Savoring Simplicity

Moving Day!

2009-08-28T10:28:00.005-04:00

Savoring Simplicity has moved to a new location. Please, click on the photo and come on over.

Simply Hang It

2009-07-14T06:43:00.003-04:00

Looking for a simple way to hang your art? Nothing says simplicity more than a ribbon and a sea shell hook, and nothing says family like a family photo.

Opposite Attraction

2009-04-19T19:10:00.004-04:00

I enjoy vibrant colors. They bring warmth and fun to interiors. Sometimes you walk into a house and just know you're going to have a good time.
Savory
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Two rooms with very different personalities share the stage in this Louisville, Kentucky, home.

Made for Each Other
Decorating is not like doing the laundry. Lights and darks go together just fine. In fact, they’re made for each other in this living and dining room connected by a large cased opening. Resisting the traditional tendency to match the color scheme of the two rooms, designer Lee W. Robinson created two sovereign spaces linked by understated touches. See how uncommonly good common ground can look.
Laurey W. Glenn , Todd Childs

Sweet-and-Sour Shades
Lee wanted to remain true to the early-20th-century style of the home without ignoring the modern tastes of the homeowner. He swathed the dining room in a rich horizontal-striped wallpaper from Osborne & Little. Set against the citrusy yellow of the living room, the combo calls to mind chocolate and fruit. The difference in tones gives the eye a break from room to room.

Rich Accents
Consequently, the fabric choices vary as well. A dark red, which Lee describes as “tomato-soupy,” is used for the modern Chinese Chippendale-influenced dining chairs. Next door, a rich blue sofa anchors the living room with the large patterned chairs and recamiers. Throw pillows pull the chair fabric onto the solid-colored sofa.

Unify spaces with architecture.
A Neoclassical mantel found in the dining room was replicated in the living room. The stark white of both mantels against the colors of the respective rooms ensures each feature maintains its importance.

See and read more at Southern Living.

Connecticut Farmhouse

2009-04-02T05:13:00.003-04:00

Get all the details on this 1740s Connecticut farmhouse at Country Living.

These Ain't Your Grandmother's Cupcakes

2009-04-02T05:00:00.003-04:00

Get the recipes for these beautiful and delicious cupcakes for every occasion at Country Living.

Hippity Hoppity, Easter's On It's Way!

2009-04-01T06:10:00.003-04:00

Learn how to make these eggs and more at Martha Stewart. Some appear to be a little complicated, but others seem doable. Whether you're going to make them or not, they're beautiful to look at. Check out the rest of them at Martha Stewart.

Cheeky Chickens

Striped Crepe Paper Eggs

Oversize Botanical Decoupage Easter Eggs.
Big-Eared Bunny

Puddly Pig

Pops of Color Kids' Rooms

2009-04-01T05:55:00.002-04:00

Check out these colorful rooms and more for kids at Better Homes and Gardens.

Get Inspiration From A Few Decorating Tips!

2009-02-16T10:30:00.005-05:00

Could someone let me know if the following photos appear too large? Thanks.
Savory
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Creative Seat Cushions
Sew old jump ropes onto seat cushions to serve as ties. When you pull up a chair, the wood handles chatter as they gently move with motion

Picture Hanging Tips
Turn a stack of framed works into a striking wall of art. Inexpensive paintings and drawings from thrift stores create a one-of-a-kind gallery in a guest bedroom.

Hang Plates
Instead of keeping your special-occasion china hidden behind closed cabinet doors, put it to use every day by letting it set the decorating theme in your dining room. These blue-and-white classics pop against the yellow wall.

Nature On Display
Dried gourds become mini sculptures when coupled with old glassware and cloches.

Painted Furniture
Refresh patio furniture with a coat of paint. Coat wicker pieces with a primer, then add a coat of exterior latex paint. When dry, mark off an argyle pattern using a paper diamond template and painter's tape. Paint the pattern in a contrasting hue, such as the pretty periwinkle blue used here. Hand-paint intersecting lines using a long straightedge for a guide.
Check out more wicker projects

Furniture Makeovers
Transform old furniture with a coat of paint and a simple decorative treatment. Here, a non-descript secretary's desk becomes a classy writing desk with stenciled details. A leaf-and-berry pattern decorates the drawer panels and bronze upholstery tacks enhance the legs.
Check out more furniture updates.

Source: Country Home

Chocolate Lovers Rejoice

2009-02-16T10:01:00.005-05:00

I found the following tips about chocolate at Heart-Healthy Living. I'm sure you've heard that a bit of chocolate is good for you, but maybe you'll pick up a few more tips from the following article and check out the recipes. Didn't we all know that something that makes you feel so good had to be good for you?
Savory
Dark chocolate not only tastes good, it's good for you, too. It promotes heart health by lowering blood pressure and boosting your mood.

By Lynne Meredith Schreiber
Photos by Scott Little
Food styling by Greg Luna

“Dark chocolate saves lives,” says Arthur Agatston, M.D., a preventive cardiologist at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine and an admitted chocoholic. He bases his claim on a 2006 Scandinavian study, which showed that consuming small amounts of chocolate with 70 percent or more cocoa content—and without fattening mix-ins such as caramel, butter, or too many nuts—significantly diminished the likelihood of heart attacks.

Derived from the cacao plant, dark chocolate contains flavonoids, which help keep blood vessels clear and flowing, says Julia Zumpano, a registered dietitian with the Cleveland Clinic.

Dark Chocolate Increases HDL
Dark chocolate and cocoa powder increased good (HDL) cholesterol levels by 10 percent, according to a Finland study.

When buying chocolate, avoid:

* milk chocolate
* heavily processed bars
* chocolate with marshmallows
* chocolate with caramel
* chocolate with cream

Heart-healthy nuts, such as almonds and walnuts, are OK. “The more plain the chocolate, the better,” says Julia Zumpano, R.D., of the Cleveland Clinic.

Salad With Oranges And Chocolate
Scientists believe nuts may play a role in protecting against heart disease. Here almonds or walnuts team with salad greens, oranges, and a hint of chocolate for a spectacular side dish.
View the Recipe

Feel Better With Chocolate
Chocolate’s naturally occurring serotonin and dopamine are potent antidepressants, Zumpano says. That makes this indulgence a good alternative to cigarettes and addictive drugs; its quick, blissful high won’t hurt your body.

Chocolate also prompts pleasure because it contains phenylethylamine, a natural pain reliever.

Saucy Chicken with Garbanzo Beans
A little chocolate stirred into the chicken and bean mixture just before serving provides a rich but subtle flavor without adding lots of calories and fat.
View the recipe

Heart-Healthy Living's Favorite Chocolates
We taste-tested about 20 brands of chocolate that contain at least 70 percent cacao for the best heart-health benefits. When the buzz wore off, six favorites rose to the top. Look for quality chocolate in specialty food stores or shop online at chocosphere.com.

Here are our picks:

Valor Dark Chocolate 70%

El Ray, Apamate, Dark Chocolate, 73.5%

Scharffen Berger, Bittersweet, 70%

Bernard Castelain, Macaibo, 70%

Unique Origin, Guyave, 71%

E. Guittard, Quetzalcoatl, 72%

For more heart-health tips, visit:

Tips to Lower Your Blood Pressure

Low-Sodium Recipes

30-Minute Recipes

How To Peel A Potato

2009-02-11T07:25:00.000-05:00

Hot Chocolate Cake

2009-02-10T19:16:00.003-05:00

Oh, do I have a Valentine's Day gift for you. You may have guessed, it involves a recipe, but the real gift is much better. It's the gift that keeps on giving. I've been reading a blog for years - Culinary Concoctions by Peabody. It's one of my favorite food blogs. The recipes are great, the posts are witty and fun to read, and the photography makes you drool. What more could we ask from a food blog? Enjoy!

Hot Chocolate Cake

3 large eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup prepared hot chocolate(your favorite kind)
1 TBSP butter
1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 325F.

In a large bowl, beat together the eggs and sugar until very thick; the batter should fall from the beaters in a thick ribbon. Beat in the vanilla.
While you’re beating the eggs and sugar, heat the hot chocolate and butter in a small saucepan to just simmering. Add the hot chocolate mixture to the egg mixture in a slow, steady stream as you continue beating.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, stirring until they’re just combined.
Pour the batter into a lightly greased 9 inch cake round. Bake for 50 minutes, or until the cake is a deep golden brown and starting to pull away from the sides of the pan. Remove the cake from the oven and cool it in the pan for 10-15 minutes. Run a knife around the sides of the pan.

Remember. If you forget to bookmark Culinary Concoctions by Peabody, you can always find her in my sidebar under What's Cookin'.

Earth Tones Anyone?

2009-02-10T18:59:00.004-05:00

I love the earth tones in this bedroom and how the design relies on form, shape and texture.
Photo Credit: Gridley + Graves
Source: House Beautiful

A beautiful life???

2009-02-07T19:39:00.014-05:00

During the past few weeks, I've found myself participating in Melissa's Beautiful Life series over at The Inspired Room - not overly enthusiastically at first, but slowly warming to the idea. I mean, who am I to speak of a beautiful life or how to find the key to that most mercurial of locks?

Then I realized she didn't ask us to come up with the key but only to search for it - to open our eyes to the beauty in our lives. This week has been a particularly difficult challenge for me.

Not one but two tragedies - one on the heels of the other - galloped into my life this week. Unexpectedly, without one ounce of warning, they came bounding through the door like puppies let off their leashes for the first time. A dear friend diagnosed with stage four non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, and a nephew diagnosed with a brain tumor will make you sit up straight.

While beauty has been elusive, perspective has been born at tremendous cost this week, as perspective always is. Why is it that the opportunity to see life in proper proportion almost always comes at a significant price? We need a jolt sometimes in order to understand the value of what we have.

Tragedy may not bring beauty, but it brings clarity, and it fosters a humble gratitude that only a glimpse at what we could lose will ever do.

On this day my husband is healthy, my son and his wife and children are healthy, and I am loved by them. Can there be a beauty more undiluted, more valuable, more enviable than that?

Swedish Home Décor

2009-02-06T14:14:00.015-05:00

I've always loved color - big, bold color! I've splashed it from one end of my house to the other without a single regret. I find its warmth and personality comforting and stimulating all at once.

So why am I loving Swedish design lately? Isn't it the polar opposite of rich, deep colors, accessories scattered about, bold art displayed on every wall, and curtains on every window? You get the idea.

There is definitely something that appeals to me in Swedish design, though. I love the wood floors, area rugs, furniture with legs so you can see underneath, neutral colors everywhere, the clean, open feel of the simple lines and light colors, and then there's the light. Oh, yes! Light that seems to stream in from every window. Notice how the subtle design elements rely on texture, shape and style rather than color.

If rich, bold colors offer comfort, the airy atmosphere of Swedish design frees and lightens the spirit. Enjoy these photos that I found at Country Hom e.

Valentine's Day Cards

2009-02-03T18:38:00.003-05:00

Some cards I found on Etsy. Click on the image, and it will take you to the artist's Etsy store.

A "Two Loving Mice" notecard.
Pencil drawnig on paper.
Approximate size: cm.10x15 (inches 3.9x5.9).
This artwork is sprayed with a protective art fixative for protection and lasting color.

The maker of this card says:
This is a very special Valentine's Day Card. How perfect is this to give to your husband or wife! This card has a black textured card stock base, a pretty cream printed paper on one side that says "I Love You" and an iridescent red paper on the other. I have added a single heart stamp with added glitter to the one side as well. The pull out insert also is made from the same matching cars stock layered with the same papers as the card. On the top cream layer I will print out a personal of your choice. A pretty black satin ribbon is attached to pull out the insert as well.

So here it is, a 3-D depiction to your loved ones because you know you just can't help falling for them everyday like the first time.

Two darling rabbits grace the front of this sweet valentine. Printed on ivory, archival cardstock, this card measures 5 1/4 x 7 1/4 inches, is blank inside and comes with a matching envelope.

I think this one speaks for itself.

A Bath With Personality Plus

2009-02-03T17:41:00.005-05:00

Make no mistake. The star of this bath is a furniture-like vanity, topped in Carrara marble and two square basins. Pendant lights and mismatched mirrors add sparkle and personality.

The shower has two shower heads and a shelf to place toiletries. The floor is made from chips of Carrara marble.

What do you think of that antique-style “telephone” faucet mounted on the side of the tub - instead of at the end?
Source: pointclickhome

Perfect Compliment

2009-02-02T18:53:00.004-05:00

I found this bedroom on Coastal Living. I'm posting it for no other reason than the color scheme. I love the vivid orange with that cobalt blue. It reminds me of a Matisse.

In the master suite, mosquito netting drapes a four-poster bed in classic island fashion. The designer chose traditional French West Indies-style furnishings for the bedrooms. Walls painted sunset orange complement cobalt blue fabrics.

Dear Heart

2009-02-02T17:47:00.004-05:00

I found this adorable watercolor painting on Etsy. It's an original by Karen Faulkner.

Bookcases Aren't Just For Books Anymore

2009-01-31T23:27:00.012-05:00

Savoring Simplicity has moved to WordPress. Please, join us at http://savoringsimplicity.wordpress.com/ or click here.
In our last house, we had built-in bookcases on each side of the fireplace in the family room. One of my favorite projects was dressing those shelves. That's right, dressing them. It's fun and easy to make shelves interesting by adding a variety of elements other than books.

Okay, here are some tips.

1. Empty the shelves of their contents. Now is the time to clean or paint before beginning.

2. Search your attic or other rooms for interesting objects that you may want to use. A bookcase is not only for books. You'll want to add a little sparkle with brass or glass. You can introduce form and color by using interesting objects.

3. Sort books by subject and/or size. Place them on the shelves, leaving some blank spaces for your objects. Stack some on their sides, and place some vertically.

4. Now begin to place your objects in the spaces you've left. Attractive baskets or boxes can offer convenient hiding places for extra storage.

5. Then add the sparkle with ceramics, brass, silver, family photos, etc. This will personalize your bookcase.

6. Hanging framed art on the front of the bookcase adds the unexpected.

There you have it - a beautiful focal point for your room. Give it a try. You'll be surprised by what you already have in you home that will add warmth and individuality to your shelves.
photo credit: Annie Schlechter
Photo Source: House Beautiful

How to Cut Up a Whole Chicken

2009-01-30T18:06:00.006-05:00

Produced by Azon Juan
Food editor Ian Knauer demonstrates how to cut perfect chicken pieces every time.

Source: Gourmet Magazine

Cashew Cheese

2009-01-30T12:05:00.005-05:00

I have a delectable recommendation for you. Chocolate & Zucchini is a food blog that showcases delicious recipes and beautiful photographs - all prepared, photographed and written by a delightful Parisian woman.

Her bio states: Chocolate & Zucchini is a blog written by Clotilde Dusoulier, a 24 25 26 27 28 29-year-old Parisian woman who lives in Montmartre and shares her passion for all things food-related -- thoughts, recipes, musings, cookbook acquisitions, quirky ingredients, nifty tools, restaurant experiences, ideas, and inspirations.

Clotilde warns that Cashew Cheese does not offer instant gratification, since the recipe requires soaking the cashews for a couple of hours and allowing the "cheese" to set for a day, but she says, "Delayed gratification is fine by me, especially when it takes such a flavorsome form."

Cashew Cheese

- 190 grams (1 1/2 cups) plain cashew nuts (not roasted or salted)
- 60 to 80 ml (1/4 to 1/3 cup) water
- 2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice or good vinegar
- 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- freshly ground pepper

Makes about 1 1/2 cups.

Place the nuts in a salad bowl, cover with fresh water, and let stand for 2 hours.

Drain the nuts and place them in the bowl of a food processor or blender. Add 60 ml (1/4 cup) water and the rest of the ingredients, and mix until thoroughly puréed, stopping to scrape the sides of the bowl every once in a while. Add a little more water and blend again to adjust the consistency, if necessary; the cheese will get a little more solid as it sets.

Transfer to a bowl, cover, and let stand somewhere cool for 24 hours before placing in the fridge, where it will keep for another 5 days.

Get the story behind the recipe here.

Adapted from Real Food Daily.

Turn Stress into Strength

2009-01-30T08:01:00.003-05:00

Debbie Mandel, author of Addicted to Stress, says many women don't realize they are addicted to stress because they are not paying attention to their own needs. "Instead of helicoptering over everyone else and their happiness, it's time to helicopter over yourself and identify that pattern of [being an] overdoer at home and at work," she says. Debbie shares ways to combat stress and turn it into useful energy.
Photo:© 2008 Jupiterimages Corporation

Reclaim Your Identity
Find the hidden girl within! Who were you before you became a wife, mother or colleague? What makes your heart sing? What do you enjoy doing? "You need to go back to the basics of your identity," Debbie says. Think about what you like to do and ask others what you are good at doing and write these things down. Debbie says you should ask yourself, "What is it I want to accomplish for myself instead of other people?"

Learn to Become a Healthy Narcissist
You don't need to be self-obsessed to be a healthy narcissist, Debbie says. Instead, engage in good self-care, she says. "Dress to please yourself and for success," Debbie says. "Your accessories, anything about you, even the jewelry you wear—whether it is costume or it is real or it is fun—it expresses who you are, your identity to others."

Build a Healthy Body
Lift weights to lift your spirit or take an aerobics class to sweat away the stress of the day, Debbie says. "Because I am exercising and feeling fit and energetic and ridding myself of stress, I will [also] eat healthy, because my body is my temple," she says.

Cultivate Your Sense of Fun and Humor
Reduce problems and stress to absurdity by looking at life with a sense of humor, Debbie says. Then, learn some jokes, read funny books and watch funny TV shows. "If you keep looking at 'funny,' it will become a part of you," Debbie says. "Pretend you are a detective and you've got this eye for humor. I think if you find someone who makes you laugh or smile, conjure that up [during a stressful moment], and it just breaks the perspective immediately."

Jump-Start Your Libido
Women get depleted from their constant to-do list, and sex is often the last thing on their minds, Debbie says. "A woman has to relax, she has to be in a good zone, and if she is stressed, [sex] is just not going to happen," she says. "There has to be a point where you say, '[Intimacy] is special for me, and I am scheduling it and I am making time,' and then everything will be better for you because you will be happier. This is a way to harness your power."

