The pros take over

Bill and his powertools arrived today to finish the demo because frankly it wore us out. While tear out is certainly something you can do yourself, the fact that the walls came down in bigger pieces for him, rather than the crumbly bits we got says that there is more knowledge involved than you'd think.
Tomorrow he'll take out the bathroom door and vanity and start framing for the new, larger door. Also up tomorrow is Chris the electrician. I'm so excited about the darkness-banishing recessed lights I could squeal. Who am I kidding, the whole thing makes me want to squeal.

I've also taken the opportunity to remove some other doors around the house (salvaging the very cool hardware!) that are going away and shuttled them off to the dumpster. We've got some old wrought iron I was going to trash too but Bill saves scrap metal and offered to take it all off my hands.

So the tear down is nearly done. Hopefully by the weekend I'll have some pictures of the rebuilt to show.

Here we go

Order your dumpster before you start your demo, or you end up with so much debris bagged up and stacked in the middle of the room that you have to stop. Our dumpster is being delivered tomorrow, so we can finish clearing out the room tomorrow and Wednesday night.
Tonight we met with the electrician, and his bid was very good. So good in fact that the number had barely left his mouth and I said "Sold." Brett then immediately said "How much more to add ceiling lights in the hallway?"

So everything needs to be cleared out and ready to go by Thursday, because thats when the rewiring begins. We went to Lowe's tonight armed with a list and the Christmas gift cards from our families, and came out with 400 bucks worth of electrical equipment. New, white, grounded outlets. Five inch recessed ceiling cans. Wide, shallow wall switches with dimmers. Even a pair of simple ceiling fixtures to replace the bare bulb and pull chain lights in the closets.

Never one to wait on the fun stuff, today I also picked up a couple Ben Moore sample jars to test when the new drywall is up.

We're SO ready for some change.

Hammer time

The final numbers for carpentry and drywall and electrical are nearly in, and while they're really not bad, we need to save where we can. Coupled with a chance viewing of DIY Network's Ten Grand in your Hand, we decided today to begin demolition in the west bedroom.

Here it is before, an ugly expanse of wallpaper glue left from the old faded burlap.
Here's the other side of the room with the ancient built-in desk. Bill's going to do a window bench here. Those pieces of paper up in the corner are there as we were judging sizes for new crown moulding.

And here is the east wall shortly after we began swinging hammers. The closet in the center remains, but gets a double door instead of the sliders that were there. The tiny closet in the corner on the left goes away. It currently holds slanted shoe shelves and not much else. Removing it lets us install a 30 inch door into the bathroom rather than the too-narrow one there now. That change saves us the cost of a door and hardware as well as making that whole part of the room less congested.

Here's Brett with his hammer. The other benefit of demo work is that we got to blow off some angst and steam we built up yesterday. The sweatshirt is your clue, nuff said.

So far it seems like our house is exremely well built. Phyllis had told us that in 1952 Joe Hoffman was the premier home builder in this part of town, and I'm inclined to think she was right. Nails are long and plentiful, and everything is incredibly solid. For some reason the drywall is double layered. There actually is insulation, but its old and not very thick and I'm happy we're replacing it.

The wiring is all intact and while it's not scary, it does look old and I'm glad we're replacing it as well. Another electrician comes tomorrow night to give us a bid, and hopefully I can get someone to deliver a roll-off. So far we've got 12 contractor bags of broken sheetrock, assorted doors and shelves, and miles of nail-ridden trim.

More photos to follow as things progress.

Its time

After a long winter we're dying for some change around here. We're both itching to pull out the legions of overgrown yews circling the house, but really we need some improvement inside. Contractor One came a couple weekends ago, but he seems to have flaked and we're not calling him back. I emailed a couple of questions to Contractor Two and received a prompt reply from the company president and an invitation to call and talk. We've since reconsidered hiring a remodeling company for this first task, but when we get to the middle of the house (where theres a ceiling vault planned) or the master bath addition, Lyon Construction will be my first contact. (Locals, if you have any experience with them I'd love to hear about it.)

Tomorrow night Bill is coming by. The husband of a woman I used to work with, he's been invaluable at past houses. Carpentry, drywall, tile, he can handle them all, and he's good.

