Cooking at Café D

Tasty (Seriously) Turkey Meatloaf With Pan Gravy

2012-02-25T09:58:00.008-06:00

We are NOT health food nuts.

You know that from our cinnamon rolls and our knock-off of The Corner Bakery's chicken pesto cavatappi.

And, our sausage gravy recipe is not for the weak willed.

Since we can't live on bakalava alone - and yes, I'd love to try - we try to get some variety in our diets. We learned in a while back in our veggie research project how different the nutrition was in russet potatoes, sweet potatoes, rutabaga, and cauliflower. And, ever since we've been trying to get a variety of different foods in our diet. Including proteins.

We don't eat things simply because they are low fat, or low carb, or whatever is making the headlines this month. We try to eat things our great-great-grandmother would recognize as food.

(I love Michael Pollan - though I eat some things that would make him cringe. Funyons, anyone?)

This week ground turkey was on sale at the market. Now, I'm guessing my great-great-grandmother might not recognize a chub of ground turkey. But, she would probably recognize meatloaf and gravy.

And, so it was that we made some darn good tasting turkey meatloaf. I'll give you our technique, and you can play around with it to suit your family's needs and tastes.

Tasty Turkey Meatloaf

ground turkey
onions (small dice)
carrots (small dice)
celery (small dice)
garlic (crushed)
tomato paste
egg
cornbread croutons or turkey stuffing mix (crushed into breadcrumbs)
crushed sage
chopped thyme
parsley
salt
cracked black pepper
Worcestershire sauce

Preheat oven to 350F.

While the ground turkey comes to room temp, we saute onions, carrots and celery - your standard meatloaf mirepoix. In bacon fat. In a cast iron skillet. (The bacon brings some flavor to the party - something that ground turkey can lack.)

At the very end I add garlic and a tablespoon of tomato paste. (I try to caramelize the paste a bit while not burning the garlic.) Remove the veggies to a cool plate.

After the veggies cool, I combine the veggies, turkey, cornbread crumbs, an egg, and the seasonings - including a tablespoon or 2 of Worcestershire sauce. I add additional breadcrumbs as needed. (Don't skimp on the salt or pepper here - and feel free to add your favorite seasonings. I take my inspiration from Thanksgiving, but you can use whatever you want.)

In terms of consistency, I look for someplace between "sloppy wet mess" and dry and crumbly. Mine looks like the texture of ground meat again - but with colorful veggies dotting the landscape.

Take veggie oil and lightly lube the bottom and sides of a loaf pan. (Some use "Pam for grilling" for just a fine mist - just saying.) Then I form the meatloaf into the loaf pan, pressing down to get into the corners (glass pans work best to see the bottom) and then invert it onto a sheetpan lined with a silpat. The meatloaf should slide out in a block. *Thunk*

Bake at 350 for about 45 minutes to an hour - till the center reaches 160 using an instant read thermometer. Then remove the meatloaf to a platter and cover and rest for 15 minutes. I take the pan drippings and make a gravy using the sausage gravy method.

While the gravy thickens, I stab a cleaned russet potato a bunch of times and stick it in the microwave. Seriously. (I cheat and I'm okay with it. It comes out pretty fluffy and you can't beat a 7 minute potato.) Slice and serve.

If you try the turkey meatloaf, let us know in the comments below.
What change-ups, like turkey in meatloaf, do you like to make?

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Foto Friday

2012-02-24T06:00:00.004-06:00

I call this...
Tim Ponders the Grand Canyon.

Because I'm wildly creative.

We couldn't believe the emotional intensity
which sprung from a hole in the ground while we watched.
In awe.

We were overwhelmed. And, mostly speechless...
And, we can't wait to go back.

~~~~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~~~~
A special Happy Friday to my friend Karah.

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Linking up to:
Flip Flops & Pearls, Live and Love Out Loud, Project Alicia, Parenting by Dummies, A Fresh Perspective, NOLA Mommy, Baby Baby Lemon, Dagmar’s Momsense, Better in Bulk

Help! No Idea What to Call It...

2012-02-23T05:30:00.002-06:00

Have you been following our bedroom plans on Pinterest?

We still don't have a name for our style.

Rustic Old West with style and grace?
Lodg-i-riffic?

Pacific Northwest Native American
artwork is going up, too.

Edited to add:
I think I might have thrown people for a loop with the artwork. Have you ever looked at the walls in Grey's Anatomy? Set in Seattle, much of the artwork is grounded in the Pacific Northwest Native American style. You can see examples on my Artwork Pinterest page.

We have a couple of pieces with colors similar to this bird.

How about this?

Our bedroom:
"Where the Northwest Mountains meet the Southwest desert."

Well whatever it is...
It's coming along nicely :)

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Imperfect...Cinnamon Love!

2012-02-19T10:08:00.012-06:00

These are NOT perfect.
Not even close.

Yet, there's a chance that when it comes to cooking...
"It doesn't have to be perfect to be beautiful" - or tasty!

Mine aren't homemade, like the ones shown on my Pinterest board.
Kudo's to Poppies at Play for the idea.

Nope, mine sure aren't perfect.
Look at the tiny guy and the bigger one next him!

See all the imperfect shapes and sizes?

And, I learned a lesson that when you mess with the shape
they need a lot less time to cook!

These are a bit too...caramelized.
Yeah, that's it!

I asked our 14 year old what he thought of them.

"They're cute, I guess.
But, I don't care if they look like heart...
They just have to taste good."

So, there you have it.
Next time I'll just forget the fancy shape.
My family's feeling the love without it.

When it comes to my cooking,
"It doesn't have to perfect to be beautiful" - it just needs to be tasty!

What have you done to surprise your family...
Only to have it fail?

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Linking to the following parties:
The Nester's "It Doesn't Have To Be Perfect To Be Beautiful" and Momnivore's Dliemma's Creative Juice

How to Store Sharp Kitchen Items Safely

2012-02-17T05:51:00.007-06:00

Storage of sharp kitchen tools can be a challenge.
Creativity can help.

You may have a mandolin, the slicer, not the musical instrument.
Here’s the problem.

After our kitchen reveal,
I still wasn’t too happy about how we were storing our mandolin –
It’s one sharp puppy.

Our Food, Glorious Food Pinterest board.

If you want to make even thin cuts like these, a mandolin is a great tool!

But...

Even in the “locked” position,
there’s still a little a little room to get a finger next to the blade.
That’s why storing a mandolin in a drawer can be a bad idea.
And, why I would like to have second piece – the finger guard – kept with it.

Not my favorite way to store it – just sticking it in a cheese box-
there on top of the microwave. It’s cute. But, there must be a better way.

Five minutes and two Command Hooks later, I have a better set-up.
Now, the mandolin sits on 2 hooks –
out of the way where we don’t put our hands,
And it's easy to grab when we want it.

Since the youngest member of the family is 14,
and he loves cooking,
he's skilled at using a mandolin.

If we had small children in our home -
we would have chosen a different method.
But, this fits us perfectly.

Now it's stored with the finger guard in place.
(I did have to use a couple pieces of tape to get the guard to stay...don’t tell, okay?)

Do you have any sharp kitchen utensils you are looking for a way to store?
Comment and share!

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2 Treats for You - Chocolate and Non-Chocolate!

2012-02-14T05:00:00.002-06:00

Happy Valentine's Day, everyone.

Whether you have a special honey in your life, or not -
a little chocolate can make most of us smile.

We first showed you these...
Double Chocolate Espresso cookies a few Christmases ago.
Man we made A LOT of sweets that year!

Here's the recipe.
Please take a moment while you are there and say hi to Lisa.
(Great blogger, that gal.)

If chocolate isn't your thing,
maybe a lovely Pomegranate Granita will do.
Please ignore the Christmasy pic ;)

There are MANY more DIY craft
and foodie treats over at our Pinterest Valentine's Day board!

