Breakfast Nook

I fell in love with this table and chairs in a local interiors store. I love the bench seat... seating for two for dinner ... or for one to curl up with the morning coffee and a design magazine.

My Own Photo Line

Here are a couple of prelim shots of the photo line I made after being inspired by the previous post. I grabbed some of my favorite pink card pictures, some tiny vintage pics to fill in the spaces and enlarged some travel pics and converted them to black and white. Once it was hung, I was moved by how personal it turned out. Cards with special messages, family moments and travel memories. This is one project I'm glad I finished. Well, almost! I still need to find some funky tacks to hold it on the wall instead of the plastic pins I found at the bottom of a junk drawer!

Photo Clothesline

Still such a cute idea. I wanted to do it a long time ago, but had forgotten about it. I think this will be my weekend project... to pick out photos to go on a 'clothesline' over my bed. The wall has been blank there for a while, and I don't want to spend too much money adding to it. I'm thinking of some pictures of cherry blossoms, Paris, and other pictures that will fit into a pink theme.

Butter Baked Goods

Walk into Butter Baked Goods store in Dunbar and you'd be forgiven for thinking you've walked into your grandma's kitchen. The old-style screen door squeeks open, and you're enveloped into a warm cocoon of baking smells. The walls are covered in a rose-printed wallpaper and the cookies, cupcakes and bars are presented on the cutest vintage cake stands and plates. Luckily, you can purchase their marshmallows across North America!

butterbakedgoods.com

Bench

I may have already mentioned that I am a hoarder of magazines. This becomes a problem when the magazines take over the house, and there's no longer a chair to sit on! They say when tackling clutter to do a little bit every day, so as not to seem so overwhelming. This seems to be working for me. I mean... do I really need House and Home issues from 2004!?

I had saved this magazine for a couple of ideas... one of them being this cute little bench in the corner of a garden. It looks like a nice spot to while away an afternoon reading, or sharing cupcakes with friends.

Spring Blossoms

Spring... my favorite time of year! Who says pink needs to be saved for a bedroom? I love the additions of pink to this dining table, and especially the cherry blossoms.

Tray Chic

I've been doing some heavy spring cleaning at both my place and my dad's. I came across a silver tray that had been a gift to my grandma. I didn't know what to do with it... and then I was cleaning out some interior magazines at my place and came across the following article on silver trays. So now I just have to get some silver polish to clean up the tray, and can use it to display flowers and a candy dish on dad's dining room table.

Happy Birthday!

My dad was having a milestone birthday, and I wanted to have some of his friends over to celebrate with him. I was looking for cake ideas and came across the Martha Stewart sailboat cake. Granted... it was in the kids section, but I thought it might work nicely,as dad grew up on the ocean, and has lived near the ocean his whole life.

I wanted to keep the party simple, but it never works that way! As soon as I saw the cake, my mind went off on a nautical theme. I had wanted to make a fabric banner for a while, and managed to find all the fabric locally. I had remembered seeing cute striped ribbon at The Cross... and luckily all the colors tied in! The napkins were totally lucky... I found them at a party supply store... on sale, no less! The cupcakes seemed a little boring on their own, so I made little flags out of left over fabric... cut out the fabric into tiny strips, then glued them onto lollipop sticks.

I learnt a lesson with the cake... as in, I can't make cakes from scratch! I envisioned making the perfect cake... but realized a birthday party deadline is no time to learn how to make a layered cake from scratch. After three failed attempts with the homemade cake, I had to question why I was putting myself under so much stress?! A boxed angel food cake worked just fine. I stuffed the whole in the middle with waxed paper and iced over top of it. Cake was just the right size and height. The cupcakes were also from a box... with homemade buttercream.

In the end, it's all about taking on what you know... and faking the rest! A birthday party is supposed to be a fun celebration, after all!

Mushrooms on Toast

I cannot believe I eat mushrooms on toast! For the majority of my life, I turned my nose up at cooked mushrooms... ick! Now, I'd happily eat 5 servings of mushrooms on toast... must be all the garlic and butter!



Mushrooms on Toast (aka Mushroom Bruschetta), Jamie Oliver style

Extra virgin olive oil
Handful of mushrooms
Clove of garlic
Chili
Butter
Salt/Pepper
Woody herbs
Lemon cheek

Oil in pan (extra virgin olive oil).
Slice mushrooms, then toss in pan (medium heat).
Add a clove of shredded garlic once the mushrooms have browned a bit.
Add some chopped up woody herbs... thyme, rosemary, etc.
Throw in a bit of salt and pepper.
Add tiny bit of chili.
Bit more oil.
Don't crowd the mushrooms; this causes them to sweat and they don't dehydrate. Give them a couple of minutes, until they start to caramelize.
Add a knob of butter.
Add 12 drops of lemon juice to add some twang.
Add a bit of water to create a sauce.
Then get the pan off the heat before the sauce evaporates or worse, separates!
Serve on buttered toast.
MMMMmmmmmm

Christmas Cheer

Hauling out the Christmas decorations resulted in a mini photo shoot. That's the way it seems to go these days!

