If You Were the Designer....

 





Dr. Will and I have a question for you: If you were the designer, what would you do to this powder room?

 

First, a little backstory.

 

As many of you know, my goal is to send Dr. Will over the moon with the renovation project,

but I seem to be going in the wrong direction.

 

Case in point: The powder room.

 

I knew that Will wanted something traditional and formal. But I went right ahead, thinking that I could sway him with an updated farmhouse look. After the mirror was installed, it was clear that the light fixture needed to be moved or (possibly) changed.

 

However, Dr. Will was disappointed with the mirror and console.

 

He'd expected something blingy. Not Amish.

 

"The powder room doesn't go with the other stuff," he said.

 

 

 

"It's too plain," he said.

 

 

 

I tried to distract him with the beauty of the faucets.

 

"Raising the light fixture will help," I added.

"No, it won't," Will said.

 

I opened a Horchow catalog and pointed to a mirror that I thought he'd like.

"Is this what you had in mind?" I asked.

"Yeah," he said.

 



Okay. I can totally do this. Down with the Amish and up with Marie Antoinette.

The mirror has been ordered. The cute, round mirror will be used elsewhere.

However, I'd really love to keep the console. Even if I have to paint it. 



 

 

 

Will and I would love to know what you would do with this powder room.

 

Would you please complete this sentence:

"If I were decorating this powder room, I would ________________."

 

Grilling with Bandwidth: Turf 'n Surf

When our old gas grilled finally died, Bandwidth went shopping. Armed with his iPhone and Consumer Reports, he went from store to store, admiring fancy stainless models, each one offering culinary whistles and bells. He came home with an inexpensive, portable grill. It's been a while since we've used charcoal, and we'd forgotten how it infuses meat with a rich, inimitable smoky flavor.

First, Bandy grilled hamburgers (and made homemade buns).

Then he tried Grilled Cedar-Planked Salmon, which was, hand's down, the best salmon we've ever eaten.

Next, he cooked Surf 'n Turf.

Dr. Will and I are watching calories, so we shared a steak.

 

 

 

Bandy seasoned the steaks and seafood with sea salt, freshly ground pepper, and Homemade Worcestershire Sauce. He brushed a small amount of olive oil over the shrimp, too.

 

What's your preference--grilling with gas or charcoal?

 



Foodie Friday -- Grilled Cedar-Planked Salmon

Welcome to Foodie Friday.

It was a perfect afternoon for grilling. Bandy went to the market for fresh salmon, and I stayed

home to work on the marinade. I'd been looking forward to grilling ever since a darling baker had

told me about her marvelous experience with cedar planks. After much discussion, Bandy soaked the planks and began to grill.

 

Grilled Cedar-Planked Salmon

 

Difficulty = Medium

 

Step 1.

Soak the cedar planks for one hour (minimum) in warm water. The longer the better. Note: We

used organic cedar planks.

 

 

Step 2.

Make the marinade.

 

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1 1/2 tablespoons rice vinegar

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1/3 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup chopped green onions

1 tablespoon ginger, grated or paste

1 teaspoon minced garlic

 

Mix ingredients and pour into a large Ziploc bag. Add salmon. Place bag

in the refrigerator and marinate for at least 1 hour.

 

Remove cedar planks from water. Brush tops of planks with vegetable oil--or spray tops

with Pam spray.

 

Step 3.

Heat grill. When coals are medium-high, place the soaked planks on the grill rack. Wait

about 3 minutes, then place salmon on the planks. Lower the cover on the grill and let

salmon cook 20 to 25 minutes, checking occasionally. When salmon is done (it will be flaky),

remove planks to a serving platter (Bandwidth lifted the grill rack and placed it on a large cookie sheet). Garnish salmon with fresh herbs and lemon slices.

 

Printable Recipe



I only had time to take a few photos before Dr. Will grabbed a plate.  I wasn't prepared for the fresh, slightly sweet, faintly smoky taste. I've never been a salmon enthusiast, but after tonight, I'm

a convert. You've just got to try this!

Hours later, we are still talking about this supper.

This week, Bandwidth was in charge of the "Picks of the Week." (We would like to ask pretty please to "pin" the "Picks" and FF contributions from the source blogs, not from Foodie Friday. Thanks!)

Bandy loved the BBQ  Pork and Sugar Snap Banhmi at Food Done Light. He thought it was "a fresh idea and was presented well."

Visit Food Done Light for the recipe.

He liked the  A Kitchen Hoor's  delightful Limey Mojito Cupcakes because they combine his two faves, mojitos and cupcakes. "And they look tasty," he added.

Visit A Kitchen Hoor for the recipe.

