Storm Preparation

I should be painting, but with the storm approaching, I'm choosing to lay low, and dream up comfort food to make before we lose power.  The threat of a storm always makes me think of my stomach, and a possible shortage of things to put in it.  (For those who know me, I'm sure this comes as no surprise).

However, I did prepare for the likely power outage, and getting into true survival mode, here's what I did:

Made coffee and put it in a thermos.
Took a shower.
Gathered 1 flashlight, which I found is not in working order.
Found one battery powered lamp, which is in working order.
Got laundry done.
Ran dishwasher.
Made spaghetti.
Made Currant Tarts.

SO, as you can see, if we lose power, I'm completely able to survive.  I'll be clean, have a lamp, hot coffee, cold spaghetti, and little pies!

(Seriously, I do wish everyone in the path of the storm well. And hope everyone stays safe.)

ENGLISH BUTTER TARTS (OR CURRANT TARTS) Makes 12-15

This recipe was passed down in our family from my great-grandmother.  Everyone who tries one of these mini-pies asks for the recipe.  Everyone!   I find dried currants where you find raisins in the grocery store, and also in the bulk food section.

• 1/2 cup real butter room temperature


• 1 cup granulated sugar


• 1 large egg


• 2 teaspoons vanilla


• 1 cup dried currants

For the Pastry

• 2 cups all-purpose flour


• 1/4 teaspoon salt


• 2/3 cup lard


• 3 -4 tablespoons cold water

Directions:

1. 
   
   To Make the Filling:.


2. 
   
   Wash the currants and drain them.


3. 
   
   Stir the sugar and butter together well. Mix in the egg and vanilla until well blended. Stir in the currants.


4. 
   
   To Make the Pastry:


5. 
   
   Mix the flour and salt together.


6. 
   
   Cut the lard into the flour and salt until the consistency is like crumbs. Gradually add enough of the water to make the dough hold together, and form it into a ball.


7. 
   
   Roll out the dough and cut out with a round cookie cutter and fit into muffin tins (regular size, not mini).


8. 
   
   To Assemble & Bake:


9. 
   
   Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees


10. 
    
    Put a large spoonful (about 2 tablespoons) of the filling into each unbaked tart shell.


11. 
    
    Bake @ 375 for 15 to 20 minutes, until bubbly and golden and crust is done. (Don't over-bake - the filling should not be too brown or crispy.).

Honesty report:  I do not make pie crust!  I buy it and cut it to fit in the muffin tins!

 

Bathroom Paint

Well, it's a cold and rainy day.  Which is fine, because the bathrooms need painting, and it's been put off for too long.

The first thing I have to tackle is choosing the right primer and paint.  Even if the bathroom is well-ventilated it's the perfect environment for mold and mildew.  And they're no fun!  So I think it's a good thing to prime with a moisture resistant primer.  The primer will help seal the drywall so that the high moisture won't cause any damage.

Then select a paint with "mildewcide" to retard mildew and mold growth. You many not have to do this if your bathroom is used by adults who use the ventilation consistently.  But if you have kids, you're probably going to want to do all you can to save yourself work down the road.  One thing my kids do manage to do consistently is leave the shower curtain open!

It's also best to paint with a semi-gloss paint so that you can wipe down the walls easily.  I won't show you a picture as proof, but little hands leave lots of fingerprints, especially in the bathroom.

Choosing the color for your bathroom is entirely personal.  However, I think I'll follow the tactics of beauty salons that use a pinky-peach, warm beige, or soft tan color, because those colors tend to make the clients skin look good in the mirror.  And I'm down with lookin' good in the bathroom mirror!  Who cares if it's all an illusion!

I once painted a bathroom bright yellow (so cheery, I thought), but it made me look like the walking dead (so creepy, I realized).

No one can have a good day lookin' like that in the bathroom mirror.  This time, the color we picked out is a warm beige, and I'm accenting with a forest green tile and dark brown accents.  I hope it makes me look good!  At least better than above!

