PUMPKIN DUMP CAKE :: a sweet treat recipe

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I thought I would share one of the easiest dessert recipes E.V.E.R.  Most of the desserts I make are easy, I don't do complicated!  Takes too much time, and I would rather be spending my time eating the desserts instead of baking them ;-)

If you have never heard of dump cake before, it was a recipe that became popular in the 80′s by church cookbooks and potlucks.  You basically dump a few cans of fruit in a pan, cover it with cake mix and butter and bake it.

This is the same idea, only I used pumpkin instead of fruit!

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Pumpkin Dump Cake

 Ingredients
  • 1 15 oz can Pumpkin Puree
  • 1 10 oz can Evaporated Milk
  • 1 cup light brown sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • 3 tsp pumpkin pie spice
  • 1 box yellow cake mix
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) butter melted
  • 1 cup coarsely crushed graham crackers or pecans
  • 1/2 cup toffee bits (optional)

How to Make

  1. Preheat oven to 350
  2. Spray a 9×13 baking pan lightly with cooking/baking spray
  3. In a large bowl combine the pumpkin, evaporated milk, sugar, eggs and pumpkin pie spice. Stir to combine.
  4. Pour into your prepared pan.
  5. Sprinkle your entire box of cake mix on top, followed by your nuts or graham crackers and toffee chips.
  6. Pour your melted butter evenly on top.
  7. Bake for 45-50 minutes until center is set and edges are lightly browned.

** serve with sweetened whip cream or ice cream, I served mine with my vanilla honey ice cream **

THE DESIGN STUDIO :: a few Fall touches

I have added a few Fall touches to the cottage, and am just now getting around to posting a few photos.

I would categorize my holiday decorating style as simple.

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I found these 'carve-able pumpkins' at Joanne's Fabric.  They were bright orange, and I wanted something a little more muted.  I slapped on two coats of 'VERSAILLES' Chalk Paint®, buffed them with wax, and called it good.  I think it took less than 30 minutes!

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They sit proudly on the kitchen countertop, next to the sink.

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Last winter we painted the fir hutch 'CHATEAU GREY' {Chalk Paint®}.  It adds a warm touch to the room and looks great with the bold colors of the paint samples.

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This winter I plan on painting the inside of the hutch.  I can't decide if I should add some fun color, or just stick with the 'CHATEAU GREY'.

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I did have cute little pumpkins scattered on this trunk, but I just realized my little helper must have moved them ;-)

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And a few Fall touches outside!

Now I am off to go bake a pumpkin dump cake!  I will post the recipe and photos tomorrow!!

xoxo~Darci

EASY HALLOWEEN NIGHT MENU :: easy home made dinner

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I love to host parties and have friends and family over for any occasion.  Sometimes I have the time to prepare food and decorate, other times I don't.  I always want my focus to be on just spending time together, now how perfect everything looks or tastes!  I have found the more complicated I make food and entertaining, the more I am stressed and tired, and the food typically doesn't even turn out that good! We are having a few friends over for a quick Halloween dinner.  We all have littles to take trick-or-treating, so it will be a quick dinner, a stop in between the Halloween festivities!

I know we all have our 'go-to' easy-peasy meals, but I thought I would share a couple of my favorites!  These dishes have to pass the test of easy, tasty and can-be-made-in-advance!

Here is our Halloween menu ::

home made HERBED RICOTTA with pita chips

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This home made herbed ricotta is so good....and so easy!!!  {I use the ricotta for the lasagna.}

EASY LASAGNA

Easy-Lasagna

I love this lasagna because it is easy and versatile.  I can make it the night before and just keep it in the refrigerator until an hour before dinner!

CRANBERRY & AVOCADO SALAD

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 PW CHEESY GARLIC BREAD {half with garlic and half without garlic for the kiddos}

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And for drinks :: HOT COCOA and HOT APPLE CIDER

I figure we won't have any dessert since we will probably be eating too much candy ;-)

I hope have a great Halloween!!

THE 'M' BEHIND MD HANEY & CO.

