Tomato Pie of Seasons Meeting

Not to be mistaken for humble pie

If you're looking for something that blends summer and fall, this is the pie for you.  Heirloom tomatoes are a grape tomatoes that show off the beautiful colors of tomatoes. They're lovely to look at and even better to eat combining sweet, tart and just a hint of bitterness.  Although we give all sorts of alternatives in other recipes, for this one we have to be firm about getting heirloom tomatoes. However if you can get a selection of fresh herbs, we will absolutely say go for it! 

Ingredients

1 lb heirloom tomatoes

1 large handful fresh parsley

1/2 c sour cream

1 Tbsp dried basil

1 Tbsp fresh minced garlic

1 Tbsp ground thyme

1 tsp dried oregano 

1/2 tsp rosemary

pinch of salt

pinch of pepper

1 pie crust 

2 slices of mozzarella 

Let's start off by chopping your tomatoes into quarters, nothing fancy needed here.   Now grab the parsley and start tearing it up. You want it so that you don't have anything larger than your fingernail (give or take.) If you've chosen fresh herbs for the other pieces, you can do that now as well. 

Next up take your mozzarella into ribbons no wider than a 1/2 inch, this is going to be the topping of your pie instead of a standard crust. 

Take a bowl and mix together your spices and your sour cream so that everything is thoroughly mixed. Then add in your tomatoes and thoroughly coat them. Allow this mixture to sit for a while (maybe 30 minutes or so) to let the flavors steep into the sour cream. 

Now take your pie crust lay it over a pie pan, carefully pressing it into the pan so that you don't form tears. Curl the edges up onto the sides of the pan so that nothing is hanging down and "squish" it together to form a more solid crust. Next take your tin foil and wrap the edges in aluminum foil to protect them during the baking process. 

Pour your tomato mixture into the pie shell, and set your oven to preheat to 400* F.  While you're waiting for it to preheat, it's time to get fancy! Take your mozzarella and make a pattern out of it. Have fun! There are a ton of patterns you can try over on Pinterest. 

Once your oven is preheated to 400*, bake the pie for 35 minutes. For the last ten of that time, uncover the aluminum so that the crust has a chance to become a gorgeous golden brown. 

At that point you can take it out of the oven, and allow it to cool for five minutes before serving. 

Other options: You can pour this out over a bowl of pasta, be it penne, linguini or tortellini, and it's SO good. 

Another idea we discussed in the kitchen was to see what we could come up with for adding some meatiness to it, and for that we decided on adding slices of prosciutto, chopped up into the pie itself. Our chefs couldn't agree on how to go about that, whether you add it as slices along the bottom of the pie before pouring in the tomato mix, by chopping it up into small pieces and adding it to the mix, or by rolling it up and slicing it and then layering those spirals on the top of the pie. 

Now we know Texas is still dealing with the heat of Summer, even if the calendar says it's officially fall.  Fortunately, this meal can be enjoyed no matter what time of year it is. It's just best when its the in-between time of the seasons. If you do decide to make this, let us know over n our Facebook page or in the comments down below.  As always, we want to hear from you! 

If you're here because your dishwasher is giving you hell and doesn't want to get the pie tins clean, we can still help! We're not just here for delicious recipes, we can fix your major appliances too! (Yeah, we know we say this every month, but it's true!)  You can reach out to us via our contact page or by giving us a call! ((214) 599-0055) 

Whatever it is you need, we're here for you. We'll work with you to find a time that works for you and set an appointment for one of our technicians to come out to you. We'll get your home running smoothly again. 

9 Gorgeous Plants That Are Texas Natives!

And Why A Native Lawn Is Better Than A Grass Lawn

We've talked before about the idea of more natural landscaping and turning away from having your yard or garden as just a lawn of grass. More than being a "popular" idea, it's also better for your home and your water bill. This week we're taking a look at turning the land around your home into a garden that's more representative of native Texas plants. Since planning something like this can take all winter to plan and source, if not longer, we figured we'd get the ball rolling now. Some of these plants are decorative, some are edible, and many are attractive to different pollinators. 

What does "native" mean here?  