Reframe Your Thoughts
When people get upset, they create a negative stories. Why not make your stories positive instead? "Come up with a way to create a positive story where you are the heroine, and this way you build up immunity to all this negativity," Debbie says.
Source: oprah.com

Bring In The Light

2009-01-30T06:29:00.004-05:00

My brother just finished a family room addition on his house. Large windows on three of the walls are a defining characteristic of the room. As in the following rooms, he has chosen to minimize window treatments, allowing nature to become a part of the space.
Savory
Photographer: Bruce Buck

Logan designed wide, low windows for the living-dining room to capture expansive views of the prairie and foothills. Deep profiles created by the house's 32-inch-thick exterior adobe walls allow for window seats throughout the space.

All the furnishings were selected with purpose. The heavily corded natural-fiber rug from the Philippines refers to the texture of bark; the light and dark themes invoke the play of sunlight on the ancient tree limbs.
Photographer: Grey Crawford
Source: pointclickhome

Easy Party Dips

2009-01-29T12:35:00.003-05:00

At game day parties or casual potlucks, these creamy dips are sure to dazzle the crowd. Each of oue is delicious, travels beautifully, and whips up in minutes.

Creamy Blue Cheese and Onion Dip
Makes: 1 3/4 cups
Ingredients

* 1 8-ounce carton dairy sour cream
* 2 tablespoons dry onion soup mix
* 1/4 to 1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese (1 to 2 ounces)
* 1 tablespoon milk (optional)
* Vegetable dippers: carrot and celery sticks, cauliflower florets, green pepper strips

Directions

1. Stir together sour cream and soup mix in a mixing bowl. Stir in blue cheese. Chill till ready to serve. If mixture is too stiff after chilling, stir in milk. Serve with vegetable dippers. Makes 1-3/4 cups.

Hot Artichoke and Asiago Cheese Dip
Prep: 20 minutes
Bake: 45 minutes
Ingredients

Baked Pita Chips
1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
4 ounces Asiago or Parmesan cheese, finely shredded (1 cup)
2 cloves garlic
1 14-ounce can artichoke hearts, drained
1 cup bottled roasted red sweet peppers, drained
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
1/2 cup sliced green onion
Bottled roasted red sweet pepper strips (optional)
Fresh parsley leaves (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare and bake the Baked Pita Chips. Set aside.

2. In a food processor*, combine cream cheese, Asiago cheese, and garlic. Cover and process until mixture is combined. Add artichoke hearts, 1 cup roasted red peppers, mushrooms, and green onion. Cover and process with on/off turns until finely chopped. Transfer mixture to a 1-1/2-quart shallow baking dish or 9-inch glass pie plate, spreading mixture evenly in dish.

3. Cover and bake dip about 25 minutes or until heated through. (Or microwave, uncovered, on 70% power [medium-high] for 6 to 8 minutes or until heated through, stirring the dip and turning the dish halfway through cooking time.)

4. Serve the warm dip with Baked Pita Chips. If desired, garnish with roasted red pepper strips and parsley leaves. Makes 12 servings.

5. Make-Ahead Tip: Prepare and bake the Baked Pita Chips as directed; transfer chips to wire racks to cool. Place in an airtight container. Store at room temperature for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw the chips, covered, at room temperature.

6. Mixer Directions: In a medium mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and Asiago cheese with an electric mixer on medium to high speed until combined. Finely chop garlic, artichoke hearts, 1 cup roasted red peppers, mushrooms, and green onion. Stir into cheese mixture. Transfer to baking dish and bake as directed.

Nutrition Facts

Calories 126,
Total Fat (g) 10,
Saturated Fat (g) 7,
Cholesterol (mg) 31,
Sodium (mg) 271,
Carbohydrate (g) 4,
Fiber (g) 2,
Protein (g) 5,
Vitamin C (DV%) 59,
Calcium (DV%) 11,
Iron (DV%) 7,
Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet

One-Step Artichoke Bean Dip with Roasted Red Peppers
This creamy dip of cannelloni beans and artichokes is ready to go in just 20 minutes. Garlic and cayenne pepper punch up the flavor. Fresh basil and roasted red pepper make a quick (and beautiful) topper.
Prep: 20 minutes

Ingredients

1 19-oz. can cannellini beans (white kidney beans), rinsed and drained
1 14-oz. can artichoke hearts, drained
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 Tbsp. lemon juice
2 to 3 cloves garlic, quartered
1/4 tsp. coarse sea salt or kosher salt
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/4 cup roasted red sweet pepper strips
1 Tbsp. snipped fresh basil
Coarse sea salt or kosher salt
Assorted crackers, toasted baguette slices, or toasted pita chips

Directions

1. In a food processor combine beans, artichokes, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and cayenne pepper. Cover and process until almost smooth, scraping sides of bowl as necessary. Transfer to serving bowl. Cover; let stand at room temperature until ready to serve (up to 2 hours). Or cover and chill up to 24 hours. Let stand at room temperature about 1 hour before serving. To serve, sprinkle lightly with additional salt. Top with roasted red sweet pepper strips and basil. Serve with crackers, baguette slices, or pita chips. Makes 12 to 14 (3-tablespoon servings).

Nutrition Facts

Calories 76,
Total Fat (g) 5,
Saturated Fat (g) 1,
Monounsaturated Fat (g) 3,
Polyunsaturated Fat (g) 0,
Cholesterol (mg) 0,
Sodium (mg) 207,
Carbohydrate (g) 8,
Total Sugar (g) 0,
Fiber (g) 3,
Protein (g) 3,
Vitamin C (DV%) 18,
Calcium (DV%) 2,
Iron (DV%) 7,
Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet

I know this next one has been around for awhile, but sometimes you just want something you can depend on. This is one of my go-to recipes. It serves a large group and they always love it.
Savory
Mexican Seven-Layer Dip
Prep: 15 minutes
Chill: 4 to 24 hours

Ingredients

1 9-ounce can bean dip
1/4 cup picante or taco sauce
1 8-ounce container refrigerated guacamole
1 8-ounce carton dairy sour cream
1 cup shredded cheddar or taco cheese (4 ounces)
1/4 cup sliced green onion (2)
2 tablespoons sliced pitted ripe olives
2/3 cup chopped, seeded tomato (1 medium)
8 cups tortilla chips or crackers

Directions

1. Combine bean dip and picante sauce; spread into a rectangle about 9-by 5-inches on a serving platter making a layer about 1/4 inch thick. Next carefully layer avocado dip and sour cream. Top with cheese, green onion, and olives. Cover and chill for 4 to 24 hours.

2. Before serving, sprinkle with chopped tomato. Serve with tortilla chips.

3. Makes 16 appetizer servings (1/4 cup dip and 1/2 cup chips)

Nutrition Facts

Calories 174,
Total Fat (g) 11,
Saturated Fat (g) 4,
Cholesterol (mg) 14,
Sodium (mg) 265,
Carbohydrate (g) 14,
Fiber (g) 2,
Protein (g) 5,
Vitamin C (DV%) 4,
Calcium (DV%) 10,
Iron (DV%) 5,
Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet

For more party dips: BHG

Photos of White House Interiors

2009-01-28T13:53:00.010-05:00

Savoring Simplicity has moved to WordPress. Please, join us at http://savoringsimplicity.wordpress.com/ or click here.
Influenced by history, the times in which she lives, and her own personal style, each First Lady leaves her mark on the White House. Jacqueline Kennedy convinced Congress to pass legislation that designated the White House a museum, but it is still a home , and the First Family lives, works and plays there.

I'm happy with the recent deluge of "insider" photos and information regarding the interiors of the White House. I hope you enjoy the following photos taken during the years of former First Families.
Savory
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Following Photos: The White House Master Bedroom

Eisenhower 1953-1961

Kennedy 1961-1963

Ford 1974-1977
Reagan 1981-1989

Following Photos: The White House West Sitting Hall.

Eisenhower 1953-1961

Kennedy 1961-1963

Carter 1977-1981
Reagan 1981-1989

George H.W. Bush 1989-1 993

Of Interest
Editor-in-chief Deborah Needleman has written an article that makes observations about Jacqueline Kennedy's design legacy. You can find it in The New York Times. Decorative arts historian R. Louis Bofferding gives away the secrets about how Jackie got her way.

Source: domino

Superbowl Snack Recipes

2009-01-28T13:00:00.007-05:00

Superbowl Sunday is coming up this weekend. No matter who you will be cheering for, you'll want some good eats. Here are a few recipes for the big day. Enjoy!
Savory
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Buffalo Wings
Prep: 20 minutes
Marinate: 30 minutes

Ingredients

12 chicken wings (about 2 pounds)
2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
3 tablespoons bottled hot pepper sauce
2 teaspoons paprika
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 recipe Blue Cheese Dip or Low-Fat Blue Cheese Dip
Celery sticks (optional)

Directions

1. Cut off and discard tips of chicken wings. Cut wings at joints to form 24 pieces. Place chicken wing pieces in a resealable plastic bag set in a shallow dish.

2. For marinade, stir together melted butter, hot pepper sauce, paprika, salt, and cayenne pepper. Pour over chicken wings; seal bag. Marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes. Drain; discard marinade.

3. Place the chicken wing pieces on the unheated rack of a broiler pan. Broil 4 to 5 inches from the heat about 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Turn chicken wings. Broil for 10 to 15 minutes more or until chicken is tender and no longer pink. Serve with Blue Cheese Dip and, if desired, celery sticks.

4. Makes 12 appetizer servings

5. Blue Cheese Dip: In a blender or food processor combine 1/2 cup dairy sour cream,1/2 cup mayonnaise or salad dressing, 1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese,1 tablespoon white wine vinegar or white vinegar, and 1 clove garlic, minced. Cover and blend or process until smooth. Cover and chill for up to 1 week. If desired, top with additional crumbled blue cheese before serving. Makes 1-1/4 cups.

6. Low-Fat Blue Cheese Dip: Prepare as above, except substitute fat-free dairy sour cream and fat-free mayonnaise dressing or salad dressing for the regular sour cream and mayonnaise.

Nutrition Facts per serving: 149 cal., 10 g total fat (4 g sat. fat), 38 mg chol., 283 mg sodium, 3 g carbo., 0 g fiber, 11 g pro.
Daily Values: 11% vit. A, 1% vit. C, 5% calcium, 3% iron
Exchanges: 1 1/2 Lean Meat, 1 1/2 Fat

Nutrition Facts

Calories 221,
Total Fat (g) 19,
Saturated Fat (g) 6,
Monounsaturated Fat (g) 6,
Polyunsaturated Fat (g) 6,
Cholesterol (mg) 47,
Sodium (mg) 258,
Carbohydrate (g) 1,
Total Sugar (g) 0,
Fiber (g) 0,
Protein (g) 11,
Vitamin A (DV%) 0,
Vitamin C (DV%) 1,
Calcium (DV%) 5,
Iron (DV%) 4,
Lean Meat (d.e.) 1.5,
Fat (d.e.) 3,
Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Veggie-Stuffed Quesadillas
Makes: 10 servings
Prep: 20 minutes
Bake: 5 minutes

Ingredients

2 small green and/or red sweet peppers, cut into thin strips
1 small red onion, cut into thin 1-inch-long strips
2 teaspoons olive oil or cooking oil
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
2 tablespoons snipped fresh parsley or cilantro
1/3 cup reduced-fat cream cheese (tub style)
5 6- to 7-inch flour tortillas
Salsa (optional)

Directions

1. In a large nonstick skillet cook sweet peppers and onion in 1 teaspoon of the oil for 3 to 5 minutes or until crisp-tender. Stir in cumin and chili powder. Cook and stir for 1 minute more. Stir in parsley. Set aside.

2. Spread cream cheese over half of 1 side of each tortilla. Top with pepper mixture. Fold tortilla in half over peppers, pressing gently.

3. Place tortillas on an ungreased large baking sheet. Brush tortillas with the remaining 1 teaspoon oil. Bake in a 425 degree F oven for 5 minutes. Cut each quesadilla into 4 wedges. Serve warm. If desired, pass the salsa. Makes 10 servings.

Nutrition Facts

Servings Per Recipe 10 servings
Calories 85,
Total Fat (g) 3,
Saturated Fat (g) 1,
Cholesterol (mg) 4,
Sodium (mg) 118,
Carbohydrate (g) 11,
Fiber (g) 1,
Protein (g) 2,
Vitamin C (DV%) 21,
Calcium (DV%) 4,
Iron (DV%) 4,
Starch (d.e.) .5,
Vegetables (d.e.) .5,
Fat (d.e.) .5,
Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Nacho Potato Skins
Makes: 24 servings
Start to Finish: 1 hour

Ingredients

6 medium potatoes, such as russet (2 pounds)
Cooking oil, shortening, butter, or margarine
1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted
1/4 teaspoon seasoned salt
Ground red pepper
4 ounces co-jack cheese, cheddar cheese, or Monterey Jack cheese with peppers, shredded (1 cup)
Toppers, such as dairy sour cream, salsa, guacamole, chopped tomato, chopped sweet pepper, sliced green onion, sliced pitted ripe olives, or snipped fresh cilantro

Directions

1. Heat oven to 425 degree F. Thoroughly scrub potatoes; pat dry. Rub with cooking oil, shortening, butter, or margarine; prick potatoes with a fork. Bake for 40 to 60 minutes or till tender. (Or, microwave on high for 15 to 20 minutes or till tender.) Cut potatoes lengthwise into quarters. Scoop out the pulp, leaving 1/4-inch-thick shells. Reserve the pulp for mashed potatoes or another use.

2. Brush both sides of the potato pieces with the 1/4 cup butter or margarine. Sprinkle the insides with seasoned salt and ground red pepper. Place potato pieces, skin sides up, on the unheated rack of a broiler pan. Broil 3 to 4 inches from heat for 3 minutes.

3. Turn potato pieces skin sides down. Sprinkle with shredded cheese. Broil 2 minutes more. Arrange the potato pieces on a heated serving platter. Serve with desired toppers. Makes 24 servings.

To Make Ahead: Bake, scoop, and season the potatoes. Place in a covered container and refrigerate up to 2 days.

Herb and Cheese Mini Quiches
Prep: 1 hour
Bake: 25 min.

Ingredients

1 cup butter, softened
2 3-ounce packages cream cheese, softened
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup shredded Asiago cheese (1 ounce)
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup half-and-half, light cream, or milk
1/4 cup finely shredded Gouda or Havarti cheese
2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted and coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon snipped fresh tarragon or 2 teaspoons dried tarragon, crushed
1 tablespoon snipped fresh chives
1/8 teaspoon cracked black pepper
Roasted red pepper, finely chopped
Snipped fresh chives

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. For pastry, in a large bowl, beat the butter and cream cheese with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Beat in the flour and Asiago cheese until a soft dough forms. Press 1 rounded teaspoon of the pastry evenly into the bottom and up the side of each of 48 ungreased 1-3/4-inch muffin cups.

2. For filling, in a medium bowl, stir together eggs; half-and-half, light cream, or milk; Gouda or Havarti cheese; pine nuts; tarragon; the 1 tablespoon chives; and the black pepper.

3. Spoon about 1 heaping teaspoon of the filling into each pastry-lined muffin cup. Bake in the preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until a knife inserted in centers comes out clean. Cool slightly in muffin cups. Carefully remove from muffin cups; place on a wire rack or serving platter. Top with chopped roasted red pepper and additional snipped chives. Serve warm.

4. Makes 48 mini quiches

5. To Make Ahead: Prepare, bake, and cool quiches. Place in freezer container, seal and label. Freeze for up to 3 months. To use, thaw in refrigerator overnight. Arrange quiches on baking sheet. Heat in a 325 degree F oven for 10 to 15 minutes or until warm.

Nutrition Facts

Calories 77,
Total Fat (g) 6,
Saturated Fat (g) 4,
Monounsaturated Fat (g) 2,
Polyunsaturated Fat (g) 0,
Cholesterol (mg) 25,
Sodium (mg) 53,
Carbohydrate (g) 4,
Total Sugar (g) 0,
Fiber (g) 0,
Protein (g) 1,
Vitamin C (DV%) 0,
Calcium (DV%) 2,
Iron (DV%) 2,
Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet

More Big Game Snacks can be found at Better Homes and Gardens.

Perciatelli With Shrimp and Garlic Breadcrumbs

2009-01-28T10:46:00.004-05:00

I tried a new recipe last night, Perciatelli With Shrimp and Garlic Breadcrumbs . My husband and I love pasta in all it forms. In fact, we've never met a pasta we didn't like.

I found this recipe over at Sidewalk Shoes. Pam found the recipe in The Bon Appetit Cookbook: Fast Easy Fresh and she posted it here with a much prettier photo.

We love shrimp at our house, and we're fortunate to have access to some of the best seafood in the world. My brother has a seafood wholesale business, and what he doesn't sell, he has access to through other sources. We always know it's fresh and has been handled properly.

We made this last night while sipping a glass of wine. It was fun until I found that my itty bitty (professional culinary term) food processor was broken when I tried to make the bread crumbs. Never fear. I brought the big daddy of them all out and processed away. The garlicky bread crumbs were great.

Please have mercy on my photo. I didn't even plate it. I just snapped away and we dug in. If you enjoy pasta, shrimp and garlic, I would give this recipe a whirl.
Savory

The Health Benefits of Black, Green, White, and Oolong Tea

2009-01-26T18:53:00.018-05:00

The following post is my contribution to The Inspired Room's Beautiful Life series. I believe that a healthy body contributes to a happy life. Thanks, Melissa.
Savory
----------------

As I placed a new calendar on the bulletin board at the beginning of this month, I decided to take at least one healthy step into the new year. I wanted to build a new habit that would be beneficial to my health.

My time is not my own, and there can be demands that are immediate at any given time of the day. My new habit had to be something easy, something I actually thought I could still be doing on December 31, 2009.

I wanted my goal to be small, specific, and so simple that failure would be an impossibility. Most importantly, I wanted it to be something that would have the potential to offer health benefits if I stuck with it.

I decided that drinking green tea would be my new habit. What could be easier? I would - at the very least - take a few minutes every afternoon to sip a cup of green tea with lemon. Who knew it would turn into a few minutes of solitude, a time when I stop and take a deep breath to unwind? It helps me get in touch with what's going on inside. I can feel my body and mind as it relaxes and gives in to the slowness of the moment.

