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A Christmas Mantle Collection

Published by Allyson
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.

9 Holiday Mantles for Decorating Inspiration

Over the weekend, we went as a family to find and cut down our first family Christmas tree (we had a fake one last year)!  It is so exciting, and although the tree is still in the garage (hopefully we can put it up tonight after my husband gets home from work), I am already thinking how we should decorate it.   Another task that has been heavy on my mind, is our mantle.  I am stoked that we have a real fireplace and mantle now, and I have been brainstorming how I should decorate it.  Of course, whenever such a decision needs to be made, I turn to pinterest.  I have a "Mantle Idea" board with over 25 inspiring photos.  I thought I would collect my favorite, and post them here.  Maybe some other people need mantle inspiration as well?

Up first, from It's the little things that make a house a home, a beautiful red and green mantle.  I love they way she displays the wreath over the mirror, and adds the ornaments for a pop of metallic.  I also love the Christmas sign above the mirror.  This looks wonderful!

Then there is this beautiful mantle from Better Homes and Gardens.  Repurposing the piece of fence gives this look a very creative aspect. I love the wreath hanging here as well.  The decor adorning the shelf of the mantle is simple and elegant.

This mantle, from A Diamond in the Stuff, is definitely more of a fun mantle!  She was super creative and made an ornament hanger out of an old window that had been sitting in her garage- genius!  I love her ribbon trees and the festive green Noel sign in the middle!  Check our her site as she has a year's worth of mantles on display!

The mantle below is so unique and unlike any other Christmas mantle I have come across.  It is festive and elegant, and I love the incorporation of the lights and the gold and silver. Heather, at the Lovely Cupboard had a great vision with this mantle and I love how it turned out.

This mantle gives me a little bit of the same feel as the one above.  The light colors give it a very elegant feel, and I love the incorporation of several mirrors.  So many stockings hanging as well! I love it (unfortunately I couldn't find a source for this picture).

This is a beautiful and modern mantle from HGTV's collection of mantles.  I love the black, green, and metallic here.  Those Merry Christmas ornaments are the perfect addition.

The mantle below is actually from one of my friends, who was kind enough to let me share it!  She did a beautiful job decorating her tree and mantle.  I love the NOEL stocking holders! Thanks for sharing, Stacey!

Another HGTV mantle, this one seems fun and thrown together. I love the mirror and the Red and white poinsettias that adorn the top of the shelf of the mantle.  The simple stockings made the perfect hanging decoration.

I saved my favorite for last!  This mantle, also from HGTV, seems to be the most traditional and decadent!  I don't think I would be able to pull this off at my house, but it is so beautiful.  I could definitely cozy up next to that fireplace with a good book and some hot apple cider!

There you have it!  I love all these mantles and think they give much inspiration for tons of different Christmas looks.  How are you decorating your mantle for the holidays?


Skinny Black Cherry Cheesecake

Published by Allyson
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.

As most of you probably know, last week Chobani sent me a huge package filled with different flavors of Greek yogurt!  Right away I made some Mango Frozen Greek Yogurt and announced a big Chobani giveaway!  If you haven't signed up already, check out this post to enter for your chance to win TWELVE Chobani Greek yogurts in the 6oz size!!  The giveaway ends on Tuesday at midnight EST so sign up while you still have time!

So, I have all this Chobani Greek yogurt and I have been browsing different recipes.  I love, love, love The Realistic Nutritionist's blog, and was so super excited to see her recipe for a Black Cherry Cheesecake.  This isn't any ordinary cheesecake though...it has no cheese (?!?!?!).  The cheese is completely replaced with Greek yogurt!  Just from seeing the pictures I knew I had to try it with the black cherry Greek yogurt chobani sent me.

I went out and bought a graham cracker crust (hopefully my #1 pie guest blogger will write up a tutorial on how to make one soon! Until then, see her lovely apple pie and crust recipe!), and everything else I had at home already.  This cheesecake was super easy to make, and it turned out insanely delicious.  With only 179 calories and over 6 grams of protein per slice,  this is amazing!  You must try this now!

Print
Skinny Black Cherry Chobani Cheesecake
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Ingredients
  • Light graham cracker crust I used store bought
  • 2 cups Chobani black cherry Greek yogurt I used non-fat
  • ⅔ cup sugar
  • 2 eggs lightly beaten
  • Pinch of salt
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 3 tablespoons corn starch
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. In a large bowl, mix yogurt, eggs and sugar together with a wooden spoon until creamy. Add vanilla, salt and corn starch and mix until there are no clumps.
  3. Pour mixture into the crust, filling just to the top (being sure not to overflow the tip of the crust).
  4. Bake for 35 minutes or until the edges of the filling are firm and the crust is golden brown. The middle will still be a bit jiggly.
  5. Immediately chill for at least 3 hours to let the rest of the filling set**
  6. Serve with additional cherries, whipped cream or on it’s own!
Recipe Notes

**I found that leaving the slice of cake out for 5 minutes before eating made it taste even better!
Serves 12
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 35 minutes

Nutritional information per slice: 

Calories: 179
Fat: 3.2 grams
Carbohydrates: 30.5 grams
Protein: 6.3 grams
Fiber: 2 grams
Weight Watchers Points Plus Points:  5

Recipe from The Realistic Nutritionist 

 

I still have 4 large containers of Chobani left, and I think I might try this same recipe with the blueberry greek yogurt as a Thanksgiving dessert.  Skinny blueberry cheesecake?!  Yes please!

Guest Blog: Homemade Apple Pie with a Homemade Crust

Published by Allyson
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.

With Thanksgiving right around the corner, I was really excited to get this recipe and from my friend, Sara!  If you are in need (or if you have one already, I bet this one is better!) of a delicious Apple Pie recipe, then look no further!!  Sara explains the basics of making a pie crust and the apple pie as well.  I told Sara that I have always been pretty reluctant to make pie, because it is somewhat intimidating!  She told me that, "no one should be intimidated by pie!"  After reading this great tutorial and recipe, I think I am up for the challenge!!  Lets get to it!

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Homemade Apple Pie with a Homemade Crust

When I was growing up, the night before Thanksgiving was always PIE NIGHT.  My mom and my sisters and I (and sometimes my grandmother or aunts) would converge in the kitchen and bake all the delicious pies for the next day’s feast.  We would talk and laugh well into the night (and as we got older, we added wine to the mix!) As a child I felt so warm and happy and comforted as we baked, and that feeling of togetherness is something that will always stay with me. Since I moved across the country, I don’t have the opportunity to spend Thanksgiving with my family as much anymore, but I still make sure the tradition remains.  Even if I am by myself in my kitchen, I make my pies and if I close my eyes, and smell the comforting scents of pecans and pumpkin filling my nose, I can convince myself that I am surrounded by my mother and sisters.  I think the memories of those pie nights every year were the driving force that pushed me into baking as a hobby. No matter what I am making it always brings me to a place of safety and love.

Despite the loving feelings that stem from our pie making sessions, we were not a group of Martha Stewarts. When I began baking in earnest, I really wanted to learn how to make a proper pie, with a homemade crust.  One of the first pies I perfected was a classic apple pie.  Almost everyone loves apple pie, and it is a beautiful and delicious treat to finish off a weekend meal or a larger holiday feast, or to bring as a dish to a potluck or party.  The recipe below comes from Martha Stewart herself (as a side note, if you’re looking for a go-to baking recipe, I almost always have success with hers.  Sometimes they’re a bit complicated, but they are very much worth the effort).

Pie making seems to daunt many people, and it really shouldn't   Whenever I tell people that I make my own pie crust, they seem to think it is a long drawn out process, but it is probably one of the simplest things you can make.  It only has 4 ingredients, and one is water. And the difference between a homemade crust and a pre-made shell or roll out dough is so significant, once you make one, you’ll never go back!  If you've never made one, but were afraid, or not sure how it works, get in there and make it happen!  I've taken step by step photos to help you visualize what things should look like, but please don’t stress if it doesn't look exactly the same.  Baking should be fun and tasty, and while it is a precise art, it’s okay to make a mistake.  I make a few mistakes (which I will highlight for you), and I still think it tasted great, so I guarantee you will still impress your family and friends with a scratch-made pie this Thanksgiving! Happy Baking!

Print
Making the Crust
Ingredients
Pâte Brisée (This is just a fancy way to say Pie Dough)
  • 2.5 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup unsalted butter 2 sticks, chilled and cut into small cubes
  • ¼ cup ice water plus extra tablespoons as needed
  • **Quick Note on ingredients - always use unsalted butter in baking recipes. Salted butter will affect the salt content of your recipe. Also pay attention to the egg size in the recipe. I also prefer to use unbleached flour when baking.
Instructions
  1. *Quick Note - try not to touch the dough too much or overmix it. It’s going to be flakier and tastier the less you handle and work it over. Also, try to keep your ingredients cold, especially if you have a hot kitchen. If your dough gets too warm, it won’t manipulate properly and you will be sad.

  2. Combine flour and salt in the food processor

  3. Add your butter to the dry ingredients and pulse until the dough looks like a bunch of crumbs

  4. As the processor is running, add the ice water in a steady stream until dough starts to combine. If it is not combining, add more water a tablespoon at a time until it does. Once it forms, stop. This should take about 10-30 seconds (no longer than 30)

  5. Split the dough in half, and transfer each clump to clean plastic wrap. Wrap the dough up, and press each into a disk and place in the refrigerator. Chill for at least an hour or overnight.

Recipe Notes

I highly recommend using a food processor for ease but if you don’t have one, you can follow these steps in a bowl using a pastry cutter, a fork, or even your fingers!

Print
Making the Pie
Ingredients
  • 3 tablespoons all purpose flour plus more for dusting
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • 1 tablespoon heavy cream
  • 3 lbs assorted apples eg, Granny Smith, Cortland, Empire, etc, peeled, cored, and cut into ¼” slices
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
  • ⅛ teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
  • Sanding sugar for sprinkling or granulated
Instructions
  1. *Quick Note – Baking is easier and less stressful if all your ingredients are prepared and measured out beforehand. Sadly, however, I often forget that, and my kitchen will become a disaster area as the pie making goes on and I realize I forgot to grind nutmeg. If you want an easy assembly, do all your prep work in advance before you start to put the pie together. You and your kitchen will thank you.

  2. Remove one disc from the refrigerator and place it on a lightly floured surface (I find parchment paper to be the best option). Gently roll the dough into a 12” (for a 9” pie shell). This is one of the scarier parts of pie making, even for me. It can take practice, and it’s ok if you don’t roll out a perfect circle. Try to keep an even pressure on the dough as you roll, and try to roll around the disk not in an up-down motion.

  3. Gently roll the dough onto your rolling pin and carefully place in the pie pan. Lightly press the dough into the sides and edges. Trim excess dough to a ½” overhang and chill shell in the refrigerator until firm (about 30 minutes).

  4. Remove the other disc and roll it out as you did with the bottom crust. Transfer the rolled out dough onto parchment paper on a baking sheet, and chill with the shell. This is where the parchment paper comes in handy – if you rolled it onto paper, you can just transfer the whole piece of paper with the rolled out dough on top to the baking sheet without disrupting the dough at all.

  5. Whisk together egg yolk and heavy cream and set aside

  6. If you haven’t already, peel and core, and slice your apples, and grind your nutmeg. Fresh ground nutmeg seems an extravagance but it only takes a minute, and the flavor is significantly better than pre-ground. You can use the leftover later to enhance all sorts of autumnal pies, notably Pumpkin.