~~~~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~~~~

However you celebrate your day,
please know that I am very grateful
for the moments you spend here at Cooking at Cafe D.

Whether you follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google+, or Linky Follow
- We appreciate the time you spend with us.

How will you be spending your Valentine's?

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25 Things...And a Linky Follow Blog Hop!

2012-02-10T06:00:00.003-06:00

First, here are my 25 Things for today.

Below that, we're participating in a Linky Follow Blog Hop.
What's that?
Read on past the 25 things below :)

1. I'm glad that we haven't had very much snow in Chicago this winter.

2. I think I would be happy moving our West - but I would need all of my loved ones to come with.

3. That won't be happening anytime soon. (But, a gal can dream.)

4. I'm sometimes amazed at how much my decorating style has changed over the years.

5. I'm style confused.

6. If you look at my Pinterest boards, I pin both soft feminine cottage looks and heavy rustic masculine looks.

7. I think a blend of both is "my style." (Which isn't a style at all, is it?)

8. We have a list of things our family wants to do / visit on the back of a door.

9. We barely make a dent because the list gets longer all the time.

10. We don't mind :)

11. I have 2 overdue books - I use the library system a LOT!

12. My library just started an online "Wish List" so you can make lists of books you want to request.

13. I can't figure out how to add anything to the wish list.

14. I'm a computer technician, by trade. (Ironic, no?)

15. Thanks to strategic coupon use and stockpiling, we have a low grocery budget.

16. But, we waste too much food. Spoiled leftovers.

17. I need to start planning out food menus.

18. I hate the inflexibility of food menus.

19. Perhaps I'll make batches of cooked proteins and freeze them, instead.

20. I could survive on crusty bread and butter. (I’d be willing to try.)

21. I had a whole series planned centered on healthy inexpensive winter cooking.

22. And, winter never came. Gah!

23. I'm not ready to start decorating for Spring and Easter.

24. I'm starting to pour through my lists of blog ideas - collected over the winter.

25. I'm darn excited about the upcoming posts!

~~~~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~~~~
Linky Followers Scoop!

By now you've probably heard the rumbles and rumors. There's change underway.
Google Friend Connect is going away real soon and so will be the ability to keep track of and view all your favorite blogs in your reader.

But, there is new way to follow your favorite blog, LINKY FOLLOWERS.

In an effort to not loose any of our fabulous readers, Cheri over at It's So Very Cheri has started a Linky Followers Blog Hop.

Here’s all the info-

1. you MUST have the LINKY FOLLOWERS tool on your site to participate.

{You can have both the LINKY FOLLOWERS & GFC on your site but you must have the LINKY FOLLOWERS to participate in this party hop.}

2. You MUST follow the person who has the party on their site as a thank you.

3.Just add your blog button to the LINKY PARTY below.

4.Then grab the BLOG HOP code

You will find the code right under the Linky Party where it says CLICK HERE TO ENTER–
just under that it says: WHAT IS A BLOG HOP? GET THE CODE HERE
Click on GET THE CODE HERE and enter it into a post on your site.

You can grab the party button code in the FOOTER at Its So Very Cheri

5. Then you follow other bloggers–(as many as you want)
–leave each one of the blogs that you follow a comment letting them know you are following them and ask them to follow you back.

If you want to add the BLOG HOP to your own site you will get lots of new followers–(see rule #2)

So, I’m going to start following all my fav blogs RIGHT now! Join in on the fun and don’t get stuck out in the cold with Google Friend Connect. This is a Blog Hop!

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Linking up to: Perfectly Imperfect's 25 Things Linky Party

A Follow-Up: Getting a Grip

2012-02-09T06:15:00.004-06:00

Sometimes simple organization is the best.

A while back we did a 31 Days series called
31 Minutes to a More Organized Life.

Feedback in e-mails and comments indicated that the series
was helping some of you find new tips to help you in your day.
That made me smile.

Here's a secret.
I learned a LOT from writing the series, too.
As I tried to think of tasks that only took 31 minutes...

I suddenly saw larger projects as lots of tiny little easy tasks.
And, the tasks became sorta fun.

Take 31 Minutes or Less..
To Make Your Life a Little Easier!

Back on Day 2 we talked about gift cards organization.
At that point my solution was working well for me.
But, it was short lived.

Soon my family grew tired of me shuffling through cards at the register.
And, I couldn't blame them.
It was a fine idea - if you only have a few cards.
I needed a new system.

So simple.
A hole punch, a $1 keyring, and 10 minutes
made ~~my life~~ my family's life so much easier.

(Yeah, they're alphabetized so I can flip quickly.)

What have you done recently that has made your life easier?

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Want to catch up?

Day 31 - Creating Your Dream Kitchen and Life!
Day 30 - Keep It Simple
Day 29 - Organizing Your Closet or Coat Rack
Day 28 - Raking It In
Day 27 - Take the Pill - Clean the Medicine Cabinet
Day 26 - Creative Uses For Storage Containers (Part 2)
Day 25 - Grab and Go!
Day 24 - Use What You've Got
Day 23 - No, Really...Look Over There!
Day 22 - Do you need THIS over THERE! (Part 2)
Day 21 - Do you need THIS over THERE! (Part 1)
Day 20 - Wish and Gift Lists
Day 19 - Grace and Rest
Day 18 - Easy Free Ornament Storage
