Sweet Potato Gnocchi

September 30, 2018September 30, 2018 kingstoncovestudioCooking gnocchi, Love making gnocchi, Sweet potato gnocchi, this is simple pasta, Yukon Gold GnocchiLeave a comment

Making these today and will add some work in progress photos. Gnocchi is so easy to make and SO yummy to eat with a simple sauce.

Here is the dough after being mixed by hand.

I roll it right on to the parchment paper to sit and not too long before cooking. If you let it sit it becomes sticky. If you are not cooking it immediately put a little flour on you parchment paper.

Ingredients

2 – 8 ounce sweet potatoes

1 clove garlic, pressed

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 egg

2 cups all-purpose flour

Add all ingredients to list

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Bake sweet potatoes for 30 minutes, or until soft to the touch. (Mine took over an hour to cook)
Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
Once the potatoes are cool enough to work with, remove the peels, and mash them, or press them through a ricer into a large bowl. Blend in the garlic, salt, nutmeg, and egg. Mix in the flour a little at a time until you have a soft dough. Use more or less flour as needed.
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. While you wait for the water, make the gnocchi. On a floured surface, roll the dough out in several long snakes, and cut into 1-inch sections. Drop the pieces into the boiling water and allow them to cook until they float to the surface. Remove the floating pieces with a slotted spoon and keep warm in a serving dish. Serve with butter or cream sauce.I served this with a butter sauce which is quick and easy to make. Saute a couple heads of chopped garlic, add about 1/3 cup of butter. Melt it than add basil and oregano. The recipe calls for dried, but I used fresh from my garden. Add a little Parmesan or Romano on top and have a lovely dinner.

Potato Gnocchi

Here is the cut up gnocchi dough waiting to be formed.

You can dress up gnocchi in as many ways as you can sauce pasta, garnishing them with an unheated pesto sauce, or tossing them with foaming butter and slivered sage leaves. You can mix them with a chunky tomato sauce or smother them in a wild boar ragù. A little olive oil added to the dough makes for a silkier consistency, but it is optional.

How to Make It

Preheat the oven to 400°. Spread a 1-inch layer of salt in a small roasting pan. Prick the potatoes all over with a fork and arrange them on the salt in a single layer. Bake until fork-tender, about 11/2 hours. Remove them from the oven and slit them lengthwise to release their steam.

Working over a medium bowl, sift the all-purpose and cake flours with a large pinch of salt. Measure out 4 lightly packed cups of the riced potatoes (1 pound), and transfer the potatoes to a work surface. Sprinkle the sifted flour mixture over the potatoes and drizzle with the olive oil. Gently form the dough into a firm ball.

Test the gnocchi dough: Bring a small saucepan of salted water to a boil. Using your hands, form one 3/4-inch round (a single gnocco). Boil the gnocco until it floats to the surface, about 1 minute. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the gnocco to a plate and let cool. It should be light and tender but still hold together. If the gnocco breaks apart in the boiling water, the dough has too little flour; add more. If the gnocco is tough and chewy, the dough has too much flour; cut in a little more of the reserved riced potatoes.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Divide the dough into quarters. Working with one piece at a time, gently roll the dough into a long rope about 1/2 inch wide. Using a sharp knife, cut the rope into 1/2-inch pieces.

Roll each piece against the tines of a fork to make light ridges. Transfer the gnocchi to the baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough. Let the gnocchi stand at room temperature for 1 hour to dry. I use a gnocchi board shown here.

If you are not going to eat your gnocchi immediately, which I suggest then bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Fill a large bowl with ice water. Add half of the gnocchi at a time and boil over high heat until they rise to the surface, then cook for 15 seconds longer. Using a wire skimmer, transfer the gnocchi to the bowl of ice water.

Drain on paper towels and pat dry. Toss with oil and refrigerate for up to 3 hours or freeze the gnocchi on baking sheets in a single layer. Transfer them to an airtight container or resealable plastic bags and freeze for up to six weeks.

I like to plan serving gnocchi right out of the boiling water, draining it well, adding a little EVOO and whatever sauce sounds good for the meal.

but if you did freeze them, then to serve, sauté them in butter until heated through before proceeding.

For Chestnut Gnocchi, substitute 1/3 cup chestnut flour for the cake flour before forming the gnocchi dough.

Tricolor Beet-and-Carrot Salad

September 27, 2018September 25, 2018 kingstoncovestudioBeet & carrot salad, beets, goat cheese, just add a little chicken, salad for dinner, tricolor carrotsLeave a comment

Ingredients

4 (4-oz.) red beets, trimmed
4 (4-oz.) golden beets, trimmed
4 (4-oz.) Chioggia beets, trimmed
3 medium-size orange carrots, peeled
3 medium-size purple carrots, peeled
3 medium-size yellow carrots, peeled
1 cup packed baby arugula leaves
1/2 cup thinly sliced shallot
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 ounces goat cheese, crumbled (about 1/2 cup)

1/4 cup unsalted roasted pistachios, chopped

How to Make It

Step 1

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Step 2

Wrap red beets, golden beets, and Chioggia beets separately in foil. Bake at 400°F for 1 hour or until tender. Peel and cut into 1/2-inch wedges.

