Renovation Realities

If you're familiar with the DIY Network then you've likely already discovered this gem. If not, you need to see Renovation Realities at least once. The premise of the show is to record the progress of a home renovation project when it's only the owners and their own funds involved. No production crew lending muscle power, no experienced contractor to avoid the usual pitfalls of home improvement and certainly no production budget.

Mr. Maricucu and I find it hysterical to see how sometimes our hesitation in thinking, "maybe we can't really do this on our own" is completely balanced by the people on this show who think it's so easy they can do it. But sometimes just thinking you can tackle a project is not enough and things don't always turn out. No, sometimes you end up spending double the money on what is ultimately shoddy workmanship and the kicker is you can only blame yourself. In this particular video even non-contractor me saw the goof-up coming a mile away. If you have some time to waste you can find other snippets from this show on youtube.

The advent calendar is up.

After the umpteenth time of being asked, "is it Christmas yet?" I figured it was time to set up the advent calendar. However, I think I may have traded one problem for another because now they're asking, "is it time to open up the advent calendar yet?" Oy.

I chose to hang it in front of the dining room windows since it really was a bit too big for the mantle and I felt, too busy for the tree. Command hooks (the wall-painting-hater's hook of choice) made quick work of hanging and curling ribbon functioned as the stringing garland.




It's hard to believe December 1st is around the corner but indeed it is.




At least we'll have a cheerful little addition to our Christmas decorating this year.

Cornbread Dressing

Mmmm, cornbread dressing. Obviously I did not grow up with this culinary deliciousness but boy have I latched on and made up for lost time. Thanksgiving is not Thanksgiving without cornbread dressing. In fact, were it not for my potato loving husband I would make only this instead of mashed potatoes. But whenever you start spewing craziness like, "maybe we could do it without the potatoes" you realize how attached people are to their holiday side dishes.

This is not a fancy recipe, but the flavors are right on. There are no eggs in this dressing which really, the addition of eggs to stuffings/dressings has always befuddled me. I'm wondering if it's dressing or bread pudding. No chestnuts, mushrooms (although, mmmm for a sourdough dressing recipe) and definitely NO oysters. Shudder. Let me get this off my chest. I love lobster, shrimp, scallops and crab. Love the stuff and oddly enough always have even as a kid. But get into the bivalve territory and you'll lose me. I do not do mussels, oysters or clams. No way, no how. Why? They look like large quivering loogies. Sorry! I saw Paula Deen making her famous oyster dressing the other day and when she dumped in the oysters as well as the oyster liquor I exclaimed to Mr. Maricucu, "she just tossed in a bowl of loogies!" I'm fully aware that my dislike for oysters is totally irrational but I figure we're all allowed a get out of jail free card for at least one or two food items. This is mine.

This recipe is a copycat of the Cracker Barrel cornbread dressing that I've adapted but it's very similar to most you'll find in the southern states. I've seen recipes that call for saltines but I find they get pastey. Other recipes call for giblets but that's when I pull out my other card, blegh. This one uses day old cornbread and biscuit crumbs. Yes, crumbs. The cornbread and biscuits are either grated by hand or tossed in your food processor. These crumbs are tossed with buttery sauteed aromatics and then moistened with broth. Very simple but very addictive and delicious.



Cornbread Dressing
adapted from Cracker Barrel

2 medium onions, chopped
4 ribs of celery, chopped
1 stick of butter
8 cups grated cornbread crumbs (2 quarts)
4 cups grated biscuit crumbs
2 teaspoons poultry seasoning
2 teaspoons ground sage
1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1 quart + 1 can (14oz) chicken broth
salt to taste


Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Butter two 8x8 pans or one 9x13x2.




In a large saute pan add the onions, celery and butter. Turn the heat to medium-high and saute until the onions have softened.




Then add the sage, poultry seasoning and black pepper. Saute for another minute or so.




Dump the buttery seasoned vegetable mixture into your large bowl full of cornbread and biscuit crumbs.




Toss together. Mmmmm, go ahead and take a whiff.




Now to moisten the mix. Add a good bit of the broth and mix. Then keep adding broth until the mixture resembles a thick muffin batter.




See? Muffin batter, banana bread batter or corn bread batter. Basically a thick mix but not overly soupy.




Pour into the buttered pans and bake for about an hour or until well browned on top.




Since I was making this in advance for Thanksgiving dinner I slightly underbaked these two pans so that when I reheated covered in foil they would be just right.




But that same day I baked up a little custard cup portion to just the right degree of crusty outside and soft middle. Mmmmm.




Of course cornbread dressing is nothing without a little cranberry sauce. At least in my book. My Thanksgiving plate. PW's mashed potatoes, her cranberry sauce, my cornbread dressing, my caramelized onion green beans and finally the turkey and gravy from cracker barrel.

Because even blogs need Thanksgiving leftovers.