Day 17 - Pantries and Shelters
Day 16 - Do You Have a Blue Box
Day 15 - A Blast From the Past
Day 14 - What would make it WORK?
Day 13 - Filling the Wasted Space
Day 12 - Spice Things Up
Day 11 - Clean out Your Purse and Wallet
Day 10 - Simple Safety Tips
Day 9 - Sorting the Sock Drawer
Day 8 - Creative Uses for Food Storage Containers
Day 7 - The Dreaded Junk Drawer (Part 2)
Day 6 - The Dreaded Junk Drawer (Part 1)
Day 5 - Day 5 - Cleaning and Organizing Your Cell Phone
Day 4 - Getting a Grip on Storage Containers
Day 3 - "Waxing Poetic"
Day 2 - Grab Those Gift Cards
Day 1 - We Dream

Our DIY Jimmy John's Kitchen - The REVEAL!

2012-02-02T23:29:00.058-06:00

Our kitchen is complete!
Welcome to the reveal!

Our new Jimmy John's kitchen, designed after our favorite sandwich shop,
makes us grin from ear to ear. Wanna catch up?

Part 1- The Why.
Did we seriously have Jimmy John's cater our wedding?
The design plans, and some catastrophic before shots.

Part 2 - The How.
BOLD COLORS - How can you be sure you will love them?
Here's 10 easy steps to fool-proof color picking!

Part 3 - The What.
Jimmy John's is a restaurant. Ours is a home. How do you make one into the other - ON A BUDGET?! See pics of the restaurant and the annotations of what we felt were the most important aspects we needed to replicate in our kitchen. Details about windows, walls, curtains, stainless switch plates, ceiling fixtures, etc.

Now - The Reveal!
Ready for some Before and Afters?

Whew! We love it!
Here's the annotated pic with our original plan.

There were a few items we felt would be crucial to our design. Basically, we really wanted the crazy signs - the pickle was a must have - and lots of stainless steel. Lastly, we needed to find a way to replicate the feel of the tile work, but not the cost and labor that actual tile would involve.

Master Project List:

New stainless steel shelving - Menards with add'l shelves from Container Store

Curtains -Country Curtains

New floor - peel and stick from Menards

Wall plates and switch plates - Menards and Home Depot

Flush mount ceiling fixture -Home Depot

Paint - Behr - Exact shades

Signs (Funny metal signs - Hobby Lobby, Menards. Handmade paper signs printed and laminated at FedEx Kinko's. The metal JJ's sign was from Santa.

Crush vintage bottle opener - Ebay (Be sure to check Etsy, too!)

Vintage blackboard - Found on the side of the road!

Wrought iron basket - Lowes, was a gift years ago...

Cookie basket - Goodwill

What's next?
We have just started choosing colors for our new bedroom.
Talk about low-budget - this is NO BUDGET!
I have no idea how we're gonna do it, but we will!

Our inspiration is the historic and rustic southwest with comfort and style. See our progress on our new bedroom project on Facebook and Twitter. You can subscribe for free and receive Cooking at Cafe D in your inbox, if you'd like. And, if RSS is your thing, you can do that, too. Be sure to check out "Our Bedroom" board on Pinterest to see where we're headed!

Thank you!
A huge shout-out to the 6 gals who first challenged us to "Imagine the Impossibilities!" Please check out their sites (and the 200+ bloggers who rose to the "Impossible!")

Linda from It All Started With Paint.
Kelly from Eclectically Vintage.
Karah from The Space Between.
Stacey from A Sort of Fairytale.
Kari from Thistlewood Farm.
Andrea from The Cottage Market.

We all love comments, right?
So, what do you think of our new Jimmy John's Kitchen?
Would you ever turn your home into a restaurant?

TO COMMENT
Click on the blue button below, then scroll down.

Linking to: Making the World Cuter, The Prairie Homestead, Craftomaniac, Between Naps on the Porch, Mad In Crafts, Polly Want a Crafter, Keeping It Simple, Skip to my Lou, The DIY Club, C.R.A.F.T., Sew Chatty, It's a Blog Party!, My 1929 Charmer, Shine Your Light, My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia,Not Just a Housewife, Reasons to Skip the Housework, Carolyn's Homework, Me and My Boys, Coastal Charm, Hope Studios, Organize and Decorate Everything,Momnivore's Dilemma,

Our Jimmy John's Kitchen (Part 3)

2012-01-27T19:25:00.037-06:00

Our Jimmy John's Kitchen design...
for our home...
is coming along nicely!

You can catch up with our plans and progress at...

Part 1- The Why.
Did we seriously have Jimmy John's cater our wedding?
The design plans, and some catastrophic before shots.

Part 2 - The How.
BOLD COLORS - How can you be sure you will love them?
Here's 10 easy steps to fool-proof color picking!

Part 3 - The What.
You are here.
Jimmy John's is a restaurant. Ours is a home. How do you make one into the other - ON A BUDGET?! See pics of the restaurant and the annotations of what we felt were the most important aspects we needed to replicate in our kitchen. Details about windows, walls, curtains, stainless switch plates, ceiling fixtures, etc.

Part 4. The reveal!
See the Before and Afters, the Master Project List, "Where can I buy it?" list, and...announcing the Next Project!

A few of you took the time to e-mail to let me know that you aren't blessed to have a Jimmy John's near you yet! So, I should probably show you what we are shooting for!

Here's Jimmy John's.

It's an energetic place with fun and wacky signs.
Great subs.
Colorful, free-spirited, sorta loud - pretty much like our family!

I annotated the pic, but it's a little difficult to see. There were a few items we felt would be crucial to our design. Basically, we really wanted the crazy signs - the pickle was a must have - and lots of stainless steel. Lastly, we needed to find a way to replicate the feel of the tile work, but not the cost and labor that actual tile would involve.

THE WALLS
Okay, so let's get down to the nitty gritty.
First the "before shot" of our blecky colored walls.

