The Morning After

If your weekend involved boiling, dyeing, hiding and finding lots of eggs then you are undoubtedly wondering what to do with that surplus of brightly colored hard boiled eggs staring out at you from the fridge this morning. Good news is there are lots of delicious ways to recycle the by product of your family's creative Easter endeavors. If the eggs were colored using dye, just remember to peel them carefully. 

Curried Egg salad Sandwiches

Ingredients

• 
  8 large eggs
• 1/3 cup mayonnaise
• 1 teaspoon curry powder
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives
• kosher salt and black pepper
• 4 slices pumpernickel bread
• 4 large leaves of bibb lettuce

Pressed Summer Sandwich With Eggs and Anchovies

Ingredients

• 
  1 12-ounce round crusty bread, sliced in half horizontally
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 teaspoons capers
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley leaves, loosely packed
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 
• 3 anchovies or 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 medium orange bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 1/2 pint cherry tomatoes, halved 
• 1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
• 2/3 cup black olives, pitted and quartered 
• 6 hard-cooked eggs, sliced in half lengthwise
• 
  
• Hollow out the bread by removing most of the inside crumb. Reserve 1/2 cup of the crumb for the filling. Place the olive oil, capers,parsley, garlic, pepper, and anchovies (or salt) in a food processor. Process until the garlic is finely chopped, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl. Add the bell pepper,tomatoes, onion, olives, and the reserved bread filling. Toss to combine.Layer half the mixture in the bottom half of the hollowed-out bread. Top with the hard-cooked eggs and the remaining mixture. Replace the top of the loaf. Wrap the filled loaf with plastic wrap. Weigh it down with a heavy object, such as a cast-iron skillet filled with cans. Place it in the refrigerator. Let sit at least 10 hours or overnight. Before serving, cut the loaf into 6 wedges with a sharp bread knife.

Classic Deviled Eggs

Ingredients
12 hard boiled eggs
4 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 teaspoons yellow mustard
2 teaspoons sweet relish
Salt
Pepper
Paprika, for dusting
Directions


Separate egg yolks and place into a bowl. Place whites on a separate plate. Add mayo, mustard, relish and salt and pepper, to taste, to yolks and mash together with a fork until creamy and smooth. Using a large star tip and resealable plastic bag, pipe the yolk mixture back into each egg, enough to fill yolk holes completely. Dust tops with paprika. Refrigerate. Serve cold.

Or for a twist, try making these with spinach and parmesan cheese.

Ingredients:
Yield: 24
5 ounces packages frozen chopped spinach, cooked,cooled,drained and squeezed dry,finely chopped
12 hardboiled egg, peeled and cut in half
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup mayonnaise
pepper, to suit taste
Directions:
1.  Remove yolks from the eggs and mash, Combine with the finely chopped spinach, cheese, nutmeg,dash of pepper Stir in the milk& mayo, mix well.

2.  Spoon a well rounded tbsp of the mixture into each half egg, cover& chill until serving (up to 24 hours).

Spring Fling

Okay, so maybe you're not on some great spring break vacation in Mexico or Hawaii. That doesn't mean you can't bring a little of that springtime excitement into your own home.  Certainly there's nothing like a huge bouquet of tulips or daffodils on the kitchen table to make you hopeful that summer is on the way.  But we think bathrooms are the perfect place to try out color and be a little daring. Maybe something like a hot pink chandelier over the tub in the master suite or painting one wall a sunny yellow and adding in some bright accessories to match.

At the kabi showroom we just introduced this new eye catching vanity that's guaranteed to add pizzazz to any bath setting and bring a smile in any season.  If turquoise isn't your thing, these drawer and door fronts are available in an array of colors and finishes to complement any style or setting.

The Wearing of the Green

Where did 2013 go?  We were just embracing Emerald Green, Pantone's Color of Last Year, when along comes 2014 and Radiant Orchid starts grabbing all the attention. But with St. Patrick’s Day just around the corner we’ve decided to pay homage to the past and hang onto our affection for the lush, lively green tone a bit longer.  Regardless of the time of year we think these items add a fun punch of color to any kitchen.

The perfect pot for making corned beef and cabbage, a dutch oven is a handy pot to have in your kitchen; it goes from stove top to oven without any worry. Find it on Amazon.

Great for mixing cake batter or whipping up fresh cream, a hand mixer is a budget conscious and space saving investment. Find it on Amazon.

Most measuring cups come in the basic white or black, but that seems boring for an item that many people use everyday. Available at Pier 1.

Colcannon (Mashed Potatoes and Cabbage)

This traditional Irish favorite tastes great any time of year.

