Hometown Girl

I love red

It's been one of my favorite colors for years! Here are a few beauties that I would love for my kitchen.

I saw this mixer in Willimas Sonoma, it's so pretty and sparkly! I already have a red stand mixer so I don't think I'll be getting this one unless I win it from The Pioneer Woman's blog (she's giving one away!). This is the anniversary edition it's gorgeous. Love the glass bowl!

I would love to see this sitting on my stovetop. Also available at WS.

When I go to the mall (which is pretty rare) I would rather spend my money in a store like this than on clothes. The mold for these little apple pies are red. I think I might have to order it, it's under $10. Wouldn't that be so cute to make individual pies?

 

I hope you're all healthy and enjoying a nice week. Thank you so much for visiting!

~Susan

p.s. I have a minor studio destash/cleaning going on! See paperhillfabrics for destash items :)

Talking turkey, well sort of.

This year we will be hosting both Thanksgiving & Christmas for our families. Did I mentioned I have never cooked the Turkey? We've done both holidays before but someone else brought the bird! Despite my lack of "turkey" experience, it seems we are back in the saddle again and we will be cooking the bird this time. In preparation for the upcoming festivities I'm thinking about the table settings, centerpieces and other little details.  

My virtual shopping spree courtesy of Pottery Barn.

Aren't' these dishes just the sweetest? 

 

Love this classic stemware.

 

I actually own a set of these "caterer's" dishes. I love their simplicity, they show off the food beautifully.

 

Love this shiny new flatware.

 

Isn't' this platter charming?

 

I'm lucky enough to have some beautiful pieces given to me by mother, grandmothers and gifts I've received over the years so most of these will probably never see my table but it's sure fun to virtual shop!

This is the first of several Thanksgiving posts I'll tackle before the Holiday is upon us. Thanks so much for stopping by. 

~Susan
 

eat cake

it's Monday!

 Hope your week is off to a good start!

~ Susan

dinner with friends

My husband's friend invited us for dinner. It was an intimate group of six. We had a wonderful meal and great conversation. His home is beautifully decorated. It was warm and inviting. I showed up  with my camera in tow and he was gracious enough to let me take some photos.  I took all these photos in the evening with no flash. I've got a long way to go but I think they turned out pretty well.

This was the beautiful detail on one of the mirrors.

Me in front of the same mirror. This one looks a little grainy to me.

I loved the simplicity of the silver tea set and the oversized artwork.

The table was so lovely!

 

The meal was divine. Osso Bucco, garlic chive mashed potatoes & asparagus.

 

I've mentioned before that I'd like to do our bedroom & bath someday. After seeing this beautiful bath, it made me want to do it all the more. The tile work was stunning. The mosaic in the shower was from Italy. 

I was trying to capture the pretty tiles on the floor, I think everyone's feet in there is kind of fun.
 

I knew everyone with the exception of Anna. It was so nice talking with her, she was so interesting and fun! Turns out her daughter has an Etsy shop. It always amazes me that people are so connected, in ways big and small. It truly was a wonderful evening with friends.

 

Thanks for visiting, enjoy your long weekend.

 ~ Susan 

what's for dinner? zuppa (soup)

It's no secret I love to cook, I'm half Italian, and I love magazines! Put it all together and you get an Italian foodie with a stack of magazines, corners folded to mark must try recipes! Sometimes it's just inspiration for something that's all your own!

I started with half an onion, mainly because that's all I had in the house normally I'd use a whole one. Two cloves of garlic. I sauteed them in olive oil until soft.

Meanwhile, I made little meatballs just like I make when I make sauce. One pound of ground veal, pork & beef mixture (sometimes called meatloaf mix). It has great flavor.  Other times I just used straight ground beef, depends on my mood. I add one egg, handful of Italian bread crumbs, salt, pepper, couple cloves of freshly minced garlic, parsley if I have some on hand and pecorino romano cheese. Form into little meatballs and bake at 350 for about 10 minutes.

Back to the soup, add a whole bag of fresh spinach, a can of rinsed cannellini beans, a 32 oz box of chicken stock if you like more broth, add one can of stock too. Meanwhile cook a cup or so of ditalini or any small pasta you have on hand part way, drain and add to soup. Remove meatballs from oven, add them to the soup. The pasta and meatballs will finish cooking in the soup. About 20 minutes on low heat, don't let the soup boil, just a simmer. 

