Author Archives: kkregel

Will’s Modern Woodland Nursery

A few months ago I shared my nursery inspiration board and now that Will has arrived it’s time to share the finished room! Since outdoor activities are a certain part of Will’s future, I stuck to my original plan of incorporating woodsy elements in a way that both my husband and I would love. Neutral base colors offset by lots of bright accents around the room helped achieve the calm yet whimsical feel we were going for.



I updated an old bookcase with white paint to hold Will’s toys and many children’s books. Additional toys are stashed in a brightly colored plastic container to prevent the pooch from chewing on them. A fluffy flokati rug softens up the heavy furniture and adds cushion to the hardwood floors for playing.
My favorite part about the room are the many accent pieces that were handmade by family, friends or myself, such as these deer blankets and pillows. Using silhouettes paired with glossy white pieces, like the antler mount or owl lamp, make the outdoorsy elements feel more modern than hunting lodge.



Resources:
Birch Stencil: Cutting Edge Stencils
Wall Paint: Benjamin Moore in Bleeker Beige
Crib & Dresser: Munire
Bookcase: Vintage – I refinished it using this technique
Rocking Chair – Vintage
Flokati Rug: Overstock.com
Owl Lamp & Stump Side Table: West Elm
Deer Blanket: handmade by Flee Fly Flown
Crib Bedding: Pottery Barn Kids
Deer Pillow & Window Treatments: handmade by my mom
Bird Mobile: handmade, inspired by this Design*Sponge DIY
ABC Prints & Antler Mount: handmade by me

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Filed under Decorate, Family

Double Double Toil and Trouble Halloween Party

We’ve been bewitching you this week with treats from our Double Double Toil and Trouble Halloween post over on Eat Wisconsin Cheese. Today we want to share a few fun decor tips that will help bring your party to life.

Playing off of the witches chant from Shakespeare’s Macbeth, you can get as creepy or as classy as you would like with your decor (we like to be just a little creep and mostly class). As much as we love pumpkins, the old black and orange Halloween party can feel a little worn. Using a black and purple color scheme and common witch items like a cauldron, broom, hat, you can make a beautiful tablescape, great for any Halloween inspired get-together.

Serve up a few deliciously cheesy treats with a dark Witches Brew to wash it down. It’s time to bring out that little dark side of yours, because at this soiree “Fair is Foul and Foul is Fair.”

Here are a few party tips:

• Serve your party treats with Witches Brew. Use a dark red wine, grape juice or other dark stout as a base for a spooky cocktail. Freeze peeled grapes to use as ice cubes.
• Take it a step further and create an eerie ambiance by using dry ice to serve smoking cocktails.

• Create a spellbook menu by printing up a menu in old font (We like Auld Magick) and lay the pages in a large book covered in paper or burlap. Burn the edges of the paper with a lighter for a scary look and feel.
• Use black beans or black/purple jelly beans in the bottom of a glass jars or vases to set out silverware.
• Dress up your table using dripping black candles in tarnished candle holders.
• Hang paper bats and faux cobwebs from a chandelier above your table.
• Put together a tasteful Halloween floral arrangement using dark purple flowers.
• Create food tags from black construction paper to look like bats, witches hats or broomsticks or simply create on plain white paper and burn the edges of the paper to give it a Halloween feel.

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Filed under Fall, Holidays

Chocolate Blackberry Witch Stockings

For our spooky Halloween dessert from our entertaining guest blog over at Eat Wisconsin Cheese blog, we made these mini chocolate brownie stacks, inspired by striped witch stockings. The whimsical presentation and perfect combination of rich chocolate, creamy mascarpone and tangy berry jam makes for a dessert that will leave guests, ahem, spellbound.

As a bonus, you can use the extra brownie bits leftover from your circle cutouts to top ice cream sundaes!

Chocolate Blackberry Witch Stockings
1 box German chocolate cake mix
½ C butter, melted
1/3 C milk
4 oz mascarpone cheese
2 pints blackberries and/or raspberries (or premade preserves*)
¼ C sugar
1 tsp lemon juice
2 tsp cornstarch
1 C chocolate chips*

Preheat oven to 350. In a medium bowl, whisk together cake mix, melted butter and milk until batter is thick but fully moistened. Press batter into a 13×9 cake pan or spread across a cookie sheet. Top with chocolate chips if you are using them. Bake for 20-23 minutes. Cool completely.

Meanwhile, add berries to a small sauce pan and smash them with a potato masher. Heat berries over medium heat and whisk in sugar, lemon juice and cornstarch. Continue cooking, whisking occasionally, for about 20-25 minutes until jam has reduced by about 1/3 and is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Remove from heat and cool completely in the refrigerator.

