Dressed It Up…For Less!

Posted on by June 6, 2012

I’m not talking about my wardrobe…but my deck.  After a wonderful weekend celebrating my Bestie’s big birthday (yes, the big one), I came home inspired by their zen-ful patio.  It has a lovely pergola that is so heavily draped with jasmine that you can sit under it during an afternoon shower and not get wet…there are fountains in nearly every corner…a cozy seating area perfect for wine and conversation…and lovely flowers and plants everywhere.  Yes, it is as spectacular as you are envisioning…don’t you want one?  I do!  Someday I will have a pergola dripping with fragrant jasmine, until then I will have to work with what I have.  I do have a small covered area, the roof above it is tin…so an afternoon shower is lovely on my little sofa, but you might get wet if the wind blows the wrong way.

Since this picture, I have rearranged (again…it is a weekly thing, possibly due to the fact that when it rains all of the furniture gets crammed under the covered area)…I do have some colorful cushions, but they don’t suit my style or color scheme this year.  I moved these turquoise planters to the door we use most.

I love the pink and coral with the turquoise.  I’m in search of coral candles to replace the red ones on my mantle for summer, this is why I love turquoise…it is so versatile!  A close-up of one of the planters…

I know, I need to ‘dead head’ these.  I also like to include something sentimental…so I have a hibiscus in the decorative piece the Besties gave us for a wedding gift.  It does double duty of reminding me of that special day…hibiscus flowers always make me think of Hawaii (we got “Maui’d” LOL).

You had to know I would throw in a couple of things that I decided were worth trying to spruce up before deciding if they belonged in the donate pile.  This decorative garden ‘stone’ has been around for a looooong time.  The butterfly was originally a kelly green, I was never particularly fond of the color.  Last year, I was just about to donate this when I decided to try a quick paint job.  I used my favorite Robin’s Egg Blue craft paint followed by some antiquing glaze.  As soon as I started adding the paint, I knew I was going to keep it.  Here it is, after a year of being outside…

I really love the way the glaze brings out the details.  I had an old foam planter, you know the ones that look like clay, but weigh a few ounces?  I don’t even remember when I bought this…forever ago.  It was in bad shape.  There was a ring around the lower part of it from sitting inside something else.  It was headed for the trash…then I decided to see if I had enough left-over spray paint to save it.  I really love it now.

I still have the option of adding some of the antiquing glaze to give it more character, but I was not patient enough to do that this time. 

How do you dress up your outdoor areas?  I have a patio off the basement that needs some serious attention, so any ideas are appreciated!

Today’s secret revealed…would you believe me if I told you that I spent around $65 on my deck spruce up?  This post doesn’t include pictures of the other 4 planters I did.  My secret…the clearance plants!  All but 3 plants were on super clearance…most were only 50 cents!  The flowers that fill the turquoise planters by the door were $5.25 total!  I did “splurge” on those planters ($30 for both).  The planter I spray painted…those beautifully unusual petunias (the one type is purple with green on the tips) and other plants were a whopping $3.50…I love a bargain!

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Need a New Favorite Cake?

Posted on by June 4, 2012

As I was planning the celebratory brunch for E’s First Holy Communion, I asked him what sort of cake he wanted.  His response surprised me…”chocolate cake with chocolate frosting, 3 layers”, without hesitation.  For the record, I have never made him a 3 layer cake, don’t think I’ve ever made him a chocolate/chocolate cake…but that is what he wanted, so that is what he got!  I consulted my favorite online resource for everything…Pinterest.  I had pinned a beautiful, moist looking cake and this was the perfect opportunity to make it.  I told E he could have 2 or 4 layers…he, of course, chose 4.  This is the picture that grabbed my interest…

The only change I made to the recipe from The Little Kitchen, was I subbed chocolate pudding for the vanilla.  I have since made it with vanilla…so wonderfully delicious either way!  This is one of the most moist cakes you will ever try…the coffee in the batter makes the chocolate even better.

Here is my version, I doubled the recipe…this made torting the cake difficult because the layers were so large and the cake is soooooo moist, but we made it work.  This is not my best decorating job, I used Redi-Whip for the cross…FYI, it did not stay fluffy for long, but no one cared because the cake was so scrump-dilli-icious!

Okay, this is probably my worst decorating job EVER, but taste trumped looks.  Here is a shot of it cut…my mouth is literally watering…must fight the urge to make one today!

Word to the wise…go ahead and double the frosting, even for a single recipe cake…you can’t have too much of it!  This is shockingly easy and delicious.  It will be your new signature cake.  It does need to be refrigerated when not being served.

Today’s secret revealed…the biggest problem with this cake is that it is light, and not too sweet or rich…I can eat a half of a cake in one sitting.  My apologies in advance ;).

