It's Fall y'all!

I know it doesn't really feel like it here in San Antonio, but today is the first official day of Fall!!  I loooooove Fall, even  if there is no appreciable weather change.  I thought we would kick off the new season with one of my favorite new recipes...Fall Harvest Turkey Salad.  I made it up when I did not have all of the ingredients for chicken salad one day, and it is delicious! Here goes...

1 pound diced cooked turkey breast (smoked or roasted)
2 ribs celery diced
1/2 cup toasted walnuts
1/2 cup dried cranberries (or craisins as they are called)
1/3 cup dijonnaise
salt and pepper to taste

Combine all of the ingredients together, blend very well chill and serve. This is great on bread as a sandwich or as a topper to your favorite lettuce as a salad.  I love mustard on my turkey sandwich the day after Thanksgiving and that is what this salad reminds me of.  You can use half mayonnaise and half dijonnaise if you prefer a less mustard-y taste. If you make it, let me know how it comes out!

I Made This Y'all!! Yarn Wreath

I had seen these very pretty yarn wreaths on Etsy a year or ago selling for about $50.  I filed the idea away for a rainy day, and wouldn't you know it, we actually had a rainy day!!  So I decided to make my very own yarn wreath and it could not have been easier. I got all my supplies from Hobby Lobby for less than 8.00, which was very exciting.  The base is a straw wreath which came wrapped in protective plastic, I left the plastic on.  I purchased one skein (have always wanted to use that word) of yarn and wrapped it around the wreath. This was the most labor intensive part and probably took about an hour.  Next I cut circles out of felt, I bought the felt squares for .25 or whatever they were and it took about one square per flower.  After I had the circles cut, I cut each one into a spiral and was left with a small round center.  I coiled each spiral from the place I started cutting and when I had the whole thing coiled I hot glued it to the felt round.  ThenI hot glued the flowers to the wreath.  Simple as that! 

Refs Rock

When most people think of a football game they think of the touchdowns, the crowd going wild for the score, fresh popcorn, cheerleaders, and mascots. Well in my house growing up football consisted of cheering on the Referee, AKA my Dad. This past Saturday my family went to a good old high school football game. One of the teams just happens to be my sisters' Alma Mater, which I won't name since they lost in a pretty bad way. The referee's two biggest fans (Tatum and Blake) wore these homemade shirts to show their spirit. More pics to come...

Sausage Roll Recipe - Yum!!!

I have not made my sausage rolls in awhile, but after talking with my sister the other night, they will be on my list of things to make this weekend. Below is the recipe for those of you who want a delicious weekend breakfast that is fast and easy to make.

Ingredients:
1lb bulk pork sausage
1 (8oz) package cream cheese, cubed
2 (8oz) cans refrigerated crescent rolls


Directions:
In a skillet cook sausage over medium heat until the meat is no longer pink, then drain. Stir in the cream cheese until melted. Separate each tube of crescent dough into 4 rectangles on a cookie sheet. Spread the sausage/cream cheese mixture evenly onto two of the crescent rectangles. Take the other two crescent dough rectangles and place it over the tops of the sausage/cream cheese to cover. Pinch seams to seal all of the sides together. I typically rub some butter over the top to help it brown, but this is optional. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Cut into slices and enjoy!

Closet Freak

If you know me, you know I love clothes.  If you don't know me, I am telling you right now: I love clothes.  As previously blogged about, I live in a small urban apartment (as urban as you can get in San Antonio) by choice.  I really am trying to reduce my carbon footprint and quite frankly home ownership was not for me.  I tried it, spending all my time and money on such exciting endeavors as tree trimming and fence repair was too depressing for words.  My goal is to live as graciously in a 900 square foot apartment as one could in a 2000 square foot house. It's actually not very difficult, but lately my closet was making me sad every time I opened the door. Observe:

The closet is very small, but I wanted it to appear larger.  This would necessitate removing the horrid wire shelves furnished by the management company. I promptly removed all of them. Then I measured the space and drew out a plan.  Once I had the layout I liked I went to (where else?) Target and bought their laminate closet components.  There were many options to choose from, with my limited space I bought one super tall shelving unit, a medium shelving unit, a shoe unit, a cabinet with doors and a 3-drawer unit.  The most difficult part of the process was assembling the units, I have major callouses on my hands. The exciting part was next, setting up the closet!

