Home Sanctuary

A Tisket, A Tasket

A Tisket A Tasket, Ella Fitzgerald

I got home from my painting project last night to find that my nice husband was doing the laundry for us.

Hallelujah! Shouts of joy! Cartwheels and high-fives!

It was a beautiful sight to see stacks of clean towels, folded, albeit oddly, in the cabinet. And the piles of clean underwear ready to be put away made my heart sing.

Then I noticed that my man had utilized a laundry basket that had been sitting in our closet which had been full of items I'd removed from a closet and didn't know what to do with. It had tablecloths, placemats and fabric in it, as well as some fireworks. Yes, Independence Day sparklers, right in there with dining room decor.....don't ask why. That basket had been there for a few weeks, I hate to say....stuck in limbo by my indecision.

I looked at that pile, now on the floor, and realized the time had come to deal with it.

So I dealt with it. I shoved it all in the guest room and closed the door. Ha!

Today's Small Thing is to empty a basket.

A basket in this case may be any type of container. A box, a carton, a bin, a bowl, a trailer. Baskets and bins are lovely solutions for clutter, but usually they are not made to be PERMANENT solutions. Or they might start out nice and neat with perfectly designated items...but eventually become catch-alls for whatever you don't know what to do with....much like my laundry basket full of odds and ends.

I admit that my joy over seeing the laundry done was dampened by the realization that I'd have to put that pile of miscellany away. But deep inside, I know I'll feel as light as a feather as soon as it's done! I'll remove it from the guest room and tuck things away properly. I might even light a sparkler to celebrate.

Empty a basket or bin today. Decide where the items inside should go and give them permanent homes. Then, join hands with someone and raise your voices in harmony as you sing, "A Tisket, A Tasket, a green and yellow basket....."

Song of the Day: A Tisket A Tasket, Ella Fitzgerald

Gone to Pot

With our wonderful wedding, and subsequently clean house, now two weeks behind us, things around here are going to pot. It did not help to have a holiday which required lots of cooking and hosting guests thrown in there to mess things up. And now that the Christmas decorations are half up and half still in their tubs.....well. I'm just a bit under the pile again.

As I drove home from Hobby Lobby late last night, I recited the list of things I should do to get things back into shape. But instead of springing into cleaning action the moment I got home, I made banana bread....the kind with chocolate chips sprinkled in...in the hopes that it would all just get done on its own. Boy, that banana bread tasted good, and it momentarily made me forget my list.

Well, to my disappointment, no singing elves arrived overnight to dust and vacuum, so that leaves me to tackle it all by myself. But instead of getting overly discouraged, I'm determined to AT LEAST get one thing done before I leave for my mural project today.

Today's Small Thing goes straight to pot....er, POTTIES.

Yes, it's Potty Time. If you say it like you're from Boston, it almost sounds like Party Time! As in, "Let's get dis potty stotted!"

We've done this before - many times. We've cleaned, we've swished, we've sanitized. But could we not do this every. single. week. and it still not be enough? I say to you, nay. It would never be enough.

I really hate cleaning potties so I'm dragging you ladies in with me. Take five minutes to whip those toilets into shape and we'll all be done. Let's go to pot, girls.

Song of the Day: It's My Potty oops, Party, Brenda Lee

How does having clean potties make you feel about life? Can't remember?? Then make it a potty for the ages today!

The Ambush Cook, Kristina Kuzmic!

Happy Monday morning, ladies! I want to introduce a fellow Company Girl who is about to have her own show on Oprah Winfrey's network . . . meet Kristina Kuzmic.

Kristina's getting her OWN SHOW!! How cool is that???

Here's Kristina goofing off on her set. So cute.

I first "met" Kristina some time back, here at Home Sanctuary through our weekly Company Girl Coffee link ups... and I remember thinking "this girl's got something special." Her cooking blog was fun and entertaining, and her personality sparkled through her videos. I literally laughed out loud through them. So I was not surprised when I learned that she was competing to host her own show on OWN. I just KNEW she'd get it!

And she did. Yeah, I called it. psh.

"The Ambush Cook" premieres on Saturday, December 3rd at noon (ET/PT) on OWN. (Be sure to check your local listings for your service provider's schedule.) Here is the official trailer and description of the show:

  

Kristina Kuzmic has been passionate about cooking her entire life. In The Ambush Cook, a half-hour reality cooking series, Kristina ambushes people from their everyday lives and takes them to her kitchen for an intervention in home cooking.

