Makeover From the 1970's Complete!

Shortly after completing the painting and the cabinets, Greg and I went back to the rental for our own little "Demo Day" like on Fixer Upper. All that really needed demo-ing was the old yellow sink and counter-top.

 As a side note, it was just my hubby and me available to tear down the sink and counter, so naturally, I was the one to help remove the sink outside where Greg could smash it to bits. I will just skip telling about the part where the porcelain sink was so heavy that I kinda tripped and fell down on the cement stairs outside, the graceful gal that I am/ The sink landed on my knee, and I had a nice little limp and a couple of bruises out of the experience.

A few days later, the carpet and counter people came to install, and I came to do some final touches like new doorknobs, and window treatments. I really did giggle when I saw the new carpet and how everything took shape after lots of work. New counter and sink. :) No more yellow!

Okay, time for the reveal: 

Kitchen Before: 

 Kitchen After: 

Living Room and Front Door Before: 

Living Room and Front Door After:

Bedroom 1 Before: 

Bedroom 1 After: 

Bedroom 2 Before: 

Bedroom 2 After: 

 Bathroom Before: Actually, the bathroom was the only room not from the 70's and so we only scrubbed it up and replaced the shower curtain, even though I would have loved to do matching paint and tile in this room as well. Maybe one day. . .

Bathroom After: 

Lastly, the before and after tours.

Before:

                                       

After: 

Ta Da!

Makeover From the 1970's Continued

A couple weeks ago, I packed a sleeping bag and mat and painting supplies and headed to the rental for some updating fun. It took one full day to paint, which was way faster than I thought thanks to the paint edger that I bought at Home Depot for less than $4.00.

The tiler, Kyle's Tile, had just finished the wood-like tile in the kitchen and entryway. He did a FABULOUS job and was so quick. I think I giggled when I saw it in person.

Since the painting went a lot faster than I had anticipated, I decided to work on the kitchen cabinets. They were a brown color on the outside and plywood on the inside, and I just had to do something to make them cuter. Plus, once the tile was in, the color of the cabinets had a noticeable yellow hue to it that kinda clashed with the tile. So. . . I did a little online looking around and discovered DIY chalk paint that sticks to wood that's already been stained, without sanding. 

First, I removed all the drawers and cupboards. 

Then I added a layer of gray chalk paint (different than chalkboard paint). The recipe I used was a combination of water, plaster of Paris, and latex paint. I picked out a paint color that matched the gray in the tile. 

Once the base color was on around the edges, I reattached the cupboards and drawers to continue painting, since I had nowhere else to let them sit while they dried. (This was due to the fact that the fridge and stove were in the living room area, along with paint buckets, blobs of paint on the soon-to-be-gone carpet, and all sorts of lovely things.

 Then, the fun started. 

I went around the edges with a really dark gray, especially down in the grooves of the engraved panel, then touched the higher parts with a light gray. (This was way fun! I felt a little like an artist with a really huge canvas to paint on.) Finally, the next day, when everything had dried, I applied a coat of water-based poly finish so it would be all shiny.

By the third day, my legs were so sore from squatting to paint, I could hardly walk. I finished touch-up paint and painted the front door, packed up and headed home. 

Whew! The finished product will be next, complete with before and after photos. :) Stay tuned. . . 

Makeover from the 1970's!

I was just a little girl in the 1970's, but I still remember the colors, such as brown and orange kitchen colors with mushroom stickers and flame-red carpet. 

We own a rental property that was built in 1978, the exact year when the above picture of me was taken. A couple weeks ago, when I walked into said rental property, I thought I'd gone back in time.

Here is the evidence. (Although some of this has been updated since the 70's, the kitchen sink and the carpet in one of the bedrooms clearly was original.)

 Gold counters and sink!

More pictures:

This carpet is GOLD! (And a little brown from dirt.)

My very favorite show in the world is Fixer Upper with Chip and Joanna Gaines, because I LOVE making something beautiful from old, worn-out things and they do it so beautifully. So when I walked into this place, my creativity took over and I came up with ideas for making improvements. 

The plan:  

New kitchen counters and sink, new tile, new carpet, and fresh paint. And if I don't get Hashimoto's burnout in the process, new stain on the kitchen cupboards.

Although this reno won't be nearly as extensive as the Gaines' projects are, I still love home improvement and picking out colors and patterns.

