After nine and a half years of blogging, we are doing a first. We have decided to take a summer break. We need to pause and take a breath.

We will still be active on Instagram so please follow us over there.

Thank you all so much for your support. We will see you in the fall. Be safe, and stay healthy.

Cheers and take care!
Jordan and Janette

The post Taking A Break appeared first on The 2 Seasons.

So, I struck gold with Wayfair.  They had an end table that was just what I was looking for.  I wanted a drawer and a shelf.  I keep a radio on the porch and wanted a shelf for it.

After looking at some old photos, I decided that the little green ladder that I previously used just wasn’t a good look.

Luckily, this porch end table has two shelves.  It comes in several colors, and I selected the one with the wood-stained top.  Although the photos don’t show it, the wooden top is a good match with the brown wicker, which also came from Wayfair.  I do plan to add a lamp.  Oh, and the table came in a box, and Mike put it together.

The end table with the stained top only came in white, so I used left over paint from the armoire paint job I did last week and painted it the creamy color I wanted.  The inside of this drawer, where I will keep coasters, shows its original color.  There are over 10 color options, but some of them are sold out.

We just have a few paintings to hang, and then hopefully, the porch will be finished…….for now.

Take care.

Affiliate link used at no additional expense to you.

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Here are some great tips on how to hang a gallery wall.

This is a great idea for a weekend night.

We bet you will remember these iconic kitchens.

I am going to make this snack for my children.

Here are some “must-know” decorating tips for you.

Cheers!

The post The Seasons’ Saturday Selections 6/16/2020 appeared first on The 2 Seasons.

Hello, everyone.  We have another pantry meal for you today, and this one is a favorite.  I first had gnocchi when I was in college.  I had an Italian roommate my senior year, and her mother made gnocchi for us.  It was so good.  Ever since then I have eaten it every time it is on the menu when we eat out.  However, as much as I wanted to, I never learned to make it……until now that is.  Gnocchi is so very good and only takes three ingredients – mashed potatoes, flour, and egg.  That’s it.  Now, there is a little finesse required to get the shape just right, and you will see that I still need some practice there, but I mastered every other part of this easy recipe.  Today I am going to show you how to make gnocchi.

In a mixing bowl, combine 1 cup mashed potatoes (you can use leftovers or make them fresh.)  Add to that 2 cups of all purpose flour and combine well.  I used a pastry blender.

Then add one egg and mix.  Once they are mixed, knead a few times to get everything well combined.

Then put this dough on a floured surface and roll into a long log, kind of like you do with Play Dough.

Then cut into 1 inch pieces.  Dip a fork in flour and roll it around each piece to make indentations.  This helps the sauce adhere to the pasta when you are eating.

Drop each piece into salted boiling water, and boil until they rise to the top.  This takes about 3 minutes.

Remove from the water and drain.  Add your favorite topping.  You will find lots of recipes and suggestions for toppings at allrecipes.com, but I just added grated Parmesan cheese and freshly ground black pepper since I made it for lunch one day.

I am so happy that I finally decided how to learn to make gnocchi.  It’s one of my favorite pastas, and I have avoided making it all of these years.  This recipe makes a lot, and so I froze some to use later.  Enjoy this recipe, everyone.

Take care.

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Hello, everyone.  We hope your week is going well.  I am so happy to report that yesterday I checked off a pesky item on the to-do list that has been there since last summer.  I painted the armoire that sits on our porch.  First off, the reason it is on our porch is because we added shelves to it and use it to store our shoes.  We walk right past it every time we enter and leave our house.  We do not wear outside shoes inside, and so, it’s a perfect place to make the shoe exchange before we walk around in our house.  Second, you might be thinking, “Wasn’t it painted before?”  Yes.  Continue to read on, and I will explain.

Annie Sloan Chalk Paint Originally

Our big armoire was gray, specifically Annie Sloane Paris Grey chalk paint, which is a wonderful color.  I painted it a few years ago when we lived in our last house.  The armoire was lovely, and the transformation from its original mahogany finish to grey gave it a good look.  It wore the grey well. I distressed it a little which made it look even better.

Why  I Painted It

I switched to a new color for two reasons.  We don’t have anything else in our house that is grey.  It just didn’t fit in with our other furnishings, I felt.  Also, I have been making some changes to lighten up the porch area (read about that here), and this was just another step in that direction.

The New Paint Color

The new paint is the same color as the walls in our house and drywall portion of the porch.  It is Sherwin Williams Stucco with 50 percent pigment.  I love this color mostly because there aren’t any unwanted undertones.  It really makes me happy.  I sanded the new paint so that some of the old paint and even the mahogany showed through to give it more of an old and aged look. I am really pleased with the final result and am now wondering why I waited so long to do this little task that took just two hours.

