A Little Restoration Hardware Inspiration

Three years ago, my husband and I spent the night in Santa Barbara for my birthday. It was a hot early summer afternoon, and we wandered in to Restoration Hardware to enjoy the air conditioning and cushy seating for a few minutes. A few minutes turned into about an hour as we explored their “new” look that we hadn't seen yet. I fell in love with their Industrial pieces and stripped wood finishes, and now my husband covets their Barclay leather sofa. Since then, whenever we’re near our local RH, he wants to go in and “visit” his sofa. I must admit, it’s really comfortable.

Restoration Hardware “Barclay” sofa

The staff was, as always, very helpful and accommodating, answering all of our questions (how does the stripped finish on the dining room tables wear? Well, if you drip salad dressing, it will leave a stain). We left with a catalog, some paint samples, and dreams of a loft look in our suburban Mediterranean tract home.

The stripped finishes and  deconstructed upholstery are the coolest look I've seen in years. I love the weathered frames with the old nail holes, the burlap lining, and of course, the linen upholstery! We bought a linen sofa when we were impractical newlyweds, and the fabric was shot after six years. It was the only seating we had, so it did get a lot of use.

Restoration Hardware “Deconstructed Tufted Roll Armchair” in Belgian Linen

So, for the past three years, I've been thinking about how to update our 80’s era pine furniture, and other odds and ends that we've collected over the years- on a serious budget. Last year I repainted the public parts of the house – entry, living and dining rooms, kitchen, family room, loft and hallways, with Benjamin Moore’s Bleeker Beige, and the kitchen cupboards, an armoire and a bookshelf with “Linen”, a creamy off-white color that’s been discontinued. It’s absolutely true that the cheapest way to update anything is with a coat of paint.

Restoration Hardware French Library Console

The truth of the matter is, though, that Restoration Hardware is just out of my price range. So, I saved my pennies for a year and bought the Aiden console from World Market last spring, and I am really happy with it. In fact, in some ways I like it better. I like the look of the wheels, as well as their functionality, and I also like the lack of cross bars in the back. With everything I display on the console, the cross bars would be too busy.

The World Market console in my master bedroom

I love waking up to this every morning. It’s several of my prized possessions gathered together: my collection of  Anthropologie vases, a music box that I've had all my life, a favorite photo of my children in Hawaii, a couple of my husband’s old briefcases, a couple of photos my daughter took while she was on study abroad in Paris, a miniature book she made in a book-binding class, and my one-winged version of “Winged Victory”. No matter how cluttered the rest of the house may get, I try to keep this one spot just how I want it, in the hope that it will inspire the start to a perfect day. But even on imperfect days, it’s nice to open my eyes in the morning to a view that makes me smile.

Coming soon: Restoration Hardware Inspiration, part 2: Cabinet makeover

Why I dumped a bucket of ice water over my head today

Last night my sister-in-law and her husband, Judy Lynn and Ray Almond challenged me to dump a bucket of ice water over my head, and I accepted the challenge, willingly. Those who know me may be shocked. I guess I’m probably seen as a wimp by most people. Yes, I was hoping that today would be scorching hot so that the water would actually feel good, but even though it’s actually cool today I was still excited to do this. Why? Let me tell you about my other sister-in-law, Kay Carlile.

I’ve been married to Kay’s brother, Alan for 26 years. For the first 20 of those years Kay was a force to be reckoned with. Kay had the three E’s: energy, enthusiasm, and example.

She couldn’t stand to not be busy. When the work ran out she had to find more. Maybe that’s part of why she had seven children. Any time she came to visit I could give her some of my work to do, and she received it gladly. She was the no-moss-growing-on-me type. She made her own granola, and everything else.

Her enthusiasm for all the things she did inspired me to try some of those things out, too. She was the life of every party. My children loved to be around her and learn to play her games. Whenever we play one of her domino games, my kids all have to try to pronounce “chicken foot” with her Kentucky accent. That’s all part of our fun.

Her enthusiasm wasn’t just for fun and games; it extended to living the gospel of Jesus Christ in every way she could find. And that is one way in which she was an example. But the last legacy she left was the way she fought ALS, or Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease. It is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that causes victims to lose control of their muscles, which then atrophy. But even after being diagnosed, Kay didn’t seem to slow down.