So what exactly does "native" mean? A native plant is one that has lived in Texas prior to Europeans coming to the continent. The spread of Europeans across North America brought all sorts of plants over, and while many have adapted, not all of them have. More important is that some of them have negatively affected the pre-existing flora and fauna of Texas and North America as a whole.  If you're looking to replace invasive species in your yard, or you just want to know what to avoid, here's a quick list. Japanese honeysuckle, Brazilian pepper, Chinese tallowtree, musk thistle, Macartney rose, scotch thistle, yellow star thistle, Malta star thistle, blessed milk thistle, jointed goatgrass, Christ-thorn, Camel thorn, and Chinese privet are all examples. Again, invasive plants are those that spread naturally in an area because they don't have predators in the new area. More importantly, they can easily take over an area and displace the native plants.

We will say that so long as something isn't invasive (consider something like kudzu which will choke out all other plants) you can plant whatever you want. 

A quick note, we have included the Latin names for most of the plants we're suggesting so that you can search for that variety specifically. 

Courtesy of Baker Creek

Wild Petunia 

Many of us want to switch over to different options for ground covers so as not to lose our precious topsoil. For that we suggest the Wild Petunia, a low, wide-spreading plant that loves to  bloom all throughout summer. You'll get beautiful pale lilac blooms from the Ruellia nudiflora without having to fight with it.

Lemon beebalm

Many of us are using our gardens to grow plants that can supplement our tables or our medicine cabinets these days. If that's you, or you just want a beautiful flower, you might enjoy the lemon beebalm or lemon mint plant. Also known as Monarda citriodora, this plant puts out beautiful blooms early on in summer to draw in all sorts of pollinators.

Courtesy of Baker Creek

Courtesy of Texas Beyond History

Yucca 

When you want a plant that can thrive as a hedge, a container plant or a border plant, a yucca is a great addition to your garden. You could even go so far as to include several different varieties of yucca in your yard as the plant comes in a large variety of shapes, sizes and colors.

 Texas Redbud 

If you're looking for a shrub that will flower all through summer, check out the Texas Redbud. Although they're really more of a pink than a red, we think that the blooms are absolutely lovely. To learn more about it and what it needs, you can look up Cercis canadensis var. texensis.

Courtesy of North Carolina State University

Courtesy of Baker Creek

Purple coneflower 

When looking at this plant, you'll quickly understand how it gets its common name. The Latin name, though is Echinacea purpurea, which gives a clue to just how useful it is in your home. Purple coneflower is part of the echinacea family and is commonly used for treating pain and inflammation alongside the cold or flu. The flowers are easy to grow, with their blooms starting in early spring and lasting all through summer.

Beautyberry 

Who wouldn't love a plant called Beautyberry? The plant creates stunning clusters of berries that can feed local birds and animals.  Although technically edible, we don't suggest eating them raw as the beautyberry is rather astringent. The Beautyberry or Callicarpa americana also has lovely long, arching branches and bright green foliage to attract the eye even when the berries are no longer in season.

Courtesy of Amazon

Courtesy of Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center

Crossvine

You might be looking for something to bring in a pop of color to a gazebo or trellis, or your outdoor kitchen. There we're going to suggest the Crossvine or Bignonia capreolata. These beauties are a climbing vine that are colorful all year long. In spring, you get beautiful blooms in fiery yellows, oranges, and reds, while in cooler months, you see the leaves shade from vibrant green to a beautiful purple.

Winecup 

These cup-shaped, deep purple wildflowers have stems and foliage that spread along the ground and form a thick mat, making them a great choice for ground cover in landscaping. The drought-tolerant winecup, aka purple poppy mallow, blooms in spring, when its flowers open each morning and close each night.

Courtesy of Nana’s Bloomers

Courtesy of Native Backyards

Texas Mountain Laurel

If you're wanting something that will impress friends and family, both with its height and with the beautiful blooms, look no further than the Texas Mountain Laurel. Also called Sophora secundiflora, this tree blooms in beautiful shades of white and purple in spring and summer. 

Which ones are your favorites? Do you know more about native plants in Texas? Let us know in the comments below or over on our Facebook page. As always, we love to hear from you! 

