I want YOUR submissions!

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Love Library wants your submissions! I’d love to see your best DIY, recipes and book recommendations. This little blog has had as many as 5,000 page views in a day, so this could be a great chance for you to get your work seen.

I am looking for posts with high quality, bright and beautiful pictures. I’m also looking for posts that encourage the DIY spirit and resourcefulness.

Think you’ve got what it takes? Shoot me an email.  I’d love to feature your work!

P.S. Don’t forget to comment on my Reader’s Survey. You could win a book!

love,
melanie

Tart, Ginger Cranapple Juice

homemade cranapple juiceIt seems like everyone is juicing lately. I have to admit, I’ve been on a couple of juice cleanses and I absolutely hated it. Let’s be real, ya’ll. No green juice is ever better than a real bacon and egg breakfast. And to be honest, I feel better eating high protein, low carb instead of the other way around.

But George loves apple juice. He is such a little kid sometimes. And I do worry about the boy’s sugar intake. I can be a real mom sometimes. So, I was looking for  a way to make a healthier, lower sugar, apple juice. Here’s what I came up with:

Ingredients

  • 2 Granny Smith apples
  • 1/2 inch of fresh ginger
  • 1/2 cup of cranberry juice (no sugar added)

I don’t have a juicer, so I made this one in my blender. It works well, but it would be smoother if you choose to make it in a juicer.

Peel, core and cut the apples into bite-size chunks. Peel and cut up the ginger. Add the cranberry juice to the blender first, then add the apples and the ginger. Blend until smooth and pour over ice. Enjoy!

Cranapple ginger juice

Tart and gingery! Have you ever tried a juice cleanse? Do you think it lives up to the hype?

love,
melanie

Dark Chocolate, Salted, Caramel Rice Krispies

rice_krispiesCan you all tell this month has been kicking my butt? Easy projects have been key lately. Lucky for you (and me) this recipe is super easy!

I wanted to make Rice Krispies for a work luncheon, but I had to do something a little different. So, I thought, why not substitute caramel for the marshmallows?! Then I got real crazy and added sea salt and chocolate– my favorite combo.

DSC_1059Ingredients:
3 cups of Rice Krispies
1 package (14 oz.) of caramels
2 tablespoons of butter
5 squares of dark chocolate (or enough to drizzle on top)
2 pinches of sea salt

Melt butter in a double boiler* over low heat. Add caramels and stir until candy has completely melted together. Add Rice Krispies to the caramel one cup at a time. Stir quickly! Take off the heat and spread into a greased pan.

Break chocolate into little pieces and melt in either a double boiler or a microwave. Drizzle onto the Rice Krispies. Sprinkle sea salt on top.

*If you don’t have a double boiler (I don’t) you can always place a slightly larger pot on top of a smaller pot of water to create the effect.

George said it reminded him of a grown-up version of a Star Crunch. I take that a huge compliment.

love,
melanie

Breakfast Pizza

DSC_1020 DSC_1022It’s no surprise that breakfast is my favorite meal of the day. My first date with George was actually to iHop. On the weekdays, we usually don’t have enough time to make an elaborate breakfast, but on the weekends, we go all out. This weekend we wanted to try something different.

We are also obsessed with pizza. (Who isn’t?!) George and I would eat pizza every night of the week if we could. So we decided to combine two of out favorite things: pizza and breakfast!

We made this breakfast pizza from a store-bought, gluten-free crust. We topped it with pizza sauce, cheese, pre-cooked sausage and uncooked eggs, then baked according to the directions written on the crust. It tasted amazing! And as George and I like to say, “Put it on the menu!”

How have you reinvented your standard meals? Let me know in the comments!

love,
melanie

New Orleans Honeymoon

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One of my favorite parts of the graveyards in New Orleans were the painted tombs. Colorful in life, colorful in death, right?!nola60001 nola60002 nola70001 nola80002Standing beside Voodoo Priestess, Marie Laveau‘s (disputed) tomb.

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nola30001For our honeymoon, George and I decided to forgo the traditional, all-inclusive beach trip for a darker, and dare I say, more exciting vacation to New Orleans.  And we didn’t regret a minute of it. The food was amazing, the history was rich and the beer was flowing!

As you can tell from the pictures, we visited several graveyards and we brought along cheapo, disposable cameras. I kind of love the way the pictures turned out. They are a little creepy, over-saturated, and look much older than digital photos. We also forgot to charge the digital camera– happy mistake! I brought the disposable cameras on our ghost tour too, but none of the pictures turned out. I think a ghost ruined the rest of our film!

If you are thinking about doing something a little off the beaten path for your honeymoon, I would highly recommend it. Get out there and see something new!

Did you go anywhere “different” for your honeymoon? Are you planning to go somewhere “different?” Let me know in the comments.

love,
melanie

 

Love Weekends: Oyster Roast

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Triumph over the oysters!

Triumph over the oysters!

I have to be honest with ya’ll. Technically, we shucked oysters at the American Legion on a Thursday. Not over the weekend. But remember when you were in college and Thursdays nights started the weekend? Let’s just pretend we are in college and I didn’t go to bed at 9:30 p.m. almost every night this week.

My first oyster shuckin’, all-you-can-eat oyster fest was a success! I was terrible at opening the little suckers and one of our friends may have impaled his thumb, but it was still fun. I had eaten oysters before, but I had never actually opened one. Even though many an oyster alluded  us, by the end of the night, George and I still had managed to open about 50 oysters and were in a serious food coma.

And the profits went to a good cause. Win. Win. Win.

