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August 30, 2017 By Melinda 9 Comments

Apple Crisp And A Hello To Autumn

I am truly honored to be taking part in the “Tastes of the Season” series with some of my talented and inspirational blogging friends. We will be sharing some of our favorite seasonal recipes over the coming months. Each feature in the series will focus on a different recipe theme. Today, we are all sharing a favorite apple recipe. Let’s get started!

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Doesn’t apple picking seem to always make its way onto your autumn “to-do list”? It usually falls somewhere in between hay rides, pumpkin picking, and bonfires. I know it does on mine!

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Once autumn makes its entrance, apple picking is one of my favorite activities to do with our family. We have been embarking on this little “field trip” since our first child was born almost 14 years ago. I still look forward to this time of year and making our way out to the same orchard year after year filling our bags to the rim with fresh apples.

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Now, what to do with all of those apples once we get them home always seems to be another story. There are only so many apples you can eat in a day!

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When my husband and I were married in 2000 and I became a “Real McCoy”, one of my bridal shower gifts was the McCoy family cookbook. It may not look like much, but what it holds inside those now worn pages are family recipes passed down from generation to generation.

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One of those recipes is Grandma Louise’s apple crisp. I love it because it is a family recipe that has been made throughout past autumn days. Another reason I enjoy it is that it only requires ingredients that I always seem to have on hand. Always a winner in my book!

Apple Crisp Small

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I always feel a sense of joy when I see our children eating this special dish.  Knowing that generations before gathered around the table at this same time of year and enjoyed the same dish is a special connection to the past.  I hope you and your family enjoy it as well.

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Grandma Louise’s Apple Crisp

Ingredients (8×8″ pan)

  • 4 cups of sliced apples
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1 tsp. cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 3/4 cup flour
  • 1/3 cup butter

Method

Slice apples into 8×8″ pan.

In a small bowl mix the water, cinnamon, and salt together and pour over the apples.

In a separate bowl work together the sugar, flour, and butter until crumbly. Spread the crumb mixture over top the apples evenly.

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Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.

Tip: Serve warm with vanilla ice cream!

Please be sure to visit my amazing friends, who are also joining me on this tour, for more autumn inspiration and delicious apple recipes.

{MORE APPLE TREATS FROM THE TASTE OF THE SEASONS SERIES}

Apple Pie Cinnamon Rolls by Ella Claire | Rustic Apple Cranberry Pie by Anderson and Grant |

Apple-Cranberry Slab Pie by Inspired by Charm | Apple Donuts by A Burst of Beautiful |

Caramel Apple Tart by Julie Blanner

Easy Apple Dumplings by Craftberry Bush | Apple Crisp by House 214 Design |

Apple Cider Scones by Everyday Occasions | Apple Fritter Skillet Bake by Nest of Posies |

Rustic Apple Tarte Tatin by Maison de Pax

Paleo Apple Crisp by Nesting with Grace | Crock Pot Applesauce by My Sweet Savannah |

Gluten Free Apple Crisp by City Farmhouse |

Baked Breakfast Apples with Oatmeal by French Country Cottage |

Apple Blossom with Salted Caramel Sauce by Nina Hendrick Design

No Churn Apple Pie Ice Cream by Boxwood Avenue | Bird’s Nest Apple Pie by Zevy Joy |

Apple Upside Down Spice Cake by Love Grows Wild

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Filed Under: Kitchen Tagged With: authentic, autumn, bake, blogger, classic, cook, decorate, fall, home, interior design, kitchen, recipe, teach, vintage

September 2, 2016 By Melinda Leave a Comment

Budget Isn’t The Issue

 

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I am thrilled to be combining my passion for the home with my love for teaching. My degree in education naturally leads me to think in terms of informing and inspiring others. My hope is to awaken the feeling that is your story and to teach you how to communicate it in your own homes.