Meet my husband. Yes, the walls really were that green yellow puke color. It was there before we moved in. First, my husband took down the 70's mirrors and sanded and spackled the area. We had already chosen our paint colors - we started with a base of off white.

You can tell where are priorities are.
Paint, brushes, tape, coffee maker....

We decided to paint faux tile.
It was cheap, relatively easy, and wasn't a permanent deal. What to you call that piece up there above the cabinets?? Is that a soffit?

Whatever that's called, (I'm gonna call it Bob), we painted Bob a rich tomato red - so colorful funny signs would pop against it. We kept in mind that having Bob painted red, the kitchen could easily get too dark - so we only painted a few brown and black "tiles."

The taping...was fun. Not really.
It wasn't complicated, but it was difficult to get straight lines since we had to bend over - or lay on - the counter top to get to the walls. I designed a really random pattern in Paint. Then we taped and painted one row at a time, let it dry, painted a second coat... We taped inside some squares and outside others, so that the "white" space would remain empty.
It required a lot of taping and re-taping. But, it worked!

We chose to make the faux tile a checkerboard pattern, not identical with the actual Jimmy tile, but hopefully staying in the spirit. (Please ignore the clutter...)
What do you think? Get the jimmy vibe?

STAINLESS STEEL WALL PLATES

We replaced all of the wall plates for the outlets and switches. We added GFCI's were we needed 'em. (I don't have a before pic - just imagine the original plates from 1959 covered in paint so badly that you can't even plug in your coffee maker!) The stainless was a bit more - but I really like how they turned out.

THE WINDOWS, WOODWORK, AND CURTAINS
As you heard with the wall plates, the folks who lived here before us didn't exactly keep the place up. This includes the windows. My hubby started in on the windows while I was at work.

Taped to each window is a swatch of curtain.
We had already narrowed it down to 2. Each had the colors we were looking for, tomato red, green, and yellow. Now, I'm not a big painter of woodwork. But, here's a before shot of a different window that in the same condition as our kitchen windows.

Nice, eh?
I like rustic charm, but our windows look much better in chocolate brown.

Oh, and I should mention that hubby cleaned the original window pulls.
He also refinished the cabinets.
I had no idea they could look so good!

LIGHT FIXTURE

Jimmy John's uses a lot of different lights in their restaurants.
In the very top photo there's an amber pendant light. (Home depot had that one, but we passed so we didn't bump our heads.) In the next photo up there, the JJ's had silver retro pendants.

We elected to go with a retro-inspired nickle flush mount. (Home depot.) I chose this partially because it reminded me of the vintage art deco fixtures in Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry. Wanna see how they compare?

Not bad for just seeing something in the store and thinking,
"Boy, that reminds me of the Museum lights. And we love that place!"
Here's our sad little light bulb - what was in our kitchen when we started.

FUN, COLORFUL SIGNS

One of the most important pieces for our Jimmy John's kitchen is the logo sign. Without it, well, it just wouldn't be a Jimmy John's! We lucked out and Santa brought us this METAL logo sign a very nice 15 inches wide. (Thanks, Santa!)

Our 14 year old is getting pretty handy with a hammer!
Here's the sign in its full glory.

We put it front and center just like we had planned.

Making the signs took hours.
And, hours. (And...you get the idea.)
I'm gonna save the reveal of the signs for our next post.
Here's a sneak speak at the rough copies of a few of them.

We'll have our full reveal right back here ~~on Tuesday~~...this week!!
And, we'll be linking up to the...
Imagine the Impossibilities Challenge.

So, what do you think of our progress so far?
Have we captured the Jimmy John's feel?

Click the blue button below...
to let us know!

Linking up to:

Quick and Tasty Couscous Dinner (Vegetarian, too!)

2012-01-26T19:04:00.009-06:00

Simple easy dinner inspiration.
Can we be honest?

In our home sometimes the violin lessons, track meets or church youth group take precedence over the homemade parmesan bread I would like to make. And, Greek pastitsio with sauce that cooks for hours and messing with paper-thin phyllo dough to make baklava won't be happening either.

Sometimes I'm looking for food that's quick, easy, tasty...and in my freezer and pantry. If I can make it in 30 minutes or less, I'm smiling. What if I told you that this meal is vegetarian? Are you smiling now, too?

Here's the team.
The Morningstar Chicken Patties are a staple in our home. (And, no this isn't a paid endorsement!) You've heard me talk about them before since I use them all the time in my Sizzler's Malibu chicken taste-alike recipe.

Here's the secret...they really aren't chicken. So, if you are looking for a "Meatless Monday" dinner, this is a nice option.

(My husband seriously loves these patties. They are perfect as a meatless Chicken Parmigiana, too. We wait for a super sale, save up coupons, then buy in bulk when they go on sale.)

After the fake-out chicken, we have the basil and herb couscous. Quick and easy. I mix a teaspoon of the herbs mix in the veggies.

Which veggies? The Green Giant antioxidant blend. Tossing in a little extra butter and a tad of garlic powder makes 'em even better.

Preheat the oven, toss the veggies in the microwave, couscous in a small pan. Doesn't get much easier than that. If you try it, let me know.

So, where the Friday FREE-FOR-ALL been?
