About the wall color of the kitchen

Hi all!
I've had quite a few ask me about the color of the walls in the kitchen. Well, bad news, you can't buy it. (aww..I know..I heard that audible sigh!) BUT..and yes there is a but, you CAN MAKE IT, just like I did!

When it came to putting a color on the walls of the kitchen, I wanted to 'match' the dinning room, but didn't want to be as 'dark' as the dinning room. I wanted it to 'flow'.
So here's what I did.
Since I only had about 1/2 gallon of what was left from the dinning room, I knew it wouldn't be enough (in the end, it probably would have, but I like having extra paint to 'coordinate' with, so off to the dreaded 'walmart' to see if I could match it up.
I grabbed the original paint can lid, (which was from Behr, Home Depot)that had the recipe right on the top, jumped in the car and zoomed out. Walmart matched it up pretty good..using "Kilz Casual Colors": "Golden Pyramid, B24. I then purchased a gallon of basic 'white wall and trim, by Color Place, satin finish. While I was there, I picked up an empty 5 gallon bucket with lid.

Rushing home to make my creation, I dumped the entire gallon of white paint into the 5 gallon bucket and started putting about '2 cups' at a time of the yellow Golden Pyramid in mixing after each addition, till I had just the color I wanted. Total use, was just about 3/4's of the gallon of yellow to one gallon of white.
It gave me this nice 'sandy yellow toned' color, that was in the same tone/hue of my dinning room.
That's how I did it and thus the 'Saged Golden Butter Cream" color was created. :) (like that name?) LOL
I encourage EVERYONE to play with paints. Start with your original color and add to it. Darken it, lighten it, whatever! Play with it. It's not too expensive of a toy and you can always use 'flubs' on outside projects!

See ya next time......down on the farm!

Sage

OK, here it is..the final peek!

Remember this??

Here are the pictures that many of you have been waiting for. BEFORE AND AFTER!!

I tried to take the 'same' angle shots, but ehh..it'll work!

I have not finished decorating yet, and not EVERYTHING in the kitchen is done, but I figured you could get a real good idea of the finished project..and you had waited long enough.

Here's what's NOT done yet. The range hood still has to be put back up..you can see it still sitting on the counter (hubby will probably do that tonight), the frame around the window has to be cut, painted and put in (this weekend), curtains and decorations have to be finished. Other then that..the two main walls still have to be painted (no pics of that side of the kitchen yet)

So here ya go..before's and after's (for the most part)

BEFORE

AFTER!

BEFORE!

AFTER!!

See ya next time......down on the farm!

Sage

Almost at an end

The kitchen makeover/redo is almost coming to a closure. I've got a few things left to do (having 3 days of last week that I did NOT get to work on the kitchen, has of course, put me a wee bit behind. HOWEVER..the final things are getting done, even down to some decorating so look for new pics of before and after in the next few days! (now I'm already starting to think and dream of 'more' things to do with the 'clean slate' white! ..ohhno!)
Till then..

See ya next time......down on the farm!

Sage

Thrift Store Thursday!

Well..seems like I'm making a habit of stopping by the thrift store every Thursday on the way home from visiting my daughter and grandbaby. Check the silde show out for some of the 'treasures' I've found this week!

The wooden chest, about the size of a medicine cabinet was only 3.99 I plan on using it for a 'medicine' cabinet in my guest bathroom. I'll paint it to look sun worn to match the 'beach/boardwalk' theme in there, and paint another picture of a seascape or shells to put in the area where the broken glass is. Will be great for hanging hand towels on. :) I'll post as soon as I complete the 'redo' on that one!
Patterns came in bags of 10 for 1.25
Kitchen recipe plaques were .25cents @
Slate painting for my dinning room was 2.99
Red sleigh was .45cents
Large wooden Santa was .45cents
The Santa box was .45cents
Wooden Frame (10x14) was.45cents
Bag of paint sponges .99cents
Wooden pig .65cents
Quilt Pillow Shams were 4.99 for both

Pretty good haul don't ya think??
ENJOY!!

