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Monday, May 5, 2014

Chez Katie: Spicy Peach Shrimp over Cabbage Steaks

New recipe alert!  

We love to have people over for dinner even during the week but it can be difficult to get home from work and have things prepared without feeling like it's more of a hassle than it's worth. Today, I've got a super easy recipe to share with you that's tasty and beautiful when plated - great for a dinner party when you want to serve something that looks impressive and tastes great but without major headaches.  

Warmer weather is upon us here in Alabama and I'm craving light and healthy meals - particularly any seafood I can get my hands on.  G & I recently took a quick road trip to Peach Park in Clanton, AL and I picked up some delicious Spicy Peach Grilling Sauce which served as the marinade for this dish.

Ingredients:

  • 2 heads of cabbage
  • 1 head of red cabbage
  • Shrimp 1.5 lbs serves 4 people 
  • Sauce/Marinade - I used the Spicy Peach Grilling Sauce but you could easily puree peaches or mix peach preserved with some vinegar, sriracha, garlic and seasonings of choice
  • Garlic, Salt, Pepper, & Olive Oil
  • Goat Cheese
  • Bacon
First, place peeled and deveined shrimp in bowl with marinade/sauce.  Shrimp isn't really something you would marinate overnight, so I do this just about 45 minutes before I'm planning to serve just to give it a little kick.  If your marinate too long, your shrimp will be mushy and gross.  You'll use the sauce later as well.  Salt & pepper to taste.

Second, slice your cabbage into round discs (horizontally).  Place on baking sheet and brush with olive oil. Season with salt, pepper and garlic to taste.  Since the main element of this meal - shrimp - isn't super flavorful on it's own, I suggest going heaving on the seasoning.  Roast the cabbage in the oven on 400 for about 15 minutes.  That's about how long it will take you to do the rest of steps.

Next, chop your red cabbage.  Easy enough, right?

Now, cook the shrimp with sauce in pan on medium-high heat until pink. Throw in the chopped red cabbage toward the end.  Add a little extra sauce and if it's looking thin, sift a little cornstarch or flour to thicken it up.

While this is going on, pop a few strips of bacon (just enough to add some crumbles on top) in the microwave (I'm not a fan of microwaved bacon typically, but for the purposes of crumbling, it's just too easy).  

By the time you've done all this, your cabbage steaks should be ready.  I like to get mine a little blackened on the edges and top.  It pulls out more flavor.  

Now you just have to assemble - basically, like a pizza.  The cabbage steaks are your crust, everything else serves as the topping.  Spoon the shrimp/sauce/red cabbage mixture on top. Sprinkle with crumbled goat cheese & bacon and you're done!

Easy, yummy, pretty and the best part - HEALTHY!  
Between the low calorie shrimp and cabbage, the only major calories items in this dish are the bacon and goat cheese which are used in small quantities.

Because you can pre-slice and chop your cabbage, the time this requires you to be in the kitchen away from your guests is minimal.

Hope you enjoy! If you cook this, comment & let me know what you think.  I've never posted recipes here before but if I get good feedback, I'll post them more often!

Tuesday, February 4, 2014

It's Been a While!

I guess you could say I've been a neglectful blogger seeing as how it's been almost a year since my last post.  For me, interior design (decorating for us amateurs) is a creative process.  And creativity can certainly ebb and flow.  In the last year, I've been practicing the work hard, play hard mentality - pouring tons of energy into my career and enjoying every last drop of my free time.  Since we last spoke I've been out of the country multiple times and seen a bajillion live shows.  And in the midst of all of this, blogging and decorating have fallen to the wayside.

To be honest, I just love so many styles, colors, shapes.... I was overwhelmed with the options in our new home and just couldn't make up my mind.  I love our home and it's, of course, ever evolving.... and now we are about to embark on a potential new, HUGE project.  We're close to making a decision on whether or not we want to add on to the house... which would include a total kitchen makeover, adding a family room/den, adding a full master suite and renovating multiple bathrooms.

The thought of it both thrills and exhausts me!  But it most certainly deepens my desire to get inspired, brainstorm and share the process with you.  In the near future, I'll be stepping through our home room by room - sharing it's current state and my inspiration for what it will be.  Addition or no addition, there will be major changes coming to the Gulas House over the next few months.  I hope you'll join me (even if I did abandon you for like a really, really long time) and share your thoughts and inspiration with me.

In the meantime, here are few things I've inspired by/crushing on lately.....


Tuesday, April 16, 2013

Making Updates that Support the Original Style of a Bathroom in an Older Home


Hi all!  I'm back!!!  Hope you enjoy this guest post from guest blogger Tom Coan of Case Birmingham.

