Mr. Prof designer home

HI EVERYONE,

I'm still here but been very busy with orders from my wonderful customers.

I had planned on getting my decorating done this week but it didn't happen - maybe this coming week if all goes the way I plan.

I did close all Christmas orders on my website so I don't get backlogged as Christmas gets closer and this is why you haven't seen me on your blogs commenting and looking at all your beautiful Christmas decorating and family happenings....I know I'm missing out on so much but rest assured I will visit you soon!

I did need to get out of the house yesterday and while out we went to a little local shop and I bought a 6 ft. Charlie Brown tree and today Doug tried to get it shaped up...but he couldn't understand why he had to 'shape it' - it looks like a tornado hit it so no matter what he did to it he said it didn't look much different - he did good though. Now I just need to adjust the branches where I want them.

I have a 3 ft. and 4 ft. tree like it and they fast became my favorite decoration for the season.
Anyway I wanted a larger one for my Mercury ornaments being the collection is getting bigger.
Hopefully after it's decorated it will look better.
One thing I'm not sure of is whether to put lights on t or not...any ideas on this?

So here's the 6 ft - still needing much work and I'm really not sure just where or which room it will go in - Doug says it is going to be our main tree...he's not bringing the other larger one up as long as we have this one. So I guess I had better work some magic here!
And YES IT LOOKS CRAZY and NO...IT'S NOT SHAPED THE WAY IT WILL LOOK IN THE END!

 My 4 ft. tree that held my Mercury ornaments last year...not sure what I will put on it this year.

And my sweet little 3 ft. kitchen tree in the Tin Dough Riser...my original Charlie Brown tree and my favorite.


















So this my dear blogging friends is why I'm MIA and will be yet for another week at least.
Blessings,
Karen

How thrifty is this?  Using old sweaters and flannel shirts to make stockings.  When I originally saw this image on Pinterest, I was instantly sold on the recycled, hand made holiday aesthetic.  But being the purger that I am, I didn’t have any old sweaters or flannel shirts sitting around in storage.  Several trips to Goodwill later, I was able to successfully stock up on a pile of cable knit.  The problem?  It’s still in a pile.  I never got around to the project.  Sigh. 

But thanks to my friendly neighborhood Target, I got off the hook.   So much for the “recycled” aspect.  But it still looks “homemade holiday”, especially  mixed with our unfinished staircase.  ;) 

The stockings were around $12 a piece.  The monograms add a personal touch, and each letter is on sale for $2.50 in the ornament section… thrifty! 

I simply tied the pompom strings around the ornament string.

If you ever get around to the recycled stocking project, I have some old sweaters you can use.  :)  

If this morning's hotel wasn't quite your thing, how about this one? This is a snap shot from The Exchange hotel in Amsterdam. where each room is designed by a student from the Amsterdam Fashion Institute. Talk about staying in style!

Picture: The Exchange Hotel via April & May

I recently confessed to having a tough time with pork chops. I asked the ladies on my cooking board for recommendations and this Quick Barbecue Pork Chops was one that immediately caught my eye. What could be easier than browning chops and then letting them simmer on the stove with BBQ sauce and a little brown sugar?


I think this recipe hinges on the sauce you use. When it comes to BBQ sauce everyone has their own preference, with tangy vs. sweet being the biggest divider. We are tangy fans and after a lot (and I do mean a lot. I think we tried every brand our store sells) of searching we found that Dinosaur is our favorite. Homemade sauce would obviously be great as well.

I served my chops with Buttermilk Mac and Cheese and green beans, but if you're making these in the summer I suggest potato salad and fresh corn on the cob. We both enjoyed the flavor of the chops and I enjoyed not having to work very hard to make them. I'll definitely be using this method again.

Quick Barbecue Pork Chops
Get Off Your Butt and Bake

2 tablespoons canola oil
4 boneless pork chops
1 1/2 cups of your favorite barbecue sauce
Salt and pepper
1 tablespoon brown sugar

Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Season pork chops with salt and pepper on both side, then add to skillet. Let brown, about 5 minutes per side, turning only once. Add BBQ sauce, bring to a simmer, then turn heat down to maintain a light simmer. Sprinkle in brown sugar and 3 tablespoons of water. Mix the sauce, water and brown sugar together by moving the pork chops around a bit.

Let simmer slowly for about 20 minutes or until chops are tender.

Morning and happy 'lilla lördag' (little saturday) as it's known in Sweden as everyone should go out and have a mid-week drink. Not for me unfortunately, so instead I am mentally transporting myself to one of three apartment suites in the Azzedeine Alaia hotel in Paris....

Photographs: Persona Production via SF Girl By Bay

Picture and poem: an exquisite waste of time

If you've been reading this blog for a long time you might remember my quest to find the perfect mac and cheese recipe. This was years ago and I was on the hunt for a recipe that reminded me of the mac and cheese they served at my college. It was so creamy and cheesy that I would stalk the online menu to see when it would be making an appearance in the dining hall. After many failed attempts to recreate it I finally found my perfect mac and cheese. I use this recipe 9 out of 10 times I make mac and cheese. But every once in awhile I like to try something new, just for variety. Enter this recipe for Buttermilk Mac and Cheese from Cassie.


I've never made a mac and cheese with eggs before, so right off the bat I was pretty skeptical. The preparation reminded me of making a strata or make-ahead breakfast casserole and the end result had a similar texture, with a consistency like cottage cheese instead of being smooth and creamy. SP was initially skeptical as well but went back for seconds, as did I. While it certainly tasted good and couldn't have been easier to make, I think I'll stick with my tried-and-true version. I just love that smooth, creamy, cheesy sauce.

Buttermilk Macaroni and Cheese
Cassie Craves

6 eggs
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 cup shredded Colby cheese
2 cups buttermilk
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon pepper
8 ounces elbow macaroni, cooked according to package directions and drained

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, beat the eggs. Stir in the cheese, buttermilk, butter, salt and pepper. Add macaroni; toss to coat.

Pour into a greased 13 x 9-inch baking dish. Bake, uncovered, for 45 to 50 minutes or until a knife inserted near the middle comes out clean.

After the paint was dry. I sanded down the edges of the painted wood pieces and added a little Early American MinWax Stain to give them a worn look that I love.


Linking up HERE
Best DIY Projects of November-Beneath My Heart
Christmas Linky Party at Someday Crafts

All pictures: Alvhem via 79 ideas

Now it's time to link up to this week's Terrific Under Ten!

Here are the rules:

1. Your project must be made or bought for $10 or less. Crafts, Makeovers, Thrift Finds, Recipes, Kids Projects...

2. Please do not link up Online Shops or Giveaways.

3. You can link up multiple projects.

4. Link to the specific post and not to the main page of your blog.

5. Add the Terrific Under Ten Tuesdays button to your post, side bar, or linky party list.

6. Visit at least one other project and leave a comment. We all love comments!

Then I'll feature some favorites on the next Terrific Under Ten Tuesday.

*By linking up, you give me the permission to use your photo(s) from your post.

Isn’t it pretty?  I love it.  We would have preferred to lay true wood  flooring, but the kind we wanted was way over our budget (of course).  So, it came down to choosing between cheap hardwoods, laminate or Allure vinyl flooring.  I know, I know, vinyl sounds absolutely horrid right?  But have you seen the Trafficmaster Allure selection at Home Depot?  So beautiful! 

I chose the color, “Limed Oak”.  I like the variation of warm tones throughout it, and I especially love how it looks pickled in spots.  The fact that it doesn’t go clickity-clack when you walk on it is also a plus (like laminate would).  With it being vinyl, clean up is a breeze. 

Not only is the floor down, but I finally finished one wall in our foyer.  It’s so wonderful being able to look at this one spot in our house and see it complete.  Look to the left or the right or above… and not so much.  All in time.

We decided to keep the plank walls and caulk in between them.  Thanks for your votes on that one!  It helped tremendously.  The planks are painted “Clean White” (Valspar) flat, and semi-gloss for trim and baseboards.  The doors are painted “Cottage White” (Behr). 

I found the drawer pulls at Anthropologie, but they work just as well for door pulls set vertically. 

I’m enjoying my new finished spots, however small they might be!

Moustache bedding: Urban Outfitters

For Round Two of the Secret Recipe Club I was assigned Fried Ice and Donut Holes, a blog written by Melissa, who is a teacher by day and cook/baker by night. She is a frequent participant in the recipe swaps I host, so I was very excited to take a closer look at her blog as part of SRC.

It's a huge understatement to say I had a tough time picking a recipe to make. I had written down 20 choices before I got through the last six months of recipes. Melissa and I have similar tastes when it comes to cooking, which made narrowing the choice down even harder. In the end I decided to make a recipe I've been seeing on a few of my favorite blogs lately - Tuscan Garlic Chicken. It has everything I like in a recipe - cream sauce (not healthy, but this one is mostly milk), chicken, spinach and pasta. I couldn't wait to make it.


When I put the plate in front of him, SP said it looked like something you'd get at a restaurant. I really enjoyed this, but we both felt the cream sauce was a little too light. I know we're both spoiled by unhealthy sauces made with heavy cream or even half and half, so next time I'll make this one with a bit more of an even split between milk and half and half for some extra body. I think it needs more garlic because I found myself wanting that flavor to come through a bit more. I think I'd like it more with tomatoes instead of red pepper, just because I'm not a big fan of peppers. Otherwise it was a great dish. I've made my changes in the recipe below.

Tuscan Garlic Chicken
Very Slightly Modified from Fried Ice and Donut Holes

1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoons dried parsley
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
5-7 cloves garlic, grated
1 red bell pepper, cut into thin strips
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
6 oz fresh spinach
1 1/2 cups half-and-half
4 teaspoons cornstarch
1 cup milk
1/2 cup Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, freshly grated
1 lb spaghetti, fettuccine or linguine

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

In a shallow pie plate or similar dish, combine the flour, salt, pepper, basil and oregano. Dip each chicken piece in the flour mixture until both sides are well coated.

In a large 12-inch nonstick skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium heat until the oil is hot and shimmering. Carefully place the chicken breasts in the pan, cooking them for 2-3 minutes on each side, until they are golden and browned but not cooked all the way through. Remove the chicken to a foil-lined, lightly greased baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven for about 15 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. Set aside and tent with foil until ready to use.

While the chicken is cooking, heat a large pot of water to a boil and add the noodles, cooking until al dente. Also, wipe out the skillet with a couple paper towels and return it to medium heat, adding the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the garlic and bell pepper, sauteing for 2-3 minutes.

Stir in one tablespoon flour and stir constantly while cooking for another minute. Add the chicken broth to the skillet and bring the mixture to a low simmer, whisking constantly, until slightly thickened, about 3-4 minutes. In a small liquid measure, whisk together the cornstarch and cream. Add the spinach, milk and cream mixture to the skillet. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the spinach is wilted and sauce is slightly thickened, about 2-4 minutes. Stir in the Parmesan cheese.

When the pasta has finished cooking, drain and return it to the pot. Toss the pasta with half of the cheese sauce. Place some of the coated pasta on each plate. Top with a breaded chicken breast and spoon some of the sauce over the top of the chicken and pasta. Serve immediately.

How about this for a Monday project? Fun, cheap and hopefully you'll have a wonderful stag trophy like this one to hang on your wall at the end....for the complete step-by-step 'know-how' click here.

Picture: Instructables via April & May

If you make one make sure you share it with us, we'd love to see it....:)

All pictures: Via Design Sponge I particularly love the brick wall gallery and the office.  I'm not sure I could have my bed in the middle of the room though as I have enough problems with my pillows as it is! I'd love to hear your thoughts. For more pics and the complete interview click here. Back shortly with a fun DIY project for the wall....Oooooo!