{yummy} gluten-free breakfast casserole

sunday was cloudy and deary out in northern virginia. but at the riner household the holiday spirit sure was in the air! ;-)

i held my holiday brunch and baubles event, inviting my friends to do some last minute stella & dot christmas shopping while laughing, eating, and drinking fireside. sure beats braving the chaotic malls!

when planning, i wanted to provide yummy and hearty brunch food that was easy for me to make. this time of year, it never seems like i have enough time. so a 3 dish meal that i could whip up before my guests arrived was definitely on the menu.

i got the following recipe from my friend kim and it was delish! what makes it even better is that it's celiac-friendly! so dive in and eat up.

amish breakfast casserole

picture courtesy of allrecipes! (i totes forgot to take one before it was devoured)

1 lb. bacon, diced

1 sweet onion, diced

4 c. frozen shredded hash browns, thawed

9 eggs, lightly beaten

2 c. shredded cheddar cheese

1.5 c. small curd cottage cheese

1.25 c. shredded swiss cheese

preheat oven to 350 and grease a 9x13 baking dish.

cook bacon and onion in a pan until evenly browned, then drain. mix all ingredients remaining ingredients along with bacon-onion mixture in a large bowl and pour into baking dish.

bake in oven for 40-50 minutes or until eggs are set and cheese is melted. then broil for 5 minutes until top is browned and crispy.

eat and enjoy!

xoxo Lauren

{diy} rustic foyer shelf

before i begin i'd like to explain my absence the past few days.

like most of the country, i have been glued to the news since early friday morning watching the horrific events that transpired in newtown, ct and the grief that has taken over all of our hearts since. words cannot begin to describe the sorrow that we are all experiencing along with the anger many of us have towards these senseless and selfish acts. how anyone can harm a child is incomprehensible to me. and yet, out of this tragedy  comes stories of bravery and courage by the educators at sandy hook elementary. may God shine down on your families in their time of need and welcome you with open arms at the gates of heaven.

so as i resume my blog posts, do not think that i am brushing over these events. i am doing so with a heavy heart and continued remembrance for heaven's newest angels.
____________________________________________

the search has been never-ending. i knew what i wanted, yet couldn't find exactly what i had envisioned. yes, i am referring to my foyer table. i know, i know. this is somewhat of a minimal item. but here's the thing- i don't really have a formal entry. my front door opens into my living room. however, i still wanted to assemble something that didn't take up too much room yet provided a place for keys, etc. and i have looked everywhere. pottery barn. crate & barrel. target. bed, bath, & beyond. overstock. amazon. so what to do when you can't find what you need?! make it yourself.

diy foyer shelf

i came to the conclusion that i wanted a shelf so there was still floor space. so to home depot i went and collected a piece of pine measured to about 40 inches and a wood stain in jacobean. total about $10. i wanted a rustic looking shelf to put underneath my home goods mirror. so sanding and staining began...

i purchased the two brackets from anthropologie for $25 each, totaling $50. so all in all, the shelf cost me about $60 and it's exactly what i wanted. here's the final product:

love, love, love. so happy. and proof that if you become familiar with your local hardware store and have a little vision, you can make it happen.

xoxo Lauren

{diy} the many uses of wine corks

i love finding or creating new uses for everyday products. i mean, it's pretty much the theme of my pinterest account- and everyone else's. the one item that i feel has a ridiculous amount of roles is the infamous wine cork. i pretty much save every wine cork i ever come across, mainly as glass fillers. but what to do when you're faced with a random situation and a need for decorative pushpin? a wine cork pushpin, of course. duh.

so a few years ago, mama riner and i traveled across the country for a girls' weekend in the san francisco bay area and wine country. what more can you ask for? it was an amazing trip filled with fun walks around the city, great food, and an amazing wine tour.

now one thing you will learn about me is that i love souvenirs. i'm not talking about t-shirts and figurines. i prefer to go the art or local route. i try to either pick up something that is unique to the area (got some amazing hand-painted chopsticks in sf's chinatown) or an art book/hand-painted art (recently got a great pencil sketch of a local church in new orleans). so while in sonoma, mom and i came across a really cool wine country map poster that included all of the vineyards we visited- for $12. score.

