Design Megillah

Frames First, Art Second

2013-05-17T07:32:00.004-04:00

Most of the time you have artwork that you love and you have it framed. But sometimes it can work the other way around-- it's the frames that come first, and the art is secondary.

That's what happened in our den.

This wall serves as our mudroom. It leads into the garage so we drop shoes and bags on the Ikea Molger bench I picked up a few months ago.

The walls are dark--they're painted Benjamin Moore's Chelsea Gray and the wall above the bench seemed to be crying out for art. (That yellow door will be painted black this summer.)

I love frames hung in a grid and I knew this was a perfect spot for that kind of look. I bought six frames before I even knew what the artwork was going to be.

When the frames form a grid and they almost became the art themselves. I ended up choosing handmade marbled paper in colors I already had going on in the den...teals and gray tones.

The frames are 12 x 12 and the mat opening is only 5 x 5 so only a small section of these papers were used.

The white mats pop against the dark gray walls and show off the color and pattern--which adds the perfect amount of interest.

Happy Shavuot!

2013-05-14T18:19:00.000-04:00

The cheesecake and quiches are done and flowers are arranged. I'll be celebrating the holiday with family and friends this week--if you are as well I wish you a wonderful Shavuot!

May Market at the Hillstead Museum

2013-05-13T07:22:00.001-04:00

I was busy on Friday preparing dinner for eight guests for Shabbat but managed to slip away and enjoy a few glorious hours at May Market at the Hillstead Museum in Farmington, Connecticut.

The Hillstead is a treasure of beautiful art tucked away in a gorgeous country home. Once a year is their annual May Market which includes 65 exhibitors with a wide variety of home and garden items. This year the guest presenter was Carolyne Roehm. If your not familiar with Carolyne she is the author of 11 books and a leading taste maker, trendsetter and lifestyle expert. I was excited to see her demonstrate how she creates her gorgeous floral arrangements and hear what she had to teach us about flowers.

Here are a few tips Carolyne spoke about:
*To keep cut flowers fresh, add a splash of bleach and a teaspoon of sugar to the water.

*A copper penny will also help keep flowers fresh longer.
*You can incorporate fake and real flowers in your flower arrangements (but not the plastic ones from the dollar store!) There are many beautiful fakes out there today like these, that were for sale at the May Market...

There was so many spectacular things to see including the gardens...

and the beautiful architecture...

There were plants for sale...

and fabulous crafts made locally in Connecticut and New England. Here are a few of my favorites...

hand carved spoons and treenware from Maine by Raymond Medeiros. He said he's still working on a website but here's his e-mail: rjmjman@hotmail.com.

vintage book purses by Kathleen Scranton...

re-purposed vintage hardcover books fashioned into one-of-a-kind purses! BeeZbyScranton.com.

and so many other beautiful handmade and found items for the home...

The rustic wood furniture is made in Guilford, Connecticut by Nancy Lou Riccio and Dave Sayad--east/riverroadstudio.com. The antique chicken print is from AnneHallAntiquePrints.com in Sturbridge, Massachusetts. I wanted one of everything!

Living Room Progress

2013-05-10T07:48:00.000-04:00

Now that the kitchen is done I'm turning my attention to the living room. Up until now it was just a holding space for huge boxes of kitchen cabinets and bundles of oak flooring!

My jumping off point for the wall paint color was this beautiful rug from Dash and Albert--it's their Plain Tin Wool rug in Charcoal,

and this new sofa from Macy's. Our older sofa will be used in the living room too, also from Macy's.

I don't remember having so much trouble choosing a paint color as I did for this room! I must of painted over a dozen paint samples painted all over the walls.

Nothing seemed right. And then it dawned on me...I've used Benjamin Moore's coastal fog for many projects in the past. It's a beautiful taupe that's kind of gray with a lot of warm brown undertones.

It was perfect!

The coastal fog color looks great with golds like this curtain rod I spray painted.

The living room walls are currently mauve (hello 1980's) but someone who lived here had the good sense to install beautiful molding on both the walls and the trim.