We're starting in the bedroom at the end of the hall, and I've asked him to bid the following: Tear down drywall and insulate the walls. He's passed on rewiring so I've got to get an electrician in for the electrical. Then back to Bill for new drywall, all new trim and all new doors. Depending on where the price lands, three windows will need to be replaced and theres a spot perfect for a window bench.

Why all new? Mostly because of the electrical and insulation issues (good God it was a cold winter), but also because most of the architectural choices are just plain wimpy. Mouldings are too small, doors are plain and flat. Coupled with old paint and general wear and tear, everything just looks tired. And not the kind of tired that new paint can fix.

I think good moulding can make a room, but I hate the overwrought detailing you find in garden variety new construction. Rooms tend to be smaller, then they go crazy with the trim and the resulting effect is just overwhelming.

We've got bigger rooms, and we need proportional moulding. Here's a crown profile that I think I love. Six inches feels like the right size, but the profile isn't overdone. Also it's symmetrical, which I like.

I'm looking for a four inch casing for windows and doors that works with this. I've got a couple contenders, but so far nothing has yelled out "it's me!"

I've had a bit of a revelation on doors as well. I originally had a very contemporary flat panel in mind, in this configuration.

I've since come to realize that it's likely too modern for the house, even in the more traditional raised panel. We're trying to inject some freshness into this place, but I think a lot of that will come from clearing out the clutter, strengthening the proportions, and using more up-to-date colors.

Staying with the three panels, but changing them up a bit, is this:

Feels crisp and classic, doesn't it, especially thinking of it in fresh white paint. White paint of course is a whole post unto itself, but if you've got a favorite feel free to let me know. I've got plenty of room for test patches.

Cross your fingers for me tomorrow night. With a little luck I'll have reason for a before shot here in the next week. Bill appears to be available and hungry, so hopefully he'll give me some good numbers and we can give him the green light.

Hard to find: the perfect parsons

A few weeks ago I was looking through the craigslist furniture listings and came upon a plain parsons table. Sort of a console, 5 feet or so long, and perfect for a spot we'll have in the living room. The top and legs were the same material, which I like, but the material was a dark woodgrain laminate, which I don't. I thought about doing something to it, wallpaper or fabric, maybe some paint even, but ultimately decided to pass.

It got me to looking around online and it seems like a simple parsons table all in the same material is hard to find. If you want a steel base with a stone top thats no problem. Same for chrome and glass. But it doesn't seem like anyone is offering anything in all wood.

Room and Board has the Brooklyn console in lacquered steel, which isn't bad. I like steel, and I like the solid sides. I can't decide if I like the little rolled foot on the bottom. It reads vaguely asian so you'd think I would, but I'm just not sure. Happily there's plenty of time to look and think. Still, it looks like a good deal for $449.

I also liked Room and Board's Align console. Stained bamboo wouldn't be my first choice of material, but it's got great lines. That spot between the top and the drawers is just screaming for a couple stacks of big books.

Crate and Barrel used to offer nearly this same thing, only without the drawers. I remember it along with a matching bench you could slide under, but they seem to be long gone.

Before and after. Sort of.

I have some shelves down in the basement where I keep the lamps I pick up at auctions and estate sales. A graveyard or a nursery, depending on how you look at it. Some I've bought with the intent to rewire and sell, like that vintage bottle-shaped Haegar with its original finial, or the one made out of an antique French copper brazier.

More often I've bought thinking they could be refreshed and pressed into service in our home. The pair of oversized Stiffel urns that I hoped could be chromed turned out to be pot metal, so they're awaiting a trip to the body shop for some car paint. The same with the metal horse lamp, the base shaped like an oversized knight off a chess board.

This ceramic seated Asian figure came from an auction, was originally glazed in an unattractive avocado green, and sat on a corroded metal base. I don't remember exactly what I paid for him, but I do know that he was under five bucks. As is the custom here at Chez Malaise, I completely forgot to take a picture of him as purchased.

When the weather warmed up last weekend I took him outside and got to work with a can of Krylon Fusion superbond spray paint. I've never painted a ceramic piece before, but so far I'm pleased with both the apparent adherence and surface finish of the paint. He'll need a few touch-ups to cover a couple thin spots and one small run I hadn't noticed, but the shot above is representative of how he'll look when I'm done spraying him down.