i waited about a year to frame it until i moved into my new condo. here's the thing- because it's a random shape, i couldn't find any pre-fab frames available anywhere. so the next logical approach was to get a quote from the local a.c. moore store. $500?!?! ridiculous for a $12 poster. that's when i started thinking outside of the box and came up with the solution: a cork board. here's the final result:

now to secure the poster to the board, i looked into all sorts of options. then my inner-diy-er came up with creating wine cork pushpins. so super simple and it definitely finishes it off while complimenting the piece.

all you really do it take a cork, figure out what drill bit is the a tad bit smaller than the actual pushpin for a snug fit, drill into the cork carefully, and then push the pin into place. love love love.

time to start thinking outside of the box for your own diy projects. ;-)

xoxo Lauren

{style} it *is* easy being green

sound the trumpets! alert the masses! get out your credit cards! pantone has announced the color of the year and i'm here to give you my FAVE suggestions on incorporating it into your wardrobe. i give you the 2013 color of the year:

here at happy home, we love love love anything green. pretty sure most of my recent purchases have incorporated this color in multiple ways. so let's break it down by women's wear, women's accessories, menswear, and then kids. we might go wild and even through in some pup options as well. cray cray!!!

women's wear

{from left to right}

first row: c.wonder wool elbow patch blazer, $198; c.wonder sequined tank top, $98; c.wonder quilted barn jacket, $128

second row: c.wonder engineered striped henley, $58; j.crew factory straight and narrow jean, reg. $89.50- sale $39.50; gap striped cowlneck waffle tee, $29.95

women's accessories

{from left to right}

first row: stella & dot liz drop earrings, $59; stella & dot la folie necklace, $49; stella & dot camila ring, $49

second row: stella & dot pippa necklace, $69; stella & dot garden party chandelier earrings, $54; stella & dot serenity stone pendant, $79

third row: stella & dot suzanne cocktail ring, $39; stella & dot copa necklace, reg. $128- sale $64; stella & dot serenity stone drop earrings, $49

menswear

{from left to right}

first row: vineyard vines cashmere cable 1/4-knit sweater, $295; polo ralph lauren narrow silk tartan tie, $125; vineyard vines palm beach gingham whale shirt, $98.50

second row: polo ralph lauren classic-fit mesh polo, $85; vineyard vines club pants, $79.50; gap marled half-zip sweater, $49.95

kid's

{from left to right}

first row: ralph lauren tartan bibbed shirtdress, reg. $55 - sale $44.99; ralph lauren mesh polo shirt, $35-39.50;  ralph lauren tartan kilt, reg. $115-125 - sale $89.99-99.99

second row: ralph lauren mockneck stripe sweater, $75-79.50; ralph lauren short-sleeved mesh polo, $35-39.50; ralph lauren cotton jersey striped tee, $25-27.50

pup's

dog collar- preppy stripes navy & green, $29

plenty of options to dress yourself and the ones you love in style, per pantone and me. :)

xoxo Lauren

{yummy} healthy beef stew

'baby, it's cold outside.' actually, no, it's not. it's in the 60s here in northern virginia and i don't quite understand it. my friends tell me it's global warming. my family tells me it's the calm before the storm and we're going to have a cray cray winter. to be honest- i don't care. i like winter and everything that comes with it. the holidays. the decorations. the cozy fireplace. heavy sweaters and cute coats. and hearty meals. so- i'm hangry- hungry and angry for a hearty winter meal.

i was doing my weekly shopping at trader joe's and casually walked by the meat area, but slowly backpedaled and just stopped. see, i don't eat a ton of red meat. it's not that i don't like it- i believe it's a combination of the expense of meats and how i am easily satisfied with more sensible meals. so i stood there- probably looking crazy because who stands staring at meat? (that's what she said. haha.) something easy, hearty, and filled to the rim with red meat? yes, i am referring to stew.

