A Quick and Easy Holiday Table Centerpiece

 

 

This simple centerpiece is great to keep on the table throughout the holiday season.  You start with a plan piece of greenery and 2 candlesticks.  We added some (fake) spruce for interest, but you could just use the greenery.   Next, add in some fresh magnolia leaves, cut from the yard, to give it life.  Magnolia leaves hold up great and can be sprayed with a floral spray to extend their life.  Nestle in some glass ornaments and accent with ribbon, and you have a natural simple centerpiece.

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What to Make with Fresh Pears?

After I picked all these pears (see last post), I had to do something with them.  The apples were pretty easy, but the pears were a bit more challenging.  I picked a variety of pear called the Keiffer, which is a crisp pear that is good for baking. So here is what I have done with them.

I made Pear Bread,which is really a quick bread only made in a bundt pan.
A few notes: I diced my pears rather than grate them and used pecans rather than walnuts.  I only ended up needing 2 pears to make 2 cups. I did use butter, not oil, and cooked it for 60 minutes.  If I had let it go any longer, it would have burned.
This made a great breakfast bread.

I also made a Pear Crisp from the Pioneer Woman. Sorry I didn't get a picture. 

And lastly, I canned Ginger Pear Preserves.  I got the recipe straight from the Ball jar makers themselves.

These would make great gifts as well.  I added a tag and some ribbon.

I hope I have given you a few ideas for fresh pears.

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Apples and Pears

As you can tell by now, I love to go to the Pick-your-own local farm for fresh fruit.  And fall is apple and pear season.  So, I decided to pick both.

The type of apple I picked is the Arkansas Black apple, which I found is a great baking apple and derived from the Winesap.  Since it is so great for baking, I tried this Apple Dumpling recipe from the Pioneer Woman.  Soo good and easy too!  Click on the link for the recipe.

I am planning on canning some apple pie filling and peach preserves.  So I will post that as soon as I do.

I really love the experience of picking your own.  And I like that in the process I am helping local farms and being green.  Oh, and not to mention you have to make something with all that yummy fresh produce! 


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Organizing Gift Card Balances

If you are like me, you get a lot of gift cards as gifts.  You then have to call on the balances each time before you use them, so you know how much you have left.  Or you wrap the receipt around the gift card, but with fading ink, soon can't read it.  Here is what I have found works for me.

 I write down the balance and the date on the sticky part of a post-it note, cut it out, and attach it to each card.  It doesn't fall off or get in the way of scanning.  I then update it as the balance changes.  Now I know how much I have left to spend.  Pin It

Peanut Butter Surprise Brownie Cookie

So, you know those recipes you save and say to yourself, "Someday I'm gonna make that."?  And then you wait for the right time or occasion...and it never comes.  Well, this was one of those recipes.  But why not just make it as a treat for ourselves and to share?  Which is precisely what I did.

And they were yummy! Making me wonder why I waited so long to try them :)

Here is the link to the recipe, courtesy of Pillsbury
http://www.pillsbury.com/recipes/peanut-butter-brownie-cookies/78d2e747-151c-48d1-838b-fdde7d1e3e37/

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Update Your Existing Vanity With Molding

The great thing about being self-employed is that I don't HAVE to sell cabinetry.  It's nice to be able to help everyone make their space better.  This is one of those examples.  Sorry I don't have a before picture, but it looked like most every "builder" vanity from the 80's with an oak cabinet and a cultured marble top.  She didn't want to go to the expense of a new floor and cabinet, but still wanted to update the powder room.  We added some unfinished oak molding to raise the short vanity to a more updated height. The entire cabinet was painted black and received new hardware.

To complete the look, I chose a new paint color for the room, added a granite remnant top, new faucet, mirror, vanity light (not shown), and a new throw rug.  Now she has a bathroom she's proud of.

  

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Happy Fourth of July!

