Happy Thanksgiving!
This is Brett and my 2nd Thanksgiving as a married couple! Today, as in everyday, I am thankful for so many things. My loving family, my cozy warm apartment, a church that has fully embraced Brett and I, a crazy cat, a full belly with plenty left to eat, my amazing husband, and wonderful friends both near and far.
Speaking of friends a couple of weekends ago my dear friend Bek and I hosted a cake pop party. What is a cake pop party you say? Well, let me tell you. There is this adorable blogger who makes the cutest little creations she calls cake pops. They are basically cake suckers that are decorated all cute for whatever season or event is close by.
For this party we didn't really have an agenda. Bek wanted to make a duck and we both knew we wanted to try the cupcakes and snowmen. The party was a success and we are going to have a Christmas cake pop party sometime in the next couple of weeks.
I hope everyone has a wonderful, safe, and loving thanksgiving. I will post cake pop picture either tonight or tomorrow - promise.
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Friday, November 13, 2009
baking galore
Happy Friday the 13th!
I have found that when Brett is gone, I cook. This is bad for my waist but good for you who get new recipes and good for my friends who enjoy the tasty treats. Last weekend while he was away at drills I whipped up a batch of pumpkin spice muffins. Recipe courtesy of The Pioneer Woman. Since I knew I wanted to share them with the other Liquid Kids volunteers on Sunday I made mine in a mini-muffin pan and just reduced the cooking time. Without the cream-cheese frosting they are a great breakfast. I am sure they would be fantastic with it as well and might just have to try it when I whip up another batch with remaining pumpkin and milk I have. Hope you enjoy and stay tuned because tomorrow Bek and I are hosting a cake-pop party and I am sure there will be many stories and photos from that coming soon.
Muffin Ingredients:
• 1 cup All-purpose Flour
• 1/2 cups Sugar
• 2 teaspoon Baking Powder
• 1-1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon Ground Ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon Nutmeg
• 1/2 t Salt
• 4 Tablespoons Butter - cut into pieces
• 1 cup Pumpkin Puree
• 1/2 cups Evaporated Milk
• 1 Egg
• 1-1/2 teaspoons Vanilla
Topping
• 2 Tablespoons Sugar
• 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon Nutmeg
Frosting
• 1/2 cups Soften Butter
• 4 oz Cream Cheese
• 1/2 lb Powdered Sugar
• 1/2 teaspoons Vanilla
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease muffin tins.
Sift flour, sugar baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt. Cut in butter with a pastry blender until it is fully incorporated. In a separate bowl, mix together pumpkins, evaporated milk, egg, and vanilla. Pour pumpkin mixture into the flour mix and fold gently until mixture is just combined.
Pour into a muffin pan 1/2-2/3 full. Sprinkle with remaining cinnamon/sugar/nutmeg mixture over each unbaked muffin.
Bake for 18 minutes if doing minis, 25 for regular size. Allow to cool in pan for 15 minutes then remove to cooling rack. Ice with cream cheese frosting.
(To make the frosting, mix all the ingredients on high until soft and whipped.)
I have found that when Brett is gone, I cook. This is bad for my waist but good for you who get new recipes and good for my friends who enjoy the tasty treats. Last weekend while he was away at drills I whipped up a batch of pumpkin spice muffins. Recipe courtesy of The Pioneer Woman. Since I knew I wanted to share them with the other Liquid Kids volunteers on Sunday I made mine in a mini-muffin pan and just reduced the cooking time. Without the cream-cheese frosting they are a great breakfast. I am sure they would be fantastic with it as well and might just have to try it when I whip up another batch with remaining pumpkin and milk I have. Hope you enjoy and stay tuned because tomorrow Bek and I are hosting a cake-pop party and I am sure there will be many stories and photos from that coming soon.
Muffin Ingredients:
• 1 cup All-purpose Flour
• 1/2 cups Sugar
• 2 teaspoon Baking Powder
• 1-1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon Ground Ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon Nutmeg
• 1/2 t Salt
• 4 Tablespoons Butter - cut into pieces
• 1 cup Pumpkin Puree
• 1/2 cups Evaporated Milk
• 1 Egg
• 1-1/2 teaspoons Vanilla
Topping
• 2 Tablespoons Sugar
• 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon Nutmeg
Frosting
• 1/2 cups Soften Butter
• 4 oz Cream Cheese
• 1/2 lb Powdered Sugar
• 1/2 teaspoons Vanilla
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease muffin tins.
Sift flour, sugar baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt. Cut in butter with a pastry blender until it is fully incorporated. In a separate bowl, mix together pumpkins, evaporated milk, egg, and vanilla. Pour pumpkin mixture into the flour mix and fold gently until mixture is just combined.
Pour into a muffin pan 1/2-2/3 full. Sprinkle with remaining cinnamon/sugar/nutmeg mixture over each unbaked muffin.
Bake for 18 minutes if doing minis, 25 for regular size. Allow to cool in pan for 15 minutes then remove to cooling rack. Ice with cream cheese frosting.
(To make the frosting, mix all the ingredients on high until soft and whipped.)
