An Oregon Cottage

5 Tips To Transition A Kid Room To A Teen Room

noreply@blogger.com (Jami @ An Oregon Cottage) — Wed, 23 May 2012 14:00:00 +0000

There comes a time in your child's life when you are faced with the moment you've been ~~dreading~~ ~~anticipating~~ preparing for: your little baby is a preteen or teenager who has outgrown that little kid room you always thought was so cute. It happens in every child's life - they want their room to reflect them and their interests.

When our kids reached this milestone, however, we did not have a budget that allowed them to just pick out all their favorite things from a PB Teen catalog. But by using simple DIY projects, organizing, and buying some key items, we were able to upgrade them into affordable young adult rooms.

Here are 5 Tips To Transition A Kid Room To A Teen Room we learned along the way:

1. Consult with your teen...or not. Each child is different and while the room should reflect them, not all kids care about decorating.

Our son, for example is supremely uninterested in paint and colors (he's color-blind, too!), though I knew he'd appreciate a more "grown-up" room. I asked him a few key desires (a bigger bed was his #1 request) and then we surprised him with an "Extreme Room Makeover" when he returned from a spring break trip.

Never in a million years would I attempt to surprise our daughter, however. She has definite opinions about everything (I hardly ever buy her clothes, even, without her input). She picked out the colors, fabric, and helped flesh out the ideas before we made over her room while she was away. She still got the fun of seeing it done like her brother, but it was exactly what she wanted, too.

2. Clean out the clutter. Stuffed animals, toys, figurines, children's books, old clothes, things that were special years ago and aren't anymore - these are all things that need to be dealt with.

Use the classic "three boxes" organizing technique (which I've expanded to four) to make this part easy:

Box #1 is labeled "Donate" for your nearest thrift store.
Box #2 (actually a nice plastic box with a tight-fitting lid) is labeled "____'s Memory Box" and contains any special items your child wants to keep and archive. Our kids kept things from school, special artwork (NOT all artwork from school is special, folks - let's be realistic here), cards and such. I helped my kids with this - some things I knew would be special later that they didn't think so and visa versa. The boxes are kept in the attic.
Box #3 is optional for any younger family members who would benefit from hand-me-downs and toys. I have nieces and nephews that we saved some things for (especially nice picture books and clothes).
Box #4 is the throw away box, aka, trash can. And, goodness, was there a lot of that!

3. Eliminate what isn't working in your child's room. You can see from the pictures above, that our son only used his desk to pile junk on. I don't think I ever saw him sitting at that desk in the five years he had it. Oh, and the drawers? Yeah, I think he used them instead of a trash can. So...no desk and no big drawers to fill with junk.

The skirted bedside table didn't work, either. It collected dust that was hard to clean and didn't provide any storage for the things he did use. This table we upgraded to has worked much better:

The drawer is just big enough for little things (wallet, games, cards), but not so big that it could double for a trash can. The basket holds the books and papers that used to litter the floor.

Well, things still litter the floor every now and then- but there is a basket to throw them in now.*smile*

So ELIMINATE what doesn't work and brainstorm what will help your child be more organized.

4. Freshen with paint. It's a wonder, really, what a $25 can of paint can do.

Our daughter had painted the flowers on the lower section of her walls when she was about 11 years old. She liked it for awhile and then outgrew it. We took pictures of her favorite parts of the wall and then she picked out the green color to paint over it (she actually found it on the cover of a book which we took in to have color-matched).

Yes, it was bittersweet to paint over it, but you have to admit, it really does "grow up" her room. And she loved it (and still does, two years later!).

5. Provide some "grown-up" accessories. Besides adult-type bedding (no more cartoon-themed sheets *sniff*), think about nice lamps - and even a chandelier. Provide a comfy chair with a lamp for a special reading area.

And I've found that baskets are terrific for hiding that paper clutter that seems to over-take kid's rooms after awhile. When the baskets get full, it's time to go through them - much better than piles on the floor!

I also made sure that each room had a large bulletin board where the kids can hang up things important to them - without thumb tacking them all over the walls.

And of course, if their #1 wish is a bigger bed - find a way to provide it. We made a double bed for our son's room using mostly wood from our scrap pile...and lots of wood fill and paint. I love how paint covers a multitude of imperfections!

What ways have you found to help your child's room grow up?

Want more kid's room inspiration? Today I'm teaming up with these talented bloggers to help you tackle your own projects, learn some new tips, organize and be inspired:

Lauren from Mama's Laundry Talk is Getting A Handle on Children's Laundry

Nony from A Slob Comes Clean talks about When You're Worried Your Kids will Grow Up and Be On Hoarders

Taylor from Stain Removal 101 is sharing A How To Guide For Cleaning and Washing Stuffed Animals

May Garden Update- Tuesday Garden Party

noreply@blogger.com (Jami @ An Oregon Cottage) — Tue, 22 May 2012 12:30:00 +0000

Happy TGP everyone! If any of you happened to read the Monday update/menu yesterday, you will know that we spent this last weekend working around the acre. We were able to check a lot of things off the to-do list - yeah!

Thanks to Shannan's lesson from the last TGP, the blueberries were given a topping of peat moss before being freshly mulched with straw.

This flower bed edging our new gravel patio had been an afterthought last year as we were working on the backyard transformation.

After widening it (digging sod is probably one of the reasons I was so sore!), and moving some of the existing plants around, I planted a couple of boxwoods and a "Little Lime" hydrangea I'm excited about. As soon as we get a load of compost, this will be mulched with newspaper and the compost.

The tomatoes have been planted! And covered, 'cause we still have another month or so before the weather is good for tomatoes here in Western Oregon - no matter that the last two weeks have been beautiful and dry.

Monday, the rains came back, of course.

Do you think "third time's the charm" with the raspberries? This time we used timbers from the old deck to make narrow raised beds before adding good soil and peat moss. The starts came from a friend and my sister - both who've given me starts before that died.

Hopefully, I won't have to ask again.

I just had to share this photo with you - don't the purple iris look fabulous against the yellow house? So much nicer than the previous gray - now they stand out instead of blending in.

A year and a half later and I'm still LOVING our yellow cottage!

Lastly, I've had some of you ask what happened to the clematis that got "clematis wilt" last year - dying right before all the buds had a chance to bloom. After doing some research and realizing that no one really knows what causes it, I decided to leave it in the ground and see if it would come back.

And it did! I noticed the new shoot last fall and wondered if the foot-long tendril would make it through the winter. It's now about 5' tall and blooming it's head off - with no sign of the wilt, wa-hoo!

There's only the one vine, though, growing from the root. I do hope it produces more, 'cause it does look a little fragile. Oh well - I'm certainly enjoying the view from my kitchen window now.

So, what do you have for us this week?

Monday's Menu

noreply@blogger.com (Jami @ An Oregon Cottage) — Mon, 21 May 2012 14:00:00 +0000

As I write this I'm dead tired - but in a really good way, the way you feel after spending hours getting things done and checking them off the list.

Ye-haw!

The kids gave me two hours of complain-free yard work for Mother's Day (best gift EVER) and between that and Brian and I working away we accomplished all these things from my to-do list:

composted raised beds and tomatoes planted
composted beds and peppers planted
peas, carrots, and beets thinned
lettuce planted (second batch)
basil planted
one of the big beds cleaned in preparation for corn planting in the next few weeks
strawberries weeded and mulched (last bed- two had already been done)
blueberries weeded and peat moss added
straw laid on berry patch paths
three raised beds built and filled with good soil for another try at raspberries (I've got starts from two different people waiting to be planted). Sigh.
a new shrub border planted where the old dog run used to be in the backyard (I've been waiting for two years for that!).
back patio flower bed rearranged and planted

Oh my goodness, just listing it out like this makes me realize why I'm so sore right now! We had great weather for the weekend (actually for more than two weeks), but the rain is supposed to return Monday night. First time I'm actually glad it's coming - it will be good for all the plants we just put in the ground!

Though I guess I better not plan too many grilled meals.

