Zuppa's Garden Chowder Soup

 So I have had a few Requests for this soup recipe so I thought I would just put it on here for all of you! Seriously, such good soup. I was watching Good Things Utah and they made this soup. I didn't even realize what Zuppa's was haha, silly silly me. Some things I should probably not admit. Well It was a while ago and I was just going to link you to a recipe but apparently this will be the only place you can find this recipe online... Is anyone else excited?? Here we go!!

Cheryl's notes: I always use the dry Parmesan because that Is what I have at my house, don't worry still dang good. I use Costco's frozen corn it is so much better than canned.

Garden Chowder

Prepared by Kelsey Nixon, Cafe Zuppas

Ingredients

• 3 TBS butter
• 2 medium zucchini, diced
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 T fresh parsley, chopped
• 2 T fresh basil, chipped
• 1/3 Cup flour
• 3 Cup chicken broth
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 2-3 tomatoes, diced
• 1 can (12 oz) evaporated milk
• 1 can (14.5 oz) corn
• 1/3 Cup Parmesan cheese, grated
• 2 Cup cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp frshly ground pepper

Preparation

Over medium heat, saute the zucchini, onion, parsley and basil in butter until vegetables are tender.

Add flour, stir until begetables are coated. Slowly add chicken broth and lemon juice. Bring to a boil.

Add tomatoes, milk and corn. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for five minutes or until corn is tender.

Just before serving, stir in cheeses until melted. Season with salt and pepper.

Jackson Pollock Inspired

 

My living room has a large wall, and I wanted something substantial for a focal point. I looked at Ikea, but I did not want to pay that much for something that people would probably recognize to be be from there...

Soo I took matters into my own hands. When you go to Home Depot, and other home improvements stores I assume, they have wood scraps that you can have for free. They will even cut it down for you.  I took one home and went crazy, Jackson Pollock style on it.  I used paint that I already had and mixed some white with the green to make different tones, and some red with black. I would stand out in the wind and let the paint fly around and put thick amounts of the dark red and tipped the wood so that it ran...  It was fun and now I have a huge original piece of art that you can see the texture... 

I got on a role and did a few more for some family members.  

These are just a few of the ones that I did. You can't beat the price and you don't really need much (or any talent really).  I tried to sell them on etsy but I was really lazy about it, some family have them in there homes.

More Fabric scrap Ideas

Maybe you recognize this fabric from my curtains, made from a duvet cover I showed you. I had a scrap that fit perfectly in this super cheap frame for my bookshelf in the living room. Helps tie in the two rooms... I can use every tiny scrap, the tiny scraps, I save and make hair clips...

Shelf Transformation

My Mother-in-Law grabbed this shelf from someone that was getting rid of it and thought maybe I could do something with it. Thanks!! I think that I can.. With the fabric scraps from a previous project and some Mod Podge......

I need to mount it on the wall still but I thought it actually turned out cute.. Picture, some cute baskets for organization on it....

Organization Station

I 

I want to make my wall in the kitchen all about organization. It is a work in progress. I have a huge white board and this cork board. I have seen people wrap it in fabric, and that is what I did..

I had a 40% off coupon at good old hobby lobby so it was 4 dollars to buy this fabric and I had a little scrap left to do another project I will show you tomorrow!

So this is one step of the whole wall that hopefully I will show you soon!

Window Treatments

When we were getting ready to move into our house I was in TJ Maxx and saw a King Size Duvet cover and huge pillow shams for $40. I loved it! So I bought it and I made my curtains with it.

Then I really wanted Roman Shades for my kitchen..  I had enough fabric with pillow shams. Well my amazing and wonderful Sister in law (Pam) told me about her talented friend, who has an amazing blog and instructions on how to take your cheapo plastic blinds, and turn them into Roman Shades! I was also on pinterest the other day and saw another genius figured this out. I so wish it was me! I plan on doing it again in my bedroom. Here is the link for her instructions.  http://littlegreennotebook.blogspot.com/2009/02/make-shades-out-of-mini-blinds.html

Bread Baking

Is bread expensive? I have not bought bread in over 3 years, since I stopped working. It was one of the things that I wanted to learn when I decided to stay home with the girls, so I went to my Mother-in-law (Lesa) who is an amazing cook. She has been making bread for years.

