Month: September 2014

General Finishes Antique White Buffet

Published on by recoveringkristin2 Comments

My dear friend Deana has been looking tirelessly for a buffet to go in her breakfast room.  She found this gem on craigslist finally and sent me an inspiration picture of what she wanted it to look like.  She was looking for a white or off white color to accent her grey walls.  She didn’t want anything too ornate or fancy.  This buffet was perfect but needed a little face lift.

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I first started by giving taking off all the hardware and giving the whole buffet a light sanding.  Next I cleaned the piece off with equal parts alcohol and water.  Once all the dust was off and the buffet was dry I applied a coat of General Finishes Antique White.  This paint is awesome if you are looking for a really smooth finish.  It goes on so smooth and dries quickly.  After I applied a coat of paint, I lightly sanded the buffet again and cleaned off with a dry rag.  I repeated the process three times.  After the final coat of paint had dried, I lightly sanded the edges just to give a little depth to the piece.

Deanna also wanted the hardware to be darker.  I found this rubbed bronze spray paint at Lowe’s that did just the trick.  I cleaned the hardware and then sprayed three times, allowing for dry time in between each coat.

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I am loving the buffet and thinking about keeping it and changing my phone number.

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Rosettes – Old World Scandinavian Treat or Funnel Cakes?

Published on by teachermamaLeave a comment

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When we were kids, my mom would let us make Rosettes about once a winter during a long, cold, football-filled Sunday. They are pretty messy, very delicious, and a family tradition. The magazine that my mom saved this recipe out of says that they are likely to be “the new versatile sweet of the 70’s!” I think we can call this recipe “vintage.” I love that I still have the original, oil-splattered magazine pages. 

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My kids think they taste like mini-funnel cakes, covered in powdered sugar. They like to make them for no reason at all, but I rarely okay this as it seems like a waste of oil and requires lots of supervision. Still, I am glad to be passing on another family tradition! And it is fun to give the rosette irons as a gift with copies of this vintage recipe!

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Rosettes and Other Tremendous Timbales We Have Known

Makes 3 dozen 

2 eggs, slightly beaten

2 teaspoons granulated sugar

1 cup milk

1 cup all-purpose flour (if using self-rising flour, omit salt.)

1/4 teaspoon salt

Confectioners’ sugar or sugar and cinnamon

1. Mix eggs, granulated sugar and milk. Stir in flour and salt, beating until smooth. Batter will be about the consistency of heavy cream.

2. Heat oil to 400 degrees in deep saucepan or electric skillet (I use a small, heavy pot that I don’t mind ruining.) Heat iron in hot oil; drain excess oil on paper toweling. Dip heated iron into batter until mold is 2/3 covered. 

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3. Dip coated iron quickly into hot oil, cooking until golden brown, about 1 minute. Remove rosette from iron (a fork helps if stuck a bit). If rosette is not crisp, batter is too thick and should be diluted with milk. Dip rosettes in confectioners’ sugar while still warm. 

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Yum! 

Armoire makeover for outdoor patio using Annie Sloan chalk paint

Published on by recoveringkristin2 Comments

My sweet friend Katie H. asked me if I would transform a beautiful armoire belonging to her mother, Gail.  Gail was looking for a piece that she could place outdoors under her covered patio where she could store things, such as candles, pool supplies, etc.  Katie and Gail found this piece and wanted it to be painted in a rustic way and chose Flow Blue by Miss Mustard Seed.

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Miss Mustard Seed makes a great milk paint that peels in certain places giving it a really natural old feel to the piece.  If you use a bonding agent in combination with the paint you will not get any of the peeling.  I mixed the paint and knew I would have to add the bonding agent because this piece was so shiny.  I applied the first coat and then waited for it to dry.  Upon returning I found this…..

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Insert SCREAM here!

Some things milk paint will just not adhere too.  I made an executive decision and scraped off all the paint.  Then I slightly sanded the piece.  I had to go with my old standby, which I know will stick to ANY surface….Annie Sloan Chalk Paint.  I chose a similar color to the Flow Blue called Aubusson Blue.  It is a gorgeous color.  I applied two coats allowing for dry time in between. Next I added a dark wax to age the piece and sanded off certain areas.  When finished I wiped the whole piece down and added two coats of Shabby Paints Vax!  This stuff is AWESOME.  No buffing required.

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Katie and her husband Ron came and picked it up today.  I was dying to know what Gail thought.  Katie sent me a picture of the armoir in its new home and Gail texted me, “It’s beautiful.  I absolutely love it!!  Thanks so much!!!”  Whew, another happy customer and another lesson learned…..not all paints are created equal!

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Chicken and Avocado and Girls, Oh My!

Published on by teachermama1 Comment

Had an amazing weekend full of girls and good food and sun and water and and laughing till you pee moments. Fortunately, we had our own lifeguard at the pool! 😉 This green and white “bowl” slide might have had something to do with laughing till you pee. Oh my.  

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My sister brought her three girls to meet Hendrik and enjoy the final pool days of summer. We lathered them all up with sunscreen and swam until we were hungry enough to cook. The centerpiece of the weekend turned out to be a giant batch of Chicken and Avocado Enchiladas in Creamy Avocado Sauce which we found here (http://www.closetcooking.com/2012/09/chicken-and-avocado-enchiladas-in.html.)

The recipe calls for 4 cups of shredded chicken, which certainly would have served more than 4, but we doubled and had lots leftover. Kristin made the shredded chicken extra yummy by cooking it in the slow cooker while we were at the pool. She added 1 beer, some cumin, salt, pepper, chili powder, cayenne pepper, and the juice of a lime. It was fork-shredded to perfection! I had fun trying to make the sauce in a food processor that wasn’t big enough for all of the ingredients. I just kept pouring between bowls and the processing bowl. What a mess! A delicious, green, mexi-mess! 

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Chicken and Avocado Enchiladas in Creamy Avocado Sauce

by Closet Cooking

Servings: makes 4 servings

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes

 
Ingredients:
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 1 cup salsa verde
  • 1/2 cup sour cream (or Greek yogurt)
  • 2 avocados
  • 1 jalapeno, coarsely chopped (remove seeds for less heat)
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 1 teaspoon cumin, toasted and ground
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 handful cilantro
  • 1/2 lime, juice
  • 4 cups cooked shredded chicken
  • 2 avocados, diced
  • 2 green onions, sliced
  • 2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
  • 2 cups monterey jack cheese, shredded
  • 8 (7 inch) tortillas

Directions:

  1. Puree the chicken broth, salsa verde, sour cream, avocados, jalapeno, garlic, cumin, salt and pepper, cilantro and lime juice in a blender or food processor.
  2. Mix the half of the sauce with the chicken, avocado, green onions and half of the cheese.
  3. Coat the bottom of a large baking dish with some of the sauce, wrap the chicken and avocado mixture in the tortillas and place them in the dish.
  4. Top the enchiladas with the remaining sauce and cheese and bake in a preheated 350F oven until the cheese has melted and the sides are bubbling, about 15-20 minutes.