Piece O Cake

Kitchen done.. A year later!

2015-02-09T16:51:00.001-05:00

I think back to all the stress and indecision, and here it is.. Done. It really did come together on its own. I can't really explain how, but when people tell you don't worry it will come together it really does. It was like it all clicked., each element found its way to us. We searched and searched and we are more than happy with the final results. It was worth the wait!

Merry Christmas

2014-12-29T21:51:00.004-05:00

Wise Mr. Owl

2013-11-17T11:51:00.001-05:00

The backsplash...finally??

2013-11-17T11:35:00.002-05:00

Yes we still haven't put one up yet.. How long ago was my last blog...months!! We've been focusing on settling in and it was put on the back burner.. Now ir's coming around holiday time and we'd like to see it finished in time for entertaining, hopefully?

Having the carrara is a unique situation as we don't want the backsplash comepeting for attention so another reason fo the delay was our indecisiveness and difficulty finding something that we agreed on and that would fit into our style and budget. We hope this works out ok!

here is the main backsplash tile- it is a broken brick subway pattern.

in the center area behind the range we are doing a picture frame with trim of carrara chair rail and a smaller 1x1 tile inside.

Hopefully we love it when it's all done!

I love my bianco carrara marble!

2013-03-25T16:19:00.000-04:00

Well now that my kitchen is in the final stages I can finally begin to see it coming together as a reality. So many decisions that at times it is overwhelming and as I have heard said many times, 'you can't always get what you want'. Yes I had to give up some things but I do believe I will be happy with my choices. First let's talk about the countertop. I have always loved the look of white marble. All the apprehension of choosing it has now lifted as I see it in the kitchen and it gives me a sense of peace, almost a serenity. It softens up the large room and makes it warmer, and almost beckons you to run your hand along it's cool smoothness. Many warned against it with threats of 'you will regret it!', or 'it will get ruined!'. We have not yet moved in so I can not honestly say at this point how it will perform but I refuse to be a worry wart over it.

Here is my slab

Kitchen not so impossible?

2013-03-13T09:47:00.000-04:00

Well it's been a while since I have posted. Been busy with the renovation and I actually can't believe that we are finally getting close to being done. Here's a few pics of the kitchen from the idea stage to installation :

Open floor plan

2012-08-24T10:17:00.002-04:00

I haven't been posting much on our renovation that has been taking FOREVER but I do need some ideas on choosing colors. Found some sites out there but nothing that I have found too helpful. I want to see pics of painted rooms, I know about the color wheel blah blah blah... just wish it was easier!

Fingerling potatoes... roasted on BBQ.. !!

2012-08-03T10:19:00.000-04:00

I love potatoes. All potatoes. Who can resist those cute little ones? A cinch to BBQ and a great side that goes with everything from meat to fish.. Even easier if you can find the pre washed (steam)bags in the store because all you need to do is toss them in a bowl with a bit of olive oil, garlic & onion powder and some salt. Grill over low to medium heat for about 15 mins and you're done!

Radishes!

2012-07-23T10:43:00.001-04:00

A great summer BBQ needs a salad and this one always pleases. It isn't at it's best without some fresh radishes. This happens to be our family favorite that my mom always made. Pretty simple yet refreshingly crunchy, it really is the taste of summer! Red ripe tomatoes, crunchy celery, radishes, seedless cucumbers, thin sliced onions & oil/vinegar/salt!

Swiss cheese nachos???

2012-06-29T12:09:00.002-04:00

Sounds odd I know but it actually tastes really good! I realized at the last minute that I was out of the usual cheddar or montery jack so.. it was the only cheese in the fridge..Yes it worked! TRY it...

Rustic appetizer.. it's Tapas..

2012-04-03T17:09:00.000-04:00

Sometimes when having a little get together don't you love to nibble on little bites of this and that? Wonder what else could you do to make cheese a bit more interesting and whip up quick to go with some wine? Cheese,olives and a bit of bricks, sounds odd but trust me it tastes awesome. Add a few of your own tasty ideas, sundried tomatoes? stuffed olives? roasted peppers? Change up the cheese and go sweet and savory. Thanks again to another pic and run check it out:

Blackberry Rugelach

2012-03-21T15:59:00.000-04:00

Pic and run strikes again... There I was, reading a magazine at the hair salon and found an easy and delicious dessert idea. I used blackberry jam but of course any will do.

Cutest puppy ever

2012-03-12T16:13:00.001-04:00

Another "pic and run", saw this pic of this cutie in a magazine, what kind of dog is he?

