Author Archives: Anne

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About Anne

Family: my wonderful husband, Adam, and our amazing little girl, Isla Dwelling: a small Cape Cod in the suburbs Real job: Human Resources Coordinator and Office Manager for DeskArmor, LLC. Homemaker tip: Even the simplest food can look elegant if you serve it properly. Presenting food on adorable platters is an easy way to impress guests. I am ashamed to admit that: I have never used a lawn mower. (I am blessed with a husband who takes pride in his yard) Three foods I can’t live without: cheese, olive oil, and chicken fingers Most important lesson learned: being a mom is the hardest job you’ll ever love One thing I am afraid of running out of: Clorox anywhere spray…and diapers
by | October 28, 2009 · 6:47 am

Quick Pasta Carbonara

I love quick and easy recipes and this pasta dish from Kraft has become one of my staple weeknight meals. Although it has very few ingredients, it is quite rich and satisfying and can be made in a snap!

Plus, it’s got bacon in it. Everything is better with bacon.

pasta carbonara close small

Pasta Carbonara

½ lb. fettuccine noodles
4 slices bacon
4 oz. Cream Cheese, cubed
½ cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
¾ cup milk
1 cup frozen or canned peas
½ tsp. garlic powder

Cook noodles as directed.

Meanwhile, cook the bacon in a skillet until crispy. Remove the bacon and set aside. Reserve 2 Tbsp. of the drippings in skillet. That is usually about what is left in the pan after cooking 4 strips of bacon.

Add the remaining ingredients to the bacon drippings. Go ahead and just dump them all in there. No need to add one at a time and stir until combined. This is a quick and easy pasta dish, remember? And I promise it will turn out just as good.

Cook the mixture on low heat until cream cheese is melted and mixture is well blended and heated through, stirring occasionally. While that mixture heats up, chop the bacon.

Drain the pasta and place it in large bowl. Add cream cheese sauce and the bacon then mix it all together. I usually save some bacon to sprinkle on top.

Mmmmm, so easy and so good.

anne

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by | October 23, 2009 · 6:45 am

Apricot Jalapeno Pulled Pork

It is not easy to have a tasty and nutritious dinner on the table every night.  We are all busy and don’t always have the time on weeknights, or weekends. to make the kind of meals that we would like to eat.

One thing that I do religiously that helps me prepare quick and delicious meals is make large portions of staples on the weekends ,when I tend to have a little extra time, and freeze them.  That way, I can just pull out the frozen meal, reheat it and make some easy sides.

This Apricot Jalapeno Pulled Pork recipe from Real Simple is the perfect thing to make and freeze into portions.

apricot pork

Apricot Jalapeno pulled pork

2 – 2 1/2 pounds boneless pork shoulder or pork loin roast

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1/2 cup apricot jam or preserves

2 jalapenos, sliced into rings and seeded

Heat oven to 300 degrees.  Take 2 large sheets of aluminum foil and lay them one directly on top of the other.  Be sure to place one directly on the other and do not off-set them at all.  This will prevent juices from leaking out all over your oven.

Place your pork in the center of the foil and season it with the salt, pepper and ground cumin.  Then, spoon the jam over the pork and coat all sides.  Finally, scatter the sliced jalapeno’s around the meat.

Fold the double layer of foil around the pork and crimp the edges to ensure it is sealed tightly.  Place it in a glass baking dish and roast until fork tender, about 4 hours.  While it is roasting, keep in eye out for juices that always seem to find a way to escape.  No matter how carefully I wrap my pork, some always seem to get out.  If this happens, the juices that come out can begin to burn.  It won’t ruin your meat, but it may char a little on your pan, so just be sure you keep an eye out for that.

When the pork reaches an internal temp of  160 degrees, carefully unwrap it.  You will want to reserve the juices in a separate bowl.  Then, discard the foil and using 2 forks, shred the pork.  Transfer to a bowl and put the cooking juices and jalapenos over the pork.

At this point, I usually divide it up into 3 or 4 portions, depending on how much it made.  One portion I will keep to make pulled pork tacos, and the rest I will divide up into freezer safe bags and freeze for later use.  I try to use up anything I freeze within a month.

To make the tacos, I serve the Apricot Jalapeno Pulled Pork on warm flour tortillas, with fresh cilantro and lime wedges.

pork up close

I am going to spend the next couple weeks using up this delicious pork in a variety of different recipes.  I will be sure to share those recipes with you as well!

anne

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by | October 21, 2009 · 10:13 am

Earth & Metal: At Home with Anne

Considering that I’ve had years to familiarize myself with Katie’s Woody Metal essence, I’ll be honest – looking at her home through an elemental perspective was a breeze. While I haven’t had the same privilege with Anne and Stef, I have been following their domestic personalities, thanks to HAP!  Today, I get to take a look at Anne’s home, and how it honors her essence!

