Savouring our Saturday

This week was a loooong week of early mornings and late nights, that by the end left me dragging my feet home on Friday night. Despite the deep desire to just sleep the whole day away, we decided to suck it up and wake up at reasonable time this morning and head out to get all our weekend errands done right away.

After a fast and energetic class at the gym, I did the grocery store and drug store stops while Garrett finished his workout.

Then we headed to some local shops to pick up some odds and ends we needed - hooks for the bathroom, furniture markers to repair some dings and a sunny gift bag for an upcoming baby shower.

I also found this colourful box to store some of our momentos we've made each others - Valentine's Day cards, sketches on napkins, homemade fortunes from fortune cookies, etc. Its nice to have a little spot to stash them and look back from time to time.

It also had a slot for a photo and a sweet little blue bow - cute little details

For now I've tucked it onto the shelf in my home office and I have to say I love the pattern. It brings out the olive green from the dining room chairs and the navy from my favourite vase I picked up on a trip to the Greek islands a few years ago. I actually might go back and pick up another one in a different size.

Our last stop was to the local farmers market to look for some fun produce to cook up. We ended up picking up a big basket of sweet potatoes and a couple of beeswax tealights. I love the smell of beeswax candles, so I'm hoping to light them this afternoon to make the house smell pretty.

Our post-gym lunch was inspired by our farmer's market purchase - freshly roasted sweet potato fries, steamed broccoli with a little grated cheddar and leftover chicken. It was a very coloruful and flavourful lunch and will tide us over until our big dinner tonight.

We're heading to a friends' house for a dinner party where a chef comes in and teaches you how to make the meal. Should be fun!

Hope you all have a great weekend!

Cobb Salad

This week I looked in the fridge and saw all the makings of a Cobb Salad staring back at me - chicken, bacon, eggs, avocado, cheese, tomatoes and greens. I couldn't stop thinking about it, so I finally got around to making it for dinner last night and I'm so glad I did. Not only was it delicious, but I have to admit that I love the presentation of this salad too. The neat lines of ingredients really pleases my organized mind.

Cobb Salad is the classic American salad. Legend has it that the first one was made one late night in 1937 when chef Robert Cobb of the famous Los Angeles restaurant, Brown Derby, needed to feed Sid Grauman late one night. It was such a smash hit, that movie stars began requesting "Cobb's Salad" and it soon spread in popularity. Despite the fact that the iconic restaurant was torn down in the 80's, the legacy of this salad continues to this day as a reminder of the Golden Age of Hollywood.

Here's what you'll need to make your own...

Dressing:
1/3 cup Olive Oil
1/4 cup Red Wine Vinegar
1 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
1/2 tsp Dijon Mustard
1 clove Garlic, crushed
1/2 tsp Black Pepper
1/4 tsp Salt

Salad:
1 head Romaine Lettuce, chopped
½ bunch Watercress, stems trimmed, chopped
2 ounces Blue Cheese, crumbled (or a milder cheese if you or your guests don’t like it, like me!)
6 strips Bacon, cooked and roughly chopped
3 hard boiled Eggs, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
2 medium Tomatoes, seeded and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 boneless skinless Chicken Breast, cooked and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
2 Avocados, peeled, pitted and cut into ½ inch cubes.
2 tbsp Chives, minced
Salt and Pepper to Taste

To make the dressing: In a bowl, whisk together, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, mustard and garlic. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil, while whisking constantly to form the dressing

To make the Salad: On a large platter, combine the lettuce and watercress and spread out as a large bed on the dish. Arrange the cheese, tomatoes, bacon, eggs, chicken and avocado on the top of the lettuce in neat rows.

To serve, drizzle with the dressing, season with salt and pepper and top with chives. You can also toss everything together in a bowl.

Serves 4 to 6

Printable Version

Robin's Egg Easter Decor

Yesterday I posted about Growing Cat Grass for my Easter Centrepiece which I filled with sweet little Robin's Eggs and now I'm going to share how I made them. They're not only inexpensive to make, but they can also be used in a variety of Easter projects.

I first got the idea for making these eggs when I saw them at Pottery Barn last year, but there is no way I could justify paying $18 for 12 little blue eggs. I decided to find a cheaper way to make them this year, using things I could find at my local craft and dollar stores.

I found some white styrofoam eggs for $1 for a bag of eggs (12 small or 8 large) at the dollar store and grabbed one pack of each.(I showed these back at the beginning of the month when I bought this faux greenery for the bathroom).

I headed over to Michael's and picked up 5 colours of acrylic paint for about $1 each. I picked Robin's Egg Blue, Light Yellow, Pale Pink Rose, Butter Yellow and Dove Gray. I ended up only using the first 3 and nixed the other two colours, but I'm sure I'll find a use for them in another project.

To paint each egg, I laid them out on tin foil and painted one side with a small foam brush, let it try and flipped it over to do the other side. I picked tin foil because if the eggs accidentally rolled over onto the painted side they wouldn't stick to the surface like they would on newspaper.

