It's amazing how one piece of furniture can inspire a whole lot of change. I have been living in the same house for almost four years and yet it has never been a home. The word home is weird to me. As I don't pay for the roof over my head, I don't treat it with the same sense of creativity. Slowly but surely my style is creeping out and I am settling in to this place, making it more then just walls, and learning to like it.
The other night we added some decals to our bedroom walls. I know, it's like we're five, but seriously, check out the things you can find on Etsy these days. The blue and grey birds pop on our dark grey walls and we even went ahead an hung some curtains. Improvements people! Last night we added a bit of classy Ikea furniture to the collection and I can't help but think its starting to look like more of a personal space then just the room we sleep in.
Next I take on the spare room. Paint, office furniture and more. I've only been here four years, let's see how long that project takes. 😉
Cranberry M&M Blondies
from BHG Special Interest Publications Desserts
Ingredients:
- ½ cup butter, softened
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup packed brown sugar
- ¾ teas baking powder
- ¼ teas baking soda
- ¼ teas salt
- 2 eggs
- 1 teas vanilla
- 1 cup flour
- 1 cup dried cranberries
- 5 oz M&M candies, mini, dark, whatever you feel like (they even have cherry cordial ones that would be awesome in these).
- ½ cup chopped walnuts
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9x9 square baking dish with foil, extending foil over the edges. Coat foil with cooking spray; set aside.
In the bowl of your stand mixer, beat butter on medium speed for 30 seconds. Mix in sugars, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Beat until combined, scraping sides of bowl as needed. Add eggs one at a time. Mix in vanilla until incorporated. Gradually beat in flour on low speed until just combined. Mix in the cranberries and M&M's.
Spoon the batter into prepared pans, using a spatula to smooth out. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near center comes out clean.
Cool completely on wire rack. Using edges of foil, lift blondies out of the pan. Cut into bars and serve.
Tes says
What a fun recipe 🙂
Belinda @zomppa says
You just made my morning brighter...how could I resist. I love Etsy too...addictive!
Katrina @ Warm Vanilla Sugar says
These sound awesome! I love M&M anything!
RavieNomNoms says
Oh I love Etsy, so many great ideas in there!
I have always been a fan of the blondie...they are so delicious and you can mix them up all you like!
The Mom Chef ~ Taking on Magazines One Recipe at a Time says
M&M's just make you smile, don't they? They make such playful brownies. And they fit very well with Garfield! I think our bedroom looks totally like a hotel room. Isn't that horrible? I don't even know how to begin changing it because we have a balcony and so huge sliding glass doors. The previous owners left very expensive drapes hanging that also keep the room nice and dark at night. They're not going anywhere any time soon, but they're...well, hotel-type drapes. It's hard to make the rest of the room look not-hotelly when the main-focus wall does.
I need a blondie.
Erin says
Love that you used the comic pages for the background. If I still got the Sunday paper I would have to steal that idea from you. As for decorating, I wish I could do something like those decals, but I have weird walls in my apt that are textured so I don't think they would stick very well. And I plan to be moving far away from Memphis in a year. Even though I've lived in my apt for 3 years now I have yet to hang curtains. I do have some art and pictures on the walls though!
Brent | Cookapalooza says
Blondies are one of the favorite things my grandmother used to make! I like this M&M idea!
Vicki @ WITK says
I love decals! For a while I was trying to convince the boyfriend we should get one of those full wall photographs of a hawaiian sunset. He thought I was crazy. Our wall is still boring and white.
And hooray for blondies. I think they're so much better than brownies! These look tasty and fun.
Caralyn @ glutenfreehappytummy says
oh my, those look incredible! i love the addition of cranberry! yum!
Ali @ Gimme Some Oven says
YUM!!! What a combination! These sound crazy delicious. 🙂
Monet says
Hi! I just love how you paired these fabulous looking blondies with the comics! The color combination is too cute. Thank you for sharing this with me! I know what I need to have after dinner tonight!
Ann Mah says
Ah, new curtains, Ikea furniture... sounds like my neck of the woods! Congratulations on your new decor. Blondies make a place homey, too!
Rachel @ Baked by Rachel says
Projects take for-ev-er! We have a list and it's always growing. Sigh. BTW I love blondes but I don't think I've added cranberries to any yet.