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
ghost and ghouls of all kinds
Last weekend Brett and I were blessed with a number of tickets to 6 flags. What better time to use them then Halloween day. Roller coaster in the morning, Fright Fest at night! It was a blast! Bek, Simon and I went earlier and rode a bunch of coasters. Then Brett, Raf, and a few of our exchange students came later just in time to ride a few rides before the Halloween festivities started. Overall a good time and hope to maybe do it again next year.
Along the same Halloween lines, I thought I would share with you all the adorable candy ghosts Brett and I made for a fall party we went to. Growing up I use to make these ghosts every year with my mom and I look forward to continuing that tradition when I have children. Here are the instructions – easiest recipe in the world.
Ingredients:
Candy/Popsicle sticks
White almond bark
Chocolate chips
Layout a sheet of wax paper spayed lightly with nonstick spray
Melt the almond bark according to the instructions on the packages.
Set down a stick and drizzle on some almond bark roughly in the shape of a ghost
Use the back of your spoon to finish shaping it.
Place 3 chocolate chips for eye
Let cool and enjoy.
See, told you it was easy!
I will also throw in a few other pictures
Brett and I with 2 of our exchange students
My man - 5am before he left for a drill weekendSaturday, October 24, 2009
autumn weekends
I must start off by saying this is pretty near the perfect autumn morning. It is cool, colorful and raining outside, which made the rare opportunity to sleep-in all the more inviting. Now I am lazily sitting here munching on breakfast, sipping coffee and smelling the chocolate biscotti I have baking in the oven. Ahhh life is good.
Things have continued to move forward with Brett and the National Guard. A couple of Wednesday ago he passed all his tests and then was sworn in the next day. Two days later, on Saturday, he left again for his first weekend of drills. He will continue doing drill weekends once a month until he leaves for basic at the end of February. In the last post I said he would be gone 9 weeks for basic. Well, that is true, but then a few days after basic he starts his music school, so all in all he will be gone about 4 months. To break up that time for me I hope to make a trip to the midwest to visit family and friends, and also open my house to anyone who wants to come visit me or NYC. I will take either, just as long as there are other people in the house or I may go crazy. :)
My brother and his girlfriend came and visited us a couple of weekends ago. It was great to see my brother and meet the wonderful lady he is so infatuated with. We got to hang out with them in the city Friday night, enjoy the delights of apple picking and then cooking an elaborate dinner with the previously picked apples on Saturday, and worship with them at our church Sunday before seeing them off. It was a lovely weekend.
Other then NG and a weekend visit, life has been pretty consistent. I am loving fall and all the wonderfulness that comes with it. Now it is time to go make some mac and cheese to take to a fall party tonight, and then Brett and I are going to make these little almond-bark ghosts I grew up making with my mom every Halloween. Ahhh the perfect day.
Things have continued to move forward with Brett and the National Guard. A couple of Wednesday ago he passed all his tests and then was sworn in the next day. Two days later, on Saturday, he left again for his first weekend of drills. He will continue doing drill weekends once a month until he leaves for basic at the end of February. In the last post I said he would be gone 9 weeks for basic. Well, that is true, but then a few days after basic he starts his music school, so all in all he will be gone about 4 months. To break up that time for me I hope to make a trip to the midwest to visit family and friends, and also open my house to anyone who wants to come visit me or NYC. I will take either, just as long as there are other people in the house or I may go crazy. :)
My brother and his girlfriend came and visited us a couple of weekends ago. It was great to see my brother and meet the wonderful lady he is so infatuated with. We got to hang out with them in the city Friday night, enjoy the delights of apple picking and then cooking an elaborate dinner with the previously picked apples on Saturday, and worship with them at our church Sunday before seeing them off. It was a lovely weekend.
Other then NG and a weekend visit, life has been pretty consistent. I am loving fall and all the wonderfulness that comes with it. Now it is time to go make some mac and cheese to take to a fall party tonight, and then Brett and I are going to make these little almond-bark ghosts I grew up making with my mom every Halloween. Ahhh the perfect day.
Saturday, September 26, 2009
link love
We have stayed busy with trying to get this apartment all set-up to fit our lives. I promise to post pictures soon - just a few more details left.
As if we didn't already have enough going on right now Brett and I have been working through some big changes in our lives. I have been tossing around the idea of making a job change. Not exactly sure what I want to do yet and it probably won't happen in the near future but the idea is out there. I want to have more free time and my long commute everyday sucks away so much of my evenings. Meanwhile, I want to start making jewelry again. It will probably be bead type work at first, until I can gather up the supply and equipment to make more intricate pieces.
Even bigger news though is Brett is going to join the Army National Guard. Right out of high school he looked into joining and playing in the army band. He is a fantastic musician and since we live in an apartment he hasn't gotten to play since we got married. This is the perfect opportunity for him. He will have to go away to basic training for 9 weeks :( and afterward he will go to the Military School of Music where he will have personalized lessons and take classes such as music theory. I will miss him terrible while he is gone, but to keep myself busy I have already said that I will have 2 months of craft night. I plan to sew curtains, re-upholster furniture, bake until I have no-one left to feed, and anything else I can do to stay busy. He has his audition on Wednesday, and will probably leave for basic in January or February.