The best part is the added health benefit of drinking green tea. Studies are indicating some interesting results as you'll read in the following article. I always add a slice of lemon to the cup because I've read that it significantly contributes to the increase of the antioxidant effect. Drinking tea - an easy way to add a healthy habit to your day.

I hope you find the following article interesting and helpful.
Savory
-----------------------------
Topping the list of surprising superfoods is tea—any type that comes from the leaves of the plant Camellia sinensis, including black, green, white, and oolong.
Many studies have looked at the health benefits of tea. While the jury is still out on some of these potential benefits, there appears to be compelling evidence for tea's ability to reduce the risk of heart disease.

"There are some intriguing studies that tea may prevent cancer, reduce the risk of Alzheimer's disease, and impact halitosis [bad breath], and while these studies are more speculative, the strongest evidence is on the reduction of coronary heart disease risk," says Tufts University researcher Jeffrey Blumberg, PhD.

Tea's secret ingredient is catechins, a type of flavonoid from the family of disease-fighting antioxidant phytochemicals that is also found in fruits, vegetables, and red wine.

Not just any cup of tea will provide you with a healthy dose of flavonoids. Strong, steeped tea is richest in these phytochemicals. And the longer you steep your tea, the more of these healthy extracts your beverage will contain.

Because iced tea is typically diluted, it's not as good a source as hot tea. Bottled teas start off with low levels of flavonoids, and tend to lose potency over time. Decaffeinated tea is a good option, though it has about 10 percent fewer phytochemicals than tea with caffeine.

So how much tea should you drink? Some studies have suggested that drinking three cups each day can reduce your risk of heart disease.

Blumberg suggests choosing tea whenever you can. He points out that it can contribute as much antioxidants as a serving of fruit or vegetable without the calories, and is far preferable to soft drinks.

If you add sugar or full-fat milk to your tea, do so sparingly. These additions can turn naturally noncaloric tea into a high-calorie beverage.

For more surprisingly healthy foods continue...

50 Ways to Eat Green

2009-01-25T16:07:00.003-05:00

The Bon Appétit Guide to Cooking Up a Greener World

By Hugh Garvey

Photography by Craig Cutler and Kana Okada

January 2009

If only eating green were as simple as going to a farmers' market, buying organic, and reusing that shopping tote at the grocery store. That's a darn good start, but there are so many other ways to shop, cook, dine out, and even clean that can have a more meaningful impact on our environment. The 50 tips and recipes here will help cut down on landfill, pesticide use, overfishing, and the consumption of fossil fuels. They will also slow down the depletion of the ozone layer, encourage the humane treatment of livestock, improve the welfare of workers, reduce toxic chemicals in your home, and likely make you healthier along the way. Plus, you'll be making and eating some amazing food. (Like an environmentally friendly Bison Burger, pictured right.) Read on to learn how to cook up a greener, more delicious future.

1. Eat More Chocolate
2. Boil Once, Cook Twice
3. Fill up Your Freezer
4. Don't Read the Omnivore's Dilemma
5. Make a Bison Burger (pictured)
6. Ask Your Farmer These Questions
7. Don't Open That Door
8. Buy a Side of Beef
9. Cook More Often
10. Roast a Whole Chicken
11. Become a Human Food Processor
12. Eat Alaskan Wild Salmon
13. Savor Sardines
14. Get the Scoop
15. Plant an Heirloom Vegetable Garden
16. Learn How to Read a Carrot...
17. Buy Barramundi
18. Be Your Own Barista
19. Treasure Your Trash
20. Make Stocks
21. Make Your Own Cereal
22. Join a CSA
23. Eat American Cheese
24. Text Fishphone
25. Veg Out
26. Turn Off the Lights
27. Clean Green
28. Start Composting Tonight
29. Eat Grass-Fed Beef
30. Become an Urban Forager
31. Eat Sustainable Shrimp
32. Eat Free Food
33. Get Blasted
34. Eat Sustainable Sushi
35. Become a Locavore
36. Bike to the Market
37. Support Your Local Green Restaurant
38. Go Bento
39. Eat More Tofu
40. Stop Whistling
41. Use Your Dishwasher
42. Bag It
43. Mix Your Drinks
44. Take the Leftovers
45. Pack Your Own Lunch
46. Support Your Local Winemaker
47. Read Fritz Haeg's Edible Estates
48. Keep the Greens
49. Plan Your Paper Use
50. Recycle Bon Appétit

Source: Bon Appétit

Renovating This Old House

2009-01-25T03:30:00.013-05:00

An 1884 House in Chicago gets a Second Lease on LifeI found this house renovation in Architectural Digest. We've had old houses, and made many improvements to them over the years, but never have we embarked upon the extensive renovation that a couple in Chicago did to this old house. Renovating a house from by gone days used to be a dream of mine, but at some point the reality became, well, too real. Circumstances stepped in, and eventually the moment passed us by. Still, I love to read about and look at the photos of a well done renovation.

The idea of taking something that was once beautiful and useful and bringing it back to life is very alluring. The difference is that I only look at great renovations from afar, but I always walk away with ideas that I can apply to my own house. Take a look at this beauty in Chicago.
Savory
-----------------------
Click on photos to enlarge.

A mixed-media work by Linda Mieko Allen is in the living area.

Besides being unstable, the stair adjacent to the living area “didn’t allow the layout the clients wanted,” recalls the architect. “So we moved it toward the center.” More windows were installed to brighten the room. Glant sofa fabric. Chair fabric, Brunschwig & Fils.

“The furnishings were chosen for their interesting profiles and eclectic style—and to suit a family that enjoys entertaining,” says Gomez. Part of the first floor was reconfigured to create the dining and living areas. Baker dining chairs. Drapery sheer, Rogers & Goffigon.

The kitchen was transformed into a room for serious cooks, complete with a center island and a pizza oven. BDDW stools. Pendant lights, Urban Archaeology. Kallista faucet.

In the library, the team preserved an original stained-glass window. Its hues complement those of the carpet and stand out against the room’s new chestnut paneling. The painting is by Hung Liu. Wool drapery sheer, Rogers & Goffigon. Lamps from Yale R. Burge.

Renovation Architecture by William Massey, AIA/Interior Design by Mariette Himes Gomez, ASID
Text by Amanda Vaill/After Photography by Tony Soluri
Published February 2009
Continue...

Morning Ritual

2009-01-24T15:49:00.038-05:00

The following is a contribution to The Inspired Room's Beautiful Life series.

One of my solitary pleasures occurs in the morning - most often in the very early hours of the morning. Before my day begins in earnest, I sit at the computer, check out a few blogs, research something that I may be thinking of writing about, or check my email. It's always dark when I begin. If I'm left undisturbed, I can be found still sitting there an hour later as daylight comes creeping around the edges of the blinds, but before I even glance at the computer, I do something else first.

It's a quiet time for me. Everyone else is sleeping because of my early morning habit. I pad my way through the living room to the kitchen, start the coffee, and return to the computer. As the minutes tick by, the aroma slowly makes its way down the hall and finds me. Is there a richer or more comforting aroma anywhere than coffee as it brews? I think that's why I originally started drinking it - just to hold that warm cup in my hands, close my eyes, and breathe deeply. Notice I didn't mention the added benefit of the caffeine injection - a definite plus.

I found my favorite coffee mug at a wonderful thrift shop that's only a few miles from my house. I can not tell you how many hours of entertainment I've derived from walking the isles of this quirky, little shop. I love the idea of recycling the castoffs of someone I've never met. Not sure what that's all about, but finding a treasure among the rubble is fun.

That's where I found my favorite mug. It was sitting there among the all too predictable debris. Scrawled on the bottom was .55 cents, a price with which even the most exacting miser could not argue. I claimed it and took it home.

It isn't fancy, but it meets all of my peculiar requirements for the perfect mug. It's large enough for a bowl of steaming beef stew, and holds plenty of coffee when it's only two thirds full so it doesn't threaten to spill as I walk through the house. The handle is generous enough to allow for a comfortable grip. And it's beautiful. It's creamy, biscuit color is adorned only by an intricate frieze of leaves and berries which encircles the top. I enjoy drinking from it.

It's such a pleasurable ritual, drinking coffee, shared by most of us every morning. I kind of like the idea of that. No matter how threatening the world becomes, no matter what the news may tell us happened while we slept, the continuity of our coffee ritual is reassuring.

So whether it's a Snoopy mug, a Starbucks cup, a thrift shop find, or fine china, that first cup of coffee - before the outside world comes rushing in - is a moment to savor!

Longing For Spring - Force Those Blooms!

2009-01-23T10:53:00.007-05:00

I know I'm a little early on this post, but that's what longing is all about. Soon the first signs of spring will emerge in the South. Be ready to force a bit of springtime into your life.
Savory

Bring home the delicate blossoms and branches of flowering trees. Place them in vases or create your own pretty keepsakes.

Get a jump on spring and bring flowering shrubs indoors. Forcing blooms is easy with a few simple steps:

In late February or early March, look for shrubs with long branches and lots of swollen, plump buds. Cut branches in the afternoon when flowers have the most moisture.
Using sharp pruners, cut branches at least 12 inches long and at a 45-degree angle. To draw water to the blooms, smash the bottom 2 inches of the cut end using a hammer or mallet.
Place branches in room-temperature water and put in a cool spot away from sunlight. Change water often for longer bloom time. Keep branches moist by covering with a plastic bag or by misting daily.
Depending on the shrub (forsythia and pussy willows are quick to open), buds will start flowering in 1 to 4 weeks. Once they start to bloom, move branches to a sunnier spot and enjoy! They'll last up to a week.

Best shrubs for forcing: Azalea, beauty bush, crab apple, flowering quince, forsythia, magnolia, pussy willow, redbud, rhododendron, serviceberry, spirea, witch hazel, and fruit trees (such as cherries, pears, and apples).

Source : Country Home

Top Five Kitchen Trends

2009-01-23T09:53:00.003-05:00

Last month's Kitchen and Bath Industry show, where over 1,000 companies exhibited new products, gave insight into the latest trends. This year's kitchen features products that are: earth-friendly; high-tech; colorful; designed for fresh, healthy food preparation; and all about convenience-meets-multifunctionality. Here's a peek at products that embody these top five trends in kitchens...

1. Earth-Friendly
Green is in all over the house—perhaps most of all in the kitchen. Renewable and recycled, environmentally safe, and energy-efficient products abound.

Sustainable Tabletop
Teragren's formaldehyde-free, food-safe bamboo parquet butcher block, available in natural or caramelized colors, is perfect for kitchen counters and tabletops. Also shown is the company's Studio wide-plank floating floor, which is available in vertical or flat grain; it features TeraLoc, a self-locking system that requires no adhesive. Made with environmentally safe materials from rapidly renewable Optimum 5.5™ Moso bamboo, Teragren products are as green as they are stylish.

Safe Surface
The EQcountertop from VT Industries uses a low-emitting particleboard core, water-based adhesives, and Greenguard indoor air quality-certified laminates (from laminate manufacturing partners) to offer a green, healthy surfacing option. Shown is VT's Nova profile with Wilsonart's mesa gold laminate.

2. High-Tech
The kitchen of the future is here now, chock full of techie elements that meld functionality with fun.

Now You See It, Now You Don't
If you think cleaning your gas stovetop is a drag, you will love Fisher & Paykel's Project Luna stovetop. A frameless piece of 36-by-16-inch black glass supports three individual glass burners that, when not in use, retract flush into the surface. A button prompts them into place for cooking. The Aero burners offer a sparkless ignition and an instantaneous flame, ideal for precision cooking. Due out in the U.S. market next year. Fisher & Paykel

3. Colorful
Stainless steel might never go out of style, but it's sure losing some steam against this year's bright appliance hues.

Dishwasher with Personality
As part of its Preference collection, Dacor recently introduced 24-inch dishwashers in an array of colors. A floating glass front panel is available in six colors: anthracite gray, sterling gray, titanium silver, blue water, slate green (shown), and black.

4. Fresh and Healthy
Companies are catering to nutrition-conscious consumers with products that help keep cooking healthy.

Faucet Filter
Enjoy the freshness of filtered water at your own sink with Kohler's Carafe kitchen, which integrates a water filtration system. A single-lever operation and 360-degree swivel spout keep it all together in one stylish fixture.

Clean Copper
Copper's natural antibacterial properties make Native Trail's offerings especially alluring. The Farmhouse Duet recycled copper sink with a double basin and exposed apron front is available in an antique copper finish (shown) or a new brushed nickel finish.

5. Convenient and Multifunctional
This year's products pack it in for multitasking, time-challenged consumers.

Super Sink
A sink is no longer just a sink with Franke's new Active Kitchen collection. The Mythos sink system (shown) offers an array of accessories including a flexible, tempered satin glass preparation board, a colander, and drain tray. It is available with Franke's rail system for handle mounted components, a pull-out sprayhead faucet, and a matching Mythos vent hood.

Easy Switch
Satisfy your craving for change with Broan's new ready-to-hang decorative backsplashes. These tumbled-marble, pre-assembled fields of tile hang with all the permanence of a picture frame. It's available in four designs, each in a brushed aluminum frame.

Source: This Old House
See more kitchen trends

Small Space Solutions

2009-01-21T14:04:00.005-05:00

You don’t need a lot of room to live large. Whether you have a tiny kitchen, cozy living room, or tight bedroom ... how to make the most of the space you have with decorating solutions that make every inch count.

(Remember to click photos to enlarge.)

cozy living room
Turn a tiny room into a multitasking haven. An apartment-size sofa and a pair of slipper chairs anchor this seating area. Built-in bookcases wrap a sunny bank of windows and give the room floor-to-ceiling storage.

small space palette
Choose a simple color scheme for a small space. Here, pickled floors and whitewashed walls and ceilings add texture and keep small rooms light and bright.

sunny dining room
A round table with a pedestal leg functions best in a small dining room because it allows more legroom. An inexpensive Colonial chandelier from Ikea gets a modern touch with unexpected round bulbs.

living room nook
Vaulted ceilings make this cozy sitting room feel spacious. White walls make the colorful furnishings pop.

bright, white kitchen
Remove upper cabinets in a tiny kitchen to open up the space. A small island does double duty as a work surface and a casual eating area. White walls, floors, and counters keep the room light and airy.

For more small space solutions go to Country Home.

Photos of Barack Obama's Inauguration

2009-01-21T11:18:00.013-05:00

Photos of President Barack Obama's inauguration ceremonies. Also photos of the inauguration ceremonies of Presidents Roosevelt, Truman, Eisenhower, Kennedy, Nixon, Clinton and Bush.

Michelle Obama holds the Bible for her husband - the same Bible that President Lincoln used when he took the sacred oath. Their two daughters, Malia and Shasha, look on as Daddy becomes President of the United States of America.

Bidding the Bush's farewell after the swearing in ceremony.

President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama dance the evening away at the Inaugural Balls. Michelle donned a Jason Wu gown.

Joe and Jill Biden at the Neighborhood Inaugural Ball.
See more photos of yesterday's ceremony at The Huffington Post.

(A.P. File photos follow)
President Clinton and first lady Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y. pose with President-elect Bush and his wife Laura on the North Portico of the White House before leaving for Capitol Hill, Jan. 20, 2001.
(AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

George W. Bush takes the oath of office from Chief Justice William Rehnquist to become the 43rd president Jan. 20, 2001, in Washington. Wife Laura Bush holds the Bible and daughter Jenna watches.
(AP Photo/Doug Mills)

With Secret Service agents accompanying them, President Bush and first lady Laura Bush wave as they walk down Pennsylvania Avenue during the Inaugural Parade in Washington in this Jan. 20, 2001 file photo.
(AP Photo/Doug Mills)

President Bush takes the oath of office from Chief Justice William Rehnquist, right, with first lady Laura Bush and his daughters Barbara and Jenna at his side, at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Jan. 20, 2005. In background are Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert, left, and Sen. Trent Lott, R-Miss. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

President Clinton is sworn in for his second term, Jan. 20, 1997 in Washington, by Chief Justice of the United States William Rehnquist as his wife Hillary and daughter Chelsea look on. (AP Photo/Doug Mills)

President Clinton, Mrs. Clinton and daughter Chelsea wave as they walk down Pennsylvania Avenue Jan. 20, 1997, to start the presidential inaugural parade. (AP Photo/Greg Gibson)

William Jefferson Clinton, with his wife Hillary Rodham Clinton and daughter Chelsea at his side, takes the oath of office as 42nd president of the United States from Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist on the west steps of the Capitol in Washington, Jan. 20, 1993.
(AP Photo/Ed Reinke)

President Clinton and his wife Hillary Rodham Clinton wave to the crowd as they walk down 15th Street in Washington, January 20, 1993, during the presidential inaugural parade. (AP Photo)

President George Bush raises his right hand as he is sworn into office as the 41st president of the United States by Chief Justice William Rehnquist outside the west front of the Capitol on Jan. 20, 1989. First lady Barbara Bush holds the bible for her husband. Former President Reagan is in the background.
(AP Photo/Bob Daugherty)

In this Jan. 21, 1985 file photo, first Lady Nancy Reagan watches as President Ronald Reagan is sworn in during ceremonies in the Rotunda beneath the Capitol Dome in Washington. Reagan, forced indoors by a record inaugural freeze, reenacted his oath taking and sounded a second term dedication to his conservative principles.
(AP Photo/Ron Edmonds, File)

Nancy Reagan proudly watches as her husband Ronald Reagan takes the oath of office at the Capitol on January 20, 1981.
(AP Photo)

President Richard M. Nixon delivers his inaugural address, January 20, 1973, saying the world stands on the threshold of a new era of peace.
(AP Photo)

The motorcade bringing President Johnson to the Capitol for his inauguration moves along Pennsylvania Avenue, January 20, 1965. Police on motorcycles lead the way. Johnson is in a closed car at lower center with Secret Service agents on the bumper. Another car full of Secret Service men is close by.
(AP Photo)

In this Jan. 20, 1961 black-and-white file photo, President John F. Kennedy and Mrs. Kennedy walk outside the White House during inauguration ceremonies, just as the parade began. An 8-inch snowfall on the eve of John F. Kennedy's inauguration in 1961 left hundreds of cars marooned and thousands more abandoned. The president-elect had to cancel dinner plans and, in a struggle to keep other commitments, is reported to have had only 4 hours of sleep. An army of men worked all night to clear Pennsylvania Avenue, using flame-throwers. (AP Photo, File)

In this Jan. 20, 1961 file photo, Jacqueline Kennedy, left, has a chuck under the chin for her husband, President John F. Kennedy, moments after he became president. This exclusive picture by AP photographer Henry Burroughs was taken in the rotunda of the Capitol just after Kennedy left the inaugural stand.
(AP Photo/Henry Burroughs, File)

IN this Jan. 20, 1961, file photo, President John F. Kennedy delivers his inaugural address after taking the oath of office at the Capitol in Washington. Some of the inaugurations that loom large in history were seen quite differently at the time.
(AP Photo, File)

In this Jan. 20, 1953 black and white file photo, President Harry Truman, left, and his successor, President-elect Dwight D. Eisenhower, leave the White House in Washington in an open car for inauguration ceremonies. Sitting in the front is Sen. Styles Bridges of New Hampshire.
(AP Photo)

A crowd gathers outside the U.S. Capitol to listen to Dwight D. Eisenhower's inauguration speech January 20, 1953 in Washington, D.C.
(National Archive/Newsmakers/Getty Images)

(Notice The Top Hat)President Harry S. Truman waves to the crowd during a parade after his inauguration speech on January 20, 1949 in Washington, D.C.
(National Archive/Newsmakers/Getty Images)

In this March 4, 1933 file photo, President Franklin D. Roosevelt, center, Admiral William W. Pratt, left, and first lady Eleanor Roosevelt, right, watch the inaugural parade from the reviewing stand in front of the White House in Washington.

