Peach & Blueberry Sangria

Do you ever feel like our lives these days are planned and scheduled to the max? Every day is filled with places to be and things to do on top on keeping our houses clean and our families fed.

That’s why I was excited to look at my calendar and realize that we have nothing on the schedule or to-do list for this weekend. Woohoo! These are my favorite weekends – the Little Man asks what we are going to do today, and I can say “whatever we want!”

And for this weekend, here is what I want: a pitcher of my new favorite sangria, time with family and friends, and absolutely no agenda.  I’ll sit back and watch the rest of the world run around and be glad it’s not me, if only for a weekend.

Peach and Blueberry Sangria, serves 4

• 2 peaches, pureed in a blender with 2 tablespoons sugar
• ½ cup triple sec
• 1 750mL bottle white wine (I prefer to use a sauvignon blanc)
• 1 peach, cut into wedges
• ½ cup blueberries
• 1 cup chilled club soda

Stir together peach puree, triple sec, and wine. Stir in cut peaches and blueberries. Chill at least 4 hours.

Before serving, stir in club soda.

Make sure each glass gets some fruit!

Framed Monogram

I have a super easy DIY for you today. It’s nothing profound, just my take on the framed monogram I seem to be seeing everywhere these days. I really like the look of the ones I see in stores, but figured I could easily make one for myself!

I have mine nestled in a bookcase to give a layered look to the styling, but you could just as easily hang it on the wall or add it to your mantle.

All you need:

• Frame – mine came from a $2 box of frames I got at an auction!
• Burlap or other fabric for back – I used burlap from the garden section of the hardware store. I like the more rustic look and it’s super cheap!
• Letter – I used a chipboard letter from the craft store.
• Paint
• Hot glue gun
• Spray Adhesive – I keep this stuff on hand in bulk! Always using it!

Paint your frame and letter in the color(s) of your choice. Let dry.

Cut your fabric background to fit in frame. Spray the backing of your frame with the adhesive and attach the fabric. Smooth it down, and let it dry.

Assemble your frame (you won’t need the glass). Center your letter in the frame and use the hot glue gun to attach it.

NOTES – Make sure your letter fits in your frame before you get started! I had to go back and get a smaller letter. Oops.

Easy Lunch – BBQ Chicken Pizza

Yesterday, as the Little Man was at pre-school, and I was tearing through my to-do list, I decided I wanted something different for lunch than the plain ol’ leftovers I had been eating out of the fridge. So I turned those leftovers into something new!

I took a half a piece of Naan flatbread that I had been eating with hummus and tomatoes all week, some BBQ chicken (leftover from dinner last night), and a little shredded Swiss cheese, and made a small pizza.  Let me tell you, it was amazing! The edges crisped up on the flatbread, the BBQ chicken was sweet and spicy, and the Swiss cheese melted over the whole thing to add a great contrasting texture and tangy bite.

Maybe next time I’ll try the pizza with buffalo chicken, bleu cheese, and a drizzle of ranch!

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Easy BBQ Chicken Pizza

1 Naan flatbread

Shredded BBQ Chicken (load it up with as much as you want!)

1 cup shredded Swiss cheese, sprinkled over top

Bake at 350⁰ for about 10 minutes, let cool slightly before cutting.  Enjoy your yummy lunch!

Cinnamon Rolls

I’m a breakfast girl. Big time. I grew up with an awesome dad who made us omelets to order before school each morning. Now, usually I lean toward a savory breakfast, but these cinnamon rolls are too good to pass up.

I’m an early riser and have always loved the mornings, so I can even make these make cinnamon rolls on a weekday morning.  If you have a bit of time, you can too! The trick is having the dough already made, which is where the Angel Biscuit recipe from a while back comes in. Make yourself a batch of dough, use half for dinner biscuits, and save the other half for these awesome cinnamon rolls.

If you’re a faithful follower, you’ll remember how I said these Angel Biscuits made some of the lightest biscuits I have ever had. (If you’re new, just read back here!) If you’re a super faithful follower, you’ve already made these biscuits and know for yourself how amazing they are! Just imagine that light, fluffy, warm biscuit wrapped around cinnamon, sugar, and pecans. Then think about the drizzle of icing sliding down over the side and onto your fingers. Yep, now I want cinnamon rolls! Let’s get cooking!

