Author Archives: kkregel

by | September 13, 2010 · 8:27 am

Preserving & Canning 101

Canning is hot right now. Maybe it’s just that I’ve paid more attention to it after taking several canning classes this summer but regardless, I would say it’s “trending”…and for good reason.  What’s not to like about tasty jams or pickled goodies that let you enjoy summer all year round?  And while grocery stores are full of canned goods, I think there’s something smart and charming about preserving your own garden (or farmer’s market) goodies to keep or to giveaway.

“Preserving” covers canning, freezing and drying…so you don’t have to can to preserve your goods. Freezing and drying are less complicated than canning but they also limit your options. If canning is something you’re interested in, I would highly recommend finding a local class or a good book.  To whet your appetite, I conned my local instructor, Annie Wegner Lefort, into sharing her top preservation tips. As a Master Food Preserver, Annie really knows her stuff and has tons of great locally-sourced and preservable recipes on her own blog:

Annie’s Top Ten Food Preservation Tips (in no particular order):

1. Use a tested recipe and stick to it: pH levels are particularly important with hot water bath canning. Use a tested recipe to guarantee a safe, shelf-stable product.
2. Use Quality Produce: Garbage in = garbage out. Don’t use canning as a last resort to save something that’s overripe. Don’t want to lose it? Try freezing instead.
3. Preserve what you can consume in a year: Though home-canned items can be perfectly good 18 months or even two to three years after canning, they’re best in the first 12 months. When people relied on preservation instead of grocery stores, they preserved what they could reasonably eat before the next harvest.
4. Keep everything at a constant warm/hot temperature when processing: The biggest culprit of broken jars in the canner is that they were too cool going into the hot water bath. Keep your jars, food product, and water in the canner at a similar warm or hot temperature as you work.
how to make homemade jam
5. Vent properly when canning: Especially if you have a gas stovetop, be sure to open windows and vent when the cans are processing. It’s tempting to crank the A/C when canning, but if your flame happens to go out during processing (because of water splashing out of the kettle), this can eventually cause a buildup of noxious gas.
canning jam
6. Preserve the abundance of the season: When fruits and vegetables are plentiful, they should be most affordable. That’s the time to buy by the bushel. If you put in the work ahead of time you’ll have your larder stocked with local foods all winter.
7. Plan ahead for gift-giving: People love homemade gifts and almost nothing gets more oohs and aahs than the gift of preserves. They make instant host gifts or can be bundled with a favorite recipe and baked goods for a special gift basket.
8. Stock up on other ingredients: Keep an eye on store fliers for sales on vinegar, spices, sugar, etc. as well as canning supplies. Not only will you save money, but you’ll have everything you need on hand when the preserving bug hits.
9. Before you try a new recipe, think about how you’ll use it: I love to try new preserves, but if I have no immediate use for them they might sit in my pantry for years. Think about turning pickled beets into instant borscht or adding salsa to chili.
10. “Canners do it in groups”: Many hands make lighter work and this couldn’t be more true with preserving. It can be a lot of work (though well worth it), so gather some friends to pick, pare, and preserve (and sip a little wine!). Or can on your own, but consider which friends make the best salsa, pickles, etc. then swap the final products.

Canning Party

My friends, Colleen and Lizzy, and I took that last point to heart and recently held a mini canning party to make a double batch of fruit jams.  I love fruit jams because they’re great on toast, in plain yogurt, over ice cream and more. I dressed up the results with labels, pretty ribbon and rustic fabric scraps so that they’re giveaway ready.

canned jam as gifts

Next up, I planning on tackling Annie’s Bruschetta in a Jar recipe (see pg 17 of the Sept virtual issue) and some apple and pumpkin butters for fall!