So the painting has begun...

and three Liatorp bookcases are being assembled.

They'll hold a flat screen TV along with tons of other things still sitting in boxes in the basement. I'll be painting them too. Here is my inspiration...

I love the orange back but am I daring enough to do this? Do I want that much orange?

Or should they go dark like the shelving I spotted on Centsational Girl?

Any thoughts are welcome!

Your Guide to a Beautiful Shavuot

2013-05-08T07:35:00.000-04:00

Shavuot is one of the loveliest of all the Jewish holidays. The weather is usually perfect, dairy meals are served (yum-cheesecake) and flowers are in abundance. Here's my guide to a beautiful holiday...

T H E T A B L E

Herb Centerpiece Pressed Flowers Under Glass Stacked Lilacs

T H E D A I R Y M E A L

Asparagus Quiche                    Wildflower Ice Cubes           Double Pea & Feta Salad

T H E   D E S S E R T

Orange Carrot Cake Salted Caramel Cheesecake Ice Cream Cone Cupcake

Pressed Flowers Under Glass

2013-05-06T07:55:00.000-04:00

The holiday of Shavuot begins next Tuesday night.

It commemorates the anniversary of the day the Torah was given to the entire nation of Israel, assembled at Mount Sinai. Since the mountain suddenly blossomed with flowers in anticipation of the giving of the Torah, we decorate our homes and table with greenery and flowers on this holiday.

I love to tuck flowers wherever I can--here they are sandwiched between two glass plates.

I found these plates at Walmart for $1.50 each but you can also use clear plastic plates.

Spring has sprung here in the Northeast and pansies are everywhere--I planted a pot a few weeks ago so it was easy to snip what I needed from a pot on my front steps.

Pressing the flowers is easy:

1. Select blossoms to dry.

2. Separate the blossoms and leaves from the stems. Work carefully, avoiding tearing the blossoms. Use scissors to clip the blossom where it joins the stem.

3. Spread white paper towels in a book and arrange the blossoms and leaves and stems on the toweling. Don't allow the plants to touch each other. Top with a second white towel. Cover this with a large, heavy book or a stack of books.

4. Remove the book after five days. Carefully pry the flowers and other plant material from the paper toweling. Use a pair of tweezers, and take care not to tear the petals or leaves. If the flowers are not completely dry, repeat Step 3 with fresh paper toweling.

5. Store the dried flowers in an opaque cardboard box with a lid until you're ready to use them.

To make your napkins resemble Torah scrolls, simply roll both ends to meet in the center.

Pansies are probably the easiest flower to press but any type of flat flower would work as well.

Mother's Day Wish List

2013-05-03T07:28:00.000-04:00

A Woman of Valor, called Eshet Chayil in Hebrew, is a hymn recited on Friday evenings, after returning from synagogue before sitting down to the Shabbat evening meal. The poem describes the woman of valor as energetic, righteous, and capable.

If that's the case I think we all deserve a Mother's Day gift, don't you? If anyone in my family reads my blog, here is my wish list. Don't worry, I kept everything under $30.

1.These Atom Art Serving Bowls are so charming. 2.My family is expecting gourmet meals from my new kitchen so this should help: Barefoot Contessa Foolproof . 3.Accordion Brag Book to show off pictures of the grand kids, of course! 4.This Square Lacquer Tray in orange. 5.So pretty: Daisy Drop earrings . 6.This Open Weave Taupe Throw is perfect for the new living room.

Welcome Home Brunch

2013-05-01T07:10:00.000-04:00

Our son Ben recently returned from a six month stay in Israel followed by a month of traveling in Europe. With the kitchen finally done it seemed like a good time to get together with family and celebrate his return with a welcome home brunch.

A large laminated map of Israel becomes the perfect table runner--spills can easily wipe off. And, the elongated shape of Israel lends itself perfectly to a rectangular table!

Each muffin got a flag representing a country that Ben visited.

The flags were printed out from the internet, cut with scissors and glued onto a toothpick.

