Let's talk about Annie Sloan paint

Let's talk about Annie Sloan paint. If you're not familiar, Annie Sloan is a mad scientist who created what some tout as the best paint in the world.

If you have had the good fortune to hear about Annie Sloan Chalk paint and have gone a step further to check it out at your local retailer, you see that this miracle paint comes at quite a price. Almost $35 for 32 fluid ounces and when you tack on shipping and handling we're looking at a $47 for a quart of paint. You see to me, a one-income family housewife, who is taking a Dave Ramsey Finance class; this was a frivolous purchase if I ever made one!

I'm NOT hating! Dave WOULD allow this purchase if it was in the budget...and it was! 

Nevertheless, there is a lot of hype about this paint among the DIYer crowd, and I don't want to be the last one to the rodeo!

Truthfully in taking this class by Dave Ramsey, I've had this renewed sense that when I purchase something, I want it to be quality, so I'm not replacing or retouching it in six months. In doing my research, I've found the chalk paint created by Annie Sloan is supposed to be just that- Quality.

The story truly begins last fall when I found this vintage table on craigslist. At the time, I was looking for a table with collapsible sides so it would be able to fit into a small space. I loved how this thing could virtually fold up and fit into your purse. Well not that small, but it is very versatile with two collapsing sides and two extenders that can be removed.

As I mentioned before it was a vintage table which translates into, it needed some extra love. This Sprague & Carlton maple dinning set was most likely crafted in the 1950s, and it screams Betty Draper's dinning room, well more like Peggy's mom's dinning room (think Mad Men, then you'll get the joke.)  The finish was wearing off the chairs, and the table top desperately  needed to be sanded and refinished. With a list, a mile long of things to do with this table set and the weather not cooperating at all, it just sat waiting for a little spray paint, or so I thought.

Sometimes waiting is the best thing that can happen to a project, because it allows us a little time to research. My extensive research (me sitting with a cup of coffee looking at blogs in the morning) led me to Annie Sloan paint. I mean, yeah I've seen it used my Miss Mustard Seed and Censational girl and thought awe that's nice. However, it was sitting on my butt and really thinking about the quality and primer-free coverage that this paint offered that convinced me to try. And try I did!

My order was placed with a local distributor, and I waited with anticipation until my UPS package arrived! I have to admit when that package was finally delivered all I could think was, "Crap, this is small!!" I hoped that it would cover my table and chairs without having to stop halfway through.

I set to work on my first chair. I used a small flat head brush to apply the paint. It was a bit like creating sand art with tweezers, but the finished project was well worth the elbow grease. The finish is beautiful and that stuff really does stick to all surfaces as it promises! I roughed up the edges for a little character, because nothing  says, "I've been through years of use" like fake scratches.

When it was all finished I decided to move my dinning room to the next room over. It looks great and there's a lot of space thanks to my table that can fit in my pocket!

The table is next, but I'm going to need a weekend for that one.

Oh and as an extra bonus I still have half a can of paint left and here's what I do with leftover paint. This trick keeps it fresh for up to five years!

Leftover Paint

Pour into a jar. I'm using an old pickle jar ;)

Place a sheet of plastic like a sandwich bag between the lid and the jar.

Label and store. This keeps the paint for up to five years.

There was still precious paint left in the can. So I added a little water to get every last drop. WHAT?! This stuff was over a dollar an ounce and I'm cheap!

Annie Sloan's paint can be mixed with water for a lime wash effect.

Meal Planner Monday

Good Monday to you! I have so many happy, wonderful and fun things to share with you this week. I've been so busy it's been so hard to sit down for any length of time a type up posts about what I've been doing. I guess that's life with a teething one year old and sneaky two year old!  I'm just hoping to have time to catch up with you soon! In the mean time, I just put together a meal planner for this fine Monday afternoon.

Remember to go to AllYou.com to find the best deals on ingredients in your area!

 Ingredients

8 pork chops (1/2 inch thick)
1 teaspoon seasoned salt
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of celery soup, undiluted
2/3 cup milk
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 (26 ounce) package frozen shredded hash brown potatoes
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese, divided
1 (2.8 ounce) can French-fried onions, divided

Directions

1. Sprinkle pork chops with seasoned salt. In a skillet, brown chops on both sides in oil.
2. In a large bowl, combine the soup, milk, sour cream, salt and pepper; stir in hash browns, 3/4 cup cheese and half of the onions. Spread into a greased 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking dish. Arrange pork chops on top.
3. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.
4. Uncover; sprinkle with the remaining cheese and onions. Bake, uncovered, 5-10 minutes longer or until potatoes are tender, cheese is melted and meat juices run clear.

