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Taylor Tedford

Hallcrest Stone

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Feelin’ a little Moodie this Monday?

Us Too.

A Hallcrest Kitchen, by Element Surfaces

Hallcrest’s subtle mix of white, grey, and black speckling appeals to a neutral palette while bringing texture and life to your space. This stone is the perfect choice for the busy mom who hates seeing every crumb. If your kids (or husband) are prone to eating plateless – Hallcrest has your back. It’s soft speckling offers a natural disguise to the daily wear and tear that a lived-in kitchen undergoes. While all Element Stone surfaces are stain, heat, and scratch resistant Hallcrest has the added advantage of being able to hide any natural tarnishing which may occur over time.

The kitchen can often feel like a messy and chaotic area of the house- like when you were supposed to leave 20 minutes ago and your son’s asking you where his homework is and your daughter’s whining about taking the bus and your husband’s asking you where his jacket is and you can’t find a clean coffee cup and you’d kill for 10 seconds of quiet. With all of the craziness that usually occurs in the kitchen we strive to create an element that naturally combats an impending breakdown. Therefore we recommend choosing a paint color which induces feelings of cleanliness and calmness, such as Soft Chinchilla by Benjamin Moore. This dusky blue adds a soft pop of color and pairs nicely with Hallcrest Stone.

We love choosing a backsplash that can add dimension and texture to your element. This gorgeous leaflike white tile brings in a natural vibe and it’s stark white color contrasts, yet compliments, the natural look with a touch of sleek modernism. A white shaker cabinet offers a bit of a traditional feel and sleek black hardware adds weight to boldly contrast the white. Blending traditional and modern styles offers both visual interest and appeal.

Your kitchen should be a reflection of yourself, and a herringbone natural hardwood floor adds personality and character. As does this matte black sink, which coordinates perfectly with the countertops and the cabinet hardware, while offering a unique and original twist. To add a touch of shine to a room with mostly matte finishes we recommend choosing a stainless steel faucet. We chose an Edison faucet that is both funky and functional.

To complete this element we’ve chosen a dark grey modern refrigerator. It’s color coordinates perfectly with our sink and hardware, and the stainless steel handles tie in the sink faucet, perfectly balancing the space.

Featured Designer: Maddie Bouma

Chipotle Brisket Sliders

 1024 683 Taylor Tedford
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If you love Football

chances are you love game time munchies.

If you love Football

chances are you’d rather be watching the game, than stuck in the kitchen.

If you love Football

these Chipotle Brisket Sliders will be the best part of your Sunday.

Do all the hard work the night before, and let the beef soak up the flavor overnight. Toss the beef and sauce in a crockpot for 8 hours, and you’ll only need 15 minutes to put these sliders together before the game.

Ingredients

For the Beef:

2 pounds beef brisket

1 medium onion, chopped

2-3 cloves garlic, minced

3/4 cup ketchup

1/4 cup beef broth

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 tbs Worcestershire sauce

1-2 canned chilies in adobo, minced

1/2 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp dry mustard

1/2 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

2 packages King’s Hawaiian Rolls

8 slices Havarti cheese, cut into quarters

For the Caramelized Onions:

3 medium yellow onions, thinly sliced

3 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons olive oil

Directions
  1. Place the brisket and chopped onion in the bowl of a lightly greased slow cooker.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the ketchup, beef broth, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, chilies in adobo, and spices. Pour over the brisket.
  3. Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours, or until meat shreds easily with a fork.
  4. Remove the brisket from the slow cooker and shred. Cover and keep warm.
  5. Pour the sauce from the slow cooker through a fine mesh sieve into a medium saucepan.
  6. Simmer for 15-20 minutes over medium heat until sauce thickens and reduces by about half.
  7. While brisket is cooking, caramelize your onions. Heat the butter and oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are dark golden brown.
  8. Toss the shredded meat with the sauce (that you simmered in step 6).
  9. Slice King’s Hawaiian rolls horizontally.
  10. Pile beef on the bottom half of the buns.
  11. Top with a quarter slice of cheese and some caramelized onions.
  12. Add the top half of the bun and enjoy alongside a rich Malbec.

