinach leaves
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
3 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled (optional)
French Bread Croutons
2 1/2 cups cubed french bread
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Salad Dressing
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, rolled and sliced into thin ribbons
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup canola or vegetable oil
2 cloves of garlic, minced
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
First preheat your oven to 350 degrees
Then slice your new potatoes in half or in quarters if they are larger. Then in a medium-sized bowl whisk together your 2 tablespoons olive oil , 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard and salt and pepper. Toss your cut new potatoes in the bowl and stir then to coat them in the olive oil mixture. Then place your potatoes cut side down on a sheet pan lined with aluminum foil or parchment paper. Then roast your potatoes in your oven for 30 minutes until they are golden brown.
Meanwhile, slice your french bread cubes and place a medium-sized skillet on your stove at medium heat. Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in the pan and add two tablespoons of olive oil. Add in your garlic powder, died oregano, salt and pepper. Then toss your bread cubes in your skillet and stir them to evenly coat them in the seasoned olive oil and butter. Then reduce your heat to medium low and let your croutons get toasted and golden brown stirring occasionally so they cook evenly.
Then cook your penne pasta according to the package directions and chops your celery and carrots.
Now your are ready to make your salad dressing in a small food processor or blender mix together your salad dressing ingredients and blend until the oil is fully incorporated and emulsified.
Finally, you are ready to assemble your pasta salad. In a large bowl toss together your pasta, roasted potatoes, carrots, celery, spinach, croutons, bacon and parmesan cheese. Add in your salad dressing and mix well.
There you have it a summer pasta salad that makes a great one dish dinner or a side to take to any picnic or barbecue. It also makes a great vegetarian dish if you leave out the optional bacon. So no matter how you serve it, this summertime pasta salad is filled with layers of delicious flavors that are sure to be hit.
There is a certain cheerful confidence in the bright pinks, oranges and blues that my youngest daughter loves. So when I was working on giving her new “big girl” room design, I wanted it to reflect her bright and happy personality. The first piece I bought for her room was this colorful flower garden patterned quilt I found at a little antique store. I had stumbled into the store with my mom while buying chalk paint for another project.
The store was closing in days, so on a whim I decided to go for it and get the quilt. The bright happy colors and hot pink trim on the edges made me think of my daughter. There is something uniquely special about handmade quilts. The details and colors add a certain one of a kind character to a room that I love.
This Ikea Jennylund chair gets a custom look with new brightly colored pillows. The picture is by artist Sarah Jane Wright and it has a little girl and her bunny taking an adventure with balloons in the sky.
However to keep this room feeling youthful and fun, I decided to add some modern fabrics in complementary colors that brought out the pink and orange colors in the quilt. When I was looking for additional fabrics for pillows I found these tulip patterned fabrics designed by Sarah Jane for Michael Miller. I thought they added just the right touch of whimsy for a little girl’s room. Then to ground out those smaller scale patterns I chose a larger buffalo check in shades of pink and orange from Calico Corners.
The headboard is from Ballard Designs and the pick stitch quilt from Pottery Barn Kids has pink, purple, yellow and blue threads that pickup additional colors from the quilt.
A favorite stuffed bunny is right at home on her new bed. I added some white lace trim to the pillow from an old summer dress that my daughter had loved but outgrown. Small touches like that and the hot pink pom-pom trim make these pillows one of a kind.
This dresser was something my mom and I painted years ago for my old bedroom. I tied in the blue and white dresser with touches of blue in the quilt and rug.
Then I made a few small changes by adding new lampshades and I added other touches of pink to the dresser with some flowers and her little pink jewelry box.
The little bird was something small I found at Hobby Lobby. It was originally green, but a little white paint made it just the right touch.
The nightlight on the corner of the dresser was formerly a more contemporary lamp from Target, but some chalk paint and a new custom lamp shade from an old swiss dot dress gave this lamp a completely different look.
In the corner is a bookshelf that makes the most of the tight space by the door. I added a new print from a children’s book called Lola Dutch that had a little girl heading home from the library with a wagon full of books. Which is sometimes what I think we need to carry home all books my daughters love to check out from our library.
