Santa Fe - Mexican Blue Doors

Being from the southwest -- Mexican Blue Doors are everywhere.  These particular doors are in  Albuquerque, in Old Town.  I love a good carved mexican blue door.  The color is said to invite in good spirits.  Here where houses are super old, that could be a good thing to do. 

These doors are carved, and have a hint of the stucco color behind them, as well as an old spanish light on the side, and who doesn't love ivy, even though it is hard on the stucco.

The trick with a good mexican blue is the light, it should have some reflecting qualities to kind of bounce and reflect the light as the day goes by.  I also really like this iinterpretation with the lighter stucco color behind.  I am saying stucco, as this building is not officially built of adobe.  So for those thinking adobe color, use the color in your head, but the building is stucco.

I am so far behind in all my projects, and secretly -- unless she is reading this today-- want to start finishing up some small projects at my daughter's house next week.  Here at my casa, hoping to paint doors and still ----weeks later, deal with my clearstory windows.

Enjoy your Tuesday/Monday.

Fast Easy Compost Cookies

I needed a quick and fun dessert the other night, so I made fast easy compost cookies.

Seriously easy and yummy.  Now, I do have to preface this by saying I have never had the NY Momofuku Cookies.  But, I do love a good dump everything in recipe.

There is one problem, however, I really can't cook that well, and I am fair at following directions.  Plus, the high altitude adjustments, and well, sometimes it's a win and sometimes it's a fail. Which is why I went fast and easy with the following recipe, by the way it was a win.

Betty Crocker to the rescue. 

You can use any chocolate chip cookie recipe you want.  1 package Betty Crocker Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, follow directions.  I am at high altitude, so 1 T of flour was added.

Then, my add ins, I used 3 tablespoons of crushed potato chips, crushed corn flakes, and crushed pretzels.  Next time, might leave a hair chunkier and maybe go to 4 of each.

Mix in.

I refrigerated my dough for 30 minutes covered.  Then scooped and baked and yum.  Truly a win.

They were a hit.  M&M's would be yummy in them to.  Or, crushed pretzel M's.   I can't say how they compare to the New York version, but I can say they were a hit, chewey, crunchy, sweet, and salty.

Layered Taco Salad -- Layered Chef Salad

I saw this in one of my Weight Watcher's Cookbooks when I was looking for dinner and lunch ideas.  I am not a big cook, and sometimes I need a little inspiration. 

This is the Mexican Seven-Layer Salad. 

This so got me thinking.  I love a layered salad, you could do this with chicken, shrimp, or even a chef salad.  It is the layering that is fun. 

The one below, is ground beef, jicama, onions, beans, lettuce, tomato, salasa, sour cream. 

Fun fresh summer ideas. 

I know you are thinking -- but I don't have a glass bowl.  Well I have done the thinking for your.  This set is less than $20, and at Target.  Don't want to spend that, do you have a Dollar Store?  They have the large plastic serving bowls for catering for $1.  Put your salad in that.  Still not convinced.  Take any bowl you have and layer left to right instead of top to bottom, still get layering but at the top where you can see it.  What are you waiting for, put salad in your diet.

Hopefully doing the clear story windows this weekend, I think I have the problem and budget solved, with paintable wall paper.  Now, should I change the pole to silver instead of the copper?  Hmmmm.  Anyway, that will hopefully be a weekend post.  Fingers crossed.

Top photo,  Weight Watchers, bottom photo, Target.com. Libbey Tempo Salad 5-pc Serving Set.

2 Color Table - Don't Trust The B---- in Apartment 23

Look closely -- This amazing table is 2 tables put together.  One side is white, the other black, or dark brown.  All I can say is Genius.  Love it, love it, love it.  Love the fuzzy rug, and the 2 chairs on just one side.  This could just as easily be used as a desk or dining table. 

Photo, screen shot ABC - Don't Trust The B---- in Apartment 23.

What are you doing this weekend?

Easy Low Cal Jalapeno Poppers

I found this Jalapeno holder at Tuesday Morning so we had to try it out.  We make Jalapeno Poppers all the time. 

The ones below use whole jalapeno's scooped out, with cream cheese and shredded cheese mixed together (shredded cheese of your choice), with a piece of allready cooked chicken on the top to hold it all in (I grilled a chicken breasty, cut thin lengthwise and stuck/folded into the jalapenos).  -- Now, the ones these are patterend after were bacon wrapped, but I like mine without.  Cook on grill or in oven at 350 degrees until soft and charred.

Yum.  Great for Cinco De Mayo.

We also do these cut lengthwise in half with just the cream cheese mixture and no chicken with bacon crumbles baked on either the grill or oven, equally as yum, and faster the lengthwise/half way. 

I think these came off a little early.  I like mine a little softer and charred a little more.  Hey we were trying a new gadget.  Works with our without the gadget by the way.  The great thing about the chicken is it holds the cheese in.
Oh, and I have also had these filled with peanut butter/cuts the heat and a fun change.
Yum.

DIY Pleather Covered Box Spring

The second half to my daughter's bed post.  She has never been one for dust ruffles, so I covered her box spring in pleather.  You could cover it in fabric, fur, or anything you would like.

I used fabric - like for pants and skirts pleather, nice, thin, stretchy, in black. 

Then I measured out the bed size - queen, and , the height of the box spring, then decided how to cut my strips, and where to put the seams to marry the fabric, basically to center them on the mattress for looks. 

I cut the fabric in long strips, and quickly sewed it together on the sewing machine.  I made one giant loop.

Hopped over to her house, ok drove, and slipped over top of bed to box spring.  It is a small box spring, and stapled it to the bottom, tucked it in and duct taped it to the top, yes duct tape, you could also use a hot glue (that would be removeable too).   I didn't even have to remove the top mattress.  Took me about 45 minutes, took a quick pic, and was done.
Yes, that's a phone pic. 
Looks great, covers the box spring, and gives it a more contemporary look.  The black pleather will work with whatever sheets, or comforter she chooses, and it is easily changeable.  Total cost less than $15.  How fun would this be in a fur or a faux sheepskin?

More of my DIY projects this week.