Monday- My birthday. I'm not cooking. Wonder what we'll eat? {smile}

Tuesday- Not my birthday. Guess I'm cooking again. Ham and asparagus frittata (I'll make it like this, subbing ham for sausage and asparagus for chard), spinach salad (from the garden!), Easy Sourdough Artisan Bread

Wednesday- Roasted Chicken, potatoes and cauliflower, chopped salad

Thursday- Slow cooker Pesto Meatball Stew (I'll make and freeze the meatballs on Monday during my baking morning and use Frugal Pesto and white beans from the freezer), Quick and Tender Breadsticks, garden salad (lettuce is ready, too!)

Friday- Shrimp and Asparagus over White Bean Puree, parmesan toast (made with leftover sourdough artisan bread), Roasted Beet Salad

Saturday- Grilled burgers on Quick and Tender Hamburger buns (made with half the breadstick dough on Thursday), oven fries, carrots and broccoli with Ranch Dip

Sunday- leftovers

-Jami

Friday Favorites

noreply@blogger.com (Jami @ An Oregon Cottage) — Fri, 18 May 2012 14:00:00 +0000

My favorites today include things I've found lately through my RSS Reader as well as a couple of articles I've written for other sites that I wanted to share with you all.

One is the delicious cookie pictured - Whole Grain-Brown Sugar Oatmeal Cookies. A version of this recipe has been in my life since I was in high school, but I've recently tweaked it to use whole grains, less sugar (well, in the cookie!), and a special ingredient that made it way better, in my opinion.

And, yes, I sacrificed and took a bite of that cookie for the photo. It's a tough job.

Oh, and can you read the writing on that cute little milk glass/bottle? It says, "Astoria, Oregon." Guess where I got it? Arizona! Isn't that a hoot? I traveled from Oregon to Arizona and found a bottle that's from Oregon...and brought it back home.

It's the little things, folks. {smile}

One of my goals in the next few months is to complete the finishing touches in our laundry/mud room- painting the cabinets and trim that Brian installed recently. I did manage to finish one thing in the room, though, a few weeks ago.

I finally stained and coated the wood counter top Brian made years ago. Yes, it's just been unstained wood for years...sigh. I shared all the steps to Make Your Own Wood Countertops over at The Happy Housewife.

Finally, May is a huge birthday month in our family- eight. Time to get creative with the gifts - and the gift budget. You can read about some of my Tips To Save On Gifts Throughout The Year at About One's In a Nutshell blog.

As far as favorites, this week I've pinned a Honey Breadcrumb Asparagus recipe (what's not to love about a way to eat asparagus with your fingers?), plus a Mint-Filled Brownie Cupcake that I know my family will love.

And a reader suggested that I pin some of my best stuff here at AOC, so I've created a board at Pinterest called An Oregon Cottage Favorites. So far it's only got six pins, 'cause I started it, got sick, and then kinda forgot about it (whoops).

So...I need your help! What are your AOC favorites that I should pin on the board? Sound off in the comments, please- and you'll make my day, for sure!

Happy weekend!
-Jami

Easy 10 Minute Baked Tortilla Chips

noreply@blogger.com (Jami @ An Oregon Cottage) — Thu, 17 May 2012 14:00:00 +0000

Tortilla chips are definitely one of those things that a few years ago I wouldn't have ever thought to make.

Think of all the time they would take - all those little triangles!

And the mess - oil everywhere from deep-frying!

Much easier to open a bag...and eat too many.

But here's the thing: I made some, and guess what? They were quick, and the clean-up was easy because I just baked them. Not only that, they were really good.

Like, really good. Crunchy, a little chewy, and with a depth of flavor that the bags can't compete with. Sorta like a good Mexican restaurant. Plus, they're better for you- if for nothing else, it's not as easy to mindlessly eat them without thinking. {smile}

Since I freeze organic corn tortillas when I find them on sale, and these chips honestly take only 10 minutes, it's actually quicker to make them than buy chips when we're out (though I do still buy a big bag of Costco's organic chips every so often). Hmmm, sounds like another Pantry Basic.

There are two tips to making these chips quick and easy.

1. The first is to use kitchen shears to cut the tortillas into six triangles each. I stack three tortillas together and cut through all at once, and then spread the triangles in a single layer on a large cookie sheet.

2. The second tip is to use a "Mr. Misto" type oil sprayer to shoot a spray of olive oil on the tortilla triangles. As you can see, I'm not very particular about it- I just spray. There's no brushing every triangle as I've read in some recipes here at AOC!

I don't even spray both sides- just one and then the oil that gets on the pan coats the other side as they cook (I'm guessing here, as I don't know - all I know is it doesn't seem to matter).

How can organic corn tortillas, olive oil, and salt taste so amazing? Of course, we do like to serve them with our favorite home-canned salsa on occasion, which tastes even more amazing.

So...do you have ten minutes?

10 Minute Baked Tortilla Chips

Corn tortillas (preferably organic to minimize GMOs) - desired amount
Spray olive oil
salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Cut tortillas into six triangles each using kitchen shears. Spread into a single layer on a large cookie sheet (use more sheets if needed to fit single layers).
Spray triangles with olive oil. Don't worry too much about perfection, but try to make sure every triangle has some oil on it. Sprinkle with salt.
Bake for 4 minutes. Remove pan and shake a bit to move chips around (or use a spatula) and return to oven for 2-3 more minutes, being careful not to burn them. The shaking of the chips is to make sure the chips on the edges of the pan don't burn first - not to turn the chips. The chips will cook without turning, so don't waste time trying to turn each chip - but do make sure they stay in a single layer.
Remove from oven and cool (they will crisp a bit more as they cool). Repeat with any additional cookie sheets, as needed.

-Jami

A Special Garden Visit - Tuesday Garden Party

noreply@blogger.com (Jami @ An Oregon Cottage) — Tue, 15 May 2012 12:30:00 +0000

One of the first handful of participants here at the Tuesday Garden Party when we started three years ago was Shannan from Traveling Memories. Through the years I have gotten to know her through her Salem, Oregon garden, pictured above, that she has shared with us.

I've been especially impressed with Shannan because she took a little sliver of a backyard and made it produce enough to feed her family and have enough left to can and freeze.

One thing we've never seen here at the TGP, though, is this:

That's me with Shannan! Can you believe it? It's a first here - me meeting one of you - and I'm still kinda giddy about it!

How did this unlikely even occur? Well, I plan on stalking all of you through the Internet until you allow me to visit your homes, and Shannan was the first on my list.

Kidding!

Remember when I ~~whined~~ complained that I hadn't started any plants from seed for the first time in more than a decade? Shannan left a comment offering me her extra starts if we could figure out a way to get up there. I was floored by her generosity, but to be honest, I didn't think it would work. We're an hour south of her and with gas prices so high, I couldn't just drive up there (pretty much negate the savings on the veggie starts, wouldn't it?).

When we had to be in Salem for our daughter's district track meet last weekend, I emailed her on the off chance she lived near the high school where they were being held.

Guess what? She lives 8 minutes from there!! Seriously it was meant to be - I was thankfully over my sickness (though all four of Shannan's kids have been sick, poor things), the weather was beautiful, and her sons baseball game was cancelled, so she'd be home when we could come. Yeah!

Isn't her shade border, above, just beautiful? And it's only the beginning of the season here. You can see I'm seriously studying it...kinda looks like I'm trying to figure out a way to steal some of those bleeding hearts, doesn't it?

This, however was the most amazing thing in Shannan's garden. This blueberry in a large pot started as a typical twig a couple years ago. In fact, she said she also planted a couple in the ground at the same time - and, get this: the plants in the ground still look like twigs.

Seriously, I saw them (still can't believe I get to say that!), though she potted them up this year since the two she initially planted in pots grew to be these huge 4-foot-tall bushes, one of which you see above.

Sadly, the other bush, which resembled the former just a bit ago has contracted some sort of fungus that's shriveling all the blooms and browning the leaves. Shannan doesn't know what it is (and neither did I), but she's trimming off the affected branches in the hopes that the unaffected ones won't get it.