Then even her bedroom door got a pop of color with a ribbon flower wreath I made with pink and orange poppies and roses.
The nightstand is an old piece I got for free from an old coworker. When we moved I repainted it for my daughter’s room, because it has great storage for all those precious stuffed animals and bedtime stories.
Finally, the two major pieces that I added to this room were the new headboard and the watercolor tulip painting. The headboard has a gorgeous curvy lines and the white washed finish will be able to grow with her. Even if she decides she wants a slightly different look when she is older. I also loved little carved bird detail on it because it reminds me of my daughter’s favorite blanket. She has a pink fleece blanket with little birds on it that she got as a baby gift from our adoption agency and she sleeps with that “bird blanket” every night. So there are small bird details around her room that come from that beloved blanket. The tulips picture was also a favorite find because I love the bright happy colors that remind me of a garden on a pretty summer day.
Here she is in her signature colors: pink and hot pink. Why settle for just one shade of such a fabulous color?
This joyful little girl can light a room up with a her smile. She has an amazing sense of humor that keeps us all laughing and smiling right along with her. She has a bright and fun personality and now she has a new room that reflects her own colorful style.
I love cookbooks and I tend to read them like novels. I like reading all the thoughts and notes behind a dish. It gives you a sense of the history of the recipes and creative thoughts of the author. My mother in law gave me a copy of Magnolia Table, the new cookbook by Joanna Gaines for my birthday and I have had enjoyed reading about the Gaines family and learning about their family’s favorite recipes. I must admit it was fun to see all the Texas styled dishes that our family loves, like King Ranch Chicken, Fish Tacos, Sour Cream Enchiladas, and Grilled Peaches. Are you hungry yet? Then there are some special family recipes like Joanna’s mom’s Bulgogi (Korean beef) with a Cucumber Kimchi Salad. This isn’t a fancy cookbook, but it’s one that clearly has lots of heart. It’s filled with memories and stories of great meals and times together at the dinner table.
So this week I thought I would share JoJo’s Biscuits. Joanna says these biscuits are her family’s favorite. It’s a recipe she worked on “for a year of Saturdays” to get the biscuits just right. They are on the menu at their restaurant and the first recipe she knew she wanted to include in her cookbook.
JoJo’s Biscuits (Makes 24)
4 cups self rising flour (see this link to King Arthur Flour on how to make your own if you don’t happen to have some in your pantry)
2 tablespoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 pound (3 sticks) salted butter cold cut into small 1/2 inch pieces or grated
2 large eggs beaten, plus 1 additional egg for creating an egg wash
1 1/2 cups buttermilk, plus an additional 1 tablespoon for the egg wash
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
In a large bowl whisk together your flour, baking powder and baking soda.
Then Joanna calls for using a pastry blender to blend the grated butter into the flour mixture until the butter pieces are about the size of small peas. This was a large recipe so I went for my favorite method of cutting in butter into flour. I used my food processor, which happens to do a great job of cutting the butter in very quickly and evenly.
Then in a large bowl stir your beaten eggs into the flour mixture. Then stir in your buttermilk until the dough comes together into a sticky ball. Then cover your bowl and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or overnight in you are making these biscuits ahead of time.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper (these biscuits are soft and you need the parchment paper to keep them from sticking.) Joanna doesn’t specify a baking sheet size but I used a medium-sized baking pan that was 10 x 16 inches and the full batch of biscuits fit perfectly.
Next on a well floured surface roll or press your biscuits out to 1/2 inch thickness. Then cut your biscuits using a 2 3/4 inch round cutter or if you don’t have a cutter you can use a similarly sized glass. Once you cut a your first round of biscuits you will need to press or roll the scraps together to cut the remaining biscuits.
Now place your biscuits on the baking sheet arranging them so they are close and the sides are touching each other.
In a small bowl whisk together your remaining egg an 1 tablespoon of buttermilk. Then brush that wash on top of your biscuits.
Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until golden.
