Strikes my fancy

While working on The Pullman I was trying to come up with meals that we could enjoy without having to cook (because of course we had a full commercial kitchen we couldn't use!) This fit the bill perfectly. Slow Cooker Enchiladas 1/2 yellow onion, diced small 1/2 bell pepper, diced small 1 16oz can black beans, drained and rinsed 1 cup frozen corn 2 tsp chili powder 1 tsp cumin 1 tsp salt 1 1/2 cups cheese, shredded and divided 2 16oz jars of your favorite salsa 12 6"-8" tortillas, flour or corn Optional: 1 cup leftover meat In a medium bowl, mix together the onion, pepper, black beans, corn, spices, meat (if using), and just 1/2 cup of the cheese. Pour about a cup of salsa into the bottom of the slow cooker and spread it around evenly. Scoop about 1/3 cup into one of the tortillas, roll it up, and nestle it inot the bottom of the crock pot. Repeat with the half of the remaining filling, rolling tortillas until the entire bottom of the crock pot is filled. Spread anoth...

So in the hustle and bustle of the season, I forgot to write this blog post! This is a book I read about, put on my library request list and forgot about! The story begins with Connor's grandfather, Finn's, passing. After the funeral Connor's grandmother tells him that his grandfather wanted his ashes to be taken back to Ireland and spread there. Connor goes to Ireland and the adventure begins! A crazy story-telling Irish actor, a bad dude, a badder dude, a girl with red hair, and a leprechaun...? Connor travels along the southern coast of Ireland trying to figure out where to spread his grandfather's ashes. I enjoyed the narrative of the story - maybe it helped that I had been places in the book (both in Ireland and Atlanta where Connor lives). I liked the story. Actually - I'm gonna have a fine at the library because I kept this book 3 days longer than I should have!!

A good mixture of fall and Christmas-y taste for me is apples & cranberries! Apple-Cranberry Crisp 2 pounds Granny Smith apples - peeled, cored and thinly sliced 3/4 cup cranberries 1/4 cup white sugar 3 tsp ground cinnamon 1 tsp ground nutmeg 1/3 cup quick-cooking oats 1/3 cup all-purpose flour 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar 1/4 cup butter, cut into pieces 1/2 cup chopped pecans Preheat oven to 375F. Butter an 8" square baking dish. In a large bowl, mix together apples, cranberries, white sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. Place evenly into baking dish. In the same bowl, combine oats, flour and brown sugar. With a fork, mix in butter until crumbly. Stir in pecans. Sprinkle over apples. Bake in preheated oven for 40-50 minutes, or until topping is golden brown and apples are tender. Only made better with a bit of vanilla ice cream! :-D

Please feel free to listen (or watch!) this song while reading this post. :-) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CyEf1Lp7Byk I have always thought silhouettes were such lovely and understated works of art. I would be fascinated by the people who did it at Disney World, Kings Island, or Central Park. They could cut your silhouette out in minutes! I decided I thought it would be fun art to hang in our humble bedroom. Our bedroom is a work in progress. These silhouettes are only the second thing I have hung on the wall, so I am taking my time with it. We did get around to painting in over the summer. It went from drab and boring, to vibrant and living. It was amazing to me how the paint actually made the room look much bigger! In a house cursed with small rooms, that is indeed a blessing. I started out with some frames and material. The frames were fine as they were, but several accent things in our bedroom are white, so I opted to paint them. The material...well, I want to use it behin...

This is the story of a woman who has suffered an accident and every morning wakes up not remembering the day(s) before. She begins keeping a journal - at the recommendation of a doctor, who she does not remember - and reads and writes in it every day. The doctor says that writing the journal might help her remember things. It does. Some of those things are sad, some are scary/mysterious. I really got into the character - wanting her to remember things. Wondering, like her, if they were things she remembered or made up. The author did a great job of making me suspicious of more than one character in the book. I guessed a key part of the ending before reading it, but didn't guess the ending! This book had me staying up late and waking up early to finish it at the end.