Have you been on any food adventures lately? Let me know in the comments!

love,
melanie

Gluten-free, Puffy, Berry Pancake

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DSC_0983After discovering my gluten-intolerance, I haven’t really missed bread, pasta or traditional desserts very much. The one thing I did miss was pancakes. Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day– and it’s the most important, right? And nothing, I mean nothing, gets me out of bed faster than a piping hot cup of coffee and a giant pancake.

Gluten-free, Puffy Berry Pancakes (adapted from Primal Blueprint Quick and Easy Meals)

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons of butter
1 cup of fresh or frozen berries (I used frozen raspberries and strawberries)
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat butter and berries in a 10-inch oven-proof skillet over medium heat.

As berries heat, separate eggs into two bowls, one for egg whites and one for yolks. Beat the egg whites until peaks form. Then, add the vanilla and cinnamon to the egg yolks and whisk by hand. Fold the egg yolks into the egg whites.

Pour the egg mixture on top of the fruit in the skillet and spread it out evenly. Cook on the stove for 2 minutes on medium heat. Move the pan to the oven and cook for 12 minutes or until the pancake is puffy and brown on the edges.

Remove from the oven and top with butter and powdered sugar or a drizzle maple syrup!

What is your favorite meal of the day?
love,
melanie

Love Friday: June 8th

This weekend I’m traveling to the mountains to get wedding mess ironed out. I sound excited, right? I love traveling, but I’ve been doing a little too much of it lately. I need a long, homey rest.

10. 

This roasted peach lemonade by The Naptime Chef sounds so good right now.

9. These awkward, old school dance photos are far too real for me. I might have to dig out some of my dance photos when I’m home this weekend. So embarrassing.

8.  

I love this picture of Lauren Bacall from Filmjournalen magazine. I wish I looked that chic at work!

7. The annual American Library Association conference is coming up! This year it is in Anaheim. I’m attending, are you?

6.

I go through phases where I’m obsessed with gold. I adore this stationary by Brown Paper.

5. Gorgeous paper wedding backdrop on Style Me Pretty.

4.

I’m dying over the Dear Creatures Fall 2012 line. The cat ears! Spied via: Oh So Lovely Vintage.

3.  Erica Elizabeth Designs on Etsy may be changing my mind about wedding veils. Her designs are so dreamy!

2. 

These “Embroidered” cookies by SweetAmbs on Etsy are gorgeous.

1. Have you seen the trailer for The Perks of Being A Wallflower? It was one of my favorite books as a teen and the movie looks rather promising!

love,
melanie

Love Friday: June 1st

As you read this I’ll be on my way to our state capital for a potential opportunity. I’m terribly nervous already and by the time I arrive, I’ll probably be sweating profusely. I’ll be rehearsing in the car and I’ll definitely appear maniacal to my fellow drivers. This is how it always goes. I worry too much. Everything will be fine. It’s just an amazing opportunity and I really want to do well.

Here’s some things that have been distracting me this week:

10. 

This F. Scott Fitzgerald quote is particularly relevant today. Found on Piccsy.

9. Feather Love Photography’s shoot for Rue Magazine with pool-side recipes!

8.

Before there was Photoshop. 20 classic pin-up girls before and after on Buzzfeed.

7. 

HOMEMADE BAILEY’S IRISH CREME! via The Cupcake Project. I had no idea!

6. Stop the Snobbery! Why you’re wrong about community colleges and don’t even know it. Love this article seen via In the Library with the Lead Pipe. Although my experience as a librarian at a community college hasn’t been quite so rosy, I can relate to the sentiment of this article.

5. 

This lovely veil is by Twigs and Honey on Etsy. I’ve been trying to decide if I’m a veil girl or if I should go with just a hair piece for the wedding. Thoughts?

4. I know it is another coffee-related recipe, but damn, I love the stuff! Cappuccino Pops!

3. 

Modcloth’s Nine to Fine Stylebook is super cute. It makes me wish I put more thought into my work clothes!

2. I don’t need to buy ANYTHING right now, but these MiH Jeans would look awesome on me. Have I tried them on? No. But I just know it!

1. 

And whenever I’m nervous or sad, I look funny videos of kittens and Damn You Auto Correct. It never fails to make me feel better. The top 25 is gold!

Wish me luck!

love,
melanie

Love Food: Infused Strawberry Vodka Lemonade

Infused vodka is one of those things that seems really difficult and maybe a little snobby, but it’s actually stupid-easy. Making grilled cheese is harder than making infused vodka, I swear. For this recipe, the hardest part is waiting a week for the fruit to mingle with the vodka.

Infused Vodka Ingredients

  • Enough fruit of your choice to loosely fill a mason jar (approximately 2 cups)
  • Approximately 12 oz. of vodka (I recommend at least triple-distilled)
  • A cool, dark place and patience

To make infused vodka all you have to do is wash and cut your favorite fruit, put it in a mason jar, and then fill the jar with vodka. Screw the top on the jar and leave in a cool, dark place for a week. Shake everyday, if possible. One week later, drain out the fruit and voila, you’ve got infused vodka!

I tried several different fruit-infusions: blueberry, lemon and strawberry. By far, the strawberry was the best. Below is the recipe I made with the infused strawberry vodka. I actually don’t usually enjoy vodka, one too many bad college nights, but this recipe made me a believer in the magic of the clear spirit.

Infused Strawberry Vodka Lemonade

  • Two shots of infused strawberry vodka (recipe above)
  • 6 lemons
  • A handful of ice
  • 2 tablespoons of sugar

Squeeze the juice from six lemons. Add the sugar and vodka to the lemon juice. Pour or shake over ice.

Tip: I like to put my drinks in mason jars with lids, so I can easily shake the drink. James Bond style.

This recipe will make 2 small-ish drinks or one large-ish.  ;)

Did you have any special spirits over the holiday weekend?

love,
melanie

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