DIY Cooking at Home

If you are a loyal reader of Home Made Modern, you may recall that I've been in a bit of a slump these days. I just haven't found my rhythm since the girls have gone back to school. I thought I was gonna have all this time to write, do projects, cook delicious meals, and have a clean house, and...well, I'm not getting much of any of that done. And I can't figure out why! So, as I was going through our Sunday night routine tonight--and feeling guilty for not having completed a single project around the house again this weekend--I realized that one thing that is working for us is our Sunday night routine. So I thought I'd share. Here are 5 things you can do on a Sunday night to start your family's week off on the right foot. Stock the Fridge and Plan Meals --After church Sunday morning, I usually make a run to the grocery store to stock up on lunch items, school snacks, and of course, things for dinner. But before I go, I make my list based on what I want t...

This was an experiment that yielded very happy results. I have been wanting to try baking something using culinary lavender for a long time so one afternoon last week when the girls and I felt like scones, I started looking up recipes. I found one scone recipe that called for lavender but it also required lemon zest and we were fresh out of citrus. So I just decided to modify my recipe for Cranberry Orange Scones and the results were delicious! Lavender Vanilla Cream Biscuits Preheat oven to 450 and line a sheet with parchment. Stir together: 2 c. flour 2 T. sugar 1 tsp. baking powder 1 healthy tsp. of culinary lavender buds ½ tsp. kosher salt. Cut in ½ c. cold unsalted butter. Add 1 tsp. vanilla and 1 c. heavy cream. Stir just until dough forms. On floured surface, knead until uniform and pat out until 1 ½ inches thick. Cut with biscuit cutter and place upside down on sheet. Brush with cream. Bake 12 to 14 minutes. These are sweet and slightly floral tasting, and very rich becau...

Hey there! I'm sharing pics today that show how I've decorated for fall this year. I was inspired by this photo I took: Is there anything prettier than fall leaves against a bright blue sky? So here are the small turquoise and orange splashes around our house. In case you missed it: Fall Decorating Ideas for Blue Rooms Houndstooth Fall Wreath

Good morning, sunshines! Sadly, peach season is coming to a rapid close, but before it's gone for another year, you've gotta try these scones! They taste like peach cobbler that you can hold in your hand! If you recall, I rounded up some great peach recipes for you a few weeks back, and this was one I just had to try myself. The recipe comes from A Latte Food . The only thing I changed was the amount of vanilla that went in the glaze. I decreased it from 1 T. to 1 tsp. Hop on over to A Latte Food for the full recipe, then swipe up the last of summer's peaches before they're gone! In Case You Missed It: 12 Fresh Peach Recipes Peaches and Cream Oatmeal Lavender Vanilla Cream Biscuits

Remember that crazy thing I mentioned? Ok, so here's what I did. We have a pretty small house, comparatively speaking. It's no McMansion. Therefore, the view just to the right of our front door leads right up the stairs. And let's just say...it was fairly uninspired. Here's the before: And as you climb the stairs, it didn't get any better. So, I decided to go bold or go home, and I painted the landing at the top of our stairs black. Yep, my husband thought I was crazy. Here's the view now: As you can see, it coordinates with what I have going in with the hall bathroom. And here's the before and after shot: Ok, so...I think it's an improvement because it's not as blah. But I'm not sure I'm completely sold.  It's definitely a departure from my normal blues and greens, which is why I think I'm a little nervous about it.  I have some other art that I may try instead.  What do you guys think? The picture at the top of the stair...

Hey there! I'm a little late getting this up today, but it's too good to wait 'till tomorrow. I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say that pegboard is the new pallet . There are so many darn uses for it! It organizes stuff so well, of course, but it can be dressed up, painted, cross-stitched, and designed to look like art, too. So you really get a lot of bang for your buck with this stuff. I would highly suggest searching Pinterest for pegboard organization projects, and you'll see what I mean; but, here, I've rounded up 8 of the most clever pegboard projects I could find that were more about aesthetics and less about function. via via via instructions via via instructions via via via You May Also Like: Wrapping Supply Closet with Pegboard Organization Ideas for Small Homes

Hey, hey! Do you love boho chic style as much as I do? I'm loving all of the hippy-chic accessories I've been seeing in stores. Macrame is hot again, if you can believe it. I decided to try my hand at this retro craft the other day with this simple project, and it only took about 10 minutes. We have this awkward little space at the top of our stairs that needed something, but it's so narrow...I decided a wall vase might be a good idea. For how to make this macrame plant holder , check out these simple step-by-step instructions over on About.com!

Hey there! Guys, I'm not gonna lie. I've been in a blogging slump. And not for lack of desire, either. I just can't settle on a project I love lately. But, there's light at the end of the tunnel for me. I just did something crazy in our house, and I can't wait to show you, but it's not finished yet. You'll be the first to know, so stay tuned! Until then, here's a yummy salad I whipped up the other day. I'm calling it a BLT salad. It was so filling because of the pasta, and delicious because, well, it has bacon (and everything is more delicious with bacon). Our kids even loved having this for dinner. Enjoy! BLT Salad 2 c. uncooked rigatoni 10 strips bacon, cooked and chopped 2 hearts of Romaine lettuce, chopped 2 T. chopped red onion 2 c. grape tomatoes, halved 1/3 c. Parmesan cheese Dressing: 1/4 c. olive oil 2 T. red wine vinegar pinch salt 1/4 tsp. Dijon mustard Cook rigatoni according to package directions. Rinse and cool. Meanwhile, ...