I ended up doing about 3-4 coats for each egg to remove any crevices in the styrofoam. Since I wanted to allow drying time between coats, I just set up all the eggs on the dining room table in rows on the foil, painted a coat, wrapped the foam brush in saran wrap and then came back in an hour to flip them and paint again. 

After the eggs were fully dry, I used a toothbrush to speckle the eggs with Chocolate Brown acrylic paint I had from another project. I used a cheap 50 cent toothbrush I found at the dollar store. No way I'm using one of the good ones for this!

To make a speckle pattern, just dip your toothbrush in brown paint and then run your finger along the bristles from front to back. The paint will spray forwards and hit the eggs. The closer you are to the egg, the more speckles you get. I played around with it on some scrap paper first to see what kind of pattern I liked.

After all the eggs were speckled, I let them dry for about an hour and then they were ready to go! You could also do this with wooden or plastic eggs too, whatever you can find..

Nestle the eggs in amongst the grass, stacking some on top of others to get a bit of height.

As much as I loved the eggs as a table centrepiece, I'm really loving this look on the bookshelf too. I paired it with my Easter Tree from last year and a great printable I found online.

I still love this Easter Tree and I love even more how easy it was to just pull it out of storage and pop the branches back into the foam

I found this great Happy Easter Printable from Visual Eye Candy. So cute!

I think I may add a bow onto the bucket as well, to break up the metal planter a bit. Maybe something in a nice soft blue or green?

Another way to display these eggs is by using them as vase filler in these giant glass holders we were given at our housewarming. (Don't they look like the "Big Joe" from Cougar Town? And yes I did try drinking wine from them before I used them.)

I'm actually loving this look now too, so maybe I need to paint more eggs so that I can have both the vases on the bookcase and the centerpiece on the table.

I still love the fresh and sunny look of this simple centerpiece. I can't believe how much cheaper it was to make it on my own then to buy the eggs online.

Robin's Egg & Cat Grass Centerpiece Cost Breakdown:
Styrofoam Eggs     $2 (2 packages)
Acrylic Paint          $3
Foam Brushes        $2
Cat Grass               $2
Metal Planter         Already Had
Gravel                    Already Had
Potting Soil            Already Had
              TOTAL: $9

Not bad for $9 right? Another great thing is that most of this is reusable. The eggs with be saved for next year's Easter project, while the metal planter will be prepped for out patio herb garden this summer. The top soil and grass with be placed in the yard to bring nutrients back into the garden. Even the cat grass seeds can be saved for another year, because I only used about 1/3 of the packet. I love it when a project can be recycled for other uses!

In the end I made 20 eggs for $7 which is much cheaper than the 12 for $18 at Pottery Barn. Plus I now have all the supplies to make more eggs, so they next time I do it I'll only have to spend a couple of dollars on new eggs, making this even cheaper. In fact, I think I'm going to go pick up some more right now to paint them in time for Easter and maybe use the as vase filler in a larger vase!

Linked up to:
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Beneath My Heart
Pineapple Lily

   

Growing Cat Grass for an Easter Centrepiece

Fresh grass and sweet little robin's eggs are lovely reminders that spring is here and there is new life growing outside. Goodbye ugly brown yards and sparse trees - hello foliage! I wanted these elements to be the focus of my Easter centerpiece this year and I found a way to make it for under $10 using things that I found at my local craft, hardware and dollar stores.

I found this cat grass for $2 at the local hardware store and decided to give it a try. I wanted something a little more lush and sturdy than what you would get with plain grass and this seemed to be the next step up. Both the salesperson and the checkout lady asked me if I had a cat at home who liked it. Nope, but I do have a dog who thinks he's a cat sometimes when he lays on top of chairbacks. That counts, right?

Using an old galvanized tub I had lying around (probably also from the dollar store years ago), I filled the bottom with gravel rocks to provide some drainage for the grass. I actually swiped it from a gravel pathway at our apartment, but I promise I`ll return it after Easter!

Using a little leftover potting mix I had from last year, I filled the rest of the pot, leaving about an inch of space at the top. Then I generously sprinkled grass seed over the top and topped it with a light coat of more soil. Just enough to cover it. Then for the next few days I lightly watered it every day until one day it looked like this...

Bam! We have grass! This is where it was after 5 days, and I`m sure it will grow more in the week leading up to Easter. It may even need a trim by then. I do think I could have used more seed though because the grass is still looking a little sparse.

But once I added in the eggs, I liked how it is just peeking through.

Check back tomorrow and I'll show you how I made these super easy (and inexpensive) Robin's Eggs, plus a few more ways to add them into your Easter decor!

Turkey and Quinoa Meatloaf

Last night our friends Courtney and Dave came over for a fun little weekday double date after work. Before it got dark, we all bundled up and headed over to the forest near our house for a walk with the dogs. Despite it getting cold again, it was really nice to get out and enjoy the fresh air. The dogs loved all outdoor scents and sounds too.