Today we get to the "non-veggie" side and DESSERT! Cranberry, Apricot and Pecan Wild Rice Pilaf (Gluten Free AND Vegan!) (from one of my favorite web-sites Oh She Glows 1 Tbl extra virgin olive oil 1 1/2 cups chopped celery + 1/2 cup, divided 1 heaping cup chopped sweet onion 2 garlic cloves, minced 1 1/2 cups uncooked wild rice 2 cups vegetable broth (be sure to use gluten-free if you want the dish to be) 1 1/2 cups water 1 bay leaf 3/4 - 1 tsp kosher salt + black pepper 3/4 cup chopped pecans 1/2 cup dried cranberries 1/3 cup dried apricots, chopped 1/4 cup golden raisins 1/2 cup fresh cranberries, thinly sliced -Preheat oven to 325F and toast the pecans for about 7-8 minutes. Remove and set aside. -Saute onion, oil and garlic in a skillet over miedum-low heat for about 5 minutes, stirring often. Add 1.5 cups chopped celery and cook for another 5-7 minutes. -Add wild rice, broth, bay leaf and water. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to low-medium and then cover with lid. ...

There is nothing for getting into the holiday spirit like a little Christmas-y DIY project. I was on the lookout for something fun, since I had just painted our door. I went to craft stores and hardware stores and other stores looking for a wreath. Those things are expensive! I was not about to shell out $60. So I opted to make one. If you were to buy all these supplies, they would be around $20. But, with the ever present coupon and some sales, I scored all this for around $10. I got an 18in wreath form, brown yarn, red polka dot ribbon, three 81/2 x 11 sheets of white felt and one of green. I trimmed down the form till it was the softer shape I wanted. I cut the pieces off with a knife, then pushed the foam down. I wanted rounded edges for the front of the wreath, not squared. But, I did want the back to stay squared so it would lay flat. I put a drop of glue on and started winding. (If you choose to do this project, I suggest balling your yarn first. Its not easy putting the whole t...

Every weekday morning I eat the exact same thing for breakfast. Some may say I'm a creature of habit, but I like to say it's because I don't have to think about what to make every morning! But the weekends allow me time to bake a breakfast and enjoy with a cup of coffee...mmm. Recently I tried 2 scone recipies. One I liked, the other I didn't. Easy Scones (from Woman's Day November 1, 2011) 3 cups self-rising flour 3/4 cup lemon-lime soda 3/4 cup heavy cream (I used 1/2 & 1/2) -Heat oven to 400. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. -Place the flour in a large mixing bowl and make a well in the center. With a fork, gently stir in the soda and cream, mixing untl incorporated (do not overmix). -Drop 8 large spoonfuls of dough onto the prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle with raw or granulated sugar, if desired, and bake until golden brown, 18-20 minutes. Serve warm with butter and honey or jam. I was skeptical when I started. So few ingredients and it woul...

Man, I really like to cook for other people. Something I've known for awhile, but I'm reminded when a group of people are going to get together. This week will be the bread and vegetables I made for Pullman Thanksgiving. Irish Soda Bread 2 cups whole wheat flour 1 cup all purpose flour 2 Tbls brown sugar 2 tsp baking powder 1 tsp baking soda 1 tsp cream of tartar 1/2 tsp salt 1 cup golden raisins 1 3/4 cups milk - In a large mixing bowl, combine the flours, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cream of tartar and salt. Stir in raisins. Make well in dry ingredients. - Add the milk; stir till moistened. - Turn into a greased 9x 1 1/2" baking pan. Bake in a 350 oven for 30-35 minutes or till the top is browned. Cool 10 minutes. Remove from the pan and cool thoroughly. - Wrap bread in foil and clear plastic wrap and store overnight before servings. Makes 1 loaf, 12 servings. My changes: No raisins. I wanted this to be more of a bread then a sweet loaf. Used 1/2 ...