If you're here because your appliances are costing you money, not your yard, it's cool. We're actually specialists in appliance repair. (You couldn't tell, could you? haha.) So no matter which of your major appliances are making your day chaotic, don't fret; we can help. Just reach out to us via our contact page or by giving us a call at ((214) 599-0055). We'll work with you to set up a date and time that work for you to have one of our professionals come and fix what's wrong. At Appliance Rescue Service, our goal is to get your home running smoothly again.  

True or False? How Many Trends Do YOU Know?

Check Out Our Quiz To See How Many You Can Spot

Courtesy Of: Country Living

• Display Your Art in the Kitchen 

  This one is true!  It's become very popular this year to bring art all throughout the home. Companies like Displate offer art that is sturdy enough to hold up in the kitchen, while others are looking at digital frames like the ones from Samsung. 

Courtesy of: Kinedesign

• Bringing Back Freestanding Bathtubs 

  This  one is also true.  We're loving having bathtubs be the center of the bathroom again. Although the concept of self-care is a bit contentious as to what defines it, there are many different reasons to love a good soak. From the physical to the mental to the emotional, there are dozens of benefits to a soak in the tub, and having you bathroom's central focus on it just makes sense. 

Courtesy of: Wallart & Indecortrends

•  Bring the Garden Inside with Floral Wallpapers

  This one is true. We talked earlier this year about bringing in larger patterns for wallpaper into the home, gardens seem to be what's really getting the focus this year. We can't say how long this trend will last, but with peel and stick wallpaper, we don't think there's any harm in finding the perfect wallpaper for you. 

Courtesy of Zionstart

• Let Yourself Breathe with High Ceilings

  Here we've got out first false. While this is a fantastic design option in your blogger's opinion, current design trends aren't currently focusing on this one. The towering ceilings are lovely to look at, it's not an easy look to get if you're not building your own home or purchasing an older property. 

Courtesy of Paynes Grey

• Make It Minimal with Metal and Glass 

  This one is also false, and is actually a trend from the 1920s instead. Check out the precise lines and the shine of glass, it's a very Art Deco style. At the moment the straight lines aren't so much a thing as are curves and more natural shapes. 

Courtesy of: Revival Beds

• Make Your Room Royal with a Four Poster Bed 

  This one is very true and we love it! As we've mentioned previously, we're all over the idea of being comfy in your home, that your home should be your castle and your getaway. This trend is taking that to the next level and bringing back four poster beds and we are loving it. 

Courtesy of: The Chive

• Be Comfy All Year Long With Cozy Fabrics

  Another true one, and again, very much an outcome from the pandemic. Adding in comfort to every room, when you don't know what a given day will bring you, is a fantastic idea. Whether that's linens and cottons or velvets and weighted blankets, we love that people are focusing on making their home safe, clean and comfortable 

• Let Your Room Be as Complicated As You Are With Contrasting Decor

  This one is true, and admittedly, we can see why. By having your room one color and then bringing in different contrasting colors, it allows you to have more play and expression in different rooms. 

Courtesy of Trendesignbook

• Bring in the Bling with Art Deco 

  Sadly, this one is false. Although Art Deco has become popular again, at the moment the trends are heading more towards those of Art Nouveau, rounded natural shapes and natural colors. 

Courtesy of :Touch of Design

• Flounces Everywhere! 

  Thankfully, in your Blogger's opinion at least, this one is currently false. While flounces are currently rather popular as an accent when it comes to clothes right now, we aren't seeing them transition back into decor just yet.  

Courtesy of : Ridgestonehomes

• Paint Your Kitchen, Anything BUT White 

  If you paid attention to an earlier post this year, you'd be wise and know this one is true! Not only are people getting rid of their upper cabinets, but they're also painting their cabinets all sorts of vibrant and stunning colors. 

Courtesy of Sideboards & Buffets

• Ancient Egyptian Design 

  Although Egyptian design is always very interesting, at the moment it's not a top trend. Which is either a  very good thing, or very bad, depending on your love of gold and blues. 

Courtesy of: Factory Direct

• Let Your Sofa Be Curvy 

  This one is true! As much as we're all loving on the curves in nature, we're applying it to our sofas as well. We don't see this one hanging on for long though, as it is rather difficult to plan around a curved piece of furniture, as people in the 70s knew all too well. 

