Happy day!

I was driving on one of the back roads in Lancaster County and came across a yard sale in front of an antique shop.  I found a few things I thought needed to come home with me.  For just $2.25 I picked up a large Gorham silverplate Revere style bowl, an pretty ironstone cream pitcher, a ironstone sugar bowl that is missing the lid and a sweet white china pin box from Germany.

Surely got me in the mood for yard sale season to start!!

Real ASCP!!

I was so pleasantly surprised to find out that something new has come to the hinterlands of Berks County, Pennsylvania!  In a little town just a few miles from my little down is a darling shop called "Five & Divine".

You can click on the graphic and it will take you right to their shop!

They sell consignment pieces - bags, jewelry, furniture, children's clothing, etc. - and now they carry the full line of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint, brushes, waxes and even books.  I am giddy with excitement!  While $35 is still pretty steep for a quart of paint, I was really digging my feet in against paying that $15 shipping charge.  Now I don't have to and picking up a quart is on my list of things to do this weekend.  I know that I want to use chalk paint on the hutch and dining room table but I didn't want to use something that I "made up" in the kitchen!  I have a couple of unmatched tables that I use as nightstands on either side of my bed.  Now to decide what color to paint them!!

My experiment in homemade "chalk" paint

On Saturday I had some time on my hands and popped into a small consignment store.  When I drove up, I saw a sweet little coat tree.  I have been looking for one and this one is a perfect size for my guest room.

It is cold in my basement so the best place to paint is in the kitchen.  Thank goodness for paint tarps!

Old, boring and needing some love

I think this may have been someone high school "shop" project from a long time ago!

Since I first read about chalk paint I have wanted to give it a whirl.  I would love to try ASCP but until my ship comes in (or at least enters the harbor!), I need a less expensive version.  I saw lots of recipes on the internet and decided to try using plaster of Paris, antique white latex paint and water.  One of the problems reported with the substitute chalk paint was that it tended to be either lumpy or very grainy.  I decided to bring out my immersion blender to mix the product as much as I could.  I put the plaster of Paris in the bottom of a recycled Classico spaghetti sauce jar followed by water and then the paint. I mixed it thoroughly and ended up with a very smooth "concoction".  (I put a lid on the jar and let it sit for about 15 minutes before I started using it.) One note about using the blender...wash it immediately!  I pulled mine out of the paint mixture and immersed it in sudsy water and cleaned it completely.  I also noticed that this paint does not come off your hands as easily as regular latex paint.  Because I was painting in my kitchen I ended up with some flecks of paint on the upper cabinets.  I had to chip it off.  I am sure that if I wanted to paint my kitchen cabinets, this stuff would work!  Between coats I put my brush in a container of water and then just dried it on paper towels before I used it again.  I also did not use "good" brushes.  I did not want to mess up my good Purdy brushes so I used some cheap, off the bottom shelf brushes.  The first coat had lots of brush marks so I used a foam brush for the second coat just to smooth it out a bit.  The first coat dried in about an hour so I quickly applied a second coat.  I allowed the second coat to dry for a couple of hours and then distressed it with a sanding block  I finished up with a coat of Minwax finishing wax.  I also decided not to paint or replace the hardware.  I like the patina on the the old brass.

Here it is in the guest room

So, here's my take on "homemade" chalk paint - I loved working with it!  I loved the coverage, the texture that it added to the piece, how fast it dried and how quickly I was able to finish my project.  Now that I know how easily this works, next week I am going to paint a 200 year old wash stand.

Mexican White Dip

I totally made up the name of this recipe since I have no idea what else to call it!  In the Tidewater area of Virginia, every Mexican restaurant serves their version of this dip along with salsa and a big bowl of chips as an appetizer.  When I moved to Seattle I discovered that restaurants there do not serve it and no one had any idea what I was talking about when I mentioned it.

I have been stewing about this for a while and the other day I looked for a recipe on the internet.  There were several but I found a YouTube video with a woman who had the recipe given to her by the owner of Plaza Azteca in Virginia Beach so I KNOW it's the recipe for the dip I love.  I made it and took it to the office.  A couple of people turned up their nose when they asked for the ingredients and I mentioned Miracle Whip.  I know - you either love it or hate it.  After everyone else was trying it, making yummy noises and asking for the recipe, the nay sayers tried it.  I have converts!!

Mexican White Dip

1 cup Miracle Whip (I bought the "light" version)
1/2 cup milk (any fat percentage will work)
1-1/2 teaspoons cumin 
1-1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes (this is pretty spicy so cut back a half to full teaspoon if you are "delicate"!)
1 teaspoon Mexican oregano (I just used what I had in the cabinet and it worked fine)
Dash of salt (I put Johnny's Seasoning Salt on EVERYTHING!!)

Put everything in a small mixing bowl in the order given.  Use a whisk to mix thoroughly.  You want to get all of the lumps out and incorporate the milk completely.  Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour - two would be better.  Serve with corn chips.  I picked up the cheapest corn tortilla chips I could find.  I think they taste most like the ones served in restaurants.

Enjoy!!

(By the way, I realize this post follows the one about losing weight.  I am continuing to lose - whoo hoo!! - and ate this dip in moderation...though I seriously considered giving up dinner and eating this instead!)

"Fat" update

I gave up the sugar and the flour and the potatoes and the fruit.  I have lost 18 pounds, gone down one and a half sizes and feel so much better!  I do a Zumba workout twice a week and try to get on the elliptical in my basement as often as I can. (My son is coming this weekend and his last project before he walks out the door will be dragging the "beast" up to the guest room on the second floor so no more excuses.)

I am a long way from my goal but I know that it is attainable and I am determined.  That big birthday is just a little over 7 months away and I am going to ROCK 60!

Apples

My sister and her husband  have an orchard on their farm in Potter County.  Their apples are totally organic.  They don't spray or treat the trees in any way.  There is a bumper crop this year.  They have only harvested three trees so far (out of about 50) and I received a large basket.  My sister is not really sure what kind of apples they have.  We suspect that one is Rome and another is Empire.  The little green apples are still a mystery.  All are delicious and very crisp.  I love apples in the fall and do not eat them any other time of the year.

In our family, applesauce is called "Nannysauce" because it is my mother's specialty as far as the grandchildren are concerned.  This is the first time I have ever attempted applesauce.  I hope my grandchildren will call it "Grammysauce"!

"Treasure" from Goodwill

I was just in one of our local Goodwill stores and found an entire set of Luminarc crystal stemware.

Please excuse the horrific photo but my living room has very little natural light in the morning!

Each stem had the original Luminarc sticker so it was obvious they were never used.  I picked up service for 12 for $24.  I don't entertain now as I did in the past but when I do, I will be ready!

I also found a new piece for my soup tureen collection.  (I do collect the strangest stuff!)

I cannot find a mark on it so I have no idea how old it is or where it was made.  The floral decoration are applied transfer and the painted trim is obviously hand painted.  I will tuck this one away until spring and then I will display it on the hutch.

What did you find?