This soup is delicious and it's perfect for the cooler months ahead. The meatballs make it hearty and the beans and spinach make it healthy. I serve with fresh bread and a salad. Enjoy!

I have some finds to share with you so be sure to stop back.

Have a great day. ~Susan

friends, frosted brownies, flowers & finds

We were having some friends over for dessert yesterday and I decided to make biscotti & frosted brownies. I forgot that the biscotti dough had to be in the refrigerator for a bit and didn't have time to bake them. Thankfully I had brownies I made for the kiddos. Sometimes I bake from scratch, sometimes I don't. I do have a little trick for making them more special when I use the boxed brownies. I add a handful of chocolate chips and I frost them with chocolate frosting. There were seriously happy people eating these! I set the porch table with some of my vintage dishes, used my white milk glass cake stand & made a pitcher of ice tea. Our sweet friends brought the beautiful roses.

I promised pictures of my weekend finds. Don't mind the prices on the tags, I didn't pay nearly that much :)

I don't know if you can see it but I found a little Eiffel Tower charm & a fleur di lis pin in a tiny box full of trinkets. I found four pretty mother of pearl buttons for .25 each! I was thrilled when I found a vintage Monet chain & a Sara Coventry bracelet. I can't think of a better way to spend the day then wandering around outside with the sun on your face huting for treasures.

The two little frames are stamped "made in Italy" on the back.

Happy Labor Day! ~ Susan

what's for dinner? mushroom parmesan

Do you ever have days when you don't feel like making meat for dinner?  Maybe a good vegetarian dish is just what you need. I found this at  Food Network by Giada. Just a few simple ingredients and you've got your main course. I know Monday's are a challenge for me after I've made a big Sunday meal. This one is quick, tasty & perfect for Monday night!

 

Remember don't rinse your mushrooms they'll get soggy. Use a damp paper towel to clean any dirt off them.  I grew up in an Italian family (half) and my mother and grandmother always made their own sauce. I do to about 90% of the time. I'll make a big batch and freeze some just for this sort of dinner but tonight it was Chef's, a long standing local restaurant that sells their sauce, it's the next best thing. This is what I use when I don't feel like making my own :)

The directions call for a grill pan which I didn't feel like dragging out so I used a frying pan, worked just fine. I didn't use a baking dish either (I'm a rebel what can I tell you). I used the same frying pan from the stovetop to the oven, just make sure yours is oven proof. Makes for really easy cleanup too!

Viola!

 

I did use the bits of butter the recipe calls for, I'd omit that the next time. The portobello mushrooms are so hearty. My husband couldn't belive how good this simple dish was! Serve with a green salad and a fresh loaf of Italian and you're good to  go.

 

I also made some stuffed peppers to go along side. These are my own  concoction. Having the farm stand around the corner I'm inspired to use their fresh selections. These were the Hungarian peppers which aren't hot.

  

Sorry, I don't have any measurements for you but it's simple. I combine the Italian seasoned breadcrumbs, shredded mozzarella, minced garlic, parmesan or romano (not pictured) with the olive oil to create a stuffing for the peppers. Add enough olive oil to loosely bind the mixture, fill the peppers and drizzle with olive oil. I usually spray the dish with Pam spray so they don't stick. Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes or to your desired doneness.

 

 

Hope you have a wonderful Monday. Thanks for visiting! ~ Susan

p.s.I'm participating in Natasha Burns "revamp it" challenge on Friday so be sure to stop back to see what I'm up to!

What's for Dinner?

I made this wonderful dish yesterday for our Sunday supper. It was a hit! I found it here at Foodnetwork. Great for vegetarian dish. Bake Penne with Roasted Vegetables. I made my world famous garlic spinach bread. Ok, not world famous but my family sure likes it :)

For the garlic bread I cut a loaf of Italian the long way. I slather both sides with butter or margarine (depending on my mood), cover both sides with garlic powder, spread a box of thawed choppped spinach on the bottom half, cover with shredded mozzarella cheese, cover with top and wrap in tinfoil. I'll put it in the oven to melt the cheese and warm the spinach. It gets nice and crunchy but won't burn in the tinfoil.