Katie, thanks so much for giving me the chance to talk to your readers about redoing
their bathrooms. One of the objectives of remodeling a room is to make it look new
again. But when you live in an older home and its antiquity is an inherent part of its
character, it’s essential to preserve the original look of the home in the remodeled
and updated spaces. In many cases we need to update older spaces to improve
comfort and energy efficiency. And sometimes we want to make a space look fresh
while still maintaining an old-fashioned aesthetic.

Get a sense of your home’s style. Understand both what your home is and what
it is not. There are dozens of different architectural and design styles celebrated in
our country’s historic homes. Learning more about your home’s specific style can
provide a compass for choosing new materials with a look that’s consistent with the
rest of the home. Professional >bathroom renovators can help you locate materials specific to your home’s
style.



Brass fixtures help create an elegant, old-world look.

Keep in mind that an older home does not follow to a modern or contemporary
design aesthetic. While you may love the sleek look of modern cabinets or the open-
space feeling of contemporary, making a conscious decision to shy away from the
hallmarks of other architectural styles will help keep your bathroom in tune with
the rest of the home.

Look to the rest of the home for features that can be replicated in the
bathroom. Help your updated bathroom “match” the rest of your home by
repeating themes used in other spaces. Try using the same types of wood and
matching stains, similar hardware, and the same style of window treatments. Pay
attention to architectural features as well, which can differ drastically according to
period.



A Gothic arch in a master bath reiterates the architectural style of the home.

Reuse materials from the original bathroom. What better way to create a
seamless bathroom than to keep with its original features? Salvaging and reusing
materials in an older home helps to keep it original and gives it a richer history.

Fixtures, vanities, tiles, wood, countertop materials, and features such as crown
molding and wainscoting can be refinished and reused countless times in a home
that’s well cared for. If reusing some of the original finishes proves to be difficult
due to over time ware and poor upkeep, there are many places to find refurbished
or replicated materials that fit within the period of your home.



A reproduction claw-foot bathtub and vintage vanity blend perfectly with the
updated bathroom. Antique shutters and other design accents support the old-
fashioned look of the room.

Transfer materials from other areas of the home. Perhaps you’ve remodeled
other areas of your home and salvaged some of the materials, or perhaps you can
transfer certain materials from other areas of the house to help integrate an older
look in the new space. Borrowing a piece of furniture and a few design accents from
another room can help create a seamless look throughout the house.

Vintage furniture, materials, and accents keep this newly remodeled Birmingham
bathroom in the same era as the rest of the house.


All photos shown in this article belong to Case Design/Remodeling Birmingham.

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Outdoor Decorating for Spring

With all of this wonderful & WARM spring weather we're enjoying down here in Alabama, I've got outdoor spaces on my mind in a BIG way!  We're working with a contractor these days to concept a pergola to be build over an existing brick patio in our backyard.  I love the current patio but the southern sun is just too hot with no shade once summer arrives!  So, of course, I turned to Pinterest from some backyard pergola inspiration and she did not disappoint!


Source: bhg.com via Katie on Pinterest

I was instantly drawn to the pergola above because the patio is almost exactly like our existing brick patio so it gave me an idea of how the design and the flooring would look together.



I'm loving the size of the one above and the little privacy fenced corners.  Wouldn't those be beautiful with clematis and wisteria climbing the columns.



Source: squidoo.com via Katie on Pinterest

This last pergola is much more unique the the others....I love the arched top and the round columns.  Not matter what size and pergola style we end up choosing, I'll definitely want one with round column posts to match the architecture of the rest of our home.

All that outdoor pergola inspiration got me on a whole backyard kick so please enjoy the rest of this outdoor inspiration photos I rounded up.


Source: houzz.com via Katie on Pinterest

Loving paver and grass checked patio....such whimsy!



Source: imgfave.com via Katie on Pinterest

And what about this beautiful blue stone outdoor fireplace with built-in bench seating and overhead pergola. Who would ever want to stay inside at this house?!


Source: tumblr.com via Katie on Pinterest

Bringing the indoors OUT!  Comfortable seating is key to a great outdoor space!  I'll definitely be hanging similar outdoor drapes on our pergola.  Pull that back in the corners for a decorative touch, or close them to create a wall of fabric that turns an outdoor patio into it's own room!

So it's looks like there's alot to do on my backyard agenda over the next month.  Tending to landscaping that I'm not familiar with (new house means new yard) and getting a colonial-ish whitewashed pergola built.....but the payoff will so be WORTH IT!


