Author Archives: kkregel

by kkregel | October 20, 2009 · 8:00 am

Metal & Wood: At Home with Katie

I’ve known Katie since we were in braces and I can attest to her Metal essence with a side of Wood. To my 7^th grade envy, she was always the most meticulous, crafty and active chick of the bunch. Much as we tried, no one could quite master her perfect handwriting or the way she pulled off the teal Five Star binder (how did it just look better on her arm?). Katie’s Metal essence has turned her into the Martha Stewart that she is and the active, growth-oriented Wood supports her as she masters each new project. Watch out, because Katie’s elements are the perfect recipe for success.

Not surprisingly, Katie’s essence in her home brings one word to mind: Perfection. Metal comes through everywhere, from elegant framed Parisian scenes to classic white moldings and a curved crystal chandelier fit for Gatsby himself.

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Even the details ooze Metal – from the stack of high-end books on the coffee table to the elegant door knobs, which I imagine are one of Katie’s favorite details in her house.

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katiebed

Katie’s underlying Wood is more subtle. Of course, the actual wood floors and wooden furniture like her dining room and coffee tables make a statement. But my favorite way to bring Wood energy into your home is by bringing the outside in with plants. Katie brings her garden inside with beautiful vases of sedum placed throughout different rooms and tomatoes ripening on her window sill.

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Not only does Katie’s home really honor her authentic self, but it’s balanced with some wonderful intentional energies. The homage to her husband’s hunting with antlers placed throughout the home is a fun way to add some Fire and perfect for the rooms they entertain in! She has also brought nurturing Earth energy into all the best places – the soft, nubby rug in the living room and warm orange tones in the kitchen make me want to sit down for a nice big cup of cider. Earthy intentions are key for Katie as she settles into family life with her husband!

katieantlers

Catherine’s Picks for Katie:

Metal
– Light colors like pastels and whites
– Anything metal or metallic
– Elegant, classy pieces
– Round shapes

Wood
– Wood or plant materials
– Plant or floral prints/shapes
– Teals, Blues, Greens

Stores to try: Restoration Hardware, West Elm

cat-picks-katie

Clockwise: Sage Silk Duponi drapes, Metal Vine Framed Mirror, Hunter Original Wellies in Green, White Floral Accent Knobs

4 Comments

Filed under Decorate

Tagged as home decor

by kkregel | October 19, 2009 · 8:22 am

Elemental Home Decor with Catherine Sheppard

Welcome to Elemental Home Decor Week at HAP! We’re so excited to have Fashion Feng Shui expert, Catherine Sheppard, from The Life Styled! guest blogging with us!

This week Catherine will take a look at each of our homes and help us find ways to determine and bring out our Fashion Feng Shui elemental essence in our home decor styling. Read more about Catherine (and her home!):

Hi Catherine! Tell us a little bit about yourself.
thrine I grew up in Northfield, MN (with Katie), and moved to New York for college at NYU, where I majored in communications. I’m a small town Minnesota girl at heart though. I worked in entertainment marketing and events for awhile, but then I moved to Los Angeles with my husband Ian right when the economy tanked a year ago. The lack of job opportunities led me to reevaluate my life and start a career in something I’m passionate about. Here I am a year later, thisclose to launching my fashion styling business!

So a lot of people have heard of Feng Shui, but what is Fashion Feng Shui and how did you get started doing it?
Fashion Feng Shui® takes some of the principles of Feng Shui; the elemental energies, and applies them to our clothing. Through the five elements – water, wood, earth, fire, and metal, we can dress to honor our authentic selves (our essence) and what we want to bring into our lives (our intentions). It’s a way to weed through all the trends that are wrong for you and those clothes in your closet that you never wear to figure out exactly what works for you.

Ooh, tell us more about these elements.
Each element has an archetype – Water is the Philosopher, Wood is the Pioneer, Earth is the Peacemaker, Fire is the Pleasure Seeker, and Metal is the Perfectionist. Each one of us has an essence that can be represented by one of these. That’s the lens through which you view the world around you and the core of Fashion Feng Shui. You can dress your essence by always having the clothes associated with that element present in your wardrobe. However, we often bring in the other elements as well to honor our appearance (what flatters us), intentions (our goals) and our lifestyle (daily activities/environment).

thrinemakeup Can you be more than one element? What element(s) are you?
Kind of, but not really. Some people debate between a few before they settle on their one essential element, but in most cases, there is one left standing that really drives you. However, most of us have an underlying essence that supports our primary essence. I am a close call between Fire and Metal, but Fire is what really must be there in order for me to feel comfortable. So, Metal is my underlying – by a hair. Some people are a lot more clear cut though – my mom is the poster child for Earths.

