Renovation Realities

The time has come. We're gutting the bathroom that is original to the house. I have a feeling this project is going to be very similar to the reality shows on DIY, where from the comfort of my couch, I can snicker and chuckle at those clowns flailing about, trying to install flooring. I think it's going to be my turn to flail about. So why not share it with the world! It absolutely has to be done.

Here is the bathroom in it's original-vintage-horrible condition:


I mean, that's just bad, man. It makes me cringe. Not only are those tiles pink (double cringe), but they're fake. They're freakin' plastic! So here's what's going to happen. It's all going. Every single thing except for the bathtub is going to be thrown out that window and hauled outta here. I cannot wait!

Now, this is a hallway bathroom, but it's also Homey's bathroom. I want it to be "hers" but not necessarily overly juvenile since the rest of the world will mainly be using that bathroom. So here's my inspiration for the final product:

Vintage enamel bucket from the Fair, sand colored basket and new shower curtain from World Market, concrete mermaid (also from the Fair), and recently found mermaid hook. Adorable, no? So this clearly lends the bathroom to lean towards a beach-y feel. I don't mind a beach-y feel, I just do not plan on plastering beach scenes and shells everywhere. A subtle nod to ocean-ish stuff, with the mermaids (and NOT Ariel, bless her heart. I do love Ariel...just not as decor!) as a whimsical touch since it is a tiny person's bathroom.

Okay what else do I have for in there? Ah yes, one Homey beach picture for good measure. It's just a pretty picture.

A pretty seahorse ornament to go somewhere...it matches the shower curtain!



Oh, and Homey's step stool that JMom made. So cute.


That's it! That's my jumping off point. Now to just get in there and demo!

Stay tuned for updates and polls as we try to finish this room! I will need tons of opinions to get it finished!

Broccoli Soup

I promise to move on from recipes and onto other thrills of domesticity soon, but I just made broccoli soup. And it is so freakin' good. And easy. It's not one of those soups that has to sit and simmer forever. Probably only takes 20 minutes from start to finish. You actually probably already have most of this stuff in your kitchen:


(These pictures are totally not the greatest...dinner was late that night, so the lighting was less than fabulous)

32 oz chicken broth
2-10 oz boxes of frozen broccoli. (Florets or bust, baby. I don't deal with broccoli stems. Or as Thing 2 calls them "broccoli bones".)
1/2 an onion, diced
1/2 cup milk (whole...don't play around with percentages of milk!)
1 tbsp butter
2 tbsp flour
1/4 tsp nutmeg
salt/pepper to taste

Now go ahead and start to saute the onion in the butter:

Nothing smells better than onion cooking in butter.

Once they're nice and soft, stir in the flour to coat the onion. Then add all of the broth and both boxes of broccoli.


Just let this cook for about 10 minutes at about medium heat. You just want it to simmer for a while to cook the broccoli. Turn the heat up a tad if the natives are getting restless...

You don't want this girl to get overly hungry...

Now pull out your food process, blender, or whatever you use to process and blend things. I pull out the biggest pieces of broccoli and a little broth, and puree it. I do like to leave some whole pieces of broccoli in there, just not all of it.

Now, let the newly pureed broccoli rejoin the group.

Slowly pour in the milk. Let it heat up


Crap, you can see the time! I told you it was getting a little late! Oops...

While you're letting the milk warm up in there, add in the nutmeg and plenty of black pepper. Start tasting as you add...you may not want to add salt, or maybe you will. You may even want more nutmeg...I did.

Garnish with shredded cheddar cheese. Throw a twice baked potato with it...perfect meal for a cold rainy night!

Spanakopita...it's not that hard!!

Ok, let's talk about this. So maybe making homemade spanakopita is not on the top of your list. And yes, phyllo dough is terrifying. But listen. This recipe is not that hard. Once you have the “set up” down pat, this is super easy. But I'm not going to lie, it does require some effort. After all, it sure does beat rolling out cookie dough that has it out for you. Thank goodness Cookie Rolling Out season is over!

Anyway...watch this. Expect it to be a pain in your neck the first time, but then you'll get the rhythm down. Double it because they freeze beautifully before they're baked. You can just pull them out as you need them! And how cool are you going to be the next time someone pops over, and you over them a fresh batch of homemade spanakopita...I love being overly prepared!

Grab these things:

10 oz frozen spinach, thawed and drained

olive oil

1 small onion, chopped

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

4 oz feta cheese, crumbled

2 eggs, lightly beaten

salt and pepper to taste

1 1/2 (16 ounce) packages phyllo dough

about a stick and a half butter, melted

So let's making the filling. Spinach tends to need a good bit of seasoning so feel free to be liberal with your salt and pepper here. But remember that feta is a salty cheese, so don't get out of control.