Painting Tips

A while back I posted tips on painting.  (You can read that post here.)  At the end of the post I mentioned that I still have to paint the bathrooms - uh, I'm embarassed to admit, I still do.  But I'm going to get them done this week.

To get ready, I've been googling painting tips, and found some useful info, that I'm going to try out.

Tinted primer.  I've never bothered to use tinted primer.  But it does make sense, especially if you're going to use color, because the darker the color, the more transparent it is.  Weird (to me), but true.  If the primer is tinted you will use less paint.  Grey is the perfect “neutral” to correctly display a color. Even a white ceiling should be primed with a very light grey. This not only helps your white color show it’s correct tone, but, will also prevent you missing any spots because the grey is so easy to spot next to the white. (source) For a darker color paint, use a darker tinted grey primer.

Floetrol.  Paint conditioner or extender. Eliminate brush marks with a paint extender. A quick drying time seems like a good thing.  But when talking about paint, you want it to dry slowly. Floetrol slows down dry time of the paint which gives you more time to blend the brush and roller marks.  Just make sure to follow the manufacturer directions for mixing it in the paint.

Textured ceiling.  I do not have a textured ceiling, but this is a cool trick if you do.  Just run a flat edge screw driver along the perimeter of the ceiling to remove that small area texture.  This leaves a ridge so your brush bristles won't go into the texture.  Don't worry, you wont ever notice the missing texture.


source

One wall at a time.  It seemed natural to me to do all cutting in for the whole room, and then go back and roll. However I've read on more than one occasion that this is wrong with a big W. Finish one wall before starting another.  The paint blends better for a more professional look.

5 gallon bucket. If you have a lot to paint and need more than one gallon, use a 5 gal bucket and mix your paints.  Even though the paints are the "same" color, they can vary and it's best to mix!  PLUS, no need to use roller trays.  Roller trays are flimsy, and if you're anything like me, you may step in it.  Just sayin'.  A 5 gallon bucket is wide enough for your roller and a screen see here for details.



Fuzz free rollers. Wash your roller brushes before you use them.  Just put them under warm water with a drop or two of dish liquid. Run your hands up and down the roller until the soap runs out.  This eliminates all the fuzzies from the roller which will get stuck in your paint on your wall.

Common sense things I need remember:

It's going to take 2 to 4 days to paint an average sized room.
Or a room with a lot of cutting in.  It just is.

Move everything out of the room you are going to paint.  Just do it.

NEVER, ever, ever paint with kids, dog or cat in the room.

Two drops of paint can cover A LOT of floor!

Use a canvas drop cloth.  Not plastic.  Plastic does not absorb paint, and two drops of paint on the bottom of your shoe can cover A LOT of floor!

For very large walls, use an 18" roller.

Use a painters telescoping pole.
Saves time, and you shoulder and neck muscles will thank you.

I Want to be a Baker

Sometimes things just don't go as planned.

Take, for example, the muffins I tried to bake from scratch.  I am not baker, but this week I decided it was high time I learned how to bake.  I used to have a catering company, and although I can cook, I had to hire someone else when baking was required.  In fact, I'm so bad, I can ruin boxed cookies and cakes.  My own kids make fun of me.  SO, that's why I decided to show them - I WILL be a baker.  I found a blueberry muffin recipe, got all the ingredients together, and tried REALLY HARD to follow the directions exactly.

I envisioned the kids happily munching on their home made blueberry muffins, soft on the inside, slightly crispy on the outside.  I'd be standing by watching them eat, with a June Cleaver satisfied smile, and my apron tied around my waist, a light dusting of flour on my brow...

Except that's not quite how it went down.  The 4 year old flat our refused to take a bite of one.  My 11 year old son took one bite raised an eyebrow, and said they "needed something".  My 14 year old daughter took an enthusiastic bite of her muffin, and I was hopeful, but she promptly started choking.  No joke.

After I finished thumping her between the shoulder blades, and had her breathing again, I thought sadly, "maybe I'm not going to be a baker".

But later that day, my sister-in-law and mother-in-law both assured me that the muffins weren't bad, even though they almost killed my daughter.  And, I guess there's no harm done - I mean, you can't really poison anyone with a muffin. So maybe I'll keep trying.