So what’s an easy way for someone to figure out their own elemental essence and intention?
It takes a little self exploration. You have to think realistically about yourself and not just who you think you should be or what your life demanded you become. It’s about what drives you at the core. There is a brief quiz you can take and you can also read more about it on my blog, thelifestyled.blogspot.com.

You work mostly with fashion styling but how could someone apply these same ideas to styling their home?
Your home should always reflect the elements of your personality, but you also want to have balance. Certain rooms need different energies. For example, the kitchen should have Earth energy since that’s where we eat home cooked food and do our best nurturing and any room that you have parties in should have a little Fire.

thrineyarn

Any favorite home styling tricks you’re willing to divulge to us?
The best way to bring great style into your home is in the small decorative, seemingly frivolous things. They really make all the difference. A ruffly lamp shade, an interesting piece of artwork in the hallway, a Bristish flag pillow… All those things are small, but they are the key pieces your home is remembered by. I recently bought a big spool of pink vintage yarn. I thought, “What am I going to do with this?” but now it’s the heart of my office. Also, I learned from my mom that bringing a plant or some flowers into a room really brings it to life – literally.

What are three items you couldn’t live without in your home?
The giant French memo board my mom and I made for over my desk, Russell and Hazel office accessories and the iron/mosaic orange bistro table that Ian and I snagged from the dumpster of a nearby café.

thrineoffice

thrinetable

thrinebed

Find YOUR essence:
Curious about your essence? These helpful posts on Catherine’s blog put the elements into everyday terms and make for a really fun distraction!

Your Essence: Celebrity Comparisons
Elements of Fashion Styling
Look Book: Polyvore Element Styling
A Little of This, A Little of That? Two Element Combos

3 Comments

Filed under Decorate, Interviews

Tagged as home decor

by kkregel | October 15, 2009 · 3:10 pm

HAP Sneak Peek!

As the holiday season approaches, we have LOTS of exciting things planned over here at Haute Apple Pie. While we won’t be sharing all of our secrets quite yet, we couldn’t resist giving you a sneak peek into the fun that is waiting in the wings for next week: HAP Elemental Home Decor!

Los Angeles Fashion Feng Shui expert and my dear, long-time friend, Catherine Sheppard, will be guest blogging with us on how to find your feng shui elemental essence and how to honor it in your home decor. She’ll be analyzing each of the HAP Ladies’ home and decor styles to determine our elements and then offering her picks for enhancing them with furniture, paint, accessories and more!

To really dig in, we’ll be blogging Monday through Thursday next week so be sure to come visit!

katie

Sweet Potato, Onion & Goat Cheese Tart

With our secret ingredient this week my thoughts originally went to a holiday favorite – sweet potatoes with marshmallows. Unfortunately, my husband won’t eat them. Instead, I whipped up this savory appetizer which sneaks sweet potatoes in with other crowd-pleasing ingredients to earn compliments from even the biggest sweet potato skeptics.

Sweet Potato, Onion & Goat Cheese Tart
2 sm sweet potatoes, peeled
2 medium onions, chopped
1 pkg puff pastry
1 oz goat cheese
1/3C chicken broth
2 Tbsp half & half (or cream)
splash balsamic vinegar
kosher salt and black pepper
fresh thyme and sage, minced

potato2

Preheat oven to 400. Thinly slice one peeled potato into coins and the other into small chunks. Place the coins on a baking sheet, drizzle with a little olive oil and roast for 15 min until just soft. Place the chunks in a pot of water and bring to a boil, cooking until very soft.

potato1

Thinly slice the onions and toss lightly with oil in a large skillet. Season with salt, pepper and thyme. As the onions begin to carmelize, add half of the chicken broth and balsamic vinegar, scraping any browned bits off the pan into the broth for flavor. Continue cooking until liquid is gone and repeat, adjusting the temperature until onions are carmelized to a golden brown, approx. 20-25 min.

