Oreo Truffle Pops

November 23, 2011

This is my 200th post! To celebrate I shall eat an Oreo Truffle Pop and share the recipe with you.
These are always a favorite at any event. I like to make these for birthdays or just any celebration. I actually made these fall colored ones for Dylan’s teacher for Thanksgiving (Thanks Mrs. Girardi for all you do). They are super easy to make.

Oreo Truffle Pops

1 package of regular Oreos (no double stuffed)
1 8oz. package cream cheese
Wilton Chocolate melts or any other good melting chocolate

In a food processor, blend the oreos until they are completely crumbs. Then add only 3/4 of the cream cheese to start (6 oz.). Blend again until the mixture comes together in a ball. If you need to add more cream cheese, add about a tbsp. at a time till the dough will hold together in balls. Refrigerate this for about 1 hour.

Roll the dough into 1 inch balls and refrigerate again until they are firm. Melt the chocolate. Dip the sticks into a little bit of chocolate and them insert them into the balls. Refrigerate again. Then dip the balls in the chocolate and tap them on edge of a bowl to remove the excess chocolate. Add sprinkles while they are still soft. Refrigerate again! Oh, and I use a chunk of florist foam to stand the pops up in while I am working on them.

By my 200th post I imagined I might have a few more followers, but I am thankful for my faithful few that do read. I have fun blogging, so I guess I will continue. More then anything, I do enjoy reading your comments. Please let me know what you like to read about most, I want your input

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Thanksgiving Table Setting: Birds of a Feather

So, here’s the finally setting. I’ve used my paper feathers and salt dough ornaments to decorate the place settings. My kids and I have been having fun with salt dough. I will share instruction on how to make salt dough ornaments sometime in the near future.

Next week we will have a little vote on your favorite setting. Have a fantastic Thanksgiving. I hope you have time to enjoy loved ones and of course some yummy food.

If you like what you see, BE A FRIEND! Follow Oleander and Palm by email, Pinterest, Facebook, or Twitter.

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Thanksgiving Table Setting: Navy and Gold

November 22, 2011

Ok, I’m wishing I was a stylist for something fun like Anthropologie. I’m really enjoying putting together these place setting posts. This next one looks expensive, but totally isn’t. The touches of gold are simply metallic gold paint on a mini pumpkin and then I taped off and painted some old cutlery gold on the handles. Navy blue is everywhere right now, and it’s really growing on me. I actually purchased the napkins here to make pillows. I haven’t gotten that far yet, so why not use them for their intended purpose.

Tablecloth: Gift from my mother in law (I think it’s from TJMaxx)
Dinner and Bread Plate: Homegoods
Salad Plate: Bought in Japan
Napkin: World Market Navy Ikat Dot
Cutlery: Old stainless steel painted metallic gold on the handles
Place card: Mini pumpkin painted metallic gold with 2 oak leaves cut out of vintage book paper

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The Grey Dining Room

November 16, 2011

So here’s the finished product. Yesterday I posted “Before” pictures of my green dining room. I think I picked the right grey.

I’m really happy with the color change. The room feels modern even though it’s almost 100 years old. It even makes me like my dining room table again. I was feeling lazy and didn’t want to make Thanksgiving dinner, but now I want to because I have a beautiful room to host it in.

A Little Fall Decor

What do you think? It’s a dark color, but I think it works. I would love to hear your opinions. Anyone love grey as much as I do?

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Picking Paint Colors

November 15, 2011

One of the hardest things to do in home design is to pick the right paint color. I have been really tired of my dining room paint color for a while. It’s a really pretty sage green, but it’s dated now. I am embarrassed to say that I painted it that color 8 years ago. It’s time for a change. Green is still my favorite color, but I am ready to try something new.

The Before – the green needs to go.

Slowly be surely my house is becoming grey. It is just my favorite neutral and you can find it everywhere in design and interiors now. When we put an addition onto our house and remodeled 3 years ago, I painted my kitchen, laundry room, bedroom and master bath all grey (Benjamin Moore Aura – Nightingale AF- 670). Then when I decorated my son’s room all star wars, I painted his room grey as well (Benjamin Moore – Smoke Embers AC – 28). And now the girl’s room is pink (Benjamin Moore – Elephant Pink 2087-70), but has lot’s of grey accents. Oh, and I got a new area rug for the living room, and it’s grey as well. So, needless to say, I want to paint my dining room a nice dark charcoal grey.

Paint chips taped to the wall, checking out the colors at different times of day.

When I pick a new paint color, I start by bringing home no less then 35 paint chips (no kidding). When you go to pick out a color, you are always surprised by how many shades there are of it. Then I bring them home and look at them in the light of the room the color will be in. This usually weeds out at least half the samples. Then I start taping them up on walls, and they look different again and you can throw away another half of them. Now, I’m usually down to 7 or 8 samples and I start comparing it with other colors in my house. I don’t want there to be drastic color changes, so I try to pick colors that compliment each other.

Lots of light in this room.

I want to make sure the new color compliments other colors in my home.

I think I’ve found the perfect grey. I’m a big fan of Benjamin Moore paints. My dad swears by them. And their Aura line, may be on the expensive side, but it goes on beautifully and you only need one coat. The color is called Cinder AF – 705. I think it’s a true grey, and it’s darker then my kitchen. I think dining rooms can be dramatic and have darker walls. Plus you can see that this room gets a lot of light and all my built-ins are white. I think it’s really going to make the white built-ins and trim really pop.

This is probably the fastest I’ve ever painted a room. When Olivia is asleep, I have been working like a mad women to tape and paint as fast as possible. I’m really excited about the change. I’ll share pictures tomorrow. I need to re-hang a few more pictures still.