Anyway.  That was just one thing that didn't go to plan this week. The other was the pumpkin carving.  We got a few pumpkins and lined them up on the front steps, awaiting their pumpkin glamification.

I was happily dreaming of carving, and drilling (so clever!), lighting...  Again, I envisioned something completely different from what actually transpired.



I wish I had been able to catch the dog with the pumpkin out in the yard on camera .  It seems she wanted to carve her own pumpkin.  Doggy DIY.  One pumpkin down, but two others are still ready for some carving action.  I will keep you posted on how they turn out.  But I'm not going to promise any great transformation.

Or maybe I'll make pumpkin muffins... And feed them to the dog.

A Million Dollars

I like to play the game "If I Had a Million Dollars...".

It all started when my sister and I were young.  We lived out in the country on a dead end road, and we'd go for walks with my Mom and Dad and talk about what we'd do or where we'd go if we had a million dollars. Back then my dream was to have green corduroy Levi's or to be able to buy all the tootsie rolls I could eat.

Now when I play the game I have a little bit different list, and here's what it looks like today.

I would buy new stools for a little area of my kitchen here:



I would love a runner for my long hallway.  Kids, dog, husband... That poor stretch of carpet doesn't stand a chance!  It needs some help!



Because I'm generous with my fake money, I would obvioulsy buy the kids something.  The following chair - perfect for sleepovers AND homework!



And while I'm speaking of the kids, we all need a little reminder sometimes (especially those of us with poor aim):



And I need a place to relax!  Stickley has the best chair ever.



Where I would put up my new kicks:



I wouldn't leave Big A out of my shopping spree!

He has work to do:

Gas Stove

The gas stove is installed and making the house toasty:

[caption id="attachment_581" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Gas Stove[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_583" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Gas Fireplace[/caption]

Not a minute too late - this morning we had sleet!

Time for a cup of tea and my kindle.

 

 

 

It's Never too Early

A couple of weeks ago I posted about my outing to Dickman Farms local garden center.  One of the things I picked up was a pack of 20 Narcissus bulbs.

[caption id="attachment_573" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Spring Bulbs[/caption]

The Gardening Gods told me "Fall is the time for planting"!  And who am I to argue?  But after a summer full of planting, I wasn't so sure I could fully embrace this declaration, but I was willing to at least stick a few bulbs in ground.  Especially because my Mom someone assured me it's super easy and all you need are the following tools:



With somewhat guarded enthusiasm, I went out into the yard to plant my bulbs, thinking of the beautiful double blossoms that would greet me next Spring.  Alas, that enthusiasm soon came to a screeching halt, when I was confronted with reality: we have clay soil and seem to have dug our garden on top of a rock quarry.  In actual fact, I ended up using the following tools to dig 5 inch deep holes:

At least the bulbs are in ...  Uh, an embarrassing thought just hit me - I hope I put them in right side up!  I guess I'll find out, in 6 months.

Anyway, so that this post is somewhat useful,
let me give you some bulb planting tips:

1. Spring flowering bulbs have to go in the ground before the ground freezes

2. Plant the bulbs in a sunny location

3.  Use a trowel or bulb planting tool
(unless of course those are ridiculously inefficient,
in which case you might consider renting a jack-hammer)

4.  Plant the bulbs root side down, pointed side up
(this may seem a no-brainer, but let's not judge people who may not know this)

5.  Cover the bulb with dirt and wait for Spring.

Creating a Kitchen

As I was puttering in the kitchen last night, putting together a rather large lasagna, and using every surface and pan I could manage to dirty, I got thinking about the way we built our kitchen and how it works for us.  We don't have any fancy add-ons in our kitchen, like an under cabinet built-in espresso machine, but I love our kitchen and how it functions for our family.

The placement of the stove/oven, sink and fridge were key to our new kitchen. For maximum efficiency in any kitchen, they should ideally be placed in a triangle formation so you can easily move between the three areas. Furthermore, consider whether you want to mount your microwave over the stove top or use a counter top model. For us, a mounted large microwave means more counter space for clutter food prep.