Cinnamon Rolls

• ½ Recipe Angel Biscuit Dough
• ½ Cup Sugar
• 1 Tablespoon Ground Cinnamon
• ½ Cup Chopped Toasted Pecans (optional)
• 2 Tablespoons Butter
• 1 Cup Powdered Sugar
• 2 Tablespoons Milk

Place 1 tablespoon butter in each of two round baking pans. Place pans in oven and warm until butter is melted. Remove pans from oven and swirl butter around bottom and up sides until well coated. Set aside.

Combine sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl.

Roll biscuit dough on a well-floured surface into a 12×15 rectangle. Spread sugar mixture over rolled dough leaving a 1” border on the long sides but going to the edges on the short sides. If using pecans, sprinkle them on top as well.

Roll the dough, starting with one long side, into a long log, pressing to seal when you reach the end.

Using a very sharp knife cut the log in half. Cut one half into 8 slices and place into one of your prepared pans. Repeat with the other half.

Cover pans and let raise for 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350⁰. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from oven to cool for 10 minutes.

Combine powdered sugar and milk to make a glaze. Drizzle over warm cinnamon rolls.

Try to eat just one!

It’s Vintage Baby!

Old seems to be the new “new”. It seems like everyone wants to jump on the vintage bandwagon. I’m seeing tons of truly vintage items in cute little shops, tons of vintage reproductions, and tons of people on Craigslist calling their items “vintage” in hopes that one little word makes them more desirable.

Ok, I’ll admit that I, too, love a good vintage find.  I do prefer an original piece rather than a reproduction; mainly because I love the thought that a piece has a story to tell.  Our house has unique pieces scattered throughout, and I’ve put a lot of effort into mixing old and new so the house doesn’t just look like a junk store!

One of my favorite auction finds is this vintage soda crate. It was full of the original bottles and buried in the back of a barn – dirty, grimy, and probably full of spiders! But, now that it’s cleaned up, it’s one of my favorite things to pull out for spring and summer.  I can add a few flowers from the garden, put it out on the sideboard or coffee table, and it’s a great conversation piece.

Part of my decorating style is trying to make the house look like pieces were collected over time – mixing old, new, and everything in between.  Sometimes that takes getting a little dirty and looking past the dead bugs and grime that have built up, but when you come across something you can clean up and treasure forever, it’s totally worth it!

Tappan Hill Brownies

When it comes to desserts, I don’t know that I could be categorized as a “chocoholic” because I pretty much love everything. But, if I have a hankering for chocolate, I want pure, rich chocolate, and nothing else will do.  These brownies are the perfect fix for a girl in need of some serious chocolate.

I would like to start by saying this is not an original Sarah recipe. I got this recipe from my mom, she got it from a friend, and so on, and so on. Officially, the name is Tappan Hill Brownies.  They are my most requested “hey will you bring…” item and the only brownies I make.

For a brief history lesson, Tappan Hill is a mansion located in Tarrytown, NY and was a former residence (for a short time) of Mark Twain. Now it is used mainly as a reception site for events and weddings – which is where the brownie recipe comes from. Abigail Kirsch, the now owner of the estate, has published this recipe in her cookbook, The Bride & Groom’s First Cookbook, and if you do a search for “Tappan Hill Brownies”, you’ll get a ton of results.

I love to combine this recipe with Ina Garten’s chocolate ganache (which I usually double) for an extra rich chocolate kick layered right over the brownies. If you’re really feeling frisky, sprinkle on a few toasted nuts.

Tappan Hill Brownies

• 8 oz. Semi-Sweet Chocolate, chopped
• 2 oz. Unsweetened Chocolate, chopped
• 1 cup Butter (2 sticks)
• ½ cup Flour
• 1 ½ teaspoons Baking Powder
• ½ teaspoon Salt
• 3 Eggs
• 1 cup Sugar
• 1 tablespoon Vanilla
• 1 ½ cup Chopped Walnuts, optional

Preheat oven to 350⁰. Coat an 8×11 baking pan with non-stick spray.

