I’ve written before about how we’re redoing almost all the rooms in our home (paint, new wall art, some new furniture, etc.), and we finally (FINALLY!) finished the kitchen! Well, mostly: we still want to get a floor lamp, a new overhead light, a valance for the window and eventually redo the countertops. But, for now, this looks pretty good to me and is a huge improvement over the ridiculous wallpaper that the former tenants had put up. (Just realized I should have taken before and after pics!)

NOTE: If you need to remove wallpaper, I know there are tons of options out there and it can be overwhelming. We have found no better product on the market than WP Chomp spray. It’s fast and super effective, but be sure to buy face masks too—it creates a lot of fumes. Make sure you score the paper first as well, or else the spray won’t penetrate the paper all the way to the glue or adhesive.

By the way, it was a huge battle over the color, but my pick (yellow!) finally won over Brandon and his neutral paint color fetish.

[Facing into our kitchen from the living room. We moved this green chair that we had in my office/guest room into the kitchen and moved our small kitchen table into our room. We have the TV in our bedroom on that table now!]

[If you’re interested, the color we chose is Behr Mellow Yellow. We used the Flat Paint & Primer version.]

[Milo likes being able to sleep while I cook! Lazy.]

[I used to hate our white cupboards, but I think they provide a good contrast to the yellow now. We may switch out the standard gold hardware, though.]

[I moved this small white table down into the kitchen and put a few books, my rainboots and umbrella and Milo’s leash in a small basket on it.]

[Kate Spade in the kitchen!]

[Instead of stuffing my aprons into a drawer, I like having them easily accessible where I can grab as I cook. Doesn’t hurt that they’re pretty cute too!]

[We used to have miscellaneous items sitting in a few mismatched baskets on the shelf, so I switched the ugly baskets out for these matching bins from Home Goods.]

And that’s it! I’m loving the way all our rooms are coming together. We’re almost done with my office, our room and the living room—when we are, I’ll post photos of them as well!

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend!

How I Became a Rachael Ray Convert

After reading Anthony Bourdain’s scathing jabs at her and personally witnessing her borderline manic behavior on her cooking show, I never bothered to buy a book or try any of her recipes because, for one, I can’t stand the abbreviation “EVOO.”

But, while at my local library about a week ago I spotted a couple Rachael Ray cookbooks and on a whim (I’ve been feeling uninspired while cooking lately), I grabbed a few. If they didn’t work out, it would only be 30 minutes of my time, right?

Well, first, let me just say that the 30-minute-meal thing is horribly misleading. The recipe I made last night, Green Minestrone, took about 45-50 minutes from start (cutting, dicing vegetables) to finish (ladling the soup into bowls).

But, before you think I’m jumping on the hate-Rachael train, I have to point out that this soup (and a few other recipes I’ve tried) are pretty darn delicious. They are easy to make, relatively quick to execute (although not 30 minutes across the board) and fairly inexpensive/approachable where ingredients are concerned.

Sometimes, especially where cooking and baking is concerned, I can feel intimidated or scared to try new things, or on the other hand, feel pressure to cook innovative, creative recipes as opposed to my favorite comfort foods, like mashed potatoes. But, as I’ve become more comfortable in the kitchen and as I’ve learned that cooking for me is fun and relaxing and not so much about the finished product but about the process, I’ve started to move away from cooking what I think I should be cooking and instead just making what looks good, what fits the time I have, making do with what I have in the fridge.

I guess what I’m trying to say is that I don’t really care if I’m cooking Rachael Ray recipes or trying something from Food & Wine magazine or even (gasp) heating up some Ramen noodles. I can appreciate expensive, gourmet food, I can identify it, I can even sometimes cook it—but I’d really rather just have some really good soup and bread or steak with a side of mashed potatoes most nights, whether it’s Rachael Ray or just some invention of my own.

(But I’ll never, ever say EVOO.)

P.S. The Green Minestrone recipe is fantastic. It’s easy, delicious and incredibly healthy and filling. The recipe says it makes 4 servings, but that’s just not true. It makes about 12 servings. I have enough leftovers to last us a week.

I received this bamboo cutting board as a wedding gift and it is one of the few wedding gifts that I use every single day.

I love having a cutting board out on the shelf so it’s handy and within reach. I don’t want to dig around in a drawer for a cutting board when I’m trying to juggle tomatoes and garlic cloves in my hands. This one looks great sitting out and cleans up in the dishwasher, so you don’t have to do it by hand.

It’s on sale right now at Crate & Barrel (until July 4, I believe) for $13 and I highly recommend it if you do a lot of cooking!

Crate & Barrel Bamboo Cutting Board, $13

Photo via Slashfood.com

Chili Lime Corn on the Cob is kill-yourself kind of good.

I don’t really follow a particular recipe—I just kind of wing it, but I know that there are tons of variations. Some people use garlic or garlic powder, others like to coat the ear with mayo.

On Friday night, I made corn on the cob, vegetarian black bean burgers and sliced heirloom tomatoes for dinner and it was so good I almost peed my pants. (Not really.) Corn on the cob is, without a doubt, one of my top favorite things about summertime.

Here’s how I do it (for two) without a grill handy:

• 4-8 husked corn cobs—or more, depending on how hungry you are!. Boil water in a large pot on the stove. Plop in the ears once boiling and leave for about 9-10 minutes. Brandon and I like our corn with a bit of a crunch (you should hear a “crunch” sound when you bite into it), so I don’t overdo it on the heat.
• Remove from stove, set aside.
• Cut a stick of butter, REAL butter, in half. Place one half on each plate.
• Take an ear of corn, place a corn cob holder (I like these) on each end.
• Roll the corn on the stick of butter. Do it. Don’t be scared. Roll that mother.
• Shake a generous helping of sea salt on the cob.
• Sprinkle chili powder, to taste, on the cob as well.
• Cut a lime in half and squeeze the juice onto the cob. Don’t worry about the mess.
• Eat it.
• Eat another one.
• Okay, why not? Another one.