It started in one foot, as “drop foot”. Five years ago, Kay and her husband, Al, were celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary. My children and I drove up to Seattle to join the celebration. Kay wanted me to help her hang each of her children’s family portraits over the stairway in her entry, but she wanted new picture frames. So we ran all over town to get the right frames, Kay leading the way. I don’t know how she did it, except that that’s just the way she is. She kept it up longer than most people, and even after another 3 ½ years, she was still the life of the party at her granddaughter’s wedding reception. We had time to kill after the wedding luncheon, so she pulled out the games and we stayed in the banquet room all afternoon, having a great time.

The last time I saw her, she was in pain, and frustrated that she needed help just getting on to a toilet, or into the car. I’m sure there was much more, but she didn’t whine to me about it. In the end, she was blessed to slip away quickly. But most are not that fortunate.

According to the ALS Association, about 5,600 people are diagnosed in the US each year, and perhaps as many as 30,000 may have the disease at any given time. Compared to many other diseases, that’s a very small portion of the population. But to those who suffer, and their loved ones, it’s 30,000 Americans too many. And that’s where the Ice Bucket Challenge comes in. We need to raise awareness and money.

There are cures and treatments for cancer, but there’s not much out there for those with ALS. No cure, not even a test to diagnose it. It is diagnosed when everything else is ruled out. I believe in dignity, and telling someone it must be ALS because it isn’t anything else is no way to give someone a death sentence.

So, the Ice Bucket Challenge brings some fun to a disease that is no fun at all. I dumped the water over my head, then took a shower and dried off. I will send my money, but it’s not enough. The challenge has gone viral, and I hope the giving will too. Hopefully there are many out there who can afford to give hundreds of times more than the challenge asks. And hopefully even those who will never know anyone with this disease will be inspired to care enough to help. That’s what it will take, because drug companies can’t stay in business by dumping a billion dollars into a drug that has such a small market. Someone has to step up and fund the research, and this is my plea to that hero.

You can donate to the Walk to Defeat ALS and sponsor a member of Kay’s family here:

http://webwa.alsa.org/site/TR?team_id=309183&fr_id=10131&pg=team#teamRoster

or, go to the ALS Association website and donate there: http://www.alsa.org/

 Click on the red “Donate” tab on their home page.

TJ's Roasted Butternut Squash, Red Quinoa and Wheatberry Salad recipe

I have to admit that I had never been a Trader Joe's shopper. I always thought that it was a health food store, but when I went in, what I found was a lot of wine, dried fruit, and nuts. Nothing on my shopping list. I tried it out a couple times, but only for snacks and treats, and who needs to make a special stop just for a sugar hit? Not me! I may not truly eat healthy, but I like to tell myself that I try. I am allergic to sulfites, so trying out new brands and products means carefully reading product labels. Which means digging through my purse to find my glasses, and then carefully reading the label. And I found A LOT of sulfites in TJs food. So I continued to shop at my local Vons, where I knew where those nasty preservatives were hidden.

Chelsea was working for a Realtor during her Senior year of high school, and used to stop to pick up lunch on her way to work, frequently at Trader Joe's. When she told me I could get a deli salad for $3.99 I was skeptical, but because there is NO good, cheap food anywhere near my office, I was desperate and decided to give it a try. So one busy day, in the middle of tax season, I ventured in to my local TJs. The refrigerated case was full of a wide variety of good looking salads. I took the time to pull out my glasses, and read a few labels. I decided on their Roasted Butternut Squash, Red Quinoa and Wheatberry Salad. It turns out that this salad does contain sulfites, in the yellow currants, but they are easy to remove from the salad because each ingredient is in a separate little scoop.

I took the salad back to work, tossed it at my desk (after removing those troublesome little currants), and devoured it. Now I'm a convert to TJs. All it took was a recommendation that I trusted, and the faith to dive in wholeheartedly.  So, because I truly believe in my new discovery, I want to share what I've found with my friends. But what I'm going to share is a recipe of my version of this salad. You can add the currants if you like.

