As a kid, the weeks leading up to Halloween were always filled with two flavors: Candy Corn and Caramel Corn. With Halloween only a little over a week away, I have been craving both so this weekend I went crazy and threw them all together. And added peanuts because I also was introduced to the genius pairing of candy corn and salted peanuts this weekend. Mind blowing and totally changes the flavor of the candy corn. If you haven’t tried it, try a few handfuls of each while you are making this. This is my mother’s recipe for Caramel Corn, in my very biased opinion it is the best and easiest way to make this treat.
Halloween Caramel Corn
Ingredients
+ Vegetable Oil
+ 1 /4 cup popcorn kernel
+ 1 cup light brown sugar
+ 1/4 cup light corn syrup
+ 1 pinch of sea salt
+ 1/3 cup unsalted butter
+ 1 tsp baking soda
+ One 11 oz. bag of candy corn
+ 2 cups salted boiled peanuts
swoon: Fall Layers
I’m heading up to the ranch in New Mexico this weekend to celebrate my parents 40th wedding celebration. My bags are packed to the brim with scarves, boots, cardigans, t-shirts and leggings. Rest assured I will be sporting the layered look everyday! Looking forward to celebrating with the family and sipping wine by the fire. Cheers! xo Kristi
live: Happy Friday
I stumbled across illustrator and graphic designer Letitia Buchan this week and absolutely love her illustration style. Hope you enjoy this Dr. Seuss quote as much as I do. Happy Friday! xo Kristi
cook: spinach dip
Yesterday, the temperature in Boulder dropped from 85 to 55 in a matter of hours meaning that fall (and probably the first frost) is finally here. For years I’ve been in denial about my favorite season. I love the beach, long days, the leisure and the humidity (what? it’s good for my hair/skin) during the summer but deep down the fall is my favorite. It makes me want to buy new pencils and roast something, since I can finally turn on the oven without also needing to crank the AC. And one of the best perks of the fall is football. There’s something about spending an afternoon or evening or entire weekend watching games, rooting for your home team and eating delicious food. With the weekend almost here, I thought I would share one of my go-to recipes for parties. I have been serving this Spinach Dip for over a decade and I rarely tire of it. In fact, there was a time in my life where my mother and I would make it for dinner. Yes, I love it that much. It’s mayo free, doubles well and can be prepared in advance so all you have to do is throw it in the oven.
Spinach Dip
Adapted from Denver Junior League Colorado Creme de la Creme Cookbook
Ingredients
+ 1 T diced pickled jalapeños (I buy them canned in the Mexican Food section of my store)
+ 2 fresh tomatoes seeded and chopped
+ 1 10z. packed of frozen spinach thawed and squeezed dry
+ 8 oz. cream cheese
+ 2 c. shredded jack cheese
+ 1/3 milk or half and half (depending on what you have in the fridge)
Mix the ingredients together and pour into a 8×8 or 9×9 oven proof dish sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes until bubbly and browned at the edges. Remove from oven and allow to cool for a few minutes or until the first person starts to dig in. I serve this with veggies and tortilla chips. Enjoy!
xo
Katie
the goods: October iPhone Wallpaper
Katie and I took a bit of a hiatus from blogging, but we’re happy to say we’re back and have some great projects to share in the upcoming weeks. Fall is finally here, the Texas State Fair started this past weekend, and the temperature is finally cooling down. Cheers! xo Kristi
To download the files from a desktop, right click (control click on a mac) the selected image and choose save as. To download the files on your phone, open moderndrygoods.com in your browser (safari on an iPhone) click on the image you would like to download. When the page with only that image opens, hold your finger on the image until the “Save Image” menu pops up and then save. Transfer the image to your phone and visit settings/wallpaper to select the file. Email us at moderndrygoods@gmail.com if you have any issues, we would be happy to help you!
stitch: Modern Patchwork Mini Quilt
CityCraft is hosting Modern Patchwork Mini Quilt club – a monthly meet-up to showcase mini quilts made from unique patterns in Modern Patchwork by Elizabeth Hartman. Our second meeting was last night, I was running late and caught the tail end of it – as in I ran in to show Callie my mini quilt, she snapped a pic and then I headed home due to the fact everyone else had already left.
Initially, the pattern called for 9 swatches of fabric (you can view Elizabeth’s write-up here), but the graphic designer in me decided to simplify the pattern and only use 5 colors. I have to say, I’m really happy with the way it turned out and can’t wait to make a full size quilt.
When it came time to quilt the block, I decided to keep it simple and use straight line stitching. Didn’t take as long as I thought and will more than likely use straight line stitching for the full size.
Hope you guys enjoy the post. Will let you know how the next mini quilt goes. Cheers! xo Kristi
swoon: H is for Happiness
I stumbled across Eva Juliet’s etsy store last week and simple love her artwork. Her use of color, type and design is awesome, and her work is affordable. Big win in my book for sure. View more of her work here. Cheers and Happy Monday! xo Kristi
live: statement wall
When I feel a big change coming on, I have the tendency to create another one. Some (my sister) would argue that this is due to the fact that I can be a wee bit dramatic but I like to believe that probably has more to do with wanting to find something that I can control in the chaos. So if change is going to happen, sometimes I’d like to the be one making the change happen.
The past few weeks have been filled with changes for me and sure enough in the thick of it all, on a whim, I painted a statement wall in my downstairs bathroom. I should start by mentioning that this bathroom is about the size of one found on an airplane, it is a small windowless box and it has bugged me since I moved into my apartment. Originally, I was thinking I would paint the wall behind the toilet Matte Black (for the drama), then I hesitated because it’s a rental and black paint is a pain to paint over. And, I chickened out and did nothing.
Then, a few months later, with my need for change, I decided to paint it but was still scared of the black and feeling in love with the bursts of color that have been trending in home decorating and this wall, decided to paint a salmon and white herringbone wall. And well… guys, it’s blah. I’ve lived with it for a few weeks now — I don’t hate it but I don’t love it either. I decided to finish the room more, hanging the picture, shelf, etc. in the hope that it would help and I’ll live with it a few more weeks but I’m thinking no. I also don’t love the shelf or the size of the frame… what do you guys think? Keep it or should I just go for it and paint the whole thing black or navy? Does anyone else take on huge projects in the middle of chaos?
xoxo
Katie
swoon: Olympic Fever
I don’t know about you, but I am super excited to watch the Olympic opening ceremonies tonight! It’s being directed by by Danny Boyle, (director/creator of Trainspotting, 28 Days Later and Slumdog Millionaire) so you know it’s going to be chock full of British greatness (hello David Beckam, the Beatles, Kate and Will). Will you guys be watching tonight?
Hope so! xo Kristi
Happy National Tequila Day
In the spirit of National Tequila Day, I wanted to repost my aunt’s famous Margarita Recipe. I’ve made it countless times this summer and it’s the perfect drink to sip on a hot summer day. Cheers! xo Kristi
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