Tips for Hanging a Gallery Wall

I love gallery walls.  


I just don’t like the process of hanging a gallery wall.


And I certainly don’t like having lots of “do over” holes in the wall due to his my measurements being wrong. 

So here’s an approach I came up with for hanging a gallery wall; hope you find these tips helpful!

First, here’s the small (starter) gallery wall in our den I’ll use for my example.

{"Starter" gallery wall in the den incorporating original watercolors, an IKEA print, and a photo of our dog Beaver}

Tip #1:
I do all my pre-hanging work … composition and mesaurement, on a single sheet of paper laid on the floor.  

Obviously, you’ll need a very large piece of paper and you’ll want it to be heavy duty paper as well; I purchased a large roll of "flooring paper" at the hardware store (typically used to lay on top of newly finished floors to protect the surface during construction, etc.) for around $10.00.  I’ve used this single roll of paper for so many projects that the cost per use is way under 50 cents!  


I’m counting the hardware store paper roll as Tip #2. 

To start planning your gallery wall, lay the paper on the floor and move the pictures around until you like the composition and balance.

Here’s how our “starter” gallery wall recently looked on the floor … you’ll notice at the bottom of the arrangement I needed to add more paper ...  this photo was taken before I used heavy-duty tape and attached another strip of paper. 

{Our gallery wall laid out on the floor in the "planning stage"}

Tip #3:
The in-process photo above is actually my next tip for you.  I took this photo so I could view it on my camera display to make sure this was the layout I wanted.  You see, we perceive spatial relationships differently when we look down at something (pictures on the floor) than when we look forward at something (picture on the wall); looking down at items can distort and skew shapes.  By "proofing" my layout on my camera's display held in front of me, it more closely simulates how the arrangement would be viewed on a wall.  Or, you can display the proofing photo on your computer.

Once you have an arrangement you like, make sure the pictures are squarely positioned relative to each other and the spacing between pictures is what you want.  Then, using a Sharpie marker, trace around each picture to transfer an outline to the paper. 

Here’s how the layout paper will look when complete and taped to the wall (low tack tape, please!) as a hanging guide.  See the picture outlines?

{The hanging guide taped to the wall}

Even though I'm showing the hanging guide on the wall, let's look closer at a detail you'll need to add before you tape the guide to the wall ...

For each outline on the hanging guide, you’ll need to measure and mark the position of the hanging device (wire or hook) on the back of each picture. You’ll want to mark both: 

• the distance from the top of the picture and 
• the distance from the side of the picture (typically the center of the picture unless you have a picture with 2 hooks on the back).

Now there is one final set of measures and marks to make; this could be done before you tape the guide to the wall, of after.  But since I mentioned hanging the guide, when you do that step make sure you use a level and check multiple horizontal lines on the guide to ensure they are level.  Sorry, I forgot to take a photo of that step ... that's a newbie blogger in training goof!

So now here's the last set of marks you need to make; you need to mark where you will place the nail for your picture hangers.

For example, let's say you have a 2" hanger; the bottom of the hanger (the hook part) will align with the bottom of your vertical mark ... but that isn't where you'll place the nail. The nail is at the top of the hanger which means you need to measure up from the bottom of the vertical mark 2" to determine where the nail will be placed; mark a dot or line at the nailing position on the vertical line.

Once you've marked the nailing position for all pictures, grab a hammer and enjoy!  In just a few minutes you'll be able to stand back and admire :)  OK, it may feel like it was a lot of prep time to arrive at the point where you get to swing that hammer, but it's that good old 80/20 rule ... 80% planning, 20% doing.  At least for me using this technique for hanging gallery walls, there isn't an additional amount of time for re-do'ing!

{spray paint saved the day for these picture frames}

The pictures I used for this starter section of the den gallery wall were originally each in different rooms in the house; I used spray paint to unify the frames for a cohesive look allowing me to repurpose these pictures for use in the den.