  7. Toss apples with flour, cinnamon, lemon juice, nutmeg, salt, and sugar. At this point, my kitchen usually looks like a bomb went off in it, and I tidy up a bit while I let the apples sit and the flavors meld.

  8. Pull your chilled shell out and lay the apples inside. Pile them slightly in the middle. Dot the top with the small butter bits. About halfway through this step, you will say to yourself “there are so many apples, how on earth will I fit them all into one pie shell?” And the answer is, just keep piling them on. Fit them in crevices, pile them on top of each other, keep shoving them in there. They’ll fit, I promise.

  9. Using a pastry brush, lightly brush the edge of the crust with the egg/cream mix. Place the second piece of dough on top and lightly press the edges together. Trim the top piece to about a 1 inch overhang and tuck the dough under. Crimp the edges how you prefer (I just did a simple edge here, but you can get very creative if you are so inclined.)

  10. Brush the entire surface with the egg wash. Sprinkle all over with sanding (or granulated) sugar. Cut air vents for steam to escape (I used the cutouts seen above), and put in the freezer for about 30 minutes (or until firm).

  11. As the pie freezes, preheat the oven to 400ºF (put the rack in the lower 3rd part of the oven)

  12. Place pie on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake until the crust begins to turn golden (about 20 minutes).

  13. Reduce oven temperature to 350ºF, and continue baking (rotate the baking sheet halfway through) until the crust is a deep golden brown and juices are bubbling and thickened (approximately 40-45 minutes).

  14. Transfer to a wire rack and cool completely. Best served the day of, but can be kept wrapped in plastic for up to 2 days.

Assembling The Pie - Steps in detail (see above for printing)

*Quick Note - Baking is easier and less stressful if all your ingredients are prepared and measured out beforehand.  Sadly, however, I often forget that, and my kitchen will become a disaster area as the pie making goes on and I realize I forgot to grind nutmeg.  If you want an easy assembly, do all your prep work in advance before you start to put the pie together. You and your kitchen will thank you.

1. Remove one disc from the refrigerator and place it on a lightly floured surface (I find parchment paper to be the best option). Gently roll the dough into a 12” (for a 9” pie shell).  This is one of the scarier parts of pie making, even for me.  It can take practice, and it’s ok if you don’t roll out a perfect circle.  Try to keep an even pressure on the dough as you roll, and try to roll around the disk not in an up-down motion.

This pastry board is AMAZING.
I use it constantly
Roll dough to a 12” round I use a french rolling pin, which offers much more control than a traditional one.

2. Gently roll the dough onto your rolling pin and carefully place in the pie pan.  Lightly press the dough into the sides and edges.  Trim excess dough to a ½” overhang and chill shell in the refrigerator until firm (about 30 minutes).

Rolling the dough over the pin to transfer keeps your fingers off and makes for a smoother transition.
Press the dough into the pie plate, into the edges. Try not to break the dough, but if you do, gently press it back together.

3. Remove the other disc and roll it out as you did with the bottom crust.  Transfer the rolled out dough onto parchment paper on a baking sheet, and chill with the shell. This is where the parchment paper comes in handy - if you rolled it onto paper, you can just transfer the whole piece of paper with the rolled out dough on top to the baking sheet without disrupting the dough at all.

4. Whisk together egg yolk and heavy cream and set aside

The egg wash will give a golden brown color to the crust and prevent burning. Step #4

5. If you haven’t already, peel and core, and slice your apples, and grind your nutmeg. Fresh ground nutmeg seems an extravagance but it only takes a minute, and the flavor is significantly better than pre-ground.  You can use the leftover later to enhance all sorts of autumnal pies, notably Pumpkin.

6. Toss apples with flour, cinnamon, lemon juice, nutmeg, salt, and sugar. At this point, my kitchen usually looks like a bomb went off in it, and I tidy up a bit while I let the apples sit and the flavors meld.

7. Pull your chilled shell out and lay the apples inside.  Pile them slightly in the middle.  Dot the top with the small butter bits. About halfway through this step, you will say to yourself “there are so many apples, how on earth will I fit them all into one pie shell?” And the answer is, just keep piling them on.  Fit them in crevices, pile them on top of each other, keep shoving them in there.  They’ll fit, I promise.

8. Using a pastry brush, lightly brush the edge of the crust with the egg/cream mix.  Place the second piece of dough on top and lightly press the edges together.  Trim the top piece to about a 1 inch overhang and tuck the dough under.  Crimp the edges how you prefer (I just did a simple edge here, but you can get very creative if you are so inclined.)

I cut decorative vents into the top crust before laying it over the apples. If you want to do this, do not do what I did and make the cuts too close to each other! But if you do want to use decorative mini cutters to create pretty patterns, I have found that making the cutouts before placing the top crust generally results in a better overall look.
Place the top crust, trim and crimp edges.

9. Brush the entire surface with the egg wash.  Sprinkle all over with sanding (or granulated) sugar.  Cut air vents for steam to escape (I used the cutouts seen above), and put in the freezer for about 30 minutes (or until firm).

Brush with wash and sprinkle generously with sugar

10. As the pie freezes, preheat the oven to 400ºF (put the rack in the lower 3rd part of the oven)

11. Place pie on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake until the crust begins to turn golden (about 20 minutes).

After about 20 minutes, when crust looks like this, lower oven temperature to 350 degrees F.

12. Reduce oven temperature to 350ºF, and continue baking (rotate the baking sheet halfway through) until the crust is a deep golden brown and juices are bubbling and thickened (approximately 40-45 minutes).

**TIP: This is why you should always place parchment paper and a baking sheet under the pie. Sticky mess!

13. Transfer to a wire rack and cool completely. Best served the day of, but can be kept wrapped in plastic for up to 2 days.

The finished product. Let cool completely and enjoy your hard work!

 


When not making pies, Sara Dean works full time at Iconic Entertainment, an entertainment marketing and product placement agency that she runs with her longtime partner. They live in Culver City, California with their two beautiful daughters and one giant dog.  She hopes to be a regular pie and baking correspondent on Domestic Superhero, and hopes that her tips will give everyone the courage to try something new this holiday season.

 

BIG THANKS to Sara for this awesome tutorial on how to make a pie crust and apple pie.  We are hopeful that Sara will have several more pie posts for us in the near future!!  If you haven't check out Domestic Superhero on Facebook, head over there and check it out!

 

Mango Frozen Yogurt

Published by Allyson
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.

Last week I received a HUGE package from Chobani!  I never knew such perishable items could be shipped so quickly, and in bulk...but I guess it can be done!

What a delivery!  Chobani was kind enough to send me 6 huge containers of greek yogurt.  I am so excited to try them all: Mango, Peach, Chocolate Chunk  Blueberry, Pineapple, and Black Cherry- yum!  I have been searching various recipes and found several for inspiration.

My husband loves mango anything, so when I saw a recipe for Mango Ice Cream, I figured I could try making it with Greek Yogurt (because Greek yogurt can be subbed for anything!).  It was very easy, and I don't even have an ice cream maker.  You should plan to be around the house though for about 3-4 hours, because you have to mix this every hour or so to avoid ice crystals from forming on the yogurt.

Print
Mango Frozen Yogurt
Ingredients
  • 2-3 mangoes reserve ¼ cup for topping if desired, peeled** and diced
  • ½ cup sugar
  • 1 cup Chobani Mango Greek Yogurt
Instructions
  1. Place mangoes in a shallow bowl and cover with the sugar. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit for 1-2 hours, or until sugar is absorbed.

  2. Dump sugary mangoes into food processor or blender, and puree until smooth (or leave a few clumps if you like chunks of mango). Add 1 cup Chobani Mango Greek Yogurt, blend to combine.

  3. Pour into a bowl (or ice cream maker if you have one), and cover with an air tight cover (I used press and seal wrap).

  4. Every hour or so, stir your yogurt. I used a hand mixer, but you could also use a whisk of even fork. Mix it all up, and then cover and put back into the freezer. Repeat this until frozen, about 3-4 hours.

  5. Serve! Top with whipped cream, mangoes, or whatever you feel like! We just ate it plain and it was delicious.

Recipe Notes

I would advise you to eat this yogurt the same day it is made. It isn’t a huge servings, probably enough for 4 people to have ¾ a cup. I ate some the following day and it was extremely hard. I left it on the counter for about 10 minutes before scooping out and that helped. It was still tasted good the next day though.

**Don't know how to cut a mango? Check this out!

Now for the giveaway!! (Now Closed!)

Chobani is kind enough to offer one of my readers a fabulous giveaway!  The winner will receive an assortment of TWELVE Chobani greek yogurts in the 6oz size!!  This is so much yogurt and could be used for sooo many things!! If you don't have many idea's for recipes where you can use Chobani Greek yogurt, you can download this awesome E-cookbook!

To enter you:

1. MUST leave a comment below, and tell me your favorite flavor of Chobani.

2. You can enter an additional time  by liking my new Facebook Page and leaving a comment on this specific post on on Facebook AND tagging Domestic Superhero in the comment.

3. You can have a 3rd entry if you share this post on facebook, and let me know below that you did so.

The giveaway will end in one week, on Tuesday November 20th!

Good luck!

 


DIY Scrabble Ornaments

Published by Allyson
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.

Last year was the first year we had a real family Christmas tree, and I really wanted to make some special ornaments for our tree.  I had seen a couple ideas here and there, but when I found the idea for scrabble ornaments I knew it was perfect.  My husband, Andres, really loves vocabulary and scrabble, so I thought he would like them more than anyone.

These were super simple to make, too.  All you need is left over scrabble pieces (don't have any at home? Check for scrabble tiles on amazon here), hot glue, and some string/twine/yarn (your choice).  I went through my letters and spelled out words that meant something to us (our names, family names, etc).  Then I used the hot glue, ran a small line down the side, and pressed the letters together.  I guess you could use wood glue or other glue (maybe liquid nails) and let it dry.  Hot glue seemed the easiest to me because of the quick drying factor.  After I had them all glued together, I cut the twine to the length I wanted, then glued to the back in a loop.  Make sure to glue the string all the way to the top of the back, because you don't want to scrabble pieces to fall forward.  I actually put the string at the very bottom (on the back), and glued it all the way to the top in hopes it would be very strong.  It seemed to do the trick.  That's it! Done!

I still have some pieces left over and I think I will make some more of these this year!  These would be a really cute gift idea, or a fun craft to do with kids.

I can't wait to put the tree up this year!

Need some more holiday inspiration?  Check out these great posts from Domestic Superhero! 

Cheap-and-Easy-DIY-Holiday-Gift-Wrapping-with-Kraft-Paper-free-printables-and-bakers-twine.jpg

Cheap and Easy DIY Wrapping Ideas 

Easy-Closepin-Holiday-Card-Wreath.jpg

Clothespin Holiday Card Wreath

19-Handmade-Gift-Ideas_thumb.jpg

19 Handmade Gift Ideas for the Holidays 

19-Creative-Gift-Wrap-Ideas.jpg

19 Creative Holiday Gift Wrapping Ideas

snowglobe1.jpg

DIY Snow Globes 

Handprint-Santa-Salt-Dough-Ornaments.jpg

Handprint Santa Salt Dough Ornaments

16-Free-Holiday-Gift-Tag-Printables.jpg

16 Free Printable Holiday Gift Tags

Cranberry-Walnut-Bread-1_thumb.jpg    The-Perfect-Holiday-Appetizer-Cranberry-Baked-Brie-_thumb.jpg

Cranberry Walnut Bread / Cranberry Baked Brie 

You can also connect with me here:

Thanks for visiting!

- Allyson

DIYer in training and Weekend Projects

Published by Allyson
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.

