Tiny House in a Landscape This weeks Tiny House in a Landscape feature was submitted by Renee who sent me about 30 cool pictures and I chose three for this weeks feature. These tiny houses are in the rustic setting with rough wood and timber frame structures built into the landscape. My favorite is the first photo with the rustic old wood and the beautiful fall colors and a nice view from the hill on which it is built. I really like the natural roof in the second one and the way it blends into the background. It looks like it has been there forever. The third one is small timber frame garden shed, but I could imagine it as a tiny house or cabin getaway as well.
Tequila Bramble Recipe One of my favorite Summer cocktails is the bramble, a mix of gin, lemon, fresh blackberries, and blackberry liqueur. It's also a recipe that's easy to play around with, which makes for a fun day of improvising. For anyone craving a fruity cocktail minus the calories, this variation of a classic bramble makes a great choice. Instead of gin, I chose tequila as the base spirit; to me, tequila is the perfect complement to warm weather and fresh fruit. The recipe doesn't contain any store-bought mixers or fruit juice but relies on fresh, seasonal blackberries and a hint of agave syrup for its sweetness. In the end, it's a cocktail with fewer than 200 calories. See the recipe after the break! Ingredients 5 blackberries 3/4 ounce fresh lime juice Crushed ice (see POPSUGAR Food's tip for an easy way to crush ice at home) 1/2 ounce agave nectar 1/2 ounce crème de mure (blackberry-flavored liqueur) 1 1/2 ounces blanco tequila Directions Makes one cocktail Information Category Cocktails, Drinks
Brown Sugar Rosemary Walnuts Recipe My journey to White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia started with crickets chirping from my cellphone alarm at 4:50 a.m. Getting up that early hurts, but it gave me enough time to catch flights to Roanoke, Virginia via Detroit, and then catch a 90-minute shuttle to The Greenbrier. We arrived just in time for dinner. Have any of you been? This was my second visit (for this), and the place is fascinating - Dorothy Draper interiors, a massive cold war bunker, 4:15 afternoon tea. Activities like: falconry lessons, geocaching, and (no surprise) golf. I think my favorite room (below) at The Greenbrier is just off the main lobby. I spent most of my time at The Greenbrier at the symposium - meaning, in a conference room. So, I'm back home. Preheat oven with racks in the center to 300F / 150C. Now, in a large bowl whisk the egg whites a bit, just to loosen them up. Split the nuts between the two prepared baking sheets in a single layer, separating them the best you can. Print Recipe
Honey Mulled Wine Recipe Now this was a happy accident. I don’t know how I ended up with some red wine in a cup with honey in it, but it happened, and I’m so glad it did. Once I discovered how lovely my red wine tasted with honey, I thought to make a mulled wine with it. Mulled wines are typically very spicy affairs, with cloves, allspice, nutmeg, cinnamon, orange peel, etc. If you are unsure about whether or not you’ll like this recipe, just try it with a half glass of wine first, not the whole bottle. Make sure you use a wine that you like to drink! Ingredients 1 750ml bottle of zinfandel, or other full-bodied robust red wine that you enjoy drinking3/4 cup of water3/4 cup of honey15 black peppercorns3 inches of cinnamon stick for the wine, more sticks (optional) for servingThin peels of lemon zest for serving Method Into a 2-qt saucepan, put the wine, water, cinnamon stick, peppercorns, and honey (if you are unsure about the sweetness level, start with less honey and add more to taste). Strain into glass mugs.
Toilet Paper Art « This Handmade Circus This is absolutely the most popular piece of artwork in our home, so I decided that this would be the perfect tutorial to start with! This is made from all recycled paper towel and toilet paper rolls, but everyone thinks it is made of iron. It is super light weight and you can change it to look anyway you would like and costs less than 1$! I found a picture of this on pinterest and LOVED it! First gather as many paper towel/toilet paper rolls that you need (mine took a LOT) and then begin cutting them into 1 inch strips. Then form your center flower with as many petals as you would like with the tips touching and pushing them as close together as you can. Next, like a puzzle, start laying new pieces in the in-between crevices however you like them! Then you just keep adding….and keep adding…and keep adding…Until it is the size and shape that you want. Then, were you’re all done adding (or at least you get the hang of it) start glueing. Once it dries, you’re ready to hang! Happy creating!
Recipe for oven-roasted carrots True confession: I don't love cooked carrots. I like them raw, crunchy, dipped into something like hummus or ranch dressing. Cooked carrots don't float my boat. Post-Thanksgiving I discovered an unopened two-pound bag wedged in the back of my refrigerator. Oven-roasted carrots From the pantry, you'll need: extra virgin olive oil, sea salt, fresh black pepper, nutmeg, balsamic vinegar. Serves 4. Ingredients 2 lbs carrots, trimmed and peeled1/2 tsp ground nutmegBalsamic vinegarCoarse sea salt and fresh black pepperExtra virgin olive oilRoughly chopped parsley, for garnish (optional) Directions Preheat oven to 425°F. Cut the carrots into bite-size chunks. Place the carrots on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast in the oven at 425F for 25 minutes. Serve hot. [Printer-friendly recipe.] More recipes in The Perfect Pantry:Moroccan carrot saladCarrot cake cupcakes with lemon frostingThyme roasted new potatoesRoasted fennel with potatoes and onionsRoasted potatoes with lemon thyme vinaigrette
Terrarium How-To My sister, Laura lives in Boston and has the green thumb in the family. She makes beautiful terrariums but since I've always lived far away, I miss out on ever receiving one of these lovely, low maintenance creations. So I get my fix at Garden, an impeccably designed and curated garden shop on the west side of Atlanta. Chad Wellbrock, the Manager at Garden, offered me a few tips for creating your own terrarium. First, look for any plants that are slow growing that do not like a lot of moisture. Succulents often work best, but just remember that they will need a lot of sunlight to thrive. When you're ready, place your soil in your glass container, (CB2 sells the pendant globes very cheap) then arrange your plants on a work surface until you find the combination that works best. The biggest no-no is overwatering. First Photo, courtesy Sarah Dorio.