(Top Hats Again)
This March 4, 1933 photo provided by the New-York Historical Society courtesy of the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum, Hyde Park, New York shows President-elect Franklin D. Roosevelt going to his Inauguration with the outgoing President Herbert Hoover as they share a tense ride to the Capitol in Washington, D.C.

Source for former presidential inaugural photos: Yahoo

Change Is Coming...

2009-01-20T05:23:00.017-05:00

Nov. 10, 2008. White House photo by Eric Draper

... and I'm not talking about policy. Each president puts his individual stamp on the Oval Office. President Obama will be no different in this respect. He will be given the opportunity to design the much talked about Oval Office rug. A new color scheme will evolve, and a new era of style in the White House will have been born.

I hope you enjoy these photos of the Oval Office from previous administrations.

The Clinton Oval Office, circa 1996 (Clinton Library)

George HW Bush and members of his staff at work Oval Office, circa 1992 (White House Historical Association)

George HW Bush and members of his staff at work Oval Office, circa 1992 (Bush Library)

George HW Bush and members of his staff at work Oval Office, circa 1990 (NARA - Bush Library)

Ronald Reagan wraps up some business on his last day office in 1989 (Reagan Library)

Replica of the Reagan Oval Office in the Reagan Library

The Reagan Oval Office in 1981 (using the Ford-Carter decor) (Reagan Library)

Jimmy Carter meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir in 1977 (NARA - Carter Library)

The Carter Oval Office in 1977 (Carter used Ford's final decor) (NARA - Carter Library)

Reproduction of the Ford Oval Office in the Ford Library

Gerald Ford in the Oval Office, circa 1974 (still using Nixon's decor) (Ford Library)

Richard Nixon with comedian and golf-enthusiast Bob Hope in 1973 (NARA)

Richard Nixon talking with the Apollo 11 astronauts in 1969 (NARA)

The Oval Office in 1969, with Johnson's decor and Nixon's desk (White House Historical Association)

LBJ and his staff monitor television coverage of the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. (Johnson Library)

Replica of the Johnson Oval Office, circa 1966, in the Johnson Library (Daniel Stout)

The Johnson Oval Office in 1964, still using the red Kennedy rug (Johnson Library)

The Johnson Oval Office in 1964, temporarily using the final Kennedy rug and curtains but with
LBJ's desk—built for him by the Senate cabinet shop (White House Historical Society)

The new Kennedy Oval Office in 1963, completed while the first couple was visiting Dallas
and dismantled after the assassination, before Mrs. Kennedy returned (Kennedy Library)

The new Kennedy Oval Office in 1963; note JFK's footrest to ease his back pain (Kennedy Library)

The Oval Office in 1962, with Truman's decor and the Resolute desk (White House Historical Association)

John Kennedy in a rocking chair, around 1962 (Life)

John Kennedy in the Oval Office, 1961 (still using the Truman/Eisenhower decor) (NARA - Kennedy Library)

John Kennedy around 1961 (Life)

The Eisenhower Oval Office in 1960 (National Geographic)

The Eisenhower Oval Office, circa 1956 (Eisenhower Library)

The east doors to the Rose Garden, circa 1950 (Truman Library - Abbie Rowe)

The modern Oval Office in 1947, famous for Truman's "The Buck Stops Here" sign (Truman Library)

A recreation of Truman's Oval Office at the Truman Library (Truman Library)

Truman Oval Office in 1946, with Roosevelt decor (NARA)

Truman Oval Office in 1945, with portraits of FDR, Simón Bolívar, and George Washington (Truman Library)

Close-up of the Roosevelt valance, same as presidents before him, back to Taft (NARA)

Franklin Roosevelt's first modern Oval Office, circa 1936 (Library of Congress - Theodor Horydczak)

Franklin Roosevelt with secretary Missy Le Hand, circa 1935 (White House [Roosevelt Library])

Replica of FDR's Oval Office in the Roosevelt Library (Roosevelt Library)

FDR's Oval Office in 1945 (Life)

Herbert Hoover in the rebuilt Oval Office in 1932 (NARA)

Aftermath of the Christmas Eve fire in the old West Wing, 1929 (Library of Congress)

The Oval Office around 1925

Calvin Coolidge in 1923 (Library of Congress)

The original Oval Office in 1923 (the black crepe memorializes President Harding) (Library of Congress)

The original Oval Office circa 1923 (probably taken at the same time as the one above) (Library of Congress)

The original Oval Office circa 1921

Woodrow Wilson signs the Army & Navy bill in 1918

Woodrow Wilson at his desk, circa 1917

Hand-tinted photo of the William Howard Taft's original Oval Office
in the center of the West Wing, circa 1909 (White House Historical Association)

The original Oval Office, circa 1909

Hand-tinted photo of Theodore Roosevelt's original West Wing office in 1904 (now the Roosevelt Room),
directly adjoining his Cabinet Room

The new Oval Office flooring, 2005 (Rode Bros. Flooring)
Source: The White House Museum

1962: John F Kennedy's children visit the Oval Office
Source: guardian.co.uk

Basement Laundry Room Makeover

2009-01-20T04:45:00.006-05:00

I have an ulterior motive for posting this basement laundry room makeover. I'm very interested in trying this product. It's Rust-Oleum’s durable water-base EpoxyShield basement floor coating. It has confetti like chips in it. They also make a formula that resists oil stains for garage floors. That's the one I'm interested in trying. Click on photos for a close up view.

Curtain Call: Cover up basement walls (and suggest the feeling of an above-ground room) with wall curtains stitched from outdoor fabric, in this case a dotted swiss Kravet fabric. Made of acrylic, it’s mildew- and wrinkle-resistant. A skirt sewn from ticking-stripe outdoor fabric (and suspended by wire and eye hooks) lends a farmhouse touch.
Multitasking Table: Using pine boards and 36-inch-tall kitchen-island legs from www.tablelegs.com, I built a long landing spot for clothes that need folding. It’s high enough that the petite front-load washer and dryer tuck right under.
Sink Station: Topped with stainless steel and equipped with a built-in sink and faucet, the sleek Udden console from IKEA balances out the room’s sweet look.

Check out the entire article and all the "before and after" photos at Country Home.

Barack Obama's Inauguration Day lunch menu

2009-01-19T07:02:00.005-05:00

After Barack Obama takes the oath of office and delivers his inaugural address tomorrow, he will be escorted to Statuary Hall in the US Capitol for the traditional inaugural luncheon. The menu was inspired by the foods that Lincoln dined on at his inauguration.

Menu and recipes for the three-course feast follow.

First Course

Seafood Stew - scallops, shrimp, lobster with a puff pastry top...
paired with Duckhorn Vineyards, 2007 Sauvignon Blanc, Napa Valley

Photo: Quentin Bacon
Yield: 10 servings

Ingredients

6 (1 lb) Maine lobsters

20 medium size Sea scallops

36 Large shrimp, peel, cleaned and tail removed, aprox. 2 lbs.

10 (1 oz) pieces of black cod

½ cup small dice carrots

½ cup small dice celery

½ cup small dice leek

½ cup small dice Idaho potato

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon ground white pepper or black pepper

¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 quart heavy cream

1 cup dry vermouth (can be made without)

10 (5 inch) puff pastry rounds

Equipment

10 (3 ½ inch) terrines/ramekins or serving dish of your choice

Directions

1. Bring 1 gallon of water to a boil; poach lobsters, then shrimp, then black cod and last scallops. After

seafood is cooked, remove from water; reserve water and bring to boil.

2. Cook all vegetables in liquid that was used for the seafood, remove vegetables when tender. Allow

the liquid to continue to boil until only 1qt of liquid remains. This will be the base for the sauce.

3. Bring seafood liquid back to a boil and add the vermouth and heavy cream and reduce by half,

season with salt, white pepper and nutmeg to taste. You have reached your desired thickness when

the sauce will cover the back of a wooden spoon. Set aside to cool.

4. Cut Maine lobster, shrimp and scallops into bite size pieces.

5. Pre-heat oven at 400 degrees.

6. Fold seafood and vegetables into cool sauce, being careful not to mix too much as this will break up

the seafood. Scoop mixture into terrines or oven proof baking dish of your choice.

7. Cover terrines with puff pastry rounds, brush them with egg wash and bake them until golden

brown about 8-10 minutes, allow to cool for 5 minutes before serving. You can cook this 2-3 hours

ahead of time and keep warm at 150 F degrees.

*All seafood can be substituted with other favorite options of your choice and availability.

Second course

A brace of American birds: Duck breast with sour cherry chutney and Herb roasted pheasant with wild rice stuffing with Molasses whipped sweet potatoes and Winter vegetables paired with Goldeneye, 2005 Pinot Noir, Anderson Valley

Duck breast with sour cherry chutney

Photo: Quentin Bacon

Yield: 10 servings

Ingredients

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

½ cup chopped onion (1 small)

3 garlic cloves, crushed

1 tablespoon finely chopped shallot

½ teaspoon black pepper

½ teaspoon ground cumin

Scant ¼ teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes

¾ teaspoon salt

½ cup coarsely chopped red bell pepper (½ medium)

1 plum tomato, coarsely chopped

¼ cup dry red wine

1 ½ to 2 tablespoons cider vinegar

2 tablespoons sugar

½ teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 can (3 cups) Bing cherries, quartered *Oregon brand

½ cup Golden Raisins

10 (6 oz.) boneless duck breasts with skin

2 tablespoons water

1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon or chives

Method for chutney and glaze

Heat oil in a 2 to 3 quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat until hot but not smoking, then cook onion, garlic, and shallot, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 7 minutes. Add tomato paste, black pepper, cumin, hot pepper flakes, and 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring, 30 seconds. Reduce heat to medium and add bell pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in wine, vinegar (to taste), and sugar and simmer approx 5 minutes. Stir in mustard, 1 1/2 cups cherries, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and simmer 1 minute. Allow to cool slightly and reserve all but ¼ cup of the mix to the side. Place1/4 cup mix in a blender and puree until very smooth, about 1 minute (use caution when blending hot liquids). Reserve for glazing duck. To finish the chutney, add the remaining 1 ½ cups of cherries, tarragon, chives and all the golden raisins. Can be prepared one day ahead.

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 450°F. Score duck skin in a crosshatch pattern with a small sharp knife and season duck all over with salt and pepper.

Heat water in an ovenproof 12-inch heavy skillet over low heat until hot, then add duck, skin side down. Cook duck, uncovered, over low heat, without turning, until most of fat is rendered(melted) and skin is golden brown, about 25 minutes.

Transfer duck to a plate and discard all but 1 tablespoon fat from skillet. Brush duck all over with cherry glaze and return to skillet, skin side up.

Roast duck in oven until thermometer registers 135°F, about 8 minutes for medium-rare. Remove from oven and allow to rest for 5 minutes.

Holding a sharp knife at a 45-degree angle, cut duck into slices. Serve with cherry chutney and molasses whipped sweet potato.

Herb roasted pheasant with wild rice stuffing

Photo: William Lingwood

Yield: 10 portions

Ingredients

10 Pheasant breast, boneless, remove tenders and reserve for stuffing, cut small pocket in side of breast for stuffing

½ cup Olive oil with chopped rosemary, thyme and sage

1 lb. Wild rice, long grain

2 quarts Chicken stock or canned chicken broth

2 Carrots, diced

½ Onion, diced

½ cup Dried apricot, small diced

1 Tablespoon Salt and pepper mix

2 Tablespoons Garlic, roasted

Directions

1. Boil the rice with the chicken stock, cook until soft and most of the liquid is gone.

2. Add the onion, carrot, garlic and apricot. Cook until the vegetables are soft and all liquid has been absorbed. Refrigerate rice mixture until cold.

3. In a food processor, puree pheasant tenders to a paste consistency to use as a binder for rice mix.

4. When rice is cool, add the pheasant puree to the rice until well mixed. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper and return to refrigerator until ready to stuff.

5. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

6. Make 10 small football shaped patties of the rice mix, stuff inside the pheasant, being careful not to overstuff the pheasant. Rub herb/oil mixture on top and bottom of the pheasant, season with salt and pepper. Place the pheasant on a heavy gauge roasting pan and then in a preheated oven for approximately 8-10 minutes. Remove from oven and cover with lid or foil and allow to rest for 10 minutes. Serve over sauté of spinach.

*Pheasant can be substituted with chicken.

Molasses whipped sweet potatoes

Photo: Doug Hamilton

Yield: 2 quarts

Ingredients

3 large sweet potatoes, about 3 pounds

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 teaspoon kosher salt

¼ cup orange juice

½ tablespoon of brown sugar

1 tablespoon of molasses

1 teaspoon of ground cumin

2 tablespoons maple syrup

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

2. Place sweet potatoes on a baking sheet and roast until easily pierced with a fork, about 1 hour.

3. Peel the skin off of the sweet potatoes while still hot.By hand or mixer, smash potatoes until all large chunks are gone. Combine the potatoes, butter, salt, orange juice, brown sugar, ground cumin, molasses and maple syrup in a large bowl. Continue to mix all together until all lumps are gone. Adjust any of the seasonings to your specific tastes. Can be made the day before.

Winter vegetables Yield: 10 servings

Ingredients

2 bunches Asparagus, green, bottom 1/3 of stem removed

2 lbs. Carrots, peeled, cut oblong or large dice

1 lb. Baby Brussels Sprouts, fresh, cleaned or frozen can be used

1 lb. Wax Beans, ends snipped

2 oz Butter

1 each Zest from orange

4 oz. Olive oil

Salt and Pepper to taste.

Directions

Asparagus: preheat grill or large heavy bottom sauté pan. Rub 2 oz of olive oil on asparagus and season with pinch of salt and pepper. Lay flat on grill or sauté pan until lightly browned. Using long fork or tongs, rotate the asparagus to brown other sides. Usually 2 or 3 minutes per side. The asparagus is done when you can use a fork to cut through. Do not overcook, this will cause asparagus to become stringy. Keep warm until ready to serve.

Carrots: bring 3 qt salted water to a boil, add carrots to water and cook until fork tender, meaning a fork will easily pass through the carrot. Drain the water from the pot and toss 1 oz butter and zest of orange and mix until carrots are coated. Season with pinch of salt and enjoy. Keep warm until ready to serve.

Brussels Sprouts: For Fresh: Bring 3 qt salted water to a boil, cut into the stem of the sprout with a pairing knife to create an X on the bottom, this will allow the stem to cook more evenly. Place sprout in boiling water and allow to cook until bottom of sprout is tender and easily cut with a knife. Preheat a heavy bottom sauté while the sprouts are cooking. Remove sprouts from water and allow all water to drain completely. Add 2 oz oil to sauté pan and add the sprouts, season with salt and pepper while tossing the sprouts around to evenly brown in the pan. If sprouts are too big, you can cut them in half, keep warm until ready to serve.

For Frozen: Bring 3 qt salted water to a boil and drop frozen brussel sprouts into water, these are precooked so you are only thawing them out. Remove from water and sauté as above.

Yellow Wax beans: bring 3 qt salted water to boil, add snipped wax beans to water and allow to cook until fork tender or to your liking of doneness. Remove from water and toss with 1 oz butter and season with salt and pepper.

Third Course

Cinnamon apple sponge cake and sweet cream glace...paired with Korbel natural "special inaugural cuvee" California Champagne.

Cinnamon apple sponge cake *

Yield: 10 servings

Ingredients

Apple Filling

4 lbs Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

¼ cup water

1/₃ cup granulated sugar

1/₃ cup apple sauce

½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

¼ teaspoon salt

Grated zest from 1 lemon

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Bread Crust

14 tablespoons unsalted butter, melt 10 of tablespoons

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

34 slices brioche bread (or white bread)

Equipment

10 Ceramic baking ramekins or metal molds (3” diameter)

Sauce

2 cups caramel sauce(store bought)

2 cups granny smith apples, peeled, cored, diced small

Pinch sugar

Pinch cinnamon

1 tablespoon butter

Ice Cream

1 quart vanilla ice cream

Preparation

Filling

1. Melt butter in 6-quart saucepan over medium-low heat. Add apples and caramelize, add water, cook, stirring occasionally for 15 to 20 minutes, or until apples are completely soft. Remove cover and add sugar, nutmeg and salt. Increase heat to medium-high and continue to cook, stirring apples frequently, until liquid has completely evaporated, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in lemon zest, apple sauce and vanilla. Set aside to cool while making crust. The filling can be made one day ahead

Making crust and assembly

1. Position oven rack in lower third of oven and preheat to 425°F. Grease 8 ceramic dishes with 1 tablespoon butter. Sprinkle sugar in dish and tilt to coat bottom and sides. Tap out excess sugar and set aside.

