Oh, Is this your Yacht?: Navy & White Rooms

Springing from my coastal room exploration we are now in the land of navy &white. Now I sound like a deep sea diver...I may have gone too far. No? O.k., good, thanks, I'll continue. I love navy and white-it somehow manages to be classic but not stuffy.  It's casual,but still pulled together.  Best of all it works in every season. And of course there is the added bonus that it kind of makes you feel like you're on a yacht.

In the Living Room...

In the Bedroom...

In the Kitchen...

 

Another great thing about using navy and white in a room? The color combo loves bright, bold accents-think coral, sun yellow, classic red, or turquoise.

Put a Sailboat on it!

While looking for octopus and sailboat pillows, (Thursday is the day for that, right?), I stumbled upon  some really great decor ideas for  coastal-style rooms.  Let's take a look, shall we?

 I love the central pillow here. It's kind of like if a piece of coral and a zebra had a baby.

This room looks so relaxing. It definitely has a coastal vibe but it doesn't punch you in the face with it.

This bedroom is begging for someone to take a nap in it after they return from a day at the beach.  If no one else wants to I volunteer. Like now.

This Bedroom has a great masculine feel but is still very light and airy.  I hear, from the voices in my head, that navy and white are really making a comeback in home decor.

LOVE these over-sized chairs and the fabric they are covered in.

By the time I could get my kitchen to look like this my 10 month old son would be this old...nonetheless, love the aqua and white.

So this is just me in my brand new kitchen smiling for no reason at running water...Just kidding. Love these weathered stools though.

Now I'm off to continue my search for the perfect octopus and/or sailboat pillow. It is Thursday, after all.

Spinach Ravioli with Tomato Basil Cream Sauce

This recipe uses frozen spinach ravioli. But you would never know it once you toss them with this sauce made of cherry tomatoes, fresh basil, and cream. Here’s what you’ll need for this:

Frozen Spinach Ravioli. You can also use the refrigerated type. Just choose a spinach ravioli that looks like it has thin pasta and is more yellow than white-these tend to have a more homemade flavor and texture (cue my Italian Grandmother rolling in grave).

Cherry Tomatoes. 1 pint-halved

Fresh Basil. About 10-12 leaves chopped,( chiffonade)

Garlic. 1 TBSP, minced

Heavy cream, ½ cup & Half and Half, 1/2 cup

Olive oil. Enough to coat bottom of pan

Salt and pepper. 

Fresh Parmesan cheese. Approx ½ cup grated. Plus additional for serving

1.  Boil your ravioli according to package directions in salted water and a dash of oil-drain and set aside-reserve a bit of the pasta water in case you need it to 'loosen' your sauce at the end
2. Coat a deep saute pan with olive oil and heat on medium flame if you are blessed with a gas range, or medium 'temp' if you are cursed, like myself, with an electric stove
3. Add halved tomatoes to pan, sprinkle with kosher salt, and cook just until they start to release some juice
4. Add garlic and saute, taking care not to burn the garlic- Not a pleasant flavor
5. Add in your cream and half and half-stir-and cook slowly- do not boil
6. Add in shredded Parmesan cheese-cook sauce slowly allowing it to come together and thicken
7. Add in basil-stir-taste-adjust seasoning with salt and pepper
8. Add your pasta to the sauce-sprinkle them with a bit of parm cheese BEFORE you gently fold pasta and sauce together-this is an Italian trick to make the sauce really stick to the pasta. I also believe it is just another excuse to use more cheese, which I am all for.
9. Plate ravioli and serve with additional parm cheese and fresh basil.

This recipe is so good you will want to lick the plate-I do it every time. Enjoy!

Heirloom BLT wraps with Lemon Mayo

I always think BLT’s are a great way to keep eating the meat of the Gods, AKA bacon, in the hot summer months. I lightened up this classic by using wheat wraps instead of bread and a lemon mayo. Here’s what you’ll need for this concoction:

 Bacon.  About 3 strips per wrap

       Shredded Lettuce. One handful per wrap

Heirloom Tomato. 1 medium tomato should do ya

                             Wheat wraps. Obviously one per wrap

Lemon. One large lemon-juice and zest.

Mayonnaise. 1heaping TBPS. -I like this mayo made with olive oil.

Salt and Pepper. 1  generous pinch of each.

1.  Cook your bacon to desired crispness- I prefer my bacon on the crisp side for a BLT.   Remove bacon from the grease - set aside to drain on a paper towel.
2. While your bacon cooks mix together the lemon, mayo, and salt and pepper
3. Cut your tomato into wedges
4. Shred your lettuce-I prefer to chop mine into strips
5. Spread the lemon mayo onto your wrap
6. Layer your lettuce, bacon, then tomato wedges on top
7. Wrap it up and eat it.

I find the lemon mayo really makes this.  It’s one of my favorite things to put on a sandwich or wrap in the summer-it really brightens up all of the flavors and makes the salty delicious-ness of the bacon even better.

Enjoy!