Monday, March 12, 2012

Tufted

I'm so so close to being ready to give you all a room by room tour of our new (old) home in progress.  I hope to get lots of photos taken this weekend and reveal one room a week over the new few weeks.  In the meantime, I'm struggling with one last wall in my living room so you're about to get a little bit of a sneak peek!

I purchased the most adorable linen tufted settee from a local shop here in Birmingham a few months ago to sit under window in our living room for additional seating space (we already have a large sofa and two chairs) but I had the space to add more seating and thought "why not?".

I realize those pillows are WAY too big & they've been change out since.
There is just a tad bit more length to this wall beyond what's in the photo.  I don't want to clutter it with matching end tables, but it's a little too much space just to leave empty.  I've been struggling with this wall for a while and then I stumbled upon this....

Target Golden Days Collection 
While searching for gold pouf options on Pinterested, I found this gold leather tufted pouf from Target.  I haven't seen it in person, so I have some concerns about the quality and the texture of the upholstery, but I think it's just adorable!  And different from the Moroccan poufs you see EVERYWHERE now.

I'm also a little concerned that if I place one on either side of the settee, there will be WAY too much tufting going on....but then again...is there really such a thing as TOO MUCH TUFT?!?!  I think I've come to the decision that I will order to and if the look at quality isn't up to par, I'll just return them....easy peasy, right!?

The Golden Days collection at Target has a few other super cute items (and some really horrid stuff as well). Here's some more of the good stuff!


 

Happy Shopping!


Thursday, February 16, 2012

Southern Living Debut

I've been waiting anxiously to make this public on the blog!  We were approached a few months ago about having our house featured in a Southern Living project and the issue is out!  Here's a sneak peek!  More details to come!



Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Holiday Recap!

It's been quite a busy holiday season!  Besides the all the giving and receiving, we've been doing lots and lots of other stuff.  Here's a quick photo snapshot of our last month!

Tons of cocktails..... 



and puppy snuggle time.....



family hiking....



nephew cuddling...


and goddaughter snuggle time....


My heart is full with family, friends, food, wine, and Mexican dominoes!  What a wonderful month!

Happy Holidays to you & yours!

~Katie

Friday, December 23, 2011

I got you Ryan Gosling for Christmas!

Ok, we all know that's not true.  Because if I had Ryan Gosling, I wouldn't be sharing him, right?  I'd build this amazing lavish dungeon where I'd hold him captive for my own entertainment and keep it a secret from all the world....


But anyway, I did find this lovely image which I think will fill you all with Christmas cheer!



Enjoy!  See you on the flip side of Christmas!

~Katie

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Two Words

Color. Blocking.

Skirt- J Crew; Top- Tibi; Scarf- Banana Republic; Watch- Michael Kors

It's my new obsession.

Given the fact that I went for years with a freakish fear of patterns, I've got alot of solid items in my closet and I'm loving that color blocking is back in vogue so I can put them all to good use.

What about you?  Are you digging this trend or am I crazy?

~ Katie

Monday, December 5, 2011

Christmas Living Room Sneak Peek!

I just wanted to share a sneak peak of the Christmas tree in our living room!  I went with a gold & silver color scheme with a few pops of color.


We've yet to collect a large amount of Christmas decor for the house so the tree, the mantle, and the front door are about it.

I'll be posting pics of the entire room in all it's festive glory later this week!

On the horizon:
  • Living Room- complete but always in progress
  • Foyer- complete
  • Dining Room- complete but always in progress
  • Kitchen- complete


~Katie

Monday, October 31, 2011

Cincinnati Weekend!

I just returned from a soulful weekend in Cincinnati.  I road-tripped it up there with a darling friend of mine who was headed up for her hometown baby shower (I'm hosting her Birmingham shower in a few weeks....and I'll be posting a major amount of photos!) and she dropped me off with T, my best friend from college.  T lives in the most adorable historic building on this gorgeous street...


Friday night we hit up the local blues bar and were thoroughly entertained by not only the band, but several creepy older gentleman....no sir, my cell phone does not vibrate...


Moving on....



 Saturday we spent the beautiful morning at a Basset Hound Parade (peculiar, I know) and then headed out for lunch and a day of shopping at Findlay Market.  



We shopped for a while before sitting down to listen to this child play the violin with literally everything in his soul.  It was a perfect moment watching him.





Later we took a drive through the city, as it was my first visit there, while singing Dire Staits songs at the top of our lungs...  Not a pleasant experience for those who may have heard us.


Then we headed out on a party bus with some of T's Cincy friends for a night of bar hopping.  In a last minute effort, we managed to find the only two adult costumes left at Big Lots and went as Blue Brothers (Sisters) that night.