When Anne told me that she is pretty sure she’s an Earth (The Peacemaker) with underlying Metal (The Perfectionist), I had to chuckle to myself. I had just previously been familiarizing myself with the details of her home and immediately saw an overwhelming amount of those very energies…

new room

decorative pieces

Since Earths are often nurturers, they also tend to be family oriented. One of the main themes that’s evident in Anne’s home is her devotion to her family. The walls are adorned with a collage of gorgeous family photos in their milestone moments – the wedding, and time with their baby Isla, who indirectly also influences the décor in their home. Everything is baby proof, without sacrificing sophisticated style of course!

picture wall

books

Earth is also present in the home’s color scheme, which is one of the best ways to bring your essence into your home style. From the neutral shades of the walls to the brown accents in the curtains and some furniture pieces, the palette is spot on for Anne’s essence. The colors in her home also bring in her Metal underlying essence through the lovely touches of white in various details, and pastel blue accents like the stack of soft wedding/love themed leather photo albums which contribute a nice touch of luxury while still keeping true to the family theme. My favorite display of Earth + Metal is the polka dotted vase with rocks in the bottom. Rocks are the quintessential Earth object, and polka dots are the token Metal pattern! How “traditionally perfect.”

vase

Catherine’s Picks for Anne:

Earth:
– Warm or earthy tones like brown, orange, and beige
– Nubby textures
– Square or boxy shapes
– Traditional, vintage, or cozy styling

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

Stores to try: Anthropologie, Pottery Barn
cat-picks-anne

Clockwise from top: Vintage Velvet Drapes, West Elm Pebble Rug, Sophie Conran Celadon Tea Set, Anthropologie Letizia Cardigan, French Flour Sack Pillows

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by | October 14, 2009 · 8:20 am

Sweet Potato Waffles

When my husband found out our secret ingredient this week was sweet potatoes, he was not happy.  He refuses to eat anything that has sweet potatoes listed as an ingredient.

So, this week, I set out on a mission to make a recipe with sweet potatoes that even my husband would enjoy.  I came across these sweet potato waffles on the food network and thought they just might do the trick.

waffle(2)

Sweet Potato Waffles

1 1/2 cups peeled and cubed sweet potatoes
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 egg whites, at room temperature
1 cup milk
1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 tablespoon grated orange rind
Vegetable spray, for waffle iron

Steam or boil your sweet potatoes until they are fork tender and mash.

To the sweet potatoes, add the milk, brown sugar, butter, and grated orange rind.  Mix until combined and set aside.

In a separate bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.

Combine the sweet potato mixture with the flour mixture until combined and set aside.

Finally, beat the egg whites in a separate bowl until stiff peaks form. Gradually fold egg whites into batter 1/3 at a time being careful not to over mix.

Pour  your batter into a well oiled waffle iron and heat until golden brown.

The verdict: The waffles tasted wonderful!  The small amount of orange rind really covers any strong sweet potato flavor.  Some may wonder why you would make sweet potato waffles if they do not even taste like sweet potatoes.  Well, why not!  My husband and daughter enjoyed wonderful waffles and, best of all,  got a good serving of nutrient rich sweet potatoes.  This recipe was a win-win!

anne

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by | October 7, 2009 · 7:56 am

covetable goods {dash & albert}

I live in Wisconsin and have realized there is a kind of panic that sets in around this time of year. The summer has come to an end and the countdown to the first snowfall has begun. The sloppy weather is approaching and soon we will say goodbye to our beloved sandals and flip flops and say hello to bulky boots and closed toe heals.

During the winter months, my entryway becomes a sloppy mess of brown melted snow and salt rocks that have the ability to ruin any basic rug sizes or types. After years of tossing out expensive rugs in spring, I decided to do some research and find a rug that would be durable, budget friendly and, most importantly, cute.

Enter Dash & Albert Rug Company.

rug 1

I was thrilled when I came across this brand at my favorite home goods store, The Home Market. Dash and Albert has hundreds of rugs that come in all different sizes, styles and colors. The best part, the smaller woven cotton rugs can be hand washed, line dried and will still look great. I even threw mine in the wash machine on gentle cycle and it came out looking good as new. These rugs are perfect for an entryway but cute enough for your living room! And you can’t beat the price.

