The Canopy Bed

Amanda Lindroth

 

Growing up I really wanted a canopy bed. But a canopy bed was not my parents' aesthetic in their mid century modern home and I never had one. So as an adult I bought my dream canopy bed - a gold leaf pagoda canopy bed.

I Finally Found It - A Ceiling Fan I Love

Honeywell Palm Island Ceiling Fan

I have been planning a post on ceiling fans for ages, but I feel like Goldilocks - they are either too boring, or too clunky, or too industrial, or too expensive. I have finally found a ceiling fan that I love and I am buying it for everywhere in my home.

Living Well Is The Best Revenge

Casa Chinoiserie Chic

I had a great day in the garden yesterday and my plans are starting to come together. Even though I am not an expert in gardening here, I do know landscape design, and I have found that most (not all) landscape design companies' work is a bit generic and plebeian. I can do far better myself for free. Also, I am a bit of a plant collector and like to incorporate unusual and heirloom plants. My plan is to keep what I have which includes beautiful palms, coral pink ixora, split leaf philodendron, hibiscus, ferns, and croton, and fill in the blank spots. Those of you who commented with suggestions - they were great and I am using many of your ideas.

Today I am making a favorite recipe. It will be my first serious effort in my new kitchen/house and I am not cutting any corners. This is a favorite of mine for company, and I hope the days of dinner parties and house guests will return for all of us soon. Especially since my new Mercer dining table seats 8 - LOL.

Seafood Lasagna via Coopcancook.com

Let me warn you that it's a lot of ingredients and over an hour to make, but it's beyond delicious. Do not eliminate the crab boil and Cajun seasoning - that makes it!

Ingredients:

For Lasagna
• 1 lb lasagna sheets
• 1 Tbsp. liquid crab boil
• 1.5 lbs medium shrimp
• 16 oz lump crabmeat (you can use imitation)
• 1 Tbsp. Creole or Cajun seasoning
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 2 cups fresh spinach - I use 4 cups because I love spinach and it really reduces down
• 1/2 Tsp. salt
• 2 cups shredded Mozzarella
• 1 cup shredded Fontina or Muenster cheese

For Sauce
• 5 Tbsp. butter
• 1 Tbsp. crushed garlic
• 1/3 cup flour
• 2 1/2 cups half and half
• 1/2 cup chicken stock
• 1 Tsp. liquid crab boil
• Creole seasoning and cracked black pepper to taste
• 1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
• 1 Tbsp. fresh basil

Filling
• 8 oz Garlic & Herb cream cheese
• 8 oz sour cream
• 1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
• 1 Tbsp. fresh basil chopped

Directions:

Lasagna:

Boil lasagna until al dente according to package instructions. Pour the liquid crab boil into the water as it boils. Drain and set aside
In a bowl, combine all seafood. Add Creole or Cajun seasoning evenly to the seafood. Set aside.
Heat the olive oil a pan over medium-high heat
Add in the spinach and a pinch of salt. Sauté until spinach has wilted.
Remove spinach from the pan and set aside
Sauce

Preheat oven to 375 F.
Add the butter into the same pan used for the spinach. When the butter melts, add in the garlic and saute for 30 secs
Stir in the flour and continue stirring for 1 minute
Pour in the chicken stock and half and half while stirring. Use a whisk to continue to mix the sauce while it heats and thickens.
Season the sauce to taste using creole seasoning and black pepper
Pour in the liquid crab boil
When the sauce has thickened, stir in Parmesan cheese. Remove from heat when the cheese melts.
Filling

Mix all filling ingredients in a bowl. Set aside.
Assembly

Spray a lasagna pan with nonstick cooking spray, then ladle a thin layer of sauce at the bottom of the pan
Place a layer of lasagna noodles over the sauce
Spread on 1/3 of the filling over the noodles
Then, add 1/3 of the seafood and spinach
Sprinkle on 1/3 of the Mozzarella & Fontina cheeses
Pour on 1/3 of the sauce
Repeat the above steps 2 more times until you have 3 layers.
Bake, on the center rack of the oven, uncovered for 35-45 mins. Then, broil on high for 3-5 minutes until the cheese is as brown.
Allow the lasagna to cool for at least 15 minutes before serving, sprinkle on some fresh basil, and Enjoy!
Recipe and photo from CoopCanCook.com

Now, a little of this and that to share.

For my tropical climate friends, I now get ceiling fans completely. They feel wonderful, and save energy. In Virginia I kept my AC at 72 degrees. With my ceiling fans here, I have the temp at 77 degrees, and it feels wonderful.

I am nuts about my Dyson V7 Motorhead cordless vac. It was a great purchase. Dog hair is a thing of the past. It is a pleasure to use.

I just ordered this wonderful wicker garbage bin. I love beautiful things including the functional like my darling pink vac. Free shipping, no tax. The straps are real leather BTW.

Wicker Garbage Bin

Enjoy your day - I am going to go put a lovely bottle of Pouilly Fuisse in to chill before I forget. Cheers!

Dealing With Ceiling Fans

My Bathroom with Westinghouse Ceiling Fan

So let's keep it real. Ceiling fans are ugly. But they are a necessity in the South and in the tropics. They save on utilities and improve air circulation. They are a necessary evil.

My advice. Make them disappear as much as possible. Do not try to make them chic. They are not. If your ceilings are white, get them in white to make them blend in. Or paint them white.

I have inherited in my new house white ceiling fans with the dreaded glass shades and lights. And to make them uglier, the owners put in those hideous spiral lightbulbs. Talk about ugly!

My highest priority is not spending a couple grand to replace all the fans in my new house right now. So I am removing said bulbs and shades and replacing them with oversized frosted globe bulbs. Sans shades. Luckily the ceiling fans (except one) are white already.

The incredibly talented Jenny Komenda of Juniper Home did this and posted photos.

Juniper Home

I think it looks fresh and modern and I love the idea. If this doesn't float your boat, let me show you a fan that I have used everywhere here and love and it is so well priced. BTW, it does not reverse, so it is for us hot weather folks.

Westinghouse Industrial Fan in White

The prices on Amazon are always going up and down - this is $71.00 now in white and $73.00 in nickel which I also have and love. I bought them both for about $60.00 a few months ago. But these are very well reviewed, very sleek, modern, and not obtrusive.

For the lanai, I used palm ceilings fans in dark bronze because the lanai cage is dark bronze as is all the lanai furniture and they look amazing. Palms fans are also easily found in white.

Lowe's Harbor Breeze Palm Ceiling Fan

They are on sale for $70.00 - you will not believe how gorgeous these are and a steal as well.

My Favorite Living Room

Bunny Williams & John Rosselli

I have posted hundreds of living rooms in the years I have been doing Chinoiserie Chic, but none do I love more than this one, Bunny Williams and John Rosselli's Punta Cana home. I would love to share more photos of this room.

There are so many elements here I will use in my living room and home in general. Lots of blue and white Chinese porcelain including Chinese garden stools, ginger jars, vases, lamps, and cachepots. Pagodas. Elephants. Palm fronds as floral arrangements. Potted orchids. Painted ceilings. Neutral walls and floors. Books. British Colonial style. Ceiling fans. Sea shells. Slipper chairs. Animal decor. Tropical. Collections. Timeless.

This room makes me happy. I believe Mark Sikes said this is the most beautiful living room in the world. I must agree. It certainly embraces the style I would love to capture in my new tropical Chinoiserie home. What do you think?

The Chinoiserie Ceiling Fan

Ceiling fans are practically a necessity in the South and husbands love them, but let's face it, they can be so ugly. This Chinoiserie one is anything but ugly. Available at Neiman Marcus and Horchow.