Tea with Rebecca

Love them or Loath them?

2009-02-17T09:57:00.000-08:00

I keep seeing wall decals pop up all over the design blog neighborhood. Like here and here for example, on Abbey Goes Scouting. I can't decide if I love them or loath them. Right now I am leaning towards love. I think as long as you stick to one decal per room... a tasteful piece would be a great addition to any lonely wall. I totally dig the work of David & Alicia over at DaliDecals. They also have a shop on Etsy.

Here are some of my favorites from David & Alicia:

Fancy Crystal Chandelier, $35.00

Retro Swirling Branch, $100

Giant Lotus Blossom, $75.00

Birds sitting on a Powerline, $30

Also try blik surface graphics for some great pop-art style decals. Or, Dezign with a Z for a custom decal made from a photo of your choosing! Get a quote here.

We go together like Mac & Cheese...

2009-02-07T21:32:00.000-08:00

Last week while waiting for my laundry to dry at my local Busy-Bee fluff & fold, I skipped over to Target to pick up some reading material. I decided to go with Martha's February 09' issue of Real Simple (one of my faves!) The cover featured a mouthwatering pic of some deliciously hearty looking mac & cheese... the main article being, "Comfort Food Tonight: your favorite recipes made faster (and healthier.)"

Two nights later when I was feeling rather tuckered out and on the tail end of a pesky cold, suddenly the mac & cheese called out to me! I have never made macaroni from scratch but always wanted to. Not wanting to go to the supermarket I checked the recipe to see if I had all the goods. Hmmm lets see... Cauliflower... uh-ho no, parsley nope, extra-sharp cheddar oh great, and sour cream also a no.

Martha! What fancy mac & cheese you have! So I scanned the recipe to see if I could fake it with the ingredients I did have. I peered into the fridge and spotted oddles of types of cheese, butter, and worcestershire sauce. In the pantry flour, salt, pepper, dry mustard, and a few slices of stale sourdough jalepeno bread. Yes!

I then hopped online to see if any of my pals over at TFN had any quick and easy mac & cheese recipes that I could follow with my ingredients. I found a simple one that started with a classic roux and no cauliflower! :) Most of them did call for extra-sharp cheddar though. So in the end I combined mozzarella, parmesan, cheddar, and pepper-jack to make a seriously top-notch 4-cheese macaroni bake topped with jalepeno bread crumbs!

I was so happy with the way it turned out. It was perfectly cheesy with tons of flavor and had a nice crunch and spiciness due to the jalepeno bread. It was boyfriend approved and kept well in the fridge for heating up the next day. I will most definitely make it again.

Here is the recipe I came up with:

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon pepper
3/4 teaspoon worcestershire
3 cups milk
1 small onion diced
3/4 pound mix of Mozzarella, Parmesan, Cheddar and Pepper Jack
8 ounce package of elbow Macaroni, cooked according to package and drained
3/4 cup soft Jalapeno sourdough bread*
Olive oil to taste

** Try any specialty bread here, I bet rosemary or roasted garlic bread would also be great!

Preperation:

Pulse torn bread pieces in food processor to make coarse crumbs. Toss crumbs in a bowl with a pinch of salt & pepper and a dash of olive oil. Set aside. In a saucepan over med-low heat, melt 3 tablespoons butter; blend in flour and dry seasonings, stir till smooth and bubbly. Gradually stir in milk and worcestershire; stir and cook till thick and smooth. Stir in onion and cheeses. Add drained macaroni and stir till pasta is well coated. Transfer macaroni mix to a buttered casserole dish, top with bread crumb mixture and bake at 350 degrees for 15-18 min or until golden brown. ENJOY!

While on the topic of DIY's...

2009-02-04T09:00:00.000-08:00

When I was a little girl my all time favorite thing to do was spend the day with my grandmother in her, "sewing room." My grandma or "Tutu" in Hawaiian is an amazing seamstress and quilter. She had an entire room devoted to craft supplies, yarn, fabric, sewing machines, ribbons, buttons bobbins, lace, paint, YOU NAME IT!

I really owe my obsession of all things crafty to my Tutu! She would love this vintage mirror chalk board DIY project from Design*Sponge. I think a chalk board like this would look great near one's fridge where they could scribble down their needed groceries... This one is magnetic!

I will definitely keep my eye out for a mirror like that at Goodwill.

Terrariums!

2009-02-03T09:35:00.003-08:00

Here are some pictures of a project I did over Christmas. I got so inspired by Paula Hayes' work and some lovely terrariums on Etsy that I decided to make a few as Christmas presents for my friends and family.

I am quite pleased by the way mine turned out. Should I start an Etsy shop of my own!?

Here are some instructions I put together in case anyone is interested:

Buy a neat glass jar from goodwill or savers, the more unique the better. Also, the bigger the jar the easier to work with.
Wash out the jar with a mild soap and water.
Layer the bottom of the jar with about 1"or 2" of pretty gravel, stones, or small rocks. This will act as the drainage layer.
Next add a layer of "active charcoal" which you can buy at any pet store. It helps to filter the water and keep the terrarium clean.
Then spread a thin layer of dried spanish moss or sphagnum to keep the soil out of the water.
Follow this with a layer of new potting soil.
Then plant your plants in the soil arranging them in a pleasing way.
Some plants that work well for a wet or humid terrarium are: African violets, bromeliads,
anthuriums, begonias, ferns and moss.
For a dry terrarium try succulents or cacti.
Finally you will need to water the terrarium sparingly.

The one sure way to kill your terrarium is buy over watering it. I used a spray bottle to water mine initially. Then if your jar came with a lid go ahead an cap it. This way it will get to truly act as a tiny eco system. Place your terrarium in IN-direct sunlight, not right on the windowsill or else you will cause your little planet GLOBAL WARMING!!! An example of indirect sunlight is enough light to read by. If you think the terrarium is too wet take off it's lid every now and then to let the air move around. If your jar didn't come with a lid and you think your terrarium is too dry use your spray bottle a little.

Chicken & Dumplings

2009-02-03T09:00:00.000-08:00

I recently tried this recipe that I read on one of my all time favorite food Blogs, smitten kitchen. I am constantly amazed at the author's delectable creations and most beautiful accompanying photos! Her blog is set up in a charming fashion with thoroughly

written recipes, gorgeous photography and handy tools like a unit converter.

The chicken & dumplings were just divine. I especially loved the addition of tarragon and leeks to the dish. The outcome was a unique but "comfort-food" style of stew. The whole process took me about three hours. Guess I am a slow cook. But I am telling you it was a labor of love! I was expecting to have leftovers in my fridge for days and days. But between my boyfriend Clay and his best pal, we ate the whole pot!

My one problem with the dish was that the dumplings were a bit chewy or doughy in the center. They were still tasty, but came out more like gnocci! I had hoped that they would be light and almost flaky in the center like a biscuit. After talking this through with my Mother and Sister, we decided that this must have been because I stirred the dumpling dough too much, making it too glutinous.

Next time I might follow my Mom's advice and just use bisquick! All-in-all it was a great stick-to-your-bones kind of soup for a chilly winter night.

Hello Blog...

2009-01-28T09:38:00.000-08:00

I have been obsessed with movies about pre-20th century europe lately. If you don't already have a Netflix "Watch Instantly" movie subscription I highly recommend you get it! It's amazing I have not been able to keep my self from Austen, after Austen! I just finished a mini-series called Buccaneers, an adaptation of the Edith Wharton novel. It was three episodes long and the clothes and manor style houses were just to die for! The story is quite trashy, and fabulous. Makes me want to go on holiday real bad!