Now I move onto what my title is all about. I want to share some of my favorite bloggers with all you dear people. May you get as much enjoyment out of them as I do.
Some favorite bloggers:
http://thepioneerwoman.com/ - I posted this last week but just in case you missed it. She posts wonderful recipes and stories of her life, all accompanied by beautiful photos.
http://mattbites.com/ - This was the first food blog I really started to follow. He is a food photographer who will occasionally post a recipe - they are always delicious.
http://www.101cookbooks.com/ - This is a fairly new discovery for me. She only posts vegetarian dishes, but they have always been fantastic and have introduced Brett and me to so many new combinations and dishes.
As if we didn't already have enough going on right now Brett and I have been working through some big changes in our lives. I have been tossing around the idea of making a job change. Not exactly sure what I want to do yet and it probably won't happen in the near future but the idea is out there. I want to have more free time and my long commute everyday sucks away so much of my evenings. Meanwhile, I want to start making jewelry again. It will probably be bead type work at first, until I can gather up the supply and equipment to make more intricate pieces.
Even bigger news though is Brett is going to join the Army National Guard. Right out of high school he looked into joining and playing in the army band. He is a fantastic musician and since we live in an apartment he hasn't gotten to play since we got married. This is the perfect opportunity for him. He will have to go away to basic training for 9 weeks :( and afterward he will go to the Military School of Music where he will have personalized lessons and take classes such as music theory. I will miss him terrible while he is gone, but to keep myself busy I have already said that I will have 2 months of craft night. I plan to sew curtains, re-upholster furniture, bake until I have no-one left to feed, and anything else I can do to stay busy. He has his audition on Wednesday, and will probably leave for basic in January or February.
Now I move onto what my title is all about. I want to share some of my favorite bloggers with all you dear people. May you get as much enjoyment out of them as I do.
Some favorite bloggers:
http://thepioneerwoman.com/ - I posted this last week but just in case you missed it. She posts wonderful recipes and stories of her life, all accompanied by beautiful photos.
http://mattbites.com/ - This was the first food blog I really started to follow. He is a food photographer who will occasionally post a recipe - they are always delicious.
http://www.101cookbooks.com/ - This is a fairly new discovery for me. She only posts vegetarian dishes, but they have always been fantastic and have introduced Brett and me to so many new combinations and dishes.
Saturday, September 19, 2009
cool weather and warm kitchens
It is starting to feel like fall around here. The weather is cooling off - though we didn't have much of a summer - and I am in the mood to start cooking again. While I love the warmth and adventures that summer brings there is nothing like cooking a warm meal when it is cool outside. Fall is my favorite season with all the beautiful colors and abundance of food. I plan to make the most of it, picking apples and pumpkins and whatever else I can find to pick. I also want to learn how to bake. I feel fairly confident in the kitchen when it come to cooking. Not afraid to try a new recipe or add a little of this or that, but baking is a whole different game. With baking you have to be precise, no just throwing things together - at least not at first. So expect some more baking recipes on here.
To start the season, I made a Tres Leche Cake (a spanish 3-milk cake). Brett has been asking for one and while browsing a new blog I found a delicious recipe for it. As I have never had Tres Leche before I am not sure if mine tasted right, but I thought it was good and everyone who tried it said it was authentic. Check out this blog for the recipe and if you have some time (it's long), read her story of how she meet her husband. I have never been one to read romance novels but I was completly enthraled in her story. I started reading it durning my lunch break and had trouble staying on task at work because I wanted to keep reading.
So other than baking and reading blogs what have I been up to?... Oh yea, we moved into our new apartment, my parents came to visit, and I ran my first 5k! As you can tell, life has been slow at the Hartford's :) The apartment is great and I will post picture soon, but right now it is still a disaster and we are slowing getting the apartment set-up to fit our life.
Having my parents here was wonderful. We were tourist for the weekend and completely wore ourselves out. We visited a vineyard, tasted chocolate in Hershey, PA, saw the statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, ran a 5k for Africa, accessorized and worked on the apartment a bit, and ventured all around NYC. Not bad for a 4 day weekend.
Now it is time to get ready to go on a hike with some friends from our life group. I will leave you with some pictures of our recent adventures.
To start the season, I made a Tres Leche Cake (a spanish 3-milk cake). Brett has been asking for one and while browsing a new blog I found a delicious recipe for it. As I have never had Tres Leche before I am not sure if mine tasted right, but I thought it was good and everyone who tried it said it was authentic. Check out this blog for the recipe and if you have some time (it's long), read her story of how she meet her husband. I have never been one to read romance novels but I was completly enthraled in her story. I started reading it durning my lunch break and had trouble staying on task at work because I wanted to keep reading.
So other than baking and reading blogs what have I been up to?... Oh yea, we moved into our new apartment, my parents came to visit, and I ran my first 5k! As you can tell, life has been slow at the Hartford's :) The apartment is great and I will post picture soon, but right now it is still a disaster and we are slowing getting the apartment set-up to fit our life.
Having my parents here was wonderful. We were tourist for the weekend and completely wore ourselves out. We visited a vineyard, tasted chocolate in Hershey, PA, saw the statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, ran a 5k for Africa, accessorized and worked on the apartment a bit, and ventured all around NYC. Not bad for a 4 day weekend.
