Goodwill Transformation

I love spray paint! I mean, really love spray paint. It is such an easy application to make a ho-hum item come alive. I found this basket at Goodwill; it's large and in charge. I'm not sure what its past life was, maybe holding gladiolas, or maybe fire wood but since the weather finally took a turn toward the cooler side I knew it would make a nice addition for holding throw blankets.

Great bones but not digging the color. Don't get me wrong I love brown (its my go-to neutral when decorating) but I think The Hubs is right when he says we have too much. We needed to lighten up!

I grabbed my trusty can of Heirloom White and headed outside last Saturday to paint.

This is after two coats. I didn't use primer because I didn't care if it was well covered; I was going for the shabby chic look. I think it's terrific that some of the wood color is showing through. Although if you do not like this look I do highly recommend using a primer; you can even buy it in a spray can as well. The same concept applies when you are painting the walls of your house-for better color and coverage you must prime first. : ) The one thing to remember about spray paint is that slow and steady ALWAYS wins the race. You want to make short, even/steady passes with the can so not to get any drips. Trust me, I am not a patient person and it ultimately bites me in the bootie every.single.time. I took my time on this however, I mean, what else was I going to do while The Hubs was at work ON A SATURDAY!! Gotta love football season!

Anyway it is like a brand new piece and I am thrilled.  

Have a great weekend!

Bake Potato Soup (Loaded!)

Well the Fall-like weather has finally been ushered in, and I don't know about you but when it is drizzly outside, I like to warm up with a big bowl of soup. Of course, like most of us, I still want to keep my waistline in check, and this soup does that without sacrificing flavor.

Ingredients:

3.5 C of fat-free chicken broth
        (notice how I am not using cream of chicken/potato soup; this alone saves quite a few calories and fat)
2 large potatoes
1/4 C of all-purpose flour
1.5 C of fat-fee milk
1/4 of a small onion, chopped
3-4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp olive oil
1/2 tsp of black pepper
1/4 tsp of salt
1/4 tsp of crushed red pepper flakes

Toppings:

1 tsp of fat-free cheese
1 tsp fat-free sour cream
1 tsp chopped scallions
1 tsp of real bacon bits

First put your potatoes,peeled, in the microwave for about 8 minutes. While those are cooking, add your oil, onion, and garlic to a large sauce pan and cook over medium heat for about 3 minutes, or until the onions are tender. Then add the broth and milk, and stir. Crank the heat up to medium high and whisk in your flour, slowly. Mash one of the cooked potatoes and then chop the other one. By now your mix is starting to get thick; add in your mashed potatoes and stir. Then add in your chopped potato and stir. This yeilds six, 1 cup servings.

Add your toppings to your bowl of soup and pair it with a nice, soft roll or slice of baguette. Bon appetite!