Speaking of food prep, we wanted a large island, not only for extra seating, and prep space, but also for the extra storage underneath.  It's usually advisable for a kitchen island to be no larger than 48" across.  It's just easier to clean it that way.  However, we wanted a lot of storage, and chose to go with 56".  Yes, it's a little harder to wipe down in the middle, but I find with the mottled counter top color we chose, you barely notice the dust.  Only joking!  (Not really though.)

It was important for us to have enough counter top space for every day appliances like the coffeemaker and toaster. For the appliances we use less frequently, such the mixer, sandwich maker, and blender we added a large corner cabinet to store them for easy access. In addition, we added a Lazy Susan cabinet beneath the corner cabinet unit for Tupperware, glass bowls, etc.

We had a pullout double trash installed. Super handy, and no free-standing trash bins in the cupboard or tucked in a corner.  We use one bin for trash and the other for bottles and cans.  Or, that's in theory anyway.  Our kids seem to think the coffee table is a suitable receptacle for soda cans...

A cabinet in the island with tray dividers, is the one option that makes me most happy. Most people get happy about babies and Christmas, but I guess I like the little things.  Rather than having to crouch down to a cabinet and pull a cookie sheet out from under 12 muffin tins, 2 cutting boards, and a slew of pan lids, the divider keeps all of these things neat and tidy.

A couple of DEEP drawers are perfect for odd shaped tupperware, large boxes of trash bags, and miscellaneous items.  If I ever get super organized I may even make one into this snack station (picture from VTMommies):



Our large pantry also makes me giddy - not as happy as the tray divider cabinet, but pretty close.  It's a work in progress and needs some standing dividers to layer all of our dry and canned goods, dog food etc.  But it's nice having all of those dry goods in one place.  The upper shelves are particularly useful for storing the small appliances that don't get a lot of use, like our crock pots, rotisserie, lobster pots, etc.  It's also handy for hiding things from the kids storing special treats.

[caption id="attachment_569" align="aligncenter" width="284"] Special Treats "stored" on top shelf[/caption]

Last but not least, good lighting adds character and function to a kitchen.  I like the kitchen bright when I'm cooking or trying to read.  But I love the option of turning down the lights when I want some ambiance, or have company over. We have pendant lighting above our island, which makes a big difference when you just want to relax and read the news (or the Dear Abby section, if I'm being totally honest).  Canned lights make it very bright over all of the counter tops for cooking and cleaning.  But one place I'm glad we didn't neglect, is task lighting underneath kitchen cabinets.  It adds light to your work surface, OR if you use those lights alone, it gives off a nice warm glow under the cabinets.

So that's it for me.  I've gotta go check my pantry hasn't been raided since writing this.  I could use a special treat right about now.

What do you love or hate about your kitchen?  What would you want in your dream kitchen?

Building a Home

When Big A and I decided to move, because we just needed more room for the kids, we had to decide whether to look for a larger older home, or take the plunge and build.  We, obviously, chose to build, because of the following reasons:

1. Everything is new. I know, duh!  But at risk of sounding obvious:  We lived in an old home, which was built around 1850.  It was beautiful, had original wood floors, high ceilings, secret passageways and storage areas.  There’s no denying it had charm.  It also had uneven floors, antiquated plumbing, dangerous electrical, leaky windows and doors, lead paint, steep stairs, and a long, long list of other problems. The home we built is brand new.  The walls are straight, the floors are even, and the plumbing and electrical are new, and up to code.

AND, with a modular home, our builder took care of all the details, right down to installing the new carpet, the cabinets, and the lighting.

2. New Windows and Doors. This deserves a mention, because, rather than a steady fresh breeze (that’s a nice way of saying a “constant damp draft”), our new house is air tight.  If I want a breeze, I’ll open the window.

With a modular home, the modular home builder walks you through all of the options they have available and recommends based on your needs.

3. Better energy efficiency. The furnace is new, the appliances are new, and the windows and doors are new (and don’t leak).  I’m not paying to heat or air-condition the yard.  Just my house.

