Tag Archives: bedroom
Breakfast in Bed: Bread Pudding
Post by Alison Hein.
Due to a last minute change in dinner plans (don’t ask), I found myself the following morning with a beautiful, untouched loaf of Calandra’s Italian semolina bread. Lovely…golden…stale. ☹ Too perfect for homemade breadcrumbs, I decided to make bread pudding.
Sometimes called Poor Man’s Pudding, bread pudding is really a custard. And, since it is still summer (and they were buy one – get one free), I had a pint of blueberries on hand. Eggs + bread + fruit = breakfast, right?
I like to leave little icebergs of bread above the custard to bake to a crispy brown, making a tantalizing contrast with the warm, gooey bread pudding center. Top this with some fresh fruit syrup for a sweet and tangy, perfectly balanced dish. If you don’t want to fuss with the blueberry syrup, simple maple syrup is always a winner. Or, if you want to fuss a little more, try crème anglaise for a rich and decadent cream on cream delight.
It takes a little time for the bread pudding to bake and set, but actual prep time is only about 10 minutes. My suggestion? Do the prep work and get the bread pudding in the oven. Then go relax, and get someone else to dish up and serve you a tantalizing, poor man’s breakfast in bed.
Bread Pudding
Ingredients
1 loaf stale French or Italian bread
5 eggs
½ cup sugar
4 cups milk
¼ cup butter, melted and slightly cooled
2 teaspoons vanilla
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon salt
Preparation
Cut or tear bread into bite-sized cubes (should be around 6 to 8 cups). Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish, spread bread cubes evenly in dish and set aside.
In large bowl, add eggs and whisk until slightly thickened. Whisk in sugar and milk. Add butter, vanilla, cinnamon and salt and mix well. Pour egg mixture over bread cubes and let sit for 20 to 30 minutes to allow bread to absorb liquid. Preheat oven to 350°.
Bake bread pudding for 40 to 45 minutes, until it is puffed up and the top is golden brown. Serve hot with blueberry sauce, maple syrup, or crème anglaise. Add a dollop of whipped cream, if you like
Makes 8 servings.
Blueberry Sauce
2 cups (1 dry pint) blueberries
½ cup water
½ cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
Add blueberries, water, sugar and vanilla to small, heavy pot. Place on stove over high heat and bring to boil, stirring frequently. Reduce heat, and simmer for 10 to 20 minutes, until blueberries are soft and popped open, and syrup is thickened. Set aside and allow to cool. Syrup will continue to thicken while cooling, so adjust cooking time to your preference.
Makes about 1 ½ cups of syrup.
Bedroom Design: The Olympic Bedroom
Post by Laura Cheng.
I find it fascinating how sports can harmoniously unite disparate countries. That’s what my senior year thesis should have been about. Not the death of a beautiful American icon, Marilyn Monroe, but the Olympics – the optimistic antidote to the current politics in the world; the supernatural athletes delivering the cure.
Source: http://photos.denverpost.com/2012/07/25/photos-london-2012-summer-games-olympic-village/#name here
Considering the amazing feats the athletes accomplish, it’s hard to remember that they are still a human form. They are kinda like me – they spend a good deal of their time sleeping. During the Olympics, this all happens in the Olympic Village. The concept of an Olympic Village was created during the 1924 summer Olympics to allow the athletes to easily access the Games’ venues. A week before the Games, athletes, trainers and officials move into their homes. US water polo captain, Tony Azevedo, compared the event to be similar to the “first day of college”. With a little bit of nonchalant wall décor, their bedrooms no doubt resemble a college dormitory. English diver Tom Daley shared a pic of his Olympic Village bedroom on Facebook. “My room in the Olympic village all decorated :)”.
Source: http://tinyurl.com/c3sdgy8
If you can’t tell from Tom Daley’s bedroom, the beds in this year’s London Olympic Village are just 68 inches (5 feet 8 inches). That’s smaller than an American twin mattress! It’s just about the size of bed my 6 year old nephew sleeps on, complete with a Kmart-esque comforter. I was not surprised to learn that many of the larger sized competitors stay in hotels outside the Village.
Source: http://arnelpineda.ning.com/forum/topics/games-of-the-xxx-olympiad-london-england-united-kingdom?id=4880034%3ATopic%3A116275&page=12
As reported by Dan Devine on Yahoo!’s latest sports coverage:
“American hurdler Lolo Jones was hanging out with some members of the U.S. men’s national basketball team on Thursday, before the upcoming Opening Ceremony officially kicks matters off at the ‘12 Summer Games. The largest man on the team — starting center Tyson Chandler — momentarily took a load off and stretched out on one of those same Olympic Village beds. The image seemed so comical that Jones just felt she had to share it with the world, alongside the caption: ‘Ok, so run this by me again @tysonchandler, why won’t the men’s basketball team sleep in the olympic village?’”
Things we like: Underwater Decor
Post by Kyle St. Romain.
