Ina Rocks

Leave it to Ina to combine simple and very tasty recipes.  I think I have all her cookbooks.  I needed to come up with a dessert for Sunday evening.  This recipe for Brownie Pudding came highly recommended.  I already had the cookbook, but not the fancy cocoa or vanilla beans. I bought the fancy and expensive cocoa, but substituted real vanilla for the beans.  Two vanilla beans were $9!!!

It was SO simple to make.

It is baked in a water bath.

The finished pudding has a crust that you don't break until serving. But the insides are nice and gooey.

This is the result! INHALED. It is imperative to serve it with vanilla ice cream. Homemade if you have the time. I didn't. Nobody noticed.  It was so seriously fabulous.  I'll definitely be making this again and again.  

Floral Fridays

{country living}

Have an incredible weekend!

Spoon Salad

I decided to make a Cob/Chopped Salad yesterday for dinner. I had never tried it before. Part of the idea came from Mary Jane Butter's book. She encourages making salad you can eat with a spoon in order to get all kinds of different things into your salad. Wish I would've known all about that when my girls were little. I thought it was a great idea. I chopped up and mixed together Iceberg, Arugula and Red Cabbage. I also had chicken, tomatoes, egg, bacon, olives, broccoli, red and green pepper, and red onion. Whew, I think that's all. Oh yea, cheese. After the photo, I'm afraid. DH voted for Blue Cheese Dressing. I wanted to use a fun olive oil and vinegar combo that I bought here. Well, that salad tasted WONDERFUL!  I don't know what it is, but my cooking this week has been great! The fun plates are a thrift store find.  Perfect.

Chair Update?

I stopped in my tracks well, I was sitting down, when I saw this chair from Restoration Hardware.

It seriously looks like some chairs I had made in the early 90's.  They were reproduction colonial wing back chairs.  Somewhere I still have the paperwork. They are actually different from each other, can you tell?

It's really not fair that they're not next to each other, but it's still difficult to tell.  One is the MAN's chair and one is the WOMAN'S.  One is deeper and taller.  The deep wings are to keep in the heat from the fireplace.  That's a little XM radio receiver sitting on top.  For some reason it won't pick up the signal in the window.  Weird, huh?

These chairs are beautiful, but I was getting kind of tired of them. They are also very faded from the sun.  I'd been favoring the recently popular french styled chairs, especially the Bergere with an ottoman of course. But, maybe I'm not so out of it after all. RH's version is in linen and with a tight seat. Maybe if I could find the right upholsterer it wouldn't cost me the $1500 per chair that RH is charging.  Don't you think it might work?

Project Mode

I decided to do a little craft project recently.  Although I bought the perfect thing and can't figure out where I put it.  You know, that place where I'm sure to find it again? It's so not there. 

I think it's kinda cute.  It's going to remain in limbo until I can find that "perfect" thing.  UGH! A craft room/studio would be so helpful right now.  At least I would know which room it was in. 

I've also been working on a grouping above our desk.  This seemed the most fool proof way of placing the pictures.  Beware of dirty newsprint fingers on newly painted walls.  

Here it is so far.  One more thing to finish. I realized that I changed the layout from the previous photo. I just liked the darker, heavier picture at the bottom.  All the pictures are from travels.  One is Bayreuth, Germany, one Portofino, Italy and the last one is the Colosseum in Rome.

You'll find the post on making this here.  This is a thrift store frame that I painted.  Filled it with very beautiful flocked paper from Aaron Brothers and two antique drawer pulls.

I found these when shopping with N in Solana Beach a few weeks ago. I love old hardware.  I'm not sure what these would've been.  Maybe plates for sconces or doorknobs.  Any ideas? 

Delicious Dinner

Don't you just love simple dinners that turn out amazing?  All I made for dinner tonight was steaks on the grill, corn on the cob and a salad.  So simple, but so delicious!  Here's the details.

I used Saugatuck Steak Rub from Spice Merchants on these steaks tonight.  Boy, was it delicious.  You can find a store near you here.  We have one just a couple of blocks from where I work.  It's such a beautiful store.  Here's a post I wrote on it a few months ago.  

