sreed's Profile

Pot pie has made a good suggestion regarding leather chairs. My experience is that there are so many wonderful fabric choices, including indoor/outdoor that can easily be wiped/cleaned. Give some consideration to comfort and how much time you'll actually be sitting in the chairs. You can have beautiful wooden chairs, but unless they're comfortable, you won't want to linger at the table.

Here's my favourite:

1 c. hard wheat berries
½ c. dried cranberries
1 large apple, peeled and finely diced
1 stalk celery, finely diced
½ c. finely minced parsley
1/3 c. toasted pecan pieces
1 green onion, thinly sliced

Vinaigrette:
Zest of ½ orange
Juice of 1 whole orange
Juice of ½ lemon
2 tbsp. white wine vinegar
3 tbsp. olive oil
2 tbsp. honey
Salt & pepper to taste
Freshly grated nutmeg

Place wheat berries in a large saucepan and cover with several inches of water. Bring to a boil and simmer, uncovered, for 45 to 60 minutes until tender. Drain and cool completely. Toast the pecan pieces until fragrant, 3 to 5 minutes. Cool.

In a large bowl combine the wheat berries, cranberries, apple, celery, parsley, pecans and green onion.

In a screw-top jar combine vinaigrette ingredients. Coat salad with vinaigrette and season to taste.

Did this years ago, for our daughters' eeBoo growth charts, which are still hanging with ribbons on pink glass knobs. It really is easy!

I say keep it simple when it comes to favours. This year I'm planning a mermaid swim party for my daughter (turning 5) so all the mermaid princesses will go home with a tiara & a small treat - either shaped sugar cookies or cello packaged "sea foam" AKA homemade sponge toffee. Already my children have been the recipients of too many cheap toys from the dollar store that end up getting lost under the sofa or tossed. Another idea I would like to share: last year I bought blank primed art canvases for the children - they painted as a party activity and then took their artwork home. The parents love this idea!

The curtain fabric is beautiful, but I *really* wish the side panels went to the floor! They would have looked so much better at the proper length. Can Apartment Therapy do a tutorial on how high to hang a curtain rod, general decorating and design rules, etc. & encouraging everyone to hang their artwork lower & at eye level?

Jamie Oliver's Fifteen Christmas salad. It consists of rocket, clementines, a simple vinaigrette, buffalo mozzarella, proscuitto, lemon, parmesan and mint. It is delicious & sure to impress. I have also substituted the citrus with fresh figs or pears. Which brings me to another favourite - poached pears, gingerbread (Williams Sonoma has a good recipe) and the best quality vanilla ice cream. Fantastic (and easy) dessert for entertaining.

I agree...I bake granola (weekly, since it is delicious with yogurt) with just the nuts alone and then add the dried fruit prior to serving. In our house the kids are partial to dried cherries and apricots. Pure comfort.

This is my favourite recipe:
http://www.artoflivingwell.ca/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=166&Itemid=6

I turn the oven off, open the door slightly and allow it to bake until it is the crunchy consistency desired. The smell of the ginger gets everyone excited. Enjoy.

I love soups. They're easy and delicious and in heavy rotation in our kitchen right now. I made a pot of soup (cauliflower) to accompany paninis for dinner tomorrow. Be sure to give this potato & leek soup recipe a try - the flavour comes from baking the potatoes ahead of time and then pureeing the skins as well. Delicious!

http://www.finecooking.com/recipes/baked_potato_soup.aspx?ac=ts&ra=fp

Really?! The discussion is about whether or not family photos are a nice touch (which of course they are) not about critiquing how someone else has hung their art! Let's be kind here. Isn't art a very personal thing in nature anyway, including where and how it is hung? I think so. Most homes are private spaces so unless the areas are on public view or being sold, indulge in beautiful images & creating a personal space that holds special appeal and makes you happy. Anyone can re-create a retail showroom devoid of personality.

I think most people have "placeholder" furniture. Most designers agree that the best way to pull a house together is to focus on one room at a time & completely finish it before moving to another. It's true, but doesn't always happen due to life. I think those bedside tables are fine if they're temporary and perhaps they might look better with a bit of paint? Everything else seems pulled together & really, it is through time, effort and travel and acquiring accessories and art, that we really turn our places into a home that sings with personality and reflects the owner. Anyone can outfit a home in a weekend with a trip to Pottery Barn. BTW, lovely lamps. They're a classic from Restoration Hardware.