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You all know my sweet husband is the 'M' of MD HANEY & CO.  The master contractor behind the studio's constant renovations.  We have been married for 11 years and we have worked side by side for 10 of those years.
Our first project together was a darling little home in McMinnville.  An old bungalow;  and we added a master suite.  That led to building a new home in the historic part of McMinnville.  It was a new home, built to look old.  Full of character and style.....our favorite!  It was a fantastic example of Matts' technical building abilities, creativities, and eye for design.
We have been so blessed to be able to 'do what we love'.  There are hard days, challenging projects, and really long to-do lists.
But, Matt is able to do what he loves,  I am able to do what I love, and we work hard at supporting each other.
We have some exciting things in the 'works', and I can't wait to see what the future holds!
Thank you friends, family, customers and clients for being so supportive!!
girlsmattbw

NOW OFFERING :: balloons

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 I think it's safe to say that we all love a good party!

I have been slowly adding party and entertaining items to the shop.  Growing a collection of items that I use, and want to make readily available for all of you!

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With the various events I have hosted and coordinated, I have always had a problem getting balloons.  I can't find the color or shape I want, and I am limited to how many I can purchase {because of the helium shortage}.

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So, I just decided to purchase balloons in bulk and lease a helium tank.  Now I always have access to balloons!!

You can also purchase them for your next event!!  So fun right?!?  I will have more details to come.  In the mean time, we are enjoying balloons for every occasion ;-)

OLIVE OIL PUMPKIN BREAD :: a quick bread recipe

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I am still baking anything and everything that calls for pumpkin!

I LOVE pumpkin and find I really only bake/cook with it in the Fall.

I thought I would share an easy olive oil pumpkin bread recipe I found online.  It's tasty and I love that it uses olive oil and honey, instead of vegetable oil and sugar.  **Full discloser, I added a powered sugar glaze and it adds just a perfect extra hint of sweetness.  A cream cheese frosting would be good too!**

Pumpkin Bread Recipe

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 1/2 cups flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon of salt
  • 1 cup honey
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 cup  pumpkin purée*
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon allspice
  • 1/2 cup  chopped walnuts or pecans

* To make pumpkin purée, cut a pumpkin in half, scoop out the seeds and stringy stuff, lie face down on a foil or Silpat lined baking sheet. Bake at 350°F until soft, about 45 min to an hour. Cool, scoop out the flesh. Freeze whatever you don't use for future use. Or, if you are working with pumpkin pieces, roast or boil them until tender, then remove and discard the skin.

METHOD

1 Preheat oven to 350°F. Sift together the flour, salt, and baking soda.

2 Mix the pumpkin, oil, eggs, 1/4 cup of water, honey and spices together, then combine with the dry ingredients, but do not mix too thoroughly. Stir in the nuts.

3 Pour into a well-buttered 9x5x3 inch loaf pan. Bake 50-60 minutes until a thin skewer poked in the very center of the loaf comes out clean. Turn out of the pan and let cool on a rack.

Can easily double the recipe.

Can easily add a powered sugar glaze or cream cheese frosting to add extra sweetness.

BEFORE + AFTER :: our cottage {the magazine photos}

I thought I would post a few before + after photos of our little cottage on Main Street.  This is what the little cottage looked like when we bought it :: over-grown, in need of repair, but really sweet bones.

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The back of the house had a funky addition.

We tore it down because we just couldn't figure a good use for the space.

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The upstairs attic had drywall and carpet, but the ceilings were too low for the space to be livable.  We ripped everything down to the studs.

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Matt had to install load bearing beams downstairs to gain the extra height needed to make the upstairs space livable.

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Four years later, our little cottage was featured on the cover of This Old House magazine.

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They also did a separate article on our upstairs space.

We turned half of the upstairs space into an office, and the other half into a master suite.

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Matt built shelves, file drawers and countertops to fit the space perfectly.

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The flooring is a vinyl flooring.

It was in-expensive, easy to install and easy to clean.  I loved it!

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We had this funny little space at the top of the stairs, we turned it into a little sitting area.

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Matt built everything for the master suite.

The stairs of the house are narrow, and we knew we couldn't get furniture up the stairs.  He sure comes in handy ;-)

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The bed is built in and has basket storage underneath.