Happy Weekend!

Staining like a pro!

Since I have been totally slacking the last few weeks, we have a lot to catch up on!

We are working on:

-- a mirror redo ($12.99 goodwill find, score!) for the mantle

-- Some 'mercury glass' projects made with Krylon's Looking Glass Spray (stay tuned for an awesome giveaway!)

-- a night stand up-cycled into a side table for the living room

 What are you working on this weekend?

DIY: How to Make Your Own Custom Canvas

Published by Allyson
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.

When I found some super cheap grey chevron fabric at Hobby Lobby ($4 for a yard!) I decided I had to buy it...even though I had no idea what I would use it for.  I knew something would come up, and the fabric was really great quality duck cloth, so I knew it would hold up well for any project.  Then, when I was cleaning out the garage a few days later, I noticed I had tons of thin scrap pieces of wood, and it clicked that I could easily make my own canvas borders, and then use the fabric to cover it...perfect!

This was a super easy DIY project, and super cheap too.  Essentially less than $4 for both canvas's, because I didn't pay for the wood, and I had everything else on hand.  This is what you need:

-4 pieces of thin wood, measured out to even lengths (I did square, but you could do rectangles as well)
-staple gun and staples
-fabric of your choice (probably something like an upholstery fabric will work best)

This is what you do:

After you have measured out and cut your pieces (if you need to do that), then line them up to the desired shape.  Also, if your wood pieces have any chips or anything like that, make sure those pieces are facing the inside, so that your outside line is straight.

 Next, staple the sides together. I went all around with the staples to make sure it was held together really well.

 Staple all the sides together:

I made two, because I had a project in mind....

Okay, next we get to the fun part!  Adding the fabric.  Place the fabric face down, and lay the wood form on top.  Trim the fabric so that there is enough to overlap when pulled around each side (probably 2 inches is more than enough on each side).  Since I decided to use this chevron print, I had to make sure that the pattern stayed even while pulling it tight, otherwise it would have looked funky.  You can avoid worrying about this if you use a print that isn't symmetrical or geometric (although, these types of prints are awesome!).

I started with the bottom, stapling the fabric evenly across the bottom.  Then I went to the top, and pulled the fabric very tight and stapled that evenly.  Next I did the corners, and folded them the same way I would to wrap a present. You want to make sure there isn't bulky fabric in the corners because that won't look great.

 Staple into place...staple staple staple!

After you do the corners, finish stapling the sides, taking care to pull the fabric tight, and keep it lined up if you have a pattern that needs to be straight.

You can trim the extra fabric if there is a lot of excess in the back:

Voila!

How easy is that?  For under $4 I made 2 custom canvas's (which I used for another project, soon to come!)!  If you don't want to build your own, you could always buy the canvases and then cover them using the same steps to have a custom fabric canvas, but it would be more expensive.  This was a really easy project and super cheap!

See what I did with these custom canvases here!

I even had extra fabric left over, and used it to make an awesome no-sew basket liner for my new TV Console!

Mushroom and Gorgonzola Baked Polenta

Published by Allyson
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.

Last week I was lucky enough to receive a package from Bob's Red Mill with a couple of their products that I have been dying to try.  I have been a big fan of BRM for a while, but I still haven't samples all of their items (check out their website, they have a ton-Wow!)!  I was so excited that they sent me their Polenta, Quinoa (if you read my blog, you know how I love quinoa), and rolled oats.  All of their products are all natural and organic, and they have a ton of gluten free flours and products as well.  I have cooked with quinoa and oats a lot in the past, but I have never actually cooked with polenta before....well, not exactly.  One time I found a premade log of polenta at Trader Joes, and I tried cooking with that.  It didn't turn out so well.  Since then, I have been somewhat turned off of polenta.

However, the first time I ever tried polenta was in New York City, at one of my favorite restaurants, Paprika.  They had an appetizer that was made of  crisped polenta wedges and drizzled with a blue cheese sauce. It was one of the best things I had ever put in my mouth!  Delicious!  I actually took a photo of it, which I still have, 3 years later....

Excuse the terrible picture...you get the idea!

I checked their menu to see if they still have it, and while they don't have it now, their menu still looks delicious and I am drooling reading it.  If you are in the East Village, you need to check this place out.

Anyway, when I received the polenta from Bob's Red Mill, I knew I wanted to try to replicate this dish somehow.  I found a great sounding recipe on Real Simple, and decided to overhaul it to be a tad bit healthier.  I couldn't believe how delicious it actually turned out. The polenta was creamy, cheesy, and so satisfying.  The mushrooms and gorgonzola were the perfect accompaniments.  This recipe turned out a huge portion, which was good because everyone was definitely having seconds.

Cook the polenta according to the directions below...I can't believe how much it fluffs up and how fast, too!

This recipe says to cook your mushrooms in 2 batches, but I think you could get away with just one (save some time).

You can use a big baking dish, or little ramkins...I did one of each!

Mmmm....

Print
Mushroom and Gorgonzola Baked Polenta
Ingredients
  • 1 ½ cups instant polenta
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • ½ TBS unsalted butter I used margarine, plus more for the dish
  • ½ cup cream cheese 4 ounces, I used Neufchâtel cheese to reduce fat and calories
  • 1 cup crumbled Gorgonzola 4 ounces
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 pound mushrooms or 2, 8oz packs, stems discarded and caps thinly sliced
  • 1 small shallot finely chopped
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
Instructions
  1. Heat oven to 350° F. Bring 4 ½ cups water to a boil. Whisking constantly, slowly add the polenta. Add 1 ½ teaspoons of the salt and the butter. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring frequently, for 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in the cream cheese and ½ cup of the Gorgonzola.

  2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, over medium-high heat, warm 1 tablespoon of the oil. Add half the mushrooms and cook for 4 minutes. Add half the shallot and cook for 2 minutes more (or until mushrooms are sauteed). Transfer to a plate. Repeat with the remaining oil, mushrooms, and shallot. Season the mushrooms with the pepper, thyme, and the remaining salt.

  3. Butter an 8- or 9-inch baking dish or eight 6-ounce ramekins. Stir ⅔ of the mushrooms into the polenta and transfer to the prepared dish or ramekins. Top with the remaining mushrooms and Gorgonzola.

  4. Bake, uncovered, until the Gorgonzola has melted, about 10-15 minutes.

Recipe Notes

Serves 4-6

I really highly recommend this recipe! If you don't like gorgonzola, this might be good with a lighter goat cheese, but I love strong flavored cheeses!

Recipe adapted from RealSimple.com
Love quinoa like I do? Check out these other great quinoa recipes!




Guest Blog: Apple Coffee Cake

Published by Allyson
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.

I am so excited to share this delicious fall recipe from Vanessa.  Apple season is in a full swing, and there are many occasions where a yummy Apple Coffee Cake is in order!  This is a perfect fall treat, or dessert for Thanksgiving (who is planning their menu’s already?!)!

Apple Coffee Cake by Vanesssa

Last weekend was a cold rainy weekend, and I was itching to do some baking.  I’ve recently started baking from scratch, which is something my mother always did but I usually kept to the boxed items.  Scratch is SO much better though and I almost always have everything on hand so I’ve pretty much stopped buying the boxed mixes.

This particular day I had apples I needed to use so I went to my favorite cookbook.  The books that come from the church ladies are ALWAYS my favorite.  They always have the most basic recipes I enjoy making, and I usually have everything I need on hand.  I grew up eating these exact recipes so it’s always very comforting enjoying them.  This one was found in the breakfast and brunch section….


Print
Apple Coffee Cake
Ingredients
  • 1 ½ cups sifted all purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ cup margarine
  • ¾ cup sugar
  • 1 egg
  • ½ cup milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
Topping
  • 1 ½ TBS margarine
  • ⅓ cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 2 medium apples peeled, cored, and sliced.
Instructions
  1. Add baking powder and salt to flour and sift
  2. Cream margarine and sugar. Add egg, beaten until fluffy.
  3. Combine Vanilla with milk and add alternately with dry ingredients to creamed mixture.
  4. Brush a 8 in square pan (I used a round cake pan but it turned out a little thicker then I would have liked) Grease pan. Pour batter in pan and arrange apples slices in overlapping rows on top of batter. Crumble topping on top.
  5. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

 Vanessa, her husband and their 22 month old son live in Iowa. She is a part time stay at home mom and part time Diaper Parties consultant (on top of her PT “day job”) and you can check out her facebook page here.  She also loves to bake, craft and DIY but says “lets be honest -that usually just means pursuing  pinterest for hours !”

 

Thank you for contributing the delicious recipe to my blog, Vanessa!

 

 

Blue Cheese and Chive Biscuits

Published by Allyson
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.

For the longest time I never attempted to make biscuits...I am not sure why, other than I probably thought they were too time consuming and difficult.  Plus, I am a sucker for a crusty rustic french loaf.  But then I noticed lots of enticing biscuit recipes popping up, and upon closer examination, I realized they really aren't difficult.  Not difficult at all.  Of course I had to try these, because I am also a sucker for anything involving blue cheese.  Load it on whatever, and I will eat it.  These biscuits looked particularly delicious so I gave them a whirl.  They were. Make them now.

Blue Cheese Biscuits

There aren't many ingredients, and they are super quick and easy to throw together.  I served mine with tomato basil soup, and they were great.

Blue Cheese Biscuits

Mmmm...see those chunks of chives/scallions (you can use either!)?! They were so tasty....

Blue Cheese and Chive Biscuits

Mine did get a little crispy on the bottom, but the problem is my cooking tools (stupid cookie sheets!), not the timing.  I am happy to announce I found a great deal on a Calphalon cookie sheet the other day, and I will be using that from now on!

If you’re blue cheese-averse, you can make this with an equal volume of coarsely grated cheddar (Or see my Cheddar Biscuit recipe here)

Print
Blue Cheese and Chive Biscuits
Ingredients
  • 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
  • 2 teaspoons sugar
  • ¾ teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter ¾ stick or 3 ounces, cut into ½-inch cubes
  • 1 ½ cups crumbled blue cheese or cheddar if you aren’t a fan
  • 4 scallions finely chopped
  • 1 cup well-shaken buttermilk
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 450°F. Whisk together flour, baking powder, sugar, baking soda, and salt in a bowl, then blend in butter with your fingertips until mixture resembles coarse meal. Stir in blue cheese and scallions. Add buttermilk and stir until just combined.
  2. Drop dough in 12 equal mounds about 2 inches apart onto a buttered large baking sheet, or one lined with parchment paper. Bake in middle of oven until golden, 16 to 20 minutes.
Recipe Notes

Do ahead: Biscuits are always best the day they are baked. However, if you wish to get a lead on them, you can make them, drop them onto your baking sheet, freeze them until they are firm, and place them in a freezer bag or container until you’re ready to bake them. They can be baked while still frozen (straight from the freezer), you’ll just want to add a few minutes to the baking time.

Try not to eat them all (or do, and just act like you didn't)....Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Epicurious.com

 

Cheesy Artichoke Bread

Published by Allyson
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.

I decided to make this bread one day, based on everyone's favorite Spinach and Artichoke Dip.  I didn't have any spinach on hand, and I thought that since this 'dip' would be on top of the bread already, having both spinach and artichoke might make it too heavy.  Just artichokes would do.  This bread is the perfect snack for gameday parties, potlucks, or just to eat on a rainy Sunday afternoon.  It's indulgent and super satisfying.  I lightened it up a bit, however I still wouldn't call this healthy, by using neufchâtel cheese instead of full fat cream cheese (this can be found right next to cream cheese), greek yogurt in place of mayonnaise, and reduced fat sour cream.  I haven't figured out the calories per servings, but I know it's significantly less with these changes.  Everyone always loves this bread, and it's a big hit whenever I take it anywhere.