Courtesy of: The English Home

• Plaster work (gilt optional) 

  As interesting as plasterwork is, we're rounding out our list with a false!  Plaster work has the possibility to add so much character to a room, but for the time being it's not a trend. Probably because of the price that goes into it.  

How did you do? 

1-4 = You're still finding your footing for trends. 

5-9 = You're well on your way to being a trendsetter! 

10-14 = You are a verified trendsetter! Go out and help people find the best decor for them this year. 

Did we have any that we missed? Let us know in the comments below or over on our Facebook page. As always we love to hear what you think. 

If you're wondering why in the world we're talking about interior decor when you just need help with your dryer, we've got you covered. Give us a call at ((214) 599-0055) or reach out on our contact page. We'll work with you to find a time that works with your schedule and make sure that we figure out what's going on with your appliances. 

Mushroom & Asparagus Crepes

Easy and fast to make, and so delicious you’ll be fighting for a second share.

We won’t mince words with y’all this week. We’re too excited to get to the recipe. This week we’re making a delicious summer end mushroom and asparagus recipe. You can make this now and save the crepes for a later date or you can make only enough for a dinner and enjoy it tonight. 

Ingredients

Crepes

½ tsp vegetable oil

1 c whole wheat flour

½ tsp salt

2 c milk

3 large eggs

4 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted and cooled to room temp

Filling

1 ½ lbs cremini mushrooms mixed with ½ lb shitake mushrooms if you want to add another layer

¼ c water

½ tsp vegetable oil

1 Tbsp unsalted butter

1 shallot, minced

½ tsp salt

¼ tsp fresh pepper

8 oz asparagus

⅔ c heavy cream

6 Tbsp Pecorino Romano cheese

Start off by prepping your mushrooms and asparagus. You’ll want to trim your mushrooms and chop them to ¼ inch thick. Your asparagus will get the same treatment, trimming off the woody bits, and cutting diagonally. 

For the crepes - 

Grab your nonstick skillet and put it on low heat for 5 minutes, and pour the oil in. While that’s heating up, grab two bowls. In one, mix your flour and salt. In a separate bowl, mix together your milk and eggs. 

Next pour in half of your milk mixture to the dry ingredients and whisk until smooth. Pour your melted butter in next and whisk that until it’s mixed in. Whisk in the remaining wet ingredients and mix until that’s free of any lumps, clumps or bumps.

Once your batter is ready, it’s back to the skillet. Grab a paper towel and wipe out the skillet. You want just a film of oil on the bottom and the sides. Turn up the heat on your stove to medium and let the skillet heat for another minute. You’ll test the heat by pouring 1 tablespoon of batter into the skillet and cook it for 20 seconds. If your mini crepe is golden brown on the bottom, your skillet is at the perfect temperature. If it’s too light, or too dark, adjust the heat and test again. 

Remove your skillet from the heat and pour in ⅓ of a cup of batter into the far side of the skillet. (So whichever side is farthest from you.) Swirl the skillet gently in a circle until you have covered the bottom evenly. Place your skillet back on the stove and cook the crepe, without moving the skillet, until the top of the skillet is dry and the crepe starts to brown at the edges. Wait for 30 seconds or so to pass and then grab your rubber or silicone spatula. Run it around the edges of the skillet and then gently slide the spatula underneath the edge. Grab the edge with your fingertips and flip the crepe. Wait another 20 seconds and the top of the crepe should be lightly spotted. Yay, it’s done! 

Take your skillet off the heat, and transfer the crepe to a wire rack. Return the skillet to the heat for 10 seconds before you repeat everything with the remaining batter. As your crepes are finished, transfer them to the  wire rack. 

*Crepes can be wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and kept refrigerated for up to 3 days. Alternatively, if you’re in a baking mood, you can stack them between sheets of parchment paper and freeze them for up to a month. Make sure to allow the frozen crepes to thaw completely in the refrigerator before you decide to use them. 

Now it’s time for the filling!

Combine your mushrooms and water in your skillet and cook them over high heat. Until the skillet is almost dry and the mushrooms have begun to sizzle, it should take about 4-8 minutes. Reduce  the heat to medium-high and add oil to the pan. Toss until the mushrooms are evenly coated. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally until the mushrooms are well browned, another 4-8 minutes. Turn the heat down to medium.