From married moms addicted to frozen foods and take-out, to single bachelors who still go to mom's house for dinner every single night, as varied as Kristina's guests may be they all have one thing in common: they fear the kitchen! Kristina takes a no-nonsense approach to tackling the many issues that cause people to give up on cooking. From Braised Short Ribs to Pistachio Crusted Tilapia, her recipes are tasty enough to satisfy the most discerning palate, yet simple enough for anyone to follow. Failure is not an option in Kristina's kitchen. She is filling the world with better cooks, one ambush at a time!

The Ambush Cook will premiere with back-to-back episodes Saturday, December 3 from 12:00 - 1:00 p.m. ET/PT.

Read more: http://www.oprah.com/own/Official-Trailer-The-Ambush-Cook#ixzz1lD1AHzcn

I love the premise for this show, and if they ever run short of people who need cooking intervention, I humbly offer myself as a willing ambushee for the cause. I really need a new way to cook chicken for the fam, and Kristina promises that the show will help not only cooking 'fraidy cats, but people who might be stuck in a cooking rut, like me.

Now, Kristina and I have been emailing back and forth this past week, and she's got a couple of recipes to share with Home Sanctuary readers. I'll post one today and one on Friday as a reminder to tune in on Saturday. Sweet! You'll find it in the next post, below.

Let's give our "own" Company Girl Kristina a big boost today by showing her some love.

Follow her on twitter and like her on Facebook to help spread the word about The Ambush Cook, and then be sure and tune in on Saturday, Dec. 3rd for the premiere! You can leave her a comment here or on the OWN trailer site.

Good Luck, Kristina! Best wishes from the Company Girls!!

 

Kristina's Nutella Banana Eggrolls - and a Small Thing

These Nutella Banana Eggrolls from The Ambush Cook, Kristina Kuzmic, look delicious AND easy! Even I could make these!

NUTELLA BANANA EGGROLLS

Recipe courtesy of Kristina Kuzmič

8 eggroll wrappers

1 cup Nutella

1/3 cup chopped peanuts

1 to 2 bananas, sliced into ¼-in. slices

Canola oil

 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with foil.

Combine Nutella and peanuts. Place about 2 Tablespoons of the Nutella mixture on the bottom third of one egg roll wrapper. Top with 2 to 3 banana slices. Lightly wet the edges of the wrapper with water. Fold sides of the wrapper toward the center and roll tightly. Brush all sides of the eggroll with canola oil, and place on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with 7 more eggroll wrappers.

Bake for about 8 minutes, or until golden. Flip over and bake for about 3 to 4 more minutes, or until crispy and golden.  (Or you can go all out and deep fry them until golden on all sides.)

Note: For a fun presentation, serve these in a Chinese take-out container. 

 

Yields: 8 eggrolls

 

 

Today's Small Thing is to try something new in the kitchen.....sometime this week.

You know I wouldn't spring an impossible task on you by asking you to come up with a new recipe TODAY, but with a few days to think about it and decide what you'd like to make, I know you can do it. These dessert eggrolls would be an easy one to do, but you can use your imagination and find a dish that will work for you and your family.

In the spirit of the Ambush Cook, break from your cooking rut and LIVE, dangit! LIVE!

What will strike your fancy?? I'd love to hear about what you're going to create in the kitchen!

Song of the Day: Hey Good Lookin', Jimmy Buffet (and a bunch of other country stars)

Give Thanks

Thank you.

Two of the most powerful words in the world. They are the words that unlock closed hearts, start cascades of goodwill and bring warmth to a cold world. A simple "thank you" acknowledges and affirms another's effort and can motivate action like nothing else can. I've found myself sprouting wings and working with superhuman strength when someone has said those two magic words to me! Wow, someone noticed my effort and appreciates me! Let me jump over this wall.

Today's Small Thing is to get a head start on Thanksgiving by saying "thank you."

Sometimes in the busyness of life we plow right past opportunities to express gratitude toward the people around us who could use some affirmation.

• Your husband, who is working hard to provide for your family.
• A co-worker who takes a project for you.
• Your child who remembers to put his plate in the dishwasher.
• A cashier who has ten people in line.
• A friend who listens to your complaints.
• The mechanic who tightened a belt on your car and didn't charge you.
• Your pastor, who ministers week after week.
• The UPS man, delivering your packages
• Your babysitter

"Thank you" might be just the words that someone is longing to hear today, and you can be the person who makes a difference in his or her life. Acknowledging that person's effort, no matter how small, will make her feel valued and loved....and who among us doesn't need that?

