It's a Blog Block Party-Outdoor Cooking and Dining

It's a Blog Block Party 

Theme Outdoor Cooking and Dining

In lieu of my weekly Swing into Spring party, I'd like to welcome all of you to my leg of the blog block party - outdoor cooking and dining.  Next week I will feature projects from last week's Swing into Spring party.  

As you know, we did a major renovation on our backyard this year, removing our deck and replacing it with a new patio and outdoor kitchen.  As part of our outdoor kitchen we added a wood burning pizza oven.  When my husband first told me he wanted one, I was reluctant.  Ok, I thought the idea was Crazy with a capital C.  But, it has turned out to be one of the coolest things ever.  Pizza cooks in less than two minutes.  I'm not even sure you can get fast food that fast.

We start our pizza by going to our local pizza place and buying fresh dough from them.  Supermarkets sell dough as well, but trust me, it just isn't as good.  We could make our own dough...but for now this is convenient, easy and very tasty.

I then cut the dough in half.  That way it's the right size for an individual pizza - everyone gets to choose their own toppings.

I then spread the dough out on a cutting board using a little cornmeal.  Corn meal works much better than flour.  It doesn't change the consistency of the dough and helps keep the dough from sticking.  It's best to work with room temperature dough.

Now the fun part...adding the toppings.  This day we made more than 16 individual pizzas so the place was a bit of a mess.  I try to chop up what I can ahead of time to make the process go super quick.

The pizza oven is all fired up and ready to go.  Once the fire gets white hot, the fire gets moved to the back. 

Pizza cooks in less than two minutes.  Now to be fair, it does take about an hour and a half to get the fire going and to the right temperature...so there is some pre-planning necessary.  But once it's going you can cook pizza all day long.  

Perfect pizza every time.  Don't have a pizza oven?  You can follow the same recipe and either cook it in your over at 450 degrees for 15 minutes or use a pizza stone and cook it on your grill.

Now I can't wait to see your outdoor cooking and dining ideas.  I know there are still some questions as to how exactly this party works.  Here's the lowdown:


The link part of the party is a shared link on all 12 blogs. Our individual posts will be themed related and projects will be kind of grouped together by theme as they are linked up but it's one big shared link so some of the more specific themes with less theme related posts can still get exposure on several blogs. We wanted everyone to be part of the whole party and get to have everyone see their posts on all 12 blogs by the end of the week instead of having 13 different party links. Themes that go up on the same day will be intermingled as people link them up on the different blogs but it will all culminate at the end of the week as one huge Summer themed link party!

After you're done partying with me, please stop by Savvy Southern Style, Elements Interior and Green Door Design to join in their themed parties.

As you know each party has it's own giveaway.  Today's giveaway is a $50 credit from Girl in Air's Etsy Store. 

Girl in Air

 There are so many cool things to choose from.  

Girl in Air

That's right...a $50 credit.  So come and link up to the party.  If you link up you are automatically entered to win.  




Please place the following "I Participated in the Blogger Block Party" button in your outdoor cooking and dining post after you have linked up.  







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Party Rules:
- Link up any post past or present related to this party's theme


- Be sure to link back to your original post and not just your url (main blog address)


- Please post the Blogger Block Party button (code located above and in sidebar) in your post so others can join in the fun! (MANDATORY)


- Visit another guest.  I love it when you party with our other guests! Please take a moment and visit some of the other posts and leave some comment love!  This is what makes a party so fun!


- I love it if you'd share the Blogger Block Party on your Facebook Pages and Twitter (use #BloggerBlockParty in your tweet) (Not mandatory but we'd appreciate it!)


- I'd love for you to become a follower...but it's not mandatory.  

Let's get partying!!


-Judy

Drop Cloth Pillow

Welcome to Day 2 of the Blog Block Party.

Today's party is being hosted by My Uncommon Slice of Surburbia and it's a drop cloth link party.

I still have drop cloth "fabric"  left over after my Craigslist makeover.  You can check out that transformation here.

Friday was my birthday and my kids got me a Silhouette machine.  I have been wanting one for almost a year now and haven't been able to win one on any blog giveaways.  Lol.  When I opened it I was doing a happy dance.

