First visitors!

We had our first house guests visit last weekend -- my family.  Even with three extra adults and two kids we had plenty of room in the house.  Fun was had by all.

We...

lunched with lions

ate brownie sundaes bigger than our heads

(yes there was a brownie under there somewhere)

hunted for easter eggs

ate all the chocolate the EB left us when mom wasn't looking

And played with Pippa and Kinsey.

Pippa gave the kids a wide berth until she realized they were a constant source of food (they realized she would stay around when they fed her cheese so were happy to do so). Then she was all about them.  Her goal is to be a fat kitty.  My goal is to have my nieces associate my upstate NY city with so much fun (activities and chocolate) that they are begging to come back.  I think we both moved towards our goals this weekend.

Homemade Pantry: Tortillas

I saw this

 

on Pinterest* the other day and noticed it called for whey, which I have a lot of from this. I realized we had peppers, onion and ham in the fridge (the original plan was a southwestern omelet) but no tortillas so I decided to give it a try.

Will I lose my homemade credibility if I admit I used crisco?  The recipe calls for lard or hardened coconut oil but I didn't have either (maybe someday when we get a half pig for our yet to be bought extra freezer I'll have rendered lard on hand).  I could have used butter, but I generally fail at creating butter pastries.  We bought crisco for seasoning our cast iron pans and I (hanging my head sheepishly) sometimes use it in baked goods.  Only very rarely though, because I know it is bad for you (the term "partially hydrogenated" is in every ingredient listed).  

Anyway, the recipe is only four ingredients:  some kind of flour (I used bread b/c that is what we had), salt, some kind of solid fat, some kind of liquid (the recipe called for milk, whey or water).  I still have lots of whey from the Greek yogurt.

You mix the flour, salt, and fat together until it forms clumps and then slowly mix in the warm liquid to form a dough. Knead it a bit and let it rest 20 minutes.  Easy enough.

At some point I realized I had an audience.

The clothes in the basket were dirty so I let him stay there.  After the rest period I formed the dough into eight balls and roll them out to thin disks.

I used our new Lodge cast iron griddle (ode to Lodge cast iron will be posted in the future) and after the first couple realized:

1. I shouldn't have oiled the cast iron (the later ones were better, less greasy)
2. The tortillas needed to be really thin
3. The griddle needed to be really hot 

I realized the meal didn't even need the eggs - the ham peppers onions with cheese and salsa wrapped in the tortillas were plenty.

Someone else thought it looked/smelled irresistible too:

(I didn't share).

*Yes, I'm on Pinterest (pretty late to the party but I like it for organizing house decorating ideas).  You can find me as my internet alias Rowena Coughlin (NOT my real name).

House Tour 1.5

Some of the details I love:

(The ceilings are great).

(The leaded glass windows and doors).

`

(The "prayer room."  The original owner went to the Orient, back when it was called the Orient and brought back all the materials to make this room.  It is where Roxy spends her days when we're at work and we love to curl up and read.)

Up soon, the second floor!

House Tour Part 1

As we approach our two month anniversary of owning the house I figured it was time for a tour.  At this point we are unpacked and semi-decorated but we haven't tackled any big projects yet.  So these pictures will also serve as a "before" which we'll update you as we redecorate and/or remodel.

The downstairs is part 1.  The living room:

The dining room:

We are in agreement that the dark green/gold color scheme needs to go.  We are currently picking out paint colors.

The entry way (Foyer?)

Notice the Paws Staircase.  It is not quite complete, I will post about it when it is.

The library:

And the kitchen:

The kitchen is the only room I consider "done" (defined as I don't plan to make drastic changes to it in the short term).  The rest we'll add to (maybe only by updating the furniture and/or art) so expect to see "after" pictures. 

Cheap v. Thrifty: Homemade Cleaning Supplies

I have a theory that all the pre-made cleaning solutions out there are a scam.  I'm talking about the soft scrubs, the greenworks, the you-name-it multipurpose cleaner.  I used to use these all the time and then I decided awhile back to try baking soda and vinegar.  I find that baking soda, vinegar and some elbow grease clean 90% of what I need to clean, and cleans it well.  For the other 10%?  Good old fashioned (and also dirt cheap) bleach does the job.

(Notice the "NOT" Soft Scrub bottle.  I just reuse a bottle from back when I bought such things).

No need for a separate plastic bottle of cleaner for the kitchen, the bathroom, the windows (skip the baking soda and just use vinegar on windows and glass).  It makes life simpler and much less costly.

Here is a recently cleaned with baking soda and vinegar stove top:

If you look at that picture and say it is still dirty, then I assure you it is user error (or standards) because that is how it looks after I clean regardless of what I used.

A quick tip for microwave cleaning (I told my mom to do this when I was visiting her last time and she was surprised how well it worked).  Spray down the whole microwave with vinegar.  Wet down a paper towel or microfiber cloth.  Microwave on high for two minutes and wipe clean.  Easy!  Before and after shots:

(We use these microfiber cloths in lieu of dish sponges and just throw them in the washing machine regularly. Between washes I often microwave them on high for a couple of minutes to kill anything that might be growing.)

My exception to the non-commercial cleaning products is wood cleaner.  For some reason we have a boatload of pledge and other wood cleaning products so I use them.  I think they are from Kevin's first house (he sold that 5 years ago) since I haven't bought any in years.  Once those are used up (we have a lot more wood in our house now so it will be pretty soon) I'll look into making a wood-safe home cleaner.  In fact, a quick Google search led me to this recipe: a quarter cup of olive oil, four tablespoons of distilled white vinegar, and two teaspoons lemon juice in a spray bottle.  I have all of those ingredients already.  Once I use up the wood polish in a spray bottle, this is what will be replacing it.

Best Buds

Who says dogs and cats can't be friends?  Kinsey and Pippa love each other.

Trust me, it's love.