Home Made Bold and Spicy "Cereal" Mix

Food.

For many years now my husband goes away for what I call a “geek fest” conference in Vegas.  His biggest complaint is that the snack food is totally expensive in the hotel, but he always ends up buying it because he's hungry.  So the logical thing to do would be to just buy the snacks and bring them with him to have on hand when the munchies do set in. No, I decided to make the said snack of choice as it would be “special”.  Plus, I'll make it without the worm-like crackers which he calls filler.

Bold and Spicy chex mix is awesome!  Salty and crunchy with a little kick, a perfect snack food.  Trying to remake this  snack was easy, but it took some tweaking to get it to the right level of bold and spicy.  If you want more bold and less spicy, feel freed to modify as you please.

3 cups corn cereal

3 cups rice cereal

2 cups bite size bagel chips (use any flavor you choose)

1 cup oyster crackers

1 cup pretzels

6 T melted butter or butter substitute

4 T Worchester sauce

1.5 t garlic salt

2 t cayenne

1.5 t onion powder

1/2 t MSG powder (optional)

Preheat the oven to 250.  Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

Combine the corn cereal, rice cereal, bagel chips, crackers and pretzels in a large bowl.  In a separate dish, mix together the melted butter, Worcestershire sauce, and all the spices.  Pour the wet ingredients over the dry and mix.  It is helpful to use a bowl that has a lid and shake it until the entire piece combine.  Spread onto the parchment lined baking sheet.

Bake for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes.  Let cool before storing in an airtight container.

As stated earlier. Feel free to modify as you please with the spices or even the crunchy ingredients.  I tried to stick with the original ingredients, but you can add in nuts or rice crackers, etc.  Enjoy!

<3 mk

Easy and Quick Rack of Lamb

Food.

Source

In an effort to clean out the freezer, I made this rack of lamb last night.  Organizing and cleaning has been my thing lately.  Maybe its the summer break, but I am also equating it to nesting (25 weeks today).  Jeff loves lamb and we bought a bunch from a local farmer - one of the perks of living near farms.  I forgot that we had this beautiful piece of meat in the freezer until I cleaned it out.

The name of the recipe truly explains it all, The Laziest, Most Delicious Rack of Lamb.   It really is super delicious and very easy / "lazy" to prepare.  Jeff was not a big fan of the paprika / pimentón as much as I was so next time I will substitute it with fresh rosemary.  Seriously...what goes better with lamb than rosemary?  I served roasted rosemary potatoes along side with a nice red wine, so I heard.

A few hints...

- Use a good meat thermometer.  Jeff received the Thermapen instant read thermometer for Christmas last year and it rocks. Its a bit pricey, but totally worth it.  What else received 700 5 star reviews on amazon?

- After cutting the potatoes for roasting, put them in the microwave for about 8-10 minutes.  It will partially cook them and lessen the roasting time in the oven.

I needed to share this recipe as it was that good, but it was gobbled up before taking any pictures.  It did look just like the pictures right from the source.

Enjoy!

<3 mk

Simple DIY Pipe Shelf

Home. 

Simple DIY Pipe Shelf

Industrial pipe shelves seem to be popping up everywhere. They are on sale in stores for big bucks and there are tons of DIY ideas to make your own.  When Jeff and I were finishing our basement, we were going for the industrial feel so what better of a project than a shelf made from pipes.

Many of the ideas have numerous levels and can get a bit intricate and time consuming.  We didn't have the space or need for a large unit yet, so a single shelf was made. 

Supplies list:

• Iron pipes
• Pipe flanges
• Pipe caps
• Pipe brackets (they hold the shelf to the pipe)
• Metallic spray paint
• Lag screws or serious drywall anchors (not recommended)
• Pine panel - ours was 16" x 8' ($23) but they cut it to size 
• Polyurethane

Pipe, flange and end cap for simple pipe shelf

When purchasing the piping, we needed the shelf to be 18" in width, as an audio receiver is going to sit on it. The pine was 16", but we planned on keeping it a few inches away from the wall so wires could go behind it. The hardware store sold the pipes pre-threaded, but it was much more expensive than buying the pipe by the foot and then having an employee use the pipe cutter and threading machine. The employee may try to sell you on the pre-cut and threaded pipes because it's time consuming for them to cut and thread the pipes.You'll save quite a bit more this way though.

Test fitting pipe flanges for shelf

Test fitting board on pipe shelf

Prior to painting, we used a mixture of rubbing alcohol and water plus steel wool to remove as much grease and grime as possible from the pipes, of which there was a ton.  You'll need to do this so the paint adheres properly.

We also applied a coating of polyurethane to the pine, but it doesn't show very well in the pictures.

Putting the shelf together is very straight forward, especially our single level design.  Make sure to attach the flanges to the studs in the wall, or your drywall may be coming down with the shelf!

Simple industrial DIY pipe shelf

We got the look we were aiming for and the shelf is not only serving its purpose, but it is also appealing to the eyes.  No matter the type of wood and number of shelves, this project is a sure winner for any DIYer.