Step 3

Shave carrots into wide ribbons using a vegetable peeler. Combine carrot ribbons, arugula, and shallot in a bowl; arrange on a platter. Top carrot mixture with beets. Combine oil, vinegar, honey, salt, and pepper in a bowl; drizzle over salad. Sprinkle with goat cheese and pistachios.

Here is my version of the salad. It is interesting if you actually put it together with the way they suggest, you don’t see the carrots, which are very pretty.

FOOD SNOBS: RANKED BY OBNOXIOUSNESS

September 25, 2018 kingstoncovestudioeating out, How to be obnoxious in a restaurant, I don't want to eat with you., obnoxious restaurant goers, the food snobsLeave a comment

This is an article I captured from Thrillist and rewrote a bit.

AMERICA’S FOOD OBSESSION has grown prodigiously in the last decade or so, and alongside that growth, many different strains of food snobbery have taken hold and flourished. Not all food snobs are created equal, so here is the list, ranked by varying levels of obnoxiousness. Is there one or more you identify with?

19. The Sourcing Stickler

Caring about where your food comes from is admirable, but not when it’s 6:30am and “The Sourcing Stickler” is drilling the barista on which region of Guatemala that morning’s cold brew comes from and whether or not the flour used in the banana nut muffins was milled within 30 miles of the shop.

18. The Self-Congratulatory Home Chef

When dining out with “The Self Congratulatory Home Chef”, every last detail of the meal is an opportunity for them to regale you with stories of their home cooking prowess (even if the evidence is already quite thoroughly available in their Facebook feed or they don’t really cook). You actually found yourself avoiding the braised pork shank with pickled onions just because you KNEW it would spur yet another conversation about how they’ve “gotten really into pickling lately.”

17. The Bourdain Disciple

The “Bourdain Disciple” used to be more into No Reservations but thinks Parts Unknown has really come into its own, and views every possible dining experience through the lens of whether or not Mr. Bourdain has dined there. Weirdly, he does not travel all that much (according to this article).

16. The Intrepid Forager

The grocery store is but a tool of the establishment according to “The Intrepid Forager”, who relishes in combing alleys, road shoulders, forests, and parks looking for dandelion leaves, mustard greens, or any other weed they can claim tastes “so incredibly bright and peppery.” What they don’t tell you is that they have been accused of trespassing on multiple occasions.

15. The Basic

It’s entirely possible “The Basic” subsists solely on avocado toast and a stockpile of pumpkin spice lattes meticulously hoarded during the autumn months. It’s not likely, but it’s possible.

14. The Trend Humper

Swears that Matcha Turmeric Jackfruit Poke Bowl tastes good, but you’re pretty sure The “Trend Humper” is just showing off as efficiently as possible.

13. The Customizer

Where a normal person sees a menu, “The Customizer” sees an abundance of opportunity to make bizarrely specific requests like taking the Bordelaise sauce from the short ribs and applying it to the duck breast, but then demanding that the roasted parsnips on the side be switched for the potato galette that comes with the chicken. If the server resists, “The Customizer” is not above citing an allergy that doesn’t actually exist.

12. The Offal Evangelist

More like “awful” evangelist? Right?! Actually, it’s important to honor the animal by consuming as much of it as possible, but at some point, you just have to accept that Aunt Maxine just isn’t going to be hopping on the duck tongue train anytime soon.

11. The Guilt-Tripping Vegan

It’s one thing to go vegan. It’s another thing to casually show everyone videos documenting the horrors of pork production while you’re checking out a hot new restaurant. that you suggested called Le Porcine. Was this your plan the whole time? Look, if there’s a pig on the sign, you don’t get to feign surprise when there’s bacon in everything.

10. The Repatriated Expat

It’s been two years since “The Repatriated Expat” moved back to the US after a magical six months residing in Spain. And yet, the backhanded comments about how “it’s so weird to be eating dinner before 10pm, the observations that the gin and tonics “just aren’t the same,” and the refusal to consume any red wine that isn’t Rioja have not lessened in the slightest.

9. The Over-Pronouncer

Adopts a strange accent for every single non-New American restaurant before entering, and insists on over-pronouncing every single menu item with the precision of a third-grader reading an English translation dictionary. In fact, “The Over-Pronouncer” is known to carry said dictionary, or at least a translation app that relays how to say “thank you” and “hello” (incorrectly) in the language of the cuisine’s origins, despite the fact that the joint is run by a white hipster who simply likes tikka masala.