i'm imagining that stew started out as an easy cheap meal for families to make. see, you can put tougher cuts of meat in a stew because it cooks longer and therefore has more time to breakdown the proteins creating a more tender cut. it's also chock full of root vegetables. but i did find a unique version that is weight watchers friendly! thanks, slender kitchen! hooray!

healthy beef stew

1.5 lbs lean stewing beef, cut into 1 inch chunks
1/2 lb chopped carrots (2-3)
1/2 lb chopped parsnips (2-3)
1 pound chopped red potatoes, with skins
3 chopped celery ribs
1 medium onion, diced
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 cups water
3 cloves of  garlic, 2 peeled whole cloves and 1 finely diced clove
2 bay leaves
1.5 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 tsp ground allspice
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 cups fat free beef broth (you could eliminate or reduce this depending on how thick you want your beef stew)

*as you can see from the picture i did adjust the recipe slightly based on convienence. i.e pre-cut mirepoix, minced garlic from the jar, and i was lacking cornstarch- substituted with flour.

heat vegetable oil in a large soup pot or dutch oven over medium high heat. add beef and brown on all sides.

add in water, onions, garlic, smoked paprika, bay leaves, worcestershire sauce, allspice, salt, pepper, and sugar. cover and simmer for 90 minutes.

add potatoes, carrots, parsnips, and celery to pot, as well as any additional beef broth you are using. cook for an additional 45-60 minutes or until the beef is fork tender and shreds easily.  cooking time will depend on the cut and size of your beef.

mix the flour with a small amount of cold water and stir together. pour into the stew to thicken the meal and bring to a boil. immediately turn off the heat and let rest before serving. 

the funniest part of this for me was cooking with parsnips. i never have and i kept eyeing them at trader joe's, so the minute i saw this recipe included them i was sooo excited. kinda like this...

so plate up and enjoy. :)

xoxo Lauren

{realtor riner} 3 Ds of Selling

last week i covered buying, so i figured i'd turn the tables and cover the other side of the coin: selling your home.

i understand that any real estate transaction is a trying time for people. your emotions are heightened and you take everything personally. but i find that this is even more so the case when people are selling their homes and i get why. the author of this blog may have had a mild (ok, maybe major) hissy fit worthy of the most ill-behaved 5 year-olds out there when she found out that her parents were selling her childhood home. yelling, screaming, crying may have ensued. hey, no judging. i said 'may'. ;-)

your home is your sanctuary. it's where you wake-up and start your day. where you unwind and rest your mind after a tough week. where you make memories and live out your dreams. after all, it's not just a house. it's a HOME. so to say the whole process of selling your home is trying is an understatement. but i'm here to help. or at least try to reason with the inner 5 year-old that's screaming to have a tantrum. it happens to the best of us.

before you even sign that listing agreement, you need to be clear on why you're making this decision. are you expanding your family and therefore need more space? or are you downsizing because all the kids have left the nest? or are you looking to put your money in an investment that will pay in dividends daily? whatever the reasons, recite these to yourself over and over again. inevitably you will question it down the line and if you aren't for certain, you could be in a world of confusion.

once you do though understand why you're making this move, commit to it. distance yourself from the emotional connection to your home and understand that it's just a house. you will still have all those memories once you move. it's the people not the location that make a house a home. if i had a $1 for every time that someone said 'well i want more money. this is my home!' then i would be paying someone else to write this blog while i'd be sitting on a beach drinking margaritas. the minute you list your house, it is no longer your home. you are inviting others in to see it as their home and potentially take that next step to make it a reality.

once you've distanced yourself and signed that listing agreement, it's a logical step: de-personalize. de-personalize. de-personalize. i'm not saying you need to remove that custom wallpaper you put in your kids room of their favorite superhero (although i might suggest it). what i am saying is that it's hard for people to imagine themselves in a home when their are family pictures at every turn. decor is fine - constant reminders that you are in someone else's house are not. remove the pictures. end of story.

