Hearth Room Splendor

Hearth Rooms are spaces near the kitchen that include a fireplace as a focal point. They are casual family rooms and are meant to be comfortable and functional where the family can gather throughout the day around the fireplace. The hearth itself in these pictures is stunning. Take a look…

Hearth Room in Wolf Creek Ranch, Utah.

Located near the kitchen.

Rustic Chandelier in Hearth Room.

Built by Cameo Homes Inc.

Home built by Utah’s Luxury Home Builders, Cameo Homes Inc.

Designed by Paula Berg Design

Picture Credit: Lucy Call

Park City Showcase of Homes 2015 by Cameo Homes Inc.

Cameo Homes Inc. is proud to present mountain home construction at its finest.  Our Park City Showcase of Homes 2015 entry is located in one of Taliskers developments Tuhaye.  This home was designed to capture the best views of Mount Timpanogos, Deer Valley & the Tuhaye Golf Course.  The home boasts extremely large decks and outdoor living features including a built-in BBQ, pizza oven, fire pits and an outdoor spa.  The exterior colors and materials are very warm and inviting from the stone masonry, cedar woods to the roofing.  Cameo Homes Inc. is a proven, detail-oriented company building Luxury Homes in Utah as Cameo Homes Inc. since 1976.  Here's a photo tour of this home...

Park City Home Builder, Cameo Homes Inc. in Utah since 1976

www.cameohomesinc.com

Cameo Homes in Custom Builder Magazine

Cameo Homes, Inc. is excited to be featured in the Custom Home Builder Magazine September 2015 Edition.  Here is a look into that article...

Retirees Custom-Build Bigger and Better Homes

Couples in Utah and Massachusetts choose to age in place in larger homes with accessible features and fine finishes.

By Susan Bady, Senior Contributing Editor

August 28, 2015

Many couples downsize when they become empty nesters, but there are always exceptions to the rule. The Utah home profiled in this article is approximately 9,000 square feet and is equipped with everything that visiting children (whatever their ages) would love, including a sports court and a swimming pool with a 23-foot water slide.

The Massachusetts home was a dream project for the clients, who want to spend their retirement pursuing passions such as theater and music. The finished space totals 7,900 square feet, but including unfinished space in the basement and over the garage, it’s approximately 10,000 square feet.

Both homes are exquisitely detailed and feature an abundance of custom-made cabinetry and millwork. Consequently, they were long-term projects that each took 2½ years to complete.

With its mix of natural stone and stucco, swooping roof lines, and the eyebrow window over the front door, the exterior suggests mountain retreat with a dash of European country estate. The man-made slate roof tiles weigh less than real slate, “which was important because we already had a heavy snow load for the roof,” says builder Brandon Quinton (Photos: Lucy Call).

To read the full article visit:  http://www.custombuilderonline.com/retirees-custom-build-bigger-and-better-homes

Utah's Luxury Home Builders since 1976, Cameo Homes, Inc.

www.cameohomesinc.com

Outdoor Living In Utah

We've recently built this luxury home in Bountiful, Utah.  This home features an outstanding outdoor living space which is an extension of this beautiful home. The home fulfills a need to sit outside and enjoy the sun in a comfortable space.  The outdoor living space includes a fire pit, pergola, salt water pool, pool slide, outdoor dining area, Wolf BBQ and cooking space, and a sports court.  The views from this space are sensational.  This outdoor living area accomplishes the family goal of being able to gather outside by the pool year round. Take a look at this amazing outdoor living space...

Outdoor Living in Utah by Cameo Homes Inc.  Landscaping by Timberridge Landscaping and Pool by Precision

Pools and Spas.

Utah's Luxury Home Builders, Cameo Homes Inc.

www.cameohomesinc.com

Pin of the Week: Jelly Bean Topiaries

Our Pin of the Week:  Jelly Bean Topiaries comes from the Lil'Luna Blog.  With Easter approaching this weekend this would make the perfect little accent for Easter Dinner.  For more information on how to make a Jelly Bean Topiary, visit:  www.lilluna.com.

Utah Luxury Home Builder, Cameo Homes Inc.

www.cameohomesinc.com

PIN OF THE WEEK: Chritsmas Breakfast

Today's PIN OF THE WEEK comes from www.kidskubby.com.  This pin features some great Christmas breakfast ideas that are delicious and fun for the kids.  Enjoy!

For more information visit:  http://www.kidskubby.com/easy-christmas-breakfast-ideas-for-kids/

Utah Home Builder, Cameo Homes Inc.

www.cameohomesinc.com

PIN OF THE WEEK: Personalized Pinecones

Our PIN OF THE WEEK comes from Brides.com and was pinned by Pottery Barn.  Using personalized pinecones would be such an easy way to seat your guests this Thanksgiving.  What a great and inexpensive idea!