P.S. - More on that gym later!

<3 mk

Our New House - Interior “Before” Tour

Home.

It took me a while, but I finally got the chance to do the tour of the inside of the house…back in the fall as you can see by the pumpkins on the front porch. The outdoor "before" tour was done this past summer when we moved here and I promised an inside tour.  When filming it had been a few months since we moved and I was feeling confident that it was clean enough and presentable to show you all.  Then the editing of the video took me some time plus the fact that I am procrastinator, now it’s spring (ok... almost summer) and I am just getting to posting it now.

I actually had to do the tour a few times because of a few technical glitches.  I guess you would call those a dress rehearsals?  Watching the video a few times I realized that I missed a few things and wanted to fill you in on all of the projects we want and already have completed.

Home Tour (interior) - The "Before" from Food Fashion Home on Vimeo.

Dining Room

• new table
• new chairs to replace the benches
• area rug for under the table
• hang all pictures
• paint bar table
• paint the ceiling

Living Room

• new pillow covering to incorporate the blue into the living room
• mount the tv and hide the wires in the wall
• new sectional couch; move the current one downstairs when the basement is fully finished
• remove all the builtins and shelves and put in a more modern system 
• tile up the fireplace higher with possibly no mantel

Kitchen/ Kitchen area

• put new outlets and outlet covers throughout the kitchen
• line all cabinets and drawers with liner
• pantry shelf liners
• soft closing slips for cabinets
• two smaller sitting chairs and small table in open area  

Office

• remove french doors and put in solid wood door with sound deadening
• curtain system
• doors on the upper cabinet
• new art
• filing cabinet
• larger area rug
• more substantial desk

Laundry Room

• wall décor
• valance
• ironing board with DIY cover
• drying racks
• replace light fixture
• folding station counter

Garage (sorry not on the tour, Jeff was inside doing work)

• organize storage shelves
• wall system for yard work tools
• shelving system for all large tools and supplies
• gardening bench

"Pink" Room- Baby's Room

• couch/sleeper
• decorative pillows and poof
• mount tv
• paint the walls a different color (?)
• DIY wall art
• remove carpet and add wood floors
• make a shelving unit
• DIY decorative lamp 
• curtains

Guest Bedroom

• curtains
• remove carpet and add wood floors
• another piece of furniture - maybe a side table for sitting chair
• decorative lamp

Guest Bath

• paint cabinets
• frame mirror

Master Bedroom

• update bedding
• long curtains
• paint/refresh dresser
• framed pictures for behind the bed (coming soon)
• Large mirror
• replace chair

Master Bath

• Caulk shower
• paint his/her cabinets 
• pictures or art for each sink area
• frame mirrors

Upper Patio

• planters
• new patio furniture (table, chairs, lounge chairs)
• spiral staircase down to ground level
• replace the plastic balusters with acrylic or glass baluster

Lower Patio (not seen)

• hang outdoor lights
• lounge furniture
• garden area
• swinging chair or hammock
• powerwash (again)

I am getting agita just reading this list, but I realize how much we have done since the video was filmed in the fall.  The amount of posts on our house projects is increasing just as I am writing this.   Even with a relatively new house, the projects never end!  The only thing now...where is all the money to complete these projects coming from? DIY saves money, but the materials aren't free!

<3 mk

Closet Spring Cleaning 2014

Fashion.

After reading a recent blog post from Stitch Fix, I realized I desperately needed to do some spring-cleaning myself.  A few weeks ago I went through my transition with my boots to sandals phase, but still need to get working on the clothing phase.  I really like the tips they gave, but would like to add some more money saving and organization tips that have worked for me. 

Try it on!

Going through a pregnancy makes it a bit rough since this waist really isn’t my norm, but make sure you try on all of your clothes before taking them out for the season.  You know there are pants/shorts that didn’t quite fit last year and you were holding out for the “I’m going to be able to wear these one day”.  I decided to put items that didn't fit in an unreachable location because of the expanding baby waist. Let's face it, a button extender will work for only so long and many items really won't be in play until next summer.  

This rule also applies to shoes.  If they hurt, just get rid of them.  If they are looking sad and can be rejuvenated, bring them to a shoe repair shop.  You can keep the shoes without the cost of whole new pair.   I had a hard time with this rule with my shoes because looking through all my sandals, I realized I have moved out of the sky-high wedges phase and just want comfort.  I have many pairs of wedges that I love, but can’t walk around in easily.  They are in the “under consideration pile”.

Ask a question / Two year rule

These two have been combined because it just makes sense. Ask yourself if it really is your style and if it has been worn in the past two years.   They have to go together or you, like me will try to rationalize why you should keep it. There is this one sleeveless blouse that I have had for many years and I always persuade myself that I will wear it.  Well, when trying it on, I automatically realized the whole cut and style of it is not for me and even if I style it differently, there are just too many ruffles.  It has been donated to one of my friend from work already.

