My thumb turned GREEN!

From time to time (when the dough is rollin in) I will treat myself to flowers for the living room and bedroom. Usually its the crazy colorful gerber daisies or spider mums. However last week I decided to finally make the jump and get potted plants from IKEA (all three potted plants with pots costing me just under 10$!). It's totally a zen thing, but I honestly feel better in my room. Maybe because something else is breathing and living in my space. Or maybe it just looks fresh. Anyhoo, I say do it. Go get your plant on party people!

Recipe #3: Mom's Banana Split Cake

Mom's Banana Split Cake
Mix 2 cups of graham cracker crumbs ( or chocolate wafer crumbs) with 5 tablespoons melted butter. Press into bottom of 9X15 pan.

Beat the following 10 Minutes: (VERY IMPORTANT)

2 cups 10x sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 stick softened margarine

Add 2 eggs. Beat Well. Spread over crumb layer.

Cut in half or thirds 3 or 4 bananas lengthwise. Place over cream layer.

Drain one #2 can crushed pineapple. Spread over bananas.

Spread one large container of cool whip over all.

Sprinkle with:

*pecans

*Garnish with Cherries (half or whole)

Chill 4 hours. Drizzle with chocolate or/ and carmel syrup when served. I like to use that "Hard Shell" stuff.

About 20 servings.

Enjoy!!!!!!!!! Keep in Fridge

IKEA bookcase turned into a retro bar...

Probably one of my favorite furniture pieces in my pad would have to be the ikea bookcase-turned-bar (see pic). The LACK bookcase from IKEA will run you a mere $79. Then you can either opt to buy some ikea legs to screw directly onto the base or skip that and wall mount the bar directly to the wall. It comes in white, red, brown-black, or birch.

Free Sheet Music!

Need the sheet music and guitar tabs to "Total Eclipse of the Heart" for your sisters wedding? No prob thanks to MY PIANO. It's a sheet music and MIDI website dedicated to giving you tons of free sheet music (updated often with all the new contemporary hits too). Holla!

*also check out Words&Music for even more free sheets.

Make your own cookbook...

Check out TASTEBOOK! This is totally on the top of my wishlist (along with those Kitchen Aid artisan mixers). I've been dying to find a way to creatively organize all my many recipes...and with photo options it is sure to be BeAuTiFuL!
*Search over 25,000 recipes from Epicurious.com, Gourmet and Bon Appétit
*Browse photos or add your own personal photos
*10 tabbed chapters and 100 recipes for $34.95

Recipe #2: Magnolia's Famous Banana Pudding

Taken from the Magnolia Bakery cookbook. It takes a little time to make but the outcome is WELL worth it!

Magnolia’s Famous Banana Pudding
Recipe from: More From Magnolia
by Allysa Torey, Photographs Zeva Oelbaum
Cookbook Heaven at Recipelink.com

I started making this pudding when I was in my early twenties and cooking at a Tex-Mex restaurant and bar. Customers loved it, so when we opened the bakery many years later, it seemed like a great idea to serve it there. It remains the second most popular dessert (after the cupcakes) at the bakery.

• 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

• 1 1/2 cups ice cold water

• 1 (3.4-ounce) package instant vanilla pudding mix (preferably Jell-O brand)

• 3 cups heavy cream

• 1 (12-ounce) box Nabisco Nilla Wafers (no substitutions!)

• 4 cups sliced ripe bananas

1. In a small bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, beat together the sweetened condensed milk and water until well combined, about 1 minute. Add the pudding mix and beat well, about 2 minutes more. Cover and refrigerate for 3-4 hours or overnight, before continuing. It is very important to allow the proper amount of time for the pudding mixture to set.

2. In a large bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, whip the heavy cream until stiff peaks form. Gently fold the pudding mixture into the whipped cream until well blended and no streaks of pudding remain.

3. To assemble the dessert, select a large, wide bowl (preferably glass) with a 4-5-quart capacity. Arrange one-third of the wafers to cover the bottom of the bowl, overlapping if necessary, then one-third of the bananas and one-third of the pudding. Repeat the layering twice more, garnishing with additional wafers or wafer crumbs on the top layer of the pudding. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and allow to chill in the refrigerator for 4 hours - or up to 8 hours, but no longer! - before serving.

Comparison Shopping: The Floor Mirror

West Elm's $399 Chunky Wood Floor Mirror in chocolate vs. IKEA's $99 MONGSTAD mirror in black-brown.

The Ikea mirror is actually 3'' taller. More bang for your buck if you ask me...



WEST ELM

IKEA

Recipe#1: Italian Style Roast

Yes I am quite the slow cooker hooker these days. Mainly because those things are so darn simple and I love the aspect of cleaning up BEFORE your meal is ready. So here goes one of my all time favs that makes the winter days a lil' warmer.

Italian-Style Roast

Ingredients: 1- 6 oz can tomato paste 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 pkg dry onion soup mix 2 tsp fresh oregano, chopped 2 tsp fresh thyme, chopped 1 tsp salt 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper 2 lbs chuck roast, trimmed of any excess fat 1 - 16 oz can tomatoes, drained and chopped 1 medium onion, chopped 2 medium carrots, chopped 1 medium potato, chopped 1 large celery stalk, sliced 2 bay leaves

Directions: In a small mixing bowl, combine the tomato paste, garlic, onion soup mix, oregano, thyme, salt and pepper. Rub this mixture all over the chuck roast and place the roast in the stoneware. Add the remaining ingredients and any leftover tomato sauce. Cover and cook on Low 8 to 10 hours or on High 4 to 5 hours. Makes 6 servings. You may double all the ingredients for a 5, 6, or 7-quart slow cooker.

My fav pick! ....and a nice bang for your buck!

Ladies and gentlemen, may I introduce to you...."THE SHOW". Cali wine buffs Charles Bieler, Joel Gott, and Roger Scommenga (a.k.a. Scommes) have teamed up to bring you a 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon that has recently become a staple in my apt. It has tons of dark cherry and spicy oak flavors that make this a standout with any meal. And being the trend whore that I am...the label isn't so shabby either (inspired by the iconic letterpress show posters that HATCH SHOW PRINT has been making since 1879).

For all you New Yorkies, the cheapest grab I've found for The Show happens to be at DRINK UP NY.com ($11.99 a bottle!)--- AND they have free overnight shipping on all orders over $49.99 so stock up! Trust me!

Ty's cheap "Dean and Deluca-esq" spice rack!

Yes, you could spend $150 on a sexy Dean and Deluca spice rack. Or you can be cheap and fun like me and make your own. Check out Indigo Industries Science Lab!

Yes folks, for $24 you too can make a spice lab in your very home. AND -- you can customize it to your liking.


Dean & Deluca's $150 spice rack




Indigo Instruments' $24 test tube/spice rack (customizable with either rubber or cork stoppers)