Dining Chair Upholstery - Tutorial

          Turkey day is a big day for me.  Being such, I like to have a house ready for company.  We love our apartment and we love our dining room table and chairs, but the upholstery didn’t quite match the rest of the décor, so I decided while everything was cooking I would reupholster our chairs.  It’s a super-easy process and the end result is something unique and wonderful.  I was lucky to have the help of my handsome and wonderful husband.  Check out our handy-work below.  And while you’re at it, try it for yourself!

What you need:

·       Canvas or another thick fabric

·       Scissors (I use pinking shears to minimize fray)

·       Staple gun and staples

·       Screwdriver

How you do it:

1.      Grab your chair.

2.     Flip it over and remove the screws from the base of the chair using your screwdriver (or drill if you’re a lucky duck).  The bottom of the chair should pop right off.  Remove the fabric already existing on the bottom.  Keep one of these pieces.

3.     Quickly inventory your chair bottom.  Mine had a base with screw holes (obviously) and 2 pieces of foam cushion.  Measure the height of your cushion and base. 

Measure the width and length.  Using these dimensions, cut your fabric to the dimensions you need.  All chairs are different, so you may need something different than I do.  Keep in mind you may not need to measure if you’re able to salvage a piece from one of the old upholstered pieces.  You can use this as a template for size.

4.    Lay the fabric on the ground face down.  Next lie your seat bottom, cushion down on top of this.

5.     Starting with one side, tightly pull the fabric over the edge and staple along the fabric edge.  Do this to the opposite side.

6.     Staple the fabric along the edge of the base.

7.     Fold the fabric over like you would wrap a present and staple this down.  Repeat on the left and right of the side you are working on.

8.     Fold the excess fabric up and finish stapling.  Repeat these steps on each chair.

9.    Put the base of the chair back on the chair and reattach it with the screws removed.  Double check for stability, then enjoy your quick, easy, beautiful work.

Chicken & Gnocchi Soup - Recipe & Tutorial

          A big favorite soup in our home is Chicken and Gnocchi.  It’s rich, filling, and all around delicious.  I thought since it is Thanksgiving and there will be leftover turkey galore that I should bring to you a recipe to take up some of the oodles of turkey from your Thanksgiving dinner.  The recipe is written with chicken, but just substitute your turkey for the chicken and you should have a delicious, warming meal.  So gather around your stove and be thankful that you are about to eat a meal that could just change your life!

What you need:

·       2 cups of diced, cooked chicken

·       4 Tablespoons butter

·       2 cloves garlic, minced

·       ¼ cup onion, diced

·       ½ cup flour

·       Salt and pepper to taste

·       2 cups of cream

·       1 can chicken broth (or stock... or drippings from your turkey to make this festive)

·       3-4 cups of milk (depending upon fat percentage and personal preference of thickness)

·       1 carrot, shredded

·       1 celery stalk, shredded

·       2 cups spinach, shredded

·       ¼ cup basil, shredded

·       1 package Gnocchi

How you make it:

1.      Brown chicken in melted butter.  Add garlic and onion and sauté.

2.     Once chicken is browned, slowly add flour (you may not need to use it all), salt and pepper, until it is thoroughly mixed with butter and coats chicken.  Slightly brown this mixture, making sure not to burn it.

3.     Once browned, stir in cream slowly until thoroughly combined with chicken and flour mixture.

4.    Add broth and continue mixing.

5.     Add milk to desired thickness.  Keep your milk around as the mixture cooks to thin out the soup in case it becomes too thick for your preference.

6.     Add carrots and celery.  Bring soup to a boil for a couple of minutes, then down to a simmer for about 15 minutes.

7.     Once soup has reached desired thickness, add spinach and basil, followed by the gnocchi.  Bring up the heat to medium once more.  Cook for another 5-10 minutes, covered.

8.     Serve with salad and breadsticks for a simple, delicious, hearty meal.

9.    Enjoy!!!