For the napkin rings, I made color copies of Ben's passport...

cut them into strips and taped into rings.
Can't wait for the family to come next week!

Ta Da...The Kitchen!

2013-04-29T07:17:00.000-04:00

It's practically done and it's awesome! It was totally worth the months of plaster dust and living with no sink or stove for a while. Our new kitchen is not only beautiful but a pleasure to cook in and I feel blessed to be able to work in it everyday.

If you don't follow my blog here is what it looked like when we started...the only thing that wasn't torn out was the window above the sink!

The wall between the dining room and kitchen was removed, the dinette area was deleted and that's where the breakfast bar now sits. (The large picture window was made shorter to accommodate the long counter with second sink.)

This kitchen is all about contrasts...white upper cabinets and dark gray bottoms cabinets, rough reclaimed wood dining table and shimmery capriz lighting fixture, sleek white counter tops and dark limestone tile back splash.

The natural light that pours into the kitchen most of the day is awesome although I still need window treatments--I'm thinking of roman shades.

The cabinets are shaker style Diamond cabinets from Lowe's--I'm thrilled with the quality. The brass pulls are Martha Stewart for Home Depot and the counters are quartz. Light fixtures over the breakfast bar and sink are from Schoolhouse Electric.

With the wall gone, I'm able to chat with my guests while I'm working in the kitchen...

Because out kitchen is kosher we have two sinks...the dairy sink is in the corner and the meat sink is where the original sink was originally--under the kitchen window.

There are also two "sides" flanking the stove--one for meat the other side for dairy.

The new pantry sits where the original refrigerator used to be.

Hard to believe it's the same kitchen!

Here's one of my favorite things--I found the idea on Pinterest. Now you see it...

Now you don't...

Here's a rundown of sources...
Cabinets: Diamond from Lowe's
Knobs: Martha Stewart for Home Depot
Lighting: Schoolhouse Electric: Luna Rod over peninsula, Princeton Senior over sink
Counter tops: Quartz
Sinks and faucets: Faucet Direct
Stove hood: Ikea Luftig
Oven and Stove: GE Cafe Line
Refrigerator: KitchenAid Architect Series
Poster: art.com
Tile: Royal Grey Honed Limestone, Tile America
Paint: Benjamin Moore Ozark Shadows AC-26

Linked to:
The Shabby Nest
The House of Hepworths
Finding Fabuous

Home Decor at Urban

2013-04-26T07:37:00.000-04:00

Quick--what's the first thing you think of when you hear Urban Outfitters?

If you said clothing, think again. The store is a great resource for home decor items...I found our Cantilever brass floor lamp for our den and great duvet covers for a good price. Don't have a store near where you live? Many items are only available online. Here are just a few of my favorites...

1. Herringbone Rug
2. Honeycomb Glass Pendant Shade
3. Mix and Match Cutlery
4. Ladder Storage Basket
5. Plum and Bow Polka Dot Sham and Duvet
6. Modern Chair

Here's the best part. Use the promo code WACKSLACKS and receive 10% off your order and free shipping for orders over $50!

Picnic Time for Lag B' Omer

2013-04-24T07:47:00.000-04:00

The Jewish holiday of Lag B' Omer is Sunday, April 28. It's celebrated with parades, bonfires and picnics. If you're planning a picnic here's an easy way to transport your meal while personalizing it for this fun day.

The addition of the arrow is a fun nod to symbolize the custom of bows and arrows on Lag B' Omer.

Here's how it's done:

1. After setting up your words on a program (I used Word), place a brown lunch over the computer paper to print. Tape the flap down in the back to be sure nothing jams.
2. You'll have bags printed with your message.
3. Cut some wood dowels with a pair of garden pruners to the desired size.
4. Glue on feathers and cardboard tips with a glue gun.

Enjoy the picnic!

Art for the Kitchen

2013-04-22T07:41:00.000-04:00

I wanted our new kitchen to feel open and airy so I opted against putting cabinets on the sink wall.