Saute the onion in about 2 tablespoons of EVOO.

Add in the flour and spinach.

Once this is mixed, take this off the heat and add in the eggs, feta, and salt/pepper.

Ok, now is when you want to take a deep breath and put a straw in your cocktail because your hands are going to be busy and phyllo-y for the next 20 minutes are so. You will want that straw in your cup, I promise.

Let's get set up...this is so much easier if you havea station ready. You need:

Parchment paper, phyllo, and butter (melt it...)

You need saran wrap, a damp towel, a sharp knive or pizza cutter and a pastry brush.

Set up the phyllo on your right (Jmom, just switch the left/right here...) with saran wrap over it and a damp towel over that. In the middle you want a length of parchment paper. To your left you want a cookie sheet lined with parchment or a silpat (I got one for Christmas so I can feel fancy and professional).

Another deep breath. Let's do it!

If you have never worked with phyllo this is what you're working with. I am holding 2 thin sheets in that picture. It is very delicate, and if you let it dry out, it just crumbles all over the place and is useless. That's why we need a damp towel (but word the wise, make sure you have saran wrap between the dough and the towel. If it's too damp, the phyllo gets gummy...rendering it, yet again, useless. Finicky dough.

Pull out 2 sheets and put them in the middle of your work station. Brush evenly with butter (but not too much!). Add a third layer, brush it with butter also.

Cut the phyllo into thirds with the pizza cutter.

Add a spoonful of the spinach mixture to the end of the phyllo strip.

Fold it up diagonally.

Then keep folding...

Keep folding...

This is what you'll end up with...

Lather, rinse, repeat...

Then brush the tops of each triangle with butter.

(Now is when you would freeze any to save for later—leave off the last brush of butter).

Bake at 350, for about 45 minutes, or until golden brown:

Delicious! Now to bake previously frozen spanakopita, let them thaw in the fridge overnight, then do the same thing. Brush them with butter then bake.

Perfect appetizer or side dish. Pair with pastichio and dolmades for an awesome Greek Extravanza!

Why, oh why, did I blog this when I don't have any spanakopita on hand. Guess I know what I'll be making this weekend!

Sandra's Pork Pie

There are several reasons to try this recipe.

1. It's pork.

2. It's pie.

3. It's Sandra's recipe, and that girl can cook. Always make the stuff Sandra tells you to cook. It's just a good rule of thumb.

Here's what we need:
1lb. Of ground pork
1/2 lb. Ground beef (mine is already cooked from a previous meal)
About 2 or 3 potatoes, mashed (Sandra calls for dry mashed potatoes which is what I did tonight, but I've also used leftover mashed potatoes--full of salt, pepper, and butter)
A double pie crust
Cinnamon
Nutmeg
Cloves

Preheat your oven to 375.


Shout out to the friendly jadeite salt and pepper shakers!

Brown both meats and drain them. Then return the meat to the pan. Add about 3/4 teaspoon of cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg, and about 1/4 teaspoon of cloves. You want the meat mixture to be quite fragrant.
Add in your mashed potatoes, and stir it all up.

Now, we surely remember my usual pie crust drama. So, Pillsbury it is! Put one crust in the pie plate.Hello, Homey!

Add the fragrantly delicious meat mixture.




Top it with the other crust and crimp the edges (the edges probably need to be trimmed before you crimp them). Cut a few slits in the top crust, then pop that bad boy in the oven for about 45 minutes.




Keep your eye on it to make sure it doesn't get overly brown.

Happiness is a pie crust that doesn't explode in your oven. (Wouldn't that look lovely painted on a canvas to hang in the kitchen?)

Serve this with a side of mustard for dipping and a green salad. Delicious. Then call Sandra, and tell her she rocks!

Happy New Year!

So, let's just pick up right where we left off, shall we?! It's winter, it's cold. And while those are my two least favorite things, like, evah...there is a silver lining! I can't quit cooking, and I don't want to go out in the world. That combination is sure to produce an onslaught of domestic ridiculousness.
Doesn't that sound delightful?! Well, I think it does, too. Grab a cocktail and get ready for domesticity gone mad...

A Bruschetta Party!

