Loganville, Dacula and Bethlehem Real Estate - The Rains Team

I’m so ready for the cooler temperatures of fall to arrive and the beautiful array of colors found on the leaves!

You probably already know that the kitchen is the heart of the home. It’s where you entertain your friends and family, it’s where a large part of your time is spent each day whether preparing meals or sitting around the table eating or helping your children with their homework. The kitchen is one of, if not, the most important room in your whole house, which is precisely why you should spend some time and money making sure it’s looking its best.

Something to consider: does your kitchen already have great bones? Meaning, are the cabinets stylish, are the countertops granite and are the appliances stainless steel? If so, then you may just need to work on the details, which I’ll get to in a little bit. If not, this is where you should really spend your time and money to begin with. Upgrading your kitchen is one of the rooms in your home that will give you a bigger return on your investment when you sell. People want awesome kitchens, is yours great or just mediocre?

Now if you already have great bones to your kitchen, then you may just need to get rid of the clutter and consider whether or not your kitchen is stylish and inviting. Do you feel like you’ve walked into the pages of a magazine when you enter your kitchen? You can enhance stylishness by adding details which can be as simple as adding beautiful glass bowls full of colorful fruit and vases of flowers. Use collections you already have such as great china pieces.

Another key to enhancing your kitchen is to change it up often. In doing so it will keep the room fresh and inviting, energizing and more appealing. This doesn’t have to be fancy changes–maybe change out the decorations–use different flowers or different fruit or incorporate a different piece of china. An easy change to do is to swap out the drawer and cabinet knobs for more modern ones. Don’t get stuck in a rut and don’t be afraid to move things around.

Who doesn’t enjoy a good pot roast? There’s just something about that tender, juicy meat that fills you right up and comforts you at the same time. I love pot roast, especially one that I can put in the crock pot in the morning and forget about until dinner time.

This recipe is so easy and delicious that I bet you make it this weekend! And it tastes perfectly when paired with garlic green beans and horseradish mashed potatoes. Doesn’t that sound like a delightful combination?

INGREDIENTS:

• One 3-lb boneless chuck roast
• 1.5 teaspoons House Seasoning (See note at bottom)
• 1/4 Cup vegetable oil (or extra-virgin olive oil)
• 1 onion, thinly sliced
• 3 bay leaves
• 3 or 4 beef bouillon cubes, crushed
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 10.75 oz. can condensed cream of mushroom soup
• 1/4 to 1/2 Cup Chardonnay wine

DIRECTIONS:

1. Sprinkle roast on all sides with House Seasoning; seasoning well
2. In moderately hot skillet, brown roast on all sides in oil
3. Place roast in Crock Pot
4. On top of the roast, layer onion, bay leaves, crushed beef bouillon cubes, crushed garlic and cream of mushroom soup
5. Add Chardonnay
6. Cover with just enough water to cover all the ingredients sufficiently
7. Cook on low setting approximately 8 hours

House Seasoning is made of: 1 Cup salt, 1/4 Cup black pepper and 1/4 Cup garlic powder. Stir all ingredients together.

I hope you enjoy this delicious recipe! Bon Appetit!

(Recipe is from the cookbook: Paula Deen’s Kitchen Classics)

It’s a great time to buy a home in Georgia, whether you’re a first-time home buyer or not, and I would love to walk you through this process. If you are in the market to buy or sell your home in the Bethlehem or Dacula area, I would be happy to assist you! My passion is helping people find their dream home and stepping them through this exciting journey. I serve the Walton, Barrow and Gwinnett county areas. Call or text me today: 404.357.2231!

Whether you currently have your home up for sale or not, everyone can benefit from some great decorating tips for creating a warm, friendly atmosphere in their home. I found this video from Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate that has some wonderful suggestions for making your family room a cozy space that encourages conversation and is perfect whether you’re entertaining friends or just living your everyday life.

I hope you watch the video because the designer really has great ideas. Here’s three tips that I found especially helpful:

• Look for the focal point of the room, whether it be a fireplace or another unique feature, and build the room around that. Make the focal point be what pulls everything together.

• Don’t be afraid to bring furniture forward in the room, by floating the furniture in the room and not lining everything up against the walls it creates a more intimate and cozy atmosphere.

• When you’re ready to change up the look of a space, look around your home at pieces you already have. It’ll save you a lot of money if you mix up your furniture throughout your home and will achieve the feel of a new look at the same time. Then you can use your money to either freshen up the paint, add a new coffee table or other accent piece or get some great accessories such as candles, lamps, books or other decorative touches.

I hope you enjoy this video as much as I did and learn some neat decorating tips in the process. Have a wonderful day! Thanks for stopping by! If you have any tips for improving the family room (especially Stagers–I know y’all will have wonderful ideas), please leave them in the comment section!

Photos ©2009 Anne Rains Photography, All Rights Reserved.