Herb Roasted Corn

A couple of weeks ago my Aunt Denise came for a visit, so of course, a big family dinner was in order. As I was chasing the Little Man around, I noticed Aunt Denise was working on the corn, and I was super interested in what she was doing, but the kitchen wasn’t holding our interest, so off we went to bigger and better things.  As we flitted in and out, I tried to catch on to what she was doing.  I heard things like, “usually on the grill”, “this should work”, and “cover it all with herbs”.  Whatever she did, the corn on the cob that night was fabulous! It was cooked perfectly and slightly scented with herbs. I had to re-create it for myself! Based on the snippets I heard that night, and the fact that it sure did taste good, I think I got it right! Big thank you to Aunt Denise for always teaching me a few new things.

This is more of a method than a recipe, and it will depend on how many ears of corn you are doing, but it is really easy to throw together and forget about for a while.  Just pop it in the oven – no turning corn cobs on the grill or standing over a boiling pot.

Herb Roasted Corn

• Corn on the cob, shucked and rinsed (I did 6)
• Olive oil
• Handful of fresh sage, basil, and parsley
• Salt

Pre-heat oven to 350⁰.

Drizzle corn with olive oil and rub it in to coat each ear. Place on baking pan.

Sprinkle with salt.

Cover the corn with the herbs. You don’t have to chop them, just lay the leaves over the cobs.

Cover the pan tightly with foil. Bake for 45 minutes – 1 hour. I peeked at mine after 45 minutes and decided to give them a few more minutes.

Remove herbs from cooked corn. Serve with an herbed butter, if you wish.

Peach Hand Pies

I always get a little obsessed with fresh peaches in the summer. I guess it’s because I never get grocery store peaches in the off-season. They never compare, so why bother?

A couple of weeks ago, as I was strolling through the farmer’s market (yes, I’m obsessed with that too!), carrying my basket of just-bought, amazing looking peaches, I stopped at a tent where a lady sells homemade hand pies.  I grabbed her last cherry pie and brought it home to the hubby. After he so graciously offered me a bite (yep, you heard right, one single bite), I decided to make my own hand pies with my newly acquired peaches. They were YUM!

I used a crust recipe that my mom and I have been using for a long time. It’s a pastry crust made with cream cheese.  The crust comes out a bit savory, which I think pairs so well with the fruit.  Also, the cream cheese makes the dough a little more malleable, so it’s easy to work with, which is important when you are trying to fold the crust over a fruit filling.

As for that filling – I made it the same way I did when I was preparing the peaches for my Peach Upside-down Cake. I didn’t want to take anything away from the flavor of the fresh peaches, so I didn’t add too much to them.

These little pies bake up beautifully.  The crust is savory and flaky, and the filling was juicy and not too sweet. Maybe I’ll experiment with some other fillings once peach season is over.

Peach Hand Pies, makes 8

Crust

• 8 oz cream cheese, softened
• 2 sticks (1/2 pound) butter, softened
• 2 ¼ cup flour
• 1 teaspoon salt.

Beat butter and cream cheese together. Slowly mix in flour and salt until a dough forms. Form dough into a ball, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate at least 4 hours.

Pies

• ½ dough from above (save other half for another use or double remaining ingredients for more pies)
• 2 fresh peaches, peeled and diced
• 1 Tablespoon flour
• 1 Tablespoon brown sugar
• ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 egg, beaten and mixed with 1 T water for an egg wash
• Cinnamon/sugar for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 350⁰.

Allow dough to rest at room temperature 15 minutes. This will make it easier to roll. Roll out to ¼ inch thick. If dough breaks or cracks while rolling, it’s ok, just pinch it back together and keep going.  It’s pretty forgiving.

Cut dough rounds using a 4 inch pastry cutter or cookie cutter. Re-roll scraps and cut more rounds if needed.  I usually get at least 8. Place dough rounds on a baking pan lined with parchment paper.

