Hopefully, all of you are settled into your couches, watching the lead-up to the game.  If not, and you have yet to run to the store, here are some quick and easy ideas that I think you’ll love.  It’s a small sampling of what will be in my tv room today and it starts out with my favorite beef sandwiches by Barefoot Contessa.  (Of course , I dumbed it down a bit, by leaving the truffle out.  However, if you’ve got some around, by all means.) 

Also on the menu:

Roasted Shrimp Cocktail

Veggie Platter

Caprese Salad

Shoot me a comment if you’d like me to pass along ideas and recipes for those as well!

 Eat a lot and have a great time today!

-Michelle

Got old growth wood?

Don’t know what to do with it?

It’s okay, you’ve come to the right place.

In Duluth, Minnesota a gigantic grain elevator, dating back to 1887, is slowly being dismantled by Wisconsin Woodchuck.  Approximately 6 million board feet of Eastern White Pine, along with the iron hardware that holds it together, is coming down, board-by-board, in hopes that this beautiful material will stay in circulation.  The story aired Sunday night on the History Channel’s Ax Men.

Continue reading “Big Trees” »

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Continue reading “Winter Greens” »

BeDe is grateful for the sweet spread in this month’s Mpls St Paul Magazine.  If you don’t subscribe, take a look here and we think you will.  Can’t handle commitments?  It’s okay.  You can pick up a single copy or order a back issue by contacting the MSP folks here.

At the beginning of summer I decided to take advantage of a home improvement project at my cabin.  I conducted a little experiment to see how closely the look of a finished room resembles what is in my head when I start the process.  The photo below is the starting point on the build-out of this basement bedroom.

Never underestimate the power of visuals in the design process.  Whether photos, sketches, or computer software drawings, images are the best way to communicate the desired look and feel of a space.  I worked up this layout on my computer to show my builder friends what I was hoping to see in the room.  I show stained wood ceilings, horizontal boards on the walls (high gloss white, nickel spaced), and ivory patterned carpet.  I also added sconces at the head of the bed and a ceiling fan.  Below is Phase I.

Continue reading “Drum Roll…” »

For spring break this year we went to Belize and stayed in a small, 20 room resort, Blancaneaux Lodge.  The lodge is tucked in the mountains under a lush canopy of green and is just a short horseback ride away from a swim in the waterfall.  There are only two small restaurants in the resort, but they are spectacular.  All of the produce was grown down the road from our villa in a hillside organic garden on the property.

The soaps, shampoos, and lotions were organic and locally produced and by the end of the trip I vowed to create a natural environment in my home—add it to the to-do list.  That meant a bit of an overhaul of the cleaning and laundering products around my house. It took a few tries to find just the right blend, so I thought I’d share these with you.  If you haven’t yet and are thinking maybe you ought to, join a co-op in your neighborhood and give these products a try.   Continue reading “My natural home (almost)” »

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Over the past few weeks, I’ve clocked way too many hours on the pontoon, and definitely not enough in the running shoes.  Oh well.  I’m on a hot streak now, so I’m just going to roll with it.  But I’m thinking about stepping up my game a little and starting to eat and drink things that I didn’t buy at the gas station.   Here’s how it’s going to look…

Continue reading “A Pontoon Picnic” »

It’s been a busy couple of weeks with school winding down and lazy days at the cabin ramping up.  I’m just settling in to summer—the wet beach towels, pile of flip flops at the door, and best of all, the summer eats.  If all goes well, this is what I’m putting in my belly tonight.

Continue reading “A Summer Feast” »