Zucchini Pasta

I am obsessed with my new spiralizer.  The size of a potato peeler, the spiralizer can make zucchini pasta in less than a minute with a whole zucchini.  Today I snatched two nice size zucchini from the garden and made a huge skillet of it.  I heated a large skillet with a little oil and dumped the zucchini along with some spiraled carrots into it.  It took 3 minutes to cook.  Since I had both leftover marinara and pesto, I topped some pasta with each.  Sprinkled with fresh grated parmesan, it was so good!

No water to boil, no pasta to drain, low calorie, fast, easy, lots of fiber, minerals and vitamins, what is not to love?  Looking forward to doing many different versions of pasta with this thing.

Rhubarb

Nothing says spring to me like rhubarb.  It's my favorite pie fruit and makes for great cobblers and cakes too.  I am picking the last of the rhubarb today and because I didn't have enough for a pie, I decided to make individual rhubarb galettes.  The galettes I make use all the same crust and filling ingredients as a pie, but they are shaped flat and round.  The pie filling is placed in the middle and the crust is pleated over the top with a portion of filling exposed in the middle.  Galettes are simple to make and take on a rustic look after baking.

Primitive Table

I had the privilege to refinish a very special piece of furniture recently.   This primitive table with chipped paint and a rough-hewn look came from the home my dad was born and raised in. 

Like a lot of the "make-do" items used in the early 1900's, the table consists of leftover building materials with flooring as the top and stair spindles used as the legs.  Alot of collectors prize items with this distressed look - chipped paint and all, but this little gem had warmth and beauty behind all that.

I've learned never to discount an item until the layers are removed and the original wood is revealed.  This table developed a rich patina once a walnut stain was applied.  

Braised Squirrel with Mushrooms & Bacon

Somehow my kitchen landed two squirrels today.  One not to waste anything, I immediately went in search of squirrel recipes.  Young squirrels are great fried like chicken but older ones need a longer and slower cook time.   Since I had one of each I decided an oven braised recipe would work best.

After a brief marinating time,  I cooked them in a dutch oven for a couple hours in red wine and broth.   Mushrooms, carrots, onions and bacon were added the last hour.  The flavor was excellent, similar to rabbit or dark meat on chicken.   Served over mashed potatoes, it made a comforting weekend dinner for us.

China Buffet to Entryway

Since I've been working on a couple refinishing projects for other people, I wanted to post one I did a year ago for myself.  I took the top and bottom of our china cabinet apart and repurposed the bottom buffet as our new entryway credenza.  The top is a work in progress as a new bookshelf - to be posted when it is completed.

For the credenza, it was just a matter of stripping, staining and adding new hardware.  We paired it with an old dresser mirror that I found at an antique store and some antlers of a deer that John had shot long ago.  I really enjoy taking found items around the house, updating them and giving them a new life and purpose.

Rustic Table

When I brought this table home, John took one look asked me if I was planning on burning it.  Nope, there was beauty in there somewhere and I was determined to bring it out.

I found this poor thing in my dad's shed.  It was buried in mud and it lost one leg as I pried it out of the ground.  The other three were no better and they had to go.  The unusual middle drawer spans the width of the table but it needed some cleaning since a family of mice had a pretty big nest in it.

I sanded down the top and stained with three different shades to get the gray/brown look I wanted.  A cool metal handle from the Old House Society replaced the button knob on the drawer.  I painted the apron and legs (I found those in garbage - that's another story) white and it was good to go.

This table went back over to Mom and Dad's place and now graces their remodeled kitchen along with some vintage chrome chairs.  I think it looks real happy to be back.

Book/Magazine Rack

I've been cleaning out my dad's barn and along with the usual junk have found some neat old bottles, ironwork and such.  I set aside this wooden ladder-like object for the last few years thinking it could be used as artwork.  But once I brought it home and studied it, I decided it would make a great magazine and book holder.  After a good scrubbing I removed every fourth slat and with leftover wood nailed bottoms into the four holder sections.  I wanted a rustic look so applying a clear coat of poly was all that it needed.

Makes great storage and handy access to my current reading material.  If anyone knows what this originally was meant for let me know.  Slats are on both sides and they are too narrow for a ladder.  I'm stumped as to it's original purpose.