Why this whole blueberry-in-a-pot-thing was amazing to me is that my experience has always been that plants do better in the ground. Obviously, you can grow most things in pots, too, and with care they will thrive, but given a choice, the ground usually wins out. I've NEVER seen this type of dramatic difference between plants grown in the ground versus pots before- have you?

(Oh, and Shannan said she used a mix of compost, garden soil, and peat moss - the key, she feels - plus coffee grounds. I'm definitely adding coffee grounds and peat moss to my in-ground blueberries to see if I can get some of this great growth, 'cause I just can't see me diggin' them all up!).

So thank you, Shannan (here with her hubby, Jeremy - aren't they sweet?), for hosting this Internet stalker (and her husband...yeah, Brian took all the photos), showing her your garden, and sharing your tomato, pepper, and basil starts - I'll never forget it!

What have you been up to this week?

Monday's Menu

noreply@blogger.com (Jami @ An Oregon Cottage) — Mon, 14 May 2012 14:00:00 +0000

Please forgive me if this sounds like another week of complaining, but you know how I said I was sick last week, but then updated to say I was feeling 90% better by Monday?

Yeah, that wasn't really the truth- just what I wanted to believe. I thought that not being able to eat still meant that it was just the residuals from the stomach bug I had dealt with all day Sunday. It wasn't. It was just a lull in the storm of my stomach flu (bug, virus...whatever).

I really spent all of last week in a daze, just trying to accomplish all the essential things before collapsing in bed on Thursday where I spent most of the next 24 hours in a fetal position. I seriously don't think I've ever been that sick before.

Brian was calling me his "cholera wife." Though I remember seeing videos of cholera patients who were actually smiling for the camera - and I can state plainly that I never did smile. Ever.

They are better than I, bless them.

To illustrate the nature of the illness: I lost 8 pounds in 6 days. And I've been eating semi-regularly for two days and haven't gained it back yet. But I will, 'cause I don't really want to keep that kind of diet up.

You know, the don't-eat-anything-but-six-soda-crackers-and-some-broth diet.

OK, enough about that- I'll just say that when I awoke last Saturday I was 100% normal- and that was thankfully the end of that.

The fact that it was an incredible weekend- 80 degrees! - and I was able to be outside enjoying some of it made it even sweeter. Plus, I actually got to meet one of my readers, and it was a BLAST and I'm going to tell you all about it tomorrow at the Tuesday Garden Party!

So let's look to the future, shall we?

Monday- Spicy Chicken Noodle Salad

Tuesday- Roasted Asparagus with Fried Eggs, Cheddar Bay Biscuits, green salad

Wednesday- Grilled sausages & sweet onions, grilled Easy Sourdough Artisan Bread, carrot-feta salad

Thursday- Beef & bean burritos, spicy carrot & cabbage slaw

Friday- Salmon patties, corn-pepper saute, rice, carrots & ranch dip

Saturday- Homemade pepperoni pizza

Sunday- Leftovers

-Jami

Easy Sourdough Artisan Bread

noreply@blogger.com (Jami @ An Oregon Cottage) — Thu, 10 May 2012 14:00:00 +0000

Ever since I grew a sourdough starter two years ago, I've wanted to make a really good loaf of artisan bread with it. Although I waxed poetic about a sourdough loaf I made shortly after beginning to bake with sourdough, I realize now that the reason I thought it was so great was because it didn't look like the disaster from the previous week.

I wanted a better crust, bigger holes inside, and easier preparation- one similar to my super Easy Artisan Bread which bakes in an enameled cast iron pot.

I should clarify here that by easy I mean a simple, everyday kind of sourdough loaf that uses cups to measure, few steps, and very little science involved. If you'd like to get really into sourdough - which can quickly become complicated and, well, overwhelming to me, I've found Northwest Sourdough to be very thorough and not too hard to follow. {smile}

Since my first "success" two years ago, I have been searching for a technique that produced a loaf that was all the things I desired. So I was happy to find a great recipe from Gina at Homejoys a few months ago that I have adapted to be easier for me, use my enameled pot, and consistently turn out good loaves.

Look at that crust! That's bread-beauty right there, isn't it? Blistered and cracked and bubbly.

Yeah, getting all giddy about bread crust is kinda silly, isn't it? Kinda like doin' a dance in the kitchen when the eggs don't stick in a cast iron pan. I really am about the simple things around here, I guess.

The sliced loaf pictured above was made with whole wheat bread flour (verses the previous loaf, which was made with whole wheat white flour), so the crust isn't quite as lovely, but still passes the test. And the interior is full of holes, chewy, and with just a touch of sourness.

Since sourdough is best when it's used weekly (or every two weeks), this bread has supplanted my favorite Easy Artisan Bread recipe in our weekly repertoire.

The timing of sourdough was hard for me to figure out in the beginning. For this loaf, I usually try to feed my starter the night before I want to bake, and then in the morning I start the bread and let it rise until early afternoon before baking (and cooling) it in time for dinner.

I have also rushed it when I've forgotten the starter the night before (what- you're shocked?) by feeding it right when I get up in the morning and letting it sit until it's bubbly (a couple hours) and then proceeding with the recipe. The bread doesn't have quite the optimum time to cool, but we like it warm anyway, so a bit of squished crumb is OK with us.

Easy Sourdough Artisan Bread

3 c. flour (white whole wheat, whole wheat, unbleached, or a combo)
1-1/4 c. water (may need less if your starter is "wetter"- mine is a 100% hydration starter, fed an equal ratio of flour to water)
3/4 c. active sourdough starter
1 Tb. honey
1-1/2 tsp. salt

Mix all ingredients together in the bowl of a stand mixer just until combined and then let sit for 15 minutes.
Using a dough hook, knead for 5 minutes.
Transfer to a medium-sized bowl, lightly coated with oil. Cover with plastic and let rise for 3 hours, turning and folding the dough once or twice.
Remove dough, turn and fold again, and place it back in the bowl, seam-side up. Let rise for another 2 hours.
After the second rise, place a square of parchment on a cookie sheet and gently shape the dough into a ball or oval (using lots of flour, as the dough is moist) and set on the parchment. Make sure there's a good coating of flour on the top, as this will make slicing the top later easier.
Set an enameled, cast iron dutch oven into a cold oven and turn heat to 450 degrees (alternately, use a baking stone), and set the timer for 40 minutes.
When the timer goes off, slice the top of the loaf with a serrated knife and transfer it to the hot pot by holding the edges of the parchment (or stone).
Replace the hot lid and bake for 12-13 minutes. Remove the lid and continue baking for another 13-14 minutes, until golden brown (if using a stone, Gina at Homejoys uses an old roaster lid to cover her loaves to get a similar result!).
Remove to a wire rack to cool at least 30 minutes before cutting.

Makes 1 loaf

Oh! Would you like to know the secret weapon I use to easily slice through crusty artisan bread? An electric knife! Try it- it works like a charm and even allows me to cut through warm breads without squishing them down like regular knives do.

This is linked to Pennywise Platter.

Like more recipes like this- easy and from scratch? Get FREE email updates from An Oregon Cottage or subscribe by RSS.

Reader Garden Before And After-Tuesday Garden Party

noreply@blogger.com (Jami @ An Oregon Cottage) — Tue, 08 May 2012 12:30:00 +0000

Hello, friends! I'm excited today to share with you a reader's garden- complete with before and after photos. This is part of the lovely email I received from Kelly:

After reading about your garden for a year now, and seeing all the produce and canning……I was finally inspired to try One More Time! I live up in Damascus, Oregon, lots of berry farms, cow pastures, and nursery growers all around, and every year I would try to plant a garden on my Lil’ One Acre O’Happiness……and the ground would bake rock hard, the weeds would always take over, and I would look at the ones that were taller than my 5’8” frame.

Kelly was specifically inspired by my posts on designing a garden to be less of a chore to weed and prepare (like Design a Garden for Easy Care and More About Weeds)- obviously because of her previous experiences. Here is the space she started with:

After dealing with the leftovers from building their barn (and recycling the swing) they were able to turn the space into this easy-care raised bed garden:

Isn't this great? There are a couple of really good points to be taken from Kelly's garden, I think.

