Sunday, March 28, 2010

the farmhouse sink that just wouldn't fit

alas, i bought a farmhouse sink. a realllly nice one. and then we got the down low from a contractor.  basically it would make the storage space below non-existent and wouldn't shorten the cabinet doors below to near midge-sized, so we have decided to pass. when we decide to custom build a home in the future, we'll incorporate one into that kitchen, but I'm not willing to just let this take up precious garage space until then.

(file photo from Kohler)


so here's my craigslist posting for it--and yes, to the out-of-towners, we'll ship!  it was a non-returnable purchase so we can't take it back and get a refund. so here's your chance to own a lovely, white, still-in-the-box Kohler fireclay farmhouse sink.

it's lovely, it really is.

http://greenville.craigslist.org/hsh/1665516184.html

Sunday, March 21, 2010

martha moments: bikini-friendly, diet coke cupcakes

cupcakes are among my 5 top favorite foods. ask my husband. he'll ask what i want for dinner some nights and my reply?  cupcakes. when we go to nyc, one of the tippy top things on my list is to go here.  sugary bliss.

i love cupcakes for many reasons...first off, because they're small.  and i like small, cute things. secondly, because you can make so many different kinds and can decorate them so many ways. third, they're beyond comforting and bring back memories of birthdays and skating rink parties.  and lastly, because they taste like heaven in a crimped paper wrapper.

in an effort to be healthier, i made cupcakes today using a new method that cuts out the eggs and the oil.  they are really easy to make (2 ingredients!) and invoke much, much less guilt.  :-)

you'll need:


first, pick a box of cake mix. any cake mix. for today, i used yellow.
second, add 1 can of diet soda, whatever flavor you want.  i used diet ginger ale today.
a general rule of thumb is to mix dark sodas with dark cake mixes and light sodas with light cake mixes.


to make:

combine the mix and soda.
(i feel so weird saying "soda," as we 
southerners call anything carbonated "coke...") 

it will look all weird and foamy, but it'll settle down.

pour into cupcake paper lined muffin tin and bake according to the directions on the back
of the cake mix box.
yum!

other variations i'm going to try:
yellow cake>>>diet orange crush
chocolate cake>>>diet cherry coke or diet cherry vanilla dr. pepper
yellow cake>>>diet cream soda
devil's food cake>>>diet cherry coke
strawberry cake mix...diet cream soda

now of course, the icing is another story.  i just topped mine with a little whipped cream on top and it looks perfect!  now time to cuddle up on the couch and watch new moon again!

i hope all of you have had a great weekend!  i got some good finds at the thrift stores yesterday that i'll have to share with you later this week. :-)

Tuesday, March 9, 2010

the {not so} little cabin in the woods

a couple of weekends ago, we spent a long weekend up in the mountains of sevierville, tennessee with some good friends of ours. it was nice to sleep late, not answer cell phones, temporarily ditch our diets and just escape for a little while.

the cabin was so beautiful.  it was out in the middle of nowhere and overlooking ranges upon ranges of snow-covered mountains.

it had 3 master bedrooms, so none of us had to draw straws, which is always nice!

and it had this.



that's right, a two-story stacked riverstone fireplace with a back-lit antique stained glass window.  is it not gorgeous?

and it had a big ole steamy hot tub outside, which we got to enjoy while it was snowing...

and even though it had a roof over it, with the snow whirling about, we had to walk back (uphill, backwards, barefooted!) in the snow to get back in the cabin. 

oh, i almost forgot!  it also had this.





oh yeah, it's a very special husband up bright and early at, ahem,1 p.m. in his cowboy button up shirt, flannel jammy pants and his boots.  one leg in, one leg out, just sitting and solving all of the problems of the world. isn't he just darlin?

and i'll leave you with one last photo that i managed to snap with my phone on the way home.

tell us what you really think, department of transportation! 

too funny.

Monday, March 8, 2010

martha moments: chocolate eclair pie

last week, it was another birthday for the hubs!  he and i have both been working so hard lately that we decided to go way low-key and have dinner with his family at the local pizza joint.  he's not a huge dessert person, but he always orders eclairs if they are ever a choice.

so, instead of the normal birthday cake, i made him a chocolate eclair pie. it's so, so good!  i just stuck candles in the top and voila! instant birthday and one happy birthday boy!

happy birthday to my sweet hubby, who just gets better and better with age.  not that he reads this blog or anything, but if he should happen to stalk in one day, i love you, babe!

chocolate eclair pie


You'll need:
1 box of graham crackers
3 cups cold milk
2 packs/boxes of instant vanilla pudding mix
8 oz. container of whipped cream, thawed
1 can/container of chocolate frosting

to make:

In a 13x9 casserole dish, take 1 of the 3 packs of graham crackers that come in the box and layer them in a single, flat layer.

Mix milk, pudding and whipped cream well. 

Put half of pudding mixture on top of the graham crackers. 

Top with the 2nd pack of graham crackers.

Top with remaining pudding mixture, then finish with the last pack of grahams.

Spread the chocolate frosting over the top.

Cover and chill for at least 4 hours.

Monday, March 1, 2010

caught in a trap

photo courtesy of  Lowe's Creative Ideas

have you seen this awesome DIY project in the new Lowe's Creative Ideas?

it's lil' ole' mouse traps! made into memo holders! how genius! i love it so much that not only am i going to end every freakin' sentence in this post with exclamation marks, but i'm also going to make some this weekend!

seriously, these could be used to hold grocery lists, coupons, business cards, paint chips, the list goes on and on. 

mama, you are going to love making these for all your little school children, aren't you?  i can already see your wheels turning.


click here see the how-to.

!!!!!!