More Preserving Resources:
So Easy to Preserve – we used their Blueberry Spice jam recipe
Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving
US Dept of Agriculture Complete Guide to Home Canning & Preserving
Canning & Preserving with Ashley English (who also has a great blog)
Milwaukee Urban Ecology Center Preservation Courses

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by | September 7, 2010 · 8:19 am

Easy Pesto Salad

Ever since “secret ingredient: basil” a few weeks ago, I’ve been on a serious basil kick…mostly to the tune of this super easy pesto salad since it also uses up my garden tomatoes too. Now homemade pesto is not some revolutionary new dish but it’s just so tasty when the basil is fresh. Plus, it works great as a main dish with chicken or a crowd-pleasing BBQ/tailgate side dish and can easily be frozen for a little taste of summer come winter.
Pesto Ingredients
The pesto purists out there will probably scoff, but I prefer to use almonds instead of pine nuts in my pesto because of their health benefits and the fact that the leftovers can be used in more dishes.  Also, when I make this I don’t actually measure the ingredients, so take these estimations as a starting point for creating pesto to your taste.  I prefer my pesto to not be too oily but you can make it just the way you like it!

Easy Pesto Salad
2 C fresh basil
1/4 C (+) slivered almonds
1/4C (+) parmesan cheese
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4C (+) olive oil
1/2 – 1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 pkg bocconcini (mini mozzerella balls)
1 C grape tomatoes
1 lb pasta (cavatappi or penne shape)

Wash and dry basil. In a small food processor (I use the 3 C size) add 2/3 of the basil leaves, almonds, parmesan, garlic and half of the olive oil. Pulse several times to break down items and blend well.  Add in salt and pepper and the remaining basil leaves.  Pulse again and drizzle in remaining olive oil until pesto is getting smooth and the oil consistency meets your taste.  If you accidentally add too much oil, add more basil and/or cheese and pulse again to soak it up.

How to Make Pesto

Cook pasta to al dente in boiling water. Meanwhile, slice tomatoes in half.  If you can find the itsy bitsy mozzarella balls, simply leave them as is.  If they’re slightly larger, like the ones pictured, slice them in half or quarters.

Drain noodles and rinse with cold water.  Put pasta in a bowl and mix in pesto sauce.  Add tomatoes and mozzarella.  Stir gently until pesto is coating everything well. Taste it.  If needed, sprinkle lightly with salt to bring out flavors, stirring salt in throughout. Serve warm or cold.

Pesto Salad

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by | August 30, 2010 · 8:16 am

Retail Replicate: Fall Berry Wreath

With hints of cool air making sneak appearances in the mornings lately, I’m getting antsy for fall. Enough with the humidity and mosquitos and onto apple cider, crackling fires and cozy sweaters!

Since that might be a little premature still, I satisfied my autumn itch by making a fall wreath for my front door. Every year I see pretty wreaths all over retail-land…for beaucoup bucks. I have a hard time justifying $50+ for a wreath, even if it is reusable. So with the fall florals on sale at the craft store last week I was suckered into a bagful of scarlet faux berry branches (which my nature-loving husband informed me are staghorn sumac replicates) and wreath supplies for a total of about $18. I had never tried to make a wreath before but it turned out to be SUPER easy.

fall wreath berries

What You’ll Need:
18″ grape vine wreath
10-12 floral branches*
1/2 yd burlap
needle & beige thread
wire cutters
2 small safety pins

Use the wire cutter to clip off the individual sumac branches from each bunch. Push each branch in between the branches of the wreath, working so that the branch tips point in the same direction. Try to push each branch in as tightly as possible.

Cut two strips of burlap, approximately 3-4 inches wide. Tie one into a large, loose bow and set aside. Wrap the other around the wreath as a hanger. Match up the ends of the strip and fold over. Use safety pins to affix the bow onto the burlap hanger strip, lining it up with the wreath itself. Then, use a simple running stitch to secure the fold, sewing about 1/2″ from the edge.

* Note: You may need more or fewer branches depending on the floral you use and the look you’re going for.

DIY autumn wreath

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by | August 23, 2010 · 9:32 am

Zucchini, Prosciutto & Goat Cheese Tartelettes

Every year I find myself with an excessive amount of garden zucchini. Zucchini is at it’s best and most tender when it’s picked small – maybe 6-8 inches long and not too fat. However, every year I also inevitably miss a zucchini (or three) that was hidden under leaves or went crazy over a hot weekend, causing it to end up the size of a cave man’s club. Whoops!

