DIY Pimp your curtains

Tired of your curtains? I finally put curtains in the living room. The problem was that as soon as you want anything other then simple monotone curtains you need to break the bank. Most of the times they are expensive and you still feel like you are compromising on quality, design or colour. So why not buy simple curtains in the the exact colour and design and then add a little je ne sais quoi?

I decided to add navy stripes to a simple white curtains from IKEA. The idea I got from Pinterest.







I bought the Merete from IKEA (I changed the curtains hanging system),  added the satin stripes with gutter man textile glue. Make the exact measures you want, glue and voila! Unique curtains!

With a ruler and the glue I applied the stripes to the curtain. The result, unique curtains for much less!

New Curtains!

Market day in Amsterdam

Not only its raining, its pouring and horribly windy. The market was canceled, all our things were flying away so we couldn't even set up! It was so cold! We warmed up by keeping close and having to run after our things that blew away with the wind...Its one of those dark grey autumn days that seem to be mass produced specially for Holland.

So anyway, I leave you with some of the things I made for the museumplein market in Amsterdam.. 

Pencil cases

Little cases for makeup or tampons and ST's

Textile and leather Tote bags

All sold with some cute tags and put into a nice bag stamped with the blog's address

Perhaps we will go to the market on the 8th of December!

Gourmet Night

Yesterday I was at home all day so I decided to make something different for dinner and also something I had never done before. The chosen recipes were:

Shortbread Parmesan biscuits with salad
Ricota and spinach cannelloni

Parmesan shortbread biscuits

 

I used a recipe from Nigella Lawson as it had a shorter chill time than the Kitchenaid recipe

150 flour

100butter
75 parmesan
1 egg yolk

Mix all ingredients in a mixer, knead the ball of dough for 3 min. Divide into two and roll into cylinder shape. Chill for 45 min. When chilled cut into 1cm slices and bake in the oven at 180C for 15 min.

Cannelloni stuffed with Ricotta and Spinach

I read several recipes and made my own version...but there are a lot of nice and easy recipes out there!

Spinach and Ricotta stuffing

700g frozen spinach
300g ricotta
one handful grated Picorino cheese
pinenuts
cannelloni
small can of diced tomatoes
basil and garlic

White sauce

White wine

flour
parmesan cheese
butter
milk
cream

Drain as much water as possible from the spinach and mix it with the ricotta and cheese and add salt and pepper. Put the mixture into a piping bag (or a sandwich bag with a corner cut out). Chill while you do the tomatoe sauce.
Pour some olive oil into a frying pan and add the cut up garlic and basil. When hot add the a can of sliced tomatoes. Stir and add half a can of water. Let it simmer for a while.
Meanwhile make your white sauce.
Pour the tomato sauce on an oven tray, arrange the stuffed cannelloni on it leaving a little space between each cannelloni. Pour the white sauce on top and add a few handfuls of parmesan to the top.
Bake at 180C for around 30 min or until the pasta is cooked.

Bon Appétit!

The Demise of Mr Bunny Rabbit

Basil though that the new Mr Bunny-Rabbit was a playmate...and while I was in the other room promptly grabbed him and took him to his bed to 'play'...



Bad dog, bad...

The Bunny-Rabbits

Mr and Mrs Bunny Rabbit are a simple and fashionable couple. They enjoy fine organic vegetables and fancy accessories. This month they are obsessed with the French look.

Mr Bunny-Rabbit

Mr Bunny Rabbit grew up in the country. He now lives in the city with his new wife, works in an office and enjoys quiet evenings, organic carrot juice and cigars.

Mrs Bunny-Rabbit

Mrs Bunny Rabbit has always been wild. She grew up in a big city and loves its fast life and fashion. She is a fashion designer for Oscar de la Rabbit.








They just came back from Paris and live together in a lovely rabbit hole in the fashionable part of town.

The Bunny-Rabbit

Summer holiday preparations

Going on holiday Wednesday!! All the preparations, cleaning the house so it is nice and clean when we get back, putting Basil (our dog) at the breeders for his holiday...washing drying and ironing everything...it is like two weeks worth of house chores crammed into two days! 

But with the eye on the prize -  10 days in Greece. I am so excited! I have 4 books, (one huuuge) so I don't run out and steal R's books like last time...now I just need the latest cosmopolitan mag...no judging ok? Its holiday! Its the time to read crap while sunbathing.

What about you? What is your pre-holdiay ritual? What do you pack? Any guilt-free reads?

Basil the bear

Birthday Brownies

I was asked to bake some brownies for a birthday party, I was delighted! (getting gifts for men is so difficult!) Then I was faced with the 'what recipe to use' challenge. Brownies is one of those delicious recipes that in my opinion, the simpler, lower number of ingredients the better. I saw numerous recipes for brownies online, each with more ingredients than the next...and then I started going through my own cook books..surely there was a recipe somewhere...I found it! In a children's cook book from UNICEF I have had  for a very long time the simple brownies recipe - 7 ingredients, 30 min- delicious results.

Simple Brownies

240 g of cooking butter
350g dark chocolate bar
350g Sugar
4 eggs
240g flour
pinch of salt
walnuts (optional)

Pre-heat the oven at 200C.
In a pan on low heat melt the butter. Add the chocolate. When all melted remove from the fire and add the sugar, always mixing with a wooden spoon. Add the eggs to the mixture and blend them in nicely. Finally add the  salt and flour slowly, and the walnuts. Pour the mixture into a rectangular greased tin and bake for 25min. Remove from the tin and let cool on a wire rack (a cutting board will do fine too).

Keep to the time! Brownies are better when moist inside.

Happy Birthday V.!