A couple weeks ago, I wrote a post about Things We Like: Sleeping With The Fishes. If you haven’t read it yet, it’s definitely worth your time. I must warn you though: reading the article will give you vacation envy. The upside is that it may be the motivation you need to get your vacation saving back on track. I know we opened up a vacation savings fund shortly after, and I can’t wait to fill it up and spend it! Until then, I may have to settle for some underwater inspired bedroom décor.
First of all, an underwater bedroom meets all of my bedroom requirements: it’s dark, cold, and relatively quiet. I’m sold. It also keeps electronics out of the bedroom, and offers an amazing view. What could be better? Unfortunately, building an underwater bedroom is about as out of reach for most of us as staying a week in an underwater hotel is. So the challenge becomes: How can you recreate an underwater experience at home?
For underwater inspiration, I’ve compiled a couple tips below:
- For a more formal underwater effect, paint the walls a dark blue. Accent with white furniture to bring some light back into the room and look for silver and sea life inspired accent pieces.
- For a shallow, tropical feel paint the walls with a faux cloud finish to give the effect of sunlight reflecting off the water.
- For a fun underwater effect, hire an artist to paint an underwater mural on your walls. You can include sea life and other elements into the mural to give your room an authentic underwater feel.
- Don’t neglect the importance of good lighting. Look for fixtures that project the light upwards to give the effect of shallower water overhead.
- Incorporate underwater inspired art and decorations throughout your bedroom. Sculptures and paintings of crabs, starfish, and other sea creatures will help complete the look.
- Play an audio track of underwater sounds before going to sleep. Dolphin and whale sounds can be as relaxing as waves crashing onto the shore; choose what you like the best.
Remember, the underwater bedroom doesn’t have to be for you; share the dream. If you prefer a more formal bedroom for yourself, an underwater themed bedroom may be perfect for your guestroom or children’s room. You may find yourself sneaking away for an underwater nap more often than you think.
Bedroom Deign: Spots and Dots
Post by Laura Cheng.
When it comes to my wardrobe, I stay away from polka dots just as I stay away from horizontal stripes. Those patterns are just unattractive on me. But when it comes to the bedroom, I can’t get enough of these prints. Whether it is a headboard, bedspread or on the walls, polka dot can be a fun and chic addition to a space.
It appears spots and dots are also on Diane von Furstenberg’s mind. She has brought back an archived collection of DVF prints that her iconic wrap dress was once created with and transitioned it to duvet covers and sheets available through Bloomingdales. Instead of a closet of designer clothes, it’s a closet dedicated to luxury bed clothes. How many homes can claim to have such a room?! The colorful carousel of sheets is enough to bring about domestic bliss. All the prints would make me so happy, but in particular, the orange polka dot print featured in the ad fills me with euphoria. The dots are spaced equally and randomly to stylishly brighten any bedroom.
Source: http://schizostyle.blogspot.com/2012/04/dvf-x-life.html
Dots are a great way to add a little drama to the bedroom. And nothing exemplifies drama like Gossip Girl. Varying sizes and forms of dots accent the walls of Serena van der Woodsen’s bedroom on the Gossip Girl set. When it came to decorating Serena’s bedroom, Loren Weeks wanted the space to reflect the teen’s personality. “Her room shows a confident, eclectic mix of funky new and classic vintage items,” says Weeks, who decorated with bold patterns and metallic accents. “I wanted it to express her character: effortlessly beautiful and self-assured.” Golden polka dots prove they are well suited for the task as they add interest to a large blank wall.
Source: http://www.instyle.com/instyle/package/general/promo/0,,20227293,00.html
I love ikat as a design print even more than I love polka dots. Marry the two and a classic upholstered bed is transformed. This is Dwell Studio’s Camden bed in Ikat Dotscape. Is it a pattern of starry ikats or are they repeating circles? Therein lays its beauty. It’s both!
Source: http://www.dwellstudio.com/camden-bed.html
Bedtime Stories: Birthday Boy’s Favorites
Post by Mark T. Locker.
Today is the big day my boy turns four so in honor of the self-proclaimed “boss of the day” I will review a couple of his (but not necessarily my) favorite bedtime stories.
Hee-Haw-Dini and the Great Zambini by Kim Kennedy.
So the story is fine and somewhat predictable: the donkey Hee-Haw and his mouse friend Chester love magic but the other farm animals don’t believe a simple donkey and mouse could possibly be magicians. Guess who gets shown up in the end? Yup, that cynical pig, the condescending rabbit and the grumpy goose. I simply do not like the name Hee-Haw and it hurts me to read that name aloud over and over. And I am required to read it over and over. And over.
Trouble With Trolls by Jan Brett.
I actually like this one. Jan Brett is a great illustrator. There is always a little side story going on in the margins of her illustrations. This one tells the story of a girl who encounters a bunch of pesky trolls who are trying to steal her dog. Capitalizing on their stupidity and greed, she convinces them to take all her belongings but saving her dog. The little picture story in the margin shows the underground world of the trolls and the daily routine of one sleepy hedgehog. It’s one cute little ‘hog.