Luckily, zucchinis of mammoth proportions are actually ideal for baking. While zucchini muffins/breads are delicious and I usually make multiple rounds of them, I like to play around with things like zucchini-fruit pie or this year’s Zucchini, Prosciutto & Goat Cheese Tartelettes.

I served them as a side dish for dinner but these little lovelies would be excellent for breakfast, as an appetizer or at a bridal/baby shower brunch. You could also double the recipe and make them as a full-size tart for a main dish.

Zucchini, Prosciutto & Goat Cheese Tartlettes

Prepping Your Zucchini
Small zucchini will work in this recipe but if you have a large one the best way to deal with it is to slice off the ends and core out the tough, seedy middle. Next, use a food processor or cheese grater to shred the zucchini. Finally, measure out the desired amount of zucchini for your recipe and place in the center of a paper towel. Carefully squeeze excess water out of the zucchini over the sink – this is key to not having soggy tartes or muffins!

Preparing ZucchiniShredded Zucchini

Zucchini, Prosciutto & Goat Cheese Tartelettes
Crust
1 C flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 C shortening
1 tsp vinegar
5-10 Tbsp ice water
OR pre-made pie crust

Filling
1 1/2 C zucchini, shredded & squeezed
3 oz goat cheese, crumbled
1/3 lb prosciutto
3 eggs
1 small shallot, minced
splash half & half
1 tsp dill, optional
kosher salt & black pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375. Grease 12 cups of a muffin tin. Prep pie crust (see instructions here) or roll out pre-made crust. Use a round medium-large cookie cutter to cut thin circles out of the pie dough and press each circle into a muffin cup.

Core, shred and squeeze excess water from zucchini and transfer to a medium bowl. Mince shallot and add to bowl.  Crumble in goat cheese.  Slice 2/3 of your prosciutto into small pieces, and add to mixture.  Reserve remaining prosciutto.  Whisk in eggs, half and half, dill and salt & pepper.  Spoon mixture into crusts, filling the tin about half-way full or just slightly above the edge of the crust.  Tear small “squares” of remaining prosciutto and place on top of each tartelette.  Bake for 40 minutes or until filling is puffed and slightly golden.

Zucchini Tartlette

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by | August 16, 2010 · 8:52 am

Watermelon Basil Granita & Black Pepper Shortbread

The You Choose, We Cook secret ingredient winner was…….BASIL! Since basil is sort of the darling of the kitchen garden and currently overrunning our yards, we’re pretty pumped that you picked this versatile and tasty ingredient.

basil

I’m kicking things off with a sweet and savory Watermelon Basil Granita (a special treat for those of you who voted for watermelon).  I love the way basil adds herby, slighty spicy notes to the sweet, juicy watermelon. My original plan was to make sorbet but since it was my first time attempting it, I struggled to get the watermelon to produce the right silky consistency {fail! too much water, maybe?} and so decided that a slushy granita would be just as good. If you’ve got secrets for silky sorbet I’d love to hear them!

watermelon basil

Watermelon Basil Granita
4 C seedless watermelon chunks
large handful basil, finely chopped
1/2 C sugar
3 Tbsp lemon juice

Remove rind from watermelon and slice into small cubes. I used a small, seedless personal watermelon, which was just the right amount. Place chunks in a large bowl. Chop basil and add to bowl. Add sugar to bowl and mix all elements well so that basil and sugar are evenly distributed throughout. Let flavors mingle for about 20 minutes and then transfer to a food processor or blender.

Blend watermelon until fruit is pureed. Pour into a large glass bowl or brownie pan.  Freeze for 4-5 hours until mixture is fairly frozen.  Use a fork or spoon to grate mixture into slushy chunks.  Scoop into a bowl or pretty glass and serve with shortbread.

watermelon basil granita

Keeping with the sweet and savory theme, I made black pepper shortbread cookies. The hubs will tell you that I’m a bit of a pepper addict so I love the little hint of heat that these cookies have and how it adds an umami-ish component when eaten with the granita.

black pepper shortbread

Black Pepper Shortbread
*adapted from America’s Test Kitchen
2 sticks butter, softened
2 C flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 C powdered sugar
1 1/2 tsp coarse black pepper
1 Tbsp granulated sugar for dusting
parchment paper

Preheat oven to 300. In a large bowl, beat butter and powdered sugar until creamy. Gradually beat in flour and salt. Dough will be clumpy and dry. Fold in black pepper so that it’s evenly distributed. Use your hands to press and form dough into a ball.

