Winter Mantel

After Christmas I like to tone down the mantel and create a calm focal point for our family room.

 I can't quite give up the snowy and wintry decor but I want to keep it neutral.  I do this by using shades of white, cream and silver.  The white cut-out candle holder was a Christmas gift. I love how the candlelight shines through it.

The snowball bunting was from last year.  I think I found it at Target.  It's an upgrade from this one.

DIY Snowy Garland

Winter Mantel 2013

My favorite way to enjoy it is with a fire going in the fireplace and lots of candles glowing.  After the Christmas wreaths come down I like to decorate the front doors with some seasonal decor too. These Popsicle Stick Snowflakes are still holding up and making a bold visual statement on the house.

Popsicle Stick Snowflake

Just Another Flake

Do you do any winter specific decorating?

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More About the New Rug

Last week in my Things Loved Lately post I gave you a peek at our new rug from Ikea.  Here's how it looks in the room.  It's the Hampen rug.

 I wasn't sure about it at first but now I love it!

 The texture adds a nice coziness to the space and the color visually opens up the room.

I thought it might be a tough color to keep clean because it is a high traffic area but so far it's been easy to clean and vacuums up beautifully.

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{Get Thrifty} Thursday 01.26.17

Thank goodness it's Thursday. This week has dragged on for me!  Maybe it's all of the rain and strong winds we've been getting that makes the days seem longer.

 Here are some of my thrifty finds from last week.   I usually start out not finding anything and the more I look, the more I find!

I've already worn everything but the tank (and the bowl).  😎  Have you found any thrifty treasures lately?

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{Recipe} Vegan 'Meaty' Lasagna

I was craving lasagna for a couple of weeks and finally put this recipe together.  It's hearty and soul satisfying for this time of year.  Leftovers are even better!

For a printable version of this recipe, click here.

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Things Loved Lately

Here's what I've been crushing on lately...

 This new cozy rug in our den from Ikea.

 Lots of stacked firewood (and snow) though we haven't had much snow.

 Trying to improve my at home yoga practice.  I'm doing the Journey Junkie's  7 Day Yoga Body Bootcamp (it's free!).

 Homemade minestrone soup (here's a recipe for my Mix and Match Minestrone).

 She survived midterms week and we had a day off to go get manicures and have lunch at our favorite vegetarian restaurant.

 My cozy yoga blanket.

 This was our wild Saturday night at Target.

 My latest read, yes it's YA but I found it on a list of books with shocking plot twists, if you like them...you should enjoy this one too!

Another formal and more flowers (and you can see her manicure).

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{Recipe Testing} Sesame Eggplant with Almond Butter Tofu

I was looking for something different to make with eggplant and came upon this recipe from Minimalist Baker.

 It looks a little complicated but it really came together pretty quickly once I gathered all of my ingredients.

 First off is the tofu.  It's pressed to get out any excess moisture, then cut into cubes.  Make the almond butter sauce (almond butter, soy sauce, lime juice, maple syrup and chili sauce).

 Dredge the tofu cubes in cornstarch.

 Saute them in sesame oil.

 Add sauce and cook a little longer.  Remove from pan to keep warm.

 Chop up the eggplant into cubes. Add to same pan.

 Cook eggplant with soy sauce, maple syrup and sesame seeds in some sesame oil until browned on all sides.

Assemble your bowl of delicious-ness.  Add rice (optional), eggplant and tofu to a bowl.

Garnish with red cabbage and kimchi.  Serve immediately. The almond butter tofu really makes this recipe amazing!
(Notes: I cut down the amount of sesame oil that was called for in the recipe and it was still delish! I would give this recipe 4 out of 5 stars).  Definitely worth trying!

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