Sinkology: April 2020

Tuesday, April 14, 2020

Raspberry Lime Tart

Sinkology is proud to present Emily Schuermann, our food-loving guest blogger who runs Food for a Year. Emily is here to share some recipes she has created exclusively for the Sinkology blog that reflect her view of a copper sink: simple, timeless, affordable, and beautifully rustic.
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My daffodils are blooming and the temperatures are hovering between 60° and 70° — and that can mean only only thing :: Spring is in the air! How better to celebrate the change of seasons than to make a beautiful Raspberry and Lime Tart!?

You’ll need to add this one to your recipe box! Not only is it refreshingly delicious, it’s surprisingly simple – even with the extra few steps for the cookie crumble crust.

There’s really 2 steps to this tart : the cookie crumb crust and the filling. Let’s start by talking about the crust.

This crust is made by pulsing cookies (I used store-bought Danish wedding cookies), freeze-dried raspberries (available at Trader Joes and Amazon) and melted butter in a food processor until it’s an even, sandy texture.

Press the crumbs into the bottom and sides of a 12.5″x8.5″ tart pan with removable bottom. Bake the crust to set : 8-10 minutes at 350°. (Allow the crust to cool completely before filling)

While the crust is cooling, combine the filling ingredients :

lime juice + zest
sweetened condensed milk
cream cheese
whipped cream

Allow the filling to chill (1 to 2 hours).

Once the crust has cooled completely, spread a layer of raspberry jam in the bottom of the crust, top with the chilled lime filling and garnish with a little sweetened whipped cream and some freeze-dried raspberry dust.

This tart screams Spring! The flavors of tart raspberry and tangy lime are the perfect partnership. The raspberry jam layer is an unexpected treat – really making this dessert extra fancy – with no effort!

This Raspberry Lime Tart is simple, speedy and the perfect delicious treat to welcome in the new season.

Raspberry Lime Tart

crust ingredients

12 oz box Danish wedding cookies (or another biscuit/shortbread type cookie)
1 oz freeze dried raspberries, more for garnish
1/2 stick, 4 oz melted butter, salted

lime tart filling ingredients

14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
zest of 4 limes
1/2 c fresh squeezed lime juice (approximately 4 limes)
8 oz block cream cheese (use the real, full fat version for best results)
1/3 c raspberry preserves (room temperature)
1 c heavy whipping cream

garnish

1 T pulverized dehydrated raspberries
1/2 lime sliced
zest of 1 lime
1/2 c heavy whipping cream
1/4 c confectioner’s sugar

instructions

Preheat over to 350°. In a food processor, pulse cookies and dehydrated raspberries until the texture of sand. While the food processor is on, add melted butter.

Press the crumbs into a prepared 12.5″x8.5″ releasing tart pan. Be sure to evenly press in the bottom and up the sides.

Bake the crust at 350° for 8-10 minutes, watch closely over the last 2 minutes to prevent burning.

Allow the crust to cool completely, at least 1 hour.

In a medium mixing bowl, using a hand mixer, combine first five tart filling ingredients.

In a second, medium mixing bowl, using a hand mixer, beat the heavy whipping cream until medium-soft peaks form (about 1-2 minutes).

Fold the heavy whipping into the mixing bowl containing the other filling ingredients.

Refrigerate to set filling for 1-2 hours.

Meanwhile, make the whipped cream garnish by combing the zest, heavy whipping cream and confectioner’s sugar with a hand mixer, whipping to medium soft peaks. Refrigerate until ready to assemble.

After the crust is cool and filling is set, spread the raspberry jam over the bottom of the crust. Top with chilled tart filling, spreading evenly.

Garnish with sweetened lime whipped cream, a few lime slices and a sprinkle of pulverized freeze-dried raspberries.

Serves 12

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If you have any additional questions during your search for the perfect copper, fireclay farmhouse sink or granite sink, our Sinkologists are here to help. Contact us or follow us on Facebook, Houzz, Pinterest, or Instagram for more helpful tips and design ideas.

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Friday, April 10, 2020

Zoom Backgrounds: Download these Gorgeous Kitchen Scenes

Let’s face the facts: staying inside helps our communities heal faster, but…wow, it can also wreak havoc on our homes. If you are like us, video calls with colleagues, friends, and family are the new normal these days, and sometimes they reveal a bit more of our homes than we’re prepared to display.

If you’re looking for a quick solution to look totally put together (and simultaneously hide some household piles), we have you covered! Download these high-resolution photos to your computer and use them as the Zoom virtual background on your next video call for an instant refresh to your home and kitchen. It may not be your real home, but your virtual kitchen will look amazing!

We’re including some instructions from Mashable about how to change the Zoom background of your video call, but check out the full article if you need more help.

– Download the Zoom Mac or Windows app.

– Open the application, sign in, click your profile picture, followed by the Settings link in the drop-down menu.

– Navigate to the Virtual Background tab. (If you do not see this tab, log in to the Zoom website, go to Meeting Settings, and make sure Virtual Background button is toggled on under the Meeting tab.)

– In the Virtual Background tab, users can choose from pre-installed backgrounds or upload their own photos or videos.