Place a layer of parchment paper on a baking sheet and place dough ball on top. Use your palms to press out dough into a round circle, about 1/4 inch thick. Traditionally, shortbread is then sliced into 8-12 pieces, like a pizza. You can do that or use a cookie cutter like I did to make small round cookies. Dust your pie pieces or cookies with a little granulated sugar. Bake for 40 minutes.

NOTE: If you like a little more zip, up the pepper to 2 tsp!

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by | August 9, 2010 · 9:06 am

Obsession: Cheese Pairing Party

Last week Stef and I had the good fortune to be invited to a dinner sponsored by the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Marketing Board at Milwaukee’s Bacchus restaurant with fellow Milwaukee foodie bloggers from Taste of Life, Burp Blog and Eating Milwaukee. With personal greetings from Executive Chef Adam Siegel and of course, an amazing cheese plate, the dinner had us feeling like Padma Lakshmi and Tom Colicchio were going to walk through the door at any minute.

Afterward, it had me desperately wanting to throw my own cheese pairing party.  Since “cheese plate” is practically synonymous with Sunday dinner at my in-laws I knew I had a group that would appreciate such a “party”. With a little help from Mark, the friendly and knowledgeable owner of the West Allis Cheese & Sausage Shoppe, and a few samples shared by the WMMB, the pairings were a total success.
cheese pairings

Planning a Cheese Pairing Party
A pairing party is a fun way to entertain and can be done pretty last minute.  While my sources and nearly all my cheeses were from Wisconsin, a pairing party can be done no matter where you live. Serve the pairings as an appetizer or dessert course and plan for people to “just taste” both the drinks and the cheeses. We bought small hunks of several cheese types, a few bomber bottles of beer and two wines – a Zinfandel and a Chardonnay – that could be paired with multiple of the cheeses to keep costs reasonable. However, if you’ve got a bigger budget, feel free to get experimental!

Since you want the cheese to shine, splurge a little on special artisan cheeses (it’s worth it!). Mix in some tasty extras like local honey, stone ground mustard, nuts or dried fruit. Label each of the cheeses to denote the type and recommended pairings to make it easy for guests to enjoy the best combos.

what to pair with cheesecheese and honey

The Cheeses
Here are the cheeses I included on my tasting platter, however they are just the tip of the cheese iceberg:

Cheddars
We tried: Henning’s Heritage Peppercorn Cheddar (fabulous), a medium Wisconsin cheddar
Pair with wine: A hearty red like a Zinfandel, Cabernet or Syrah/Shiraz
Pair with beer: A hoppy Pale Ale, a carmel-y Porter, like Samuel Smith Taddy Porter or nutty Brown Ale, like Rogue Hazelnut Brown Nectar

Aged Table Cheeses
We tried: Saxon Homestead Green Fields
Pair with: A full-bodied Chardonnay
Pair with: A spritzy Belgian, like Duvel (a personal fave) or a traditional pilsner like Victory Prima Pils

Carr Valley Casa Bolo Mellage
Pair with: Chardonnay or Zinfandel
Pair with: An Oktoberfest, a well-balanced red, like Lakefront’s Fixed Gear, or a nutty brown, like  Sierra Nevada Tumbler Autumn Brown

Parmesan
We tried: Bellavitano Raspberry
Pair with wine: Champagne, a dry Riesling or a light red like a Pinot Noir or Chianti
Pair with beer: A Belgian saison or a fruity Belgian lambic

Blue
We tried: Buttermilk Blue…but the Roelli Dunbarton Blue I had at Bacchus was amazing too
Pair with wine: A peppery Syrah/Shiraz or a zesty Zinfandel
Pair with beer: A potent, complex Porter or Stout, like Stone Russian Imperial Stout