Blueberry Muffins

Here's a cute idea I read about in a magazine ad... cut 12cm x 15 cm squares out of parchment paper to line muffin tins for muffins, cupcakes, etc. I thought it looked cool... but turns out it has a practical purpose as well. My dad has Parkinson's disease, and has troubles with his fine motor skills. It's hard for him to get a grasp of the ruffled edge of store bought wrappers. With these wrappers, there's a large corner to grab to tear the wrapper off. I imagine it would be helpful for kids as well.
It's also a good trick to have up your sleeve when you're in the middle of making cupcakes and realize you are fresh out of paper baking cups. Not that that has ever happened to me, because I am so organized!

You Are What You Eat

In recent cooking demonstrations, magazines and newspapers articles... I've noticed a huge push to really make people understand the importance of eating healthy and the direct impact on their health, and the environment.

One night during practice, my yoga instructor told us to "Remove the factory between you and your food." I guess you could say that I've been fortunate that my body rejects the chemical-ly food I try to put into it. I've sat on the floors of bathrooms, and have woken up in ill sweat in the middle of the night more times than I can count after drinking sodas sweetened with aspartame, sweet popcorn sweetened with sucralose, Bits and Bites and Cup O'Soup with ingredients you can't pronounce... the list is long. I say 'fortunate', as after having to deal with the effects of eating garbage (which is what it really is) it has made me think twice as to what I put in my mouth.

Last night, I was flipping through the January 2010 issue of the Martha Stewart magazine. There was a small book review for a new book: Food Rules by Michael Pollan... "If it came from a plant, eat it; if it was made in a plant, don't." It's a how-to manual for weaning oneself off the Western diet of processed foods, meat, sugar, fat. I made note of it, and continued with my magazine reading. I had an article to finish in October 2010 Vogue: Force of Nature, about a doctor who discovered the world's healthiest diets, and wrote a book about the therapeutic power of food, and how she prescribes recipes for such ailments as the common cold and depression. In the article it mentioned "Michael Pollan-ized foodies'! I had not heard about Michael Pollan before, and now twice in five minutes on two random magazines! Coincidence?

I've learnt so much about healthy eating, and how we have the power to control what we eat in order to feel good. All we need to remember is how the food made us feel after we ate it. There's the sick (not to mention guilty) feeling you have after consuming a bag of chips. Then there's the satisfying contentment in your belly after eating a yummy, nutritious meal. Maybe remembering this will help us all adopt a healthy eating lifestyle.

Michael Pollan - books
Dr. Daphne Miller

Orange Mood Board

Grey would tie in with the orange chairs and bring a modern feel to the space.

Loving the retro orange scales for the kitchen!

A wooden kitchen table to go with the chairs.

Not a fan of bookcases, his recipe book collection could be stacked on the floor.

The inspiration: orange Eames-style chairs my brother found on the side of the road in his hometown of Sydney. The seats are intact, but the legs need to be soda-blasted to rejuvenate them. He had been talking to me about decorating his new place... but he's an ocean away, so I can't physically be there to assist him with the furnishings. However, based on what he told me about his new place, I found myself coming up with some ideas... so here is a mood board for him!

A Novel Idea

Paper Mobile

Create graphic appeal from the pages of old books. Outdated novels are repurposed to create this mobile. Raid bookshelves at home, second hand stores and garage sales for materials. Cut out a square of of cardboard for the base of the mobile. Cover the cardboard underneath with a sheet of old paper lettering. Cut out pieces of cotton in the same length for the strands of the mobile. After cutting circles in various sizes out of the pages, thread the strands of cotton through the circles and attach to the cardboard base. Attach a hook to the top side of the cardboard and with a string, pin it to the ceiling. Perfect for a place in your house that is looking bare.

From Real Living (Australia) magazine

Attic: Tear Sheets

Attics conjure up romantic images; ballgowns stored in old trunks, old treasures waiting to be rediscovered, somewhere to hide with a good book and an afternoon nap. The realities of modern life are such that space is at a premium, and who has the luxury of time to escape with a good book and a snooze.

A friend acquired ancient attic space with the recent purchase of a heritage home. The space sits unused, never finished. Yet, with limited room in an older home, it seems a waste to let it sit there. The brief for this attic room is: guest room, storage space and yes, a place where the owner can sit and read a book on a free, rainy afternoon.