2. Using a bread knife, remove crusts from bread. Center the bottom of mold over one of the bread squares. Cut around mold to form circle to use as the top. Make a total of 20 of these round pieces. Ten will be for the bottom and 10 will be used for the top. Dip each one in melted butter and place at the bottom of mold.

3. Cut each of the 15 remaining slices of bread into four rectangular pieces. Dip one side of each strip in the melted butter and arrange strips, upright, around the inside of molds, buttered-sides against mold and overlapping by about 1/2” to completely line mold. Use 6 rectangles to line the mold.

4. Spoon the apple filling into bread-lined molds, mounding it slightly in center.

5. Take the remaining ten rounds of bread and dip pieces of bread into the melted butter and place on top of filling, buttered-sides up. Press down lightly.

6. Bake for 30 minutes, then cover top loosely with aluminum foil. Bake for an additional 15-20 minutes, until top is deep golden brown and side slices are golden brown (slide a thin-bladed knife between bread and pan to check). Remove from oven, uncover, and let rest for 15 minutes on wire rack. Run thin-bladed knife around edges of molds to be able to flip the mold out onto serving plates.

7. For the apple cinnamon caramel sauce, sauté 1 cup of peeled and diced Granny Smith apples in butter, add a pinch of sugar and cinnamon. Allow to cook until apples are lightly browned and all sugars have dissolved. Remove from heat and add 2 cups caramel sauce to the apples and stir to coat apples.

To Assemble

Pour caramel apple sauce over warmed apple cakes and serve with your favorite vanilla ice cream.

* Instead of cinnamon apple sponge cake, President Lincoln was served blackberry pie.

Menu created by Design Cuisine, from Arlington, Virginia.

Source: TIMESONLINE

Behind the Scenes at the Inauguration

2009-01-18T08:37:00.014-05:00

Do you enjoy hearing about what goes on behind the scenes at monumental events? The count down to the culmination of one of the most historical events our country ever experiences can now be counted in hours and minutes. I find myself wondering about the details and preparation that hundreds of government employees must oversee, and the protocol to which they must assiduously adhere.

As we watch from the comfort of our homes, offices, bars, restaurants, or Time Square on Tuesday, we will witness the pomp and circumstance of an immense power as it changes hands. Leaders of the free world don't make their peaceful and orderly transitions without a lot of help from unheralded civil servants. I found the following article lengthy but well worth the read. I hope you will too.
Savory

Nov. 10, 2008. White House photo by Eric Draper

Following: Article written by Jessica Leeder from Saturday's Globe and Mail
January 16, 2009 at 10:00 PM EST
------------------------------
Operation Inauguration
Legally, it will take just a few dozen words on Tuesday to make Barack Obama the 44th U.S. president. But in fact the day requires a dizzying array of protocols, marching bands, moving vans, painters, cooks, police, celebs and military aides. And with four million people coming, it's sure to be the biggest ever.

Jan. 20, 2009: 4 a.m.

WASHINGTON — The most massively programmed day in each American presidency begins hours before sunrise, behind doors in the White House that have never been opened to the public.

All over the mansion, in little-used closets and cramped dressing rooms, much of the permanent White House staff — butlers and maids, chefs and ushers, gardeners and florists, carpenters and electricians — steals naps on roll-away beds and folding cots, a short break from preparing food and readying guest rooms in the frenetic lead-up to Inauguration Day.

Between 4 and 5 o'clock in the morning, they rouse themselves and climb back into their uniforms. Only 12 hours remain to gently shutter one chapter of history at the famed Pennsylvania Avenue address and — in a flurry of moving trucks, painting and unpacking — to set the stage, literally, for the next.

This Tuesday marks the 44th enactment of this intricate dance, going back to George Washington taking his oath in 1789. At noon on Jan. 20, Barack Hussein Obama assumes the helm of a nation consumed by worry about its tattered economy, but star-struck by its 47-year-old president-elect and his family.

While the ceremonies and protocols won't be much changed, symbolically the inauguration of the first African-American president marks a new era.

"This is the most important inauguration of a president since the very first," says Morris L. Reid, a Washington political consultant who helped run both inaugural celebrations for the last Democratic Party president, Bill Clinton.

"There's only going to be one more 'first' in American history when it comes to the presidents. We had our first president. Now we have our first minority president. We'll have one more, which will be the first woman president. And that will be a big deal too."

For the city of Washington, this "first" is a very big deal indeed. It is expected to be the most-watched oath-taking in U.S. history: Four million people — almost four times the number at the largest previous inauguration, Lyndon Johnson's in 1965 — are expected to flood the city. That's in spite of near-impossible travel conditions that include sold-out hotels, 24-hour closing (beginning at 2 a.m.) of the bridges that link the city to suburban areas in Virginia and Maryland, and an almost impermeable ring of security and barricades protecting the downtown core.

"You never have four million Americans who are just going to show up, just to say they were there," Mr. Reid says, sounding incredulous.

The day will have a similar feeling, he predicts, to the day Martin Luther King Jr. gave his famous "I have a dream" speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. (Coincidentally, the annual holiday in honour of Dr. King falls on the day before Mr. Obama's inauguration.)

"It's one of those moments. People want to be a part of history," Mr. Reid says.

6 a.m.: Security sweeps

Most people, however, won't be able to start taking up those places in history until shortly before sunup on Tuesday. Even as the White House staff gears up for the day, the surrounding streets will have the feel of a ghost town.

An unprecedented swath of Washington around the White House and Blair House — the 70,000-square-foot guest house where Mr. Obama and his family are currently staying — is being locked down that morning. No one is permitted outdoors except for the army of law-enforcement agents assigned by the Secret Service to prowl that sprawling "hot zone" for security threats.

That means no predawn dog walks or runs for zone residents — even for Mr. Obama, who is known for his early-morning workouts — until the security sweeps are complete at around 7 a.m. (all times given are approximate).

"This is the first time the city has been so closed down," says Tom Locke, a former Federal Bureau of Investigation assistant director who now works as a security consultant in Washington. He says his former colleagues at the bureau are "very concerned for the president-elect's safety. There have been more threats against Obama since he began campaigning than in all eight years of the Bush White House."

The Secret Service, tasked with protecting the president, is co-ordinating an onslaught of law-enforcement officials. While the service won't divulge how many agents will be required, Mr. Locke says it could easily surpass 10,000.

"The eyes of the world will be focused on the United States," he says. "It would be a real coup for a terrorist or terrorists to cause an incident."

Officials are equally worried about homegrown threats from Americans angry over the election of a black president. But Mr. Obama is unlikely to be briefed about any dangers that morning unless something particularly alarming arises.

"You can't bother the president with the number of threats that come in daily," Mr. Locke says, then adds: "If he does nothing else, he needs to listen to the Secret Service."

The main advice there seems to be caution: Most incoming presidents hold some sort of prayer service on the morning of Inauguration Day, but Mr. Obama has scheduled his for the next morning at the National Cathedral. His team has been generally tight-lipped about what the Obama family will do in the first few hours of the day. They may choose to remain in the privacy of Blair House, which boasts 35 bathrooms as well as an exercise room, hair salon, dry cleaner and flower shop.

"I can't imagine how Barack will be feeling," says Mr. Reid, who met Mr. Obama several times over the course of his campaign. "Imagine waking up and thinking, 'Today I become the leader of the free world.' Only 43 other people in the world know how he feels. And none of them really know how he feels."

9 a.m.: Final briefing

The one man in Washington who is closest to being able to empathize with Mr. Obama will wake on Tuesday morning, surely, feeling a mix  of melancholy and relief. As per White House protocol, staff will afford George W. Bush the usual presidential treatment until the moment he crosses the threshold for the final time on his way to the Capitol for Mr. Obama's inauguration. But insiders say the morning will feel anything but typical.

One of the choices an outgoing president may make is to convene staff in the Oval Office for a final, if mostly symbolic, morning briefing, says Ken Duberstein, a close confidant and former chief of staff for the late president Ronald Reagan. He tells the story of being asked to meet Mr. Reagan at 9 o'clock on the morning of Jan. 20, 1989, for a last briefing along with three other top advisers, including General Colin Powell, then national security adviser.

"When he walked into the Oval Office from the famous walkway called the Colonnade," Mr. Duberstein recalls, Mr. Reagan "was startled to see that the Oval Office had been stripped bare." A moving crew had taken out all of his personal items and furniture, including the famous presidential rug, and not yet moved in the furnishings for the incoming president, George Herbert Walker Bush.

"The president looked at Gen. Powell and me and reached into his pocket," Mr. Duberstein says, patting his right pants pocket, "and said, 'Here, fellas, I don't need this any more.'" In Mr. Reagan's outstretched hand was the card bearing the codes that presidents alone carry, in case the need arises to launch nuclear systems.

"We both said, 'No, Mr. President! It'll be deactivated at noon! Put it back in your pocket!'

"That's when you knew that the presidency was over."

10 a.m.: Coffee and tea

Whether or not Mr. Bush decides to hold a morning briefing, there will be a stark indication within the hour that his time in office has run out, when Mr. Obama's motorcade delivers the incoming first family and their most senior advisers for the traditional Inauguration Day coffee-and-tea service.

The Bushes, according to protocol, will greet the Obama clan in the Grand Foyer (the fabled space that annually houses the White House Christmas tree) and lead them into the Blue Room overlooking the South Lawn.

"You stand around very awkwardly for half an hour," Mr. Duberstein recalls. "One's about to leave, one's about to come. It is an awkward, emotional, formal and important day of transition in the life of our country."

This year, the fact that the Bushes have already received the president-elect and his wife at the White House — the first time was a mere six days after the November election — should help mitigate that awkwardness.

During that first visit, the Obamas were given a tour of the White House, including the private quarters that will become their family refuge. They also were introduced to the chief usher, a fixture at the White House who is in charge of the permanent executive-residence staff.

That day, the usher would have armed the Obamas with a stack of briefing books regarding their new home, says Gary Walters. Mr. Walters retired in 2007 from 37 years of White House service, including a 20-year stint as chief usher — during which, he says, he habitually slept on a cot in the White House basement in the days leading up to the transition.

In this year's inauguration, for the first time in four decades, Mr. Walters is not being employed by the government and is finally allowed to speak publicly (as well as fielding calls for advice from his former colleagues).

"These people who are moving into the White House are not familiar with the private quarters on the second and third floors," he says. "There are historical elements that are put together for consideration. There are ongoing projects that have to be discussed or at least summarized. There are all the choices that need to be made."

The family relays to staff everything from food allergies and preferences to what function each of their rooms will serve and how they should be decorated. The Obamas have had to decide which pieces they like from the White House's large collection of historical furniture — a catalogue would have been included in their briefing materials — and where they want to mix in items of their own.

"One of the areas that gets a tremendous amount of attention early on in every administration is the Oval Office, because that is so emblematic of the president's time at the White House," Mr. Walters says.

Among the decisions that faced Mr. Obama was which desk to use, out of a selection that includes "the Kennedy desk," made from timbers recovered from a British ship that sank off the coast of Newfoundland after being sent by Queen Victoria in search of the Franklin Expedition in 1852. The desk also was favoured by Franklin Roosevelt.

Mr. Walters adds that while most presidents choose from the White House collection, some (including Richard Nixon and George Bush Sr.) have toted in their own desks. After all, he says, "they have to be comfortable."

10:30 a.m.: The longest motorcade

But before the White House staff even inches toward enacting the Obamas' directives to transform the residence, the outgoing president must physically depart.

Usually, that event takes place after final farewells to the staff who have worked as virtually the first couple's closest personal servants, and who will remain in the residence to serve the new president.

"There's a very emotional goodbye," Mr. Walters recalls. "Shortly thereafter, the president escorts the president-elect to the North Portico. That's when they get in the motorcade and go up to Capitol Hill."

Tradition dictates that the outgoing and incoming presidents ride together in the same armoured limousine. Following them are cars carrying, in order, the presidential security staff (including a military aide carrying a black satchel of top-secret nuclear codes), the outgoing and incoming first ladies, the chiefs of staff, top advisers, other members of the president-elect's family and special guests.

After they are all in place, what's probably the longest motorcade assembled in each presidency speeds eastward down Pennsylvania Avenue past the National Mall (this year, for the first time ever, fully open for inauguration revellers) toward the Capitol.

"As soon as they depart the White House grounds, or as quickly thereafter as possible," Mr. Walters says, "the residence staff begins the reconfiguring and redecorating."

11:30 a.m.: The main event

Just before 12 o'clock, when the U.S. Constitution dictates that Mr. Bush's second term in office officially expires, Barack H. Obama will be announced and mount the massive wooden platform that has been constructed specially for his inauguration and fitted, like an elaborate mask, over the western face of the Capitol.

The ceremony that will ensue is an Americanized version of a British coronation and it has evolved for more than two centuries under the close watch of Congress and the Senate, allowing each president only a narrow margin for adding a personal touch.

Mr. Obama has scheduled a poetry reading by Yale African-American studies professor Elizabeth Alexander — making him only the fourth president, all of them Democrats, to invite a poet. He also has invited soul singer Aretha Franklin to perform before the swearing-in of vice-president-elect Joseph Biden, and asked violinist Itzhak Perlman, cellist Yo-Yo Ma, pianist Gabriela Montero and clarinetist Anthony McGill to play a piece by Oscar-winning Hollywood composer John Williams (Star Wars, Schindler's List, Harry Potter) before Mr. Obama takes the oath of office and delivers his inaugural address.

Controversially, the invocation will be given by popular evangelical author and pastor Rick Warren, who drew wide criticism for his recent remarks against gay marriage. The Obama team tried to quiet that storm this week by inviting the well-known gay Episcopal bishop of New Hampshire, Gene Robinson, to give a blessing at tomorrow's customary Sunday-afternoon inaugural-welcoming event, which will feature performances by Beyoncé, Bono and Bruce Springsteen.

The oath itself is "absolutely cast in stone," says Philip C. Brooks, an inauguration archivist and historian who worked with the 1969, 1989 and 1993 inaugural committees, although Mr. Obama can choose whether to append the words "so help me God."

He also is sending a personal message by putting his hand upon a famous Bible first used by Abraham Lincoln as he delivers the oath, which he may seal by giving the tome a kiss.

"Every president puts a little different spin on things every time," Mr. Brooks says, "and I'm sure that president Obama will do the same."

Noon: Extreme makeover

As the ritual at the Capitol continues, an assembly line of moving trucks will be shuttling to and from the loading dock at the White House. Staffers will scurry in and out, removing the Bush family's belongings — to be flown to their new home in Dallas — and madly unpacking the Obamas' things.

"I call it organized chaos," says Mr. Walters, the former chief usher. "The residence staff is a total of 93 people, including chefs, butlers, housekeeping and maintenance staff. On Inauguration Day, they are all assigned various jobs to take care of. We don't bring in any extra help. There are no moving people that are brought in. The vans are there to deliver furniture, but there are no additional staff.

"The objective is to have, for the incoming president and first lady, everything completed by the time they return from the inauguration. … They have at their call all their personal items in the closets, food in the refrigerator. The goal is 'no unopened boxes'."

The speed of the operation often depends on the weather. If it is too cold for the family to remain outdoors throughout the inaugural parade, which often runs past 4:30 or 5 p.m., the staff must compensate by unpacking even faster.

"It's like anybody else moving into a new home," Mr. Walters says. "You want it to be yours from the beginning. The residence staff … know that their responsibility is to change with the White House to suit the incoming family, not the other way around."

They go so far as to repaint entire rooms over the course of the afternoon. Political staffers who manage to creep into the White House before the new president arrives have often recounted stories of emerging from their offices at dinnertime to find the halls a different colour, new art on the walls and new rugs underfoot.

12:30 p.m.: Bowing out

After the swearing-in, the new president's first task will be to escort George and Laura Bush and family through the Capitol to the east side of the building, where the presidential helicopter (known as Marine One only when the sitting president is aboard) will be waiting. It will fly the couple and their entourage to Andrews Air Force Base, where they will board a plane to Midland, Tex., to spend their first post-White House night at the Bush family ranch.

Mr. Duberstein recalls being with Mr. Reagan for his final helicopter ride: "The helicopter went over the White House. And President Reagan looked down out of the helicopter window and patted Nancy on her knee and said, 'Look, dear, there's our little bungalow.' That is the moment that all the tears started flowing."

After the Bushes lift off, Mr. Obama will slip back inside the Capitol for a brief signing ceremony before the Inaugural Lunch. It is here, mere minutes after becoming the president, transition experts say, that Mr. Obama may choose to complete his first official business by signing executive orders or memoranda, both of which have been used by previous presidents to show they have hit the ground running.

"Executive orders issued early have the benefit of being a signal you can use," says Martha Joynt Kumar, a political scientist who heads the non-partisan White House Transition Project and recently published the book Managing the President's Message. "If you can issue some orders, you're in control. You know what you're doing."

Aides have hinted that one of Mr. Obama's first acts in office will be to order the closing of the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Other experts have suggested that he is likely to address social issues or to promote transparency by striking down recent orders by Mr. Bush that would limit public access to documents from his administration.

Mr. Obama will not have long for signing orders before he will be beckoned by his new military aides, who usually watch the inauguration from a special room inside the Capitol.

The five aides who serve the president take turns safeguarding the infamous black satchel (often called "the football") that holds the secrets to the country's nuclear-arms system. While Mr. Obama will already have been briefed on the basics, after the inauguration the aide on duty will pass on more information — possibly including Mr. Obama's own nuclear codes.

"There will be some kind of handoff from President Bush," Buzz Patterson says, "but there are some things he won't get until he's in office." Mr. Patterson was the top military aide to Mr. Clinton during his second inauguration. "It will be eye-opening for Obama."

1 p.m.: Lunch break

Mr. Obama will have to absorb that information quickly if he is going to make his exclusive Inaugural Lunch inside the Capitol building with Mr. Biden, their families, members of the Supreme Court and Congress and other guests. The meal has been designed to recall the tastes of, once again, President Lincoln.

They didn't go so far as to replicate the corned beef, cabbage and blackberry pie that Lincoln is said to have dined on at the Willard Hotel after his inauguration in March of 1861. Instead, Mr. Obama's first meal as president will begin with a seafood stew and move on to a "brace of American birds (pheasant and duck)" before finishing with apple-cinnamon sponge cake.

It will be served on replicas of Lincoln's White House china, and the backdrop will be a painting of Lincoln signing the bill that first protected what would become Yosemite National Park.

