Home Tour: a living room update

Aug22012

It’s been a long time since I’ve posted any pictures of our house.

A few years ago I posted about our living spaces, so you can see what they used to look like here.

I’ve gotten some emails recently from people wondering if we’ve made any updates. And there have been a handful of updates, so I thought I’d share.

And since our house is on the market, it’s fun to take pictures so we can remember what our first home looked like. You know, in case we ever do move!

I got these little garden stools using One Kings Lane credits a couple of years ago. I got one and then a few months later I got the other.

I am replacing the two lamps on the entry table. I have noticed how dark it looks right there. We’ve had those two lamps forever, but I’ve decided to find them a new home in our house. I’ve ordered some lighter lamps for this entry table– wholesale, of course. Hopefully they’ll arrive soon!

Please don’t fret, my fellow mom friends. My house is not regularly spotless and tidy. These pictures were all taken one morning before the boys were awake. The boys (and their toys) were all nestled snuggly in their beds.

My living room regularly looks like a bomb went off as the toys make their way from the boys’ rooms to the living room. Puzzle pieces are everywhere and let’s not even talk about the dog hair.

{Recipe} Lemon Layer Delight

Filed Under: Recipes

Jul52012

This recipe is quickly becoming my favorite summer time dessert. It’s not a super quick recipe to make, but it is worth every single minute!

Some of my very favorite recipes are the ones that are passed down in church cookbooks and Junior League cookbooks. My Aunt Johnette gave this recipe to my mom and we made it at the beach a few weeks ago.

And we had it again yesterday for the 4th of July.

There are a few steps involved and little boys love to lick the beaters in between the steps!

This dessert is served cold and has four layers. So the recipe is organized by the layers.

Lemon Layer Delight!

Crust (bottom layer)

1 cup flour

1 stick melted butter

1 cup finely chopped pecans

Directions: Mix well and spread in a 9 1/2 x 13 baking dish and bake at 350 degree for 30 minutes or until slightly browned. Let the crust set out and cool completely.

Layer #1

1 cup Cool Whip

1 8 oz package of cream cheese

1 cup powdered sugar

Directions: Mix well and spread over the cooled crust.

Layer #2

2 egg yolks

Juice of 2 lemons

1 can of sweetened condensed milk

Directions: Stir together and pour over the first layer.

Layer #3

Top with a container of Cool Whip (or real whipped cream, as we prefer!) and garnish if you like. Refrigerate until you’re ready to eat!

Note: There are raw egg yolks in this recipe. I Googled some options for a substitute and didn’t really see anything that would work other than heavy cream. But unless you or a guest has a raw egg allergy it is fine. Just make sure you buy pasteurized eggs for this recipe.

You can fix this recipe with different flavors for the filling, but I love the lemon in the summer time. I’ve had it with chocolate a lot, too, and that’s also a crowd pleaser.

I just love garnishing with sliced lemons and lemon zest.

Miss Janice's Tea Cake Recipe

Filed Under: Recipes

Jun42012

One of the most nostalgic desserts for me is the tea cake. They used to remind me of my maternal grandmother’s house. Mamaw made the best tea cakes. They were crunchy, buttery, and tasted light as a feather. They are the perfect summer cookie.

When Hudson was born, my mom used her good friend, Miss Janice’s recipe to make tea cakes to have at the house. This recipe is even better than my Mamaw’s. Now when I taste tea cakes I think of the summer that Hudson was born.

We’re at the beach this week, and before my we left my house, my mom whipped up a big batch of tea cakes for us to bring to the beach. We’re all fans of the tea cakes!

Miss Janice reads my blog and agreed to share the recipe with all of you. Enjoy!

Miss Janice’s Tea Cakes

Ingredients

2 sticks butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla

4 1/2 cups flour, sifted
1 cup confectioners sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cream of tartar

Directions

Cream butter and sugar then add remaining 3 ingredients, mixing together.

In a separate bow, mix the remaining ingredients together (flour, confectioners sugar, baking road, baking powder, and cream of tartar.)

Combine the two bowls and mix well. Drop by teaspoon on parchment paper lined cookie sheet. Press down with tips of fingers.

Bake at 325 degrees for 20 minutes or until just browning around edges. The key to the crispy, light texture is pressing down before baking.

Bow Tie Pasta with Roasted Vegetables

Filed Under: Recipes

Apr102012

I love a light, colorful, summery meal!

I made this yummy recipe from Cooking Light last week. It made so much that Todd and I ate it for lunch and supper for a few days. It tastes light, but it’s hearty.

We’re not big meat eaters. We like meat and don’t have any reason why we don’t eat it a lot other than the fact that our grocery bill is cheaper if we don’t eat it. So if we’re not eating meat, we like to eat something with black beans or mushrooms.

This recipe is loaded with yummy vegetables and I am just a sucker for pasta. I modified it a little bit to fit my tastes, but here’s the original recipe. (It also tastes great reheated)

I love how colorful it is! And the best part is that there are only 338 calories per serving.

Ingredients

3 cups (8 ounces) uncooked farfalle (bow tie pasta)
2 cups Roasted Vegetables (recipe below)
1 cup frozen petite green peas, thawed
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup (1 1/2 ounces) thinly shaved fresh Parmesan cheese

Preparation

1. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain and keep warm.
2. Combine pasta, Roasted Vegetables, and peas in a large bowl. Top with parsley and cheese.

Roasted Vegetables

1 (8-ounce) package baby portobello mushrooms, halved
2 cups grape or cherry tomatoes
1 red onion, sliced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 475°.
2. Combine first 6 ingredients in a bowl; toss well to coat. Arrange mushroom mixture in a single layer on a jelly-roll pan.
3. Bake at 475° for 15 minutes; turn vegetables over. Bake an additional 7 minutes or until vegetables are tender and lightly browned.

Do y’all have any great summer recipes to share?

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