We really utilized every inch of space upstairs.  Space wasn't a luxury we had with this house, so we had to get creative!

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We were able to fit a walk in shower, two sinks, a toilet, two built-in medicine cabinets and a floor to ceiling linen closet all in this little space.

***

I have more pictures to post of the rest of the house, but I will have to add those later as I hear a sweet little toddler is just waking up from her nap!

In the mean time, have a lovely day!!

 

NEXT CHALK PAINT® CLASS :: and a few pictures from this weekend

I hope you had a lovely weekend.  The weather here was A.M.A.Z.I.N.G!  Love Fall!!

Just a quick note to say that the next Chalk Paint® {bring your own piece} class is Monday, November 4th.

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These classes are a lot of fun!  You get to use our supplies, learn tips and tricks for working with Chalk Paint® {and the wax} and you go home with your own little finished piece of furniture!

I have quite a few 'maybes' for this class, if it fills up fast, I will offer another one towards the end of November.

And, since it's pretty boring to just post about an upcoming class, I thought I would share a few photos from this weekend....

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We skipped church Sunday morning {Addilyn had a little cold} and headed up to Saint Honore Bakery.  Have you been there???  It's our favorite!!

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Addilyn LOVES pastries....but she REALLY LOVES her daddy.

Sweet.

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We also like to go walking around the lake {Lake Oswego} and the fountains.

Costco was also on our list.

We nailed it!

They had good samples and we left with a cart full of ridiculous groceries and spending way too much money.  As soon as we got the car loaded with food, and girls buckled in, Addilyn informed us she needed to go potty.

Oh boy.

Have a great week friends!!

PUMPKIN SPICE MUFFINS :: a recipe

I thought I would share a scrumptious pumpkin spice muffin recipe.  Last week I made some to-die-for pumpkin + molasses cookies.  Seriously, I couldn't stop eating them!!  I will post the recipe, I just didn't get any photos, but I promise, you will want to eat the entire batch!!

Anyways, I had some left over pumping puree to use up.  A little breakfast treat sounded good, so I made some pumpkin spice muffins.

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Pumpkin Muffins from Smitten Kitchen

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 cup canned solid-pack pumpkin (from a 15 ounce can) 1/3 cup vegetable oil 2 large eggs 1 teaspoon pumpkin-pie spice 1 1/4 cups plus 1 tablespoon sugar 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Put oven in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Put liners in muffin cups.

Whisk together pumpkin, oil, eggs, pumpkin pie spice, 1 1/4 cups sugar, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl until smooth, then whisk in flour mixture until just combined.

Stir together cinnamon and remaining 1 tablespoon sugar in another bowl.

Divide batter among muffin cups (each should be about three-fourths full), then sprinkle tops with cinnamon-sugar mixture. Bake until puffed and golden brown and wooden pick or skewer inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes.

Cool in pan on a rack five minutes, then transfer muffins from pan to rack and cool to warm or room temperature.

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Addilyn loves to help in the kitchen.  She picked out the muffin liners ;-) and she takes her role of taste testing very seriously.  Don't step between the girl and her muffin batter {or cookie dough, or cake batter or anything with butter and sugar}.

And on a separate note, I am loving my 'FALL' sign that I got from Anne.

Isn't it darling?

We did a little bartering after the SALE and I was thrilled to come home with this ;-)

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Now go bake some muffins....your family will love you for it!!

xoxo~Darci

 

 

 

FALL VINTAGE SALE :: a few pics

On Friday, the Queen Bee {Emily and Anne} and I hosted a Fall Sale.  It was A.LOT.OF.WORK but so much fun!!  It was too crazy busy Friday night to snap any pictures of the actual sale, or any pictures with us girls.  But, I did snap a few photos as we were setting up....

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We lucked out with AMAZING Fall weather.  Especially considering the nasty windy and rainy weather we had for the 10 days leading up to the sale!!

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We loaded the front porch with treasures and we had some fun things out in the front yard as well.

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Friday night's preview sale was crazy!  People started filtering in around 4:45 {it started at 5pm} and we didn't have a minute to breath until 8:15 {it ended at 8pm}!

