Despite having lived all of my 32 years in Arkansas, I’ve never been much of a fan of many typical Southern foods, particularly side dishes. Beans and cornbread (or worse, cornbread mushed up in a glass with buttermilk), greens, hominy, fried squash…none of these have ever held any appeal whatsoever to me, despite having it all forced upon me during my childhood. I like my greens in a salad, and I prefer my squash sauteed in some olive oil with a little garlic. Or a lot of garlic.

One Southern food I was never force-fed during my youth was grits. Grandma never made them (because Grandma only made things I loved and it all tasted good), and it wasn’t until several years ago that I first tried them, when my husband procured his mom’s recipe for our New Year’s Day feast (also the only time I’ll eat black-eyed peas, and only if my husband makes them, because they’re damn tasty). The specific recipe was for tomato grits…and yeah, I didn’t like them so much.

I wasn’t faced with the scary consistency and texture of grits until a couple of years later at a breakfast potluck at work. Garlic cheese grits casserole, to be precise. I was convinced to try them, since they did contain two of my favorite food groups, cheese and garlic. Clearly those two things would make grits edible. And oh, do they ever!

I procured the recipe and have sort of made it my own over the past few years. I like to call them Angry Grits, mainly because of how violently the grits boil on the stove top. There’s a reason you cook them with the lid on the saucepan. And also, depending on how you make them, they can be a little spicy. They’re not at all healthy, but they’re better than mac & cheese when it comes to delicious comfort food. I made some tonight, and they go quite well with crab cakes!

Here’s my version of the recipe. It fills a 2-quart casserole dish, which means plenty of leftovers for lunch tomorrow!

Garlic Cheese Grits Casserole

1. Boil 4 cups of water with a teaspoon of salt. I like sea salt. Mostly because of the cute container I keep it in.

2. Stir in 1 cup of instant grits. Reduce the heat, cover and cook about 5 minutes. Stir a couple of times. (You might get splattered with rogue grits.)

3. Stir in 8 ounces of cubed plain Velveeta and 8 ounces of Mexican Velveeta. (Like I said, not at all healthy.) If you want more jalapeno-y goodness, go for more Mexican and less of the plain. Either way, mix well.

4. Add a stick of unsalted butter. (Not. At. All. Healthy.) Mix well.

5. Add garlic powder. I like it garlicky, so I mix in about a tablespoon. I also like to add in a little pepper.

6. Pour unhealthy grits concoction into casserole dish and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Enjoy. But only a few times a year.

So after much debate, price comparisons and checking of Consumer Reports ratings, the husband and I finally got our first grown-up grill this weekend. It’s a Char-Broil Red grill, with “Red” referring to the infrared heat the grill uses. Instead of an open flame, three stainless-steel tube burners are tucked away beneath a U-shaped trough, providing high, even heat to the cast-iron cooking surface. Not only does the infrared system save someone like me from catching their hair on fire, it also prevents meat from drying out and losing all of that juicy goodness.

Despite the horribly hot weather (100 degrees! 110 heat index!), Saturday evening we grilled a couple of inaugural rib-eyes, and they were phenomenal. The grill is easy to use, with a “SureFire” electronic ignition button and individual burner knobs with a range of temperature settings, including one for rotisserie, should we ever feel the need to purchase the electric grill rotisserie. Which we won’t. But the lower setting is ideal for fish and veggies, which can also be cooked on the side burner.

The grill heats quickly, and only uses a third of the propane regular gas grills require, and our thick, juicy steaks were perfectly cooked in about 10 minutes. Even better, it has a cleaning mode that ramps the heat up to around 700 degrees and basically disintegrates anything left on the cooking surface, rendering that grill brush completely useless!

Even after one use, I think we’re really going to like this grill. It’s not gigantic and takes up minimal space on the deck, but it’s the perfect size whether we’re cooking for just ourselves or for a few other folks. Considering the easy operation, the side burner and the storage space, not to mention the effortless clean up, I can see a lot of our cooking moving from inside the kitchen and out onto the deck, especially in the evening and when the weather cools. But for now, I’m looking forward to grilling up some fabulous burgers (I have the most excellent recipe!) over the 4th of July holiday this weekend, no matter how hot it is!

Houses from Within, Tel Aviv 2010 was a month ago. I was fortunate enough to get a press pass (thank you Aviva!) so I drove around Tel Aviv like a mad woman dashing from apartment to apartment. I saw 19 places in all and I’ve decided to start off the reviews with my favorite apartment from the whole weekend – Hila Caspi’s home. It’s a small flat in north Tel Aviv but I adore how she maximized the space, light and interest in the apartment.