Now it is time to get ready to go on a hike with some friends from our life group. I will leave you with some pictures of our recent adventures.
My wonderful parents
Brett in Hershey
The wall of names at Ellis Island
Exchange students with Elvis
My running buddy
Team Hartford
Life group + NateFriday, August 14, 2009
moving in fast forward
Hi there!
Life has been so busy lately and full of changes. Good changes though.
We are moving to a new apartment in 2 weeks. We thought we were moving the last weekend in September but do to a miscommunication, I found out this morning that we are moving the last weekend in August. So these next two weekends will be busy with packing and miscellaneous moving stuff, then the next weekend is moving weekend, and the weekend after that my parents will be here.
I am excited about this new place! I will finally get to decorate my "home". The place we are living now, we knew it was temporary when we moved in. We thought we would only be here a few months but a year later we are finally moving on. The new place is slightly smaller but is also cheaper and much closer to our friends. I have so many decorating ideas and can't wait to see the place become our own.
Another big part of my life lately has been training to run a 5k. This may not seem like such a bit deal to some but for me it is huge. I have always said how much I hate to run. I would pick swimming or biking over running any day. I have also said I would like to do a sprint triathlon someday. The only thing holding me back, has been the running part. I would start to run and then would quickly give up. This time I have a great friend to run with and challenge me, and I have a goal. My church is doing a 5k fundraiser run to raise money for building wells in Africa. Bek and I started on a program that is supposed to take you from the couch, or doing nothing, to running a 5k in 9 weeks. Together Bek and I have been running 3 times a week and are just finishing up our 9 weeks. I'm pretty proud of us!
The race is Labor Day weekend and my parents are coming to visit that same weekend. I can't wait. My dad has never been here and my mom was only here briefly. I am excite to get to show them around where we live and take them to the city. My mom may even run with me.
So there is a brief catchup with what is happening in our lives. I have been cooking up a storm and promise to start posting recipes again. Hope everyone has a great weekend!
Life has been so busy lately and full of changes. Good changes though.
We are moving to a new apartment in 2 weeks. We thought we were moving the last weekend in September but do to a miscommunication, I found out this morning that we are moving the last weekend in August. So these next two weekends will be busy with packing and miscellaneous moving stuff, then the next weekend is moving weekend, and the weekend after that my parents will be here.
I am excited about this new place! I will finally get to decorate my "home". The place we are living now, we knew it was temporary when we moved in. We thought we would only be here a few months but a year later we are finally moving on. The new place is slightly smaller but is also cheaper and much closer to our friends. I have so many decorating ideas and can't wait to see the place become our own.
Another big part of my life lately has been training to run a 5k. This may not seem like such a bit deal to some but for me it is huge. I have always said how much I hate to run. I would pick swimming or biking over running any day. I have also said I would like to do a sprint triathlon someday. The only thing holding me back, has been the running part. I would start to run and then would quickly give up. This time I have a great friend to run with and challenge me, and I have a goal. My church is doing a 5k fundraiser run to raise money for building wells in Africa. Bek and I started on a program that is supposed to take you from the couch, or doing nothing, to running a 5k in 9 weeks. Together Bek and I have been running 3 times a week and are just finishing up our 9 weeks. I'm pretty proud of us!
The race is Labor Day weekend and my parents are coming to visit that same weekend. I can't wait. My dad has never been here and my mom was only here briefly. I am excite to get to show them around where we live and take them to the city. My mom may even run with me.
So there is a brief catchup with what is happening in our lives. I have been cooking up a storm and promise to start posting recipes again. Hope everyone has a great weekend!
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
summer eats and travels
One of my favorite food bloggers, Matt Bites, posted this recipe for pasta with a fresh tomato sauce. It is very tasty without being heavy at all. A refreshing dinner for hot summer days.
Angel Hair with Fresh Tomato Sauce
garlic - Matt's recipe called for one clove but we both agreed that 1 or 2 more would be good
4-5 very ripe good size tomatoes (approx. 3 lbs?)
juice and zest of 1/2 a lemon
a bit of salt and pepper
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
olive oil
1lb angel hair pasta
Mash the garlic or put it through a press, and then further mash it into a paste with a bit of salt.
Chop up 2/3 of the tomatoes. Grate the remaining tomatoes on the large holes of a box grater over a good size bowl. Reserve the pulp and juices but discard the skin.
Mix together the tomatoes, garlic, lemon juice and zest, salt, and pepper. Put aside until pasta is done - at least 10 minutes.
After making the sauce, boil the pasta according to direction. Drain and immediately toss with the tomato sauce. Sprinkle with basil, olive oil, and a bit of salt.
Enjoy!
Here are some pictures from our trip to Virginia for the 4th. My goal for this summer is to visit as many states around our area as we can.
We stopped in hersey just to grab a bite to eat. I hope to go back soon and do the chocolate tour!
Finally made it to Virginia!
Angel Hair with Fresh Tomato Sauce
garlic - Matt's recipe called for one clove but we both agreed that 1 or 2 more would be good
4-5 very ripe good size tomatoes (approx. 3 lbs?)
juice and zest of 1/2 a lemon
a bit of salt and pepper
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
olive oil
1lb angel hair pasta
Mash the garlic or put it through a press, and then further mash it into a paste with a bit of salt.