My house is one of many on the block. Built in the 50s, its a cookie cutter, built for the new families that needed homes after the WWII. There is not much to make it stand out. Honestly, that is OK. I do not want it to stand out TOO much. But, a little zest is always good, right? I wanted to come home to something special. Something different from what everyone else is coming home to. So I opted to paint my door. The color was the difficulty. There are so many good ones! I went for blue. And no, its not just a college basketball statement. I love blue! And my husband happens to like it to. When you agree, you just have to go with it! We took the door down, washed it and let it dry. Make sure you pick a time when you are going to be home for a solid 6-8 hrs. :-) Then, I sanded it to get the rough spots out. After that came the painting. I tried it first with a brush. I knew it would take several coats if I went that route. So, I switched to a roller for the flat parts, brush for the gr...

Lime and Soy-Glazed Chicken With Cabbage Slaw Ingredients 3 tablespoons dark brown sugar 2 tablespoons soy sauce 6 tablespoons fresh lime juice 2 1/2 to 3 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces 1/4 head red cabbage, thinly sliced (4 cups) 2 large carrots, coarsely grated 4 scallions, thinly sliced 1/2 cup chopped fresh mint leaves 1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger 1 tablespoon canola oil 1 teaspoon sesame oil kosher salt and black pepper Directions Heat oven to 400° F. In a 9-by-13-inch baking dish, stir together the sugar, soy sauce, and 3 tablespoons of the lime juice; add the chicken and turn to coat. Roast, skin-side down, until the sauce is simmering, about 10 minutes. Turn the chicken skin-side up and roast, basting occasionally, until cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes more. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, toss the cabbage, carrots, scallions, and mint with the ginger, canola oil, sesame oil, the remaining 3 tablespoons of lime juice, and ½ teaspoon each salt and pepper. Serve with th...

Pasta With Sausage and Tomatoes Ingredients 2 28-ounce cans whole peeled tomatoes, broken up with your hands 2 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed 2 tablespoons olive oil kosher salt and black pepper 3/4 pound sweet or hot Italian sausage links 12 ounces cavatappi or some other short pasta 3 cups baby spinach (2 1/2 ounces) grated Parmesan, for serving Directions 1.Heat oven to 450° F. On a rimmed baking sheet, mix the tomatoes (with their juices) and garlic with the oil, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Roast until the tomatoes have charred in spots and the juices have thickened, 40 to 45 minutes. 2.After the tomatoes have roasted for 20 minutes, place the sausage on a second rimmed baking sheet. Roast, turning occasionally, until browned and cooked through, 15 to 17 minutes. Thinly slice the sausage. 3.Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to the package directions. Reserve ¼ cup of the cooking water; drain the pasta and return it to the pot. Add the tomatoes, sausage, spinach, an...

Lemony Tuna and Olive Oil Pasta Ingredients 12 ounces linguine (3/4 box) 3 tablespoons olive oil 4 cloves garlic, sliced 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper 2 6-ounce cans oil-packed tuna 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest kosher salt and black pepper 1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley Directions Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Reserve ½ cup of the cooking water; drain the pasta. Wipe out the pasta pot and cook the oil, garlic, and red pepper over medium heat, stirring frequently, until fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the pasta, tuna, lemon zest, ¾ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper, and the reserved pasta water to the pasta pot and cook over low heat, tossing, until the sauce is slightly thickened and coats the pasta, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the parsley and toss to combine. Heidi's changes: Instead of lemon zest I used some lemon juice Skipped the parsley I like my dishes with more color! This dish just looked bland. Maybe it would have bee...

