The Nursery Changing Area Makeover

Well it has been a few months since the little one made his grand appearance early, luckily I had finished painting and waxing the changing area just in time. There are are a few things I still want to do to complete the nursery like getting a side table for by the glider,  a few prints for the wall and a cute big hamper basket but otherwise it is done. I like it because it is simple and clean there is not a lot of clutter and the pieces that are there make a statement. Here is the entertainment center/armoire it can be used as both I used it for clothes. I am pleased with how it turned out and it has just enough color in the room to make it pop and still be gender neutral.

I kept the knobs from the top drawer and used them instead of the pulls 

the knicks and marks it covered

after first coat

the second coat drying

 before it was waxed inside

the green is the ceiling of the inside the other is the walls

finished product

the glass knobs I picked up in Waxhaw NC

 how it looks daily, love the baskets

Every surface has two coats and the inside had to be waxed since the changing pad buckles scratch the paint easily. I like this paint was easy to work with and has more vibrant color selection than Annie Sloan but it chips easily and requires wax unlike Annie. It does stay a chalky finish even with wax which I like since you can buff Annie Sloan and make it not a chalk finish. So if using the CeCe Caldwell on a high traffic or high use area you need to protect it with wax, no big deal just an extra step that I had to get the hubby to do since that did have an oder. 

I do tend to keep it open since we are using this space very frequently but it can be closed and still looks nice when we need the room as another guest room.

Quick, easy, tasty grilled skewers

Hawaiian Kielbasa Pineapple Grilled Skewers

Lately I have been going for easy and quick meals or making ahead meals that I freeze or can just throw together quickly. I have also been on a pineapple kick the last few weeks and patiently waiting for strawberry season to kick in so I can go to the farm and pick some along with using other fresh fruits. I wanted something sweet and hawaiian tasting that night so I just used what I had in the pantry.

I used turkey kielbasa this time but any kind will do.

The Marinade

-Pineapple juice- I used a little bit of it from the fresh pineapple we cut up and some from a can

-Soy sauce- I use low sodium or Bragg's, like I said whatever you have

-Honey

- a few dashes of Worcestershire Sauce

-a splash of Orange Juice

* you can add some Ginger (fresh or grated) to this I honestly can't remember if I did or not

Wisk together and make sure honey combines well with liquids. Taste the marinade you can always add more of something to make it more to your liking. 

Skewers

-cut Kielbasa in fairly good size hunks I do it on the bias 

- Pineapple hunks we had fresh pineapple that we cut into big hunks

-chop White Onion into hunks

-chop Red and Yellow Peppers  into big hunks *can use whatever color pepper you want 

Stir and make sure the marinade coats everything really well, I let it soak in the marinade for a while this is optional but it needs a few minutes to let the veggies and fruit absorb the marinade and coat everything.

Then put onto skewers we have metal ones if you use wooden soak in water to prevent them from burning will on the grill. I put the meat, veggies and fruit all on the same skewer but you can do the meat separate from everything else if you choose. These do not take long to grill and the honey caramelizes nicely while they cook. It takes about 10 minutes roughly until they get heated through and some char on them, rotating them every few minutes. I use the extra marinade in the bowl to brush on while cooking and you can use it for a dipping sauce or pour over once it comes off the grill before you serve it.

** the Kielbasa is already cooked so you are just heating it.

A quick craft for coastal decor

So this past weekend it was gorgeous and I was finally feeling better plus getting things out of the nursery to start organizing it I found things I had been meaning to make. I grabbed the bag of trees, glue gun, shells, sea glass, shells and headed for the back deck. I set up on the table and soaked in the sunshine and cool temps. I have seen these trees around town and some of them are overpriced and I figured heck I can make that way cheaper than that. These are some examples of ones I have seen and wanted to replicate. Mine will be used for Christmas season but some people leave them out year round. Trying to get decorations that go with my house decor and paint scheme and less red and green traditional christmas decor.

 Here are my supplies that I got months ago and they have been sitting in a closet and I got tired of moving them around so I did them and now they can be stored until Christmas in those storage bins. The oyster shells were soaked in bleach for awhile and then left to dry out then stored, they don't smell and are all clean now. I may spray some shellac on them to make them more shiny or put some Modge Podge on them.

 2 bags of sea glass from Pier 1

shells from Joann's Fabrics

 glue gun I ended up getting a bigger one in the middle of this because I ran out of small glue sticks and I have a ton of normal size ones. 

these are the forms I used got them on clearance after Christmas for cheap, I shook and beat them to get the glitter off of them.

 I used the bigger ones around the base, need two more big ones which I will get from the boat dock down the street.

the sea glass I choose the one with diff colors instead of one solid color

I got the mini starfish for the top

this is the one with all the shells, still debating if I like it or not

after almost a few hours and some sun (should have used sunscreen) these are finished. I love the oyster shell and sea glass ones the best.  I may buy a small one that will go with these if I find one I like and the price is not too bad.