TUESDAY TREND: Sub-Zero & Wolf Range

Check out this dual-fuel range from Sub-Zero & Wolf in the Scottsdale Showroom!  Photography by Rick Young 2013.

"Use dual convection for virtually any baking, roasting, or broiling you do. You’ll see (and taste) levels of consistency and guesswork-free precision you never knew were possible. That’s because of an innovative technology, exclusive to Wolf, that uses two fans and multiple heating elements to control heat and airflow more precisely and produce more uniform temperature without the hot and cool spots common with less sophisticated single convection systems. Bake three racks of cookies without even having to rotate the trays."  Sub-Zero & Wolf

Cadbury Egg Cookies

We posted this great recipe last year and it was such a hit we thought we would post it again.  Happy Easter and try not to eat all the cookies yourself!

Cadbury Egg Cookies

Recipe by OurBestBites.com

1/2 C  crisco

1/2 C  butter

1 C  brown sugar

1 C  white sugar

2 eggs

1  1/2  t  vanilla

1  t  baking powder

1  t  baking soda

1/2  t  salt

2  1/2 C  flour

6 Tbsp.  unsweetened cocoa powder

1  10 oz. bag Cadbury Mini-Eggs

Preheat oven to 350.  Chop up the cadbury eggs in a ziplock bag until they are crumbled.

Cream together the butter, crisco, brown sugar and white sugar.  Add in eggs one at a time and the vanilla.  In a separate bowl whisk together the flour, soda, baking powder, salt and cocoa powder.  Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture to combine and then mix in the candies.

Drop onto a cookie sheet and cook for about 8-10 minutes.  Remove to a cooling rack and try not to stuff your face too quickly!

Brittney's Pumpkin Bars

BRITTNEY'S PUMPKIN BARS

CAKE:

1 cup oil  4 eggs 1-15 oz can pumpkin 1 1/2 cups sugar

Beat until fluffy then mix dry ingredients together and add to mixture.

2 cups flour 1 tsp salt 1 tsp soda 1 tsp baking powder 2 tsp cinnamon 1/4 tsp nutmeg

Spread in a sheet cake pan.  Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes.

FROSTING:

1-8 oz. cream cheese 1/4 cup butter 1 tsp vanilla 3 cups powdered sugar

Make sure your cream cheese and butter aren't too cold so your frosting doesn't get chunky. Cream butter and cream cheese together.  Add vanilla and gradually beat in powdered sugar.  Spread on cooled cake.  Enjoy!

Cameo Homes Inc.

www.cameohomesinc.com

Snack Happy

School has started and boy, are these kids hungry when they arrive home.  So what snacks do you feed

them?  Here are 10 great tips for keeping your kids snacking healthy.   Our friend Christie Jensen shared

this great article with us, thanks Christie!

   No. 1: Keep junk food out of the house

Keep the sweets out of the house, then you won’t be tempted.  This would be helpful for myself.  Parents need to set good examples by choosing healthy snacks for yourself.

   No. 2: Go for the grain

Snack time is a great time to get your whole grains in.  These can be in whole grain pretzels, tortillas or whole grain cereals.

   No. 3: Mix and match

Dip baby carrots in fat free ranch or hummus.  Dip fresh fruit in fat free yogurt.  Spread the peanut butter on veggies and fruit.  I know my kids love to dip stuff, so why not make it healthy.

   No. 4: Broaden the menu

Try pineapple, cranberries, tangelos or roasted soy nuts.

   No. 5: Revisit breakfast

Serve breakfast foods — such as scrambled eggs and whole-grain toast — as healthy snacks for kids in the afternoon.

   No. 6: Sweeten it up

Just because it is healthy doesn’t mean it has to taste bland.  Give a little sweet stuff, fat-free pudding, frozen yogurt of fruit bars.  One of our favorites is a fresh fruit smoothie with skim milk and fat-free yogurt.

   No. 7: Have fun

Make fruit kabobs (recipe is on an earlier post).  Make towers out of graham crackers, make funny faces out of your fruit.  Use cookie cutters with your whole grain breads or cheese.

   No. 8: Promote independence

Keep a selection of ready-to-eat veggies in the refrigerator. Leave fresh fruit in a bowl on the counter. Store low-sugar, whole-grain cereal and fruit canned or packaged in its own juice in an easily accessible cabinet.

   No. 9: Don’t be fooled by labeling gimmicks

Foods marketed as low-fat or fat-free can still be high in calories and sodium. Likewise, foods touted as cholesterol-free can still be high in fat, saturated fat and sugar. Check nutrition labels to find out the whole story.