Here's what I've chosen:

More pictures to come. . .

Cookbook Winners!

Congratulations to Brittany and Mickey, the two winners of The Secrets of Gluten-Free Baking. Thanks to all you who entered in the giveaway!

Jillayne

Cookbook Giveaway!

I'm happy to announce the release of my new cookbook, The Secrets of Gluten-Free Baking! To celebrate, I will be giving away 2 free copies! I'm so excited about this new book because I feel that there are a lot of people besides myself who would like healthier options to gluten-free baking besides the refined starches and gums found in most gluten-free baking. The Secrets of Gluten-Free Baking shares what I have learned to use only whole food ingredients to make delicious gluten-free recipes. Recipe sections include yeast and non-yeast breads and wraps, pancakes and cereals, sweet breads and muffins, cookies, crackers, cakes and desserts, crusts and things, and a bonus recipe section which includes toppings, dips, sauces, etc. Here's a sneak peak at some of the pages inside.

Whether for yourself or as a Christmas for a friend or loved one who is on a gluten-free diet, you may enter to win by following the instructions along the top of the page or by liking The Secrets of Gluten-Free Baking page on Facebook here. The contest ends December 18, 2013, after which two winners will be announced. Both will receive a free copy of The Secrets of Gluten-Free Baking.

Vegetable Ranch Dutch-Oven Pizza, Gluten-Free!

I had the privilege of making gluten-free pizza on Fresh Living. Click HERE to watch. :)

Here's the recipe for the pizza I made--Vegetable Ranch Dutch-Oven Pizza:

Dutch Oven Pizza Crust (From The Secrets of Gluten Free Baking by Jillayne Clements)
Makes: 1 medium pizza crust • Prep: 30 minutes
Rest: 12–24 hours • Bake: 20 minutes at 400ºF

Ingredients:
1 cup certified GF oat flour (I buy rolled oats and run them through my handy dandy NutriBullet.)

1½ cups sprouted rice flour (Sprouting rice is super easy and makes a sweeter and less gritty product. But you can just use super fine brown rice flour you have on hand.)

½ cup golden flax ground into meal

1½ cups water

½ Tbsp. yeast

2 Tbsp. warm water

1 Tbsp. dehydrated cane sugar

2 tsp. sea salt

Directions:

In a glass bowl, stir together flours, flax, and 1½
cups water. Cover with a damp cloth and set in
a warm place for 12–24 hours. After this time,
soften yeast in the warm water with the sugar. Stir
in salt and pour into dough. Mix until incorporated.
Use a little flour of choice for handling. To bake
in the Dutch oven, preheat in 400ºF oven. Pour
a little oil in the bottom of the Dutch oven, about 2
tablespoons, and spread around. On a well floured
pizza board, roll out pizza dough into a small circle.
Slide into bottom of Dutch oven and carefully press
dough to the sides of the pan. Replace lid and cook
for about 20 to 30 minutes at 400ºF. When done, top with
Pizza Sauce (below) and toppings and bake an
additional 15–20 minutes.

Ranch Sauce 

Ingredients:

3/4 cup Vegenaise

(Vegenaise is a healthier alternative mayonnaise. I use the type made with grape seed oil.)

1/2 cup Greek yogurt, plain (Greek Gods is a good, thick brand)

1/2-3/4 tsp. sea salt

1/2 tsp. onion powder

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

1-2 Tbsps. dehydrated cane sugar

3 tsp. raw apple cider vinegar

1–2 tsp. water, milk, or whey (optional)

½ tsp. parsley

Directions:

In a bowl, stir together Vegenaise and yogurt

until creamy. Stir in remaining ingredients then spread desired amount over pre-baked pizza crust.

Top sauce with veggies such as sliced zucchini, fresh spinach, bell peppers, mushrooms, and olives sprinkle with a little cheese, and return to the oven for an additional 15-20 minutes.    

I'm So Excited!

I'm SO excited for my cookbook, The Secrets of Gluten Free Baking: Delicious Whole Food Recipes, to come out in December. I just received the pdf version of it, and my publishers did an amazing job with it. It's like a beautiful piece of artwork only it's a cookbook. I like that the recipes and directions and pictures of the final product are all on one page. I love the color on every page. Just beautiful! I'm looking forward to the day I can cook from it instead of searching for fifteen minutes through my recipe cards whenever I want to bake something. :)