Shrimp and Creamy Grits

I have been under the weather so this post has taken a little longer than I planned to post.

I love my mother in law's grits they are so rich and creamy and I have been working on my grit making skills to make mine that way. She uses chicken broth instead of water and that adds a richness of flavor that is well worth it.  We also found stone ground grits along the way somewhere and that is all we use. You can use these techniques with instant grits I am sure and they would turn out great. I have been trying to perfect the grits for a while.

I use the directions on the bag of grits and I sprinkle in a a few more grits, the longer they cook the better they are the more creamy and rich they become, it is hard to wait at least the 30 minutes for them to cook but promise it's worth it.

My lovely husband got the shrimp and deveined them. The great thing about this recipe is you can add what you want to it or leave out things you do not like.  I sometimes add more grated garlic and cheese to the grits when we have them for breakfast.

You will need:

 mushrooms, bacon, cheese, 2-3 garlic clove, 1 pound of shrimp, green onions

we use mushrooms with a little butter and red wine and let them reduce for while, I also grated some fresh garlic in the pan.

1 pound of shrimp cleaned and deveined, sprinkle with Old Bay and cook with a tad of butter and old bay, you can add some garlic too

I bake my bacon in the oven and start it when I start the grits, I like crispy bacon so I cook it a tad longer, you can cook it to your liking.

these are the directions for the stone ground grits, use broth instead of water....game changer

 I have used my handy dandy microplane to grate some garlic in these and cheese

I also sliced a french baguette and used soften butter a tad of salt and grated garlic to make garlic bread. 

Scott made a sauce with the mushrooms, the shrimp, a splash of cream and this is where you can add some Rotel and the juice here. You can cornstarch to thicken if you want or you can leave it a creamy liquid to pour over the shrimp, grits and bacon. You can also sprinkle with some chopped green onions.

You can serve these on a platter for a crowd and it looks great or just scoop it into a bowl for a smaller group...or 2. This meal goes a long way and is very filling.

This was the best batch of grits I have made and the hubby agreed these were so good, it does make a bunch so we got a few meals out of them plus I got some breakfasts out of them as well. They were good all by themselves with a little sprinkle of pepper.  I hope you enjoy!

Another room makeover... Love a fresh coat of paint

It has been a little while since I posted but I have had several projects brewing and had to wait until they were done to post. Plus I took a nice trip to Charlotte to visit my parents and some friends. The main objective was a hair appointment, pick up my desk for the kitchen and to pick out a crib and bedding for the nursery.   I have been feeling pretty good but starting to feel pregnant most of the time, nope all the time. Things are going good aside from occasional back and hip pain and the lovely sciatica pain enter my good friend Salonpas OMG they are a life saver. My mom introduced me to these and I could NOT live without them now. Public service** it says do not sleep in them and well I get the pain at night and fall asleep with them all the time, this last time I got burns from them. It does have a warning, they do not hurt but my hubby says they are like red tattoos of the patches on me. DO NOT SLEEP IN THEM....lesson learned. If only I could find something for the horrible bloat, pressure and pain. OMG it takes my breathe away it hurts so bad and the meds approved somewhat help but the pressure, pain and tightening of my stomach can and does take me to the floor almost sometimes. Other than those loves I am good just staying very warm with my little furnace in the belly.....not sure I will be able to stand it once it gets above 70. I am loving the cool temps so much that I wear a tank and shorts or capri yogas or sweats all the time.  WHY does nobody warn you that one day you will be constantly thirsty and drink water by gallon buckets and which interns makes a viscious cycle since you have to get rid of all that water.  Enough about all that now to the exciting stuff.

As I sit here and write this I feel like things are finally starting to happen to prepare the house for the baby and well the LONG process of removing traces of the old owners. They just didn't put any effort into upgrades and maintenance of the house and the decor is to be desired by way of the 90's and possibly some late 80's. There are LOTS of things we want to change but with Mini Wheat on the way new paint colors and fresh coats are an easy place to start. The impact they have made are pretty major, the house looks clean, calming and in this century.

My wonderful hubby painted the kitchen and hallway while I was gone for a few days and would not send me pictures he wanted me to be surprised when I got home. I love the color and am surprised how in certain light it looks more blue or grey. It is a grey color from my favorite show Fixer Upper on HGTV. It is Silver Strand by Benjamin Moore we got the non toxic and fume less paint from Home Depot where they matched the color for me. He says he can now see where my vision for the kitchen and eating area is going. I had to wait for a sunny day and that took awhile between all the rain and sleet days and one snow day!

hallway

You can see it looks different up against different colors along with lighting. I want to add breadboard to the ceiling in the kitchen carrying it down the hallway and wide baton to the wall with anchor where our table will be and by desk and under the bar top counter to define our eat space. I want to paint the cabinets still deciding what color but leaning towards navy and a gray wash on top or at least glaze the bright white on top. I also found this amazing sea glass subway tile backsplash that I am in love with. The light fixture has to go the spot light bar is awful it stays darker in there and that just shoot beams of light, so it's either add some can lights or at least take that fixture down and swap it with the one in hallway temporarly. The counter tops I am not sure what I want but they are old and starting to lift in some places.  I love the loo of concrete and wood or concrete and granite type. I just don't know what I want all over the all the counter tops. The tile floor is another thing to change eventually. I also want to add the nautical knots to the top cabinets at least as I was reminded they will get dirty with food and stuff in the lower ones. It looks great in my mind and I can see it all together from different pins and pictures I have seen.