my next suggestion is, dare i say, possibly the most difficult to implement. de-clutter. here's the thing though. your idea of clutter may not be someone else's idea of clutter. that's why i'd suggest utilizing your local real estate experts. this is our job. we know what sells and what doesn't. in fact, i'd even suggest going to look at model homes. if you browse through them, you'll notice that the spaces are pretty clutter free. that's because no one wants to buy a house that was in last week's episode of hoarders. and no one will ever be able to imagine their belongings in a house that can barely fit the current family's.

so there you have it. the three Ds of listing your home: distance yourself. de-personalize. de-clutter. i promise that if you are conscious of these throughout the process, it will make it a heck of a lot easier for you. maybe not your loved ones though- they could still be one post-sign away from having a mini meltdown. take it from me. ;-)

xoxo Lauren

{boozy bevvies} rein-beer

people like to drink- this should not be a shock to anyone. and the holidays are no exception especially with how many holiday parties there are to attend. now what do people bring to holiday parties for their host(s)? a bottle of wine. snooze. yawn. bore. let's mix it up a bit. i give you...

now last year i lucked out and target had the antlers already done. at that point it was me, a hot-glue gun, oogly eyes (yes, that's the official name of them), and red felt balls. they were the hit of the party.

this year, unfortunately, the antlers were no where to be found so i'll be heading to michael's for some brown pipe cleaners for a mini diy project care of pinterest and life of a modern mom. but now these easy and simple rein-beer are requested at the davis' annual christmas party. it's a fun little project that gets a lot of praise. my kind of hostess gift. ;-)

xoxo Lauren

{friday fun} lost rhino brewery

it's not too often this local girl is out of the loop on the newest places to grab a bite, grab a drink, or grab a  band. but it did happen recently and i'm not ashamed to admit it. my name is lauren riner and i don't know everything. wow- my parents are going to note this day in the riner fam record books. ha.

so i was recently out at the reston town center grabbing a drink. in conversation, i was made aware of a new brewery in my hometown of ashburn. actually, i noticed the lovely sign on route 7 near leesburg, but thought nothing of it. i figured- if it was worth visiting, i would hear about it. low and behold- it is worth it.

lost rhino brewing company is definitely worth the trek to loudoun. it's been way too long since there was a craft brewery run by our own hometown residents- RIP the original old dominion brewery. but after the owners sold old dominion to one of the big boozy conglomerates, they decided to take those funds and start again. alas, we have another ashburn gem with good food, good brews, and good times.

most of my friends know that i'm not the biggest beer drinker, but i have to say, it was pretty darn good when i was last there with my friend/client christina. we had a long day of househunting (i.e. having fun) around loudoun and decided that a brewski was definitely in order. lost rhino is somewhat of a needle in a haystack- located in an office park near the home depot shopping center between waxpool road and farmwell road. so we pulled up, walked inside, and all of a sudden were in a hidden gem.

they have your typical tables for dinners, a tasting bar to rival all of the local wineries, and plenty of cocktail tables to host your post-work watering hole needs. the beer is all brewed on site and you can see it- through HUGE glass windows. the list of available beers is carefully displayed on a chalkboard behind the tasting bar and everyone is there to help with a suggestion. they've even got a stage for bands on friday nights. wahoo!

we didn't have much of the food- we ordered the hummus platter to munch on. however a quick glance at the menu proved that they have perfected the gastro-pub experience. a few items to mention: crab stuffed jalapeno poppers, smoked pumpkin-andouille-bacon chili, and they're woody stout 'beerimisu'. yes- it's tiramisu drenched in beer. yum in the tum. although food was not on our mind, i have to say this non-beer drinker thoroughly enjoyed her 'pretty in pink' beer.

if you haven't been yet, this is a must. and for all of my local loudoun county raised friends, definitely check it out. welcome to the neighborhood, lost rhino brewing company!

and to finish off today's friday fun, here's a hilarious and genius beer commercial. enjoy!

xoxo Lauren

{yummy} easy, breezy apps.

it's the most wonderful time of the year- and probably one of the busiest. not to brag or anything, but i have a ridiculous amount of holiday parties to attend. i'm just that cool. oooooor people like my potluck choices. either way, i figured i'd share some of my time-tested appetizer recipes with you. who needs to stress about a party and what to bring?! just whip up one of these and people will be begging for the recipe. i swear - pinky promise - scout's honor - and whatever other assurance you need.