Mr. Maricucu and I sat around our dinner table and looked at each other knowingly. I remember several years ago looking around the empty seats at our dining table and exclaiming to him that it was hard to imagine a table full of family - our family, our children. Yet today we sat down with only one seat empty. Three blessings surrounded us, entertained us and their handmade decorations graced our table.




Both older boys were thankful for family, for our time together and let's just say that this momma definitely had to choke back a few tears.




Of course they were able to indulge in a little kiddie booze - nonalcoholic sparkling cider. Around here it's the holiday drink of choice. They love it.




All the cooking and prepping was appreciated by all. Nothing makes you feel appreciated like a family recognizing your efforts at making a holiday comfortable, enjoyable and relaxing.




Of course, I couldn't help snapping a quick picture of my plate. Yes, by about 1pm we were all in a tryptophan induced coma. Yes, we had round two for dinner and for the first time ever nary a complaint about eating leftovers. May the leftovers of love, gratitude and family spill over in your home too.

Gratitude.

Today I'm thankful for my faith, my family and my friends. Thankful that those three make everything else a non-essential. I pray for those going through difficult times right now and hope that the overwhelming spirit of sharing with our brothers carries us through this season and throughout the next year. May our eyes see the need around us, the humanity in that need and feel the tug to do whatever may be within our reach.

I'm sure I'm not the only one . . .

. . . knee deep in food prep for Thanksgiving. Monday I made the cranberry relish.




Plus the cornbread and biscuits for the dressing. Dressing recipe to follow after the holiday.




Yesterday I put together the dressing and also made the mashed potatoes. Today, I make the sweet potato pie and pumpkin pie crunch.




Mr. Maricucu gave me a sideways glance and said it was a pretty dangerous thing to have a fridge fully stocked with the equivalent of a Thanksgiving meal. I told him hands off until Thursday - then it's fair game. What I didn't tell him was that the cook had to have a taste. You know, quality control.




Of course, all those years as a tween spent playing Tetris have finally come in handy when putting the food away in the fridge.

How did I not learn to love the hot glue gun before?

I've resisted buying a hot glue gun for years. Perhaps it was because I was railing against the 90s frou frou, topiary and fabric meets hot glue gun decor but I was convinced that I did not need a hot glue gun. Not when my priorities in choosing something to go on the middle of a table are that it's functional, can be lifted with one hand and easily be dusted. But a while back I was inspired to make something that I've since forgotten and bought the glue gun. The poor thing has sat, neglected in the sewing room for months until this week.

A last minute primal push to somehow put together an advent calendar was the reason. I still plan on putting together some kind of nativity themed one, possibly out of fabric but that was not happening this year on such a short timeline. If anything, age has allowed me to be realistic about my abilities. That or I'm lazy. I think the former sounds a bit more sophisticated.




After scouring google images for inspiration and wasting way too much time overthinking it I settled on this nifty little tube pyramid. If you've ever gotten those single serving tubes of sour cream you'll recognize these. I bought a 50 page 8x8 scrapbook paper pad that had a rainbow of solid textured pages. Office labels stood in for a spot to write the number of each day.




This is pretty easy but in case you need pictures like I do, just wrap the sheet into a tube and glue with your new best friend the hot glue gun. Warning: Asbestos fingers are a blessing when doing this type of activity.




Turn the tube with the seam to the center back and then squeeze a line of hot glue along the top inch and squeeze shut.




The tube will now be squeezed only at the top. Place a number in the front of the tube and your advent units are ready for the next step.






So, after you've repeated the above 23 more times you've got a beautiful rainbow of tubes to fill.




This was the most time consuming part of the project. Coming up with a list of bible excerpts from the nativity story (Luke 2) and activities/crafts for each day. Hard because it meant being realistic and keeping things super simple in order to be able to follow through. Plus it's the holidays and I don't need additional stress. I kept the activities fun, short, simple and family friendly.

Just print the list and cut out a slip for each day.




Of course, after you've bought your child a pre-made advent calendar that dispenses chocolate each day there's just no turning back from that standard. I alternated between two of my nut-free favorites. I tucked in one piece for each child and on some days even one for Mr. Maricucu and me.




Fill a tube with one slip and the treats. These were pretty large tubes and you could definitely do a small toy instead of chocolate or even a small ornament as well.




Place a line of hot glue on the lower part and squeeze the tube shut in the opposite direction as the top part (aka perpendicular). That way you end up with a triangularish/pyramid shaped tube. If you use chocolate and your hot glue is pretty hot, let these cool upside down so the chocolate doesn't melt in contact with the hot glue.




Wash, rinse, repeat. You know, for someone that has done neutral colors for so long the birthday bunting and now this project have totally wet my appetite for bright, bright, shades.




I punched a hole at the top of each tube.




Then tied a short piece of ribbon to the punched hole. I'm going to use ornament hooks to hang them up. Now the big decision. Do I hang them on a piece of knotted ribbon on the mantel where the baby can swat at them repeatedly from her perch of the indoor climber or accept my reality and hang them from the tree which would mean hunting for one each day? Don't know yet and I don't even have my tree up so we'll see.

