Awesome Chocolatier in Napa! Kollar is ready for the Easter Holiday with a special offer!
Deceiving these foot tall Kollar eggs are 2.5 pounds of Valrhona Chocolate !
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http://kollarchocolates.com/
Category Archives: Designs
Great Bathroom Designs
Max Kim-Bee
Who wouldn’t want an entire steam bathroom. From the soaking tub to the shower in two steps!
INTERIOR DESIGN BY VANESSA ALEXANDER
Love these mirrors with the natural light.
INTERIOR DESIGN BY PAUL WISEMAN
Louvered cabinet doors add texture to the room
INTERIORDESIGN BY S. RUSSELL GROVES
Great symmetry!
INTERIOR DESIGN BY SUZANNE LOVELL
Spring Evening Dining
Although still a bit chilly, Spring evenings are generally warm enough for al fresco dining with a sweater. There is nothing more engaging than conversations around the table, meal completed, candles glowing….
Elegant and Easy this Pork Tenderloin will be the hit of the evening.
Pork Tenderloin in Puff Pastry
Ingredients
1 whole egg
1 tablespoon water
½ apple finely diced
1 T butter
1 whole pork tenderloin, approximately 1 pound
4 1/2 ounces thinly slice prosciutto
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
1 teaspoon flour
1 sheet puff pastry, thawed completely
1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard
Directions
Place a rack in the upper third of the oven and heat to 400 degrees F.
Whisk the egg and water in a small bowl and set aside. Saute the apples in the butter just until tender, 3 mins or so. Slice the tenderloin down the middle lengthwise, creating 2 separate pieces. Lay the tenderloin pieces next to each other head to tail, so when laid back together they are the same size at the ends.
Lay out a 12 by 16-inch piece of parchment paper on the counter and arrange the pieces of prosciutto in the center, overlapping them enough to create solid layer that is as long as the tenderloin. Top with a second piece of parchment, and using a rolling pin, roll over the prosciutto to help adhere the pieces to each other. Remove the parchment paper and sprinkle the prosciutto with the salt, pepper, and thyme. Set the tenderloin down the middle of the prosciutto. Spread the diced apples in between the 2 pieces of tenderloin and push back together so the apples are held between them. Using the parchment paper to assist, wrap the proscuitto around the tenderloin to completely enclose in a package.
Sprinkle the counter with flour and roll out the pastry to 12 by 14 inches. Spread the mustard thinly in the center of pastry and lay the prosciutto wrapped tenderloin in the center of the pastry on the mustard. Fold the puff pastry up and over the top of the tenderloin, then roll to completely enclose, brushing the edges of the pastry with the egg wash in order to seal. Turn the tenderloin over so the side of the tenderloin with the double thickness of pastry is underneath. Pinch the ends of the pastry to seal.
Brush the entire pastry with the egg wash. Place the tenderloin on a parchment lined half sheet pan and bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until the pork reaches an internal temperature of at least 140 degrees F.
Remove the tenderloin from the oven, transfer to a cooling rack and let rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
Ready to Sell? Here’s your assignment!
Prepping your home for showing can be a painful process. However it’s also a perfect time to pare down and start to pack up personal items. Look at it as the beginning stages of your move and it will be much easier to tackle. Lordes Arbuscato recently published a list she compiled by interviewing top stagers depicting the seven things you should do to give your home the polish it needs for a first impression. I’m paraphrasing for the sake of time.
1. Detach from your personal items and pack them away. Pictures, mementos, personal stuff that just adds clutter. Remember less in a room translates into more space.
2. Don’t walk out of the house until it’s perfectly clean. First and foremost have your home professionally cleaned. Carpets washed, blinds dusted, windows cleaned, etc. Once the heavy stuff is done…maintenance is of paramount importance. On a daily basis leave your home pristine, make sure the kitchen and sink are clean, pick up all clothes and shoes and put them away, bathroom towels should be fresh and neat, beds are made, etc.
3. Scentologists will tell you, not only is the visual important but a homes scent, if it’s bad, can be a deal breaker. Not everyone has time to bake bread or chocolate chip cookies (two of the best smells) but you can air out your home, avoid strong cooking odors, get rid of the cat box. Common sense type of things. If it smells it goes!
4. Remove “sight-line” impairments. This means pull up the area rugs and the bathroom mats that can make a room look choppy. Long lines and less clutter. No toys, knickknacks, dish towels, portable appliances that stop the eye from the bones of the home. Clean and mean!
5. Improve traffic flow. Take out the excess furniture that might inhibit a comfortable flow through a room.
6. Create the perfect climate. Not to hot, not to cool, not to dark. Pleasant ambient noises are soothing to buyers soft and subtle music, birds singing from open outside windows, waterfall running.
7, Leave out what you want them to walk away with. Home flyers and pertinent information should be in the foyer for easy accessibility. Put away what you value, jewelry, medicines, financial papers, portable electronics
Perfect Breakfast!