Toss peaches with flour, sugar, and cinnamon.

Scoop 1-2 tablespoons peach mixture onto each dough round. Use egg wash to moisten the edges of the dough, fold over, and use a fork to crimp the edges to seal.

Use the end of a knife to make a few slits in the top of each pie.

Brush each pie with the egg wash and sprinkle on cinnamon/sugar.

Bake for 25 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown. Serve warm, or at room temperature. (Or like my family, with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!)

Antique Glass Insulator Centerpiece

Last year my dad built the most amazing playground in our backyard for the Little Man. I mean we’re talking 4 levels, climbing wall, tire swing, slide – the works! (On a related note, yes, we are open for playdates!) Consequently, we were left with a small pile of scrap wood that has been sitting collecting ants. I always meant to do something with it – like move it to the garage, but you know…

So here it is a year later, and rather than saying I finally picked up that old pile of lumber in my backyard, we are going to say that now that it has had long enough to weather and look really cool, I can finally use that “reclaimed” wood and make something awesome to show you! Gosh, I’m so hip and trendy!

I had a box of these cool, old glass insulators that I found in Grandaddy’s barn.  I have seen where other people turn them into hanging lanterns of some kind, but I couldn’t ever get them to hang straight. So I got frustrated and put my box away. After some time thinking about it, I decided a better choice was to make a holder where I would be able to stand them upside down. A tea light fits perfectly down inside the insulator, and I thought it would make a neat centerpiece. Boy, was I right!

I also discovered that it’s versatile! Take out the tea lights and put in short stemmed fresh flowers for a whole new look!

Here’s how to go about this easy project:

Supplies

• Scrap wood cut to whatever length you want. No more than 1 ½” thick. I used a leftover deckboard from the playground.
• Cabinet handles of choice with included hardware. Mine were leftovers from another project!
• Sandpaper (Grit of 150 should do it)
• Drill with 2” hole saw attachment
• Stain or paint, if you wish
• Rub-on polyurethane
• Vintage glass insulators
• Tea light candles

Go For It!

1. Measure and mark the center of where you want each glass insulator to sit.
2. Use your drill and hole saw to cut a hole at each mark. It took me some time, and I had to take a couple breaks because my drill kept overheating. Maybe your drill is more powerful than mine!
3. Sand your piece of wood to remove splinters and make it smooth to the touch. Sand around and inside your cut holes.
4. Stain or paint if you want. I liked the weathered look of my board, so I just left it.
5. Use a rub-on polyurethane (I usually do 2 coats) to help seal and protect it.
6. Attach your handles.
7. Set your glass insulators upside down in the holes and fill with tea lights or flowers.

Herb Marinated Steak

Most people who know me well never put “Sarah” and “green thumb” together in a sentence. I’ve had plenty of people give me a plant and tell me it’s impossible to kill. Yay! But, then later it’s the same old, “poor plant, better toss it out” routine.

Not this year, Buddy! My herbs are abounding, and I have tomatoes coming out of my ears! I’ve already made two big batches of pesto, and every meal around here comes with a salad loaded with tomatoes, but I was struggling with what to do with all of my parsley. I’ve always used a sprinkling here and there, but I needed to use a bunch or I was going to lose it to the rabbits!

So, I decided to make a sauce/marinade similar to a chimichurri for a grilled steak. It came out great! The flavors were bright and light and perfect for summertime grilling. We thoroughly enjoyed our steak and roasted veggies for dinner, and then I sliced and froze the rest to toss with sautéed onions and peppers for an easy fajita dinner at a later time.

Herb Marinated Steak

• 1 cup packed parsley
• 2 garlic cloves
• Juice of 1 lemon
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon pepper
• ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 pound flank steak

Pulse parsley and garlic in a food processor until finely chopped.  Add lemon juice, salt, and pepper and pulse to mix. Stream in olive oil while food processor is running.