My first thought was to hang open shelving on the wall. Our carpenter cut pieces of pine which I stained and distressed, trying to achieve a reclaimed wood finish. But as soon as they were up I knew they were wrong...they made the space feel too heavy and cluttered. They came down the next day but now I had this empty space between two windows that needed something.

Art was the solution. I love antique floral botanical prints so how perfect would vegetable or fruit prints be in a kitchen?

Here is the empty spot where the shelves were removed--after spackling and painting the holes in the wall. Looks rather barren, right?

I checked out art.com and searched for fruit and vegetable prints. The ones I gravitated to were the giclée prints. Giclée (French for “to spray”) is a printing process where millions of ink droplets are sprayed onto the paper’s surface creating natural color transitions. There were SO many beautiful choices it was hard to pin one down. Here are some I considered...

The carrot and orange prints would pick up the orange paint color in the dining room buffet.

I also loved the plum and potato prints.

But in the end I was drawn to this print: varieties of Chard. The size fit well in an Ikea Ribba frame with a bit of cropping.

I was at Ikea last week and the only color they had in stock that day was this chrome finish.

A can of metallic bronze spray paint to the rescue.

The color picks up the bronze tones on the drawer pulls.

I'm still deciding on window treatments but stay tuned for the kitchen reveal soon!

Freshening the Front Door

2013-04-19T19:46:00.000-04:00

I've been itching to get my hands on the front door since we moved in and spring is the perfect time for an outdoor project. Here's what I've got planned...

The photo is what the front entrance looks like now. I brought the Ikea planter and the (fake) boxwood from our old house.

We'll need a new storm door (the center is glass--don't know why Lowe's made it blue in the photo) and I'll paint the frame the same color as the front door...something in these blue/green hues. I'm leaning towards the top color, Benjamin Moore's Blue Echo 505. One of my pet peeves is leaving the storm door white--it should always be painted the same color as the door so the door is saturated with color!

Our current door knocker is engraved with the name of the family who lived here two home owners ago(!) so this iron bird door knocker from ironaccents will replace that and it's only $12.00. I like traditional fonts so I'll use these zinc house numbers from Lowe's and I'll keep the light fixture.

Have a great weekend!

A No-Sew Window Shade

2013-04-17T08:11:00.001-04:00

Our previous home sat on a wooded acre of land and sometimes I never even bothered to pull down the shades! Our new house is in a much more urban location and since the neighbors are a little to close for comfort shades are a must.

You may remember the post I did back in January on our small master bath here. I had to work around the existing yellow tiles so I decorated the bathroom in yellow and grays. On a recent trip to Jo-Anne fabric I found this beautiful Waverly fabric:Wave Bedazzle on sale 40% off and bought a yard to create these no-sew window panels in less than 60 minutes.

Here is the old shade...

It wasn't bad, worked well and did the job, but I wanted something more decorative.

The key to making this shade is cutting your fabric straight. I used my old T-square from college days. (We had NO computers back then and did our work at a drafting table with T-squares--really!)

I measured the size of the window, then added 2 inches on each side for hems and pockets.

No sewing machine required--I used iron-on tape instead.

I gave the sides a half inch hem and the top and bottom two inches to accommodate the tension rods.

There are two tension rods on the top and bottom of the fabric.

I can either keep the shade closed all the way, or pull the top down a few inches...

This enables me to have some natural light into the room but the neighbors can't see in!

It also creates a pretty soft fold on the bottom.

Camelflage Outlets

2013-04-15T07:57:00.000-04:00

Our kitchen is practically done--I'm just tweaking the details before I post the finished room so it's perfect!

I have a decorating pet peeve: switch plates that do not blend into the wall they are on. I mean, why would anyone want to emphasis the plug? Years ago I decorated a living room for clients and the walls were painted a beautiful soft blue. When I came back to the house after the painters were done, the husband installed brass outlet plates on the walls. Noooooo!

Our electrician installed the outlets in the back splash before the tile was installed. Originally I planned on having white subway tile, so I told him to install white plugs and plates.

Then I found these beautiful gray limestone subway tiles at Tile America. They were perfect but now I was stuck with white outlet plugs and covers. The white just wasn't going to work with the dark gray tile.