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Anne and Emily brought some beautiful furniture pieces!!

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We had 7 vendors {including me and the Queen Bee girls}.  All of the girls were so easy to work with!!  Not to mention hard workers and super creative.  I am bummed that I didn't snap a picture of Amy with all of her beautiful baked goods!!

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Fun.....right?!?!

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The interior of the studio was filled to the brim!

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MIX fabrics is this adorable new fabric shop in Lafayette.  Super cute fabrics and fun vintage + handmade items!!

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Anne's mom {Barb} made these beautiful velvet pumpkins.  Aren't they beautiful?!?

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Anne made these darling Fall signs....I now have one on my back deck and I love it!!

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I made some signs, bunting, garlands, wreathes, and had other home decor items from the studio.

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I also had the chance to talk 'Chalk Paint' with some new customers.  It was a wonderful weekend!!  But, I am happy to now have extra time to snuggle and love on my littles!  They were great sports {not to mention my amazing husband} to put up with me being gone so much over the weekend.

I am so very blessed to be surrounded by lovely friends and a wonderful family!!

The Queen Bee girls and I are tired....but there was a little talk of a Christmas event.....who knows.....{wink wink}

xoxo~Darci

BEFORE + AFTER :: exterior

Hello friends!

I am knee-deep in projects, but that just seems to be how I roll these days ;-)  Since I don't have any 'finished' project photos to share this week, I thought I would share a few BEFORE + AFTER photos of one of the homes we remodeled in Carlton.

When we purchased this home {8 years ago!} we bought it with the intention of living in it for a few years and then buying acreage and eventually building a new home.  We have been here for 8 years {on and off} and love it here!

The home sits on a double lot, just on the outskirts of town.  And, it has a work shop.  The shop is where Matt works his construction magic!

before

This is how she looked when we bought her.  Over grown, moldy and falling apart.  A little 900 s.f. four square with a funky addition out the side and the back.  She needed a lot of work!  Matt saw the potential, and we were both willing to work hard!!

before

We had to do quite a bit of de-construction and demo.

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Matt did a lot of the work himself. It took us just 1 year to get most of the work done.  My hubby is one hard working worker bee!!!  We spent a lot of late nights working on this little place.

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We still have a lot of projects that we would like to do!  But doesn't everyone?!?

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To the left of this little pop-out is where the original front door was located.

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Matt had planned on building this cupola with windows.  It serves as ventilation.   But,it was going to take a.long.time for him to custom build windows that would work for this space.  We opted for the louvers and I love them!

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The work shop really is the reason we purchased the property!  We skinned the front of the work shop with cedar siding and built a large sliding door.

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The sides and back of the work shop are metal siding.  It's all painted one color and it really is hard to tell that the entire shop isn't sided with cedar siding.

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This home has served us well over the past 8 years!

Since living here, we have fixed up 2 other homes in Carlton, but that is for another post ;-)

xoxo~Darci

FALL VINTAGE SALE :: the vendors

We are getting last minute preparations finished for our Fall Vintage Sale. It's going to be a great weekend....and the weather forecast looks promising!!

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I have been working on little projects for the sale.

I can't wait to see what THE QUEEN BEE girls bring!!  Anne and Emily are so talented....and they are super sweet!

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The girls of MIX FABRICS are bringing their love of fabric to the sale.  They have a great collection of vintage dishes, awesome fabrics and all sorts of ridiculously cute items.  I can't wait to see how they set everything up!

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Blue Raven is going to be selling their delicious pies...and there equally delicious {and even cuter} mini pies.

Kristen will be ushering in Fall with her beautiful Fall floral arrangements and other creative items.....Amy will be baking some delicious sweet treats......

It's going to be a fun time.  And, from the way things are shaping up, you may want to come Friday night to be sure to have first dibs at all of the goods!!

See you next weekend!!

xoxo~Darci

FALL DECOR & COOKIES :: a fall cookie recipe

This weekend was stormy and cool, the perfect weekend to bake in the kitchen and begin adding a few Fall touches around the house.

The girls and I worked in the kitchen and had several dance parties as we decorated.  It was so good for my heart!!

