Chicken Meatballs and Mushroom Gravy-The Nate Show

Chicken Meatballs
Makes about 2 dozen 1 ½ inch meatballs

Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 pounds ground chicken, preferably thigh meat
2 large eggs
½ cup bread crumbs
½ cup chopped fresh parsley
¼ cup dry white wine
1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon ground fennel
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions
Preheat the oven to 450°F. Drizzle the olive oil into a 9×13-inch baking dish and use your hand to evenly coat the entire surface. Set aside.
Combine the ground chicken, eggs, bread crumbs, parsley, white wine, salt, fennel, and pepper in a large mixing bowl and mix by hand until thoroughly incorporated.
Roll the mixture into round, golf ball-size meatballs (about 1 ½ inches), making sure to pack the meat firmly. Place the balls in the prepared baking dish, being careful to line them up snugly and in even rows vertically and horizontally to form a grid. The meatballs should be touching one another.
Roast for 20 minutes, or until the meatballs are firm and cooked through. A meat thermometer inserted into the center of a meatball should read 165°F.
Allow the meatballs to cool for 5 minutes in the baking dish before serving.

Mushroom Gravy
Makes 4 cups

Ingredients
¼ cup olive oil
1 large onion, halved and cut into 1/8-inch slices
1 ½ tablespoons salt
1 tablespoon fresh thyme
1 pound button mushrooms, wiped clean and cut into ¼ -inch slices
2/3 cup dry white wine
4 cups chicken stock
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
¼ cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
Freshly ground black pepper

Directions
Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions, salt, and thyme and cook, stirring constantly, until the onions have become soft and translucent, about 10 minutes.
Add the mushrooms and cook until almost all of their liquid has evaporated, about 10 minutes. Add the white wine and continue cooking until the pan is almost dry, about 5 minutes. Add the chicken stock and continue cooking until the stock is reduced by half, about 30 minutes.
In the meantime, combine the butter and flour in a small bowl and mix together with the back of a wooden spoon until a smooth paste forms. Add the paste to the simmering gravy and whisk continuously until the paste has completely dissolved and the gravy has thickened. Stir in the parsley and add pepper to taste.

DIY Chalk Paint Waterfall Chest

This little chest was in  bad shape when I found her abandoned on the side of the road.  I love  waterfall furniture and hoped I could bring her back to life, After a lot of sanding and filling in holes she was ready to paint.  My DIY baking soda worked but I wanted to try the gesso.  I used 2/3's paint to 1/3 gesso, it mixed well and was chalky like the baking soda. I loved how beautiful she looked in her new coat of paint and decided not to do any distressing but added 2 coats of clear wax.  I chose white ceramic drawer pulls, I loved the contrast with the blue.

Shabby Kitchens

Pinterest is my new favorite thing. Whenever I am looking for inspiration I get on my computer and  pull up pinterest. PINTREST HAS BECOME SUCH AN ADDICTION!

Today I went looking for shabby chic kitchen inspiration and as usual was not disappointed. Look at these gorgeous kitchens I found.

The first photo is from Shabby Chic White via Pinterest.The first thing that drew my attention was  how cozy and inviting this all white kitchen is. The natural wood flooring and white beadboard paneling bring  texture and warmth to the room.  I love the nontraditional open shelving. Not only is this a great way to display vintage collectibles, it also makes them more accessible. You all know what a big fan I am of using fabric skirting to hide unsightly appliances or anything else you want to keep hidden.

In this photo from media-cashe2 via Pinterest, a to die for farmhouse sink is calling my name. The combination of the unique elaborate upper glass door cabinets and the rustic two toned bottom cabinets are perfect together. I long for a kitchen island but it's not a possibility in my galley kitchen.

In this photo from the Ticking and Toile blog  a fabulous chandelier hanging over a distressed island brings vintage character to this otherwise modern kitchen.