Have you painted any furniture lately?

Take care.

The post I Painted the Armoire appeared first on The 2 Seasons.

Since most of us are spending more time at home these days, let’s face it…….We are also spending more time in our bathrooms.   Have you taken a good look at yours lately?  Is it looking tired and needing some much loved attention?  It might be as simple as giving it a good old-fashioned cleaning from the very top to the very bottom.  We have some simple steps you can take to make it look and work better for you.  So, today, let’s freshen up the bathroom.

Paint

If your bathroom is in need of more than just a good cleaning, perhaps a can of paint will be the help that it needs.  Since bathrooms are so small, they need just a little paint and a few hours of your time to have a new look.  You can paint the wall and/or the cabinets for a whole new look.

Towels and Wash Cloths

How are those towels and wash cloths looking?  Are their edges frayed?  Have they thinned a lot from usage?  Are they stained?  When we moved into our new place 18 months ago, I bought all new towels and wash cloths and am so happy I did.  I always stick with white because they are easy to bleach.  However, I bought a dozen black wash cloths to use for make-up removal for both me and our overnight guests.  Using black wash cloths means that our white ones will stay white longer.

Mirrors and Lights

Do you have mirrors and lights that are showing their age?  Do they make your bathroom look dated?  Replacing them can really make a difference in the way your room looks.  We replaced our granny mirrors with some new ones, and that one change made a huge difference.  We bought ours at Pottery Barn.

Hardware

Changing the hardware is a really simple way to update your bathroom.  If you decide to paint your cabinets, then consider changing the hardware, too.  However, you do not need to have freshly painted cabinets to add a new look with new hardware.

Faucets

I know.  I know.  This is getting a little more technical, but aged and yucky faucets can drag down your bathroom.  New faucets can add some much needed sparkle.  There are plenty of Youtube videos that will show you exactly how to make this change.

Rugs

Bathroom rugs get a lot of wear.  The nice thing is that it doesn’t have to be a rug designed for just a bathroom.  We have a Ruggable rug in our master bath, and it is an absolute workhorse.  There are two parts – a top and a pad.  When the top gets soiled or needs to be freshened up, I just toss it in the washer.  We bought it here.  Our guest bath has an antique Persian rug in it, and it looks great.  I keep a bath mat under the sink in there, and we put it beside the tub when the grandkids take their baths.

Storage

Just a few weeks ago, I decided that my under-sink storage could work better for me.  I ordered these two storage bins, and put them to work.  What a difference they made.  With our cabinet tower and several drawers, we have plenty of bathroom storage.  Don’t get me wrong.  However, the simple addition of two sliding bins made all of the difference.

Shower Curtain

If you have a shower curtain, how is it looking?  What about the liner?  Sometimes the liners can get pretty crusty.  If you don’t want to buy a new one, then wash it in a bleach solution in your washing machine.  If you sew, a shower curtain is simple to make.  You can follow my directions here.  And if you have a shower door instead, did you know that shampoo will get rid of the gunk?  Just use the kind that does not have conditioner in it.  It will cut the grease and build-up on your shower door with some help from you.

Waste Basket

Make sure the inside of your waste basket gets cleaned out occasionally.  It’s a great place for germs to reside.  Also, you don’t always need to use a traditional trash can.  Just make sure whatever you use is cute.  It’s a simple way to make a statement.

Toilet Brush

This little bathroom necessity was the inspiration for this entire post.  I noticed this morning that our toilet brush was really gross, and I ordered a new one right away.

We hope this post inspires you to take a good look at your bathroom and decided if it needs to be freshen up.  Have fun while you are at it.

Take care.

Affiliate links used at no additional expense to you.

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In case you change your colors every season, you will want to see this.

Here’s a good designer portfolio.

Here’s a beautiful dessert for Mother’s Day.

This is a cute DIY project.

Here’s a look at the real estate listing for a former screen star.

Cheers!

The post The Seasons’ Saturday Selections 5/9/2020 appeared first on The 2 Seasons.

Hello, everyone.  I normally don’t do a recipe, but today we are changing that.  We have another pantry recipe for you, courtesy of a magazine.  Last week, I was reading the newest issue of Real Simple Magazine.  While browsing, I found a recipe for a Skillet Banana Pancake.  I realized I had everything on hand so decided to make it for breakfast.  Well, it was a hit for everyone.  It was super easy for me to make, and the family members loved it.

