Nesting? Nursery Door Decor

With Baby Katherine due any day now, my mother-in-law thinks this is a sign that I am starting to nest.  In reality, I annoyed my husband so much in the last week (being off work) that he told me I needed to find a hobby.  So, I decided to try my hand at crafting a project I've had a vision of in my head for awhile: A hanging 'K' for the door of the nursery.  Our nursery theme is Jungle with a gender neutral green and yellow color scheme, you can customize this project to your theme and colors!

Items You Need (Purchased Mine at Michaels):
- Wooden Letter (in the style of your choice, Michaels had a variety of styles to choose from)
- Rhinestones (in coordinating color, mine are a light green)
- Ribbon (Mine is a yellow/green jungle themed ribbon)
- Paint (I used a leftover yellow paint sample we got when trying to decide on what color to paint the nursery)
- Paint Brush
- Hot Glue/Hot Glue Gun

First, I painted the wooden 'K'.  I took me three coats of paint to cover.  No need to paint the back, but make sure to paint the sides. 

Once dried, I played around with the placement of the rhinestones, finally deciding on accenting the swirl and the middle of the K.  Once I decided where I liked the rhinestones, I hot glued them on.  TIP: I like hot glue, because it is easy to remove after applying if you don't get the placement just right.

Lastly, I cut two lengths of ribbon about 15 inches long.  Because of the style of my K, I had to attach the ribbon at an inward angle.  Again, I used hot glue for this because I could easily remove it and try again until I got the angle perfect.  Once I attached the two lengths of ribbon (one to each top part of the K), I tied them together in a simple bow.  Then I cut the ends so that they didn't hang down over the K.  TIP: Once I was happy with the bow, I used a lighter to lightly melt the edges of the ribbon to stop it from fraying (a trick a learned as a ballerina).

And Done!  The whole thing took me maybe 2 hours (with most of it waiting for the paint to dry!).

Stuffed Acorn Squash

I found this awesome recipe for Roasted Acorn Squash Stuffed with Fennel Sausage, Farro, Goat Cheese & Spinach on Pinterest and adapted it to what I could find/already had in my pantry.  When I put it in front of my husband asked if he was suppose to eat the 'food bowl'.  I told him yes, even though it was a vegetable, he was suppose to eat it.  It was really good, my husband particularly liked the stuffing bit :) of course!

Ingredients

1 Acorn Squash
1 Tbsp Butter

1/2 Cup Basmati Rice

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

2 Cloves Garlic, Minced
1 Shallot, Diced

Salt & Pepper To Taste

1 Tsp Dill

1 Package Ground Italian Sausage

2 Cups Spinach, Uncooked

4 Oz. Crumbled Feta Cheese

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Cut the Acorn Squash in half and scoop out all of the seeds (and discard).  Rub the Acorn Squash all over with the Extra Virgin Olive Oil (inside and out).  Put half the Butter in the bottom of each Acorn Squash.  Season with Salt and Pepper.  Put the Acorn Squash in the oven and roast for about 30 minutes or until tender and easily pierced with a fork.

While the Acorn Squash is roasting, make your filling.  Cook Basmati Rice according to package.  While Basmati Rice is cooking, brown the Ground Italian Sausage in a pan.  When nearly browned, add Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Minced Garlic and Diced Shallot to the pan.  Cook for a few more minutes, until Shallot is soft and sausage is done browning.  Add Basmati Rice, Feta Cheese (reserve 1/4 of crumbles to sprinkle on top) and Spinach to pan and mix until Spinach is wilted and Feta Cheese is melted.  Season with Salt, Pepper and Dill.

Let the Acorn Squash rest for a few minutes after taking out of the oven.  Fill each half with a good helping of the filling. Top with the rest of the Feta Cheese.

Enjoy!

Leave It To The French

Leave it to the French to create a grilled cheese sandwich that takes 45 minutes to make, but it's worth it!  I paired mine with Campbell's Thai Tomato Coconut Bisque.

Croque Monsieur

I used this recipe from Simply Recipes.

Ingredients

2 Tbsp Butter
2 Tbsp Flour

1 1/2 Cups Milk

A Pinch Each of Salt, Freshly Ground Pepper, Nutmeg, or More to Taste

6 Ounces Gruyère Cheese, Grated (about 1 1/2 cups grated)

1/4 Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese (packed)

8 Slices of French or Italian Loaf Bread

12 Ounces Sliced Ham

Dijon Mustard

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Make your béchamel sauce. Melt the butter in a small saucepan on medium/low heat until it just starts to bubble. Add the flour and cook, stirring until smooth, about 2 minutes. Slowly add the milk, whisking continuously, cooking until thick. Remove from heat. Add the salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Stir in the Parmesan and 1/4 cup of the grated Gruyère. Set aside.