Well, it's on hiatus for now. There are just too many projects and recipes I have in the works right now. Things I'm really excited about! Like the Jimmy John's kitchen we're making!

If you need more inspiration, check out the How Quick (Meals) button in the sidebar. And, of course there's How Healthy and How Tasty, too.

So, what is your "go-to" meal for something quick and healthy?
Click on the blue button and share your favorite meals!

10 Easy Steps to Finding Your Perfect Paint Color (Our Jimmy John's Kitchen Redesign - Part 2)

2012-01-23T00:02:00.014-06:00

When is the last time you chose a paint color?
Was it easy?
Did it take forever to choose a color?

We recently let you in on a secret - we're turning our kitchen into a Jimmy John's!
Wanna catch up?

Part 1- The Why.
Did we seriously have Jimmy John's cater our wedding?
The design plans, and some catastrophic before shots.

Part 2 - The How. You are here!
BOLD COLORS - How can you be sure you will love them?
Here's 10 easy steps to fool-proof color picking!

Part 3 - The What.
Jimmy John's is a restaurant. Ours is a home. How do you make one into the other - ON A BUDGET?! See pics of the restaurant and the annotations of what we felt were the most important aspects we needed to replicate in our kitchen. Details about windows, walls, curtains, stainless switch plates, ceiling fixtures, etc.

Part 4. The reveal!
See the Before and Afters, the Master Project List, "Where can I buy it?" list, and...announcing the Next Project!

A while back told you that if you look at the colors we've chosen they look like a banana split.

Yet, they're perfect on the walls!

Life is too short to live with a room color you hate.
This is a lesson I learned after 5 years in a strawberry pink room.
(No joke.)

Here's what I do so I:
Don't have to live with a color I hate.
Don't have to buy a second color.
Don't have to re-paint a room.

1. I usually go to the store and find 10 or so paint chips that I like.

2. I grab 3-4 copies of the same chips.
(Yes, I'm leaving with 30-40 chips.)

3. I cut out a chip I like, times 3, and tape 'em on the back so it's one big swatch of color.

4. Repeat for the other 9 choices.

5. Tape white paper together to make a large neutral canvas and tape it to the wall in question.

6. Tape each of the 10 swatches on the paper - leaving a lot of space in between.

7. Decide whether the rooms is used more in the daylight or the nighttime.

8. Look at the colors during the most used time. Remove the obvious "no's."

9. The next day, look at them a second time during the most used time.
(Narrow down the choices to 2 or 3 you can live with.)

10. Look at the remaining 2 or 3 chips during the OTHER time of the day.
(Choose the pretty one and buy it!)

NEVER. EVER. PICK A PAINT IN THE STORE.
Even using the fancy thingy they provide with the various types of lighting.
You might be sure it's the right color. Swatch it first. Trust me.

I've been searching high and low for my "in progress shots of our kitchen re-do. (We're 97% done now.) When I find the pics, I'll post em. The kitchen reveal is next Monday! Here's the deets.

Since the choosing our colors was so important in our design,
I figured the steps would be helpful.
Were they?

How do you choose?
(Click the blue button and scroll down to comment.)

Linking to:

Sausage Gravy Recipe - Biscuits Anyone?

2012-01-17T20:49:00.010-06:00

We were lucky enough to have a whole mess of fresh Italian sausage
we needed to cook. Darn. (We love sausage.)

So, we made some Zuppa Toscana using our Olive Garden taste-alike recipe.
(We have tweaked the recipe to give it even MORE flavor. Coming soon!)

Still, we were left with lots of sausage.

Hey...
Biscuits and gravy for dinner!

Sausage Gravy

About 1 cup of cooked sausage.
2 Tb. sausage fat
2 Tb. AP flour
2 cups of warm milk, or half n half
salt and pepper

First, I heated up my sausage fat in a cast iron skillet.
Tonight my fat was a combo of about 1 Tb. sausage fat and 1 Tb. butter.
(It was pretty lean sausage.)

Mixed an equal portion of AP flour into the fat.
In this case, I used 2 tablespoons.

While my roux is cooking (only about 2 minutes) till bubbly...
Our milk (I used half n half) is warming in the microwave.
(You don't have to warm it, but the gravy will be ready sooner.)

Added in the warm milk or half n half slowly and bring to a boil.
Reserve some liquid which you can add if needed.
Reduce the heat to a low simmer, added pepper.
Wait on the salt.

Added the cooked sausage. I usually take the pan off the heat. Cast iron retains the heat and continues to warm the sausage without thickening the gravy too much. If you need to, add additional milk to loosen it up. Now, after the sausage has had time to mingle with the gravy, I taste it and add salt to taste.

Grab yer biscuits. Usually I make mine. But, tonight it was a Pilsbury night. (Yeah, I said it.) There's nothing like real buttermilk biscuits hot out of the oven. And, they're easy and cheap. But, tonight the kitchen was already a disaster. So, I didn't. (Just keeping it real.)

Here, I'll distract you...
"Oooh, look at the grayyyyveeee."

Do you make your own biscuits and gravy?

Our Kitchen Redesign - A Jimmy John's Kitchen! (Part 1)

2012-01-16T20:06:00.024-06:00

Do I have your attention, yet?
Isn't this lovely?
Talk about a "before shot," eh?

We have been redoing our kitchen ~~for a year now~~ for a while now, and it's about time we got around to blogging it! The finished kitchen will be posted in 2 weeks.

(If you want to follow the progress, you can subscribe by email or follow us via Facebook, Twitter - links are all in the sidebar for you.)

We told you how our kitchen looks like a banana split.
These are the paint colors.

I never thought I would paint my kitchen those colors.
