Tag Archives: Washington School Tour of Homes

CEDAR WRAPPED FISH WITH CUCUMBER AND MANGO SALSA

19 Sunday Jun 2016

Posted by in Fish, Recipes

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While cleaning out our garage for the Home Tour, we came across an old electrical smoker that had belonged to my husbands Father. Covered in dust and not used since it moved with my Husbands other belongings 15 years ago, we decided it was one of many possessions it was time to let go.

Lacking the sentimentality and being rather wary of plugging it in after such a long time of disuse, I decided to attain the same subtle smoky effect by using cedar papers to wrap lightly seasoned fish for an easy, delicious dinner.

CEDAR WRAPPED FISH WITH CUCUMBER AND MANGO SALSA

cedar wrapped fish

SALSA

1 cup mango, diced

3/4 cup English cucumber, diced

1/4 cup red onion, diced

3 tablespoons mint, chopped

3 tablespoons cilantro, chopped

2 tablespoons lime juice

FISH

4 fillets of firm white fish

cedar papers, soaked

In a medium bowl, combine mango, cucumber, red onion, mint, cilantro and lime juice, season with salt and set aside.

Season fish with salt and pepper and place one fillet in the center of each paper. Fold paper edges towards each other until they overlap, secure with cotton string.

Heat pan over medium-high heat, place packets seam side down on cooking surface and grill for 3 to 4 minutes on each side.

To serve, open packets and spoon salsa over fish.

Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Cedar Papers

 

DOUBLE BERRY ALMOND BREAKFAST COOKIES

07 Saturday May 2016

Posted by in Breakfast & Brunch, Recipes

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The day of the Washington School Tour of Homes dawned bright and beautiful, and while I finished up last minute tidying, arranging and preparations for our dog to spend the day with friends and their 3 dogs, my husband took the kids out of the house for breakfast. After a quick shower, and an even quicker bite of these Double Berry Almond Breakfast Cookies that I had baked a couple of days before, the kids and I left to tour the other homes while my husband stayed at the house to greet people and serve wine.

DOUBLE BERRY ALMOND BREAKFAST COOKIES

double berry breakfast cookies

1 cup whole-wheat flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup canola oil

1/2 cup maple syrup

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup roasted almonds, chopped

1 cup oats

1 1/2 cups blueberries

1 cup cranberries (I used frozen)

1/4 cup dried cranberries

1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

Heat oven to 350F.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. In a large bowl, beat together canola oil, maple syrup, egg and vanilla extract; add flour mixture and stir to combine. Add roasted almonds, oats, blueberries, cranberries, dried cranberries and lemon zest and fold until the fruit and nuts are evenly distributed.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, scoop batter into large balls and drop them onto prepared baking sheet. Bake until cookies are set and lightly browned on the bottom, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove cookies from oven and transfer to a cooling rack.

Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Shape, May 2016

www.shape.com/

 

PEACHES AND CREAM CROSTINI

04 Wednesday May 2016

Posted by in Appetizers, Recipes

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I invited a couple of friends over, both with dependable decorating knowledge, to walk through the house with me prior to the Washington School Tour of Homes, to dispense advice about any changes I may need to make in the days leading up to my home being on display. I prepared these Peaches and Cream Crostini for us to nibble on, and poured tall glasses of sparkling water as we made our way around the house and yard, discussing ideas.

PEACHES AND CREAM CROSTINI

peaches and cream crostini

In a bowl, mix 1 cup ricotta with 2 tablespoons fresh herbs. Stir in 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice and 1/2 tablespoon grated fresh ginger. Spread on toasted slices of baguette and top with sliced peaches and fresh basil and a drizzle of honey.

Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Delicious Living, June 2015

deliciousliving.com/

CHOCOLATE CHIP PRETZEL BLONDIES

27 Wednesday Apr 2016

Posted by in bars and cookies, Recipes

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I spent the entire day cleaning out the kids toy closet – a seemingly never ending and frequently recurring project!! After emptying out everything from the shelves and off the floor, I sorted, discarded, organized, gave away and wondered (not for the first time) how and why we had so much “stuff”.