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It's hard work running a business.

Especially when you are a driven personality, a bit of a perfectionist, very little time to actually work, and a little family who you adore and want to spend your time with.

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So, we celebrate the little moments.....

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Like being home all weekend with the rain blowing outside.

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Extra time with out-of-town family.

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A chance to do a bit of Fall decorating.

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Some time to gather goodies from the garden before the rain beats everything down.

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Extra snuggles with my littles.

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Some time to work on projects.

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And just sit and enjoy the quiet moments.

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I am really working on enjoying the little moments and living with the fact that I can't get everything done on my to-do list.

I want my day to be about building relationships, and not always accomplishing tasks.  I know I am not the only one who battles with this struggle!!  And so, I am thankful for the un-expected 'slow' weekends/days/moments, the chance to take a deep breath, and just be thankful.

***

And so, I leave you with a yummy GINGER COOKIE recipe.

I love baking cookies!!  They make the house smell delicious, and they warm the hearts and tummies of family and friends.  I love packaging up half the batch of the cookies and giving them away.  It's a simple gesture....and a great excuse to get to bake another batch ;-)

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Ginger Cookies

Ingredients 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cloves 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt 1 cup dark brown sugar, lightly packed 1/4 cup vegetable oil 1/3 cup unsulfured molasses 1 extra-large egg, at room temperature 1 1/4 cups chopped crystallized ginger (6 ounces) Granulated sugar, for rolling the cookies

Directions Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 sheet pans with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, ginger, and salt and then combine the mixture with your hands. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the brown sugar, oil, and molasses on medium speed for 5 minutes. Turn the mixer to low speed, add the egg, and beat for 1 minute. Scrape the bowl with a rubber spatula and beat for 1 more minute. With the mixer still on low, slowly add the dry ingredients to the bowl and mix on medium speed for 2 minutes. Add the crystallized ginger and mix until combined.

Scoop the dough with 2 spoons or a small ice cream scoop. With your hands, roll each cookie into a 1 3/4-inch ball and then flatten them lightly with your fingers. Press both sides of each cookie in granulated sugar and place them on the sheet pans. Bake for exactly 13 minutes. The cookies will be crackled on the top and soft inside. Let the cookies cool on the sheets for 1 to 2 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

'NO KNEAD' FRENCH BREAD :: a bread recipe

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I love baking bread!

I love the way my home smells while it is in the oven.....I love a warm piece slathered with butter for a late afternoon snack.....and I love teaching my little sweet pea how to bake and navigate her way around the kitchen.

I have a few recipes that are my standbys.  This recipe is one of them!!  With the weather changing and soup season upon us, I thought I would share this recipe.  Seriously, you will see that it is so easy to make home made bread any time!!

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It's as easy as mixing the ingredients in a large bowl, letting the dough rise, shaping it and baking it.

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I usually make two loaves.  A large one for us to eat right out of the oven, and a smaller one to give away or freeze.

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No Knead French Bread From Artisian Bread in 5 Minutes a Day via The Ivory Hut


3 cups of lukewarm water 
1 1/2 tablespoons active dry yeast 
1 1/2 tablespoons coarse salt
 6 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Grab a very large mixing bowl, or a large container that you can cover. In it, mix the water, yeast, and salt. You don’t have to heat up the water to a precise optimal temperature for the yeast. I’ve even used just regular tap water, and it’s worked well for me. Just let that sit together for a while (you don’t have to wait for the yeast to dissolve completely), then dump the flour all at once and stir with a wooden spoon. You don’t need to knead this, and you’re not looking to make it come together into a dough ball. You just want everything mixed well, with no streaks of flour left, and you’re done.

Leave it in your container, covered (but not airtight, or it’ll pop), for a few hours. When it has risen and then deflated a bit, your dough is done. It’s ready to be used or stored in the refrigerator.

To bake the bread, just grab a chunk of dough, about the size of a grapefruit. Dust your hands with flour to help prevent sticking, and gently pull the sides of the dough toward the bottom, rotating the dough, until you get a roundish shape with a smooth surface. It should only take you about a minute or less to do this. The dough won’t be entirely in the bottom, where it may look bunched up, but don’t worry about it.