Because I removed the wire shelves I had nowhere to hang my clothes, so I went to Lowe's for some rods.

This was so easy! And it only took me about 10 hours from start to finish, but that included trips back and forth to Target and Lowe's as well as a small lunch break.  Also, Rufus needed to go out a few times : ) 

Secrets of a Wanna Be Stylist

So a couple of months ago Emily Henderson of HGTV's 'Secrets of a Stylist' (you know she won last year's Design Star if you are not watching her show you absolutely should she is an adorable styling genius!!!) But, I clearly digress...anyway she did the coolest, easiest art project ever!  She enlarged this guy's vintage Coney Island postcards, blew them up and framed them. She shows it in her blog here: http://www.stylebyemilyhenderson.com/blog/episode-8-mood-board.html

I was totally inspired by her as well as my mom's vintage Hemisphere poster which I have coveted for years.  I went straight to eBay and found some vintage Hemisphere postcards and for about $7.00 including shipping I was the proud owner of these beauties:

A quick trip to Kinko's to have these enlarged to 24x36 inches, then to Target for poster frames (I like the brushed brass looking ones, I am having such a brass moment right now) and I now have two brand new pieces of spectacular art in my home.  What do you think? Is this something you guys would try? 

Grandparents Day

Yesterday was Grandparents Day and each year we celebrate by bringing breakfast to my Grandmother's house and enjoying our time together. Typically I make a family calendar for my Grandmother and my dad, Tatum's Granddad. This year I decided to use some of the leftover bags from Tatum's birthday to make sacks with homemade cookies and a gift card. Along with the baked goods bag, we created cards with all the reasons Tatum loves her Granddad and Bubbe. We finished it off with her hand prints in yellow. Check it out.

Making a rug out of nothing at all (sort of)

Lately I have been slowly but surely updating my urban oasis.  One of my main focal points has been the living room as this is where most time is spent.  The apartment has really lovely faux wood flooring, seriously I love it as Rufus cannot destroy it (try as he might).  But I hate the cold feeling the living room has without a rug.  When I moved in I used a Pottery Barn kilim, it was gorgeous but so dark and cottage-y.  I am trying to move away from the cottage look to something a little more contemporary but still vintage and elegant.  If I was Emily Henderson doing a style diagnostic on myself I would call my new style "contemporary vintage elegance".  I just made that up : )

OK so the kilim rug had to go, and I knew I wanted something lighter and more graphic. But, I am on a budget and live with a dog who has to go outside several times a day then come back inside with his grubby little paws.  So anything in the cream or white family was not an option, even light gray (which I love) was not going to work. I found the PERFECT rug, it was neutral and graphic and most importantly cheap.  But, it was only sold in 4x6, way too small for my LR.  Being the crafty genius (total sarcasm here) that I am, I bought 2 of the 4x6 rugs and decided to put them together to create one 6x8.  The best part was how simple it was, read on for details...

All you need are a utility knife, straight edge (I used a yard stick) and carpet tape.  I turn both rugs over so their top side was facing the ground.  Used my straight edge as a guide and sliced off the bound edge of each rug.  Then I just taped them together.  Seriously, it was that easy!  Is it the most elegant rug ever? No, but it looks great and I will not freak out if it gets muddy or if someone has an accident on it. Below are the how to photos:

Above is the somebody who may have an accident, I was not referring to myself.

NFL is officially here...

Not sure about some of you, but it is like Christmas in my house when football starts. Since tonight will kickoff the season, I wanted to share with you a traditional bean dip I make every year. We will actually make ours on Sunday, when we have guests, but for those weekday partygoers here you go!

2 16oz cans refried beans
1 packet taco seasoning
8oz cream cheese (soft)
1 square block monterey jack cheese shredded
Tortilla chips

Directions:
Heat oven to 350. In an oven safe casserole dish mix the refried beans, 1/2 packet taco seasoning, cream cheese and 3/4's of the monterey jack cheese shredded. Top dip with leftover shredded cheese and bake in oven for 30-35 minutes or until all cheese is melted. Serve with tortilla chips and stand back! Feeding football craved men can be dangerous.

Peanut Butter Cookie Brownies

Y'all these are so good!!  And although I usually like to bake everything from scratch, these do call for a few boxed mixes.  You have to try them though, they are delicious!

