And so the remodel project continues.
 |
| Original Bed |
 |
| New Bed (with drawers!) Oreo approves. |
We have shelves up, and now I’m playing around with different arrangements of my things on the shelves. The mirrors will eventually be hung on the wall above the long gray DVD case.
 |
| New Living Room Shelving |
I also started to improve the wooden table. I used the magic substance aptly named “Liquid Gold” to make the table sparkle again. OMG this stuff is AMAZING! I also removed the top of the table since it was rotten. The next step is to make a beautiful mosaic pattern on the top. Crafting in February – the perfect Minnesotan activity!
With all the redecoration work, I treated myself to a mouthwateringly good cake from my favorite bakery in town: Patisserie 46.
 |
| Flourless Chocolate Cake from Patisserie 46. I should have bought two… |
I have been doing more cooking now that the redecorating has slowed down. One recent meal consisted of Creamy Celery Risotto (seriously, this tasted like cream of celery soup but better!) and roasted beets – chioggia beets that is.
I love this variety of beets because they don’t bleed beet juice all over everything and they have a lovely sweet flavor that is more mild than the traditional beet variety. On the outside, they look like large pink turnips. On the inside, they look like candy canes!
I also tried a variation on my Blueberry Bliss recipe that I call Cranberry Bliss.
I think I like this version better! A friend of mine gave me the idea of the Cranberry Bliss variation, and I brought it over to a party the other day. They were a huge hit. Plus, they can be made several days in advance! I’m have a stockpile in the freezer – they are perfect for a little energy boost. These little balls also happen to be vegan.
If you have other variation ideas, I’d love to hear them!
- 2 cups dried cranberries
- 1 cup almonds
- 4 teaspoons maple syrup
- 1/2 cup unsalted sunflower seeds
- 1 cup shredded coconut
- 1 orange, zest only
- Add the cranberries and almonds to a food processor and blend for a couple of minutes. You want the pieces to be minced and almost blending together but yet not forming a paste or a nut butter.
- Add the maple syrup, sunflower seeds, shredded coconut, and the zest of the orange. Blend again until all the seeds are small pieces and the mixture starts to stick together a bit. Don't worry about getting this perfect. As long as the mixture sticks together, you are good.
- Place a teaspoon of the mixture into your hands and roll into balls. If you want, you can roll the balls in some additional shredded coconut, but that isn't necessary.
- Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving. I like them best chilled or even frozen.
I loved the roasted eggplant salad you made Friday night. It was sooooo yummy. Now I can make it at home. Thank you Jill!