Brie
We tried: Belletoile Brie – the only non-Wisconsin cheese in the bunch
Pair with wine: A fruity Chardonnay, a dry Champagne or a fruity Beaujolais
Pair with beer: A light lager or spritzy Belgian, such as Duvel

The Favorite:
Surprisingly enough, the ironic but overwhelming crowd favorite was Widmer’s Aged Brick Spread, a creamy, complex spread that’s leaps and bounds above your everyday cheese tub.  Both the wine and beer pairings here were super tasty.  I have a feeling this is going to be a part of many a holiday spread in the future!
Pair with wine: An oaky Chardonnay or a smooth Pinot Noir
Pair with beer: A complex, barrel-aged brown, such as Dogfish Head Palo Santo Marron

cheese spread

Pairing Resources:
Check out these sites for to plan the perfect pairings for your favorite local cheeses:
WMMB Interactive Guide
West Allis Cheese Shoppe Pairing Guide

Disclaimer: WMMB sponsored the Bacchus dinner and provided only a few of the cheese samples for this party.  HAP was not otherwise compensated to review the WMMB or any of the cheeses, stores or beverages mentioned here.  The opinions and recommendations here are our own.  We just really like cheese and hope that you like it too.

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by | August 3, 2010 · 8:50 am

Latin Night, Part II: Mojito Cupcakes

Today I’m finishing things up with the sweeter side of my recent Latin night for the ladies.  I’m a sucker for mojitos but when I’m entertaining a bigger group I’d rather spend my time with guests than in the kitchen so I find that making individual mojitos is too much work.

Enter mojito cupcakes! I’ve told you guys before that I like baking with booze and these treats are no exception. Tangy, sweet and boozily rich all at once.
Mojito Cupcake

Mojito Cupcakes
Makes 15 Texas size cupcakes or about 30 standard cupcakes
1 1/4 C all purpose flour
1 1/2 C self rising flour
2 C sugar
1/2 C butter, room temp
4 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1/3 C half & half
1/3 C milk
1/3 C fresh lime juice
zest of 2 limes
1 jar of lime curd

Preheat oven to 350. In a medium bowl, combine flours. In a separate bowl, beat together butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time. Beat in vanilla. Combine half and half and milk. Working in thirds, alternate in flour and milk mixtures, beating well. Add in lime juice and lime zest and beat well. Fill cupcake liners 3/4 full. Bake for 17-20 minutes. When cupcakes are cool, use a knife to carve a cone out of the cupcake center. Spoon lime curd into the center. Trim cone and replace it. Frost with mint frosting and garnish with a sprig of mint.

Mint Frosting
2 pkgs reduced fat cream cheese, room temp
1 stick butter, room temp
3 C powdered sugar
4-5 Tbsp flour
3 Tbsp rum
mint leaves
1/8 tsp mint extract

In a small bowl, muddle mint leaves and rum and let soak for 15 minutes. Wring out liquid and discard leaves. Beat together cream cheese and butter until fluffy. Beat in powdered sugar one cup at a time, adding in rum between cups. Beat in mint extract (careful: it’s really strong so you truly only need a tiny bit!). You should aim for a hint of mint flavor with the frosting – nothing overpowering. Add flour as needed to thicken.

Red Sangria

But if liquid desserts are more your speed, a classic red sangria is a great pick when you’re entertaining a crowd.

Red Sangria
2 bottles red wine
1/2 C brandy
3/4 C orange juice
3/4 C seltzer water
2 Tbsp fine sugar
1 nectarine, chopped
2 oranges, sliced
1 apple, chopped

Chop fruit into bite-size chunks. In a large pitcher combine wine, brandy, sugar and orange juice. Stir well to ensure sugar is dissolved. Add seltzer and stir. Add fruit. Let chill for 1-2 hours to combine flavors.  Note: You can also use berries or grapes if you wish.

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by | August 2, 2010 · 9:09 am

Latin Night: Slow Cooked Pork Tacos

If you’re looking for an easy but tasty menu to entertain with, this one’s a winner.

It was recently my turn to host our “Ladies Night In” and with the summer quickly slipping away I planned a menu full of zesty Latin flavors and outdoor dining to make the most of the summer heat.  Knowing that I’d only have about an hour to prep after work before the girls arrived I made sure that all of the dishes that could be prepped ahead of time or required only minutes to make.