The whole flat is around 70 square meters. The floor is cement (which was a major trend this time around – so much so that by the end of the weekend I was bored of it), the kitchen is shiny white (another trend which had me yawning by the end of the weekend). However, this was the first place I saw both in, so I was still excited while photographing the place. So why do I love it so much when it holds two pieces that I find rather tired and unoriginal? She has the most brilliant use of space for her tiny flat, some totally unexpected design elements that really got me and she has possibly the best made bed in Israel.

I’m so not kidding there.

And even though she had no color on the walls and basically the place was a bit of a blank canvas – it wasn’t dull. There was artwork, for one, and loads of really lovely homey old furniture artfully mixed with the new modern pieces. Slivers of color were everywhere and she also had actual foliage in the flat (ok, on the windowsill, but close enough).

I know the picture is a bit dark – but can you see the bed? It’s made. With real European size pillows and bolsters! There’s a lovely coverlet on the bed and even a luxurious throw blanket. That alone made my day.  But the on-suite bathroom also really did it for me.

See – better photo of the best made bed in Israel. Oh – and if you want to understand what I mean – check out some of the other home tours on Tchochkes. People here will sleep on anything with almost nothing. It’s kind of sad really. But this bed gives me hope.

In case you haven’t been reading Tchochkes for long (or ever before) I live in a house the size of a postage stamp. 100 sq meters of small. And there’s only one bathroom. Which I share with 2 small boys. 2 small gorgeous boys who have horrible aim. And 1 who has a thing about peeing in the tub (he’s 4, we’re praying he’ll grow out of it).

I can’t even tell you how much I would love this bathroom in my bedroom (but we’d have to find a place to put a toilet to make it truly wonderful). That would be even better than a walk in closet (but to have all – well, that’s just a dream.) And the fact that she’s found a way to make this tiny flat so warm and inviting and cozy with TWO bathrooms is just amazing. I love the antique style cabinets, the wall tap sink and the all glass shower keeping the space open. The bathroom here is up on a step from the bedroom. I’m not sure how that works for cleaning, but the bathroom floor is tile and the main floor is cement – so my guess is that it cleans well.

Another bit of the apartment that I loved was the tiny small balcony with wood floor. The balcony is separated from the house by floor to ceiling glass walls and doors.

As you can see from the picture above, privacy can be had by closing the white sheers. The glass walls keep the airiness and light of the flat. You don’t feel the size of this place at all.

Looking in from the balcony.

From here the main bathroom looks somewhat staid. But look in that mirror…

Love the old school pictures – but there’s even more that I loved in this bathroom…

Why is the angle so weird for the picture above? Because I was standing below it. This piece of artwork is on the bathroom ceiling. The tub is beneath this artwork. I’m assuming that it doesn’t get ruined by the humidity of the bathroom due to the high gloss laminate and window right above the tub. I loved this, so whimsical and totally unexpected. I just love it when I find design elements that shock me. It doesn’t happen all that often anymore. Bravo Hila Caspi for this alone.

In short (short?) I loved her flat. The mixture of modern with old furniture, the unexpected elements, the warmth, light and airiness of it all. The amazing use of space without feeling cramped. I left there dreaming of hiring her to fix up this minuscule dwelling of mine.

New “Old” style lighting by Country Gear LTD puts a nice spin on unfinished metal fixtures.  The ceiling lamp featured above has “search light” qualities about it that I absolutely love.  This companies line offers unique lighting options for those that want something out of the ordinary. 

These pretty scrolled wall sconces are outdoor lights.  The simplicity of these fixtures is what makes them so versatile. 

And my favorite item in the grouping is this “cut out” shade duo paired with an unfinished metal mount. 

*  Visit their website for more options.

After visiting the International Furniture Fair at the Jacob K. Javits Center a few weeks ago, I have come to some conclusions regarding the latest, greatest themes in Home Furnishings.

Faux Wood Lamp Shade

Wood, wood and more wood.  Unfinished wood of every dimension was a hit at the show.  Utilized in innovative ways to make this old standard look updated and interesting.

Wood Cutting Board by Canoe

Cardboard and paper products.  Making furniture and lighting out of paper is a way to embrace the “recycle-reuse theme” in a fresh way.  Hassocks made of corrugated cardboard were front and center in this trend.

Wall Shelves by Stephen Hugo

Brights in a variety of materials including plastic, wood and resin.  This trend is refreshing to say the least. Tying in culture with current design is a nice twist, making the usual “unusual.

Bedding by West Elm

Bold floral patterns in stencil-like form.  Prints are still kicking and look revived once more.  Two and three color cutouts make this category a trend to be reckoned with.