1 box brownie mix
1 egg
3 tablespoons milk
1/4 cup oil
1 package peanut butter cookie mix
1 egg
1 tablespoon milk
3 tablespoons oil
1 cup milk chocolate chips
1 cup peanut butter
1 1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons milk
1 cup honey roasted peanuts

Heat oven to 375 degrees.  Combine first 4 ingredients and spread evenly into an ungreased 9x13 pan, bake for 30 minutes. Combine the next 4 ingredients and drop by spoonfuls evenly atop the pre-bakes brownies, bake for 25 minutes.  Remove from oven and pour chocolate chips on top.  Combine peanut butter, powdered sugar and milk to create a smooth frosting, pour it over the melted chocolate chips and swirl.  Sprinkle peanuts on top of the whole thing, cut into bars and serve with vanilla ice cream or a frosty glass of milk...your choice!

Peanut butter frosting:

Chuga Chuga Choo Choo – Train Party

This year my adorable nephew Blake, turned 1. My sister decided on a train theme at the park. Take a peek at all the party highlights.

Invite – Train Ticket invites were created with a matching train ticket directions card.

Train Party Centerpiece Idea – I purchased an unfinished wooden crate from Michael’s and painted each side a different color. I also found some already painted wood figures in the shape of a train and hot glued one on each side. Initially, the crate was going to be used as part of his birthday gift, but in the end the gift did not fit, so we used the crate on the gift table to hold the adult goodie bags.
Train cup Goodie Bag for kids – It is amazing what you can do with a plastic flower pot! I headed over to Lowe’s to see about purchasing some small plastic planting pots. Lowe’s has a program where you can return your used plastic pots and they will either recycle or reuse them. So I was able to get 12 plastic pots for free! I spray-painted 4 pots in red, 4 pots in blue, and 4 pots in yellow (matching the color theme for the party). I then bought a package of multi-colored buttons. I hot glued two buttons on each side for the wheels, and then completed the look with a label thanking the guests for coming. My sister filled each cup with some play-doh, candy, fruit snacks, and other little toys. We placed the pots in a large circle on the gift table. Inside the circle was the train crate as mentioned in the centerpiece idea above.

Adult Goodie Bag – Since there were many adults at the party, some of which did not have children, we decided to also make adult goodie bags as a thank you. I created a plastic bag topper as shown below. Each bag was filled with chocolate and then the topper was placed on the baggie and stapled on each end.

It was a great day on the Blake Express! Now we are focusing on his 2nd birthday, contemplating a WANTED, Wild West Theme. Follow us for upcoming details!

Beat the Heat

Before I moved to my little urban oasis, I lived in the hottest apartment known to man.  I was on the third floor with vaulted ceilings and a HUGE patio with glass door facing the sun.  No matter what I tried, I could never get my apartment cooler than 85 during the summer months.  In San Antonio, the summer months are April thru October so yeh, that was a lot of hot to deal with.  Poor Rufus would just lie around all day panting and drinking water while I was at work.  The huge glass door had blinds and also curtains but it may as well have had nothing covering it for all the protection those two items provided.  When I moved into my new place a year ago I was determined to not have the same issue.  Since I was still living in SA, I knew it would be hot and I had to come up with a solution.  I made my own blackout drapes, and it only took me a couple of hours.  They work like a champ, it was 108 degrees outside yesterday and I was crisp and cool all day.
I bought a set of drapery panels from Target, I just think they have such a great selection and the price cannot be beat.  I have been using their drapes for years and mine hold up as well my mom's Pottery Barn panels. Then I headed over to Lowe's to pick up two canvas drop cloths.  Back at home, I laid out the first drapery panel and measure the drop cloth to fit the lining.  I used that cut piece as my guide and cut the other drop cloth to the same dimensions.  Next, I ironed a 1/4" hem around each of the drop cloths and pinned them to the inside of the drapes.  Here is where it gets a little tricky, I pulled out my trusty sewing machine and sewed those drop cloths to the drapes.  It stays nice and cool inside all day and is also quiet as a church in my apartment (when my dog isn't snoring).  Oh, did I fail to mention this little benefit?  YES!!! In addition to insulating your abode from the ridiculous heat, these curtains also block out the unwanted noise. Below are my 'after' shots, I failed to get any during the process but this one is pretty straight forward.

ps -
My friend Brooke recently moved into a gorgeous brand new home.  She and her husband Shawn did a fantastic job furnishing and decorating their new digs.  Any man would be jealous of his media room/man cave; I mean he even has the second floor all to himself!! One complaint Brooke and Shawn have of their new crib is the noise level since they back up to a fairly busy street. Living in a very busy and urban area myself I can certainly relate.  I was so excited to share with them the solution to this annoying problem and I think they are going to give it a try.  If they do, we will post pics!!