With all my focus on tidying this small part of the house, I had little time to prepare dinner – but did bake these Chocolate Chip Pretzel Blondies to savor once we had finished with our meal comprised of leftovers.

the entire contents of the toy closet

toy closet after– the toy closet after a long day of organizing

CHOCOLATE CHIP PRETZEL BLONDIES

chocolate chip pretzel blondies

2 cups flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

12 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature

1 1/2 cups light brown sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup chocolate chips

1 cup coarsely crushed pretzels

2 ounces chocolate

1/4 cup smooth peanut butter

Heat oven to 350F. Line a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with parchment paper. In a bowl, mix flour, baking powder and salt. Using an electric mixer, beat butter and brown sugar until light. Beat in eggs, one at a time, then vanilla. Reduce speed to low and beat in flour mixture. Stir in chocolate chips and pretzels, spread mixture evenly in baking pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool on a rack.

Melt chocolate with peanut butter, stirring until smooth. Spread mixture evenly over blondies. Let cool before cutting.

Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from All You

www.allyou.com/

ROASTED BANANA COFFEE CAKE

26 Tuesday Apr 2016

Posted by in cakes and cupcakes, Recipes

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A friend came over to see the layout of our kitchen and to discuss a Kids Cooking Class the two of us were donating to an upcoming fundraiser. I was totally preoccupied with cleaning out my house for the Washington School home tour that was quickly approaching, and although I did manage to boil the kettle and prepare the French Press so I could pour a cup of coffee, I was rather embarrassed about the lack of refreshment available – not even as much as a sliver of this Roasted Banana Coffee Cake to offer my guest – which, although baked later that day during a cleaning lull, was too late to share with my sweet friend!!

ROASTED BANANA COFFEE CAKE

roasted banana coffee cake

1 stick butter plus 1 tablespoon softened, divided use

2 tablespoons sugar

3 bananas

3/4 cup chopped pecans

3 tablespoons dark brown sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 1/2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1 cup sugar

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1/4 cup sour cream

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Heat oven to 350F. Butter a 9-inch round cake pan with 1 tablespoon of butter, dust with sugar and tip out any excess.

Place the bananas on a rimmed baking sheet, roast for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside to cool.

In a small bowl, combine the pecans, brown sugar and cinnamon. Set aside.

Sift flour, baking soda, baking powder and nutmeg into a medium bowl.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together the butter and sugar on low speed until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula, then add the roasted bananas, sour cream and vanilla. Beat until incorporated.

With the mixer running on low speed, slowly add the flour mixture and mix until just combined.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a spatula. Sprinkle evenly with the pecan topping. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from tastebook

www.tastebook.com/blog/…/4328806-Roasted-Banana-Coffee-Cake/?…

 

GRAPEFRUIT POPPY SEED BREAD

20 Wednesday Apr 2016

Posted by in Breads, Recipes

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We decided to have the carpet removed from the upstairs bedroom as opposed to having it stretched to even out the large wrinkles that had developed over the years – about two weeks before our house was on the Washington School Tour of Homes. Unfortunately the hardwood floors underneath the carpet weren’t quite in the pristine condition we were expecting, and of course every Wood Refinishing Company was completely booked until well after the day of the fundraiser. I initially thought I might rent a floor sander and attempt it myself, but one look at a two minute video on YouTube, and I realized I had no interest or skill in do-it-yourself projects that require any kind of preparatory work. Painting the floor was another option I considered and I promptly called a friend who is clever with home proposals and wonderful at decorating (because I also decided I just HAD to have the dining room chair cushions that had been perfectly fine and acceptable for 10 years, recovered). The morning this dear and patient lady came over, I had baked Grapefruit Poppy Seed Bread and made a French Press of coffee to accompany our planning meeting. She found the PERFECT fabric for my dining room chairs and then gently talked me out of painting the upstairs floor – offering instead to come over and use a hand sander to take care of the worst of the scuffs and marks, making it a lovely, pleasant and presentable space in time for the tour.

upstairs bedroom

– please don’t pay attention to the wrinkled comforter or the 12 hundred footprints on the rug (this picture was taken after the Home Tour) but note the lovely, warm and welcoming wood floor (-: (and the cute little pom poms I picked up from Hobby Lobby – Auntie Marion wouldn’t even recognize her room from last Summer without the dingy carpet – wish she was going to be here this year instead – once all the footprints were vacuumed out of the carpet and the comforter appropriately smoothed and maybe a little side table to hold a glass of water following our nightly glass of Chardonnay!!!)