I make bread once a week now. I make four loaves of bread and it lasts all week. the first day it is very soft and we usually finish off one loaf. The second, and third day it is easier to cut for sandwiches, and after that is is still really good toasted. I never have a problem with bread being stale or go bad before we use it.

I use Lehi Roller Mills turkey flour, and also grind their  wheat in my wheat grinder (best Christmas present ever! Thanks Don and Lesa). I did not do this when I started and it was still good (don't fret), but that does make it super duper. I just found out recently that the turkey flour happens to be bread flour and I never knew. It is just what I buy at Costco...

When I started, I failed, I had no idea why my bread did not work. So for those clueless like myself  I was burning my yeast. My Father-in-law put it this way, when you stick your finger in the water you should NOT be able to feel it cause it should be your temperature. I have never had a problem since! I probably do it a tiny bit warmer than that myself but for some reason it made it click in my head..

The last thing I want to say is to memorize the recipe. You know how they say the hardest thing about running is getting out the door? Well the hardest thing about making bread, or cooking is getting out the recipe book. Haha Seriously! This is the only recipe I have memorized I am pretty sure, which is easy to do because there are very few ingredients, and I make it every week. This way, I just start my yeast in the morning and it is not a chore at all.

Oh also maybe just half the recipe and do two loafs till you are the master...

Alright, no more yappity yaping:

Lesa's Bread 350 degrees for about 35minutes, Makes 4 loaves

2 Tablespoons yeast
1 Tablespoon sugar
4 Cups warm water
Set for 10 minutes till frothy
Add
1/2 Cup sugar
1/2 Cup oil
1 Tablespoon salt
9 1/2 Cups flour
 Add flour until it pulls away from the side. It is better to have to little flour then to much, because you don't want a brick.  So just don't get super carried away. Don't Continue to mix or it will begin to be sticky again.
Let rise till double, about an hour.
Put dough in bread tins and rise till ready to put in oven.

Side note: I do something different with the flour pretty much every time. Half wheat half white, most wheat some white. I have been adding flax seed lately just to be healthy and you can take your cold, left over, already cooked, oatmeal from breakfast and throw it in there with the flour (one of Lesa's little tricks). So when you become a pro you can play with it. I have to say, When Eric makes bread he usually does all white and it makes beautiful bread..

 So I thought I would show you the bread storage idea I got from Pinterest. I found the basket at Walmart. it was 2 for $8.

There you go! Once again much more than you wanted to know!

Taping Jobs and Stripes

Stripes, who doesn't love em? Let me help you get a super clean paint line for those awesome stripes.

This was the very first room that I did when we moved in to our house. I was excited, as you can tell.  (No, I didn't make the beautiful quilt. My mother-in-law is a very talented quilt maker.) So I pulled some colors from the quilt (great design tip) and did my stripes.

Side note: If you don't know where to start in a room you can go to a fabric store and find something that you love and revolve your whole  room around it.You can also do the same thing with an art piece you love.

First paint your entire wall your lightest color. if you are doing a two tone grey stripe do your light grey all over then tape for your darker grey. So I did the light pink in this room.
Next measure and mark. Every foot or two I put a little pencil mark.
Now tape. When you are done get a tongue compressor a quarter  or whatever and just run it along the edge of the tape where the new color will go. To make it as tight as you can.

 (I so wish I had a pic of me up there painting. Terrifying stairs below, and over a decade of dust.)

SEAL EDGE. This is the step that is going to give you a really clean line. I saw it on an HGTV Show once. They used a clear gloss and sealed the edge. My cheapo brain thought, I don't want to buy clear gloss. So I do it another way.  I painted the green, taped, ran my tongue depressor, then I painted GREEN over top of it to seal the edge, instead of buying a whole thing of clear gloss. Then I let it dry and painted white over top of that.

Lots of steps but so worth it! Especially when we are talking your main rooms.
In my living room, kitchen and dining room I did my version of crown moulding. I love the Craftsmen Style. I love thick moulding and those details. Well I didn't have moulding but I did have paint so this is what I came up with. People always comment on it (makes me feel so giddy).

Hope this inspires you! I have a long list of things I am excited to share. Thanks for the comments and the love, it really was so unexpected and nice! I appreciate it so much!

