Shabby Chic Dining Room Table

It is no secret that I really, really dislike anything honey oak. Can you believe I moved into a home that was nothing but honey oak? I had two choices, cry or get inspired. I may have done both but never at the same time. Oak is my least favorite wood but I can learn to like it if it is any color but honey.

With that being said I talked myself into yet another project in our house after seeing this beautiful dining table for sale. As I was trying to decide if it was worth the asking price a light bulb went off. Uhm, Amanda, you have a table just like this in honey oak that you are using as a sewing table. This was a table that was left behind in our home when we moved in. We already had a dining room set that we loved so there was no need to keep it & my husband suggested multiple times that we should sell it. Sell it? This table was huge with very convenient stow away leaves. It was the perfect size table for sewing & collecting all sorts of junk. It mostly collected junk. Ha! I never agreed to sell it because I knew I couldn't replace the table as a "sewing" table for the few hundred dollars we may have sold it for. I didn't disagree with selling because the table was growing on me. Honey oak never grows on me.

With my husband gone on a long business trip & rain in the forecast I decided to tackle this project in hopes of having it done before family arrived for the weekend of Halloween. I invited these guys to the party along with a couple paint brushes & some 220 grit sand paper.This project cost less than $100 with the most expensive purchases being the paint & wax.

 Let me introduce you to the star of this show. This is the honey oak dining table a.k.a my sewing table.  Ignore the dust on top of this table. It's a good indication on how often I actually sew. Also ignore the purple room. It was a wine bottle label inspired color & I have a beautiful vision for this room. A vision only I can see, a common problem of mine.

 I applied the Citristrip Stripping Gel in a thick coat on the top of the table only. I waited 30 minutes & scraped the gel off using a plastic putty knife. This product makes varnish & stain stripping super simple. Wipe the table clean & let the wood dry before applying any stain.

No need to strip the clear coat off of the base. That's the wonderful thing about using chalk paint, no sanding or stripping needed.

I couldn't find the color of stain I had envisioned in my head nor could I describe it to the guy at Lowe's. It was in my head. It would be convenient if my visions included printable pictures as I have yet to talk to a man that totally understands what I'm thinking. After our kitchen cabinet revamp my husband trusts my visions & no longer asks questions. Works great for both of us. I stood in the aisle looking at these two colors & thought, what if I used both of these in layers? Would that fulfill the vision in my head? Can stain even be layered? I had not a clue but I was willing to try. The outcome was completely what I pictured after I did the following. To answer that question, yes stain can be layered.

 I applied one coat of the wheat. Wiped if off. Applied one coat of weathered gray. Wiped it off. It was a little too gray so applied one more coat of the wheat & wiped if off. I then sealed it with two coats of the clear furniture wax. Look at the perfect weathered, reclaimed wood like I achieved. I love it. 

 After a few coats of the Funky Junk Sisters Chalk Paint the base of this table is ready to be distressed. I rubbed one coat of clear furniture wax into the base before distressing. This not only decreases the amount of paint dust but also helps ease the antiquing glaze process. The paint is very porous prior to waxing & I don't want the glaze to absorb into the paint. 

Distressing is very simple. I recommend using 220 grit sand paper. Start sanding areas of the furniture that may normally show wear. Sand until you are through the coats of paint & roughed up the original clear coat on the furniture. You want the distressed areas of wood to absorb some of the antiquing glaze.











My favorite product is Lowe's Antiquing Glaze. It comes in a small bottle for around $8. This little bottle lasts forever! Apply it to the piece of furniture as you would any type of furniture stain. It is very forgiving with basically a brush on, wipe off technique. Work in small sections so that the glaze doesn't dry before you have time to wipe it off. After wiping it off if it seems heavier than you prefer, dampen a rag & lightly wipe the glaze off of those areas until the desired look is achieved.

After you have achieved the desired weathered look apply one more coat of the clear furniture wax to protect the glaze & the project is done! 

 

I had to drop two of the table leaves down order to fit this large table into the "after" picture. This table is the perfect addition to our large blended family as it seats 8. I'm so glad we didn't sell this table. I would have never dreamed it would be back in the dining room but it is now the perfect fit for the decor in our home.

Up next is painting & distressing the 6 honey oak chairs. I'm not looking forward to that project at all but I am anxious to have the entire project complete. I'm also in search of the perfect upholstered high back "king & queen" chairs for the head of the table. I will post an update when I have accomplished my entire vision. :)

Good-bye Honey Oak Cabinets!

November 6th, 2014: UPDATE

Once our cabinets were complete I added a beautiful stone & stainless steel backsplash as well as the purchase of all new stainless steel appliances. I am in so in love with my kitchen. Here is a picture of our completed kitchen.

