Quick and Delicious Tuna Melt Sandwich

Posted on August 7, 2012 by Sarah S.

As well as moving into my first place, I’ve also started my first job, and already I’m finding that cooking anything besides a frozen pizza is difficult. So I’ve decided to try out some easy, quick recipes and post the best ones here. I’m focusing on dishes that takes less than ten minutes to prepare and use food that I normally have around. My first dish was an easy chicken parmesan.

What you need:

Two cans of tuna

One large spoonful of cottage cheese

Lemon juice from half a lemon

One large spoonful of mayo

One teaspoon of Dijon mustard

One stalk of celery, chopped

5-6 cherry tomatoes, chopped

Green onions, chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

Four slices of rye bread

2 thins slices of dill havarti

Prep (5 minutes to prepare, 3 minutes to cook):

Mix the above ingredients together then spread onto the rye bread and top with the havarti. I grilled mine panini-style in my George Foreman, but you could also broil them open-faced in your oven.

It’s a super easy and delicious spin on a traditional tuna melt!

Creating Beautiful Framed Art on a Budget

Posted on August 3, 2012 by Sarah S.

You would be suprised how much something is elevated by framing it. A mat and a simple frame can make a piece of art (or something else entirely) into a beautiful and affordable way to decorate a space. There are three main objects that make beautiful wall decor when framed:

1. Artwork. I am artist so this one is pretty easy for me. For one project, I found a matted poster frame at Ikea and framed a conte crayon drawing I drew in Florence. Matting it really transformed and elevated the work. I also collect artwork from street and art fairs around the world. When I travelled to Europe, I bought a painting (usually quite cheap from a local artist on the street) in every city I stayed in for more than three days. I did the same upon returning to the States but chose to purchase prints instead of originals as originals tend to be more expensive here. It was a fun way to collect memories and also a fun way to decorate my home.

2. Postcards. I also collected postcards from Europe, particularly postcards of my favorite artwork from galleries and museums. The postcards were usually less than a dollar and I found cheap matted and unmatted frames at GoodWill to frame them with. Framing the postcards, especially the art postcards, was an easy and affordable way to introduce some beautiful art to my space.

3. Sheet music books. My mom found a few old sheet music books from a garage sale, and they manged to fall into my hands and end up in my apartment. They were so easy to frame because they came in a standard frame size. I chose to use a matted frame because the edges of the sheets were worn slightly. The mat hid the wear and made the sheet (and the stunning art on it) really stand out. The results were fun, retro art pieces that added interest and needed ivory coloring to my living room.

What is your favorite decorating idea?

Ciao!

Sarah

5 Fall Trends That I Can’t Wait For

Posted on July 30, 2012 by Sarah S.

If you haven’t noticed already, clothing brands have been launching their fall collections this past week. I’ve already noticed a few great fall trends that I am excited to buy (I will try my best to wait until September!). I also figure it’s a good idea for me to have an understanding what I want to buy before I actually go out there and shop, since I do have to consider my budget. These trends are currently top of my list, and I will spend the next couple of months searching for some great deals on them.

1. Colored Tights

A great variation on summer’s colored denim, colored tights will be a great way to keep the bright colors of last season alive through autumn.

$9.90 from Nordstrom

2. Venetian or Smoking Shoes

These shoes are a comfortable alternative to a heel and a unique spin on a flat. Not to mention that they can easily be dressed up or down.

$49.95 from GAP

3. Oversized Coats

They are finally available to the masses! I first fell in love with Mary Margaret’s oversized coat in the first season of Once Upon a Time.

4. Leather

I always consider leather, particularly leather jackets and bags, a staple for fall, but this season, leather is becoming even more popular (and look out for hybrid leather-fabric designs too).

$99.90 from Steve Madden at Nordstrom

5. Printed Dress Pants

I saw plenty of printed denim and leggings this spring, but I am really excited to see the prints taken up a notch in classy dress pants.

$110 from J.Crew

What fall trend are you most excited for?

Ciao!

Sarah

Great Finds: Vintage Patterns & 1970s Vogue Sewing Book

Posted on July 23, 2012 by Sarah S.

I ran across these unique vintage patterns at two different antique shops in Wisconsin. I’m going to attempt to sew using the patterns, but if I have no luck, I’ll be glad to use them as decoration in my bedroom. Sew, Mama, Sew! has some useful tips about sewing from vintage patterns. One of them happens to be buy an “old school sewing book.” Thankfully, I picked up a 1970s (my era of choice for patterns incidentally) copy of The Vogue Sewing Book of Fitting Adjustments & Alternations at Good Will.

Total Cost?

$7.50 for the vintage patterns

$3 for the Vogue sewing book

______

$10.50 (plus whatever I end up spending fabric–don’t worry, I’ll keep you updated!)

Have you ever tried to sew using vintage patterns?

Ciao!

Sarah

Quick & Easy Chicken Parmesan

Posted on July 14, 2012 by Sarah S.

I found the original recipe here, but modified it slightly so that it feeds two instead of four.

What you need:

2 boneless chicken breasts
1 egg
1/4-1/2 cup milk
bread crumbs
olive oil
shredded mozerella cheese
1 small jar of spaghetti sauce
parmesan cheese
skillet
glass baking pan

Prep (10 min. to prepare, 20 min. to cook):

Pound the chicken breasts to about 1/2 inch thick.

Whisk the egg and milk. I give a range for the milk depending on your taste. Using 1/2 a cup will give you left overs and is ideal if you are making 3-4 servings.

Dip the chicken breasts in the milk and egg mixture and then dip in the bread crumbs.

Put a small amount of olive oil (about 3 tablespoons) in a skillet and place in chicken breasts. Cook until the chicken is brown and cooked all the way through. This shouldn’t take more than five minutes or so.

Set the chicken into a glass baking dish and sprinkle the mozerella on top. Then pour a desired about of sauce over on top. Top with parmesan cheese.

Bake at 350° for about 20 to 25 mintues or until the sauce is bubbly.

I served mine with spaghetti but most pasta works well!

Enjoy!

Do you recommend any easy, quick recipes?

Ciao!

Sarah

p.s. To set the record straight, chicken parmesan is not an Italian dish. You’ll only find it on the menu of tourist restaurants in Italy! It’s another example of a delicious American dish with Italian inspiration.