4. I did it my way. Yup, now the song is stuck in my head.  But we did it our way.  Every time I walk in the house I think “we chose that counter top”, or “we thought of making that room bigger”.

We had help, because our modular home dealer had suggestions.  But essentially it was Big A and I who brainstormed and made all of the decisions. Nothing feels better than knowing you built your home the way you wanted to.

5. No wondering where things are. You know when your Mom (very generously) puts your dishes away for you, and you’re very grateful, but the next day you can’t find your cheese grater ANYWHERE?  In an old home, if you want to do any work on a room, you wonder “where is the wiring?”.  You don’t get that with your new home.  You chose where to put your cable wires, your phone jacks, wiring and outlets.

We even put some outlets in our kitchen cabinets so that we could use them to hide the wires for Christmas lights. Our modular home builder let us sit down and outline exactly where we wanted everything to go.

6. It (may be) a once in a lifetime opportunity. I know we will never have this opportunity again, and building is certainly going to be a happy memory every time I walk in the front door. As I mentioned, there’s an undeniable charm to older homes, and I’ve loved and appreciated their value.  However, there are some big advantages to building, and especially in building a modular home.

(And because we both like the feel of an older home, we didn't choose a modern look - we chose antiqued hardware and cabinets, and doors with a more classic look. It kind of feels like we got the best of both worlds.)

(Pre)Fabulous

I wanted to write about modular homes for a bit this week.  It’s just time.

I always refer to our home as a modular home, but our type of home is also called a prefabricated home.  However, that name has connotations which are not so flattering... Not fair!   Prefab is an abbreviation for prefabricated. The word prefab is often used to describe any type of home that is made from easy-to-assemble building parts that were manufactured off-site.  And, prefabrication isn’t at new concept.  In fact, most everything around us is prefab: the desk you sit at, your printer, even the light on your desk. Prefab simply means an item that is pre-assembled in a factory before the final product gets to you.  It doesn’t mean cheap, it means efficient.  And why not?!  If we pre-assemble most everything, why not pre-assemble homes in a nice, dry environment?

Prefab homes have been around for billions of years, alright, maybe only decades. But, modular housing is incredibly waste-efficient compared to the on-site building processes, which can waste more than 30% of building materials!  I’m not saying, “get out there and hug a tree”, but think about it!

Yesterday I happened to drive by a gigantic landfill.  In the middle of this beautiful countryside, nestled between the fingerlakes, it loomed like a gigantic trash mountain, and quite frankly, it disgusted me.

And rather than overload our landfills even MORE, some architectural firms and design companies are rethinking what prefab means for waste-conscious consumers.  But, before you think you will have to SETTLE if you build a prefab home, modular or prefab home builders combine modular concepts with a customized plan, allowing you, the home builders, to select a basic design and alter it according to your tastes.  As I’ve mentioned in the past, we chose the floor plan of our home and worked on the design room by room. We chose everything from the floor plan, dimensions of the rooms, and ceiling heights, to the flooring, the light fixtures, and the closet inserts. Just like we would have if we built a traditionally built home, BUT, we didn’t add to that huge landfill, and we got exactly what we wanted!

Here’s the only difference from building a traditionally built home:  Once we had a firm idea for the home we wanted, our modular home company outsourced most major construction to the factory, where large portions of our house (walls, beams, flooring, etc.) were assembled. The chunks of house were shipped by truck to our property, where contractors pieced them together quickly - and by quickly, I mean 3 days.

As you can imagine, carefully planned prefab homes make very little waste. Many prefab homes reduce waste to 10% or less, which conserves the environment and saves money for the buyers.

Because homes are factory-made, measurements are precise. Large pieces fit together exactly, and therefore, the house is sealed tightly to conserve energy and potentially save a hundreds, maybe thousands of dollars every year.

(I have to say, the weather is changing rapidly here in CNY, with rain and wind, and we don’t have ANY drafts.) So, that all being said, if you’re thinking of building, please look into modular or prefab homes.  The concept may be new to you, but I think you’ll be love what you see.