It was a fun-filled weekend that spawned tons of new inside jokes.  I loved seeing T and I LOVED Cincinnati.  I most definitely will be planning another trip so I can bring the huzzby along!


Love you Cincy!



For sure as the cards will be fallin'
And chips in the pot pyramid, 
for a buck, Lady Luck will be calling
Whoah, the Cincinnati kid
I mean the Cincinnati kid
Whoah, the Cincinnati kid
Whoah, the Cincinnati kid
I'm talking about the Cincinnati kid
Everybody knows the Cincinnati kid
Have you heard about that the Cincinnati kid

~Ray Charles






~Katie

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

She Sheds Her Skin

Exterior renovations began on the new abode today!  It looks a little like a haunted house right now, but soon enough it will be restored back to its originally beauty!  Here's a before pic to refresh your memory...

Cotton Candy blue...ugh!

Here's its current state as of lunch time today when I drove by to stalk the progress.  


Kind of spooky...

There's just a small portion of the front siding left to be removed before they move on to sides and back .  Once the original heart pine siding is restored (nails and staples from siding have to be removed and their holes patched), it will get a fresh coat of Behr's Bleached Linen, black shutters will go back up, and the new colonial columns will installed under the front stoop!

I can't wait to drive up to the finished product!

PS-  I've been working on the master bedroom and it's almost ready the reveal.  I'll take some sneak peek shots to share with you later this week!

Ta ta!


~Katie
I

Thursday, October 6, 2011

Falling Hard

Not sure about your gusy but I absolutely LOVE this time of year.  The weather here in Bama is perfect, the beautiful old oaks in our new neighborhood are starting to change colors, tailgating is a weekly occasion, and the fashion is definitely my favorite of all seasons.

I plan on sipping lots of this....

http://www.starbucks.com/
 While enjoying one of these on our brick patio in our lovely new backyard with all my fabulous friends...

http://blog.thebarbequer.com
 While wearing something along the lines of this fall fashion combo- skinny jeans, boots, leopard print scarf, and cozy sweater....

http://katiegulas.polyvore.com/
 All while decorating the new house with beauties like this....

http://www.etsy.com/shop/twoinspireyou
Hope you are enjoying this beautiful fall weather as much as I am!

Before and after/progress photos of the new house are coming soon!  The master bedroom is almost finished!!

~Katie

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Guest Post: Want It Wednesday

Hi, everyone, I’m Susi and I write as a guest blogger for Design Shuffle, a fabulous social media site that promotes interior designers and their work from around the world. My writing focuses on things I'm passionate about: interior design, decorating ideas, home furnishings, gardening, travel and art. I get to look at gorgeous things all day and write about them. I'm a very lucky girl!

Being asked to write a Want it Wednesday guest post was like turning a kid loose in a candy store.  I realized I am coveting so many things right now that it was hard to narrow it down to just 8! I think it is the back to school shopping feeling in the air. I want to change décor with the seasons. So here are 8 thinks I want this Wednesday. What are you wanting?

Console Table


Little Emma English Home via

Love the shabby chic style of this long table. Used as a console table or kitchen island, it would add a lot of charm to a kitchen, hall or living room.

Kilim Rug

The Haystack Needle via

A graphic and colorful kilim rug from Turkey is definitely at the top of my list of wants right now. A kilim has such great color and style—perfect for a bedroom, living room or home office.

Wool Bowls

Super Market HQ via

With Fall right around the corner, these squash colored felted wool bowls would look great on a dining table filled with apples or decorative gourds.

Rustic Crown Molds

Little Emma English Home via

I don't know what they are but I want them-- the molds (?) on the shelf that look like rustic crowns.  How charming for kitchen decor! Must add this to the kitchen design ideas file.

Pink Chair

A Girl Named Bong via

Love the new home line from Lilly Pulitzer.  This hot pink Chinese Chippendale style chair is the Boulevard chair from Lilly's line at Horchow. Love her dragon print as a pillow too!

Light Bulb Vases

Free People via

How cool are these light bulb vases?! This is a great DIY project from Free People. Adorable!

Leather Chesterfield


Decadent Green via

A classic leather chesterfield... I think this is on a lot of people's want lists. Such classic lines but it can work in so many different decors. Love.

Oyster Shells

Shop Candelabra via

I saw a few of these when I was on vacation on Cape Cod: a sphere composed entirely of oyster shells. They are gorgeous in person and are truly sculptural works of art that kick up a coastal interior design. Wonder if it could be a DIY project.

What are some of the things you want this Wednesday? Make sure to stop by at Design Shuffle and browse all of the different styles of interior design ideas, inspirations, tips and trends. Be sure to say you saw us here at This Little Nest.