Americaner~Wiesbadener Kaffeklatsch~: Decorating Tip~ Four Looks Using Blue In The Bedro...

Americaner~Wiesbadener Kaffeklatsch~: Decorating Tip~ Four Looks Using Blue In The Bedro...: "Blue is the most serene of the bedroom colors. Here are four different looks using different shades of blue. Blue goes well with so many..."

Decorating Tip~ Four Looks Using Blue In The Bedroom

Blue is the most serene of the bedroom colors.  Here are four different looks using different shades of blue. Blue goes well with so many different colors. One of the above looks uses blue with yellow, often seen in French dinner ware. Don't only use solids with patterns, pattern on pattern works wonderfully together as long as you tie them together with the same coloring, as the yellow duvet, quilt and shams. Don't forget the walls.  Often neglected and left white or shades of creams, walls make a big statement. It is the largest covering in the room and helps to keep the room cool and serene.

So Sweet Dreams from me to you..and visit nest weeks bedroom tips when we go bold with red.

Raised Bed Gardening

 

When we have limited space raised beds and containers are a great alternative for growing fresh herbs, salad greens, tomatoes, and much more.  Palates are usual easy to come by an free, and as you can see make a great container garden.

A drip irrigation system is a great way to recycle soda bottles. Putting holes in the bottom of the bottle verses the cap helps keep bugs and mosquitoes out of the water.

Anyway you choose to make your garden will give you a bounty of fresh veggies, and fresh herbs all summer long. Another little tip..Plant marigolds along side your veggies and herbs to keep bugs at bay.

 

Gluten free Chocolate Hazelnut Cake

Ingredients (serves 10)

• 200g dark chocolate, chopped
• 150g butter, chopped
• 6 eggs, separated
• 2/3 cup caster sugar
• 1 1/2 cups hazelnut meal
• double cream, to serve

• Chocolate icing

• 300g dark chocolate, chopped
• 2/3 cup pure cream

1. Preheat oven to 170°C/150°C fan-forced. Grease a 6cm-deep, 20cm (base) round cake pan. Line base and side with baking paper.
2. Combine chocolate and butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Stir until melted. Set aside to cool slightly.
3. Place egg yolks and sugar in a bowl. Using an electric mixer, beat until thick and creamy. Add chocolate mixture. Beat to combine. Add hazelnut meal. Beat to combine.
4. Place eggwhites in a bowl. Using an electric mixer, beat until soft peaks form. Using a metal spoon, stir one-third of eggwhites into chocolate mixture. Gently fold remaining eggwhite through chocolate mixture.
5. Pour mixture into prepared pan. Bake for 1 hour or until a skewer inserted into the centre has moist crumbs clinging. Stand in pan for 10 minutes. Turn out onto a wire rack to cool.
6. Make Chocolate icing: Place chocolate and cream in a saucepan over low heat. Cook, stirring constantly, for 3 to 4 minutes or until smooth. Spread over top and side of cake. Stand for 10 minutes or until icing has set. Serve with cream

Blueberry Lemon Cream Scones

Blueberry Lemon Cream Scones
2 cups all-purpose flour
grated zest of a lemon or orange
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. fine salt
1 1/4 cups heavy cream, plus extra for brushing
1/2-1 cup fresh or frozen (don’t thaw them) blueberries
Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Combine the flour, zest, baking powder, sugar and salt in a mixing bowl, and stir with a fork to blend. Stir in the cream until you are able to gather it into a soft dough.
Place the dough on a lightly floured board and knead a few times. Pat the dough about half an inch thick, scatter with berries and fold over to enclose them – do this a few times to trap all the berries, then pat into a circle about an inch thick. If you like, brush the tops with milk and sprinkle with coarse sugar.
Cut into 8 wedges, and place them an inch or so apart on the baking sheet. Bake for about 15 minutes, until golden. Serve immediately. Makes 8 scones.

Apricot Upside-Down Cake

Ingredients:
1 8 oz. can unpeeled apricots halves in syrup
2 Tbsp butter
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
4 maraschino cherries halved
1 cup all purpose or cake flour
3/4 cups sugar
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup butter softened
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla
Drain apricots and reserve 2 Tbsp syrup. In a 9x1 1/2 in round pan melt butter. Stir in brown sugar and reserved syrup. Arrange apricots and put cherries between, cut side up. In a small mixing bowl stir together all dry ingredients.  Add milk butter, egg and vanilla.   Beat with a spoon or electric mixer until combined. Then beat another 2 minutes until smooth. Spread batter over apricots and cherries, smoothing out.  Bake in a 350 degree oven for 40 minutes or toothpick comes out clean.  Cool then invert onto a serving plate. Serve Warm.. Serves 8

Lemon Chessecake Bars

2 Cups crushes graham crackers
6 Tbsp Butter
1 3oz package lemon flavored gelatin
3/ cups sugar
1 8oz package Philadelphia cream chesse ( must be philly)
1/2 tsp fine shredded lemon peel
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla
1 13 oz. can evaporated milk ( ice cold)


Stir together graham crackers and melted butter reserve 1/3 cup for end. Press remaining into a 13x9 in pan. Bake crust for 88 min. in a 375 degree oven. Cool Completely..


Dissolve gelatin in 3/4 boiling water. Chill till syrupy.  In a small miser bowl gradually beat sugar into cream cheese,  Add lemon peel, lemon juice and vanilla, beat evaporated milk till soft peaks form.  fold cream cheese mixture into whipped milk. Turn mixture into crust smooth and chill at least 4 hours or overnight. Decorate with reserved graham crackers and candied lemon peel.


Candied Peel:
Add 1/2 cup sugar to 3/4 cup water bring to boil add lemon peel and reduce and simmer for about 30 minutes on low heat.  Remove peel curl by twisting half way and set aside, discard sugar mixture or use in lemonade instead of sugar.