Share your gratitude today, deliver it with a hug if you can, and bask in the warmth that thankfulness brings to those around you.

Song of the Day: Thank You, The Katinas

 

 

Dressing

http://www.fancyhouseroad.com/tag/thanksgiving-stuffing/

People are passionate about their Thanksgiving dressing. No holiday meal would be complete without the kind they grew up with. If you were raised with cornbread dressing, then one made with bread cubes will never do, and vice versa. And some people will take up arms to defend their right to seafood dressing, end of story. Of course, there is always the Stovetop dressing that works like a charm.

I grew up on the bread cube kind of dressing - something I gagged on as a kid - but came to appreciate once I knew how much butter was in it. I like to add pecans and I go easy on the celery, but that's the way my family likes it.

"Dressing for Thanksgiving" is my theme today, which brings me to the question: How will you be dressing for Thanksgiving?

Will you wear rumpled T Shirts and old jeans, or will you be in heels and pearls for the affair? Thanksgiving tends to be a "relaxed" holiday and most people want to be comfortable for the football watching and backyard games that will take place in the afternoon, so there is a wide range of acceptability when it comes to wardrobe.

Today's Small Thing is to plan your attire for Thanksgiving Day. If you have children, think through what they will be wearing as well.

Even if you are planning a small, informal gathering at home, putting on a fresh blouse or dressy sweater brings the level of festivity up a notch. Insisting that your teenager remove his stained T Shirt and ballcap communicates the importance of this social tradition and elevates his manners without him even knowing it.

If you are a guest at someone's house, dressing up a bit shows respect for your host and for the trouble they've gone to in order to prepare the event. It is amazing how a small improvement in your attire can make such a difference.

Now, nice jeans have become acceptable at our Thanksgivings, but I'll pair mine with heels and a dressy sweater. My son needs to wash and iron some items before he will be ready, so today is a perfect day for him to get that done. No sense rushing around at the last minute, looking for something without a pizza stain.

What kind of dressing is YOUR family favorite? Cornbread? Breadcube? Oyster? Instant? We'd LOVE to hear about your tradition....maybe even find out your recipe! And how will you be dressing for Thanksgiving? Are you a having a casual affair, or will it be something formal?

What's on your menu - and what's in your closet - for Thanksgiving?

Song of the Day: Thank You, Keith Urban

 

It's Thanksgiving, So Let's Be Corny

This week, the US will celebrate Thanksgiving - possibly the most overlooked and underappreciated holiday on our calendar. At the craft store yesterday, I noticed a buying frenzy of Christmas things, while the sad Thanksgiving items sat on an 80% off table like old news. In our rush to get going on the Christmas stuff, we sort of forget the one holiday that has never been about getting NEW gifts, but rather celebrating the ones we already have: family, food to eat, freedom, and faith. Some might add "football" to the list, (and I do love that tradition too). Each of us is blessed in so many ways - and though some years we might have to look a little harder for the blessings - they are there. It feels good to pause to say "thanks," doesn't it?

This week, Monday through Wednesday, I'll do Thanksgiving-themed Small Things. You might find that you are already doing them, since you are in the spirit of the holiday! We'll take Thursday and Friday off so we can simply focus on our families and friends.

On with our Small Thing, which is all about a staple of the American Thanksgiving dinner: corn. Introduced to pilgrims by the Native Americans, corn makes a lovely centerpiece when dried in the stalk, and a delicious side dish served with butter and salt. YUM!

Today's Small Thing is to celebrate the season by doing something corny.

  It may be an eye-rolling, sigh-inducing action today, but chances are it will still put a smile on your face....and maybe someone else's too. Here are my ideas.....

Try a pick up line on your hubby:

• Is there an airport nearby or is that my heart taking off?
• I must be in heaven 'cuz I'm standing next to you.
• There must be something wrong with my eyes because I can't take them off of you.
• I'm a raindrop and I'm fallin' for you.

Oh, those are soooo bad. But they just might work! I'll bet you can get him to sleep with you by using one of them.

Tell your child a corny, sweet story....like what it felt like the first time you saw her as a baby.

Watch a corny movie.

• Singin' in the Rain
• You've Got Mail
• Sleepless in Seattle
• Say Anything
• It's a Wonderful Life
• {Your Cheesy Movie Here}

Take a walk in rain....or snow.

Light candles and listen to music.

Have a corny pun contest. (My dad is tops at this one!)

Sing along to your favorite Disney songs.

Dance with someone in the living room.