By the time the wait staff has cleared their trays of California dessert champagne, though, the Inaugural Committee chairs will be chafing.

"You hope they don't run late at lunch," recalls Penne Peacock, a former Washington socialite and Mauritius diplomat who co-chaired five days' worth of events for the elder Mr. Bush's inauguration in 1989. "Everything has to be precise."

2:30 p.m.: On parade

Precision is also the watchword of the 90 military bands marching in the Inaugural Parade, which accompanies the president and his family on their ceremonial ride home to the White House.

It officially begins at 2:30 p.m., but people are expected to be jockeying for spots along the nearly 20-block route as soon as the area is opened to the public at 7 a.m., which raises concerns about how long they can withstand the cold. Mr. Brooks, the historian, recalls that Mr. Reagan's second inauguration in 1985 took place on "such an incredibly cold day, they cancelled the parade for fear of frostbite."

The Obama team will be more worried about security. To pre-empt any violence, the number of ticketed bleacher seats for the parade has been cut to about 9,000 from 20,000 for Mr. Bush's last inauguration.

Police from all over the region will be planted in crowds to scan for suspect behaviour, and there will be careful control over who is admitted to the inner fringe along the parade route. (Meanwhile, a select few will be watching from the Canadian embassy, one of Pennsylvania Ave.'s choicest viewing spots.)

Still, the Secret Service will not be able to control whether Mr. Obama decides to walk part of the route with his family. The tradition was revived by Jimmy Carter, who in 1977 became the first president to walk the route since Thomas Jefferson in 1805.

"Carter wanted to emphasize that this was the people's presidency and get away from the trappings of the imperial presidency, particularly the Nixon years," Mr. Brooks says. "Jimmy Carter wanted to draw a very clear line and say, 'The people are in charge again — we've ended the long national nightmare'."

Does that sound familiar?

"I can well imagine that Mr. Obama will be walking for some of the stretch, with the wife and kids," Mr. Brooks predicts.

As he does, all around him, officers on high alert will be employing cutting-edge technology.

"You've got facial-recognition software, surveillance cameras," says Mr. Locke, the former FBI agent. "They even have different cameras around town that, should there be a gunshot, can identify where the gunshot came from." He adds: "They have to err on the side of caution."

Finally, the Obamas will take their spot in the viewing stand constructed outside the White House on Pennsylvania Avenue to watch as much of the rest of the parade as they please.

5 p.m. onward: Beau of the balls

At the White House, ushers will be expecting to welcome the new first family just before supper. "When they do come in from the Inaugural Parade, they usually have with them the family and friends that they've invited to stay that first night — as many as the White House can accommodate," says Mr. Walters, the former chief usher.

Typically, the new president opts to host a buffet dinner so his guests can come and go while they prep themselves for the inaugural balls — the most glamorous of the day's traditions.

The transition team has tried to lighten the pressure on Mr. Obama by limiting the number of official bashes, which he is pledged to attend, to 10. (Mr. Clinton hit 21 on the night of his second inauguration.) They have also reserved a number of tickets for the newly created Neighborhood Ball for Washington residents and are throwing a free Kids' Inaugural Concert.

But that has not made it any easier for the legions of Washington socialites and the upper-class who's who of the entire nation, desperate to unlock the secrets of being "invited" to purchase tickets for the most expensive balls, official or unofficial.

The country's first biracial president might make history on the glitz-and-glam scale as well. Dozens of high-profile celebrities, ranging from Oprah Winfrey to Jay-Z, Stevie Wonder and Elvis Costello, have pledged to flock to Washington whether or not they get an audience with Mr. Obama. And designers from all over the country have bid to design Michelle Obama's gown (no choice had been announced at press time).

At the factory where Mr. Obama's tuxedo was made — Hart Schaffner Marx in Des Plaines, Ill. — workers will be finishing their shifts on Tuesday evening and preparing for their own festivities at a union hall on Chicago's west side.

"We're gonna have the people's celebration," says Joe Costigan, treasurer of the Midwest Region of UNITE HERE, which represents the factory workers. "Our people can't get to D.C. The fact is he's there, and he got there on our shoulders."

Ruby Sims, president of the local union, says she made sure to put her hands "on all parts" of Mr. Obama's suit. "I'm going to be able to tell my grandkids about it. It's a wonderful feeling knowing you're a part of history. Our people are in an uproar."

To attend the 10 official balls (along with, in all likelihood, a few of the unofficial ones), the Obamas, the Bidens and a select entourage will use the Secret Service as their travel pass to crisscross Washington, which will remain in relative lockdown for the night.

Harry Thomason, a Los Angeles TV-and-movie producer who was one of Mr. Clinton's inaugural chairmen, describes travelling in the presidential entourage as "an ultimate-celebrity experience. It's much bigger than anything in Hollywood."

2: 30 a.m.: Home sweet home

Presidents such as Mr. Clinton have been known to ball-hop through to the next morning — Buzz Patterson remembers it as "the longest night of my life." But the Obamas will have two little girls waiting for them anxiously in a strange, new home.

Whenever they return, it is customary for the chief usher, in spite of his ultralong day, to stay up to welcome the first couple.

"They walk in, and it is their house. … More than their house, it's their home," Gary Walters says. "You hope everybody collapses for at least a little bit of time and tries to get their wits back together."

He adds: "The next day, things don't slow down. The president goes right to work."

Source: globeandmail

Ebelskiver Filled-Pancake Pan

2009-01-17T17:37:00.006-05:00

This is an ebelskiver pan. You can create the traditional Danish ebelskiver, a plump, puffy pancake filled with jam, curd, fruit or cheese. How about chocolate? The possibilities are endless.
Is it something you must have? Maybe not, but does it speak to your inner child? Perhaps.
Check out the video at Williams-Sonoma. Sunday mornings will never be the same again.

Remember The Birds

2009-01-17T09:38:00.005-05:00

Don't forget our feathered friends on these frigid January days!

Foto: Minna Mercke Schmidt

Source: Blomsterverkstad

The Subtleties of Januray

2009-01-16T17:33:00.009-05:00

What are the components of a beautiful life? How do we bring happiness, contentment or pleasure into a life? Melissa @ The Inspired Room has posed this question and has invited her readers to participate in the answers. Read more Beautiful Life stories.

After the activity and almost frenetic socializing of November and December, I find January to be a balm for the spirit. The frigid air and the shortened days offer the perfect excuse to disengage, to look inward, to take stock of where I've been and where I would like to go.

I love the solitary moments that this month, more than any other, offers. All through December, I look forward to those quiet January moments - a book, a cup of hot tea, a favorite chair. The darker and colder the world becomes outside my window, the cozier and warmer it feels inside.

It's a time for reflection. I experience less stress and feel more optimistic than any other time. I know this is not the case for many others. It was not always so for me, but now that I've accrued a few years, I find the charms of January appeal to my more introspective side.

Maybe it's the kind of month that takes a few years of living to appreciate, or perhaps I need it more than when I was younger. It has a recuperative quality to it now. I feel no obligation to extend myself, to stretch, to push, push, push in January. I allow myself to just be. I cook big pots of things, watch good movies that I've seen before, and write.

When I was younger, I could only manage to get through the dreariness of January by looking past its icy complexion to spring. I couldn't see the subtle beauty of brave, bare branches stretching toward a stark winter sky, snow birds eating at the feeders outside my window, or the white ice around the edges of the creek.

Beauty is to be found where you look for it. Oh, if I'd only looked a little sooner.

Photo: Lantif

Inspiring Baths

2009-01-16T14:04:00.008-05:00

Beadboard paneling adds charm to this bath. The private WC boasts a paneled door with a frosted-glass window for privacy.

No window treatments needed for privacy, the sun comes streaming into a cheerful bath. Who wouldn't feel optimistic every morning in this room.

Call it minimalist; call it modern; I call it urban and sleek, and won't you just look at that tub. Wouldn't you enjoy a nice, long soak in that?

A wonderful sink in this bathroom, along with glass tile and a fir countertop give a minimalist feel to the room.
Photographer: Grey Crawford
Source: PointClickHome

Reverse The Aging Process

2009-01-16T13:14:00.004-05:00

I found this interesting article about the power of our minds at Improved Lives, another inspirational site for you to explore.

Photo Credit
Most psychology studies aren’t that much use to us in our daily lives because most psychologists aren’t that interested in giving us practical advice on how to improve ourselves. In these two studies, however, the researchers stumbled across a way to drastically improve our daily lives. They figured out how to make people get physically younger and become healthier by using nothing but their minds.

Imaginative Seniors

The year was 1979, but for a group of elderly men, the year was actually 1959. At least, Ellen Langer, the psychologist leading the study, had convinced them to pretend that the year was 1959:

The magazines, newspapers, and music the men saw and heard were all 20 years old and the men themselves were told to behave and talk as if it were 1959.

It doesn’t sound particularly impressive does it? Get a bunch of old men to play make-believe, what could that possibly do? Apparently it can do a lot, because at the end of the experiment the men:

Looked visibly younger
Had straighter posture
Had more flexible joints

Now the problem with all of those is that they’re kind of hard to measure. There was, however, one area of improvement where the evidence was incontrovertible: finger length.

As we get older, our bodies succumb to gravity and generally shrink, and our fingers, which are no exception to this rule, get shorter. But the fingers of the men in this study were actually longer at the end of the experiment. The aging process had literally been reversed.

Healthy Hotel Maids

Just a year ago, in 2007, Ellen Langer started a new experiment, this time with colleague Alia Crum. The researchers took various health measurements from a group of 84 hotel workers, and then split the group in two. They told one group that the physical exercise they were getting by cleaning hotel rooms satisfied the Surgeon General’s recommendations for an active lifestyle and the maids were given specific examples of how their work was actually exercise.

Langer and Crum told the other group, the control group, nothing.

And the results:

Four weeks later, Langer and Crum returned to find some measurements of both groups: the control group hadn’t changed physically, but the test group had decreased all of the following: weight, blood pressure, body fat, waist-to-hip ratio, and body mass index.

It’s important to realize that the maids hadn’t actually done anything different, they changed all those physical aspects of themselves with their minds. It almost sounds like science fiction, but it’s not. Your mind is an extremely powerful tool for change.

So what can we learn from this?

What was going on in the brains of the senior citizens and the hotel workers is a process called the psychosomatic effect. Most of you are probably familiar with the psychosomatic effect but don’t know it, because it’s what causes stress to be so unhealthy for us.

But rather than letting it make us unhealthy, we should be using the psychosomatic effect to our advantage:

Think Young - It might be a stretch to surround ourselves with 20 year old magazines and T.V. shows like the seniors in the first study did, but there are other things you can do to stay young. First, don’t act your age! Most people would agree that people younger than themselves are more active and are out having more fun, so go be more active and have more fun. Second, recognize and enjoy the things in your life that are ‘young’, like that sport you love to play or that late night out with friends.
Think Healthy - It would be difficult to sit on the couch and think your waist line smaller, but what you can do is recognize that the exercise you do get is effective and good for you.
Think Happy - This may sound a little counter-intuitive, but just like stress has a lot of negative effects on the body, happiness has a lot of positive effects on the body. One thing you can do is just be mindful of your own mood. If you’re not happy, look for some aspect of the situation you find yourself in that is positive, and be grateful for it. Something else you can do is smile more. Our brains don’t know the difference between a real smile and a fake smile, so even a fake smile, although it might not look great, causes your brain to release a lot of the same ‘happy chemicals’ that it would release if your smile had been real.

These are all great ways to use the psychosomatic effect to your benefit, but remember that it’s equally easy for it to have a negative effect on your body. That means that you should also focus on banishing negative thoughts from your mind, lest they counteract all your positive thinking.

Further Reading:
- How You Tell The Story Of Your Life by Senia Maymin

Sage-marinated Pork Loin with Roasted Turnips and Apples

2009-01-16T12:47:00.005-05:00

Chef Sara Jenkins devised a straightforward meal filled with traditional American ingredients and the Mediterranean flavors of her international upbringing
Written by Regina Schrambling/Photographed by Marcus Nilsson/Produced By Susan Tyree Victoria/Food Styling by Roscoe Betsill
Ingredients:

• 1 4-lb. pork loin, ideally, raised certified-humane
• 1 bunch sage, roughly chopped
• 6 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 2 garlic cloves
• Salt
• 1 cup red wine
• 9 small lady apples (or 6 regular-size cooking apples, such as Macoun or Gravenstein)
• 3 bunches baby turnips, tops removed, bottoms cut in half (about 4 cups)

Directions:

1. The day before cooking, season the pork loin with the sage, 2 tablespoons of the oil and 1 teaspoon pepper and marinate overnight in the refrigerator.
2. Next day, preheat the oven to 400°F. Bring the pork to room temperature. Cut the garlic cloves into slivers. Using a sharp paring knife, insert the slivers in the roast. Put the pork, fat side up, in a roasting pan and sprinkle with salt to taste.
3. Roast 30 minutes, then pour ½ cup of the wine over the meat to baste. After 30 more minutes, baste the roast again with wine. Check the internal temperature; if it is not 145°F (for medium), cook 10 to 15 minutes more. If you want the pork more done, cook an additional 15 to 20 minutes, until the thermometer reads°F. Let the roast stand 10 minutes before carving into ½- to ¾-inch-thick slices.
4. While the pork is roasting, cut the lady apples in half (if you are using regular apples, core and quarter them). Toss the apples with salt and pepper. Brown on one cut side in 2 tablespoons of the remaining oil in a sauté pan. Set aside.
5. Toss the turnips with the remaining 2 tablespoons oil and salt and pepper, then put in a small roasting pan or on a small sheet tray and put in the oven. Roast about 30 to 40 minutes, until the turnips have a nice golden color and are slightly soft. About 10 minutes before they are done, add the sautéed apples. Serve the turnips and apples alongside slices of the pork. Serves 6 to 8.

Continue at PointClickHome

3 Organizing Tips for the Linen Closet

2009-01-15T18:19:00.008-05:00

Tip 1
Store sheet sets together in one pillowcase in your linen closet or even in an armoire. Label and group your sheet sets by bedroom or by size, such as twin or full. Then, neatly stack sets on shelves. This way, when making up beds, you can easily find just what you need. Remember to always use the sheet set on top and to put clean sets, fresh from the wash, on the bottom. This rotation will ensure sheets wear evenly over time.

Tip 2
Adding brackets to closets or armoires is a great idea for neat stacks. Forming neat stacks prevents folded clothes and linens from toppling. Choose shelf brackets with the long side measuring just less than the height of your shelf and the short side equal or less than the depth; place the shorter side of each on the shelf and the longer side against the wall. To secure, drill two wood screws into each bracket from the shelf's underside.

Tip 3
Adding a bundle of chalk in a closet or armoire helps absorb extra moisture and keeps clothing and linens fresh and dry. Mount a hook in the closet or armoire, fasten a rubber band around a dozen pieces of chalk, and cover the band with ribbon, allowing enough loop to hang chalk.

Resources
Waddell Pine Brackets ($14.97 each) are available at Dykes Lumber dykeslumber.com. The armoire featured in this segment is the Martha Stewart Everyday Armoire (#123954; $349.99), available at Kmart.

Source: Martha Stewart

How To Fold A Fitted Sheet

2009-01-15T17:58:00.008-05:00

I'm posting this one for my own edification. Can anyone fold a fitted sheet so that it doesn't look as if it was wadded up and tossed aside? The answer is yes, but none of them live at my house.

If you want to learn how to fold a fitted sheet, check out the video below. If you're like me, you'll watch it just to learn about one of the true mysteries of the universe. (click on the little square in the bottom right corner of the video to enlarge to full screen)

Photo Source: Apartment Therapy

10 Resolutions I Can Keep

2009-01-15T12:39:00.003-05:00

Van Chaplin, Amy Bickers Mercer

A for Attitude
You may not be able to spend a week focused solely on your health, but you can begin the journey with small steps. “Eventually you will have a new version of normal,” says Connie Tyne, executive director of the Cooper Wellness Program.

Here are 10 steps―culled from six days, multiple experts, and a three-ring binder―to get you on track to a new normal.

1. Change Your Mind
Get over all those preconceived notions you have about yourself. Write down every reason you have not to work out or eat healthfully. Then consider a solution for each problem. Give your body and mind the same consideration you give your automobile. Your workouts maintain the most important vehicle you will ever own. How far this body takes you is largely based on your choices.

2. Evaluate Yourself
The Wellness Program begins with a physical evaluation, which includes a mile-long walk, push-ups, crunches, and body fat percentage and flexibility assessments. This can be eye-opening. Before you kick-start your new lifestyle, find out where you stand so you can set realistic fitness goals. Many fitness facilities offer assessments for nonmembers for a fee. Most people, especially women, tend to judge themselves based on what the scale reads. This is a mistake! Get a true picture beyond mere numbers.

3. Eat Breakfast
You already know you need to eat healthfully all day. This can seem like a daunting task. So begin with a healthful breakfast. Start your day by providing your body with what it needs to get going. Include protein. If your mornings feel rushed―and whose don’t?―set out the items you need for breakfast the night before.

4. Get up and move.
You don’t have to jump into daily Olympic training sessions. Begin with reasonable goals. If exercise isn’t already a part of your life, the most important thing is to move. “Avoid inactivity. Notice I didn’t say exercise. Try to get a collective 30 minutes―break it up if you need to―of activity in every day,” Dr. Cooper says.

5. Change Your Shoes
If you’re like me, you’re wearing the wrong size of athletic shoes. “You should have about a thumb’s distance between your toe and the end of the shoe,” Dr. Sherman says. Who knew? I always thought blisters were just part of exercise. Shop for new shoes at the end of the day when feet are swollen, Dr. Sherman recommends. For optimum comfort, visit a shoe store dedicated to athletic shoes to find out if you need a neutral, stability, or motion-control shoe.

6. Explore Your Options
Don’t let anyone tell you what type of exercise you should do.

If you hate running―and I truly hate running―don’t force yourself to do it. I prefer power walking instead. If you think yoga is slow and boring, try ashtanga or power yoga. Try out different forms of exercise. Explore activities such as salsa dancing that are both fun and beneficial.

