Tag Archives: bed

Breakfast in Bed: Jello?

Post by Alison Hein.

My sister wanted a 1960’s theme for her birthday bash – music, decorations, clothing and yes, food. As we collaborated on the menu, Janet loaned me a couple of old cookbooks for inspiration.

I paged through many recipes when the idea struck. A Jello mold! Sadly, ingredients such as raw egg, cream cheese, canned fruit and other oddities didn’t feel right. So I followed one of my favorite bits of cooking wisdom – when in doubt, add booze. I knew I was on track when I peeled the foil from the proseco bottle and spied the tiny smiley face printed on the cork.

Lots of fresh fruit added a colorful, decorative touch, and the frosted grapes shimmered and sparkled in a perfect party-like manner. Janet couldn’t find her old jello mold, so I used one of my grandma’s old cake pans. Any pan will do, but be patient and let the jello set to just the right consistency for the fruit to “float”. 2 ½ hours was right for the size of my mold.

Jammin’ and jiggly, our shimmery jello was an evening birthday party smash! And the next morning, who’s to say it wasn’t a real groovy breakfast in bed?

Jammin’ Jello Mold
2 cups water
1 6-ounce package of raspberry Jell-o
2 cups proseco, chilled (or use ginger ale as a non-alcoholic substitute)
1 lemon
2 cups (1 dry pint) blueberries
6 ounces raspberries
1 small head Boston lettuce
Frosted Grapes (see below)
2 cups mixed berries (or other fruit) for garnish

Preparation
Pour water into a heavy, medium-sized pot and bring to a boil. Remove from heat. Pour in contents of Jell-o package and stir for 2 minutes, until completely clear and smooth. Stir in proseco. Pour mixture into mold and refrigerate until partially set, about 2 to 2 ½ hours. Texture should be firm enough that fruit will remain “floating” when immersed in the jello. Slice lemon into very thin rounds. Press lemon slices down and arrange in a pleasing pattern to cover the bottom of the mold. Add the blueberries and raspberries, pressing down to “float” throughout the mold. Return the mold to the refrigerator, and chill for at least another 2 hours, or better, overnight.

When ready to serve, run a small, sharp knife blade around the rim of the jello to loosen. Then very briefly put the mold in warm water. Place a platter on top of the mold and carefully flip. Arrange lettuce leaves around mold, then garnish with Frosted Grapes and mixed berries. Serve immediately.

Makes 10 to 12 servings.

Frosted Grapes (adapted from Better Homes and Gardens All-Time Favorite Salad Recipes)
1 bunch green grapes
2 egg whites, lightly beaten
½ cup to 1 cup sugar

Preparation
Wash and trim grapes. Dip grapes into egg whites and shake off any excess amount. Dip and roll in sugar to cover fruit. Let dry on rack at least 2 hours before serving.

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Things We Like: Sleeping Porches

A couple weeks ago, I read an article about the most expensive home in America, which is currently listed at $190 million. The Copper Beech Farm is a 15,000 square foot, 12-bedroom estate that was originally built in 1897, and is situated on 50 acres of manicured grounds in Greenwich Connecticut. While the home itself is gorgeous, as can be expected of any property of that value, one of its features stuck out for me: a sleeping porch off the master suite. Intrigued, I did a bit of research on whether a sleeping porch is a real thing.

What is a sleeping porch?

Touted by some as the “ultimate luxury,” sleeping porches first gained popularity at the turn of the 20th century; however, they have been used extensively throughout the world since Roman times. Nothing more than a screened in porch, similar to a modern day sunroom, people used sleeping porches to enjoy the comfort of the cool night air during warm summer months when sleeping inside wasn’t ideal. In addition to being more comfortable than sleeping indoors, people also believed that the fresh air helped with respiratory illnesses and other ailments. This idea was particularly popular as Americans began moving away from industrialized cities to the countryside.

Modern Sleeping Porches

Even though most (but not all) homes today have central air conditioning, and some people harbor a a general distrust towards their neighbors, sleeping porches are making a comeback in recent years. Many people are looking for ways to reconnect with nature, or otherwise find it enjoyable to sleep outdoors in the crisp night air. And even if you have central air, a sleeping porch is an eco-friendly way to escape the summer night heat while keeping your electric bill down. Add a rustic porch bed with metal frame with a mosquito net and quilted bedding an you’ve got a charming bedroom retreat for your and your guests.

If you aren’t keen on the idea of foregoing all the modern modern comforts you’ve grown accustomed to by sleeping outside, a lot of homeowners are converting what was once a sleeping porch into a cozy and functional sunroom. You could even add a day bed, which is perfect for an afternoon siesta.

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Breakfast in Bed –Crêpes Mandarin

Post by Alison Hein.

I’ve got orange on my mind – the color, that is. Warm, vibrant, fiery orange. The color of sunsets and pumpkins and autumn leaves. The color of accents in my sister’s revamped living room.

We wanted to surprise Janet with a birthday gift, and got some help from our good friend Luis of Luis Acevedo Interior Designs (http://luisacevedointeriors.com/). Luis created a hip “shades of gray” theme, with jaunty splashes of orange to spice it up. So he sent me shopping. For pillows. Candles. Dishes. Anything I could find that was just the right shade of orange.