Chop up 2/3 of the tomatoes. Grate the remaining tomatoes on the large holes of a box grater over a good size bowl. Reserve the pulp and juices but discard the skin.
Mix together the tomatoes, garlic, lemon juice and zest, salt, and pepper. Put aside until pasta is done - at least 10 minutes.
After making the sauce, boil the pasta according to direction. Drain and immediately toss with the tomato sauce. Sprinkle with basil, olive oil, and a bit of salt.
Enjoy!
Here are some pictures from our trip to Virginia for the 4th. My goal for this summer is to visit as many states around our area as we can.
We stopped in hersey just to grab a bite to eat. I hope to go back soon and do the chocolate tour!Finally made it to Virginia!Friday, July 3, 2009
1st year anniversary and getting in shape
Hello out there I am posting from Virginia. We are traveling down to a family reunion for Brett's side of the family.
Life has been pretty good for us lately. Last weekend was our 1 year anniversary. We had a completely unplanned but fantastic day to celebrate last Saturday. The plan was to visit a vineyard in NY but last minute that morning a friend of Brett's told us to switch our plans and go to this one in west/middle NJ. It ended up being a really fun tour and tasting and we bought a bottle of their famous and fantastic blueberry wine.
As we were leaving we GPSed looking for a place to grab a bite to eat and saw there was a Sonic about 20 minutes away in PA. Now we would usually not get so excited about Sonic but there are none around where we live and we had really been missing it. Sonic became our anniversary dinner and we finally were able to use a gift card a friend had given us a year ago for our wedding.
While eating Brett started messing with the GPS and found that the oldest drive movie theater in America was only 20 more minutes away. Of course we had to go. That evening it was showing UP and The Proposal. We had already seen UP but it is such an amazing movie, I had no problem seeing it again and The Proposal was not bad either.
Overall it was a great day spent having a carefree and wonderful road-trip with my husband and I don't think I could have asked for a better anniversary day or 1st year.
So what else has been happening?
Our garden is growing wonderfully. We have one tiny bell pepper, the carrots are about 2" long, and the squash have tons of blossoms all over them. Looks like we should get a pretty good crop this year.
I have started running and actually enjoy it. Something I thought would never happen. My mom had told me about this program, couch to 5k, and then about a week later my church organized a charity run to purchase a rig in Africa. We are currently involved in building wells but by getting this rig we will be able to drill a well a week! I told my friend Bek about the program and together we are training for the run. What is pretty cool is from my mom telling me about the program, and Bek and I telling everyone else, there are now people all over the world doing the couch to 5k program and encouraging each other.
Along with getting myself in shape our life group is all doing the Financial Peace University together. It is a program by Dave Ramsey that teaches you how to handle your money. He is big on getting out of debt and then never getting in debt every again. He teaches about using cash for most of your spending and never using credit cards or loans again. It should be a good class and I have already learned a lot in just our first week.
Hope everyone has a great 4th of July!
taking pictures of myself in the rear view mirror
our view of the movie
Life has been pretty good for us lately. Last weekend was our 1 year anniversary. We had a completely unplanned but fantastic day to celebrate last Saturday. The plan was to visit a vineyard in NY but last minute that morning a friend of Brett's told us to switch our plans and go to this one in west/middle NJ. It ended up being a really fun tour and tasting and we bought a bottle of their famous and fantastic blueberry wine.
As we were leaving we GPSed looking for a place to grab a bite to eat and saw there was a Sonic about 20 minutes away in PA. Now we would usually not get so excited about Sonic but there are none around where we live and we had really been missing it. Sonic became our anniversary dinner and we finally were able to use a gift card a friend had given us a year ago for our wedding.
While eating Brett started messing with the GPS and found that the oldest drive movie theater in America was only 20 more minutes away. Of course we had to go. That evening it was showing UP and The Proposal. We had already seen UP but it is such an amazing movie, I had no problem seeing it again and The Proposal was not bad either.
Overall it was a great day spent having a carefree and wonderful road-trip with my husband and I don't think I could have asked for a better anniversary day or 1st year.
So what else has been happening?
Our garden is growing wonderfully. We have one tiny bell pepper, the carrots are about 2" long, and the squash have tons of blossoms all over them. Looks like we should get a pretty good crop this year.
I have started running and actually enjoy it. Something I thought would never happen. My mom had told me about this program, couch to 5k, and then about a week later my church organized a charity run to purchase a rig in Africa. We are currently involved in building wells but by getting this rig we will be able to drill a well a week! I told my friend Bek about the program and together we are training for the run. What is pretty cool is from my mom telling me about the program, and Bek and I telling everyone else, there are now people all over the world doing the couch to 5k program and encouraging each other.
Along with getting myself in shape our life group is all doing the Financial Peace University together. It is a program by Dave Ramsey that teaches you how to handle your money. He is big on getting out of debt and then never getting in debt every again. He teaches about using cash for most of your spending and never using credit cards or loans again. It should be a good class and I have already learned a lot in just our first week.