8. The Insta Influencer

By the time each dish is carefully photographed and each hashtag is hashtagged, the food is cold, but the “Insta Influencer” doesn’t even notice because they’re too busy talking about how they’re really working to build their brand. They have followers.

7. The Expense Account

After a few years into a finance gig, “The Expense Account” became a little bit bored with steakhouses and began furiously checking off the city’s priciest tasting menus. He can rarely recall much in the way of details on a favorite dish, but can definitely inform you with zero sense of modesty how much $$$$$.

6. The Name Dropper

The minute you walk in the door with this human megaphone, “The Name Dropper” is already telling everybody within earshot about knowing the chef or the owner. This habit hits a wonderful crescendo at that magical moment when “The Name Dropper” tells the owner they know the owner.

5. Captain Irony

It’s all about the irony. He always suggests you eat at Applebee’s, because it’s ironic! He’ll show up at a fancy dinner party with a couple Totino’s Party Pizzas… FOR IRONY! Eventually, you find out that he’s super-broke and likes to eat garbage. And, he doesn’t know what ironic means.

4. The Breadless Wonder

Not celiac or anything, but experienced a huge life change after going gluten-free after self-diagnosing a gluten sensitivity via a 2013 copy of Cosmo that was at the dentist’s office. Somehow continues to express wide-eyed bewilderment that exchanging grilled cheeses and chicken fingers for salads have led to increased energy and weight loss.

3. The Authenticator

“The Authenticator” fancies himself the arbiter of “authenticity” when it comes to a wide range of cuisines that originate in countries he has never experienced outside of a half-assed viewing of Bizarre Foods during a hangover. This person brags “we were the only white people in the restaurant” with a frequency and fervor that kind of weirds everybody else out. Does not respond well to being corrected.

2. The Competitive Eater

No, not like the hot-dog-eating contest competitive. That dude’s cool! In this case, “The Competitive Eater” is that person who can’t let someone else talk about a trip they’ve taken, a dish they’ve cooked, or a restaurant they’ve tried without immediately pointing to something they’ve experienced that is undoubtedly superior. Gets weirdly upset when the table concludes someone else’s entree was better than theirs.

1. The Elite Yelper

Enters any beloved restaurant with an unspoken plan to “take them down a peg,” ready to pounce on the slightest misstep in service and levy unfounded complaints about the texture of the pasta. Of course, if the establishment in question caters to “The Elite Yelper’s” outsized ego when they casually let it slip that they’re a “restaurant critic,” things might play out differently. Re-reading particularly biting one-star reviews in the dark of night before falling asleep is the only thing that keeps the loneliness at bay.

10 European Desserts to Try

September 22, 2018September 22, 2018 kingstoncovestudioapfelstrudel, Baklava, Black Forest Cherry Gateau, Clafoutis, flan, Gelato, Pasteis de Nata, Rodgrod, Sticky toffee pudding, The Discover Blog, Waffles1 Comment

One of the things I love about travel is trying all the different foods that countries are famous in each area. I try to do a little research before traveling to make sure I know what I should try. I found the following article helpful and can’t wait to try the following. I do not have recipes attached, but I might have to start finding them and trying them at home.

On The Great British Bakeoff, Paul Hollywood had the contestants attempt to makePastéis de Nata, and it was not one of the more successful endeavors, so not sure if I am going to try that one.

Europe’s cultural diversity manifests itself in its cuisine, from Italian pasta to French escargot. But for those travelers with a sweet tooth, this appetizing variety extends to the continent’s many mouthwatering desserts. Forget about your diet if you’re planning a trip soon, here are ten European desserts you have to try.

Rødgrød

You’ll find fruity rødgrød if you visit Denmark, but the similar rote grütze can be found just across the border in northern Germany. Served hot or cold, it’s bursting with summer berries like redcurrants, blackcurrants, raspberries, and blackberries. The fruit is cooked with sugar and some form of starch, like semolina or potato starch is added to make the pudding. Custard or cream often accompanies the dish to balance the acids in the fruit.

Pastéis de Nata

Pastéis de Nata is the traditional Portuguese custard tarts that are small enough to fit in your mouth in one go. The best place to find them is in the Pastéis de Belem bakery that’s been churning them out in their millions since 1837. The proof of the quality is in the length of the queue, which snakes around the block whatever the time of day. They sell about 50,000 of these delicious tarts every day, which surely makes them a contender for western Europe’s favorite dessert.

Gelato

gelato
Italy’s dessert menu might encompass tiramisu, pannacotta, and zabaglione (all fabulous!) but its gelato is legendary the world over. Every imaginable flavor can be found, on street corners, at pavement cafes, and in fancy restaurants. Don’t be fooled into thinking it’s the same as ice cream, however. If what you see is heaped high above the edges of the container, it’s full of air and not the real deal.