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My Favorite Pasta Salad

Posted on by June 1, 2012

Last year we hosted a July 4th weekend with some of our favorite friends…Amy (my go-to girl for any interior design questions) made this A-M-A-Z-I-N-G pasta salad.  I thought I would share it with y’all, it just screams summertime!  It is simple and delicious…and is the reason I included dill in my garden this year.

You will need your favorite small pasta, Amy’s original was with Orzo…I have made it with Ditalini and whole wheat Israeli Couscous, but I like the Orzo best…Extra Virgin Olive Oil (the better quality…the better taste of the final dish)…cucumber…Feta Cheese (I have also used Queso Fresco crumbled up)…and, of course, fresh dill.  Yes, 5 simple ingredients! 

Cook your pasta according to package instructions, don’t forget to salt the water liberally…your pasta needs some flavor…after draining the pasta, rinse it in cold water.  This is a room-temp or cold dish. 

Now, add olive oil…I don’t measure this, I add enough to coat the pasta well…then I might add a bit more once all of the ingredients are mixed, if needed. 

Mix the olive oil to coat the pasta thoroughly.  Finely chop the dill, coarsely dice the cucumber, and crumble the cheese.  Add them to the pasta.

Mix to combine, and EAT!  Could this be easier???  To save a step you can buy already crumbled cheese ;).  I prefer to use the English Cucumbers (unless my Diva Cucumbers are ready from the garden…they are like small versions of the English variety). 

This is wonderful alone, like for lunch…or I have visions of lovely grilled salmon with this on the side. 

Today’s secret revealed…I have really missed all of you…did you miss me???  Sorry I have been absent for the past month, just had to get through those last weeks of school and baseball…not to mention E celebrated his First Holy Communion (such an emotional milestone for me), May was a crazy month here.  Today is our first official day of Summer!

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Where Have I Been? S, Y & Z…

Posted on by June 13, 2012

I feel that I have neglected my little happy place, but I have been a busy girl…more so than usual.  My friend Sandy and I decided we needed to join forces, so we created our new venture Social Fireflies…like butterflies, but brighter!  What do you think of our logo???  I designed it, so lie to me LOL.

We have been work, work, working on our new site getting it ready for launch…and we are hosting  our very FIRST GIVEAWAY going on right now!  Go ahead, check it out…tick, tock, tick, tock…all entered?  Did you do the bonus entries???  Great!  Thanks for the support!  Y’all are the best readers EVAH!  So that was the S…on to Y…

I have been at the Y…YMCA…we just got a brand new branch that is SUPER convenient.  Let’s face it, for me…when it comes to a workout routine…convenience is key!  This begs the question, why don’t the home workouts work…because I’m not having as much fun!  I have also discovered another Y…YOGA.  I (heart) yoga!  I don’t know exactly how to describe it, but I feel really good when I’m done with yoga.  My BFF is almost finished with her yoga training…and I get some much needed girl time with her very soon…can’t wait to do some yoga…talk about happy place!  (could I write yoga a few more times!?!?)  On to Z…

ZUMBA!  O-M-G!  Can you have that much fun and it be considered a workout???  I’m obsessed…seriously lacking coordination…staying in the back row…but smiling & shaking it like nobody’s business!  I can’t believe how much fun it is…and the sweat factor is like a 10!  Our instructor, Sherri, that woman must have rubberbands in her joints to be able to move like that!  She can shake it like I have never seen…something to work toward ;).  Now if I can stay away from late night icecream, maybe I will see some improvement in the mirror.  I’m not that concerned with my figure, I know what I’m doing is good for me…and I’m pretty satisfied with that.

Today’s secret revealed…seriously, I never knew I could have this much fun working out…I look at the calendar, and if yoga and zumba aren’t on the agenda, I’m a little bummed.  So much for the running!

Beautiful From Top to Root

Posted on by April 26, 2012

I stopped at a local produce stand for some of their beautiful strawberries…I had considered going to the farm to pick them myself, but decided on the lazy route.  While there I spied two big, beautiful bunches of beets…I could not resist.  I have never cooked them before, but could not walk away from how pretty they were…plus I knew I would be able to find a dozen ways to cook them on Pinterest…what did I do before Pinterest?

They were less than $3, and had just been picked the day before…unless I plucked them from my garden, I don’t see me getting them much fresher than this.  The greens were so luscious and beautiful…I envisioned a salad with feta and roasted beets.

