1. Lime and Blueberry No-Bake Mini Cheesecakes

    July 19, 2010

    Makes about 16 mini cheesecakes.

    • 1 box of Jell-O no bake “Real Cheesecake” (this contains two packets – one crust mix, one filling mix)
    • 1 carton of blueberries
    • 5 tablespoons butter or margarine
    • 2 tablespoons sugar
    • 1 1/2 cups cold milk
    • juice of one lime
    • zest of one lime, halved
    • pinch of salt
    • green food coloring
    • cupcake liners

    Prepare a cupcake tin (mine holds 12 – this will make about 16 total) with the liners of your choice. In a medium bowl, melt the butter, then add sugar, a pinch of salt, and the packet of crust mix. Use a fork to combine until crumbly. Add half of the lime zest. Combine. Divide mixture between the liners, then tamp down using the bottom of a shot glass or other small, flat object. Arrange blueberries on top of crust, just a layer one blueberry deep. Save a few blueberries for garnish. Set the tin aside.

    In a large bowl (preferably with tall sides), combine filling mix with milk. With an electric mixer, stir on slow for 30 seconds, then up the speed to medium and beat. After two minutes, pause, adding lime juice, the remaining zest, and one drop of green food coloring. Beat for another minute or two, until slightly fluffy. The mixture shouldn’t hold its shape for more than a second but should not be liquid, either.

    Spoon filling into each liner. It should settle on its own, but swirl the top a bit to help it ooze between the blueberries. Refrigerate for at least an hour. Top with remaining berries.


  2. Transforming a kitchen with paint and light

    July 17, 2010

    Before

    In 2008, I started my kitchen transformation. This is what the kitchen looked like when we bought the house in May 2007. The cabinets were original to the house and still in good condition, but they made the kitchen feel dark. The cream tile countertop had just been installed by the previous owner. The fridge was on its way out. The peel and stick linoleum floors were in good shape but looked off with the cabinets. And there were these hideous wicker circles screwed into the bulkhead.

    Since we had just bought the house, I didn’t have the budget to do a real kitchen makeover, so I decided to paint the cabinets and see what happened.

    The facelift

    I soaked the original copper pulls and hinges in soapy water to clean away years of kitchen grime. The water turned black. I wasn’t sure if they were solid copper or plated, so instead of using copper polish, I gently scrubbed each one with more soap and water, and let air dry.

    I used two coats of primer and two coats of paint on the doors, drawers, and surrounds. To avoid emptying the cabinets, I used a no-sand primer on the cabinet structure, and took the doors and drawers outside to sand and paint them. I used Wallies to create the look of a custom tile backsplash.

    We found a new stainless steel refrigerator on clearance at Lowes. I’m insanely fortunate to have a licensed electrician in the family, and he put in recessed lighting for the cost of materials. Finally, we picked up a new dining set at a mass furniture store.

    After

    Our new, bright kitchen with recessed lighting, a rustic style dining set, stainless-front fridge, and the same linoleum flooring, which with some Mop and Glo looks brand new. (Pardon the clutter.)


  3. The Kawasaki Bathroom

    June 7, 2010

    First, we have absolutely no affiliation whatsoever with Kawasaki, but our friends affectionately refer to this room as The Kawasaki Bathroom.

    Secondly, I can’t take any decorating credit for this room. Chris did it all by himself. It’s definitely a man’s bathroom.

    When we bought our house in 2006, Chris’s only request was that we have a lime green bathroom. We’re lucky to have two full bathrooms, so we decided to each decorate one.

    Before: Your standard, boring bathroom with a shower stall.

    After: Chris puts his special decorative touch on the bathroom. It features lime-green walls, a stainless steel toilet seat, diamond plate inserts on the cabinet doors, a black Pergo floor, hand-painted trim, and dirt-bike themed stickers everywhere.


  4. Fire pit before and after

    May 27, 2010

    My firepit sat out all winter uncovered and looked like a pile of junk this spring. I took pity on it with two colors of high-heat spray paint: black and copper. After several coats, the result is a new two-tone fire pit! Of course, after I finished and the paint had dried, I read the fine print on the cans that said not to spray paint anything that comes into direct contact with flames. So it’ll be interesting to see how the fire pit fares when we next use it. In the meantime, I have a very shiny fire pit in my back yard!

    Before

    After!


  5. Whimsical Sea Star Painting

    May 10, 2010

    I don’t profess to be an artist, but I really like to paint. My grandma loved painting. She got into it late in life, took art classes, and copied famous paintings. She worked with oils. They’re too intimidating for me, so I like to work with water-based craft paint and inexpensive canvases. That way, when I inevitably mess up, at least I didn’t lose a lot of money.

    My sister had a printed canvas she’d picked up for $5, which had a bold tropical flower print. She was going to toss it, but I said I’d take it, prime the canvas, and start anew. I decided to make a painting for Mother’s Day. Unfortunately, once I got past the sea star, things went downhill. I wanted to paint over everything but the sea star and start over, but Boyfriend thinks the painting is great and won’t let me touch it. I am very sad about this but felt it was worth sharing for posterity.

    Happy update! My good friend Macy decided she would like this painting for her guest bedroom. Yay! (6/24/10)