1. Make it a family (and friend!) affair. Kelly's family friend (in the green shirt) used his tractor to level the area and help her husband. Her husband (blue shirt on right) made the beds. Her son put together the trellis and her daughter helped fill the beds with soil and spread cedar chips.

2. Start small. I've said this before- many beginning gardeners give up because they start too big and get discouraged. Kelly says she is "starting small, because I don’t know how well this is going to work out, but we left room to expand if this garden works as well as we hope!"

3. Design for easy care. Lined and mulched paths mean no weeding and good soil in the beds mean less weeds- and more time for the good stuff!

4. Make it pretty. Why not add a trellis and make the garden somewhere you enjoy being?

She ends with, "Now isn’t that a garden you just can’t wait to get started in?!" I wholeheartedly agree- those lovely beds do make me want to plant something right away!

Thanks for sharing, Kelly, and I'm happy to know you were inspired by AOC!

What's going on in your gardens?

Monday's Menu

noreply@blogger.com (Jami @ An Oregon Cottage) — Mon, 07 May 2012 14:00:00 +0000

Ugh. As I sit here writing this, I'm still in my PJ's - and it almost 3:00 in the afternoon (on Sunday, when I'm writing this). I am sick, sick, sick- spent all night writhing about with nausea and getting up every hour to you-know-what. It lasted until about 11:00 am, but I'm still dealing with residual nausea (I'm trying not to move too much, as it seems to make it worse), and of course fatigue.

(Update: I'm feeling 90% better now on Monday morning- whew.)

I'm surprised it's lasted this long, actually. In the past, episodes like this would be done in a few hours.

To add insult to injury, it's a beautiful day outside- close to 70 degrees - and I want to be out there. Sigh.

Of course making a menu and thinking about food is the last thing I want to do now. So it's a little blessing to me that I only had to plan two meals this week because of our daughter's track district meets and a couple of family dinners.

Oh, yeah, perfect timing! Um...if you can say there's ever a perfect time to feel yucky sick, that is.

Monday- Chicken Teriyaki, brown rice, stir-fry of cauliflower, peppers, asparagus, and onions.

Tuesday- family dinner: I'm bringing a loaf of sourdough artisan bread (I've been perfecting the technique and will post on it soon, as I've got a winner!)

Wednesday- Soft tacos (my go-to easy family favorite when I don't want to plan much)

Thursday- Dinner out after district track meet

Friday- Family dinner (I'm going to ask to bring a cake, I think)

Saturday- ?? I think we're still at the district finals, so we'll have to play this by ear.

Sunday- Happy Mother's Day! Brian's going to grill and our son and daughter will be in charge of the salad.

-Jami

13 Ways To Organize A Workroom WIth Vintage {And Thrifted} Finds

noreply@blogger.com (Jami @ An Oregon Cottage) — Fri, 04 May 2012 14:00:00 +0000

Looking through the photos for my article about updating and refreshing my workroom, I realized that I used many of my favorite vintage finds to organize all the little things that are a part of most offices and studios. Most of the things I now use as containers were purchased super-cheap at thrift stores and yard sales or were given to me by people who know I appreciate old things.

By the way, here's a tip: if you like vintage things, get the word out to your family and friends- it's the best way to make sure things pass your way first before heading to the thrift store! Most of my favorite dishes, furniture and accessories were given to me...usually after I'd go on and on about how much I like old things.

13 Ways To Organize With Vintage And Thrifted Finds

1. The bulletin board above was created by edging a store-bought cork board with salvaged molding.

2. It holds push-pins made from vintage buttons and costume jewelry, which I LOVE.

3. A vintage cigar box becomes a card hold holder by drilling a hole in the top to hold a great old cabinet knob- leave as is or tie a label on the knob like I did.

4. A rustic basket holds scrap fabric balls...for the day I finally make that rag rug.

5. The photo holder on the right is my newest thrift-store find- only $2 and it holds all of the little note papers that I used to have stuck all over the place. I love, love, love this new use for an item I never thought I'd need (and the sweet tiles behind it were made for me one mother's day day...sniff).

6. An old, slightly tarnished silver tray corrals Post-It's and my glasses (oh yes, dear people, reading glasses happen to most of us at some point- sigh)...

7. Plus a vintage white pot I use to hold small scissors, pens, pencils and other crafty tools.

8. In the background you can see more thrift-store/vintage pots to hold craft items (the sweet little green pot that holds my business cards, though, was made by my daughter). The longer ones are particularly good for small rulers, bags of needles, boxes of sewing gadgets, and such.

9. Vintage canning jars (remember when I got mine?) are perfect for holding paint brushes. Can you tell I love buying white and green pots to use for other things besides plants?

10. More canning jars- this time old 1/2-pint sized jars on little shelves that organize buttons. With a separate color in each jar, they add a pop of color against the walls.

11. Old gym lockers (which I "rescued" when a former church was upgrading to regular storage shelves- score!) hold ribbon and fabric on top of the bookshelves.

12. Pint-size vintage jars hold my collection of shell and vintage buttons.

13. Large, quart and gallon size jars hold pieces of lace, costume jewelry, and sewing supplies like zipper and roman shade tape.

Oh- you may be wondering about all the zinc caps- they did not come with the jars I was given, but once I realized how old the jars were (and that I'd be using them for storage and not canning), I started looking for some. I found a lot of 30 for $24 on Ebay (which at less than a dollar each was a great deal!)- and I think the lids perfectly compliment the jars in their capacity as storage containers- and decorating accessories.

So now I'd love to know- what are some of your favorite things to reuse as storage containers or for organizing?

-Jami

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Workroom Update: Before And After Photos

noreply@blogger.com (Jami @ An Oregon Cottage) — Thu, 03 May 2012 14:00:00 +0000

Ahhhh....

That's me breathing a sigh of relief every time I walk into my workroom now- a room I walk into every day, so you can imagine the impact this has made on me.

OK, that sounded way out of perspective - it's just a clean and more organized room, after all - but what I mean to say is that a pleasant workspace can mentally have a positive impact on our everyday lives, wouldn't you agree?

Just a little over a week ago it looked similar to this photo that I took of the room when I originally posted about it during our Remodeling Series (before our remodel, this was part of the garage!):

Except that it probably had even more stuff piled everywhere.

And since this room serves as my blogging office, sewing room, DIY workshop, workout room (thanks to the treadmill hidden in the closet), occasional guestroom, and houses our canning & food overflow pantries, it has spent a lot of time looking like these before shots:

These piles are from the "DIY workshop" function of the room- they were pictures, frames, and mirrors waiting to become part of the new gallery wall. So the teetering pile on the hat boxes weren't there after I posted about our wall, but see all the stuff to the left? And piled on the surfaces in the background?

Yeah...there for a long time.

And the shelves became places I could stuff lot of odds and ends.

There was some attempt at organization, but then stuff piled up on the walls (my preschool take-home bags) and the floor (more preschool stuff).

You can see where I've put some of the vintage canning jars I was given- even though they're empty.

I had big plans for this bulletin board when I bought it, but while it waited, I started sticking stuff on it...and in front of it.

Ugh. Believe it or not, I sorta stopped seeing all this junk.

And then, when we finally were able to use the vintage molding we had bought years ago to frame that old bulletin board (here's where I published how to make a bulletin board like it), it provided the springboard I needed to eliminate things around here.

After all, it is my word of the year, isn't it?

A bit nicer now, wouldn't you agree?

I decided to switch the dresser and desk so I could move the sewing machine to the smaller table and have the desk for blogging, but still be able to access both with my rolling chair (a vintage office chair found for $5 at a thrift store many years ago).

It's SO much nicer having more room on the desk. I used to have to move the sewing machine to the back if I was using the computer, and visa versa if I needed to sew. Which really didn't leave enough room for either.

The unexpected bonus is that the dresser looks nicer from the doorway than the desk, I think. Probably has to do with the fact that I have a lot of, um...paraphernalia...on the desk and there are just three containers on the dresser.