Now, toss those mushrooms to the side of the skillet. You want them to stay warm, but now it’s time to focus on the asparagus.  Add butter to the center and once it’s melted, add the shallot, salt and pepper to the center and cook, stirring until fragrant. Add your asparagus  and cook for a minute. Now turn the heat down to medium-low, add in cream and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mix has reduced by half about 1 minute. Turn off the heat and add in the pecorino keep stirring until the cheese is melted and the mushroom mix is creamy. 

Take two plates, place the crepes on one and invert a plate over the top. Microwave this whole mixture until the crepes are warm, no more than 30-45 seconds. Working with 1 crepe at a time spread ⅓ of a cup of the mushroom mix across the bottom half of a crepe. Fold the crepes in half and then fold it over again. Transfer them over to a plate and serve warm. 

So, what do you think? Are you liking the idea? Let us know in the comments below or over on our Facebook page. As always we love to see what you make . 

If you’re not here because of that, but maybe because you would prefer to have a functional stove or dishwasher, we get it. You can reach out to us on our contact page or by giving us a call at (). Wherever you are within the Dallas area, Appliance Rescue is here for you. 

Owner vs Blogger: Part Two- Shopping for Reliability

  Because experience means more 

Welcome back, everyone! This week we're covering the other half of our Blogger vs Owner faceoff of 2022. This time we'll be looking at what an experienced professional has to say about the appliances on the market and why she chooses what she does.  If you're looking for new appliances or just want to check out what the differences might be, this is the post for you.  

Dishwasher - Jenn-Air JDPSS246LL

Price: $2199.00

Starting off with the dishwasher, I liked the RISE series the best, not only because of everything it can handle but because it's energy certified, it's quiet and it has a stainless steel tub. 

High-Capacity 3rd Rack with Wash

The largest 3rd Level Rack in the luxury industry glides with quiet and ease, even when fully loaded with tapas bowls, large rocks glasses and cocktail shakers.

RISE Series 24 Inch Built-In Dishwasher with 6 Wash Cycles, 15 Place Settings, Energy Star Certified, 38 dBA Quiet System, Enhanced Cinematic Interior Lighting, Stainless Steel Tub, TriFecta Wash System, Condensation Dry in Stainless Steel

Enhanced Cinematic Lighting

Shine a spotlight on clean. Packed with 18 LED lights that ramp up to full intensity, JennAir brand’s best lighting coverage chases away shadows to illuminate daring Obsidian racks.

Daring Obsidian Racks

A JennAir® signature, these dramatic black racks are inspired by the beauty of volcanic glass—showcasing clean dishes in striking contrast.

3-Stage Filtration

A coarse filter, large filter screen and fine filter cup keep oversized and fine food particles out of the pump and helps prevent them from being recirculated onto dishware.

Cooktop Jenn-Air 48" Rise Professional Gas Rangetop in Stainless Steel

Price: $ 5299.00

“For the cooktop, I'm like many Texans and cooks, I prefer having a gas range. Fortunately, Jenn Air carries them and the professional variant at 48" is my pick. “

14 Rangetop Configurations 

Bend fire to your will. Grills, griddles, brass burners. Three Widths. With 14 unique configurations, it's up to you. Cast off porous, superficially plated options. Go deeper. Infused with chrome, our griddle cleans up well after heavy usage. Underneath, a serpentine element powers out best griddle preheat. Fire up the grill for indoor entertainment on your terms. 

Wall Oven    Jenn-Air Rise 30" Combination Smart Electric Microwave and Wall Oven in Stainless Steel

Price $6549.00

Although I absolutely love the wolf oven our Blogger picked, it is gorgeous(!) I'm sticking with Jenn Air and that's the oven microwave combo. I prefer it when things have multiple functions when at all possible. This one really appeals to me not just because of how it looks, but also everything it can handle. 

An upper convection microwave helps you create chef-inspired meals quickly. Below, the lower cavity's vertical dual-fan V2 convection system precisely directs heat to caress each ingredient - transforming prepped food into date-night-worthy dishes. With curated recipes and full-color doneness images on the Culinary Center, an intelligent culinary experience awaits.

