Furniture Makeover

I recently re-did a small China cabinet Ben's mom gave me.  And when I say "re-did" I don't mean that I did anything that a normal person couldn't do.  Just sanded, primed, and painted!

Supplies:
Small can of gray primer (I used Glidden brand)
pack of 150 grit sandpaper
1/2" and 2" paint brushes
pack of small paint brushes (for the detail on the front)
painters tape
small can of paint (I used Martha Stewart "Maine Lobster" in eggshell paint finish)
scrap newspaper

The cabinet had a medium brown stain when I got it, and while researching I found lots of people who said that you have to completely remove the stain before you can paint.  WRONG.  That would have taken me YEARS to finish.  Luckily, Stacy (of The Little Chick fame) gave me some very helpful and time-saving pointers before I started on this little project!

I started out by sanding everything with 150 grit sandpaper.  I can't take all of the credit for the sanding, Ben was definitely helpful, because let's be honest, sanding is no fun.  FYI - I would remove any doors or anything like that and sand those separately.

After we finished sanding, we wiped down everything with a damp cloth and let it dry for a couple of minutes.  As you can see, I had to carefully place strips of newspaper behind the wood on the front so I could paint it.  While this did not 100% keep paint off the glass it was definitely helpful.  Hint - about 5 minutes after you paint the primer remove the newspaper, otherwise the paint will make it stick to the wood (I learned this the hard way) and use new newspaper strips when painting the top coat.

While priming the cabinet I decided to leave the back and bottom brown, but after painting the first coat of red paint I went back and painted the bottom red because something just didn't look right.

Then the red painting started.  I did two coats, which was the perfect amount.  At first I was nervous about this color, because it's red and red can easily go horribly wrong, but after it was all said and done I loved it! 

Hint - do not go by what colors look like on the internet.  They are wrong wrong wrong.  Go look up Maine Lobster.  It looks nothing like this.

The flash makes the glass look weird - sorry

This project was so much fun and really didn't take very long (and you don't have to be a furniture expert to do it)!  I probably could have finished in one weekend if I had devoted most of my time to it.  If any of my instructions weren't clear or if you have any questions just e-mail me - jstansbakery [at] gmail [dot] com

Party Food - Hummus

I have not always been a big fan of hummus.  I know I've said this before, but I am picky, and hummus was one of those things I was not going to try.  I repeat: NOT. GOING.TO.TRY.  That all changed when Ben started making homemade hummus.  It wasn't like I all of a sudden became obsessed with it, but I gradually started to warm up to it.  And here I am making my own.

Ingredients
1 can chickpeas, reserve liquid
juice from 1/2 lemon
1/3 cup olive oil
4 cloves of garlic
1 1/2 tablespoons of tahini
salt

Drain chickpeas and set aside liquid.  In a food processor, add the garlic and pulse a couple of times until it is minced.  Add chickpeas and most of the liquid, also add tahini, salt, lemon juice, and 1/3 cup olive oil.  Process until smooth.  Serve with warm pita bread.

Bruschetta is next!

And a big WOO PIG SOOIE to my Razorbacks who are ranked #10!!!

Fall 2006

Party Food - Taco Dip

Recently I hosted a little get-together at my house for the Kappa Delta Alum group I'm in.  We had an international theme (I used a rough interpretation of international) which was more difficult to plan out than I had anticipated.  Luckily, my bff and hostess extraordinaire, Elizabeth (we call her Ecampbell), had some great food ideas!  I'm just going to highlight one of them tonight, but rest assured, you will get every recipe that I used, including an AMAZING dessert (not to brag or anything).

I'll start with our neighbor to the south, Mexico.  Ecampbell gave me a delicious taco dip recipe.  It has layers like a seven layer dip, but better, because it's served hot!

Taco Dip
1 lb ground beef
1 package taco seasoning
1 can refried beans
1 small can black olives
1 small can green chiles
1 jar taco sauce
shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Brown the meat in a skillet and add taco seasoning as if you are making tacos.  Drain the excess liquid.  In a dish, layer refried beans, chiles, taco meat, taco sauce, and olives (in that order).  Cover with shredded cheese and bake at 350 for 20 minutes.  Serve hot with tortilla chips or fritos.

The great thing about this dip is that it can be made ahead of time and just pop it in the oven before serving.

Next up, hummus!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Squares

Over the weekend my sister and I were trying to decide what to cook for dinner so naturally we started at the end of the meal with dessert.  She whipped out her iTouch and used the Big Oven app to look up a chocolate dessert and this is what she found:

Chocolate Peanut Butter Squares
Ingredients
2 sticks butter, divided (Paula Deen would be proud)
2 cups creamy peanut butter
3 cups powdered sugar
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips (we splurged and got Ghirardelli)

In a large sauce pan, melt 1 stick of butter.  Add the peanut butter, powdered sugar, and graham cracker crumbs.  Stir.  This will form a dough.  Spoon this into a greased 9" x 13" dish and press down evenly.  In  a medium sauce pan, melt the remaining 1 stick of butter.  Add the 2 cups of semi-sweet chocolate and stir until completely melted and smooth.  Pour over the graham cracker crust and spread using a spatula.  Place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.  Slice into squares before serving.

These are seriously addicting.  I had to cut them into small squares so they would last longer!  Enjoy!