Hope everyone has a great 4th of July!
taking pictures of myself in the rear view mirrorthe scary 1 lane road we took to get the vineyard
tasting some wine
who knew our trip would be so biblical
our view of the movieSunday, June 21, 2009
eggs in a nest
This dish is a fun twist on hashbrowns and eggs. If I remember correctly the original recipe that I read just used potatoes for the nest part but these lend themselves so nicely for adding in whatever is extra in your kitchen.
eggs in a nest
3-4 medium potatoes (cleaned, peeled and shredded)
1 large carrot peeled and shredded
1 small onion shredded
anything else laying around (squash, pumpkin, zucchini) cleaned, peeled, and shredded
chopped garlic
1/6 c flour
1 egg
2-4 more eggs for in the nest
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 425° F. Lightly coat a baking sheets with nonstick cooking spray; set aside.
2. In large bowl combine all ingredients but only 1 of the eggs.
3. In extra-large nonstick skillet (or two regular skillets) heat some oil over medium heat. To make a pancake, divide mixture in half and spoon both halves of potato mixture into skillet; evenly press and round edges with back of spatula to form two pancakes. Cook 4 to 5 minutes each side or until golden brown, turning once. Transfer to prepared baking sheet.
4. With the back of a wooden spoon or a 1/4-cup measure gently press each pancake, slightly off-center, to make a 3-inch-diameter depression, deep enough to hold an egg. Pour one egg in each nest (Brett was extra hungry so we made him a larger pancake with two eggs as you can see in the picture). Place pancakes with eggs in oven, being careful not to tilt baking sheet. Bake, uncovered, 10 to 12 minutes or until eggs are cooked through. Transfer pancakes to serving plates. Makes 2 servings.
Sunday, June 14, 2009
the first bits of summer
Many things have happened since I last posted
* Summer is in full swing here but it has rained too much for us to completely appreciate it.
*We traveled to Orlando for Memorial Day weekend to see Brett's brother graduate and as a nice little trip for Brett's birthday. He loved seeing all his friends and I even was able to surprise him by getting them all together for a rock climbing day at a place he use to go to when he lived down there.
*My dear old Dell laptop finally crashed. This was both a pro and con - I used that laptop for everything including my job. Luckily I had backed up all work files just the day before, unfortunately I hadn't backed up my personal files in a really long time. I was very sad to say goodbye to my Dell but we decided to go ahead and get me a MacBook. So I am typing this from my beautiful new laptop and couldn't be happier.
* Our garden is growing wonderfully. We finished planting the tomatoes and peppers. I can't wait for everything to grow, then I can eat fresh salsa and fresh produce.
* We got to see Hillsong United preform in NYC.
* Pasta party part 3 was had at our apartment last night. We had great food, great friends, and a new fun game that Bek taught us. Overall I think it was a success and I am sure there will be many more to come.
* And probably my favorite thing is the new (to us) bikes that Brett and I got last weekend. A local elementary school was doing a fundraiser where people donate bikes. They then sell them all for $10, regardless or size, age, or condition. Brett and I managed to acquire two vintage road bikes for $20! They both need a tiny bit of work, but for not much more money we are going to have some amazing bikes to cruise around the lake. I absolutely adore mine. It is from Nottingham, England, and based on my research is from the 60s or 70s. I think it is actually worth something like $300. One brake line is stuck and it needs new tires since they are all dried out but other than that is great. Here are a couple photos from the day we bought them. I will post more after I get her all cleaned up.
* Summer is in full swing here but it has rained too much for us to completely appreciate it.
*We traveled to Orlando for Memorial Day weekend to see Brett's brother graduate and as a nice little trip for Brett's birthday. He loved seeing all his friends and I even was able to surprise him by getting them all together for a rock climbing day at a place he use to go to when he lived down there.
*My dear old Dell laptop finally crashed. This was both a pro and con - I used that laptop for everything including my job. Luckily I had backed up all work files just the day before, unfortunately I hadn't backed up my personal files in a really long time. I was very sad to say goodbye to my Dell but we decided to go ahead and get me a MacBook. So I am typing this from my beautiful new laptop and couldn't be happier.
* Our garden is growing wonderfully. We finished planting the tomatoes and peppers. I can't wait for everything to grow, then I can eat fresh salsa and fresh produce.
* We got to see Hillsong United preform in NYC.
* Pasta party part 3 was had at our apartment last night. We had great food, great friends, and a new fun game that Bek taught us. Overall I think it was a success and I am sure there will be many more to come.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
* And probably my favorite thing is the new (to us) bikes that Brett and I got last weekend. A local elementary school was doing a fundraiser where people donate bikes. They then sell them all for $10, regardless or size, age, or condition. Brett and I managed to acquire two vintage road bikes for $20! They both need a tiny bit of work, but for not much more money we are going to have some amazing bikes to cruise around the lake. I absolutely adore mine. It is from Nottingham, England, and based on my research is from the 60s or 70s. I think it is actually worth something like $300. One brake line is stuck and it needs new tires since they are all dried out but other than that is great. Here are a couple photos from the day we bought them. I will post more after I get her all cleaned up.
