I see...

Have you ever seen The Sixth Sense?  The part where the kid gets in trouble from his mom because she thinks he keeps opening all the drawers and cabinets?

It's actually the ghost of his Grandma...

I think she now lives in my apartment.

Just saying.

february showers.

This weekend was my wedding shower back home in Minnesota.  It was beautiful.  It was fun.  I was amazing at the games.  It was everything I imagined a shower could be.  Not to mention the food was delicious.  Deeeelicious.

see?  yum.

homemade sangria

my cousin took this picture, she's an artist artist.  clearly.

three words: flourless chocolate cake.

 My friends are beautiful.  See?

 So are my family members.

So thankful for my bestie Courtnie.

lately

Lately, I've been a little absent from the internet.  This is what I was up to:

Road trip to St. Louis with J's family for New Years!

So excited to finally have a sister!

Of course we went to the arch...

And went to the top.  Maybe I cried.  heights+small spaces+lots of people=panic

You can't go to St. Louis without hitting up a Ram's game.

Plus we've done some exploring around home.  We found a huge park where we plan to spend a lot more time.

How sweet is he? 

A BEAVER DID IT!!  Also, it was the 2nd weekend in January, that's an alarming amount of green!  Don't worry, it snowed... and snowed and snowed.

It's pretty isn't it?

And the most exciting news you ask?  Well.  We're currently in the process of buying our first house!!  Here is my new kitchen!!

Clearly that lighting monstrosity is going to be gone... 

Eat in part

I love it.  Love. love. love.

browned butter is the best idea.

Look at that delicious blondie.  Yes that's a topping of caramel, peanuts and pretzels.  Bon appetit knew what they were doing when they published this recipe.  It was super easy to convert to gluten free.  I made it for Justin and my 2 year anniversary yesterday.  We may have eaten some before we even ate supper.  But that's ok.  

Butterscotch Blondie Bars with Peanut-Pretzel Caramel (de-glutenified)

[Bars]

1 1/2 cup gluten free flour blend

2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. kosher salt 

2 cups brown sugar

2 eggs

3/4 cup butter

1 Tbl. vanilla

Brown the butter in a sauce pan until it smells just like you'd imagine heaven will smell like, then take it off the heat and beat (or whisk if you don't own an electric mixer) in the brown sugar "until it looks like sand".  Beat in the eggs and vanilla until smooth and then add the dry ingredients.  Pour into a 9X13 pan that has been lined with parchment paper (honestly that was the most difficult step of this recipe).  Bake for 20-25 minutes at 350.

[Caramel topping]

-At this point you're supposed to have roasted off 4 cups of peanuts which I didn't do.  A. Because I do NOT love peanuts 4 cups worth, and B. I was running out of pans in which to roast things what with all the roasting I did for supper as well.  Though you definitely don't need 4 cups of peanuts, I'm betting the roasting them was a good idea, so if you have time and pans do that step.

2 cup sugar

1/2 cup water

1/4 cup honey

1/4 cup butter

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 tsp. vanilla (not in the original version)

Peanuts (as you see fit)

1 1/2 cup "chopped" (broken by hand because I'm not wasting my time chopping) gluten free pretzels

Combine sugar and water on low heat until sugar dissolves and then crank up the heat to medium and let cook 12-15 minutes until golden brown.  You're not supposed to stir it while it cooks, but I can never resist stirring a little.  Once it's caramel brown and bubbling, stir in the honey and cook it for another minute.  You'll be smacked in the face by another amazing smell.  Remove from heat then throw in the butter and enjoy yourself as you stir it in and it bubbles.  Same with the cream and vanilla. In the end you'll have created something beautiful, but you're going to make it even more amazing.  Stir in the peanuts and pretzels.  Holy smokes.  Now spread it on the blondies and wait for it to cool.  (In the fridge is the fastest way).  Bon Appetit gluten free style!!

beautiful.

maybe, just maybe, I purposely didn't spread all of this goodness over the bars so that I could eat it/burn my mouth on it.  worth it.

I might have to go have another one.  I just got hungry.

Additionally, Justin and I visited Reflections in the Park.

Here are the highlights:

excited...

A breakdancing guy

downtown+cycling santa

reindeer training!!

gotta represent all religions in the park!

Red Star

Did you ever, when you were little, go up to a man who you thought was your dad.  Maybe you were in a hardware store, looking at wrenches or by those bins with all the washers and nails.  Or at the library, looking for a book about antique rifles or something that dads like.  And you saw a pair of jeans.  Just like your dad's.  And you grabbed onto his leg and just hugged.  And then you see your dad.  Over there.  Not the man you're hugging.  And you feel freaked out?

I did that tonight a little bit.  I was at the grocery store with J.  Feeling proud of myself for planning on making bread.  So I waltzed down the aisle.  And then I nonchalantly tossed the yeast into our cart.  And then I hear "WRONG CART!!"  Really the strange man was quite nice, and said it quietly.  But of course I looked up at him awkwardly and said, just so loud, "I don't know you!!" Then Justin laughed at me whilst I blushed and kinda hid in the canned food aisle.  The man didn't even look like Justin.  And he didn't have the same type of cart as us.  Yikes.