Remodeling House

Sister and I have just returned from a magical few days.

Our good fortune was to receive an invitation from Eddie Ross and Jaithan Kochar to spend time with them at their charming home in upstate New York. If you recall from our previous post we were excited and nervous...............nervous that we could make fools of ourselves. Guess what?
We did, both of us............but I am happy to report we are still friends!

Eddie and Jaithan are on the fast track to fame. While there, they received calls for TV specials, are writing a book and shared the photo's of an upcoming HGTV special, beginning on October 18th, featuring their skills at Halloween decor, on a budget.


One day began with this breakfast, all arranged beautifully. Take note of the presentation; fresh fruit in a cut milk glass pedestal bowl, just made 'coffee yogurt' with raspberries, blueberries and chopped nuts as a garnish. Note the coffee in a "French Press" that makes a full bodied coffee, European style.



Then onto sheer joy, antiquing! But this was no ordinary excursion. Eddie believes in re-purposing and seeing the potential in ordinary objects. My eyes began to search for the unexpected.
Too bad sister is hiding it is a really cute picture of her.



We dashed into his favorite, Goodwill. The treasures were numerous for all.



The Bottle Shop. Dirty, cluttered and a blast. I am now regretting not taking the giant trophy pointed out to me, worried about getting everything in a suitcase.




Even the higher end shops had room for digging. "If only I had a truck!"




Here are my finds;

• Bound black leather books from England, circa 1910 featuring stories on other countries.

• Small silverplate trophy

Goodwill

• Flax grain sack

Millbrook Antique Mall

• Vintage stencil numbers and letters
• Flower frog
• Series of vintage safety pins (No, I do not know yet what to do with them)

The Bottle shop



Sister scored! The hard to find 'Amarula' liquer, aka 'elephant juice'. see previous post




Breakfast day two, amazing. Notice the presentation. Let me share with you what I learned;

• Entertaining need not be overwhelming
• Eddie always uses table cloths and cloth napkins. When I asked about ironing, he said rarely. After washing lay everything flat, in layers, one on top of the other straight from the washer.
• Eddie's basement is filled with shelves of serving pieces collected over the years. All are convenient and ready for service.
  

The menu
Baked eggs, bacon, biscuits, sister's zucchini bread, homemade jam, orange juice and coffee

• Cook the bacon on a baking pan in the oven
• Take a small amount of the bacon grease and spread on the copper serving dish. Add the eggs, do not break. Slowly pour cream or half and half on the whites, avoiding the yolks, as they could break. Sprinkle with grated parmesan cheese, snipped chives, salt and pepper.
• The biscuits were to die for and when asked how he had the time, Eddie said "simple!" Open a can of Pillsbury biscuits, lightly splash with cream and sprinkle with salt.

Sister's Zucchini Bread recipe

3 1/2 c. flour
1 1/2 t. salt
1 t. nutmeg
1 t. cinnamon
2 t. baking soda
1 t. dried orange peel
3 c. sugar

1 c. vegetable oil
4 eggs, beaten
2/3 c. water
2 c. zucchini, grated
1 t. lemon juice
1 1/2 c. walnuts, chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix dry ingredients except for the nuts in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, mix wet ingredients; fold into dry, add nuts. Bake in 2 loaf pans 1 hour, or until toothpick comes out clean.







Food photography, Eddie Ross



Time to say good-bye. This is the view from their porch


Jaithan is gorgeous, with a gentle spirit, a voice for FM radio, a huge heart and smiling eyes
Eddie is cute beyond compare. A winning smile and very funny. Aren't we lucky?



Now it's time to carry on and enjoy a day of exploring the Hudson River valley.
Upstate New York was settled by the Dutch and the architecture, mostly strong and masculine depicts it's heritage.




I am "mad" for dry laid stone walls. The abundance of stone fostered this dwindling craft.


Strong colors of watermelon, sage green and mustard


Predominate was a white building with green trim. In this case a smart black/green.



Glorious barns, everywhere


The catskill mountains are visible at every turn. The Hudson river lingers nearby.



Country gardens are lush from the lack of unending heat and humidity


Thank you Jaithan and Eddie xxo


Biography

Eddie Ross

• Native of Greenwich, Ct.
• Founded own catering company
• Graduate of Culinary Institute of America
• Associate design Director in-house Food Network
• Associate Director Editor, House Beautiful
• Food editor, Martha Stewart
• Senior style editor Martha Stewart Living
• 2008 BRAVO Top Design
  

Jaithan Kochar

• Native of Milwaukee, Wi.
• Graduated Stanford University
• Graduate Rhode Island School of Design
• Co-founder of Eddie Ross, llc.

