Cabinets (not our house obviously) - Kraftmaid, maple cabinets, color = Chestnut
Countertops - Silestone, color = Kalahari
Things are looking good for a springtime renovation!
Monday, February 28, 2011
kitchen cabinets and countertops
In a very short amount of time, we've made decisions on the two biggest aspects to a kitchen renovation - cabinets and countertops. We found great deals that we just can't pass up (and luckily for me, MrT loves deals!). We're looking to order this week which will mean the project is officially underway!
Cabinets (not our house obviously) - Kraftmaid, maple cabinets, color = Chestnut
Countertops - Silestone, color = Kalahari
Things are looking good for a springtime renovation!
Cabinets (not our house obviously) - Kraftmaid, maple cabinets, color = Chestnut
Countertops - Silestone, color = Kalahari
Things are looking good for a springtime renovation!
Friday, February 18, 2011
Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Cookies
I might be in heaven. When Jenny over at The Picky Palate said she had a recipe using Reese's PBCs and an egg, I thought, "how could this not be awesome??"
I usually have to go to the store to buy ingredients for a recipe - for this one, I bought a little food processor (somehow, with all the gadgets we got for our wedding, a food processor was not one of them). I wasn't sure my hand mixer would work and there was no way I wasn't making these.
These are so good and you really can't get much more simple than 2 ingredients! Stock up on Reese's PBCs (I used 30) and make sure you have an egg (I used a jumbo egg that seemed to get mistakenly packed within my carton of large eggs). Unwrap the Reese's, put them in the food processor, and process until finely chopped. Once all your Reese's are processed, add the egg. Since I bought a small (3-cup) food processor, I couldn't fit all the Reese's in there, so I did those in batches and then in a separate bowl, added the egg and mixed with my hand mixer.
Line your cookie sheets with parchment paper and roll the dough into 1 inch balls and place on cookie sheets. Flatten with spatula to ½" thickness. Bake 15-17 minutes or until the edges start to firm up. Let cool on pan for 15 minutes before transferring to wire rack.
Then, pour a glass of milk and enjoy the deliciousness...
I usually have to go to the store to buy ingredients for a recipe - for this one, I bought a little food processor (somehow, with all the gadgets we got for our wedding, a food processor was not one of them). I wasn't sure my hand mixer would work and there was no way I wasn't making these.
These are so good and you really can't get much more simple than 2 ingredients! Stock up on Reese's PBCs (I used 30) and make sure you have an egg (I used a jumbo egg that seemed to get mistakenly packed within my carton of large eggs). Unwrap the Reese's, put them in the food processor, and process until finely chopped. Once all your Reese's are processed, add the egg. Since I bought a small (3-cup) food processor, I couldn't fit all the Reese's in there, so I did those in batches and then in a separate bowl, added the egg and mixed with my hand mixer.
Line your cookie sheets with parchment paper and roll the dough into 1 inch balls and place on cookie sheets. Flatten with spatula to ½" thickness. Bake 15-17 minutes or until the edges start to firm up. Let cool on pan for 15 minutes before transferring to wire rack.
Then, pour a glass of milk and enjoy the deliciousness...
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
and so it begins
the kitchen renovation :)
okay, so it hasn't actually started yet, but the brainstorming/planning has! We're working on the layout and I'm starting to figure out cabinet styles and finishes. I got some samples from Kraftmaid and looking at them up against the paint color we're thinking of using.
so far I'm liking the first wood sample and the white. I really love the wood stain that's next to the white, but I think it's too dark for our space - our kitchen isn't open enough to pull of such a dark wood. I also browsed Lowes for the type of tile we have talked about using for the backsplash - so you can see that there too.
Even though we may still be a few months out from starting the actual work (depending on which one of us you talk to), I'm so excited this is finally our next project. It's been a long time coming!
okay, so it hasn't actually started yet, but the brainstorming/planning has! We're working on the layout and I'm starting to figure out cabinet styles and finishes. I got some samples from Kraftmaid and looking at them up against the paint color we're thinking of using.
so far I'm liking the first wood sample and the white. I really love the wood stain that's next to the white, but I think it's too dark for our space - our kitchen isn't open enough to pull of such a dark wood. I also browsed Lowes for the type of tile we have talked about using for the backsplash - so you can see that there too.
Even though we may still be a few months out from starting the actual work (depending on which one of us you talk to), I'm so excited this is finally our next project. It's been a long time coming!
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Valentine's Day Treat
I wanted to make some Valentine's Day treats and I had originally planned on making one of my go-to cookie recipes - Chocolate Chip and M&M - but with Valentine's M&Ms. Then I saw red velvet cake mix and decided something with that would be more fun! I know MrsD loves red velvet so I knew she'd have a recipe I could try and once again, she didn't disappoint!
Red Velvet Sandwich Cookies
Ingredients
Cookies
1 box Red Velvet Cake mix (I used Duncan Hines)
2 eggs, room temperature
1 stick of butter, room temperature
Cream Cheese Frosting Filling
8 oz package cream cheese, cold
1 stick butter, firm, but not cold
3¼ C confectioners sugar, sifted
½ tsp vanilla extract
Directions
Cookies
Preheat oven to 350. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper. Beat cake mix, butter, and eggs with electric mixer until combined. Roll dough into 1-1½ inch balls and place on cookie sheet. Bake 10 minutes or until inserted toothpick comes out clean. Let cool for a couple minutes before transferring to wire rack to cool completely
Makes about 24 cookies (12 sandwiches)
Cream Cheese Frosting
Beat together cream cheese and butter until just combined. Gradually add in sugar until just combined. Lastly, add in vanilla. Be careful not to over beat as the frosting will get too airy.
To assemble, once the cookies are cooled completely, pair them by size and frost the flat side of one cookie generously. Take the other cookie and place the flat side to the frosting and gently press together so the frosting reaches the edges.
Then, enjoy!
Red Velvet Sandwich Cookies
Ingredients
Cookies
1 box Red Velvet Cake mix (I used Duncan Hines)
2 eggs, room temperature
1 stick of butter, room temperature
Cream Cheese Frosting Filling
8 oz package cream cheese, cold
1 stick butter, firm, but not cold
3¼ C confectioners sugar, sifted
½ tsp vanilla extract
Directions
Cookies
Preheat oven to 350. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper. Beat cake mix, butter, and eggs with electric mixer until combined. Roll dough into 1-1½ inch balls and place on cookie sheet. Bake 10 minutes or until inserted toothpick comes out clean. Let cool for a couple minutes before transferring to wire rack to cool completely
Makes about 24 cookies (12 sandwiches)
Cream Cheese Frosting
Beat together cream cheese and butter until just combined. Gradually add in sugar until just combined. Lastly, add in vanilla. Be careful not to over beat as the frosting will get too airy.
To assemble, once the cookies are cooled completely, pair them by size and frost the flat side of one cookie generously. Take the other cookie and place the flat side to the frosting and gently press together so the frosting reaches the edges.
Then, enjoy!
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