I especially like the new spot for this chair (which of course is waiting for a slipcover...)- it's very inviting next to the French doors with it's great view and natural light.

Plus, it hides a few piles behind it. {smile} But just a few- really. The biggest pile is waiting to go to the thrift store, thankfully.

Tomorrow I'm going to highlight some of my favorite things in my updated workroom - including what I finally decided to fill all those vintage jars with! (See 13 Ways To Organize A Workroom With Vintage {and Thifted} Finds).

-Jami

This is linked to the May Before and After Party.

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Updated Homemade Pita Bread Tutorial

noreply@blogger.com (Jami @ An Oregon Cottage) — Wed, 02 May 2012 14:00:00 +0000

One of the first posts I wrote for this blog back in 2009 was a step-by-step tutorial for Homemade Whole Grain Pita Bread. It has remained a popular post and is often pinned over at Pinterest.

Which makes me happy, 'cause it really is pretty easy to make (less fussy than sandwich bread, for instance) and tastes amazing. MUCH better than store bought.

Much, much better.

Unfortunately, the pictures I took for all the steps - and the finished product - left a lot to be desired.

No, let's just lay it all on the line - they were horrible. Yellowed and even blurry. What can I say? I've learned a lot about photography since then.

But it really is a good post, so I spent some time photographing a recent batch of pita bread I made and updating (through Photoshop) the step-by-step pictures. And they look a LOT better- I'm much happier with it now!

So, go take a look at how to make homemade pita bread, let me know what you think (maybe think about Pinning it?) and for heaven's sake, use it to make some great tasting pita bread!

Which goes great with Hummus Made With Sesame Seeds, of course.

-Jami

Highlights And The Tuesday Garden Party

noreply@blogger.com (Jami @ An Oregon Cottage) — Tue, 01 May 2012 12:30:00 +0000

Hi awesome gardening friends! Look at some of the great things I found at last week's TGP:

Emily from The Country Mumkin gardens in France (!) and is fighting a wet spring by planting a lot of starts in her greenhouse while waiting for the ground to dry out. She started peas in toilet paper tubes - that weren't cut down like I tried last year - to give the roots room to grow and then plants them out in the garden in the tubes to lessen the transplant shock.

Emily's seem to be working much better than mine did- she's making me think I need to try something different. Hmmm....

Beth at Garden Grumbles and Cross Stitch Fumbles made me sigh when I saw the view she gets to see on her porch. It's so spring-ish and happy, isn't it?

Andrea from The Greenbacks Gal inspired me to buy a pot of basil instead of buying already cut basil from the produce department. It's only about a dollar more and it should keep producing for at least longer than the bunch of cut stems will last in the fridge!

Finally, Athena at Minerva's Garden shared what she accomplished in the garden- including planting peas to climb up this great trellis. It's made from twigs that came from her property wrapped with twine. Cute and functional- I love it!

I, too, got some things planted last weekend, including peas (finally- I hope they last long enough to actually harvest them!), potatoes, carrots, and more beets. Things are coming along!

What have you been up to this week?

Monday's Menu

noreply@blogger.com (Jami @ An Oregon Cottage) — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 14:00:00 +0000

We had another great weekend here. It's the third week in a row of a rain-during-the-week-nice-on the-weekends weather pattern.

Not bad. Not bad at all.

If it just weren't for the track meets - the ones that have seen us pelted with hail, drenched in torrential downpours, and afflicted with fingers so cold we couldn't feel them.

And we're just the spectators.

Maybe we've turned a corner and our daughter will have some decent weather for her last few meets.

Hey- a girl can dream, can't she?

For this week's menu I'm using not only asparagus that's producing right now, but also some chard that overwintered and looks wonderful (but will start to bolt in a few more weeks) and some new baby spinach I noticed was ready.

It's fun to be able to use what I have in the garden, but I also want to intentionally start to clean out the freezer to be ready for this season's bounty. This usually takes me a couple months, so I start looking to see what I have left about the middle of April. May, though, is the month I really try to use everything.

Do you think about using last season's frozen foods as well?

Monday- Baked chicken breasts with Addictive Tomato Chutney, roasted asparagus (I'll roast enough to have some for tomorrow's salad), Tasty Rice

Tuesday- Lentil Soup with Ham & Peas, Easy Artisan Bread, asparagus salad with boiled eggs and goat cheese (just sounds good- I'm making it up)

Wednesday- Grilled cheese sandwiches, Homemade Tomato Soup, carrot sticks

Thursday- Chicken Sausage & Chard Frittata, Easy Artisan Bread (2nd loaf from Tues. batch), cabbage & carrot slaw

Friday- Pasta with Ham, etc. in Cheesy-Cauliflower Sauce (I'm subbing asparagus for the broccoli), chopped salad on a bed of baby spinach

Saturday- Burgers on Quick & Tender Homemade Buns, oven fries, cut vegetable plate

Sunday- Leftovers

-Jami

How To Make A French-Styled Bench From Broken Chairs

noreply@blogger.com (Jami @ An Oregon Cottage) — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 17:00:00 +0000

As promised, here is our finished bench we made from two old, broken dining chairs (OK, almost finished, because I'm sewing a cushion for it- but no need to get all technical on me...). I'm calling it a "french-styled" bench because I saw a similar bench from Ballard Designs based on a French antique, but I've also seen this style called a "window bench" as well.

Well, I saw it listed as just plain "bench," too, but that's not very exciting, is it?

What I really wanted to emphasize with the title, though, is that this isn't one of those benches I've seen where they line two or more chairs up side-by-side and add a plywood seat to make a bench. Personally, I think those look kinda odd (sorry!) and this is a more classic style to me.

This how-to isn't super thorough - I don't have pictures of every single step - because Brian did it himself without my help (how dare he?), but we'll try and provide enough detail to be at least a starting point if you'd like to make one.

Also, we are not woodworkers, carpenters, or craftsmen - just DIY-er's figuring things out as we go along. There might be other (better?) ways to do this, but hopefully, you will be inspired and use this as a springboard to think about what you can do with old, broken chairs!

Last May I wrote about how we started with a set of these these fake Duncan-Phyfe dining chairs that, being all fake and poorly made, began to fall apart on us - literally. After I revamped our new, sturdy ($5!) Craigslist dining chairs, these were relegated to the shed, waiting for...what? I don't know, we just couldn't get rid of them.

Then one fine day, Brian got a bee in his bonnet and decided to make a bench from the backs.

Step One: Find Two Chairs

Look for chairs that look good from the side. Chairs that have a slight curve to them are best. The backs need to be one piece from the top down to the back legs. Also think about the height of the chair backs (ours are 16" from the top of the bench seat) and if they have a cross-piece spanning the back legs where the wood for the seat can easily be attached.

Step Two: Create The Bench Seat

Make a rectangle box the length you'd like the bench to be and secure the ends with two wood screws each (as pictured above). Use a sturdy hardwood and long screws to make the box as immovable as you can. We salvaged the wood for our box from a portion of an Ikea oak countertop we didn't need when we remodeled our bathroom. Brian cut the sides into 1"x 2-1/4" pieces.
Attached the box to each chair back by screwing from the chair into the short ends of the box. It's hard to see in the above picture, but the dark slat of wood is the part of the chair back that the original seat was attached to. Brian drilled holes and then used three screws spaced evenly across this slat to securely hold the ends of the box to the backs. He also drilled through the legs of the chair to be able to insert two 3" screws into the box from the back of each leg- for a total of seven screws on each end. Whew- you can probably guess why I'm emphasizing secure at this point- our whole goal was to actually be able to sit on the bench!

Step Three: Create A Bottom Shelf

Even after making the seat bench as secure as possible, the bench was still too wobbly for anyone to sit on, so Brian made another box - this one is smaller and made from stock pine 1"x2"s. He carefully measured each piece, attaching first the long pieces to the chair legs and then the short pieces to the ends of the long pieces (clear as mud? Hopefully the picture above helps clarify!)- as opposed to the first box, which was made first and then attached. Again, use the longest screw you can without going through to the front of the legs.
Make a "top" for the shelf using flat molding. We didn't want the heavy look of a full plywood top, so we used some 3/4" x 1" molding we had. It's the kind that is flat on one side and has rounded edges on the top (sorry, I'm not sure of the name of it- or even what we used it for that we would have it laying around!). Brian just measured, cut, and used small finish nails to attach them to the top of the shelf. They probably would've looked more finished if they were set into the shelf (rather than sitting on top), but this was easy and looks fine to us.