Fabric Ideas for Patio

I decided to update my boring beige and green back patio with some more colorful fabrics and paint.  I didn't realize how expensive outdoor cushions were until I started pricing them. So I started looking at discount stores and fabric stores for some inexpensive alternatives .Trying to find coordinating fabrics from different stores and manufactures is not an easy task but I did find these prints with the same aqua color that I think go together well.  I found a yard of outdoor fabric  to cover the cushions on the 4 dining chairs, a small chair cushion  and a set of two larger ones for the price of 1 seat cushion in the high end stores.  I plan on using the blue's and green's from the cushions to paint the chairs and table.

Does anyone have any inexpensive and colorful  DIY projects I can incorporate into my patio makeover?

Cynrhia Sass Recipes +Nate Burkas

This morning on The Nate Berkus Show, Cynthia Sass demonsrated some of the healthy
 recipes out of her book Cinch! that helps conquer craving, drop the pounds and loose inches.

Give your diet a healthy boost with Cynthia Sass' green tea chicken with avocado corn salad, zesty cinnamon basil berry tea, and more.
Green Tea Chicken with Avocado Corn Salad
Ingredients
3 oz cooked boneless, skinless chicken breast, diced
½ tsp green tea leaves mixed with 1/8 tsp each black pepper, garlic powder and lemon zest
1 1/2 cups field greens or baby romaine
¼ cup all natural jarred salsa and sliced red onion
½ cup fresh or frozen, thawed sweet corn or kernels sliced from 1 medium ear of fresh roasted corn
1/4 of a medium avocado
Instructions
Rub chicken with green tea mixture and set aside. Toss greens and onion with salsa to coat. Transfer greens to bowl, top with corn then chicken and avocado.
Zesty Cinnamon Basil Berry Tea
Ingredients
1 bag green tea
¼ cup 100% Concord grape juice
1 cinnamon stick
¼ tsp freshly grated orange or tangerine zest (use organic fruit to avoid pesticide residue)
3 sweet basil leaves, torn
Optional: Unflavored all natural seltzer
Instructions
In a large mug, add tea bag to 6 ounces boiling water. Use cinnamon stick to stir in the juice and zest. Leave cinnamon stick in mug. Add basil and steep, covered for 5 minutes. Remove tea bag but leave other all ingredients and enjoy.
Optional cold beverage version: Chill tea, transfer to a tumbler and mix with ½ cup effervescent all natural seltzer. The longer the tea sits in the refrigerator, the more it becomes infused with flavor. You can even chill it overnight but for freshness. Just be sure to drink or discard within 24 hours.
Savory Spaghetti Squash with Citrus Zest
Ingredients
2 cups cooked spaghetti squash
½ cup whole wheat angel hair pasta
1 Tbsp basil pesto
1 oz aged Asiago cheese, shredded
½ tsp tangerine zest
Instructions
Toss cooked spaghetti squash and angel hair with pesto to coat. Transfer to plate. Garnish with Asiago and sprinkle with zest.

Another Great Use for Pallets - Small Space Pallet Garden

The upcoming arrival of Spring takes my thoughts from indoors to outdoors. I love to grow my own herbs and vegetables and am always looking for creative and attractive DIY ways to utilize as much available space as possible for gardening. This includes using attractive pots on my porches and deck, so I was thrilled to find this post at Apartment Therapy which repurposes a wooden pallet into a beautiful garden display perfect for any small outdoor space.

And who would have thought to turn old plastic storage tubs and trellises into a useful porch garden.

For more great "gardening without a garden" ideas like these check out the original post here.

Thrifty Finds

At a thrift store in downtown I found a vintage Daher tin for only .25 cents. As I love all things blue this little tin immediately caught my eye. Taking a closer look I saw it was stamped on the bottom.

Later I stopped at Ross and in the clearance section I found these terrific metal keys for  a $1.49.

I also found this cool mirrored soap dispenser also for only $1.49.