Wednesday, April 30, 2014

Pastrami and Cheese Anyone

What is this you might ask?  Well, this is a delicious home baked bread filled with pastrami and cheese...I know!  With warm weather comes outdoor activities from baseball games, beach outings, picnics and more.  Why  not have a delicious sandwich in your repertoire that everyone will be excited about.  Plus it's a great way to host a little get together on a Sunday afternoon with a beer flight to mix it up a little. 



Tuesday, April 29, 2014

Link Love

Donna Hay
Brownie Cookies with Salted Caramel Creme

Redbook
This is a perfectly styled bar cart.

Kitchen Simplicity
Carrot Cake Pancakes with Cream Cheese Syrup

Lauren Conrad
Warm weather means time to experiment with stylish nails.


Monday, April 28, 2014

Vegetables

Well I'm back from my getaway to Niagara and unfortunately there is not all that much to report.  The weather was cold, the mist was so great you could hardly see the falls and it snowed on us driving home.  However, I'm just being Debbie Downer because I really wanted it to be something special for my mom and truthfully it fell a little flat.  BUT  it is still something everyone should see once.

 That being said since we've had visitors for the last couple of weeks, someone namely me, has fallen off the diet bandwagon.  Not completely but when you are dining at restaurants its hard not to sneak a few bites of the forbidden fruit.  And oh yeah did I mention the alcohol intake.   So this week it's back on in full force but I need some new recipes.  I am bored, bored, bored with the norm.

 Malibu Kitchen
Asparagus, Mushroom and Garlic Tart (I'll have to do an omelet version)



An Edible Mosaic
Roasted Gobi Manchurian (Cauliflower in Spicy Sauce)


Jacqueline Copeland
Portobellos stuffed with brushetta and topped with basil and feta



Running to the Kitchen (photo courtesy of Running to the Kitchen)
Sweet Corn Egg Drop Soup


Wednesday, April 23, 2014

Niagara Falls Quick Getaway

My moms in town and I'm taking her on a quick jaunt up to see Niagara Falls.  It'll just be a couple of days and then I'll give you the low down when I return.  Talk to you soon.

Tuesday, April 22, 2014

Link Love

Sulia
Nothing says, "hello spring" like lemonade cake


Le Log Deco
This hidden storage space is genius.

Hapa Nom Nom
Asparagus with poached egg in roasted garlic miso butter



 Laa Loosh
Blueberry Mint Lemonade




Monday, April 21, 2014

Spring Styling

I know Spring means you're suppose to clean...but Spring styling sounds like so much more fun.  I saw this great post over at Amber Interiors that I can't get out of my head.  It is so simple...yet so helpful.  It seems like something I should have already known but somehow seeing it laid out like this helps me picture it better.  Check it out and see what you think.



Thursday, April 17, 2014

Add a little Spring...

It's that time of year when you start thinking about adding some warm weather touches to your routine.  I love outdoor dining, visits to Coney Island and eating lobster by the ocean in run down lobster shacks.  All of these things say, "Summer is here!" to me.  But although I get equally excited about Spring, I don't have as many rituals so to speak.  This post over at Anthro blog got me thinking, maybe a few flower pots to spruce up the decor could help get me in the right frame of mind.  Maybe Spring should be more about the preparation of the coming season?

Why not serve your greens in a to cute flower pot?


Or ice beverages?


Why not incorporate some new lighting (it is so much easier than you think)


Lastly, who wouldn't want to attend an outdoor brunch with adorable name tags?


Wednesday, April 16, 2014

Salted Caramel Cracker Candy

Are looking to do a little baking for your Easter guests?  Or in this case no baking necessary.  Check out this recipe from Good Housekeeping using saltines and caramel.  It looks like it takes about 15 minutes to whip up and then you have adorable take aways for all your guests

Tuesday, April 15, 2014

Link Love

BHG
What chic looking Easter eggs

Little Green Notebook
I'm thinking I need my very own orange tree

A Farmgirl's Dabbles
Every occasion should have sriracha deviled eggs

Natural Curiosities
Sometimes things don't go very smoothly...that time is now for me.  So, I'm going to print this out as inspiration.


Monday, April 14, 2014

Things I'm Lovin'

We've had some nice weather lately, but today was the first day it actually felt like Spring.  The hubby and I took full advantage and had a fantastic day.

It was our first outdoor lunch of the season and it was chilly enough that a nice chowdah was in order.

Followed by a visit to a beer garden in Greenpoint which sports some great graffiti



Then home for a nice dinner and glass of wine complete with my latest find smoky glass tumblers.


Lastly we watched Blue Jasmine while burning my new candle that reminds me of Kate Spade.


Friday, April 11, 2014

Friday Silly Fun

To continue with my ad nauseam talk about Easter, I thought why not do something silly and fun for Friday.  Take this quiz over at Yum Sugar and see what kind of  Classic Easter candy you are!  I got Peeps.




Thursday, April 10, 2014

Lamb Chops with Smoky Red Pepper and Shallot Butter

This is my go to indoor lamb recipe (also have one for the grill).  Easter dinner this year will be consisting of a small ham and a few of these tasty chops.   It's delicious and SUPER easy.  I don't use the shoulder chops that are specified in the recipe but instead use rack of lamb that has been separated into chops.  It is really the butter that makes them.  If you are struggling with a main, you can't go wrong with this!

