The Great Gallery Wall Move

Last year, I made a gallery wall in my living room that I've enjoyed over the last year. But, you know...time passes, and I was ready for a change. During the same period, I was also a little tired of our bedroom and ready for something new.

Lucky for me (ha!), we've battled moisture and mildew this year, so we made the decision to flip-flop our bedroom with that of our boys', and I was forced to find a new home for everything on the walls and rethink a few things.

When I think of my bedroom, I aim for cozy. We honeymooned at a run0down family motel on the edge of the earth (the Outer Banks of North Carolina...it really is the edge of the earth!). The place had mis-matched sheets, curtains from the 70s, and the furniture was all different. In a word, it was cozy. You knew that that room had stories to tell. Stories to tell of vacationing families, of fishing trips, of hurricanes and nor'easters survived. And, so, when I decorate, sometimes I want my rooms to feel like they have the same stories to tell. Stories of life and love and history and hope of a great future.

In a word, gallery walls are just my thing.

A few things extended down onto the dresser.

As well as a bowl of buckeyes from a fun camping trip we took back in the days before kids.

And along with the room and gallery wall moves, I got new bedding. I'd had the same floral duvet for almost 11 years. It was a wedding present that I loved at the time and still do, but I was just ready for something lighter. So, I went with this off-white matelasse that I borrowed/stole from my mom. I found the comforter at the end of the bed thrifting. It's king size and very heavy, so just perfect for when the nights are cold.

And there you go. Cozy.

Chicken Pozole

A few weeks ago, I took one of my beloved cooking classes, and the focus was on Latin American soups. Now we all know that I'm a sucker for Latin American foods, so that was right up my alley. We made pozole, as well as a black bean soup that I plan to make in the next couple of weeks. But the pozole had to be made quickly! I couldn't stop thinking about it. Good stuff.

Chicken Pozole
recipe courtesy of Zach Meloy and Buford Highway Farmers' Market

2 bone-in chicken breasts
water to cover
1 onion, diced
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
2-28 oz cans tomatoes, pureed in a blender until almost smooth
1-28 oz can hominy

toppings: chips, sour cream, cilantro, lime wedges, onions, radishes, diced jalapenos, avocado. Whatever you've got is good here. This night, we went with chips, cilantro, onions, sour cream, and lime.


Boil chicken breasts in salted water, just until done, about 35-40 minutes. Take chicken out, allow to cool, and shred or chop. Reserve the light broth.

In a large soup pot, saute onion and garlic until done. Add tomatoes, hominy, and chicken broth. Season to taste with salt. Bring to a simmer and allow to simmer at a very low heat for about 45 minutes. Add chicken to soup. Serve with toppings.

Don't be jealous of the world map placemat. All the cool kids have them.

Today, I'm linked to Tasty Tuesday at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam.

Menu Plan January 30

Last week, we amazingly stuck to our plans all week! And we were thrilled to eat Moe's at the end of it, so it was both a great treat, and a mini lesson for my boys on how money only stretches so far, and some of the ways we can help it do so. I will say, though, that the pantry was mighty thin by the end of the week, and I definitely missed the extra $20 I usually spend. So, this week, back to all our meals at home, and hopefully, I can squeeze in a few more treats.

This week is also subject to change, because hopefully, our colds will be gone by the end of the week, and we'll head over to see my mom for a couple of days. I hate winter colds and staying home to keep them to ourselves! Ugh. So, we hit the vitamin C hard and hope for a quick recovery.

Tuesday: chicken pozole (recipe coming tomorrow!)
Wednesday: red clam spaghetti, salad, bread
Thursday: taco soup, brownies
Friday: Thai curry over rice
Saturday: bean and rice burritos (lunch), pot sticker dumplings (supper)
Sunday: quesadillas with spinach, mushrooms, and peppers (lunch), carbonara (supper)
Monday: red beans and rice, salad

As always, I'm linked to meal plan Monday over at orgjunkie.

Salsas

We love Mexican food here. And one of the fun things about taquerias is the salsa bar that they have. Our favorite has about 6 salsas to choose from, as well as pickled jalapenos, radishes, onions, and pico de gallo. So, so good. And so much fun to add to a meal. So for this night, I decided to play around with some of our favorites and try out a couple of new ones, too.

This is chipotle salsa. A surprising hit. It's The Tomato King's new favorite.

Roasted tomatillo salsa. This is the favorite of my kids. It's a Rick Bayless recipe, which is written in a very wordy way. Don't let that turn you off--it's very easy.

My favorite. Tomatillo avocado salsa. Add an avocado to the tomatillo salsa and blend. Easy peasy.


And the old faithful. Roasted tomato salsa .

We're already making a list for the next salsa night. It's a fun, cheap way to bring some new-ness into our meals and make us feel like we're eating something different. Even if it is rice and beans. Again. (are my kids ever going to tire of this????) Good for the budget. Good for the bored mama. Good all around.