I've written before about the den being the "room of misfit furniture" and that includes these misfit pictures; you can read that post here.  


Perhaps you already know that our den used to be our dining room and that we've flip-flopped our downstairs floor plan; if you are interested in more detail on that switch you can read about it here. 


I have a few pillows to make for the sofa and some trim to sew on the curtains and then I'll post a full reveal of the den.  You can check back at your convenience for the reveal or become a Follower so you'll automatically know when I post that update.


Thanks so much for visiting and I hope you found some helpful tips for hanging gallery walls.  


If you already have a gallery wall post on your blog feel free to leave the URL in a comment below as I'd love to come look (and I'm sure others will hop over as well).


If you use my approach for hanging a gallery wall in the future please stop back and leave a comment letting me know how it worked for you ... and links to your photos if you have them.

------ This post is linked to the following: ----------

A Bowl Full Of Lemons, http://abowlfulloflemons.blogspot.com/2011/08/one-project-at-time-tuesday-link-party_30.html
Debbie-Doos Blogging and Blabbing, http://debbie-debbiedoos.blogspot.com/2011/08/upcycled-wood-pallet-2-newbie-party.html
Home Stories A to Z, Tutorials & Tips Tuesday Link Party {27} | Home Stories A to Z
Savvy Southern Style, Savvy Southern Style: Wow Us Wednesdays 29
DIY Design,DIY by Design: Sizzle into Summer - It's a Party #29
Clean and Scentsible, Clean & Scentsible: The Creative Spark {No. 6}
Somewhat Simple,SYS Blog Link Party + Jacquilyn Avery Giveaway | Somewhat Simple

Turning a Photo into Abstract Art

{My original photo of Beaver ... bad lighting and all}

I'm currently working on turning the above photo of Beaver into an abstract art piece, which I plan to have printed on a gallery-wrapped canvas.  This art piece will hang in the den, aka "Beaver's room".  I wrote about the start of our (re)decorating in the den here.  


I love all styles of art, from the classic Master's oil paintings, to landscapes, and abstract / pop art too.  I especially enjoy George Rodrigue's  "BLUE DOG" pop art series, perhaps because blue is my favorite color but more likely it's just because I'm over the top crazy about dogs in general, and mine in particular.  


Since an original Blue Dog is currently on EBAY for $45,000.00, it doesn't look like I'll be adding that to my collection any time soon!  Instead I tried interpreting the style and essence of that series, and using Photoshop Elements, create a custom art piece with Beaver as my model.  (Right click, to open in another window, here if you'd like to see an image of the original Blue Dog currently for sale.)


So here's what I have.  


First up, my blue version of Beaver's photo from the beginning of this post:

{My pop art version of the photo, inspired by Rodrigue's "Blue Dog" series}

And just because I always have to have a second option, here's a black / white version.

{The same pop art edits to the photo, but in grayscale}

Of course, I'll remove my watermarks from the image prior to printing.  

This project was a lot of trial and error, with many many many versions of the file saved along the way. For those interested in creating your own pop art piece, I wish I could offer a tutorial on making these digital changes, but since every photo is different, the process would be as well.  In general, here's what I did:

• Selected a photo without a lot of objects and details; that type of composition in the photo isn't necessary, but it does speed the editing process.  
• Opened the photo in Photoshop Elements 
• Selected from the menu bar: Filter / Artistic / Cutout / then experimented with different values for the "Number of Levels" option, until I had large abstract blocks in the image instead of fine details.  Clicked Save.
• Selected from the menu bar: Enhance / Adjust Color / Replace Color / then using the eyedropper selected an abstract area and manipulated the color using the sliders at the bottom of the screen.  Only made 1 color change at a time, then saved that change.  Repeated the "Replace Color" process for each of the colors on the photo.