Zinsser to the rescue! It sticks to any surface and dries in one hour.

Next I gave them three coats of gray to match the tile.

Will it hold up? I might have to touch up paint now and then...

But it's all in the details.

Salon-Style Wall Display

2013-04-12T07:37:00.000-04:00

When I posted my Craig's List painted buffet last month I got many comments not only about the glossy orange color, but the artwork hung above it. This style of hanging is called Salon-style. Even though these art walls are so popular today the trend dates back to Paris in 1737! It's a charming way to hang smaller pieces of art in a group over a large area.

My art is collected over many years and although each piece is different, the burnished gold tones tie everything together. I think these hangings look best when there is at least one straight line (mine is on the bottom) and the space between each picture is the same.

Not only is this a great way to fill a large area but these pictures have sentimental value for me. On the left are silhouettes of my children done many years ago at a nursery school fundraiser. The artist had nothing more than a sheet of black paper and a pair of very sharp scissors and in 20 minutes cut exact profiles of each child! The two below were birthday gifts from my sister purchased from the Annual St. Louis Art Fair.

On top are two antique paintings--a watercolor and a small oil painting. The "R" is from Ballard Designs which is no longer available but here is a similar Typesetter Plaque.

Nail Polish Marbled Knife Handle

2013-04-10T08:25:00.001-04:00

Want to create an expensive marbled look on a serving utensil or knife handle? Use nail polish!

I found this post by Erica over at Honestly WFT last year where she marbleized the bottom of drinking glasses. As soon as I saw it I thought of my knife handle--we've had this challah knife for years. The knife is in perfect shape but the handle has seen better days. Here's the before:

All you need is a container for clean water--be sure it's deep enough to submerge your object into, nail polish, and a toothpick. Gone are the days of only pinks and reds--today's nail polish comes in a rainbow of colors. For this project I used dark blue, light blue and apple green.

Clockwise from top left:
Start by dropping globs of polish onto one another into the water.
Swirl around the colors with the toothpick.
Keep adding more polish and swirling until there's enough to cover your object.
Dip the handle quickly, let dry.

I found some spots on my handle that were not covered so I added more polish directly on the handle and swirled that with a toothpick. Seal with clear nail polish (of course!) and hand wash only.
Linked to:
Someday Crafts

Door Knob Daffodils

2013-04-08T08:07:00.000-04:00

It's FINALLY spring in the Northeast--it seemed like it would never come! Little green shoots are poking through the ground and it's fun to see what is coming up in our new yard since we moved in after Thanksgiving and I'm not quite sure what's planted.

Here's a charming way to bring a bit of spring to your front door. As soon as I spotted these cardboard cones at the craft store I knew what I wanted to make with them.

Aside from the cone I also purchased pretty patterned paper.

It came together in a matter of minutes...

1. Spray the cone with spray adhesive until it's very sticky
2. Roll the patterned paper onto the sticky cone
3. Using an exact-o knife, cut along the top
4. You'll have a nice clean edge
5. Using a sharp awl, poke a hole on two sides of the cone
6. Insert a wire, pipe cleaner or ribbon for hanging

Fill a plastic cup with water and insert into the cone.
Add flowers of your choice--I like daffodils because they scream springtime!

Live in an apartment building without a front door? These look just as pretty inside the house.

Linked to:
creative jewish mom
Not JUST A Housewife

Master Bedroom Decor

2013-04-05T08:07:00.000-04:00

The painting is complete and the carpet is installed. Now for the fun part...

It started with a trip to Home Goods. These mustard colored lamps were crying out to me! The size and shape were perfect--but yellow? I've never really been a "yellow" person.

Then I had an ah-ha moment...the master bath is yellow and the bedding and walls are gray. Yellow and gray look great together so why not? (The starburst mirror was brought from our old house.)

The Lucite base on the lamps give them a modern vibe and I'm still loving my $39.00 bedside tables from Hotel Liquidators in New Haven. (The thick glass alone would cost way more than that!) The steel gray color works fine but I want to paint them gold.