GRAPEFRUIT POPPY SEED BREAD

grapefruit poppy seed bread

1 cup butter, softened

1 2/3 cups sugar, divided

3 eggs

3/4 cup vanilla yogurt

3 tablespoons poppy seeds

2 tablespoons grated grapefruit peel

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup grapefruit juice

GLAZE

1 cup confectioners’ sugar

2 tablespoons grapefruit juice

Heat oven to 350F. In a large bowl, cream butter and 1 1/3 cups sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in yogurt, poppy seeds, grapefruit peel and vanilla.

In another bowl, whisk flour, baking soda and salt, gradually beat into creamed mixture.

Transfer to a greased 9-by-5-inch loaf pan. Bake for 55 to 65 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix grapefruit juice and remaining sugar.

Remove bread from the oven. Immediately poke holes in bread with a fork, slowly pour juice mixture over bread. Cool in pan 10 minutes, remove to wire rack to cool completely.

In a small bowl, mix the glaze ingredients, drizzle over bread.

Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Taste of Home, February/March 2016

www.tasteofhome.com/

ITALIAN SAUSAGE CHILI

14 Thursday Apr 2016

Posted by in Recipes, Soups and Stews

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Even though I knew my husband was right when he told me visitors wouldn’t be opening and looking behind closed doors while our home was on display for the Washington School Tour of Homes, I knew I would feel much better if they were tidy and cleaned out anyway – something I had been meaning to do for a while.

While uncluttering and organizing cupboards, closets and the old garage that was piled high with things my husband exclaimed over moving from his old house 15 years ago to that very spot, where they stayed until they were carried to the dumpster temporarily located in our front yard!!

We filled two dumpsters, a local Thrift Store came out twice with their enormous truck to collect the items we had set aside for donation, a friend loaded up 33 bags of clothes, shoes, belts and purses in her mini van to take and look through and I took two loads of old paint and chemicals to the hazardous waste site in our town, where they graciously helped me stack them carefully onto their cart and took them away for disposal.

dumpster

The day we had the first of our dumpsters delivered, I was meeting a friend to walk and catch up, and then another friend in the early afternoon for a yoga class, my daughter had a riding lesson after school and my husband and I were going to see a theatre show, so with little time to devote to dinner, preparations needed to be quick and easy.

ITALIAN SAUSAGE CHILI

italian sausage chili

1 tablespoon canola oil

1 green bell pepper, diced

1 onion, diced

4 cloves garlic, crushed

1/4 cup chili powder

1 pound Italian sweet pork sausage, casings removed

1 can (28-ounces) tomatoes

2 cups chicken stock

2 cans (14.5 ounces each) cannellini beans, rinsed

1/4 cup grated parmesan

In a large pot, heat the oil over medium. Add the bell pepper, onion and garlic, season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables start to soften, about 3 minutes. Stir in the chili powder, cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the sausage and cook, breaking up the meat, until browned, 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes and their juices, and the chicken stock and beans, bring to a simmer. Cover and cook over medium-low until the flavors meld, about 1 hour. Season with salt and pepper. Divide the chili among bowls, top with the Parmesan.

Enjoy!

 

Classic Whiskey Smash

10 Saturday May 2014

Posted by in Cocktails

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After touring the gorgeous home and garden of P Allen Smith, at Moss Mountain Farm, our neighbors new home, a friends re-model and anothers new home, then all the fabulous homes on the Washington School Tour of Homes – I tried to come back to my own place of residence and look at it with a discerning eye – to determine what to love and what to change. Drawing on a little of the Serenity Prayer, and the wisdom to know the difference.
My husband realizes, every time I go on a home tour, it’s going to cost him a lot more than the ticket price – but for today, it was enough to sit out on our back deck, enjoy the fresh spring foliage, and a cocktail.

CLASSIC WHISKEY SMASH

Muddle 7 fresh mint leaves, 1 lemon half, quartered lengthwise, and 1 tablespoon agave nectar in a 16 ounce mixing glass or cocktail shaker, 4 to 5 times, just to release juices and oils.
Add 1/4 cup bourbon. Transfer to an old fashioned glass. Fill half way with ice, stir. Garnish with mint.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Bon Appetit, August 2012
www.bonappetit.com/recipes