I'm pleased with the result and I couldn't be happier to create a keepsake out of this special photo.  So far this is a zero cost project and although gallery wrap canvas printing can be costly, I have a great coupon that will let me print this as a 12 x 16 very inexpensively.  Yippee!

Why is this photo of Beaver so special for us?  It was taken our first night in the hotel after our house fire last summer.  None of us, including Beaver, had slept in over 72 hours.  When we walked into the hotel suite Beaver immediately disappeared; we found him snuggled into the bed.  Somehow I had a camera with me, and this is the photo I took.

Which version should I send for printing: the blue version or the black & white?  

Should I try other color combo's, and what would those combo's be?  

Do you have any suggestions for me to try with this photo?  

I'd really appreciate hearing your thoughts and look forward to your comments. 

----- This post linked to the following ------

Christina's Adventures, Christina's Adventures: 20 Below Thursday #35
Somewhat Simple,  Blog Link Party with Pinterest features | Somewhat Simple
Savvy Southern Style, Savvy Southern Style: Wow Us Wednesdays 28
Homemaker In Heels, Homemaker in Heels: Summer Lovin' Weekend Soiree & Blog Hop {15}
Simple Home Life,Simple Home Life: Features & Simply Creations Link Party # 22
Today's Creative Blog, Creative Home Ideas

A Funny Memory

We are avid participants in Henrico county's curb side bi-weekly recycling program, and as I was pulling our recycling together today I flashed back to something that happened last fall.  

David and I were unpacking our 300+ boxes of household contents that had been sent to storage so our home's interior could be cleaned and repaired; I wrote about our items in storage here.  What I failed to mention was every single item in the house was packed and moved by restoration professionals, not by us.  Imagine unpacking all those boxes that had been packed by someone else, without your supervision (I was allergic to the aerosolized contaminants from the dishwasher fire and could not enter our house, even with a respirator).  Anyway ... although the boxes were labeled, it felt as though we were on a treasure hunt, unwrapping each item wondering what it would be.  


You have to keep in mind that when household contents are moved to storage, it is not the job of the individuals to make a determination if something is worth packing, their job is to pack it.  


So David grabbed a box labeled "hallway".  We ripped into the box like kids on Christmas morning.  Lots of bubble wrap and tape on each item to prevent breakage.  Oh the piles of bubble wrap! If I never see bubble wrap again it will be too soon.  Really, popping those bubbles on the wrap stops being entertaining after about 2 days.


Slowly the items began to reveal themselves.  An empty jar of marinara sauce ... Many empty water bottles ... An empty wine bottle. 


This box contained the contents from our indoor recycling bin!  


Individually wrapped!  


Stored for five months in a warehouse!  


We were stunned at first, then we just laughed.  So hard.  First time we had laughed in months.  It sure is a good thing we always rinse our recycling items before putting them in the bin!


Just wanted to share.  When I thought about that moment again today it made me laugh just as hard as the day it happened.  And it made me really happy that I was able to carry this bin of recycling to our curb.

5.9 Earthquake Miles From Here Minutes Ago

Never. Ever. Before.an earthquake that magnitude, here.

Scary.

They say we should prepared for after-shocks.

I don't exactly know how to do that!?

A New FLOR (nope, that's not a typo)

Yippee! Our FLOR carpet tiles have arrived are installed.  Actually, although we humans enjoy the FLOR in our den, this carpeting is really for Beaver. Here he comes zipping into the room now … 

{FLOR Fedora tile in Dusty Turquoise, Ekornes chair, and Beaver}

If you aren’t familiar with FLOR, it's a versatile carpet tile available in a wide array plethora of colors, patterns, and piles - from dense and lush, to smooth and soft, and everything in between. The individual tiles measure approx. 20”x20”, has an integrated “rubbery” backing that eliminates the need for separate carpet underlayment (replaces both padding and anti-slip pad), and the tiles can be easily cut (yes, by you) to go around floor vents or to create unique shapes. 