Put it on a cutting board that’s been dusted with cornmeal to prevent sticking, and let it rest for at least 40 minutes. No need to cover it. If the dough has been refrigerated, it helps to let it rest a little more, until it’s no longer chilled.

Twenty minutes before you are ready to bake, put a cast iron skillet (or a pizza stone) in the middle rack of your oven, and put a broiler pan (I used a cookie sheet) in the bottom rack. Preheat your oven to 450 degrees. Dust some flour on the top of your loaf, and slash the top, about 1/4-inch deep.

After twenty minutes of preheating, it’s time to bake. (You can put the bread in after 20 minutes, even if your oven hasn’t reached 450 degrees yet.) Slide the loaf onto the baking stone, and then quickly pour 1 cup of hot tap water into the broiler pan. Then quickly shut the oven door to keep the steam inside. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until you get a nice brown crust. Remove and let cool completely, if you can wait that long.

OUR HOME :: the girl's bathroom

As I mentioned a few weeks ago, I am slowly trying to get more pictures of our home on the blog.  I am always changing things, so I am sure as soon as I get pictures of the different rooms, they will be outdated ;-)

The weather has been so nice, we have been soaking up the last days of summer!  Which means I haven't had much time to work on finishing up my dining room wall.  So, I thought I would post a few photos of the girl's bathroom instead!

This bathroom is located in the original part of our 1908 home.  The original home was around 900 s.f., and we added about 1200 s.f. {plus a garage}.

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My favorite thing about this bathroom, are the original wood floors.  They aren't perfect {at all} but I love all of the history and character!!

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It's a simple little bathroom.  It's not flashy, but it serves it's purpose well.

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It's really hard to photograph because it's surrounded by hallway with no natural light!

Matt installed  wainscoting around the bottom half of the walls.  All of our trim work in the house is painted off white.  I love that it's clean and bright, but not a crisp white.  Our house is an oldie, with a lot of different materials and textures.   Pure, bright white  just didn't seem appropriate for our trim work.

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I love this ruffle shower curtain.  It adds just a bit of a femininity.  And since it's the girl's bathroom, I figured that was appropriate ;-)

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A little stool so my little Miss can go potty and wash her hands.  And a little basket full of washcloths...

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I found this mirror on clearance years ago at Marshalls.  It's metal; it was dented and painted a hideous color. I just painted a fresh coat of paint on it and distressed the edges....perfect!

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The hand towels are from Cost Plus, they launder really well!!

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This little cabinet houses rubber bands, bandaids, cotton balls, toilet paper and more in those itty-bitty little drawers.

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Any girl loves fresh flowers in her bathroom!

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These cute little candle holders where a gift when we sold one of our vacation rentals to the sweet couple from Texas.

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Marketing works I tell ya! Addilyn had to have the Seasame Street toothbrush and toothpaste!

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I made these little paper flowers to fill up a little space.....simple and cute...

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When we moved back into our home last year, I didn't want to spend a lot of money on this bathroom because I know in a couple of years when we re-do the girl's bedroom, we will re-do the girl's bathroom!

Thanks for taking a peek at our simple little guest bathroom!  I hope to snap more photos soon!!

xoxo~Darci

BEFORE + AFTER :: a sidewalk treasure

 A few weeks ago, I was on my early morning walk.  I walked past a neighbor's house and she had just set out a dresser with a FREE sign on it!  I promptly walked my little self home, grabbed the car and wen to pick it up.  It's kind of funky, but I have been looking for a little drink station in the dining room.  I figured it was free, so if I don't like it, it's no big deal!

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You can see the side of my little helper in this picture.  She seems to think anytime the camera is out, it's to take a picture of her!

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I used Chalk Paint® to paint this little guy.  I mixed 1 part Pure White and 1 part Arles.

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I applied a coat of Clear Wax and then a coat of Dark Wax.

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I painted the existing brass knobs Graphite and then applied a Dark Wax.

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I added a mirror and a little drink basket, then loaded the drawers with linens.  I am sure I will change things up soon, but this is a start ;-)  I don't love it, but it will serve just fine until I find something I do love!