Painting Survival Skills

I have painted Lots, and these are survival skills I have picked up along the way.
First don't panic, Paint comes out. I have scrubbed it off my counter tops, linoleum, I have scrubbed it out of my carpet. Keep a wet rag around and you will be good. Okay, now for the tips...

#1 THE BRUSH AND ROLLER WRAP. Sometimes you need to wait a bit to let a coat dry, or run your kids somewhere, or you just need a break from painting because your head is going to explode if you don't. Wrap your paint brush in a baggie put a rubber band around it and come back to it. This trick is especially useful when you are painting walls or something, and using rollers. I roll up my roller in a grocery bag and come back to it. It is so nice not having to wash it every time and you will save paint and  your sanity. I have wrapped my roller up over night and come back to it the next day ready to go!  Your brush, I would not recommend leaving over night because you don't want to ruin your brush but for small breaks go ahead!

 #2 THE PAINT PAN. There are two ways to do this. If you have a nicer pan you can let your latex paint dry and peel it right off. Yup, I know right, seriously! which is how this lovely specimen started.... Myself though not wanting to spend the money on a nice pan bought a super duper cheap sucker that is supposed to be disposable. Well it started out that I would peel it off, then it stopped pealing so I would let it dry and not only does it not affect the new paint but it has made my paint pan so thick and sturdy.. Okay, now you just think I am crazy. Hey I told you I was cheap, I like spending my money on pretty stuff.. Anyway, however you want to do it. Either way it is nice to not be splattering paint all over your sink and cleaning your pan every second.

Tomorrow I will tell you how to do perfect stripes.. Who doesn't love stripes??

Instructions for Kitchen Cabinents and Furnature

Ok, Cara this one is for you. I replied to your questions, and I am sure it made no sense.. This should make more sense and redeem myself!!

(Above) This picture is the first day we moved it. I took a picture right before the project, but I thought this one would be  more dramatic.

I learned lots with this project. First Don't buy the Rustoleum transformations box.  It is not that great of quality, you will be running out to get another box because you ran out, and you will be doing more coats, work, and money than necessary. I bought into it. It looked fine but I matched the paint with some quality Behr paint and one coat over top was a world of difference.
Let me help you cut down the steps, save money and have better results!!

You need only a few things to start. First you might not find the deglosser in the white bottle because  that came with the box. You will need another deglosser. I saw lots of choices at Walmart even.. The deglosser is a great option, if you do not want to sand.

  I would go with the sander deglosser if it were me... Why did I not know all this before????? Ok Then go to your home improvement store and buy Semigloss paint of your choosing. I like Behr, that is just my preference. Go for the more expensive though. The cheap stuff you will be doing more coats..
That is all you need!!! Well ok get your gloves tape and paintbrush and things... It is a 2 step process. It will be more durable, and easier to clean! you just spent 35 to 40 dollars compared to the 70 and lets be honest probably double that to buy another box. Also you will always have your paint to match perfectly.
I am now going to do my bathroom cabinets the same. I will let you know how it goes!
Good luck! I hope that helps!!
I would love to know how your projects go!

Oh wait, haha, the knobs are stinking cute glass knobs from Hobby Lobby, 50% off, $2 dollars each. They have tons of cute knobs.(Thanks Lindsay! http://doityourselfduo.blogspot.com/) I just drilled the wholes myself (I know, go me), and they would not hold tight so I got a nifty little tube of locktite, thread locker at Home Depot.. It did the trick.

Old to New! Without paint this time.

I was going to focus on my painting projects, but I am waiting for my new camera so I am going to jump around with what pictures I already have. Much more my style anyway..

The top picture is the day we moved in. That is what it looked like before and the bottom one is the same one.. I went to hobby lobby and bought lamp shades cut the inside of it put them on, then hungggg.. wait for it...... Christmas ornaments! I know, I am very proud of myself. haha.The glass jewels are some Christmas ornaments that I got at target a few years ago. Well I only had four and I needed 5 for my light so I went to hobby and found some in the wedding department.... Anyway, I thought it was a big improvement. I never would have bought something like this going to the store but I love what I once loathed.  And no one else has it.
So my motto for today is... You don't have to live with something you hate just because you don't have the money. Think about what you already have and use your creativity!
(I should have dusted these before I took a pic.. oh well) I will get better at this!