i recently went to a ball off at my friend whitney's house. what is a 'ball-off' you ask?! well, it is a potluck party where everything is in the shape of balls. and then we judge everyone's balls. comments from the peanut gallery are welcome, welp, because a party called a 'ball-off' asks for it. lol. so the first two recipes i will share were my submissions to said ball-off. each was finished off with no leftovers to spare. yum in the tum.

the first recipe i'd like to share is by far the easiest and the most requested when i attend a function. i affectionately refer to it as pizza dip. after all, everyone like pizza and dips are easy. i may be lacking in pictures for some of these, but TRUST that the appearance isn't as important as the taste.

pizza dip

2 blocks of cream cheese

pesto to taste

a jar of tomato & basil pasta sauce

melba toast or bagel chips

mix to cream cheese and pesto to taste. form into a log shape or small teaspoon size balls and refrigerate. when ready to serve, pour the pasta sauce on the cheese mixture and serve with the chips of choice.

I AM NOT JOKING. who jokes about food anyway?! it is seriously that easy and it consistently requested by friends- typically by the vat full. ha.

now here's the next app option. mama riner learned this near and dear recipe while we lived in the great state of texas. keep in mind, down there they like it hot and fat-full. no fat-free options here. the name leaves something to be desired, so i give you...

armadillo eggs

2 tubes of HOT sausage

cheddar cheese

a jar of jalapeno slices

i ran out of cookie sheets. it's called improvising, people. ;-)

form the sausage into tablespoon size balls. create a hole in each and stuff with a piece of cheddar cheese along with a jalapeno slice. bake at 350 for 30 minutes, turning them halfway through. then broil on high for 5 minutes on each side. done and done.

the final app option is by far the easiest to assemble and just as tasty. in fact, i'm even making it this evening for a viewing party. it's a tad spicy, but not as much as the previous recipe. we riners like our food hot and HOT. ;-)

hot pepper dip

1 block of cream cheese

a jar of hot pepper jelly (i buy mine from trader joe's)

melba toast or bagel chips

platter the cream cheese block. pour the hot pepper jelly on top. serve with chips of choice.

as you can see, i don't joke around when it comes to easy apps. while i love cooking, i find that appetizers tend to be better the simpler they are. it may be because they get a lot of praise for little effort, but who cares. less time cooking leaves more time for fun. so eat up and spread the holiday cheer!

xoxo Lauren

{diy} kitchen re-do

one of the tips i always give homebuyers during their search is to always see the 'bones' of the property. no, i'm not advising people to search for dead bodies. ha. the point is to look past the decor, the personal items, the paint, etc to really see what it is that you are buying. do you like the layout? do you like the location? basically, of the items that you cannot change, is there anything you don't like?

my home purchase is a real life example. i briefly touched on this in my previous post about my bathroom re-do, but the kitchen was the epitome of the overall decor. the cabinets were beige and pickled. the countertops were pink formica. the main light fixture was a box light that, after removal, we discovered was also painted pink. all of this was highlighted by lovely original almond-colored appliances that were on their last leg to say the least. here are a few images from the listing.

instead of seeing the negative, i saw a blank slate of which i could do with it what i wanted. i liked the layout and the high ceilings. the cabinets, while an ugly color, were in good condition. i wasn't dealing with someone else's upgrade choices- i was getting to make my own. it was the perfect situation for me.

from here i decided on a french-californian aesthetic to match the rest of my condo. i knew i needed light colors in the kitchen since it has a large pass-through which can be seen from most of the living spaces. so soft white cabinetry with carrera marble and stainless steel appliances were it for me. little did i know how pricey everything would come to. here are a few pics of what i envisioned. i laugh to myself now when i see them. lol.

immediately, carrera marble was out and i was left to research alternative countertop options. of course i looked at the ever-popular granite colors, but none of them fit into the design i was looking for. after exhausting every website under the sun, i decided on bianco river silestone and found a local vendor that i trusted to install it. in order to cut costs, dad and i removed the formica countertops overselves. this is my...

