Stella has turned into a real snuggle pup. When we first had her, she did not want to snuggle at all. If we would stretch out on the floor next to her, she would get up and relocate a few feet over. Over the past few months, she has really learned to love a good cuddle session. She cozies up to me when I wake up in the morning, and even tried to sleep under our covers the other night. That’s a little cat-like, I think. And taking David’s foot space didn’t go over well.
Ever since the under-the-covers incident, Stella has really enjoyed being bundled up and swaddled like a newborn. When she tries getting comfortable on the sofa, she rubs herself against the cushions in an attempt to burrow into a cozy spot. I wrapped her up in our throw blanket before I ran some errands the other day, and the spot was still warm when I came home a few hours later. Take that, separation anxiety! Now, she can’t get enough of her little cocoons. In the words of my dad, “AhhhhhBaby!”
I’ve been making all of my teas and coffees over ice for a more refreshing beverage. I just select which coffee variety I want to use, pop it in the machine, and press the button that makes it brew. It’s really fun. In a systematic, aromatic kind of way.
I chose a tea this time around. I like watching how the hot tea eats away at the ice cubes as it trickles out of the machine. First, the tea bores a hole through the cubes. Then, the cubes start shrinking and float to the top of the glass while making a satisfying “ting.”
I know this sounds pathetic, but the coffee maker really brightens up my day. I never want to live without it! I don’t think the coffee maker will ever be un-exciting (even though I’m the same person who thought it was fun to watch my mom’s front-loading washer clean clothes through its windowed door). The drinks are too delicious!
Roasting makes everything taste better. The roasted beets and shrimp in this salad pack a flavorful punch, which is only highlighted by some orange segments and a light, citrus dressing. Make this salad if you’re in the mood for a pretty lunch. Or if you have some 
Start off by preheating your oven to 425ºF. Then, peel and chop your beets into uniformly sized pieces. I had a beautiful bunch of red and orange beets. The red ones let out so much juice while I was preparing them that I kept thinking I was bleeding! Now I know why they’re frequently used as a dying agent. Toss your beets on a baking sheet with olive oil, salt, and pepper. 
While your beets and shrimp are roasting, cut up some orange segments. Use a paring knife to cut away the skin and white pith from the orange. Then, run your knife towards the center of the orange along the sides of each segment until they pop free. I used clementines, and it took forever to cut out each delicate, little segment. What can I say… I had some time to kill. It was quite therapeutic until my fingers started to cramp.
Assemble your salad by putting some lettuce into a bowl and piling on the roasted beets, shrimp, and orange segments. Your salad will be easier to eat (but less pretty) if you cut the shrimp into bite-sized pieces first. Top the salad off with some toasted almond slivers (or whatever nut you like). Then, drizzle the whole thing with some olive oil and orange/clementine juice squeezed straight from the fruit. I enjoyed the contrasting temperatures in my salad (cold lettuce and oranges, hot beets and shrimp), but it’s also delicious served at room temperature. Enjoy!