How corny can you be today? So what if it's foolish or silly, or makes someone lift their eyes toward heaven in mock torture? In their hearts you know they love you for it. Besides, it's the LEAST you can do to help give Thanksgiving its due and make it feel important once again.

To CORN! May it live long and prosper...along with Thanksgiving!

Song of the Day: Sweet, Sweet Corn, Pap Wilson

 

Company Girl Coffee 11.18

 

Company Girl Coffee is a weekly feature that allows readers to get to know each other better. Simply enter your blog URL below as a way to invite readers to your blog! You can blog about anything you like as long as it is rated "G" and have fun finding new online friends. I encourage everyone to click on several of the links below to have a virtual cup of coffee with the participants. It's easy and it's open to anyone who frequents Home Sanctuary! If you aren't a blogger but would like to participate, simply chat with us in the comment section. Let us know who you are what is going on in your life....it makes the Small Things really fun when we know one another better. 

Inexpensive Counter Re-Do

One of the things we did to spruce up our place recently was paint our kitchen counter.

Yes, paint.

We had 1970's faux-wood laminate counters that would have been expensive to replace so I decided that paint was the way to go. There are counter transformation kits on the market that are made specifically for this, but I felt pretty confident that we could do just as well on our own.

 

Here is my counter Before:

 

And here it is After:

 

A close-up shot:

 

We also bought a roll of wallpaper from Lowes, painted it "Tin" and created a very inexpensive backsplash.

 

Here are the steps to painting a faux granite counter top like this:

 

First, I selected a laminate sample from the home improvement store, and tried to dissect all the colors in it. I came up with about 6-8 colors. You could use a granite or soapstone sample, but I thought the laminate would be closest to the painted finish...and as it turned out, we managed to match it almost exactly!

 

1. Clean counters with heavy duty cleaner.

2. Run sandpaper over the surface to give it "tooth," clean off any dust.

3. Prime with Zinsser, we tinted ours gray to make it easier to cover with dark paint.

4. Roll on a couple of coats of brown color paint. Sherwin Williams latex, egshell. We used a 6 inch sponge roller to make the surface as smooth as possible.

5. Using sample "pots" of paint (Behr) from Home Depot, we thinned them a little at a time in little mixing cups. We used that laminate chip from the countertop area of home depot that had the colors we liked, and simply guessed at matching them. We probably bought 6-8 colors and ended up using only 4-5 of them.

6. Cover EVERYTHING with plastic! Even the cabinets and things you don't think will be in the line of fire. This is super messy. Cover any place you might step as you go in and out of the area, because you'll have wet paint on your soles.

7. Using large spray bottles (little spritzers made too fine of a mist, and we wanted droplets) spray layers of droplets all over. To get the right shape of dots, he had to spray pointing up, so that the drops would fall down like rain, not move sideways across the surface. Does that makes sense? That's why this is so messy. :(

We had to keep experimenting with the consistency of the paint, and the spraying technique. Tom had a sample board outside that really helped with the practice until he got the look we wanted.

8. Let drops dry as much as possible in between colors, so that they don't end up mixing and looking muddy.

9. Keep layering and layering the droplets until you get the look you want. This is a very forgiving finish in that, if you don't like a color, keep layering over it with other colors.

10. Topcoat with a clear sealer, rolling on with sponge rollers. One to two layers would be best.

 

Now, we never did topcoat the surface, and it has held up GREAT for over three years. It is just now starting to wear along the edges, at least down to the primer.

The counter cost about $40.00 to refinish and I absolutely LOVE IT!!! I wake up excited to go into my kitchen.

I still can't believe how great it turned out!

 

 

Milk Crust - Blech

There are new Company Girls each day, who come to this site with the suspicion that joining in this "Home Sanctuary thing" is going to be really, really hard. In fact, nothing could be further from the truth.

Today's Small Thing proves this point with astounding clarity. Today we are going to wipe out milk crust...literally.

icky photo from slog.thestranger.com

You know, the crust that forms on the lids and edges of milk containers and then flakes off onto your refrigerator shelf? Yeah, that's the stuff we are going to attack today.

Should take about 30 seconds, tops.

Simply remove the milk cartons from your fridge, take a damp rag, and wipe the area where the cartons sit. Easy. Done. Voila.

Please note: Do not feel that you must do more. Do not feel guilty about leaving the other shelves to sit with their other forms of crustiness. Today is Milk Crust Day. Tomorrow might be Other Crust Day....you just never know.

Milk crust, begone.

Song of the Day: Malted Milk, Muddy Waters

POLL: Do you drink whole, 2%, skim, or soy?