The tiles can be joined together using FLOR dots applied to the back of the tile. The dots are made with a special adhesive the strengthens over time, so the FLOR and dots are very secure, unlike carpet sample remnants you may have stuck together with duck tape back in college (if you will admit to such a thing). Even though the dots hold the FLOR together, if an accident should happen …

{"I didn't do anything, really.  Mom's just saying IF ..."}

 You can pull the soiled tile up, clean and put it back in place. 

{The Fedora tiles have a seamless appearance even though they are individual tiles.}

They are so easy.to.clean. I’ve never had to pull a tile up for cleaning, but if you need to, FLOR suggests that you simply rinse it off in the sink!

And the materials … my understanding is most FLOR tiles contain a varying amount of post-consumer recycled materials, like plastic bottles; we purchased the felted Fedora style which has 80% recycled face fibers. So every two weeks when we participate in our curb side recycling program and we put a lot of plastic bottles in our recycling bin, guess some of it may actually be in our den!

Yes, I agree, ground up plastic bottles doesn't sound very soft. All I can say is the two different styles of FLOR in our house (we also have FLOR in our dining room) are both as kind to our bare feet as our fine fussy oriental wool rugs. And I’ve ordered samples of many styles other than what we own and they too have a comfortable feel.

But back to the den where I started this post...  You may already know this room used to be our dining room but with the floor plan switch-a-roo that I wrote about here, it is now the den. Or you can call it Beaver’s room; it is the only downstairs room with standard size door openings which we can close off with baby gates when we aren’t home, and Beaver can hang out in comfort and plenty of space. The boy likes his space. 


An interesting fact about the den is it's furnished entirely with pieces we owned pre-fire; seems that real leather is highly cleanable.  The pieces in the den didn’t quite work in their respective room’s newly designated location in our floor plan, so they ended up here. Do you remember the animated TV special, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, with the Island of Misfit Toys?  Well, this is the den of misfit furniture:)  There’s still more to do in here and I’ll post photos later, but for now the new FLOR is a great start. 

Thanks for stopping by! If you want to see the finished den you might consider becoming a Follower of this blog or you can just check back at your convenience. If you are interested in seeing other (re)decorate posts you can click (re)decorate under "Browse By Category" in the sidebar, or just click here now.

Disclosure: I have not be paid, sponsored, or incentivized by FLOR or any other party to write this post. We just really like this product and thought we’d share what’s going on in our house.  Who knows, FLOR might work for you too.

Whole Wheat Bran Muffins (Our Daily Bread)

Disclosure:  
In this post I refer to several products by name. I have not been compensated, sponsored, or incentivized by any company mentioned  ... or by anyone.period. to blog. 

{We love our Whole Wheat Bran Muffins topped with Greek Yogurt and fresh seasonal fruit on the side}

Every day for the last seven years* we’ve enjoyed these muffins as part of our breakfast. Even a few years ago when my husband traveled weekly for work, we’d include these muffins in his care package, tucked in his suitcase. Really. 


When we travel I "bake, freeze and take" muffins; when we know we'll have kitchenettes in our lodgings I bake there! We are definitely fans of this healthy, tasty, fiber rich, satiating, quick-bread style muffin.

*The only exception to our daily enjoyment of muffins was our house fire last year.  Prior to arranging long-term temporary housing we lived in a lovely hotel suite where I couldn't cook; my neighbors offered their kitchens so I could bake muffins during that period.  So even then - most days, we had muffins. There were days however, when I just couldn’t deal with the fire related issues and bake. So, those few days are our only exception to 7 years of “muffin munching mania”! 