When we got back, us ladies got to work making a fun (and healthy!) dinner.

The star of the show was this amazing Turkey and Quinoa Meatloaf recipe that Courtney brought with her. She even had all the ingredients with her for us to make together. I never would have thought of putting quinoa in meatloaf, but it added a wonderful texture and a slightly nutty flavour.

Speaking of flavour, it tasted AMAZING. We all kept raving about it. I can definitely see this becoming a regular for us. We paired the meatloaf with Roasted Broccoli and a side salad. We all had seconds of everything.

As lovely as the meal was, it was really nice to have someone else to cook with...especially when she took over cutting the onions. No more tears for me :)
What you'll need:
1/2 cup Quinoa
1 cup Water
1 tsp Olive Oil
1 small Onion, chopped
1 clove Garlic, minced
1 lb Ground Turkey or Chicken
1 tbsp Tomato Paste
1 tbsp Hot Pepper Sauce
2 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
1 Egg
1 1/2 tsp Salt
1 tsp Pepper
2 tbsp Brown Sugar
2 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
1 tsp Water

Bring the quinoa and water to a boil in a saucepan over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer until the quinoa is tender and the water is absorbed, about 15-20 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in onion and cook until softened and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Remove from heat and allow to cool. 

Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a loaf pan with foil. You can also mold the meatloaf into a loaf on a foil lined baking sheet if you prefer a drier loaf. We doubled up the recipe and make two loafs at the same time.

In a large bowl, combine the turkey, cooked quinoa, onions, tomato paste, hot sauce, 2 tbsp Worcestershire, egg, salt and pepper.

Combine the brown sugar, 2 teaspoon Worcestershire and 1 teaspoon water in a small bowl.

Press mixture into the foil lined loaf pan and rub the brown sugar paste over the top of the meatloaf. Bake for about 50 minutes, or until the center is no longer pink and the temperature reads 160°F on a meat thermometer.

Let meatloaf cool for 10 minutes and then slice and serve.

This was one loaf sliced up, which went by in no time. We all went back for seconds.

We had ours with Roasted Broccoli and salad - A delicious, healthy and easy weeknight meal!

Makes 5 servings. We doubled this for the 4 of us so that there would be leftovers.

Printable Version

Hello Monday (and Slimkicker Giveaway Winner)

Happy Monday, Folks! We had a whirlwind weekend planned, so I took a break from my part time job, didn't work on any home projects or even any blog projects. It meant that between all the events we went to, I was able to actually have a nap on both days. Unheard of around here and a nice treat. I even got to curl up with Whiskey in a sunbeam on the end of the bed - so warm and cozy. Frankly I wish I was there right now!

Over the weekend, my little growing project started to sprout. As some of you guessed, I'm growing grass for an Easter project. More on that later this week!

Saturday morning started with a trip to IKEA to pick up some office decor for my friend, Amy. Of course I had to pick up a few things for myself too.

Aside from a new planting pot with a fake plant and a couple packages of spring napkins, I also found these great popsicle molds. I can't wait to start making some yummy flavour combinations this summer!

Saturday night we headed out to our friends' house for dinner with them and their sweet little girl. I had made matching aprons for my friend and her daughter, but I didn't realize what that would lead to....

Apparently aprons in their house are meant for "dragon slaying". As soon as she opened up the present, she ran over to the kitchen drawer and started pulling out oven mitts (for gloves), a wooden spoon (for a weapon) and a tea towel (for a cape).

 I was told I had to play "to reach the tall dragons".

Even Garrett got dragged into the fun, although I think his apron looked like more of a loin cloth. I couldn't help but cracking up when the neighbour caught a glimpse of them in their "capes" through the window and looked very confused.

After all that dragon slaying (and colouring and stickers and storybooks and tag and dancing and playing farm), we were both wiped out. We had lots of fun playing with a little one, but man do they make you feel out of shape! I think we'll need to increase our cardio before we have a little one of our own someday.

Sunday's events reminded us of how much all our friends have grown up, as we went to an engagement lunch for two of my favourite people. It was lovely to catch up with some of my friends and meet some new ones too.

I was also the lucky one at our table to win the centrepiece. Isn't it gorgeous?

I'm not usually a big fan of roses, but I have to admit they looked gorgeous mixed in with all the smaller delicate flowers.

Whiskey's weekend consisted of plenty of squirrel and bird watching out the window. With spring here now, there is plenty of action going on outside and he doesn't want to miss any of it.

There is no way someone is walking by our place without him knowing they're there. I'm just glad he hasn't taken to barking at them like some of the dogs do downstairs!

We've got a busy week lined up, but I'm hoping to get a couple of Easter projects done to share soon with you guys soon. I'm in a spring cleaning and decorating mood!

Giveaway Winner

 

The winner of last week's giveaway for the Slimkicker Nutritionist Email Consultation and a Food Scale is...

MAUREEN!

Please email me at smallhomebigstart[at]gmail.com with your mailing address and I'll send out your prize!