Etsy finds- Personalized slice stencil

I just saw this on an Etsy Find's email and I thought it was so cute I would share. A personalized slice stencil! This would be perfect for brownie pie delivered to a loved one and what child would not love to see their name in place of Molly's! Too cute. What a great item to add to your baked good gift along with the recipe card!
Could be fun for a Weight Watcher to suggest 2 points, 5 points, 20 points slices! Of course, this would be your Weight Watcher with a sense of humor!

Garlic Soup- my week of soups

I just got in the mail a book I have been wanting for many years- Twelve Months of Monastery Soups by Brother Vicor-Antoine d'Avila-Latourrette. Why haven't I bought it sooner? I have about a 100 cookbooks, so it would seem that I have enough. But since most are from the publishing house I used to work for, this book should have a different flavor profile.

Since I am in the second week of the flu... hopefully the tail end, and the start of Autumn. I thought I should get this soup book, finally, and do a week of soups to soothe this lingering flu/cold.


Now garlic soup may seem like a real vampire killer, but when you cook it, and this is cooked quickly in the oil and then boiled, the heat and flavors mellow. It still tastes like garlic. However it is not the brash teenager garlic- all fiery and cocky, but the suave, sophisticated garlic that reads the newspaper, owns antiques and trades stocks for fun.

I photographed the recipe from the cook book that includes my half recipe notations. I find it easier to note the half amounts of the ingredients before I start the recipe and I like to make a half recipe when I try something new, in case I do not like it and would feel guilty throwing out a large quantity of food.

So, I changed a few of thing... or added steps that I thought was not clear.

1. I used Costco brands organic chicken stock and tomato sauce, organic eggs and olive oil.

2. I cubed the bread and used a morter and pestle to "mince" the garlic. (I find the marble easier to clean the garlic smell from that a wooden cutting board.)

I also added the salt at the stage to make the garlic grinding easier.

steamy image of whisked soup

3. I whisked the soup instead of puree in the blender- saved an extra item to clean.

4. I used crushed red pepper flakes from Penzeys instead of cayenne, because I like them.

soup pre-whisking, the bread swells up a lot!

New Technique for Me~

I have never added a whisked egg into a soup, but it made the soup go from just good to rich and creamy.

I think the key to this process is, "slow and stead wins the race" and it will taste the same if it doesn't work just perfectly anyway. After all, you are not serving it to the queen, just your family and friends. So, unless they are all chefs, don't worry!

So, a cup of the soup slowly whisked into the whisked eggs- slowly means that this should take about two birthday songs worth of time to do. You are warming the eggs.

Adding the eggs to the soup is a little scarier to me- because this is the part that could make egg drop soup out of the dish. Again slow- like 3 birthday songs or more.

Finally the finished soup! A perfect light lunch especially for the sick and sore of throat.

I went all TV chef and added a little olive oil to the top to serve. It's the little things...

I hope you will try this rich, creamy soup, it can even go vegetarian, if you opt for vegetable stock instead of chicken. This half recipe makes about 4-5 of the mugs I used for the photographs. So, for me, it's a stock the freezer item! It will be a great alternative to tomato soup to go with a grilled cheese in the future. 

DIY Sinus Balm- homemade stuffy nose relief in a tube

I recently came down with the flu, for the first time in my life. At first, I thought it was just a horrible cold, the "Campus Crud" from college days. Ginger tea with ginger honey was not cutting it, finally I succumbed to day and night NyQuil for a week.


However, one of my homemade remedies was a true balm to my health... or atleast made me feel like I was doing something!


An actual balm, a sinus balm!


Full of the healing vapors reminiscent of Vick's and Mentholatum, this balm is easy to make, can be made in very small batches, and is a riff on my lotion bar recipe (found here).

I like that it is also petroleum free and protects my nose from drying tissues.





The Recipe:

(I use a formula because this can be made up as a couple of tubes, a big stick tube size, or enough to give to everyone as gifts, depending on what you use as your unit- teaspoons will make a few tubes, cups will make about a quart of product.)

2 parts coconut oil
1 part beeswax (I have used beeswax pellets and shaved beeswax before. Both work, but the pellets are easier.)
1 part almond oil

heat together until mixed, cool slightly and add essential oil listed below

Your oil mix will depend on your preferred "flavor" of relief. I like Mentholatum the best so my mix includes a few drops of each of the following:
Camphor essential oil
Menthol essential oil (main scent)
Eucalyptus essential oil
Sweet Birth essential oil

IF Vick's is more your speed, you will need a few drops of each of the following:
Cajeput essential oil
Eucalyptus essential oil (main scent)
Sweet Birch essential oil

If you are making a lot, consider that the few drops are used for the teaspoon/ tablespoon sized units, not cups.