P.S. I am so excited about the first Razorback game of the season!  Woo pig sooie!

Egg and Cheese English Muffin

The Pioneer Woman has done it again.  She always makes the most delicious food, so I was very excited when Ben wanted to try this recipe.

Ingredients
English Muffins
4-5 hard boiled eggs
shredded cheddar ("how much?" you ask. that depends on how much you love cheese, so for me it was a lot)
8 slices fried bacon
1 cup. mayonnaise
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons garlic powder
Worcestershire sauce

Chop the hard boiled eggs. Chop the fried bacon. Put the eggs and shredded cheddar in a bowl.  Add the bacon and a cup of mayonnaise and stir.  Add a tablespoon of Dijon mustard and 2 teaspoons of garlic powder.   Add two-three dashes of Worcestershire sauce.  Stir everything together slowly.  Spread on the top of half of an English Muffin.  Put them on a cookie sheet and broil for three-four minutes with the rack in the middle of the oven. 

yum!  And the best thing about these is that you can make them the night before and pop them in the oven the next morning!

Dinner on a Stick

Hello!  I am embarrassed to say that I have been back from my beach vacation for a week and am just now getting around to blogging!  So sorry to abandon you like that.  But to make up for it I have some great recipes!

While at the beach, each couple took turns cooking dinner.  As you may know, Ben and I like to make everything more complicated, so we had a themed meal - Dinner on a Stick.  Sounds fancy, I know.  We served everything from appetizers to dessert on sticks - four courses in all.  So I'll start with the appetizer and work my way through the meal.  Enjoy!

Antipasto on a Stick
Ingredients
1 package sliced salami
1 can large black olives
Italian dressing
1 package cheese stuffed tortellinis
toothpicks

Cook tortellinis as directed.  Transfer to a bowl with ice water to stop cooking.  Pat dry and put in a medium bowl with salami and olives.  Pour 1/3 cup Italian dressing over the ingredients, stir.  Begin assembling Antipastos on the toothpicks.

Salad on a Stick
Ingredients
1 head of iceberg lettuce
carrots, sliced
cherry tomoatoes
cucumber, sliced
salad dressing of your choice
Skewers

Cut iceberg lettuce into chunks.  Assemble carrots, cucumbers, lettuce, and tomatoes on skewers.  Drizzle dressing before serving.

BBQ Chicken on a Stick
Ingredients
package of boneless skinless chicken breasts
Kosher salt
pepper
Garlic salt
BBQ sauce of your choice
Skewers

Cut the chicken breasts into chunks.  Season with salt, pepper, and garlic salt.  Assemble on the skewers.  Grill it over charcoal for 15 minutes.  Towards the end, brush BBQ sauce over the chicken.

Zucchini on a Stick
4 zucchini, sliced
olive oil
kosher salt
pepper
Skewers

Slice the zucchini.  Assemble on skewers.  Drizzle olive oil, salt, and pepper.  Grill for 5 minutes.

Popsicles
Peaches and cream
2 cups non-fat vanilla yogurt
1 cup mashed peaches
1/2 cup skim milk
sprinkle of sugar
wooden stir sticks (found in Wal-Mart's craft section)

Blend all ingredients together until smooth.  Pour into ice trays.  Freeze for 3 hours and then place wooden sticks in each tray.

Strawberry Orange Popsicle
1 pound fresh strawberries, sliced
1 cup orange juice
sprinkle of sugar
wooden stir sticks

Blend all ingredients together until smooth.  Pour into ice trays.  Freeze for 3 hours and then place wooden sticks in each tray.

 This meal was a lot of fun and the Popsicle got great reviews, so I will definitely be making those again!

Grilled Peach and Mozzarella Salad

This recipe is brought to you by the Fine Cooking magazine.  Ben found the recipe while browsing through the magazine and knowing that I love peaches and basically any kind of cheese he decided we needed to try it out.

We couldn't immediately find any Buffalo mozzarella, so we just grabbed a ball of the regular kind and I don't think it made a difference, or if it did I didn't notice.  I also suggest making this salad when you already have food to prepare on the grill, so you aren't lighting the grill just for the peaches.

Ingredients
3/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 sprigs fresh thyme
Kosher salt and ground pepper
2 ripe peaches, halved and sliced
4 1/2 teaspoon EVOO
4 cups baby arugula
1 ball mozzarella cheese, cut into 3/4" chunks

Prepare a charcoal fire grill.  Combine the vinegar and thyme in a 2 quart saucepan and bring it to a boil over medium heat.  Reduce to a simmer and cook until the mixture is thick, syrupy, and reduced to 1/4 cup, about 6-9 minutes.  Remove from the heat, discard the thyme sprigs, and season with a pinch of salt and a few grinds of pepper.  Rub the peaches all over with 2 teaspoons of the oil and season lightly with salt and pepper.  Grill cut side down until lightly charred, 3-4 minutes.  Transfer to a cutting board and let cool slightly.  Slice each piece into thirds.  In a medium bowl, toss the arugula with the remaining 2 1/2 teaspoon of oil and season with salt and pepper.  Arrange on a platter.  Top with the mozzarella and peaches.  Drizzle with about 2 teaspoons of the reduced balsamic vinegar.

Delish!