Labor Day Idea #4 - Cupcakes

Happy Friday…I know I am ready for the long weekend! I hope some of you will be trying out Stephanie’s great Labor Day menu, but we need to add the finishing touches…Decorative Cupcakes!

These were so simple and will make a great addition to your food table this weekend. Here’s how you do it.
Cupcake
· Bake any box mix or homemade cupcake recipe you choose
· Frost cupcakes
Cupcake Wrapper
· I used the wrapper template from Kate Pullen at http://rubberstamping.about.com/
· Cut out the wrapper from the sheet
· Trace the wrapper on your paper of choice. I chose some craft paper I already had.
· Cut out from the craft paper
· Wrap around the cupcake liner and secure with glue. The template was a bit larger than my cupcake so I had to cut it down about 1/2 inch.
Cupcake Topper
· Make Rice Krispie Treats or you can cheat and buy the already made kind
· Take a small star shaped cookie cutter and cut out from the Rice Krispie Treats
· Decorate Stars as you prefer
· Take one of your craft sticks and slide it into the Rice Krispie Treat
· Place treat on a stick into the center of the cupcake
Cupcake Stand

You may have recognized the red and white polka dot wrapping paper from Stephanie’s blog post regarding Cheap and Chic Table Decor. I wrapped a plate with the wrapping paper to make a wonderful Labor Day dessert display.

Have a safe and happy weekend!

Labor Day Idea #3: Bacon wrapped rosemary garlic chicken

Will you guys be entertaining this long weekend?  I will be, and while my fantasy backyard set up looks something like this:

The reality will be far different.  I do know I will have some delicious food though, I am thinking chicken.

The below recipe was a sort of collaboration between Brooke and me. I am sure there are variations on this theme all over the interwebs, but this one was just easy and delicious and we wanted to share it with y'all! 

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 Tbsp olive oil

2 sprigs fresh rosemary (or 1/2 tsp dried rosemary divided)

1 clove garlic finely chopped

2 slices bacon

Salt and pepper to taste

Sprinkle each breast with salt and pepper.  Rub each breast on one side with 1/2 the olive oil.  Spread garlic evenly over the olive oil, add rosemary to each breast.  Roll the chicken up around the rosemary and garlic, secure with toothpicks. Wrap one piece of bacon around each breast.  Grill or bake for 40 minutes or until juices run clear.  Remove rosemary sprig, slice and enjoy. You could serve the chicken with potato salad, we like this one:

5 pounds red potatoes                         2 T. parsley, chopped

1 pound package bacon                      1 cup vinegar

1 cup thinly sliced celery                      1/2 cup water

1 cup chopped onions                          1 t. salt

1 cup sugar                                          ¾ t. ground mustard

2 T. flour                                              2 carrots, shredded

Wash 5 pound sack of red potatoes, boil in large pot.  Remove from pot & put on plates to cool. Slice when cool.

While potatoes are cooling, take 1 pound package of bacon; cut into small chunks and cook until crisp.  Remove bacon from drippings.  Use drippings to sauté 1 cup thinly sliced celery & 1 cup chopped onions.  In a small bowl, combine 1 cup sugar, 2 tablespoons flour, 1 teaspoon salt, and ¾ teaspoon ground mustard.  Add 1 cup vinegar and ½ cup water to skillet with celery and onions; add dry ingredients and cook, stirring constantly, until boils and thickens.  Slice potatoes into a large bowl, add 2 tablespoons chopped parsley, 2 shredded/grated carrots, and cooked bacon.  Pour dressing mixture over potatoes.  Stir gently to coat. 

This is good warm, or can be refrigerated and served cold.

Come back tomorrow when we will talk Labor Day cupcakes!