Clafoutis

Clafoutis
This baked French dessert originates from the Limousin region and was popularized in the 19th century. It is usually made with black cherries, though raspberries, plums or blackberries are occasionally substituted. The fruit lines a baking dish and a thick batter is poured over the top. Traditionally, the cherry stones are left in, adding an almond-like flavor to the dish.

Apfelstrudel

Apfelstrudel is one of Austria’s greatest exports. Layers of thinly-rolled dough are filled to bursting with sweet apples, juicy raisins and a liberal measure of cinnamon. The first recipe dates from Vienna in 1696 and it’s just as popular today in the city’s many coffee houses.

Sticky toffee pudding

Peruse the menu in any British gastropub and you’re almost guaranteed to find sticky toffee pudding. This dense, dark pudding is topped with lashings of toffee sauce and served with cream, ice cream or custard. It’s rich, so save plenty of room for dessert if you plan to try it.

Flan

Flan
A flan is not a flan when it’s from Spain. Instead of receiving a small tart or quiche, order flan in Spain and you’ll be presented with a tasty crème caramel. To make it, a caramel syrup lines a mold and warm custard are poured on top. It’s cooked in a water bath to ensure the custard doesn’t curdle and flipped over to serve once cooked and set.

Waffles

Waffles
If there’s one dessert synonymous with Belgium, then it’s surely waffles. Known as gaufre to the nation’s French speakers and waffels to Flemish speakers, the two most popular kinds hail from Brussels and Liege. Buy one from a street stall and eat it straight from the paper, dusted with icing sugar. In a cafe, you’ll find them served with fruit compote, Nutella or Chantilly cream, but hold off on the maple syrup as that’s not the way it’s done on home turf.

Baklava

Baklava
Layer upon layer of rich, flaky filo pastry bound together with sweet honey and lavishly sprinkled with nuts, baklava is understandably the Greeks’ most popular sweet treat. But though they’ll argue the toss, it actually originated in the city of Istanbul in Turkey before migrating east. That’s still Europe, at least in part. Wherever you try it, it’s delicious.

Black Forest Cherry Gateau

Germans know a thing or two about cake, but its most famous cake is not quite what it appears. That signature bake, Black Forest Cherry Gateau, was invented, so they claim, in 1915 at the Café Agner in Bad Godesberg near Bonn. It’s so popular it even has its own food festival. The key ingredient is the “Schwarzwälder kirschwasser”, a potent cherry brandy which made its way across the border from Switzerland but is named after the Black Forest region of Germany. Without the kirsch, it’s just a chocolate and cherry cake.

I do not like Stuffed Bell Peppers

September 19, 2018September 19, 2018 kingstoncovestudiohamburger, How to change a recipe so it tastes good, I do not like Stuffed Bell Peppers, pepper jack cheese, recipes, red peppers, stuffed bell pepper, the new Stuffed Bell PepperLeave a comment

This photo is nowhere near as bad as what my mother used to make on a weekly basis. She used only hamburger and rice and put it in the green bell pepper. The gook from the hamburger sat on top and it was hard to look at, let alone eat. To this day, the thought of it takes away my appetite.

Here is the problem. My husband loves it and has fond memories of eating it when younger.

So I thought about it and came up with my own version of Stuffed Bell Peppers

Ingredients

2 bell red, orange or yellow peppers
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for drizzling
6 ounces lean ground beef (sirloin)
Salt with truffles and freshly ground black pepper
1 onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 Roma tomatoes, seeded and finely diced
Red pepper flakes, as needed
1 cup cooked long-grain and wild rice
8 oz grated pepper Jack cheese

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Cut the tops off the peppers. Remove and discard the stems, then finely chop the tops; set aside. Scoop out the seeds and as much of the membrane as you can. Place the peppers cut-side up in a baking dish just large enough to hold them upright.

Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the beef, season with salt and pepper and cook, breaking up the lumps, until the meat is cooked through and just beginning to brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate to get rid of the fat.

Wipe out the skillet and add the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add the onions and chopped peppers and cook until beginning to soften (3 to 4 minutes). Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Add the tomatoes and season with salt and a pinch or 2 of red pepper flakes. Cook until everything is heated through, then stir in the beef and rice. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Stir in 4 oz of the cheese.

Fill the peppers with the rice mixture and top each with a sprinkle of the remaining cheese. Pour a small amount of water into the bottom of the baking dish and drizzle the peppers with a little olive oil. Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes. Uncover and bake until the peppers are soft and the cheese is melted and lightly browned, another 15 to 20 minutes.

Since I still could not get my head around the “bell pepper” part of this, I put a little in miniature pie plates and just baked. I actually liked it. It is not as pretty, but it was yummy.

The other thing that I actually did, was use leftovers. I had made mushroom and onion risotto the previous night so I just used it in place of the rice, onion, and garlic. The risotto was a good way to use a bottle of white wine that I did not like the taste, but if you added a bit of butter to the risotto, it was DELICIOUS! I used Romano cheese, so the risotto was dairy free. But the pepper jack was not. It is amazing how much different Pepper Jack cheese tastes when cooked, as it is not one of the cheeses I would normally buy.

