Pumpkin Spice Cookies

Today was our annual Chili Cook-Off Fundraiser for the United Way Campaign at the office. I was planning on making some yummy white bean chili, but due to some recent car trouble ( And by "trouble", I mean, my car is no longer with us. So, yea. We all knew this day would come.) there was no way I was going to lug a giant crockpot to and from the office. So, I decided I was going to make some corn bread.

But then, I never went  to the store. My bad.

So, I bring you, Plan C:

I originally saw the recipe on Pinterest dubbed "The best pumpkin cookies ever." That sounded fairly promising, and I had all the ingredients, so it was a go!

The cookie recipe I used can be found on the House of Hepworth's blog. Click  here for the direct link to the recipe (scroll down to the bottom for the short printable version. Or read through her hilarious instructions. Either way, you win!)

She ices hers with cream cheese frosting. That sounds absolutely divine, but I didn't have ANY of those ingredients on hand. So I used this recipe for Marshmallow Icing (All you need is eggs, sugar and vanilla).

The icing followed the same basic principle as Meringue  topping, so I decided to toast it. Pipe the fluff on, then cook it at 350 degrees for about 5 minutes. The tips will turn a delicious toasty brown. So cute!

The Great Wall of China

I've been wanting a cute hutch for extra storage for a while now, but seeing Jackie's post about her cute new hutch earlier this week really clenched it. So, being a woman of action, I turned to craigslist.

Craigslist and I are BFF. It knows me. Every time I need something I just pop in, and it says, "I've been saving this one decently priced, perfectly casual thing just for you. You're welcome."

Seriously. After two seconds of looking through the Craigslist search return of "China Cabinet" I saw this little gem.

It was priced at $65.00, but I offered $50.00 and they guy said okay. Sold!

It's not solid wood,  it was pretty beat up, and I'm wanting to lighten things up around here, so I knew I'd be painting it a la The Nester's China Cabinet.

We picked it up on Wednesday, and I spent Saturday listening to wise people and painting my heart out. It was an amazing day.

Done! Well, really she needs to dry for at least 24 more hours. I should have waited at least that long before putting stuff in her. I just get too excited. One of my nearest and dearest friends was over that night, and I enlisted her help in putting it together, and rearranging my collection of white dishes inside.

What's better than a Saturday night spent accessorizing?

 I can't think of a thing. Maybe she can, but she didn't complain.

Here's so you can see how this painted piece kinda works with the paint color of the "entertainment center" in the next room over:

I was worried about having two big painted things so close together...but, I think it turned out just fine.

I had these little pink knobs lying in wait for the perfect future project. Do you think this is "the one" for them? Or should I go with something white and bright?

I didn't really notice these cute little details before--I think the paint really brings them out:

And here's how it looks from the other side.

Here are a few tips if you're ready to take on your own huge piece of furniture painting:
1) You should sand. And prime it, if you're really going to do it right. I sanded, and got so caught up with I forgot to bring out my leftover primer. Luckily, the sanding helped the paint stick, and the BEHR paint is quality, so it's fine so far, but I do worry about peeling.
2) The right paint and tools make a difference. I splurged on the real deal paint and I finally bought a Purdy paintbrush. I used a small sponge roller for the flat areas, but that Purdy got right into the nooks and crannies like a charm. It was amazing. There are no stray brush hairs, and the paint went on so smooth...okay, I'm gushing. I don't think I can ever go back to the two dollar brushes.
Update: 3) The paint color I used is BEHR's Garden Wall (730D-4) from Home Depot. It's my new favorite shade of Greige. It goes on really light at first, and might give you a panic attack as you realize "This is NOT the color I wanted", but once it dries it does darken!


Alright, Kourtney. Now it's your turn to get a hutch. Everyone else is doing it. I expect your post within a week :)

I can't wait to get started on our dining room table/chair revamp now! Well, actually I can. This job was a lot of work. But I'm excited to get started in the somewhat near future, and get the dining area DONE(ish).

Linking up to:
Metamorphasis Monday
A-Z Tutes and Tips
Miss Mustard Seed's Furniture Feature Friday
 Perfectly Imperfect Random Furniture Link up!