– If you do have a green screen setup, select “I have a green screen” so the software can properly set up your background. If you do not have a green screen, Zoom recommends streaming from a location with a solid background color.

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Tips & Tricks: Disinfecting Your Sinkology Sink

Clean surfaces are essential in maintaining a healthy environment for your family, and your kitchen sink needs to be part of the cleaning equation. When it comes to stubborn germs and viruses, cleaning alone isn’t always enough. The coronavirus, in particular, can live on some surfaces for days. And with more people hanging out at home for longer periods of time, that means disinfecting your home’s surfaces should be part of your daily virus-fighting routine. In particular, disinfecting your kitchen and bathroom sinks should be something that you begin to build into your home’s regimen (during times of coronavirus and beyond!).

Cleaning versus Disinfecting Your Sink: What’s the Difference?

It’s safe to assume that nearly all of us clean our homes regularly. Whether it’s due to a steadfast routine or because we simply can’t stand looking at piles anymore, cleaning becomes part of running an effective household. But disinfecting? That’s a different story!

Cleaning the surfaces of your sink is important because it removes dirt, germs, and impurities. This means that all of those food particles, liquids, dirt, grime, and other contaminants that hit your sink can be reduced by cleaning. Daily cleaning helps to keep germs at bay and significantly reduce the spread of viruses and germs by reducing the number of living germs and bacteria on high-touch surfaces, like your kitchen sink, faucet handles, nozzles, and more.

Disinfecting surfaces, on the other hand, actually kills the germs and viruses that are living on the surface. Unlike cleaning, which removes germs but doesn’t kill them, proper EPA-approved disinfectants will kill germs, but not necessarily remove them.

Should You Clean or Disinfect Your Sink?

Trick question! The answer is both. If you clean your sink first, you can remove germs, grime, dirt, and other items that may be stuck to, or living on, the surface of your sink. Follow up your cleaning routine with a disinfecting spray or EPA-registered disinfectant product. The CDC has created a list of approved products that are known to kill the COVID-19 virus.

Cleaning tends to give us all a higher sense of satisfaction because we can see visible changes in the surface of our sink, whereas disinfection may not cause any visible changes. The one-two punch of disinfecting and cleaning will ensure your sink’s surface is safe, clean, and as beautiful as ever!

disinfecting sink with glove — hand with glove cleaning bathroom sink with disinfectant wet wipe

How to Disinfect Your Kitchen and Bathroom Sink

Good news: disinfecting your kitchen or bathroom sink does not have to be a huge ordeal. Follow our guidelines below on how to disinfect your kitchen and bathroom sinks. These tips are likely safe to follow for any kitchen or bathroom sink, but you may want to double-check with the manufacturer to make sure there are no special instructions on how to safely disinfect your specific sink.

Disinfecting Sinkology Fireclay, Vitreous China, Nickel, and Stainless Steel Sinks:

You can use any EPA-certified disinfectant on your Sinkology fireclay, vitreous china, nickel, or stainless steel sink. It’s possible that you have some of these products already in your home, like Clorox or Lysol wipes, so you can get to disinfecting right away. If you don’t have any EPA-registered disinfectants already at home, you can also use your own homemade disinfectant by creating a bleach-based disinfectant using the ratio of ⅓ cup of bleach per one gallon of water. Be sure never to mix household bleach with ammonia or any other cleanser, as it could cause damage to your lungs.

man scrubbing copper sink — Man scrubbing copper sink.

Disinfecting Sinkology Copper Sinks:

One of the biggest perks of having a Sinkology Copper sink is that copper is naturally antibacterial–meaning your copper sink is disinfecting all the time! With copper kitchen and bathroom sinks, regular cleaning is recommended. Wash your sink with warm water and regular dish soap for the best clean that is also gentle enough to preserve the patina. You don’t want to use too much bleach unnecessarily on your sink’s surface, although a bit of bleach or a simple wipe with a disinfectant wipe is not going to ruin your sink. We recommend following the CDC’s recommendations to disinfect your sink. One best practice for copper sinks is to eliminate any standing water–this prevents damage to the patina as well as reduces the changes for additional bacteria or germs to populate.

If you’re looking for more tips on how to keep your Sinkology sink safe and healthy, reach out to our customer service team. Our Sinkologists are ready to help!

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The post Tips & Tricks: Disinfecting Your Sinkology Sink appeared first on Sinkology.

source https://www.sinkology.com/blog/disinfecting-your-sinkology-sink/

Sinks Are Having a Moment!

woman washing hands at copper sink — woman washing dishes at copper sink

The coronavirus pandemic is not to be taken lightly–our team at Sinkology is doing everything we can to protect our staff, families, and community by practicing all of the recommended guidelines and protocols. We hope you and your family are doing the same. If you need more information, help, or resources regarding the coronavirus, please visit the CDC’s website.

Now, with all of that being said, we can’t help but enjoy the fact that sinks are having a moment! We’re all spending more time than ever washing our hands, cooking at home, teaching our children at the kitchen table, and spending more time with loved ones. At the center of it all? Sinks!