Trader Joe's Roasted Butternut Squash, Red Quinoa and Wheatberry Salad

10 minutes prep time, 30 minutes baking time                        Serves 4

3/4 lb cubed butternut squash
olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
cinnamon
1 red bell pepper, diced
1/2 red onion, diced
2 c prepared red quinoa
2 c prepared wheatberries*
8 oz baby spinach
1/2 c Craisins
1/2 c sliced almonds, toasted
3/4 c crumbled Feta cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Toss the butternut squash with 1 tablespoon olive oil, and a sprinkling of salt, pepper and cinnamon. Roast on a cookie sheet for about 20 minutes, until tender. Meanwhile, toss the red pepper and red onion with a little bit of olive oil and grill on a grill pan until lightly charred. Cool squash, red pepper and onions slightly before tossing with the remaining ingredients, and some vinaigrette.

Honey Sesame Vinaigrette

2 Tbsp Soy sauce
2 Tbsp rice vinegar
1 Tbsp honey
pinch garlic powder
1/4 tsp grated fresh ginger
1/2 tsp sesame oil
1/4 c canola oil

Whisk Soy sauce and vinegar together, then whisk in honey until it dissolves. Add garlic powder, ginger, and sesame oil and stir in. Whisk in canola oil until the vinaigrette is smooth. Store extra vinaigrette in the fridge, in a tightly sealed bottle. Shake well before using.

* I had to hunt a little for the wheatberries. TJs doesn't sell them, but I found them at my local Sprouts Market. They were pre-packaged, just over one pound was under $2, and they'll keep for about 6 months. To prepare them, I covered them with water and boiled for about 20 minutes. Make sure the pot doesn't boil dry, add water as necessary, or use a large enough pot to have extra water to start. I know from experience.


Enjoy!

Mission Farewell Tostadas

For Chelsea's mission farewell we decided to have Mexican food for dinner in honor of her call to Comayaguela, Honduras. And what is easier than salsa chicken in a crockpot? The only problem is that I never really liked the way I made it. Okay when someone else makes it, just not me. So I adapted, and here's what I came up with:

Chicken Tostadas

3 cloves minced garlic
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp salt
1 Tbsp lime juice
1 - 18 oz can diced tomatoes
1 Tbsp canola oil
1/2 c chopped white onion
1 whole chicken, skin removed, wing tips cut off, and as much fat removed as possible

Put garlic, chili powder, cumin, salt and lime juice in the bottom of a large crockpot and stir to combine. Stir in diced tomatoes and oil. Roll the chicken around in the mixture and spoon some inside the cavity. Cover and cook until tender. Cool, shred, removing bones.


Many years ago my friend Lisa brought us the most delicious rice we'd ever tasted. Being the great friend she is, she taught me how to make it. Why should anyone have to have bad Spanish rice when I'm willing to share the recipe? It's worth the effort, I promise.

Lisa's Rice

olive oil
1/2 c diced white onion
1 clove minced garlic
1 diced Roma tomato
1 c. white rice
2 c. chicken broth
1 tsp. chicken base (I use "Better than Bouillon" from Costco)
1 tsp Knorr tomato bouillon

heat olive oil in a skillet, add onion and saute til softened. Add garlic and tomato and continue sauteing until tomato softens, being careful not to over cook the garlic. Push the vegetables to one side of the pan, add more oil if necessary and add the rice. Brown lightly, then add the chicken broth, chicken base and tomato bouillon. Stir to dissolve the bouillons, bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover and cook 17 to 20 minutes, until done.

Black Beans

olive oil
cumin
2 cloves minced garlic
8 oz V-8
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
cilantro

Heat olive oil in a saute pan, then add cumin and garlic. Heat until fragrant. Stir in V-8 and beans. Heat through, sprinkle with chopped cilantro.

To serve the tostadas, put a flour tortilla in a 9 inch round foil take-out container, sprinkle with Mexican blend cheese, and heat in a 400 degree oven til cheese melts. Scoop rice, beans, shredded romaine lettuce and heated chicken on top. Sprinkle with additional condiments as desired: tomatoes, avocado or guacamole, more cheese, cilantro, pico de gallo, sour cream, salad dressing,  etc.

NOTE: One whole chicken makes enough for at least 10 or 12 people, the rice recipe serves about 8-10, and the beans will serve about 5.