Newlyweds and Nesting: Elizabeth Anne Designs Living: A Food, Lifestyle, and Craft Blog » Rebekah

Tropical Mango Bread

Rebekah — Tue, 10 May 2011 18:07:02 +0000

As much as I love the dense goodness of banana bread, sometimes I need a different spin on the traditional dessert. Enter Mango Bread! I first tasted this at a restaurant in Nicaragua called Imagine. It uses mango in place of bananas. I hope you enjoy!

{image via Honeysuckle Life}

Mango Bread Recipe
adapted from Banana Bread Cockaigne from Joy of Cooking

Servings: 1 loaf

Ingredients:

3 large ripe mangos
1 3/4 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup sugar
1 stick butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
2 eggs

Directions:

Cut the fruit away from the pit of the mango and remove peel. Place fruit in a medium bowl and mash. Set aside.
In another bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder and salt together. Set aside.
In a large bowl, beat together the sugar, softened butter and lemon juice until creamy.
Add the eggs and mango, and beat until combined.
Add the flour, 1/3 at a time, and beat until smooth after each addition.
Scrape the batter into a greased bread pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 60 minutes.
Let cool and then remove from pan. Slice when completely cool and enjoy!

For a truly decadent treat, pan fry a slice of bread in butter. Cook just until each side is brown. Top with vanilla ice cream and drizzle with melted chocolate. Yum!

© Elizabeth Anne Designs, 2011 · Permalink · 1 comment · StumbleUpon It!
Posted in: Cooking and Food, Recipes

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Yard Sale Scores

Rebekah — Mon, 02 May 2011 16:20:22 +0000

I just got back from Easter break and my mind is filled with decor ideas. Why? I spent hours watching HGTV and yard sale-ing with my mom. Tampa is full of communities that host huge yard sales. Instead of one yard sale tucked away in the middle of nowhere, it’s dozens. Full of great furniture. We set out early on Saturday morning and came back with our biggest scores yet.

All images are courtesy of me!

This Pottery Barn Bedford Desk for $40, originally $700.

An antique vanity table for $20.

A glass fuse cover, purple goblet and 10 lb weights, each $1.

I’m not a huge fan of Pottery Barn because it’s so overpriced. But the desk was exactly what we needed for less than it would have cost to build ourselves! Do you shop at yard sales?

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Posted in: Decor

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Easy Marbled Easter Eggs

Rebekah — Thu, 21 Apr 2011 13:00:53 +0000

{image courtesy of Honeysuckle Life}

An unexpectedly free afternoon resulted in some pretty fabulous marbled dyed eggs for Easter. It made me remember all the times I did this with my mom and siblings on our kitchen counter.

{image courtesy of Honeysuckle Life}

Easy Marbled Eggs

Ingredients:

Hard boiled eggs
3 cups hot water (per color)
White vinegar
Food Dye
Oil (any type)

Supplies:

Large bowl (one per color)
Ice cream scoop or large spoon
Drying rack with paper towels underneath it (I put down plastic wrap first, then the paper towels, then the drying rack to fully protect my counters.)

Directions:

Fill each bowl with 3 cups of hot water, 2 tablespoons of vinegar and coloring of your choice. I used the color recipes on the dye box.
Clean surface of egg with soapy water and place eggs in each bowl of colored water. Let soak until desired color is achieved.
Remove from water with ice cream scoop and place on drying rack. Be careful not to crack the surface of the eggs while moving them around. Let sit for 15 minutes and then pat dry.
Pour a tablespoon of oil in each bowl of colored water. Swirl together, then place an egg into the water, holding it in the scoop at the top of the surface. I let mine sit in the water for a minute before rolling around on top of the water.
Remove eggs and let sit on drying rack for a few minutes. Then rub dry to remove the oil.

{image courtesy of Honeysuckle Life}

I cleaned mine with soapy water after the eggs were dry. This removed some of the color almost completely in the pitts (you can see the lighter patches in the photo above), but I liked how that turned out.

What are your Easter traditions?