I can't decide if I think food begets entertaining or the other way around. I think to me, that's the way it works. Here's how it happens: Tracy and I accumulate a stack of magazines each month. Usually Martha Stewart Living, Real Simple, Southern Living, and Better Homes and Gardens. All laden with "in season" recipes. I could read recipes for hours. In fact that's something I passed down to Homey apparently:



Anyway, so Tracy and I plopped down on one of our porches with the latest stack of glossy paged publications to go through. We dog-ear pages. We squeal. We plan meals with new recipes. Then we came across an article in Martha Stewart with all sorts of different ways to make bruschetta. Check some of these out for inspiration:

Lemony Zucchini Bruschetta

Mozzarella, Pesto, Arugula, and Parmesan

Prosciutto, Melon, and Balsamic Vinegar

And dessert bruschetta?! (A huge hit!)

Ricotta with Lemon, Basil, and Honey (shockingly delicious!)

Dark Chocolate with Fleur de Sel

And the possibilities are endless. We had most of this stuff on hand. Add a few loaves of french bread, and we were set!


We set it up as a Build Your Own. Check out our spread:

Salami, tuna, cucumber, tomato, sauteed eggplant, roasted garlic, fresh mozzarella, parmesan, feta, arugula, basil, pesto, "green sauce" (a delicious parsley/cilantro sauce), olive oil, balsamic and red wine vinegars, sea salt, fresh ground pepper, ricotta, lemon slices, melted chocolate, and honey.

How easy is that?!
Just invite your favorite girlfriends over. We served homemade lemonade and asked the ladies to bring each bring a tasty six pack of "fancy beer" to share. A "beer tasting", if you will! You could easily serve one cocktail or turn it into a wine tasting type gig, also. It was a great idea for a Happy Hour.

I'm already trying to decide what kind of fare to serve at the next one...better go through some glossy paged publications!

"Better" Homes and Gardens...

The key word here is better.

Surely, you'll remember that wretched "master bathroom/laundry/mudroom" shenanigan in this crazy house. If not, refresh your memory here. Just prepare yourself. It's horrible. It's disturbing. It's Williamsburg blue.

But I fixed it! Well, I made it "better". Because doing it the correct way would, as you remember, involved ripping off the back corner of the house. We're not doing that right now...it makes my head hurt to think about it.

But Williamsburg blue makes my head hurt too. You know what is so much better than Williamsburg blue? Beach by Eddie Bauer.


Ahhh...now that's better! No more wonky shelves and random cabinets.


Check out the awesome storage solution for...wait for it...$30! You, too, can have some of that frugal awesomeness from IKEA. And with the weird and random door painted the same as the wall, it almost disappears behind the shelf! Sa-weet!

Then I re-purposed a few existing baskets I had on hand (I had to steal Homey's toy basket from under the coffee table...she wasn't impressed.) I picked up the pretty yellow baskets on clearance at Michael's.

Then I got a fabulous idea....




Scandalous! I took pages out of a pin up calendar I got Mr. B for Christmas. I picked ones that "described" the contents of each bin, so they could act as labels. Cute, no?!

See, this pretty lady holds all my makeup!

Here's the other wall...


Tracy B. convinced me to paint the vanity out in the wall color. Love. It. She's so smart, that Tracy!

We left the window open...those nasty blinds really blocked a lot of great light that I didn't even realize we got back there! We opted to apply that privacy film to the window and not do any window treatments.


And I, obviously painted the weird mirror to the medicine cabinet. I just mixed up some different yellows of my acrylic paint and slopped it on there. It makes a huge difference!


Next wall!


A nice clean waffle weave shower curtain from the Pottery Barn outlet...It just calms that crazy room down, I think.

And check out that towel hangy thing! This bathroom had NO good place for a traditional towel bar...not that was convenient to the shower.

Enter IKEA (again):


It's perfect! It folds back flat and out of the way, but it can fold forward to be easily accessible from the shower. It also has extra rods so I can dry bathing suits and hand washed laundry there too! Isn't that handy?!

One final picture for ya:

The back door area...an existing vintage travel poster from my office adds a pop of color and interest to an otherwise useless expanse of wall space.

Have I mentioned how I hate useless expanses of wall space? *Sigh*

So that's my quick and thrifty crazy bathroom re-do. Let's price it out (approximately):

Gallon of Eddie Bauer paint: $30
IKEA shelf: $30
IKEA towel bar: $7
Ventilated shelving: FREE (love hand me downs!)
Hardware for vanity : $4
Shower curtain: $20
Baskets: existing
Bins: $8 for both

Total: $99! Not too shabby for a room that needed a whole lot of love to be any kind of "normal". But ya know, "normal" is just a cycle on the washing machine, so I'm okay abnormal, too. Abnormal=Endearing.

Now that this bathroom is squared away (which is really funny, since NO walls in there are square. Or plumb. Whatever.), we will get to work on Homey's bathroom. Now that room will be quite the undertaking...not a quicky re-do. Stay tuned for that adventure. It makes my head hurt to think about it...