2015 Fall Home Tour

Hello friends.  Welcome to the blog today.  I've been working on this post for a few weeks now and was hopeful to be able to use photos I shot with my new camera, but I hit a little snag.  My laptop died I while back and I got a brand new Intel nextbook.  I am loving it, but it doesn't have a standard USB port.  I know, weird right??  Anyway, I'm having a hard time figuring out how to upload my photos onto the computer.  I ordered a USB adapter from Amazon which should be here tomorrow. I'm hoping to update some of the photos after that, but with tomorrow being October 1st (how did that happen?) I didn't want to wait another day before I posted. (So these pics are taken with my iPhone 6.)

So, welcome!  Come on in and make yourself at home!

We live in a quiet little neighborhood in Sacramento, California.  We love Sacramento, mainly because it is a very family friendly place to live.  We don't have extreme weather (except for the heat in the Summer) and it's close to everything.  In less than two hours you can be skiing in Tahoe,or at the beach, or ordering dim sum in China Town in San Francisco.

We have a 1400 square home, 4 beds 2.5 baths.  Not big by any standards, but very comfortable.  Since I work from home as a caterer and blogger, we are nearly a single income family.  Basically, like so many of you, we are on a tight budget.  That doesn't mean I've sacrificed when it comes to style, I've just had to be a little more thrifty and think a bit more outside the box.

Most of the pieces of furniture, with the exception of our sofa (read about that decision here) came from thrift stores and were re-painted by your's truly.

  

This is one of my favorite pieces of furniture.  I found it at a local thrift store for $35.  I gave it a couple coats of chalk paint (my recipe) and sealed it with clear and dark wax.  

Fall is my absolute favorite time of the year and I find that decorating with a few cheap pumpkins and $3.99 bouquet of sunflowers can really change the look and feel of the house.  I've collected a few pieces, owls, an occasional bowl or mug, some garland over the years and get excited to bring them out.

Anyway, I'm so glad you stopped by my home today and I hope you enjoyed your time here!

Chicken Lombardy

This is my absolutely favorite new recipe.  It takes a little bit of effort, but I promise it is worth it. It's cheesy and has just the right balance of wine and earthiness from the mushrooms... Divine.  You will not be disappointed in this recipe, I promise.

Ingredients:
3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
⅓ cup butter (divided)
½ cup flour
8 oz sliced mushrooms
¾ cup marsala wine
½ cup chicken stock
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
½ cup shredded mozzarella
½ cup monterey jack cheese
2 green onions, sliced

Directions:
Heat a large skillet (I love my cast iron for this recipe) over medium-high heat and add 1 tbs butter and 1 tbs of olive oil.  Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring frequently, until they begin to brown; remove them and set aside.

Slice chicken breasts in half lengthwise. Dredge each flattened piece in the flour. In the same pan you cooked the mushrooms in, add another tbs of the butter and add 2-4 chicken breast pieces (don't over crowd pan) and brown well on all sides. Repeat process until all chicken is browned. Add more butter and olive oil as needed.  Don’t drain the drippings as you will need them for the marsala sauce.

After all the chicken is browned, using the same pan with the collected drippings, add the wine, chicken stock, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 10 minutes. 

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees or low broil. Add the chicken back to the sauce and continue to simmer for another 10 minutes.  Top chicken with the mushrooms, onions and cheeses.

Place in oven for 2-3 minutes or until golden and bubbly.  Goes well with polenta or mashed potatoes. Serves 4. 

Penne with Peppers & Sausage

As a busy mom I am always looking for fast and easy weeknight meals.  This is one that the whole family loves and is very easy to put together, making it perfect for a weeknight dinner.

Ingredients:
1lb of penne pasta
3 bell peppers (red, yellow, green) sliced
1 small onion sliced
2 cloves of minced garlic
1 can of diced tomatoes
1 package of Jennie O Turkey Kielbasa chopped into bite sized pieces
2 sprigs of fresh thyme
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Prepare penne according to package instructions.  While pasta cooks saute onions, garlic and peppers in a non-stick skillet over medium heat.  When the peppers begin to caramelize add the can of tomatoes and the sausage.  Cook until heated through, then add to the cooked pasta.  Serves 6.

Chicken Parmesan Baked Pasta

This is one of those easy breezy staple recipes that you will love having in your cooking repertoire.  It is a snap to put together, delicious enough to serve guests, and even the kiddos don't complain about it.  I mean who doesn't love pasta, chicken and cheese?

Ingredients:
1 pkg of penne or similar shaped pasta
1 jar of marinara sauce
2 cups of leftover shredded chicken (I use the breasts from a rotisserie chicken and shred them)
1/2 cup of parmesan cheese
2 cups of mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup of panko bread crumbs
1tsp Italian seasoning
salt and pepper
basil or parsley for garnish

Directions:
Cook the pasta in salted water until al dente, about 2 minutes less than the package recommends. When pasta is cooked, drain, return to the pot and add the jar of marinara sauce and the shredded chicken and stir well.  Add salt and pepper to taste. (You probably won't need much salt because of the cheese.) Add half of the pasta to a greased baking dish.  Sprinkle with half of the mozzarella cheese over the pasta.  Add the rest of the pasta and top with the remaining mozzarella cheese.  Combine bread crumbs, parmesan and Italian seasonings in a small bowl.  Evenly sprinkle over the top of the casserole and bake at 350 degrees for 25-35 minutes or until golden brown.  Top with fresh herbs and serve.  Serves 6.

Sneak Peak at My Fall Home

I'm so excited that September is finally here!  I know that technically Fall doesn't begin for a few more weeks, but that's just a minor detail that I'm choosing to ignore right now.

I have been working like crazy on some new decor for my very favorite season, which means, I've been swapping pillows, rearranging, cleaning and (don't tell the hubby) shopping!!  Over the weekend I went to Homegoods and scored a few really cute decorations for the house.  I'm working on a full blog post with all the results, but I'm not quite done yet.  For now I thought I'd share a quick peek at my fall dining table. Don't mind the unopened packages of pumpkins, I wasn't sure where to put them yet and I didn't want them to feel left out!  I hope my space will inspire you to break out the oranges and golds and maybe even splurge on a Pumpkin Spice Latte!

Happy Fall All!