I’ve already mentioned these muffins freeze well. Here’s a few more reasons why we like love them:

• they are quick to make, especially if you follow my time saving tip below .
• sugar is not a structure component in these muffins as it often is in baking, so if you are added sugar-free as we are, you can pretty much substitute your preferred sweetener for the sugar. We've used both Splenda and Truvia, and plan to incorporate molasses for a fall version.
• the muffins work well with fruit or nuts added to the basic recipe … we almost always add frozen blueberries to ours. Of course with juices from the fruit you may either want to bake the muffins a few minutes longer or slightly reduce the amount of milk used. 
• I almost always use all whole wheat flour in our muffins, but I’ve also added buckwheat, spelt, and teff flours to the mix over the years, and have enjoyed each of those variations. Just make sure that whatever combination of flours you use, you have 1 1/4 cup total flour. 
• I call this recipe "muffins" because we originally baked them in muffin pans with cupcake liners. We gave up on the muffin shape a long time ago … harder to wash a muffin tin and you have extra expense with cupcake liners. Today I bake ours in an 8x8 pan,and when cooled, cut 12 portions, which is the same as baking 12 muffins. Yes, if I bake these for guests or as a gift, I revert to the muffin form. 
• we consider an individual serving = 2 bars or muffins, so for our 2 person household I bake a batch every third day.
• I refrigerate my "day 2 and 3" muffins, since I do not bake with sugar and as a result my muffins have less of a natural preservative.
• we heat warm our muffins in the microwave slightly before serving to give us a "fresh from the oven" experience.

My Time Saving Tip

{My dry mix tools: vacuum sealed canister and kitchen scale}

I premix a large batch of the dry ingredients (Dry Ingredients I, in the recipe below) to make my own “box style mix”, which I keep in the refrigerator. 


I use a vacuum canister with my FoodSaver system for this dry mix, but a large zip-top plastic bag would also work. My canister holds 7 batches of "Dry Ingredients I". Just make sure if you use this approach the dry ingredients are thoroughly mixed … stir, stir, and stir some more, so you have a nice blend. 


When I'm ready to bake I use my digital kitchen scale and measure 7 3/4 ounces (225 grams) of mix; this weight is based on the whole wheat flour and Splenda combination.  If you use different flours or sweeteners the weight of a single portion of dry ingredients could be different, so I’d mix a single batch first, weigh it, then use that weight for future baking.

Finally, The Recipe! 
OK, a few notes first:
1) there are 2 printing / download options at the end of this post
2) This is my modification of the "All-Bran Everyday Muffin" recipe by Kellogg’s … can you believe it, mine actually uses more All-Bran cereal than Kellogg’s suggests!?!?!)

Dry Ingredients I
(Note: These are the ingredients in the “box style mix” approach; multiply individual measures accordingly if creating a multiple use batch.)

1 1/4 cup whole wheat flour (or your preferred combination of flours)

½ cup sweetener

1 Tablespoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt


Dry Ingredients II
2 cups Kellogg’s All-Bran Original cereal


Wet Ingredients

1 ⅔ cup milk (I use skim milk)

1/4 cup oil (I use canola or vegetable oil)

1 egg

Optional: fruit (I use ½ - 3/4 cup frozen organic blueberries)


Instructions 

{This is a thick batter ... I recommend a large heavy-duty spoon}

In a large bowl combine KELLOGG'S All-Bran Original cereal and milk. Let stand until cereal softens and milk is mostly absorbed, approximately 5 minutes. 


Mix the egg and oil in a separate bowl (the measuring cup you’ve already used works well!), and add to the milk / cereal mixture. Stir well. 


Add the “Dry Ingredients I” mixture, stirring until combined. If you are going to add fruit or nuts, do so now. 


Spread into an 8x8 baking pan that is either coated with a cooking spray or lined with parchment paper (or if you must, into twelve 2 1/2-inch muffin cups coated with cooking spray or lined with foil bake cups).

Bake @ 375 degrees in a convection oven (that’s what I use) or 400 in a conventional oven. 

For my standard combination of ingredients - including frozen blueberries and my 8x8 pan, I bake for 26 - 30 minutes; the "muffins" should be slightly browned and a knife inserted comes out clean.  Different ingredient combinations and / or use of an actual muffin tin will vary baking times.

