Fairy Doors

We (I) are (am) constantly trying to come up with creative things to do with Ben that don't cost a ton of money. I somehow stumbled across Fairy Doors and decided it was an interesting and better yet FREE activity for us on a Thursday night. Please checkout the website for more details but the basic idea is these doors started popping up all over Ann Arbor a few years back. You would never notice them but once you know where they are, they are the cutest little things! I made a map of downtown and used it as an opportunity to teach Ben so basic map reading skills and he thought the whole night was "awesome"

This is a fairy ticket window right below the actual ticket window at The Ark There are actual tickets inside and if you look around the corner, you can see the entrance to the ticket box.

Move farther down the street and you find a Goblin Door. There's bird droppings and garbage all over it. Ben decided this was his favorite door.

Head inside Sweetwaters Cafe and you will find a fairy door with their own miniture coffee house. Adorable!

This door was outside Peaceable Kingdom. If you go inside you can see a scene from the fairy's own store but they were closed so we'll have to do it another time.

Ben's First Football Game

We took Ben to his first UofM football game on September 26th. He loved it! And we won!

Enjoying some nachos during halftime

Caleb and his friends showing Ben how to pose

At the game

Go Blue!

(We just aren't going to talk about what happened last weekend)

Hippie Hash Browns

If you have ever been to Fleetwood Diner in Ann Arbor you have probably tried their Hippie Hash Browns. In honor of Ben's first UofM football game, we decided to try our hand at making this delicious dish! Please keep in mind, measurements are totally approximate and cooking instructions are completely random. They turned out yummy but can't compare to Fleetwood's version. We will however, be trying again.

I started by shredding 6ish potatoes in my new food processor (thank you Grandma!). I heated some oil, added chopped onion and garlic. Sauteed for awhile. Once the potatoes were shredded, I added them to the pan and started frying. I found that the potatoes take a looooong time to cook if you do them all at once. I would recommend breaking it into portion sizes and cooking one at a time. Leave them one on side until cooked to your liking. Flip and cook again.

Remember the peppers from the Fall Decor post? Well here they are, all diced up. My bowl looks a little empty, but it's a small price to pay for good food. We used about 4ish peppers. Add oil to a separate pan and saute the peppers until they are tender. Add broccoli as well and really any other veggie you prefer.

Once everything is done cooking, serve the potatoes layered with the veggies and some feta cheese. I am telling you, the feta makes the dish! We ate them with some eggs and toast.

Fall Decor

Inspired by all the other blogs featuring their fall decor, I decided to do the same! I've decided I don't want to pay full price for holiday decorations so I'm making do with what I've collected over the years and only adding a few pieces. Once each season/holiday passes, I will hit the clearance racks for next year!

This whole centerpiece is new!

pumpkins - $0.79 ea. - Walmart (plus 2 more that Ziggy ate)

placemat - $2.00 - Walmart

lantern - $14.00 - JcPenney - marked down from $80 (my MIL would be so proud)

candle - $4.99 - Home Goods

Total = $25.73

Nothing new here! Just rummaged through my GIGANTIC box of candles and switched out the old ones for some new fall inspired candles. Kept everything else the same

Total = FREE!

Again, nothing new. I have had the bowl for a few years and decided to go with nature's decorations.

Added bonus - my brother found an AMAZING produce market in Dearborn - all those peppers cost a whopping $5.00!

Total = $5.00

I swapped out the sticks for some fall inspired colors. The candle was from my stash!

Total = $5.99 for the sticks

Bouquet Painting

So after the wedding I couldn't bear to just throw away my bouquet. I also find dried flowers to just be dust collecters. I then stumbled across Grand Jour Events. http://grandjourevents.blogspot.com/

We apparently share the same anniversary so I was able to snag a discount on my very own bouquet painting. I gave her the colors I wanted before redoing our bedroom but turns out, I planned it out somewhere in my head, because it works!

Master Bedroom Transformation

When we moved into the house we decided to use a lot of my decor items from the apartment and the master bedroom was no exception. We knew we'd be registering for a new comforter set and I just didn't feel like being creative with the room in the midst of wedding planning. Now that the wedding is over, we are slowly redoing the rooms in our house. Master bedroom was the first we tackled.

If you need a reminder of the before: http://myyummyfoods.blogspot.com/2009/04/master-bedroom.html

Here's the after:

We changed out the candles hanging above the bed but kept the sconces. We changed the bedspread and added valences. Some of the decorations are the same and others have been changed.

I switched out the lamp base but kept the shade. We also changed the knobs on the closet to match the knobs on the furniture. Nick still has to build himself a closet on the right but in the meantime I covered the space with a curtain and a tension rod. It works for now.

I love live plants but generally am terrible at keeping them alive and the cats try to eat them. I bought these from IKEA and figure if one of the above 2 things happen, I'm not out that much money. So far, so good. I also am having a heck of a time finding the lamp I want. I want a tall lamp that I can put a lampshade on....IMPOSSIBLE. All lamps built for a shade are not THAT tall, and all the tall lamps are built for the sconce things. I found this one for 8 bucks at IKEA and figured it works for now. I hate the cord hanging down the whole dang thing. I also am looking for a compact chair to put in front of the lamp since that corner is a little empty now.

Also I am getting a painting done of my bouquet and it is in the same colors as our bedroom. I am planning on putting that in there as well.

Cilantro Shrimp and Corn Salsa

It has been awhile since I made dinner and Nick is still raving over this one. I have to agree with him. Delish! I would highly recommend grilling the corn, although you can use canned or frozen is time is a factor.

Grilled Corn and Avocado Salsa

Ingredients

3 medium corn on the cob, grilled, cooled to room temperature
1/2 cup(s) scallion(s), white and green parts, chopped
1 medium jalapeno pepper(s), cored, seeded and minced
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes, optional
1 small garlic clove(s), minced
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp table salt
1/8 tsp black pepper
1 medium avocado, ripe, peeled, pitted and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 Tbsp fresh lime juice, from 1 medium lime
2 Tbsp cilantro, fresh, minced

Instructions

Break each ear of corn in half; place flat end on cutting board and using a sharp paring knife, slice kernels off cob. Place kernels in a medium bowl; add scallion, jalapeno, red pepper flakes, garlic, cumin, salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate if not using right away.
Just before serving, stir in avocado, lime juice and cilantro. Yields about 1/4 cup per serving.

Shrimp with Chile-Cilantro Rub

Ingredients

1 bunch cilantro, chopped coarsely
1 habanero chile, chopped
4 shallots, chopped
2 lemons, zested
2 limes, zested and juiced to 1/4 cup (juice more limes if necessary)
1 cup coconut milk
1/4 cup soy sauce

1/4 vegetable oil
16 jumbo shrimp, cleaned, deveined
8 skewers
Marinade
1/4 bunch cilantro leaves, as garnish

Instructions

Puree all marinade ingredients in a blender. Reserve 2 tablespoons of marinade.
Skewer shrimp and place in marinade and refrigerate.

After shrimp has marinated 2 to 3 hours, grill for about 3 to 4 minutes on each side, making sure they are fully cooked.
Serve with a drizzle of the reserved marinade and cilantro, as garnish.