Use a small cookie or biscuit cutter (preferable 1 ½” diameter) to cut circles from the brownie. Depending on the thickness of your brownie, slice each circle in half horizontally (note: if your brownie is quite thin you can skip this step). Lay out the bottom halves and top halves separately on a cutting board. Spread a thin layer of mascarpone and a small dollop of blackberry preserves on the bottom halves. Next, carefully stack one layered bottom half on top of another and complete your stocking by topping off with a top half. Continue repeating until you have used all your slices.

*optional: Save time by substituting pre-made blackberry preserves for the homemade preserves. Chocolate chips are optional as well.

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Filed under Holidays, Treats

Cauldron Beer Cheese Fondue

Double, double toil and trouble
Fire burn and cauldron bubble
Easy crafts to make and be seen
Whip up some treats, it’s Halloween!

Halloween is such a fun time of the year, so why not dress up your party like you would yourself? We put together a Double Double Toil and Trouble witch-themed Halloween party for our stint as featured bloggers for the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board’s Halloween Entertaining segment. We used just a few simple store-bought and/or DIY props and paired them with a few delicious fall treats featuring Wisconsin cheeses.

We kicked off our party with a creamy Beer Cheese Fondue, served in a cauldron-like casserole dish with thin Italian breadsticks and sliced baguettes for dipping.

Cauldron Beer Cheese Fondue
3 Tbsp butter
1 C milk
2 Tbsp flour
2/3 C Oktoberfest or amber beer
1 1/2 C Smoked Gouda, shredded
1 1/2 C Sharp Cheddar, shredded
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1/4 tsp Worchestershire
1/4 – 1/2 tsp cayenne, to taste
salt & pepper, to taste

In a large sauce pan, melt butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour to thicken, taking care not to burn, and then gradually whisk in milk until mixture is semi-thick and smooth. Continue whisking while adding beer. Next, gradually whisk in cheeses allowing each addition of cheese to melt before adding the next. Once cheese is melted, whisk in mustard, Worchestershire and cayenne. Add salt and pepper to taste to bring out flavors.

Serve warm with thin Italian breadsticks and slices of French baguette for dipping. Stick breadsticks into the sliced bread to create “broomsticks”.

Be sure to check back later this week for more Halloween recipes and our Halloween decor ideas!

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Filed under Appetizers, Holidays

Baked Apple Pancake

With my mom visiting for the weekend and a little spare time on Sunday morning, we decided to make a German-style baked apple pancake using a recipe that my mom had recently been experimenting with and our organic Honeycrisp apples from Peck & Bushel Fruit Company.

Even though this puffy pancake looks dramatic (if only for a few minutes before it deflates!), I found it easier than normal pancakes because you bake one for the entire family and don’t have to sit over the griddle flipping individual platefuls.  A great way to use only a few apples and still have some for snacking on!

Baked Apple Pancake
2 apples, cored, peeled and sliced into thin wedges
2 Tbsp brown sugar
2 Tbsp butter, divided
1/2 C flour
1/2 C half & half
4 eggs
2 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp salt
1/4 C pecans
powdered sugar, maple syrup and/or whipped cream for serving

Preheat oven to 450. In a cast iron pan or oven-safe pan, melt 1 Tbsp butter and brown sugar. Add apples and saute over med-low heat for 7-8 minutes or until apples are beginning to soften but aren’t mushy. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, melt other 1 Tbsp butter and whisk in half and half. Add eggs, one and a time, and vanilla and continue whisking until combined. Next, whisk in sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Whisk in flour, beating gently until batter is mostly smooth.

Gently use a fork to arrange apples evenly across the bottom of the pan. Slowly(!) pour batter into pan over apples. Pouring too fast will cause the apples to move around. Sprinkle pecans evenly on top. Bake in pan for 13-15 minutes until pancake is puffy and golden brown. Remove from oven and dust with powdered sugar. Serve immediately with whipped cream or maple syrup.

Apples Galore! FoodNetwork.com Fall Fest

We’re participating in FoodNetwork.com‘s Fall Fest with lots of other great food bloggers! Check out these other delicious apple dishes:
CIA Dropout: Apple-Roasted Duck
Cooking Channel: Add Apples to Your Salad
The Cultural Dish: Apple Cider Martini
And Love It Too: Fried Apples (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Soy-Free and Vegan)
From My Corner of Saratoga: Easy Skillet Apple Pie (A Southern Living Recipe Reviewed)
Haute Apple Pie: Baked Apple Pancake
Virtually Vegan Mama: Slow Cooker Apple Date Butter
Big Girls Small Kitchen: Apple Pancakes
What’s Gaby Cooking: Apple Cake
FN Dish: Savory Apple Recipes
Napa Farmhouse 1885: Roasted Apple and Caramelized Onion Soup
The Sensitive Epicure: Pan Fried Apple Rings (Gluten-Free)
Glory Foods: Caramel Apple Upside Down Cupcakes
Daily*Dishin: Apple, Bacon, Feta Salad With Maple Vinaigrette
Dishin & Dishes: Old Fashioned Apple Crisp
Cooking With Elise: Wholegrain Apple Oat Pancakes

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Filed under Breakfast

Apple Picking with Peck & Bushel

When Peck & Bushel Fruit Company invited us to come check out their new organic apple orchard, they had us at “Honeycrisp”. Plus, we couldn’t resist an excuse to plan a week full of apple recipes!

