It's less ugly! Our bathroom before, during, and after.

I finally got around to taking some proper photos of the finished bathroom (and Mr. Fantastic lent his photographic eye to the endeavor as well). It proved to be a bit of a challenge to capture more than any one component in a frame, as the walls are about five feet away from each other, but hopefully you get the idea.

Here's what we started with:

Gorgeous, huh? Call us crazy, but we wanted something a little different. We did not, however, realize that we were bargaining for two months of various states of this:

I think -- and I can only say this now, mind you -- it was worth it.

Improvised Dinner

Faced with a sparse refrigerator and minimal motivation, "what's for dinner?" threatened to be a challenging question this evening.  Thankfully, a bag of corn meal on the top shelf of a kitchen cabinet reminded me that I've been meaning to try my hand at cooking polenta.  The Awesome Husband has deemed the result worthy of a card in our recipe box, so I'm calling it a success.

Polenta with Garlicky Tomato Reduction

Prepare polenta according to corn meal package directions.  I aimed for the consistency of whipped potatoes, then I added about half a cup of shredded parmesan and stirred until it was melty and thoroughly incorporated.

For the reduction (which actually makes sense to start before the polenta, based on their respective stirring and attention needs):
6 cloves of garlic, minced
1 generous cup crushed tomatoes (left over from homemade pizza earlier this week -- I would have used any tomato base)
Splash of red wine
1 teaspoon anchovy paste

Sautee the garlic in enough oil to coat a medium sized pan.  Add everything else, stir, and simmer uncovered, allowing much of the liquid to cook out.

Spoon a little of the reduction over each serving of polenta, top with shredded parmesan, and enjoy.

Now if you'll excuse me, I need to write a grocery list.  This kind of yummy-dinner-idea-lurking-in-the-cabinets lightning isn't likely to strike twice...

At least I meant well.

I had grand plans to make at least a gesture of equity on this here blog with respect to our furry friends. Cecil gets all the glory these days. He's young and energetic and adorable and, most importantly, he's new. So when I looked across the kitchen this evening and realized that Moxie was just hangin' out next to the fridge -- which is just odd and quirky enough to make her totally fit in around here -- I broke out the (cell phone) camera and figured she'd earned the spotlight for a moment.



She was super appreciative. Can't you just see the excitement on her face? I mean really, if this isn't elation, I don't know what is.



And for all my good intentions of giving Moxie a little respect and her fair share of blog time, Cecil in all his adorableness managed to worm his way into the next frame.



They're both cute. Oh, the dilemmas we have around here.

Less Ugly Bathroom! (a preview)

I had grand plans to take pictures of the finished (!) and much less ugly bathroom over the weekend, but Monday morning snuck up on me (as it always does).  A preview shot from my phone will have to do. 

Happy work week, everyone!  And a begrudging happy long weekend to those of you who have President's Day off.

Patience, grasshoppers.

Guess what, you guys? 

ALL OF THE PLUMBING IN THE (now less ugly) BATHROOM IS IN WORKING ORDER.

Yes, it had to be in all caps. I took a shower in my very own house for the first time in two months.  It's kind of a big day.

And here's where I disappoint you all: I haven't taken pictures yet.  Soon.  Here's where that patience comes in.

You're welcome.

You need to make this breakfast pizza.  The one I linked to in my last post.  The one over here at Smitten Kitchen.

I made a few modifications.  Instead of shallots, I used caramelized onions.  I didn't have chives, so they were left out and replaced with more of the parsley and scallions.  I also used turkey bacon instead of the real stuff.

One other note:  I used store-bought pizza dough instead of that which is indicated in the recipe.  Turns out, the recipe doesn't translate well to not using a stand mixer.  (Yes, we own a stand mixer.  No, we haven't figured out yet where in the kitchen it can live.  Yes, it's still in its original packaging in the basement.)

I might request this for my birthday instead of cake.  It's that good.

Simpleton Taste Buds and a Recipe(ish)

I like elaborately prepared food as much as the next gal, but it struck me this morning how some of my hands-down favorites are simple combinations of a handful of ingredients. Green olives and avocados in mustard vinaigrette salad dressing? Best part of my work-lunch salads (and I would totally make a batch of just that if it weren't for needing to eat vegetables too). Romaine lettuce, light mayo, and melted American cheese on whole wheat toast? Possibly better than a BLT (possibly). And then there's the homemade muesli I've started making, inspired by the breakfasts we ate on our honeymoon. We don't set out platters of meats and cheeses and vegetables each morning like they did for us in Reykjavik, but the muesli is here to stay.


Easy Peasy Muesli
Oats. A bunch of oats. Maybe 3 or 4 cups.
Chopped walnuts. About a cup, give or take.
Craisins, to taste. I use a quarter cup, if I had to guess.

Mix the oats and the walnuts together in a baking dish. Place in the oven on the bottom rack. I always do this while I'm pre-heating the oven to make something else, so I don't think an exact temperature is important. When the oats start to turn golden brown, either shake them and turn the pan around (if a lot of the oats are still pale) or take them out of the oven (if the browning seems pretty uniform). Once they've cooled, pour the oats and walnuts into an airtight container, add the craisins, and shake to distribute.

This stuff is highly, highly recommended sprinkled over yogurt. I mix plain and vanilla to balance taste and the "wow, that's a lot of sugar on that nutrition label" factor, but I bet any flavor would work well.

That said, it's already been decided that we're totally having this for breakfast tomorrow morning. The drooling has already begun.

Regarding the Cat Formerly Known as Patience

Cecil: *whine*  *whine whine whine*

Me: Hmm.  Does he have to go out?

The Awesome Husband: Maybe, but he'll have to be patient.

Me (speaking for Cecil): I'm a do-og.  I don't have opposable thumbs... or patience.  Don't be stupid!

Me (speaking for myself):  You know, that was Moxie's name before I adopted her.

The Awesome Husband:  *pause*  ... Why would anyone name a cat Stupid?!

Annnnd *scene*.

Homebrewing: now with uniforms!

Last weekend, Mr. Terrific and I brewed our third batch of beer, a black lager. It's been fermenting in the basement (at a lager-appropriate 48 degrees -- thanks, February) since then, and we'll put it in bottles tomorrow.

The best part of this most recent brewing project was the attire. One of Mr. Terrific's brothers surprised us with shirts he'd had printed up for us as Christmas gifts, and this was our first opportunity to wear them whilst actually brewing.



Yes, I have a matching shirt. Yes, I wore mine as well, because yes, we're complete dorks. No, none of the pictures of me came out well.

(Also of note in that second photo is the hideous wall paneling in our kitchen. It's eerily similar to the hideous wall paneling that was (past tense!) in the bathroom. This is what we've been up against.)

"Whatcha doing? Can I help?"

If Cecil actually knew a lot about plumbing (and had opposable thumbs) perhaps the bathroom would be done by now.