Biting the Silver Bullet, Part II

This silver thing has brought up a lot of helpful comments. Thank you to all of you who gave me a "recipe" for cleaning silver with baking soda. I am proud to announce that I tried it today! Googling "silver cleaning" and "baking soda" will give you quite a few recipes to go on, but I chose Real Simple's version because it was...ah...surprisingly real simple.

Basically I took 1/4 cup baking soda, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 quart boiling water. Mixed them all together, then poured it over my silver. (I lined a glass dish with tin foil for this little silver science experiment.)

What silver, you ask? Well, that's the other thing. The great irony is that, while I've been checking out antique shops for other people's old silver, I had my grandmother's complete set, beautiful and engraved, all ready to go in my own house.

I've kept it tucked away and only brought it out on special occasions. But why? Why not use it all the time? I've been pondering this. And in the meantime, I got the above recipe for cleaning silver, and decided to use it on my grandmother's stuff, and on other family pieces, like this bowl.

Just pour the mixture over your silver piece(s), and let them sit for a minute or two. My silverware was remarkably clean already, so you can't see much of a difference, but check out the before and after on this bowl!

So, back to the silverware. My blogging friend Sarah, over at Nesting in Pleasant View, encouraged me to use the precious stuff every day. She says "Use it, use it, use it! My mom's silver sat in a hutch for close to 40 years only being used maybe once every 5 years. The setting is very intricate, with a small rosebud on it and definitely looks more 'dressy' than my everyday plates and stuff. I threw caution out the window and decided that if I liked it, then I would use it. Now I can't imagine NOT using it....It makes me happy to stir my morning cup of coffee with a silver spoon that was a wedding present to my mom and dad."

So I did it! I swear, the hardest part was taking each piece out of that velvet-lined storage box, allowing it to come into the every day and being stored without an anti-tarnish guarantee. So far, so good.

I will let you know if it continues to go well. :)

Biting the Silver Bullet!

A few weeks ago, I read a post by Katie at Harrington House that inspired me. She doesn't even know I follow her, because I never have time to comment on blogs anymore, but Hi Katie! Thank you for the tips!

She told us about her silver collection. She said that she started searching for pieces after she got married, and then later made the switch from using her regular stuff to using her mismatched silver pieces everyday. I love that idea!

Starting a collection is hard. Not hard in the real-life-hard kind of way, but just daunting, especially when you see Katie's collection over at her blog. But over the weekend I found myself at an antique shop, and lo and behold, look what I found!

These were marked $1 a piece, with 30% off! Certainly something I can handle. So I bit the bullet and officially started my silver collection!

And let me tell you, there is something so satisfying about polishing silver! Check out my before and after shot, above. I just picked up some Tarn-X at the grocery store, and it worked perfectly.

So now I have a little collection going. Mainly if people want to eat soup or ice cream. But hopefully it will grow over time!

Pretty, huh?

Pizzas on the Grill!

In honor of Memorial Day weekends spent grilling on the deck, I present to you one of my all-time favorite recipes! This is for an easy homemade pizza crust that you cook completely on the grill! How fun is that for a party?

I can't tell you how many times I have used this recipe. The best part is that all you have to do is chop the pizza toppings and toss them into some bowls. Then everyone can make their own pizza and you have very little to do at your own party. Score!

This recipe makes about six personal-size pizzas. Here's what you will need for ingredients:

2 T. honey
1 cup warm water (105-110 degrees, the hottest tap water)
1 envelope yeast (7 grams, 1/4 oz.)
2 t. salt
2 T. olive oil
2-3 cups whole wheat or white flour

Dissolve honey in warm water. Add the yeast and allow it to start bubbling. Add salt and olive oil. Progressively mix in the flour, starting with 2 cups and adding more as you go. (I do not add the full 3 cups, it's usually more like 2-2 1/2). Knead the dough, using a bit more of the flour to keep from sticking. It should look smooth and feel resilient.

Here is my dough right after I put the ingredients together:

Smear some olive oil in a bowl and coat the ball of dough so that it can stay moist. Cover with a damp towel and allow to rise for a few hours.

Here is my ball of dough after a few hours:

When you are ready to cook, divide the dough into six small balls and just use some flour on a rolling pin to roll them out. Also sprinkle the counter with flour to keep it from sticking. A helpful three-year-old is really crucial at this point:

Heat your grill and scrape it so it's nice and smooth. Do not add the toppings yet! Lay each mini-pizza on the grill over medium heat for 2-3 minutes, just until the bottoms are starting to brown on one side. Remove from the grill and allow people to put their toppings on the already-grilled side. Below, you can see one of our pizzas with the toppings applied, but before it has been fully cooked through.

Put the pizzas back on the grill (raw dough side down) for another 2-3 minutes, until the toppings are melted and the bottom is browned. Here is one of our creations, about to come off the grill:

This is such a fun way to have a party and to involve the guests in the cooking (especially your husband!). Every time we've done this with friends, people have raved about it.