 I started by creating an easy stencil with my new Silhouette machine.

I wanted to make a super easy pillow with very little sewing.  If you can sew two straight lines, you can make this pillow.  My pillow insert was 14"x24".  I cut my drop cloth (using the finished edge as my short edge) to a single measurement of 28 1/2" x 24".  The 28 1/2" = 14" times 2 plus 1/2" seam.  allowance.  I folded the fabric in half, wrong sides together,  leaving only two edges to sew.

Once I was done sewing I was left with a pillow with three edges closed (the folded edge and the two sewed edges).  I turned it back to the right side.

I took a magazine and inserted it  into the pillow so that I would have something to lean on when I traced my stencil.

I traced it using a pencil first.

Then using a paint pen (and keeping the magazine in between the fabric), I colored my pencil lines in, being careful to keep within the lines.

To close the pillow all I did was cut six equal lengths of grosgrain ribbon and sew three on each edge spaced equally.  This ribbon is from an Ann Taylor Loft bag I had in the house.  You know I love using ribbon from store bags.  Check out this project from my daughter's room.

In less than twenty minutes I have a new pillow cover...ala Pottery Barn.

Don't forget to stop back tonight at 8pm EST when I will kick off my part of the blog block party with outdoor cooking and dining.  The party will be in lieu of my weekly Swing into Spring party and will be the official start of my summer parties.  There will be an awesome giveaway!!

Hope to see you then.

-Judy

Let The Partying Begin

The blog block parties begin today.  Debbie from Debbiedoos Blogging and Blabbing and Vanessa and Heather from At The Picket Fence kick off this awesome week of parties and giveaways.  Debbie is hosting a summer paint projects party.  Here's my favorite summer paint project I've done so far:

Only a few weeks ago was I driving by my neighbor's house when I saw two outdoor chairs waiting for the garbage man to pick them up.  They didn't look like this when I found them.

This is why they were being thrown out.

Nothing a little elbow grease and spray paint couldn't fix.

The cushions were also in the trash....a little drab and faded but otherwise in good shape.   All it took was one yard of outdoor fabric and some basic sewing skills to recover.

Heather and Vanessa's party theme is summer activities for kids.   Now one of my favorite summer activities to do with my kids is go to Disney World.  But, if you're looking for things you can do right in your own backyard without breaking the bank, stop by At The Picket Fence for all kinds of fun summertime activities.

Each of these parties has a giveaway.  Yep, you heard me right...each party.  That's a whole lot of giveaways.  Make sure you stop by all the parties this week and link up.  Don't forget I will be hosting Wednesday's party with the theme of outdoor cooking and dining.  Get those outdoor cooking and dining posts ready.  I can't wait!!

-Judy

Happy Birthday My Love

Today is my wife’s birthday.  Given the tireless hours she puts into DIY by Design, I thought it only fitting to wish her a Happy Birthday via her blog (for those of you about to get upset at me, I did also wish her a Happy Birthday in person).   What started out as a simple idea built from curiosity, has developed into a passion and desire to share with others all that she has and will accomplish in the design world.  It is an opportunity to share, to educate and to learn.  As her first official follower, I have enjoyed every one of her posts since she began in October 2010.

We have completed many great projects together over the years – wallpapering (the single largest home improvement project which leads to divorce – note we are still married), tiling a kitchen backsplash (we learned that grout hides all mistakes), plumbing (ever install your own trap in the main drain of your house?), electric (ever run 250 feet of underground cable at 11pm just so your shed had spotlights, or crawled through a 110 degree attic so your daughter could have a chandelier?), board and batten (what guy wouldn’t love to use a nail gun?).  We have tried them all.  In her posts, you can often catch a glimpse of my arm, my leg or the back of my head.  We have all the tools, and we are not afraid to use them.

I try to always be there for her (often kicking and screaming, but ultimately I come around).  I’m the hot head, she’s the level headed one who says “of course we can do this”.  I look forward to another 20 years of DIY with you.  After 20 more, can we call it quits and hire the regular guy??

I am very proud of all she has accomplished and very proud to call her my wife.  Happy Birthday.