A lamp shop not far from me has simple round black wood bases with oriental bracket feet, which I think will work perfectly. I saved the guts to reuse, but hope to find a silver-toned cap and neck for between the base and socket. With that he'll be done and ready for a shade, whenever I find a little spot to fit him in.

2010 AIDSWalk Open

It was a busy weekend. Saturday started with a 10am bloody mary at Bistro 303, our start bar for this years putt-putt pub crawl, the AIDSWalk Open. My tee shirt is shown above, laid out on the dining room table in all its XL glory. Lets hope a hot dryer will shrink it down to something I can actually wear. Note to self: remind Cindy next year that I'm closer to an M or an L.


We putted well and made great time, even stopping for some adult refreshment along the way. (who can say no to jello shots?!) Plus the weather held and it was nice enough to walk so we got some exercise. Brett and I made it home in time to watch the second half of the KU/MU game, and indeed no win feels quite as good as spanking Mizzou.


Rachel's husband was out of town so she texted early evening with an invite to a small impromptu dinner party. She makes this delicious celery soup that I have yet to replicate, followed by salmon with an herb butter and sauteed mushrooms with carmelized bok choi. With a few good bottles of wine a great time was had by all.


Prada is staying with us this week for spring break. They're all sacked out on the couch currently so I imagine its an all-day barkfest while Brett and I are at work. Her daddy has not had her groomed all winter so I'm doing her a favor by not posting any photos. I'm also calling her groomer tomorrow to beg for an emergency appointment. I can't imagine this is going to end in anything other than a near-total shave.

125

Photo credit: ESPN.com

Kansas State was incredibly tough, but Kansas pulled ahead to win 82-65. Senior Night this year had only one honoree, Sherron Collins. For him tonight's victory was win number 125, the most by any athlete in a four year span in KU history.

Four Big 12 regular season titles, 2 Big 12 post-season championship titles, 3 NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 appearances, 2 Elite 8 appearances, 1 Final Four and 1 NCAA Championship win.

Thank you #4, it's been a blast.

Winter Fine Arts and Antiques Auction

***Post Auction Update*** BLOODBATH. Here's how it ended up:

Grant Wood litho - $2,000, and the condition was pretty rough
Dog portrait - $250 (I'm pissed at myself that I didn't go on this, it was gorgeous in person, cleaned and relined by a conservator in 1995. Far lesser dog paintings on ebay right now for way more $. Lesson learned.)
Mah Jongg Set - $275, I never bid, I didn't think it was all that old and the case left me saying "meh"
Seascape - $550, gorgeous painting, worth way more, I just didn't have the free cash
Bronze - $180, which seems a bit much for unsigned work. "Consigned with" two other signed bronzes means nothing
Goodknight landscape - $90, didn't love it so much in person and didn't bid
Norio Azuma serigraph - $80, I let go at 70 and it went to a local dealer. I just couldn't bid more not knowing anything about the artist and it being in the bottom half of the run.

Fun sale to watch, but a drag coming home empty handed.
--------------------------------------------

Tuesday evening is KC Auction Co.'s Winter Fine Arts and Antique sale. These quarterly catalog sales are always interesting, so I'm heading down after work. Even though I'm not in the market for a linen press, antique Stuben, or victorian jewelry, it's always interesting to see things and what they sell for.

I am always in the market for interesting art, and there are some great things coming up on the block.

This pencil signed lithograph is by Grant Wood. I like the image, but there are some condition issues. The paper has some foxing in addition to the old tape damage on the corners. Pre-auction bidding (these sales are also live on the internet) is up to $600 so it won't be coming home with me, and thats okay.




This dog in profile painting has no pre-auction bids, so if it looks like it's in good shape when I go to preview, I'll give it a shot. From the photos it appears to be a quality painting, and I think a new frame might really breathe some life into it. I've said before that I've avoided buying dog art because I think it's better that I just not start. I'm over that now so who knows, perhaps this will be the first of many.

I love mah jongg sets. I have only a rudimentary understanding of the game, I just think the pieces are so beautiful. The box for this set isn't my favorite, but I'll be interested to see it in person. These generally sell well, and I always fear its to crafters who'll turn the tiles into drawer pulls and elastic bracelets. (Crafters, this is how that word got a bad connotation)

This is the painting I was really interested in, an oil on canvas by Bennett Bradbury. Framed dimensions are 19" by 23", which is a nice size. Born in Massachusetts in 1914, he ended up in California and is known for seascapes like these. Pre-auction bidding was at $110.00 earlier today which only mildly concerned me. Tonight its sitting at $275.00 so I'm pretty sure its going way over my head. The auction data I found has his past sales in the 3K -5K range. I think it's really beautiful and I'll be very interested to see what it sells for.