More of that mustard color was needed in the room so I picked up two of these pillows from Target. They were $16.99 but I think they look so much more expensive.

The Textured Woven Shades from Country Curtains are great but the windows could still use curtain panels to soften the area.

One day at a time...

Updating Doors

2013-04-02T17:14:00.001-04:00

You may not think much about the doors in your home but I am--our house is a ranch built in 1948 and the doors are flat white with brassy knobs that look dated and worn. There is a simple way to update doors for very little money and it makes such a huge difference!

I plan on painting all the interior doors black or charcoal gray in a satin finish. Here are a few of my inspiration photos...

The dark color makes them look so much more expensive, right?

Here's what our doors look like now...

At least someone who lived here before us had the sense to paint them white! Originally they were probably finished with an orangery/yellow varnish typical for this era.

The door knobs are not much better...

After the doors are painted the finishing touch is the door hardware--it's like jewelry for your doors! I'm not sure which direction to go: knob or lever?

Brass or Oil Rubbed Bronze? Satin chrome or Antique Pewter? I haven't decided but I did find a great website to buy good quality knobs for less: doorknobdiscountcenter.com. I think whatever I end up with will be a huge improvement!

Creating a Runner with Flor Carpet Tiles

2013-03-31T11:03:00.000-04:00

I've always loved Flor carpet tiles and I finally had an opportunity to use them in our new home!

The front hall has been left uncovered since we moved into the house four months ago. Now that most of the work in the kitchen is done it was time to put down some kind of floor covering on the hardwood floors.

My first thought was to put down a runner. I order two of these Chevron runner from Ballard Design.

The size of the runner is 2'7" x 8'2". My hall is 7'x18". It didn't even begin to cover most of the floor. I needed something that was custom to cover such a long and narrow space.

I decided to check out the Flor store in Soho during a recent visit to New York and see the carpet tiles up close.

So many beautiful carpet tiles to choose from! Because our hallway is next to the living room and we have a patterned rug in there, I chose "Heaven Sent," a soft loop that's recycled nylon.

I ordered 20 tiles in three different shades for a striped effect and 3 days later the boxes arrived.

After laying out the design, these sticky dots are used to keep the tiles in place.

The hallway is far from done but at least the hardwood floors are protected from foot traffic and the size fits perfectly.

If a tile becomes soiled you can actually lift it up and rinse it with soap and water...

Or, replace the tile with a new one!

Potato-Crusted Quiche for Passover

2013-03-28T07:29:00.000-04:00

After two Seders I've had my fill of Matzo balls and brisket. I am ready for a dairy meal but it's still Passover for another five days and that means no bread products. I came across this Quiche recipe on the Food Network website and it's perfect for a light Passover meal!

PHOTO: ANNA WILLIAMS
The traditional pie crust is left off and instead, thinly sliced potatoes are used. How clever is that? I haven't tried it yet but it's on the menu for dinner tonight--I'm adding fresh veggies.

Potato-Crusted Quiche
2 medium russet potatoes, peeled
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
3 large eggs plus 3 egg yolks
2 cups half-and-half (or whole milk)
3/4 cup chopped fresh chives
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
1 1/2 cups grated cheese (about 6 ounces)

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Slice the potatoes lengthwise into thin ovals (use a mandoline if you have one). Toss with the olive oil and season with salt and pepper, then arrange in a single layer on 2 baking sheets. Bake until tender and pliable but not brown, 10 to 15 minutes. Line the side of a 9-inch pie plate with overlapping potato slices so they stick out above the rim; line the bottom with the remaining slices.

Whisk the eggs and egg yolks, half-and-half, chives, nutmeg, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste in a bowl; stir in 1 cup cheese. Pour into the potato-lined pie plate and scatter the remaining 1/2 cup cheese on top. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F and bake the quiche until just set in the center, 40 to 50 minutes. Let cool at least 20 minutes before slicing.