Then again, I certainly didn't think I would get married in my 40s
and find myself with 2 wonderful step-sons.

So now my life is filled with laughter & teenagers.
And, since we're just a little wacky....

We're making our kitchen into...
A Jimmy's John's Restaurant.

Why would we re-do our kitchen into a Jimmy John's?
I guess it would help to know a bit about us.

We love JJ's.
So much that we had our wedding rehearsal catered by Jimmy John's.

Well, we didn't really have a wedding rehearsal. We had a Game Night. We booked a small rustic hotel in the woods and invited our friends to bring their favorite board games. (Did I mention it was a very small hotel? Only 9 rooms. Two levels - huge front porches.) We had a smorgasbord of Jimmy John's sammies and lots of pickles to eat while we played games. It was a hit. You get the picture - we love JJ's.

Isn't that a great front porch for a rustic hotel?
(I loved those rocking chairs!)

Next, you should know that our family values fun.
Rip roaring, laugh till your orange crush comes out of your nose, fun.

Some would call us silly.
Some (I'm sure) call us crazy.
To us, it's normal.

So, I grabbed a camera and took some pictures to see if what we had in mind might work. Here were our rough ideas. Some things turned out exactly as planned. Some morphed a bit as it went along.

We hoped for something front and center to do JJ's proud.
And, set the tone.

We weren't sure how we would pull off the tile.
After all, it's ubiquitous in the restaurants, yet tile work can be expensive,
it's labor intensive - and it would be a (fairly) permanent upgrade.

We wanted Jimmy John's style signs to bring lightheartedness.

If I could muster the courage...
Red would be a bold choice and bring energy.

(But, would it be too overpowering?
Could we REALLY paint bright red in our kitchen?)

The JJ's signs have such color.
Maybe we could give them a big red backdrop?
Make the signs - pop?

Oh my! That's really red!

Those were our plans - along with incorporating lots of stainless steel like the JJ's stores have. Oh, and we had pretty much zero dollars to work with. Easy, right?

Here's the good news!
We are 99 percent done!

We will be blogging the progress over the next two weeks.
We'll be revealing our finished kitchen on the January 31st.

A big thank you to a few people.
First, Donna of Funky Junk Interiors has challenged her readers to finish a room and make it Picture Perfect. She'll be hosting a series of linky parties so readers can show off their finished projects. The first party will be on the 31st.

Also, a big "thanks for the encouragement" goes to a group of ladies who is hosting Imagine the Possibilities Challenge. They formed this awesome group and encouraged others to follow suit. I'll be linking up there, too.

For those with a keen eye -
The before pics are from a second kitchen we have, identical footprint, also in need of overhaul. Our kitchen was in a similar condition. Worse, actually. You can see some yucky before shots of our half done greenish-bleck colored walls in our 15 minutes to homemade donuts post.

Part 1- The Why. You are Here!
Did we seriously have Jimmy John's cater our wedding?
The design plans, and some catastrophic before shots.

Part 2 - The How.
BOLD COLORS - How can you be sure you will love them?
Here's 10 easy steps to fool-proof color picking!

Part 3 - The What.
Jimmy John's is a restaurant. Ours is a home. How do you make one into the other - ON A BUDGET?! See pics of the restaurant and the annotations of what we felt were the most important aspects we needed to replicate in our kitchen. Details about windows, walls, curtains, stainless switch plates, ceiling fixtures, etc.

Part 4. The reveal!
See the Before and Afters, the Master Project List, "Where can I buy it?" list, and...announcing the Next Project!

So, are we nuts?
Do you WANT to see our finished project?
Did anyone actually get to the bottom of this post?
I'm seriously wondering...

Friday FREE-FOR ALL! (Linky Party #7)

2012-01-13T23:09:00.003-06:00

Here are the favorites from our last party!

Oh, I almost forgot - We have a new button!
So, if you are featured below, or have been in the past,
feel free to grab a "I was Featured!" button.
(There's a button section up top.)

Gosh, what can I say about this DIY Vintage Trunk Turned Coffee Table from
Simply Simplisticated. It's gorgeous. It's amazing. *swoon* *thud*

These Pesto Pinwheels from All That Brings Joy
make me wish the holidays were still around.
Of course I pinned them to our Food, Glorious Food Board
so I can find them when I need 'em.
The pesto pinwheels...

Remind me of the Kalamata and Feta Pinwheels we make all the time.
Quick, delicious. Be sure to make more than you expect to need.
They disappear in a snap.

One person's "ornament" is another person's everyday decor.
These Pinecone Ornaments made from maps - make me smile :)
Nice job, Turtles and Tails! So, cute. Creative. Simple.
I might make some of these, just to hang here and there
to to remind us of our travels.

Our family loves to take trips,
hence our travel blog, Feasting on Americana. (Geesh, I really need to show blog some love.)
Anyway...I have a special love for maps.

For Christmas we did a Map Star Garland - which has become our rustic travel garland...
and is simply hanging from the knob of the standing lamp in our living room.
LOL.

Raise of hands...how many of you made a prediction to eat healthier in the New Year?
Yeah, me too. This Hot Curried Fruit from Becki's Whole Life is a nice change of pace.
I wouldn't have thought to spice things up like this - I'm glad she linked up to our party.

If you are in the market for other healthy-ish recipes,
you can hop over to our How Healthy category in our sidebar.

Okay...now, It's Time to Party!