Eggs En Cocotte with Spinach Puree & Prosciutto Fingers
Ingredients
FOR THE PROSCIUTTO FINGERS:
- 6 slices prosciutto, halved lengthways
- 6 breadsticks
FOR THE EGGS EN COCOTTE:
- 2 T Butter
- 1 Box Frozen chopped spinach
- 6 T Crème fraiche
- 2 T Finely-chopped chives
- Salt and freshly ground black peppper
- 6 Eggs
- 1 C Gruyere cheese finely grated
Directions
- For the prosciutto fingers, wrap 2 strips of prosciutto ham around each bread stick and set aside.
- Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter 6 ramekins or similar-sized ovenproof dishes. Place the frozen chopped spinach in a saucepan and cook over a low heat, stirring, until the spinach has melted into a purée. Turn up the heat and cook the spinach until there is no watery residue. Remove from the heat and stir in 5 tablespoons of the crème fraiche and the chopped chives. Season well.
- Spoon the spinach purée into the base of each ramekin; crack the egg into each one. Mix the grated cheese with remaining tablespoon of crème fraiche. Carefully place a small amount of the cheese mixture on top of the eggs. Place the ramekins in a roasting tin and pour in enough boiling water to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins.
- Cook in the oven for 12-14 minutes, or until the yolks feel just firm to the touch. Serve immediately with prosciutto fingers on the side.
I found this recipe originally in House & Garden and have adapted it to my taste. You can use polenta in place of the spinach puree for a variation of taste. Both work perfectly with the eggs. Just make sure you don’t overcook the yolks so you can dip the bread sticks in the yummy yolk.
Mortgage Approval vs Pre-Approval
With the current competitive nature of the Real Estate market buyers have to be overly prepared. If you aren’t one of the fortunate buyers in today’s marketplace able to purchase for cash, lenders have up-ted the anti for you. Quicken Loan’s calls it “Mortgage First”. Designed to position a buyer requiring a mortgage more competitively, they process all necessary documentation through the underwriting process. Touting this mortgage to buyers as the next best thing to being a cash buyer it does provide you with the certainty you are fully qualified and not just pre-approved. From a sellers perspective that is one more question answered and does strengthen your offer. Though there is still the appraisal process that must be completed for final lender approval, this loan does provide an advantage for buyers requiring a mortgage to purchase their new home.
Guaranteed Rate recently provided a list of documents buyers need to provide their lenders to complete the loan process. The list of financials that you need to pull together before you buy a home are included below. If you want to be a stronger buyer in this market place, ask your lender if they can process you through underwriting and not just provide you with a “pre-approval.”
Income – W2 Employee
- Most recent two paystubs
- Most recent two years W2s
- Most recent two years Federal Tax Returns (all pages and all schedules)
Income – Self Employed
- Most recent two years 1099
- Most recent two years K1s
- Most recent two years Personal Federal Tax Returns (all pages and all schedules)
- Most recent two years Business Federal Tax Returns (all pages and all schedules)
Assets
- Most recent two months statements from all asset accounts. This would include: Checking, Savings, IRA, Stocks, 401k etc. Complete statements are needed; this means every numbered page even if they are blank. Transaction histories and screen shots will not be accepted by the underwriter.
This article is intended for educational purposes only and should not be interpreted as a recommendation. The information in this article is not an indication of program availability. Always consult with a mortgage professional before making a decision on a home loan
Flowers for a Grey Monday Morning
Courtesy of Veranda Magazine.
El Sueño de Amistad
A visual treat for my Equestrian friends….who wouldn’t want to live and work here on a daily basis…..
Take a tour of this 120 acre Equestrian Estate in Simi Valley recently photographed by C Magazine.
http://c-home.com/homes/show-grounds/
Time to Repaint?
Oh Spring….the time to clean, paint, de-clutter, plant, trim….rendering very little relaxation time. But then again once all the work is done, Summer begins! Once your home is spruced up then you can enjoy entertaining with friends and family throughout the warm dog days of Summer.
Your home’s exterior is of important concern not only for resale purposes but to avoid costly repairs in the future. If you are planing on selling, the first visual a new buyer sees should be that of a well cared for exterior. Reflective of the care you have taken with your home, a buyers’ positive first impression can add value to their offer. Curb appeal, you get one shot!
General maintenance on the other hand for a homeowner should include annual exterior inspections to protect the value of your investment. Peeling paint exposes your homes framing leaving it susceptible to insects, dry rot and mold that over time translates into financial complications!
Not sure if you want to choose a new color or love the old one? Check out this link to the Houzz web site, send them a photo of your exterior and they will submit your project to their professionals for their suggestions. Then you can either select a professional to do the painting or tackle it yourself!
Hide Clutter Creatively!
Sarah Bray, contributing writer to House Beautiful recently published an article on how to hide what we all need hidden….clutter! Whether we are working 10 hour days or juggling kids, home and life there is never enough time to pick up everything. But if you are like me, there has to be some method to the madness or quick fix to the mess. Here are a few ideas she suggests to hide what we don’t have time to straighten up. Personally I love the curtain idea, just pull them closed and pretend nothing is behind Curtain #1!
I’ve always been a fan of barn doors. They lie flush to the wall and can be a thematic focal point instead of just a door.
Save decorative boxes to store papers and trinkets.
Ottoman Drawer Recycled Panels Window Seat
http://www.housebeautiful.com/decorating/organize/how-to-conceal-clutter?click=main_sr&src=spr_FBPAGE&spr_id=1451_49924203#slide-1