Step Four: Fill Holes And Paint

Fill all the holes with wood filler, allow to dry and then sand them smooth, as well as all of the surfaces to prepare them for paint. You may have noticed from the pictures that Brian put many large holes into the bench in his effort to make it sturdy. He does this whenever he makes something because he knows I'm the "queen of putty" around here and can usually fill whatever he sends my way. We're pretty much a team that way. It also helps that our mantra is "cottage = imperfect." {wink}
Paint the bench. You probably should start with a primer, but I didn't {gasp}. I used my nifty new paint sprayer and put three light coats on of my favorite color - Behr's Creamy White.

Step Five: Make Plywood Seat Top

Cut a piece of 1/2" plywood to sit on top of the bench.
Cover the plywood with quilt batting (cut about an inch bigger than the wood) and your choice of material- cut at least two inches bigger all around than the top. Turn the raw edges of the material under, pull the batting and material tight around to the bottom and used a staple gun to secure. I used a piece of dropcloth to cover our bench top.
As you can see, our top is not yet attached to the box (uh-em). We're still figuring out how we want to do it. I'm thinking we'll use L-brackets and attach from the bottom with small screws.

Then all you've got left is to decide if you want to leave it as is or add a cushion.

The cushion I'm in the process of making is one of those french-style mattress cushions and it will be nice and thick - about four inches. I'm making it out of dropcloth (of course) and thinking about making it look like a French grain sack by adding striping.

Hopefully I'll have that tutorial up soon. {cough, cough}

It does look fine with just pillows, too. I've just always wanted a bench with an old-fashioned mattress-style cushion.

And you know how Brian took extra steps to make this really sturdy? This bench doesn't have one wiggle at all, so not only does it look good, it also feels secure when we sit on it- yeah!

What do you think? Is this a great way to rescue broken chairs, or what?

-Jami

This is linked to Furniture Feature Friday, Show and Tell Friday, Shabby Nest, Saturday Nite Special, Weekend Wrap-Up and Show Off Your Cottage Monday.

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White Bean-Dried Tomato Dip

noreply@blogger.com (Jami @ An Oregon Cottage) — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 14:00:00 +0000

This White Bean-Dried Tomato Dip was a pleasant surprise the other night. Our menu called for hummus which I'm usually able to make because my recipe calls for sesame seeds instead of tahini. However, I realized I had already used my cooked and frozen garbanzo beans...and you really can't make hummus without garbanzos.

Even me, the queen of substitutions, draws the line there.

I did have a ton of white beans and we like a good white bean dip, so I thought I'd just make a white bean version of hummus. Then I found I didn't have lemon juice and realized I'd have to admit defeat and come up with a totally different dip.

It happens to the best of us sometimes.

As I spied a jar of my oil-packed dried tomatoes I had a "light-bulb moment" at the thought of mixing them with the white beans. And some garlic.

You know how everyone says everything is better with bacon? Well, I pretty much think everything is better with garlic.

Except sweets. But I feel that way with bacon, too, so my comparison still works. I just can't do the dessert-bacon thing that is all the rage. I. just. can't.

Anyway...after adding garlic, salt and pepper to the white beans and tomatoes, the resulting dip was out-of-this-world- or as my daughter said, "Ahhhhmaaazing!"

Seriously, I can't believe how good this is, how easy (just a few ingredients!), and that it's another way to use my dried tomatoes.

This is a keeper for sure. I'd love for you to try it and let me know if you agree!

White Bean-Dried Tomato Dip

2 c. cooked white beans
1/2 c. oil-packed dried tomatoes (rehydrate if using non-oil-packed tomatoes)
4 cloves garlic, peeled
3 Tb. olive oil from tomatoes (or regular if using rehydrated tomatoes)
1-1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
2-3 Tb. water (or as needed for desired consistency)

Place all the ingredients, except the water, into the bowl of a food processor and pulse for a minute, or until all the ingredients are starting to blend.
With the motor running, add the water through the shoot, letting the motor run until the dip turns reddish from the tomatoes and is smoother. Add more water if needed to reach the desired consistency.
Serve with cut vegetables and chips or crackers for dipping.

Makes about 2-1/2 cups.

-Jami

This is linked to Pennywise Platter, Foodie Friday and Saturday Nite Special.

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Backyard Gazebo Progress - Tuesday Garden Party

noreply@blogger.com (Jami @ An Oregon Cottage) — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 12:30:00 +0000

One of the things we made progress on this last weekend (the one with the glorious weather!) was our corner-of-the-huge-deck-shed-thing turned gazebo.

Yes, I know it's square, but I don't know what else to call it- it's enclosed like a gazebo and separate from the house. Can some gazebos be square? I hope so, 'cause that's what I've been calling it!

As a little review, this is what we started with a little over a year ago. A gigantic, rotting deck- most of which went unused. During the following months we worked (albeit sporadically) to transform this area into a gravel patio, smaller deck in front of the french doors, and an herb garden (my favorite!).

This shed-roofed structure in the corner of the deck didn't make much sense to me for the longest time. But the wood under the cover was surprisingly in good shape and I started to envision a little room that you'd step up into - gazebo-like.

So when Brian tore up the deck, he carefully cut the beams holding the floor under the shelter and added deck blocks where needed.

We salvaged any wood from the old deck that was good and used it to finish off the bottom of the floor and to make a couple of steps (the other step is around the left toward the back of the gazebo).

The top of the structure was made like a shed - and seemed pretty heavy. I wanted more of a arbor-look to the roof, but without too much effort- or spending more money.

I thought if we could remove the top horizontal board, cut back the fiberglass roofing material and angle the 2x4's, it would look better.

"We," of course, meaning Brian.

And look what he did this weekend! It worked- nothing shattered or came apart and it looks TONS better.

Brian had actually started on the railing last fall, but stopped for the winter. I finally decided I wanted to stain all the new wood and paint any white wood a brown to match, so I started staining the rails and it looks a lot more finished, too.

Why no white? Because most of the white looks like this post. Or black with dirt. Or green from Oregon's damp. I kinda gave up on white garden structures after our last house. They look great in all the magazines, but I found they need a lot of upkeep in our climate.

All our structures now are either wood colored or mossy green. No need to fight what Oregon naturally grows anyway.

I also discovered- by accident - that brown blends into the background more than the white. If you look back at the first picture in this post, you'll see a brown 4x4 post that replaced a rotting white one.

This is pretty much the view from our kitchen window, and I found I like the way the brown post doesn't scream "I'm a garden structure!" at me like the white posts do.

So it's a good thing some things take us a while to complete. I'll be much happier with this wood-colored gazebo than I would've just keeping the white I'd inherited.

Did you get any projects done this last weekend?

Monday's Menu

noreply@blogger.com (Jami @ An Oregon Cottage) — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 13:50:00 +0000

What a glorious weekend we had! It actually got up to 75 degrees on Sunday- and I wore flip-flops! Yes folks, for me that means life is good. {smile}

Hard to believe some of you in the east were getting heavy rain and even some snow. Hopefully all your gardens came through OK!

I'm happy to report after my "come clean" post on Friday about all my unfinished projects that I was able to finish a few projects around here. Woot!

None that I wrote about, though. Wouldn't you know there were a ton of others, too? Sigh. Stay tuned this week for glimpses into what I accomplished in the garden, in my workroom, in the kitchen, and yes, even the bench that's been a year in-the-waiting.

In the meantime, our menu this week is classic AOC: two meals from one (roast one night & soup with the leftovers on another), using leftovers (from the ham we had last week), and attempting to eat seasonally. As you can see from the menu, the asparagus is producing, so you'll be seeing us gorge ourselves on it for the next six weeks!