The two pictures below are ones I took at our inspection before we bought the house and you can see all the brightness coming off all the surfaces in the hallway picture. Every room was like that high gloss on the ceiling, wall and trim. The pictures don't do the yellow justice it was an awful shade of melted butter and something I think the shine made it worse along with ALL the white.

 if you look closely you can see the 80's wood light switch

The last little project is my desk trying to get the organization spot/ home base set up. I am thinking that I may rough up the desk and paint it a different color or glaze it so it is not so white. I have entirely too much white in my kitchen for our liking. I changed the knobs out last night to nautical knots and that made a difference and now I want to put them anywhere I can.

just brought it in

old knobs

new knobs

I still need to get it all organized and set up, plus I want to hang the upper slots with drawers above the desk slightly so I have more space. I need to get a small cork board also and get my storage bins out with our file folders and stuff. I really need a chair since we do not have one and the stool are well not that comfy for a preggo. 

So that is what has been going on around here for the last week and half.

A warm meal for those freezing temps that are coming

With this lovely arctic blast that is pounding everyone including us here at the beach I have been wanting hot, rib sticking soups to eat. This is one of my favorites and people whom I happen to share this tasty treat with always want the recipe.  It is a very filling thick, cheesy, hearty soup that I sometimes throw extra beans for more protein, switch up the meat with ground turkey( I use more seasoning than called for since this needs more flavor than most meats) or use seasoned pulled chicken which takes this over the top.  It is ok to use the seasoned rotisserie chicken from the store it is much easier than roasting it yourself but if I do we also make homemade chicken stock.  This soup is one you can throw in things that are in your pantry and basically is a bunch of canned goods that I keep stocked plus it is so quick to throw together and you only need one pot!

TACO SOUP

•  2lb of meat  Browned hamburger meat drained, cooked with onions 
• 1 package of Ranch Dressing Mix or Dip packet (we always have the dip on hand)
• 1 package of Taco Seasoning Mix
• 1 can Black Beans (DO NOT DRAIN)
• 1 can Kidney Beans (DO NOT DRAIN)
• 1 can Pinto Beans (DO NOT DRAIN)
• 1 can Hominy yellow or white (DO NOT DRAIN)
• 1 can Corn (DO NOT DRAIN) you can use frozen, or southwestern corn or white, yellow or sweet whatever you have or your choice is 
• 1 can Rotel tomatoes you can choose your heat level I use mild or original
• 1 Block Velveeta cheese or Nacho Cheese - I use the light one. If using 16oz block use entire block, if using the 320z block I don't use the entire block but use more than half, we like cheese. 

   

                  I used the meat I had in the freezer

Now here is the really hard part you have to open all the cans while the meat is cooking. Mix the meat and seasoning packets together. Add all the other ingredients and bring to a boil for 5 minutes. Cut up the block of cheese and put in and simmer until the cheese is melted. *** STIR frequently or it will stick and burn!!!  Once the cheese is melted just serve and enjoy!!
***** I cook this in a pot so it is a one dish meal and it is easier to then dump all the ingredients into the pot.

You can also substitute certain beans if you happen to not like some of these or add another can or three of other beans to the mix. I also use the big can of corn instead of little because we like corn or if frozen I throw in at least half a bag or a tad more or the whole thing. I also occasionally add more seasonings to the mix but you do not have to, this makes so much that it is great for a few meals and to freeze. It freezes beautifully but it also does not last long in our house. When you serve this you can add hot sauces or dollop of sour cream or lime sour cream and you can serve with tortilla chips. No matter how you make this it is delicious and will have people wanting seconds.

**** I got this recipe over 6 years ago from a cookbook they made when I worked at CHS.

here is an example of using what you have I had a mix of yellow and white corn so I sprayed it with Pam and just let it brown to make mdxi corn, then I sprinkled some smoked paprika and cumin on it to give a street corn flavor. I play with recipes all the time this gave a great depth of flavor. It is good with plain corn or a can of mexi corn.

this is the amount of liquid after all the cans have been put           in don't worry its enough 

once it comes to a boil the liquid fills the pot more

I found it easier to add small cubes of this  a few at a time

 voila served with a dollop of lime sour cream and tortilla chips

Yes I did make this the day after I posted and took pics it was hovering around freezing for most of the day.  I am hoping to be able to go out of town for a few days later this week so the hubby will have something to eat while I am gone.