Print

Yum

Skillet Banana Pancake

Ingredients

• 3 medium bananas
• 5 Tbsp melted coconut oil, divided (I did not use this much)
• 1/4 cup plus 1 Tbsp granulated sugar divided
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups of buttermilk (you can make your own if you don't have on hand google some options)
• 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 Tbsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 3/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
• 1 cup coconut chips
• Pure maple syrup and whipped heavy cream for serving

Instructions

1. Preheat broiler with rack 6 inches from heat. Slice 2 bananas cut in half lengthwise and place, cut sides up, on a baking sheet. Brush with 1 Tablespoon oil and sprinkle with 1 Tablespoon sugar. Broil until golden brown 3 to 4 minutes. Set aside and set oven temp to 400.
2. Mash remaining banana in a large bowl. Add etts, buttermilk, vanilla, and 2 Tablespoons of oil, whisk until combined.
3. Whisk flour, baking powder, salt, baking soda, nutmeg, and remaining 1/4 cup sugar in a separate bowl. Add mashed banana mixture to the flour mixture and stir until just combined. (Do not overmix).
4. Heat remaining oil in a 12 inch cast iron skillet or oven safe nonstick skillet over medium high.
5. Pour batter into skillet, gently spreading to edges with a rubber spatula. Reduce the heat to medium and cook shaking the skillet back and forth to distribute the batter until pancake bubbles around the edges (5 to 6 mins).
6. Arrange broiled bananas on top, cut side up.
7. Bake until pancake is puffed and set (10-15 mins) roating halfway through baking
8. Toast coconut chips on stove.
9. Sprinkle pancake with coconut chips, syrup serve with whipped cream.

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This is the third skillet pancake we have featured here on the blog, but this one is a winner because it only requires two eggs.  One of our skillet pancakes (Dutch pancake here) requires six eggs.  During these times of food shortages in grocery stores, six eggs in one recipe are too many for me.  Also, our other skillet pancake recipe is savory.  Our skillet banana pancake is definitely sweet, and that’s probably one of the reasons my family loved it so much.  We don’t do a lot of sugary foods, and when we do, they go to their happy place.

One thing we want to mention before we go.  We have decided that we will only be publishing the blog on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays for the foreseeable future.  We are taking Tuesdays and Thursdays off.  We have always intended for the blog to be a part-time gig for us, and frankly, it’s tough to come up with fresh subject matter six days of the week.  We salute the full-time bloggers out there who can do that.  Thankfully, the blog isn’t our main source of income like it is for lots of bloggers out there so we have the freedom to pull back a little.  Thank you all for your support.

Enjoy this recipe, everyone.  Let us know if you make it.

Cheers!

The post Skillet Banana Pancake appeared first on The 2 Seasons.

Hey everyone.  We had such a gloomy day in Lexington yesterday that I decided to give our stove a deep cleaning.  When you do as much cooking as I am doing right now, things get dirty faster.  I bet all of you are doing a lot more cooking in your kitchens, too.  I am loving every minute of it – the cooking, that is.  In fact, if you’re new to our blog, then here is a month of meals we shared last month.  Now, I am on to cooking from a new list of dinner ideas, and Jordan and I are both loving this cookbook.  So, while I was in the kitchen anyway,  I decided to show some love to some appliances and other things that don’t get cleaned on a regular basis.  While I was at it, I thought you might like to see what I cleaned, just in case you need to spend some time spiffing up your kitchen, too.  So, according to my experience, we all need to clean these forgotten kitchen items.  And the good thing is, none of them took very long, but they sure are shining now.

Stove Fan

The stove fan is kind of the Rodney Dangerfield of most kitchens.  It gets no respect.  We have a beautiful hood over our fan, but I really don’t pay much attention to the fan.  Well, it showed.  There was a grease and grime build up that surprised me mostly because the only time I fry anything is when I am making our Sunday brunch.  Apparently, bacon can generate a lot of splatters on more than just the stove and its surround.  The nice thing about cleaning a stove fan is that most of them just pop right out.  Then you can clean it in a dishwasher cycle, or you can let it soak it in a full of sudsy warm water.  I recommend using Dawn for its grease-cutting powers. (Because it was a dreary day, I had to have the overhead lights on when taking photos.  The lights created a blue glare on the hood.)

Faucet

Most of us wipe our faucet every single time we clean up the kitchen, I bet.  However, do you pay much attention to the place where the faucet and the countertops meet?  Gunk can build up there, but it’s simple to clean.  Just wrap a damp wash cloth around a knife, and put the point in the crease where the faucet and counter meet.  It’s an easy task.

Flatware Drawer

Even though we only put clean forks, spoons and knives into our flatware drawer, crumbs seem to make their way into the compartments.  Clean out this drawer by removing all of the flatware, and use a hand-held vacuum to clean out the crumbs.  Then wipe it out with sudsy water.