Look at that color, I kinda wanted to decorate with them LOL…so pretty!  Alas, I put them in the fridge and the weekend got away from me…I pulled them out on Monday *sigh* & the greens were all wilty.  I trimmed the greens down, to about 2 inches above the beet (I read that they would ‘bleed out’ if you cut them down to the beet).  I decided to roast a few, then save the rest for making Borscht.  I have 2 versions I want to try…one from my sister-in-law (who happens to be Russian, it is an authentically traditional recipe) served hot, the other will be cold.  Don’t look for these anytime soon…my intentions are to do a series on soups later in the year ;).  So here is what my roasted beets looked like once I removed the peels (while I wore my handy latex-free gloves) and sliced them…

Sorry for the blurrieness…you know how I feel about Instagram!  I wasn’t after technical perfection, I wanted you to see the COLOR!  A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!  50% of my family even ate them :).  To roast these beauties, I rinsed the trimmed beets, put them in an ovensafe dish, added a bit of water, covered with foil, and put them in a 375° oven for 45 or so minutes (until they are easily pierced with a knife).  I let them cool for a bit, donned my gloves, slid the peels right off, trimmed the root tip, and sliced them up.  No additional items necessary…didn’t even salt them!

So when that beautiful bunch of beets beckons you…I say go for it!  You might have to do a little research, but it is so worth it!

Today’s secret revealed…I can’t believe I’m going to tell you this…Southern women take great pride in their cooking prowess…biscuit making is one of the hallmarks of our genre of culinary delights…I have not been able to perfect this art…but, after nearly 20 years, I think I have finally done it!  I made biscuits that not only tasted great, but were beautifully flaky and risen!  I, of course, took a picture to share with my Momma, now I’m sharing with you :).

 

Working With Whatcha Got

Posted on by April 23, 2012

Sunday was a very lazy day around here…we laid around, watched movies, played a little Wii…got nothing constructive done.  It was cool and rainy, perfect day for such laziness.  Of course, a lazy day never means no cooking here.  I peered into my messy fridge, trying to come up with something, anything for lunch…I had some roasted chicken breasts needing to be eaten…what could I do with those???  I decided I would make chicken tacos…with homemade tortillas.  I had been looking for an excuse to try this recipe from 100 Days of Real Food for the tortillas AND I had gotten the masa.  FYI, I tried this with cornmeal…totally didn’t work, you must use masa.  It was quite simple!  My lesson learned:  be sure to let the dough rest!  The first few, I was eager to try & didn’t let it rest for long enough (I would go 15 minutes) and they really stuck once pressed!  I used waxed paper to line my press (because I only had a 2 inch wide strip of plastic wrap).  By the 3rd or 4th one it was working like a charm :).

On to the filling, pure stroke of genius I thought ;)…I shredded the chicken, put it in a skillet, and added the ½ jar of salsa verde I had sitting in the fridge with a smidge of water.  I just let it simmer while I worked on the tortillas…it was fantastic!  Darling Husband loved it, too…kids weren’t in the mood for tacos, certainly not ‘green’ ones :).  I shredded some super sharp cheddar, sliced a cucumber lengthwise, thinly sliced a tomato & a radish, and prepped some arugula & romaine (those last 3 items were from my neighbors garden…yum!).  I added some sour cream to mine…delish!

So next time you are at a loss with what to eat…throw some stuff together, you might just surprise yourself!

Today’s secret revealed…I may spend a day making these tortillas, they are supposed to be great to freeze.  I did have a tortilla press to make them with…I think it would be pretty difficult with out one.

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Sweeping Water Uphill

Posted on by April 18, 2012

That is truly what it is like to clean in the presence of my children.  It is amazing how quickly the four of them can demolish a relatively clean area.  Now, I’m not saying that I am anywhere near a good housekeeper…this has never been my strong suit (Mom, feel free to comment LOL)…but DANG!  I had just cleaned the table and swept the floor so they could do homework…it is partially my fault with the popcorn, I could’ve said “no”…but is the sticky drink on the table really necessary??? 

Darling Husband actually asked me if I thought that when we are old, and they have all moved out, would they still come by to make random messes…my guess is probably so :).  How boring it will be without all of the messes to clean up.  I am starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel…Emma is old enough for PreK…I may have significant time with an empty nest 5 days a week very soon…what will I do???  I could clean…and it might just stay clean…until around 2:30, that is.

So, my “do a load of laundry a day to keep the mountain away” is pretty effective, but just like any of the constants (things that are never done in this house…laundry, dishes, & sweeping) if I slack for even a day (or 5 minutes with sweeping), I feel like I pay for it three-fold.  Mommies don’t get to take a day off.

Please don’t misunderstand…I treasure the time with my kids, am grateful every second of every, single day that I am fortunate enough to stay home with them…but never, not for one second, think that a woman that stays home to raise her children doesn’t work.  It is the hardest, yet most rewarding job I have ever had the pleasure of doing.  Yes, there are days I want to pull every strand of my hair out…but those tiny little moments that I will remember forever…they are awesome.