The original recipe was from Lee Drummond, but she added zucchini, and even though I have it over-growing in my garden, it did not appeal to me in this dish.

BTW my husband loved it. I served it with baby carrots, so he was a happy husband.

Pan-Seared Tuna with Avocado, Soy, Ginger, and Lime

September 16, 2018September 16, 2018 kingstoncovestudioand Lime, Cooking, Ginger, Pan-Seared Tuna with Avocado, Soy, whats for dinnerLeave a comment

Going to make this tonight for dinner. I will post my photo later, for a comparison.

Ingredients

2 big handfuls fresh cilantro leaves, finely chopped

1/2 jalapeno, sliced

1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger

1 garlic clove, grated

2 limes, juiced

2 tablespoons soy sauce

Pinch sugar

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 (6-ounce) block sushi-quality tuna

1 ripe avocado, halved, peeled, pitted, and sliced

Directions

In a mixing bowl, combine the cilantro, jalapeno, ginger, garlic, lime juice, soy sauce, sugar, salt, pepper, and 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Stir the ingredients together until well incorporated.
Place a skillet over medium-high heat and coat with the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Season the tuna generously with salt and pepper. Lay the tuna in the hot oil and sear for 1 minute on each side to form a slight crust. Pour 1/2 of the cilantro mixture into the pan to coat the fish. Serve the seared tuna with the sliced avocado and the remaining cilantro sauce drizzled over the whole plate.

How to Survive a Kitchen Remodel

September 14, 2018September 12, 2018 kingstoncovestudiohow to get to the end of a remodel, interior design, kitchen re-design, Living through a kitchen remodel, remodeling your kitchen, you are going to love itLeave a comment

Washing mugs in the tub and getting hooked on Pop-Tarts. Here’s what to expect if you stay at home during construction according to Houzz.

So you’ve decided to remodel your kitchen. Congratulations, and I cannot wait to see pictures of it when it’s done. But in the meantime, you need to know what to anticipate and how to handle it.

Home remodeling pros and those who have been through a kitchen remodel agree that the best way to get through it is to flee and stay somewhere else. But this option is not always viable, so here is what to expect if you have to live in your house through a remodel and how to prepare for it.

Traditional Kitchen How To Survive a Kitchen Remodel

Be Fully Aware of What’s Going to Happen

It’s going to be messy. It’s going to be noisy. For about a full week, you’re going to walk into a gutted kitchen expecting to turn on the coffee maker and then realize that you are barefoot in a construction zone. (It’s OK; it happens to the best of us.)

There will likely be frustrating delays and unexpected change orders. Unable to fix anything else for breakfast, you may get addicted to Pop-Tarts. You will find yourself rinsing a dish in a small powder room sink or a bathtub. You won’t be able to imagine wanting to dine at a restaurant again, and you’re going to feel the hit of all that dining out on your wallet.

Concentrate on letting go of control because if you try to hold on to it, you’re toast. This would be a good time to take up yoga or learn to meditate. In addition to helping you find a calm place mentally, it’s a great excuse to get out of the house. Find some good classes or apps and head to the park.

Contemporary Kitchen Contemporary Kitchen

Make Preparations and Get Organized

Plan to do the following before demolition begins:

Carve out time to pack up the kitchen properly or arrange for movers since it’s a big task.
Think about whether some sort of refrigeration will be possible. Perhaps there’s an old fridge in the garage you use for the beer or a minifridge elsewhere in the house. It’s worth renting a small one or buying one secondhand. Just be sure there is a place you can plug it in outside the kitchen.
Include takeout food and restaurant expenses in your overall renovation budget.
Change your attitude. Tell yourself and anyone who usually listens to you vent that you’re adopting a chic, healthy European lifestyle that involves stopping by the market every day for that night’s supper provisions. Note that these shopping trips will require some time management, but on the plus side, they will get you out of the construction zone.

Set Up a Makeshift Kitchenette

If possible, set up a mini kitchen in another room. Think about what equipment might come in handy for throwing together meals. Suggestions include:

Coffeemaker
Electric teakettle
Toaster or toaster oven
Slow cooker
Portable electric grill
Electric frying pan (if you have a place to clean it)
Minifridge

Find portable appliances

If your house has a mini kitchen or a wet bar elsewhere, you’re in luck. This is a great spot to set up.

For the rest of us, it’s more of a challenge. The mini kitchen can go just about anywhere in your house, but cleanup is the catch. So think about how you’re going to handle a small-appliance cooking mess before you make it — this may involve the patio, a hose, and a dishwashing tub.