Print
Cheesy Artichoke Bread
Ingredients
  • 1 can artichoke hearts 14 ounce, drained and chopped
  • 2 green onions chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic chopped
  • 4 ounces nuefatchel cheese room temperature
  • ¼ cup non fat Greek yogurt I like Fage
  • ½ cup reduced fat sour cream
  • ¾ cup 6 cheese Italian blend or, mozzarella would be fine, too, shredded
  • 1 loaf Italian bread sliced in half lengthwise
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix the artichoke hearts, green onions, garlic, nuefatchel cheese, greek yogurt, sour cream, ¼ cup of the cheese blend.

  2. Hollow ½ an inch out of the center of both halves of the bread.

  3. Spread the mixture into the hole in the bread slices and top with remaining cheese.

  4. Bake covered in foil** for 20 minutes.

  5. Remove the foil and continue to bake until the cheese is melted and golden brown.

Recipe Notes

**I do suggest putting some toothpicks around the edges of the bread. When you cover it with foil for baking, it is likely that some of the cheese will stick to the foil. This can be avoided with a toothpick barrier.

 

 

You can also connect with me here:
      
Thanks for visiting!
-Allyson

 

 

Domestic Superhero.com!

Published by Allyson
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.

Finally, I have taken the plunge and moved my blog off or wordpress, to a self hosted website.  I have been debating this move for a long time, and it seemed very intimidating and scary!  It was somewhat difficult for me, but I am in the works of having a custom site built and hopefully in no time the final Domestic Superhero site will be done.  For now, there may be a few quirks and hiccups here and there, but please bare with me!

Also, some of my followers and subscribers have been lost in the transition, so do me a favor and sign up to the left with your email to subscribe to my blog!!  Even if you think you might be signed up already, you probably aren't, so just do it!

I will be having all my traffic from my wordpress blog redirected over here, so hopefully that works and no links will be broken.  Thank you for sticking with me and supporting my blog!  I have tons of great recipes, tips, and DIY projects to come!

DIY Tufted Ikat Ottoman from Upcycled Pallet with Tutorial

Published by Allyson
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.

If you are on Pinterest, it's likely you have seen lots of various pallet projects.  Pallets are wooden squares that are used as bases to ship items.  They are usually reused or discarded, depending on the condition of the pallet.

For months I have been keeping an eye out for discarded pallets, so I would be able to make one of these fabulous upcycling projects I have seen over and over again.  Usually whenever I spot one that is being thrown away, it is in shambles and in no condition to upcycle.  Then, one day coming out of Kroger I noticed this pallet by the garbage...could it be?! It looked perfect from afar, but I felt like there must be something wrong with it since they were throwing it away.  I walked up to it and upon further inspection I really couldn't find anything wrong with it.  In fact, the wood was basically brand new, and it looked like it had barely been used.  JACKPOT!!

I pulled up my car, picked up the pallet (it was heavy!), and tried to load it into my trunk.  Uh oh....big problem.  It wouldn't fit in my trunk!!!  I thought, "Ok, I will just put it in the backseat, standing up along the floor!".....it wouldn't fit through the door!!!  This pallet was a lot larger than I was anticipating.  With no way to transport it, I put the pallet back, and sulked all the way back home.  Hours later, I couldn't stop thinking about this pallet, and how I missed out on my chance to make something great!!  Ughhh!  Then, it dawned on me....I could maybe strap it to the roof of my car!  I grabbed a bunch of bungee cords, and took off, heading back to Kroger!!

I was really worried my entire drive there that either someone had taken it, or it wouldn't be possible to put it on the roof.  It had also been raining very hard from the time I left it, so maybe it would be disgusting and slippery??  However, I pulled up and it was still there! Yes!!  I put a towel across the roof of my car so it wouldn't get scratched up from the wood/nails, and headed over to pick it up.

Since it had been raining, the pallet was soaked, and there were little bugs (aka, my worst enemy) crawling all over it!!! Ughhh!!! No!!!!  I hit all the bugs off the pallet and picked up it. Um, did I mention this thing is heavy?? Luckily I was able to use my mega muscles and lift it up onto the roof, otherwise I would have been defeated again.

After I put it on the roof, I wrapped about 10 bungee cords around the sides and secured them through the windows to the inside of the car.  This pallet was not going anywhere.  I got into my car, and started to drive off, but not before I noticed 4 different people standing outside of their cars staring at me.  I looked like a legit crazy person....but I didn't care!!! I had a vision!!  I drove on the slow side of the road all the way home, and when I pulled into the driveway, my husband was looking out the window shaking his head at me....

Did I cross the line?  Am I crazy?  I thought about taking photos while this whole process was going down, but I really actually felt super crazy and couldn't bring myself to take any photos.

Anyway, let me tell you, it was worth it.  All of it.

So...you are probably wondering what 'vision' I had for this pallet.  Well, I immediately knew I wanted to turn it into an ottoman.  We had just found our new couch, and our coffee table was much too large for the couch.  We needed a smaller square table or ottoman.  I thought the pallet was the perfect size!  It wasn't. It was too big, but I cut it down and then it was the perfect size (for real this time).

I am so excited to finally post about the ottoman!! I have been done for a few weeks now, but this is going to be a huge post, so I have been putting it off.  I am going to do my best to explain how I did it, but feel free to ask any questions you might have.  From the beginning, I had this vision of how I wanted the ottoman to look, and I thought it would be a pretty easy project....not so.  I was talked into tufting the ottoman, which added another level of difficulty (and a lot of research), but I am soooo happy that I did it.  Usually I wait till the end to show the final product, but I can't wait! I am going to show you here, and then go step by step how I did it.

DIY Tufted Ottoman made from a Pallet! Only $70 for this HUGE ottoman! Great tutorial

Yay! I love it!

So I started off with the pallet:

See what I mean about it being in great condition?  The wood is practically new, and I would imagine that it was only used once...maybe twice, and for something minimal.

Next, I decided I needed to make it a bit smaller.  It was just a little too big for the space.  I cut it down to 36 inches by 30 inches.

You can see what both sides look like in this photo, and how I cut it down.  As you can see, the bottom side wasn't totally filled in with wood, and I didn't want any foam sinking into those gaps, or to have a hard time stapling the fabric on.  So I sanded the entire pallet really well (I wanted to get off all the yuckies), and then I added plywood to the bottom side:

I cut the plywood into 2 sections, so I could cover the entire pallet.  Then I nailed the plywood onto the base, and sanded the top of the plywood and along the outside edges.

After I did this step, things came to a stand still. My next step would be to upholster...however, I still had not decided on a fabric.  I went to a really nice fabric store and spent a lot of time going over the different fabrics they had.  Part of me wanted to match to the pillows, but then I was worried it would be too matchy matchy.  I started thinking maybe a solid color would work best...cream perhaps.  But then I thought about how dirty it would get with my toddler, and deep down I wanted a print.  I showed my pillows and couch to a designer at the fabric store, and she suggested a patterned textured fabric.  I ended up buying it, but regretted it immediately.

I decided to think about it for a few days, and then asked my 34 closest friends how they felt about it (this is not a joke).  Most people liked the fabric, but didn't like it for this space.  The base color was really brownish, and I just didn't like it for the ottoman either.  I felt like if I used this fabric, I would end up hating it and being mad about this whole project.  So, I returned it.  I had lots of suggestions from my friends....solid teal, solid purple, other patterns, cream, textured, chenille....so many options.  I was spending lots of evenings looking around at fabric online, and trying to find the perfect one.  Then, I found it.  I found a fabric that was exactly the same as the grey ikat print I have on a pillow already (see grey pillow below), except it had yellow as the base color, not grey.

Ding ding ding!!! We had a winner!  I placed the order, and then played the waiting game.  After about a week and a half the fabric came in and I knew I made the right choice.

Before I could do anything with the fabric, I had to go to Home Depot and have a piece of wood (thin wood, like plywood, really thin) cut to the exact measurement of the pallet.  I would use this wood to put on the top of the pallet, and secure the foam, batting, and fabric to it.  Next I purchased thick foam (can be found at Joann's or any craft store), and batting (I used Morning Glory Great Glory Full Extra Loft Batting) as well.  I cut the foam to the exact size of the top of the pallet (I used the thin wood as an outline, since it is the same size).  After this, I used the thin wood to figure out where I would put my tufting buttons.  I measured everything out, and spaced 11 evenly on the board.  I marked where each one would go with a sharpie, and then drilled a small hole in the wood at each point.  I didn't take many pictures of this process because I was on a roll and not really thinking about it.

I did make my own button using a button making thing from Amazon.  I really liked this brand because it came with the tool to make it, and it made it pretty easy. I read a lot of horror stories online though, about the buttons popping apart while doing the actual tufting-how frustrating. I nipped this in the bud but squirting a glob of Liquid Nails into the cover before securing the back on the button (if you make them, you will see what I mean).  I didn't have any buttons pop apart-thank goodness!  I read a lot of tufting tutorials which helped me with the tufting and upholstering questions I had.  You can see them all here:

Welcome to the Mouse House (Upholstering)

Addicted 2 Decorating: How to Make a Diamond Tufted Headboard (tufting tutorial-great!!!)

All Things Thrifty- Diamond tufting tutorial

Ok, so next I layed the fabric face down on the carpet, and placed the batting on top of that.  I used Spray Adhesive to attach the thick foam to the wood, and then placed that on top of the batting (foam down, wood should be at the very top, facing you).

For this next part, I would recommend you have someone helping you.  Luckily I had both my mom, and my husband helping me, because I definitely could not have done this myself.  You need an upholstery needle (found at Joann's or on amazon, I used the 2nd longest one), and very thick string (I used a thin cord).  I did the sides first, and then the middle.   I put the cord through the needle, then did a double layer (kind of like how you can to to thread when sewing), and tied a knot at the end.  I tied 3-5 more knots over that knot to make a large knot that would not be able to fit through the hole I drilled into the wood.  I put the needle through the wood, then poked it out the front (of the fabric).  Then I strung the button onto the cord, and came back through the same hole, out the back.  This was a little tricky, because you can't really see where the needle is going.  I ended up putting my arm through the side and feeling where the needle needed to go.  It was hard, because of the spray adhesive, but I still did it.  When the needle comes out of the hole on the wood side again, then I tied more knots around the initial knot, ensuring it would not be pulled out.  There are lots of methods for securing the buttons (check out the tutorials I linked above), but this is what worked best for me.  I did each one, button by button, and it was very time consuming.  I had my mom and then my husband (they each helped with half) make sure that when the needle poked through the fabric, the fabric was tight and not bunched up anywhere, and that the button was being pulled to the same depth as the other buttons.  A couple times I had to go back and redo the buttons because they were not at the same depth (it looks silly if some are very deep, and some are not deep at all).  I did this over and over until I had all eleven buttons in place.

Next, I took the pallet and glued the left over foam to the sides. I didn't want any hard edges poking out, so I thought this would help with having a softer cushion on the outside.  I also put the batting on top, so there are multiple layers of cushion.

By this time it was really late, and I had been working on this for hours, so I went to bed.....to be continued during nap time the next day!

So starting the next day, it was time to do the actual upholstering.  I turned the fabric back to the ground, and put the pallet on top of the wood backing.  I had to make sure that the side of the pallet I covered with plywood was facing up to me, so I had an even and solid surface to staple the fabric onto.  First, I pulled the batting tightly up and around, and stapled that all the way around.  Then I did the same with the fabric.