All that shopping turned my thoughts to food – a vivid, orange birthday breakfast dish. Sweet mandarin oranges turned into a sprightly sauce, spooned lavishly over delicate cream-filled crêpes.

Happy Birthday, Janet! Hope you’re loving your new orange-accented room and your vivid, orange breakfast in bed!

Mandarin Orange Sauce

1 12-ounce can Mandarin oranges in light sauce
1 cup sugar

Place Mandarin oranges and sugar in a small, heavy pot. Bring to a boil, stir, and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook at a bubbling simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 20 minutes until the oranges break apart and the sauce thickens. Keep warm until ready to serve.

Filling

6 ounces whipped cream cheese
3 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla

In a small bowl, mix together cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla. Set aside.

Crêpes

1 cup flour
¼ teaspoon salt
1 egg
1 cup milk
2 – 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
Powdered sugar for garnish
1 11-counce can mandarin oranges in light sauce, drained

Mint sprigs for garnish (optional)

Preparation

In large bowl, mix together flour and salt. Whisk egg into milk, then whisk milk mixture into flour mixture until batter is thick and smooth. Let batter rest a few minutes before cooking.

Heat about 1 teaspoon oil in a heavy 6-inch pan over medium heat. When hot, but not smoking, add ¼ cupful of batter to pan, swirling to cover bottom. Cook pancake 1 to 2 minutes until cooked through and lightly browned, flipping once. Keep warm while cooking remaining pancakes, monitoring heat and adding oil as necessary.

To assemble, place crêpes on serving plates. Spread each crêpe with 1 to 2 tablespoons of cream cheese filling. Roll up, top with Mandarin orange sauce. Garnish with a few mandarin slices and mint. Serve immediately.

Makes 6 to 7 crêpes.

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Movies in Bed: Good Eats!

Post by Mark Locker.

We recently accidentally subscribed to another streaming movie and TV site. Although it was unintentional, and planned to cancel it, I have discovered a wealth of TV shows that my other subscription doesn’t offer. I am now quite happy to have it, as it rounds out my fake cable quite nicely. One of the shows I now have access to is Good Eats by the Food Network darling Alton Brown. I have enjoyed the quirky cooking show since its early days. (Yes, I “knew him when”.)

My little one enjoys some of the same shows that I do. He likes America’s Test Kitchen only slightly less than I do, which makes me very proud. As Good Eats is a little sillier, weirder, and more childish than ATK, I harbored hopes that he might like it too. And he really does. I don’t know if he’s being manipulative because he knows I’ll say yes, but he actually requests watching it instead of cartoons sometimes!

If you haven’t watched it, Alton Brown likes to add weird dramatic flairs to this unconventional cooking show. People dressed as fish. Fun oven cams. Surprise visits from such culinary heroes as the inventor of the graham cracker. It’s silly and it’s fun. Unless you don’t care for silly. We have several seasons of Good Eats to get through, but I doubt we’ll have too much trouble unless my son continues to force us to watch the Halloween one over and over and over.

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Things We Like: French Country Bedroom Design

Post by Kyle St. Romain.

French country is an increasingly popular design theme. It is warm, inviting, comfortable and romantic, all of which makes it especially well suited for the bedroom. If you’re looking to recreate the feeling of being somewhere in the south of France, perhaps on a wine tasting tour, keep reading to learn some of the basics for how to make your bedroom feel a little more French country.

Color Palette

The first place to start is with the color palette, and French county is all about the whites (there are a lot to chose from). Your perfect shade of white will serve as the backdrop for the rest of the room, but you should also incorporate some pale pastels for a splash of color. Lavender, gold, terracotta, deep reds, and baby blues all work wonderfully in a French country space.

Window Treatments

French country décor is light, open, and airy. After all, you’re imagining looking out over a beautiful rolling landscape, and your windows need to help convey that feeling. To help create the look, hang your window treatments from the ceiling to help draw the eye upwards, make your windows appear longer than there are, and to make your space feel bigger. Don’t be afraid to go with window treatments that are longer than your ceilings are high; letting them pool on the floor can add a romantic vibe to your space.

As far as fabric choices, you can go with anything from sheers or lace curtains, to heavier fabrics like linen to add a more weight to your space.

Lighting

Nothing says French country like a crystal chandelier. A carefully selected chandelier serves as the focal point of the room, while adding a bit of sophistication to the space. In addition to a chandelier, low wattage wall sconces and table lamps also help add supplemental lighting to your space. For an added bonus, you can put your lights on dimmer switches for more control.

Furniture

There are a lot of different ways you can go when furnishing a French country bedroom. Eclectic would be one way to describe it. Slip cover sofas, with a cozy throw blanket that matches the color of your window treatments is a great way to tie together a room. For other furnishings, think shabby chic. You can find some great old pieces of solid wood furniture at garage sales and flea markets that you can add a splash of color to.

Bedding

No French country bedroom would be complete without the bed. Heavy, painted wood bed frames usually work best in French country, though there are a number of styles that are good too. Dress your bed in luxurious sheets, and accessorize it with plush throw pillows to complete the look.

When designing your own French country bedroom, remember that design is more about the overall feeling and effect than the individual aspects. Good design is the sum of the parts.

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