Today’s secret revealed…I think I should add ‘table cleaning’ to the list of things that are never done!  Em does ‘help’ with that, though :).

Morning Goodness

Posted on by April 17, 2012

So I happened across this recipe for ‘refrigerator oatmeal’ and could not wait to try this concoction.  I loved the idea of waking up to chocolatey goodness that is ready AND guilt-free.  I, of course, tweaked it…just a bit.  Her recipe calls for chia seeds (yes, like the kind you slather on a claymation figure & watch it grow…CH-CH-CHA-CHIA), I didn’t have any of these laying around, so I omitted them for now…but do want to try them.  So here is my twist on her recipe.

A couple of disclaimers…I had just opened the quick oats, because they are quicker in the morning for the kiddos ;), so I used what I had to see if I liked it…as far as the almond milk, I usually buy the unsweetened vanilla flavor, but they didn’t have it at any of the 3 stores I went to last week GRRRRR!  It did prevent me from needing any additional sweetener, though.  So, take a little mason jar if you have any spares hanging around.  Add ¼ cup oats, ¼ cup Greek yogurt, 1 tablespoon dark cocoa powder (this is SO yummy!), and a generous dash of cinnamon.  The cinnamon & cocoa give the flavor of Mexican chocolate…mmmmm!

Now you are ready to add the milk…in my case I’m using sweetened vanilla almond milk.

Now, put your lid on and SHAKE!  Shake, Shake, Shake…Shake, Shake, Shake…Shake your breakfast!  Now you have a little KC & The Sunshine Band in your head, too :).  Put this in the fridge overnight…and in the morning you have creamy, yummy goodness!  I decided to top mine with some super sweet strawberries I got at a local farmer’s market.

I hope you will try this!  I am going to let the kiddos give it a whirl one of these mornings…make ahead always makes a morning run just a little smoother.

**EDITED TO ADD…this is a cold recipe, take it out of the fridge and eat it straight out of the jar…I put it in the bowl because it was pretty ;).

Today’s secret revealed…I have an overabundance of these little jars.  I have a real problem getting rid of them, I always think “I’m sure I will need these one day”.  So glad I have my little stash!

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A Little Inspiration

Posted on by April 11, 2012

I am trying to choose my next project…I was thinking it would be something for Em’s room.  I want to add some wall decor, the only thing hanging in there is the canvas collage I made from her birth announcement pictures.  I searched for inspirational quotes (on Pinterest, of course), but as I chose my favorites I realized that they did not only apply to Em…the boys could benefit from them, too.

This Oscar Wilde quote is simple and right to the point.  I never want my kids to be afraid of being themselves.  I am going to give them a double-dose of this lesson.

Dr. Seuss was so wise!  Just about all you need to know about life, you can learn from Dr. Seuss. 

I want them to choose happiness…it is pretty simple, you can choose to be happy.  It took me a while to realize this, I hope they pick it up faster than I did. 

Happiness is contagious!  I want to foster in them the ability to do what makes them happy…these days your options are really limitless, you can make a career out of anything…so why not what makes you happy? 

via

Now, I like to decorate with an odd number of items…so I have one last lesson that I will use.  E learned this in preschool, I find myself reminding all of them quite frequently 😉

This just might be the centerpiece of the arrangement!  I have a couple of pretty large blank spaces to fill upstairs.  I have an image in my head…now I need to get to work on making it happen!

Please feel free to suggest more inspirational quotes that would be good little reminders for my babies.

Today’s secret revealed…I could not get a good source on most of these, I am not trying to steal them…I like to give credit where credit is due.  Most were added from Tumblr.

One More Day!

Posted on by April 9, 2012

This is our last day of Spring Break, so rather than toil over a post today, I am going to hang with my kiddos!  Excuse the brief post :). 

Easter Dinner was a smashing success!  I made some super yummy mac ‘n cheese, from  Deceptively Delicious, I tweaked it to use whole wheat pasta and flour…and a few other little changes that I will soon share ;).

We were joined for dinner by our dear friend Lisa and her precious grandson Tyndall…I got my baby fix, complete with a surprise emergency bath :).  Miss Lisa insisted I take a picture of our dinner…before the kids dug in.

Today’s secret revealed…the ‘recipe’ for perfect boiled eggs was not so perfect (I told you I was intimidated) we did the eggs on Friday…the yolks were medium, like they still looked a bit gelatinous…not what you  want for deviled eggs (or ‘angel eggs’ as Owen calls them).  I put them in an oven-safe dish, covered it with foil, and stuck them in with other already cooking items (not sure of the temp).  They eventually became the proper color and appearance, but when mixing the filling for the deviled angel eggs, it was lumpy 🙁 …tasted good, but I wasn’t happy with the texture.  Next time I will cook those eggs for 11 minutes.

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