Quenepas

Normally I wouldn't highlight a singular ingredient, but certain foods are due their five minutes of fame.

Yesterday, my MIL left me a message that my FIL picked up a ton of quenepas from the market. The Mr. could barely contain his excitement when I told him. You might be wondering what quenepas are and to that, all I can say is: YOU ARE MISSING OUT. 

Most likely you've never seen this Caribbean treat before, let alone tasted the sweet flesh while it's in season. Quenepas are a small, green fruit that slightly resemble miniature limes. The skin is crisp, almost brittle, with a thin layer of pulpy flesh surrounding a relatively large pit. They taste tart and sweet all at once. While it is juicy and delicious, you have to put in a lot of work to enjoy each small fruit. For that I'm grateful because it forces me to take my time and savor the flavor rather than mindlessly eat.

I wanted to find a few recipes that would utilize the quenepas in all of their glory but aside from soaking the fruit in rum (YUM!), there was nothing else that came up. I guess I'll just have to enjoy them as is... what a shame.

As you can see, they are about the size of a ping pong ball. Not too small, but definitely not big enough in my book.

When the fruit is ripe, you just bite into the skip and it'll split from the pressure. At this point you can easily remove the skin to enjoy the fruit inside.

If you have a Latin market nearby, I suggest taking a trip and picking up a few to taste for yourself. While you're at it, try something new!

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I'm linking to:

DIY Showoff | S3 | Classy Clutter | A Little Tipsy | I Heart Nap Time | Mine for the Making | Flamingo Toes | Craftomaniac | Shabby Creek Cottage | Somewhat Simple | Saved by Love Creations | My Simple Home Life | My Girlish Whims | Stone Gable | Young and Crafty | Nifty Thrifty Things

Pretzel Crusted Salmon with Creamy Dijon Sauce

People are always using crushed potato chips and saltines as a breadcrumb alternative, but what about their lonesome cousin, the pretzel? Well now they have a chance to shine as well. I present to you, Pretzel Crusted Salmon! The salty crunch lends a great contrast to the tender, flaky flesh of the salmon. The only way I could think to improve upon this coupling was adding a homemade dijon mustard sauce. Enjoy!

Ingredients: (for two 6-ounce portions)
2 salmon filets
1 cup of  pretzels, chopped
Seasoned flour: 1/2 cup flour, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, pinch of fresh cracked pepper
Egg wash: 1 egg, 1/4 cup milk

For the sauce:
1 green onion, sliced in tiny pieces
1.5 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons cream cheese
1/4 cup milk
1.5 tablespoons dijon mustard


Instructions:
1. Pre-heat oven to 400

2. Set up your dipping station as shown below. As you can see, I used disposable plates because it makes clean-up that much easier.

3. Place filets on a greased cookie sheet (or use parchment paper) and put into oven

4. While salmon is cooking, start by melting the butter and adding the green onion over low heat. Add the cream cheese and stir until completely melted. Whisk in milk and dijon mustard. Keep stirring until fully combined.

5. Remove salmon from oven once cooked through (about 10-12 minutes) and serve over a side of baby asparagus. Spoon the sauce over the warm filet and you've got one heck of a presentation piece.

If you're mouth is watering, you should consider following Spool and Spoon via email or through Google Friend Connect for other recipes and projects that are sure to tickle your fancy. Also, did you know we have a Facebook? Hop on over so you don't miss a beat. 

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DIY Showoff | S3 | Classy Clutter | A Little Tipsy | I Heart Nap Time | Mine for the Making | Flamingo Toes | Craftomaniac | Shabby Creek Cottage | Somewhat Simple | Saved by Love Creations | My Simple Home Life | My Girlish Whims | Stone Gable | Young and Crafty | Nifty Thrifty Things

Medicine Cabinet Makeover

When we bought our house last year, we were so excited for everything but especially to have a nice master bathroom to share. I'm not exactly sure how it happened but we each claimed our own: he has the on-suite and I have the upstairs guest bath. We have never even set foot in the same one at the same time. Since mine is all mine for now, I'm making it as feminine as possible; starting with a makeover for the original medicine cabinet.