After this was done, my next step would be to attach the brackets that would hold the legs.  I had to stain the legs that I bought at Home Depot, and let them dry.

I stained them using leftover stain from our wood floors, and then after they were dry I used Minwax Soft Wax Paste to wax them.  I love how they came out.

While they were drying, I went back inside and attached the mounting brackets to the bottom of the ottoman. This was probably the easiest step. I made sure they were even, because I wanted the legs lined up with one another.

After the brackets were screwed in (the power drill is your friend here), I used a scrap piece of muslin to cover the bottom.  I didn't want the bottom to be exposed or have the possibility of little toddler hands playing with those staples on the bottom.   I used hot glue to secure it around the bottom, tucking the edge under so it wouldn't show.

Lastly, I used a pair of scissors to poke a little hole where the leg would screw in (you don't need a big hole), and screwed the 4 legs into the brackets.  Voila!!! Done!!! Yessss!!!  Now, I know it's not perfect, but I love how it turned out!

....my son loves it too!

Cost Breakdown (may contain aff. links):

Pallet: Free

Plywood for pallet backing: Free

Wood for foam support: $1.60

Foam: $7 (with 40% off coupon)

Batting: $10 (with 40% off coupon)

Button Covers: $4.99 (½ off coupon - don't forget these!)

Fabric: $8.99 per yard x 2= $17.98, plus shipping= about $24

Legs: $3.65 x 4 = $14.60

Leg brackets: $2.38 x 4 = $9.52

Muslin scrap fabric: $1.20

Total: $72.91

Other things you might need (that I already had):

Upholstery Needle

Spray Adhesive

Liquid Nails

The total time it took to make this was probably around 4 hours.  I think it was well worth it!  What do you think?

If you like this project, go on over to Facebook and 'like' Domestic Superhero over there!

ATTENTION!!! This project is currently in a contest for Best Pallet Project on Bob Vila! If you like this, take a second and go vote for my Ottoman! I would totally appreciate it! UPDATE: I WON Bob Vila's first round, and then championship round with this project!! Thank you for all your support!!!!

BVThmbBdge3

 

Like furniture DIYs as much as I do? Check out my other projects:

console11.jpg

DIY Dresser to TV Console

IMG_3979

DIY Dresser Refinishing Tutorial

04-Domestic-Superhero-DIY-Tufted-Ottoman-from-a-Pallet-with-Tutorial.jpg

DIY Tufted Ikat Ottoman from Upcycled Pallet with Tutorial

hutch99

Refinished Farmhouse Hutch Tutorial

You can also connect with me here:

Thanks for visiting!

- Allyson

Spicy Eggplant and Tofu

Published by Allyson
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.

I saw this recipe last week in Real Simple Magazine and knew I had to make is ASAP.  I took a quick picture on my phone, to remind me to search for the recipe online later (how handy!), and then added it to my Menu folder on Pinterest for this week!  This is the kind of recipe where you probably have most of the ingredients in your pantry, and most likely just have to pick up the produce.  If you like Chinese food (but don't like all the calories), then this is the recipe for you!  It was so flavorful and had the perfect amount of spice.  If you are serving this to kids, I would probably half the pepper, instead of leaving it whole.  Even with the whole pepper it wasn't too spicy, it had just the right amount of heat (My husband probably would have even enjoyed more spice).  Of course, when chopping the jalapeno  make sure you wear your pepper cutting gloves....or get your husband to do it for you (no more pepper hands for me!).  I am still paranoid about dealing with these jalapenos after the incident with the Mexican baked eggs....

Anyway, this recipe called for a lot of oil, but I cut it down because it's not unnecessary   I used a technique called 'dry frying' the tofu, which eliminates the oil 'needed' for frying it. You can still get that crispy fried-like outside that most people enjoy on tofu.  You can visit Melissa Ray Davis for step by step directions on how to dry fry tofu.  It's a very helpful tutorial.  Anyway, after the tofu was cooked the recipe went super quick, and it was super easy.  You also don't need a lot of oil to saute the eggplant, because it will soften up without it.  I only used 1 TBS even though the recipe called for 3.  You can save a lot of calories and fat by cutting this down.  I was also super excited to use chives and basil from my new herb garden that I planted over the weekend!  Additionally, you could add pretty much whatever veggies you want to this recipe (or meat even).  It's very saucy (yum), and I think broccoli, water chestnuts, peppers, spinach, mushrooms....pretty much anything would be a nice addition.  Ok, lets get to it!

5 from 3 votes
Print
Spicy Eggplant and Tofu
Ingredients
  • 1 cup long-grain white rice
  • ½ cup hoisin sauce
  • 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon cornstarch
  • 1 tablespoons canola oil
  • 1 pound firm tofu—drained patted dry, and cut into 1-inch cubes
  • 1 small eggplant about 1 ¾ pounds, cut into ½-inch pieces
  • 4 scallions sliced, white and green parts separated
  • 2 cloves garlic chopped
  • 1 red serrano or jalapeño chili sliced
  • kosher salt
  • ¼ cup fresh basil leaves torn
Instructions
  1. Cook the rice according to the package directions. In a small bowl, whisk together the hoisin, vinegar, and cornstarch.

  2. Meanwhile, in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat add the tofu. Use dry-fry method to cook.

  3. Add 1 tablespoon of oil to the skillet. Add the eggplant, scallion whites, garlic, chili, and ¼ teaspoon salt. Cook, tossing frequently, until the eggplant is tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the hoisin mixture, tofu, and scallion greens and cook, tossing gently, until the sauce is thickened, 1 to 2 minutes. Serve with the rice and sprinkle with the basil.

Recipe Notes

Tip: Give the hoisin mixture an extra whisk just before adding it to the skillet to redistribute the cornstarch.
Serves 4
Hands-On Time: 30m
Total Time: 30m

Recipe adapted from Real Simple Magazine.

 

DIY Growth Chart Ruler

Published by Allyson
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.

A growth chart ruler?!?! I was so excited when I saw this creative idea on pinterest (follow me for other great ideas)!  This way, we can move the ruler whenever we want, take it with us if we ever move, and have a cool memory keepsake of Austin growing up.  Since he isn't even two yet, I thought this was the perfect time to make this (and maybe I will go back and mark his old heights from milestone doctor appointments...).  I followed the instructions on That Village House, and this was pretty simple to make.  Apparently the people over at That Village House got the idea from 517 Creations, who got this idea from Pottery Barn (total knock off!)!  It was very cheap (under $10), quick, and easy to make.  Something happened to my pictures that I took along the way though (I probably deleted them, oops), so I only have the before and after pictures.  Sorry!

I used a 1x8x6 piece of wood, and stained it with some stain we had left over from our floors.  Then I used a sharpie to mark in the ruler lines, which didn't work well.  So, I went over those lines with black craft paint and that helped them stand out a little more.  If I were to do this project again, I would probably use a bit lighter of a stain, so that the numbers show up better.  In person it looks fine, but it was hard to get good lighting for the pictures I took after I hung it up.  We put it in a little hallway before our kitchen, but I think I am going to move it up to Austin's playroom or the little nook between his room and bathroom.  We'll see.  Make sure that you figure out how high you will hang it off the ground, and then start your line measurements from there (otherwise it won't be accurate).

So far Austin hasn't really been into standing up against it, but he loved using it as balance beam before we hung it up....

Finally hung up....

What do you think? Where would you hang a growth chart?  How are you keeping track of your little one's height?

Baked Eggs with Spinach and Mushrooms

Published by Allyson
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.

Oh look, another baked eggs recipe!!  I love eggs, so finding ways to incorporate them into a healthy hearty dinner is always exciting for me.  This recipe was simple, quick, and on the cheap side...total win!  The dash of nutmeg in this dish gives it a little flavor that you aren't expecting, and it's perfect for fall.  I wouldn't hesitate to serve this for breakfast, brunch, lunch, or dinner!  This time, I made it for dinner and served it with a side of roasted lemon cauliflower...yum!

This recipe is also very low calorie for a dinner/meal.  I calculated 3 servings (2 eggs each) and they came in at 300 calories per serving!  See below for the nutritional information.

Print
Baked Eggs with Spinach and Mushrooms
Ingredients
  • 12 oz baby spinach leaves
  • ¼ cup finely chopped onions
  • 1 garlic clove finely chopped
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
  • 8 oz mushrooms thinly sliced
  • ⅓ cup heavy cream/whole milk
  • ⅓ cup skim milk
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • ⅛ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
  • 4-6 large eggs how ever many servings you want, I did 6
  • 1 tablespoon finely grated parmesan
Instructions
  1. Put oven rack in upper third of oven and preheat oven to 450°F.

  2. Bring ½ inch water to a boil in a 10- to 12-inch ovenproof heavy skillet (not cast-iron), then add half of spinach and cook, turning with tongs, until wilted, about 30 seconds. Add remaining spinach and wilt in same manner, then cook, covered, over moderately high heat until spinach is tender, about 2 minutes. Drain in a colander and cool under cold running water. Gently squeeze handfuls of spinach to remove as much liquid as possible, then coarsely chop.

  3. Wipe skillet dry, then cook onion and garlic in butter over moderately low heat, stirring, until softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Add mushrooms and increase heat to moderate, then cook, stirring, until mushrooms are softened and have exuded liquid, about 3 minutes. Stir in cream, salt, pepper, nutmeg, and chopped spinach and bring to a simmer** (see note). Remove skillet from heat and make 4 large indentations in spinach mixture. Break an egg into each indentation and bake, uncovered, until egg whites are set but yolks are still runny, 7 to 10 minutes. Lightly season eggs with salt and pepper, then sprinkle with cheese.

Recipe Notes

**I ended up adding about ⅓ cup of additional skim milk because the mixture did not have enough liquid in my opinion. I would suggest adding this, before you egg the eggs, and mix for 30 seconds, then add eggs.


Recipe adapted from Epicurious.

 


Guest Blog: Healthy Homemade Graham Crackers

Published by Allyson
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.

I have been asking my friend, Lauren, to write a guest blog for a while now, and she finally has!  We are very similar in the way that we try to make a lot of foods from scratch, and keep processed foods to a minimum, especially when it comes to our toddlers.  She has an adorable 22 month old, Audrey, and she loves the little snacks and wholesome foods that Lauren is always whipping up!  I am excited to share her recipe for Homemade Healthy Graham Crackers because 1.) they look delicious, and 2.) I didn't even know you could make graham crackers at home! These would be great topped with the homemade peanut butter we made last week!  Thank you, Lauren for joining my blog today!

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Lauren's Healthy Homemade Graham Crackers

When I have the opportunity, I love to make my daughter’s favorite foods from scratch. Many of the things she enjoys are full of unnecessary ingredients and preservatives, so I like to try making simpler (and usually tastier) versions. Lately, she’s been on a graham cracker kick so I decided to give them a try! I had all the ingredients in my pantry and we had fun baking them together. This recipe yields a lot of graham crackers, which is great for freezing or sharing with friends.

Print
Easy & Healthy Homemade Graham Crackers
Ingredients
  • 1 cup whole wheat flour
  • 1 ½ cups all purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons ground flaxseed meal optional
  • ½ cup dark brown sugar packed
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ cup butter chilled & cubed
  • ⅓ cup honey
  • ¼ cup water
Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees

  2. In a food processor or mixer combine the first 7 ingredients

  3. Add cubed and chilled butter to the mix and mix until it resembles coarse meal

  4. Add honey and water and continue to mix until combined

  5. Remove and shape the dough into a flat disk and place between two pieces of parchment paper. (We were out of parchment paper, so we flattened the dough by hand. It’s rather sticky, so the paper is necessary if using a rolling pin)

  6. Roll dough out until ¼ inch thick. Cut into crackers or shapes

  7. Place cookies on a Silpat or parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes (I took mine out after 13 minutes, so this time may vary)

  8. Cool and serve

Recipe Notes

**To Freeze: After step 6, place the cut out cookie shapes on a baking sheet and freeze for 20 minutes. Remove, place in a Ziploc bag, label and freeze for up to 4 months. When ready to bake, follow steps 7-8, adding an additional 1-2 minutes baking time.