Pillows by Thomas Paul

Nature themes abound.  Birds, bees, butterflies and all living creatures in between.  Paired with new green, these subjects look alive in home furnishings.

The big Herman Miller sale has come and gone, and while I didn’t end up with a pair of Eames molded plastic chairs for the dining room (since there’s no new dining room table to put them at quite yet), I am, however, anxiously awaiting the arrival of my shiny new Eames Hang-It-All!

I fell in love with Charles and Ray Eames years ago when I was assigned to write an article on mid-century masters. It was one of my first magazine assignments, and I remember spending the day at a local independent shop filled with the classics I had only seen in photos, and learning about Eileen Gray, George Nelson, Eero Saarinen and of course, the Eameses.

That was the day I truly fell in love with mid-century design, and vowed to eventually fill my home with a modest collection of all my favorites. Needless to say it’s been slow going, but I’ve wanted this mini icon for my office for a while. And you know, sale! And free shipping!

But seriously, the Hang-It-All sort of epitomizes what I appreciate so much about the work of Charles and Ray Eames—how they translated their innovations in furniture design to something as trivial as a coat rack. To create the steel frame, the Eameses used the same techniques for welding wires that they developed for their wire-base tables and wire chairs.

The Hang-It-All was originally one of several pieces of furniture and toys the Eameses created just for kids, and was designed in 1953. It has more than a dozen hooks topped off with maple balls in two sizes and nine glossy colors, making it as functional as it is good looking. After being discontinued in 1961, the Hang-It-All was reintroduced in 1994, and has been keeping kids and adults delightfully organized ever since. I’m looking forward to using it to properly display—and yes, organize—my collection of handbags, scarves and other accessories.

Images: Herman Miller

I don’t know how today became Nate day – but I saw it on Twitter and who am I to argue? I think that Nate Berkus is stunning and his interiors are great too.

Above is from the Nate Berkus bedding collection. I love the casual elegance of it. Although I have to admit – not a major fan of fabric headboards, this one actually looks practical (like it could be taken off and washed).

Love this – although my children and dog would destroy it sooner than a New York minute…

Wayyyyyyy more child friendly. Well, minus the vase on the table that will fall on that lush carpet. But the carpet is thick, so the vase won’t break. Anyone learning to walk should avoid the corners of that table. And I hope those yellow stools aren’t silk (like they look).

Sigh. I can’t even imagine a house like this at this stage of my life. Does Nate do country cottage style that’s good for a family with 2 small boys?

Color has come full circle with the use of brights in home furnishings.  Combined with the environmental theme, this trend is one to take part in.  There are so many wonderful products on the market to choose from. 

Tips for how to use bright colors in the home: 

1)  Add brights with accessories.  There is no need to paint a wall to embrace this trend. 

2)  Look outside and get inspired.  Every garden houses these brights in “living color”.

3)  Take advantage of nature.  Themes from this category are a sure bet when it comes to combining brights.  Use the gallery of photos above for inspiration “outside and in”.

The Lodzia or Red House as it is affectionately known to Tel-Aviv residents had its doors open to the public in a rare opportunity before it is renovated. I included it as part of my Houses From Within tours a few weeks back.

The Lodzia textile factory named after the Polish city Lodz, was built in stages by immigrants  during the 1920′s. It is one of the last remaining structures that stood next to the Ottoman Jaffa-Jerusalem railway during Tel-Aviv’s early days. In 1924 architect Joseph Berlin planned the original one story building.

Known for his use of silicate bricks as in the case of the Ohel Moed synagogue, Berlin inserted these rare reddish bricks into a massive concrete shell. That’s how it came to be called the Red House.

With European features of a slanted roof and very large windows, it only served as a textile factory until the 1930′s.

The visitors climbed the original steel staircase,

which was reinforced for the event.

The interior featured the “Milestones” exhibit: a collection of Land of Israel posters.

After lying in wait for many years the factory was recently bought by businessman Roni Duek who plans on turning it into four luxury apartments. He promises to open the building to the public for events such as Houses From Within. But most importantly that he will “refurbish the building and restore its impressive facade, just as it was in the 1920′s.”

Let’s hope so.

New Caribbean Design  is not just a product line but a concept. This company, which I stumbeled across at the ICFF in New York a few weeks ago, is innovative and colorful and has products that inspire.  I love companies that are brave enough to utilize bright colors in a professional way.

Their tag line is: “LOVE, FREEDOM, FLOW”, which I think is ingenious.  These poetic lines describe the unity behind the concept of this design group.  They support artisans in the Caribbean Islands and pool the products together to sell under the company name.  Craft, tradition and contemporary design is their aim.

*If you are interested in more of their wonderful products, go to their website and click on press kit.