7. Be consistent.
You will only see results if you work out regularly and eat mindfully every day. You can’t take a four-day break and expect to see results that week. Exercise and eating right must become the norm, while indulgences and lazy days should be occasional treats. The good news is you will soon love the way exercise and good nutrition make you feel.

8. Update Your Routine
Stick with a workout routine for four weeks, and you will see a difference, says Chad Krisher, a personal trainer at Cooper Fitness Center. Then it’s time to mix things up. It can be as simple as lifting slightly heavier weights during your strength training routine or adding a yoga or Pilates class. Continue to challenge yourself every four weeks so you won’t hit a plateau. Plus you’ll avoid the boredom that can come with doing the same routine every time you work out. Chad suggests this budget-friendly idea: Meet with a trainer to help you set up a routine; then meet only once a month so the trainer can help you add something new or adjust your workout.

9. Enlist Help
Recruit friends and family in your lifestyle change. Ask your spouse to join you on evening walks, or go to a yoga class with a friend. Let the people around you know that you are trying to change your life and you need their encouragement and support.

10. Reward Yourself
Not with food. Let me repeat that: Not. With. Food. Get a manicure or a massage. (My week ended with a relaxing massage at the onsite Cooper Spa.) Buy yourself a new outfit or snazzy tennis shoes. If you’re like me, you might find you’re rewarding yourself with things that encourage you to work out more, such as a new exercise DVD, cute yoga pants, or a bright pink stability ball. I know, it seems crazy, but it feels so right.
For entire article: Southern Living

Beef Daube Provençal

2009-01-14T14:16:00.004-05:00

Oh the weather outside is frightful! What better excuse can we ask for? It's time for some comfort food. I found this hearty and garlicky little French number on Cooking Light. Enjoy!

This classic French braised beef, red wine, and vegetable stew is simple and delicious. The flavor and texture allow you to keep it warm for your guests. Buy a whole-grain baguette, bagged salad greens, and bottled vinaigrette to round out the meal.

Yield

6 servings (serving size: about 3/4 cup stew and 1/2 cup noodles)

Ingredients

2 teaspoons olive oil
12 garlic cloves, crushed
1 (2-pound) boneless chuck roast, trimmed and cut into 2-inch cubes
1 1/2 teaspoons salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
1 cup red wine
2 cups chopped carrot
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
1/2 cup less-sodium beef broth
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
Dash of ground cloves
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 bay leaf
3 cups cooked medium egg noodles (about 4 cups uncooked noodles)

Preparation

Preheat oven to 300°.

Heat oil in a small Dutch oven over low heat. Add garlic; cook 5 minutes or until garlic is fragrant, stirring occasionally. Remove garlic with a slotted spoon, and set aside. Increase heat to medium-high. Add beef to pan; sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cook 5 minutes, browning on all sides. Remove beef from pan. Add wine to pan; bring to a boil, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Add garlic, beef, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, carrot, and next 8 ingredients (through bay leaf), and bring to a boil.

Cover and bake at 300° for 2 1/2 hours or until beef is tender. Discard bay leaf. Serve over noodles.

Note: To make in a slow cooker, prepare through Step 2. Place beef mixture in an electric slow cooker. Cover and cook on high for 5 hours.

Nutritional Information

Calories:: 367 (31% from fat)
Fat:: 12.8g (sat 4.3g,mono 5.8g,poly 0.9g)
Protein:: 29.1g
Carbohydrate:: 33.4g
Fiber:: 3.9g
Cholesterol:: 105mg
Iron:: 4.3mg
Sodium:: 776mg
Calcium:: 76mg

Lia Mack Huber, Cooking Light, NOVEMBER 2004

Wine Pairings 101 - Sauvignon Blanc

2009-01-14T13:50:00.003-05:00

For more great food suggestions to pair with other wines, check out Riesling, Merlot, Chardonnay, and Cabernet Sauvignon.

Sauvignon Blanc: crisp and refreshing
A lean, crisp, white wine that's extremely flexible with food, and a great alternative to Chardonnay

Swirl and taste: Tart lemon, grapefruit, melon, and tropicals like passionfruit ― even gooseberry ― over a pleasant grassiness and herbal quality.

Pair with:

Cheese (especially goat cheese)
Green vegetables (asparagus, zucchini, fresh peas, artichokes)
Oysters
Delicate fish like sole
Fresh herbs
Mild viniagrettes
Dishes with tangy dairy ingredients
Herbal, briny sauces
Pesto

Perfect recipe pairings
Salads and Soups
• Mâche with Spring Vegetables and Lemon Vinaigrette
• Roasted Artichoke Salad with Lemon and Mint
• Arugula Salad with Goat Cheese Medallions
• Crab and Artichoke Salad
• Green Minestrone

Pasta
• Basil Risotto
• Ravioli with Green Pea Pesto
• Pasta with Mint and Peas
• Risotto with Bitter Greens

Chicken and Lamb
• Grilled Lamb Brochettes with Lemon and Dill
• Roast Chicken and Onion Tacos

Shrimp
• Lemon-Garlic Shrimp Skewers
• Grilled Grapefruit-Rosemary Shrimp
• Asparagus and Shrimp Stir-Fry on Noodle Pillows
• Chinese Shrimp and Pea Rice Bowl

Seafood
• Halibut Tostadas with Yogurt-Lime Sauce
• Artichoke Crab Paella
• Oysters with Aioli
• Scallop and Sugar Snap Pea Stir-Fry
• Oven-Browned Sole with Asparagus

Source: Sunset

The Beginner’s Guide to Zen Habits - A Guided Tour

2009-01-14T13:34:00.004-05:00

I'd like to introduce you to one of my favorite places to visit, Zen Habits. Leo Babuta is the author of The Power Of Less. He believes that doing less doesn't necessarily equate with being less productive, and that owning less does not mean that we have less. The offerings you will find at Zen Habits respect the philosophy that abundance can be achieved through savoring simplicity.
Savory
-----------------------Photo courtesy of mudeth

The Beginner's Guide to Zen Habits

While some of you have been following Zen Habits since its early days (beginning of 2007), many of you are fairly new readers. To help you through the fairly overwhelming archives, I’ve compiled a beginner’s guide. Kind of a Quick Start guide.

First, a note: Please don’t try to go through this all at once. There are days and days worth of reading here. I’ve just organized that so that you can go to the stuff you want to learn about first. Take it in small chunks. :)

Where do you start when you have a thousand posts to read through? You start with the best, or at least the most popular. So here they are: The All-Time Most Popular Posts on Zen Habits:

But those are just the stars of the All-Star team. Next you’ll want to delve into some of your favorite topics. You can go through the main categories:

Bedrooms for Boys

2009-01-14T11:55:00.004-05:00

Okay, let's just say it. The bed is the star of the show in this room, and while we're at it, let's admit that this room could belong to a girl as well as a boy, but the color scheme makes it perfect for a boy.

Custom bunk beds (twin size above and queen below) maximize floor space in this bedroom.

Sh! I'll tell you a secret. This is really a master bedroom, but I think its playful nature makes it perfect for a boy. The touches of black make it sophisticated enough to take him from kindergarten through college. Kids rooms are often made up of odd pieces of furniture that have no common origin. Paint can not be overestimated in its ability to unify.

And here we have another room that will take a boy all the way through the teen years. No primary colors can be found here. You can either choose a striped bedspread to inspire the wall color, or choose a wonderful wall color, and go with a solid comforter in a complimentary color.
Image Source: PointClickHome

Meditation In Ten Easy Steps

2009-01-13T16:24:00.008-05:00

I found the following post by Mare at Abundance Blog at Marelisa Online

photo credit: gill.shail

Although meditation often has a spiritual connotation, the benefits of meditation include not only strengthening our connection to something larger than ourselves, but also improved health, heightened creativity, better problem-solving skills, and increased feelings of well-being and serenity. During meditation breathing slows down, blood pressure decreases, and stress hormone levels fall. Even though the body relaxes completely during meditation, the mind is awake, although quiet. This relaxed mental state is ideal for coming up with new and unexpected ways of doing things, for releasing worry, fear, anxiety and other negative emotions, and for recharging our mental batteries.

Below you will find a simple ten step meditation routine you can begin to practice right away to help you relax, quiet your mind chatter, and create access to the deeper knowledge that resides within.

1. Ideally, you should meditate for at least fifteen minutes a day, every day. Also, you should try to meditate at the same time each day to help create a sense of ritual. You can use an egg timer to countdown to fifteen minutes so that you’re not constantly opening your eyes to see how much time has gone by.

2. Find a quiet place where you won’t be interrupted. If you would like ideas on how to create a space for meditation, refer to my previous post, “Creating Sacred Space”. You can lie down on a yoga mat or a sofa, you can sit on a meditation cushion, or you can sit on the floor or a comfortable chair with your back straight and without crossing your arms or your legs.

3. The more senses you can engage in signaling to your brain that it’s time to slow down, the better. Play soft music or Tibetan chants, or get a sound machine that plays nature sounds. In addition, the sound of rhythmic drums has long been known to help create a state of deep trance. Light an aromatherapy candle or incense. You can also place a few drops of essential oil combined with water in a ceramic diffuser, or dip a cotton ball in the scented oil and place it nearby. Smells that are relaxing include cedar wood, chamomile, lavender, and sandalwood. For the sense of touch you can wrap a soft, cotton shawl or blanket around yourself.

4. To help you begin to relax, rub a tablespoon of oil between your palms and massage your forehead using gentle, circular motions; then massage your temples, the outside of your ears, the top of your head, and the back and front of your neck. You can also massage your scalp. With a second tablespoon of oil massage the soles of your feet. Deepak Chopra explains in “Grow Younger, Live Longer – 10 Steps to Reverse Aging”, that a massage gives you access to your inner pharmacy, and a slow, soothing massage releases natural relaxing chemicals.

5. In “Energetic Boundaries – Practical Protection and Renewal Skills for Healers, Therapists, and Sensitive People”, Karla McLaren suggests that you create a “room in your head” that gives you a place to settle into your body. Simply imagine a room inside your head where your eyes are the windows, the sides of your head are the walls, the top of your head is the roof, and the floor is at about the level of your upper jaw. You can mentally decorate the room any way you like, but make sure you add a comfortable chair or sofa to sit in. When you’re ready to start your meditation session, feel yourself comfortably sitting in the chair or sofa right behind your eyes. Imagining yourself in this sanctuary will help you focus your energy and attention inwardly so that you can begin to let go of the worries and demands of the outside world.

6. Once you’re comfortably seated in your inner sanctuary, close your eyes and concentrate on your breathing. Awareness of the breathing process is itself sufficient to slow down your breathing rate. Let your abdomen move upward on inhalation and downward on exhalation. By focusing on the breath we bring the mind and body together in one place.

“There are people who are born and die and never once are aware of the breath going in and out of the body. That’s how far away they live from themselves.”
Ajahn Chah

7. To relax even more, count backwards slowly from 50 to 1, and feel yourself relaxing more and more with each number. You can also imagine a warm, gentle light entering through the top of your head and moving slowly down toward your toes, relaxing your body completely.

8. Continue to concentrate on your breathing. If your mind wanders, simply bring it gently back to the present moment and refocus on your breath. It often helps to repeat a simple phrase to help keep you focused, such as the Zen saying: “Simply being with what is.”

9. Once you feel a sense of steadiness and calm, you can begin the process of inner listening. Nothing has to happen next; experience the present moment for what it is. You can also use this time to silently repeat positive affirmations and/or to practice creative visualization.

10. When you’re ready to come out of your meditation session, tell yourself that when you open your eyes at the count of 5, you will be completely awake and alert, feeling better than before.

Continue here.

Sweet Paul design, craft & food

2009-01-13T10:15:00.007-05:00

Sweet Paul isn't called Sweet Paul for nothin'. His site is as beautiful as his recipes are delicious. If you love cooking or food or photography, you must visit Sweet Paul. How many times can I say Sweet Paul in one post? Sweet Paul offers a gift to his readers every Monday. He calls it Recipe monday (lowercase "m") because he's clever that way. Many of his photos are taken by the gifted Colin Cooke. Stop by Sweet Paul's. You'll be a better person for it, or at least sweeter.

FALLEN CHOCOLATE CAKE

This is such a great cake.
No flour so it’s great for Passover.
You can not cut slices of this cake so it needs to be served with a spoon.
Serves 6

9 ounces dark chocolate
1 cup butter
6 eggs, separated
1 1/2 cup sugar

Preheat the oven to 350F.
Chop the chocolate.
Melt chocolate and butter in a bowl over hot water.
Beat the egg yolks and sugar in a bowl until pale.
Combine the egg mixture and the chocolate.
Whisk the egg whites into stiff peaks.
Fold them gently into the chocolate mixture.
Pour the batter into a 12-14 inch pie tin.
Place in oven and bake for 16-20 minutes.
The cake will rice and then fall.
Don’t worry, its supposed to fall.
Serve warm with whipped cream or ice cream.

Photo by Colin Cooke

Garage Makeover

2009-01-13T10:00:00.003-05:00

Family turns car space into people space, with room for guests
Now it's a light-filled guest cottage, playroom, and home office.

Before the addition
Architect Jonathan Feldman increased livable space ― but not the home’s footprint ― by smartly reconfiguring an existing structure.

After
Replacing the flat roof with a gabled one created space for the loft, which sits above the garage’s remaining parking spot.

The floor plan
The couple wanted to take advantage of some roof space for the loft bedroom. It has more privacy, and there’s a nice separation if one is working at the desk below. It also allows for a messy bed to be kept out of sight.
See more at Sunset.

a lighter shade of pale

2009-01-13T09:16:00.006-05:00

What is it about this kitchen? Could it be the simple pendant light that hangs over a small table. Perhaps that incredible window that brings the outside pouring into the space. But then again, maybe it's those soft yellow cabinets. I'm a sucker for yellow in a kitchen because my mother always thought a kitchen should be yellow. Whatever the reason, this kitchen evokes warm feelings for me.
---------------

"Cabinets were torn out and replaced with recessed-panel Shaker-style ones, which were then painted sunny yellow, a departure from the suite of whites that illuminate most of the rest of the house.

The terra-cotta tiles on the kitchen floor were exchanged for limestone. In the breakfast area, a round table and modern wicker chairs are set in front of a wall with soaring windows that afford views of the garden with its striking urns and architectural embellishments."

Sources:
Cabinetry: Barrons Custom Kitchens, 301/948-6400.
Oven; range; hood: Viking, 888/845-4641.
Countertop: Silestone by Cosentino, 800/291-1311.
Limestone floor tiles: Architectural Ceramics, 301/762-4140.
Pulley light, mat; chairs: owner’s collection.
China: Tone On Tone, 240/497-0800.
Tablecloth (Great Plains): Holly Hunt, 312/661-1900, trade only.

More photos of a lighter shade of pale can be found at Traditional Home.

Wine Pairings 101 - Riesling

2009-01-12T10:18:00.006-05:00

Riesling is the star of today's wine parings. To get great food suggestions to pair with other wines, check out Merlot, Chardonnay, and Cabernet Sauvignon.

Riesling: Crisp and aromatic
A crisp, aromatic wine, considered the noblest white of all by much of the wine world, that goes with just about everything.

Photo: Rob D. Brodman

Swirl and taste: Delicate white peach, green apple, and lime flavors ― or riper apricot, nectarine, and mandarin orange. Riesling often has a pleasant minerality akin to wet stones and a haunting diesel-like aroma (if you can imagine that as a good thing).

Pair with:
• Shellfish
• Pork
• Ham
• Salads and vegetables
• Egg dishes
• Sausages, salumi, and charcouterie ― especially cured pork products
• Barbecue
• Asian dishes ― Thai, Vietnamese, Chinese, Japanese (sushi!), Indian
• Southwestern foods

Find your style: Bone-dry to quite sweet. (Western winemakers are making it drier now.) The best have great acidity that keeps the wine lively.

Perfect recipe pairings
For dry Riesling
• Chicken Stew with Olives and Lemon
• Pork Scaloppine with Sweet-tart Shallots
• Potato, Leek, and Mushroom Gratin

For slightly off-dry
• Pan-Roasted Fish with Thai Curry Sauce
• Chile Verde
• Halibut and Sweet Potato Chowder

For fairly sweet (but not late-harvest dessert style)
• Best-Ever Chinese Chicken Salad
• Pad Thai
• Sweet-and-Sour Chicken-Apricot Skewers

Source: Sunset

Ohio Farmhouse Revival

2009-01-12T09:21:00.005-05:00

It's inspiring to look at photos of a renovation in its completion. It's a bit like making sausage; the process is messy, but the end product is delicious.

I found these photos of an Ohio farmhouse revival at Country Living. What a delightful dream - finding a charming old farmhouse that's a little worse for wear, and loving it back into its former glory.
----------------
Photos: Don Freeman

Integrating house and garden is Kevin Reiner's trademark — and the key to the revival of his Ohio farmhouse.

New Living Room
Simplicity of lines and trim harmonized new construction with old. In the new living room, French doors blur the transition between indoors and out, while white cotton slipcovers and a sisal rug create a relaxed atmosphere.

Harvest Dining Room
This 10-foot harvest table was rescued from an old general store; its linoleum surface peeled away to reveal honest wood beneath, which Kevin finished with a light coat of wax. The surrounding chairs are as individual as Kevin's frequent dinner-party guests.

Kitchen
Paneled cabinets painted a sober dark gray (Ralph Lauren's Surrey) lend a pantry ambience to the kitchen area. Classic marble on the counters emphasizes the sleek utility of the stainless steel Viking range.

Oversize Bathroom
Kevin created this oversize bathroom by removing a closet and part of the upstairs hallway. He kept the original claw-foot bathtub, adding fixtures and hardware to enable its use as a shower. The door, like most in the house, is salvaged; the differences in style from door to door reinforce the house-with-a-history feel Kevin sought.

Renovated Bedroom
Maximize usable space in small rooms, such as designing windows to open outward.

The Garden
Kevin planted pots of boxwood and a loose, informal mix of nicotiana, sweet alyssum, and dahlias in the two beds flanking the stone path.

See more photos here.

'Tis The Season To Organize

2009-01-12T08:00:00.010-05:00

They really should change that New Year's exclamation "ring out the old and ring in the new" to "throw out the old and organize the few." This is the time of year when even the most disorganized clutter bug gets the urge to tidy up - even if the results only last till March.

