Monthly Archives: October 2013

Covered lampshade

Posted on by

2

A few weeks ago, I came home to find a surprise lamp in my living room. A really (hate to say it) ugly surprise lamp.

For years, my mother has said that she disliked the carved milkglass lamp I’ve had in the living room. I like it—it’s classic.  But mom didn’t like it, so she dropped off a surprise lamp. It was beige, with a dirty cylindrical shade. There were chips in the side and it was oddly spongey looking. And I transformed it into a really cute lamp using just a little craft paint, some fabric, and ribbon.

IMG_0603

I used Martha Stewart craft paint in basic black to to paint the base. It took about four light coats with a foam brush to get full coverage. Then, I used a bold indoor/outdoor fabric to cover the shade following these instructions from the blog House of Fifty. It wasn’t too hard, but I really don’t recommend indoor/outdoor fabric for this project—It doesn’t stick well to the glue or the tape, making the project more difficult than it should be.

IMG_0616

I’m really happy with the results. It’s dramatic, and looks a lot more upscale than it really is. Not bad for a free rummage sale lamp and $15 in paint and fabric.

Slow roasted tomatoes – from the garden

Posted on by

0

I planted a garden this summer. A huge garden. Then I waited.

Gardening is all about patience. And weed control. If you’re trying to reclaim an overgrown patch of yard, there is lots of weed control.

But, back to the patience…I planted five tomato plants in May, and in late July I started to see a few teeny tiny results.

three tomatoes

But then, a month later, I suddenly was seeing results like this

IMG_0613

Every week. For going on 5 weeks now. So in addition to making sauces, caponata, and a bunch of other old favorites, I was looking for new ways to use tomatoes. And I found an awesome and easy recipe with spectacular results: Slow Roasted Tomatoes.

sundriedtomato

 

This is one of the easiest things I’ve ever made. Doesn’t even need a formal recipe.

Set your oven to 250 (225 for smaller tomatoes, like cherry tomatoes). Cut the tomatoes in half. Place on lined baking sheet. Splash with a tiny bit of olive oil and perhaps some balsamic vinegar. Sprinkle with a little salt. Let it slowly roast in the over for three hours or so — till they shrink a bit and start to look a little dry.

They taste fantastic — sweet and intensely flavorful. You can add them to dishes like pasta. I simply stacked them on a piece of french bread with a slice of soft mozzarella. Heavenly.

IMG_0607