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Feel Home: Creating a Timeless Feeling Home

We all have the same questions when it comes to designing our homes. Where do I begin? Is this really me or am I making this decision because it is the latest trend? Am I still going to like this look six months from now? Whether you are the everyday home designer or working with a professional, the choices you make for your timeless home need to be made with intention. This course will guide you through the process and teach you the framework that I use to create a timeless home with my clients. We will create storyboards, discover the language for a timeless home (hint, it has a lot to do with your personality), and learn the exact design elements that create a timeless feeling. You will learn by doing. As a result, making design decisions for your timeless home will be easier. You will be making your decisions with intention and confidence rather than because you saw it in the latest issue of a favorite magazine. This course will teach you not just the what, but the how and why behind creating a timeless feeling in your home.

Details

The early registration price for this one week course (4+ hours of content) is $38.00. You will be sent the videos starting on November 1, 2016 and watch them at your convenience. Also, you will have LIFETIME ACCESS to the videos.

Notes for registering:

If you are new to the Jeanne Oliver Creative Network here are easy steps to get you started…

  1. Click the button above and register FOR FREE at jeanneoliver.ning.com.
  2. Once your account is active you are able to register for my course (and take advantage of other free courses!).
  3. Go to jeanneoliver.ning.com and find my course Feel Home: Creating a Timeless Feeling Home and follow the instructions to join!
  4. All courses on the Jeanne Oliver Creative Network are pre-recorded so you can watch at your convenience. The best part is that you have lifetime access on all new purchases!

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Filed Under: classic, design board, giveaway, home, home tour, interior, Kitchen, laundry room, Outdoor, Real Goods, summer, timeless, Uncategorized Tagged With: authentic, classic, decorate, design, diy, fall, home, home design, house, interior. interior design, interiors, kitchen, slow living, teach, vintage, workshop

June 23, 2016 By Melinda 5 Comments

A Timeless Home Tour

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When I was ten, my parents moved my siblings and I to Ohio for my father’s job. My parents bought a house built in 1931 that comfortably had the living space for a family of six, but needed quite a bit of work to say the least. Throughout the years, there were kitchen renovations, bathroom remodels, landscaping projects, just to name a few, that were all done in such a way as to honor both our family and the home.

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We were young, newly married, and looking for a starter home. We both had gotten jobs in Ohio, my husband in sports management and myself a position as a first grade teacher. Neither one of us were that familiar with the area which explains why when our realtor asked about neighborhoods we would be interested in we mentioned one well out of our price range.

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After a few discussions about what we were looking for and our budget, our realtor mentioned a neighborhood that had tree lined streets, old homes, and character. Those words were music to my ears. We spent a number of days looking at these old homes, but were disappointed by the updates many of them had seen over the years. Homes built in 1922 had additions added on over time that did not suit the time period or home itself.

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After seeing quite a few houses, our realtor drove into what was to become our driveway. I can remember falling in love with the charm of the front of the house, the original oak floors, and the large backyard. There were definitely many projects to be done, like ripping out wall to wall — it literally went up a wall — brown shag carpet from the sunroom, but it felt like home. It felt like a place we could start a family.

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65 Our daughter was our first child to call this house a home. The 1,500 square foot floor plan worked well for our family of three. The sunroom became the playroom and the third bedroom that functioned as an office became the nursery. Once our second child, a son, was born we knew it was time to move or come up with a plan for this home if we wanted to stay.

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I am so glad we decided to come up with a plan. The must-haves for staying in the home involved a kitchen/dining addition, a master bedroom with bathroom addition, first floor laundry addition, and renovation of the old kitchen into a mudroom.

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It took nine long months, but was well worth it in the end. We added about 1,000 square feet and use every inch of it. The added space really helped once we added our third child, another boy, into the mix.

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Once our daughter was born, we decided it would make the most sense for me to stay home. My daughter and my days were filled with adventures at times, but they mostly involved simple things like playing in the playroom together. Having the playroom on the first floor and near the kitchen is one of the best decisions we made as new parents. It allows the children to be near us and feel safe, while they are playing independently or alongside one another.

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After the renovation, the playroom actually became attached to the kitchen and I truly enjoy listening to them play — if they aren’t arguing! — while I cook and clean in the kitchen. It is funny to look back on when I only had one child and remember the type of parent I was at the time. I used to go in the playroom at the end of the evening and clean up the toys and set the dollhouse up room by room.

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Today, after three children, the mess sits until I announce that it is time to clean, and donate old toys. It is funny how much you can change throughout the years in the same role, but in different phases.

