A New Appetizer

I saw this new appetizer on Pinterest. Since it was so pretty, and I am a sucker for pretty colors on a plate, I wanted to try it. I had also seen another appetizer pin that was sweet potato cubes with a Cilantro-Jalapeno Aioli. I tried that, but we didn't love the combination though we did like the aioli. When I saw this one, and it was just a photo with no recipe,I thought I could use the dipping sauce with fresh veggies. This is the inspiration photo from Martha Stewart.

Here's how I did it: I bought a long, skinny French baguette. Around here, we can only get white, plain ones, but it would be pretty to have different kinds of bread. So, I began by cutting an end off the loaf; then I made a diagonal cut about 1" on the short end and about 2" on the long sides. Then, the next cut would be straight across, which would result in another 1"-2" piece. I think you can see what I am talking about in the picture. Every other cut would be diagonal. I then set each piece on the flat end with the short side facing me. I gently pinched out some of the interior bread of each piece. You want to leave the very bottom intact, but you want enough room to stick in the veggies and to hold the dip. On a couple of pieces, I accidentally went all the way through. No problem,I just put a very thin slice of butter in the "bread cup" to cover the hole. That worked great. Then, I put about 4 sticks of veggies--red, yellow, orange, green peppers, and celery down in the bread cup and added the dip, which helped to hold up the veggie sticks.


Cilantro-Jalapeno Aioli

1/2 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise (we really like the Trader’s Joe brand)
1 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
2 jalapeno chiles, seeded (if you like it less spicy) and chopped
Juice of one lime, plus more to taste
Salt, to taste

This is really good. However, with reduced fat mayo, it is a littly runny. Next time, I might add a tablespoon or two of cream cheese to give it a little more body so it will stay in the cup. Isn't it pretty!

A Bookcase: From Drab to Darling!

I'm working from a new computer. Hard drive crashed on the old one, so now we are a two-computer household again. Dell laptops; we'll see how they perform.

Anyway, I worked on a project several weeks ago, but I couldn't download the photos until recently. This old bookcase has been around a long time. It wasn't really mistreated; it just looked--you know--dull! Annie Sloan Chalk Paint (ASCP) to the rescue!

I didn't do anything to the bookcase except wipe it down to get rid of the dust and spider webs and such, and I did a once-over light sanding. I painted on a layer of Old White and a layer of Duck Egg Blue on the outside surfaces only. I sanded through to the white and brown layers in a couple of places, but I really like it like it is. I didn't even use the wax. I may go back and add that at some point, but I was anxious to put it in use Our master bedroom is neutral with lots of white and a few turquoise touches, so this piece looks great. Don't you think?

Here's the before:

And the after:

And a little detail:


There is no shortage of projects around here. I still have three great chairs to update!

The Chair--Another Before and After

I guess the play kitchen awakened something inside me. During my career, I had little time to pursue projects around the house, except in the kitchen. I love to cook and entertain, and I always found time for that. Now, however, in retirement, I see so many things I would like to try.

Slipcovers and upholstery have always fascinated me, and I decided I wanted to try my hand at it. So, when I picked up the entertainment center for the play kitchen, I also saw a chair for $5. It was an ugly thing. I bought it and thought I could practice on it. Here's how it looked:

I bought a $6 drop cloth, and found some white paint in stock. After painting it, I washed and dried the drop cloth, but I did not bleach it like some recommend. I started with the easy part, basically following the existing pieces.

I practiced making double welting; then I worked on covering the arms:

I used the seat cushion cover as a pattern for the new cover. I even made and installed the welting and a zipper--first one of those I had done in a long time.
Here's the finished product. We found a place in our master bathroom for it:

What do you think?

A Play Kitchen gets me back to Blogland!

Well, hello again. It's been about two and a half years since my last post. I lost interest, I guess, and Life happened. I got busier; our family grew, and my mother was in declining health. But here I am today, older and wiser, and changed. My sweet mother died in 2009; I retired in 2010; and we are trying to adjust to the changes.

My life is a little more orderly and a little more slowly paced now, and I am learning to enjoy every minute of every day. We are busier than ever, but now it is busy with our own interests. We have time to pursue hobbies and learn new things and take care of ourselves and read and enjoy our children and grandchildren. Life is good. That about sums up the last two and a half years. So, on to the new stuff.

I am so excited about a project Tom and I have been working on--a play kitchen for our granddaughter, Anna Kate. She was born just after I stopped blogging in 2009, and she followed the three precious little grandsons that we enjoyed so before her arrival. Now, we have that precious little girl to love as we do Brooks, Alexander, and Christian who came before her.