If you prefer to grill your corn, try this recipe from Epicurious!

Do you have a favorite summer recipe or snack?

I found this amazing cookbook published in 1966 at a used book store for $3 and I’ve fallen in love with it. It doesn’t have many pictures (maybe a dozen or so), but it’s got nearly every recipe under the sun. Some of the recipes are a little dated, but if you’ve ever wondered the best way to cook chicken, fish or how to make a classic sauce, this book will have you covered.

The instructions are clear, the ingredient lists are short and best of all—you can buy it online for less than $20. (See here and here.)

Now, I have a question for you: do you own any old cookbooks that you love? (Other than Julia Child’s “Mastering the Art of French Cooking” which everyone owns thanks to Julie & Julia.) I’d love to find more retro recipe sources!

Want something adorable to perk up your morning coffee?

I picked up two of these mugs yesterday from Anthropologie—one with a “J” and one with a “B”, of course.

Perfect for a cute brunch with waffles, eggs and potatoes.

Anthropologie Monogrammed Mug, “Missus”, $6 each

Perfect for a holiday party or as a gift! If you cook a lot, you know you have can have too many prep bowls…and these are just so darn cute.

Target ‘Winter Wonderland’ Prep Bowls, three in a set, $14

I’m taking a cue from my amazing friend Tanya’s blog and showing you some great recipe books you’ll be glad you bought when you taste how yummy the food is.

• Top Chef: The Cookbook - $21 - This cookbook is an absolute must-have if you’re a fan of the show. Even if you’ve never seen the show, though, it’s got delicious recipes on every page with a glossy photo to match. The recipes are a bit harder than some (with some hard-to-find ingredients), but it’s worth it when you cook something that won a Quickfire challenge on the show!
• Great Food Fast: 250 Recipes for Easy, Delicious Meals All Year Long - $17 - This is one of my favorite Martha Stewart cookbooks. I gave it such good reviews that Ellie bought it as well and has had great results with the recipes too! Keeping with my decision to never buy a cookbook unless it has a photo for each recipe, this has great photos accompanying each dish and separates out meals and sides for each season, if you decide to buy ingredients from a farmer’s market or CO-OP. Some of my favorite dishes are the Risotto with Peas & Zucchini, the Greek-Style Lamb Burgers, and the Pesto-Goat Cheese Pasta.
• America’s Test Kitchen Family Cookbook - $25 - My mother-in-law saw me spying her copy and bought me my own and it is truly fantastic. First, it’s published three-ring-binder style so you can easily flip through or remove the recipe you are cooking from the book for easy access. Second, it has more tips and tricks than one cook could ever possibly need. Want to poach the perfect egg? Covered. How long do you cook meat? That’s there too. This is the ultimate cooking handbook.
• Nigella Express: Good Food Fast - $25 - I don’t have a lot of time to devote to cooking by the time I get home from work (no four hour roasts for me!), so any cookbook with “fast” in the title is a winner. Nigella’s delicious, decadent recipes are shockingly easy to put together and this book-with a photo per page and tons of personal ancedotes-is my favorite of her’s.
• The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Recipes from an Accidental Country Girl - $15 - THIS BOOK IS RELEASED TOMORROW. I am so excited about this book, I can’t even tell you. Ree has saved my butt so many times with her quick and easy and OMG-DELICIOUS recipes. She uses a stick of butter in everything and salt galore, but it’s all worth it in the end when you sink your teeth into her fabulous food. To tie you over until you get your hands on a copy of this cookbook, check our her personal cooking blog and her MSN recipe website Tasty Kitchen.

Here are some of my additional cooking tips:

• Wear an apron. Oil spatters, messy hands—an apron solves all these problems. And you know how impossible it is to get oil stains out of clothing!
• Check the time. One of the hardest aspects of cooking multiple dishes is timing them to serve. Check all the estimated times of your recipes before starting and if you happen to finish one dish long before another is ready, keep it covered, on a low burner or slightly warm oven.
• Don’t be intimidated! If a recipe calls for a prepared ingredient that you aren’t sure how to “prepare,” just do a quick Google search. A good example of this is leek preparation. They are hard suckers to clean, but a quick web search will help you get them ready.
• Print off recipes you find online. It’s annoying to run back and forth from a laptop to the oven—and it’s even more annoying if you spill something on the computer. Use paper! It’s cheaper!
• Get a sous-chef. It’s much easier when preparing difficult recipes to have a helper cut and prepare veggies or sauces. That’s when my husband Brandon comes in handy! He may not be great at grilling a steak, but he’s fantastic when it comes to peeling potatoes for a side dish!

• Crispy Yogurt Chicken
• Fluffy New Potatoes
• Both from Ree’s website, The Pioneer Woman Cooks

Brandon and I are cooking together tonight and I’ve got him hooked on Ree’s fantastic recipes.

I happen to have all but three of the ingredients for the above two recipes on hand, so it’s a quick stop at Safeway and then we’re good to go!

One note: we’ll be using boneless chicken instead because Brandon dislikes eating meat off the bone.

Looks yummy!

Daily Recipe : Curry Artichoke Rice Salad from Pinch My Salt

As the weather gets colder, I start to crave spicy foods like curry-laden dishes, Thai and Vietnamese pho. There’s something very comforting about eating something warm and tasty inside while the wind blows cold outside. This recipe calls for homemade mayo, but assuming you don’t have time (which I don’t), just stir in some store-bought with the other ingredients.