NOTE: This makes a large batch of biscuits so if you are cooking for a smaller number of people, then you can freeze some of your cut biscuit dough by arranging them 1/2 inch apart on a parchment lined baking sheet and then once they are frozen you can place them in a ziplock bag and bake them later. There is no need to thaw your frozen biscuits before baking. They may take a few minutes longer to bake, but frozen biscuit dough does bake well. Joanna recommends using your frozen biscuits with in two weeks of making them.
Now all you need is a little, butter, jam, honey, gravy or whatever you love to serve with your biscuits. I made these biscuits for dinner and then we had leftovers the next morning that were perfect for making little scrambled egg sandwiches (my husband’s favorite.) So no matter how you serve yours, these soft southern style biscuits were good and fun to make with my daughters.
The Fourth of July next to Christmas is one of my very favorite holidays. This week as our family looks forward to the fireworks and festivities I am reminded of why we have so much to be grateful for. So I thought I would share a few patriotic homes whose decor made me stop and smile.
I love the blue-green paint and the cranberry door. It puts just a twist on the classic red white and blue.
The bunting against the dark shutters and that pretty boxwood wreath make this classic home stand out from the curb.
The bright cherry red door really makes a statement and I love the crisp black porch light and house numbers. This house just feels like it belongs on a parade route.
This white farmhouse has one of my favorite garden gates. I love that even the fence is swagged in red, white and blue.
Finally, here is one of my favorite patriotic houses from Texas. I have always liked this classic red brick house and how they wrapped their columns and the bunting on the balcony. I hope you enjoyed a few of my favorite red, white and blue homes and that you all have happy 4th of July!
I love red velvet cake and my favorite recipe is from pastry chef Rebecca Rather. She has a Christmas red velvet cake with peppermint which I adore, but I thought it might be festive to make a Fourth of July version. I have changed the icing and adapted her recipe to create my own star studded red velvet cupcakes. A few months ago I shared the recipe with a good friend of mine and the text I got back was, “OMG!! This mascarpone business is magic.” I couldn’t have said it better. These cupcakes are delicious and the berries, sprinkles and stars make it fun to bake and decorate too.
Red Velvet Cupcakes (Makes 15 cupcakes)
2 tablespoons red food coloring
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, room temperature (let it sit out at least an hour)
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1 cup cake flour
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup sour cream
1 1/2 teaspoons distilled white vinegar
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and prepare your cupcake tins by lining them with baking papers or cups.
Next cream your butter and sugar on medium speed of your electric or stand mixer for about two minutes. Next add in your egg and beat until it is incorporated. Then add in your cocoa power and red food coloring and mix at medium speed for four minutes. This will allow the distinctive red food coloring to get fully incorporated.
Meanwhile sift together your flours, baking soda and salt in a medium-sized bowl. Then in a measuring cup measure you buttermilk and add in your vanilla.
Now add half of the flour and half of the buttermilk mixtures to your butter and cocoa powder. Mix them in on low-speed until just mixed in then add your remaining flour and buttermilk.
Finally add in your sour cream and vinegar being careful to not over mix your cake batter.
Now fill each cupcake liner about 3/4 of the way full with batter. I use a large ice cream scoop that holds 2 approximately tablespoons so that each cupcake has an even amount of batter.
Then bake your cupcakes for 20 minutes and let them cool before your frost them.
Mascarpone and Cream Cheese Icing
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, room temperature
8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
6 cups of powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 Tablespoons of milk
8 ounces of mascarpone cheese
Sprinkles for decorating
Blueberries, raspberries, blackberries or your favorite berries for decorating
At medium speed beat together your butter and cream cheese for a minute. Then add in your powdered sugar, vanilla, kosher salt and milk and beat it a low-speed until your powdered sugar is fully blended in and your icing looks light and fluffy.
Finally add in your mascarpone cheese and beat it until it is just incorporated because mascarpone cheese is more delicate and over beating it could cause your icing to curdle.
Now the best part frosting and decorating your cupcakes, I like to pipe my icing on with a large star tip. If you are new to cake decorating or would like to see how I frost my cupcakes then here is a link to my carrot cupcake video that uses some of the same techniques.