Im not really sure why, but I just had this thought of Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady, talking about having her own chair off in a warm room. That is what this precious little chair made me think of. Or in the old Cinderella, singing of her "own little corner, with my own little chair." ;-) It started out looking like this. I saw it in a pile of broken furniture at an auction. In all honesty, it looked like the old farmer's "burn pile". He was going to have PLENTY of pieces for winter. The auctioneer was about to move on, when I asked if I could just buy one piece. I pulled this out and payed $2 for it. Honestly, it was the legs that drew my eye. They were so ornate, yet it was the only bit of it that could be called that. I loved that all the rest was simple. The back looked like it would have held a bar, but both pieces were broken...so I wasnt going to be able to do anything to that. I decided to saw them off and sand them down. They ended up looking like li...

In following the month of cooking that we did in November. Pasta With Sausage and Tomatoes Ingredients 2 28-ounce cans whole peeled tomatoes, broken up with your hands 2 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed 2 tablespoons olive oil kosher salt and black pepper 3/4 pound sweet or hot Italian sausage links 12 ounces cavatappi or some other short pasta 3 cups baby spinach (2 1/2 ounces) grated Parmesan, for serving Directions Heat oven to 450° F. On a rimmed baking sheet, mix the tomatoes (with their juices) and garlic with the oil, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Roast until the tomatoes have charred in spots and the juices have thickened, 40 to 45 minutes. After the tomatoes have roasted for 20 minutes, place the sausage on a second rimmed baking sheet. Roast, turning occasionally, until browned and cooked through, 15 to 17 minutes. Thinly slice the sausage. Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to the package directions. Reserve ¼ cup of the cooking water; drain the pasta and return ...

Roasted Vegetable and Quinoa Salad With Pistachios Ingredients 1 pound carrots, cut into 1 1/2-inch lengths 1 pound shiitake or cremini mushrooms, stems trimmed 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for drizzling kosher salt and black pepper 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves 1 cup quinoa 5 cups baby spinach (4 ounces) 1/4 cup chopped salted, roasted pistachios Directions Heat oven to 425° F. On 2 rimmed baking sheets, toss the carrots and mushrooms with the oil, ½ teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper. Roast, tossing once, until tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Combine the vegetables in a large bowl and toss with the lemon juice and thyme. Meanwhile, cook the quinoa according to the package directions. Divide the spinach among plates and top with the warm quinoa and vegetables. Sprinkle with the pistachios and drizzle with the oil. Serves 4. Heidi's changes: Used regular brown mushrooms Skipped the pistachios Since it's gotten colder I'm ...

Yes, the month of October is in our rear view mirror - but I didn't keep up with what we cooked in October! As you might remember we started with the Real Simple month of cooking...and after the first week, the 3 of us didn't cook the same dish again! So I'll highlight dishes that at least 2 of us made. Chicken With Wild Rice and Grapes Ingredients 1 cup wild rice blend 2 teaspoons olive oil 8 chicken thighs (about 3 pounds) kosher salt and black pepper 2 cups red seedless grapes 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves 1 pound green beans, trimmed 2 tablespoons unsalted butter Directions Heat oven to 425° F. Cook the rice according to the package directions. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season the chicken with ½ teaspoon each salt and pepper. In 2 batches, cook the chicken, skin-side down, until golden, 5 to 6 minutes, then transfer to a rimmed baking sheet. Place skin-side up and roast until cooked through, 12 to 15 minutes. Add the grapes an...

Meg moves from Phoenix to Spaulding, WA. The story follows her journey to get to know her neighbors and to make friends. It also includes a "beauty pageant" with only 3 requirements: you are a resident of Spaulding, you have a sponsor who was a past Queen(?) and you perform a talent. This was my latest book club book. I have to admit - I wouldn't have picked this up on my own (and one of the main reasons I love my book club!). There were times I thought this book was very slow. There are moments she has "flashbacks" and I started just skipping those. There were times I thought this book was very funny. There were times this book just made me thing "huh?". Overall I'm glad I read it - would I recommend it? Probably not. My book club was also very divided in what we thought about the book. I have been told her first book was better (and non-fiction)