I know I'm Doing This Backwards

My bathroom makeover is proceeding in sort of a backwards way.  I know exactly what color scheme I want, but I haven't been able to commit to a color for the walls yet.

I started the project by refinishing the cabinet in the bathroom.  I used Anne Sloan Chalk Paint in Duck Egg.

Next I painted a mirror I had in the closet as I was inspired by a Pierre Deux mirror.  Again I used chalk paint...this time in Old White.  I still wasn't sure what color I wanted on the wall so I decided to go to Home Goods (where else?) and see if there were any accessories that would help me move this project along.  It was a good day at Home Goods.

I found the right size rug with the perfect colors.

I found some awesome towels to add the color I am looking for.

I combined two different hand towels to add more of the colors and feel I am after.

I'm getting rid of my sea of beige and adding color all over the bathroom with new towels in the basket and an actual wastepaper basket in the bathroom.  Don't ask me why we never had one before.  I don't have a good answer.

I even added more color to my freshly painted cabinet.  I had many choices in the color scheme of aqua, chocolate and cream.  I will add some color to the glass jar as well.

The best thing that came out of my trip to Home Goods is that I think I finally settled on a color...Benjamin Moore Glacier Lake.  I'll be going to buy a gallon today.  Hopefully by the end of the weekend, this bathroom will be painted.  Then I can focus on the last touches like artwork.  I'm excited to have a clearer vision for the bathroom.  Let me know what you think.

Have a great day.

-Judy

Swing into Spring - It's a Party #20

Welcome to this week's Swing into Spring party.  As always last week's party was filled with awesome ideas and inspiration.  Here are my picks for this week's features:

A Very Merry Vintage Style painted these vintage suitcases using Anne Sloan's Chalk Paint.  Check out her blog to see how she did it.

The Homeless Finch gave her jewelry box a face lift.  Look how gorgeous it is now!!

I love the idea of using drop cloths to decorate.  How cool are these letter pillows created by Ellen's Creative Passage using drop cloths?

I just love this DIY sunburst mirror created by Girl In Air out of faux barn wood.  What a great job.

Look at this beautiful before and after.  Decor and the Dog transformed this $0.50 garage sale find for her two year old niece's big girl room.  Now that's a great deal!!!


If you were featured, please grab an "I've Been Featured" button (you can now find my buttons by clicking on the buttons tab right under my header).  Now let's get started with this week's party.  I can't wait to see what you have been up to.  Link up anything you have been working on...home decor, sewing, crafts, organizing, baking, recipes etc.     I will keep this link open through Friday.





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A few rules:

1.  Please become a follower.  

2.  Please grab my party button above and display it either on your sidebar or somewhere in your post.  This way word can spread about the party.  The more people at the party, the more fun we will have.

3.  Please enter the link to your actual post, not just a link to your main blog page.

4. Please visit others who have linked up.   Everyone works hard on their projects and blogs...let's show each other some love by visiting each other.  Let's have some fun and hopefully make a few new friends along the way.

Ok...Let's Party

-Judy

Do You Run a Diner Too?

I have two kids and they don't always love the same foods.  It makes dinner time a little more challenging.  Don't get me wrong, there are nights that I make one dinner and they either eat it or they don't.  However, my kids have super fast metabolisms and don't gain weight that easily, so I'd rather make a few variations to a meal and have everyone eat everything rather than one meal and have it picked at.  Here's my solution for three variations on one pasta meal...

I start out with a pasta shape everyone likes.

My son likes garlic and oil...so all I do is take a little extra virgin olive oil and add crushed garlic.  One precaution...don't burn the garlic or else you really need to just throw it out and start all over.  Burnt garlic is not a good taste.  I make enough of the garlic and oil to use some of it to start my red sauce.

For the rest of the family I make a red sauce using crushed tomatoes.  I start with the reserved garlic and oil and add the crushed tomatoes and italian spices.  It's that easy and much better tasting than a store bought jar of sauce.
My husband and I like fresh mozzarella with fresh basil and my daughter likes shaved asiago.

Now everyone was happy and it really didn't take me any extra time (or extra pans) at all.

Don't forget to stop back tonight at 8pm EST when my weekly Swing into Spring party kicks off.  Hope to see you then.

-Judy