K Sarah Designs

Tasty Eats // Salmon Mousse Appetizer

If you're anything like me, the title of this appetizer may not necessarily sound very appealing. You see, I'm not usually a fan of salmon. Like, at all. You'll never find me ordering salmon in a restaurant, and for the most part, I will pick around it in most dishes. Turns out, this appetizer is my one huge exception. I could eat salmon allll day long when it's made this way.

The salmon is poached in white zinfandel with a bit of tarragon, then is mixed with red onion, chives, fresh dill, cream cheese, and capers, and is served on plain water crackers. The result is a wonderful appetizer that is sure to be a crowd pleaser (even for non-salmon enthusiasts like me!).

Salmon Mousse Appetizer

- 1 lb. fresh salmon
- 1 bottle white zinfandel wine (the cheap stuff is okay here)
- 1/2 tsp. dried tarragon (or dill, if desired) 
- 12 oz. softened cream cheese
- 2 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh dill
- 2 Tbsp. finely chopped red onion
- 1/2 tsp. celery seed
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
- 2-3 Tbsp. capers 

Place the salmon, the bottle of white zinfandel, and the tarragon in a pan over medium heat. Poach the salmon until it's opaque & cooked through, about 15-20 minutes, depending on thickness of the salmon fillet. When done, remove the salmon from the pan, and set aside on a plate to cool. Discard the white zin.

When the salmon is cooled, flake it with a fork, making sure all of the bones are removed. In a bowl, add the cream cheese, flaked salmon, fresh dill, chives, red onion, celery seed, salt, and pepper, and mix well. 

Spoon the salmon mousse into a serving dish, sprinkling the capers over the top. (*Note: You can also mix some of the capers into the actual mousse if everyone likes capers). Chill until ready to serve. Plate with water crackers, and enjoy!

Design Breakdown // Traditional & Colorful Living Room

Happy Happy Friday, all!

Today I'm sharing one of my very favorite rooms, and how you can achieve the look yourself!

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This room is such a great mix of both traditonal and modern design, and I love how the two balance each other out. While most of the main furniture pieces are fairly classic (ie: the sofa, console table, striped rug and white chairs), the addition of the lucite coffee table, colorful Jonathan Adler pillows, and the ceramic dog statue add some quirky and modern elements that keep the space interesting.

This is a great example of how accessories can truly set the tone of a room - by sticking with neutral, more traditional pieces for the main, bigger-budget items in a room, you're able to go a little more funky & fun with the accessories. The result is a happy, eclectic space that's both fun and traditional.

Perfect Pairings // Mixed Metal

kitchen / bracelet

I've really been loving mixing metals lately, usually by wearing different metal bangles & necklaces. This kitchen above does an amazing job of mixing both brass and stainless steel - I mean seriously, how pretty is that brass hood?! And I love that the designer carried the mixed metal motif over to the hardware as well with the brass cabinet pulls and the brass & stainless oven handle. Of course, those polished wood counters aren't terrible on the eyes either, for that matter :)

Achieving the mixed metal look in a less-permanent & more personal way is easy to do with jewelry. This diy metal chain bracelet is a perfect example, and would be so easy to layer with other bangles.

Tasty Eats // Chili Verde Tacos

Hello there! Hope everyone's doing well on this fine Tuesday evening :) 

I do apologize for my somewhat sporadic posting lately... It's been busy busy, which I'm sure everyone can relate to :)  

But, I did want to pop in and share these awesome tacos with you. If you're a fan of tomatillos, green salsa, and green chiles, you'll no doubt enjoy this recipe! I love that it's easily adaptable (you can use cooked pork, chicken, or beef, which means it's an easy & awesome way to use leftovers!) Plus, they're just really delicious. I hope you give them a try!

Chili Verde Tacos

- 3 cups cooked pork, chicken, or beef (shredded or cut into small chunks)
- 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 2 Anaheim Chiles, seeds removed and chopped
- 1 jalepeno, seeded and finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cans tomatillos, drained and roughly chopped
- 1 can diced green chiles
- 2 Tbsp. white vinegar
- 1/8 cup white wine
- 3/4 cup chicken broth
- 1 Tbsp. dried oregano
- 1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
- 1-2 Tbsp. chile powder
- 1/2-1 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. black pepper

In a Dutch oven or large pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add the onions, peppers, and garlic. Saute for a couple of minutes, until onions & peppers are translucent, but not browned. Add in your meat, and cook for a few minutes.

Add in the chopped tomatillos, diced chiles, vinegar, white wine, chicken broth, and spices. Stir everything together, reduce the heat, and let simmer for about an hour (*Note: if you're using shredded meat, you probably don't need to cook the full hour, but if you're meat isn't very tender to begin with, you may want to cook longer than an hour).

Serve in tortillas, with shredded jack cheese, lots of fresh cilantro, and a bit of sour cream.

Happy Weekend!

Happy Happy Friday, and three cheers for the weekend!

I'm heading up to Tahoe later today for a short trip, and cannot wait! It's one of my all time favorite places in the world, so I'm pretty excited. Anyone else have any fun plans?

Wishing you a fabulous weekend!