I didn’t include measuring cups or mixing bowls among the things to leave out of the packing boxes because making pancakes or anything else that requires them is not an easily cleaned-up meal and rinsing out a batter bowl in the small sink in your lovely master bathroom is a bad idea.

Menu Plan

Now that you know better and other messy stuff is a no-go, get used to the reality of your new at-home menu. It will consist mostly of food you can toast indoors or grill outdoors, as well as soup, cereal, and cold sandwiches. You’re going to want to buy stuff at the grocery store that you can eaat with a spoon.

Clean Up Immediately

Keep dish detergent, a scrub brush and a dish towel at the sink you’ve designated as your cleanup site. The designated food trash can should have a lid to contain odors and keep pests away. Scrape dishes into the trash, wash them, dry them and put them back in their designated spots.

Traditional Kitchen by Parade of Homes Twin Cities

Make a List of Things to Leave Out

Figuring out what not to pack is key because once you box up your stuff, you won’t be able to find anything you need until after the kitchen is completed and the boxes are unpacked.

Suggestions from folks who have been through this recently:

Grilling tools
Carving knife, bread knife, paring knife
Cutting board
Two or three platters
Coffee, tea, sweeteners, a few coffee mugs, and teacups
Paper plates and napkins
A set of silverware and a dish-and-glass place setting for everyone in the household
Liquid detergent, scrub brush, dishwashing tub, dish towels
Salt, pepper, favorite spices
Foil, plastic wrap, a storage container or two
A few serving spoons
Can opener, bottle opener, wine opener
Koozies
Pet food and bowls
Placemats and a tablecloth
Large tray for carrying food from wherever it is prepared to wherever it will be served

A Word About Paper and Plastic

A lot of people go strictly paper and plastic for dishes and silverware, and if that’s what you need to do to get by, there’s no judgment here. But it’s bad for the environment, it’s expensive, and it gets old. You will need only one plate, bowl, mug, glass, fork, spoon, knife, and placemat for each family member because, without a kitchen, cleanup will be immediate.

And no extras are required; please know that no one else wants to be a dinner guest at a house undergoing a kitchen renovation. It’s like the Seinfeld episode in which Kramer revealed that he had prepared all the food in the shower.

Keep Paring Down

While packing up the kitchen, keep a donation bin nearby. As you touch each item, ask yourself if it is worth packing, storing, unpacking and then finding space for in the beautiful new kitchen. When was the last time you used it? Does it, spark joy? Where are you going to put it in the new kitchen? Can you imagine yourself using it in the new kitchen? The answers to these questions will let you know if you should wrap it up and pack it or pass it along to someone who needs it.

Traditional Family Room by Cummings Architects

Designate a Room as a Construction-Free Zone

In the film Under the Tuscan Sun, Frances Mayes’ advice for surviving a renovation is to “pick one room and make it yours.” This concept is key to reno survival.

Designate one room as your sanity-saving space and be very clear with the contractor that it is off-limits for cutting through and for storing tools, supplies and the things that have come out of the kitchen.

The best options are rooms that are not bedrooms and not directly adjacent to or above the kitchen. Workers will want to spread into the closest spaces when they need to stash the new cabinets or boxes of tile, so if the room is kitchen-adjacent, be vigilant because it will be a slippery slope. One day, it’s one box of tile being stored there; the next day, it’s four major appliances.

Transitional Family Room by WINN Design+Build

Set Up a Table for Eating

Whether you’ll be eating takeout, using the grill or becoming an expert with the slow cooker, eating off TV trays from the sofa or picnicking on the living room floor will get old pretty fast. Some use their screened-in porches or patios during nice weather; others set up a card table or a drop-leaf table with a pretty tablecloth. Wherever it is, be vigilant about cleaning up crumbs after meals.

Mediterranean Landscape by Paradise Restored Landscaping & Exterior Design

Get to Grilling

Camping and living without a kitchen have a lot of things in common, including cooking under the stars. If you’ve ever wanted to improve upon your grilling skills, this is your big opportunity.

Research recipes and techniques, follow inspirational grillers on social media and try cooking things you’ve never tried on the grill before. Keep the tools you’ll need out of the packed boxes, and the accompanying condiments in your makeshift kitchen.

Tell me: Have you made it to the other side of a kitchen remodel? What helped you get through it? Which kitchen items were must-haves? Please share your best tips with us in the Comments.

Bring Life to Outdoor Walls With Nature’s Green

September 12, 2018September 12, 2018 kingstoncovestudiodecorating in the yard, design, garden design, inspiration, making your fence beautiful, outdoor wall, outdoor walls, trellisLeave a comment

Some great ideas from Houzz using vines, vertical gardens, trellises, screens, espaliers and more to transform your exterior walls

Whether you live in an apartment building or a single-family home, chances are there’s a blank wall or vertical surface on your home’s exterior that could benefit from added interest. Filling or covering a blank wall with plants is one of the easiest ways to add appeal, and plants bring a touch of nature to a man-made space. For inspiration, take a look at these 13 planting designs that rely on flowering vines, espaliers, hanging gardens and more to help transform blank walls into garden focal points.