 Lauren is from Georgia and is currently studying at the University of Georgia to obtain her degree in advertising.  She is a newlywed, has a lovely 22 month old baby girl, and enjoys cooking, shopping, and decorating in her spare time.  Follow her on pinterest for some amazing inspiration!


DIY Easy No Sew Basket Liner

Published by Allyson
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.

A few weeks ago I posted about my Dresser Turned TV Console, and I had asked what I should put on the middle shelf....books? Magazines? A photo? Apparently none of those were good choices, and a basket was the the overwhelming favorite.

Sad Empty Middle Shelf....

So, I set out to find a basket.  I wasn't having much luck, and who would have thought finding a black basket would be so difficult?  I finally found one, but it had an ugly basket liner with it.  I forgot to take a picture, but it was this cream/red floral pattern, and I knew it had to go.  Without the liner the basket would be perfect.  Well, then I got it home and took the liner off, and there were visible staples going around the top of the basket...um, why?? Ugh.  I decided to take a piece of leftover scrap material from another project, and make a 'liner' for the basket.  Well, it's not really a liner, but more like a cuff to decorate the outside (what is that even called???).

Anyway, this was the easiest project ever.  I was waiting for my legs to dry for my DIY Ottoman (coming soon!), and I figured this would be a quick project to do while I waited 20 minutes for them to dry.  It took about 5 minutes, or less, and I only expense was the basket, which was on clearance for $4 at Joann's.  All you need is a basket, scrap fabric (like this awesome chevron print!) to go all the way around your basket (mine was just standard 54 inches, and I had a bit extra), hem tape (or I guess you could sew it), and hot glue.

I took the fabric and made a hem on one side.  Make sure it is even and straight, and then place the hem tape on the back of the fabric, and fold fabric over to make hem.  Iron over it to activate the hem tape glue.

Once you have the 'hem', put the fabric around one side of the basket and determine how far inside the basket the fabric will go (look at the outside of the basket, because you need to see how far the hemmed/straight side will be hanging down on the outside of the basket).  Pick a place and start gluing!  Run a line of glue along the basket, and then press the fabric down.  Repeat for all sides, pressing into the corners as you get to those.

I also used a small piece of hem tape on the end of the fabric, to make a neat straight line (see pic above on left) on the outside where it would come together.

I didn't care to put a hem on the inside (you can if you want), because no one is really going to look in there except me, and it wasn't a big deal to me (and I wanted to save some time)

Voila!

We tossed the extra remotes into the basket and I am sure will fill it with other things as well!  What do you think?


Cheddar Biscuits

Published by Allyson
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.

I was browsing recipes a couple weeks ago and stumbled upon the holy grail of biscuit recipes.  Immediately I started wondering, "why have I never made biscuits before?"  I don't know why.....maybe because I have always thought it was difficult, or time consuming?  Maybe I am not a biscuit type of person?  Before I was a vegetarian I used to love biscuits and gravy, so maybe I am a biscuit person.  Could biscuits be the missing link in my recipe repertoire??  I pinned a ton of biscuit recipes, and when I decided to make a delicious Tomato Bisque for dinner one night, I thought the 'Red Lobster' Cheddar Biscuits would be the perfect side.  Now that it is fall, it makes even more sense to indulge in biscuits....doesn't it?

Anyway, like I was saying, I decided to try the "Red Lobster" Cheddar Biscuits...who doesn't love those?!  Mine turned out fabulous, despite not having any Bay Seasoning (Have to pick some of that up asap!), but I wouldn't say they were exactly like Red Lobsters (but who knows, I haven't been there in at least 10 years), but it didn't matter because they were delicious.  I tried to make them a little healthier by using greek yogurt in place of sour cream (and I could tell no difference), skim milk, and also low fat cheese.  I used Bisquick because....it's quick and easy...but next time I will probably make my own dough (haha, yeah right...I am using that Bisquick until it's gone!).  I made 12 large biscuits and calculated them to have around 140 calories each...not bad for a biscuit!

cheddar biscuits

mmmmm.....biscuits......

Stop what you are doing. Go make some biscuits.

Print
Cheddar Biscuits
Ingredients
  • 2 cups Bisquick
  • ⅔ cup skim milk
  • ⅔ cup shredded part-skim cheddar cheese
  • 6 tablespoons butter
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ¼ teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning salt
  • ¼ Cup of Greek Yogurt
  • ¼ Cup of Parmesan Cheese
Instructions

  1. Preheat Oven to 450 degrees.

  2. In a medium size bowl mix milk, Parmesan cheese, greek yogurt, cheddar cheese, bay seasoning, Bisquick, garlic powder.

  3. Portion 10-15 biscuits onto a cookie sheet ( I lined with foil and sprayed nonstick spray). Bake for about 8 minutes (keep an eye on them!)

  4. While baking, melt butter. After 8 minutes of baking, remove from oven, brush melted butter on each biscuit and sprinkle a little salt. Place biscuits back into the oven to bake for 2 more minutes (watch them).

cheddar biscuits

Want something with a little more kick?  Check out these Blue Cheese and Chive Biscuits!

 

 

Guest Blog: DIY Disney Princess Dress with Tutorial

Published by Allyson
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.

When I found out how crafty my friend Marina is, I was hopeful I could get her to write a guest blog for me.  She is super duper crafty and pretty much said she would do whatever I wanted!  But, since she is the crafty one, she came up with this awesome idea to make a Disney Princess dress on the cheap and easy (easy if, um, you know how to sew?).  I can't believe how awesome it came out, and so much cheaper than if you shelled out the money at the Disney Store.  Marina also has a 22 month old toddler, and I bet we can both agree that no one wants to spend a lot of money on clothes that are most likely going to get stained, torn, and abused!  So get your sewing machine ready because you are going to want to make this asap once you see how great it is!

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DIY Disney Princess Dress

It has happened: my little 20 month old daughter LOVES princesses. And when I say loves, I mean LOVES. She is able to use her eagle eyes to spot the smallest princess sticker on the back of a random toy shoved to the back of the shelf 10 feet away. Ok, so that’s an exaggeration, but the girl loves her Belle and ‘Punzel (Rapunzel). Being the occasionally crafty mom I am and having some sewing skills, I decided to try the “One pattern, all the princesses” pin from Pintrest.  The Pin actually links to someone’s Etsy account, where they’re on sale for about $30 each. I say about because the owner is on vacation (and has been since I pinned the pin 2 weeks ago) and I had to sleuth through her sold orders to see how much she charged. Anyway, all that aside, I knew if I found the pattern I could make it. They’re a fairly simple dress, and so would have a fairly simple pattern.

Right?

This endeavor meant a trip to one of my favorite places: JoAnn’s. Here’s what I bought.....How much did I spend you ask?  Here’s the receipt too:
Yep. You see right. $23.16 total with a savings of $26.44. This, my friends, is why I love JoAnn’s. Also, as a teacher I get a 15% discount on top of all the sales/specials. It’s amazing.

Anyway, because each dress only takes 1-1 ⅜ yards I raided their remnants (which happened to be 50% off that weekend. Score!). Click here for the pattern I used. It’s listed as $6.55 on their website, but I paid $1 for it. I found the fabric for Rapunzel’s sleeves and blue and white fabric to (eventually) make Belle’s blue dress. I went to the quilting section and got the swirly and sparkly pink and purple fabrics, got the notions I needed (for the dress, you need elastic and for the Rapunzel dress you need ribbon and lace), and went home to begin my work as an amazing mom-seamstress. Because really, my sewing skills are unparalleled… in my mind.

In reality? Well...

So, I remember my mom telling me to iron the pattern and fabric before starting. I hate ironing and will avoid doing it at all costs. In this case, I was ok but it’s really a good idea if you iron everything out before beginning. Also, if you have a 20 month old who likes to “help”, I’d suggest having a wrangler of some kind. I laid out my pattern pieces, skimmed the directions, and began cutting.

Since I was making a princess dress and not just some regular, every day, simple dress, I decided to change the original pattern a bit. I made the skirt longer by following the larger size’s bottom cut line.
This is fine. But see how the sides are slightly larger on the larger side too? Yeah. This comes in handy when your child actually wants to walk in the dress. Not that she can’t walk, but… It’s more on the restrictive side. I wasn't thinking of that, of course, I had amazing sewing skills so I knew what I was doing. BUT should you choose to follow in my footsteps, make sure you make the bottom a little wider than I did in the picture below:
Everything was cut out and ready for sewing. Enter the most amazing, fantastic, technologically advanced sewing machine ever known to humankind….
So… I lied. It’s a cheap machine, but it gets the job done when you have nothing but straight seams to sew. I’d like to add this would have been much easier to sew with a real machine, so if your machine is anything better than mine, you’ll be just fine.

The seams allowance was ⅝”. My solution was to get some tape and mark ⅝” away from the foot. A post-it or masking tape would work awesomely too.

I began to sew. It was going fine. Not amazing, but I wasn’t hitting any major snafus. I finished the sleeve and had to thread through the elastic. This is about the time I realized I sewed the sleeve on with the inside facing out. Grumble grumble. I seam ripped it and sewed it back on the correct way. This is where I make a PSA: Always follow the pattern directions when it comes to sewing. It’ll save you a headache later. Anyway, below is a picture of the backwards sleeve and my elastic threading “trick”, a safety pin.
I used the safety pin to thread the elastic into the neck as well. I completed the top and the skirt. NOW! The moment of truth!

I gathered the skirt’s top by doing two rows of loose stitches, pulling the threads, and arranging the gathers to fit the top. I held my breath and sewed.
IT WORKED! I was TRIUMPHANT! And realized that maybe I wasn't the amazing, all knowing seamstress I was in my mind simply because the seam on the side of the skirt is, um, not on the side of the dress. But no matter, it’s for playtime and I was sick of sewing so I left it alone. The lace on the bottom I sewed on at the same time as hemming. I don’t recommend doing this, it was a pain. Instead sew your hem, pin on the lace, and stitch it on. I did a guestimate to judge how much ribbon to use for the bodice, and did a few hand stitches on each turn of the ribbon.

And here is the finished Rapunzel a la Disney’s Tangled dress:


It’s super cute. The kicker? My daughter, for whom I lovingly made this dress for, does not want to wear it. Like, at all. Ever. It is hanging on her door as a decoration as I type.  Which, actually, is pretty cute but I wish she’d want to wear it all day every day. The only picture I could get of her wearing it is this:
Yes, it’s blurry. And yes, it’s an action shot. She doesn't hold still anymore, especially when I try to take pictures of her. Despite the bottom of the dress being restrictive, she did her best to run throughout the house in it.

Anyway, her reaction to the dress has only strengthened my resolve to make more. Because more would totally change her mind about wearing them… Right? Plus, I know what I did wrong and what to change next time.

That and I now have an excuse to buy a grown up sewing machine.

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Thank you so much, Marina!!! This DIY Princess Dress tutorial is awesome!!!


Spinach and Artichoke Pizza

Published by Allyson
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.