Roll out the puff pastry into a long sheet. Use a knife to slice a 2 inch edge off each side, forming a rectangle with the remainder. Slice the trimmings in half and layer two pieces on each side of the rectangle to form raised edges, like a picture frame. Using a fork, poke holes in the center of the pastry but not on the edges. Bake for 15 minutes until beginning to puff.

In a small bowl, beat the boiled potato chunks and half & half until creamy. Season with salt and spread the potato cream over center section of the puff pastry “frame”. Layer onions, goat cheese (broken into bits) and potato coins on top. Sprinkle with salt and sage. Bake at 400 for 25-30 min, or until puff pastry is golden brown and bottom is crisped. Cook times may vary by oven so check in on your pastry part way through cooking.

katie

potatotart3

5 Comments

Filed under Appetizers

Tagged as reader's choice, sweet potato

by kkregel | October 11, 2009 · 9:28 pm

You Called It: Sweet Potatoes

Looks like the HAP readers love seasonal ingredients as much as we do! For our first HAP Ingredient Three Ways you got right into the spirit of fall by choosing sweet potatoes. Earthy, colorful and chock full of vitamins, sweet potatoes are surprisingly versatile, easily working in both sweet and savory dishes.

We’ll be serving them up all week long so don’t forget to check back!

Summer-Meets-Fall Tomato Soup

To me, nothing says fall like the return of comfort foods like soup and chili. Not only can you pretty much include whatever ingredients you like but they’re easy and can be made in big batches for yummy leftovers.

Since tomatoes are still in season and plentiful in both stores and gardens, homemade Tomato Soup is one of my favorite summer-meets-fall dishes. I wasn’t always a huge fan of tomato soup but I discovered that a freshly flavored (and healthy!) homemade version is impossible to resist.

basil

Summer-Meets-Fall Roasted Tomato Soup
2 lbs fresh tomatoes, mix of Roma, vine-ripe (whatever looks good)
1 small onion, roughly chopped
1 28oz can whole peeled tomatoes
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
1 quart chicken (or vegetable) broth
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp sherry
1/2C half & half
4 Tbsp butter
2 bay leaves
fresh basil, roughly chopped
Kosher salt, black pepper
crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
grated parmesan cheese (optional)

Heat oven to 450. Roughly chop fresh tomatoes and onion. Mix together on a baking sheet with the garlic cloves. Drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper and roast for 20-30 minutes until peeling and soft.
tomonion
Move the tomatoes, onions and garlic to a stockpot or Dutch oven, heat on med-high. Add canned tomatoes with juices, broth, butter, bay leaves, along with vinegar and sherry, to taste. Use a potato masher to smash up the chunks and simmer on med-low for 10-15 min.

Remove the bay leaves. Use an immersion blender to puree the soup in the pot. Or use a standard blender/food processor and work in batches to puree soup to a semi-smooth texture. Add half & half and basil, stir well. Season with salt, pepper and red pepper flakes to taste.

Return to your childhood by serving with grilled cheese! Let soup simmer while you make your sandwich and garnish soup with parmesan cheese to serve.

katie

tomsoup

10 Comments

Filed under Cook, Garden, Main Dish

Tagged as Garden, Healthy, kid-friendly, Soup

by kkregel | September 28, 2009 · 9:24 am

Laundry on the Cheap

In “these tough times” I’ve been looking into any household option that saves money. So a few weeks ago when my aunt-in-law mentioned that she makes her own laundry detergent I begged her for details. As it turns out, making your own detergent is not only cheap but it’s easy too. It took me about 5 minutes to grate the soap, swirl together the ingredients and voila, instant detergent!

DIY Laundry Detergent
laundry 2 C finely grated soap (just use a cheese grater)
1 C washing soda
1 C Borax

Mix well and use 1-2 Tbsp per load of wash, depending on the load size.

The ingredients: Washing soda is naturally-derived, environmentally-safe sodium carbonate. Borax is also a naturally-derived mineral compound. They can both be found in the cleaning or laundry supplies aisles at most grocery stores for around $2.50-$3.50 for large boxes.

You can use any basic soap bar, like Ivory or Fels Naptha, or spend a few extra bucks for a particular scent you like. I used Whole Foods’ brand French-milled soap in a lovely “Milk” scent for around $3.99. Do be careful not to get too perfume-y as it can be irritating to sensitive skin. And like most detergents or cleaners, keep your new detergent on a high shelf away from kids and pets to avoid ingestion.