• 7-inch full color LCD display

• Alexa enabled device

• Google assistant enabled device

• SOFTEN/MELT CYCLE Ribbons of molten chocolate. Butter that yields to your knife. Melt and soften with delicate heat that ignites passionate appetites.

• AUTO CONVECTION CONVERSION Bake with abandon. The oven automatically converts temperature and cook time to make any recipe a convection recipe.

Refrigerator Jenn-Air 42" Built-In Side-by-Side Refrigerator

Price : $9,699.00

.... you guessed correctly - Jenn Air - I am actually putting this in my house beginning of next year, although I've already put in an order to try and guarantee that it will be available then. Like we mentioned last year, it's better to schedule what you're wanting ahead of time, and increase your chances of getting what you want given the shortages.

The exclusive Obsidian interior brings a luxurious finish to the inside of this Jenn-Air® integrated built-in refrigerator. The refrigerator achieves a seamless look with a flush design that features concealed hinges and trim pieces. With optional custom panels, it blends completely into cabinetry, a luxury detail that designers appreciate.

• Precision Temperature Management System

• Advanced Climate Control Drawer

• Produce Preserver

• Multi-Point LED Theater Lighting

• Capacitive Touch Controls with LED Display

• Soft-Close Crisper Drawers

Washer & Dryer Combo  Maytag 4.5 Cu. Ft. Front Load Washer and 7.3 Cu. Ft. Electric Dryer in White

Price:  $1998.00 

"The washer and dryer, this is the toughest choice for me. With the amount of use these appliances go through, that makes them extremely hard to spend the large amounts of money for them. I consider a washer or dryer to be "disposable" after 3-4 years and would be happy if they make it 5 years. (Sadly many on the market currently aren't built to last beyond that, even if I wish they were.)

I choose the ones with less features, a deep fill option and an agitator if at all possible, which means they're going to be top load washers. Sadly, the "pretty" laundry room you can find on Pinterest all focus on the front-loading ones, which doesn't work for me. 

I recently replaced my 4-year-old GE set with a Maytag set mainly because it was in stock (even those of us in the business have to fight with getting things with the current supply chain issues.) 

Washer features:

12 hr Fresh Spin Option

Quick Wash Cycles

Late Add Feature

Steam Option

2 Rinse Options

10 Wash Cycles

Automatic Temperature Controls

Dryer features: 

Advanced Moisture Sensing

Quick Dry Cycle

Wrinkle Prevent Option

Reversible Door

Automatic Dry Control

Powder Coat Drum

4 Temperature Options

3 Dryness Levels

Stackable

When we sat down with Lisa and asked her what it was about these products that affected her choices, this was what she had to say. " Jenn Air is a high end made by Whirlpool, which makes them service friendly and easier to obtain replacement parts.  If I'm going to purchase something for my home, which many of these are, I want to know that I'll have an easy time working on it.  You can't say something will never break. Even the best on the market eventually have issues. So why make it that I'll have to wait even longer to get it fixed? I also love the black interior of the refrigerator, that appeals to me.  The microwave/oven has the ability to black out the panel when not in use which is what absolutely sold me on it.  And then the dishwasher and range top match the oven, and I admit, I do love having things match. 

So, what did you think? Is this what you were expecting to hear from a professional? What did you agree or disagree with? Let us know over on our Facebook page or in the comments down below. We love hearing from y'all. 

If you're here because you haven't given up on your current cooktop (we don't blame you, it's so pretty) we can help. Our owner isn't just experienced with finding the best appliances, she's also got over 30 years of experience in repairing them. Whether your cooktop won't ignite or your dryer is making insane creaking sounds (you know the ones), Appliance Rescue Service is here to help. You can reach out to us via our contact page or by calling us ( (214) 599-0055 ) to set up an appointment. We'll work with you based on your schedule to find a time that works to have our experts come to you and not only diagnose the problem but fix it. At Appliance Rescue Service, getting your home running smoothly again is our top priority. 

*Note : anything said on this blog is a matter of opinion and shouldn't be taken as a slight against any of the companies stated.

** All prices are current as of posting but are subject to change, especially since we don't control them. :)