Anyway, every little girl needs a play kitchen, doesn't she? Even though I was an inactive blogger for more than two years, I have continued to enjoy numerous blogs written by creative women who have inspired me with their shelter, design, and cooking postings. And in the course of reading them, I ran across several play kitchens that inspired me. The Busy Bug Life posted this inspiration. Then, Bonne Nouvelle posted this one. And Fresh Cut Flowers inspired me with this one. So, Granddaddy and YaYa found an entertainment center on Craigslist. It was this one:

You have seen these at yard sales and almost everyday on Craigslist because the new-style televisions do not fit them. Anyway, we brought it to the farm where we began to reconfigure it. We maintained the frame as it was, 54" wide by 48" tall, but we really redesigned the layout. We primed and painted; we nailed and hammered; we made a few purchases and used a little creativity. After lots of hours of work, here's what we came up with:

As you can see, she has a stove and oven on the left side, a sink in the middle, and a pantry on the right. She has a chalkboard door on the front and another framed chalkboard on the right outside, along with a hook for her apron. It was a labor of love. Tom tried out some new tools, and I reached waaaay down inside to get creative. We used a dog bowl for the sink, jar lids painted black for the cooktop burners, and wooden wheels from the hobby shop for burner controls. The curtains are reconfigured from some old ones I found in a trunk at the farmhouse where her granddaddy was born and grew up and now shares with all of us. They belonged either to Tom's mother or his grandmother. For the window, we blew up a photo of our farm, a place that Anna Kate knows, so she would have a familiar sight as she looks "out the window". Anna Kate is too young to know it now, but that little kitchen has some of her history in it. An artist friend of ours recommended that we sign and date the piece and take a picture of AK now and as she grows with it, so we will plan to do that.

Well, we delivered and installed it today---big hit! Though Miss Anna Kate was tired and a tad ornery, we knew she would love it. Big brother, Brooks, was all over it, so we think they will enjoy it together. We hope they have hours of fun pretending in the kitchen.

And, the apple pie will be ready shortly!

I Love My Dressing Room

This probably sounds like a crazy post for a new year. But don't we get in a cleaning up-throwing out-creating order sort of mood in a new year? Well, that's what I've done today. I have a wonderful dressing room; it is spacious, well-designed, and a really lovely place--when it is in order. Believe me, it was not very orderly this morning. My suitcase was not unpacked afrom the Tampa trip; the remains of Christmas wrapping were everywhere;clothes were strewn about; and I could hardly get in the door. This dressing room serves as my closet, but it is sort of Grand Central for Kay. It holds bed linens, table linens, wrapping paper and ribbons, old photos and memorabilia, my sewing box, clothes and shoes and hats, my Harley gear, my evening bags, decorating fabrics, Christmas decorations, scarves, gifts in stock, and more than a few keepsakes. Here are some photos:





Well, now it is in better order. Not perfect you understand, but much better. One of the reasons it is better is because I discovered a tip on another blog about hanging ribbon on a pants hangar. I have a big drawer full of ribbons of all sizes and colors, so I was in need of a tip. I found an unused pants hangar, and I put just a few of my ribbons on it. This is what it looks like.



Isn't that clever?

Ten Days of Pleasure

We returned today from ten days in Tampa to help out on the occasion of our third grandson's birth. Christian Thomas Guimaraes Castro debuted on Dec. 11. He is tiny, 6.10, but he is perfect in every way. And, since Mom has more milk than Publix, he is thriving.

Ten days is a long time to visit, but we served as baby sitter for big brother Alexander while his family was in the hospital and housekeeper, cook, chaffeur, nanny, handyman, menu planner,etc. after dad went back to work. We loved helping out, and most of all we loved having such quality time with our daughter.

Her birthday is the day after Christian's, and we were reminded of all the activity when she was born in mid December. A new baby means busy times anyway; add Christmas, and things get hectic. It was our pleasure to help out and to enjoy wonderful times with both her sons.

Pictures? Of course.

A Birth and a Birthday

What a wonderful week for us! Elizabeth's Christian was born yesterday, weighing in at 6 pounds, 10 ounces and measuring 20.25 inches long. He is precious and beautiful. And on top of that, Elizabeth's birthday is today. She is precious and beautiful, too, just as she was thirty six years ago.

Christian is Coming

We have an exciting week coming up. We leave for Tampa to help welcome a new baby to the family. Elizabeth has been very healthy---though tired and uncomfortable---so we have every reason to believe that Christian will arrive in fine and healthy fashion. Our job is to care for Alexander while his family is in the hospital and to help out a few days after they return home. It is a privilege for us, and we are very excited. Elizabeth has a birthday the day after Christian is scheduled to arrive, so I remember what it's like to have a newborn at Christmas time. (It's kind of wonderful that first year; after that, it gets very hectic!)