For as long as I can remember, I have been obsessed with spinach and artichoke anything.  When I moved to New York, I stumbled upon a pizza joint called Artichoke, and it was love at first site.  Their pizza is amazing.  Think super thick crust, hot cheesy spinach and artichoke dip spread over the dough, and baked with cheese on top.

Artichoke Pizza in NYC

It is sooooo good.  No matter how hard I try, I don't think I will ever be able to replicate their delicious recipe.  If you are in New York City, you MUST stop by there and get a slice of artichoke pizza.  MUST.  Anyway, I was looking at some yummy dip recipes and I happened to find a Cheesy Spinach and Artichoke recipe over at How Sweet it Is.  I made a couple modifications (like using wheat crust instead of white), and it came out pretty good.  Honestly, I think it would have been better on white crust, but that is a personal preference.

Print
Spinach and Artichoke Pizza
Ingredients
  • 1 ball of pizza dough I used TJ's whole wheat
  • 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • 1 shallot diced
  • 2 garlic cloves minced or pressed
  • 1 bag of fresh spinach 6 ounce, I used 10 oz. frozen bag
  • 1 can of artichoke hearts 14 ounce, 5-7 count
  • ⅔ cup ricotta cheese
  • 8 ounces freshly grated mozzarella cheese
  • 4 ounces freshly grated parmesan cheese
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon pepper
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
  2. Drain artichokes and press with a paper towel to reduce some of the moisture. Roughly chop, pressing with a towel again, then place in a bowl. Add ricotta cheese.
  3. Heat a large skillet over medium low heat and add 1 teaspoon olive oil. Add in shallots with a pinch of salt and cook until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add in garlic and spinach, tossing to coat and cooking until spinach is wilted. Transfer spinach mixture to the bowl with artichokes and ricotta, then add salt, pepper, ¼ cup parmesan and ½ cup mozzarella cheese. Stir to combine.
  4. Drizzle pizza dough with 1 teaspoon olive oil and brush to coat. Sprinkle a bit of mozzarella cheese over top of the dough, then spread spinach ricotta mixture evenly over top. Cover with remaining parmesan and mozzarella cheeses. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until cheese is golden and bubbly.

Homemade Peanut Butter

Published by Allyson
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.

I like peanut butter and I feel like most people generally do, too.  My son is a HUGE fan of peanut butter, and recently I caught him trying to eat it straight out of the jar (See Exhibit A below).

Exhibit A

I usually buy the creamy kind with nothing added to it...just peanuts, and sometimes salt.  I don't really understand the point of all the additions most PB's have, because it is so delicious already.  Kroger actually has their own brand that is pretty good, with no added ingredients.

Anyway, I had been wanting to make homemade peanut butter for a while, and I found a great article on how to do it.  Little did I know, I could just use my handy Food Processor to get the job done.  Before reading the article, I would have thought that it would be necessary to add oil or something, to get the peanuts to turn into a creamy butter, but it's not.  You don't have to add anything, which I love.  The processor first grinds the peanuts up, and after a minute or so it forms a giant lump.  Then, after this lump gets thrown around in there for a few minutes, it starts loosening up, and eventually turns into the creamiest peanut butter.  For me, it took about 3 minutes from start to finish (but the article I read said 5 minutes, so it may vary on type of food processor).

Homemade Peanut Butter

Naturally, the second my son spotted this peanut butter, he lost it.  He had to have it, and was trying to reach a spoon into the food processor's bowl and scoop it out.  I used a spatula to get all the peanut butter out, and then let my little guy lick the extra peanut butter off the spatula (some kids like brownie batter, he likes PB!).  He was in heaven!

Homemade Peanut Butter

Homemade Peanut Butter

Homemade Peanut Butter

I put the peanut butter into a mason jar, and popped it in the fridge.  It was very runny (and warm) right after i mixed it, but firmed up to a normal consistency after being cooled in the fridge.  No oil has separated from the top either, which is cool....why does that happen on some types of peanut butter?

This wasn't really cheaper than buying it, but that's okay with me.  The nuts were under $4 at Trader Joe's and that was it!

Homemade Peanut Butter

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DIY Dresser turned TV Console with Tutorial

Published by Allyson
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.

My husband celebrated his 29th birthday back in July, and I decided I wanted to buy him a new TV.  Since we had moved in April, our old TV (32 inches) was a little small for our new living room.  After much research I decided on a bigger, 51 inch TV, and was psyched to get it and throw it up on the wall.  Our new house already came pre-wired for the flat screen to mounted above the fireplace, and I planned on taking full advantage of it.  Well, after a huge ordeal with the TV and mounting process (long story short, ended up going through 3 tvs and a huge PITA to finally getting a TV that worked), we finally had it up on the wall.  Five minutes later, I decided I did not like it up there. It was much too high, and there wasn't enough space to actually mount it high enough, so the TV just looked like it was sitting on the mantle, which was not okay with me.  I will show you what I mean, but I am embarrassed to even post this picture.

And yes, that is my toddler watching Adele live at the Grammy's, because he will only watch TV if there are music videos playing....

So yeah, as you can see, it's really low, but it wasn't possible to put it any higher because of the pre-wiring already on the wall...ugh.  But this gave me another good excuse to take it down.  My husband actually liked it up there, but once I explained to him how we couldn't keep it up there, and how I would make an awesome console table, he agreed to take it down!

Since I have been on a DIY kick lately (see refinished dresser and farmhouse hutch!), I started searching craigslist and thrift stores, looking for the perfect dresser or table to turn into a console table.  After a couple weeks of not finding anything, I was getting really annoyed because 1.) I really wanted to take the tv down, and 2.) I wanted our living room to keep progressing in the right direction.  Then, on a whim I decided to stop into this thrift store we were passing one Saturday, and found the PERFECT dresser.  Sure, it was missing some hardware, and one of the drawers was completely broken and jammed inside, but I had a vision.  We picked it up the next day and I got to work!

Let me tell you, this bad boy was full with disgusting crap inside....and when I say crap, I mean literally crap.  Mouse crap.  It was everywhere.  And dust, baby powder (?!?!), safety pins, stray keys, bobby pins, and more dust were literally everywhere.  I wish I would have taken a picture to share, but I was too busy strapping a mask to my face and vacuuming it out.  Just getting the inside clean took me over an hour and a half....and it seemed like more dust would appear right when I thought I was done cleaning.  Anyway, after I cleaned it, I used my new power sander (!!) and stripped off the top layer so it wasn't shiny anymore.  I also took out the top row of drawers, because I wouldn't be needing those.  I decided to use that as the area for the cable box/dvd player/etc.

Next, I primed the entire dresser and filled the holes with wood filler.  I wasn't sure if I was going to use the same hardware or not, so I didn't want to risk having to fill the holes later.   I let that dry, and then sanded it smooth and even.

Onto painting.  If you know me, then you know that I am the most indecisive person when it comes to DIY projects.  I always have something in mind, but I get so anxious I am going to pick the wrong color or hardware or whatever it is.  For this console table, I REALLY wanted to paint it yellow.  But yellow?  Really?  I was sure, but unsure.  After much discussion, a few of my friends and husband reassured me that yellow could be great.  I looked up some examples of different yellow furniture on Pinterest, and found some inspiration.  I decided on a color called Jackson Square from Valspar, which is more of a dark yellow then a bright sunshine yellow.  I picked up a quart of the paint (and had my handy $10 off coupon from Lowes!), and headed home to get going.

I was a little unsure of the color at first, but it started growing on me, and darkened with additional coats.  I also had a plan to glaze the furniture to bring out the accent lines and make it not so plain. So after 2-3 coats of paint I was on to the glazing part.  I have never glazed anything before, but read several tutorials and guides to glazing furniture.  There is a great tutorial from Brooke, at All Things Thrifty, and took her advice and things seemed to go well.

After I was done with the glazing, I wanted to put some solid wood on the shelf that would be the top shelf for the cable boxes etc.  I measured the inside, and purchased a flat board from Home Depot, and had them cut it into 3 parts, so I could put it in easily.  This was a very simple step, and it definitely makes the TV Console look more polished.  I painted the boards, and also the inside of the top shelf that would be exposed.  For some reason in the pictures it's not really obvious that it is painted (shadows, I think), but it is.  I think it would be very noticeable and irritating if it weren't painted.

Next I waxed the entire piece in Minwax soft wax paste.  I just love this stuff. It is so easy to apply, it takes 20 minutes to dry, and then you buff it off (easily) and it has a really nice sheen, and is protected.

After I did this, I decided to keep the original hardware, but I gave it a spray of iron rubbed bronze spray paint...man, I love this stuff!  Talk about an instant upgrade!

I attached all the hardware, put the drawers back in, and we brought it inside!! I was so excited!!

DIY TV Console - old dresser refinished and turned into a TV Console - love the yellow with black accents! Great step by step tutorial

DIY TV Console - old dresser refinished and turned into a TV Console - love the yellow with black accents! Great step by step tutorial

I know this post is picture heavy, but who doesn't love a good before and after?!

DIY TV Console - old dresser refinished and turned into a TV Console - love the yellow with black accents! Great step by step tutorial

DIY TV Console - old dresser refinished and turned into a TV Console - love the yellow with black accents! Great step by step tutorial

Cost Breakdown

Dresser: $50 (marked down from $79 because of my sweet negotiation skills)

Paint: $12

Primer (because I didn't have any left): $14

Rubbed Bronze Spray Paint: $8

Wood for top shelf: $1.50 (sweet deal from discarded wood pile at HD)

Glaze: $12

Total: $96, minus 2 $10 off lowes coupons= $76

Other things you might need to create this project:

Orbital Sander

Drawer Pulls

Shelf Liners

Paint Brush

Finishing Wax Paste

Like I said before, I wasn't really sure of the yellow color once I started painting, but I really like how it turned out with the black glaze.  The color is really hard to capture in the picture, and probably the first couple pictures are the truest to the yellow it looks like in person.

I need something to fill the cubby in the middle....what would you put there?  I recently threw out a huge stack of magazines, so I can't increase the stack that is in there now.  Books? A picture? A basket?  What would you do? (Update: I made a basket!)

 

Like furniture DIYs as much as I do? Check out my other projects:

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DIY Dresser to TV Console

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DIY Dresser Refinishing Tutorial

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DIY Tufted Ikat Ottoman from Upcycled Pallet with Tutorial

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Refinished Farmhouse Hutch Tutorial

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Thanks for visiting!

- Allyson

The Pillow Dilemma....SOLVED!

Published by Allyson
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Well, after much indecisiveness, I finally came to a decision about which pillows I wanted to order.  I ended up finding a local gal on Etsy, and she had pillows that looked perfect.  I was having a hard time deciding which patterns to go with though (as you know), and I finally decided on some geometric diamonds and an ikat pattern.  I was shocked when I walked into JoAnn's and found the same fabric! I just decided to make them myself...how hard could it be?!  Let me tell you...I am now obsessed with ikat print.  Ikat, where have you been all my life?!  I am going to make an ottoman out of a lovely ikat print as well, but I will talk more about that later.

Anyway, so like I was saying, I made the first set of pillows and then I ended up finding a great Ikat print at Hobby Lobby.  I decided to just wing it and make 2 more pillows myself.  Shockingly, they turned out pretty well.  God thing my mom taught me how to sew back when I was a wee one.  I was pretty satisfied, especially because the fabric was only $6.50 per yard, and I got 2 pillows out of it.  So, those are some pretty frugal pillows!  I won't keep you waiting any longer....

excuse my messy table, I am finishing another project as well...

What do you think?  Which print is your favorite?

 

The Domestic Superhero is on.....