I've been acquiring tear sheets and ideas for this space. I love the idea of the open rafters painted white - though living in a cold climate such as BC, this idea may be nixed in favor of insulating and drywalling the ceiling. Espresso bamboo flooring provides a nice anchor for the room. A queen size bed would fit in the center of the room. Low, built-in cabinetry along the side walls would accommodate storage, and the top could be used by guests as a place to put laptops, small bags and other items. Chairs would provide a double use as night stands and somewhere to sit while working on a laptop. An armoir in the corner would provide additional storage. And if there's still space... a comfy chair for reading in...

Cherry Tomato Standby

We all have a 'go-to' dish when we can't/don't want to think about dinner. My Cherry Tomato Pasta comes from Donna Hay Off the Shelf... which in itself is a great 'go-to' cookbook when you can't/don't want to think about dinner.

400g rigatoni or penne

60g butter

2 gloves garlic, sliced

350g cherry tomatoes

Handful of basil

Balsamic vinegar

Cook pasta till al dente, then drain.

Melt butter in fry pan over medium heat. Add garlic and cherry tomatoes and cook, stirring, for 8 minutes or until tomatoes are soft and golden. Add a handful of chopped basil and toss through the hot pasta. Sprinkle with balsamic vinegar, pepper, sea salt and grated Parmesan.

See! Easy peasy, no brain required... and it's sooo yummy.

Variation 1: I'm not always in the mood for balsamic vinegar, so I'll just add extra butter. If you chop the tomatoes in two at the end of their cooking, and add the butter, you'll get a nice little sauce to toss with your pasta. Add Parmesan and sea salt on top and yum!

Variation 2: You can use larger tomatoes in this dish as well... just chop them into large chunks to start, and follow recipe as you wish.

The other thing nice thing about this dish is that you can just wing it for one person or five. Get a feel for your ingredients and give it a go!

Bookcase

I've been quite inspired lately... though you wouldn't know it from my lack of blog posts. I've been speaking with a friend about repainting some of our tired furniture. I inherited an oak bookcase from my family. Actually, my brother made it in high school and it sat in our family home for years. When moving time came, I recognized that it had nice lines, and rescued it from street side pickup. Not a fan of oak, I painted it white. (Recently, I mentioned as much to my dad and he said, "You did what?" He's obviously a fan of natural wood! I, however, am a fan of painted furniture.) The paint job on the bookcase is tired, and you can see the grain of wood through it... I didn't do a very good paint job the first time!

With that in mind, I came across this idea in the August Style at Home magazine... adding color to the back of the bookcase. Of course my mind has gone crazy with ideas... paint, fabric, wallpaper in solid, or stripes or floral. So many options, I can just see it never getting done. However, it's perfect weather for painting outside, so I'd better take advantage of that...

A Homemade Life

Inspiring me this week... I had read about Molly Wizenberg in a Seattle magazine last summer. There was a page spread about her food blog, Orangette. I've been following it ever since. I'm a bit slow, but one day I noticed that she had written a book... so reserved it from the library. It has to be one of my favorite reads as of late. Molly writes from the heart about food, family and discovering yourself. She was studying anthropology, and bored out of her tree... she started writing a food blog. Her blog has gone on to win awards, found her a husband and changed her course in life. Now, how is that not inspiring!?

Pink Journals

I love journals, I have to restrain myself from buying every one I like. However, when I saw these Molskine ones in two shades of pink... I was able to justify the purchase by earmarking them for my upcoming trip to Europe. One journal for France and the other journal for Italy. I can't wait to write down the details of my trip... from sites visited to food eaten. Can't wait for the inspiration to flow!

Creamy Mushroom & Prosciutto Pasta

From Bill Granger Everyday, p 180

CREAMY MUSHROOM AND PROSCIUTTO PASTA

SERVES 4

400 G (14 OZ) TAGLIATELLI OR PAPPARDELLE
1 TABLESPOON OLIVE OIL
1 GARLIC CLOVE, CRUSHED
4 SLICES PROSCIUTTO, CHOPPED
200 G (7 OZ) BUTTON MUSHROOMS, SLICED
80 ML (2V2 FL OZ/1/3 CUP) CHICKEN STOCK
80 ML (2i/2 FL OZ/1/3 CUP) CREAM
SEA SALT
FRESHLY GROUND BLACK PEPPER
1 TABLESPOON CHOPPED FRESH PARSLEY

TO SERVE
GRATED PARMESAN CHEESE

Cook the pasta in a large pan of lightly salted boiling water until al dente.

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and prosciutto and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3—4 minutes, or until the prosciutto is crisp. Add the mushrooms and cook for 4 minutes, or until they are light golden. Add the stock and let it reduce by half, then add the cream and simmer for a further 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Drain the pasta, add to the sauce and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper and stir in the parsley. Serve immediately with grated parmesan.

Being very naughty in scanning and posting copywritten material... however... made this recipe for dinner and it was soooo good, I wanted to share. An easy weeknight dinner. Not bad for someone who doesn't like to eat pork, and up until a couple of years ago, wouldn't touch mushrooms!