Wednesday, April 9, 2014

Easter Eggs

Easter is my favorite holiday, but I don't usually make that known because people then tend to ask if it is due to the religious traditions.  Then I have to say, "No, I just like bunnies, Easter baskets and decorating eggs."  That comment is usually followed by awkward silence.  So, I'm not going to talk about it, but I am going to blog about it...take that.  One of my favorite things is looking at all the creative Easter eggs.  Check some of these out.










Tuesday, April 8, 2014

Link Love

Squidoo
Easy and cute!


Shannon Berrey
DIY monogrammed lampshades...very sophisticated

Sulia
Homemade snickers for Easter baskets!



Sa Vitt Jag Vet
Have some extra wine bottles lying around?


Monday, April 7, 2014

Easter Punch

What says Happy Easter like a big glass of punch.  It's great to wash down all that salty ham plus gives you a reason to get your punch bowl out of the basement.  This is actually my sister's recipe and it has been making an appearance at all the family get-togethers...by request.

4 bottles of Prosecco
Strawberries
Blueberries
Agave Nectar
Basil

Soak fruit, basil and agave nectar (to taste-but more than you would think) over night with 1 bottle of Prosecco
Add 3 additional bottles right before you serve.
Add some fresh basil to the top of the punch.

Friday, April 4, 2014

Things I'm Lovin'

These are a few of the things that I am lovin' this week.  I think you'll find me pretty easy to figure out since I'm going through an estate sale phase right now plus my lamp issue and of course there's always cake.

I got my first milk glass vase to start my collection last weekend for $3 and now I just need to find a couple more with varying height and size.


I picked up these adorable paper eggs at Ikea.  Now to figure out how to work them into the Easter celebration? 


Thinking for the first time EVER I might actually be able to pull off this braid for summer.  My hair is right now the longest it's ever been...woot woot.


Finally, I purchased a $10 1960's industrial heavy metal lamp with great lines. It was paint splattered and the ugliest color of brown.  After a new cord and a few coats of metallic blue spray paint it works as a funky lamp to illuminate my husband's prized pig painting (don't ask).


Thursday, April 3, 2014

Brown Butter Pumpkin Cake + Whipped Cream and Honey

I know pumpkin makes one thing of fall and October.  But hey...I mean..do bunnies only eat carrots maybe they like to mix it up with pumpkins after all they are orange to.  So I'm officially claiming it to be a marvelous cake for Easter.  It sounds delicious and who needs a centerpiece when you have a pumpkin cake with whipped cream and honey that looks as beautiful as this?  Think 2 birds 1 stone, plus you get to eat cake and you all know how I feel about cake!

Wednesday, April 2, 2014

Boo YACHT

I'm pleased to announce we added a 9lb. brass baby bouillotte to the family.  I picked up this little guy for $5 in the recesses of the basement in the same house as the boudoir lamp.  I literally had to use a flashlight and just saw a hint of a glimmer in the corner.  I knew it had great classic design and with a little TLC could be restored back to former glory. 

So that's what I knew...but what I didn't know was extensive!  For one, everything from the 20's is smaller.  Anytime you go to an estate sale from that era it's as if you are walking around tiny town.  Petite silverware, furniture, glassware (I think they stayed so little by having to run to the facet every 5 minutes to fill their tiny glasses with water) and I would NEVER attempt to sit in one of those small chairs.  You know the policy if you break it you buy it.  What I'm getting at here is that parts can't be replaced because they are smaller than what we have now.  So my husband spent 2 days trying to get the new wiring to fit into the base of our lamp.  And as you'll see from the next couple of photos there were no nifty tricks in the 20's like ribbed wiring on one side to let you know if it is a negative or a positive.  Notice the wires my husband taped together to use as a diagram later.  He used the taped together wires, a diagram that he drew and a lot of muttering out loud to himself, "The electricity goes in here and then needs to be grounded here and comes out here and then repeat."  Here's the photo trail of how this little French brat caused us much grief and then made us proud just like a real little bundle of joy.




Notice the brass is not in top condition and needed to be completely rubbed down with denatured alcohol to get rid of the deterioration.  Also, the lamp shade was in pretty good condition but had one slight pinhole on the right side.  It lasted 80 years and then 5 minutes with my husband before it was completely a goner, he somehow poked one of the candlesticks completely through the side. So, I took it took a lampshade specialist in Coney Island who replaced the dark red cardboard with crisp white linen.  By the way,  it feels really fancy to get something custom made, I highly recommend it.

Here it is after being brought back to original finish, the wiring diagram held together by tape, the candlesticks which we had to paint white since they were metal and Home Depot only sells plastic ones that were to big, and the cloth cord which needed to be replaced.  Plus the lampshade which we were only able to salvage the cage.

This is what we ended up with.  It was difficult, but to best describe this lamp, I'm going to borrow a line from my mom and dad that I never truly understood until now.  "It's a classic and they don't make 'em like they use to!"