Sculpture is something I rarely buy. I sold a couple things at the antique mall, but I could likely find a spot for this 9 inch tall bronze. It's attributed to a Kansas City artist named Clara Bikales. I know nothing about her, but I do like the form. If I were lucky enough to bring it home we'd have to find a more attractive base. Polished stone block perhaps?

If you've paid attention to the art I've mentioned and/or bought in the past, you know I have a thing for landscapes. This little oil on board woodland scene is by Colorado artist Veryl Goodknight. I think a new frame could smarten it up quite a bit, but it's a pretty nice little painting as is. It's 14" by 16" framed, so again could fit in anywhere.

Of course I do like a little bit of modern too, like this serigraph (silkscreen) print titled "Calm" by Norio Azuma. I know nothing about Mr./Ms. Azuma, and this is the lower half of the run (277 of 500), but I like the image a lot and could certainly find a spot for it. Things like this often sell for very reasonable prices, so again I'm anxious to see it in person to know if I want to bid.

Hopefully I'll come home with something good and can chronicle another framing project soon.

Restoration Hardware's new garden lines

I got an email announcing Resto's new garden products for this spring, so at the end of my workday I took a few minutes to look around the website. I run hot and cold on Resto, but there are some things I like.

I think the Spartan daybed has Raina written all over it.

This round dining table from the Klimos collection comes in a smaller and larger size. The accompanying side chairs are just as good looking and I can totally see this on our patio.


Along with the lounge chair from the same collection.

Hit the website for the other new offerings, there's lots of goodness to see.

***UPDATE*** There's way more than I realized in addition to the outdoor furniture. Planters, fountains, pedestals, pots, tools, even some ivy and boxwood topiary.

Are you watching?

Not only are we now obsessed with visiting Vancouver, and probably Whistler, but Brett and I are also obsessed with curling. We've watched hours of it, marveling at the skill and finesse required. Ok, and also a fair number of cute guys. Look up hot Canadian curler John Morris. If that doesn't make you say Oh Canada! nothing will.

My friend Jim was going to watch the Kansas City Curling Club today. Brett has researched and they have clinics where you can learn, we're totally thinking we need to give it a try.

Put the Bedazzler down. Now.

What the hell is going on with mens figure skating? I can appreciate the talent and drive and athleticism required to skate at the olympic level. But the drama, and the commentators, and worst of all, the costumes. Enough with the ridiculous outfits already.

Johnny Weir, I'm talking to you. You certainly didn't start it, but you're a big part of the problem. First you arrive at the venue carrying the same purse favored by half the women in my office. (Don't you say man bag to me, I know what I saw. I'm betting it was Gucci or Jimmy Choo.) Then someone in the audience throws you a heart-shaped pillow that just happens to match what you're wearing, down to the pink straps and a tassel. Good God man, it's too much, even for a big mo like me.

And you, Kevin van der Perren, sequined skeleton? WTF?

Samuel Contesti, I'm giving you props for changing it up with some country music, but faux-dirty bibs? You're Italian, we expect better. Fail.

Evan Lysacek, you rocked the rink, and since you were skating to The Firebird I'll forgive you the feathers on your gloves, but those shoulder things are awful, as were the little see-thru panels on your back. The commentators went into great detail about how hard you train, its time you require a similar effort from your costumer.

You, Patrick Chan, get big points from me for this. It's a performance, I know, so I'm expecting some sequins. But you reined them in and it totally works. You looked great, classic even, and we could watch what you were doing without being distracted by what you had on. If this is how you present yourself at 19, I can't wait to see you at 23 or 27.

And finally, you're my favorite Takahiko Kozuka. Your outfit wasn't so far from the distressed jeans and party shirt you'd see on any guy out at a club. But in figure skating, that's innovative. No flesh colored panels or sailor suits. No gimmicks. Just something like normal clothing, but amp'd up just a bit, and built for skating. You could kick your skates off, put some boots on, and head out into the night. You wouldn't look "costumed," you'd just look good.