There's something about purging that feels good. I feel the high for days after cleaning out a closet, taking things to goodwill, placing old dressers, pots and pans out by the curbside, or organizing the garage or attic. The spirit needs a good cleaning once in awhile, and it never fails that I find things I'd forgotten I had. It's always a treasure hunt.

Let's see what's cookin' in the organizing department.
----------------
Build in flexibility
Photographer - Jen Siska
Writer - Jess Chamberlain
Source: Sunset
Cubbies are ideal for storage and display ― and are easy to stack. “I’m constantly changing that area as we acquire new art and books,” says Maybelle. Cubes $60 and $80 from Stumasa. Office Basics accordion-style organizer $36; seejanework.com

Bonus tip: A tower of books makes a great display pedestal.

Put furniture to work
Multipurpose furniture is a must. “We don’t have an entryway closet, so this storage bench holds anything I need to unload,” says Maybelle. Westport storage bench $379 and baskets $15 each from Stumasa.

Bonus tip: Forget folding chairs ― move the bench for extra seating.

Maximize wall space“Freestanding wall units can be much less expensive than built-ins,” says Maybelle. Custom wall unit $3,800 and wire baskets $29 each from Stumasa. Chalkboard by notNeutral, $36; seejanework.com

Bonus tip: Create a niche in the unit for a workstation to add even more function.
Access what you often need
Open shelves are all about easy access, but they force you to edit. “When it’s in plain sight, you know what you’ve got,” says Maybelle. “You forget about things behind cupboard doors.” Oaktown cubby unit $399 from Stumasa.

Bonus tip: Group displays of utilitarian items by color.

Hide what you rarely use
Any unused space is fair game for storage. Drawers on casters conceal seldom-used items under the bed. They also work well for storing toys in a cramped kid’s room. Under-bed drawers $75 from Stumasa.

Bonus tip: Use garment bags to keep dust out of stored linens.

Designer, illustrator, and calligrapher Maybelle Imasa-Stukuls shares advice for living minimally:
Any unused space is fair game for storage. Drawers on casters conceal seldom-used items under the bed. They also work well for storing toys in a cramped kid’s room. Under-bed drawers $75 from Stumasa.

Bonus tip: Use garment bags to keep dust out of stored linens.

Think ahead If you don’t love it or need it, don’t bring it in the house.

Continually edit Especially your book collection and your closet. Maybelle keeps a “to donate” bag in her car for regular clothing purges.

Recycle magazines Tear favorite ideas and recipes from magazines and store in folders.

INFO Stumasa

A Beautiful Life

2009-01-11T16:17:00.011-05:00

Photo: Savory

Melissa, over at The Inspired Room, proposed an interesting exercise. In a post entitled Balancing Act: Finding a Beautiful Life, she sought to include her readers by asking them, "Have you set any goals or made any progress this week towards the life YOU want?" A provocative question indeed.

The word I focused on in her post was in the title, "Balancing." What is life if it is not a balancing act? A metaphor - three ring circus - comes to mind.

Balance is essential to a happy and peaceful existence. Within the least insightful among us - those who have never even pondered such things - a primal voice whispers that contentment resides in a life of moderation, variety, balance in all things.

My particular circumstances at this particular time of my life create significant challenges to that end, but can't that be said of almost any life at any given time?

Mind, body and spirit. How can we say that one is more important than another, but there are times when we become so focused on one thing that something else inevitably suffers. I'm not saying this is always bad. There are times in our lives when we must give our complete attention to one thing, but we need to be mindful not to allow those times to continue for too long.

Goals seem too intimidating for me right now, but how about habits. Perhaps I could put a concerted effort toward changing one or two small things. Repetition creates a habit. Perhaps I could find those precious moments to exercise, to meditate, or maybe I'll make sure I find the time to do something I love, something that fills me up.

This is the time of year to take stock, to evaluate, to ask ourselves if we are living the kind of life we imagined for ourselves in our higher moments of consciousness? Are we fulfilled in our careers? Do we feel valued? Are we good with our loved ones? Do we feel comfortable that we're making our choices according to our ethics and morals? Where do we stand financially? Are we spending our money on things that will better our lives, or simply buying stuff without reason and purpose behind our choices.

As I evaluate all these things, I feel more gratitude than stress. I realize these are the right questions, and it's up to me to make sure that I am always working toward a life that will give the right answers this time of year - every year.

Thank you , Melissa, for prompting a little navel gazing.

Sidewalk Shoes

2009-01-10T09:22:00.011-05:00

The following post was lifted, in its entirety, from Sidewalk Shoes. Pam, the site administrator, writes, "My days are spent teaching middle school special ed and my nights are spent searching for that perfect recipe."

She serves up delightful fragments of her busy life to her readers - along with helpful tips, book lists, and recipes. Oh, and an indolent kitty makes an occasional appearance. Don't you just know you're going to have fun at a place with a name like Sidewalk Shoes. Drop by and prepare to be charmed.

Silly Tip

Well, this is a rather silly tip, but I was kind of excited when I figured it out. So, on the off-chance that one of you might find it worthwhile, I'm posting it.

Whenever I am cooking, I am always looking for something to hold open my cookbook. Something heavy that will cause it to lay flat, but not so big that I can't read around it. One day, I happened to lay my meat pounder on a book, and voila! It was perfect, heavy enough to hold open the most ornery cookbook, yet narrow enough to easily move or read around.

See..silly I know. Not much substance to this post. But it's first week back at school, and I'm already exhausted. And yes, I know I had a bonus snow (rain) day, but I don't care. I need a nap.

Silly Tip

Laurie Colwin

2009-01-09T14:34:00.015-05:00

Those who are so fortunate as to own Laurie Colwin books never relinquish them. Though they may be dogeared from multiple readings, when it's time to move on to a new city, a new home, a new life, her books are carefully taken down from the shelf, dusted off, and tucked away in a labeled box, only to be unpacked and positioned on another shelf, in the next place called home.

Her words, like chicken soup, offer comfort for the soul. Her respect for domesticity and her elevation of family and friendship have made her books timeless treasures.
Her unexpected and premature death has not dissuaded her readers. If anything, their numbers have grown. All of her books are still in print, though her absence has been felt for well over a decade.

Perhaps a certain passage from the title story of "The Lone Pilgrim" could apply to someone you know. It reminds me of my own sister; she cherished hand-me-downs: bowls, utensils, cast iron pans, and recipes that once belonged to our grandmother. She took great joy in trying recipes handed down through our family over the years. She once demanded that I learn to make pastry, and would not relent till we spent an entire day making pies. It was so important to her to pass on the tradition. Laurie Colwin honors tradition and domesticity with her words.
"Oh, domesticity! The wonder of dinner plates and cream pitchers. You know your friends by their ornaments. You want everything. If Mrs. A. has her mama's old jelly mold, you want one too, and everything else that goes with it -- the family, the tradition, the years of having jelly molded in it. We domestic sensualists live in a state of longing, no matter how comfortable our own places are."

You can find Laurie Colwin's books here.

Wine Pairings 101 - Merlot

2009-01-09T10:17:00.005-05:00

Merlot: soft tannins, dark fruit

The most popular red wine in the U.S. (the Sideways effect notwithstanding), Merlot has dark fruit flavors like Cabernet Sauvignon, but is generally a little rounder and softer

Swirl and taste: Blackberries, blueberries, plums, cassis, and dried cherries combined with chocolate, cedar, and tobacco and sometimes hints of black olive.

Merlot carries the same complex flavor package that Cabernet Sauvignon does, but generally has softer, mellower tannins.

Pair with:
• Tender, milder cuts of beef, such as tenderloin
• Lamb
• Meaty fish ― salmon, tuna
• Black olives
• Mushrooms
• Fresh herbs
• Grilled foods
• Meats with warm spices
• Meats with fruit sauces ― berries, dried cherries

MORE TASTING NOTES Merlot is the popular wine that it is partly because of its gentle reputation. But don't write Merlot off as less than serious! The variety can be deeply concentrated, with firm, Cab-rivaling tannins ― especially Merlot from Washington state.

Perfect recipe pairings

Seafood and Vegetarian
• Tuna with Tomato-Caper Sauce
• Lentil and Sweet Potato Curry
• Cheddar-Garlic Portabella Soufflés
• Hot Plum and Spinach Salad

Steak
• Bistec Argentino al Chimichurri (Steak with Chimichurri Sauce)
• Skirt Steak with Mustard Sauce
• Garlic Flank Steak
• New York Strip Steaks with Orange and Oregano

Chicken, Pork, and Lamb
• Lamb Shanks with Olives and Capers
• Parmesan-Herb Lamb Chops with Mint Aioli
• Sherried Mushroom Chicken Scaloppine
• Pork Scaloppine with Plum-Port Sauce

Beef
• Beef Tenderloin with Fresh Herbs
• Pastel de Choclo (Beef and Corn Shepherd's Pie)
• Plum Creek Cellars Grilled Tenderloin
• Hawaiian Beef Ribs
• Korean Barbecued Short Ribs
• Rancho Dagwood 1998

Source: Sunset
For more great food suggestions to pair with other wines, check out Riesling, Chardonnay, and Cabernet Sauvignon.

Quest for Color

2009-01-09T04:30:00.007-05:00

Transforming the look of a room begins with fresh, dynamic color. Paint a wall, add some artwork, or bring in a new rug. Then, if you like what you’ve started, keep going.

Charles Walton IV, Julia Hamilton

Enjoy the warmth that the right balance of vivid hues brings to a home. Express your creativity by following the example of this family room and kitchen.

Bright and bold hues interplay on the furniture, art, and accessories in the family room.

Read the entire article and see more photos at Southern Living.

Inspiration

2009-01-08T14:59:00.012-05:00

I find the photography of Mari Eriksson to be inspirational. In its quiet beauty, it evokes memories of another time, a time when days didn't fly by, when phones didn't ring incessantly, when languid afternoons and summer nights softly tip toed by at a slower pace. Her work doesn't demand or command, it softly whispers on the wind till I take notice, and then it's too late. I'm inspired.

Condron.us

2009-01-08T13:55:00.005-05:00

Looking for new blogs to enjoy, but hate hitting that next button? I just found this blog surfing site. I guess you could call it channel surfing for blogs. If you want to surf blogs effortlessly, then this site is the place for you. Just access http://www.condron.us/, then click on the START button. You will be surfing away to different blogs around the world in no time.

Enjoy!

Inspiration from One of Sunset's Idea Houses

2009-01-08T12:33:00.008-05:00

Interiors of Sunset's Menlow Park, Calif. Idea House

Living to dining: gallery wall
All Photos: E. Spencer Toy

Inspiration: A varied collection of art has more impact when grouped together.

Set against a light-colored niche wall in the dining room, this salon-style installation by Lost Art Salon is a focal point and an irresistible conversation starter.

Steal this idea: Instead of painting an accent wall, create a quilt of artwork and hang the pieces from the ceiling to the baseboard.

Living room: add drama with color
Inspiration:Benjamin Moore's steel blue Flint (AF-560) creates a distinctly elegant mood in the living room. Affordable curtains from Ikea add a light, soft touch.

Steal this idea: In a room with lots of light, try experimenting with a dark paint. Paint the ceiling a lighter color to bring the eye up and heighten the space.

Kitchen: get a layered look
Inspiration: The crisp clean design of this blue and white kitchen is layered with pops of energetic color. The red drum pendant from Croft & Little illuminates the bamboo island top from Teragren. Glass-front cabinets provide a showcase for a collection of colorful pottery.

Steal this idea: The bamboo-topped table on casters tucks under the island and can roll away for use throughout the house or outside. Mixing up the chair styles adds casual appeal.

Source: Sunset

Wine Pairings 101 - Chardonnay

2009-01-08T11:57:00.006-05:00

Our wine for today is...

Chardonnay: rich and complex white

With complex fruit flavors and often a rich, creamy texture; the most popular white wine in the U.S. to date.

Swirl and taste: Green apple, pear, melon, creamy lemon, and sometimes pineapple, rounded out with butterscotch and vanilla.

Pair with:
Sweet shellfish
White-fleshed fish ― halibut, black cod (sablefish), sturgeon, mahimahi, tilapia
Chicken and turkey
Pork
Veal
Legumes
Winter squash
Corn
Nuts
Risotto and pasta
Cream and butter sauces
Mild Caribbean dishes with tropical fruit flavors

Find your style: California winemakers have traditionally made Chardonnay in a rich, buttery style by fermenting and aging it in oak barrels. Too much oak can cover up the fruit, so some winemakers are starting to substitute stainless-steel tanks for a leaner, crisper style.

Perfect recipe pairings
For oaked styles

Mendo Crab Cakes

Golden Squash with Sautéed shrimp

Caramelized Fall Fruit Salad with Chicken

Lemon-Oregano Chicken

Roast Hens with Golden Vegetable Hash

For unoaked styles

Chicken Fettuccine with Mushroom Brie

Dungeness Crab and Winter Citrus Salad

Mango-Shrimp Tostadas

Tequila-Marinated Chicken Fajitas

Caesar Salad with Fried Ginger

Source: Sunset

Wine Pairings 101 - Cabs

2009-01-07T18:40:00.010-05:00

I thought it would be fun to offer a modest primer on wine pairings. Over the next few days there will be suggestions and links to recipes that will compliment each selection. Cheers!

Cabernet Sauvignon: the king of reds

The king of reds; a big-structured, dark-fruited wine, the best of which become even more elegant with age.

Photo: James Carrier

Swirl and taste:
Plums, blackberries, and black currant; sometimes violets or rose petals, and often mint, mocha, and eucalyptus or cedar; strong tannins underneath.

Pair with:
• Well-marbled beef
• Hearty fowl like duck
• Spice rubs and sauces with lots of black pepper; mushrooms
• Marinades with soy sauce
• Long-braised stews
• Pot roast
• Grilled red meat

Find your style: Some Cabs are made to be drunk tonight ― with ripe fruit and subdued tannins. Others need years to mellow. Great Cabs, some argue, are balanced the day they're released and get better with time.

Perfect Pairings

Beef

Multicolored-Pepper Steaks with Balsamic Onions

French Onion Rib Eye Steak

Tenderloin Steaks with Gorgonzola Butter

Slow-Braised Beef Stew with Mushrooms

Cabernet-Braised Short Ribs with Dried Apricots

More

Parmesan-Herb Lamb Chops with Mint Aioli

Thyme-Roasted Duck Breast with Orange-Wine Sauce

Seared Tuna with Japanese Salsa

Source: Sunset
For more great food suggestions to pair with other wines, check out Riesling, Merlot, and Chardonnay, .

Chic Military Blanket Pillows

2009-01-07T17:56:00.005-05:00

I love these Army Blanket Pillows, made by Vancouver's Ouno. Durable, chic, and oozing character, they will soften any nook or cranny. Their subdued hues are easily compatible with many color palettes.

If you enjoy sewing, imagine how many pillows you can make from one blanket. Inexpensive and high-quality wool blankets can be found at army surplus stores.

These pillow covers are handmade from vintage wool army blankets over feather inserts, but you could use foam inserts. Priced at $60 each, Ouno offers a discount for purchasing multiples. Read more about these pillows here.

Smart Bargains Dot Com

2009-01-07T17:00:00.006-05:00

SmartBargains.com may not be the most chic online bedding source, but as their name implies, there are bargains to be found. To be sure, as often is the case when searching for any true treasure, you must do a little digging. However, for the discerning eye, there are gems waiting to be discovered among the rubble.

Looking Back - Going Forward

2009-01-06T14:34:00.018-05:00

As we move forward into a fresh, new year, though we may wish to leave pieces of our past behind, they trail in our wake as surely as a bride's train follows her down the isle to her new beginning. It's not only foolhardy to go forward without examining our past, it can be treacherous.

Now is the time to assess the last twelve months, to take full measure of our accomplishments, to seek the lessons from our missteps, to consider where we want to go from here, and how best to get there. Unless we take a moment to make a few observations, how can we know the direction in which we wish to proceed? Benjamin Franklin once said, "I have often looked at the sun without being able to tell whether it was rising or setting."

Take a few minutes to answer the following questions that I found over at "More In Your Life." I hope your answers will be helpful in charting your course.

Photo: BMA
1. How is where you are in life today different from where you were last January?

2. How are you different today, internally, than you were a year ago?

3. Of all you've experienced in the past year, what are you the most proud of?

4. What did you shy away from in 2008 that you wish you'd gone for?

5. What did you learn about yourself this year?

6. Who impacted your life the most this past year?

7. What are the most important lessons you learned in 2008 that you want to be conscious of in 2009?

8. What are you being called to next in your personal growth?

9. If you could create three things in your life the coming year, what would they be?

10. What parts of yourself will you need to call upon to create those three things with wild success in 2009?

Hyacinths

2009-01-05T18:52:00.012-05:00

“If, of thy mortal goods, thou art bereft,
And from thy slender store two loaves alone to thee are left,
Sell one and from the dole,
Buy Hyacinths to feed the soul”
~Muslih-uddin Sadi

When the most frigid months and the shortest days of the year are upon us, when the warmth of the sun is infirm of purpose, and a somber blanket stretches across the darkened skies, the human spirit longs for a bit of spring. Hyacinths can be easily grown inside during these colorless months. Feed your soul with the scent and beauty of spring until the real thing comes again.

Photo Source: Lantlif

Simply Charming

2009-01-05T17:14:00.006-05:00

The white trim against the soft color on the walls gives a cool, crisp feel to this sunny room.

The natural doors and hardwood floors offer just enough contrast to the white trim and neutral wall color.

I love this way of displaying your child's art. Use clothes pins to hang it from a jump rope. It's so simple to change it when they come home from school with a new masterpiece.
Fotos: Mari Eriksson

orzo with lemon, feta, currants and pickles

2009-01-05T09:30:00.007-05:00

A surprise ingredient sets this apart from your everyday pasta dish.
Photo by John Kernick May 2006

The Ingredients:
Serves 8

1 lb. orzo
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
juice of 1 lemon
1 cup (about 4 oz.) crumbled feta
¼ cup chopped parsley
½ cup (about 2 oz.) dried currants
10 cornichons, chopped
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add the orzo and cook it until it's al dente, about 6 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water for about 30 seconds, until the orzo has come to room temperature. Place in a serving bowl and add the remaining ingredients. Stir well to combine.

Source: Domino