Give it a try sometime. And have a great Memorial Day weekend!

Making Do with Making Merry

A few weeks ago, when I posted about my renegade son pulling the plant over on himself, some of you asked to see more of the space in question. Here is the site of destruction (post-dirt-all-over-the-floor):

It's just a little space between our eat-in kitchen and the family room. But when we were deciding where to put things, I liked the idea of having a wine rack here, to define the space as one for eating, drinking and being merry!

Sometimes when we have large parties, I put a little table under the wine rack and set up the beverage station there. It keeps people out of the kitchen and spreads the party out a bit. I dream of the day that I could have a butler's pantry or some space that's a little more designed for entertaining. In the meantime...it's not perfect, but this works!

How are you "making do" with the spaces in your house?

Thanksgiving Tree

'Twas three days before Thanksgiving, and all through the house

Carrie was using scrapbook paper and a glue stick...

So what else is new?

We are staying In Denver this year for Thanksgiving, and hosting a small gathering at our house. My friend Aimee does a Thanksgiving Tree every year, and I decided to copy her!

Here's the cast of characters:

Just get a glue stick, scrapbook paper, little tags with holes in them, and a cute paper punch-out leaf or other Thanksgiving-y shape.

Glue the cute little Thanksgiving shape to the tag. Be sure to leave some room for people to write.

Put all the tags somewhere your guests can get to them, and lay out a nice pen and some twine.

On Thanksgiving, throughout the day, people can come along and write down something they are thankful for, then tie it to the tree! We plan to read ours during dinner. I imagine some of them will be sentimental, some silly, and some just bizarre (if I know my family). Just the way I like it!

As you can see, I've already added one thing I am thankful for. Like it?

Have a Happy Thanksgiving! I will be back next week to kick off the Christmas season!

P.S. To answer a few questions: the wire tree, I must admit, came from Goodwill. I'd been looking for one for awhile and one day I just stumbled upon it. As for the other materials, they all came from Hobby Lobby. My condolences for those of you who don't have one near you! :)

100th Post Giveaway!

Welcome to my 100th post!

First of all, a huge thank you to every single one of you.  It has been a true pleasure to "meet" you, and it has been such a highlight of my year.  I wonder what I did with all my free time before I started blogging?

Now, on to the fun stuff!  My sister and I started a business almost a year ago called Mildred Lane, and we make hand painted items such as wine charms, wine stoppers, photo frames, key chains and other things.  Feel free to check out our etsy shop if you wish, but no pressure!

I am giving away a set of our wine charms, great for marking each guest's glass when you are entertaining.  They are painted in bright summer colors and come in a set of six.  Even if you aren't a big wine drinker, these are also great for serving coffee.  I have used them on the handles of our coffee mugs when we entertain in the morning and they look just as cute as they do on the wine glasses!  

If you'd like to be entered to win a set of these little charms, just leave a comment on this post.  One entry per person, please.  I will choose the winner at random on Sunday night at 8 p.m. Colorado time, and announce the winner on Monday morning.

Good luck!  And thanks again for making my first 100 posts so much fun!

My Christmas Table!

Oh my gosh, I can't believe it is December 23rd!  As a kid, I always thought this day had a little magic all it's own.  Today I will be cleaning the house in preparation for some family coming to stay on Christmas Day.  Magical, right?

Yesterday I managed to put the Christmas table together, mostly because it is more fun than cleaning the house and I wanted to see how the new Christmas china looked.  What do you think?

I am really happy with it!  This is the first year that I am using my wing back chairs as part of the seating for the dining table, and I love how they look on either end.  Now just imagine this whole scene at about 7 p.m. with the lights down low and the candlelight glowing.  I hope it will be as pretty in reality as it is in my head!

 
I also wanted to show you my water goblets.  I bought these at Cost Plus World Market, and I love them because they have little bees on them.  Very French, no?

My menu for Christmas dinner is pretty simple.  We're starting with rosemary roasted cashews and an old family favorite, artichoke dip and bagel crisps.  For dinner, it's beef tenderloin with two different sauces on the side: a sour cream blue cheese and a mustard horseradish sauce.  Both can be made in advance, so yay for that!  We're also having roasted asparagus, creamy scalloped potatoes, and Parmesan and thyme popovers.  Of course, lots of Christmas cookies for dessert!

Now if I can just get the dog hair and dust bunnies off the floor before the guests come, I will be all set!

Thanksgiving Table Tips

Thanksgiving is almost here!  This year we are traveling back to Ohio to visit family for Thanksgiving, so I am off the hook for all that cooking and planning.  Last year, however, we hosted a gathering of 12 family members at our house, and I learned a few tricks that might be helpful for those of you who are in the same spot!  (And don't forget you can click on the photos below to enlarge them!)