With all the colors, styles and sizes, you are bound to find a rug you will adore!

rug 2

Bring it on November. I am ready for you.

anne

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by | September 30, 2009 · 7:58 am

Pinwheel Birthday Party

Our darling daughter, Isla, turned one last week and I knew I wanted to do something special for her first birthday party. Our neighbor has pinwheels in his yard and she loves to watch them spin around, so I decided a pinwheel themed birthday party would be perfect for our little girl!

first

The birthday girl wore a onesie created by sticheroos and a pinwheel headband from Kylala Boutique who also made her adorable birthday hat.

isla

I found these simply stated and adorable invitations from Jack and Izzy which set the tone of the party

pinwheel

As party gifts, guest received small pink bags filled with candy. The bags were adorned with a small “thank you” tag created by fellow HAP blogger, Katie, and fastened with a mini clothes pin.

Guests were greeted by a Happy Birthday banner when they entered the house. Pinwheels were also put on the front door and scattered throughout the house in glass vases filled with orange Jelly Bellies. The banner and pinwheels were created by the amazing shana from crossroads cottage.

sign

For lunch we snacked on sun dried tomato pasta salad, spinach salad with strawberries, blueberries and walnuts, sliced apples with homemade caramel dip, tea sandwiches, hot dogs and brats. The food was labeled with lovely orange name tags and pink handmade pinwheels.

food

Guests sipped peach slush, pink lemonade and soda from pink cups decorated with a pink pinwheel sticker from Jack and Izzy.

For dessert we had a 2 tiered pink cake that was created by Aly from Sweetness by Alice. It not only looked amazing, but tasted out of this world! The bottom layer was vanilla cake with cookies and cream filling and the top layer was lemon cake with lemon and raspberry filling. Isla also had her very own cake to dig into!

cake

All in all, Isla’s first birthday party was a success! She played, opened lots of wonderful gifts, ate tons of cake and then took a long nap!

balloonsHappy birthday baby girl!

anne

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by | September 23, 2009 · 8:41 am

Tomato and Fresh Mozzarella Panini

It is just about the end of tomato season and the last of my tomatoes have all decided to ripened at the same time. This has, of course, caused my family to go on a week long tomato eating binge because I can’t stand to see any of them go to waste.

One of my favorite end of summer meals to use up these mouth watering beauties is a tomato and fresh mozzarella panini. They are quick, easy and oh so good.

You only need 3 ingredients.

Fresh tomato moz- small

Ok, well 4 if you include butter or olive oil.

Tomato and Fresh Mozzarella Panini

Tomatoes

Fresh Mozzarella

Crusty French bread

Olive oil or butter

Just cut up some good French bread and slice up your tomato and fresh mozzarella. I usually seed my tomatoes by cutting them in half and giving them a good squeeze over the sink so they don’t make my bread soggy.

Then layer your tomato and mozzarella slices in-between the bread, butter or oil the side you will grill and grill them up in a grill pan or Panini press. If you don’t have either of these, then just grill them up “grill cheese style” in a frying pan.

Fresh tomato and motz sandwhich - small

They are the perfect end of summer sandwich.

anne

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by | September 16, 2009 · 9:09 am

Apple Tart

I love everything about fall; the leaves changing color, the beginning of football season, rediscovering my boots that I have missed so much. But most of all, I love fall cooking. I can’t get enough of soups, stews and chili and I especially enjoy saying goodbye to the fear of overheating my house by simply turning on the oven. Apple season marks the beginning of fall cooking and apple season has arrived!

I like desserts that can be thrown together quickly, especially when they look as pretty as this one. This apple tart is essentially a deconstructed apple pie and can be made in about a quarter of the time. Best of all, it is equally delicious.

appletart1 small

Apple Tart

2-3 medium sized apples

3/4 cup brown sugar

1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

1 sheet frozen puff pastry

Take one sheet of puff pastry out of the freezer and place it on a greased baking pan. Let it sit at room temperature for about 20-30 minutes or until it is completely thawed. Wait to unfold it until the dough is thawed or it will crack on the seams.

Next, core, half and thinly slice the apples.

Put the apples in a bowl, add about 1 tbsp of the fresh lemon juice to the apples and then add the brown sugar. Set that aside and let it sit while you prepare the dough.

Once the dough is thawed, unfold it so you have one large rectangle. I usually roll it out a little just to make it bigger, but feel free to keep it just this size. Next you will want to score the dough. This is so your edges will puff up around the apples. Just drag a knife around the edge of the dough, about a half inch from the side. Do not push down enough to cut that part off, just push hard enough to make a definition. Next, take a fork and prick holes all over the middle of your tart, leaving the edges clean.

finished1 - smallThen layer your apples, slightly overlapping, in the middle of your tart. You can also brush a beaten egg along the edges if you so desire.

Now, just bake at 375 for about 25 minutes or until the puff pastry is completely cooked and slightly browned.

Simple and delicious!

anne

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