Long, Dry Spell

Blogwise, I've just been uninspired. We've been busy---traveling, taking care of family, working, keeping up with the young Roneys and the Castros, playing---oh, always playing---and we have such fun. I don't want to write about the sadness--- Mother's decline and the loss of a dear friend too quickly to cancer.

Here's what we've been doing since late September---in pictures and a little prose. Brooks came to visit. At 32 months, he is a little sponge, and he is pretty cute saying the Pledge of Allegiance! We think he will be reading before long.

And sometimes Alexander gets to visit though he has to come all the way from Tampa. He loves the dogs, and he likes to move very fast! At 22 months, he is saying a few words in Portuguese and English.

We like Alexander's mom a lot, too! She is a little uncomfortable these days as we wait for the arrival of Christian in about three weeks.


These are our two lovely, young, pregnant mothers who were forced by their rambunctious little boys to get up way too early!


And then there was our trip to Apalachicola in early October. Six couples + incredible accommodations + a few motorcycles + a river view + great dining + tattoos + lots of laughter = lots and lots of fun.

And then, there was Cashiers, NC in late October. Seven couples, two beautiful homes, more great food, and lots of laid back time made for a great long weekend.






And then it's Halloween and the party bus and the costumes and the street dance---too much fun. Here's the Biker and Brittany Thirty Years Later:



And the chicken and the processor



And Sarah Palin and "I can see Russia from my Backyard"



And the real cool Blues Brothers and Family

And there was Tom's trip to South Dakota

And then the birthday of an old, old, old friend!

Who says we don't have fun!

This sort of catches up fam and friends on our activities--well, the fun stuff anyway. There's plenty of that other---work, responsibilities, chores---but who wants to write about that!

Pre-occupied

My mind has been pre-occupied---pre-occupied with three friends who have serious cancers, pre-occupied with a mother who is declining, pre-occupied with acquaintances who lost their only child at 25, pre-occupied with . . . well, the rest of it doesn't matter, does it? Work doesn't matter; the financial mess doesn't matter; the presidential campaign doesn't matter. What matters is that people, friends, and acquaintances are hurting and we can do so little except to pray and to let them know that we care.

October

October may be my favorite month. We feel the first cool mornings; we see the blue, clear sky. We smell the fields of freshly dug peanuts; we rake the new fallen pine straw; we take notice of the slower growth in our grasses and plants; and yes, we sneeze and sputter a little, too.

Robert Frost liked October, also.

"O hushed October morning mild,
Thy leaves have ripened to the fall;
Tomorrow's wind, if it be wild,
Should waste them all.
The crows above the forest call;
Tomorrow they may form and go.
O hushed October morning mild,
Begin the hours of this day slow.
Make the day seem to us less brief.
Hearts not averse to being beguiled,
Beguile us in the way you know.
Release one leaf at break of day;
At noon release another leaf;
One from our trees, one far away."

Waaaaaaaaaaaarr Eagle! Hey!!

Friday Night with Neighbors

Do you have neighbors? Think about it. You may live in a neighborhood, as I do, but do you have neighbors? We have lived in the same house since 1981, and we have one neighbor. Our driveways are across from each other---is that what makes neighbors? They see us coming and going; we see them. They know when our cars are home; we know when theirs are home. We hear and see each others dogs. We pick up each other's papers on occasion. The guys enjoy quail hunting and Auburn football. She is young enough to be my duaghter, but she is a working girl like me, and, we all enjoy spending time together.

This afternoon---Friday---I noticed that all their cars were in the driveway, so I called, "This is Kay; I know it's late notice, but you know how we are. If you guys don't have plans for tonight,we'd love to have you over for heavy drinks and light dinner. Call me." It was 3:30 pm and I didn't have a plan. The phone rang shortly, "sure, we'd love to come; I'll bring a tuna steak." So, we had the beginnings of a plan.

I didn't buy anything special, didn't even go to the grocery market except to buy two yellow squash. Here's what we pulled together:

Buckwheat Blinis with Smoked Salmon and Creme Fraiche
Seared Tuna with Cracked Black Pepper and Light Soy Sauce

Romaine Lettuce with Pears, Toasted Pecans, Maytag Blue Cheese
and Apricot Vinaigrette
Yellow Squash Stuffed with Spinach, Barley, Chicken, and Andouille Sausage

Various Wines

Yes, it was an incredible meal--a meal shared with neighbors, a meal planned at the last minute; a meal enjoyed at the kitchen island; a meal consumed with wines and laughter and conversation. What a delightful evening!

Three Busy Weeks

Whew! I've not come up for air since Napa. Too busy at work. But tonight, the wine wind down begins. For dinner---buckwheat pancakes; Robert E. Long syrup from Two Egg, Florida; eggs; and sausage. How good does that sound! What wine, you ask? A 2005 Rosemount Shiraz from eastern Australia, of course! Now, bring on the weekend.