White Chocolate Stars
8 ounces (1 bar) of white baking chocolate
Then because I wanted to add something special for the Fourth of July I decided to add some white chocolate stars. These stars are easy to make if you have a silicone or plastic mold. I think my mold was originally made for ice cubes, but it makes a great chocolate mold too. You can also find inexpensive plastic molds in the baking section of your craft store.
Melt your white chocolate in a microwave safe bowl for one minute then stir and heat it for an additional 20 seconds and stir until it is smooth and fully melted. Then I poured my chocolate into a small pastry bag and I cut off the tip and evenly filled my mold. Then I placed my mold in the freezer for 15 minutes to allow my chocolate to fully cool and become firm. Then I turned my mold over and popped out my stars.
Add a few red and blue berries to your cupcakes. Then top it off with a white chocolate star and some festive sprinkles. It’s a red white and blue cupcake that is every bit as delicious as it is festive.
Looking for something to share with family and friends this Fourth of July? Then these red velvet cupcakes are definitely fun and would add something special to any celebration. They so delicious that they are sure to disappear like “magic.”
Exactly when does a room cross the line in the great masculine and feminine divide? We were watching an old Friends episode (the one where Joey gets a new female roommate, Elle McPherson) who starts redecorating his apartment. Suddenly everywhere you look there are new floral throw pillows, candles, and potpourri. However, the breaking point is when she hangs an Anne Geddes picture in the living room.
We got a good laugh thinking about those 90’s flower pot baby pictures, but I was curious what my husband really thought about our living room? So I asked, and his response was “Oh it’s definitely girly.” Defensively, I said “well what about the grey and navy blue?” Then he points to the bowl on the coffee table and says “what is this?” “A blue Chinoiserie bowl,” I replied. “Exactly my point” he says. “What about those flowers on the wall?”
Well I have to admit he may have a point there. Georgia O’Keeffe may not be quite the same as Anne Geddes, but no doubt our living room is no bachelor pad. When we were first married I might have worried a bit, but twelve years later with some perspective I just have to laugh.
Decorating isn’t high on my husband’s priority list, but the silver lining to this is that he generally lets me take the lead on most house projects. So is there a difference and perhaps something better about a mix of styles?
I recently got a text from a friend who thought our old home was for sale again. When I looked it up I found that it was listed as a furnished rental property and the photographs surprised me.
Our former living room is now a bachelor pad complete with massive leather sofas and television.
Photo from Zillow.com rental listing
This is what our living room looked like before we moved and the difference is really remarkable. The wall color is the same but it has a whole different feel. Coffee tables, art work, lamps and accessories can make a real impact on a room.
Maybe it’s not as much of a great divide as it is better together. It’s how a couple or family can all contribute to a home. A room can be a mixture of shared experiences, and ultimately shared time together, that makes the whole room better flower pictures and all.
I have been on a short kitchen break because our air conditioner went out over the weekend, which happened to coincide with a mini heat wave that we had here in Chicago. There is something about the kitchen being nearly 90 degrees that drains all my creative thinking and desire to bake. So I spent a good bit of time with my girls in the backyard sprinkler. Desperate times call for desperate measures and now thankfully I am back in the kitchen living the good life with air conditioning.
One of the best parts of summer besides air conditioning is peaches season. There is nothing in this world like a sweet peach. I had been waiting for summer peaches and thinking about creating a peach cake for a while now. After testing a few ideas and deciding what type of cake to make I found a winning combination peaches and pound cake. Pound cakes are great because their sturdy buttery texture bakes beautifully when fresh fruit to the batter. The other great thing about them is that they tend to be less fussy cakes, that don’t need lots of decoration to be delicious. So this cake is definitely a new favorite in our house.
Peachy Pound Cake
2 ( 1 1/2 cups) peaches, peeled and diced
3 sticks of butter, room temperature (let it sit out of the fridge for at least an hour)
2 cups granulated sugar
6 eggs, room temperature
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/2 cup buttermilk
4 cups of cake flour
Preheat your oven 350 degrees. I have a convection oven that runs slightly hot so I set my oven to 330 degrees.