A Cheesy Mess

In the search of a more "healthy" kind of pasta, I made this up:

1/4 white onion, chopped
1 large heirloom tomato (or 3-4 roma tomatoes), chopped
1 tsp. garlic salt
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. dried basil (or 6-7 large fresh basil leaves, chopped)
1/4 cup Kraft Sun-dried tomato vinaigrette
1/2 block reduced fat or non fat cream cheese
1/8 cup grated Parmesan cheese
4 oz reduced fat Velveeta cheese (or can substitute 1 cup low fat mozzarella cheese)
1 pound extra lean ground turkey
2 cups chopped fresh spinach
1 box Ronzoni rotini spirals, whole wheat
1 tsp salt (optional)

Get a large wok or bouillabaisse heated to medium heat. Add chopped onion, saute for 3-4 minutes. Add chopped tomato, oregano, basil and cover, stirring occasionally for 10 minutes. Add ground turkey, sprinkle with garlic salt and stir occasionally til turkey cooked through. Now chop your Velveeta and cream cheese into cubes, add to mix and stir occasionally. Once cheese melted, add vinaigrette and Parmesan cheese. Cover and let simmer for 10-12 minutes.

In a separate pot, boil pasta to desired tenderness (salt added to water will help pasta not to stick), drain and let cool briefly.

While pasta cools, add chopped spinach to wok/bouillabaisse. Add boiled pasta and stir. Can cover for 1-2 minutes to cook spinach down, if desired.

Serves 4-6. ENJOY!!





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A home for my collection...

So remember how I said my little kitchen island had storage inside? Well, sad to say, this is what is was holding.

Yes. That would be my secret hoard of milk glass piled precariously on top of each other. Few people know about this little stash of mine;I refer to it as my guilty pleasure. I have been dreaming of getting a wonderfully gorgeous hutch to display it all. I am still patiently waiting for that day to come, but I found a pretty nice temporary solution. Here it is with the wine rack and plate holders already removed, ready to be primed and painted.
p.s. I do not recommend painting in your basement. The cons of poor lighting and ventilation beat out the convenience of being able to paint when the kids are in bed.


Almost finished....

I am debating about painting the back of the hutch a coordinating accent color. Any suggestions? Look at the last two posts to see my kitchen colors. I am thinking either the yellow or the green, but let me know what you think. Here's your chance to use those fabulous design skills. Please share!

Linking up to:


 

Color Splash

I finally refinished my little kitchen island. It adds just the right amount of fun to my kitchen. It was a boring worn out black with natural wood top before its little makeover. Can you tell I love it?

I used two colors of stain and then topped it with tinted polyurethane. The top comes of for even more storage :)

The base was primed and then spray painted aqua, distressed, and then glazed with tinted poly that I lightly wiped off so it wouldn't look too dirty.

I want to add a ruffle to the bottom like my curtains, but I think it will be too much. Step away from the ruffles...

Next up will be painting a hutch for my little dresser-turned-buffet! It will be a new home for my growing collection of milk glass.

Don't forget to check out the "Party Central" tab to see what parties we love linking up to every week!

One man's trash

First , we take the case of an old, ugly cake plate. The picture actually hides the brown distressed smears that just make you want to eat off of it, yum!With just a coat of spray paint, it becomes a chic little dish!

Milk Glass Vases

One time after a very successful trip to the thrift store, my husband asked me, "you do know why this stuff ends up there, don't you--it's junk." True enough, every time I go to a thrift store, I find myself coming home with a few (bags of) little treasures. The next problem is what to do with it before it just becomes clutter. Here I used mismatched vases to create a little window display. I think my junk is great!


Don't forget to check out the "Party Central" tab to see what parties we love linking up to every week!

Monthly Guide to Fruits and Veggies {FREE PRINTABLE}

So, you know what I've been getting into lately? Fruits and veggies, that's  what.

I love cooking with fresh produce. Love it.

But I had a problem. You see, I never quite knew for sure if I was getting a good deal on my produce.

So I did some research. I read a lot of websites. I compared a lot of charts.

And I'm happy to present to you my first ever Monthly Guide to Seasonal Produce Trends.

My research tells me that this is enough to give you a general idea of what could be in season in your area--well as long are your area falls within or around the continental USA. It varies regionally, of course, but it should help you out, if you're like me and feel completely clueless.

 I think it still needs a little work though. A few sites reported Bananas as a year around fruit because they're always imported from tropical areas. I'm going to watch these "year round" claims, and see what really holds true.

I printed mine out on some card stock and keep it on my fridge. That way I know what to expect from the grocery store that month, and can even scheme up some possible recipes!

 Let me know if you see anything that needs to be corrected.