Lay out the bread slices on a baking sheet and toast them in the oven, a few minutes each side, until lightly toasted. For extra flavor, spread some butter on the bread slices before you toast them if you want.

Lightly brush half of the toasted slices with mustard. Add the ham slices and about 1 cup of the remaining Gruyère cheese. Top with the other toasted bread slices.

Spoon on the béchamel sauce to the tops of the sandwiches. Sprinkle with the remaining Gruyère cheese. Place on a broiling pan. Bake in the oven for 5 minutes, then turn on the broiler and broil for an additional 3 to 5 minutes, until the cheese topping is bubbly and lightly browned.

Baked Garlic & Rosemary Fontina

This could possibly be the simplest recipe ever!  And it was so yummy, I can see this appetizer becoming a regular!  Recipe adapted from Smells Like Home. 

Ingredients

    1/2 lb italian fontina, cubed into 1-inch pieces
    3 cloves garlic, minced
    2 tsp fresh rosemary, chopped
    3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
    1/2 tsp salt
    1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
    1/2 a french bread baguette
    olive oil to drizzle

Instructions
First I made the homemade crostini.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Slice a half of a french bread baguette, spread out evenly on a baking sheet and drizzle both sides of each slice with olive oil.  Bake for 5 minutes on each side.

Adjust top rack of the oven so that it sits about 5 inches under the broiler unit. Preheat broiler on low setting.  Spread cheese out in the bottom of a baking dish. Drizzle olive oil over the cheese. Sprinkle the garlic, rosemary, salt and pepper evenly over the cheese. Broil for 6 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly and melted through. Carefully remove the pan from the oven and set it on a heatproof surface - the pan will be hot! Serve immediately. Enjoy!

New! Featured Recipes

I am going to try to post a monthly featured recipe (see above tab) in the hopes that it will encourage me to try some of the awesome looking recipes I have pinned on Pinterest.  Last night, John and I had a date night except that I wanted to cook. So, I made some yummy Fried Goat Cheese (one of our favorite tapas at Isabella's!) and Shrimp and Grits, both were delicious!  I need to work a little more on the sauce for the Shrimp and Grits though.  Enjoy!

Crispy Fried Goat Cheese
(adapted recipe from The Hungry Mouse)

Ingredients:

8 oz. goat cheese log

½ cup panko bread crumbs

1 tsp. fresh parsley

1 tsp. dried thyme

2 cloves minced garlic

½ tsp. ground white pepper

pinch of salt

2 eggs, beaten

½ cup of flour

olive oil

honey

Directions:

Pop the goat cheese in the freezer for about 15 minutes to firm it up so it’s easier to slice. 

While you wait for the goat cheese to firm up, put together the stuff you need to batter the cheese. Put the panko breadcrumbs in a medium-sized bowl. Add the parsley, thyme, garlic, ground white pepper and salt to the breadcrumbs and stir to combine well. Crack the eggs in a separate bowl and beat to scramble them. Put the flour on a plate or in a shallow bowl. 

Take the cheese out of the freezer and slice it into 1/4 – 1/2-inch pieces. Use a sharp knife. Next, put the cheese in the flour. Flip it gently to coat on both sides. Then, drop the floured cheese into the beaten egg. Flip it gently to coat with egg on both sides. Lastly, put it into the seasoned panko breadcrumbs. Flip it to coat on both sides. Put the battered goat cheese on a clean plate and repeat with the remaining slices. 

Coat the bottom of a nonstick pan with olive oil and set it on the stove over high heat.  Allow to heat up, you can test if it is hot enough by flicking a little water into the pan, if it sizzles it’s hot enough. Take one of your slices of breaded goat cheese and set it down gently in the hot oil. It should start to bubble around the edges immediately. Repeat with the rest of the cheese.  Keep an eye on your cheese…it cooks fast. When the cheese is brown on the bottom (this will happen very quickly), flip it over carefully with a spatula. When it’s brown on the second side, remove the cheese from the pan. 

Drizzle with honey. Enjoy!

Shrimp and Grits 
(adapted recipes from Paula Deen and Lauren's Latest)

Ingredients:

For The Shrimp:

5 slices bacon, chopped
½ diced onion
1 diced green pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
¾ lb. peeled & deveined medium shrimp
salt & pepper, to taste
butter

For The Grits:

5 cups chicken broth
¾ cups grits {not quick cooking!}
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup grated medium cheddar cheese
salt & pepper, to taste

For the Sauce:

1 to 2 tablespoons white wine
1 cup heavy cream
salt and pepper

Garnish:

parsley

Directions:

Start by cooking the grits. Bring chicken broth to rolling boil in large pot. Whisk in grits, salt and pepper and reduce heat to medium and cook 15 minutes, stirring occasionally (or per package instructions).