Hangers

I totally agree with the “Improve your Quality” rule.  Hangers area big deal and transitioning from dorm room plastic to real hangers can be expensive.  I still have a mix in my closet, but each time I go to TJ Maxx, I buy a pack of the velvet covered hangers for about $15. Sometimes I even score a pack for half that price. They honestly make a huge difference with storing your clothes and the look is so much more streamlined. I have transitioned all of my dresses over to these hangers and in time all of my clothing will be hung in the same fashion.

Color Coding

Arrange for ease, I totally agree! Jeff and I have been color-coding for years and it is not only visually appealing, but it helps getting dressed a bit easier.  It also makes your realize you might need a bit more diversity in color or patterns.  I mean, how many black shirts can one person own? Apparently about twenty-five.

See What You Wear

I cannot see a way that this rule is one I could follow.  Yeah, it would work for a little while and then life would get in the way and your closet will be back to its usual mess again.  Here is what I suggest; If you are color coding, put the most recent worn items in the end of the line for that color section.  Pretty much all the items will be lined up and you will know which one you wore most recently.  The teacher in me is coming out; I love things lined up neatly and highly organized.

This post was actually done last year, but revisited this year with a few upgrades.  I love reading that last post because I did finally get the closet I had dreamed of.   Looking at my last closet, I just can’t believe that we actually shared it.  I know, first world problems, but boy do I feel lucky right now.

Happy Spring Cleaning!

<3 mk

State Love - Updated

Home.

Remember state love?  Well, it has been updated with our new location.   It almost took an entire year, but now, North Carolina has now been added.  The frame needed to be upgraded in size so I looked around for a while and got lucky on a random trip to Target (similar). The steps for this project were all the same so I won’t bother retelling them.  Happy crafting!

<3 mk

Airbnb and Homeaway

Travel.

Our backyard in a Maui rental found on Homeaway

For the past few years of travel, Jeff and I have either used reward points for our hotel accommodations or we've rented a private residence.  I know some people think renting a house or condo might sound expensive, but we have scored some sweet living spaces for less than you would pay for a hotel.  Airbnb and HomeAway have been our go to websites that have aided us in finding these sweet vacation livings.

The best part of renting is that you don’t have to worry about all the things that annoy you about hotels; waiting for the elevator, other guests being noisy, parking, etc.  You can have a full kitchen, washer dryer, and all the privacy you wish for.  Traveling can be expensive so having a kitchen saves you money even if you are just keeping yogurt for breakfast or a few beers in the fridge.  It all adds up.  Having a washer has always been a great saver of space when packing because you can reuse your items and not pack so heavy.  As you might know,  I don’t check my bags and washing my clothes happens even if I don’t have a washer/dryer.

A few weeks ago took a long weekend trip to Miami, Florida.  We used AirBnb to get us a sweet townhouse only 1/3 of a mile away from the sandy white beaches of South Beach.  The place was sweet!  There were five of us staying at this modern town house and it had everything we needed for our short stay; rooftop deck with sweet lounge and hot tub, two modern full baths and one half bath, three bedrooms, modern kitchen, and all the room we needed to relax.  Grand total was far cheaper than a hotel, especially if everyone paid for their own hotel room!

Our oceanfront rental on the Big Island

Homeaway.com has been our go to for many past trips to Hawaii.  We used it to rent a sick house on the Big Island of Hawaii a few years back and again for our honeymoon to Maui and Kauai.  The house on the Big Island had a pool just on the other side of the seawall.  We had our own private beach in Maui and an amazing view of a freshwater stream filled with sea turtles that emptied in to the ocean.   Just the other day, we got back from a week long trip to Oahu (can you tell we love Hawaii?) and are rented another place right on the beach on the North Shore.

View from the deck of our rental on Kauai

When looking to book your next trip, I seriously recommend taking a different route from the normal hotel and renting a place via Airbnb or Homeaway.  Especially if you need a larger place, your options are more plentiful going this route.

This is not a sponsored post and my opinions are mine.  My goal is to pass on any helpful tips that might make you next vacation a money saving one.

<3 mk

Modern Bird Feeder Update

Home. DIY.

Last November, we decided it was time to bring some colorful wildlife with a modern bird feeder to the back deck during the cold months, and boy did it deliver.  We have had constant winged visitors in all sorts of colors and sizes.

The bird cafe feeder has held up very well over the winter, but I would recommend using an adhesive stronger than silicone if you plan on attaching it to a vinyl fence post like we did.  A few weeks ago I noticed it was slightly loose while sitting on the post so I knew it was time to take action.  This provided an opportunity to wipe down the feeder and give it a fresh look for the new warm season. After removing the feeder from the fence post, I removed the silicone caulking and applied JB Quick Weld that Jeff had in the garage.   The JB Weld is much stronger and will hold for much longer. 

Overall, the bird cafe has been great!  We love the fine feathered friends that have visited our modern bird feeder. The only downfall is that there is bird seed remnants all over the deck. 

<3 MK