Living Room and Dining Room

Here are some pics of the dining room, living room, and the entrance way the adjoins them. Enjoy!

Creating My Nest

Kitchen and Family Room

My home is my nest,

at least that is what my husband calls it.

I wanted to share some of my decorating ideas in my home, so I am going to focus the next few posts on specific rooms in my house. I decided to start with the family room and kitchen since that is where everyone tends to be. It is truly the heart of our home. My family room opens directly into my kitchen. There are a pair of large architectural pillars that define each space. It provides a nice sized space for entertaining, and my daughter thinks being so close to the kitchen is great for midnight snacks during sleepovers. All the furnishings are really casual. I wanted a very 'livable' home. It has a warm, subtle style, but not too feminine. I decorate with a mix of modern, vintage, and repurposed pieces. I have become somewhat of a flea market addict over the past few years. I love to challenge myself to think of new ways to use old things. You would be amazed what a can of spray paint can do! I don't believe in spending a lot of money decorating your home. You shouldn't have to "break the bank" to surround yourself with beautiful things that you love. Just be creative with your thinking and don't follow any rules. Create unusual and intriguing pairings. Check out the Goodwill, thrift shops, flea markets, the dollar store, and don't underestimate the deals in the clearance section at TJ Maxx and Marshalls. Keep your colors soft and subtle. Rely on a neutral palette to bring out the best in your mix of furnishings - classic and modern. Use creamy whites and taupes to unify your rooms, especially if your rooms flow into each other like mine do. Use fabrics to bring a soft, textural, and vintage element to your space. Go with what you love. I remember when everyone told me not to get marble countertops because they are a soft stone and stain easily. Well, I did get marble. And yes, I have a few chips and stains, and I still absolutely love them. They bear the wear of a much used family kitchen, and there is something charming and real about that.

Thinking Spring

I am hopelessly yearning for spring. I love the smell of the earth, dirt under my fingernails, and little green sprouts that poke their heads through the soil. I have forced bulbs all over my house to bring the spring feel to February. This week I have been working on creating a "master plan" for my new potager. A potager, the French version of the kitchen garden, is suppose to be beautful in addition to functional and yielding. Last year was my first full summer in our new home so, I started small: two raised beds with tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, green beans, peas, rosemary, basil, Italian parsley, and sage. This year I plan to extend it to include: Maxibel hardicot verts, garden sorrel, mesclun mix, Goodman cauliflower, chives, garlic chives, Dark Opal basil, Ronde de Nice squash, lavender, and delphiniums. I also have my eye on a chippy old table at a thrift shop that should make a perfect potting bench. I ordered all my seeds from a fantastic organic seed supplier: http://www.highmowingseeds.com/

Croque Monsieur - Cooking Light

A few weeks ago I went to see the movie It's Complicated with my mother. If you haven't seen it yet, you have to go. It is hysterical. It reminds me a little of Something's Gotta Give. It made me have a desire to make Croque Monsieur. Here is a wonderful, light recipe that Mr. Farmhouse loved. I used organic ham and Gruyère cheese with truffle mustard - simple and delicious.

Dijon Croque Monsieur
Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients
1 tablespoon whole-grain Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon fat-free mayonnaise
8 (1-ounce) slices Italian bread
6 ounces thinly sliced ham
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Gruyère cheese
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup egg substitute
1/4 cup fat-free milk
Cooking spray

Preparation
1. Combine mustard and mayonnaise in a small bowl. Spread 3/4 teaspoon mustard mixture over each of 4 bread slices; layer each slice with 1 1/2 ounces ham and 1/4 cup cheese. Sprinkle evenly with pepper. Spread 3/4 teaspoon mayonnaise mixture over each remaining bread slice; place, mustard side down, on top of sandwiches.

2. Combine egg substitute and fat-free milk in a shallow dish. Dip both sides of each sandwich into the egg mixture.

3. Heat a large nonstick griddle or skillet over medium heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add sandwiches to pan; cook 3 minutes on each side or until lightly browned and cheese melts.

Nutritional Information
Calories: 350
Fat: 11.7g (sat 6.1g,mono 3.1g,poly 0.9g)
Protein: 25.1g
Carbohydrate: 34.6g
Fiber: 1.7g
Cholesterol: 51mg
Iron: 2.8mg
Sodium: 935mg
Calcium: 344mg

Elizabeth Karmel, Cooking Light, JANUARY 2010

Winter Reading

I love to read in the winter. My daughter and husband often comment on how quickly I go through books during the long, cold months of January and February. I am rarely without a good read in the evenings. They bring me such entertainment and pleasure. I love a good book. I love the smell when I open one up for the first time, and the feel of the crisp pages under my fingertips. I could never do a Kindle or other reader. Books are welcomed friends, whom I enjoy until I can get into my garden again.




One of my new favorite books is Guernsey Literary and the Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows. This is a lovely story told entirely through letters and telegrams. It reminds me a little of Love Letters by Eli Cantor, another of my favorites. The unique form and rich, historical context is a perfect backdrop for the obvious, but pleasing, love story that unfolds.



The other book that I would recommend is The Piano Teacher by Janice K. Lee. This is an exquisite tale of love, war, and betrayal - nearly irresistable to put down.



The next book on my list is Love Walked In by Marisa De los Santos.

Centerpiece

I was trying to come up with unique and interesting centerpiece for my dining room table. I gathered up some of my favorite little trinkets from around the house, added a picture of my father and his siblings with my great memere', and voila'.

Memory Bracelets

My sister designs and sells her own jewelry, and it is really beautiful. She specializes in hand strung Swarovski bracelets and necklaces. So, a few weekends ago, my daughter and I tried our hand at a much simpler design - the memory bracelet. I think they came out pretty good. I wore the first one out and got two compliments in the same day - that put a smile on my face.