The morning we arrived, we were met by owners Joe and Jennifer Fahey, who not only toured us around the orchard but had thoughtfully pre-picked some of their tangy, delicious Honeycrisps for us. While Joe passionately told us about the challenges and rewards of growing organic fruit, Jennifer chatted about dressing up place settings with the lowly mini crab apples they use for pollinating and an apple dumpling recipe she’d been playing with. Their enthusiasm for turning their harvest into a community experience makes the Faheys the kind of people you want to have a picnic with.

Peck & Bushel currently has around 4000 dwarf apple trees in nine different varieties, including the fabulous Honeycrisps. Since this is only their second year growing, Peck & Bushel is only selling pre-picked apples this year at the orchard and select local farmers markets and grocery stores in the Milwaukee area (they plan to offer pick-your-own next fall!).

Joe also shared that within the next few years they plan to grow organic sweet cherries and offer treats like signature apple pastries and fresh and hard ciders.



As we tromped around the orchard, Stef’s little boy, Lincoln, thoroughly enjoyed snacking on the apples and made an adorable helper.



A big thanks to Peck & Bushel! We’re excited to see you again next year! If you live in the Milwaukee area, be sure to check out their orchard. And no matter where you live, be sure to stop back later this week for our latest apple concoctions.

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Filed under Interviews

Fall Outdoor Wedding on the Lake

I recently had the pleasure of attending the wedding of my lovely cousin, Colleen, and her new husband, Tim. The outdoorsy couple chose to have a lakeside wedding at a northern Wisconsin resort and thought of every detail to create the perfect mix of sweet and quirky to match their fun-loving personalities.

Photo by Lucas Botz Photography

Custom wooden signs by Trueconnection directed guests to various wedding events with a lighthearted sense of humor.

The ceremony was held lakeside.  Bridesmaids wore knee-length red dresses, flip flops and gorgeous gold jewelry made by 3 Maries Designs, a friend of Colleen’s, while the men wore suits with striped ties.



Photos by Dan Cooley

Cocktail tables were set with burlap runners and little vintage jars filled with custom straws from Bab’s Giddygappers for guests to sip signature drinks and a casual seating chart led guests to their table in lieu of place cards that could blow away in the outdoor setting.

 

Cheerful banners by Liddabits and little white lights brightened the reception tent.


Tables were adorned with burlap runners and several small, unique arrangements of colorful fall florals and candles in vintage glass jars and apothecary bottles.  Jars were accented by custom ribbons from The Lonely Heart with the couple’s nicknames or the phrase “je t’aime” in honor of when Colleen lived in France.  Colleen arranged the reception flowers herself with the help of family and friends.

Table numbers were tucked into large vintage Ball jars filled with red, orange or yellow jelly beans – perfect for a little post-dinner treat. Guests were encouraged to fill out custom mad libs from August Press and read them to the couple instead of clinking glasses to earn a public smooch.  Custom wire “Mr” and “Mrs” signs from The Funky Shack marked the bride and groom’s seats.



A photo station full of silly props helped guests to let loose at the reception. Even the bride’s parents and little flower girls got in on the action.

Photo by Lucas Botz Photography

Photo by Lucas Botz Photography
All in all, it was a perfect weekend for a perfect couple!

Resort: Dillman’s Bay Resort
Wildbooth Photos: Lucas Botz Photography
Bride’s Dress: Jim Hjelm
Bridesmaid Dresses: Simple Silhouettes from Flutter boutique, Minneapolis
Reception Flowers: FiftyFlowers.com (Wholesale – arranged by bride)
Bridal Bouquets: Just Bloomed, Minneapolis

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Filed under Weddings

Slow Cooker Turkey Mole

I originally had a different post planned for today but since we’re on the topic of slow cookers, I thought I’d share my slow cooker experiment from this past weekend. For some reason the hubs got it in his head that we needed to have this “amazing” mole I had once made with his wild turkey. While I remembered making it, I had no idea how I made it the first time.

My plan to appease him was to just follow a recipe, however traditional moles call for an assortment of dried chili peppers which I couldn’t find at my grocery store and would probably need to go to a Hispanic grocer to find. So I’ll start out by saying that this is not a “traditional” mole but an improvised experiment.