My friend Nina told me about the Caprese Salad she made the other day.  So, I decided to make it for dinner tonight.  I was actually planning on making it last Friday, but that got derailed. I sliced up some vine ripened tomatoes.  No, not my vines, sorry to say. Topped it with Trader Joe's Marinated Mozzarella cheese, drizzled some Basil Olive Oil from Temecula Olive Oil Company.  Yes, you can order it here and have it mailed to you.  Then basil from my own pitiful plant and salt and pepper to taste.  Here a previous post also.

My goodness it all turned out so great! I love it when that happens.

Restoration Hardware Revived

I haven't really paid much attention to the Restoration Hardware catalog in a long time.  I wasn't really a fan of their sleek, modern look.  I don't know the technical, industry name for their look, all I know is that it wasn't my style.  So, I was very surprised when I looked at their new catalog.  I have received other catalogs recently and noticed the very cool cart coffee table on their cover.  This time I opened the catalog up instead of tossing it in the recycle bin.  

And all I could say was, YES!  Love it.  Of course, I didn't particularly love the prices.  Pretty steep, but these pieces actually look substantial.  Have you ever looked through catalogs and thought that the furniture looked like play furniture?  It's usually smaller scale and always of veneers.  I know it's because it's reasonably priced and easier to ship.  I guess I just want the unrealistic combination of authentic looking pieces and good prices.  Good prices meaning cheap.  Those two don't go together, I'm afraid.  

Anyway, I might just have to get out the measuring tape and see how some of these pieces would fit into my living room.  I definitely need a coffee table.  You can tell from this post.  It needs to be substantial.  I'd need to get rid of the ottoman.  

I love all three of the ones shown in these photos and I love that round table as well.  There are some very fun accessories and lamps included.  Check it all out at here.

Hiker's Cake

My husband and 3 others left last Friday for a 50 mile hike/backpacking trip in the Sierras. They were suppose to arrive home tomorrow. I received a very surprising call last night that they were off the mountain. They have put in a request for  my Texas Sheet Cake.  So, I'm up early this morning baking. I have a busy day planned.  Texas Sheet Cake has been around for years and years.  I've discovered that there are some different versions.  Mine has cinnamon in it which I think makes all the difference. 

Sift the powdered sugar to try to alleviate lumps.

TEXAS SHEET CAKE

4 T cocoa

2 c flour

2 c sugar

1 stick margarine

1/2 c shortening

1 c water

2 eggs

1/2 c sour milk*

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp soda

Mix water, shortening, cocoa and margarine in a pan.  Bring to a boil.  Pour over flour and sugar.  Beat well, add eggs, milk, cinnamon, vanilla and soda.  It makes a thin batter.  Pour into a cookie sheet/jelly roll pan and bake for 20 minutes at 400 degrees.  

* 1-1/2 tsp lemon juice + 1/2 c milk = sour milk  (white vinegar works too)

ICING

1 stick margarine

4 tsp cocoa

6 T milk

1 lb pwd sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1 c pecans (optional)

5 minutes before cake is done put margarine, milk and cocoa in pan and bring to a boil. Remove from heat, add sugar, vanilla and nuts. Pour over cake right from the oven.  OR chill until thicker consistency and spread on cooled cake. This is the way I do it, yummy!

Thrift Store Blues

Yesterday I met some friends at a local coffee shop for some knitting socialness. I had a wonderful time. I didn't mess up my socks at all (which is amazing). Knitting and talking don't always work together very well.  I also had a marvelous chocolate chip muffin, although, not as good as my own. Makes me want to make some. When I left I ran to the closest thrift store. It's a very clean and organized store that I don't get to that often because it's not in my usual stomping grounds.  

Lookie what I found!  Pretty blue spools of thread and pearl cotton.

Pretty oldish blue and green Christmas ornaments. Boy, that had a lot of Christmas out this time.  

These aren't in the blues, but I do love gold and pink together.

I seem to be on an aqua blue kick this year. These are not from the thrift store, but rather from the knitting store during our FNKC last Friday. Have NO IDEA what I'll make with them. But, the colors spoke to me, "take me home, you NEED me" that sort of thing.  

You've heard that before, right?

* Visit Southern Hospitality for more thrifty finds.

Help Along The Way

Countryside path., originally uploaded by Nikonphotoslave.