Ingredients 

Original recipe makes 8 servings

• 3 lbs potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
• 1/4 cup milk
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter
• 4 slices bacon, chopped
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/2 head cabbage, sliced into thin strips
• 1/2 cup water
• salt and ground pepper to taste
• 2 cups fully cooked ham, cut into bite sized pieces

1. Place potatoes into a large pot and cover with salted water. Bring to a boil, set heat to medium-low, and simmer until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain potatoes and transfer to a large mixing bowl.
2. Stir milk, mayonnaise, and butter into potatoes. Mash with a potato masher until smooth.
3. Cook and stir bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until fat is rendered, 3 to 5 minutes.
4. Stir onion, garlic, and cayenne pepper into bacon and drippings and cook, stirring often, until onions are translucent, about 5 minutes.
5. Stir cabbage and water into onion mixture until cabbage is wilted, about 5 more minutes. Season with salt and black pepper.
6. Fold cabbage mixture into mashed potatoes.
7. Cook and stir ham pieces in the same skillet used for cabbage mixture until lightly browned, 3 to 5 minutes.
8. Stir cooked ham into mashed potato and cabbage mixture until combined.

Seeing Red

It's Valentine's Day and "a young man's (and young woman's) thoughts of fancy lightly turn to love. " For some people that means hearts and red roses but at kabi we have visions of red acrylic dancing in our heads.  Who needs flowers when you can come home to this bright, cheery kitchen with glossy red cabinets?

Cabinets and Canines

At kabi we take two things very seriously:  cabinets and canines. And because so many people feed their pups in our favorite room of the house we think there’s no reason why you can't have a beautiful kitchen with a dog bowl to match.  So if you’re one of those dog lovers who buy gifts for your pets consider giving your Fido or Sadie or Rex a place to chow down that’s worthy of your dog and your kitchen.

kabi owner Steve Johnson with Jack

Visit www.etsy.com to view their wide assortment of LuckyPups Personalized Bowls. Unique in style and design each bowl is permanently etched with your dog’s name in fun fonts to match your pup’s personality. An ideal blend of style and functionality the non-tip bowls come with removable rubber rings that can reduce sliding, undesirable noise, and damage to the floor. Available in eight colors:  stainless steel, metallic blue, metallic purple, metallic charcoal, metallic magenta, baby pink, baby blue, and lavender. They come in small, medium, large, and x-large for your pet’s convenience.

Personalized Bowls from LuckyPups

For those who love the bold colors of Fiestaware china there are pet bowls to match. Available in peacock, scarlet, shamrock and sunflower there’s a hue to complement every dog and every kitchen. www.fiestafactorydirect.com

Finally, on a more practical note consider making your dog a happy camper or contented traveler with a Yummy Pet Travel Dog Bowl. A 3-in-1 solution for storing, transporting, and serving pet food and water simultaneously, a spill resistant water bowl serves as the base, while the food bowl fits neatly into the water bowl for a leak-free top. A lid seals it all up tight, or becomes an extra bowl when flipped over allowing dry food, wet food, and water to be served in separate bowls.  Made by Brookstone. Available at www.amazon.com

For the traveling pooch

Gobble Gobble

Pretty much everyone loves Thanksgiving. What's not to love about friends and family coming together to give thanks for the good things in our lives and then sharing a scrumptious meal. But before the bird gets stuffed and the sweet potato pie gets baked there's the all important ritual of setting the table.  A beautiful tablescape not only sets the tone for the meal to come it tells your guests how much they mean to you. Here are four suggestions for making your holiday table a little more special and a whole lot more fun.

1.  Platter Chatter. So what if you only use it once a year, think of a turkey platter as an heirloom piece that will hold turkey memories for Thanksgivings yet to come.  If you can't find one to suit your design style consider heading for a ceramic shop where you (and the kids) can make your own. And be sure to check ebay for one-of-a-kind ideas.

Go Traditional

Do It Yourself

It doesn't have to have a turkey on it.

2.  Salt and Pepper Style.  A simple way to spice up your table.

3.  The Name Game.  Rather than everyone standing around asking, "where should I sit?" place cards make getting started so much easier.  For an extra treat tuck a lottery ticket behind each card and have your guests try their luck before dessert is served. Might end up with something extra to be grateful for!

Woodland creature make perfect place card holders. Tuck a lottery ticket behind each card to add to the holiday fun.

4.  Cranberry Crisp:  Side Dish or Dessert??  Whenever you decide to serve this tasty dish you can't go wrong. It makes a nice change from the usual jellied canned variety or a tasty alternative to apple pie. If you go with the latter, a dollop of whipped cream or vanilla ice cream is a must.

Cranberry Crisp Recipe

4 med apples (use Granny Smith for a slightly tarter crisp)
1 can whole cranberries
1 tsp cinnamon
1 cup uncooked oats
1/2 c flour
1 c brown sugar firmly packed
1/2 cup butter melted

Peel apples, slice thin and arrange in a glass baking dish.

Sprinkle with cinnamon.

Spoon cranberry sauce over apples.
Mix oats, flour, and brown sugar, add melted butter and mix until somewhat crumbly. Spread over cranberry layer.
Bake in 350 oven about 40 minutes until top is brown.
Serve at room temperature.

Happy Thanksgiving!!!!