 

 

 

 

Bandy also liked Steak 'n Potatoes Kinda Gurl's Endive, Avocado, and Bacon Salad with Chipotle Ranch Dressing because it's a "light meal that looks filling."  "It's perfect for my parents," Bandy added, "because they are always dieting and never losing weight. This salad will satisfy and stop the midnight Reeses Peanut Butter cup attacks."

 

 

Visit A Steak 'n Potatoes Kinda Gurl for the recipe.

 

 

Thanks to all of the great cooks who participate each week. We look at each post and

are inspired by all that you do. We invite you to add your recipes to the "Consuming Passions"

group board at Pinterest, which can be found HERE.

 



To participate in Foodie Friday, locate the blue Inlinkz icon and follow the directions.

For a guide to the linky party, click HERE. If you have still have questions, click HERE

for a detailed Foodie Friday tutorial.

** By adding your link to Foodie Friday, you are granting us permission

to include a photo of your FF recipe (and a link to your blog post)

to be included in the "Picks of the Week" feature or on our Facebook page.

**Many bloggers add their recipes on Thursday evening. From these contributions,

Bandwidth and I will select random recipes for shout-outs on Twitter, Pinterest, and Facebook.  

Thanks so much for visiting us today. We hope to see you again soon! Have a great, food-filled

weekend.

Love,

Mlee and Bandy



Bacon Chutney with Apples, Blueberries, and Tomatoes.

 

 

 

Sometimes a day can begin with a headache and end with chutney--bacon-apple-tomato-blueberry chutney, to be precise.

 

 

  

It was one of those I-Need-Comfort-Food moments, but I just didn't want to grocery shop. 

I gathered  leftover vine tomatoes from last week's savory jam and set them on the counter. Next, I found an apple and fragrant, applewood smoked bacon. What could be more soothing than a chutney?

Something fruity, yet tart, shot through with smoke and spices. Something that would work on a ham or BLT biscuit (which is a foodie version of a hug).

 

Bacon Chutney with  Apples, Blueberries and Tomatoes

 

20 vine ripe tomatoes, chopped (they are larger than cherry tomatoes, rounder than Romas,

and a bit larger than golf balls). I didn't remove the skins.

12 slices applewood smoked bacon, cooked and crumbled

3/4 cup mixture of chopped Vidalia onion, green onions, and celery

3/4 cup apple jelly

5 Tablespoons bacon drippings

1 cup chopped apples

3/4 cup apple cider vinegar

2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1/8 teaspoon minced garlic

1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes

5 Tablespoons condensed tomato soup

1/4 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon chili powder

1 pinch ground cloves

1 pinch ground cinnamon

Tabasco, to taste

salt and pepper, to taste

1 Tablespoon homemade Worcestershire Sauce 

1/2 cup Sunsweet dried blueberries (or fresh)

 

Prepare bacon. Chop apple and vegetables. Into a heavy saucepan, pour 5 tablespoons

bacon drippings and add chopped vegetables. Saute until tender. Add rest of ingredients. Simmer over a

low flame (use a flame tamer if your burners are fiesty) and reduce the liquid. This will take 40 minutes to 1 hour. Stir now and then to make sure the chutney doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan. Aim for a jam-like consistency. Cool. Transfer chutney into a sterilized jar and seal.

 

Yield: 16 oz

 

Printable Recipes

 

I was telling Chef Trey about this, and he said it had a lot of ingredients but sounded good. If I'd

had raisins, I would have added them. I was a little afraid to add dried blueberries, but they added

the right flavor and texture.

The chutney is deep red, almost too red, not the sort of thing you'd want to see after a headache. But the sublime taste makes up for the hue.

 

 

I'm thinking about making buttermilk biscuits, just so we will have an excuse to eat more bacon chutney.

 

 

 

Thanks for visiting!

 

Foodie Friday: What Are You Cooking?

Welcome to Foodie Friday. So happy to see you this week! Grilling season will be here soon, so Bandwidth and I put together two recipes for you: bread machine hamburger buns and Gordon Ramsay's burgers.

 

The smell is divine, and the process is super-easy.

 

 

 

  

Bread Machine Buns

Quantity: 6

 

1 cup milk

1/2 cup tepid water

1/4 cup butter

1 package instant yeast

4 1/2 cups bread flour

2 tablespoons white sugar

1 1/2 tsp salt

1 egg

 

Add ingredients to the bread machine and select "dough" cycle.

Remove dough from machine and let rise for 35 minutes. Cut dough

into six equal parts and shape into smooth balls. Let rise for 15 minutes.

Bake at 400 degrees F for 10 - 12 minutes.

 

  Printable Recipe

 

 

 

Gordon Ramsay's Hamburgers

 

1 - 1/2 pound hamburger meat

salt and pepper to taste

1 medium onion, minced

1 tablespoon ketchup

1 teaspoon homemade Worcestershire Sauce

1 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard

2 egg yolks

 

Mix ingredients and shape into patties.