 

 

I cut the veggies up in nice size pieces, spread them on a large baking sheet, toss with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. The roasting really gives the vegetables great flavor, it  carmelizes them and makes them sweet. I only used one squash, zuccini & red pepper and a whole container of the baby bella mushroom, there were plenty of veggies. I think if there is something you like more or less it's pretty easy to customize this dish to your liking!

 

I used a 13 x 9 dish and it was stuffed! I ended up using the mozzarella I didn't finish from the bread to put on the top. If you don't like your cheese and pasta to get crunchy then I'd cover it with tinfoil. I always spray the tinfoil with Pam so it doesn't stick to the cheese.

 

Hope you all have a great week!

food favorites

So you need to bring something to the family picnic or you're hosting a get together at your place. Here are a few favorites at our house.

The caprese salad. It doesn't get much better than this. When the tomatoes are so perfect. With jJust a few simple ingredients this salad is always a hit. Fresh tomatoes, fresh mozzarella (found with the gourmet cheese or olive bar) and fresh basil. I grow some in a pot just outside the sidedoor here so I always have this on hand and it's much more economical this way too!

I layer a slice of tomato, mozzarella & basil leaf, drizzle it all with aged balsamic vinegar, olive oil, kosher salt (much better than table salt) and fresh ground pepper. Viola!

 

This is a new favorite. The Pioneer woman's Olive/Artichoke dip.  I served with crackers and I forgot the cream cheese and it was still really good. I opted to use less mayo (I buy the olive oil mayo) and I left out the spicey items so the kids would eat it too. Notice my cute vintage Fire King dish? Got it for $3.00 at an estate sale :)

 

Having house guests this summer? This breakfast casserole is a real crowd pleaser. You can whip this one up in no time and it's much easier than making eggs & toast for everyone.

Breakfast Bake~ my kids call this egg pie. Found in Kraft Food & Family magazine, you can subscribe on the left side of the page for free!

1 can low fat crescent dinner rolls

chopped ham, bacon or whatever meat you like. about 8 oz.

6 eggs ~ I've used up to 8.

1/2 cold milk

shredded cheese (use whatever you like) up to two cups

salt/pepper to taste

I've made this with ham, bacon, cheddar mozzarella. You could easily make a vegetarian version. This version I used bacon & cheddar. I cooked the bacon first and crumbled it over the top.

Line a 13 x 9 dish with the crescent rolls, seal up the seams and press it to cover the bottom of the dish. Add you meat or veggies. Wisk the eggs, milk, salt & pepper in a bowl. Pour the egg mixture over the top. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake for about 25 minutes til eggs are set.

I hope you are all well and you enjoy a happy & safe 4th of July weekend. God Bless America!

~Susan

homemade bread and friday's finds

there was an article in our local paper this week about baking bread, a no knead method. i really enjoy cooking and baking but never made my own bread. the thought of it was a bit intimidating, why i'm not sure i'll usually tackle anything at least once. when i saw this article i was thrilled, this one i'll try for sure. i whipped up the dough in about 30 seconds and then i waited 18 hours, trust me that's the hardest part of the recipe. the house was filled with that wonderful aroma of fresh baking bread  and it's downright pretty!  i have no idea how it'll taste but if it's half as good as it looks, i'll be happy.

 

 

i went out this morning to a couple of sales with my mom. dad watched the little guy so it was a nice treat. i get the purlbee newsletter and they had embroidery hoops filled with fabrics, i loved the idea of doing that considering my sizable fabric stash. i found a set of seven of them for just a few dollars. at some point i plan to (once i work up the nerve to try it) frame some fabrics in pretty vintage frames and then add embellishments, kind of a mixed media artwork. so i thought this frame would be lovely for just that. i'm also planning to do some little inexpensive kits for all the creative people out there. i have alot of fun things and think this might be a good time to start sharing some of it! so keep a lookout for those in the shop.

 

every night when i put my youngest to bed, i rock him & sing to him. across the hall from his room is a bath. i love the way it looks from the chair and as i'm sitting there i often tell myself "you should really capture this" so today i thought i'd do just that. here is the photo.