Ingredients

1.5kg whole free-range chicken
5 tbsp red wine vinegar
4 tbsp maple syrup/ honey
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tbsp sesame seeds

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/fan180°C/gas 6. Season the chicken and pour 2 tablespoons vinegar into the body cavity. Put in a roasting tin and roast for 1 hour 10 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, mix together the remaining vinegar with the syrup, cinnamon and sesame seeds. Brush half the mixture over the chicken and roast for a further 10 minutes. Brush with the remaining glaze and return to the oven for a final 10 minutes, until the chicken is deeply golden and shiny. Rest for 5 minutes before carving. Serve with roasted carrots and leeks.

Ingredients

12 ounces Rigatoni
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 lb. Cajun style sausage
1/4 cup shallots, minced
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
1/4 cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 cup fresh spinach, de-ribbed, rinsed
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
3 tablespoons chives, chopped fine
*OPTIONAL Omit ½ pound sausage and substitute with 1 lb shrimp and 2 tablespoon of Cajun seasoning to coat.

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until al-dente. Drain, coat with half the oil to prevent sticking. Cover and keep warm
2. Cut sausage into one inch pieces.
3. Heat a skillet over high heat. Add sausage and cook until no longer pink in center and lightly brown on outside. Remove to plate with paper towel, cover to keep warm. Pour out grease in skillet
4. In same skillet, heat over high, add remaining oil. add shallots. cook until translucent. Add garlic. Cook an additional 15 seconds. Add wine and lemon juice away from heat. Cook until almost dry, scrapping bits from bottom of pan
5. Add heavy cream and sausage. Cook until cream reduces in half
(6. Meanwhile, (If adding shrimp) heat a dry non-stick skillet over high heat under high ventilation. Toss shrimp in cajun seasoning to coat, shake off excess. Cook shrimp just until no longer translucent.)
7. Add spinach, pasta, and half the Parmesan to the sauce. Toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Cook an additional 30 seconds or until spinach wilts
8. Divide among 4 bowls. Top with remaining Parmesan, chives, and shrimp. Serve with crusty french bread.

 Ingredients

4 potatoes peeled and cubed

1/2lb.bacon

4 cups chicken broth

1 ½ cups whipping cream

1 cup sharp cheddar

1 bay leaf

2 tsp sage

2 tsp thyme

2 tablespoons butter

Directions

1. saute bacon in a frying pan.

2. When bacon is crisp and you can touch it, crumble into pieces and set aside.

3. In the same pan add 2 tablespoons of butter. When the butter has melted sprinkle in 2 tsp each of the sage and thyme.

4. To the herbed butter add the chicken broth, whipping cream, bay leaf and four potatoes

and simmer until the potatoes are tender.

5. Add the cup of cheese to the stock and stir until melted through. Add the bacon and stir.

 Ingredients

12 cream or plain crackers
8 sprigs of fresh Italian parsley
2 heaped teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 pound good-quality ground beef
1 large egg
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Olive oil
6 burger buns

Optional toppings for the burgers:

1 romaine or butterhead lettuce
3 tomatoes
1 red onion
3 or 4 pickles

Directions

To make your burger

Wrap the crackers in a kitchen towel and smash up until fine, breaking up any big bits with your hands, and put them into a large bowl. Finely chop the parsley, including the stalks. Add the parsley, mustard, and ground beef to the bowl. Crack in the egg and add a good pinch of salt and pepper. With clean hands, scrunch and mix everything up well. Divide into 6 and pat and mold each piece into a roundish shape about 3/4-inch thick. Drizzle the burgers with oil, put on a plate, cover and place in the refrigerator until needed (this helps them to firm up).

To cook your burger

Preheat a large grill pan or frying pan for about 4 minutes on a high heat. Turn the heat down to medium. Place the burgers on the grill pan or in the frying pan and use a turner to lightly press down on them, making sure the burger is in full contact. Cook them to your liking for 3 or 4 minutes on each side — you may need to cook them in two batches.