Your container can vary I have some lip,gloss tubes and larger tubes I purchased at a wholesale supply shop to make beauty products, but you can use small clean tins, sterilized empty lip gloss tubes (boiling them sterilizes them)  or a small jar with a screw on lid. Make sure if you are reuses them that they are sterlized!

Once you have made your brew an carefully poured it into your containers, left it cool before adding the lids and give it a few days to mellow before using. Then liberally apply and tell everyone that turns up their noses at the liniment-old lady-smell that you made it yourself!

*~*~*~* TIPS *~*~*~*

HEATING THE WAXES AND OILS
My fave product for heating these types of formulas is a chocolate tempering device, like the one below.




It heats at a very low temp and prevents burning. Best part, it has a pour spout for easy tube filling. May sure you mark it that you use it for beauty making, so you don't get chocolate in you sinus balm and sinus balm in your chocolate!

TUBE FILLING

The tubes are tricky to fill because they are easy to tip over. If you have a small rack for tools, test tubes or other small racks that the tubes will stand up in, use it. Other wise, you can rubberband the tube to something stable, like a straight sided glass.

Please know that I do not have the recipes for Vick's brand or Mentholutum brand cold relief. I am only replicating how they smell to me. And, this post should not be considered medical advice. If you are sick, seek medical attention!

Halloween Store display ideas- fall edition

I have been out of commission for about a week with the flu. Between sleeping and drinking chicken broth, I have cruised Pinterest for ideas for my Halloween display at Hanna Antiques. Here are some of my faves.

here

I've got mirrors that look like these cookies and with be great with Raven heads on them. image from HERE.

This cute images comes from my friend, Nancy Heard. I have some tarnished tea pots and pumpkin candle holders that would look great styled like this!

I love the ghost in the mirror idea, this might be too much, but it is something to ponder. found HERE.

Black and white kitchen project in Atlanta

I had the opportunity to redo a kitchen in Atlanta this summer. The client wanted a black and white kitchen- of which we started a pin board on Pinterest.

She is opposed to subway tiles, but likes Moroccan tiles and wanted dark counter tops.

We decided on plain raised panels in a creamy white with creamy walls and a black granite with copper flecks.

The copper flecks sparkle under the recessed lighting and under mount cabinet lighting.

We kept the original medium tone wood floors, added red small appliances and used her collection of Tracey Porter Pottery.

Antiquing in the ATL- 24 hours in Atlanta, shopping and sampling

This weekend was the monthly antique extravaganza called Scott's Antique Market, or just Scott's in the antique and design circles.

 It is everything from new handmade furniture to 17th century furniture, new clothes from old doilies to old furs, thoughtfully curated booths of antiques, to piled tables of treasures and stuff.

Possibly treasure filled, piled up tables... or it could just be a pile.

Lovely beach-y or lake-ish booth!

loads of great mirrors and painting inviting you to dig through them.

I resisted the siren song of bead tables... it was hard. And found some amazing tables.

Pair of brass and marble tables made from antique fire screens- would be great with a low armed sofa! 

Handmade rusty patina iron with a stone top- one of a kind at it's best!

This guy is just waiting for the right top! It could be stone or barn wood! Great as a console or bar!

This is more of a desk, but with the top down, it would be a lovely table and it was a steal! Too bad the car was full.

Lovely Bernhardt chrome end tables. I would tale out the inside glass shelf and add a dog bed! 

I love this little table! I think it is made from some New Orleans corn iron fencing.

Real Steampunk! This old table was originally used for laundry and had a crank for adjusting the height!

Not technically a table, but I love stacked trunks and suitcases as a storage table!

After 5 hours of walking Scott's I headed for Food Truck Friday in Duluth, GA, North of Atlanta. There was some great options, but I wanted to sit down to eat. So my sister and I went to her face Caribbean/ Cuban restaurant, Armando's, for Picadillo and Carnitas.

Then to Food Truck Friday for Dessert. I had a creole praline and my sister decided to walk to Crave pies for a larger selection of pies!

My last photo of the night was the cute window display of the store next door.

Makes you want to go to a party in a tutu!

Next day was using my Scott's finds to style the kitchen I just finished in Atlanta... but that another post! Here's a preview!

Dorm Decor- the vintage guy's dorm room

I love being in a large antique mall, so many opportunities to find goodies. You can bring in a laundry list of clients needs and get at least have accomplished Many times, when you find a great antique mall, you can do one stop shopping for an entire space! I took the "design one space from one store" challenge to created this guy's dorm room from bare walls to stuffed with goodies. Since things keep being purchased from the space, I add goodies from all over the store to the space weekly!


 It's that time of season to think about dorm decor and decorating your dorm room is more popular than ever. I recently put together this space from one antique mall, Hanna Antiques to create a gentlemen's dorm room. My space is intentionally retro, in keeping with a time period somewhere near Dead Poets Society time- 1930's to 1940's boys college dorm, the young man is sporty, likes cars, and a vague anglophile... he also hides a bit of smoking from the residence assistance.