Thrift Store Thursday

Facelift..end of day 4!

Here we are..the end of day 4

And it sure does seem like forever! I'm still not close to being done, but I will say I'm only about 2 days away from the cabinets being finished!

A few 'disappointments' came...all my fault. When I bought the paint, I told the guy..I didn't want shiny paint. Low and behold, he gave me 'enamel' which is a shiny paint. I didn't notice..You can't take paint back and heck..who wants to waste almost 30$! So, I dealt with it, or will deal with it. It's not as shiny as I thought it was going to be, but it's still got a shine to it. I'm trying to look on the bright side. Enamel will withstand just about anything, is tough and extremely washable, so these are all good things for a kitchen.

Anyway, I've sanded and primed all the doors and drawer fronts. They have all now had at least 1 coat of the real paint...and many have had their second coat on at least one side. Realize I have 19 cabinet doors, and you have to double that cuz you're painting both sides! I only have space to do 8 at a time...with a 2 hour dry time between coats! That makes for a long duration of cabinet painting!

The hinges and knobs were all painted black today. I don't think the paint is going to stick to the knobs, so I may have to go buy new 'wooden' ones and paint those. No big deal there either, I can use these till I do that..(a week or so)

After all the cabinet doors are painted (hopefully tonight) they will have to cure for at least 24 hours before I can put them up. That makes it at least Thursday morning. Again, looking on the bright side, I'll have my kitchen back into some semblance of order by the weekend.

As soon as the cabinets are all finished, cured and put back together, I'll begin again on the walls, taping first then painting with primer.
Then I'll mix my own color with the two left over paints (from the dinning room.a spicy mustard yellow and from the kitchen) and paint the walls.

WHEW!
Enjoy the slide show!
I'll post before and afters soon!


See ya next time......down on the farm!

Sage

Kitchen Facelift progress

KITCHEN CLOSED!

OH NO!! ..Ohh yes! I'm redoing my kitchen this week. It's getting a facelift!

While I'm sanding, painting, refurbishing and what not, there will be very few recipes posted. HOWEVER, you can look forward to some yummy ones coming up for next week as we get into 'weekly shopping plans'!
Check the home page Sagewood Farms to get updates on the kitchen facelift and wish me luck to get it done quick, cuz I'm itching to cook in a 'new' kitchen!

Two days in!

The day is over

And much has been accomplished, but it seems to be a slow process.

All the cabinet doors and bases had to be cleaned and then sanded (to make sure primer and paint will stick). Then working in a small area, I can only do so many doors at once before running out of drying space. While doors are drying, I'm painting cabinet bases and wall spaces.
The day has come to an end, the kitchen is cleaned and waiting for the sun to rise and me to start again. The Good news?? EVERYTHING (except for some wall sections) has been washed, sanded, primed and primed again! Tomorrow, the paint starts going on!
In between painting the doors and the bases, I'll finish priming the walls. When this gets all done..I get to start on the OTHER side of the kitchen! ACK!!
Luckily there are only two cabinets on that side (and I'm doing those already) but the other side of the room is LOTS OF WALL SPACE!

Enjoy the slide show of the progress!

See ya next time......down on the farm!

Sage

And so the process begins.

Today is the day...the kitchen face lift has begun. So here in..we'll keep a 'make-over' diary!

Here's a few 'before' shots for ya...

I was just so tired of 'brown' wood. I've always loved a white kitchen and that's what I wanted. Add to the fact that I don't like my kitchen layout in the first place so I figure..at least give me a 'color' or look I like right?? RIGHT! (and before it's all over, I may do some 'cabinet' adjustments and such too! If I could find any place other then my kitchen to keep my chest freezer I'd be in good shape. But..as it stands, there are no other places. (sigh)

And so I began. After taking the FIRST cabinet doors off, the old fashioned way with a screwdriver (ohmygawd)...I received this!