Chipotle Brisket Sliders featured on Barrington, by Element Stone.

Barrington Stone

 150 150 Taylor Tedford
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Get Motivated this Monday

#findyourelement

A Barrington Kitchen, by Element Surfaces

This warm white substrate offers an elevated finish that is perfect for your kitchen or bathroom. Barrington’s light striations add a touch of sophistication that has quickly made it a favorite amongst both designers and homeowners.

Two-toned cabinets have been becoming increasingly popular in the past few years. Add your own twist by making the bottom cabinets a deeper shade of blue using Benjamin Moores color “Blue Nose.” Adding a funky mid-century modern lighting fixture in the same tone of blue will modernize the space and add a pop of color the the ceiling drawing the eyes up, which is great for kitchens with tall ceilings! Also, remember to opt for a multi-colored back splash to add a little more saturation and dimension to your kitchen. We love this glass mosaic combo from Jeffrey Court!

A lot of people don’t realize how textiles can be used in the kitchen. Adding a hand-woven rug will add even more warmth to the space and also bring some texture to the ground. We love this one from Anthropologie with it’s uneven, broken lines.
Barrington has a warm undertone, so we wanted to bring that out through the mixed metals in the kitchen. We used brass or copper for everything from the cabinet pulls to the hanging pots the plants live in. Stainless steel appliances are great because they never go out of style.

**idea hack. Instead of going with stainless steel appliances, go with a copper finish. It will make the kitchen a little more flashy! If you’re a person looking for a little extra bling this would be perfect! 

Seating options can be a hard choice for a kitchen since so many people tend to congregate in this space. We love these completely wooden stools! They are perfect for a bar space, or can easily be lined up along the wall when you are not using them.  Since they are a solid material they don’t compete with the rest of the space, and add a warmth that picks up on Barrington’s veining.

Featured Designer: Meredith Matsakis

Element Essentials

Benjamin Moore Paint Color Blue Nose – 800

White Oak Flooring with a texturized Gray Finish

Jeffrey Court’s Glass Mosaic Tiles for the Backsplash

Amazon’s Hanging Brass Planters

Wooden Stools

Anthropologie’s Tufted Rainfall Rug

Sazerac Stitches 6-light mid century modern style chandelier

Madison Stone

 150 150 Taylor Tedford
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We’re a little Moodie, but it keeps Monday interesting. Check it out.

#findyourelement

A Madison Bathroom, by Element Surfaces

This stunning white and cream based quartz with light grey veining is one of our favorites in the Element Stone line. It’s soft white coloring and grey striations mimic marble’s natural veining, giving you the natural look you love, without the constant maintenance marble requires.

Madison will pair perfectly with Benjamin Moore’s Cascade White paint. This beautiful blue-green-grey shade compliments Madison beautifully, while bringing a peaceful and airy feel to your bathroom. A simple black honeycomb tile contrasts our countertop and wall color, and will give the room balance.

In order to add some warmth and texture to the room we suggest a natural wood open vanity. This simple touch will add a homey element to the room, and allow you to showcase your fun new towels, bringing a pop of color into an otherwise neutral space. A gorgeous patterned rug like the one shown will play off of each color in the room, and tie them all together.

A bathroom isn’t complete without a stunning shower! White subway tiles with a sleek black rain showerhead gives a timeless look to the bathroom. A gorgeous modern free-standing tub brings an elegant and serene feeling to the bathroom; transforming the room into a peaceful escape.

We love to use lighting to transform spaces into elements where homeowners truly feel at home. This retro light will bring a fun vibe to an otherwise classic space, and add a touch of personality. Stark and sleek matte black hardware will pop against our beautiful Madison, while adding depth and feeling to the space. A lovely black circular hanging mirror will complete your element.

Featured Designer: Madyson Bouma

Antipasto Skewers

 1024 683 Taylor Tedford
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Everything tastes better in skewer form, especially antipasto.