Please share how you pick out paint colors for your home. And what colors are you loving right now?

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Pumpkin Spice Donuts

November 9, 2011

Donuts make me happy! As a kid, my mom made donuts once in a while. They were so amazing and now homemade donuts bring back warm memories. Because I grew up in Papua New Guinea, donuts could not just be bought at the grocery store or bakery. If you wanted a donut, it meant making them from scratch in hot, humid tropical weather. Most moms wouldn’t dream of frying donuts in the heat and humidity, but my mom didn’t let that stop her.

I like making cake donuts. They are fast and don’t require waiting for yeast. Here’s my donut for the fall season, Pumpkin Spice Donuts. I made these for my kids Halloween party last week. We used the donuts for a classic party game. The donuts were tied to a string and the kids raced to eat the donuts without using their hands. The holes I stuck on sticks and made Donut Pops.

Pumpkin Spice Donuts

3 tbsp. butter (melted)

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1/4 cup milk

2 tsp. vanilla

1 cup pumpkin puree

4 cups flour

4 tsp. cinnamon

2 tsp. ground ginger

1/4 tsp. cloves

4 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

In a large bowl mix the first six wet ingredients. In another bowl, mix together the next six dry ingredients. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix until combined. Turn dough onto a well floured surface and roll out the dough to 1″ thick. Cut out donuts and fry in vegetable oil at 375 F. Roll warm donuts in cinnamon sugar (1/2 cup sugar + 1 tsp. cinnamon).

Sorry, all the donuts were eaten before I could get a picture. Next time I make them, I’ll add a picture quickly 🙂

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Pumpkin Spice Scones

November 8, 2011

One of my favorite things to make and eat is scones. They are fast and easy. You can whip them up for breakfast in no time, and everyone is always impressed. I have quite a few scone recipes I have worked on, this is my latest – Pumpkin Spice Scones.

Pumpkin Spice Scones
2 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1/3 cup cold butter
1 cup pumpkin puree
3 tbsp. milk

Combine first six dry ingredients in a bowl. Using a pastry knife, cut in the cold butter. Add milk to the pumpkin puree and then add the pumpkin mixture to the dry ingredients. Mix until it all comes together. Do not over mix (this will make the scones tough). Divide the dough into two portions. On a parchment lined baking sheet form the dough into two 5-6″ rounds. You may need to flour your hands because the dough is quite sticky. Then take a floured knife and cut each round into 6 pieces. This will make it easier to cut and separate them after baking. Bake at 350 F for about 20 mins. Cool on a baking rack for 5 mins. before cutting them.

Brown Sugar Icing
3 tbsp. butter
1/4 cup cream
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
about 1 cup powdered sugar

In a small sauce pan, melt butter. Add the cream, sugar and vanilla and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and whisk in the powdered sugar. You may need a little more or a little less then 1 cup of powdered sugar. Dip the tops of the warm scones in the icing and allow to cool completely.

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Pumpkin Spice Sugar Scrub

The weather had finally cooled down here in California. We went from 80’s last week to the high 50’s this week. The air feels cool and dry. My skin is feeling and showing the lack of moisture. I made this Pumpkin Spice Body Sugar Scrub this weekend to offer my skin some relief. It gently exfoliates and has a warm spicy scent.

Pumpkin Spice Sugar Scrub
2 cup brown sugar
1 cup sugar
2 tbsp. pumpkin pie spice
1 cup vegetable oil

Combine in a bowl and pack into airtight jars.

I found both the jars and the mini wooden spoons at World Market. I think these are going to make great gifts.

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Make your own Pumpkin Pie Spice

November 4, 2011

Have you noticed how expensive it is to buy a tiny jar of Pumpkin Pie Spice? I love the convenience of having the spices all mixed together for recipes like Pumpkin Apple Muffins and others. So, I decided I would mix my own Pumpkin Pie Spice. It was a lot cheaper to buy the spices individually and mix them myself. I’m really happy with the end result. I’ve been using it all week in my Pumpkin Spice Week Recipes.

Pumpkin Pie Spice
1/4 cup ground cinnamon
2 tbsp ground ginger
2 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp fresh ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp all spice

Mix together and store in an airtight container.

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Pumpkin Spice Poppycock (Caramel Corn)

October 31, 2011

Happy Halloween – what I great day to kick off Pumpkin Spice Week. And let’s start the week with off with a snack that can be munched on all week long.

My husband likes to make fun of the name, Poppycock. But, that’s what my mom called it, and it’s her recipe. It’s really just very yummy caramel corn. This is my fall version – Pumpkin Spice Poppycock. I added pecans as well, because I think they pair well with Pumpkin Spice and they are my favorite nut.

Pumpkin Spice Poppycock (Caramel Corn)

6 quarts popped popcorn

1 cup butter

2 cups brown sugar

1/2 cup corn syrup

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. vanilla

2 tbsp. Pumpkin Pie Spice

1 cup pecans (optional)

Melt butter, stir in sugar, syrup and salt. Boil 5 minutes without stirring. Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla, then stir in baking soda and pumpkin pie spice. Then stir in the pecans. Pour over popcorn and mix well to all kernels are coated. Spread onto two cookie sheets and bake 1 hour at 250 F. Stir every 15 minutes. Cool completely. Store in airtight containers.

I’m had a little Halloween Party for my kids and their friends last week. I think that it’s fun to have another chance to wear your costume. When you hand make your kids costumes, you want them to get more use out of them then just Halloween night. This caramel corn was definitely served at the party. But, I changed the name to Cockroach Nests – kind of gross I know, but I was quite proud of my clever name.