Staging, Painting and Surviving

Perhaps you are not familiar with "staging," either the theatrical kind or the house staging action which has been my undoing the last couple of weeks. Did I tell you that DH got a new wide-angle camera; this because the photos I had taken with my digital camera (not wide) did not appear to him like the interior photos in the glossy realtors' brochures of the pricey home for sale. The question of "to realtor, or not to realtor" is still under consideration.

So, new camera on hand we set about 'staging' several rooms. The objective was to gain 6 suitable photos for the upcoming spring market when we will announce that our house is for sale. While the photos began to take on a spacious, furniture store setting what is not in the picture is equally telling. For every clearer, clutter free room shot - there is a hall or corner stacked with the detritus of human living. Too many dishes, too many picture frames, too many pillows; where does all this stuff go when you are not taking pictures?

The kitchen was the worst job, every thing cleared off of every surface save but a bowl of fruit and one platter "artfully placed." True, it is difficult to view your own home in an objective way - not after you have planned, painted, moved, arranged, re-arranged, cleaned and lived with your treasured possessions for over a decade. Objective is not the first word that comes to mind.

The first word is not one you would use in polite company because after hours of moving, arranging and accessorizing the 'frame' we agreed on very little and were both too tired to be amiable. That said we had six photos in just under three days time. And we had not started packing, storing or getting ready for the next step.

NEXT STEP:  Interior Painting
I remember the day a friend said to me "getting an inside painter is cheaper in the winter as they cannot do any outside painting then." Cheaper? How much cheaper - not by the estimates we have in hand. Plus the act of painting is the easy part. The hard part is taking down all the picture frames (65 and counting), moving all the furniture, rolling up the rugs, packing away all the non-essentials and making a clear path for the painters. Yipes!! To this end several trips to the ABC store for empty liquor boxes was necessary.

Prelude to Painting is the fact that we rented a storage unit and cleared off the steel racking in the basement so that it could be carted to the rental storage place. Yesterday with the kind and gracious help of sister Jan and Rich, the racking was installed. Two pick-up loads of racks, storage tubs and boxes are now cleared out of the house. And there is much more to be done.

Today I have a tiny slice of my real life back as I got to the gym and found that two weeks of moving furniture, climbing up and down ladders and lifting boxes may not have been so bad; my back is stronger than ever and I lost two pounds. After gym my attention turned to the give-aways for the Guild's Silent Auction tomorrow night. Every January the Durham Orange Quilters' Guild has a silent auction where each quilter brings fabric or sewing paraphernalia they no longer want and put it on the table. Hopefully some other quilter will want it and out bid all other to take it to a new home. This has proved to be a major money maker, especially in off-years when we do not mount a quilt show. And this year I have the car loaded with goods to let someone else enjoy.

Dinner tonite is leftover casserole from yesterday's lunch. I wrote of the Breakfast Sausage & Cornbread casserole that I made for New Year's Day brunch (see early January). The best solution for eating on a moving day is to make something the night before and bake it off before lunch. Using the same recipe, with only slight additions of broccoli and red peppers, the cheese covered casserole came out of the oven looking marvelous. We were all too hungry to care. Neither fat-free or very light eating the guys loved it of course and even my sister wanted the recipe. How bad is that?

Tomorrow it is back to work - more pictures to pack, clutter to clear, boxes are ready to be filled and much needs to head to the local thrift shop. This week: the painters are coming. My coping method has been to relax with Mr. Kindle and read the Ken Follett book, "Dangerous Fortune."  Follett's writing reads like a Masterpiece Theater production. English aristocrats, ambitious bankers, socialite wives and the undoing of a family fortune. Reading for half-hour at a time helped me relax between tasks keep my feet from aching so much. Finished it this morning and ready for the next "A Place Called Freedom," another Follett saga. That should last me most of next week and maybe I will survive (?). 

01.01.11

It's a new year and everything in Chapel Hill is looking good.  Am very excited about the debut of Oprah's new OWN network. Can you even imagine what energy it takes to create a new cable network (?), not to mention three years in development and 110 million dollars $$$ - if anyone can do it, Oprah can.

What a boon of good foods lately. The place for mussels in Chapel Hill is Kitchen at a local corner; their Belgian-style Mussels cooked in beer was my Thursday evening dinner. A party of four at the next table were curious asking "what are those?"  They obviously did not know what mussels are since I heard one guy ask "is that where mussel-sprouts come from?"
Yesterday was my cooking day. For our Eve celebration DH wanted crab cakes, a recipe I try to make once during the holiday season but had not been able to squeeze in sooner. After first making the crab mix to refrigerating for several hours, then on to a roasted root vegetable mix for a side dish.