1. Add attractive trellising. Investing in trellising that enhances your home’s exterior — whether you choose to grow a climbing plant on it or not can help add year-round appeal. Choose a trellis that matches your home and paint it to coordinate with your trim. Plant evergreen or flowering vines, such as the pink bougainvillea vine here (if you live in a warm climate) to cover the trellis.

Modern Landscape by Living Gardens Landscape Design

2. Pair a vine with potted plants. This is a great combination for entryways, garden sheds or along the side of a garage because it adds interest to multiple viewpoints. Climbing fig, planted here with potted foxtail agave thrives in partial shade and fills in rapidly to cover vertical surfaces with tendrils that feature dime-sized leaves.

Contemporary Landscape by Lila B. Design

3. Hang a miniature vertical garden. Framed vertical gardens can be tucked into small nooks, helping to break up a blank wall the same way wall art does inside. Mount one next to the back door, or hang a trio of them across the exterior wall of a garden shed.

Modern Patio by Shades Of Green Landscape Architecture

4. Pair decorative metal panels with leafy greens. Metal screens featuring geometric patterns mixed with foliage plants create a bold garden statement. In this garden, vines grow up the sides to frame the panels.

Here’s another example of a metal screen mixed with planting. This time the plants emerge from a built-in planter at the base of the screen, helping to anchor it more in the overall design.

Mediterranean Landscape by Margie Grace - Grace Design Associates

5. Display air plants on a trellis. Add air plants to a wall-mounted metal trellis for a clever, quick way to spruce up a blank wall. Air plants need no soil to grow (keeping walls clean) and thrive in areas with bright, indirect light. Every week or so, depending on your climate and air moisture, remove the plants from the trellis and soak them in a bucket of water.

Transitional Patio by Sally Wheat Interiors

6. Create a planted wall pattern. Geometric patterns made from trained evergreen vines look fancy and aren’t too difficult to achieve if you don’t mind frequent clipping.

Start by establishing your desired pattern with wires fastened with nails or eye hooks to the desired wall or fence. Then, plant a vine-like trailing ivy or confederate jasmine to grow along the lines of the trellising, cutting or rewrapping any shoots that stick out from the structure.

Traditional Shed by Connelly Construction, LLC

Here, Asian jasmine was trained in a diamond pattern to cover the wall of a guesthouse.

Contemporary Patio by Marylou Sobel Interior Design

7. Install a living wall. Custom living wall systems can be expensive to have installed, but the popularity of vertical gardening has resulted in more consumer-friendly (and budget-friendly) planting options. Wall-mounted planting pockets or vertical planters, for example, can cost significantly less and can be installed without extensive structural or watering systems.

Tip: Including some trailing plants — like ivy, pothos, philodendron or grass-like carex can help conceal the vertical growing structure.

8. Mount a staghorn fern. Staghorn ferns are air plants, called epiphytes, and have evolved to grow without soil on tree trunks and branches in mild, tropical and semitropical climates. They can thrive in home gardens in similar conditions, mounted to a board with a few handfuls of damped sphagnum moss. Hang one inside or out to liven up a blank wall in a spot with bright, indirect light.

Traditional Landscape by Nilsen Landscape Design, LLC

9. Add an elegant espalier. Training a tree into an espalier against a wall adds a formal touch to a garden or courtyard and saves valuable planting space. You can purchase a tree already staked as an espalier or train one yourself if the tree is between three and five years old and still has finger-width-sized lateral branches.

If you’re planning to train the espalier yourself, plant the tree against a wall and add trellising to support the espalier structure. Then, choose the primary lateral branches (often in matched pairs for a symmetrical form) and gently pull them down into straight, horizontal lines, fastening them to the trellising. Remove other lateral branches and cut the top part of the trunk where it meets the top of the trellis to encourage lateral growth.

Contemporary Shed by Garden & Landscape Design 風姿花伝

10. Allow trailing plants to cascade off the roof. Place potted plants on flat-roofed sheds and outbuildings, allowing vines to trail down the sides of the building for a creative, unexpected look. Place roof pots on saucers to catch excess water or make sure the roof is sloped enough for quick drainage.

11. Frame wall art with plants. Wall art doesn’t need to be reserved for rooms inside the house. Outdoor seating areas backed by a blank wall are great spots for hanging a wall sculpture designed for outdoor use, an interesting piece of driftwood or a decorative wrought iron panel. Plants growing on either side of the art piece can soften the design and grow up to frame the art.

12. Mount pots filled with herbs and succulents. Turn a blank wall into a garden by mounting planters, terra-cotta pots or other grouped containers of your choice.