TIP: if you can remove your old countertops yourself, do it. this saved me $400 at minimum. go to your local home depot, lowe's, or hardware store and explain what you're trying to do. they'll point you in the right direction of tools to purchase or rent.

it just so happened that there was a mix-up with my vendor and my selection was out of stock. what did i get instead?! an upgrade to a new silestone color that was introduced in 2011- lyra. to say i am pleased with the end result is a severe understatement. people always ask me if it is carrera marble. of course, i am quick to tell them that it's a cheap look-alike and proceed to give them my contractor's information. just that kind of person.

for appliances, i purchased all of them at my local best buy. i have a rewards zone membership, so this was a no brainer to me since i was able to get money back on my purchases which inevitably went towards a new blu-ray player. i also happened to catch them at a great time when they were having a sale offering free installation of the dishwasher. woo hoo! savings all around and i was able to get the french door fridge i had been drooling over. yay me!

now for the real project at hand: the cabinets. as i mentioned before, i looooved the color (did you sense the sarcasm?!). i began reaching out to all my painters getting quotes. would you believe that even with a realtor discount they were quoting me $3000 just to paint the cabinets?! for that money, i could have bought all new cabinets from ikea! i knew there had to be another option. so i was relentless in my research and stumbled upon rustoleom's cabinet transformations. i've already sung the praises of this product in my previous post about my bathroom vanity, along with provided detailed instructions/tips/tricks. so without further delay, here is the end result with the soft white kit. i opted not to use the glaze, but feel free to do so if you choose!

as you can see, it's an amazing transformation. i did install a subway tile backsplash myself which i will cover in a future post and am still mulling over flooring choices, but i am soooo happy with my kitchen. it completely fits my personality and just shows you that with a little vision, an ugly duckling of a room can turn into a beautiful swan.

xoxo Lauren

{realtor riner} the wants, needs, and must haves

today is the first sunday post from realtor riner. while i firmly believe that everyone should get professional help whether buying, selling, or renting a home, i'm going to try to explain the reasoning behind what we advise you. because there is reasoning behind it- whether you like it or not. ;-)

for you home buyers out there- you know what happens. everyone goes through it and has to overcome it. i am referring to the hurdle that is expecting everything for nothing. let me tell you a little story...all names have been changed to protect identities. ha.

bob wanted to buy his first home. he sought out a realtor and met the realtor to discuss his criteria. he wanted a 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom condo with a large patio/deck near the local subway station. bob wanted it fully upgraded and move-in ready...for 200k less than they were currently being sold for. yup- try having that conversation with someone telling them there is no way in h*ll it is going to happen. fun times.

it's one thing to want certain things in your new home. however, it is quite another to be unreasonable. it's called baby steps, people. a single person DOES NOT need a single family home fully upgraded. whatever happened to people living within their means?!

so when i first meet with a homebuyer, i explain that there are 3 categories of criteria for their new home: the wants, the needs, and the must haves.

let's work these backwards. the 'must haves' are things you cannot live without. prime examples include a dishwasher, parking spots, being in a certain location, etc. basically ask yourself- if a home doesn't have this, would you walk away? if so, it's a must have.

the needs are a little bit more of a grey area. these are things you would like but wouldn't be detrimental to the home purchase. maybe you would like 3 bedrooms, but 2 would be sufficient. maybe you would like a certain neighborhood, but are willing to expand your search area. you get the idea.

now for the wants. when i bought my condo last summer, i wanted stainless steel appliances, granite countertops, and hardwood floors. but the units that had all of these were well out of my price range. i ended up with a carpeted unit that had original appliances from 1993 and pink Formica counters. the location and condition of the property won out- and i put in silestone counters and new appliances after i moved in. the wants are things that, when your honest with yourself, are items that you really do not need at all.

if you are in the market to buy your first home or your buying your second, third, fourth- whatever it may be- keep this in mind. i know you want the perfect home, but i promise you that you can easily turn a house into a happy home with the right perspective and your priorities in check.

xoxo Lauren