 Original Post February 27th, 2013:

This is a glimpse of the honey oak cabinets before. I had planned on waiting to revamp the kitchen but we hadn't even officially moved in and I was already painting these. I have ADD when it comes to all household projects, I can't wait to get started with every single idea I have in my head the minute I have the idea. This isn't always a good virtue to have because now I have an number of projects going on all at the same time.

Excuse the below before photo of our entire kitchen but it is the only one I have & I only have this because I took this picture to send via text to a girlfriend as I was trying to explain to her all the filthy (lots of dog hair in drawers with left behind utensils, spilled food & sauces everywhere) cabinets we had to clean out from the person who previously lived here. I have those photos as well but I'll spare you from reliving that filth with me. Inventor of 409, thank you!



Let the painting begin! I have used all Valspar products, I am Lowe's obsessed and it is by far the best paint I've ever used (and I've went through 30+ gallons in the last year) It's around $35/gallon for the Valspar Signature & worth every cent. I've tried less expensive paints and I had to paint a room three coats rather than two so not a real money saver. The paint color is called Stone Manor (#6006-2A), this took two coats, it's tedious but worth it. We have a ton of cabinets & I used about 3/4 of a gallon with a paint additive called Floetrol, which eliminates brush & roller marks. The Antiquing glaze is about $8 for an 8 oz. jar & that's plenty. It is like a large jar of black ink. I applied that with a sponge brush & wiped off immediately with a dry rag, if it seemed heavy I wouldn't dampen the rag and wipe again. The glaze is very forgiving, within the first few hours it will come of with a wet rag if you apply too much, keep reapplying and wiping off until you achieve the desired look.





Left to right: Lightly sanded & wiped down with tack cloth, two coats of paint, antiquing glaze applied.




Before hardware & crown moulding is installed.





Close up picture to show how the antiquing glaze brings out the natural wood grain of the cabinets.




One section of the three sections of our very open kitchen is finished.




Close up of the crown moulding painted and antiqued.

This was a $250 investment but $100 of that was cabinet hardware & another $100 was the crown moulding. Paint is cheap in comparison to replacement. If I get really brave I'm going to do a tile back splash, we'll see how that goes.

Before & After! The kitchen island (not pictured yet) is also painted a deep brownish/black color called Fired Earth which creates a nice contrast in this open area.

Upside Down Caramel Apple Pie

My absolute favorite pie!


Glaze and pastry

1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 Tbsp butter, melted
1Tbsp corn syrup
1/3 cups pecan halves, coarsely chopped
1 package Pillsbury refrigerated pie crusts (should contain 2)

Filling

3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp ground cinnamon
Dash of ground nutmeg
5 large Granny Smith apples
1 Tbl lemon juice

Preheat oven to 425°F.

For glaze, combine brown sugar, butter and corn syrup in stoneware pie plate; spread evenly onto bottom. Chop pecans; sprinkle over sugar mixture. Top with 1 pastry crust; set aside. For filling, combine brown sugar, flour, cinnamon and nutmeg in 1-Qt bowl; mix well. Peel, core and slice apples thin.

Combine apples and lemon juice; toss gently to coat. Add brown sugar, flour, & cinnamon; mix gently. Spoon filling into pie plate. Unroll remaining crust and place over filling. Fold edges of top crust under edges of bottom crust; seal and flute edges. Cut several slits in top crust.

Gently place pie shield or 2-3 inch wide strips of aluminum foil over edge of pie. Bake 30 minutes; remove shield/foil. Bake an additional 25-30 minutes or until crust is a deep golden brown. Remove from oven; let stand for 5 minutes. Loosen edge of pie from pie plate; carefully invert pie onto heat-resistant serving tray. Scrape any remaining caramel topping from pie plate onto top of pie. Cool at least 1 hour before serving. (So says the recipe but I can't wait that long, 30 minutes tops!!)

I am playing with the idea of making more then the recommended amount of caramel topping, if any one makes this and decides to do so please let me know how it turns out.

Red Curry & Ginger Butternut Squash Soup

This is a recipe that was sent to Mark by a friend of his, Rhonda, and with my love for red curry (or anything curry) I couldn't wait to try it. It did not disappoint! Beyond yummy!!

1 lg butternut squash or enough to equal 4-5 lbs
2 Tbsp of your choice of oil (I used olive, she used coconut)
½ cup of chopped carrots
½ cup of chopped celery
1 onion chopped
1/8 tsp dried thyme
¼ tsp sea salt (I used smoked)
1/8 tsp pepper (she used smoked pepper, I didn't have any)
3 cups chicken broth
Water or extra stock for desired consistency
1 tbsp red curry paste
½ tbsp chopped ginger
1/3 cup coconut milk




Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut squash lengthwise and remove seeds. Brush cut side with oil and flesh side down in a pan. Can add water to the pan but I do not, it roasts the squash a little darker and adds a little more flavor. Bake for about 45-60 minutes




Saute' onion, celery, carrot, ginger, red curry paste, salt and pepper in a pan with oil—about 2 minutes. Add some chicken stock and simmer. At this point, can run it through a blender, food processor or immersions blender until smooth. Once squash is cooked, add to the pan, add remaining chicken stock. Can use an immersion blender or add everything back to the blender or food processor. Add in coconut milk and any water or chicken stock for desired consistency. Heat until hot.