All I needed was something to lend me inspiration. When I found this shower curtain at HomeGoods, I knew it was perfect. It's a great focal point with the big bold floral pattern and the color is luscious. It's the best shade of plum that I have ever seen because it's almost neutral and definitely nowhere near Barney. I wanted to start incorporating the color into the rest of the room but I'm much too much of a commitment phobe when it comes to decor to even consider painting the walls but updating the medicine cabinet was a painless decision.

My biggest complaint is that since my bathroom is also the upstairs guest bath, anyone who stays overnight will use it and see everything inside. Besides that, the cabinet was in the bathroom when we moved in and while it was simple and did the job, it was nothing special. 

Let me introduce you to Plain Jane the "just-okay" medicine cabinet. Do you see what I'm talking about? Oh and while we're at it, hello deodorant and wrinkle cream!

First thing's first, I wanted to update the look of the simple design by adding a bit of my favorite color. I antiqued the surface with a mixture of grey acrylic paint, purple acrylic paint, and glazing medium (equal parts of each). All I had to do was brush it on and wipe it off almost immediately. I was precise and applied the paint and removed it all in the same direction to keep it neat and still I was done in less than 20 minutes.

To address the privacy issue I removed the glass panels and used temporary spray adhesive to attach the vinyl lace placemats that were left over from the Cut Lace Carry-All. I then sprayed three coats of Krylon's Looking Glass paint over the entire thing. After the paint dried I carefully removed the placemats and then sprayed a coat of white paint over the glass panels to give the windows a two tone effect. Inserting the windows was a piece of cake and really changed the look of the whole thing.

Like it? I love it! It'd be a great addition to a cute little cottage somewhere on the coast but luckily for me, it's right at home in my bathroom. The purple is subtle but the impact is unmistakable. It brings a whole new level of pretty to the room. Better yet, everything is tucked inside and even though it's a bit cluttered in there, no one has to know.

a close-up of the antique finish... isn't it dreamy?

If you like this little makeover project, consider following Spool and Spoon via email or Google Friend Connect so you don't miss out on other pretty projects and really simple recipes!

I'm linking to:

DIY Showoff | S3 | Classy Clutter | A Little Tipsy | I Heart Nap Time | Mine for the Making | Flamingo Toes | Craftomaniac | Shabby Creek Cottage | Somewhat Simple | Saved by Love Creations | My Simple Home Life | My Girlish Whims | Stone Gable | Young and Crafty | Nifty Thrifty Things

Chocolate Mousse Ice Cream

I'm about to throw myself under the bus for a second. I've been slacking on the "spoon" aspect of Spool and Spoon for awhile. The last recipe I posted was three weeks ago! Whoopsie! I try to cook creatively but lately the meals have been pretty ordinary in our household. That's all over now though. Hopefully, you'll forgive me after you try this latest treat. Fingers-crossed!

My mother-in-law makes a ricotta cake and serves it with a fluffy chocolate "mousse" topping. While I love it all on its own, I have a slight obsession with frozen goodness... okay okay, slight might be an understatement. I wanted to push the mousse a bit further on the scale of dessert deliciousness and turn it into ice cream. I scream, you scream, we all scream for Chocolate Mousse Ice Cream. Mmhmmm.

Ingredients:

I used fat free whipped topping, fat free milk, and fat free pudding mix to keep it light... well, relatively light haha.

Instructions:

After all of that, you are done! It's rich, creamy, and super delicious. The best part? You can use ANY pudding flavor you want so that really opens up the possibilities.

Even more is that while the ice cream melts, it still retains the light texture of the mousse. Two desserts in one? Now that's a real win-win over here. Go make yourself a batch, grab your sunglasses and a glass of red wine, and lounge on the patio with a heaping cup-full!

If you like what you see, you should consider following Spool and Spoon via email or through Google Friend Connect for other mouth-watering recipes and fun projects that will tickle your fancy.

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Notes FROM the Babysitter {Printable}

There was such a positive response to my Notes for the Babysitter printable, so THANK YOU! In addition to the dozens of comments, so many lovely ladies emailed to ask if I had a printable for the babysitter to fill in while she was with the kids. Since I generally write notes out on the first piece of scrap paper I find, I didn't have a specific template that I used. After some really sweet encouragement from some very convincing mamas, I put one together.