The real work was putting together a Breakfast Casserole for New Year's day (today), making one day truly a holiday without cooking! The ingredient list is approximate, look in the fridge and see what bits and scraps are left; put them in!  I was so tired after standing on my feet most of the morning - my feet hurt and I went to bed early, dozy from the champagne and missing all the big count-downs to midnight.

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THE MENU
Frosty Champagne

Crab Cakes made according to James Beard*
Steamed Broccoli Crowns
Roasted Autumn Vegetables
Salad of three lettuces, scallions, shredded carrots, feta cheese crumbles, garnished with two orange slices and sprinkled with crunchy onion shavings and Basic Vinaigrette Dressing. Forgot the Niçoise olives (?).
No dessert; too tired from making the Sausage Breakfast Casserole. See below.

*James Beard, James Beard’s Fish Cookery, 1954, “Crab Cakes” p. 303.

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ROASTED AUTUMN VEGETABLES



For this you will need a cast-iron skillet. My best effort in months, for the New Year’s Eve menu a medley of root-vegetables with a generous dose of fresh rosemary gave weight to the meal without being too heavy and starchy. This is an imitation of a side dish served at Kitchen, the place for steamed mussels in beer.
Serves 4

Ingredients:
2-3 medium-size Yukon Gold potatoes, washed and semi-peeled
2 carrots, peeled
1 large parsnip (yellow carrot), peeled
One-quarter of a Butternut squash, seeded, peeled
5-6 sprigs of fresh rosemary (grows in our yard)
E.V.O.O. , the best you’ve got

To prep:
Rinse, peel and dice into uniform pieces for even cooking. Cube into half- to three-quarter-inch chunks, toss out the tiny slivers.
To make ahead of time:
Place all diced vegetables in a plastic container and toss lightly with two-tablespoons of Basic Salad Dressing. Shake container to coat thoroughly and chill in the fridge; can chill for several hours or overnight. The coat of salad dressing will prevent the vegetables from turning brown.

To Cook:
Heat the oven to 350° F.
Finely dice the rosemary leaves stripped from the stem. You will need about 3 Tablespoons. Forget the food processor, tried that and it did not work; get the sharp knife.

In a heavy, oven-proof skillet heat the olive oil and toss in the rosemary. The smell will tell you when the oil is ready. Toss in the mixed, diced vegetables and stir fry for about 5-6 minutes or until the bottom begins to brown.  Put hot skillet in the oven and roast for about 30-35 minutes, stirring the mix at least once during that time. Vegetables should be hot, roasted with light brown edges but not scorched. Serve immediately.

Based on using 2 potatoes, 2 carrots, 1 parsnip and 1 C. cubed squash, 2 Tablespoons EVOO; divide the calorie count by 4 to get approximately 150 calories per portion.


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SAUSAGE BREAKFAST CASSEROLE

Modified from a Whole Foods recipe, see: www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipes/recipe.php?recipeId=2397
INGREDIENTS:
4 corn-muffins, or one-pan cornbread, stale or toasted and crumbled
1/2 pound pork breakfast sausage, cooked (less than a cup, cooked) (Jimmy Dean’s)
1 yellow onion, chopped
1/2 red pepper, chopped
1/2 cup diced celery
3 tablespoons of diced parsley
1 cup chopped broccoli stems
1/2 cup corn kernels, canned or frozen

3 whole eggs + 2 whites
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon Adobo seasoning
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup grated cheddar cheese

METHOD:
Par-cook the raw sausage in the skillet just until about half the red is gone and remove to a side plate. In the skillet brown onions, sausage, red pepper, celery and parsley until vegetables begin to wilt. Add the sausage, remove from heat and mix all together.

Grease a square, 10-inch baking dish with butter or margarine. Layer, in order cornbread, sausage, onion-vegetable mix, add the broccoli and corn on top.

In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, mustard, black pepper and Adobo seasoning then pour over contents in baking dish. Sprinkle with grated cheese, cover and chill for at least 2 hours, or preferably overnight.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Uncover dish and bake until cooked through and golden brown, 50 to 60 minutes. Set aside to let rest for 10 minutes then serve.
Serves 6-8 but the amounts can be increased to serve more if needed.

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Brunch TimeThe casserole is halfway through cooking, time to set the table and get ready for our quiet, private, just-the-two-of-us New Year's Brunch.  Cheers!