No..it's not a blister (yet), but..it's something I don't want..so you know what I did?? I went to the barn and got "THIS"

An hour later, all doors and their hardware removed and wow..it looks busy in here doesn't it?? Well, it WAS clean!! It will be again, may be a few days, but it'll all come together eventually.

I'll be reusing all the knobs and hinges, so they are soaking in paint thinner to remove ANY grease or residue. Then they'll be scrubbed in hot water and soap, then tomorrow after they've dried over night I'll paint them black.

Since I'll be doing the walls directly after getting cabinets done, when I start the primer, I'll primer EVERYTHING except the countertop!
Check back in a few days for some updated 'face lift' pictures!! Till then..happy decorating..painting, priming and sanding! (what in the world did I get myself into!?)

See ya next time......down on the farm!

Sage

Ok, it's spring, it is official right?
The plum tree, the pear tree and the blueberry bushes all have budding flowers. If I don't get a pic before the day is out, I'll miss it all together! (See..Springtime, down here in the south, only lasts oohhh about 3 days. After that..it's summer. I SWEAR!! Ask any southerner!)

At any rate..I made the weekly trip this week to see the girlchild and her offspring.."Squishy'.( Lol)..and on the way home the hubs and I stopped off at Lowes. I was DETERMINED today to get the paint for my kitchen.
See I've been to Lowes, 3 x's in the last 3weeks, and EVERY TIME I've gone in, I go to the paint counter and they are packed, lined up 4 & 5 deep. And wouldn't you know it, not a 'paint person' in sight! So I've just said "OH well, I get it next time."
Well, next time came today!
Have paint in hand, and will begin the process tomorrow if I'm able! I'll start doing some 'before and after pics'. We are going from wood (which I like don't get me wrong) to white (which I love!)

See ya next time......down on the farm!

Sage

What's all the hype??

Artisan Bread?? Just what exactly is that?? I mean..it's not like we need another type of bread there are a gazillion types out there already and now we get to add 'artisan' to the list?? WTH??

Artisan Bread..sounds intriguing if nothing else. In simple terms, it means...bread that someone made. (HA!) ok ok..to be more specific, it means bread that is 'crafted' and not mass produced.
Sooo that means, when I get in my kitchen and bake a loaf of bread, it's ARTISAN Bread. How unique huh?
BLAH..to me, this is hoopla! Hoopla to get someone to buy something is just that..hoopla...not artisan!!
Call it what you will, it's bread. Yeast, flour of some sort, sugar (usually) and various other ingredients that one feels like adding. SO be your OWN artisan and poo poo those high prices at the store for the 'word' ARTISAN! (what we won't think of next to gain the almighty dollar!)


Here ya go..a recipe to make the perpetual 'artisan bread'. (and seriously, this couldn't be easier!)
What you'll need:
ONE VERY LARGE BOWL! (I'm being serious here..large..I repeat..LARGE).
A mixer if you have it, if not good muscles. Plastic wrap.

1 1/2 Tablespoons of salt
1 1/2 Tablespoons of yeast
3 Cups of warm water (warm to touch)
6 Cups of flour, your choice, just not self rising.
Ready??
Put the salt and the yeast into a large mixing bowl (not the same one listed above). Add the warm water and mix with the mixer for a few mins. Begin adding the flour, 1/2 cup at a time, blending with the mixer untill all 6 cups are used. This dough will be very sticky.

Transfer the sticky dough, to the VERY LARGE OILED bowl, sprinkle lightly with flour and cover with a cloth. Let rise for several hours (2-3) in a warm place. You can place this inside the oven, which has been heated for 5 minutes on 200 and turned off.
After 2-3 hours, be prepared..it's like monster in the bowl and has grown to enormous size!