The star of the show was the slow cooked pork tacos which taste like you spent hours slaving over them but are super simple to make thanks to a flavorful dry rub and a little work-day crock pot magic.  The juicy, smoky pork pairs perfectly with a crunchy-cool Apple-Jicama slaw and chipotle cream.  If you’ve never had it before, jicama is a crunchy root vegetable with a slightly sweet taste – like a sweeter, less starchy potato – and it’s delicious with Latin foods. The recipes below serve about 10 people.
Slow Cooke Pork Taco

Dry Rubbed Shredded Pork Tacos
pork shoulder (4-5 lbs)
Latin spice rub (below)
2 C orange juice
1/2 C water
Apple Jicama Slaw (below)
small soft taco shells
chipotle cream

Latin Spice Rub
1 Tbsp garlic powder
1 Tbsp cumin
1 Tbsp onion powder
1 Tbsp paprika
1/2 Tbsp salt
2 tsp chipotle powder
1/2 Tbsp chile powder

Combine spices in a small bowl and mix well. Place pork shoulder in a slow cooker.  Pat spice rub into the pork and coat the entire shoulder well. Pour orange juice and water into the slow cooker.  Cook on high for 4-5 hours, then let turn down the heat and cook on low for another 3-4 hours until meat is falling off the bone.  Drain excess liquid and transfer meat into serving dish.  Use 2 forks to shred pork.  Serve with small soft tortillas, slaw, chipotle cream and salsa.

Mexican Pork Taco

Apple Jicama Slaw
1 Granny Smith apple, julienned
1/2 jicama, peeled & julienned
1/2 small red onion, diced
1 small Napa cabbage, julienned
handful cilantro, roughly chopped
1/3 C olive oil
juice from 2 limes
1 tsp cumin

Chop cabbage, apple and jicama and mix in a large bowl. Add diced red onion and cilantro. In a small bowl, whisk together oil, lime juice and cumin.  Pour over slaw and toss well.

NOTE: The slaw can be prepared up to a day in advance.  Store the vegetables in a tightly sealed container and add the dressing just before serving to ensure maximum freshness.

Apple Jicama Slaw

I also whipped together some homemade salsa as a snack and topping for the tacos, since it’s so much fresher and tastier than store bought.  I use the word “whipped” literally here because all you have to do is toss the ingredients in a food processor or blender, taste test and the salsa is done.

Homemade Salsa
3-4 tomatoes, seeded
1/2 yellow onion
1/2-1 jalapeno, seeded (unless you love it hot!)
1 lime, juiced
1 Tbsp sugar
pinch cinnamon
small handful cilantro
salt

Toss tomato, onion and pepper in a food processor or blender. Blend until chunky. Add lime, cilantro, sugar and cinnamon and blend until desired consistency. Add salt to taste.

NOTE: Too hot for your taste? Sometimes it’s hard to tell with hot peppers but your salsa can be saved! Add more lime juice and dust in more sugar to mellow out the heat to taste.
homemade salsa & tortilla chips

Don’t forget: Come back tomorrow for dessert – Mojito Cupcakes & Sangria!

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by | July 26, 2010 · 8:36 am

How To: Pretty Inspiration Board

I’ve been deep in the trenches of turning my lackluster guest bedroom into a more sophisticated guest bedroom/office space. One of the key objectives was to create a space that would fuel creativity for the design work and many crafty projects that I do at home and there’s no better way to do that than with a DIY inspiration board!

I found the frame at Goodwill months ago but hadn’t been quite sure what to do with it.  Finally with the inspiration board in mind, I ditched the blah artwork and transformed the frame into a pretty and functional creative center by covering an old bulletin board with some nubby, neutral fabric.

inspiration board

Need some inspiration of your own?  Use the instructions below:

What You’ll Need:
empty picture frame
high gloss spray paint
drop cloth
bulletin board
box cutter
1 yd fabric*
staple gun or thumb tacks
1/8″ offset frame clips
sawtooth frame hangers
*Adjust the yardage based on the size of your bulletin board.

