Remnant Revival

Hancock Fabric is having a big remnant sale, so it inspired me to photograph my powder room valance created from leftover fabric. I love to dig through the piles of discounted flat folds on their back tables and piece together coordinating scraps. This valance only takes 1 1/4 yards each of two complimentary fabrics, so it’s perfect for leftovers.

I just sew the fabrics with right sides together into a big square “pillow cover”, leaving two small 3” openings at the very top left and right sides and one larger opening somewhere near the bottom middle to turn. Then I turn and iron everything flat, slipstitch the bottom opening, and sew one straight line of stitching straight across 3” down from the top to form a rod pocket with the previously mentioned 3” openings at each end. Shirr fabric onto valance rod, pleat up the bottom as desired and anchor pleats with ribbon or fabric ties looped over the rod and knotted. You can sew in or hot glue on trim for the bottom edge, which gives it a more finished look, but the trim almost always costs more than the valance!

Indian Inspiration

We love ethnic food in general, and Jeff loves hot, spicy food, so Indian is a favorite dinner cuisine. Friday night I made chapati and a curried fish dish with brown basmati pulao and sautéed peas. The curried fish recipe I invented from a blend of Thai and Indian ingredients I had on hand.

Curried Tilapia

2 Tbsp sliced almonds
1/2 stalk fresh lemongrass, sliced
2 Tbsp sliced green onion, white part only
1/2 cup coconut milk
2 tsp garlic ginger paste
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
1/2 tsp curry paste, or to taste (if desired)
2 (4 ounce) fillets tilapia
Salt and pepper to taste
Rice flour

Toast almonds lightly in iron skillet until browned and fragrant; remove and cool. In spice mill or coffee grinder, pulse almonds, lemongrass, and onion until coarsely ground. In small bowl, combine coconut milk, ground mixture, garlic ginger paste, turmeric, curry paste (if using), and salt to taste. Season fish fillets with salt and pepper on both sides and sprinkle lightly with flour.

Heat large skillet over medium-high heat with small amount of oil and butter. Brown fillets quickly on each side, then pour curry sauce over the fish. Reduce heat and simmer 2-3 minutes, adding water if curry sauce becomes too thick. Serve with rice or bread to soak up sauce. Garnish with green onion if desired.

Spiced Chapati

1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp peppercorns
1 cup durum atta flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 Tbsp cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1/2 cup warm water
1 Tbsp yogurt
2 tsp ghee

Toast cumin and peppercorns lightly in iron skillet until browned and fragrant; remove and cool. Grind in coffee grinder until coarse. Mix flour, salt, spices, and herbs; add water, ghee, and yogurt and stir until a soft dough forms. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured board and knead briefly until smooth. Return dough to bowl, cover, and let stand 1 hour.

Divide dough into sixths and roll out very thinly. Cook in heated cast iron skillet for 1-2 minutes per side until lightly toasted. If desired, use tongs to hold chapati over open gas flame briefly on each side to puff. Serve warm.

Getting a handle on it

BEFORE

AFTER

Today’s project was drilling new holes and installing the vanity hardware in the guest bath. I bought the brushed nickel Asian-inspired pulls in bulk on eBay, so I’ve got to find more places to use them! I sanded, primed, and painted the vanity a few weeks ago, but the paint was still soft and needed to cure for a while, so I put off adding the pulls. I had to wallpaper over the inset door panels with grasscloth because the plaid wallpaper was permanently adhered.

The custom shower curtain is hung, but I haven’t added the trim yet or made the matching valance for the window, so that’s next. And then it's on to resurfacing the laminate countertop and replacing the faucets. I’m really glad it’s coming together; 70’s avocado green is the new millennium’s olive!

Best in the Back

Last week while getting a pair of tires put on the truck, I learned something new. I had always been taught that new tires should go on the front, if you’re only getting two and not a whole set. But the store manager at the tire place recommended I put the new set on the back and rotate the used back ones to the front. I was a little dubious but came home and did my research.

Recent guidelines indicate that new tires should go in the back, on any type of vehicle. Popular Mechanics explains why: In dry, clear weather it really doesn’t make much difference. But if the road is wet, the new, full-treaded tires are less likely to lose traction than the partially worn ones. If you come to a wet curve, the full-treaded tires on the rear will stay behind you, preventing fishtailing. If the rear tires have less tread, there is a greater chance that they will slip, putting your rear bumper into the ditch. If the front tires skid, there is still the chance you might go off the road — but at least it will be headfirst, where the seatbelts and airbags offer more protection (from PM, Feb 2008).

So my new mnemonic device to help me remember is “Best in the Back”. Drive safely everyone!

Blueberry Morning

The blueberries are ripe down here in Alabama, so I went picking early this morning. There is a great little pick-your-own farm just 10 minutes away and they have three different cultivars of blueberries. They will ripen in series through the next month or two, so this hopefully was the first trip of several. I picked about 5 quarts and have frozen half. Here is the first batch of berries just fresh from their bath being lovingly fan-dried before a quick chill in the deep freeze.

Capping it all off

Over the weekend I finally finished and hung the second cornice board in the living room. I’ve had the small one on the bookcase wall done for several months, but I got busy on other projects and never completed the long one in the bay window area. I think I procrastinated, knowing that getting a striped fabric to run straight for over eight feet was going to be difficult! My prod was having guests over who saw the plain industrial metal conduit I used to hang the drapes. It was my bright idea for cheap, strong curtain rods, but I never intended them to be seen. It works great, by the way, as long as you have something to cover them ;-)

The small cornice is one of my foamboard insulation creations, because it had some odd angles to navigate, given the bookcase molding, and foam is more forgiving of that. But the long bay window cornice is a 1” by 10” board, since I needed one continuous piece to support the span. I had to dog-ear the corners of the long cornice to accommodate the crown molding; otherwise it wouldn’t have fit flush to the ceiling. Hanging it was a little tricky, but with Jeff’s help I got it up. I also got an eye full of popcorn ceiling in the process, scraping the cornice and our knuckles. Why anyone ever invented or installed that textured stuff is beyond me.

Anyway, the cornice is up and I really like it. I did complementary cording on the pieced seams and will use the same paprika microfiber fabric for some pillows and maybe a box cushion on the fireplace hearth this winter. Right now the drapes are being “trained”, tied back with twine to encourage the folds where I want them. I used upholstery fabric for them, so they are stiffer and heavier than preferred, but I love the pattern and color and the heavy fabric really makes the room feel quiet and cozy, perfect for curling up with a book!

Settling In

It's hard to believe we've been here in Alabama almost one year already. We moved at the end of July 2008, so we're coming up on the anniversary of that big adjustment. I still miss Arkansas a lot, but we're finding things to enjoy in the Deep South. The summer weather is not really one of them right now, though. It's only June and we've had almost a week of heat indexes in the triple digits. Since it's too hot and humid for outdoor activities, I'll be spending most of the week inside, trying to wrap up a few ongoing projects. Updates to come soon!