~~~~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~~~~

What should you link up?
Recipes! Craft or Home Decor Tutorials! Teachable moments!
But, no direct links to Etsy shops, please...
Instead, you can link up a post which featured your Etsy shop!

Be sure to link up your permalink - not just your blog.
What's a permalink? For example:
http://www.cookingatcafed.com/2009/04/grab-our-button.html
NOT - http://www.cookingatcafed.com

Link back to us!

Please put our "Friday FREE-FOR-ALL" button
or a link to our blog on your post.

If you are a new follower please let me know!
We love new followers!
Keep in touch with us via Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest,
Google Friend Connect, RSS, or Email subscriber, carrier pigeon...)

Please drop by a few folks who link up - and leave comments!
We all enjoy comments, right?
Speaking of comments...
Occasionally, you will see "Comments Disabled" on my blog.
Don't believe it!

In that case, just look for the purple bar near the bottom
that says "Click here to comment."

Tell the World!
Go ahead and Facebook, Twittter, Pinterest - let that carrier pigeon loose!
The more people know about the party...
The more people see your post!

Not really sure what a Linky Party is?
No worries!
Donna at Funky Junk has written simple step-by step directions for you!
Check 'em out!

Express Scripts & Walgreens - The Scoop

2012-01-13T17:54:00.004-06:00

This post brought to you by Walgreens. All opinions are 100% mine.

Got Questions?
Chances are good you've heard stories in the media about Walgreens and Express Scripts. For the past year, Walgreens has negotiated with Express Scripts for a new contract to continue as part of its pharmacy provider network. Those negotiations were unsuccessful, and the contract expired on Dec. 31.

But, what does that really mean?
Does it affect you?

Head to the Walgreens and Express Script AP article to find the info you are looking for.
Here's a snapshot - See the link above for the details.

Only patients with certain prescription insurance plans managed by Express Scripts are impacted. It is best to check with your local Walgreens pharmacist to find out for sure if you’re impacted. Patients also can check the back of their prescription insurance card – if it has Express Scripts’ name there, then they may be affected. If it doesn’t say Express Scripts, then they are not affected.

How is Walgreens trying to Help Their Patients?
Among the steps Walgreens is taking to minimize the disruption is offering a special discount on annual membership for its Prescription Savings Club.

So, what's the Walgreens Prescription Savings Club?

In a nutshell, For $10 a year, a family membership covers everyone in your immediate family, including a spouse, dependents 22 and younger and pets. Individuals may join for $5. Join and receive discount prices on your prescriptions.

Other benefits include:
* Savings on more than 8,000 brand-name and all generic medications
* Discounts on flu shots, pet prescriptions, nebulizers and diabetic supplies
* Bonuses when you purchase Walgreens brand products and photofinishing services
Click the link above for additional details.

You can also get the latest info through:
Walgreens on Twitter or Walgreens on Facebook.

I appreciate the convenience of my local Walgreens. My family trusts them, too. Years ago a Walgreens pharmacist found a possible drug interaction in my records and alerted my Doctor. That's why I like Walgreens.

Get the info and see if you are affected. Be sure you getting the real story. After all, nothing is more important than the health of your family.

2012 Home Goals

2012-01-10T19:23:00.018-06:00

BHG

2012 Home Goals.

Last year, we didn't set goals. Somehow we got a bunch of stuff done. But, I wonder how much more we could have accomplished if we had actually talked about it.

BTW, that's not my kitchen.
(I wish...)

Our kitchen is coming along nicely.
If all goes well, you'll see it by then end of the month.

I gave a sneak peek during our 31 Days to a More Organized Life series.
I'm pretty excited about the upcoming reveal.

So, today we sat down and talked.
My husband was ~~just thrilled~~ really patient as I asked questions about what worked and didn't in the various rooms. We talked about where we wanted to spend more time. And, we found some things that got in the way of chilling out and relaxing together. (One of our family values.)

Here's some of our goals.

Kitchen
Finish hanging the various decor
Finally blog the transformation

BHG

Living Room & Dining Room
Re-hang the curtains
Spray the old picture frame
Make a large blackboard
Replace the recliner with a new(er) chair
Maybe hang the TV on wall
Get an A/B switch for the DVD/Wii
Paint table black

BHG

Bathroom
Fix the ceiling (don't ask...)
Hang some shelves in creative space

Source

Hang new rod
Hang shelves
Re-paint the dresser
Purge and reduce the amount of family storage in his closet
Remove the wallpaper
Paint

Source

Younger teen
Hang new rod
Get smaller dresser
Paint room
Reduce the amount of family storage in his closet

Now, we might notget all of these done.
Yet, they're good goals to have and I'm looking forward to the progress.
Want to see what others have in mind?
Head to the Nester's to see.

Share YOUR 2012 Home Goals below!

Our Winter Mantel

2012-01-10T17:40:00.004-06:00

Well, the Christmas decorations are down.
Time to get back to normal.

You've seen our Autumn Mantel, our Road-Trip Inspired Mantel, and our Christmas Mantel.

Here's our Winter mantel.

Oh, wait...
EEK!

You can see that horrible job I did putting up the curtains and the old rod hanger up on that pic above. Oh, well. Life happens.

There ya go.
The magic of cropping.

I picked up the cute little frame with window shutters at a resale shop for a sweet $1.79. Love it. The milk glass is vintage and the cute tree was a nice 50% off deal at Michael's. (It's especially nice because it fits even though our faux mantel is really narrow.)

So, what's on your mantel?
Or, even faux mantel.

Schedule Your Next Doc Appt Online! Here's...Zoc Doc

2012-01-09T10:53:00.006-06:00

SUNDAYS?!
Can you see that?
Doctors and dentists available on...Sundays?

"Okay, tell me more," I thought.

So, here's the deal.
There's this new website called http://www.zocdoc.com.
And, I think it might be worth checking out...

IF:
1. You have a busy schedule.
2. You like info upfront.
3. Like you comparison shopping.
4. You sometimes need an appointment RIGHT NOW.
5. You like the flexibility of choosing your appointment date from a list.
6. Oh, so many more reasons...

I headed to Zoc Doc to check it out.
Just for grins I chose dentists. (Yeah, I might be having a bit of an issue. Who me? Nah.) I plopped in my zip code, easily chose my insurance plan from the drop down list and poof! Lots of dentists to choose from in my area.

Okay, so there are lots to choose from.
Do they accept my insurance?
Oh, wait. I already chose that option so they take mine.

Okay, so how about availability?
Well, lookee there. Lots of spots open this week.
Even today. Even this Sunday.

How about background and education, Board Certifications, etc.?
I clicked on a cardiologist and yep.
There was a listing of his board certifications, where he went to school, the whole package.

Lastly, how about feedback?
Yep. You can see what others have written and leave some yourself. And, they give ratings based on "Bedside manner," "Average Wait Time," and "Average Recommendation."

Here's my bottom line.

You and I know that there are few things as important as your family's health. And, I can only speak for myself. I love data. I love options. I hate sitting on the phone trying to schedule my next annual exam or teeth cleaning. I hate hearing, "We don't do cleanings on Saturday." "The next evening appointment we have is 2 months from now on a Friday." Ack!

