Oh Baby: Nursery for Baby L

Modern Digs for a Modern Baby

Incubating a baby is exciting, nerve-wracking, and a long term project. Decorating the nursery is no different. You can't help but want it to be just perfect. I found websites touting the newest must-need item for only $600 or the best rocker for a mere $1000. Yikes! In full disclosure, I am a highly visual, aesthetically focused individual. Design and functionality must marry in perfection for me to even consider dropping cash on an item. I don't just pick the most functional item and buy it. Why? Because I have to stare at it over and over again, and it may as well be pretty or interesting. However, I don't agree with the price tag many companies charge for such lovely items. So what's a mommy-to-be to do? The three Re's; Re-use, Re-purpose, and Re-cycle. Here is how I created my perfect nursery for little Baby L set to arrive in a mere 3 days (plus a few days for wiggle room).

The rundown: re-purposed bookshelf from Ikea, Pottery Barn elephant rocker (Craigslist find), Peg Perego rocker (Zullily.com), dot curtains (Ikea), bear mobile (re-used gift from ages ago), orange lamp (Ikea), re-located Andy Warhol cat print (purchased at The Art Institute of Chicago).

Wall decal and Peg Perego rocker (zulilly.com), Malm Dresser from Ikea (re-purposed), doggy tail wall hooks (Ikea), Holman shelf (Pottery Barn).

Malm dresser from Ikea (re-purposed), "Not a Peep" changing pad cover and crib sheet (Landofnod.com), cat (rescued from the humane society), Holman shelf (Pottery Barn), doggy tail wall hooks (Ikea), white and yellow tissue poms (re-cycled from my baby shower), Moderna crib by BabyMod (Walmart), teddy bear (my "vintage" bear from childhood), All You Need Is Love print (theloveshop on Etsy.com).

The only item missing is a vintage rocking chair that is coming with the grand parents.

Ready, set, come on baby!

Granola for the Seoul

Granola, it is so simple, so comforting. Yet if you bought it in the store you would think it was made of cardboard and lies of promised health. My dearest friend, runner and fellow health nut, Shelley, has relocated to ovenless Seoul, South Korea. Granola is her staple. So what's a gal pal to do? Send a box full of home made granola (and coffee), of course!

You will absolutely kick yourself in the pants when you realize how easy it is to make your own bowl licking, amazing to die for granola. Seriously, never buy that pre-packaged crap ever again. I put this together from reading other recipes and experimenting on my own.

The Basic Bare Bones Granola

4 cups old fashioned oats
1 tsp sea salt
2 tsps ground cinnamon
1 cup nuts (optional)
1 cup dried fruit
1/3 cup coconut or canola oil
1/3 cup agave nectar
2 tsps vanilla extract

Turn oven to 350 degrees. Combine all dry ingredients together. Whisk oil, agave nectar and vanilla together in a small bowl. Pour wet ingredients over dry and using a rubber spatula, thoroughly mix together.

Dump granola onto a cookie sheet with sides.

Bake for 15 minutes, take out and stir, pop back in for 8 minutes. Granola should be golden brown. Let cool completely on cookie sheet before snacking or storing commences.



Now for some fun variations on a theme.

Blueberry-Almond

4 cups old fashioned oats
1 tsp sea salt
1 cup chopped or sliced raw almonds
1 cup dried blueberries
1/3 cup canola oil
1/3 cup agave nectar
2 tsps almond extract

Follow above baking directions for Basic Bare Bones Granola above.

Curry Coconut Cashew

4 cups old fashioned oats
1 tsp sea salt
2 tsp curry powder (I use madras curry powder from Penzey's Spices)
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1 cup raw cashews
1 cup dried pineapple, mango, or crystallized ginger (optional)
1/3 cup melted coconut oil
1/3 cup agave nectar

Follow above baking directions for Basic Bare Bones Granola above.


Get creative and get your granola on.

The finished product, crunchy, golden, lip smackingly good granola.

It pays to prep, have everything ready, liquids in one bowl and dry in another. 

Pre-oven, the raw stuff, such potential.

Bloggie, blogger, I like Biscotti

What's that? I haven't blogged in over a year? Well a lot has happened, I graduated from Chiropractic school, started a residency in Diagnostic Imaging (x-rays, MRI, CT), moved to a new apartment, AND I am about to have a baby in oh 2-3 weeks. So not much.So what should my jumping back in to bloggerdom be initiated with? I know, how about biscotti, yes, biscotti it is. Lately I have been obsessed with dunkable items, mainly of the not chocolate persuasion (thank you pregnancy related heartburn). Oh and I'll throw a Blondies recipe in as well.

Cinnamon Biscotti

3 cups flour
1/2 cup coconut flour(or 2 more cups of flour)
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 1/2 tsps ground cinnamon
1 1/2 cups unsalted butter (or vegan butter), softened
2 cups raw sugar
4 eggs (or flax eggs, see previous post)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease large baking sheet.
In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt.
Cream the butter and sugar together until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time.
Gradually, add flour mixture to butter mixture. Combine completely.
Evenly divide dough into 2 portions. Shape into 12 inch logs on cookie sheet. Flatten tops until they are 1-inch tall.
Bake for 30 minutes.
Remove from oven.
Place baking sheet on cooling rack for 15 minutes.
Transfer biscotti log to a cutting board.
Using a serrated bread knife, carefully cut loaves vertically into 1/2 to 1-inch slices. Trim off the very ends so your biscotti have a solid surface to sit on. Promptly eat ends, after all, you must taste test.
Line slices back on baking sheet. Bake for an additional 5 minutes.
Remove from oven and turn cookies over.
Finish baking for another 5 minutes.
Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes and serve.

A few notes:

These may seem like a giant pain in the ass, however, you will not regret making them. Plus you can bake the Blondies in the following recipe at the same time. Two baking birds with one oven, so worth it.

I use the silpat baking mats, which I love, love, love. For this recipe in particular it is so handy to pick up the whole mat flip it over on the cutting board and just peel the mat off. Biscotti logs don't always like spatulas, so treat them with kindness as you transfer to a cutting board.

Blondies

1 cup butter or 3/4 cup coconut oil
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg (or flax egg)
1 tsp baking powder
1 tbl vanilla extract
1 cup almond flour
1/4 coconut flour (or 1 cup flour)
1/4 tsp kosher or sea salt

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 8 x 8 pan with non-stick baking spray.
Melt butter or coconut in the microwave, add brown sugar whisking to combine.
Let cool for at least 5 minutes.
Add your egg and vanilla, mixing quickly to combine. Add dry ingredients, mixing well to combine.
Spread thick batter into pan, bake for 35 minutes.
Pop in fridge to slice into nice, perfect bars, or eat with a fork straight out of the pan like I did.