You won't really be able to punch it down, as it's sticky, but you can pull it away from the sides of the bowl, so pull it out from the bowl all the way around. Now remove about 1/4 of it and place in a prepared (oiled) pan of your choice. Either a loaf pan, a souffle dish, a pie pan, your choice. The dough will form to the pan you put it in for the most part (as long as the pan is not too big)
Sprinkle the top very lightly with flour and cover with your cloth and let rise in a warm place for about 40 mins.
Place plastic wrap over the large bowl of dough, tightly and put it in the fridge. (you can use it again tomorrow..just be prepared, even in the fridge it will GROW!)

Once your dough has risen 40 mins, put it in a hot oven ..450 for 30 minutes. Lower the heat to 400 and bake 20 minutes more.
This bread makes a very very crispy crust and bottom. The inside is wonderful! Serve it with any meal and call it 'ARTISAN' bread.
Everyone will bow down and call you a genius!

**HINT HINT HINT:
This recipe..this dough..the way this cooks up, is VERY VERY similar to 'pan pizza' crust...soooo THINK ABOUT IT..consider making homemade pizza out of some of your lovely' artisan bread' ..wonder what we should really call this stuff?

Well last week it was "THRIFT" day!

OH yes, I headed to the thrift store twice in one week last week! Once by myself..and once with the hubby!

Here are a few of the treasures I found (and at REALLY GOOD PRICES too!) We did pick up a few things that are not pictured here..a few thermos type items for the hubby to use while fishing. :)

This is pretty much as much as I could get in the photo of an overview of the 'treasure'.

The pig pillow, small...45Cents


Two Anne Geddes Lithographs for my grandbabies..$1.99 @...and a wooden frame for a future stitchery .65cents

Doing good so far?? LOL

Not sure what you'd call this.. a candle box maybe?? Either way, someone had begun a tole painting on it, never finished it..I picked it up for .99cents. Ohhh and the 'turner' inside..well it's old, and it's just the coolest spatula looking thing I've seen in a while. Wooden and metal handle..don't know if I'll use it or hang it!

Ok..I picked up 5 dinner napkins..the same color as my walls, and two that were print..total on those..3.00$. The Crocks..one is complete, the other has the lid and metal snaps missing..99for the good one .45 for the one with missing pieces. :) trust me.I'll still use the one with missing pieces! And a lovely box, that says "Growing Herbs" at the top, it's adorable really..got it for a whopping .99cents too..I can't wait to fit a few small pots in it on the window sill with herbs in it! And the little white ceramic statue is of Santa on the bottom and three of his elfs atop..I'll paint that up for Xmas!

And finally..

The rabbit..along with some other things. A black crock on the left, complete (.99) ..the rabbit was 1.50..I am NOT into 'hearts' so I intend to take those off, other then that, this guy has found a home already over my kitchen door leading outside. :) (pointing straight to the garden I might add!) So before it's over, I just may 'write' something on his arrow about 'garden this way' or something along those lines!

And my joy of joy's

The little guys in the back.. I love all crocks or jars with the metal 'snaps'. The little guys in the back, 5 of them are 'jars' ..small but not tiny, look to hold about a cup maybe. A few had the rubber seals, the rest did not, came complete with their glass lids and metal snaps. Three of them have stamps on the bottom that give dates, one says 1897, two others say 1877. Don't know if they are 'for real' or possibly 'remakes' but either way..LOVE THEM! Ohh ps on this .65cents a piece!

The black crock has already found a home. Most of you know, I LOVE to cook. SO, next to my stove I have this little set up here. The off white crock contains salt for me to use when cooking (I'm a 'finger' cook) so when I picked up the black one, I thought what could be better, but to use it for the pepper!

Behind those crocks are bottles of 'olive oil, balsamic vinegar and red wine vinegar. My biscuit basket and of course, my pizza stone!

Hope you enjoyed my treasures..I know I will!!

Till next time

The Hedgewife!