The verdict: My laundry is totally clean, fresh-smelling and cheap. It even lifted a stubborn patch of dirt from one of Bill’s scummy fishing shirts!

DIY Drycleaning
laundress Ugh, drycleaning. An annoyance to the schedule and the wallet. Well luckily, as long as your home or apartment has a sink or tub you can “DIY” drycleaning too!

The Laundress’ Wool & Cashmere shampoo seems a bit pricey at around $18 per bottle but since you only need a squirt or two per “load” the bottle seems to last forever, making it significantly cheaper in the long run. Plus it’s made from biodegradable and non-toxic ingredients and has a yummy woodsy scent.

Check out The Laundress ladies’ video on how to properly wash your wool items before you get started. You’ll want to invest in a cheap wash bucket and drying rack as well.

katie

3 Comments

Filed under DIY

Tagged as DIY

by kkregel | September 21, 2009 · 11:16 am

Hunters & Gatherers

My husband hunts. I gather. We always say that if we lived in ancient times, we’d be set. As much as I’d like to have a large, lush backyard garden the reality is that my urban backyard is about the size of a basketball court so I do most of my gathering elsewhere. On Saturday, with Bill off hunting in the Wisconsin north woods with his new favorite toy, the best rangefinder of 2017. I set off to one of my favorite weekend destinations: the farmer’s market.

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If you’ve never checked out your local farmer’s markets, you’re missing out. The benefits are almost endless – supporting your local economy, reducing your environmental impact, stocking up on fresher, tastier produce and cheap, beautiful flowers and simply enjoying yourself as you browse the best of each season.

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There are farmer’s markets in nearly every city and town. Check out these sites or your local newspaper to find one close to you:
www.localharvest.org
apps.ams.usda.gov/FarmersMarkets/
And if you’re in the Milwaukee area, check out one of our many markets.

I’m partial to the West Allis market but was thrilled to hear talk of a new market in downtown Tosa! There is a “test run” this Saturday morning, Sept. 26. Come support it so that it returns in the spring!

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The season is almost over for the year so get out and find one this weekend!

katie

2 Comments

Filed under Fab Finds

Tagged as farmers market, organic

by kkregel | September 14, 2009 · 7:24 pm

A Slice of Garden? Yes, Please!

Zucchini can be a crazy little plant. Last week, after zucchini pasta, zucchini quiche and eight loaves of zucchini bread, I found myself wracking my brain for ways to use the unending pile of squash sitting on my counter. Desperately I wondered “if it works in bread, could it work in a pie?”

A pure zucchini pie seemed like a stretch so I strolled around the farmer’s market until I came across a bag of small baking apples. Yes! It would be apple pie but not! Toss in some fat, juicy raspberries and suddenly it would be not only a great use of my garden bounty, but a “haute” apple pie for my first post – slightly offbeat and definitely desirable.

Apple-Raspberry-Zucchini Pie

Double Pie Crust:
(or feel free to use your own crust!)
3C flour
1 1/4C shortening
1 tsp salt
1 tsp vinegar
1C ice water (you may not use it all)
1 egg, beaten

Filling:
1 bag of small, tart apples; peeled, cored, thinly sliced
3-4C zucchini; peeled and thinly sliced
2 pkgs raspberries
1/2C sugar, plus extra for dusting
¼C brown sugar
¼ tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp salt
1 Tbsp lemon juice

Preheat oven to 375. Peel, core and slice apples and zucchini, keeping slices of similar thickness for even baking. Place on baking sheet. In a small bowl, combine sugars, cinnamon, salt and lemon juice. Toss over zucchini and apple slices, coating evenly and bake for 15-20 minutes or until fruit is slightly soft. Let cool while making your crust and gently stir in raspberries.

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. Begin adding water to the dry mixture, 1-2 Tbsp at a time as you use your hands (take off any rings first!) or a scraper 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. 091409-2

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 create 6 ventilation slits in the top crust. Brush a beaten egg over the crust and dust with sugar. Bake at 375 for 45-55 min. until crust is lightly golden in color, rotating the pie after 25 minutes for even baking.

The verdict: Delicious! The zucchini really takes on the flavors of the other fruit and has a consistency that’s nearly identical to the apples. It received positive reviews from my husband’s pleasantly surprised family.
katie