We love asparagus roasted, pickled in salads, in a quiche, and in over a white bean puree (a truly amazing dish). What are some of your favorite ways to eat asparagus?

Monday- Pot Roast with Garlic-Thyme Gravy over mashed potatoes, salad

Tuesday- Salmon cakes, peanut noodles with asparagus (I'll just toss the ingredients with some Homemade Spicy Peanut Sauce), Spicy Asian Slaw (this meal is making another appearance because we didn't have it last week- we had an impromptu date night instead!)

Wednesday- Spicy Beef, Tomato, & Corn Stew (I'll use leftover roast instead of the ground meat called for), Bean & Cheese Quesadillas, vegetable plate with Ranch Dip

Thursday- Middle Eastern potluck, we're bringing homemade Whole Grain Pita and Hummus Made With Sesame Seeds (instead of tahini)

Friday- Shrimp & Asparagus Over White Bean Puree, Simple French Baguettes, green salad

Saturday- Homemade Pizza with chicken sausage and pesto from the freezer

Sunday- Pasta Primavera (made with ham, though, and seasonal vegetables).

-Jami

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The Unfinished DIY Post

noreply@blogger.com (Jami @ An Oregon Cottage) — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 14:00:00 +0000

Here I am on a Thursday, thinking about what post I could have up for Friday (what- you thought I always had them done way in advance? I am SO not that person). I like to have some sort of DIY article for Fridays (though obviously, that's not a hard-and-fast rule around here...uh-hem), but most of my projects are only partially finished.

But now I'm thinking, why not share all the things I'm NOT getting done? Just to give you a little glimpse into the reality of life here at AOC. Which I'm hoping resembles some of your lives (see? It's really about you encouraging me by letting me know I'm not the only one...).

Like the shelf pictured above. Brian made these shelves for the garden area of our mud/laundry room more than a month ago. I was able to fill and organize them a few days ago.

And so you're thinking, "doesn't that mean you DID accomplish something?" Well...sorta. I did fill them so I could organize our laundry cabinet (which I posted on Wednesday), but the cabinet below these shelves is not painted. So the area is NOT done, and I can't write a post about it yet.

Sigh. Half-finished things are the story of my life.

And I SO wish I were exaggerating.

Then there's this thrifted bench that's been sitting in my workroom (and this photo on my desktop) for three months. Or more- I can't remember now. I think I could probably update this with paint and new fabric in a couple of hours, tops.

But there it sits. Granted, I've been waffling on fabric choices, even considering trying my hand at transferring a cool French graphic for the top- is this a good excuse?

Darn, it would make a good post, though, huh?

This photo's been on my desktop as well. I took it when I updated our mantel with this old window. But a post of me painting a window frame is not very inspiring- in fact it sounds pretty boring.

I actually think I took this as just one step for the final version of this window after I transform the glass into mirrored glass. Which hasn't happened.

Gah. Another unfinished project (though this one's being used in the meantime!).

But the worst of all is this baby. Across the daybed, in back of the sewing and ironing pile, sits this forlorn cushion with the pieces cut and waiting to be sewn together. Dare I say how long it's sat here?

Maybe I'll just give you this information and let you come to your own conclusion- the cushion is the final touch for this bench I wrote about almost a year ago:

Oh, I'm so glad I can't hear the audible gasps. Honestly, I don't know how this has taken so long. The bench is finished and painted and resides in Brian's office and is just waiting for the cushion.

I swear, these half-finished things haunt me. I guess I should post the finished bench and then do a separate cushion post, huh?

OK, you've convinced me {smile} - next week look for a post showing the finished bench...minus the cushion.

Unless some miracle happens and I complete that cushion over the weekend.

-Jami

This is linked to Weekend Wrap Up Party and Saturday Nite Special.

Lemon-Berry Cake {With The BEST Lemon Frosting Ever!}

noreply@blogger.com (Jami @ An Oregon Cottage) — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 14:00:00 +0000

I made this cake for our family's Easter Dinner - it was light and lovely and just right for a spring-time celebration.

I used Marionberry freezer jam to fill two of the layers and lemon curd for the middle layer, but all three could be berry (or lemon, for that matter if you'd like a totally lemon cake). Raspberry or blueberry would also be nice as fillings.

But my best discovery here was the frosting - so easy and so good. Just the right amount of lemon. The secret?

Lemon curd. Yep, right in there with the powdered sugar and butter.

And oh, man, did it work great! In the past I've always used lemon juice in the frosting, but if I used too much (because I wanted more lemon flavor), it would get too runny. With a nice tart lemon curd, I could add quite a bit without affecting the consistency- which resulted in the Best Lemon Frosting Ever.

I'm sure I'm not the first person to think of this, but I'm glad I did, as I won't make any other type of lemon frosting after this. I've been spoiled.

Lemon-Berry Cake and The Best Lemon Frosting Ever

For the cake:

2 c. flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground ginger (optional)
1 c. butter (2 sticks)
2 c. sugar
8 eggs
2 lemons, zested and juiced (about 1/2 c. juice)
1 tsp. pure lemon extract (optional, enhances lemon flavor but still lemony without it)

For the frosting:

3 c. powdered sugar
1 c. butter (2 sticks), softened
2/3 c. lemon curd (or more, depending on taste and consistency)*
1 - 2 Tb. milk, optional if needed to lighten frosting

For the filling:

1-1/2 c. berry jam or preserves for filling (or 1 c. jam + 1/2 c. lemon curd)

Make the cake: Heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter two 9-inch cake pans, line the bottoms with parchment paper and lightly butter the tops of the parchment.
Using a mixer on medium speed, cream the butter and sugar until light - about 3 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing after each. Add lemon zest, juice, and extract (if using). Mix until smooth.
Add the flour, baking powder, salt, and ginger (if using). Mix on low just until combined. Pour evenly into prepared pans.
Bake 25 - 30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cakes comes out clean. Remove and cool 10 minutes on a rack.
Loosen edges with a knife and invert onto a cooling rack, remove parchment paper, and then turn right-side-up onto another cooling rack. Cool completely.
Make the frosting: Cream the butter and lemon curd in the bowl of a mixer fitted with a whipping attachment. Add the powdered sugar a cup at a time.
After all the sugar has been added, whip the frosting on high for a minute. Check the spreading consistency. If it seems thick, add a tablespoon of milk and whip again on high for a minute. Repeat if needed. The key to a light and airy frosting is whipping air into it, so keep whipping until it seems easy to spread. *If using a looser, homemade lemon curd start with smaller amount.
Assemble the cake: Cut the cake layers in half to make four layers.
Place one layer on a cake plate and spread with 1/2 c. of jam. Place second layer on top and spread this layer with 1/2 c. jam or lemon curd. Repeat with third layer, spreading with another 1/2 c. of jam and topping with the last layer (top of cake).
Frost the sides of the cake with the lemon frosting, swirling the frosting with a knife. Finish by frosting the top, using the remaining frosting. Sprinkle with decorative, edible sugar pearls if desired.

-Jami

This is linked to Saturday Nite Special and Foodie Fridays.

Thirty Minute Laundry Room Spruce-Up

noreply@blogger.com (Jami @ An Oregon Cottage) — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 03:00:00 +0000

We've recently finished the last few finishing touches on our laundry room (started years ago, but better late than never!) - beadboard molding, floor molding, and cabinet brackets.

I still need to paint everything- including the cabinet- to match the painted beadboard. With our track record, I didn't think I should wait to do a bit of cleaning and organizing, though.

Especially because it started out looking like this:

Just a bit cluttered.

About 10 minutes later, though, it's a marked improvement.

The cupboard, though, needed a bit more time and energy.

I should probably mention that this room is also a mud/garden room - and that this cupboard has been a catch-all. We've installed a set of shelves on the other side of the room for gardening items, so this cupboard can now be organized solely for the laundry.

Since this is behind doors, I didn't worry about lots of pretty baskets and such. I used what I had on hand and when I did use containers and labels, it was to serve a purpose and make it easy for my family to find items in here (and put them back in the right place!).

Which is probably why to took only 20 minutes to clean and reorganize this cabinet. Sure wish I would've done it sooner.