Published by Allyson
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TWITTER!

Well, I never thought I would join twitter, but I let Liz over at Single Life -> Married Wife talk me into it.  Liz is  long time friend of mine (um, like 22 years or something crazy like that), and I have just come to find out that she works in social media....how awesome!  She convinced me to join Twitter, so hope on over there and follow me.

Liz even gave me a shout out!

I am actually excited to have another way to keep tabs on all the cool blogs I follow and people I know!  Are you on Twitter?  Let me know so I can follow you!

Buffalo Quinoa 'Mac' and Cheese....with Broccoli!

Published by Allyson
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So this is just an update of a previous recipe, but it's still worthy of a post!  I followed the recipe for Buffalo Quinoa Mac and Cheese, and added broccoli.

Lets take a look back at the original Buffalo Quinoa 'Mac' & Cheese....mmmm

Anyway, I realized that you can add any veggie you like in regular mac and cheese, to bulk up and add extra healthy filling to this protein packed recipe.  Last night I even tried it with cauliflower, and I couldn't even tell the cauliflower was in there...the texture was almost identical to the quinoa!  With this recipe being under 500 calories per servings, it might not be 'diet' food, but it's not a crazy splurge either...it is the right balance and it really is healthy with all the protein and calcium.  I eat this as a full meal, but it could easily be served as a smaller side.

Here is the recipe with broccoli:

What I did was just follow the original recipe, steamed the broccoli, and then mixed it all together at the end.  Put into the dish, and broiled.

Drooooooooool.

Print
Buffalo Quinoa ‘Mac’ & Cheese with Broccoli
Ingredients
  • 1-¼ cups quinoa rinsed and drained
  • salt & pepper
  • 2 Tablespoons flour
  • 1-½ cups skim milk divided
  • 2 green onions sliced
  • ¼ cup + 2 Tablespoons Frank’s Buffalo Wing Sauce
  • 1-½ cups shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese
  • ¼ cup blue cheese crumbled
  • 1 bag frozen broccoli cuts or fresh, whatever you want
Instructions

  1. Preheat broiler. Cook quinoa according to package directions and set aside.

  2. Cook broccoli (do not overcook) in microwave/on stove/however you want. Set aside.

  3. Whisk together flour and ½ cup milk in a separate saucepan over medium heat. Pour in remaining milk, and green onions. Switch to a spatula and bring the mixture to a boil, stirring constantly, then cook for one minute while boiling.

  4. Remove the pan from the heat then add in buffalo sauce and cheddar cheese. Season with a few dashes of salt and pepper. Stir until the cheese is completely melted then add in cooked quinoa, and stir to combine. Add the broccoli, stir to combine.

  5. Pour into a non-stick sprayed casserole dish and top with blue cheese. Broil for 5-7 minutes, or until the cheese is golden brown and sauce is bubbly. You can also use individual ramekins (I did).

Recipe Notes

Serves 4

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Love quinoa like I do? Check out these other great quinoa recipes!


Hot & Sour Soup

Published by Allyson
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Hot and Sour Soup

We love Chinese food over at my house, but we don't really order it much because I haven't been able to find a place that doesn't cook with an excessive amount of oil or msg.  I found a recipe for Hot and Sour Soup over at the JessFuel blog, and with a couple of little changes I gave it a try.  It turned out really great, and was easy to make.  It makes a HUGE pot of soup, probably around 6 servings or more (big servings).  I made it with ginger garlic broccoli and zucchini, and it was delicious.  I will post the recipe for that later this week.  This is great for the cool weather that has been popping up now that it is fall!

Probably the coolest part of this recipe is when you stream the egg whites in...they cook instantly and it's a really cool effect.  My husband thought it was the coolest thing ever!

Hot and Sour Soup

Print
Hot and Sour Soup
Ingredients
  • 2 teaspoon olive oil
  • 2 teaspoon dark sesame oil divided
  • ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 8 oz sliced mushrooms
  • 3 garlic cloves minced
  • 1 tablespoon minced or grated fresh ginger
  • 1 carton vegetable broth 32oz
  • 2 ¼ cups water divided
  • ½ cup rice vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
  • ½ lb firm or extra firm tofu diced
  • 2 ½ tablespoon cornstarch
  • Salt to taste
  • Cayenne pepper to taste
  • 3 egg whites lightly beaten
  • ½ cup chopped green onions
Instructions

  1. Heat olive oil and 1 teaspoon sesame oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add red pepper flakes and cook 1 minute. Add mushrooms and saute until soft and browned. Add garlic and ginger and continue sauteing 1-2 minutes, until fragrant.

  2. Add vegetable broth and 2 cups water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes. Add vinegar, soy sauce, pepper and tofu, and simmer another 3 minutes. In a small bowl, whisk together remaining ¼ cup water and cornstarch. Add to pot and continue simmering 3 additional minutes, stirring frequently. Season to taste with salt & cayenne (I like it spicy, so I used about ¼ teaspoon cayenne).

  3. Slowly stream egg whites into the pot while stirring continuously. Remove pot from heat and stir in green onions and remaining 1 teaspoon sesame oil.

  4. Serve immediately

My 2.5 year old son took this picture, and I thought it was so cute I would share 🙂Hot and Sour Soup

Enjoy!

Like healthy soups? Check out all my skinny soup recipes:



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Thanks for visiting!

- Allyson

Rugs, anyone?

Published by Allyson
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.

So now that we are on our way with a couch, pillows, tv console, and some decor, we need a new rug.  Right now we just have a cream shaf rug that we bought for my son's nursery, but then ended up keeping in our living room when we moved.  It will not match with the new decor, so it has to go.  Out with the old, in with the new!!  But, of course, my indecisiveness is getting the best of me.  I have found a couple cute rugs, but I am just not sure which direction to take.  Maybe since the pillows and decor will be busy, a solid rug would be best?  I do like the idea of plush carpet because my son is playing on the floor a lot (and that means I am too...)...

Shaggy Silver?
Shaggy grey with outlined pattern?

Or maybe something a little more daring?  I would love to have a printed rug, but I feel like it would end up clashing with all the other decor, or be too overwhelming....

diamond damask pattern?
classic damask motif?
Geometric pattern?
Love this yellow
Same as above, but in grey/blue

And lastly, my favorite....

I love love love this ikat print!!! But it is pretty pricey from West Elm...

I just don't know!  What do you think?  Where do you shop for affordable yet nice rugs?

Fall Bucket List

Published by Allyson
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I can't believe we are already into September and fall is here!  I love, love, love fall!  The changing leaves, trees, pumpkins, apple picking, football games, cooler air, Halloween, apple cider, donuts, corn mazes, fall festivals....everything!  I just love it.  I have seen a couple Fall Bucket Lists going around and decided to make one for myself.  I included all of my must-do activities for fall this year!

Have you made a bucket list for fall?  What are you must-do activities?

The Pillow Dilemma

Published by Allyson
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.

I am excited to announce that we finally found a couch for our living room!  The space is a little awkward with how the windows/kitchen bar/doorways are set up, so it's been hard to find something that fits the space, and isn't too big.  Also, I have been in love with the idea of finding a grey couch, and having a grey/white/yellow color scheme to our living room.  Well, after 5 months of looking, we finally decided on a sectional couch.  Here it is:

 

It is perfect for the space we have, and I love the shade of grey and the fabric.  Some people advised against getting a sectional because you can't always move it around, but with the space we have, there aren't many options on how to configure the living room, so it will likely stay in the same place anyway.

Anyway, now I am thinking about what kinds of pillows we can get to top the lovely couch.  I want to stay in the yellow/grey/white color scheme, and I have been browsing Etsy for some like that.  WOW...there are A LOT!  Apparently yellow/grey is the in combination and there are lots of different fabric options...lets see what we have....

I love these, but think maybe it would be hard to match a rug etc to them? What do you think?
This is the mother ship of all patterns!

Above, I REALLY love #5 with the geometric diamonds, and also #14.

#5, a closer look

I have seen some matching patterns to #14 in white/grey/yellow, so maybe I could do a mixture of all those?

See #2 here matches the other yellow #14
Or maybe something geometric like this, in greys and yellows?

What do you think?  Which pillows would you put on this grey sectional?

 

Home Energy Efficiency Checklist

Published by Allyson
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.

Back in April of this year we purchased our first home with the help of our wonderful Realtor, Paula Kellam.  She helped us find the perfect home, and now she is helping us maintain it.  Every couple of months she sends out helpful lists (sometimes emails, sometimes in the mail so I can have a checklist handy!), and I was happy to find one in my inbox the other day.  She compiled a list of things to make sure your home is the most energy efficient it can be.  These kinds of lists are great for me because we are first time home owners and don't know all the little tips and tricks that go along with home maintenance.  Doing these few easy things can help save a lot o money, and I don't know anyone these days, who doesn't love saving money!

Below you will find a complete Home Energy Efficiency Checklist.  This checklist helps homeowners optimize their energy consumption and reduce their energy bills. We designed this checklist as an easy-to-use guide for periodically examining your home to find energy- and money-wasting trouble spots. In addition, it also includes some preventative maintenance tips that will help you avoid problems before they happen.

Home Energy Efficiency Checklist

How efficient is your home?
Are you aware that there are a number of easy inexpensive do it yourself projects that will reduce your cooling and heating costs and also make your home a healthier more comfortable place to live?  A new heating or cooling unit will not make your house more efficient.  The only way to reduce your heating and cooling requirements is to tighten up the structure itself.

Attic

  • Insulate the attic to R-38. If it is over R-30, go on to other items before adding additional insulation. R-30 is approximately 10 inches of fiberglass batt or cellulose.
  • Attic vents need to be unobstructed and open to provide adequate air ventilation.
  • Caulk electrical wire penetrations at the top of the interior walls and wires into ceiling fixtures.
  • Insulate attic access door by attaching extruded (pink or blue) foam insulation to backside.
  • Weather-strip attic access door.
  • Seal around plumbing stack(s).
  • Seal around the chimney using a high temperature sealant such as muffler cement and metal flashing where necessary.
  • Seal all other holes between the heated/cooled space and the attic.
Main Level
  • Check weather-stripping on windows and doors.
  • Install foam gasket on all wall outlets and switches, and use child safety plugs backed with gasket punch-outs to keep cold/hot air from coming through the sockets.
  • Caulk along baseboards with a clear sealant.
  • If you have a room air conditioner, remove it for the winter or seal it up and insulate it.
  • When unable to replace an inefficient window, install plastic over the inside of the window. If you desire something more permanent than plastic, install an interior storm window.
  • Replace broken glass and any loose caulking.
  • Replace your old leaky windows. Use low expanding foam around the new window woodwork, caulk where the frame meets the wall and all other joints in the window woodwork with a clear sealant.
  • Replace an old warped entry door with a new insulated door.

If you have a fireplace

  • Check to make sure the damper is closed tightly when not in use.
  • Install tight fitting glass doors and/or make a decorative insulated cover for it.
  • Install a top sealing damper
  • Provide outside air for combustion.

Exterior

  • Caulk around all penetrations such as telephone, cable, gas, dryer vents, electrical outlets, water faucets, etc.
  • Caulk around window and door frames.
  • Install storm windows on all single-glazed windows.
  • Install storm doors where you have none.
  • If you are re-siding, consider adding to 1 of extruded foam insulation with taped seams.
  • Keep dryer vent screens lint free.

Miscellaneous

  • If you have a floor over an unheated/uncooled space, such as a tucked-under garage, insulate the space between the floor and the garage to R-20 or greater.

Thank you, Paula for the helpful list!!  Does anyone have any other tips to add??