Enjoy as a part of a healthy breakfast or a mid-day snack!


PRINT OPTION 1:
For a recipe only PDF (no photos, no "post" information) right click (Open in a Separate Window) here.


PRINT OPTION 2:
For a copy of this entire post as a PDF (with or without photos) scroll down to the Comments Section and click the Print / PDF icon.


I'd love hearing your thoughts on these two printing options in the Comment Section ... I'm trying to figure out what works best for my blog and your input is important.  

-------  This post linked to the following ---------
The Sweet Detail, The Sweet Details: Savory Sunday
Frugal Antics of a Harried Homemaker, Frugal Antics of a Harried Homemaker: Your Recipe, My Kitchen
Make Ahead Meals For Busy Moms, Melt in Your Mouth Monday #25 | Make Ahead Meals For Busy Moms
Flip Cookbook, Sugar Free Sunday & Spoonfuls of Sugar | Flip Cookbook
Tammy's Recipes, Kitchen Tip Tuesdays: How to remove smells from jar lids | Tammy's Recipes
Blessed With Grace, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday, Sour Cream Cheesy Potatoes,
Simply Sugar and Gluten Free, Slightly Indulgent Tuesday; 8/23/11 | Simply Sugar & Gluten-Free
33 Shades of Green, 33 Shades of Green: Tasty Tuesdays: Simple Cherry Tomato Pasta
this chick cooks, This Chick Cooks: These Chicks Cooked Link Party - Featuring Your Recipes from All Around Blogland #14

New Perspective: New Floor Plan

“Every act of creation is first an act of destruction.”

Pablo Picasso

{click to enlarge floor plan graphic}

A few days after our house fire a neighbor asked if we were going to keep the house the same. Without thinking I responded, “nope”.

At that time we were still in the throes of contacting the initial fire-recovery professionals and truly hadn’t even considered the "situation" inside the house.

That night as David and I talked about the required repairs, I pitched the idea about putting the house back together differently. Surprisingly, he.immediately.agreed. 


Our homeowner's insurance covered the required repairs, including:


Painting the entire interior of the house (choose new colors) … check!

Replacing damaged furniture, accessories, window coverings, and appliances … okey-dokey!

Building a new kitchen (didn’t want to but had no choice, sniffle, sniffle, you can read why here, but still I put on my crazy-big Sookie Stackhouse smile - I'm a fan of the books, and said) ... can do!

Although you'd think all the above items would result in a different feel to the house, the sum of those items was a restoration.  And restoration is precisely the purpose of insurance: to return you to your pre-loss condition.  And we were so thankful for the great insurance we had and the support they provided.  


Still, we needed a new perspective for the house that was beyond the scope of restoration so we could return home and not constantly experience deja vu and unpleasant reminders of the event.  So here's what we came up with ...

{click floor plan graphic to enlarge}

That would do it!  Living in our house in different way, that indeed would give us the change of “perspective” we sought. 


So we had a floor plan.  But we didn't have a decorating plan; we had to choose paint colors long before our return home, but BUT we didn't know until literally days before our return which furniture and other items were not able to be restored.  That's just the way it works.  


So the decor has unfolded in a very organic process over the 9 months since we've been back.  

• Quickly purchase replacements for essential items.  
• (Re)use original furnishings, if still loved and the items work with the "new" house; donate items that survived but no longer meet needs.  
• Hope Sarah Richardson and Tommy Smythe offer their assistance but in the meantime incessantly search shelter blogs and magazines for inspiration.  
• Move furniture, move pieces again, and then do it one more time until pieces settle into the room / place where they belong

Now it's on to decorating, making old and new work together.  Quite honestly this may be the most challenging task I've faced since moving home, and that includes unpacking and dealing with 300+ boxes of things which I talked about here! 


I hope you’ll check back on my progress and offer some encouragement and suggestions along the way!