Rags, cleaning towels and microfiber cloths each have a container and label. I even specify which rags are "throw-away" so when there's a particular need, there's no question about which to use.

Yeah, I learned this the hard way- losing a couple of my favorite towels. Not a big deal in the scheme of things, but worth adding a couple of specific containers, for sure.

Laundry, cleaning supplies, and essential oils are easy to reach and find, too.

It sure looks nicer from the hallway - clean and simplified.

Do you have an area - in the laundry or anywhere - that could use a quick 30 minute spruce-up?

Or maybe it's just me. *smile*

Want more laundry room inspiration? Today I'm teaming up with these talented bloggers to help you tackle your own laundry projects, learn some new tips, organize and be inspired:

Lauren from Mama's Laundry Talk is giving Four Tips for Keeping the Laundry Room in Order.

Christine from I Dream of Clean is sharing 5 Ways to Save Money and Go Green in the Laundry Room.

Nony from A Slob Comes Clean is discussing Hanging vs. Folding.

Taylor from Stain Removal 101 is talking about Cleaning Your Washing Machine To Sanitize It And Getting Rid Of Smells

-Jami

April Garden Chores- Tuesday Garden Party

noreply@blogger.com (Jami @ An Oregon Cottage) — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 12:30:00 +0000

Well dear garden friends, we had the first nice weekend in awhile here and as a result I sit here typing this with sore leg muscles, and aching back and weak fingers - it's amazing how pulling weeds can affect your fingers!

And here is what I have to show for it outside:

I showed you this area a month ago thinking I would get to it soon...humm...let's just focus on the fact that they are cleaned up and ready to go for the new season, why don't we?

Whew.

I finally planted the bed of broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage. I left one chard plant so I can harvest for a few weeks longer, then it will be pulled.

And yes, those are weeds in the gravel. Grrr, we bought the wrong gravel (you want the kind with NO FINES) so there's a nice little layer of sandy soil the weeds love. We learned our lesson, and our later paths have the right gravel- and no weeds to speak of.

Learn from our mistakes: say it with me, "No fines, no fines, no fines." That means clean gravel, by the way- no little pieces and/or dirt in it at all.

After my first attempt at growing celery last year, I am growing more this year, along with some "Bright Lights" chard.

There was way too much chard, so I planted it close together and am planning on harvesting the "baby chard" to make room for 8-10 full grown plants that should provide all our chard needs for the season.

I was seriously discouraged by the amount of "poppers" (aka, Bittercress) after years of pulling.

This bed was FULL of them, so I'm killing them with black plastic as I didn't have time to pull them. You can see they're still under the fence line- I'm leaving that up to Brian to take care of.

Probably why we still have so many, huh?

I actually got two of the strawberry beds cleaned and composted.

But the biggest one is still in need of some attention.

Oh, what have we here? Gee, it looks like the new shelves and hanging light Brian made in our mud room so I could start our seeds in here instead of the kitchen.

What? You don't seed any seeds being started? Sigh. My reality is this:

First time in more than 10 years that I do not have any seeds started. No tomatoes or peppers, no broccoli or cabbage. Nothin.' I don't know what happened, really. I waited for the new area to be finished (why I couldn't use the old area, I can't tell you), then we had our vacation, and life is really busy right now.

I tried to tell myself it's OK, no biggie...I'll just buy starts.

Ugh. Talk about sticker shock! I thought a six-pack would only be $1.99 - but they were all $2.99, which added up real fast last weekend- along with the potatoes and onion sets I normally buy (and need to plant, as you can tell by the bags in the picture).

And I haven't even bought the tomatoes and peppers yet. Ouch.

Did you get anything planted last weekend?

Monday's Menu {And Featured at BlogHer Food}

noreply@blogger.com (Jami @ An Oregon Cottage) — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 14:00:00 +0000

I'm honored to share with you that An Oregon Cottage is being featured this week over at BlogHer Food!

For those visiting from BlogHer, Mondays are always the day I share our menu- plus whatever else I feel like talking about {wink}. Today I thought I'd highlight a couple of our most popular food posts (which may be a fun reminder for our regular readers, as after three years blogging the archives are a bit large...uh-hem).

In the Popular Posts section of the sidebar, food related items are featured in four of the five posts - Best Homemade Ranch dressing, Easy Artisan Bread (made in an enameled dutch oven!), Quick and Tender Breadsticks and our most popular post, caring for your cast iron pan - even though An Oregon Cottage features DIY projects, organic gardening, and frugal lifestyle posts as well.

So food is always a good portion of our content here at An Oregon Cottage- always with the mantra of simple, frugal, and from scratch! Here are a few more food posts that our readers love:

Homemade Apple Caramel Dip

Easy Homemade Chocolate Syrup
(One of our "Pantry Basics" recipes - find more here)

Classic Homemade Caesar Salad Dressing

How To Roast and Freeze Beets - and win over any beet-haters you may know!
(and then use in one of my favorite salads, Roasted Beet Salad with Goat Cheese)

Now on to this week's menu!

Monday- Ham Bone Soup, Easy Artisan Bread, slaw or vegetable plate

Tuesday- Slow Cooker Cassoulet, Parmesan toasts (made with leftover artisan bread), Roasted Asparagus Salad (using the first asparagus harvest!)

Wednesday- Curried Egg Salad sandwiches, chips, cut vegetables (track meet)

Thursday- Baked & breaded chicken tenders (aka, nuggets), roasted potatoes, green salad

Friday- Salmon cakes, peanut noodles with broccoli (I'll just toss the ingredients with some Homemade Spicy Peanut Sauce), Spicy Asian Slaw

Saturday- Hamburgers using homemade buns, oven fries, cut vegetables with Ranch Dip

Sunday- Ham Dinner: Baked Ham, slow cooker scalloped potatoes (I'll take pictures to post recipe- thought I'd already had it up!), Mustard Sauce for ham (our family's favorite recipe coming!), roasted asparagus, green salad

-Jami

Want more simple, real recipes or easy DIY and gardening ideas? How about living intentionally on a budget? Subscribe to An Oregon Cottage and don't miss a post!

Curried Deviled Eggs

noreply@blogger.com (Jami @ An Oregon Cottage) — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 19:30:00 +0000

We love deviled eggs at our house. They're usually one of the things my kids have asked for when it's their turn to pick a meal.

In fact my daughter recently wanted deviled eggs and bacon for her birthday dinner, so I made a spinach salad with bacon and added a couple of these deviled eggs to the top - it was amazingly good!

Do you like the way I added the spinach to her request?

And of all the ways I've made deviled eggs over the years, these Curried Deviled Eggs are by far our favorite. I can't adequately describe what a bit of curry does for the normal egg-yolk mash, but trust me- it's good.

Really good.

And yet I haven't posted them before. Why? They're basically just three ingredients, and I guess I didn't realize how special they were until seeing the many deviled egg recipes pass through my Google reader this past month - and not one of them used curry.

Poor souls.

I hope you have a few hard-boiled eggs left, 'cause you're gonna wanna try these. And if you're out, this might be the time to boil some more - even if you thought you'd had enough.

Curried Deviled Eggs

6 hard-boiled eggs
2 Tb. mayonnaise (preferable homemade mayo), or to taste
1/2 - 3/4 tsp. curry powder - hot or mild (we like hot)
salt to taste (optional, depending on type of curry powder)
paprika for garnish

Slice the boiled eggs in half, scoop the yolks into a small bowl and set whites on a plate.
Add mayonnaise and curry powder to the yolks (start with the smaller amount and increase according to your taste) and mash together well. Add more mayo, if needed and taste to decide if it needs salt.
Fill egg halves with mixture. I like to fill a small baggie, cut a corner and pipe the filling into the holes - it's easier and a lot less messy than the spoon-and-finger method!
Sprinkle with paprika and serve.

Makes 12 egg halves

PS- This also makes the most delicious curried egg salad sandwiches - just mash whites and yolks together with the mayo and curry!

-Jami

This is linked to I'm Lovin' It, Food On Friday and Saturday Nite Special.