Rules of Interior Design

Ok so I can't sleep till I get a few things off my chest.  I just wanted to share some common design mistakes that people make and some tips to make your home even better.. It is late, I will add pictures later to demonstrate the  points..
First I want to start by saying Interior Design or decorating is an Art, and like Art rules can be and should be at times broken, that being said .....

Rule #1- Pictures should NOT be hung to high. what is to high you ask ? Well you need to think of your home and your pictures as an art exhibit. When you go to an art museum how high are  they hung? Are you straining your neck to see?No!! So you should hang your pictures at eye level, which means that the middle of the picture should be comfortably seen without moving your head.. This can really go against your instincts especially if you have been making this mistake. So if you are asking yourself "is this picture to high?" Then it is.  This rule is actually the first thing I notice when I walk into a home and tells you if they are design savvy or not. (But don't worry, no judgment here, I promise!!  I am sure you are a good person.)

Rule #2 Hang your curtains high, but to the floor. First of all I love curtains. They really warm up a space and if you do them right they can make your room look larger. Hang them as high as you can. Yes you can hang them above your window!! Even if your window is well below the ceiling hang your curtains as close to the ceiling as you can. Now when I say curtains I am talking Panels( The long ones that generally hang on either side). I will get a picture to demonstrate this.. Anyway this being said we do NOT want flooding. Just like pants, flooding with curtains is bad! We want our curtains to touch the floor ALWAYS. So you are asking "Well what if my curtains don't reach the ceiling and touch the floor?" Well if you have too then break my ceiling rule. It must touch the floor at least, so if that means that it can't go to the ceiling then so be it......I hate to be harsh, but tacky!  So to be clear if in your living room you have a small square window, you can put your rod out as far to the sides  as you want (up to a foot even), definitely hit the floor (even and especially if it is feet below the window) and go as high as you can to the ceiling.
This requires custom curtains. I am cheap remember, and I got your back, soo what I have done is, buy the cheap curtains  and add a extra fabric at the bottom, top or cut it and make a stripe in the middle. Or make your own from scratch, which is easy. If I can do it, you can!  I will make a whole blog about my curtains another time and this is getting long... But I will give you cheap ways to do this!

Rule #3 Rug placement. This is one I distinctly and very clearly remember learning in my space planning class at Utah State. Rug placement. All rugs should be under furniture. Which means that rugs really shouldn't just be stuck in the big blank area, it should be partly, if not mostly under furniture. So if it isn't, you probably need a bigger rug, or move the one you have. If you look through design magazines you will find that this is true. So move your rug under your table, coffee table, couches and your bed, and you are set baby!

Rule#4 I mentioned in my first post about being fearless. well you probably will have some fear, because painting on a blank canvas is scary. Over come the fear though, and you will have such great satisfaction!!

Okay well these were the ones I kept thinking about. If I think of more I will share. I should be able to sleep now knowing that the world (well my 1 follower) and a few more, know the secrets to a design savvy space... Good night!

Paint, what can I say?

 These chairs I painted when I first moved in. These were the chairs that I grew up using. there were 7 kids trashing these chairs at one point in the 90's.. Impressive how sturdy these chairs are. I just painted them a chocolate brown. I almost did a Spackle job  to the design on front  because it is so gaudy, but they turned out so pretty painted.. Paint, what can I say really? Amazing..

Before and After

 

     Ok so my Motto is the uglier and gaudy  something is, the more beautiful it will be when it is painted!! It is a fun surprise to see the finished project. From totally ugly to so stinkin cute... So an older lady owned my house and left some interesting furniture in the basement with the house, including these mirrors. I have owned my house for two years and and done nothing because they were just so ugly..

I am Cheap, by nature and by necessity.  Lets be honest. I Love beautiful things, expensive things. I can't make myself buy them. So I will try to emulate them, or make something even cooler for next to nothing.

I am not a writer soo that might (will) really stink on this blog.  I got my degree in Interior Design, and minored in Art, at Utah state.You don't need a degree to have a beautiful home for cheap (or expensive whatev). You just need to pull out those creative juices, get inspired, and be fearless. My motto, based upon something my mom told me once about art: There is no mistake you can't fix. Ok she said about art that there are no mistakes. I have made mistakes in home projects but I learned, and fixed them...

Ok so before I start I have to tell Jacie (stinking cute talented, smart and funny) Thanks for making me a blog.  Yes she made it haha. I should be embarrassed.... Thanks sugar!