It uses a lot of ingredients and is not a “quick” meal per se, however since the slow cooker is doing all the work on the turkey you’ll only need to make the sauce – which is mostly just blending things. It’s a good hearty meal for a lazy fall afternoon of watching football.


Slow Cooked Turkey
2 large turkey legs or 1 package of turkey “legs and thighs” (chicken would work too)
1 Tbsp chili powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp chipotle powder or 1 pureed chipotle pepper
16 oz chicken broth
1/2 can fire roasted tomatoes
brown rice
cotija cheese

Remove skins from legs.  In a small bowl, combine chili powders, salt and garlic powder.  Pat spice mix onto meat and place into a slow cooker.  Cover with tomatoes and chicken broth.  Cook on low heat for 6-8 hours or on high heat for 4-5 hours until meat is tender and falling off the bone.

Mole Sauce
1 poblano pepper
1 red pepper
2 italian red sweet peppers (long skinny red ones)
1 jalapeno pepper
1/4 C almonds
1/4 C pepitas (roasted pumpkin seeds)
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp cloves
1/4 tsp allspice
dash oregano
1/2 small onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 can fire roasted tomatoes (remaining from before)
10-12 grape tomatoes
1/4 C chocolate chips (I like milk chocolate)
1/4 C chicken broth
1/4 C slow cooker cooking liquid
salt to taste

Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Slice peppers in half, removing stems and most seeds (all seeds if you’re afraid of spice). Place peppers on foil and broil for 5-7 minutes until they are charred but not burnt through. Let cool and peel off charred skins. Place in saute pan with a little oil and continue to cook/char until peppers are soft. Remove from pan and set aside.

In a blender, add almonds, pepitas, cinnamon, cloves, allspice and oregano. Blend until nuts are finely ground. Next, in the same saute pan, saute onion and garlic in 1 Tbsp of olive oil. When they begin to soften, add remaining canned tomatoes and grape tomatoes. Continue cooking until grape tomatoes begin to split and onion is soft. Add to blender and puree. Add roasted peppers and chicken broth and continue to puree until mixture is smooth. Transfer to a sauce pan and warm over med-low heat. Add chocolate chips and 1/4 C of liquid taken from the slow cooker. Stir until chocolate is melted.  Season lightly with salt.

Place shredded turkey into the saute pan and coat with sauce.  Stir well to combine and heat over low just to warm.

Serve with brown rice, cotija cheese and extra pepitas.


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Filed under Main Dish

Creamy Goat Cheese Potato Salad

I know it’s all-American and what not, but it’s a struggle for me to like potato salad. Not the mayo-y ones and definitely not the vinegary German style ones (sorry Grandma). The hubs feels the same. But we had been getting sick of the same old side dishes and while flipping through my recipe binder I found this goat cheese based potato salad recipe that I had pulled from a Martha Stewart Living awhile ago.

While potato salad and I aren’t really friends, goat cheese and I are pretty much BFFs. Could goat cheese be the magic ingredient that would convert us into fans of this classic summer side? Indeed it could! It delivers the creaminess of mayo without the uber-richness plus a slight tang. With plenty of potatoes at the farmer’s market these days, this recipe is one I’ll be keeping in rotation.

Creamy Goat Cheese Potato Salad
from Martha Stewart Living
10-15 medium red potatoes
2 Tbsp white wine vinegar
2 tsp dijon mustard
3 Tbsp olive oil
1 shallot, minced
2 celery stalks, chopped
4 oz goat cheese
handful flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
salt and pepper to taste

Chop potatoes into bite sized chunks and place in a large sauce pan or stockpot. Cover with water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook until potatoes are tender but slightly al dente. Reserve 1 Tbsp of cooking liquid. Drain remaining water from potatoes.

Transfer potatoes into a large bowl. Add celery and shallot and toss gently to combine. In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, mustard, vinegar and reserved cooking liquid. Pour oil mixture evenly over potatoes. Gently mix in goat cheese until it becomes creamy and evenly disbursed over potatoes. Mix in chopped parsley and season with salt and pepper to balance out flavors.

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Filed under Sides

Fall Wreath Revamp

With fall just around the corner, I wanted to get in the spirit with a little fall decor. Last year I made a super easy faux berry door wreath that I loved. This year I wanted something new but with a newborn, I barely have time to shower much less spend time making a new wreath.

However, while cruising Jo Ann Fabrics for some baby-related items the other day I was conned into a wreath revamp by a sale on faux florals. I added some bright orange berries, wheat, burnt orange flowers and a few feathers to give last year’s wreath a little makeover in just a few minutes.

What do you think? Which version do you like?

Last Year’s Fall Wreath:
fall wreath berries

This Year’s Updated Wreath:

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Filed under Decorate, DIY