Reserve ¼ – ½ cup of the marinade to use as a sauce to top the cooked steak. Coat steak in remaining marinade and either cover with plastic wrap or put in a zip top bag. Refrigerate 2-4 hours.

Pre-heat grill to medium high heat. Allow steak to rest at room temperature for about 15 minutes while grill is pre-heating.

Grill steak over medium high heat 5-6 minutes per side. Remove from grill, let rest 10 minutes before slicing.

Slice steak against the grain, top with reserved sauce. Serve immediately.

Angel Biscuits

My mom has a recipe for what she calls “Angel Biscuits”.  I’m not sure where the name came from, but I have to think the “angel” part comes from the fact that these are some of the lightest biscuits I have ever eaten.  So many biscuit recipes make heavy, dense biscuits, but these Angel Biscuits are more of the airy, melt-in-your-mouth variety.

Even though the name says “biscuit”, these are really more of a combination of a biscuit and a yeast roll. Some might call them a “refrigerator roll” because you make up the dough and then keep it in the fridge until you are ready to use it.  I’ve had it keep just fine up to 2 weeks!

This recipe makes quite a bit, so most of the time, my mom will make up a batch of dough and then give me half (thanks, Mom!!). When I make it for myself, I go ahead and halve it into 2 containers so that it is easier to work with.

We love having warm, fresh biscuits for dinner, and then toasted leftovers with jelly or honey for breakfast the next morning!

Angel Biscuits

• 5 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons sugar (divided)
• ¾ cup Crisco
• 1 pkg dry yeast
• ½ cup lukewarm water
• 2 cups buttermilk
• Extra flour for kneading

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and 2 tablespoons of the sugar. Set aside.

In small bowl or measuring cup, dissolve remaining 1 tablespoon sugar and yeast in lukewarm water. Let sit for 3-5 minutes as the yeast activates.

While the yeast activates, cut Crisco into flour mixture with a pastry blender or two knives until the mixture is well blended and looks mealy with some pea sized pieces.

Make a well in the middle of the flour mixture. Slowly pour the buttermilk and the yeast mixture into the well. Briefly stir the liquids together, then incorporate the flour, stirring to create a dough.

Turn the dough out onto a well-floured surface, and knead for several minutes until dough becomes smooth and elastic. Dough will be very sticky, add flour as needed. I typically use almost another entire cup of flour!

If refrigerating dough for later use, seal in air tight container. Again, I usually divide mine into two.

When ready to make biscuits, pour 2 tablespoons melted butter in a 9×13 pan and 1 tablespoon butter in an 8×8 pan. (This is for half of the dough which makes about 24-26 biscuits. They won’t all fit in one pan.)

Roll out the dough on a well-floured surface to ½ inch thick. Cut with a 2 inch biscuit cutter, re-roll scraps as needed. Place rounds in buttered dishes, cover with a light dish towel, and allow to raise in a warm, draft free environment for 45 minutes to an hour. They seem to raise better if the dough rounds are very slightly touching each other in the pans.

Preheat oven to 350⁰. Bake for 25-30 minutes until golden brown on the tops. Serve and enjoy!

Suitcase Ottoman

I’ve always been an auction girl; I can’t get enough! The excitement of the treasure hunt just draws me in. (Plus it’s a great place to people watch!)

One thing I’m always on the lookout for are vintage suitcases.  I’m not sure where it came from, but I have a slight obsession with them. Around our own house, I have a couple placed here and there as decoration; I have also added legs to them to make ottomans (today’s project!); And, if you do a quick search on Pinterest or Etsy, you’ll find a plethora of other ideas. On my to-do list – make one into a dog bed!

But, I digress, let’s get into the how-to of making your very own vintage suitcase ottoman!