While the grits are cooking, heat butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté bacon, onions and peppers together until bacon starts to crisp and onions/peppers have browned, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic, shrimp, salt and pepper. Stir another 3 minutes or so until shrimp are bright pink and thoroughly cooked. Remove from heat.

Deglaze the pan with a little white wine. Slowly add the cream and let reduce until thickened. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. 

Finish grits by melting in butter and cheese. Taste and adjust seasonings.

Divide grits among 2 serving plates. Top grits with shrimp and sauce. Garnish with parsley.

Still Haven't Figured Out How To Do It All

Including blogging....but with Fall coming (my FAVORITE season), I will have more free time to explore the things I love doing and maybe finally figure out how to balance it all.  Spring and Summer are always quite hectic in my family, between keeping the horses fit, going to tournaments/shows, traveling for work plus the barrage of various other commitments, we are always on the go and never at home.  Maybe that's why I love Fall so much, life seems to settle down into a slow routine.

Following on my previous post, 2013 really has been the 'Year of the Foodies' for John (my husband) and I.  We've been back to our two favorite Frederick restaurants, Isabella's Taverna and Sumittra multiple times in the past few months.  But we have also tried some new ones as well, the latest being Acacia.  We went to Acacia during Frederick's Farm to Fork week, during which local restaurants showcased locally sourced products.  The food was quiet good, albeit a bit on the pricey side, but definitely put on the list for special occasions!

Now, lately I have been getting deliveries from South Mountain Creamery, a local dairy farm that not only delivers dairy products (glass bottled milk, butter, ice cream, etc.) but meats and eggs as well.  I have recently been trying to buy more local and/or organic foods, as not only do they taste better, you feel better eating them!

Recently we made these delicious burgers with Ground Beef and Provolone Cheese from South Mountain Creamery and Fresh Buns purchased at a local farmer's market.  We paired them with fresh corn and tomatoes from the same market.

2013: The Year For Foodies!

My husband and I have had a great 'foodie' start to 2013, visiting numerous amazing restaurants.  Surprisingly, our little town of Frederick is home to many excellent restaurants, including three 'Top Chef' restaurants. We are also close to DC and Baltimore!

Urban Dictionary defines a 'foodie' as: A person that spends a keen amount of attention and energy on knowing the ingredients of food, the proper preparation of food, and finds great enjoyment in top-notch ingredients and exemplary preparation.  Although the second definition was less polite:  a douche bag who likes food.  There has been a 'foodie' explosion lately, due to the success of shows like Top Chef and new fad diets like Whole 30.  So, we have recently jumped on the foodie bandwagon per se.....

Our foodie year started off on John's birthday outing, every year since I can remember we go down to DC and visit one of the FREE (my favorite word) Smithsonian Museums (this time, the American History Museum, my husband is a huge history nut).   While we were down there I planned for us to go to Top Chef (Season 4) Spike Mendelsohn's Good Stuff Eatery (www.goodstuffeatery.com/).  Now we set the bar pretty high for this restaurant, did it meet those expectations? Not really, however the burgers and fries were still pretty damn good!  I had the Prez Obama Burger (Applewood Bacon, Onion Marmalade, Roquefort Cheese & Delicious Horseradish Mayo Sauce) and John had the Farmhouse Bacon Cheese (Applewood Bacon & American Cheese).  I'd say they were a bit better then another local favorite, Five Guys, but comparable.  The burgers were moist and well cooked, but nothing special.

For dinner, we had reservations at Family Meal (www.voltfamilymeal.com/), Top Chef (Season 6) Bryan Voltaggio's third restaurant in Frederick (there is also Volt and LunchBox).  Again, the bar was set high, however this time it was amazing! For an appetizer, we had the Chicken Potpie Fritters, which I wish was a entree, because they were sooo yummy!  Light on the batter and gooey in the middle!  For entrees, I had the Fried Chicken, which was 1/2 a chicken!  It was moist, lightly battered (again), not greasy and nicely cooked.  John had the Pork Shoulder BBQ Sandwich, he said it was amazing, and he even ate it with the coleslaw on it!  For sides, we had the Duck Fat Fries and the Mac and Cheese, both very yummy.  Loved the sauces that came with the fries, reminded me of the Indian sauces that come with Poppadoms.  And we both had a few drinks and the whole meal cost about the same as a visit for the 2 of us to Longhorn Steakhouse, and the food was much better! The atmosphere is different than most restaurants, it's in a converted car dealership, it has a very open quality and is reminiscent of 1960s diners.  Needless to say, I would definitely come here again (and we did several weeks later with John's family).

We've also been to Isabella's Taverna, a tapas restaurant (www.isabellas-tavern.com/), and Sumittra, a Thai restaurant (www.sumittra.com/), both of which are in Frederick, have excellent food and we've been to multiple times. 

Next up, a girlie brunch with friends from high school at Founding Farmers in Montgomery County (www.wearefoundingfarmers.com/).