Home Library Inspiration

Lately I have been focused on decorating my library/office. The plan was a room across from the master but with plans of having kids in the next year or two, the room will eventually become a nursery. To avoid moving hundreds of books again in a year, the new plan is to finish the unfinished half of the basement and make it into a library/office. The requirements are shelves covering the walls, oversized chairs with ottomans, lots of light, and a work desk.

Book nook!

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Window seats are necessary.

I love built in bookshelves.

Work space

Grief & Acceptance

My job can be extremely challenging at times. I have seen things that people write books about and things that people shove to the back of their minds for the rest of their lives. When I was hired they asked for one word that would describe my type of nursing and I said "empathetic". I was worried this "skill" of mine would bite me in the ass since I work in critical care. And you know what? It has, more than once. I bring everything home with me. I have dreams and nightmares. I wake up in the middle of the night and want to call the unit to find out how my patients of the shift are doing. I have a difficult time transferring patients and never knowing how their lives turn out. It is rare that a patient contacts us to let us know how they are recovering. It is more often that I just see their obituaries in the paper.

I witnessed something amazing recently. I have seen death present itself in many ways. Sudden and unexpected, long and painful, chosen and planned. There is one patient I will always remember. She knew death wasn't too far off so she reunited with long lost siblings, arranged for all of her family to visit, got all of her affairs in order and even helped write her obituary. She was so calm and accepting of her death. I sat at her bedside after her family went home with tears streaming down my face listening to her story. She knew death wasn't far off and was shocked that it hadn't come during the night. She was ready.

Moments like these make every bad day worth it.

Friday Favorites

Ever since I found a picture of these boots I've been dreaming of owning a pair.

So every couple of weeks I check dr. martens website to see if they have them. Yesterday I found these!

I need these in my life. 

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Tonight I made fajitas for dinner which are extremely easy (see recipe below) so I decided to make use of all the time I saved by making my favorite dessert...Chocolate Chip Cookies! This is a recipe that was given to me by my Mother which had been handed down from my Grandma. When I was little, one of my favorite memories is my Mom making chocolate chip cookies...the smell of them cooking in the oven, eating spoonfuls of cookie dough..

And making cookies was the perfect excuse to use my kitchenAid mixer for the first time.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

3/4 cup margarine

2/3 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

2/3 cup packed brown sugar

2 eggs

2 1/4 cup sifted flour

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

12 oz package semi-sweet chocolate chips

Cream margarine, sugars & vanilla.

Beat eggs and add to mix. Sift & add flour, salt, and baking soda. Mix together. (If batter is stiff, add 2-3 teaspoons of water.)

Stir in chocolate chips.

Drop on greased cookie sheet.

Bake at 375 degrees F for 10-12 minutes.

I highly recommend doubling this recipe! You will not regret it. 

Vegetable Enchiladas

After a long day of cleaning house, I decided to make vegetables enchiladas! This is one of my favorite recipes although I have no idea how I came across it. I tend to avoid recipes that require thawing out frozen foods, shredding cheese, constantly whisking and destroying my kitchen but this recipe is worth it!

Vegetable Enchiladas

2 T olive oil

2 tsp ground cumin

1/4 C all-purpose flour

1/4 C tomato paste

1 can (14.5 oz) low sodium vegetable broth

3 cups of grated pepper jack cheese

1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained & rinsed

10 oz frozen chopped spinach, thawed & squeezed dry

10 oz frozen corn kernels, thawed

Tortillas

Make sauce: 

Heat oil over medium heat. Add 1 tsp cumin, 1/4 C flour and tomato paste. Cook, whisking continuously for about 1 minute. Whisk in broth & 3/4 cup water and bring to a boil. Lower heat to a simmer & cook until slightly thickened, about 5-8 minutes.

amazing enchilada sauce! (and I'm extremely picky)

Filling:
Combine 2 cups of cheese, beans, corn, spinach, & 1 tsp cumin.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly oil dish. (There was so much filling I used a 9" by 9" and a 13" by 9" pan)

Top tortillas with 1/3 cup filling & roll up.

Sprinkle remaining cheese on enchiladas & top with sauce.

Bake uncovered until hot & bubbly 15-20 minutes. 

*edited to add: I found this recipe in my online recipe book...my original source for this recipe was http://crepesofwrath.net/2008/12/04/vegetable-enchiladas/

Fajitas

I love cooking and baking. Although you might call me more of a recipe collector than a chef!  But my husband is incredibly picky. I was a vegetarian for two years before I met him and he is the reason I started eating meat again. He is not one of those typical meat and potato Montana men but is far from being a vegetarian. So I have been adapting my favorite recipes to suit the both of us. 

Tonight I made fajitas. Fajitas are not worthy of being photographed so you just need to trust me that this recipe is amazing and incredibly easy! 

Fajitas

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp paprika

pinch of cayenne pepper

juice of 1 lime

1 clove of garlic, crushed

2 T of vegetable oil (or olive oil!)

Bell peppers (I use all 4 flavors of bell peppers)

Meat (tofu is great in this recipe but chicken or shrimp are also good)

Mix the spices, set aside. Cook meat and mix with half of the spices. Add peppers, cook for several minutes and add the remaining spices.