Supply List

• Hardback Suitcase(s). I like the flat ones better than the ones with rounded edges.  You don’t necessarily have to have a matching set.
• 4 Furniture Legs. Typically found in the wood trim area of the hardware store.  Usually they already have a small bolt sticking out of the top. Go ahead and paint or stain the legs if you wish.
• Liquid Nails Caulk Adhesive and a Caulk Gun.
• ¾” Plywood. Cut to fit inside the bottom of your bottom suitcase.
• Drill. Use a bit slightly smaller than the bolt on the furniture legs.

Step 1:  Turn your bottom suitcase over and mark where you want your legs to be.  I usually go about 1.5”-2” in from each edge.  Drill a hole where each leg will screw in.

Step 2:  Fit your plywood down into the bottom of the bottom suitcase. You don’t want to have to force it in, but the fit should be close to the edges.  Use a pen or marker to mark up through the bottom holes you drilled so you know where the legs will screw into the wood.  Take the wood back out and drill holes where marked for the legs.

Step 3:  Use your caulk gun and liquid nails to glue the wood into the bottom of your suitcase.  Make sure the holes in the wood line up with the holes in the suitcase.  It won’t dry immediately, so you do have time for minor adjustments, if needed.

Step 4:  Caulk a small bit of adhesive into each drilled hole and screw in the legs.  Turn the suitcase right side up on the legs to dry.  I usually put a few heavy books inside on the plywood to give it a little weight while it dries.

***If you are only using one suitcase, you’re done! Make a little cushion for the top, or like the one in my living room, just add a decorative tray!  For a double suitcase ottoman, keep reading!

Step 5:  Caulk the adhesive onto the outside of the bottom of the suitcase you will stacking on top.  Carefully place your top suitcase into position.  Add more books or other weights to the inside of the top suitcase to hold it in place while it dries.

DONE! Give it a day or so to dry before you start moving it around.  Also, I don’t recommend actually sitting on this piece.  Resting your feet on it like a traditional ottoman is probably okay, but I’m afraid the full weight of a person might cause a cave in!

Before…

In Progress…

After!

Enjoy your new conversation piece! I’d love to hear your ideas for vintage suitcases; I still have a few more in my attic!

 

Mushroom, Pea, and Parmesan Risotto

I’m a pot stirrer. No, not the kind of person who likes to stir up trouble, but literally, a pot stirrer.  I love to stir. I guess I find something comforting and therapeutic in slowly stirring something simmering away on the stove.  Just me and my big wooden spoon, going around and around or in figure eights, then scraping the bottom. That’s my happy place, and risotto is one of the dishes that takes me there.

There are so many ways to do risotto. It’s one of those foods that once you know the method, you can make it your own.  I love butternut squash risotto in the fall and winter and a primavera risotto in the spring and summer.  The mushroom, pea, and parmesan risotto that follows is great anytime.  I break open the bottle of wine – a little for me, a little for the pot. Stir, stir, stir.  My kind of therapy.

Mushroom, Pea, and Parmesan Risotto

• 1 8oz container Cremini  Mushrooms, quartered
• 1 small onion, diced
• 4 tablespoons butter, divided
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon peper
• 1 cup Arborio rice
• ½ cup dry white wine
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

In a medium skillet, sauté mushrooms in 2 tablespoons butter 5-6 minutes, or until done. Set aside.

In a medium size pot, bring all 4 cups chicken broth to boil, reduce heat to slow simmer.

In a large, heavy bottomed pot melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat and sauté chopped onion, salt, and pepper 3-4 minutes. Add rice and stir into butter and onion.  Stirring frequently, cook rice 4-5 minutes, or until it begins to toast.

Stir in white wine and stir constantly until absorbed. Add in one cup broth stirring constantly until absorbed.  Repeat adding broth one cup at a time and stirring until absorbed.  On last broth addition, stir in peas also.

Once broth is absorbed and rice is creamy, stir in cheese and mushrooms. Remove from heat and enjoy!

That’s a Wrap!