© Elizabeth Anne Designs, 2011 · Permalink · 4 comments · StumbleUpon It!
Posted in: Crafts, Holidays

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Oh So Girly Birthday Party

Rebekah — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 13:00:21 +0000

Get ready for the cutest birthday party ever! Shot by Amy of Ardent Photography, it’s full of pink girly-ness, pie pops, pink chocolate covered pretzels and a cake made to look like a pie. All for the very first birthday of Ms. Emerson. Hope you enjoy!

Thanks for sharing Emerson!

© Elizabeth Anne Designs, 2011 · Permalink · 4 comments · StumbleUpon It!
Posted in: Birthday Parties, Real Parties, Toddler Birthdays

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Cowboy Take Me Away

Rebekah — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 13:00:57 +0000

I saw an image from the 2011 Ralph Lauren Collection on Carrie Leber’s website, and spent a few minutes just staring. I’m definitely a jeans and t-shirt kind of girl, but these dresses were so romantic and sweet. They pull in that perfect Wild Wild West feel with a touch of Americana.

{images credited to Monica Feudi for GoRunway.com}

I love how they kept the makeup and hair fresh and easy (perfection!) and while I probably won’t (ever) purchase a cowhide purse or vest, I’m definitely thinking I need to introduce a little cowgirl style into my spring wardrobe.

{images credited to Monica Feudi for GoRunway.com}

I really really love the shoes they used. They seem perfect for spring. Dressier than flat sandals, and perfect for extending these oh-so-short legs of mine. I found identical shoes on the Nine West website, as well as a cute western style belt.

{Braided Leather Belt and Mayne Shoe by Nine West}

{accessories from the Nine West Vintage America Collection}

Until my budget includes trips to New York for fashion week, and purchasing directly from the runway collection, I’ll be showing my cowgirl off by updating my spring dresses with accessories and purchasing a few spring dresses from Old Navy and Forever 21.

{images credited to Old Navy}

You can get inspired by the complete Ralph Lauren Spring 2011 Collection on Style.com.

Will you be embracing this new trend?

© Elizabeth Anne Designs, 2011 · Permalink · 5 comments · StumbleUpon It!
Posted in: Beauty, Fashion

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Sauteed Red Potatoes Recipe

Rebekah — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 13:00:49 +0000

{image credited to Honeysuckle Life}

I love this recipe because it’s so simple and cost effective. To save on fat, sodium and calorie intake, I use reduced fat and sodium bacon, am liberal with pepper and skimpy on salt, and try to reduct the butter and oil each time I create. The potatoes don’t get as browned, but the fat from the bacon helps to keep it closer to a true saute. The dish works as a side item (we serve with baked fish, similar dishes online are served with beef medallion or turkey) or as a main dish.

Sauteed Red Potatoes with Green Beans and Bacon
created by Honeysuckle Life

Servings: 4
Calories: 272 per serving

Ingredients:

Red Potatoes, 3 large or 5 small, cut into 1″ pieces
Green Beans, a large handful, with both ends snapped off
Bacon, two strips, cut into smallish pieces
Olive Oil, 1 tablespoons
Butter, slightly less than half of a tablespoon
Salt
Pepper

Directions:

Heat the oil and butter in a large saute pan on medium high heat.
When oils are hot (you can smell them, but they are not smoking), add the potatoes, bacon and green beans.
Season liberally with pepper and salt.
Stir to coat ingredients with oils.
Cook for 20 minutes, stirring every few minutes to prevent burning, but not so much that you prevent the potatoes from browning. Dish is ready when potatoes are easily pierced with a fork

© Elizabeth Anne Designs, 2011 · Permalink · 2 comments · StumbleUpon It!
Posted in: Cooking and Food, Recipes

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Spring Fever

Rebekah — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 14:00:08 +0000

I’m itching to get a few organizational projects out of the way, a result of warmer weather and a need to purge clutter. If I had the time this week, these are the projects I would take on.

{images credited to MarthaStewart.com}

1. Chalk Paint Drawer Labels – I have leftover chalkboard paint from creating two huge idea walls in our living room. I think making labels would be pretty easy.

2. Mini Office in a Chest – I have a rescued from the dumpster wood chest that needs to be sanded down and painted. It would be easy to add rails for hanging drawers and track down the beat up corkboard we have in our garage.