Follow their blog, EddieRoss.com, with inspirational tips and information on how to cook, craft, decorate and entertain both beautifully and affordably.


Special Note;
Eddie and Jasithan are considering a visit to Geneva, Madison and Chicago for a design workshop

Commercial GreenhousesAugust 29, 2009The idea of growing edible plants indoors is not a new one. Archaeological excavations of Pompeii (79 AD) uncovered the remains of early greenhouses so they have been in use since at least that time if not earlier. The ancient Romans ensured the survival of vegetables and grapes by using greenhouses to protect produce from in-climate weather. They were the

I was anxious to get out and check the garden today after a day and half of rain. The garden weathered the rainy weather well with only a couple of the Sweet Millions tomatoes splitting. Given the amount of rain that fell I was quite surprised. There were a few tomatoes, peppers and peas ready for picking as well. In recent years there has been a lot of talk about the decreased levels of bees,

Tomatoes are likely the first choice of any vegetable grown in home gardens and for good reason. Homegrown tomatoes are the best tasting tomatoes you can ever eat! They are simply the best fresh picked from the vine, still warm with the sun's kiss and moments away from a sandwich or salad. Most home gardeners will grow more than one variety of tomatoes usually chosen for a particular use.

There have been several reports of late blight hitting tomato plants in the northeastern US states. Some home gardeners have reported late blight within 100 km of us as well so I have been on high alert watching for any signs. I am be especially careful to remove any damaged vegetation from both the plants and soil level. While I have had minor damage due to the storms that went through so far

This blog focuses on what grows in my garden so it isn't often that you get to see how I use some of my garden goodies. Today I thought I would share a couple of ways we use garden goodies. If you would like to see more ways we use the garden produce, please visit my cooking blog.Summer Garden SaladWe eat some type of salad almost daily year round so really look forward to fresh, home grown

It can be both frustrating and fascinating when you move into a home where you haven't planted the vegetation. In some cases recognizing the vegetation is quite easy but in other cases you may not know what is planted where until you do careful observation beginning in the spring. This is the situation we found ourselves in since moving here in 2007.Crabapple BlossomsWe have three gorgeous

It is important that Mirror not only be used in bathrooms and bedroom but for decorating any space in the entire house !

It is specially useful to bring the light because of being reflective in nature and it create an impression of space. So whether its your balcony or hallway, over your living area..add it to any space and it will jazz it up in no time !!





Mirrors come in all shapes and size and its framing gives you the satisfaction of designing it according to your taste. Make it wooden, line it with shells and pebbles or use any metal...just go on and be creative.




Budget restraints ??!!?? Not to worry a simple assembly of mirrors can turn any stark corner into an interesting one !! You would love to look into it and admire :)




Put flowers or interesting nick knacks and the reflection will make the piece of decoration twice more beautiful.




Its sober as much as classy !! It speaks of style..get one for your room today and watch it transform.

Use them in singles or get a group of them in different shapes and hang them on to your wall..They have the added advantage of being easy to dismount and keep rearranging at your will !!

Heinz 1439August 19, 2009I think everyone growing a vegetable garden grows at least one tomato plant! Home grown tomatoes freshly picked and still warm from the sun's kisses are really a gardener's delight. They make wonderful summer sandwiches and salads as well as a wide variety of sauces. The best part is one tomato plant can easily gift you with upwards of 40 mouthwatering tomatoes! Our

I am sure you would agree that for a kid his bed is special!! It is here where he dreams and day dreams. It not only forms the center of his room but also his world i.e his room. A comfortable bed is important for sound sleep so that your little ones wake up to a day full of vigor!!

All this but at the same time it should be enticing enough to get them to spend time on it so that they can sleep. It will witness pillow fights and sweet lullaby and so many stories as the child grows up. A bed can offers so much variations in terms of the cushions, pillows and the throw you use.
It is easy to do up a bed once you have made up your mind or rather your little one has made up her mind on what she would like. It can be as diverse as color, animal or her hobby, even a favourite character, the choices are limitless.

