Have you ever thought about auditioning for a reality TV show? Shelterrific contributor Megan Barone decided to go for it, and lived to tell the tale — and share the recipe.

I spent last Sunday at the local Sur La Table with about 500 eager Pacific Northwestern foodies. We were all there to audition for infamous Chef Gordon Ramsay’s new reality show, MasterChef. The new show is billed as a Top Chef for home cooks, rather than restaurant chefs, so I thought I’d give it a go.

First step: the 12-page application. This almost thwarted my aspirations right off the bat. “How would people describe your negative traits?” Um, that was a fun jaunt into self-discovery!

Second step: I was told to bring a single serving of a dish that “expresses who you are as a cook” and that can be served at room temperature, plus a photo of that dish. Now, this was more inspiring. After a few days of meticulously testing in my kitchen and forcing my friends and family to taste test, I was happy with my creation: a wintry Dungeness crab salad with shaved brussels sprouts, caramelized leeks, fennel, and blood orange, seasoned with a hint of fennel frond and tarragon. I thought it was delicious — the sweetness of the crab meat augmented by the licorice-y fennel, earthy leeks, and bright citrus. I hoped the judges would think so, too.

Is auditioning for MasterChef anything like American Idol? How delicious is Megan’s crab salad recipe? Tune in — we mean, click the link! — to read more. (more…)

Two weeks ago, Erica asked for suggestions on how to display the target her boyfriend brought home from the shooting range. When Donna K posted a link to a lightbox she’d made from a similar target, we wanted to see more. The lightboxes you see here are completely her creations.

Donna says:

The lightboxes are made out of plywood that I cut and hammered together to make a box with one open side. (I stained the box to make it look nicer/match the decor of where it’ll end up.) I wired a socket to some wire which I ran through a hole I drilled in the top of the box, and then ran the wire to a plug. I used brass thumbtacks to put the target on the box because I like to change them out, but gluing it down would probably have better results! I was thinking of ways to make it easier and came up with using an already-existing box that you take the front off of, and then use those lamp kits they sell at the hardware store for the guts.

Donna, we love these lightboxes! And if you’re not up to constructing your own wooden box, try IKEA — we’ve seen wooden storage containers and drawers similar to these used as lightboxes at craft shows. To see more of Donna K’s artistic endeavors, visit Gravity Was Everywhere Back Then or read more about her at I Want to Wear It. — Mary T.

Just before Christmas, we took a trip to Portland’s Crafty Wonderland, where I wanted pretty much everything I laid eyes on, but especially loved this chandelier by Bindle Art & Design. It’s made from Don Featherstone pink flamingos (the classic design, basically) and ingenuity, and was deemed worthy of a feature on The Antonio Project. Want one? You can order your own Lawn Flamingo Chandelier, $350, from Bindle Designs’ Etsy Shop. I also love the Lawn Flamingo Wall Sconce, $50 — so very wacky-1960s-TV-show. — Mary T.

Update: We believe in credit where credit is due, so please pay a visit to the creators of the fabulous spread above, Dahan Caterers in Washington, DC. They specialize in creative, kosher catering!

There are a lot of things I love about weddings: watching the always gorgeous bride walk down the aisle, the touching exchange of hand written vows, the opportunity to dance the Horah (so fun!) and the cute little appetizers that make the rounds during the cocktail hour. This past summer, two of my very stylish friends had a very posh wedding on Baltimore’s waterfront. The culinary highlight was this beautiful appetizer table made to look like a summer garden in full bloom. Guests could pick their own bouquet and dip the edible flowers in the yummy spreads planted in terracotta pots. The watering cans held extra skewers for the veggies filling the picnic baskets — yum! Spring brides, take note! — Katie D.

A recent story about scientists growing meat in a lab made me shudder (if you’ve read Oryx and Crake, you know why). I was a vegetarian for almost a decade, but I went back to being a meat eater quite a few years ago. Recent books like Eating Animals and The Omnivore’s Dilemma have been making me think about it again. So I’m curious about our readers and their habits — where are you on the meat-eating spectrum? Take the poll, and then tell us more in comments about what you eat and why. — Mary T.

Photo by Michal Zacharzewski

After reading through all of your amazing comments and suggestions on my post about wanting to hang a pot rack, I decided I should probably consult the guy actually in charge of building it for me. It turns out my boyfriend is pretty creative and quite the handyman. I came home from work one day to find he had devised a plan for building me my very own pot rack. Less than $20 and 30 minutes later I had a great place to hang my new pots. It was as simple as drilling a few pilot holes, screwing in some eye-hooks, hanging a couple of carabiners and sawing off the handle of a broomstick. Oh, and the pretty metal hooks—they’re actually shower curtain hooks! I think it looks rather sleek…in an industrial sort of way. Let me know if you want more detailed instructions and I’ll get the handyman himself to write some up. —Erica P.

A friend thought I might be interested in these Tin Can Lids by Jack Bresnahan, and was he ever right. We recycle to within an inch of our lives, but how cool it is to get inspired to reuse. The toppers give the cans a nice modern industrial feel. See more at Dezeen. — Mary T.

After a few weeks of frustrating indecision, it looks like Jack Frost may in fact be coming to stay for the season soon in New York City. This is great — not only will it quell the loud mood swings my radiator has been having, but it also puts me in the mood for heartier breakfasts. Taken from the kitchen at my summer camp, this recipe always kept me warm for those early morning swimming lessons in the lake. It’s a key component of my freeze-fighting food arsenal. — Sarah C. Click for baked oatmeal! (more…)

Make your own version of Jurassic Park (one that won’t go terribly
wrong) with these flexible plastic dinosaur lamps from Think Geek . Triceratops, Diplodocus, and T.rex are available for tagging and studying at $20 apiece. DIY construction time clocks in at 30 to 40 minutes — each lamp comes with illustrated directions. These little Mesozoic monsters make perfect presents for your cool nephew or (in my case) the immature boyfriend who uses a Dino-Riders image as his desktop wallpaper. –Katie D.

We’ve all been there: you’ve been whipped into a frenzy moving
furniture around and are just about to collapse into the couch in your
newly formatted living room when — Gasp! — you notice indents all
over the rug from where your furniture previously stood. Here’s how
you make those pesky pockets disappear: simply let an ice cube melt in
the indent. The rug’s fibers will soak up the melting water and fluff
back up. If that doesn’t do the trick (depending on how long the
furniture stood there or how heavy it is) you may need to give the
fibers a good raking with a wide tooth comb. –Katie D.