You know our powder room in the hallway? It has turned out perfectly, with glossy TileBar tile and the alligator juniper vanity Sexy Nerd built himself. Little by little, accessories are added and edited out. Currently, the bathroom has a cheerful, springtime vibe.

Still, something is missing.

Our decorating style is rustic...farmhouse...glam...? Eclectic!
Since moving in, I've taped at least 30 wallpaper samples on the wall behind the mirror. It's such a tough decision! What looks perfect in November (so warm and cozy) is all wrong in February (so heavy and dark). 

If I ever win the lottery, I'm going to pay someone to redo my wallpapers with the seasons. Also, for this to happen, I'll probably need to start playing the lottery.

This wallpaper from wallpaperdirect.com, called Tian, was love at first sight. It's textured and looks like it is illuminated from behind. However, Sexy Nerd hates it.
(Clockwise from upper left: Denali, Topiary, Punica, Volta) Each of these wall…

Out of all the recipes I've made with Knorr Homestyle Stock, my favorite use for it is as a salad dressing. Specifically, my Homestyle Mayonnaise. It's the perfect complement to an assortment of veggies, leaving even my carnivorous Sexy Nerd happy to have a salad for dinner. Best of all, it is 100% unique and unlike any dressing you've ever made or picked up at the store.
It looks so healthy, right? That's because it is.
This is boring potato salad's New York cousin. Potatoes...and sweet potatoes! Together forever.
How hodgepodged is this salad? We're throwing in the celery leaves.
We're peeling our cucumber with pretty stripes because we're fancy like that.
And egg! And broccoli!
Homestyle Salad with Homestyle Mayonnaise (Recipe Yield: 6 servings)(Total Time: 30 minutes, including prep) 2 potatoes + 2 sweet potatoes, diced, boiled 20 minutes, and cooled in ice water1/2 a bunch of celery, leaves and all1 large cucumber, cut in half lengthwise, then sliced1 head…

The snow keeps falling on the NM mountains and Sexy Nerd and I keep craving soup. Our two Instant Pots are getting a workout.
Seriously. This is my third soup post in a row. It's just that good.
(Also seriously, I'd love for it to stop snowing. Some of us need to get to work.)
(Not Sexy Nerd, whose employer likes him to stay home/stay safe in bad weather. Coming home the other night, I was stuck in a 2 hour (!!!) traffic jam caused by icy roads. It was the same day my XM radio trial ended because of course it was.)
I've been perfecting the Cream of Broccoli soup recipe I shared a few weeks ago. That one was good, but I wanted one that's vegetarian. I mean, Cream of Broccoli probably should be vegetarian, right? 
That said, this would be sooo good with bacon.Cream of Broccoli Soup - Instant Pot Recipe Sexy Nerd doesn't even like soup and he keeps making this.
Cream of Broccoli Soup (Instant Pot Recipe) Serves 4 1 Can of Campbell's Cream of Mushroom Soup (+ 1 Can of Water…

Instant Pot soup recipe at the end of this post.
Sexy Nerd and I had a great time for a great cause at The Food Depot's 26th annual Souper Bowl fundraiser. 
We don't live in Santa Fe and you-know-who tried to skip the long drive to the Souper Bowl about 30 minutes before we needed to leave the house. "We can make soup here," he reasoned. "Let's just stay home." 
Now? He insists he never said that and he has been telling everyone they need to attend the Souper Bowl next year because it is the best time ever.
Although none of the soups we were expecting made an appearance - tomato, chicken noodle, posole - traditional favorites were replaced with Chicken & Andouille Sausage Gumbo (Rowley Farmhouse Ales), Spiced Thai Coconut Potato Soup (Kingston Residence of Santa Fe), and Moroccan Veggie Stew (La Montanita Co-Op). Not a bad trade! 
Cafe Mimosa was even serving Shorba...and patiently explaining to every patron (us included) that Shorba is an Arabic lentil …

That's SOUPer bowl, not Super Bowl. I was only in it for the snacks and funny commercials anyway.
Does this cozy winter weather have you craving a hot, fragrant bowl of soup? How about TWENTY FOUR bowls of soup featuring every flavor imaginable, including Southwestern favorites? 

(For you math nerds, 24 bowls of soup x more than 1,000 attendees = hundreds of gallons of soup. 😲)

You won't want to miss the 26th Souper Bowl in Santa Fe, NM. It's a culinary tradition locals and visitors look forward to all year.

Yes, I'm dragging The Grump back to Santa Fe. It turns out he's quite agreeable when food is involved.

There's a reason people, even grumps, travel from near and far for this foodie fun. Some of the most popular restaurants in the state compete for the coveted "Best Overall Soup" award, including Jambo Café, Terra Restaurant at The Four Seasons Rancho Encantado, and Rowley Farmhouse Ales. As a fan of the Santa Fe School of Cooking, I'm especially …

After experiencing it on a business trip, Sexy Nerd has wanted us to go to San Antonio, TX for almost 10 years. We've finally visited and we loved it! Don't tell New Mexico, but I think we're Texans at heart.

I researched the best places to eat in San Antonio and put together a little food tour for us. Here are details on the restaurants we made it to, including the best things to order at each. It's a walkable city, so no car is needed for this food tour. There are also plenty of weird, quirky stories because weird, quirky things seem to happen to us.

Sadly, there was more to eat than humanly possible during our short trip. I've included a list of restaurants we still need to experience at the end of this post. Go enjoy them for us!
Where to Eat in San Antonio The riverwalk in San Antonio was gussied up for the holidays. Although there are many great restaurants lining this popular tourist area, be warned that it's a nightmare on a busy night. 
We attempted to str…