I am presenting here a selection of interesting beds which will surely give you inspiration to decorate and create a special one for your little ones :)

This has to be the bedroom of an aspiring ballerina. The colors and the texture of the drape are of the tutu with beautiful pastel pink and purple. Notice the toffee cushion on the bed, its a nice touch along with the ballerina shoes hanging from the bedframe. I totally love the asymmetrical canopy !



A 'minnie mouse' theme. One can do a similar kind in desired theme with loads of fabric and decoration in the prints of desired toon. Check out the 'Fairy princess' theme and the 'Flower and greens' theme too.



This bed and the room decor is all about echoing a color pattern throughout. The repetition of the flower and greens makes it so soothing to eyes. A great inspiration for home makers !!


Another Canopy 'ballerina' bed but with a difference. The fabric is beautiful and brings the homogeneity to this room. Small touches like the purple heart shaped rug add to the charm.


This is a perfect example of creating the best out of resources. The throw and the pillow covers seems to decide the theme which is then artistically resonated in the lovely cushions. The Crown cushions grabs our attention and explains the 'fairy princess' theme. Fairly simple but great result !



This bed IS the center of the room. It is not just a 'bed' but also a cabinet with space to display And an activity center too. A bunk bed for your little ones or an easy invitation for a friend to spend a night.


This is one of the most imaginative theme. I love the way 'ocean wave' has been put on to the wall and it creates a neat display rack while catching ones interest right away !! The head board is an inspiration in itself.

The bed covers and the pillow cases are perfect for the theme as are the snorkeling accessories.


A bright color can brighten any room!! Here the color is not so much on the wall as everywhere else. Great idea for those looking at creating their own designs. This can be done in pretty much any color depending on your choice.


Another bed which in itself will keep the little guys busy !! Those who love soccer will adore their rooms for this and a great way to keep them busy while under your eyes :D

Albino Toad Close-UpAugust 15, 2009I posted earlier on my albino toad garden visitor (more here). At that time he really liked hanging out by the garden gnomes and he still does likely because they are in the shade most of the day. For the past few days he has been hanging out in the garden as well. I think he has learned I will do him no harm as he will sit posing for pictures and he no

We live in rural area on waterfront property on a small, dead-end road with about 20 other families which basically forms a very small, tight-knit community. We have neighbours on both sides but none to the front or back. Most here have vegetable gardens but there are a few that don't. This spring one of the families set up things to raise chickens. Now if you were to see the location and the

In many intercity communities there is vacant land from buildings being torn down. Some enterprising individuals have taken it upon themselves to establish community gardens as a way to help themselves and others in the community. W.D.Gardner (alias) of eastside Detroit, Michigan is one such individual. He is trying to establish gardens in his community in the hopes of providing food for his

We cried this week


Then we hugged


Followed by anger


What happened?


The shop was robbed, really robbed.................my irreplaceable antiques robbed, my spirit robbed. Who would do this to a small business................in these times? Has this ever happened to you? Write to me, we can commiserate together. What I really long for now is......................





I wanted to curl up and go to bed......................pass out type of going to bed




That not being possible I can take a get away in my mind and dream of far-off refuges. Want to come? For the moment?



This sparks my imagination!



Rocking to sleep over a running stream



Ever want to stay in an Ice Hotel...............great snuggling, where are those kittens?



Near a cool ocean breeze..................this calls for a Pina Colada with a long straw.




Around a camp fire, in style.




Waking up to a romantic view. Can't you imagine the adventure this morning would hold?



Or wake up screaming?!


Would you suggest this for your child's room?????




A warm cozy nook, a private getaway. Notice the shelves inside for your books, ticking clock, glass of red wine........sigh............




LOVE this! The cool crisp colors, the possibility of staying up with friends sharing secrets. Either of these nooks could be added to an existing room. Someday I will have a home to accommodate a nook.




Then there's, Eddie and Jaithan! And the best is to come. Next week sister and I have been invited to their farmhouse in Millford, NY. This "take me away" opportunity trumps any of the rooms in this post.
But will confess to getting nervous, both of us. How did we become so fortunate? Will we make giddy fools of ourselves!? Will sister get carried away with her notoriously famous "bag of tricks?"
Truly love these men. Enormously talented, gracious and headed for an amazing career. We are grateful for their generous hospitality. Will keep you posted...................



"When the heart grieves over what it has lost the spirit rejoices over what it has left" Sufi