office space redesign

Spencer has been bringing a lot of work home and we have decided that we need a more practical office space than what we have right now.

Our living room and office area are combined and I think this corner desk would suit nicely.

I love using baskets as storage.

I love the slip-covered chair with the monogram.

I love the natural fiber jute rugs but think that I would like the softer feel of the chenille/jute.

I love the nautical architectural element of these lamps.

I think this piece would look great on the opposite wall to help balance everything out and I love the color but Spencer took one look and said NO...so I'm thinking the creme brulee color shown below.

Now all I need are window treatments, wall hangings, accent pieces etc...

I have to tell you that I'm not very good with the details.

Does anyone have any ideas?

amelia

photos from pottery barn and layla grayce

Rigatoni with Roasted Red Pepper and Black Olives

We had a great time visiting friends in Dallas over the weekend.  My only complaint is that it wasn't long enough.  But they will be coming here in a few months to stay with us.  Their oldest son will be starting college in the fall and he wants to look at the U of A.

It seems like just yesterday I was starting my first semester at the U of A.  College was so fun and exciting  and so full of possibilities! 

Luckily, I won't have to worry about college for my two for several more years.  The most pressing thought on their minds is what are we going to eat for supper!

Today was spent unpacking and putting away with very little thought to what I might feed my family.  It's times like this that I like to make simple, healthy meals with only 5 or 6 ingredients.

Rigatoni with Roasted Red Pepper and Black Olives
(inspired by this recipe)

1 Ib. Rigatoni pasta

3 c. garlic-flavored croutons (just buy your favorite)

1/4 c. slivered almonds, toasted

1 c. thinly sliced roasted red bell peppers

1/4 c. black olives, sliced

3/4 c. extra-virgin olive oil

 Add the pasta  to a big pot of boiling water and cook until al dente, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain pasta into a large bowl.

Place the croutons and the almonds in a food processor and pulse until it is combined and you have fine crumbs. Add the crouton mixture to the cooked pasta and stir until the pasta is well coated. Add the roasted red peppers, black olives and the olive oil. Toss and serve.

Enjoy.

amelia

zucchini gnocchi says I love you

I was on the computer the other night trying to find a recipe for strawberry trifle...different recipes kept catching my eye and I would click on them.

Before you know it I was sliding down a virtual rabbit hole and this is what I found at the other end:

Gnocchi with Zucchini Ribbons and Parsley Brown Butter
(I would love to give credit but can't remember where I got it)

1 pound store bought gnocchi
2 Tbs butter
2 medium shallots
3 zucchini (cut into thin ribbons)
1 pint cherry tomatoes
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 c. freshly grated Parmesan
1/4 c. chopped parsley

Put butter into large pan on medium heat.  when butter is melted add shallots and cook until they are soft and translucent then add zucchini ribbons, salt, and nutmeg. at this point I added a few Tbs. of water and put the lid on the pan to steam the zucchini this will take about 5-6 minutes.  add tomatoes and keep on heat until they start to burst (about 1-2 minutes).  add Parmesan and parsley and take off the heat.

In the meantime, get a large pot of boiling water ready for the gnocchi.  it will only take a few minutes for the pasta to cook. when they float to the top they are done.

Add gnocchi to the zucchini mixture and be prepared to wow your husband. :)  Spencer was so impressed with this dish that he couldn't stop talking about how delicious it was!

Enjoy!

amelia

linky party

meiji!

Last week was so busy I didn't have time to sit down and write a post.

Wednesday we took our youngest to a pediatric dentist in fayetteville. Talk about cool!  It looked more like an amusement park than a dentist office. :)

After the dentist we had lunch at Meiji.

We love sushi and this place did not disappoint! 

This is a little about the philosophy of Meiji in Chef Darwin Beyer's own words:

Meiji is a small restaurant.  That allows me to focus on bringing you the highest quality food.  The fish at Meiji is sashimi-grade, and some of the freshest you'll find in Northwest Arkansas.  Our sauces are all made from scratch in our kitchen.  Vegetables, herbs, and edible flowers are purchased from local farms within a few miles of our front door.
I’m proud to offer fish selections that you won’t see at other local restaurants.  We cater to people who love sushi, but I also love to introduce sushi to those who are trying it for the first time. 
I invite you to try Meiji.  I hope you will find our atmosphere to be elegant without being stuffy, and the food to be the best you’ve ever tried.

Elegant without being stuffy...I love that!!

We all shared the spicy crab salad and the Shoyu Nama Ramen soup.  Spencer and I shared a couple different rolls and we got a bento box with salmon for our son. :)

The first roll we ate was the "Daikon" roll.  Daikon is a Japanese radish that is marinate and then cut very thinly so it can be used as the wrap for this roll.  It was filled with an assortment of fish ranging from tuna, salmon, and yellow tail, as well as several savory herbs and veggies. 

This roll is amazingly light and delicious and just bursting with flavor.

 Our second roll was the "Cobalt" roll.  This is a shrimp tempura and salmon combined with cucumber and avacado and topped with eel sauce.  I've had many eel sauces but this one takes the cake, but the real flavor kick of this roll is the fact that these are incredibly thin lemon slice between each piece of roll.  They are sliced with the rind still on them.  This seems strange until you take that first bite.  Then the bright, clean explosion of lemon hits you and blows you away. 

Everything was light and fresh and delicious.  They also had fresh wasabi (which was a first for me and I loved it)!  Not that regular intense green paste but actually fresh chopped wasabi that you could spoon on each bite and savor.

What a perfect day.  The only thing missing was our older son who had to go to school and did NOT understand why he had to miss all the fun!

Meiji  Japanese Cuisine is my favorite new restaurant.

Question of the Day:

Do you like sushi?  Where is your favorite place to eat out?

amelia