I started with a lovely black enamel and brass bed with a simple white coverlet. I know boys and white, but there's this problem solver called bleach. Works like a charm. I also add plain white pillows, to keep it simple and some plaid throw pillows. In keeping with the masculinity of bold plaids, I added two different plaid blankets on the foot of the bed. They are perfect for picnic blankets, too! Bed is done, easy and easy to clean.

The small bamboo desk is perfect for laptop use and has small drawers to keep chargers, money, and in this space to hide a flask! People need a chest of drawers and this space holds a lovely one that serves as a night stand for lamps, books and a trophy or two.

In keeping with my Dead Poets feel, I thought about the popularity of smoking in the 1940's and added a humidor (one just like the one my great grandmother used as a nightstand) with other smoking matter on top. It could have just as easily been a shaving mirror, but I didn't see one in the store. Sitting beside it is a fantastic wood rocker with a face carved in the back of a man smoking. In this space is lends an air of humor and a nod to knowing what goes on in a dorm room. It also makes me think of being in college and hanging out on the president's lawn at night with friends, looking for the milky way and discussing great matters as only 20-somethings can. Then a orange dot appeared about 20 feet from us and about 6 feet from the ground... and moving closer in the Stygian black night. At 5 feet away, we realized it was or friend Darren, the Sahara Desert of dry wit, with a small cigar glowing in the night.

Lastly,  the furniture includes a seating area in smart Mitchell/Gold houndstooth chairs looks grea with a stack of red tables, an Eileen Gray adjustable glass side table or a contemporary mirror top table. It seems that what ever I put there sells, since all three of the tables have been placed there and all sold. Behind the chairs are some small storage trunks, that make me think of Harry Potter, but would be great for less used or longer termed storage.

Then there are the knick-knacks, those thinks that add personality to a space and tell the person's interests, like and sometimes beliefs... and are essential to styling a store, but maybe not a house. I decided this guy was a hunter, or at least like vestiges of dead things. And, I decided that there should be a sub-theme of horns. So, he has antlers, and horn hooks, as well as a paper caste of a french horn and a brass hunting horn. All very gentlemen's club in feel.

Boys spaces can be hard to design for, it's harder to look cool and "designed" at eighteen. Remember, that designing for young men is about them, not about what someone would like for them. If they want an all black room, go with it. They will respect the furnishings more, if it is something they like and choose. Listen to the wants, ask opinions, guide them with advise about things like buying quality for important stuff versus cheap for the temporary. You will be grooming them to be confident in their opinions, more knowledgeable about the things around them, and you will be teaching them to communicate with adults on adult's level and eye to eye!

Keurig 2.0- a review and cost analysis

I received a free Keurig 2.0 to review from Influenster- to my surprise! I am thrilled at the opportunity to try the new one. I was an early adopter when they first came out, as was my sister. We discovered that after about 8-12 months it started acting up and she discovered that you could "do a Fonzie" and hit the top with your fist and it would behave, much like the juke box on Happy Days- hence the name.

 However, that was annoying, unsatisfying and eventually stopped working as well. Back to the Mr Coffee, and other various coffee apparatus.

Then I took and Influenster survey, and they deemed me worthy of a coffee maker! I told anyone who would listen that I was getting a free coffeemaker until it finally arrived... and maybe even afterward. I was excited.

I was super excited about the carafe part. Brewing individual coffees for everyone at Christmas was troublesome, so the Carafe-Cups solves the problem of many drinks. 

I really like that the Carafe Cup is recyclable. You can peel the foil top off and the filter pack is connected. Filter pack to the garbage, plastic cup to the recycle bin!

Then there are the little detail of good design, like the water reservoir has an access door in the front of the machine and the version I have has an 80 ounce reservoir! Which I have used for instant hot water to making tea.  (I really don't see myself using the tea k-cups, but they may be great for others)

I started wondering, after I purchased a giant box of k-cups from Costco, if I am spending a lot more money in coffee than with a traditional coffee maker. So, I sat down and did a little math with the help of  a post from cockeyed for the estimates of how many cups of coffee are in a pound of coffee. 

I typically brew 6 cups of coffee a day and like to use Gevalia coffee- which is about $8 per 12 oz. bag. That comes to 73.6 cents a pot and my K-cup is about 33 cents per cup. So the K-cups are a little cheaper, since I get about 2 servings per pot. I would feel comfortable paying up to 40 cents a k-cup, after doing this math.

I would completely recommend this brewing system, and not because I got a free one. Having had one before, I can see the improvements and look forward to the new K-cup ideas in the works. 

I am super excited about the Keurig and Campbell's future products! They are working on a Chicken noodle soup version! The broth would be in the K-cup and it would have a packet of noodles. I would be happy with broth k-cups sans noodles! Here's a look...