   No. 10: Designate a snacking zone

Restrict snacking to certain areas, such as the kitchen. You’ll save your child countless calories from mindless munching in front of the TV. If your child needs to snack on the go, offer string cheese, yogurt sticks, cereal bars, a banana or other drip-free items.

I hope this list is helpful to you.  It is great to be reminded to have healthy snacks.  There is so much processed unhealthy foods that are easy to buy.  It does take more effort and planning to have healthy snacks around, but what a great way to get more fruits, veggies and whole grains into your child’s diet (and yours!).

For more information or to visit Christie's blog go to http://raisinghealthykids.wordpress.com/

A little something tasty for July

We found this great recipe from one of our favorite blogs, Our Best Bites Blog.  This salad is so light and easy to put together and would be a great addition to your July BBQ.

Grilled Chicken & Berry Salad

Grilled Chicken & Berry Salad Recipe by Our Best Bites

1/2 head Romaine lettuce, washed and chopped into bite-sized pieces 6-8 oz. baby spinach 12-16 oz. chicken, marinated, grilled, and sliced* 8 oz. strawberries, sliced 8 oz. blueberries 4 oz. crumbled Feta or shredded fresh Parmesan cheese 1 c. sliced almonds, toasted Berry Poppy Seed Dressing to taste

For serving a large crowd, toss all the salad ingredients in a large serving bowl and add dressing to taste. For individual servings, arrange ingredients on plates and serve the dressing on the side. Makes about 8 side dish servings and 4 main dish servings.

Tie-Dyed Cake

Last year just about this time, I found a recipe in the Family Fun magazine that I really wanted to make

for Taste-A-Rainbow Cupcakes. I tore it out of the magazine before I threw it away just so I could file it

away in my to-do recipes folder. Super cute, huh!?

Well, as we approached my daughter's 7th birthday this past January, she INSISTED we make her these

cupcakes.  Originally I had wanted to make them for her class and stay true to the recipe. Then

remembered that homemade treats are no longer allowed in schools. We were sad. So, instead we opted

to make one giant cake for home. I had envisioned this cake being perfect rainbow stripes.

I measured the batter out equally into six bowls (I used white cake mix but you could also use yellow

without problem).   Then added our Wilton food coloring for even more intense colors. If you've never

tried the Wilton food coloring, I HIGHLY recommend it. They're going to cost you a bit more, but you

will be so much happier with the outcome and a little goes a LONG way! I get mine at a local craft store.

As you can see, the cake didn't end up with perfect stripes, but more of a tie-dyed look. Which still looked

pretty darn awesome! I used vanilla pudding between the cake layers and a homemade buttercream

frosting with a touch of cream cheese in it. FABULOUS!!!

{buttercream frosting}

 1/2 c. butter, softened

 6-7 c. powdered sugar

 2 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 tsp. almond extract

 1-8oz. pkg cream cheese, softened

Whip butter and cream cheese together until light and fluffy. Add extracts. Slowly add powdered sugar until you get the desired consistency/flavor. You might add a little more or less powdered sugar depending on how you like it. Enjoy!

This post was written by our friend, Lisa  Jensen.  You can visit her blog for other great recipes at http://gourmified.blogspot.com/

DEEELISH!

We made this great Easter cookie recipe called 'Cadbury Egg Cookies' from the 'Our Best

Bites Blog' and they are Delicious!!  They definitely won't be listed under our Health &

Fitness category however, they are worth the once-a-year indulgence!  These also taste

really good with peanut butter chips instead of the cadbury eggs.   You can find this

recipe at:  http://www.ourbestbites.com/2009/04/cadbury-egg-

cookies/

April's Recipe of the Month

Here is a delicious spring salad that would be a great part of any Easter Dinner.

Nancy's Spinach Salad

Graciously shared with us by Jen Vietti

Nancy’s Spinach Salad ¼ c vegetable oil (I used EVOO b/c I like the flavor better) 2 T vinegar 2 T sugar Salt and pepper to taste 1 bag baby spinach 1 c sliced celery ½ c chopped green onion 1 can Mandarin oranges ½ c Candied Almonds (see below)

Mix first 4 ingredients together (dressing) and set aside. Put spinach in large bowl, add celery and green onions – mix together. Drain juice from oranges and then pour oranges over salad. Add dressing and candied almonds – mix well.

Candied Almonds 3 to 4 T sugar ½ c slivered almonds

Stir over low heat until well coated. Grease foil or parchment paper and pour over it. Pat the nuts down so they aren’t so bunched up. Allow to cool and then separate.

Savory Recipes

 

Are you looking for a wonderful, NEW, cookbook?  Look no further, The Gathering of Friends Cookbooks are adding a Volume 3 cookbook at the end of March 2011.  These books "were created to introduce food as a love language."    These cookbooks are available on their website at www.thegatheringoffriends.com