Friday, May 22, 2009
new movie
I am ubber excited about a new movie that is coming out in August. It is based off of two memoirs of food people, Julia Childs who revolutionize cooking and Julie Powell who wrote and blog and book about her challenge to cook all 524 recipes in Julia Childs book in a year.
Check out the trailer :)
Check out the trailer :)
Sunday, May 17, 2009
city and shore
Rich and Katie, a couple in our lifegroup moved to Buffalo last week, so before thy left we all headed to the city for one last hooray. Rich's grandma has an apartment in midtown with an amazing roof top garden. His Nana entertained us with wonderful stories and we had a hard time leaving the roof top. After Nana's apartment we grabbed dinner and then wondered around the city for a while.
Today Brett did his first duathlon. He had to run 2 miles, bike 10 miles, and then run 3 more miles. Yesterday at the last minute Mark, Brett's dad, decided to do it too. We dragged ourselves out of bed at 4 am so we could meet Mark and Jacki, get everything loaded, and leave by 5:00 to head to Long Branch at the shore. It was a nasty morning; cold and rainy. We were pretty miserable just watching so I am sure the boys had to be having a hard time. They both finished and I am so proud of them. Now it is time for a relaxing evening and early to bed.
rooftop view
the boys just hanging out
3 of the girls
bek, me, katie
the group
the boys before their run
brett coming back from the bike part
and he finished!
(once again NYC pictures borrowed from Sim and Katie)
Today Brett did his first duathlon. He had to run 2 miles, bike 10 miles, and then run 3 more miles. Yesterday at the last minute Mark, Brett's dad, decided to do it too. We dragged ourselves out of bed at 4 am so we could meet Mark and Jacki, get everything loaded, and leave by 5:00 to head to Long Branch at the shore. It was a nasty morning; cold and rainy. We were pretty miserable just watching so I am sure the boys had to be having a hard time. They both finished and I am so proud of them. Now it is time for a relaxing evening and early to bed.
rooftop viewthe boys just hanging out3 of the girlsbek, me, katie
the group
the boys before their run
brett coming back from the bike part
and he finished!(once again NYC pictures borrowed from Sim and Katie)
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
the wonders of pumpkin
Our garden is all planted. It rained forever after we planted it and I was scared that the garden would get rained out. But other than an overwhelming about of weeds, things seem to progressing beautifully.
The evening following our garden planting the girls all went over to Bek's apartment and she made a fantastic parmesan risotto. She put roasted pumpkin, pine nuts, and spinach in it. In America, or at least everywhere that I have been, we tend to only eat pumpkin, and squashes in the fall. Bek has inspired me to work these gourds into my meals more often.
So here I present to you the fantastic risotto that Bek served us and I later recreated for my husband, and a fun little recipe I found for "Pumpkin Pie Squares".
Pumpkin, Spinach, and Pine Nut Risotto
Ingredients:
1 cup Arborio rice
2-3 cup vegetable or chicken stock
½ butternut pumpkin, cubed
1 onion, diced
1 glove garlic, chopped
1 piece ginger, chopped
1/2 c pine-nuts
1 bunch spinach, roughly chopped
1 cup parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
1. Place garlic and ginger in a saucepan with a little olive oil.
2. Add the cubed pumpkin, cooking until soft. Remove and set aside. (I actually cooked this in a separate pan so I could be cooking the rice at the same time)
3. Add onion and a little oil to a fry-pan and saute.
4. Add rice and fry for a further 2-3 minutes with a little butter.
5. Gradually add stock, stirring until absorbed but still moist before adding more stock.
6. While risotto is cooking place pine-nuts on a tray and bake at 350°F for about 5 minutes or until they turn a golden color.
8. When rice is cooked turn off heat and add all remaining ingredients including pumpkin, and parmesan.
9. Leave for 5 minutes before serving.
Pumpkin Pie Squares
yellow/orange squash of some kind - acorn, butternut, pumpkin (we used the other half of the butternut squash from above and ate as dessert)
honey
cinnamon
sugar
1. Cube the squash into bit size pieces.
2. Roll the cubes in honey and a dash of cinnamon until well coated. Spread as a single layer on a foil lined pan.
3. Bake at 350 for about 40 minutes - until really soft
4. sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar - serve warm
The evening following our garden planting the girls all went over to Bek's apartment and she made a fantastic parmesan risotto. She put roasted pumpkin, pine nuts, and spinach in it. In America, or at least everywhere that I have been, we tend to only eat pumpkin, and squashes in the fall. Bek has inspired me to work these gourds into my meals more often.
So here I present to you the fantastic risotto that Bek served us and I later recreated for my husband, and a fun little recipe I found for "Pumpkin Pie Squares".
Pumpkin, Spinach, and Pine Nut Risotto
Ingredients:
1 cup Arborio rice
2-3 cup vegetable or chicken stock
½ butternut pumpkin, cubed
1 onion, diced
1 glove garlic, chopped
1 piece ginger, chopped
1/2 c pine-nuts
1 bunch spinach, roughly chopped
1 cup parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
1. Place garlic and ginger in a saucepan with a little olive oil.
2. Add the cubed pumpkin, cooking until soft. Remove and set aside. (I actually cooked this in a separate pan so I could be cooking the rice at the same time)
3. Add onion and a little oil to a fry-pan and saute.
4. Add rice and fry for a further 2-3 minutes with a little butter.
5. Gradually add stock, stirring until absorbed but still moist before adding more stock.
6. While risotto is cooking place pine-nuts on a tray and bake at 350°F for about 5 minutes or until they turn a golden color.