First get your fresh peaches prepared. My trick for peeling peaches is to have a small sauce pan with boiling water. Then make an X-shaped cut on the bottom of your peach. Submerge your peach in the boiling water using a slotted spoon for 30 to 40 seconds. Then rinse your peach in cold water and the skin will peel right off and it will be easy to dice into pieces. If you are making this cake out of season and using frozen peaches then make sure they are drained well on a plate lined with paper towels because the extra moisture could create an issue.
Next in a large bowl of your stand mixer cream or mix together your butter and sugar on medium speed for about two minutes until the butter mixture gets light and fluffy. Then add in your eggs individually and until they are all well incorporated.
Next add in your vanilla, baking soda and salt. Then add in 2 cups of your cake flour along with 1/4 of a cup of the buttermilk and beat that on low spend until just mixed in. Then add the remaining cake flour and buttermilk taking care not to over mixture your batter. Finally, mix in your fresh peaches.
Then evenly pour your cake batter into a 10 inch bundt cake pan or 10 inch tube pan. Make sure your cake pan is well-greased and floured. I like to use Baker’s Joy spray which I find works better than anything else when it comes to ensuring that your cake comes out the pan perfectly.
Then bake your bunt cake for 60 minutes. If you are using a tube pan, then when I tested it in my light sided aluminum pan I found it took close to 75 minutes to bake. So keep an eye on your cake. You will know it’s done when you can put a toothpick or wooden skewer in it and it comes out clean.
Then let your cake cool in the pan for at least 15 to 20 minutes and then you will be ready to plate it and add the best part the drizzled icing.
Peach Drizzle Icing
1/4 cup peach preserves
1/4 cup peach schnapps
2 cups powdered sugar
2 Extra peaches sliced for decoration or serving
In a small sauce pan over medium heat whisk together your peach jam and the schnapps then whisk in your powder sugar until the sugar melts and the mixture is thick and smooth.
Then you can let the peach icing cool a bit and drizzle it on using a pastry bag or you could serve it warm and spoon it over your cake with some additional sliced peaches and ice cream. No matter how your serve it don’t skip making the peach drizzle because it is one of the best parts of this cake.
Summer cake at it’s best. Made even better with extra peaches and ice cream. This sweet buttery peachy pound cake is definitely worth a little time in the kitchen.
Have you ever had that lovable but eclectic furniture piece that felt just a little out-of-place? Maybe it’s old or you found it or it belonged to someone special, but something about it just doesn’t quite work with the style of your home.
I have had quite a few of those pieces that have found their way into my home and over the years and I have discovered that there is nothing like chalk paint when it comes to rescuing or recreating a piece. It’s thick velvety formula requires little prep work and it glosses over a chipped or less than perfect finish better that an other paint I have tried. The wide array and depth of colors have made me fall in love with something all over again.
Oh the possibilities: a color card with all the pretty shades of chalk paint.
So if you have that piece, the one with the great lines and lots of potential then I have a few tips and thoughts about all those paint choices and projects.
Create A Custom Layered Look With Inexpensive Chalk Paint
First, although I like the Annie Sloan brand you can still get great results using a less expensive craft store brand like Folk Art, Decor Art or Art Minds. Sometimes a small project like picture frames just doesn’t need the investment in a quart of the more expensive paint. Here are some custom picture frames I created for my daughters’ bathroom using Art Minds chalk paint to create a coastal styled look.
The 1960’s tile floor has chipped tiles that have seen better days, but if you have a more weathered look and can’t redo the whole thing than I say run with it. Get some large bath mats and create a bright-colored shabby chic beach house styled bathroom.
This is what the frames from Hobby Lobby looked like originally. I liked the molding style but the big black distressed marks weren’t my favorite look.
So I painted a base layer with some left over water based house paint that I had used in our master bathroom and then once it was dry I added on a layer of white chalk paint.
I applied three coats of chalk paint on top using a circular brush motion which gave me a slightly crackled finish where you can see hints of the aqua underneath. Then I took some fine grain sand paper and lightly sanded the edges so you could see more of the pretty aqua color along the molding detail. The distressed coastal styled finished was exactly what I wanted for these pretty oyster shell prints.
