Progress, and another Versatile Salad

Here's a little bit of what I've been up to lately:

We bought this bookshelf from Ikea. I think that it looks pretty, don't you? Those two frames at the top hold two tiny little paintings that my husband and I bought in Montmartre.

This is some of today's handiwork. We hung all of these frames!

Our little kitchen table.

Our "hutch" and the plates that I hung last week.

Another part of our kitchen, and a painting that I also hung last week.

I've decided that I work best when I'm working on one thing at a time, or in this case, one room at a time. So, today...the hall. Tomorrow, I think I'll work on our bedroom. Hopefully I'll have some more progress to show soon!

Saturday night we went to a "mixer" for incoming students. It was a barbecue, and we brought a salad with us. I also made a similar salad last week, so I'll give you both variations here.

Mixed Green Salad with Pecans, Goat Cheese and Fruit

10-12 ounces mixed salad greens
8 ounces crumbled goat cheese (you could also use blue or feta cheese)
Fruit--I use 2 pears, cut into slices, or 1 pound strawberries, hulled and halved
1/2 cup pecans
1/4 cup white sugar
pinch red pepper flakes (optional)
salt
1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar (I used "Pear Infused White Balsamic, you could also use Cider Vinegar or Red Wine Vinegar)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
fresh ground black pepper, to taste

For the Pecans:

Place a piece of parchment or wax paper on the counter. In a skillet over medium heat, heat the 1/4 cup sugar until it just begins to melt. Add the red pepper and pecans. Stir until the sugar is melted and the pecans are coated. Transfer to the parchment paper and sprinkle with salt. Allow the pecans to cool completely and break into small pieces.

For the dressing:

Mix the olive oil, vinegar, garlic, mustard, sugar, salt and peppers in a small bowl. Whisk well.

To serve, toss the greens with 1/4 cup of the salad dressing. Put the pecans, fruit and cheese on top, and toss lightly. Add more dressing sparingly, if needed.