2014: By The Numbers

Good morning friends!

I know I said I wouldn't be blogging much this week due to being out of town, but...

Thanks to insomnia, I'm the only one up and I have a feeling it's going to be that way for awhile. I've got a delicious cup of coffee, a gorgeous view over the top of the laptop of Lake of Egypt in Illinois, and I'm wide awake. Therefore, time to blog! I've got a couple of fun, year-end posts to share to wrap up 2014. I actually started this post in January of 2014, to keep track of all the events that took place this year, and right now I'm putting the finishing touches on it. Just for y'all :)

Let's jump right in, shall we?

Home Decor: Living Room Wall Collage

I have finally decorated this gigantic wall in my living room! 

It has been the bane of my existence for the last couple of months. It was the biggest, blankest wall in the house, and it really made the house look like we had just moved in. It's one of the first walls you see when you walk in the house, and it was just so... so... empty.

I have a list of priorities of what I want to get done in the house, and my top 3 at that moment was:

1. Living Room Wall
2. Living Room Curtains
3. Coffee Bar in the Kitchen

In my mind, I just knew that decorating the wall and putting curtains in the living room would pull the house together immensely. I had originally wanted to put 1 large piece of art on that wall, but have since come to reconsider. I was having a abysmal time trying to find a piece of art. And every time I got on Pinterest, I saw all these beautiful wall arrangements. So of course, Pinterest came to change my mind. Last weekend, we trekked to Target and I picked up a floating shelf and some round mirrors. The first pieces to be collected for my eclectic wall.

Once I put my mind to it, I began to pick up pieces like crazy. I had everything picked out and by Thursday, I was waiting for one piece I'd ordered off Amazon. Of course, it arrived that day! The whole course of the day was altered, and I forced the hubby to hang up my wall collage.

I'm so glad I did, I can't stop staring at it!

This is the piece I ordered from Amazon. I'm always hesitant to order stuff like this online, because you never know how it's going to look in person. Thankfully, I think I love this piece even more now that I have it in front of me.

I got 5 differently sized circle mirrors at Target. I loved that I could place them anywhere, they didn't have to stay together. I didn't realize you could see me until after I took the picture. Hehe.

I was a sucker for these birds.

This was a little wink-wink to the hubby and I, being such huge Oregon Duck fans :)

Decorating the wall has really given the living room some new life. I'm so pleased with how it turned out.

And you can see how different it makes the room look! Ahh, bliss :)

Next up, curtains!

House, Week 12: Decor

The hubby and I have been in the house for 12 weeks now! I can't believe how time has flown. It really does seem like we moved in just yesterday. I'm still so thankful every morning when I wake up here. It was a long journey that at times seemed like it would never end, but it was well worth the wait.

We are mostly unpacked, and have started to concentrate on decorating the house. Man alive, is decor expensive! I honestly had no idea. None. We've been picking up things here and there, waiting for sales, making lists, and doing tons of budgeting. Here's a few things we've worked on so far:

I finally have a place to put my perfume collection, which hasn't been out of the box since we lived in Portland!

Master bath.

I heart flowers.

One of many ideas stolen from Pinterest.

Master bath counter.

Master bedroom dresser. Like my perfume, the mirror hasn't been on the dresser since Portland :)

Picture wall, master bedroom.

Bed side table, master bedroom.

Main bath

Main bath art.

Bookshelf in the entryway.

Living room decor.

Dining nook.

Dining room table centerpiece.

Lentil Soup with Spicy Sausage and Kale

Pinterest strikes again!

I'm soooo loving this hearty soup I found. It was just what the doctor ordered on a freakin' cold, windy winter day. One where the high was 37 degrees, and the sun didn't peek out once. Not even once.

Truly a one-pot meal, this soup has everything and the kitchen sink in it. Lentils, sausage, and kale (uh, duh). Carrots, onions, celery, tomatoes, garlic, parsley, and Parmesan cheese. Protein, fiber, and 175% of your daily value of Vitamin A. Served piping hot, and filling your house with a savory aroma as it simmers. But to take it really over the top? Warm, crusty french bread served on the side.

Yes, please! Sign me up. An added bonus: the leftovers are even more out-of-this-world amazing :)

Ingredients:

3 links hot Italian sausage
1 medium onion, diced
3 celery stalks, diced
2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
4 garlic cloves minced
1 (28 oz) can of diced tomatoes
3 cups chicken broth
3 cups water
1 cup brown lentils
1-2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper
2 bay leaves
3-4 cups kale, chopped
1/4 cup parsley, minced
Parmesan Reggiano cheese, shredded (for topping)

Directions:

1. Heat a large pot over medium heat. Remove casings from sausage, and when the pot is hot add sausage to pot. Brown sausages on each side, about 2 minutes each. Stir to crumble. Cook until all sausage is browned.
2. Add onions through garlic to the pot. Saute until tender, about 5 minutes.
3. Add tomatoes through bay leaves to the pot. Add more salt and pepper if needed, to taste. Bring to a simmer. Simmer for 40 minutes, or until lentils are tender.
4. Add kale to the pot. Simmer for 8 more minutes, or until kale is tender. Turn off heat, and stir in parsley.
5. Ladle soup into bowls, and top with the shredded Parmesan Reggiano.

*Recipe adapted from Smitten Kitchen*

Blog Love: Oktoberfest Stew

I missed cooking so, so much. So much that I never not want to be able to cook ever again.

Never, ever, ever again.

Like, ever.

In all seriousness, I've been cooking since Day 3 in the new house. Priority #1 was my kitchen. I always want my kitchen to be done. I'd rather be running into boxes in the bedroom in the middle of the night over not cooking. And while I have been cooking, it has been quick standbys, not new recipes.

This was the first new recipe I tried. And I did not regret it. Ooh child, this was delicious.

I found this recipe somewhere where I spend a majority of my time, Pinterest. I love Pinterest so much, I don't know what I would do without it. Probably be very, very sad. This recipe is from one of my newly beloved blogs, The Cozy Apron. Pinterest led me to this blog, and I'm so happy it did.

I missed Oktoberfest season this year, so maybe I'm just trying to make up for that fact. The hubby and I both had colds when I made this, and it was perfect comfort food. It actually reminds me of a dish my mom used to make, hers with smoked sausage, potatoes, and green beans. At any rate, this dish is full of flavor and would be perfect for a cold, windy night. It's too good to save for once a year :)

Ingredients:

1 tbsp olive oil
1 (14 oz) smoked beef sausage, sliced thinly
1 medium onion, diced
1/2 small cabbage, thinly sliced
1/4 tsp pepper
Pinch of salt
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup beer (German style lager)
2 Russet potatoes, peeled and chopped
2 1/2 cups chicken stock
1 1/2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp flat-leave parsley, chopped

Freshies. Yum!

I had a hard time finding German-style lager at my small-town grocery store, so I went with this.

Homemade chicken stock

Directions:

1. Heat olive oil in a large pan until heated. Add beef sausage, cook 4-5 minutes or until browned.
2. Add onions to pan. Cook until golden brown and softened. Add cabbage to pan and allow cabbage to soften.
3. Add salt and pepper to pan. Add garlic to pan, cook for 1-2 minutes.
4. Add lager to the pan. Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 2-3 minutes or until lager has slightly reduced.
5. Add potatoes and chicken broth to the pan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, place lid slightly askew on the pan to allow steam to escape, and simmer gently for 40 minutes or until potatoes are tender.
6. Turn heat off. Stir in the apple cider vinegar and the parsley. Serve immediately.

Veggies simmering in lager. Smells so amazing!

Recipe adapted from The Cozy Apron