White Chalk Paint Can Give Dull Old Pieces A Sculptural Look
Another project I took on recently was this old luggage rack that I found at an estate sale. The straps and finish had seen better days, but the wood frame was solid so I decided to give it an update to match the decor in our guest room.
I removed the fabric straps and staples that held them underneath and then I painted the whole piece in a bright white chalk paint from Annie Sloan. I have found that when painting furniture it is best to paint outdoors on plastic sheeting, because newsprint tends to stick to furniture legs. I like to start painting one coat with the finished or front side up then let it dry and flip it over and paint it from underneath. Then let that coat dry and follow it up with by more top coat. I find that painting those three coats give you the coverage you need to get an even and smooth finish. Then I sanded down any rough spots with a fine grain sandpaper and then once I wiped it clean I applied some clear wax to seal the finish
Some new paint and decorative trim give this luggage rack a whole new lease on life. It’s amazing the difference that just a little chalk paint can make.
Ooh la la the difference just a little white chalk paint can make.
Don’t Banish The Boring Brown Hand Me Down Paint It With White Chalk Paint For A Fresh New Look
Now for one last make over I though I would share a before photo of my daughter’s bed that my mom and I painted a month ago.
This old Jenny Lind bed had been in my brother’s room years ago, but the brown finish wasn’t exactly what I had in mind for my daughter’s shabby chic room. So we painted it white.
I secured a plastic painting cloth to the fence with some clothes pins which made it a great place to paint an otherwise awkward piece like this headboard. The spindles were a bit tricky because the thick chalk paint tended to drip a bit, but I found that if you focused on painting them all the way around and not just on one side that the finish was better. It took three coats of paint and some sanding with a sandpaper sponge that could flex around the spindles to get the smooth finish that I wanted. Annie Sloan chalk paint is thicker that the craft store brands which makes it good for furniture, but I found it requires more sanding to achieve a smooth finish.
Once I was done sanding it smooth, I wiped it clean and used a natural fiber brush to seal it with a thick layer of clear wax. When the wax set a bit I buffed it with some smooth paper towels. The wax is a bit sticky at first but as it dries and cures it gives the matte finish a slight sheen. The wax takes 30 days to fully cure but I found it gives it a good protection against little fingerprints and messes.
Helpful Tips For Chalk Painting
I find it’s helpful to have two natural bristle brushes for painting. One larger round brush that makes corners, edges easier and a smaller flat brush for details.
Store your washed paint brushes in a plastic ziplock bags. It keeps brushes from getting to dry and stiff between coats.
Avoid mixing your wax brushes and paint brushes. Have a separate smaller set of brushes for the wax.
Don’t worry too much about small imperfections because a light sanding will take care of any small drips or brush stroke marks.
If you apply a clear sealing coat of wax I found it looks better if you buff it with a rag or smooth paper towel like the Viva brand. The buffed wax will give your matte finish just a bit of shine.
If you are painting furniture then try sanding your piece with a fine grain sanding sponge. The flexibility of the thin sponge makes it ideal for getting a smooth and even finish.
Chalk painting is fun and part of the look is for it to be distressed, so play with the paint and sanding until you get the look you want.
These are the paints and paint brushes I used for my most recent projects.
Chalk paint can definitely save the day when it comes to reinventing old furniture pieces. It’s easy to use and I have found that it is much more forgiving than other types of paint. Even if painting isn’t exactly your thing, then you can still get great results. I have painted lots of furniture over the years, but I have to say that chalk paint is definitely my favorite go to paint. I am working on another more colorful project now so I will have to share a few more photos when it’s all finished. Maybe you have a great chalk paint story or tip of your own. I would love to hear about it and if you had thought about using chalk paint and just weren’t sure then maybe this will give you the confidence to turn that old eclectic frame or furniture piece into something you love.
This caramelized onion dip is one of my very favorites. It’s easy to make and it’s always a hit. Every time I make it I think of the head clerk of the State Jail Court, Ms. Sally. Sally is an amazing cook and the best part of being chief of that court was her lunches. Sally loved to host these elaborate themed lunches featuring her signature dishes and then we would all help by bringing the side dishes. I brought this dip the first time she made burgers and it was on her special request list for every burger day after that. It makes a great dip for chips and veggies, but as I learned from those burger days it is particularly good as a burger topping as well. The sweet caramelized onions with the earthy sage and the slight tanginess of the sour cream make it so good that you might invent your own new favorite dish to serve it on.