Sand Art

I'm just in awe of the speed in her hands and the sureness in her movement. I love the transitions between pieces and believe me that slinging around sand, this is not. With my penchant for wanting my own crafts to last forever, I'd be one very neurotic artist with such a medium. Enjoy!

Cinnamon Bun Bread

Ahh cinnamon buns. I don't know of a more fragrant excuse to eat sugar in the morning. I stumbled across this recipe on Nicole's Baking Bites blog. Yes, the blog responsible for my gorging on baked pumpkin puddings. This is the perfect recipe for anyone who doesn't want to deal with rolling out bread dough and still wants a yeasty cinnamon bun say for Christmas morning or the day after Thanksgiving. Anytime you need a special breakfast treat with minimal effort. In fact, while this isn't too hard to put together in the mornings I usually bake it the day before and serve it at room temperature in order to avoid burning my mouth with scalding sugar. Of course I could avoid burning my mouth if I allowed the thing to cool before serving myself a hunk but patience is still a virtue that eludes me.

Since I love cinnabon's take on the cinnamon roll I tweaked the filling and icing recipe to taste more like the super sized mall confection. I increased the cinnamon to 5 tablespoons and reduced the sugar slightly. My version also makes a 9x13x2" pan which is double the original recipe and believe me you'll be glad to have made the extras. Finally the icing became a rich cream cheese version similar to the cinnabon classic.

Cinnamon Bun Bread
adapted from Baking Bites

Bread
3 cups all purpose flour - can substitute part for white whole wheat flour
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 teaspoons active dry or rapid rise yeast
1 1/3 cups warm milk - 100-110 degrees
6 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs

Filling
6 tablespoons butter - softened or melted
1 cup brown sugar
5 tablespoons cinnamon

Icing
1 cup powdered sugar
4 tablespoons cream cheese - 2 oz, softened
4 tablespoons butter - softened
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup milk, or enough to thin


Grease a 9x13x2 pan or if you're making half the recipe you can use an 8x8" square pan.




Today's secret ingredient. I love adding ground flax seed to baked items and I found this brand at Costco the other day which was super finely ground. Adds fiber and omega 3s which won't counteract all the sugar I'm about to add but hey, sneak in the benefits when able, right?




See that? The grain is about as finely milled as the sugar to the right. Whenever I add ground flax seed to a recipe for the first time I usually start off with 2-3 tablespoons and work my way up.




Place the flour, sugar, salt, ground flax seed if you wish, and yeast into a bowl.




Mix well. You can't even tell the flax seed is in there.




Then nuke your milk for about a minute to bring the temperature up to 100-110 degrees (slightly hotter than body temperature).




Add the oil, eggs and vanilla to the milk and beat them up.




Then pour into the dry ingredients and stir until smooth.




You end up with this beautiful enriched, golden batter/bread dough.




Pour the batter into your pan and spread it evenly. Set aside to rest for 15 minutes.




While the batter rests, let's make the filling. I usually melt my butter since I don't remember to let it soften on the counter.




To the melted butter, add the brown sugar and the cinnamon.




Give it a good stir and set that aside. This stuff smells so amazing you'll want to dab it on your pulse points.




Once the batter has rested plop bits of the filling evenly over the top. Now I shall refrain from obvious puns having to do with the appearance of the cinnamon plops.




Then take a knife and swirl the cinnamon filling up and down as well as side to side throughout the batter. Swirling it up and down ensures you don't end up with a sugar crust on top and plain batter on the bottom. It doesn't have to look artistic, better to evenly distribute and let it look a little homely. We can't all be beauty queens.

Place the pan in a cold, yes cold oven. Turn on the oven to 350 degrees and bake the cinnamon bun bread for 30 minutes or until it springs back when a finger is pressed lightly in the middle.




While the bread is baking we'll work on the icing. Start with softened butter and cream cheese. If you didn't remember to let it soften just microwave it for 30-45 seconds.




Add the powdered sugar, vanilla and lemon juice then mix well.




It will look slightly yellowish and a bit on the thick side. No worries, we're going to fix that.




Add enough milk until the icing resembles thin yogurt or thick heavy cream.




The icing will become a bit more pale and look absolutely luscious.




Pull the cinnamon bun bread from the oven. Mmmmm, pockets of cinnamon and brown sugar.




Typically instructions tell you to wait to frost cinnamon buns until they've cooled for a while. I find frosting them while hot allows the icing to meld with the bread so that's what I do. Just plop, pour or dump it on then smooth the icing all over the top.




Be still my heart.




A warm slice with gooey, tangy cream cheese icing over the top.






Of course I had to take a taste. Delicious. For a day like Christmas morning I would make the icing the night before, mix the filling as well and set out the mixed dry ingredients on the counter and the wet in the fridge. That way the morning of you just mix, pour and bake. Or you could bake it the day before. Either way works and either way you end up with a delicious breakfast without a floured counter.