Microwave

If not cleaned on a regular basis, microwaves can get nasty and germ-laden.  A microwave is easy to clean by putting a cup of water in it, and run the oven on high for three minutes.  Add a wedge of lemon if you want to create a nice fragrance.  After the three minutes are over, leave the door closed for at least five minutes, and the steam will loosen any food that has dried on the interior.  Then just use a damp cloth to wipe it down.  All of the stuck-on food will wipe right off, and it will smell fresh, too.

Toaster

The toaster is a kitchen work horse, and other than a wipe-down of the exterior, mine doesn’t get a lot of love.  Well, yesterday, I gave it a good cleaning.  After unplugging it, I removed and washed the tray on the bottom.  I used sudsy water to wash the outside and even scoured out some areas that had random food stuck to them.  How did that happen?????  Then I used a small brush and loosened up the crumbs that were stuck to the interior.  Finally, I gently shook it, and all of the crumbs just fell out.  Afterwards, it looks just like new. Oh, and you can buy a similar Dualit toaster here.

These tasks might sound daunting, but all of it took just an hour.  Oh, and that included giving the stove a very thorough cleaning. If you are spending more time in your kitchen these days, then by all means, clean these forgotten kitchen items.

Take care.

Affiliate link used at no additional expense to you.

The post Clean These Forgotten Kitchen Items appeared first on The 2 Seasons.

*****

Today is a big cleaning day for me. I have been so busy working playing outside with our flowers, etc. that the inside hasn’t gotten the attention it deserves. Even though we are just two people, things can get messy. So, look out house! I’m coming for you. On cleaning day, I like to devote my complete attention to cleaning. I like to get everything ready so that my time isn’t spent on side jobs like cleaning out the refrigerator. I like to do those kinds of tasks ahead of time, and that’s just what I did this weekend. I tackled five house chores in under 30 minutes, and now that those areas are all spiffed up, I won’t have to deal with them today. I thought that by sharing my small cleaning successes with you, maybe you will get inspired to tackle some areas that need TLC. Here’s what I accomplished.

The Extra Make-up Drawer

I have a make-up drawer that holds just the items that I use on a daily basis. What a time saver it is! When I am doing my make-up, I don’t have to spend time looking for something. The few items that I use are right there waiting for me. However, my vanity also has a drawer that holds all of the other make-up stuff that I am holding onto for some reason. Some of it is the lipsticks I mentioned in this post. (I did manage to get ride of the mascara I talked about here.) I also have lots of hair picks (why?), make-up sponges, hair clips, etc. in that drawer. Well, in less than 10 minutes, I organized it. I simply added some small clear plastic containers like these that you can find here and put like things together. Now it looks great and is very organized.

The Shower Door

Although it wasn’t too bad, I didn’t want the shower door to get as crusty as the one I wrote about in this post. So, I got out the shampoo, and followed my own advice. I used the shampoo to clean off the built up soap scum, and now it looks brand new. And it took about 15 minutes.

The Refrigerator

Sometimes when I open the refrigerator doors, I am shocked by what is looking back at me. Especially when I see dried food on the shelves, outdated veggies in the drawers, and frozen items that are never going to be eaten. Well, that’s been going on here long enough that I knew it was time to tackle it. I filled the sink with hot sudsy water, took everything from the fridge, and got to work. I tossed out the old things, washed down the shelves, and organized the food with like things together. That task did take around 30 minutes, and now the refrigerator is just sparkling, inside and out.

The Front Door

If you want to give everyone a good first impression when they visit your home, be sure your front door area is clean. Get rid of the dust, clean the lights, remove the cobwebs, wash any windows, sweep the sidewalk and porch, and have a fresh door mat. Since this house is nearer to the street than our last place, our front door gets dusty a lot faster. And since we have lots of big old trees, debris is constantly falling from them onto the sidewalks. So, our front door area requires more attention from me. While I was outside watering the new annuals that I planted last week, I used the hose to clean the door, the surround, the sidewalk, and the lights. It looks so much better and more inviting. That task took about 10 minutes.

The Furniture

Vacuuming furniture is one of my least favorite house chores, but it has to be done. It is important to keep our upholstered pieces as clean as possible so they last longer. We don’t have a lot of upholstered furniture here, but what we do have is now clean and ready for summer. I simply pulled off the cushions and vacuumed every inch. It took about 25 minutes. Whew! I’m glad that one is finished.

Now, I still have a few under 30 minutes house chores on my list: I want to put away the winter coats that are in the mudroom, and give it a summertime look; clean the cabinet in our designer garage that holds my gardening supplies; rearrange the mantel for summer; and clean the grill. Hopefully, I can get those task accomplished this week, but not today. (;

Take care.

Affiliate links used at no additional expense to you.

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