Caramelized Onion Dip (Makes 3 cups)
This recipe is adapted from a recipe from the Hearty Boys: Dan Smith and Steve McDonagh
2 tablespoons butter
3 medium sweet Vidalia or Texas 1015 onions, thinly sliced (4 cups of onion slices)
6 fresh sage leaves, chopped and divided
1 cup good quality mayonnaise
1 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Potato chips, carrot sticks, cucumber slices or your favorite dipping sides
In a large skillet melt your butter over medium heat then add your onions and sauté them over medium to medium low heat stirring occasionally until your onions caramelize and turn a deep golden brown
This will take 20 to 25 minutes, but the flavor the caramelized onions give this dish is amazing.
Then once your onions are caramelized add in three chopped sage leaves and cook them with your onions for an additional minute.
Those four cups of onions that seemed like a lot when raw will cook down to just a cup when caramelized.
Then let your onions and sage cool. Next in a medium-sized mixing bowl mix together your mayonnaise, sour cream, salt, pepper. Then garnish the top with the remaining three sage leaves, chopped and add a garnish of a few whole leaves on the side if you want a fancier presentation.
So if you are looking for a side to share for your next summertime grilling or burger night then give this onion dip a try. You can make this dip a day ahead because the flavors only get better as they sit in the fridge and marry together.
Have you ever found a children’s book character that you just love? I was searching for some artwork for my youngest daughter’s room when I came across some illustrations and a book by Sarah Jane Wright called Lola Dutch. The book is about delightfully creative girl named Lola who makes even small things an adventure. So much about this sweet, tenacious and sometimes over the top character reminds me of my girls. So when I learned that Wright had also designed a line of fabrics I was curious.
My youngest daughter has been on a campaign to get a “big girl” bed of her own since I worked on her sister’s room this spring. So as I was putting plans together for her room I had been thinking about a wooden headboard that had a little song bird on it from Ballard Designs. My youngest has a favorite pink fleece blanket with little pastel colored birds on it. She adores this blanket and can’t go to sleep at night without it. Since this favorite blanket goes everywhere with her I had thought about incorporating it into her new room, but I hadn’t found the right fabrics and bedding to pull the whole look together.
When I saw Sarah Jane’s fabrics I loved that they immediately made me feel like I had stepped into a children’s book. The bright colors and whimsical birds and bunnies made me smile. I am all for having the furniture a major pieces of a child’s room be more sophisticated so they can grow with your child, but I still believe that there should be some fun and playful elements to a young child’s room. The imagination and sense of play that my girls have is so great that I want my daughter to have a room that encourages that.
So when I saw this fabric with a little bunny in a field of tulips I knew my daughter would love it. The bright tulips in pinks, oranges and reds were happy and joyful and that bunny with the scarf is just too funny.
A bright pop of color for an otherwise more ordinary blue chair.
The fabric also went with a bright watercolor print that I was considering from Wisteria.
So I ordered some fabric and this week I began sewing pillows and working on a few projects to begin pulling the whole room together. Bright pink pom-pom trim added just the right touch for this small accent pillow.
Checking out the new pillows in my other daughters room to see how the size and pattern work on a twin bed.
Then I worked on some other pillow cases for her bed using some of Sarah Jane’s other fabrics from her Sommer collection. The bunnies, birds and tulips add just the right whimsical touch and the bright blue fabric works with the existing blue pieces in the room. Finally, as a way to add a personal touch I took some old eyelet dresses she had when she was little and I used them as trim for her pillows. She loved the idea and sat and watched as I began to cut the trim and piece together the fabric.
It’s amazing how fast they grow. I saw this white dress in a box as we were pulling out old dresses to work with and I thought it feels like it was just yesterday that she wore this. How in the world is she turning four this summer? This is going to be a fun project to work on. I can’t wait to see it all jump off the pages and come together for my own sweet “Lola Dutch” because there is no such thing a too much decorating fun.