Try out these delicious Antipasto Skewers at your end of summer bash.

INGREDIENTS

10 oz. cheese tortellini

1/2 cup Kraft Zesty Italian salad dressing

1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning

50 kalamata olives

25 green olives

50 grape tomatoes

50 thinly slices of salami (I used Calabrese)

25 marinated baby mozzarella balls

100 spinach leaves can subsitute basil

25 12-inch wooden skewers

DIRECTIONS
  1. Cook tortellini according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water. In a sealable container, combine the tortellini, dressing, and seasoning. Refrigerate for 1-4 hours, stirring the contents a few times.
  2. Gather remaining ingredients when ready to assemble skewers.
  3. Thread the wooden skewer the following way:
    1. kalamata olive
    2. tomato
    3. spinach *fold leaves in half
    4. tortellini *there will most likely be leftover tortellini so grab tortellini directly from the container and put it on the skewer.
    5. spinach
    6. salami *fold slices into fourths
    7. mozzarella ball
    8. tortellini
    9. spinach
    10. salami
    11. green olive
    12. spinach
    13. tomato
    14. kalamata olive
  4. Pull out the chilled Sauvignon & enjoy!

*This should prepare approximately 30 skewers, but you can easily halve or double this recipe as needed.

Hawthorne Stone

 150 150 Taylor Tedford
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Doing more day dreaming than designing?

We’ve partnered with a team of talented designers to bring you a mood board with every element you need to feel

# i n y o u r e l e m e n t

A Hawthorne Kitchen, by Element Surfaces

We are loving the deep grey and charcoal tones coming through this crisp white quartz. It’s soft white and grey blend mimic’s marble’s natural veining, giving you the natural look you love, without the constant maintenance marble requires.

Hawthorne will pair perfectly with Benjamin Moore’s Chantilly Lace paint, and light oak wood flooring. We’ve chosen deep charcoal cabinets and gold hardware to ground the space, while adding a soft sage green backsplash to bring some color to one of the most lively rooms in the house!

Open shelving can be a great option for part of your kitchen, and we love the way our Element Zebrano wood brings warmth to the space. In order to keep a more minimal and natural look, our design gurus suggest that you avoid overloading the shelves with clutter.

Changing up your lighting is one of the easiest ways to transform a space to your space, and create an element that is uniquely your own. We chose to go with funky, triangular floating lights to give our kitchen some character. You can even add unique Edison bulbs into the mix to take the flare one step further.

Bar stools are a perfect way to make your kitchen a place for community, as well as cooking. Stools invite people to take a seat and connect with whoever is preparing the meal, and the simple, sleek gold of these bar stools will tie in the other gold elements of this space while adding a pop of color.

The kitchen is truly the heart of the home, and our Hawthorne stone will create an inviting atmosphere full of warmth where you can feel in your element.

Featured Designers: Madyson Bouma, Meredith Matsakis

Prosciutto Wrapped Breadsticks

 1024 683 Taylor Tedford
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More Prone to Burning your Food then Perfecting It?

This is the party appetizer you’ve been looking for.

This delicious appetizer can be eaten with one hand, and satisfies every salty crunchy craving.

Perfect for the mom-on-the-run, the dad-on-duty, the girl-on-the-go, this appetizer is as easy to make as it is to eat.

ingredients:

8 thin slices of prosciutto

8 grissini breadsticks

directions
  1. Wrap one slice of prosciutto around each breadstick, leaving 5-6 inches of the breadstick exposed on one end.
  2. Pour a glass of your favorite Pinot, and enjoy!

Garlic Chicken Wings

 1024 683 Taylor Tedford
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Who Says the Hostess Can’t Have Fun Too?

These delicious wings are the perfect party appetizer. Perfectly paired with a rich Cabernet these Garlic Chicken Wings are astoundingly easy to prepare.

Don’t let cooking ruin your party fun! Prep your wings tonight, and bake them tomorrow.