Bring butter to a boil in a saucepan. Remove from heat. Add all chocolate and stir until melted and smooth. Set aside.

Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl. Set aside.

Combine eggs and sugar and beat with a mixer until mixture is thick and lighter in color. Stir in vanilla.

Stir in melted chocolate.

Fold in flour mixture. Add nuts, if desired.

Pour into prepared pan. Bake for 35-40 minutes. Cool slightly before cutting, if you can resist!

Chicken Caprese Paninis

I try to be smart about my weekly meal planning and double dip in my ingredients. This week, we had pasta and Caprese salads one night and chicken and veggies another.  So what does leftover fresh tomatoes and mozzarella plus extra baked chicken equal? Chicken Caprese sandwiches, of course!

Hearty sandwiches and side salads on the patio made for a nice summer dinner. The fact that it only took a few minutes to put together was a huge plus!

Chicken Caprese Panini Sandwiches (makes 2)

• 4 slices hearty white bread (I typically use a sourdough)
• 1 baked or grilled chicken breast, thinly sliced
• 1 large tomato, sliced
• 4 quarter-inch to half-inch slices fresh mozzarella
• Pesto, store-bought or homemade
• Butter, softened (optional)

I typically butter the outside of my sandwiches before I cook them.  I think it makes a better crispy crust, but you may not like your sandwiches that way. No worries, I’m not offended, you’re probably healthier than I am!

If you choose to butter the outsides of your bread, I have found the easiest way is to butter one piece of bread and set it down butter side up.  Then butter the next piece and set it butter side down on top of the other piece.  Essentially, you are putting the buttered sides together so that you don’t have messy butter sticking everywhere.

Now you can build your sandwich on the bread stack. Spread pesto on your top piece of bread. Top with 2 mozzarella slices, then tomato slices, then half of your sliced chicken breast. Repeat to make the next sandwich stack.

I use a grill pan when making panini sandwiches. I don’t have a panini press, but haven’t really found a need for one yet. I just press my sandwiches down onto the grill pan and apply pressure with a spatula to smoosh it all together.

So, pick up your open-faced sandwich stack leaving the bottom buttered bread behind. Set it down on your cooking surface (whatever you choose to use) buttered bread down. Then grab that last buttered bread and put it on top. Smoosh it down and cook for a few minutes over medium heat. Flip it over (carefully!) and smoosh and cook the other side a few minutes more. (Yes, I’ve said smoosh several times. It’s a very technical term.)

There! Now you have one of the best sandwiches I know how to make! Enjoy in summer with a salad or fresh fruit and in the winter with a big bowl of steamy soup.

 

Easy DIY Outdoor Tablecloth

I love this time of year in my home magazines (but, I probably say that for every season!). Looking at tranquil outdoor spaces – perfectly set tables with real linens and china and magnificent centerpieces. I just want to go there. It really gets my mind thinking about our own patio, and I start dreaming about what it could be. Then I’m snapped back to reality, and I think about kids’ toys all over the backyard, mosquitos swarming, and summer storms brewing. Not so tranquil, huh?

Ok, so leaving a perfectly arranged table set up all season long is not in the cards for us, but I do love that look that uses real table linens, and I know I can at least do that when we have people over. I was having a hard time finding an outdoor tablecloth that was real fabric, had a hole for our umbrella, and wasn’t too expensive. But, I found a solution!

Did you know that those curtain grommets you can use when making your own curtains will fit around most patio table umbrella poles? Now you do! Here’s my easy DIY project for turning a regular tablecloth into a tablecloth you can use on your patio table if you have an umbrella.

You’ll Need

• Tablecloth of choice
• 1 curtain grommet (they usually come in a large pack)
• Scissors

Find the center of your tablecloth and mark it. I usually fold my tablecloth in half, then fold in half again going the other way. This gives me the exact center of the tablecloth on the folded corner. Then I snip a tiny bit so when I unfold it, there is a little hole in the center.

If your grommet pack came with a template to trace, use that to trace the circle that you will cut.  If you don’t have a template, use one of the grommets and trace the inside.  Whatever you use, line it up with the center of the tablecloth that you marked. Cut out your circle.

Follow the directions on your grommet to snap it together over your hole. Done. Easy peasy!