This was AMAZING and I will be making it often at our house. Thank you so much Rhonda for sharing this recipe so that I can not only enjoy it but also share with others!

Lasagna Stuffed Shells

I made these for dinner tonight and they were amazing. I thought the shells were easier to work with than layering lasagna noodles but than I seem to be cursed when it comes to lasagna noodles. It was just as good as lasagna if not better & was easier to serve...because as we all know it's hard to serve picture perfect lasagna.

Lasagna Stuffed Shells

18 jumbo shells
4 cups of desired pasta sauce with meat (but the above sauce it so so worth the work)
16 oz. package shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
1/2 cup grated cheese
16 oz ricotta cheese
1 egg
2 tbls fresh parley

1. If not using the pasta sauce recipe below. Brown desired meat (Italian sausage or hamburger) and drain. Add jar of pasta sauce & heat thoroughly.

2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cook pasta per package directions. Drain well & rinse with cold water. Lay shells out individually on a cutting board or clean surface so they don't stick together.

3. In a mixing bowl, combine ricotta cheese with egg, 1 tbls parsley, Parmesan cheese & 3/4 of the mozzarella cheese.

4. Place a small amount of sauce on the bottom of a 9x9 pan. Spoon the mixture into the shells and arrange them into the prepared baking dish. Once all shells have been filled, pour the remaining sauce over the shells. Cover with the remaining mozzarella cheese & the remaining fresh parsley.

5. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the mozzarella cheese is melted and bubbly.

My "go-to" pasta sauce for EVERYTHING.
(This is the recipe for the lasagna/spaghetti sauce that I can't live without. I also posted it on my blog in January). It makes a large batch. I used half for the stuffed shells & I saved the other half for spaghetti later this week. Quick & easy when the sauce is already done.

1 lb Italian Sausage

1 lb Lean Ground Beef

1/2 C. onions, minced

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 (28 oz.) can crushed tomatoes

2 (6 oz.) cans tomato paste

2 (6.5 oz) cans canned tomato sauce

1/2 C. water

1 1/2 tsp. dried basil leaves

1/2 tsp. fennel seeds
2 tbsp. sugar

1 tsp. Italian seasoning

1/4 tsp. ground black pepper

1 tsp. salt

2 tblsp fresh Italian Parsley, chopped

In a dutch oven; cook sausage, ground beef, onion and garlic over medium heat until well browned. Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato sauce and water. Season with sugar, basil, fennel seeds, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper and parsley. Simmer, covered, for about 1 1/2 hours (or longer if you have time) stirring occasionally.

Better Than KFC Biscuits

When I came across this recipe it said they are just like KFC's biscuits. These are SO MUCH BETTER than KFC's. It's hard to even compare the two. Super easy to make & they melt in your mouth. Yummy!!


2 cups Bisquick
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup 7-up
1/4 cup melted butter

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Fold sour cream into bisquick until it is somewhat combined. Add 7-up and continue to stir until it forms a very soft, sticky dough.

2. Sprinkle Bisquick onto counter or cutting board. Place the dough onto floured surface & press the dough out until it is about a 1/2" to 3/4" thick. Cut with floured biscuit cutter. (Or in my house this so called cutter is a wine glass)

3. Pour butter into 9x9 pan. Place cut biscuits into pan & arrange so that all biscuits fit. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown.

Oatmeal Cranberry White Chocolate Chunk Cookies

I got this recipe right off of the back of the Ocean Spray Craisins bag one night while we were eating cheese, cranberries & drinking wine. Trust me, wine was the motivating factor in making these. However, the only flour I had in the house was white whole wheat. The recipe calls for white flour, I have never ever made them this way. The white wheat flour gives them a healthy taste. Ya know not completely healthy but, healthy as in I don't feel guilty eating two or three with my morning coffee.  It's like a muffin, in a cookie but better!


2/3 cup butter, softened
2/3 cup brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups old fashioned oats, not instant
1 1/2 cups flour (or white wheat flour)
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/4 cups Craisins Dried Cranberries (or the 5 oz. package)
2/3 cup white chocolate chips or chunks




1. Preheat oven to 375ºF. Using an electric mixer, beat butter or margarine and sugar together in a medium mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Add eggs, mixing well. 


2. Combine oats, flour, baking soda and salt in a separate mixing bowl. Add to butter mixture in several additions, mixing well after each addition. Stir in dried cranberries and white chocolate chunks.

3. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on wire rack.

Makes approximately 2 1/2 dozen cookies.