To serve your burger

Wash and dry a few small lettuce leaves, tearing up the larger ones. Slice the tomatoes. Peel and finely slice the red onion. Slice the pickles lengthways as thinly as you can. Place all this on a platter and put it in the middle of the table with plates, cutlery, ketchup, and drinks. Transfer your burgers to another plate and carefully wipe your frying pan or grill pan clean with paper towels. Halve your burger buns and lightly toast them on the grill pan or in the frying pan. You could also serve your hamburgers with a chopped salad.

 Ingredients

         1/2 cup prepared salsa

         1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream

1 teaspoon canola oil
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound 93%-lean ground turkey
2 large plum tomatoes, diced
1 14-ounce can kidney beans, rinsed
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons chili powder
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
8 cups shredded romaine lettuce
1/2 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

Directions

1. Combine salsa and sour cream in a large bowl.
2. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 2 minutes. Add turkey and cook, stirring often and crumbling with a wooden spoon, until cooked through, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, beans, cumin and chili powder; cook, stirring, until the tomatoes begin to break down, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat, stir in cilantro and 1/4 cup of the salsa mixture.
3. Add lettuce to the remaining salsa mixture in the bowl; toss to coat. To serve, divide the lettuce among 4 plates, top with the turkey mixture and sprinkle with cheese.

GRAND TOTAL:   $69.89

Shopping List

PRODUCE

1/4 cup shallots

1 cup fresh spinach
1 tablespoon garlic

1 romaine or butterhead lettuce

8 sprigs of fresh Italian parsley

1 medium onion

3 cloves garlic

2 large plum tomatoes

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

8 cups shredded romaine lettuce

4 potatoes

3 tablespoons chives

2 tablespoons lemon juice

Optional:

3 tomatoes for slicing

1 red onion
3 or 4 pickles

DAIRY

1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream

1/2 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

1 large egg

2 tablespoons butter

1 ½ cups whipping cream

1 cup sharp cheddar

1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

2/3 cup milk

1/2 cup sour cream

1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

BAKING/SPICES

4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil plus more for sauteing

1 teaspoon canola oil

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

2 teaspoons ground cumin

2 teaspoons chili powder

Sea salt

1 teaspoon seasoned salt

ground black pepper

1 bay leaf

2 tsp sage

2 tsp thyme

1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tbsp sesame seeds

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

*OPTIONAL 2 tablespoon of Cajun seasoning

MEAT

1 lb. Cajun style sausage

1 whole chicken

1 pound 93%-lean ground turkey

1 pound good-quality ground beef

1/2lb.bacon

8 pork chops (1/2 inch thick)

*OPTIONAL 1 lb shrimp

CANNED

1 14-ounce can kidney beans

4 cups chicken broth

1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of celery soup

1 (2.8 ounce) can French-fried onions

SNACK

12 cream or plain crackers

CONDIMENTS
2 heaped teaspoons Dijon mustard

4 tbsp maple syrup/ honey

5 tbsp red wine vinegar

BREAD
6 burger buns

PASTA

12 ounces Rigatoni

BEVERAGE
1/4 cup dry white wine

FROZEN

1 (26 ounce) package frozen shredded hash brown potatoes

Meal Planner Monday

Happy Monday Everyone. Here are six meals for your eating pleasure. Be sure to go to AllYou.com to check out ingredients on sale in your area!

My Recipes

INGREDIENTS

• 1 3/4 cups shelled frozen edamame (10 oz. package)
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1/4 to 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 tablespoon minced chives
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 30 round wonton wrappers (3 1/2 in. diameter)
• Cilantro leaves
• Soy sauce, for serving
• *Serve with White Rice

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INSTRUCTIONS

1. Cook edamame according to package instructions.
2. Reserve 1/2 cup cooking water; drain edamame and set 3/4 cup aside.
3. In a blender, whirl remaining 1 cup edamame with ginger, lemon juice, salt, and about 1/3 to 1/2 cup reserved cooking water.
4. Transfer edamame paste to a bowl, mix with whole edamame and chives.
5. Bring a large, deep pot of salted water to a gentle boil and add vegetable oil.
6. Fill wonton wrappers with 1 tsp. edamame filling and top filling with a cilantro leaf (cover unfilled wrappers with a moist towel). Moisten wrapper edges with water, fold over filling, and press to seal. Boil wontons in batches until they float to surface, 2 minutes. Serve with soy sauce.

