Update: Dining Room Makeover

Posted in Dining Room, DIY Renovation by Tanisha

It’s official…my favorite room makeover in our house is our dining room! I am in absolute love with the color I chose (click here for the post discussing my inspiration and paint selection). Picking that was easy. Selecting our table/chairs, however, was a different story.

I knew I wanted a rustic table with upholstered chairs I saw on Pinterest.

Something like this…

Or this…

I searched several department stores and furniture galleries. I eventually had my eye set on a Pottery Barn table, but just could not get past the price tag.

Then, I found the perfect table for an even more perfect price. And you’ll never guess where I saw it…TJ MAXX!?!?! WHAT?? And the price? $400!!! A STEAL. I also found a tufted upholstered bench on CLEARANCE the next aisle over!!

I immediately told the store to hold it. It was mine!!–as soon as I figured out how the heck to get it home I knew there was no chance it would fit in our 4 door sedan, but our midsize SUV gave me hope 🙂 I rushed back to the house, told Mr. H about my amazing find, and headed back with our larger vehicle to bring this baby home! All I needed now were 4 chairs.

Well, the bargain gods must have been looking down on me because 2 days later, I found these treasures at… HOMEGOODS!!! I cannot begin to express how PERFECT these chairs were. I wanted 3 things in my dining chairs: upholstered and tufted , high backed, and studded in nail heads. Well these chairs absolutely NAILED IT 🙂 I was on a roll!

Here’s how they looked in the room:

The table accessories were also from HomeGoods :-). To finish off the room, we added a large mirror and two paintings that have followed us on 3 moves.

Here’s the way the room looked when we first moved in…

And here’s the way the room looks today:

I’m sooo pleased!! The room looks a lot more expensive than it actual is. I’m still looking for a wine cabinet/credenza of some sort (and you all already know where I’ll be going to look first!) I’m stamping this one a success 🙂 Now to host my first dinner party…

27Nov2013

Foodie Friday: Rosemary Crusted Lamb Chops

Posted in Recipes by Tanisha

I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving holiday and that both the food and the company were amazing! Mr. H and I spent the day eating up lots of turkey and fixings 🙂

Well just in case you didn’t get enough food, here’s another Foodie Friday post to get your stomachs growling!

I love lamb chops but have been so intimated by the idea of preparing them. But for our first anniversary, I wanted to try to make something special for our romantic dinner at home.

This was our favorite appetizer at our wedding so I decided to relive our special day through this delicious and easy to prepare recipe. It comes from Emeril Lagrassie.

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley leaves
1 tablespoon finely chopped rosemary leaves
1 teaspoon minced garlic
Salt
6 (4-ounce) double lamb rib chops (2 ribs) with bones attached, ribs frenched
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons minced shallots
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 cup balsamic vinegar
1 large or 2 small rosemary sprigs
2 tablespoons butter

Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
In a small bowl, combine olive oil, parsley, rosemary, and garlic. Season with salt, to taste. Set aside.

Set a 12-inch oven-safe saute pan over medium-high heat. Season the lamb with 1 tablespoon of salt and 1 1/2 teaspoons of the black pepper. Add 1 1/2 teaspoons of the oil to the saute pan and place the lamb, fat side down, in the pan. Sear the lamb until the fat has rendered and the skin is golden brown, about 3 minutes. Continue to cook the lamb, turning to cook evenly on each side, about 2 minutes each side. Baste them with the herb and oil mixture. Transfer the pan to the oven and cook until the lamb is rare, about 5 minutes. Alternatively, you can grill the lamb chops.

Make the balsamic drizzle while the lamb is cooking: Set a 1-quart saucepan over medium heat and add the remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons of olive oil. Once the oil is hot, add the shallots to the pan and sweat until translucent, about 1 minute. Add the garlic to the pan and sweat for 30 seconds. Pour the balsamic vinegar into the pan and bring to a boil. Add the rosemary and allow the balsamic to gently boil and reduce until only about 1/4 cup of balsamic remains, about 10 minutes. Season with 1 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper. Remove from the heat and swirl the butter into the pan. Remove the rosemary sprigs before using.

When the lamb is rare, remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes before serving. To serve, slice each double chop in half, and drizzle with the balsamic reduction.

Happy Cooking!