I can't help thinking today of the many different directions that my life has taken me. Some I have chosen for myself, most I haven't. Either way there are destinations that I find, bridges that I cross and people I encounter as I go. I love those special places that I find along the way. I don't particularly like learning lessons. But, later they are always valuable. Life is about embracing each experience, learning from them and helping someone along the way. I've found that the best road map available for me is God's Word.  It always works out better when He makes the decisions.  Kind of like Garth Brooks' song, "Unanswered Prayers" here.

"In all your ways, acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight." Proverbs 3:6

Belated Summer Decor

Summer is almost over and here I am showing you my summer decorations. They have been out at least 2 months, but I've been too busy to show you how it turned out.  This is my entry table. I think it turned out cute, but not amazing. After it was finished I saw the need for a lot more sand in my big apothecary jar. That will have to wait for next year. The string bag is full of "beach glass". I think I should've put notes in the bottles. Any other suggestions? The pelican is a brass sculpture that was given to us. He's actually very beautiful. Do you think it's a problem that my picture is a winter picture? Surely we don't really need to change our art for the seasons!

It's interesting how looking at photos gives you another perspective or idea.  I think next year I might incorporate some coral onto this table.  It would look great with my newish lamp.  The little silver pedestal on the right is actually a flower frog.  Haven't ever seen one like it before. If somebody knows what else it could be, please let me know.

This isn't summery, but I just like it.  I guess I should be thinking about Fall!

Amazing Giveaway

One of the best blogs in the blogosphere is the Inspired Room. Melissa is genuine with her readers and shares how she strives to live authentically while surrounded by beauty and people she loves.  She, oh so graciously, shares her commitment to Jesus Christ.

It's very common to see giveaways on blogs.  I have yet to attempt it, but am gathering pretty things for the future.  Melissa has an unbelievable giveaway today.  Please stop by Melissa's to enter into her amazing giveaway of an antique German grain sack. All I know is that it is beautiful and there are going to be hundreds of takers.  IMHO.

Stash Socks

I pulled this beautiful Koigu KPPM out of my stash when I finished my DH's Thinking Cap that he is using on his backpacking trip.  I needed a new project.  So, why not a new/old project?  It's always better to use yarn from your stash than buying new yarn, right?  AS IF I haven't been buying new yarn. I started these socks SEVERAL years ago.  I read some "good" advice that prompted me to use smaller needles than the pattern called for in order to keep the socks from being too big.  Welp, they sure weren't big.  So, they got frogged (rip, rip, rip).  And there they sat.  For years.

AND YEARS

Now I just need to remember which daughter picked this out so long ago.

Simplicity

Fallen flower, originally uploaded by Clar@bell.

I thought I'd show flowers a little differently this Friday. Have a wonderful weekend! Click on the photo to get the entire composition.

Crafty Books

Since I'm on the subject of books, at least two days ago I was, I wanted to encourage everyone to look at this new Bookazine. I think I've coined a new word. Seriously, it's like a book, as expensive as a book, but it's a magazine. Stampington has done it again. Goodness, I'm so glad most of their magazines are not monthly. This gives so many wonderful projects to do if you're a Greenie! I try to be. Besides recycling, I save things that I don't know what I'm going to do with. Maybe this will help. 

Below are two, oops three, of my favorite projects in the magazine.  There are several more, btw.

I love the way these little packages are wrapped.  In reading the article, I understood that they are the gifts in and of themselves.  They do not wrap a gift.  I do understand that if I received a gift wrapped this way, I wouldn't want to unwrap it either.  But, it would still be tempting. Here are Jenny Doh's posts on this great magazine.

Gonna have to try this one.  So, easy and cute!

Everyone needs a garland, right? Especially a beautiful one like this. Here is Pam Garrison's blog.  She does absolutely beautiful artwork. She's the creator of these beautiful garlands.

Here's another must-have craft book.  While the recent trend to use devotional in a title disturbs me a little, it gives daily impetus to spark creative ideas.  It certainly doesn't have to be done page by page.  In fact, the author discourages doing that.  But, it has tons of how-tos and fun ideas.

These are just two random pages. If you need inspiration, not only is it all over the internet, but here are two hand-on "books" to help out.