*photo via

Affordable art for gallery walls - part 2

I'm back with another round-up of some affordable art options for a gallery wall. And whereas the first post focused mainly on art in the blue & green color family, these options are primarily in the pink and yellow color family:

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Similar to last time, most of them are from Society6, 20x200, Etsy, and now also Mammoth & Company (thanks to the suggestion of Lauren from Seventeenth & Irving! If you haven't checked out her blog yet, you should! Serious eye candy and some really great tips on there.)

And the good news is there are still tons more affordable art options that I'm loving, so I think this will be turning into a sort of mini-series :)

Happy Thursday!

Tasty Eats // Spicy Pickled Green Beans

Please say hello to my new favorite afternoon snack, the pickled green bean. I've always been completely addicted to these spicy, pickled beans, but at $7-$8 per jar, didn't really get to enjoy them on a regular basis. Well, I was craving them the other day, and figured I should just try to make my own (for way cheaper!).

I'm so happy I did because these suckers are good! And best of all, they are healthy and very easy to make. I like snacking on them all by themselves, but I'm pretty sure they'd also be the best bloody mary swizzle sticks ever.

Spicy Pickled Green Beans

- 2 lbs. green beans, washed and trimmed to fit in mason or pickling jars
- 1 large clove of garlic, per jar
- 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes, per jar
- 1/2 tsp. mustard seeds, per jar
- 2 fresh dill weed sprigs (OR 1/2 tsp. dried dill seed), per jar
- 2 1/2 cups white vinegar
- 2 1/2 cups water
- 1/4 cup salt

Place the washed & trimmed green beans into the jars until full (**I only needed 2 jars, but you may need more, depending on how big your jars are. If you do need more than 2 jars, you will probably need to increase the vinegar, water & salt amounts**). Next, place the garlic cloves, red pepper flakes, mustard seed, and dill into each jar.

In a pan, bring the vinegar, water, and salt to a boil. Pour the boiling liquid over the green beans in the jars until full. Tighten the lids, and process the jars for 5 minutes in a boiling water bath. Take them out, let them cool to room temperature, and refrigerate. They are ready to enjoy 2-3 days later!

I love them straight from the jar or added to salads... and I can't wait to try them in a homemade bloody mary!

Spoonflower fabrics that i love

Happy Monday, all!

Have you heard or bought fabric from Spoonflower before? If you're unfamiliar with it, Spoonflower is a site that sells fabrics designed by individuals (rather than large fabric houses), and you can choose the variety & weight of fabric you want each design printed on. I think it's a very cool concept, and I've been noticing some really great designs lately (most notably from this shop!). I'm thinking of purchasing some for pillows, and here are a few I'm loving right now:

*the first 8 designs can be found here, the 9th can be found here, and the 10th can be found here

I really like the idea that if you can't find the exact fabric you're looking for, you can just make your own! And it's also nice to know you're supporting smaller designers when purchasing these fabrics.

What are your thoughts on Spoonflower? Has anyone purchased through them before and can speak of the quality?

Thirsty Treats // The Sungold Zinger

Before hearing about this drink, I had never really thought of putting tomatoes in a cocktail other than a bloody mary. So when a sweet reader, Laura, sent me this cocktail recipe that included cherry tomatoes, but was in fact not a bloody mary, I was intrigued. Intrigued to the point where I had to make it that day, as soon as I got home!

And boy, am I glad I gave it a try! It's different than any cocktail I've ever had in that if you didn't know the ingredient list, you'd be hard pressed to pinpoint the specific flavors in it. The star of the drink is, of course, the Sungold Cherry tomatoes, but the addition of lemon juice, agave nectar, sea salt, and gin truly gives it such an interesting and well-balanced flavor. It's sweet, salty, tart, and savory all at once, and I'd almost liken it to a more zesty, slightly salted sip of fresh orange juice (with a bit of a kick, of course!). I loved this completely unique cocktail, and I will most certainly be making them again.

Sungold Zinger Cocktail

- 4 Sungold Cherry tomatoes (or another sweet cherry tomato)
- pinch of sea salt
- 1/3 oz. agave nectar
- 3/4 oz. fresh lemon juice
- 1 1/2-2 oz. gin (preferably 209, but not necessary)

Muddle the tomatoes, salt, and agave syrup together in a mixing glass. The muddled tomatoes is what gives this drink that vibrant orange color - so fun! **I think it would also be delicious to throw in a few fresh basil leaves & muddle them with the above - I'm going to try this next time!**

Add the lemon juice and gin, and shake well with ice. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass, and garnish with another tomato on the rim. Enjoy!

Happy Friday, all! Hope your weekend is truly fabulous!

Affordable art for gallery walls

I've been on the hunt for some affordable art for my workspace, and am almost overwhelmed by all of the great options out there. With new(ish) art sites like Society6, Minted, and 20x200, finding inexpensive & awesome art is easier than ever. Not only do these sites have a huge selection to choose from, but I love that you can buy their prints framed or unframed - it's so convenient!

I've put together a handful of prints that I'm really liking right now, and there are tons more where this came from! I stuck to mostly blues, greens, & naturals, since that's what I'm looking for right now. I'll probably put a few of these posts together though, mostly so that I can keep track of all of the options!

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