Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Pumpkin spice candles, gourds, linen napkins, the good china....

Our Thanksgiving is going to be sized down a bit this year, but I will still be decorating our dining table with candles, gourds, pine cones and mini pumpkins.  I'm loving all these beautiful options below, they are getting me into a very thankful mood... 

Happy Thanksgiving!
Apryl




Tuesday, November 20, 2012

Quinoa "The Mother Grain"

A few months ago my husband "Mr. Fit" asked if I knew anything about quinoa (pronounced keen-wah) as he heard it was a "super grain" containing high amounts of protein and amino acids and apparently it didn't taste bad either.  He is a health nut and eats a pretty regimented diet so he asked if I could read up on it.  After a bit of surfing I found a lot of info all pretty much stating the same.  Although the Incas called it "The Mother Grain" it is technically not a grain at all but the seed of a green leaf plant related to spinach and chard.    Quinoa contains vitamins E and B, calcium, iron, manganese, magnesium, copper and phosphorous.  Due to its slow-releasing carbs it helps maintain blood sugar levels.  For those who are sensitive to wheat or gluten, quinoa is a wheat and gluten-free food and is also said to be good for those who suffer from migraine headaches due to the magnesium.

I substitute quinoa for rice, but you can also use it in recipes that call for bulgar or couscous as the texture is similar.

Thanks to Wendy over at the Cook Quinoa blog here is the easiest way to cook this "super food."

Ingredients:
1 cup quinoa (rinsed)
1.25 cups water or other cooking liquid

Instructions:
I buy my quinoa in bulk at Sprouts and it is unrinsed.  So as per Wendy's instructions I rinse for at least 15 minutes then drain and rinse in a strainer. 

Bring liquid and quinoa to a simmer then cover and reduce to low.  Cook for 30-35 minutes.  Remove from heat letting it cool for a few minutes then fluff with a fork and you are ready to go. 

I have found a ton of quinoa recipes on Pinterest and believe me now that "Mr. fit" only wants quinoa instead of rice I'm on the hunt for some good ones.  Not sure I will use in my baking though...I like my goodies to taste good not healthy ;).

Apryl








Monday, November 19, 2012

Kitchen obsession

Five years ago we remodeled our kitchen and at the time my obsession was dark cherry wood cabinets of which I still think look beautiful in my home however...as I peruse through Pinterest I realize that every time I save a kitchen to my "comforts of home" pin board it seems to be an all white kitchen with splashes of color.  The color splash may be a wooded island or perhaps bright accessories but for the most part white. 

Looking back I think I would still go with my dark cherry cabinets despite how much cleaning they require as you can see every speck of dust, grime or fingerprint and due to this Murphy oil soap is my dearest and closest friend. 

In any case, here are a few kitchens from my Pinterest board that I'm truly obsessing over...

Enjoy your day!
Apryl




Friday, November 16, 2012

Salsa Chicken

Wow where does the time go.  I have been so busy with life that our blog was stashed in the corner for a bit.  Now that life has calmed down a wee bit (just in time to rev up for the holidays) I thought I would share one of the easiest weeknight dinners ever and I do mean ever. 

I started making this accidentally a couple of years ago when I came home and had nothing to fix the fam for dinner.  I dug around and found a jar of Trader Joe's 3 pepper salsa (sadly they have discontinued) and decided I would dice up some chicken, mix it all together and pour it over rice and voila dinner would be served.   It was an instant hit and took all of about 20 minutes.

So here it is...Salsa Chicken

(1) jar of salsa (I use TJ's garlic chipotle salsa)
(1) package of chicken tenders
Rice (I use jasmine or basmati) or quinoa

Directions:  Dice chicken into bite size pieces, season with salt and pepper and brown in olive oil.  Once chicken is cooked add entire jar of salsa and simmer for 10 minutes or until most of the liquid is absorbed. 

Scoop on top of cooked rice and enjoy. 




This dinner tastes especially yummy when scooped up with a chip. 

Enjoy your day.
Apryl

Monday, November 5, 2012

We need to change our homes air filter...who knew?

Did you know that it is recommended that we change our homes air filter every three months? 

Air filters protect our homes heating and air conditioning systems allowing them to work more efficiently as well as improve our homes indoor air quality. Filters help trap dust, pet dander, pollen & dust mites to name a few.  If you have a loved one with allergies or asthma you should definitely change them as suggested on the packaging to help reduce attacks. Also note that pleated filters trap more dust then flat panel filters, as the pleats actually create more surface area for the particles to cling to. 

I typically only change our filters with the time change which means only twice a year (spring and fall) instead of the four times it is recommended...yuck. I just pulled our filters down on Friday and I'm disgusted at how dusty they are and have once again promised myself I will change them by February.

Check out our old filter next to the new one.  GROSS!

Please go get your new filter or filters before you turn that heater on for the winter.  Filters are pretty cheap and the reality is, you don't want all that muck circulating through your home.
Apryl


Thursday, November 1, 2012

Before your open house...

Before your Realtor holds your open house, there are a few things that you should keep in mind.  Remember, buyers often times can't see past your "stuff" to see the beautiful bare bones of your home. 
Example...if they open a linen closet and it is stuffed with towels and sheets with no possible way of adding even a hand towel, they will think "this home has as little space as we already have" and they will move on.  However if you remove some of your towels allowing them to see the back of the cabinet and make the space tidy and organized the buyer will then think "wow there is so much space here". 

Another place buyers want to see space is in the kitchen.  If your counter space is being used by your toaster and coffee maker and other such appliances, the buyer will think "how can I cook in here, there is no counter space?"  Even if your kitchen is small, just by putting away the small appliances and cleaning off the counters you now have a kitchen that feels larger and a space that someone else could see themselves cooking Thanksgiving dinner in.   Also...don't forget to remove all those lovely pictures your sweet children have stuck to your fridge, as you want your potential buyer to see your lovely stainless steel fridge (or other) and not Billy's art collection.

Let's chat bathrooms...put all those glorious bath products in the cabinet (organized of course) leaving the shower looking spacious and clean.  Stash the flat iron and other such necessities that you may normally leave on the counter and make sure you empty the trash can.  Remember, the bathroom is typically the smallest space in your home so it needs to be tidy to catch your buyers eye.

Closets need to be cleaned out.  Think of it like this, you are moving out of this house so why not get some packing done and if need be a trip to the Goodwill done now.  A clean closet with space on the floor, shelves and hanging rack tells the buyer this house has plenty of storage space.

De-personalize...yes we all love our family photos and have them throughout our homes however when selling it is best to pack up the majority of frames and knick-knacks leaving room on shelves, tables and walls.  By doing this, it allows the buyer to visualize their personal items in the home instead of analyzing your items. 

When we were house hunting we went to view a home that had a cute little beagle...not.  The beagle rushed at our daughter and our poor Realtor stepped in front of her and was bitten.  Not good.  We left without even looking at the house.  So please, please, please if possible take your pets with you for the day or leave with a neighbor as a bitten buyer is a sure fire way to loose a sale.  Also put the litter box, doggie beds, toys and all things pet in the garage for the day and of course turn on your Scentsy so your home smells inviting and not like Fido.

When your home is for sale you may not get much notice from a Realtor that your home is being shown, so a good thing to do each day before you leave is have a "junk" box that you can toss the mail you haven't looked at or whatever you have laying around on the counters into and stash to review later.  That way your home is viewing ready at all times. 

These are just a few open house basics that can help you get that sold sign up faster and get you packed a bit in the process.

Apryl




via Martha Stewart