I usually want to pull the receptionist's screen towards me...so I CAN SEE what options are truly available. That's is what this feels like.

I'm kinda excited.
Yeah, I know, you can tell - lol.

For those looking to keep that New Year's resolution to eat better and stay healthy, you might want to check out their Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/ZocDoc for recipes, quick tips and giveaways.

Now, this was a sponsored review and there will be a disclaimer. You know your family and what works for them. I assure you, my excitement is just that. This is a good fit for us.

I was selected for this sponsored review by the Clever Girls Collective. To learn more about ZocDoc, please visit their website.

Friday FREE-FOR ALL! (Linky Party #6)

2012-01-06T10:08:00.009-06:00

Here are the favorites from our last party!

This Ice Wreath from Inspiring Pretty makes my heart joyful.
Perfect outside decor for winter months.

It reminds me of a Cranberry Wreath we featured a while back.
Simple. Colorful. Fun.

This Homemade Mercury Glass from Art Is Beauty...wow.
So creative - and inexpensive!

One of the tasty recipes posted in our last party was
a healthy Brown Rice Pudding from Raising Dieter. Yum.

While the holidays are behind us,
there's still time to pin our plans for next year!
(Do you Pinterest?)

This Dictionary Garland from Make It, Give It is so inspirational.
She has a whole LOT of ideas. *swoon*

Okay, it's Time to Party!

~~~~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~~~~

Please put our "Friday FREE-FOR-ALL" button
or a link to our blog on your post.

Martini Madness 3: The Minty Marshmallow

2011-12-29T13:00:00.009-06:00

It's almost New Year's Eve!
Are you ready for our third installment of Martini Madness?!

Today we have an original concoction.
We call it...

The Minty Marshmallow!

1.5 oz. Marshmallow Vodka*
1.5 oz. Peppermint Mocha creamer
.5 oz. Buttershots

* We used Pinnacle, but Smirnoff makes a delicious "Fluffed Marshmallow," too.

Shake in a Boston shaker with a little crushed ice.
This is perfect as a cocktail over the rocks, too.

For a little extra chocolate love,
you could line the glass like with did in The Perfect Pumpkin Martini.

Check out our whole series.

Martini Madness #1 - The Perfect Pumpkin Martini
Martini Madness #2 - The Gingerbread Martini
Martini Madness #3 - The Minty Marshmallow

Linking up to:

What Was in Your Stocking? Here's What I Got...

2011-12-28T19:46:00.006-06:00

Folks know that I'm a vintage loving gal.
And, while I adore many true vintage pieces,
I also have a penchant for retro reproductions.

And, of course, chocolate doesn't stink...

Dear husband surprised me with vintage style candies in my Christmas stocking!

What did you get in yours?
Press the purple button below and share :)

Our Christmas Message To You!

2011-12-23T11:37:00.007-06:00

Dear friends,
Well, it's upon us.
It's Christmas - what many of us have been longing for.

With the new year approaching I got to thinking about the past year.
It's been a good one.

Our blog has undergone design changes.
And, we've clarified our mission!

At Cooking at Cafe D we are frugal with the pennies - lavish with the love.
Providing tasty meals and decor tips - with a focus on the family.

And, we created categories for you, like "How Tasty" and "How Organized" and lined them all up in the sidebar.

Many folks connected with us on our facebook page, twitter, and it's been wonderful sharing pins with you on pinterest!

We tried our hand at homemade ravioli and found it good. (But, it wasn't quick as easy as when we tried spaetzle. Somehow we managed to announce the colors for our new kitchen - yet never posted it. D'oh! (Adding to my to do list..)

We survived a Chicago Snowpocaclypse. We started our Featured Artist Friday with interviews and giveaways. Gosh, how I adore those artists! (We haven't had one of those for a while. Keep an eye out next year, you just never know!)

Oh, and speaking of Giveaways, we were excited and honored to host a dress giveaway from the wonderful folks at Shabby Apple.

Our Friday FREE-FOR-ALL! has given YOU a chance to shine - showing us your recipes, decor & craft tutorials and even teachable moments. I just love featuring your work!

Together, we learned 25 ways to wear a scarf and a quick tip on how to be sure your email address is easy to find when you comment.

In October, we began our 31 Day Series 31 Minutes to a More Organized Life. (This series changed my life. Really. Not only did it make me buckle down and write each day, it also made me realize how much I really want to share with you - and learn from you, too.)

Our first couple of drinks were featured in Martini Madness - and we've got more in the wings for you!

And, we rounded things off with our Christmas Home Tour 2011 so you could see our handmade and vintage ornaments...and our faux mantle :)

Looking back has made me MORE EXCITED THAN EVER to have you here. And, I can't wait to bring many more tips and recipes to you in 2012.

From our family to yours,
May God Bless you.
Have a very merry Christmas!

Linking up to:

5 Minute Danishes with recipe!

2011-12-23T08:39:00.005-06:00

At Christmas, I look for quick and easy recipes.
Here's one of my favorites - a warm treat filled with your favorite sweets.

Our 5 Minute Crescent Kolachkies are a hit every time.
You can find the simple recipe there.

It's Friday.
Usually we hold our Friday FREE-FOR-ALL!.
We're taking the day off to make pastitsio and baklava.

Want more inspiration?
Check out our How Tasty section in the sidebar
or one of our many other categories.

What are YOUR easy Go-To appetizers or snacks?
Click the blue button below and tell us in the comments!

We Have a WInner! (Was it You?!)

2011-12-22T09:49:00.006-06:00

We have a...Winner!

This lovely Boogie Woogie dress will soon be on it's way to...

Kelly D. Saver! *ding* *ding*

(I honestly thought that was the name of a fun website offering frugal fare.
Apparently it's a real name. How cool is that?!)

Kelly, I've sent you an e-mail so we can get your pertinent info.

Don't forget!
Just for our readers -
Use coupon code CafeD10off and
Get 10% off your Shabby Apple order right now!

(As they say on TV - It's for a limited time, don't delay.)