3. Notebook with Envelope Pocket – An easy project to add to all my random journals I have laying around the house. Perfect for ephemera and receipts.

4. Paint Can Cubbies – I could really use these in our closets for storing all the random objects that get thrown into boxes never to be seen again.

What projects are you working on this Spring?

© Elizabeth Anne Designs, 2011 · Permalink · 3 comments · StumbleUpon It!
Posted in: Crafts, Organization

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Jana’s Arizona Bridal Shower

Rebekah — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 14:00:37 +0000

Jana, an EAD Weddings Phoenix blogger, shared her poolside bridal shower a few weeks ago. We thought it was so cute the Living readers would love it. The shower was hosted by Jana’s maid of honor, bridesmaids and mom. They did such a great job with simple decor and fun games.

Jana’s mom handmade the jam for favors!

Love the giant initial J, Chiavari chairs, and simple floral arrangements.

The table runners were also handmade by Jana’s mom.

Jana and her Maid of Honor.

The games consisted of Jana chewing a piece of bubble gum for each question about Mike she answered incorrectly. And collecting ring pops (instead of clothespins) each time the forbidden word “wedding” was uttered.

Thanks for sharing with us Jana!

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Posted in: Bridal Shower, Entertaining, Real Parties

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Vogue Fashion and Decor Inspiration

Rebekah — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 13:00:57 +0000

One of my favorite places to look for party, fashion and decor inspiration is Vogue.com. They have a great collection of images. Even if I can’t afford the brands and companies they promote, it definitely inspires me. Here are a few images that have caught my eye lately.

This House of Lavande beach party is pretty fabulous, and I think this would be pretty easy to duplicate on a much smaller scale for an outdoor party when the weather warms up. The biggest expense would be the tent, but you could definitely bring down the cost with some creative planning.

It’s hard to see because the image is so dark, but the seating consists of a giant square and then rounds set up in the middle. Wouldn’t this be great for a large scale wedding reception?

I’m not sure if this current trend of undead type makeup is related to the Twilight saga success, but I’m not really loving it. You don’t have to go crazy with the bronzer, but a little color wouldn’t be so completely awful.

Ah, this is more like it. Mila Kunis is a dreamboat and a half. That gown is perfect for her vivid coloring, and her makeup is noticeable without being overdone.

Where do you go for fashion and home inspiration?

© Elizabeth Anne Designs, 2011 · Permalink · 1 comment · StumbleUpon It!
Posted in: Beauty, Entertaining, Fashion

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DIY Lamp Revamp

Rebekah — Thu, 27 Jan 2011 14:00:55 +0000

Our budget for home goods has flat-lined for the next few months as we build up our businesses, but I’m starting to go a little crazy staring at the smudged white walls, faux brick and missing closet doors. Especially looking at two faux brass metal lamps that are straight out of the 90′s. I reached my breaking point this weekend, and picked up spray paint. The end result? Two revamped lamps for around $10.

Supplies:
Lamps
Sandpaper
Primer
Paint
Sealer

Step One: Clean off and then sand the lamps lightly. Don’t worry about scratches, the many layers of paint will fill it in.

Step Two: Paint! Following the instructions on the cans, hold can 6-8″ from the surface and spray with primer (comes in black, rust red or white). Wait 10 minutes. Spray with colored paint. Repeat as necessary. Finish with sealer. I ended up with four coats (one primer, two paint, one sealer).

Step Three: Let dry for an hour.

Step Four: Bring into the house and enjoy your newly renovated lamp.

A few tips:

Read the instructions on the can thoroughly before leaving the store.

Don’t skip the primer and the sealer. I was tempted, but the difference is a project that looks spray painted and a project that looks a little more professional.

Keep each coat of paint very light and don’t rush the process, it’s better to have multiple coats than one that ripples.

Don’t skip the waiting time.

If you are a little heavy on the paint and drips or ripples appear, wait for the paint to dry for 10-20 minutes and then sand down the ripples. Brush clean, and then spray a light coat of paint all over.

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Posted in: Uncategorized

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