RR and PLU

We enjoyed an evening with new friends last night. We had cocktails here then went out to late dinner. The conversation was fast and furious; we had plenty to talk about. We discovered similar interests and mutual friends and different experiences. We also discovered areas in which we could learn from each other. It was just a fun evening. "They are PLUs", Tom said as we returned home.

A friend of mine, a businesswoman who is one of the most dynamic people you'll ever meet, is one who has interviewed lots of people over her career. She interviews to hire for her own business, and she also interviews to give experience to young people who are just entering the job market. She told me that she has some little codes that she puts in the corner of some applications. One code is RR. It stands for "raised right". She uses it when she discovers young people with manners and values and work ethic and respect for others and other traits that she considers essential. Later, when she reviews that application, with RR in the top corner, she knows that person was someone that she would want to hire.

Another code she uses is PLU---for "people like us". Again, she uses that code to identify those people with traits similar to her own and those of her other employees---smart, congenial, hard-working, creative, enthusiastic. It might be a vendor or a potential client or an applicant for a position in her company.

I think those codes work in lots of situations. While it might be a little tricky to define RR and PLU, we all know what those traits look like. At the College, I come in contact with all kinds of students---some young, some not-so young, but I can tell you if I think they are RRs. I know it when I see it. (I surely hope that my friend would use RR to describe our children were she to interview them.)

We use PLU a lot---as we did to describe our new friends last night. PLU has nothing to do with their color or socioeconomic level or education. Instead it has to do with how comfortable we felt with them, how easily the conversation flowed, how many experiences and interests we shared, and whether we wished the evening could last longer. As it turned out, we overstayed our welcome in the small Japanese restaurant. We were talking so intently that we didn't notice that we were the last customers and the staff had begun sweeping up. We apologize, Sakura!

We enjoy meeting new PLUs!

Black Raspberry, Tar, and Earthiness

Wine tasting was a big part of our Napa trip. Of course it would be. The valley was dotted with acres and acres of grape vines that were loaded with luscious fruits ready to be picked. And in the caves at each vineyard the old oak barrels held even older wines just waiting for their debut. We tasted many. At each winery, we sampled four to six wines. My favorite was the Von Strasser Winery, and there we sampled, among others, the Von Strasser Sori Bricco Cabernet 2005. The steward assisted us with tasting notes. The notes for the Sori Bricco: "the wine is extremely dark and extracted with tremendous depth and concentration. The aromas are of coffee, black fruit, licorice, chocolate, and eucalyptus. Very chewy and viscous on the palate, with flavors of black raspberry, tar and earthiness with a long and impeccably balanced finish."

Did I taste those flavors? Did I catch that hint of eucalyptus? Could I identify the licorice? Could I articulate the sensations on the back of the tongue or describe the delicate finish? Not a chance. But did I enjoy the wines? You bet!

My descriptions of wine, however, would be very different. My description would be something like this: "a hearty red wine to be enjoyed on Sunday night, on the porch of an old farmhouse, with six friends and lots of laughter." Or this: a light red best served with Copper River Salmon prepared in a great kitchen with friends keeping company with the cook." Or this: "a great little Tuesday night wine enjoyed after a long day at the office with neighbors who dropped by to say hello." Or this: "a crisp, refreshing sauvignon blanc just right to enjoy on a hot August evening with grilled cheese sandwiches and a salad and the couple you invited on the spur of the moment."

You see, wine to me is about occasions and friends. It's about good times and hospitality, old stories and laughter. It's about sunsets and cool breezes and moonbeams and stars. It's about good conversation and discussion and poetry and literature. It's about history and shared experiences. And yes, it's about good food enjoyed with others.

I probably won't ever get a job writing tasting notes; yet, somehow, I think lots of folks feel the same way I do.

Our Trip to Napa

We returned home late on Sunday night, weary and yearning for our own bed, but what a great time we had! Fourteen friends, lots of laughter, plenty of wine and incredible food, great weather,a balloon ride, no logistical or other problems and safe travel. It just doesn't get any better! I'll have reflections on it all a little later.

Where's the Groove?

I'm a little like Stella. I think I've lost my groove---my blogging groove. Maybe it's the long, hot days of August. Maybe it's being super busy at work. Maybe it's reading all these wonderful, interesting blogs that other people write. Maybe it's just Life interfering. Whatever it is, I've had a dry spell.

Stella took a vacation to get her groove back; well, I think I'll do that, too. We're leaving tomorrow for Napa. Maybe a little cooler weather; maybe new scenery; maybe lots of wineries and wine; maybe fine dining; maybe hot air ballooning; maybe even the fainting goats (Not!); maybe the fellowship of sixteen friends going aross the country together---maybe all that will help me get my groove back!