Um... we changed our minds

After a week staring at our demolition job we started to second guess our decision on our mantel and fireplace renovation. We had originally decided to add a large rustic wood mantel. But some complications finding wood that large and affordable has been a major road block. We have gone over idea after idea on this challenging mantel, and have come to a semi decision to demolish it further.
This was it before.


We took the hammer to it here, and we plan to do much more!


We will need to remove the whole top stucco structure, just to sink it back about 6 inches to create a stepped back mantel and hopefully find a 3" wood slab for our mantel top.
Something like this.

Tarte Tatin

Tonight Rory and I are invited to a friends new home for dinner. We offered to bring something of course, and they said if I wanted to bring a dessert that they would love it.
So the little sugar coated wheels in my mind started turning. I always love to bake and create delicious desserts, and I love to challenge myself with something new. But on a week night after work I only have so much time, so a 9 layer cake is out. I wanted to find a great but also fast and simple recipe using apples as we have an orchard full of them right now. I started searching through my baking books and found this.

Tarte Tatin by Martha Stewart Baking

Recipe


This classic French dessert the Tarte Tatin originated in the late 1800's in France, it is basically an upside down apple tart that is cooked in caramel. Yum! It's beautifully rustic, simple and fast!
I went online to check it out and what do you know there is even a video of how to make it with Martha and a guest. Perfect.

Here is a great video from Julia Child making a Tarte Tatin, I really enjoy watching her cook, she is more than entertaining. It's a long video, but if you can watch it through to the part where she flips the pan over to unveil the tarte, you won't be disappointed and you will get a taste of her famous optimism. Lets hope that doesn't happen to mine!
She did use a mixer for the tarte dough but I used the Martha recipe in which the dough is made quite fast in a food possessor.

Watch the full episode. See more Julia Child.

I made my Pate Brisee (dough) last night, lickity-split, wrapped it in plastic and stuck it in the fridge to chill overnight.
The apples are easily peeled, cored and quartered, not in slices so that was fast. I used Granny Smith apples from my parents orchard. I like the tart flavor of Granny's and the way they hold up in cooking, there are my "go to" pie apple as well.



Well here goes.
This is the tarte assembled upside down in the pan with the dough on top as it went into the oven.


Then it cooked for about a half hour and filled the kitchen with the smell of butter, apples and caramel.
You have to invert the tarte onto a plate while its still hot, so this is the tricky part. I was a little nervous after seeing Julia's attempt!


I waited a minute, mainly out of fear that it hadn't detached from the top. Then I got up the courage and lifted the pan.


Voila! Apple Tarte Tatin! It's not perfect, but never apologize, just cover up the boo boo spots with caramel. Off we go to dinner, can't wait to taste it :)

Went shopping and came home to this!

Yesterday my mom and I went shopping to celebrate her Birthday!! Although the day was not too fruitful in the way of great finds, I did come home to something exciting :)
Rory worked on our mantel, well after he made a trip to Home depot and splurged on some nice new and much needed tools to accomplished building this ourselves.
You see we got a quote from a local custom wood worker to see what it would cost to job out our mantel. Well that was not quite realistic, so we passed and decided to give it the good ol' DIY try.

While I usually have my hand in most of the projects we have done, this one has me a bit bewildered. For some reason I just can see how it's going to work, and Rory seems confident enough to do it.
He is going to make a faux wood beam mantel. We had originally decided that a solid mantel would be nicer but the weight of it, and cost of the wood was too much, not to mention the waste of hardwood is not very environmentally friendly. So he is building a plywood base and is going to put up a thick (probably 1 inch) veneer walnut box over that.

This is what it looked like before.


Then with a bit of this...


We knocked off the useless round stucco mantel.


And my mock up via Photoshop of what we hope to accomplish.


Well this is where we are, today. Rory anchored one long piece of plywood around the curve into the brick that was underneath the stucco with 6 large bolts. Then he attached those smaller pieces of plywood to kind of make the skeleton of the box... geez I really have no idea what to call this technique. I think he should be writing this blog post.


Currently he is cutting out the plywood box to go over this. I'll update that later when he is done. Wish us luck on this renovation, and if you know what he is doing please explain it to me!


(Update)
While Baxter was doing this.
He looks uncomfortable doesn't he?


Rory was installing this.


Here you have our plywood mantel. Rory built this box as the hollow structure that will have the finished hardwood veneer attached to it. Now to buy some wood, which will we choose?

Baxter's 5th Birthday

Today is Baxter's Birthday, and I can't believe he is five!! That flew by. As you may know Baxter is our little boy and we on occasion have been known to spoil him. When we lived in town he used to frequent the pet store at least once a month, and usually leave with a new toy. He went through them quickly, as soon as the squeaker is destroyed then he rips them apart.
Well since we moved far away from the "toy store" he hasn't been there much at all. So for his special day we took him in and sure enough he picked out a new toy to take home.

This little video montage will give you a glimpse of what we have been dealing with for the last 3 hours straight. He is so happy!