This is a recipe I found in The Bon Appetit Cookbook. I am a sucker for rice pilaf and this recipe did not disappoint!
The original recipe did not call for grilled chicken, but I happened to have some chicken breast I needed to use. I thought the grilled chicken was a great addition to the rice pilaf. However, this rice would not have any problems standing on it own without the chicken.
This tart would be the perfect dish for a meal as you sit on the back porch of a private beach house watching the tide come in.
I bought these bar stools from my SIL with the intention of redoing them. Well, here it is two years later and I finally got around to doing it. After looking on Pinterest for inspiration, I saw some stools on The DIY Village that I fell in love with. SO with my plan in mind, I went to work.
I made some chalk paint so I didn’t have to sand or prime which is always a plus. However, you do still need to lightly sand between coats.
The verdict is still out on the homemade chalk paint. I found a recipe for the chalk paint on Pinterest and thought I would give it a try. I have used both homemade chalk paint and Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in the past. I thought I would try to save some money on this project and make my own.
One of the benefits of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint is that they say that you generally only have to paint one to two coats. On another project that I did in the past, the AS Chalk Paint I used was the pure white. The pure white paint doesn’t have any pigment so I had to do more than two coats. It did however go a long way and I have been very happy with how durable it is. A quart of Annie Sloan paint is around $30 dollars. It’s expensive, so I guess you will have to figure that it does save you time and like my husband always tells me, time is money (he’s an accountant).
To make the chalk paint, I mixed 3 tbsp. Plaster of Paris with 2 tbsp. of water and then mixed it into 2 cups of paint.
The Plaster of Paris makes the paint a little thicker and gives it a chalky finish after you sand it. Adding the Plaster of Paris also makes the paint more durable. It isn’t as likely to chip and scratch like other paints. With my five kids, any little bit helps!
I had to paint 4 to 5 coats of paint on each stool. I think the reason was because I didn’t buy a high quality paint at a paint store. I just bought a medium grade paint at Walmart. Chalk paint does dry faster, so that did help.
I cut the circle design and numbers out on my trusty Cricut. Then I traced them onto the stools and used a small brush to paint it. The nice thing about the vintage look is that if you mess up, it doesn’t matter as much because you are going to distress it anyways.
After I had finished painting and lightly sanding (I used 180 grit sandpaper), I noticed that there were a few scratches on one of the stools. Of course, my three year old had been driving one of his Match Box cars over it. The scratches are not what you want to see after spending so much time painting. I wasn’t too stressed because I figured I was going to distress them anyway. Once I let the paint cure for 24 hours and I have applied the Annie Sloan wax over the top, I don’t think I will have any more problems with the paint scratching.
All in all, I am very happy with how they turned out! Even though I had to paint a few more coats then I was planning. It was still worth it. Now I can proudly say that I have one less project on my mile long home project list.
Until next time,
Carrie
At my house, if my kids don’t want to eat something and I pour a little ranch on it, chances are they will change their mind. It can’t be just any ranch off the street. We do not consume bottle ranch in this house. We might be self proclaimed ranch snobs, but we know a good ranch when we taste it!
Mother’s Day is only 13 days away. Whenever I think of Mother’s Day, I think about this cake. It is my mom’s favorite and she always requests that I make this for our Mother’s Day dinner.
I got the original strawberry roll cake from my eighth grade cooking class. I remember bringing home this recipe and as luck would have it we happened to have all the ingredients. I told my mom I wanted to make this cake and she didn’t object. When my mom tasted the cake for the first time, she declared it as her favorite cake and has asked me to make it for her birthday and Mother’s Day ever since.
In true Carrie fashion, I have tweaked the recipe over the years to better fit my taste buds.
My favorite way to eat this cake is on the second day. The first day it is amazing and will leave you asking for more. However, do your self a favor and set some aside for the next day. Trust me, you will thank me! You will be dreaming of this cake all night, but be patient. Remember, good things come to those who wait!
The next day when you have a chance to eat your second piece of cake, you will feel like you are floating on a cloud and maybe if you listen really closely, you will hear angels singing.
What, you don’t believe me? Well then, I double dog dare you to make this cake and try to prove me wrong!
Until next time,
Carrie
I grew up eating beef stroganoff which consisted of ground beef, a can of cream of mushroom soup, and some sour cream. The first time I ever had beef stroganoff made like this recipe is when a chef I worked with made some and he had me try it. I was quickly hooked.
