Painted Console Table Makeover

I was growing tired of this dark wood console table in my dining room and decided to make some changes.  Instead of purchasing something new, I knew I could update it with a fresh coat of paint.

I had a hard time choosing a paint color.  I knew I wanted something vibrant that would compliment my golden walls.

My gut said, paint it green!  The shade of green I chose is Caper Berry, by Martha Stewart matched to Glidden paint.

I love the new color, it really brightens up the room!

One thing led to another and I replaced the mirror and candle sconces with a new mirror purchased at Home Goods and artwork printed from The Graphics Fairy.

My favorite part of the makeover is the new hardware.  They are even more gorgeous in person.  I received the new hardware from D. Lawless Hardware.  They have a large selection of beautiful hardware at affordable prices. 

Here are a few more detail shots of the table just for fun!

  

I hope I can keep this orchid alive!

I purchased the picture frames on clearance at Target.

I've been searching for a new lamp with no luck.  I thought about spray painting the base white, but decided to hold off until I find the perfect one for the table.

Green is such a fun accent color.  I'm so happy how the table turned out.

   

If you like you can see how I used a similar shade in a couple of other rooms in my house here and here.

  

*A huge thank you to Derrick of D. Lawless Hardware for providing the hardware for this makeover.  

I am linking this post to: 
Sew Many Ways

Banana-Chocolate Chip Muffins

It's been absolutely beautiful here lately signaling the onset of my favorite time of the year, fall and that puts me in the baking mood.  I completely avoided the oven this summer.

I've been busy in the kitchen lately making new things.  It's been fun to experiment with different ingredients.

I had a few mushy bananas to use up so I went to the computer in search of a recipe.  I found an easy recipe for banana-chocolate chip muffins.  Normally I like nuts in my banana muffins, adding the mini chips got the chocolate lovers in my house buzzing!
     

These muffins were easy and delicious, perfect for breakfast or a yummy snack! 

So what have you been up to?  Have you been baking lately?

Ingredients 
2 cups flour 
3/4 tsp baking soda 
1/2 tsp salt 
1 cup sugar 
1/4 cup butter, softened 
2 large eggs 
3-4 very ripe bananas, mashed 
1/2 cup canola oil 
1 tsp vanilla 
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips(you can add more if you like)

Preheat oven to 325 F.  Line muffin tray with paper liners.  Sift flour, salt and baking soda into a mixing bowl.  Stir in sugar.  In a separate bowl, using a whisk, lightly beat eggs and butter.  Stir in oil.  Add to dry ingredients, along with mashed banana.  Using a wooden spoon, gently mix ingredients until combined. Stir in choc chips. *Don't over mix the mixture or the muffins will be tough.  Spoon the mixture evenly into the muffin liners.  Bake for 18-20 minutes or until firm on top when lightly touched.  Transfer the muffins to a rack to cool. Enjoy with a glass of cold milk!

Recipe adapted from http://www.epicurious.com/

How I Got My Kids to Eat Cooked Carrots

My kids happen to like most fruits and vegetables, but for the longest time they refused to eat cooked carrots.  My daughter would turn her nose up at crinkle cut carrots and my son would pretend to gag if I set them in front of him.  I remember watching an episode of Jon and Kate Plus 8 years ago and Kate mentioned all the sneaky ways to sneak vegetables into your child's diet.  So I gave it a try, shredded carrots mixed in with mashed potatoes, chopped carrots in spaghetti sauce and pureed carrots in our smoothies.  They couldn't taste a difference and I loved that they were getting an extra dose of vitamin A.

Then one day it happened, we were out to dinner and carrots were on the menu.  I begged my kids to just try them and guess what, they really enjoyed them!  I knew I wouldn't have much luck asking the chef for the recipe, so based on the flavors in the dish I came up with my own.  My kids love this recipe and I bet yours will too.  I can't wait til Thanksgiving to serve it to all my cooked-carrot hating guests!

    

Ingredients
1 pound carrots, peeled and  cut
1 cup chicken broth
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried parsley  

Directions
Add butter and chicken broth to a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Once the butter has melted, add the carrots and saute for about 6-8 minutes or until carrots are tender and the liquid has cooked down.  Make sure to stir occasionally.  Remove from heat and toss with salt and parsley. Serve warm and enjoy!

I am linking this post to: Kelly's Korner

Homemade French Fries

Today we're going to have a little fun and pretend fried foods are good for you!  Even though they're not very healthy, I could seriously eat french fries after having my wisdom teeth removed.  They're that good people!

I don't think it's bad to enjoy french fries, but it would be bad to indulge in them everyday.

So every once in awhile I make these homemade fries and it seems to satisfy my french fry craving.

We just purchased a deep fryer, it makes frying so much easier.

  

Although we don't use it that often it's nice not to have the hot oil spattering and popping in your face.

Crispy and Delicious!

As easy as it is to drive thru the world's largest fast food chain, you can make your own hand-cut fries at home.

Ingredients 
2 pounds Russet Potatoes 
Canola Oil For Frying 
Sea Salt

Directions
Heat oil in a fryer to 350 degrees.  Peel and cut the potatoes into wedges.  *The thicker they are, the longer they will take to fry.  Place the potato wedges in large a bowl and cover with cold water.  Allow the potatoes to soak for a few hours.  Once you are ready to fry, remove the potatoes from the water and pat them dry.  Carefully place the potato wedges into the hot oil.  Do not fry the entire batch at once– you’ll need to fry them in several smaller batches for the best results.  Cook until the fries are golden and crisp; about 8 minutes.  Remove from fries from oil and drain them in the fry basket then on paper towels.  Sprinkle fries with sea salt and enjoy!

Recipe adapted from: http://www.theprairiehomestead.com/

Embroidery Hoop- Laundry Hamper

My son is pretty good at keeping his room clean, however despite having the laundry hamper right outside his bedroom he leaves his dirty clothes all over his room and bathroom floor after he showers.  He tends to be forgetful!

So my solution was to create hanging hamper for his room.  I was inspired by this idea on Martha Stewart’s website.  I didn't have a pillowcase available, but I did have over a yard of fabric I received from Online Fabric Store in our Haven Conference- swag bags.  I started by staining my embroidery hoop; not a necessary step, I just wanted mine darker. Then with my fabric a sewed a very simple pillowcase then folded the fabric around the embroidery hoop. I wrapped some twine around the hardware to create a loop for hanging. 

A simple solution without taking up any floor space.

And now there are no more clothes on the floor!  I wonder why I didn't think of this solution sooner.