Get Sink-Inspired

Extra time at home can provide great opportunities to really get to know your kitchen and bathrooms. While some people are spending extra time relaxing and diving into books, shows, and puzzles, others are taking a different approach by changing up their kitchens and bathrooms with home renovation projects. If you’re feeling inspired to change up your home, or if you simply want to explore the possibilities by seeing what others are doing in their homes, we have you covered! Our social media channels and blog are filled with amazing design inspiration. From at-home shots that customers have submitted through our #ShowUsYourSink challenge or our Instagram takeovers, we have styles, looks, and designs for every family. Check out photos and inspiration on our Facebook and Instagram pages, or visit the Sinkology blog homepage for the latest looks.

mother helping daughter kneading dough in kitchen

Cook Up Something New: Recipes & Activities

If you and your kids are looking for new ways to distract from the balance of a new routine at home, take a break and spend some time in the heart of your home. Now is a great time to explore new recipes! Take those math lessons to the kitchen and help your children learn some practical lessons with our latest recipes and dishes. From cobbler to goat cheese fondue to chilean sea bass, we have something for every type of weather and every type of taste!

Cooking isn’t for everyone, but we still have plenty of ways to stay busy and engaged while you’re teaching-working-caring at home. Easter is just around the corner, so check out our Home DIY: Easter Place Cards or Basket Cards activity or create an all-new DIY Family Calendar Board to add a bit of structure to your days and weeks (or plan exciting things to look forward to!). Whatever it is, we’re here to help you find ways to enjoy your home and learn to love it all over again.

Pictures of sinks submitted for our SUYS — pictures of sinks submitted for #showusyoursink

Show Us Your Sink

Do you have a Sinkology sink that you’re ready to share? Whether you’ve had it for years or it’s freshly installed, we love to see our sinks in your home! Snap a pic of your sink and upload it to social media with the #ShowUsYourSink hashtag. We’ll reshare on our own channels and you’ll receive a FREE gift in return! Be sure to follow along so you don’t miss your spotlight–and be sure to share with family and friends so they can see it, too!

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Tuesday, April 7, 2020

We’re Crazy About this Design Touch: Mixed Metal Hardware

After decades of committing entire households to only one type of hardware, mixed metals are finally a common sight in the interior design scene…and in every room.

Mixed metals have taken over. From what began as a few variations from one room to another we now see multiple metals used in one room alone. Maybe it’s due to our ever-growing desire for change or an increased amount of options, but no matter the reasoning for how we got here, there are endless ways to mix-and-match metals in your home’s hardware.

Now, when mixing, there needs to be some method to your metal madness. Keep in mind:

The best mixed metal design is intentional.
Just because it isn’t matchy-matchy, doesn’t mean it shouldn’t coordinate.
Your hardware, from bathroom to kitchen, should complement one another.

But how do you mix the right way?

We’ve wrapped up our top 5 ways to mix metals in your home:

Same Material, New Texture

For some, a slight variation of sheen can be enough of a change. Think smooth polished nickel hardware paired with a hammered nickel sink that has a brushed, antique finish in a room with rich-colored walls. In an all-white bathroom or kitchen, on the other hand, the difference between matte black and shiny can make a subtle impact.

Keep It in the (Color) Family

For others, a change in tone along with texture is better. Mixing materials of similar shades adds dimensionality to the kitchen or bathroom. Go for polished chrome with brush nickel. You’ll love the varying depths that do enough for your room without taking away from your favorite artwork or chandelier.

Warm Up to a Blend of Tones

This is where things start to get interesting. Mixing warm and cool tones is really what sets apart this trend from all others. Yes, chrome and brass can get along in one room. These opposites attract when one, like cool chrome, is shiny and the other, like warm brass, is brushed. Picture your favorite copper sink paired with a cool nickel faucet.

The Modern Classic Combo

Out of all the combinations to choose from, it’s best to make one metal your dominant finish and one to two more as your accent. If you love your brass faucets you’ve used throughout your house for years, you could accent with matte black countertops in your kitchen and with a nickel sink in your bathroom. This consistency amid all the variation is sure to be the mixed metal trend that stands the test of time.

Ambitious Additions

Lastly, for those that are ready to dive into the mixed metal trend with both feet, go for three finishes in one room. Yes, a nickel sink, brass faucet and black light fixture can be beautiful together. When creating your combo, just keep our last tip in mind so your overall interior look stays cohesive.

Scared to get started? A great way to get comfortable with this style is to bring in one accent piece of contrasting style or color. If you have modern black hardware, imagine what a perfectly antique brass vase could do to your space. Plus, there’s less commitment with a countertop piece without having to change out all your hardware.

We love every variation of this design touch. When selecting for your home, remember you want your metals to compliment one another, not compete.

Keep in mind, your mixed metals don’t need to be kept in the interior rooms alone. If you’ve recently renovated your kitchen or bathroom, exterior improvements are the way to go. The tiniest change on your door handle or door knocker, mail slot or light fixtures add instant curb appeal that will help your future sale price.

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source https://www.sinkology.com/blog/mixed-metal-hardware/