Hi people, this week we're revisiting the Thanksgiving episode from season 1. I think it bears a repeat...

Here's my recipe for wild rice casserole. It's a delicious alternative to turkey, and just as nice over the weekend as on the day itself:

You'll need:

1 cup wild rice

1 cup ripe olives cut up

2 roasted red peppers cut up

¼ lb grated cheddar cheese

¼ tsp pepper

1 tsp salt

½ cup salad oil

¾ cup white wine

Soak the wild rice in hot water and leave over night. Preheat the oven 350. Combine all ingredients except wine in a casserole dish and mix well. Heat the wine until simmering then pour over casserole. Cover and bake for 45 minutes, then remove the cover and bake for 15 minutes. Serve hot.

Serves 6 as a side dish, 4 as an entree.

This week on my NPR podcast I'm discussing ways to make holiday shopping easier. Don't miss it!

Don't forget the Brini Maxwell auctions this week. They feature some fun holiday garb - perfect for those ubiquitous office parties!

Hello people, Brini here with this week’s episode. This time around we’re starting on my faux fireplace. It’s such a fun project and I got a fun girl to help me with it. Her name is Rose Wood and she’s one of the restorers at John Cory Studios. Rose built an enormous door that creates the impression of a flue for my fireplace while concealing oodles of storage! You’ll see us install that door, after getting a little sidetracked by some of Pebbles baking.

This week on my NPR podcast I’m discussing the joy and virtue of giving thanks. Our national American holiday of Thanksgiving is a wonderful reminder of the benefits of gratitude. 

Don’t forget to take a look at the Brini Maxwell auctions this week. With so many fun new items going up you never know when you’ll find a treasure!

Hello people, this week on the show it’s all about cork. Part of our renovation found us lining the walls of the office and eventually the ceiling in the kitchen with cork. It a wonderful retro 60’s/70’s treatment and it’s practical to boot! It makes a perfect memo board. The process isn’t difficult – just a little messy. Contact cement is the adhesive of choice and it’s a bit like rubber cement – apply it to both surfaces, wait for it to get tacky, then fuse the surfaces together. As with last week’s project, this is essentially a tile job, so plan out your tiles so the seams are centered on the wall for a professional look. 

This week on my NPR podcast we’re talking about collecting a prolific graphic artist – Vera Neuman. Her fashion and interior products are hot again. Be sure and listen! 

Don’t forget to take a look at the Brini Maxwell auctions this week. We have two new programs running at the moment – little black dresses and sweaters.

Hello people! Brini here again with some more ideas for your home. This week it’s all about decoupage! Yes, it’s not just for Victoriana anymore – decoupage is a technique that can be adapted to all sorts of fascinating projects. 

Now I used it as a furniture finish for the surface of my desk and it’s proved to be both durable and decorative for 7 years now. It’s an easy solution for unfinished furniture and can become the focal point of a room. 

What makes decoupage interesting is what you choose to apply to your surface. Now we used computer printouts of a wall paper pattern that mimicked tile. We just scanned the paper into the computer, broke out an individual tile from the pattern using a photo editing program and then printed it out 60 times. We laid the job out like a traditional tile job, working out from the center of the surface. We also planned out the job first, so we could just lay the pre cut, pre fitted tiles out without cutting as we went.  

Now you don’t have to use tiles or even computer printouts. There are so many options for decoupage out there – magazines, newspapers, playbills, virtually any paper product can be decoupaged to a surface. Some things to remember are that edges can catch and peel, so thin paper is best, if you plan to decoupage a table or desk top it’s a good idea to cover the art with glass and plan the project out before you glue it down – the medium is notoriously unforgiving. 

This week on my NPR podcast I’m discussing brunch. It’s more than a meal, it’s an opportunity! Be sure and listen… Here are some ideas for dishes to serve: 

Crown Roast of Cheese

The Federal Pancake

Fabulous Fondue 

Don’t forget to have a gander at the Brini Maxwell auctions this week. There are lots of fun new items to consider.