Happy Dog!

Now that the fence is all in, and Baxter has been 'set free' to roam about...
This is one happy dog!!!


Matter of fact, Baxter is so happy, we can't get him back IN the house! I guess he's decided we need an outside watch dog! (and that's all he'll do too..watch!)

After working in the garden boxes all day, Baxter visited me inside the fenced garden area and decided he'd try one out. Talk about a 'garden bed'.....I mean! That's what I get for leaving the gate open!

And of course, the 'ladies of the house' (chickens) are doing their part around here, loading me down with eggs! Anyone want an omelet?

See ya next time......down on the farm!

Sage

Time for Sage's Chicken Enchiladas!

Well here we are again, time for dinner. Since I cooked a BUNCH of chicken the day before in the crock pot, it was time to turn it into 'something' and Mexican was on my mind!!

So here ya go..here's what I did

Precook the chicken (boil it or however, just find some extra chicken!) Now I must say, my chicken was SOOO cooked, that I didn't have to pick the chicken from the bones, I just had to pick the bones out! (if you boil your chicken, save the broth for soup on another day..freeze it!

I used a lot of chicken and made a whole pan of very large enchiladas, but on average you would use about 2lbs of chicken.

Here's the rest of the ingredients:

1 pkgs cream cheese

1/2 onion

1/2 bell pepper

1 garlic clove, chopped or 1 T. minced garlic

2 tomatoes (small to medium)

2 jalapenos (chopped, seeds removed)

dash or two of red crushed pepper

1 T. cumin

1 t. chili powder

salt & pepper

Cilantro (if you have it) If you don't, see hint below.

flour tortilla wrappers

1 C. grated cheddar cheese

1/2 C (or more) salsa

shredded lettuce

Sour cream

Ready? Let's cook!

Mix your chicken with one package of cream cheese.
Saute the onions, jalapenos, garlic and bell pepper in a bit of butter or oil (your choice). Add to the chicken.

Chop up one tomato in medium/small chunks and toss in the skillet. Stir just to heat. Add to the chicken.
Add all spices and mix well. Taste! (add salt and pepper if needed or any other spice you'd like!)

I usually add some cilantro at this point but I didn't have any today, but here's what I did have

It's a cilantro cooking base, you can find in your Mexican food section of the grocers...so I added about 2 Tablespoons, and some extra minced garlic!

Time to wrap! Get your tortilla's warm (they are easier to wrap if they are warm) I used the LARGE tortillas. Place two or three large spoons of your filling near one edge of the tortilla, fold over the edge, roll once, fold in the ends and continue rolling and place in a casserole dish, seam side down. Continue until all the filling is gone!

Top with the salsa and cheese. Bake at 350 for about 15-20 mins (till heated through and cheese is melted)

Serve with Shredded lettuce and the other chopped tomato topped with sour cream, extra salsa and maybe even some guacamole! Don't forget the chips!

HAPPY COOKING!! OLE'!!

Something I forgot!

And a few things I didn't. When showing pics of my craft room last week..and my 'material stash', there were some I forgot to include!

At Christmas, my DIL gave me exactly what I asked for..material to add to my quilt stash....

They came all bundled like you see..in .......THIS

A 'picnic' basket! Which now sits in my dinning room. Isn't it cute!!

Oh, and I should post this on the garden blog, but it's here for fun. I've been working on our garden boxes for a few days now, what with all the wonderful weather and our newest addition thought he'd try to them out for size!

Now, that's what I call.."Homegrown!"

And finally, the only 'craft' I've done as of late, were these.

They are real eggs...blown of course and I took small bits of tissue paper and decoupaged them onto the eggs. They turned out pretty cute, very colorful!

I guess that'll be it for this Hedgewife today..I'm off to start dinner..Chicken Enchiladas!! I'll post the recipe on The Kitchen Blog later today or tomorrow. See you then!

Sage, the Hedgewife.