I hope everyone had a wonderful 4th.  And since I am sure some of you will still be celebrating this weekend, I am sharing my dishes from our pot-luck barbeque last night.
First up are these Pretzel Sparklers.

My tip: I used milk chocolate chips rather than shaving chocolate from a bar, it all melts down the same. These were so much fun and yummy too! They look especially great in my Patriotic Jar from The Round Top Collection.  A benefit of having a booth in a store is getting to keep some of the items for yourself!
The other item I made was the Bacon Tomato Pasta Salad.


Very refreshing for the warm evening!  I only made half of the recipe, by the way.  I served it in a simple Corningware dish nestled into a festive basket.  The added bonus of this is that you can put an ice pack below the dish and it's hidden by the basket.  Also, you can use the glass cover for the dish, if need be.  Super simple and easily changeable for the season.  I hope this inspires you to come up with a fun and festive way to serve your food!  I would love to hear some of your ideas! Pin It

Peaches!

I am so fortunate to live close to a pick-your-own farm, Jones Orchard in Millington, TN.  If you don't know where one is in your area, this is a great website to help you locate one close by.  www.pickyourown.org  Click on the "start here to find a farm near you" button on the top left.  Then click on your state.  Scroll all the way down and it lists all the farms for each county and their info.

Just walking in to the area with the peach trees was enough to make your mouth water.  Such a glorious aroma!  I filled up my basket (for a great price, I might add) and headed home to see what I could make.  The one request my boyfriend had was peach cobbler.  Since most recipes called for canned peaches, I decided to look in the classic Betty Crocker red and white cookbook.  And there was a recipe for cobbler using fresh fruit, which I included below.

You could really taste the just-picked freshness!  What a great activity to do with the kids...they can see food from farm to table.  Plus, you get to support your local farms and community.  I encourage you to take a break from hectic life and stop and smell the peaches...it's good for the soul and the tummy!

Fruit Cobbler
Peach Filling (see below)
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup suar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
3 tablespoons butter
1 beaten egg
3 tablespoons milk

Peach filling:
In a saucepan combine 1/3 to 2/3 cups sugar, 1 tablespoon cornstarch.  Add 1/4 cup water. Stir in 4 cups fresh unsweetened peach slices.  I skinned my peaches and chopped them up, rather than doing slices.  Next time, I think I would add a little extra peaches.  Cook and stir till thickened and bubbly.

Prepare filling.  Keep hot.  For topping, mix flour, sugar, baking powder, and cinnamon.  Cut in butter till mixture resembles coarse crumbs.  Combine egg and milk.  Add to flour mixture, stirring just to moisten.

Transfer filling to an 8x8 baking dish.  Drop topping into 6 mounds atop hot filling.  Bake in a 400 degree oven for 20 to 25 minutes or till toothpick inserted into topping comes out clean.  Serve warm.  I also doubled the recipe because I knew I would want more :) Pin It

Keep Your Existing Tub

Yep, I said keep it!  I know you wouldn't think a designer would say to keep anything existing about a dated bathroom.  But if your tub is neutral and in good shape, consider keeping it.  With a little freshening up, this could be a great way to stretch your budget.
Take a look at the first one...

 Very plain (and boring) cultured marble tub.  This is the first thing you see when walking into this bathroom.  And after...

I removed the side splashes and shelf behind the tub.  Then added mosaic tile to the surround and a granite shelf.  We updated the faucets and added a wood paneled tub apron.  A tip: These are actually operational cabinet fronts so you have access to the plumbing.  Now that's a tub worth being a focal point!
   
How about this one...

 Another boring tub, in this case acrylic.  And after...

Again, I removed the side splashes surrounding the tub and added tile with a mosaic insert.  This time I was able to use a tiled tub apron since we added an access panel to the plumbing in a closet located behind the tub spout.

Now on both of these projects, the customer originally thought they wanted a new tub because they were unattractive.  Both were pleasantly surprised with the outcome.  And I was able to use that money elsewhere.



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