Wow your guests and leaving their mouths watering for more, with hands-on prep time taking less than 2o minutes.

ingredients

3 pounds chicken wings

+

Marinade:

1/2 cup Lite Soy Sauce

1 tsp Magic Mushroom Powder (or Porchini Powder)

2 tbs Lite Brown Sugar

2 tbs Minced Garlic

1 tbs Honey

+

Garnish: 

2 Green Onions, thinly sliced

1 tbs Furikake

directions
  1. Combine all marinade ingredients in a bowl and mix well.
  2. Trim off tips of chicken wings.
  3. Combine marinade and wings in a large ziploc bag for 10 hours, or overnight to thoroughly marinate.
  4. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  5. Remove wings from marinade and place on a shallow roasting pan, don’t overcrowd the pan.
  6. Roast for 20-25 minutes. When they’re ready the skin will be caramelized and crispy, and the juice should run clear.
  7. Garnish the wings with the green onion and Furikake.
  8. Pour a glass of your favorite Cabernet and enjoy!

Beef and Blue Flatbread

 1024 683 Taylor Tedford
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The perfect pairing for this Wine Wednesday? Look no further.

With weather this nice, any day can become a party.

This Beef and Blue Flatbread is the perfect appetizer for a last minute Wine Wednesday, and will accentuate the smoky finish of a rich Malbec.

Guests coming at 7, but you’re not leaving the office til 6?

Ready in under 20 minutes this delicious appetizer will leave your guests raving, and give you time to pour yourself a glass before company arrives.

ingredients

1/2 of a medium red onion, cut into thin slivers

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 flatbread shell

8 ounces thinly sliced cooked roast beef

1 small sweet pepper, seeded and chopped

4 ounces crumbled blue cheese

1/4 teaspoon pizza seasoning (optional)

directions
  1. Position oven rack in center of oven and preheat to 425.
  2. In large skillet cook onion in 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over medium-high heat for 3 to 5 minutes, or until onion is just tender.
  3. Place bread shell on baking sheet, brush with remaining tablespoon of olive oil, and bake 5 minutes.
  4. While bread shell is baking, stack beef slices on cutting board and slice into strips.
  5. Then top shell with beef, sweet pepper, onion, cheese, and pizza seasoning.
  6. Change oven setting to broil.
  7. Broil pizza 4 to 5 minutes, or until toppings are heated through and crust is browned.
  8. Cut in wedges, and pair with a glass of the Malbec of your choice.

Teriyaki Tuna & Avocado Poke Nachos

 1024 679 Taylor Tedford
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Looking to enjoy the delicacies of going out, while staying in?

Poke bars are hot right now, and you can set your own stunning bar with this delicious fusion appetizer. Sashimi-grade tuna is readily available at most fish mongers and also available frozen in national food chains, like Whole Foods, across the country. Raw not your thing? Substitute cooked shrimp, or even extra firm tofu.

Set on this beautiful stone and paired with a dry and crisp Sauvignon Blanc, you’ll be in with the in crowd with this yummy little bite.

ingredients

  Teriyaki Sauce:

¼ cup low sodium shoyu (Japanese soy sauce)

1 tablespoon honey

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1 teaspoon of sushi vinegar

1/4 teaspoon finely minced garlic

1 teaspoon finely minced fresh ginger

¼ teaspoon black pepper

+

12 ounces sushi-grade tuna, cut into 1/2” cubes

1 ripe avocado, diced

 1 scallion, white part-minced, green part- sliced

mini tortilla cups (scoops)

+

chopped scallions and toasted sesame seeds to garnish

directions
  1. Make the sauce by combining the soy sauce, brown sugar, honey, garlic & ginger in a small saucepan. Stir over medium heat until the sugar has dissolved. Pour into a medium bow and place into refrigerator to cool completely, about 15 minutes.
  2. Add the tuna, avocado, and the scallions to the cooled teriyaki sauce.
  3. Place on your favorite tortilla chip, top with minced scallions and toasted sesame seeds and serve immediately