First, I went to Joann's and bought a few yards of fall-looking material to serve as a table runner.  I did not sew one single stitch.  Instead, I just ironed the edges of the material under so that they would lay flat, and then laid my "runner" right on top of my tablecloth.  No one ever knew the difference, and it was about $10 for the material instead of spending a fortune for a real table runner!

Next, I just bought a few simple mini-pumpkins and gourds for the center of the table, and, along with candles, they made a pretty centerpiece.  I loved the gorgeous floral arrangements that I saw in magazines, but 1) they were super-expensive and 2) people wouldn't have been able to see over the flowers to talk to each other, so it wasn't worth it!

I also didn't have enough of my fancy china (inherited from my husband's side of the family...not sure where all the pieces ended up).  No big deal, we just interspersed some of my everyday white pieces in with the fancy stuff, and I don't think anyone even noticed!

My favorite thing that we did was make little turkey cookies to use as place cards.  These were just simple sugar cookies, and then I took plastic Ziploc bags, snipped the corners off, and used them to pipe each person's name onto the cookies.  Everyone loved it!  

It was so much fun to plan and execute all these little details, but I must admit, I am happy to take a backseat this time around!  Good luck to all of you who are playing the hostess this year!

Have a great weekend!

Candy Corn Cookies

It's still Fall, and although it is seriously hard to resist the adorable Christmas decorations that are popping up everywhere, I am determined to hold out.  Now, don't ask me if I have listened to Christmas music already, because that's a whole different story!  (And yes, I have.  Just a little bit.  Barely enough to count.)

Last week I hosted our monthly book club and it was a great chance to whip up some fall cookies.  However, I wanted to have a pretty little platter to put the cookies on, and alas, I never registered for one when I got married.  But, I had seen how people created cake platters out of a candlestick and a simple plate (I am sorry, I can't remember where I saw this idea, but it has been floating around!).  Here is what I was able to figure out with a $2 glass plate and 88 cent candlestick from Big Lots (along with some super glue):

How cute did it turn out?  It is not perfect, but when you put little cookies on top, no one is looking for the imperfections!  I shamelessly used Tidy Mom's idea to create candy corn cookies, and I think they turned out so well, along with my pumpkin cookies!

All my Halloween decorations and BOO pumpkins have been put away until next year, but I think these simple fall cookies would be charming through Thanksgiving.  And wait till you see what I did last Thanksgiving with a turkey cookie cutter!  We can hold out, girls!  We don't need to put up the Christmas lights just yet!

P.S. I had someone ask me how I made the cake stand.  It was so easy!  I got some super glue (anything that says it is good to use on glass).  I turned the glass plate upside down, found the exact center with a ruler, and then put glue in that spot.  Then I turned the candlestick upside down too, and stuck it to the plate.  That's it!  I gave it a full 24 hours to dry without moving it, and made sure that I cleaned up any drips before they dried.  I wouldn't run this thing through the dishwasher or anything, but it seems pretty sturdy for holding little cookies and cakes!  

Come to a Bridal Shower!

**UPDATE: Thanks to tidymom, I have found the link to the pumpkin dip!  Yum Yum Yum.  Here it is, (it was on Blissfully Domestic, love them!) and enjoy!  Also, if you can get your hands on some Honey Crisp apples, they are spectacular with this!  My grocery store only has them in the beginning of the season, so they should be out now.

A few weeks ago, I hosted a bridal shower for a friend of mine (the same friend who I framed the wedding invitation for, actually).  I just love girlie girl parties!  Here are a few photos from the day...

Isn't the shower invitation cute?  I didn't pick it out, so I can say that.  I thought it was a fun little touch to hang it outside my front door to welcome people.

We had all the usual girlie food.  It was a brunch, so there was some yummy fruit, coffee cake and an egg casserole with sausage and cheddar that was to die for!  I also used a pumpkin dip recipe (perfect with crunchy apples!) that I found out there in blogland but can't for the life of me remember who posted it.  If it was you, please tell me so I can personally thank you!  It was the hit of the shower!

We had sparkling water for us preggos, and refreshing mimosas for the rest.  Aren't these wine charms cute?  So great for parties when you don't want to mix up your drink with someone else's.  I've also used them on coffee mugs.  My sister and I started a little business about a year ago to sell these.  We do lots of handpainted little goodies and sell them on etsy and in a local shop in Denver.  We named it Mildred Lane, after the street we grew up on!

My friend and co-host brought all the ingredients for lattes.  Oh my.  These were so good!  Mine was so pretty I almost didn't want to drink it!  (But I managed to force it down.) 

Oh, and did I mention it was a lingerie shower?  I thought these little undies looked cute hanging from the chandelier.  Of course my husband, when he saw me hanging them, asked me why we don't have undies hanging from the light fixtures more often.  But I really doubt that my maternity underwear would look nearly as good over the kitchen table.

What do you think?  :)