Bringing home the bacon.

So, this is a start of a new project for me.  As I'm sure you can tell from my blog, I love my new hobby of knitting.  There are so many great things that you can make.  Since I've started knitting, I've had this idea of wanting to make a bunch of knitted foods for a child's kitchen.  It's washable and fun.  Here is my first start...bacon!  It was an easy first project but fun.

Free knitted bacon project here.

Two things I can't get enough of lately...

My latest drink obsession is Frangelico which is hazelnut liquor.  I'm not typically a liquor person but every once in a while - especially after a good Italian meal - my husband enjoys a glass of port.  Blech.  But I didn't want to miss out on a fun after dinner drink.  So a waiter we had about a year ago brought me a taste of Frangelico and I nearly died it was so good.  It is a dessert in and of itself!  If you haven't tried it, treat yourself! 

The other thing I love lately is Philosphy's Snow Globe body cream.  It may have been a holiday special but I adore it.  It doesn't smelly Christmas-y at all.  Instead, it just smells super fresh like you've just gotten out of the shower.  And the thing I love most about it is that it really lasts.  Lately I've found it at TJMaxx for really reduced prices from the original $25 price tag.  Warning: if you live in the DC area, don't bother looking for it at TJ Maxx because I've bought 'em out...

Aunt Tucker's Tex Mex Ravioli Casserole

We were in Norfolk last weekend to visit my grandmother.  My aunt made this Tex Mex Ravioli casserole that was a big hit.  She originally got the recipe from Southern Living but has changed it up slightly. 

Tex Mex Ravioli Casserole
What you'll need:
1 jar medium salsa
1 10oz can of tomato purree
1/2 tsp cumin
1 28 ounce bag of frozen cheese ravioli (unthawed)
1 19 ounce can of black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup of fresh cilantro
1 bunch of thinly sliced green onions
1 cups shredded sharp cheeddar cheese
1 cup monterey jack cheese

What you'll do:
Combine the first three ingredients and pour 1/2 cup of the sauce onto the bottom of a lightlyh greased pan.

Top evenly with frozen ravioli, layer with beans, cilantro, onions and remaining sauce.  Top with cheese.  Bake at 350 degrees covered with foil for 45 minutes.  Remove foil and bake for five additional minutes or until cheese is browned and bubbly.

This was yummy and a unique take on a traditional italian dish.  My husband and I were talking about it on the way trip back home and decided that to make it even a little more tex mex that we would substitute the tomato puree for a can of Rotel (green chile and tomato mixture you can get in the tomato aisle).  My husband is also of the belief that no meal is complete without meat (a theory to which I personally do NOT subscribe but anyway...).  He had the idea of using meat stuffed ravioli instead of just cheese and serving this casserole along side a salad.

Knock it off.

I recently came across the Knock Off Decor site and thought it offered great inspiration for those who like to decorate on a budget - like me!  Although, I'm not sure I am nearly this crafty.  Regardless, this site links up to blogs with play by play tutorials on how to achieve these looks.  They have copy cat creations of lots of big name stores like Pottery Barn, Crate and Barrel, Ballard Designs, and Restoration Hardware, to name a few.

Here are some examples of ones that I'd like to consider trying sometime if the mood strikes.  In a few instances I truly like the copy better than the original.

Anthropologie Chair

Original:

 Copy:

Ballard Designs Mirror

Original:

Copy:

Ballard Designs Newsprint Dress Art

Original:

Copy:

Pottery Barn Fork and Spoon Art

Original:

Copy:

Pottery Barn Tea Cup Lamps

Original:

Copy:

Horchow Mirrored Desk

Original:

Copy:



Have you tackled any of your own knock off designs? 

All of the tutorials for these can be found here.

Stuffed Poblano Peppers

My husband was reading a southwestern cookbook and started missing his native New Mexico home.  So, we concocted this dinner to try to cheer him up.  I did the peppers and he took on the red chile sauce and meat.  Together it was a great combo (but mine totally won!).  I don't know how he fixed the meat but supposedly he is going to do a guest blog post soon (don't hold your breath).  If you've never tried poblano peppers, you are in for a treat.  You can find them in most grocery stores these days.  Don't be intimidated - they aren't hot but they have great flavor and they are a great change from your ordinary old bell peppers. 

Stuffed Poblano Peppers
2 large poblano peppers (1 pepper can serve two people)
1 medium yellow onion
1 package of spanish rice
1 tbsp butter
1 cup Mexican cheese of your choice (we couldn't find cojito today but that would be awesome)
1 handful of fresh chopped cilantro
salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp cumin
3/4 cup chicken stock

Split the peppers down the middle and remove the seeds.  Heat a pot of water to a boil and cook peppers for about 5 minutes to begin to soften them.  Meanwhile, cook the Spanish rice to the package directions.

Remove peppers in water from heat to cool.  Heat butter and onion in another sautee pan until the onions are cooked through. 

While the onions are cooking, season with salt, pepper, garlic powder and cumin.  Add in the cooked rice and sautee with the onion mixture. 

Add the chicken broth, cilantro and cheese and mix everything together so that cheese is melted and evenly distributed.  Stuff the peppers with the mixture and top with a little more cheese. 

Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.

A boy and a girl.

Two new little hats for sale in my etsy shop.

The Range of Grange

Grange Furniture that is.  It's a French company and most of these images just really evoke a French feel to me - be it a French country chateau or a modern industrial feeling loft from the city.  These images are all interesting and inspiring to me.