Bandwidth and I are trying to decide if we should continue with themes for Foodie Friday. This
week's theme was sandwiches/burgers, but all recipes are welcome. We would really like
your input about the themes, since the reactions were mixed.

Let us know! Thanks!

Now let's look at our "Picks of the Week."

We were thrilled with last week's fabulous round-up and had a great time visiting you.
Thanks to everyone who welcomed Bandwidth as a co-host. Our Foodie Friday
"Picks of the Week" kicks off with Asian Chicken Salad from the blog
 Cooking on the Front Burner. It looks as fresh and inviting as a sunny spring day.

For the recipe, visit Cooking on the Front Burner.


The delightful post at My Cozy Corner  is a must-read if you have ever thought about making macaroons. Don't they look delicious? How long do you think it took Betty to make them?

To learn about making French macaroons, visit My Cozy Corner.





Thanks to all of the great cooks who participate each week. We look at each post and
are inspired by all that you do. We invite you to add your recipes to the "Consuming Passions"
group board at Pinterest, which can be found HERE.

To participate in Foodie Friday, locate the blue Inlinkz icon and follow the directions.
For a guide to the linky party, click HERE. If you have still have questions, click HERE
for a detailed Foodie Friday tutorial.

** By adding your link to Foodie Friday, you are granting us permission

to include a photo of your FF recipe (and a link to your blog post)

to be included in the "Picks of the Week" feature or on our Facebook page.

**Many bloggers add their recipes on Thursday evening. From these contributions,
Bandwidth and I will select random recipes for shout-outs on Twitter, Pinterest, and Facebook.  

Renovation Diary: Chandelier Update

 

The first time my husband saw Rattlebridge's foyer, he spread his arms as

wide as he could. Touching the door with one hand and the staircase with

the other, he said, "I'm a big guy. I might get bigger. This house won't work."

Then he looked up at the chandelier and shuddered.

"I'm creeped out," he said. "Can we go home?"

 

We left.

I hoped that Will would come to love Rattlebridge as much as Bandy and I did
(and still do). From previous renovations, I knew that Will had to see something
to believe it. Each time we went to Rattlebridge, he would look at the chandeliers
and shake his head. "They're not staying," I said, but he didn't believe me.

Sixteen months later, Will and I stood in Rattlebridge's revamped, almost-finished foyer.

He kept scratching his beard. "I can't remember how the rooms looked before we started."

 

 

 

 

I'd brought "before" pictures, just to jog his memory. He looked at the photos, then glanced

at the new chandeliers. But he didn't speak.

 

"Don't you remember?" I asked. "We punched out the wall and opened up the space."

"It was MY idea," Bandwidth said.

Will said nothing. Just kept looking at the pictures.

 

I waited. I wasn't in a hurry.
I'd bought the chandeliers last winter, during a sale; but construction was going on, so Medana, our contractor's assistant, kindly stored the huge boxes at her office. A few weeks ago, when she told me the electricians were scheduled to hang the chandeliers, I bought two medallions online. I wanted them to have a bit of a patina, so we painted them the color of the beadboard.


Here's the dining room medallion (22"):



 

Will put down the "before" pictures and looked around the foyer.
What was he thinking? Did he want to go home?

Weren't we home? Kinda? Just a little?

Home means different things to different people; one of those tomato/tomahato things.
But to me, that word always falls so sweetly on my ears and wraps itself around me,
warm and snug as a wool tartan blanket.

Home is a state of mind and a state of being.





 

 More silence.

 

Bandwidth edged into the room. "You better like the chandy, Dad.

You picked it out!"

 

Well, it's true.

 

You see, I had planned to buy a Swedish style chandelier, but when I

showed a photo to Will, he said, "It looks like a spider is doing push-ups. I

don't want that hanging over my food!"

 

So I kept looking. Finally I found two fixtures--one large, one small--that

we liked. And they were on sale.

 

But now, Will seemed to have forgotten the spider.

I took a peek at the smaller chandelier and medallion.

Mike Cox, our contractor, had already hung the chandelier before Will and I
had arrived. Mike had even brought my new-old dining room table
(another sale item that I'd bought eons ago). He wanted to make sure
that the height of the chandelier looked right with the table--and in the room.

"It's perfect," I said, imagining myself setting the table.

After a while, I realized that Will had not commented. With him,
that's usually a good sign.

Mike Cox watched from the balcony, trying not to smile. Finally he called down,
"You know you love it, Dr. West."

 

"It's nice," my husband said, which is Will-Speak for, You had me at chandy.

 

Thanks for visiting Rattlebridge Farm!