"fantasy" island

2012-03-05T14:44:00.000-05:00

Found this website- houzz.com and have been finding so many ideas and great pics to help create and finalize my kitchen. Decided to change the shape of the island from L but it will still have a high and low counter however it will give a lot more space for the breakfast bar, and not so high. Unfortunately mine is not going to be as large as the one in this picture, nor with the calcutta marble but it sure is pretty.

check out the pic

http://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/1419146/_trid=bWFtYW1pYTQ0O2NkcDJ4QGFsbHN

over the rainbow

2012-02-20T09:46:00.000-05:00

Once in a while we have to stop and appreciate the little things, after the storm there's always a rainbow.

Love you Mom

2012-01-23T16:43:00.003-05:00

Unfortunately my Mom lost her battle with pancreatic cancer on January 14, 2012, eight months after her diagnosis. She was truly an amazing person, the rock of our family, and will be missed so very terribly. God Bless you Mom, you are at peace.

Oh Christmas Tree

2011-12-21T09:49:00.000-05:00

Although I live in NY I never tire of going to see the Rockerfeller Christmas tree. Yes the streets are crowded and the 'traffic is terrific' but it is worth the trip.

Red Velvet Brownies

2011-12-15T09:41:00.001-05:00

I came across this recipe while looking for something chocolatey and special for Christmas, came out fantastic and loved by all!

myrecipes.com website never disappoints!

http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/red-velvet-brownies-50400000108664/

Happy Thanksgiving

2011-11-22T16:52:00.000-05:00

It's time for Charlie Brown again, popcorn for everyone!

CHEAP but cool sunglasses

2011-11-08T14:27:00.001-05:00

Browsing through magazines is one of my favorite pastimes, especially magazines that are on someone else's dime. I like to take pics of tidbits I find here and there so I have it handy on my phone when I need to refer to it again.. Who can remember all that stuff anyway, and who wants to rip out pages and carry them around, because seriously don't you end up forgetting about it? Personally I go through a few sunglasses in a year, mostly because they end up broken, sat on or lost somewhere. We should all wear sunglasses all year round because they keep wrinkles away, hello ladies keep that in mind! The aviators are in style and nothing like only spending a few bucks for a trendy item, it beats putting down a lot of cash. Don't get me wrong, aviators are somewhat timeless so I guess one could argue you should get a "good" pair to last you. I think they happen to be a style that looks good on everyone. I like to keep it simple, one or two pairs of timeless decent pairs and about two or three "throwaways" that are trendy and inexpensive to keep in the rotation and keep it interesting. Check these out from style magazine..

my kitchen floorplan

2011-10-21T09:12:00.000-04:00

Here it is, still a work in progress...

Angry birds birthday cake

2011-10-03T09:54:00.002-04:00

Every year I usually bake a birthday cake for my son and now that he is going to be 12 it's a tradition that's still going! He's an angry birds fanatic so I thought I would try my hand at creating one. I have to say there are a ton of great ones out there I saw while searching the web for ideas, but honestly I don't want to get too complicated with fondant and tiny pieces of marzipan. Our version was pretty simple, devil food's cake baked in two round cake pans since you need extra pieces for the feathers on top, I used the Betty Crocker red icing in the large decorative icing container (so much easier than trying to mix white icing and red food coloring, never gets red enough), black licorice for the eyebrows, tailfeathers and eyes, and marzipan with a drop of yellow food coloring for the beak. Not too shabby.

Big bag vs Small bag

2011-09-27T12:58:00.002-04:00

How many purses do you have anyway? I asked myself this question as I was cleaning out my closet in the seasonal ritual of rearranging my closet. Party purses, cute, chic and glitzy. Workhorse purse, carries everything under the sun, worth the shoulder pain? Looks great but not that functional purse, everytime I go in it I get mad at myself because there is some design flaw I didn't see when I made that impulse purchase. Summer purses get dirty! Is there a purse light out on the market yet, why the heck can't I find anything??? Purses.. love them and hate them at the same time... Next topic, am I the only one who loves boots, but hasn't figured out the easiest way to store them neatly?

Grilled Branzino

2011-08-11T14:46:00.002-04:00

What a great way to change up a summer bbq, I'm sure I am not the only one that is tired of grilled meats!!! Grilling a whole fish may sound daunting but it is actually so simple and delicious that you will find yourself doing it more often.. Usually I use branzino but it works fine with red snapper, barrimundi, even porgies.. Serve with grilled potatoes and a nice salad!

Check out this link for easy recipe
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Grilled-Branzino-with-Ladolemono-365793

Best 6 burner oven?

2011-08-02T11:29:00.000-04:00

Tough decision! When you're dropping a lot of cash like this you want to be sure it is totally worth it. I am still shopping around, Viking, GE Monogram, and JennAir are frontrunners.