My Recipes

INGREDIENTS

• • 1 (16-ounce) package rigatoni or penne pasta
  • 1/4 cup butter
  • 1 medium onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 pound collard greens, washed, drained, and chopped
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 cups milk
  • 1 cup shredded mozzarella
  • 1 cup ricotta cheese
  • 2 teaspoons sugar
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

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INSTRUCTIONS

• 1. Prepare pasta according to directions. Drain and set aside. Preheat oven to 350°. Lightly grease a 13- x 9-inch baking dish.
  2. Heat butter in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat; sauté onion 5 minutes or until just brown. Add garlic, and cook about 1 minute. Reduce heat to medium-low, and add greens; cover and cook 15 to 20 minutes or until greens are tender, stirring occasionally.
  3. Sprinkle greens with flour. Cook uncovered, stirring constantly, 1 minute. Gradually add milk, stirring well. Cook 5 minutes, stirring often, until thickened and smooth. Remove from heat; stir in cooked pasta, mozzarella, and next 5 ingredients. Place into prepared dish, and sprinkle evenly with Parmesan.
  4. Bake at 350° for 15 to 20 minutes.

Food Network

INGREDIENTS

• • 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, peeled and coarsely chopped
  • 1 celery stalk, coarsely chopped
  • 1 carrot, coarsely chopped
  • 1 pound ground chuck beef
  • 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
  • 1/4 cup flat-leaf Italian parsley, chopped
  • 8 fresh basil leaves, chopped
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/4 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano

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INSTRUCTIONS

• 1. In a large skillet heat the olive oil. When almost smoking, add the onion and garlic and saute over medium heat until the onions become very soft, about 8 minutes. Add the celery and carrot and saute for 5 minutes. Raise heat to high and add the ground beef. Saute, stirring frequently and breaking up any large lumps and cook until meat is no longer pink, about 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes, parsley and basil and cook over medium low heat until the sauce thickens. Season with salt and pepper. This will take approximately 1/2 hour. Finish bolognese with Pecorino Romano.

My Recipes

INGREDIENTS

• • 1 teaspoon olive oil
  • 1 cup finely chopped onion
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped carrot
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 cup ketchup, divided
  • 1 1/2 pounds ground beef, extra lean (raw)
  • 1 cup finely crushed fat-free saltine crackers (about 20)
  • 2 tablespoons prepared mustard
  • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 large eggs
  • Cooking spray

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INSTRUCTIONS

• 1. Preheat oven to 350°.
  2. Heat the olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chopped onion, chopped carrot, dried oregano, and minced garlic; sauté 2 minutes. Cool.
  3. Combine onion mixture, 1/2 cup ketchup, and the remaining ingredients except cooking spray in a large bowl.
  4. Spoon the meat mixture into 12 muffin cups coated with cooking spray. Top each with 2 teaspoons ketchup. Bake at 350° for 25 minutes or until a thermometer registers 160°. Let stand for 5 minutes.

My Recipes

INGREDIENTS

• • 3 to 4 pound(s) beef chuck roast
  • 1/2 cup(s) brown sugar
  • 1/3 cube(s) tamari sauce
  • 3 tablespoon(s) garlic cloves, crushed
  • 1/2 onion, diced
  • 2 inch fresh ginger root, peeled and grated
  • 2 tablespoon(s) seasoned rice wine vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon(s) sesame oil
  • 2 whole jalapeno, diced, seeded
  • *1 splash fish oil (optional)

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INSTRUCTIONS

• 1. Spray your crock-pot dish and add beef and jalapenos. Combine the rest of the ingredients ina bowl then pour over the roast. Cover, and cook on low for 8-10 hours. Remove from pot and shred beef, add some of the leftover liquid. Serve in warm corn tortillas with slaw.
  2. Recipe for Slaw: 
     • 1 bag(s) shredded coleslaw
     • 1 tablespoon(s) Tamari sauce
     • 2 tablespoon(s) seasoned rice vinegar
     • salt and pepper to taste

Kraft

INGREDIENTS

• • 1 lb. lean ground beef
  • 1 jar (24 oz.) spaghetti sauce
  • 1 to 2/3 cups water
  • 1/4 cup zesty Italian dressing
  • 2 green peppers, chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 12 oven-ready lasagna noodle, broken into quarters
  • 1 cup Low-Moisture Part-Skim Mozzarella Cheese

---

INSTRUCTIONS

1. BROWN meat in large saucepan; drain.
2. ADD next 5 ingredients; mix well. Bring to boil. Stir in noodles; cover.
3. COOK on medium-low heat 10 to 15 min. or until noodles are tender, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Sprinkle with cheese; cover. Let stand 5 min. or until cheese is melted.

