Bring New England to your home with this recipe

I Love Clam chowder and this recipe looks really really good.  Can't wait to try it!

A New England Favorite – Clam Chowder

Posted on July 26, 2011 (Edit)
By Lynda

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Marblehead Chowder Set

It is hard to imagine a food that has a stronger association with the New England coast than clam chowder. This traditional clam stew is the source of endless speculation and discussion about which restaurant has the best chowder.

The Union Oyster House is Boston’s oldest restaurant an it just happens to have what many deem to be the best clam chowder in all of New England.

We were surprised to see how easy it is to make this wonderful dish. Just add some crusty bread and a crisp salad and you have a wonderful meal.

UNION OYSTER HOUSE CLAM CHOWDER (RECIPE VIA THE FOOD NETWORK)

Ingredients

• 2 pounds potatoes, peeled and diced
• 4 pounds fresh or frozen clams, shelled and diced
• 1/4 pound salt pork, diced
• 2 small onions, diced
• 1 cup butter
• 1 cup flour
• 10 cups clam juice
• 2 pints half-and-half
• Salt and pepper
• Dash hot pepper sauce
• Dash Worcestershire sauce

Directions

Bring the potatoes and the clam juice to the boil. Cook until the potatoes are tender, about 10 to 15 minutes. Add the clams and any of their liquid. Cook about 5 minutes. Set aside.

Add the pork to a saute pan and cook over low heat until rendered. Add the onions and cook until transparent. Add the butter and allow it to melt. Add the flour and cook until slightly colored. Add a bit more flour if necessary if the mixture is too soft. Bring the clams, juice and potatoes back to the boil. Gradually stir in the cooked roux. Bring to a rolling boil to thicken. Stir continuously while cooking. Beat the half and half and add to the soup. It may not be necessary to use all the half-and-half; the soup should be thick. Adjust the seasoning and add a dash of hot pepper sauce and Worcestershire sauce before serving.

Cottage and Bungalow’s Marblehead Chowder Set is perfect for serving chowder in classic beach style. Our classic blue and white chowder set consists of four chowder bowls and four saucers custom made just for you.

Interesting bit about the history of monograms

THE HISTORY OF MONOGRAMS  Today, monograms are a lovely way to adorn everything from fine linens to home accessories. Once strictly used to boast one’s position in society or to declare ownership of possession, the use of scribed letters by people of nobility and wealth dates back as early as the 14th century, when law prohibited the same privilege for the middle class. Two hundred years passed before the general public could freely use the technique for identification. Although often found on metal, wood, and stone objects, most early markings were worked with needle and thread on fabric. In recent years, the needlework skill required to create ornate letters on a variety of fine lines, tablecloths and napkins, and garments has been replaced by the ease and speed of sewing machines allowing quick embellishment for decorative items. Today, decorating with the personal touch of monograms is limited only be your imagination and style preferences. By selecting favorite letter styles, an array of fabric items, and a specially equipped sewing machine, you can personalize your décor in record time.

The Wicker Experiment

So, I decided that my white wicker furniture was beyond shabby chic, very tired looking and the white was not really working for my patio.  Thought it would be a good idea to paint it a nice chocolate brown.  I learned a lot and also learned that it is a multi-step process but I am very happy with the results.  The picture above is my white wicker after it had been dry brushed, hosed down and then blasted with my leaf blower.

This is a photo of the finished product!  I found out that this process works best.  I primed the furniture with Rustoleum spray paint in brown leather.  The wicker soaked it up and gave it a "crackled" look.  Not exactly what I wanted.  So after that dried I used a Krylon product.  It was called Universal gloss coverage in Expresso Brown.  It covered very well!

I recommend wearing a mask as the Krylon product has quite an odor and having plenty of ventilation.   I used 1 and 1/2 cans of the Rustoleum spray paint to prime and 2 cans of the Krylon product per chair to get good coverage.

After everything is dry and in place give it a day or so and then you can see any areas that might need some "spot" coverage.  Now that the wicker is done and I have the new cushions in place I can hardly wait for the wrought iron patio furniture to come back from being powder coated but that is a story for another blog.  Stay tuned!

New/Old Name

I have decided to go back to the name I started by business with.  If you see Comforts of Home that will be the new name for Kim Fancher Design.  I think the name better describes and encompasses all the passion I have for the home design business.

Summer Heat

So my house has been cleaned and recleaned.  Even organized the pantry.  It has been so hot outside for about 3 weeks now that venturing outside is not for the faint of heart. The grass and plants are brown and crispy and it makes my heart hurt to hear everything crunch when I walk on it.

No relief in site at least as far as the 10 day forcast goes so I will have to make do with this picture of my dog Pearl enjoying the snow on one of our last hikes in Colorado.

Hope you are all enjoying the summer and I will pray for rain at least for Texas!

A Don Quioxtic Quest??

http://www.coastalliving.com/travel/other-coasts/beachcombing-basics-00414000069728/page10.html

The one in the middle is petrified lightning.  Now I must admit that I spent a lot of time on the beaches of Long Island New York as a child before we moved to Colorado and even I never found lightning I could hold in my hand.  Interesting concept..  I have a lot of treasures from the waters of the Atlantic, Pacific, Sea of Cortez and the Caribbean and the Mexican Riviera and now I will be on a quest to find petrified lightning to add to my collection.

How cool is this!  A fun and easy idea for summer entertaining.  You could use any shells and regular votives but with the battery operated votives now available how easy is that!  No mess, no wax and no need to worry about the breeze blowing them out!    Stay cool in the summer heat!

View All Photos < Sailor Chic Interiors - Coastal Living

Check out the great photos of decor for your beach or lake house. One of my favorite styles of decorating. View All Photos < Sailor Chic Interiors - Coastal Living

Victoria Magazine - The Charlotte Inn

This is a vacation just looking at the pictures of this beautiful Inn on Marthas vineyard. Hope you enjoy the pictures as much as I did! Victoria Magazine - The Charlotte Inn

‎"Sit in reverie and watch the changing color of the waves that break upon the idle seashore of the mind" Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. Sleep well friends. Have a great week ahead.

Historic Huff / Lamberton Home, Winona, Minnesota - Historic Homes & Property for Sale @ PreservationDirectory.com, PreservationDirectory.com - Historic Preservation and Cultural Resource Management Resources and Research Tools for Historical Societies, Organizations and the General Public -

I am fascinated by old and historic home. The stories they have to tell and the often beautiful architecture speaks to me. Here is a beautiful old home in Minnesota. Enjoy the pictures and the narrative on the history of the home.

Historic Huff / Lamberton Home, Winona, Minnesota - Historic Homes & Property for Sale @ PreservationDirectory.com, PreservationDirectory.com - Historic Preservation and Cultural Resource Management Resources and Research Tools for Historical Societies, Organizations and the General Public -

I can picture myself spending the weekend here!

This picture popped up today on my facebook page and I immediately saw myself spending the weekend here. I love pictures that make you stop and speak to you. If and when I ever have a pool I can picture having a pool/guesthouse just like this. But, in the meantime I can dream as I sit inside my airconditioned house in 105 degree heat in Texas.