Keep in mind that smaller pots placed in full sun against a heat-reflecting wall will dry out quickly. To counteract these effects, set up a drip irrigation system, be diligent about hand watering or choose heat-loving, drought-tolerant succulents or cactuses.

Contemporary Landscape by ecocentrix landscape architecture

13. Showcase architectural plants. Take advantage of a blank wall to show off structural plant forms. Look for plants like large-scale cactuses or multi-trunk trees that naturally have an interesting shape. The landscape designer for this Los Angeles garden used a curved entry wall to show off the form of spiked MacDougall’s century plants.

Balsamic Beet Salad with Marcona Almonds

September 8, 2018September 6, 2018 kingstoncovestudioArugula, Beet Salad, Dinner for two, Ina Garten recipe, Marcona AlmondsLeave a comment

Made this Ina Garten recipe for dinner the other night and it was delicious. I actually used the bright yellow beets but forgot to take a photo of it.

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Ingredients

8 medium-size beets, tops removed and scrubbed
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup good olive oil
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard, such as Grey Poupon
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 ounces baby arugula
1/3 cup roasted, salted Marcona almonds, toasted
4 ounces soft goat cheese, such as Montrachet, crumbled

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Wrap the beets individually in aluminum foil and place them on a sheet pan. Roast them for 50 minutes to 1 hour, depending on their size, until a small sharp knife inserted in the middle indicates that they are tender. Unwrap each beet and set aside for 10 minutes, until cool enough to handle. Peel the beets with a small, sharp knife over a piece of parchment paper to prevent staining your cutting board.

Meanwhile, whisk together the vinegar, olive oil, mustard, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper and set aside. While the beets are still warm, cut each one in half and then each half into 4 to 6 wedges and place them in a large mixing bowl. As you’re cutting the beets, toss them with half of the vinaigrette (warm beets absorb more vinaigrette), 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Taste for seasonings.

Place the arugula in a separate bowl and toss it with enough vinaigrette to moisten. Put the arugula on a serving platter and then arrange the beets, almonds, and goat cheese on top. Drizzle with additional vinaigrette, if desired, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and serve warm or at room temperature.

I did the beets the day before and they were perfect. It is an easy make-ahead dish for dinner. Usually, I have beets in my garden, but they were not happy this year, so bought mine at a local Farmer’s Market.

Yummies from my garden

September 6, 2018 kingstoncovestudiocaprese salad, Cauliflower Soup, Delicious Easy summer dinner, heirloom tomatoes, Pesto, whats for dinnerLeave a comment

Cauliflower Soup and Caprese Salad for dinner the other night was perfect, although I think either one would have been enough for dinner with a little delicious bread.

Creamy Cauliflower Soup (Vegan)
serves 6 as a starter, 4 as a main

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons chopped garlic (about 2 cloves), plus more to taste
2 cups (200g) chopped leeks (white parts only, from 2 or 3 leeks)
Natural salt
1 head cauliflower, chopped
7 cups (1.65l) vegetable broth
1/4 cup (35g) raw unsalted cashews or 1/4 cup (35g) blanched slivered raw almonds, soaked
3 tablespoons chopped chives or a grating of nutmeg (optional; choose one, not both), to garnish

Directions:

In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat and saute the garlic, leeks, and 1/4 teaspoon of salt for about 3 minutes, until the vegetables are soft. Add the cauliflower and saute for another minute. Add the vegetable broth, increase the heat to high, and bring just to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for about 30 minutes, until the cauliflower is completely tender. Stir the mix periodically and mash the cauliflower with a wooden spoon.

Remove the saucepan from the heat and allow the soup to cool slightly; stir in the nuts. Pour the soup into your blender in batches and puree on high for 1 to 2 minutes, until smooth and creamy. (Remember to remove the plastic cap in the blender top and cover the opening with a kitchen towel so steam can escape while you blend.) Return the soup to the saucepan and warm it over low heat. Stir in salt to taste. To serve, ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with either chopped chives or grated nutmeg.

Caprese Salad

This is a simple salad that I often make for dinner or for friends. I do make my own pesto and this one was pesto from my garden. Grab a handful of Basil (a few stems are ok), some toasted pine nuts, good EVOO, a few heads of garlic, Reggiano Parmesano to taste and throw it all in your blender. Add a little salt and/or pepper to taste. Just sample till it tastes great to you. Couldn’t be simpler. I had to laugh a few years ago on a Rick Steve’s trip to Italy that people thought the demo on how to make Pesto was impressive. I thought it was runny and not particularly tasteful.

Now, you’ve mastered making your own pesto, put it in layers with the Heirloom tomato (sliced 1/4″) with Burrato mozzarella (the good kind with the runny middle – YUM) and drizzle a little Balsamic Reduction over the top. Not only is it pretty, but it tastes delicious!

Pair it with a nice glass of Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio and you have the perfect summer dinner with hardly any cooking.