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Next week I will snap some photos of the dining room and share them.  But, girls are sleeping so I better get some work done!!  Oh, and I have to meet the delivery man at the studio soon, I have a really fun package arriving later today, I can't wait to share all about it!

xoxo~Darci

FALL SPECIAL :: the loft {nightly accommodations in wine country}

I hope you had a wonderful Labor day weekend!!  We sure did....we labored, played and rested....it was just perfect!

addi

We have been trying to soak up these last few days of summer.  We went to the Farmers' Market last week and had rain, crazy winds and beautiful, warm sunshine, all within 15 minutes!!

bannerlinenI have been busy with a few different design projects so I just thought I would pop in to say hello and offer a special for the LOFT.

IMG_2550

The LOFT has been crazy busy this summer.  A huge blessing as I wasn't sure how travelers would respond to renting just one room, as opposed to the entire house.  While it was great having a couple of our homes as vacation rentals, it was A.LOT.OF.WORK.  The LOFT is much easier to clean/manage/maintain.  As a huge thank you to our wonderful guests, we are offering a free night October 15th-November 15th.  Just mention the 'website fall special' when booking two nights, and you will get a third night free!

I plan to take a few more house photos and post them soon!!  I just need to wrap up my design projects and spend my extra time loving on my little family....

xoxo~Darci

S'MORES BROWNIE :: a sweet treat

I made these ooey-gooey s'mores brownies last weekend and they are slightly addictive.

A perfect treat for your Labor Day weekend, especially if you won't be camping but still want to savor some of the last of summer's treats!  And really, who doesn't love chocolate + graham crackers + more chocolate + marshmallows??

brownie

Ingredients

  • Nonstick cooking spray
  • 9 broken in half (18 pieces) whole graham crackers, divided
  • 1 package chewy fudge brownie mix
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 2/3 cup vegetable oil
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 cups (12-oz. pkg.)  Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips,divided
  • 2 chocolate bars, roughly chopped
  • 2 cups miniature marshmallows
  • chocolate (for melting), 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, chocolate bar or whatever your heart desires

Directions

PREHEAT oven to 350° F.

LINE 13 x 9-inch metal baking pan with foil leaving an overhang on two sides. Spray foil with nonstick cooking spray.

PLACE 15 graham cracker halves into bottom of pan, overlapping slightly. Break remaining graham cracker halves into 1/2-inch pieces; set aside.

COMBINE brownie mix, water, oil and eggs in medium bowl until blended. Stir in 1 cup chocolate chips.  Spread over graham crackers in pan.

BAKE for 25 to 30 minutes or until wooden pick inserted into center comes out still slightly sticky; remove from oven.

PREHEAT broiler.

SPRINKLE remaining graham cracker pieces, broken chunks of chocolate bar and marshmallows over warm brownies. Broil for 30 to 45 seconds or until marshmallows are light brown. Watch carefully as browning occurs very fast! Sprinkle immediately with remaining 1 cup chocolate chips and drizzle melted chocolate over the bars.

COOL for at least 1 hour at room temperature. Lift out by foil edges to cutting board. Carefully remove foil. Cut into bars with wet knife. Store in tightly covered container.

brownie
I would recommend sharing these with friends because I promise you, it will be hard to stop eating them!!
Enjoy!!
xoxo~Darci

CHOCOLATE CRINKLE COOKIES :: a sweet treat

chocolate cookie

These tasty little treats taste like brownie batter.  They are so good, trust me, you won't be able to eat just one!

RECIPE

4 tablespoons unsalted butter 2/3 cup packed brown sugar 1 tablespoon of oil   1 large egg 1 tablespoon milk 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 2/3 cup cocoa 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/8 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup powdered sugar, for coating

In a mixer, cream together butter and sugar.  Add oil, egg and milk and stir until combined.  Add flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt.  Stir with mixer just until combine - don't over mix.  Chill dough for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350.

To scoop out cookies, use a tablespoon and roll the cookies in powdered sugar, twice.  Place on a parchment lined baking sheet 8 minutes.

chocolate cookie