8. When rice is cooked turn off heat and add all remaining ingredients including pumpkin, and parmesan.
9. Leave for 5 minutes before serving.
Pumpkin Pie Squares
yellow/orange squash of some kind - acorn, butternut, pumpkin (we used the other half of the butternut squash from above and ate as dessert)
honey
cinnamon
sugar
1. Cube the squash into bit size pieces.
2. Roll the cubes in honey and a dash of cinnamon until well coated. Spread as a single layer on a foil lined pan.
3. Bake at 350 for about 40 minutes - until really soft
4. sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar - serve warm
Rafael with the tiller
the boys working the dirt
Our pretty garden(pictures stolen from Sim's facebook)
Saturday, April 18, 2009
april showers
Spring is slowly beginning to creep in up here. Yesterday and today will be around 70° before the rain brings it back down for a bit. We are taking full advantage of these two beautiful days and spending as much time outside as we can. Yesterday after work we grilled dinner and today when Brett gets home we are going on a hike!
So far the month of April has been wonderful, a bit soggy but wonderful. We are starting a community garden with a few other couples in our life group. We tried to get a plot at an already established community garden but it was full. Brett’s parents are letting us use a bit of their backyard, so a couple of weekends ago Sim, Bek, Brett, and I started getting it all set up and ready to plant. Since it was jus grass before, we had to start from scratch. We rented a tiller and picked up all the necessaries - soil, fertilizer, seeds, etc. – and got to work. We now have a garden or at least a big mud pit with a fence around it. There are tons of deer around here, which are gorgeous to watch but not so good for a garden. It is crazy what all you have to do to try to keep deer away. Along with our fence, we also got some deer repellant, let’s hope they work. We are waiting until it stays warmer and stops raining for a couple of days to begin planting. I am so excited to have fresh produce this summer.
As I mentioned in my previous blog last weekend we flew to the Midwest to visit family and friends. It was great to be “home” and wished I could have had a few more days. I loved seeing everyone in Oklahoma. Rebecca made me an apron that she copied from one that used to belong to her grandma. It is so fun and will surely make my heart happy every time I wear it to bake. I received a whole collection of fantastic new-to-me music and am slowly working my way through it all. Being in Lawrence with my family was amazing as well. I love my husband, life, and friends here in NJ but hate being so far away from my parents. It was great to cook Easter dinner with them, hang out and watch movies in the evenings, drink lots of tea and coffee, and listen to my mom play the piano. :) Between times with my family, we had the opportunity to spend some time with local friends and see Brett’s grandparents.
Overall, it was an amazing trip and so far has been a wonderful month of April.
(Garden photos barrowed from Sim, Oklahoma pictures from Amanda.)
Very start of the garden.
While the boys were renting the tiller Bek and I started getting the grass up.
It was so muddy
Building the fence to keep the deer out.
Rebecca blowing bubbles
Trying to teach Brett how to play the piano
Cooking with my mom
So far the month of April has been wonderful, a bit soggy but wonderful. We are starting a community garden with a few other couples in our life group. We tried to get a plot at an already established community garden but it was full. Brett’s parents are letting us use a bit of their backyard, so a couple of weekends ago Sim, Bek, Brett, and I started getting it all set up and ready to plant. Since it was jus grass before, we had to start from scratch. We rented a tiller and picked up all the necessaries - soil, fertilizer, seeds, etc. – and got to work. We now have a garden or at least a big mud pit with a fence around it. There are tons of deer around here, which are gorgeous to watch but not so good for a garden. It is crazy what all you have to do to try to keep deer away. Along with our fence, we also got some deer repellant, let’s hope they work. We are waiting until it stays warmer and stops raining for a couple of days to begin planting. I am so excited to have fresh produce this summer.
As I mentioned in my previous blog last weekend we flew to the Midwest to visit family and friends. It was great to be “home” and wished I could have had a few more days. I loved seeing everyone in Oklahoma. Rebecca made me an apron that she copied from one that used to belong to her grandma. It is so fun and will surely make my heart happy every time I wear it to bake. I received a whole collection of fantastic new-to-me music and am slowly working my way through it all. Being in Lawrence with my family was amazing as well. I love my husband, life, and friends here in NJ but hate being so far away from my parents. It was great to cook Easter dinner with them, hang out and watch movies in the evenings, drink lots of tea and coffee, and listen to my mom play the piano. :) Between times with my family, we had the opportunity to spend some time with local friends and see Brett’s grandparents.
Overall, it was an amazing trip and so far has been a wonderful month of April.
(Garden photos barrowed from Sim, Oklahoma pictures from Amanda.)
Very start of the garden.While the boys were renting the tiller Bek and I started getting the grass up.
It was so muddy
Building the fence to keep the deer out.
Rebecca blowing bubbles
Trying to teach Brett how to play the piano
Cooking with my mom
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