Remodeling Show Recap

Sunday morning we went to the Remodeling show down at the American Royal building. And while it annoys me that they have exhibitors selling stray things like jewelry or clothing or nuts, we did get some useful information.

There were tons of replacement window people so we talked to a few and got lots of brochures. We also talked to an insulation guy, and met our next door neighbor who runs the kitchen remodeling part of her husbands hardware store. We've met her husband when he was outside, but as it's been cold we're not out much and had yet to meet her face to face. Having been in the house she said "Oh yeah, you need a new kitchen," scoring her major points in my book.

Most useful, in my mind anyway, was talking to the guys from Overhead Door.

My mom bought me a new garage door at my first little house in Brookside, and it was all done by Overhead Door. Their products work beautifully and hold up well, but have always lacked a bit in the style department unless you wanted the basic sort of door that everyone else has. Until now.

What drew us over to their booth in the first place was a really sweet door with an aluminum frame and frosted glass panels. It looked like the door above, but that photo is not theirs because they don't seem to have the aluminum and glass line on their website yet.

Whats even better is that you can also get mirrored or reeded (my favorite) glass, and nearly 200 colors of aluminum, so we could match the frame to the rest of the trim on the house. Best of all, it was a third of the price of the other glass and steel door I've been lobbying for. I also learned that they now make openers that mount at the upper corner of the door rather than dangle from the ceiling, and overhead lights that just plug in and are turned on wirelessly by the opener.

I think the modern glass and aluminum would be great with our 50s stone, and have been planning on glass panels in our exterior doors as we replace them. You know how I like continuity. It seems like Brett's on board as well as he was trying to figure out a way to backlight the glass so that it would look good at night. Now I just have to figure out how to pay for it.

MidMal recommends: Jack Gage American Tavern

Locals, especially those of you in the Plaza/Brookside neighborhoods, Brett and I enjoyed our dinner tonight at Jack Gage American Tavern at 50th and Main. In that stand alone brick building that has been everything from a gay bar to a chinese buffet.

It's a dark and casual atmosphere, and the staff is attentive without being intrusive. You can see the menu at the link above. Prices aren't shown, we had two call cocktails and two dinners and it was 40 before tip.

Brett had the Black & Bleu Burger and enjoyed it although he didn't think there was enough bleu. I had the Roadhouse Chicken, which is braised in a wine sauce with pearl onions and mushrooms, and comes with spatzle in brown butter. I thought the sauce was slightly strong, and the spatzle was a little salty, but overall enjoyed both.

Having had a blah breakfast at Ingredient (new, on the Plaza) this morning we hoped we'd like Jack Gage, and we both did. There are a few southern/soul dishes on the menu, and I'm looking forward to either shrimp and grits or chicken and waffles next time.

From my valentine

We're horrible about waiting until the actual holiday. We both get it from our mothers, so at least we come by it honestly. Once we were both back home today it was "so do you want your present now or do you want to wait until tomorrow?"

You might remember when I posted about our Chinese cabinet from Kincaid's that I loved this turquoise glazed reproduction horse figure. I love his fat body and neck with his slender legs and tiny head. He's got some kiln dirt on him at the moment which I might clean up a bit, but I'll leave the red wax stamp on his forehead. We've set him on each of our cabinets and he looks fab on both, but I'm thinking he'll eventually live on the dark one that I plan to use in the entry.

Brett's gift was in two parts. The bottles of his favorite wine are chilling away in the fridge (we've suddenly and inexplicably turned into wine drinkers), and he's reading the manual for his new copy of Wii Resort Sports.

The Olympics are set to record tonight as the KU basketball game begins at 7pm. Beef stew is thawing for the dinner we'll have before, and my "toss in what ya got" cheese dip is warming in the little crock pot for during the game.

Tomorrow we're off to the remodeling show down at the American Royal. Here's hoping you enjoy your weekend with your valentine just as much.

I really should be working

But Stefan posted this and I can't tear myself away from the furniture.

I did not know about Flamant when we went to Paris, but after Stefan's review it's high on my list of places to visit next time. It's great knowing their designs are now available here through Copper Strawberry.

Pricing seems very reasonable. The breakfront cupboard above is $6100, but it's also three inches shy of 8 feet wide. I can't wait to explore the rest of the website this weekend. Click on through and take a look.

Gilt.com: pointless

Gilt's Mens Final Sale started at 11am central this morning.