1. Spread out your drop cloth in a well-ventilated area. Spray paint your empty picture frame. Dry and spray a second coat. Dry.
2. Measure the inside of your frame. Transfer the measurements to the center of your bulletin board, marking off cutting lines to fit inside the frame.
Tip: Just buy a cheapo bulletin board from Target or a craft store…or use one you already have. It doesn’t need to be nice since you’ll be cutting it apart.
3. Carefully and slowly use a box cutter to cut through the bulletin board along the cutting lines. Cut each side and pop the piece out. Scrape any messy edges so that the edges are fairly smooth.
Tip: Since you’ll be cutting through the board with some pressure, be sure to cut on a safe surface that you don’t mind poking or scratching. I did it on the floor in my basement.
4. Iron your fabric and stretch it out on a large flat surface. Place your bulletin board on top of the fabric, cork side down.
5. Start by folding the fabric over the edges of the board, leaving a few inches beyond the edge. Trim excess if necessary. Fold in the corners to form right angles and pull the fabric tightly across the back of the board. Secure with a thumbtack or a staple gun. Repeat for each side of the board.

DIY Idea Board
6. Press covered bulletin board into the empty frame. Place two frame clips evenly spaced along the inside edges of the frame.  Screw each clip securely into the frame.
7. Measure equally from the top edge of the frame the sides and mark where you will place your frame hangers. This will make it easier to hang the frame level on your wall. Press or nail the sawtooth hangers into the back of the frame.

Framed Bulletin BoardDIY Inspiration Board

Stay tuned to see the rest of my office makeover coming soon!

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by | July 19, 2010 · 1:05 pm

Summer Berry Pies

With summer in full swing, it would be a shame not to showcase the jewels of the harvest: berries!

summer strawberries

As it turns out, making a juicy berry pie is easier than it looks since a berry-based filling requires minimal prep work. Just pick your favorite combo (see below), or choose whatever looks best at the market that day, and stir it all together!

Also, if you’ve never made your own pie crust, give it a try. It does take some practice to get the consistency and rolling down but I promise it’s well worth the extra effort.
Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

Favorite Berry Pie Combos
Strawberry Rhubarb Pie
2 C rhubarb, chopped
3 C strawberries, chopped

Black & Blue Berry Pie
3 C blueberries
2 C blackberries

Triple Berry Pie
2 1/2 C strawberries
1 1/2 C raspberries
1 1/2 blackberries

Filling
1 C + 1 Tbsp sugar
2 eggs
5 Tbsp flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp nutmeg

Double Pie Crust:
3C flour
3/4 C shortening
1 tsp salt
1 tsp vinegar
1C water with ice cubes (you may not use it all)
1 egg, beaten

Preheat oven to 350. In a large bowl, combine flour and salt.  Separately, combine vinegar and ice water.  Cut the shortening in grape-sized chunks into the dry mixture using a pastry cutter. Begin adding water to the dry mixture, 1-2 Tbsp at a time as you use the pastry cutter or your hands (take your rings off!) to work the shortening into the flour.  Continue adding water until all the flour is worked in and dough holds together but is not  sticky (you may not use all the water).  If dough gets too sticky, dust in more flour.  Divide the dough into 2 balls and place each ball between 2 sheets of floured waxed or parchment paper.  Roll out each ball with a rolling pin until it is flat and large enough to cover a pie dish.

Wash and remove stems from berries as needed. If you’re using strawberries and rhubarb, chop into small pieces. Combine fruit in a large bowl. In a small bowl combine sugar, flour, cinnamon and nutmeg. Stir well. Add in eggs and vanilla and beat with a whisk to combine. Pour filling over fruit and stir gently so as not to mash the fruit.

Place one rolled crust in the bottom of the pie dish and pour in the fruit filling.  Gently place the second sheet on top.  Pinch together the edges of the two crusts using your thumb/forefinger and other thumb to push the crust into a “U” shape. Use a knife to slice small vents in the top crust.

In a small bowl, beat one egg.  Baste egg wash over the crust.  Sprinkle crust with sugar.  Bake for 55-60 minutes or until crust is golden brown.  Serve with fresh whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

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