When we were renovating the house in 2009 I can honestly say one of the projects I was most excited about was the mudroom. Having a designated place for shoes, book bags, and sporting equipment was exciting to me. It wasn’t in the budget to have built-ins made at the time, so my husband made a coat rack using instructions I found in an issue of This Old House magazine.

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As far as a place to sit was concerned, I wanted to use a bench that my father and his siblings sat on for all their meals on the family farm in Holland. He had had it shipped to the States years ago and I absolutely loved its story. We decided to do the built-in project recently, so now the bench sits on one side of the kitchen table where our three children sit and eat their meals.

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Almost a year after I had my third child, I felt this strong need to create and teach, largely due to my degree in education and because of my passion for the home. I wanted to find a way to combine the two together.

My answer was to bravely post my first picture on Instagram. I didn’t tell anyone, it was out of the blue, but I felt that I had something to say. I had been encouraged by family, friends, and even mothers in the parking lot after school who had design questions to start a blog. Seven months after that first Instagram post I launched House 214 Design, my home design website. It is my platform where I teach the everyday home designer the feeling of home and that the feeling we create in our home is our story.

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What I understand now that I didn’t before, regarding my work, is that when you love what you do the drive you have is unstoppable and you will find a way to keep moving forward. I wake up before the rest of the house wakes up to learn, I listen to podcasts in the car and when I cook and clean to learn, and I read any spare moment I have to learn.

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Do I get tired? Yes, but I am loving every moment of it. I think that after staying home almost 13 years now, it is good for the children to see me have a strong drive and work ethic for something. It is good for them to see me work hard, solve problems, and want to learn.
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Everything I learn I put back into our home. I want our children to remember a feeling, the feeling that I am so passionate about, when they think of their childhood and this home.

Whether they are leaving the house and confronted with a difficult test that day, having a hard time with friends in high school, or leaving to be on their own for the first time, I want them to close their eyes and think of this home. I want the hurt, uncertainty, and worry to be replaced with love, joy, and a sense of calm.

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That is the feeling I work so hard to create for our family in our home every day.
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My hope is that you see a bit of my story in the feeling I have created in my own home. A feeling that will start you on the path to telling your own story.

My course, “Creating A Timeless Feeling Home” , will teach you exactly how to create a timeless and welcoming feeling in your own homes.

Take care,

Melinda

Receive My Free Email Course!

Learn how you can finally decorate your home the right way and to receive my blog updates and teachings.

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Filed Under: classic, home, home tour, interior, Kitchen, laundry room, summer, timeless Tagged With: bedroom, children, classic, cook, decorate, family, home, home design, house, interior, interior. interior design, kitchen, laundry room, nursery, vintage

January 25, 2016 By Melinda Leave a Comment

#10weeksofrealdesign

*If you would like to subscribe to my blog you will find the link (the three dots) next to the “Home Tour” page above. Thank you!*

My hope with this blog is to teach the everyday home designer how to make a classic, simple, and real home. I started a new hashtag on my Instagram feed #10weeksofrealdesign where I find a “real” item from the thrift shop, grocery store, or even the basement of my own home. I then share the process of finding a place/use for it. My first “real” item was a copper tray from the thrift shop.

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The tray definitely needed a little cleaning. I turned to my copy of Modern Mix by Eddie Ross to refresh my memory on the best products and techniques to use to clean this type of finish.

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The copper tray turned out to be the perfect place to corral my onions while I am cooking. They no longer roll everywhere and look beautiful displayed against the copper on my antique butcher block. On a side note, I love to display my fruits and vegetables in my kitchen. I find beauty in their simplicity. I think the grey and white color palette serves as the perfect backdrop for them to shine.

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I hope that you are inspired to discover that something “real” in your home. Something that hasn’t been used for some time or has been packed away for awhile. Something that may serve a new purpose and be just the thing you were looking for.
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I want to thank Melanie from My Sweet Savannah for adding House 214 Design to her blog list. You are so kind to introduce me to all of your friends. If you are visiting by way of My Sweet Savannah, thank you for taking the time to visit me. What an honor!

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: classic, cook, design, food, grey, home, home design, interior, interior design, kitchen, vintage, white

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