Here's a free printable for notes FROM the babysitter: While You Were Out!

Have you ever found yourself completely exhausted after a night out with the husband only to forget everything the sitter told you when you got home the night before? Wait, when did she say they went to bed exactly? How many times did the baby have a bm?! How much of their dinner did they actually eat? Well, all of those questions could be answered and reviewed when you're finally sober awake enough to recall the details. 


Download the printable here.


While you could definitely have one per child, I think that's a lot of extra work for a sitter that you want to have focusing on the care of your children. I'd suggest leaving just one copy out on the counter with a pen, showing it to the sitter before you leave, and instructing her to write the name/initials next to each individual note.

If you like what you see, you should consider following Spool and Spoon via email or through Google Friend Connect for other simple ideas that are sure to tickle your fancy. 

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DIY Showoff | S3 | Classy Clutter | A Little Tipsy | I Heart Nap Time | Mine for the Making | Flamingo Toes | Craftomaniac | Shabby Creek Cottage | Somewhat Simple | Saved by Love Creations | My Simple Home Life | My Girlish Whims | Stone Gable | Young and Crafty | Nifty Thrifty Things

Craft Room Organization: Stamp Jars

You may not remember this, but earlier this year Real Simple came and made over my craft room. They did such a wonderful job and I'm paranoid that I'll ruin it. I feel like I'm constantly stuck coming up with new ways to make the most of my existing space since I seem to hoard craft supplies. The $1 sets of alphabet stamps from Michaels are one such supply I can't resist buying...after all, they're only a buck!

The problem with those little packs is they come in these dinky boxes that make it impossible to keep organized so I just toss them together in one big container. Well that definitely isn't a solution because when I want to use them I have to fish out each matching set... Waste of time, much?  After a recent trip to Ikea, I snagged little spice jars that were the perfect size for each set. This is what I came up with:

They consist of: small jars (could easily be done with baby food jars), craft paper stickers, and stamped on words. I think they are a perfectly adorable and organized addition to my amazing space.

Materials:
Stamp sets
1 jar per stamp set
1 label per jar
ink pad

Instructions:
1. Get all of your stamps together

2. Sort by font

3. Gather enough jars for each set

4. Apply a sticker to the lid of each jar

5. Get the letters from each set for whatever word you want to spell out

6.  Use a pretty color to stamp your word onto the sticker

7. I thought mine were lacking a certain something so I added a little stitch doodle on each to give some extra pop.

I had originally applied the stickers to the sides of the jars, but considering you view the jars from the top, I ripped those little babies off and put them on the lid. That way, I can easily see which set is which and only grab the stamps I want.

What are your favorite craft organization tips? Please share! I'm always stoked to hear all of the creative ideas floating around out there.


If you haven't already, consider following Spool and Spoon via email or Google Friend Connect so you don't miss out on other pretty projects and really simple recipes!

I'm linking to:

DIY Showoff | S3 | Classy Clutter | A Little Tipsy | I Heart Nap Time | Mine for the Making | Flamingo Toes | Craftomaniac | Shabby Creek Cottage | Somewhat Simple | Saved by Love Creations | My Simple Home Life | My Girlish Whims | Stone Gable | Young and Crafty | Nifty Thrifty Things

Surf the Waves {Printable}

Every once in awhile, you might feel as though you've been dealt an unfairly terrible hand.  Rather than fixate on something out of your control, you have to learn to overcome it. This little printable reminds you of that in a light, summery kind of way. 

Get the printable here in all of its high-resolution goodness (it's a whopping 2968x2968 so it'll resize very well).

Read it. Take it. Share it. Pin it. Print it. Frame it. Give it. Live it. And always remember to ride the waves. 

Consider following Spool and Spoon via email or Google Friend Connect so you don't miss out the great recipes and projects that are coming up!

I'm linking to:

DIY Showoff | S3 | Classy Clutter | A Little Tipsy | I Heart Nap Time | Mine for the Making | Flamingo Toes | Craftomaniac | Shabby Creek Cottage | Somewhat Simple | Saved by Love Creations | My Simple Home Life | My Girlish Whims | Stone Gable | Young and Crafty | Nifty Thrifty Things