Roasted Rainbow Carrots and String Beans with Citrus-Sage Glaze When I made these roasted carrots and string beans the other night, I immediately thought of my mom who adores them both. Like me, she often uses fresh mint on string beans, but since I had a bunch of velvety soft sage just waiting to be plucked, that's what I used. I was not disappointed. After I made the dish I called Mom to tell her. She and Dad had finished dinner, so, of course, I asked, "What did you eat?" "I made a nice roast pork tenderloin marinated in balsamic vinegar and maple syrup, and I served it with carrots and string beans on the side," she said. "Carrots and string beans, together?" "Yeah, together, with some soy sauce, mint, and toasted sesame seeds. "I called to tell you that I just made carrots and string beans with citrus and sage," I said. "See that? If you haven't paired carrots and string beans yet, you're in for a vegetarian treat. "Mini" carrots, unlike orange “baby”carrots, are about 5-6 inches long and come in an array of fanciful colors.
before & after: liz’s table + solanah’s shelf i really enjoy when people incorporate sayings, poetry, and quotations from literature and film into their homes. i’ve had a special poetry project i’ve wanted to work on framing for a while (this poem, handwritten by someone i love), so when i saw this makeover involving poetry i was instantly intrigued. liz from sticks and bricks made over a pine coffee table by hammering (!) in the letters of mary oliver’s poem, “a summer day“. liz says it took forever to hammer in, but was well worth it in the end. i can only imagine how nice that is to look down every day and see words that you love. great work, liz! [have a before & after you'd like to share? CLICK HERE for solanah’s shelf makeover after the jump!
Baked Carrot Oven Fries Recipe This recipe for baked carrot oven fries was inspired by a trip down to the market on Saturday. I don't know if it's the jetlag or the cold medicine (gross) but I was pretty out of it when I got there. It's the last market before Thanksgiving and I had no plan whatsoever. None at all. I was saying something to this effect to Julia from Mariquita Farm when I spotted her huge pile of stunning purple carrots. Mariquita always has a great assortment of colorful carrots, and while I generally have a soft spot for the red ones, I knew in my heart that today was the day I was going to cheat on red with purple. Mariquita Carrots This was my score of the day. Roasted. Once your oven is preheated they take all of three minutes to wash, cut, toss in olive oil, sprinkle in olive oil and pop in the oven. What is everyone else making for Thanksgiving? The next time around I might do a chipotle spiked aioli in place of this tofu-based version (which is pretty good but....). Heat oven to 375.
Bird Mobile — Spool Sewing I had been toying with the idea of a mobile project and our adorable bird pattern seemed the perfect fit. I knew it would be gorgeous! What I hadn’t expected, though, is how some tree branches and a few carefully placed eye-hooks would transform this project into a work of art! This would be a welcome addition to a baby’s room or a great project for a baby shower. Let us help you get started on your flock! P.S. Green Power Smoothie | Virtually Vegan Mama In the mood for a new green smoothie? I know we were at my house this week and this is what I came up with. This smoothie is nutrient-rich and delicious. Spinach is a powerhouse of nutrients including iron, beta-carotene and vitamin C that fights heart disease and provides anti-cancer benefits. Cucumbers provide us with valuable antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-cancer benefits as well. We are loving this smoothie and will be drinking it every morning this week. Green Power Smoothie Yield: 2 servings Ingredients: 2 cups baby spinach, washed 1/2 cup cucumber, peeled and chopped 1 banana 1/2 cup unsweetened non-dairy vanilla milk of choice 1/2 cup fresh squeezed orange juice 1 cup 100% pure coconut water 2 tbsp flax, hemp or chia seeds Directions: Combine all ingredients in a blender. Dont’ forget to check out my article which was published on Wednesday, September 7th in print and online here Jackson Sun including an interview and featured recipes. Have an amazing day folks!
Almond Roca Recipe Use an inexpensive chocolate such as Hershey's. It has low cocoa butter content. If you use a premium chocolate with a high cocoa butter content, unless you temper the chocolate first (look up directions online), the cocoa butter may separate into white streaks as the melted chocolate cools. Method Do not attempt to make this on a humid or rainy day. Do not double the recipe, make one batch at a time. 1 Melt butter with sugar, syrup and water in a pan (such as a large non-stick frying pan) on medium to medium-high temperature. 2 When mixture comes to a rolling boil, set your timer for a minimum of 10 minutes and keep stirring (no more than 15 minutes). Elise's note: I have found it very hard to distinguish between the boiling sound and the crackling sound in this recipe. If you try to make this, please read all the comments listed below. 3 When the mixture crackles, pour the mixture out onto a large cookie sheet and spread it as thin as possible with a fork.