Abracadabra: Now you see it, now you don't!

{Updated photo: Summer 2012}

Things may not be exactly as they appear in the above photo of our bedroom.  Let's take a look at a diagram of our bedroom …


The right side of this diagram is the front of our house; from the outside those two windows are very balanced. But the window placement created a wonky feel to the interior space for this symmetry loving girl. And to make matters worse, our front windows are long, leaving no room underneath for standard furniture, so I lived for many years with “non-performing square footage” in the front half of the bedroom. Sort of forced us to have all furnishings in a too small area creating an awkward, narrow, single traffic lane (to bathroom and closets).

So I reshaped our bedroom without needing any building permits!  All I needed was a little trompe l’oeil, a visual illusion, and I had the symmetry I desired and I was able to arrange the furniture and regain that non-performing square footage! 


First, let's take a look at the new furniture arrangement … ahhh, breathing space around the furniture, open traffic lanes, and even room for additional furnishings!



So what was the abracadabra trompe l’oeil illusion I used?  Let's take a look at the "bed wall", this time using a photo taken Fall 2010, shortly after we moved back home after our house fire  ...

And now let's take a look at what is really behind those shutters on the left and the curtain ...

On the right side of the bed there is an actual window behind the shutter!

Here's another look at the illusion this trick creates.  That wonky wall of off-centered windows and non-performing floor space is no longer. 

Look who's jumped in bed ... guess he's telling me he needs some attention :)

I still want to add a few finishing touches to this room, but I'm pleased with the use of space and the harmony in the room.


If you have a room that feels unbalanced to you I hope this helps you think of visual illusions that could change the feel of the room.  I'd love to see photos of your creative solutions!


Also, I'm starting work on our Great Room and among other things I have an "abracadabra" project involving the fireplace and flanking bookcases planned; I hope you'll check back for the reveal. Here's a photo of the Great Room during our post-fire restoration last summer.  

Yes, that is my oven sitting on the floor ... items have a habit of appearing in odd places during a household fire restoration.  Luckily, the oven has returned to the kitchen, and I've talked a bit about that restoration here.  And the light fixture has also moved to the kitchen after it was shortened and the poles rethreaded so it was the appropriate length to hang over the sink.  So, back to the Great Room, what could I be up to?  


If you miss the reveal post of the Great Room (I've only just started this project) you can browse the (re)Decorate category in the sidebar to catch it and other past posts.  Or you might consider becoming a Follower of this blog so you'll always know when something new is posted.


Thanks for visiting, 











--------------Link Up's ------------------
This post is linked to the following:
Between Naps On The Porch, Between Naps on the Porch: A Miracle Makeover for Charlie Grady: Welcome to the 134th Metamorphosis Monday!
The DIY Showoff, http://thediyshowoff.blogspot.com/2011/08/diy-project-parade-and-powder-room.html
The Creative Girl, The Girl Creative: Just Something I Whipped Up
Not Just A Housewife, Show Me What Ya Got #37
My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia, My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia: Tuesday's Treasures
Clean and Scentsible, Clean & Scentsible: The Creative Spark No. 4
Savvy Southern Style, Savvy Southern Style: Wow Us Wednesdays 27
House Of Hepworths, Hookin Up with HoH #62
Delightful Order, Delightful Order: Delightfully Inspiring Thursday Party - 25
Lolly Jane Boutique, http://lollyjaneboutique.blogspot.com/2011/08/wgw-25-with-canvas-people.html
Chic on a Shoestring Decorating, Chic on a Shoestring Decorating: Flaunt it Friday 68!
Simple Home Life,Simple Home Life: Features & Simply Creations Link Party # 22
At The Picket Fence, At The Picket Fence: Welcome to Inspiration Friday No. 29!
Blue Cricket Design, Show and Tell linking party! | Blue Cricket Design

Savory BBQ Dry Rub

Love the flavor essence of barbeque flavor but not necessarily the mess of grilling  with a sauce?  