"New" Dining Room Buffet

2013-03-23T20:20:00.001-04:00

I've been searching Craig's List for a few months looking for a large dresser that could be used as a buffet in our dining room. The thing about buying furniture on Craig's list is everything has to be just right...the timing (you snooze you lose), location (I won't drive more than 40 minutes) and of course the price.

When I found this dresser and saw the price I thought maybe it was a mistake. The owner was asking $35 for this beauty!

The size was perfect and the drawers all glided nicely. The veneer was in excellent shape with some minor dents and scratches but nothing that a little sanding wouldn't take care of. Since I wanted it done before Passover I had to get going with the rehab weeks before.

I usually replace old knobs and pulls but I loved the original hardware--it just needed some sprucing up...

First I tried soaking them in some Tarn-X. Bad move. The brass became discolored and looked awful!

So it was plan B: spray paint...

I used a primer first, then enamel since I wanted to be sure the paint would adhere with daily use.

For the dresser, the first step was sanding...it's not necessary to sand down to the bare wood, but just enough to get the glossy finish off so the paint will adhere.

After the sanding it's time to paint. The guy at the paint store told me that orange is one of the hardest colors to cover and he suggested a tinted primer.

Even using a tinted primer it took about four coats of paint to cover!

The top coat is Benjamin Moore's Festive Orange in a high gloss oil paint. When my husband came home and saw the color he thought I was crazy! But with all the gray tones in the dining room and kitchen I wanted a pop of color and I've been obsessed with orange lately.

The drawers are great for storing napkins, tablecloths, shabbos candles and more...

The orange looks great against the gray walls.

Was I hesitant painting this orange? Oh yeah. But sometimes you have to go outside your comfort zone and do something a bit daring to get that wow factor!
Linked to:
The Shabby Nest
Suburbs Mama
Miss Mustard Seed

Flour-less Chocolate Torte for Passover

2013-03-22T06:38:00.000-04:00

There are so many dessert recipes for Passover floating around the web this year. I've been making this flour-less chocolate torte for Passover for years and it always gets rave reviews, so I'm sticking with what I know will be great! It's delicious on it's own or you can add a dollop of whipped topping, fresh berries or a raspberry sauce made with frozen berries.

PHOTO: FOOD NETWORK

Since it's gluten free I also make it on special occasions during the year.

Flour-less Chocolate Torte

7 oz. bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped

1 1/2 stick margarine

4 large eggs

1 1/3 cup sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons instant coffee

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Grease and sugar an 8-inch diameter spring form pan. Wrap foil around outside of pan. Melt chocolate and margarine in a heavy medium saucepan over low heat, stirring until smooth. Whisk eggs, sugar and coffee powder in a large bowl until well-blended. Whisk in chocolate mixture.

Pour batter in prepared pan. Place cake in a large baking pan. Add enough water to paking pan to come halfway up sides of pan. Bake until knife inserted comes out clean, about 1 1/2 hours.

Remove cake from water bath. Cool. Remove foil. Cover and refrigerate overnight. (Can be prepared one week ahead; keep refrigerated.) Cut cake into wedges. Serves 10.

Raspberry Sauce

2 cups fresh or frozen raspberries

1/2 cup sugar

2 tsp. orange zest

Place all ingredients in a food processor. Pulse-process until smooth. Strain sauce through a fine mesh strainer to remove seeds. Refrigerate and serve.

Individual Seder Plates

2013-03-20T09:29:00.000-04:00

We're hosting the second night of Passover in our new home. The paint and tile back splash are still being done this week so it's down to the wire!

Traditionally there is one Seder plate on most Passover tables, but I decided to give each of my guests their own--it just seems easier than passing a large plate around. Since I don't own ten Seder plates I put mine together using small plastic bowls I found at the party store.

These tiny bowls are designed for appetizers, desserts or a cocktail party but they are perfect for a Seder plate!

Clockwise from top left: The Seder plate place cards are from my new Etsy shop, I like the Rashi Red Concord wine for the Seder since we are required to drink four cups--it goes down easy, Tulips make it seem like spring even though the temperature is still in the 30's in Connecticut, the tiny "cocktail" bowls.