Today I share some of the things I bring to Football Sunday. First you need to know that it's at least 80% male and that I've been watching a lot of Steelers football (hanging head in shame). A couple Sundays ago I thought I'd bring some food along - some semi-healthy food ;-) Stuffed Baguette Makes one 12-inch long baguette; about 24 slices Ingredients: Baguette about 14-inch long 8 oz cream cheese, at room temperature 4 oz fresh goat cheese 1 large garlic clove, minced ½ cup finely chopped red bell pepper (about 1 medium) ½ cup finely chopped sun dried tomatoes in olive oil ¼ cup finely chopped Kalamata olives 2 oz finely chopped spicy salami About 2 tbsp minced Italian parsley About 1 tsp minced fresh thyme Freshly ground black pepper Salt to taste (very unlikely since there’re plenty of salty ingredients) Preparation: Slice off both ends of the baguette. Using a long thin knife and working from the both ends, hollow the baguette out leaving about ½-inch thick crust all...

I've been picking out paint colors, working on seating arrangements, coming up with a menu and hiring staff. The long story about that will come some day, but today a project I'm working on in regards to that. When we bought all the equipment we got this beer fridge: Lovely isn't it? When I started to sand it down (the advice I got online instead of trying to take the stickers off), most of the stickers just started coming off. So I worked on getting them off. Of course, in my stubbornness I was doing it with my hands and got a few cuts under my fingernails. Lessons learned for "next time"! After peeling for hours I got to this point: And then I was ready to paint! I used a black spray paint that also had a primer in it. And 2 1/2 coats later we have this! There are some places where I just couldn't get the sticker goo off (should have used goo gone!), but overall I'm pleased with the new look. It also now matches all the other fridges ;-)

Wow - the blog has been neglected by me lately. I have so much to blog and yet so little time to do it! Yesterday was beautiful here. Fall is my favorite season and so when it's a beautiful day - a girl has to be outside enjoying it! I headed to the Cabbagetown's Chomp and Stomp in the early afternoon with 1 goal in mind: to get a corndog I hear about a year ago. This man (Jim Stacy) has a food truck and makes corndogs...yum? The line was pretty crazy (my number was 226 and they were in the 190s when I got there) - which made me a little scared (what if it really wasn't worth the hype?). But all in all = worth it. I just got a regular corndog this time around...keeping it simple. But next time I'll try the polish kielbasa or the spicy italian sausage! Great mix of batter with just a touch of sweet. And the hotdog was good too! Of course I left having not taken enough pictures or buying the 1 piece of art that caught my eye.... One day I will learn and be bet...

Happy Halloween! No furniture this week, Im taking a break as our season is winding down. But, the guy and I DID carve you some awesome pumpkins. :-) His is the brightests, but my two are creepier. He cleaned them out for me and then let me carve TWO...how awesome is that? I thought it would be fun to tell you about the haunted trail we created this last week. My guy coaches a middle school girl's cross country team. (Awww!) He likes to make it fun, so that the girls actually have fun with the workouts and runs. Thursdays are often "Fun Runs" and they do things like gummy worm races, scavenger hunts, etc. This Thursday, he told the girls they would just be running in the dark at the Nature Preserve. What the girls didnt know is, he invited all the parents to come to the Natrue Preserve after dropping their kids off about 1/2 mile down the road from it. The other coach was to meet the parents. The girls didnt know the parents were invited for an extra special treat during ...

There are many things that would cause a person to repurpose furniture. This piece came to use scratched and bruised. The veneer was coming of fthe front and places on the top, like the picture above. I hate to cover the wood, but I would rather it be given a new life, than for no one to see its potential. The blue worked so well months ago, I decided to try it again. I wanted it to be different though, so I opted to paint it just blue. It turned out pretty well, and we had some interest in it as a coffee table, but it was a little tall for something like that. It was quite striking in coloring. But after trying it for a month, I opted to brighten it up a bit and add some details. I thought that perked it up a bit and made it stand out a lot more.