Would you prefer a BBQ flavor that allows you to adjust both the sweetness and which ingredient(s) you'll use to sweeten?  Alternative natural sweeteners, traditional sugar, and the " pink / yellow / blue packet stuff" all work with this spice mixture. 


This savory dry rub mixture is so fragrant and adds just the right “zing” to enhance grilled pork without overwhelming its delicate flavor. I have tried this rub on chicken and although others liked it, I think the mixture is better suited for pork.  This rub is not limited to grilled meats; it's a versatile spice mix. 


I have lightly topped my peaches before grilling with this rub and it mixes wonderfully with the natural sweetness of the peaches, yielding a more complex but still peach-sweet flavor.  


And this also works on grilled breads, just make sure you coat the bread first with a "butter" or oil before this seasoning, then grill (toast) lightly.  And wait, there's more!


Baked sweet potatoes topped with either sour cream or greek yogurt then sprinkled with this spice mix is a yummy way to continue the BBQ flavor through the indoor cooking season.  


I'm sure you'll come up with other ways to use this spice mix as well. 


How much rub to use?  Here's what I do ... let's say I'm grilling a pork tenderloin ... I'd first smear a tiny amount of olive oil onto the meat then fully coat one side of the tenderloin with the rub and pat it into the oil.  I really don't think you can use too much of this rub since it enhances flavor and doesn't take over the dish, but too little could end up not accomplishing anything.  As with any seasoning you'll need to experiment to find what amount works best for you.


 And finally, I need to mention the Sugar* notation in my ingredients.  


I'm a sugar-free cook but you don't have to be.  I've had this recipe for years (do not know where it came from or I would give credit) and the original ingredients included both sugar and brown sugar; before I cooked sugar-free I did use those ingredients and we loved it. (Although with traditional sugars I used the rub more sparingly than I described above.)  


Today, I only replace the 3 Tablespoons sugar* with the same amount of Splenda, forgoing the brown sugar.  Typically I also serve a BBQ dipping sauce on the side (home made or commercial at times ... I'll post my recipe soon), and the addition of a sauce also brings some "individually adjusted" sweetness to the dish, so this helps address differing taste or dietary preferences that can exist under one roof! 

3 Tablespoons “Sugar” *

2 Tablespoons “Brown Sugar” **

2 Tablespoons Smoky Paprika

2 Tablespoons Kosher Salt

1 Tablespoon Cumin

1 Tablespoon Onion Powder

1 Tablespoon Garlic Powder

1 Tablespoon Celery Salt

1 Tablespoon Coarse Ground Black Pepper

2 teaspoons Chili Powder

1 teaspoon Oregano, crushed

½ teaspoon Cayenne Pepper

Yield: ~ (about) 1 Cup

Thoroughly mix all ingredients together.  Store in an air tight container up to 6 months.




PRINT OPTION (Under development ok ... I could use some help :)
  

I'm trying to figure out how to offer a printable version of my recipes.  So far the only option I've found is linking to another storage location outside my blog; not my preference.  I'd love to hear from anyone who uses Blogger (blogspot.com) and who makes documents (PDF) available to download on their blog.  It would be great if you'd share your blog / document tips or suggestions!  Thanks so much in advance. 

If When I get the download option worked out I will go back and add that feature to this post, as well as make it standard for future recipe posts.

Hope you enjoy this dry BBQ rub!   


To see other recipe and food related posts here @ Happily Home After you can select Cooking under the Browse By Category heading at any time or you can click here now. 

------------ Link Up's ---------------
 The Sweet Details, The Sweet Details: Savory Sunday
Frugal Antics of a Harried Homemaker, Frugal Antics of a Harried Homemaker: Beef Taquitos: Your Recipe, My Kitchen

33 Shades of Green, Tasty Tuesdays

Simply Sugar and Gluten Free, Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays,8/16/11