I’m always looking for ways to create simple, inexpensive centerpieces, and my latest obsession has been wrapping things in burlap.  I’m not a super “rustic look” loving girl and mostly that wouldn’t fit into the overall style of our house, but I found that if I use the more tailored (i.e. not fraying) burlap ribbon that seems to be all the rage, I love the look! I get the natural element without feeling too “arts and crafts”.

I think, for me, one of the best perks is that these pieces can do double duty.  They make amazing centerpieces with fresh flowers or candles, but when not in use, they also look great as a collection on the shelf.

For these projects, all I needed was my burlap ribbon of choice, my vessel(s) for wrapping, a good spray adhesive, and some extra newspaper or cardboard.

You’ll want to work outside or in your garage because the spray adhesive does have an odor to it.

1. Lay out your newspaper or cardboard to catch the adhesive’s overspray.
2. Roll out some of your burlap ribbon and wrap it around your object to measure your length.  Add an extra 1” to create a folded edge.
3. Lay cut burlap on newspaper or cardboard, spray adhesive on one edge, and fold over about ½” to create the finished edge. Press it down really hard. (Yes, you’ll probably get sticky!)
4. Spray entire piece of burlap (folded edge up) with a really good coating of adhesive. Lay vessel to be wrapped at the unfolded edge and roll it onto the burlap.  Keep rolling until you get to the end. Most adhesives will give you a few minutes to reposition if you need to.  Make sure the burlap is pressed on really well.
5. Leave it outside for a few hours or overnight so the smell wears off. Once it’s dry, you’re done!

I keep most of my wrapped bottles and jars out on shelves and then pull them down when I need a quick centerpiece or vase. Some of my latest projects…

Mason jars with a chevron burlap.

Great as a centerpiece!

As vases!

These are giant pickle jars from Sam’s! Wouldn’t they be great with sand and shells for a beachy look?!

I used a hot glue gun to attach some extra embellishments last Christmas!

I love being able recycle in a non-conventional way, and this is a super easy project, so get wrapping!

Furniture Rehab

I’m a furniture rescuer. Auctions, yard sales, dumpsters…As long as it’s mostly structurally sound, I can’t stand to see a piece be discarded simply because someone tired of the finish or style. My garage is a testament to how far my rescuing has come – good, bad, and sometimes ugly. I really try not to bring something home unless I know what I’ll do with it or where I’ll put it, but sometimes a piece just begs to come home with me, and how can I say no?

I love a good transformation through restoring, painting, or repurposing.  I’m writing this post partly to just show off some of my pieces and partly to (hopefully) inspire you to transform something of your own.  I get such a sense of satisfaction every time I walk around my house and see my rescued pieces. I can’t help but think, “Hey, I did that! I brought new life to that table, chair, etc!”

I do make my own chalk paint using flat latex paint and Plaster of Paris, both from the hardware store. I looked at different “recipes” online, and this is what works best for me:

A couple of other DIY tips:

• Yes, I do sand everything. I know there are paints that say “no sanding required”, but I think the finish comes out better and lasts longer if I go ahead and put in the time to sand. After sanding, wipe the entire piece down with a damp cloth.
• More is less. Several thin coats always comes out better than fewer thick coats. Most of my pieces have 3 coats of paint.
• Sometimes new hardware can make all the difference in the world!
• I finish with a wipe on polyurethane.  I have also tried waxing, as many other furniture re-habbers use, but I prefer the poly.  I think it comes down to personal preference.  I usually do 2 coats of the wipe on poly.

A testament to my method – my husband accidentally ran over a side table I had redone. The table broke into several pieces, but it didn’t scratch the paint! Go me!

Wine rack from a going out business liquor store – free!!

Wouldn’t it be cute in a bathroom?!

$5 – from an auction!

Anyone have a beach house?

$2 at an auction! Nobody wanted it because of the peeling veneer. Didn’t stop me!

I just scraped it off and kept on going!