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This Weeks Grand Total: $66.60...oops! I didn't mean for that total to be the mark of the beast!!

A new drive to SIMPLIFY!

I apologize for yet another LONG absence! I feel like I owe you all 5 meal plans and a few jokes. I don't have that today. What I do have for you is some fresh insight on simplifying and my journey to FINALLY getting there!!

It all started when I came back from Haiti. Something just clicked inside of me and I came home eager, no desperate, to find a way to purge myself of unnecessary clutter and things.

Being in Haiti and experiencing people who had so little in the way of material things, yet so much in rich culture and community and for goodness sake, such a laid back attitude, made me realize how having so much "stuff" is holding me back and keeping me captive. I am a prisoner to my clutter.

My things, require a lot of maintenance. They need to be cleaned and put away and organized and told they look pretty and that they're not fat in that outfit...see what I'm getting at? My stuff was a needy girlfriend and I really needed to break things off with her. After all, she adds nothing to our relationship except stress and frustration.

What's a gal to do? Where do I start?  How do finally break it off with my stuff?

Well, I actually have an answer to that.  I stumbled upon a wonderful, realistic book about simplifying. The ironic part is this book was written by a blogger I quoted once on this very blog, but I didn't realize who she was until I was half way through the book! The book is Organized Simplicity by Tsh Oxenreider the founder of Simple Mom.

 If you are where I am in life and looking for a uncomplicated way to simplify your life, then this book is for you!

Where do I start? I read the book cover to cover. Then I cried, rent my clothes and dunmped ashes on my head. A bit extreme? Perhaps. But to understand why this book means SO much to me, you have to understand where I am right now.

I've been suffering with post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after the traumatic birth of my fourth (and last) child, for nearly a year now. Couple that with a natural bend toward anxiety and depression and what you've got there is the perfect storm of crazy. To make matters worse I've been struggling to try to simplify my life, to free up time for the things I truly enjoy like creating and hanging out with my family. It felt like no matter what I did to try to simplify, it just felt like too big a job. I couldn't find the ambition to get started.

When I cracked into Tsh's book, I was overwhelmed with how simply things were spelled out. I know that sound dumb, but I've read books on simplicity before that were so complicated, it felt like being simple was too hard unless you had the latest and greatest for the organization store. But alas, it's not too complicated to get simple. Don't get me wrong, it's not complicated, but it does require work. But with three boxes in hand and a pack of yard sale price tags, I set to work on my living room.

In Organized Simplicity, Tsh recommends creating a mission statement to keep you on track as you de-clutter and organize. Honestly as I thought on this, I felt a bit overwhelmed to have the perfect statement. I just couldn't find the right words. There I go again, making it harder than it has to be. After slapping myself clear across the face for being so complicated, I realized my goal was to be able to tidy up in ten minutes flat. At this point, cleaning up my living room took more like twenty minutes and that doesn't include sweeping and mopping. I wanted to be able to have this room picked up, swept and mopped in ten minutes.  In fact I want it to be that easy with each room in my house. So there it is. My mission statement is to have  the rooms in my house cleaned up in ten minutes each.

With this goal in my brain, I rolled up my sleeves and set to work. I grabbed three boxes. One I labeled Keep. The next I labeled Sell. Finally the last box I labeled Maybe. This last one was for the stuff I had to ask the Hubbers about. It consisted mostly of wires and plugs...he's a techy.

My guidelines for keeping and selling were this: If it made me happy and I found it beautiful, then I kept it. If it was forgettable, demanding or useless it went in the sell box. I think that everyone's guidelines are different, so if you attempt this in your own home, remember that it has to be what works for you.

After a successful purge, it was time to scrub the room from top to bottom. Tsh's book comes with excellent step by step instruction if cleaning leaves you scatterbrained and unsure where to start. Honestly though, once the excess of clutter is removed from the room and all you see is furniture and a few things, cleaning feels a lot like a breath of fresh air than a punch in the belly.

Here is the result of my week long de-clutter and clean session.

 So clean. Bye Bye clutter!!