By 11:03 I had clicked on a pair of WeSC jeans, a pair of AG jeans, and an RRL belt. ALL THREE were in another members cart.

Also, the belt should have been on my waitlist from the last RRL sale. I never received an email that they got additional stock.

Now one pair of jeans is showing available for purchase, but when I click to view the size I waitlisted is X'd out.

Does anyone ever get the opportunity to buy anything at Gilt?

Super

Via Buzzfeed

Catching up with Craigslist

Generally speaking the furniture listings on craigslist here are dreadful. Chris at StyleNorth regularly finds all sorts of goodness up in Canada, but I've never had great luck here in KC. That said, I keep looking. Even though I'm not selling now and I've got way too much to do here before I think about furnishing rooms, I like to keep on top of whats out there in the second hand market. And who am I kidding, not being ready to decorate doesn't mean I don't think about decorating. A lot.

Remember all that pale furniture with the sort of pinkish cast to it, maybe from the 80s? Someone in Leawood would like to unload theirs. The armoire looks like something right out of an airport motel, but I thought this piece had potential.

The post says it's by Century so its probably decently put together, and I like the lines. Painted white (white? pale gray?) with some chrome hardware I think it could be interesting. They're asking $275 though, and that's too much. $150 and I would have already called.

We're planning to use the corner bedroom as a place for Brett's desk and a project table for me. The bedrooms here are roomy, we're replacing an old built-in desk with a window seat, it'll be a nice space. This next cabinet would be great for storage. Office supplies and such in the bottom, my sewing machines and craft stuff up top.

From up in Excelsior Springs, the post states the piece is made of antique lumber but does not call it an antique. Home woodworker I'm betting, which is great. There are a lot of basement craftsmen out there, and some of them are really good. I'd paint it to try to take away some of the "primitive" feel, but I like the simple shape and panel doors. No measurements are given but the size looks about right to me for the space. I'd have to change the hardware. The ask is $750, which seems sort of okay for custom furniture, but high for craigslist. I'm going to have to think a while about what I'd offer.

Finally I noticed this, an Eames Aluminum Group lounge by Herman Miller. The soft pad chair is my absolute favorite Eames design, but this one is a close second.

The post says it was manufactured in September 2009, and it appears to be in like-new condition. The upholstery is described as "chocolate leatherette." They start at $1400 in fabric at Design Within Reach, so it's a good deal even if the "leatherette" is a bit of a let-down. Sadly I don't have anywhere here I can use anything brown. Somebody will snatch it up quickly though, and I can't blame them.

Out of towners, how's your craigslist, anything good?

Basque chicken stew

One of the things I made on Crock Pot Weekend a couple weeks ago was a recipe I found called Basque Chicken Stew. I followed the recipe, well, as close as I follow any recipe, and it was just ok. Last Sunday I thought I'd try again as the weather refuses to warm up any and we've had enough intermittent snow or rain to make washing the car pointless.

When this batch was done I divided it up and froze it, and we pulled some out tonight for dinner. A couple of additions (capers and wine) made a difference so I thought I'd share.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil
6 slices bacon, chopped
8 oz. fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 red bell pepper, cut in 1 inch squares
1 green bell pepper, cut in 1 inch squares
1 bunch green onions, sliced into half inch sections, white and half the green part
4 chicken brest halves, cut into 1 inch dice
1 can (4 oz) sliced ripe olives
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 can (14.5 oz) stewed tomatoes
1/4 cup chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon dried ground marjoram
1/2 teaspoon salt (I like kosher salt)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Prep:

Heat olive oil in large skillet and saute bacon until browned. Add mushrooms, peppers, and onion and saute for another minute. Add vinegar (honestly I don't measure, I just pour what seems right) and cook one minute more, scraping up browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Set aside.

Place chicken in the bottom of a 3.5 quart or larger slow cooker. (It seems like you might want to brown the chicken, but I didn't and it's fine) Combine the remaining ingredients in a bowl and mix. At this point I added a handful of capers and a big slosh of the Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc we'd opened. I also added a bit more of the chicken broth since I'd opened the can and only used a quarter cup. Pour everything over the chicken and vegetables.

Cook on low for 8 to 10 hours. I cooked on medium for between 5 and 6 hours, which also worked). We like it better reheated the next day, or frozen for later on.