Over the years, I have played around with this recipe. I never wrote down the recipe. I just kind of had a method that I followed and ingredients that I liked to use. As you can imagine, one pot of beef stroganoff always varied from another.
One of the great things about this blog is that I am forced to keep track of the ingredients and measurements that I use in every recipe. All though it can be a bit of a pain, it has also been a blessing. Now, I have a documented recipe that I can refer to. It also comes in quite handy when one of my sisters calls asking for a recipe and I can just tell them to look on my blog.
So my friends, here is my tried and true recipe for beef stroganoff.
I know beef stroganoff generally has mushrooms. However, my kids will not eat anything with mushrooms in it, so I usually leave them out.
Thanks for stopping by today. I will see you back here tomorrow for some more delicious dishes!
Until next time,
Carrie
These cookies are my three-year olds favorite cookies. When they were baking in the oven, he sat by the oven waiting for them to finish.
Once they had finished baking, I think he asked me for a cookie every 5 minutes. Later, between my older boys and their friends, the plate of cookies quickly disappeared. If you don’t like peanut butter chips, try adding butterscotch chips or even regular milk chocolate chips.
These cookies are so soft and moist. They will be sure to satisfy your chocolate craving. Do not over bake these cookies or they will be dry. Don’t stress, the cookies will continue to cook a little bit after you take them out of the oven.
Until next time,
Carrie
I decided to start the What I Love Wednesdays series on my blog back up again.
For those of you who don’t know how it works, each Wednesday I will post about a kitchen gadget, spice, etc. that I love and can’t live with out.
So today’s item is my silicon baking mat. I love this mat! This might sound a little cheesy, but this mat seriously changed my life!
Before I discovered this mat, I had a major dilemma in the kitchen. I loved to make bread and cookies but I hated the big mess it made all over the counter when I would roll the dough out. I would have to deep clean my counter top after every time or a disgusting film on my counter would remain.
So here are the top 6 things I love about my silicone baking mat
1. It decreases the time it takes to roll out the dough and clean up in half. Cleaning the mat is very simple, just hand wash it and then air dry.
2. When rolling out dough, I don’t have to add any additional flour. The mat doesn’t get sticky and the dough comes right off. This comes in very handy when rolling out pie dough or other flaky dough.
3. When rolling out dough, it doesn’t slide all over the counter like parchment paper or wax paper does. It stays in one place which makes it a lot easier to roll out a nice even dough.
4. My silicone mat has a ruler on the side. This is perfect for when I need to roll out the dough to a specific size, like cinnamon rolls.
5. They are very inexpensive. They can run anywhere from ten to twenty dollars. Considering that they can last for years, I would say that is a pretty good investment.
6. You can bake right on the mat. Just place the mat on a baking sheet and you are good to go. You will want to make sure to check the manufacture instructions, so you know what temperatures your mat can handle.
There are many different kinds of brands and style for the silicone mats. I have a Kitchen Aid Silicone baking mat. I would recommend reading the reviews online to find the right mat to fit your needs.
Okay, I am going to stop talking now, so that you can run to your nearest silicone mat provider and purchase one of these beautiful creations!
Until next time,
Carrie
This is a new twist on an old classic. I really could not be happier with how they turned out! I am a fan of the classic Shepherd’s Pie, we had it a lot growing up. It is a great way to feed a large family with out breaking the bank.
I love the combination of the juicy Shepherd’s Pie mixture stuffed into a flavorful bell pepper and then topped off with creamy mashed potatoes and melted cheddar cheese. They really are quite feeling as well. Serve these babies with a garden salad or fresh fruit salad on the side and you will have a home run meal!
Until next time,
Carrie
I don’t know how else to describe this Panini other than to say it literally is a party in your mouth! When I made this Panini for my family, we only had 30 minutes to eat dinner and be out the door. I made the first one and took a bite to taste test it and the rest is a blur. The world just seemed to stand still as I finished the rest of my Panini. I vaguely remember making the rest of the Panini’s for my family and cleaning up. I know we made it to our destination on time and the kids all had smiles on their faces.
Believe me, this Panini is really that good!
If you have 30 minutes to spare tonight, then you have more then enough time to make this Panini. You will be happy you did!
Until next time,
Carrie
