Healthy Monday Recipe!

Kale is not a very everyday vegetable but should be, it is so good for us.
Here is how you quickly make it for children and grown ups together, I just finished it and will serve it with schnitzels(:

The main tool is my food processor! Chop a bunch of kale leaves into very tiny pieces (almost mince is the word) in the processor and put that in a pot with a lid and some heated (3 tbsp) olive oil. Add salt to taste and cover with the lid, keep on low heat.

Peel and cut one ripe papaya. Mince 5 roma tomatoes while keeping some texture to them also in the food processor and add both to the pot with kale after just a few minutes of simmering (using a Dutch oven pot is best).

Stir around, add 1 tbsp of maple syrup (yes I am Canadian and use only the real deal) and 1 tbsp of old style Dijon mustard, medium hot. Stir once more and serve!

It is kind of like a relish but made with barely cooked vegetables(: which makes it healthier and fast.
Enjoy! Radovan is just 2.5 yrs old and loves it!

Before and after in OUR FAMILY ROOM.

When we bought the house I knew this room must GO. Well, we did not move walls but because it is quite narrow, the style of built-ins and fireplace made it even narrower and the regular window did not make any sense when the patio was right under it but we couldn't get there from our family room to enjoy the indoor outdoor lifestyle (:

We put a French door in by Pella (best idea ever), and we took out the whole fire place ensemble and placed a stone one in instead to reflect more of the old world country style that the house itself carries through.

OUR LIVING ROOM NOW! We changed the french patio doors, and added mud room door. As you may see above, but below compare with the old look.

Click on photos to see the full width of them.

BEFORE. Here you can see that the old nook was empty (:

AFTER: our nook has the built-in benches and cafe curtain, it is our second living room practicaly, you may even take a nap there! Great space.

NOW: completed, just waiting for a french style round and textured beige carpet.

BEFORE: with the old fireplace and built-ins and short window.

Our family room at the time of taking out the old and putting in the new fireplace and removing the built-in cabinets and changing / putting in the french doors and re-framing the opening into our mud room so we can hang the custom made doors and close off the shoe area finally.

Our family room got the Asian screen shelves today!

It was quite the assembly(: but well worth it! Finally our giant sofa (4,5 m long) doesn't look so lonely and huge(:
Our ceiling is 10 ft tall so yes it is high!
They balance the room perfectly. When there was nothing defining the corners on each side of the fireplace, your eyes would wonder toward the big sofa and mainly just the fireplace making the room seem even more narrow! Tall posts like these we chose are best to really point out how high the ceiling is and to open up the width of the room. Lot of times people thing smaller space needs small furniture but I disagree. Strongly (: Have a great Friday evening!

As they are assembling The first one.

Click to view all of this one. Took it last Night before we had The towers.

It is coming!

A bit of perspective with me in it! I am 5'8 btw (170cm).

Working hard.

Last prior towers.

Czech actress I admire and think her more beautiful than any other!

I spent a day (yesterday) thinking about women (it was the international women's day after all) that are my idols and that deserve a word of praise and that I respect. There are many of course(:
Being very subjective and living in the arts & fashion world, I chose a famous Czech actress born in 1940's Jana Brejchova. Talented and most beautiful!
This video is from a very favorite musical of many Czechs about our king Karel IV who also established the very first university in Europe in 1348. And this musical shows how his wife was even stronger and not afraid to change things despite the times and about love and how women make men happy and five them a reason to live for. Happy women's day to you all!

Medieval love song.

Rekl lasko ma ja stunu ( My love, I am sick) from A night at Karlstein musical is my best medieval lovesong. Music Karel Svoboda, Singer: Helena Vonrackova, Actress: Jana Brejchova.

Bed side table is here!

My husbands French antique side table is finally in our bedroom and looks better than the modern round version we had before. Do you agree? Comparing now... I am certain.

Click on image to actually see it(: wide enough... With the new side table on the right!

Prior old round side table.

Sunday we put up cafe style curtain and got Beta Fish for our son!

How we changed our Mud Room!

In a small space, that we use to take our shoes and coats off it is best to work with custom built in furniture to utilize every bit of space. We needed space to sit and put our son some place (: when putting his shoes on and we needed more storage. We have it all now with custom made bench by Denca. The result makes me happy every day.

And from design perspective, it is all white like our doors and windows and closet but it is gently connected to our cherry kitchen cabinets (that you see when you leave the mud room and enter the kitchen) by having made corbels and the seat area in the same cherry wood, that is quite brilliant in this eclectic European way. I was able to design it with Denca to the most meticulous detail and I have what I want as a result. Enjoy the pictures(:

Another important change was designing and having a door made to close off our mud room. The idea was to get French glass door to be able to see through but I did not see any traditional style here and that would possibly be repeated elsewhere inside the house as well as establish design continuity with all other existing interior doors. I love the old style Euro doors (i.e. can see them in high end historical apartments and villas in Prague) or chateau doors (tall, narrow with three or four decorative panels) and decided to make those panels glass. I found inspiration on the web! We love the door!

Last but not least we changed the greenish tile for a limestone look, is it not better?(: