Laura

Update

2010-10-09T10:10:00.005-05:00

I'm widdling away at that list of mine. It's about the only thing that I am widdling away at, though. Except for that piece of German Chocolate cake I ate last night...I widdled away at that pretty quickly. Mmmmmm....
Anyway...last night Henry stayed the night at Gigi and Grandpa's house. #19 cha-ching. It was the first time that I have been away from my baby at night. I almost cried as we dropped him off, but I held it together. I haven't gotten a full report on the events of the evening, but I am sure that it went well. Wade and I went on our FIRST DATE IN 4 YEARS. Talk about pressure. We went to our friend Katee's gallery and hung out for a while and then headed to FUD (pronounced food) for a vegan dinner. The fud at FUD is AWESOME. The hour and a half wait is not so awesome. But there is something super fun about eating something you have never eaten before. I had jack fruit tacos. YUMMO. Wade had a BBQ sammie. Both worth the wait. Or maybe we were just so hungry they could have given us anything and we would have thought it was delicious and devoured it. We'll go back again, I'm sure, but next time we'll get there at 4 so we can eat by dinner time. When we got home Wade got me some German Chocolate cake and himself a doughnut. He is a bed time doughnut kinda guy. I fell asleep immediately following "cake time". I think the plate may have still been on my lap. Pathetic.
I'm making a plan for the week. I have so much coming up in the next 3 weeks that I am a bit overwhelmed. I think a plan is necessary. I'm working in working out. But I've decided to not get on the scale anymore. After 3 weeks of exercise and a 3 pound gain I am realizing that the numbers don't mean anything.
Oh, last thing. I applied for graduation this week. It was nerve racking sitting in that chair watching my advisor cross off my classes. My degree requirements were from 1997. He had to doctor the form and write in special notes because some of the classes are not offered anymore. Laugh, go ahead, it's okay. I was. Oh well, just have to pass these last 2 classes and then I'm done!!!

Week 15

2010-09-06T21:43:00.004-05:00

It's week 15. I'm sitting here, about to write a blog post about how I exercised for a week and gained 1.5 lbs, while eating a toasted bagel with cream cheese at 10 pm. But let's just let that go because there is a perfectly good reason that I am eating a bagel at 10 pm. Stress. I am a stress eater. I'm also a feeling sad eater. And a feeling angry eater. I am a bored eater. And, of course, a celebratory eater. Let me just crunch the numbers....yup...yup...click click click...carry the 1...uh-huh...my calculations tell me that the only time I am not eating is when I am sleeping or talking. Wait, scratch that, I just asked Wade a question with a gigantic bite of bagel in my mouth. So only sleeping.
The weekend passed, a long weekend with PLENTY of opportunities for me to study. And I didn't. And right now I should be studying but I'm not. I should be sleeping since I am supposed to get up at 5 am to run. But I'm not. This stuff isn't easy. But I guess all the good stuff in life really isn't easy. Okay...okay...no more stalling. Good night.

Super. Epic. Flop.

2010-09-06T19:26:00.005-05:00

This is what it was supposed to look like.This is what it actually looked like. It wasn't pretty or particularly tasty, but it was kinda fun. I may try it again with a better cake recipe. Oh, well. #15 off the list.

Oops

2010-09-01T15:06:00.002-05:00

So I had a minor set-back this morning when my power went out and I slept until 8:40. This is a problem for 2 reasons A) I am supposed to be at work by 8 am and 2) I should have been running about 3 hours earlier. So, no gym today. But I'm not stressing. Just have to do the best that I can do. I'm realizing on this journey that you just can't take yourself too seriously. It's all about a quick recovery time, in exercise and in life. I'll be back at it tomorrow.

3 days in

2010-08-31T13:28:00.006-05:00

Whew. I am pooped!

Sunday: I ran for 1 hour. The machine said that I burned 800 calories, I really hope it is right.

Monday: I have a 4 hour field research lab Monday afternoons, so I can't do the gym. Fortunately, (or unfortunately if you dislike hiking through uncultivated woodlands in 92 degree heat) the research that we did involved hiking for about 2 hours. So I am going to credit myself for several miles of walking that day. If you can measure hard work with how much a person sweats, I worked hard this day.

Tuesday: I was up at 5 am for a run. I made it for 50 minutes. I don't run as fast or as long in the morning compared to my afternoon runs. But, it's still worth it because getting my workout over with in the morning feels great.

WEEK 16

2010-08-28T09:58:00.004-05:00

Well, no wonder I am already feeling behind, I am behind. Week 16 has come and gone. This week I made a lot of plans. I'm good at making plans. But I am not going to get stuck in the plan making mode. I am taking the advice of this quote:

"Dreams are fulfilled only by taking action, not by endlessly planning to take action." -a recovered procrastinator.

This week I made an action plan for workouts, downloaded the pod cast and some good workout music, washed all my workout clothes that I had been using as pajamas, bought some low calories but highly nutritious lunches, started easing myself off of the coffee, woke up 15 minutes earlier every morning (not always successful on this one) and got my first "Henry is back in preschool" cold for the season over with. I plan on feeling 100% by Tuesday when my running program starts. Here is how it will all shake down:

SUNDAY: 1 hour on the elliptical machine/20 minutes weights (lower body)
MONDAY: 1 hour walk/abs
TUESDAY: 30 minutes running program/45 minutes on the elliptical machine
WEDNESDAY: 30 minutes running program/45 minutes on the elliptical machine/abs
THURSDAY: 30 minutes running program/45 minutes on the elliptical machine
FRIDAY: 1 hour walk/abs
SATURDAY: 1 hour on the elliptical machine/20 minutes weights (upper body)

I also completed my first week of the fall semester. 18 year olds look like children. I hate doing lab work. Microscopes hurt my eyes. My ecology teachers are a nightmare. I have a ton of work to do. Better get to it.

Up n' coming

2010-08-28T09:39:00.003-05:00

I didn't put it on my 33 in 33rd year list, because it seemed cliche, but one of my biggest goals for this year is to lose weight. Lots of it. My back is killing me and I am sick of feeling bad about myself, so I am taking action. I am starting a program called Couch to 5K in 9 weeks. This will set me up almost perfectly for my first 5K run on Thanksgiving Day morning. My friend Andy did the same program and she lost a lot of weight and now loves to run. I'm excited and nervous.

I'm also in 9 hours of school this semester. After I complete these classes I will have a BS in Biodiversity, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. I have dreams of doing marine biology research on a beach some day. But for now I just have to survive a very busy full time job + 9 hours of school (7 of those hours in lab) + a beautiful and busy Bean + a new workout program. It's basically going to be a 16 week tornado. We are one week in and I am already feeling behind.

Reading about someones work out program isn't fun or exciting but I feel like this blog may be a good outlet for me to post about my progress, so I am taking over the blog for the next few weeks. I can't promise that it will be interesting (but is this blog really ever interesting?) and that there will not be an extreme amount of complaining and self-doubt, but it's only temporary, right? And if you're not interested, no worries, just come back around Christmas time when I will be a college graduate (god willing), a running pro (still skeptical) and I will be baking and eating copious amounts of Christmas cookies.

33 things to do in my 33rd year

2010-08-21T18:13:00.009-05:00

Well, 33 is here. I’m trying to make the best of it, even though I am now officially closer to 35 then to 30.

1. Take a screen-printing class at the Art Center

2. Put up a clothes line

3. Have another baby

4. Make better use of my alone time

5. Surf

6. Swim in Annie’s pool

7. Plant a vegetable garden

8. Paint the kitchen and the front door

9. Put in a grey water system

10. Run a 5K

11. Finish the quilt for Henry

12. Label my photos

13. Throw a backyard party

14. Put in a deck

15. ~~Bake the super epic rainbow cake~~

16. Walk down the hill

17. Spend some time with old friends

18. Take a cake decorating class

19. ~~Let Henry sleep over at his grandparent’s house~~

20. Go on a road trip

21. Remodel the bathroom

22. Ride a Ferris wheel

23. ~~Build a fort with Henry and sleep in it~~

24. Have a favorite things party

25. Help Henry plant his own garden

26. Spend a day in KC thrift store shopping and cupcake eating

27. Stock up my craft box

28. Go sledding on campus

29. Volunteer with Henry

30. Learn to use my camera on manual mode

31. Take Henry to the Children’s Museum

32. Get a colorful winter coat

33. Have a family photo taken for our Christmas cards

Lil Cakes 2

2010-06-04T17:39:00.005-05:00

I have noticed something about red velvet cake. People either love it or they hate it. It is one of my favorite cakes. I love the flavor. It's not as sweet as other cakes which makes it so you can pile on the frosting and sugar sprinkles (something Henry is very good at *see below). And there is something so awesome about taking a blah tan-ish mixture and turning it bright red. It's just fun. Martha Stewarts Red Velvet cupcake recipe was by far the best red velvet cake I have ever had. I was not a purest with this one. I did not make cream cheese icing, because I don't really like cream cheese icing, and I didn't add walnuts. I made a fluffy vanilla buttercream and topped it with sprinkles instead.
Henry's take on red velvet is below. He feels that there really is no such thing as too many sprinkles on a cupcake.

Marry an Artist

2010-05-30T23:19:00.007-05:00

This is all I'm saying. Marry an Artist. Or at least befriend one and give them things. For artists have the power to make any boring old space into a beautiful one. I've been searching for art for Henry's walls for a while now and my sweet husband has either made or funded almost all of my choices. First, I (yes me, not Wade) made a banner of flags to go over his bed (although Wade may or may not have provided some guidance on the color choices, I'm not telling). And then I found these adorable cardboard deer heads to go in the middle. I bought a tiny one for Henry's room and saved the board with the cut outs so that Wade could make a big one for our living room out of old Rudy's pizza boxes (which reminds me, I should order a pizza for delivery). I La La Love these posters with lyrics from one of my favorite songs. Wade showed me exactly how to make them and then it was just off to Kinkos for a quick color print on poster board. This sweet little elephant was an Etsy find. I love her and I plan to copy the idea to make a peacock and an umbrella to go over Henry's desk. Wade has instructed me on the trials and tribulations of Modge Podge and I feel ready to take this project on.

This whale is another Esty find. I love it, but I'm not in love with it. I think chalkboards are fun but I am thinking Henry needs something bigger, to really show off his mad skillz.
And lastly, there is this panting. Also and Etsy find. Wade tells me we could paint something similar here at home. But I love it and I think I am going to buy it and marry it. This may not go in Henry's room. I might put it in our room. I need a house with less windows and more walls.
So, in conclusion. Marry an artist. He or she can then teach you how to make all the art you have been eyeballing for years. They will make fun of you for not coming up with the idea on your own. But artists are moody and hey, you are the one that decided to marry one.

Cakes

2010-05-30T22:42:00.005-05:00

In my dreams I own a cupcake shop. It's tiny, with wood floors and brick walls. I imagine those old glass and wood cases full of layer upon layer of different cakes. There would be frosting shots for icing enthusiasts and naked cakes for weirdos that do not like frosting (like my hubby). So fun!
I have a deep and sincere love of the cupcake. I love it for its built in portion control. I love it for its super handy holder that can also serve as a frosting scraper should one get too much frosting (pfh, as if). I love how it perfectly holds one candle and for its inability to hold 32 candles (going on 33). It is a perfect model, never takes a bad picture. But most of all, I love it because it doesn't hold me down to one option. Make a cake, that's all you've got. Make cupcakes and you may have sprinkles or no sprinkles. Chocolate icing..yes please. Or maybe vanilla. Add a filling, if you like or turn the whole thing upside down and dip it in something rich and prepare to unbutton your jeans. I love cupcakes.Martha Stewart has a cupcake book and it has become my new bedtime story. I daydream about what cupcake coma I will enjoy next. I have to admit I have only made 2 recipes from the cookbook and both of them were okay. Not the best cupcakes I have made, definitely not the worst (so sad to remember those neon-red red velvet cakes I made 2 years ago, sitting so perfectly red in the trash can. Tasted like a wet sponge dipped in cardboard).
My idea is to try one of Martha's cupcakes each week Her cookbook has 175 recipes and I will not do all of them. Ahem, Ginger and Banana....no thanks. But I think I will try any of them with ingredients that do not make me want to hurl. Then I will take a pic and put it on this blog. I do recognize that this is not an original idea and no, I am not trying to create my own baked goods version of Julie and Julia. I don't have that kind of time.
In these pics are MS version of coconut cupcakes. My thoughts: too buttery. They almost tasted like bread. The frosting was good though. I think I'll try it again with less butter and more coconut. Coconut cupcakes are my favorite. Or maybe red velvet. No, german chocolate.

I've realized something

2010-05-30T22:15:00.006-05:00

Recently I have discovered that I am not the person to go to for decorating decisions. I base this observation on the fact that I have now painted my dining room chairs 4 different colors, changed my curtains in the living room twice, and have been flip-flopping on the paint colors for my living room and dining room for so long now that Wade refuses to indulge me in any converstation over paint swatches. He says "Do whatever you want babe. Just give me the roller and I'll go."
My front door is also an excellent example. My first thought was to paint it orange because that is my favorite color. I recognize that orange is most people's least favorite color, which really only makes me like it more. Anyway, then I thought black. My sister has a black door and it looks great. Wade gives it a "whant-waaaaa" vote but I dunno, I kinda dig it. Hot pink is obviously the choice of our smallest and most vocal family member. I leaning, umm, away from hot pink, but I am surprised by how good it actually looks. If I could pull it off I would. But I can't. Then there is green, which works in this pic but I think would suck with the green grass (aka weeds that are also green) and the red is nice but red doors are kinda all over all neighborhood, so I am thinking no on that. Blue is Wade's choice, but his vote only half counts because I think he just picked it because he likes to argue with me. Besides, what does he know about design and color choice...wait...scratch that...go back to my previous arguing point and pay no attention to his degree in art or his employment as a designer.
Anyway, my house is brown and it's going to stay brown until I find the time to paint the whole thing orange!!!!! WHOO-HOOO. But until that time the purplish/mate finish door has to go. What say you blog friends?

Bringing it back....

2010-02-20T12:19:00.003-06:00

Begin each day as if it were on purpose.
- Mary Anne Radmacher

Today, I love:
Snuggling with my hubby at 6 am.
Finding Henry this morning, in the living room with his blanket and ugly doll sitting on the floor petting our cat. He said “Mama, I think he really likes me now. He purring and that means he likes me.”
Drinking coffee and listening to NPR.

Next please

2009-10-31T14:24:00.009-05:00

I am very close to finishing school, 3 classes to be exact. And I think for a lot of people finishing school the next step would be grab that degree and run out into the job market determined to put all their years of hard work to good use. I, however, do not have that ambition. I have no plans to use my degree. Let’s just be totally honest, I have no desire to use my degree. My degree is quite simply a symbol of A) my stubbornness B) my desire to please my father. That’s it. I like Biology, it’s interesting and fun, but I do not want to spend my time looking in a microscope or taking soil samples. Sorry.

Here is the problem. That sucks. I hate it. Because I would much rather say that 12 years of school and thousands of dollars in student loan debt led me to my dream work scenario. I thought when I went back to school in 2002 that finishing school would feel like a major accomplishment but frankly I can’t get over how long it took, how much it cost, and how it really isn’t what I wanted in the first place. If I was 22 and graduating I would say “Screw it” and I would go ahead and follow my heart. I would chalk it up to a good experience, knowledge gained, something I can be proud of and then look for what is next, search out what is really in my heart. But at 32 that feels kinda like something kids do. At 32 it feels like time to get my shit together…like yesterday.

I realize that is no way to live. I realize that if I don’t give myself the same options that I would have given myself 10 years ago then I am just signing up to never get to do anything that I actually want to do. So, I’ll veto that and I’ll try to forget my number (32 32 32 32 32…okay, that got it out of my system). And in the spirit of new opportunities and taking chances and following your heart no matter what your past looks like, no matter how sad and unproductive I have been up to this point, I will make a list of things that I love and then, maybe if I stare at it long enough, I can find the courage to do something with it-
I like

To cook:
Cupcakes
Fresh food
Compassionately
Fresh baked bread
Cookies

To grow:
Succulents
Vegetables
Flowers

To make:
Embroidery
Paper flowers
Sew

I like:
Photography
Vintage
Polaroid
Sunshine

What can I do with this information? Well…just free form ideas here…

A bakery.
A café.
Chef school.
Grow my own succulents and sell them at the famers market or online
A cupcake shop
Make homemade sewn or embroidered goods to sell on etsy

That’s all I have for now. It’s something, right? I will leave you with some photos that inspire me. I can’t take credit for them but some of them I can’t give credit for either because I saved them years ago. Blog faux pas, I know. Love me anyway.

Chilly or is it Chili?

2009-09-03T12:50:00.002-05:00

This cool weather has me in “hunker down and wear sweaters and eat chili” mode. And much to my delight I have 2 AWESOME chili recipes that will make you feel warm and snuggly from the inside out. One is quick and easy, the other requires a bit more chopping, but is totally worth the effort.

Three Bean Chili
Serves 6
INGREDIENTS:
1 orange bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 yellow onion, coarsely chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 tablespoons chili powder
3 medium tomatoes, peeled and chopped (or one 16-ounce can of tomato sauce)
1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup of dry quinoa
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Water or tomato juice as needed
½ cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves or fresh parsley (optional)

DIRECTIONS:
1. Heat up the oil in a heavy 4-quart saucepan over medium heat. You could just use water instead, but I like to add a little fat for flavor.
2. Add the bell peppers, onion, garlic, oregano, and chili powder, cayenne, coriander, and cumin, and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes.
3. Stir in the tomatoes and all the beans, and bring to a boil. Add a little water as needed.
4. Lower the heat and simmer for 30 minutes, adding water or tomato juice as needed if too much liquid evaporates.
5. While the beans cook make the quinoa. First rinse it several times, until the water runs pretty clear. Then bowl 1 cup water and add the quinoa to it. Put a lid on it and lower the heat (basically do just the same as cooking rice). It should be done in about 20 minutes, but check occasionally and if the water is gone then the quinoa is ready.
6. Stir the cooked quinoa into the bean mixture. Add as much as you want. If you like a more soupy chili, add less, if you like a thick chili, add more. Save any leftovers, you can use them later in the week. Season with salt and black pepper, and stir in the cilantro or parsley. Enjoy.

Serving suggestions and variations:
*You can obviously use any color variation of bell pepper; the more color variety, the prettier the dish is. Same goes for the beans. You can use all black or white (Navy, Great Northern, etc.) instead of pinto. It’s really up to you, your preferences, and what you have on hand.
*Add more cayenne and chili powder to make it hotter.
*Serve with different color tortilla chips: white, red, and black/blue. Or my favorite way which is covered in Fritos and sliced avocado. Yum!

White Chili
Serves 6
INGREDIENTS
1 can of black beans
1 can of Navy beans (or Northern beans)
1 veggie bullion cube
2 tsps extra virgin olive oil
2 or 3 stalks of chopped celery
1 or 2 chopped carrots (3/4 of a cup, or so)
1 small onion, chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 cups of water
1 small can of chopped green peppers
1 tsp cumin
A shake or 2 of oregano
Salt and pepper to taste
DIRECTIONS
Heat up the oil. Add the celery, carrots, onion and garlic. Stir until the onions are translucent, about 5 minutes.
Add 2 cups of water and the veggie bullion cube, bring it to a boil and then reduce the heat and put a lid on it. Let it cook for 5 or 10 minutes, checking occasionally to see if the celery and carrots are softening.
Take a 1 cup measuring cup and dip it into the mixture , scoop about ½ cup of the liquid from the pot (try not to pick up any of the veggies if you can and watch your fingers, it will be hot)
Pour out the rest of the mixture (I just strain it) and add the ½ cup of liquid back to the pot with the veggies.
Add the cumin and oregano
Strain and rise the black beans. Add them to the mixture
Add the Navy beans and the can of green chili’s to the mixture (don’t drain the beans or the chilis)
Bring the mixture to a boil and add salt and pepper as needed
Serving suggestions and variations:
*You can change this up in so many ways. Adding bell peppers or corn or red pepper flakes for more heat.
*Serve with Fritos or tortilla chips and sliced avocado. It is deeelish.

Tommies

2009-08-31T22:46:00.005-05:00

Quick, grab some fresh tomatoes from the garden (or sneak into the neighbors garden) and make this for dinner-

Roasted Tomato Spicy Pasta
2 lbs of heirloom, pear, or cherry tomatoes, cut into the same size pieces
1/4 olive oil
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (or more if you like spice)
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
6 cloves of garlic chopped
1/4 cup freshly chopped basil leaves
1 teaspoon minced fresh oregano leaves
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 black pepper
1/2 lbs angel hair pasta
Garlic bread

Mix the olive oil, tomatoes, red pepper flakes, garlic, vinegar, salt and pepper in a glass casserole dish. Roast at 350 for 40-45 minutes, stirring a couple of times.

Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Add the roasted tomatoes to the pasta, add the basil and oregano. Dig in.

Joyful pile up

2009-08-31T22:14:00.008-05:00

My horoscope in the UDK today said "Don't start another project, finish the one you already started and it may be lucrative". Pahhleese! I feel like they don't even know me. :)
I did actually finish a project over the weekend. I got to sit in my little spot next to the window and feel the breeze and my little helper and I finished his apron. He wanted a semi-truck (he calls it a Sam-eye Truck) on the front instead of a train. We found some old buttons to use as the wheels. It turned out pretty good. It looks homemade, which is kind of what I was going for. I do a lot better when I stop trying to make every seam perfect.

And it's already covered with avocado. Just as an apron should be :)

Well, I'm off to start working on a new project-a crewel kit that I got in the mail this afternoon.

Real

2009-08-29T11:20:00.003-05:00

Photos of children where the house in the background is perfectly clean. With Mom's that have on make-up and look as though they have showered in the past 2 days, telling stories of the overly thoughtful husbands or evenings out with friends or some crazy time-consuming project at work that they have somehow pulled off while caring for their children and not placing them in front of the TV. That is what blogs these days are made of. And to be honest, I just can't take the pressure. My house could always used some tidying. My bangs are always looking a little messy. If I have on make-up it is usually because I didn't get to wash it off my face from the previous day. I run on 50% coffee 25% sleep and 25% willpower. Even if I have the time to fold the laundry I rarely get to put it all neatly into drawers. My idea of a date night with my husband is drinking a glass of wine and falling asleep with my head on his lap while he watches some sporting event on TV. I haven't had my hair cut by a professional in 2 years. I get my news from the Daily Show and NPR. I have homework to do, 5 sewing projects to finish, crunched up Dorito bits on the floor of my car, nothing in the house to eat for dinner and I can't remember if I brushed my teeth this morning.

But it's still just as good.

32 things to do in my 32nd year

2009-08-06T07:21:00.005-05:00

1. Make Christmas gifts for everyone in my family
2. Take a painting class at the art center
3. Put up a clothes line
4. Sew the bags with Susie
5. Have another baby
6. Take swimming lessons with Henry
7. Play the banjo
8. Surf
9. Take Henry to see some waterfalls
10. Plant a vegetable garden
11. Finish the painting by the back door
12. Paint and tile the kitchen
13. Foster a dog from the animal shelter
14. Paint our front door orange
15. Purchase a pair of rain boots
16. Put in a grey water system
17. Read 3 classics and 3 new authors
18. Pay off my credit card
19. Take my last class and walk down that hill
20. Use the library
21. Celebrate Eva’s 102 birthday
22. Be a better listener
23. Run the Chicago Marathon
24. Learn reflexology
25. Add this and this to my bike so that we can go car free
26. Plant lavender along our back walkway
27. Catch fireflies with Henry
28. Really do up the house with Christmas lights
29. Get one of these and take weekly photo walks with Henry
30. Prepare a 5 course vegan dinner for my family that even my Dad will love
31. Replace our 100 year old wood floors
32. Make a granny square quilt for Henry

I think. I might. Like it.

2009-06-27T23:17:00.005-05:00

I found this table on the side of the road today and I grabbed it. I wasn't sure if I liked it and I am still not sure if I like it, but it is nice to have a light on that side of the sofa.

It doesn't even remotely match the table on the other side of the sofa but I feel like that unmatchiness might be so bad that it actually works. Maybe?

Humph!

2009-06-08T22:18:00.013-05:00

Dear globe on Etsy. You're killing me. I am trying SO hard not to spend money. We have a wedding coming up that has turned into one of the most expensive 2 day outings that I have ever been a part of and I just cannot feel good about buying something for fun (so fun!) when I just spent over $500 on tuxes, a sport jacket, a white dress (isn't that bad form? oh well, it was on sale) and khaki slacks for the rehearsal dinner that Henry will stain within 10 minutes of our arrival. I won't go on about the expense of this event (gas, food, hotel fare, present...) even though I really could, because it is close to my bed time and I am trying to relax but I will just say that if you are still available for purchase in July, I am going to buy you and justify it by saying that it is for Henry's room. So...stick around.

I found some other good stuff for Henry's room this weekend. Including a Jenny Lind twin bed frame that just needs a little white paint and it will be ready for our big boy. These are some other things that I have been eyeballing for his room-

Rainbow ribbon thing

Cardboard deer head

Peace flags

An elephant (and I plan to make a peacock and a giraffe to match)

A whale shaped chalkboard

The letter H

Granny squares (my Grandma would be proud)
And a map. He has been really interested in understanding places lately.

Summer

2009-06-05T09:07:00.004-05:00

I’m gearing up for summer. I admit, I am not quite ready for spring to end. I feel like I just pulled out my flip-flops and I could handle at least 3 more weeks of pink peonies on my dining room table but what can you do? Summer vacation is quickly approaching. I am not ready. I have piles of work to do and I need to find Henry’s swimsuit (I think it may still be in the suitcase from our last vacation). But that will happen in the next few days, it all comes together in the end, right?

Yesterday I asked Henry “Do you know what mountains are?”
“No.” He said, “Wait, they are big hills, right Mama?”
“So big,” I said, “that there is snow on the top. So big that it makes your brakes smoke when you drive down them. So big that you have to ride a train to get to the top.” I said with a smile.
“Are we going to ride a train?” He asked.
“Uh-huh. We sure are.” I said.
“A real train? I have never done that before Mama. It will be a new imperience.”

“You mean EXperience baby.”

“Yes,” he said “EXperience. I like new experiences. I just like new interesting stuff that I am curious about.”

I love that.

To help with the spring to summer transition we have been busy enjoying some of our favorite parts of summer like sun tea, picnics, staying up later, planting geraniums, running through the sprinkler, riding in the car with our arms out the window, wearing flowers in our hair, eating fresh basil, walking bare foot in the yard, and homemade ice cream. This weekend I am thinking strawberry ice cream with pink sprinkles. I love this idea for kiddos.

Perspective

2009-06-04T17:43:00.010-05:00

Henry is turning into such a big boy now. He is my light and the happiest part of every day. Watching him change over the past 3 years has been so incredible. That he understands what I say and I can have a conversation with him about almost anything is so amazing. He comforted me last week, when I was feeling sad. He hugged me and said “It’s okay baby.” This is a person that 2 years ago was just learning to speak and walk. Getting older is strange. You gain this wonderful perspective of how special and glorious your life is. You realize that every single day is precious. But at the same time, you only get that perspective from the knowledge that time is passing and that your life is not forever. It is a bittersweet truth and I have felt it's heaviness the past few years. The only way that I can come to terms with it is to try my hardest to enjoy every day. To never wish for the weekend on a Monday. To close my eyes and feel the breeze. To smell the flowers and hug my babies and laugh with my parents and focus on the moment as much as I possibly can. I am not always good at it. There are days that I feel sad that I am getting older. And that people around me are getting older. But every second that I think about that is a second that I am not here with them. So I remind myself at the end of the day that even a mundane day with nothing special happening is still something special. It is a day that when I am old I will be glad that I had, and a day that I will wish I could do again.

Freebee

2009-06-04T16:17:00.004-05:00

I pulled this guide out of my wallet at the store the other day and the guy standing next to me leaned over and asked "What does it say about broccoli?"

Other things you should buy organic is coffee (and free trade) and baby foods and juices.

Big big boy bed

2009-05-25T00:02:00.003-05:00

Clearly I am in the mood to ramble on tonight (nothing new on this blog) so I thought I would share my most recent point of indecision. One of many, oh so many...

Henry's bed.

So, he is in a crib bed right now. It's his crib turned into a toddler bed. But he is tall and has nearly grown out of his bed. What next? Well, obviously a twin bed is next, but when I change the bed I will have to change the whole room. All the baby stuff will have to go. The stuffed animals and bumper pads with the ABC's and the letters hanging on ribbons...I'm okay with it. It was never really our style to begin with. I have been leaning towards a Jenny-Lind bed. I love them. I don't mind sharing, just between you and I, that a sibling for Henry is in the works. Not, in the works as in "in the works" but it's on the horizon. And this sibling will have to share a room with Sir Henry. I would like to buy a Jenny Lind crib for this future sibling so a matching bed for Hank seems like a good option. I think Jenny Lind will work for boys or girls. What do you think? Not boyish enough?

Bean

2009-05-24T23:29:00.001-05:00

Unapologetic

2009-05-24T23:23:00.003-05:00

I working on a paint-by-number painting. It's awesome.

Latest

2009-05-24T23:14:00.004-05:00

My version of heaven. Almond Joy cupcake. It was that good. A Happy Birthday wish to my number 18.

Ringing

2009-05-24T23:05:00.006-05:00

I've gone ring happy. I'm not sure what has come over me. Maybe it is that there is no size involved. I got this one on Friday. Lovely. Spring has me thinking a flower ring would be nice. So do I go with-
Chrysanthemum:Or Rose:Or both?

Happy bits

2009-05-04T14:20:00.005-05:00

Today my friend Emily gave me a globe that she bought at a garage sale on Saturday for a dollar. It's perfect.

I also forgot that I ordered a book from amazon that was on back order until it arrived this afternoon. Many birthday gifts are going to come from this book.

Lastly, a package from the UK was in my inbox this morning. This lovely pin was in the box and now it adds the perfect bit of Spring to my gray purse. Her etsy stuff is amazing. Check it out. I think I want this one next.

A long story short

2009-04-18T21:34:00.009-05:00

It's been a while...I know. Visitors, illnesses and just general busyness has kept me away. So I thought I might try to get back into your good graces with a super long post about really nothing at all. We are all good. Henry is enormous....his hair is just as blond and poofy as can be and it seems to attract attention wherever we go. Wade is good. Building some cool stuff with recycled wood, including an art easel for Henry. He has become quite a painter. In fact, at school when other kids are working on their stations Henry will almost always ask to paint. We have some beautiful art around here now :) Wade has also been busy doing design work for the school's 5K/10K run. The Easter bunny brought WAY too much candy to our house this year and I have been doing a terrible job of staying away from it. I've also been staying busy with my normal activities--sewing, cooking, watching movies, reading, staring at cupcake cookbooks for hours...and coming up with schemes to start a cupcake shop/bakery in downtown Lawrence. Believe it or not it's coming along much easier than I anticipated. So we'll see...

Tonight I had an urge for Chinese food but I can't actually get Chinese food because A) Not vegan B) I can't feed that stuff to my child and feel good about it (that reminds me of a funny story. Henry and I went to the park last night to work off the slice of pizza the size of our face we ate for dinner. A little girl whose mother was sitting on the park bench on the cell phone (happens every time I go to the park) latched on to us and began to play. Henry and I were pretending to drive the firetruck to a fire. The little girl hopped into the drivers seat and Henry asked "Where is the fire?" "McDonald's!" she yelled. She pretended to drive to McDonald's. Then my friend that was with us asked "where is the fire?" "At Old McDonald's" Henry said. And then he started singing the song. My child thinks McDonald's is a farm with a cow (moo moo) and not a fast food restaurant. You have no idea how happy this makes me. Back to Chinese food...) C) MSG gives me a headache. So I decided to make my own spring rolls tonight and boy where they fantastic. I combined two recipes and did a little improvising (I am terrible at following recipes) to include the food we already had at home. I used tofu, carrots, cabbage, red bell peppers and green onions. Yum. It started like this

And ended like thisWhat else? I bought 2 yards of this fabric last weekend so that I can attempt to make a purse from my Amy Butler book. I would like to buy this instead and save myself the time, but I just can't justify spending that much on something that I will probably ruin in a few months. I also bought some of this and this to make more pillows. It's getting a little insane with the pillows around here. Pretty soon my husband is going to make me start selling them.

What else??? Well, against my better judgment I joined facebook. I have caught up with a few really good friends that I haven't heard from in years, which is great. But I have been also tracked down by some people that I haven't heard from in years and really prefer it that way. Facebook is a weird experience for me and I don't know how long I will stay on it. Besides I hear that twittering is all the rage these days. Always a day late and a dollar short... :) I tried to take a photo of myself for my facebook page so I went into the bathroom and did this. Eye closed. Camera in my face. Why am I an idiot?

Oh and I almost forgot. I took #'s 1, 9, 13 and 18 off my list. I still have a long way to go, but I will knock #'s 2, 5, 6, 8 and 10 off this summer. And if I could only convince Wade that this is worth $45 (it SO is...for my birthday...) I could work a little on #22.

Hope you all are doing well.

Oh...and these are for Lisa (pay no attention to the insanely messy house) I thought you might appreciate that one of us has the attention span for yoga :) ---

5 things I actually did this weekend

2009-02-23T20:37:00.003-06:00

1. Got vomited on twice (Henry says it best "Sometimes you just have to yak")
2. Made doggie treats for Bagel and Archie
3. Called my sisters a million times
4. Played a lot of High Ho Cherry'O, Memory, Geo Tracks, pretend grocery store and wrote out a lot of letters for Henry to mail to his "fwends" (so watch your mail, we wrote letters and drew pictures until we ran out of stamps).
5. Not 1-5 below

But on a positive note. When Henry is sick he goes to bed at 7:00 instead of 9:30. So I get to watch the KU game for the first time since last March. On a not so positive note, I am watching it alone because Wade is the bathroom puking. Good times.

5 Things to do this weekend

2009-02-20T10:26:00.000-06:00

1. Go to the grocery store and spend NO MORE than $100.00
2. Update my facebook profile (it’s looking pretty shabby compared to my sisters)
3. Finish painting and recovering my dining room chairs
4. Make 2 more pillows (and then I am done…I swear)
5. Make pumpkin bread and cinnamon rolls

What are you up to

Tiny

2009-02-19T17:55:00.006-06:00

I was one of the parent helpers today and Henry’s preschool. It was so fun to spend the morning with such a sweet group of kiddos. And I really loved getting a glimpse into what Henry’s mornings are like there. The place has so many windows, the natural light alone is enough to make me smile. I love that someone always brings fresh flowers and that they have a bin for recycling and a bin for composting. Walls covered in kids paintings and drawings and a table covered in glitter and paint splatters and shelves of art supplies and a huge papier-mâché globe hanging above the tiny tables with tiny red chairs and the sounds of kids playing and laughing. And the snippets of conversations that I overheard-
Ben- I am working on this leeky oil pipe.
Henry- Me too. I have a tool.
Ben- Don’t worry. Oil is not explosive, just flammable.
Henry- I will not worry. I don’t mind if it is fwamable. Smelly stuff doesn’t bother me. I have cats.
It's a special place.

Someone had put a quote on the window over the sink. I read it as I cleaned a million tiny, colorful, plastic cups and pitchers. It was something like this-

“The world needs worthwhile people. To make that happen we need people that feel worthwhile.”

I’m flubbing it up, but it was something like that. And I thought for a while about the mission of the school, building character and confidence for these sweet kiddos so that they can go on to be everything that they want to be in life. And I thought about the mission of a parent. Raising a child that believes in himself. That challenges himself. That is loving and kind and sensitive. That understands that he is part of a community and contributes and gives of himself. It all, for that moment, seemed wrapped up nicely in that quote. We are all worthwhile, whether we recognize it or not. As a parent it is my job to make sure that my child recognizes it. And in that room, at that time, the heaviness of that responsibility didn’t bother me at all. I guess maybe that is what happens when you are part of a community, supporting each other with a common goal. Or maybe that just happens when you love someone so much that all you see is the promise and possibility. Either way, it felt really good.

Check it

2009-02-18T15:39:00.000-06:00

I was telling my friend Kenna about our experience having Henry at the hospital. I mentioned that we are going to try as hard as we can to have our next baby without intervention, possibly at home, hopefully with a midwife. She brought me this movie. http://www.thebusinessofbeingborn.com/ It was fantastic. I recommend it to anyone who is pregnant or thinking about getting pregnant. I have strong opinions about it because of my experience with Henry’s birth so I won’t say much except that it is so important that as a woman giving birth that you exercise your power in the birthing process and at most hospitals it will be an uphill battle. Kenna got it from our local library.

Happy Valentines Day

2009-02-13T13:39:00.000-06:00

I went a little crazy making pillows this weekend

2009-01-28T22:55:00.003-06:00

They made a great house for Henry's buddies :)

A Few Highlights

2008-12-31T17:05:00.004-06:00

I gave-
* An apron with matching dishtowels (I used Heather Bailey fabric that I have been hoping to find a project to use it on)
* PJ Pants for my sister that will wear clothes until they fall apart (something I noticed over Thanksgiving when I spotted her in PJ’s from 1997)
* Pillows for Kelly’s red bed (I got to use my Anna Maria Horner Fabric that I have been saving for the perfect project)
* The Office Season 1. My BIL got all the seasons of The Office this Christmas. Just goes to show if you say you like something around my family, be prepared to get everything related to it for the next 2 years.
* A glittery KU tshirt and a book about a library cat.
* A drum kit for a tiny dude that loves to make noise.
* Books on CD and a stereo just the right size for Hanky’s tiny paws

I got-
* An orange Kitchen Aid mixer.
* A new purse. Which looks way sturdier than my last one.
* A month of free babysitting
* Peppermint soap

I thought about-
* How much better Christmas is when you get to be Santa Claus
* Henry could use a playmate
* That I need more Christmas decorations in my house
* Next year I am going to start earlier
* That Christmas isn’t the same without Annie
* Making 2009 cards since I didn’t around to sending Christmas cards this year
* How much I appreciate the effort my Mom makes every year

I made-
* Lots of cookies
* Cupcakes (of course!)
* Chex mix
* Gifts for almost everyone

P.S. I got an A- in Organic Chemistry 622. I almost passed out when I saw my grade card.

LOVE THIS

2008-12-18T16:05:00.001-06:00

I thought it was ice. Henry thought it was balloons. It's water bottles.

Rough~

2008-12-10T22:02:00.013-06:00

Hi guys. I am sorry I have been such a bad blogger lately. I have been swamped. Organic Chem, additional duties at work and a VERY busy little boy have taken up every minute of my day. But I am still working out (going on 5 months, only 28 pounds lost though) and I have found a little bit of time to do a few Christmas crafts, like this wreath. Last year I made this wreath and I already have an idea for next year. Looks like it may become a tradition.

We are doing homemade gifts this year for Christmas and I have so many ideas but not enough time. In the new Martha Stewart Living she has instructions on knitting fingerless mittens, which is something I think Wade would really like and looks like a pretty easy project. And I really wanted to make a granny square blanket like this for Henry but I think the odds of me completing a project like that in a week are pretty slim. But for now, I have to stop daydreaming about all the things I would like to be doing and get back to the things I have to do...like studying. Send me all your smart vibes and then maybe in January I will send you some fingerless mittens :)

New finds

2008-11-08T08:30:00.002-06:00

I love the internet. It makes it so much easier to add to my silly collections.

Thrilling

2008-11-06T17:16:00.002-06:00

I have followed Obama ever since I heard his speech at the Democratic convention in 2004. I really fell head over heels for him when I saw this photo in TIME. When other senator's have so many houses they cannot even remember how many they have (11) Obama wears

shoes with holes in the sole. I have high hopes for him as President of the United States and am so proud to have been a part of electing such a thoughtful and intelligent person to such an important position. Quite honestly, I laugh-cried all of Tuesday evening and most of Wednesday...and I am still smiling.

Ground Hog?

2008-09-11T18:16:00.003-05:00

You can't tell from this picture but what you are looking at here is a ground hog the size of a 30 pound cat who has been living in a hole on the south side of our house. Now that I am looking at this picture I realize that what I really should have taken a photo of, or better yet a video of, was Wade roaming the neighborhood for over an hour with a huge Tupperware container and a broom handle chasing this guy. Now that was funny.

Today

2008-09-09T17:44:00.001-05:00

Don’t eat the candy. Don’t eat the candy. This is what I have been telling myself all day and, frankly, it’s only working because I have a phobia of eating food out of the same bag that I have seen other people put their hands in and because the candy machine by my desk has crappy candy and I am too lazy to walk downstairs. I am not sure why I do this to myself. Wake up at 6 am, run for 50 minutes-cussing in my head the whole time about how much this sucks and how is it possible that my weekends fly past me like lightening but this one minute that I have been running high resistance/high incline feels like it has somehow lasted 6 months, come to work and eat a small breakfast, small lunch, have a piece of fruit for a snack and a handful of nuts, and by 4 pm I am drinking buckets of water and gallons of green tea trying to curb the hunger pain until finally I cave in and eat something that doesn’t really taste that good and pretty much negates a good 30 minutes of my morning workout. Afterwards I think to myself, Idiot you could have slept another half hour and not even gone to the gym if you just could stop yourself from eating that. And it doesn’t help that I am on my period right now and so bloated I look like I am 6 months along. Honestly, I am surprised no one has asked my due date.
According to the program I use to track my weight loss I have lost 18.6 pounds. Of course that it total rubbish because for my starting weight on the program I used my Mom’s scale which is always at least 5 pounds heavier than my scale which I used to get my most recent number. 13.6 is probably more like it. And you couldn’t tell it to look at me. Especially now with the water baby I am carrying. But I am not going to give up. I need to figure out something to do to curb my appetite a little and give my brain some relief from the constant “feed me” messages coming up from my stomach. And I probably need to start lifting weights. I know that I should be doing sit ups. I tried to get up from lying on my back the other day and looked like an upside-down bug-my arms flailing around rocking back and forth. After Wade helped me up I taught Henry to sing “Oh where oh where have my stomach muscles gone, oh where oh where can they be?” Yeah, that’s probably going to screw him up at preschool.
The characters I run into in the locker room every day at least keep that part of my morning workout interesting. There is the 40 something year old naked lady that insists on not putting on either her top or her bottoms while doing her hair and makeup. She has tried to make conversation with me twice now, both times while only wearing a small towel on her bottom half. I am sure she thought that I was insane because I barely blinked I was trying so hard to maintain eye contact. Then there is the 60+ year old woman that smells like cat litter and fried food and she comes in with more jewelry on then Lil Jon and her athletic pants pulled up to her armpits. Today I had to deal with two phobia’s—bare feet on gym floor and drains. I never let my feet touch the floor at the gym. I will put my pants on balancing on one leg for 10 minutes if it takes that long (sometimes I don’t dry off enough and have to deal with sticky legs) in order to avoid putting my bare foot on the floor. But actually now that I think about it pretty much any part of my body touching the floor grosses me out a little. I don’t even like for my shower/gym floor flip-flops to touch my sweat covered clothes. Well, today I forgot my flip-flops. I had a choice-shower barefoot or go to work covered in sweat. I almost chose the latter but then my sister Susie suggested that I keep my socks on. Which brings me to my second phobia-drains. I hate drains. I hate to clean them, I hate to touch them, just looking at them gives me the shivers. Especially if they are rusty, have any hair or any other kind of slimy stuff in them and if they are constantly under water. At the pool I will do just about anything to avoid the drain, including not swimming. So today in the gym, stocking feet and all, I went into my shower stall and turned on the water. I didn’t look at the drain, I try not to so I don’t get grossed out. The socks on my feet kept me from feeling the hair/water. The water that was all the way up to my ankles before I noticed it. A huge wad of hair, partially attached to the drain, blocking the water from draining out of the shower and partially wrapped around my foot. I yelped and ran out of the shower: wet, naked, except for socks of course, and with shampoo dripping down my back. Naked lady stared at me and she did not try to maintain eye contact. I think I might have to start going to the gym at a different time.

No complaints

2008-09-08T16:37:00.000-05:00

We went to a beautiful wedding this weekend. It was raining and in the woods so some people complained but I didn’t really mind too much. My feet got dirty and I regretted wearing a favorite pair of heals, but it seemed like a small price to pay to be able to sit under the canopy and listen to the raindrops hit the leaves above us. The groom, my cousin Shawn, just bought the property this year. 20 acres with hills and woods and creeks. Wade and I barely spoke all evening, you know how weddings go, but when we did it was always “did you see that?” or “Oh I love this.” It was pretty much our dream setting. Henry played and got completely covered in mud and just had the best time. He is a kid that would do well in the country- boundless energy and an inspired imagination and a constant desire to help out…yeah, he just might be a country kid. Although, I learned in June that he is also a beach kid and I am pretty sure that he could be a big city kid, if given the chance, so I think the future looks pretty bright no matter what path our family takes.
Since our vacation we have been fairly one track minded---move to the beach—move to the beach—but our time in the country reminded us that maybe our focus is off. Maybe there is something that Lawrence could offer us that might keep us here. 20 acres of rolling prairie, yellow and purple wildflowers and the sound of raindrops on maple trees might just do it. The thing about Lawrence is that it is loaded with potential and I do think our family could thrive here. Most people are open and friendly. There are spaces that we could fill individually in this community; unique qualities and talents that we both possess that would be lost in a larger setting. And compared to the places we would like to move it is pretty inexpensive and we already have a house and decent jobs. My parents are close and there is something to be said for being in the middle of the country—everything in the US is just a few hours away on a plane. Besides, the affordability of Lawrence will make it so that we can travel more and see more beaches. Something we maybe could not do if we lived somewhere more expensive. It’s a major shift in our plan but the moment that we both realized it I could feel a calmness come over us, followed by hours of excitedly making plans. Living in the moment and being okay with where we are feels pretty amazing.

On Sunday we took a drive with the windows down to the sunflower field out North of town. The beauty of this time of year captivated me almost the whole trip and what was supposed to be a few minutes for husband and wife to chat more about our new plan, turned into a quiet confirmation for both of us that being here in this moment, in this town, with our little house and our little man, it’s pretty spectacular and it is where we need to be. True, there is no ocean. But there is a sea of yellow flowers out North. There is a field of orange pumpkins to the East. There is a hill with grazing cattle to the South and a purple and pink sunset to the West. And time moves here. From tank tops to sweaters. From sweaters to scarves and mittens. From mittens to raincoats. From raincoats to swimsuits and around and around again. I love feeling the passage of time in nature. I don’t know if I can honestly imagine my life without it.

Other bright spots in my weekend- we found out that my cousin Sean is coming home from Iraq early. End of October/early November. I got to spend Saturday morning getting a pedicure with Annie and we talked when we were supposed to be relaxing and laughed out loud when we should have been quiet and I had hoped we would do that because that is what we do and there are some things that I don’t ever want to change. I already have more to tell. Her visit was too short.

I'm not ashamed

2008-08-24T22:11:00.002-05:00

I saw Mamma Mia tonight and loved it. Yes, I admit, I loved it. When it comes out on video I will probably have to buy it and sneak it into my house because Wade has forbidden it. Before I left for the movie I even had to promise that I wouldn't sing any ABBA songs for at least 2 days which is obivously so totally impossible.

Henry and I are moving to Greece to own a hotel on the water with Merryl Streep and Colin Firth. Wade can come too but he has to agree to wear a lot of sequins and randomly break into song at least 5 times a day.

Happy on a Saturday

2008-08-23T14:03:00.004-05:00

I've been on the waiting list for the Audacity of Hope at our library for over a month now. Then yesterday, out of frustration I went to the State of Kansas Library online site to see if maybe they had it in KC or Topeka and discovered that I could download the spoken word version of it for free at any time. And there are thousands of other books that you can do the same thing with. If your in Kansas go here, if you are in another state do a google search. All you need is a library card. I'm beyond thrilled...8 hours at a computer every day....so many books...I'm so excited. Now, if I could only find a scratch and stiff sticker that smells like a library book....

Disclaimer

2008-08-22T23:12:00.004-05:00

The post that I did about blaming the Olympics and the Chinese people for my laziness was a joke. I wrote it without even considering that anyone might actually take me seriously. If anything I figured people would read it as a compliment-"Hey your putting on such an amazing show that I haven't gotten off my couch for a week..." And I just assumed that anyone who knows me would know that I just being silly. But, I was thinking this morning that I should probably not assume that everyone that reads my blog knows me...and I don't ever want to say anything that might be offensive to any group of people or inadvertently represent myself as a person that is bigoted-something I consider to be totally despicable and unacceptable. And truthfully I have never filtered myself in that way because that kind of thinking has never been something that even crossed my mind. So, when I wrote that post I just wrote it lightheartedly, to make people laugh, the idea that someone might read it as something else was not even in my thoughts and now that I have thought about it, it turns my stomach. So apologize if I offended anyone with that post and want you all to know that I take full responsibility for my laziness. That is unless I can find a way to blame it on that Phelps kid. ;)

Hello 31. I’m so glad you’re here

2008-08-07T08:40:00.002-05:00

31 things to do in my 31st year

1. Learn to cable knit
2. Visit Jason and Mandy
3. Make a collage every week
4. Write in a journal
5. Plant a vegetable garden and can extra veggies
6. Take a photography class at the Art Center
7. Do a painting with wade for outside our back door
8. Go on another road trip, maybe even back to the beach
9. Make weekly deposits in Henry’s college fund
10. Plant 2 trees
11. Send my sisters care packages
12. Spend the night at the circle S with Wade
13. Make a Christmas gift for each family member
14. Send birthday and Christmas cards to all my family and friends
15. Use my swim cap
16. Compost
17. Plant blubs in the fall
18. Make a new friend.
19. Record my parents telling a few of their favorite childhood stories
20. Learn how to screen print
21. Take Henry sledding
22. Brush up on my World Geography
23. Read 3 classics and 3 new authors
24. Sell some cupcakes
25. Get back into my size 8’s
26. Take Henry to see a waterfall
27. Take 2 classes at KU
28. Make lunches for all three of us every morning
29. Learn to make wheat bread, tamales, pita, and a really good pizza dough
30. Get 8 hours of sleep every night!
31. Buy a bike with a basket to ride with Wade and Henry (Henry is getting a bike trailer for his birthday…shhh…)

Blue

2008-08-06T14:35:00.000-05:00

The verdict is in and by an overwhelming majority (11-1, sorry Babe) the blue table won. I’ll need to get more paint but I will post photos as soon as I can. Let’s hope it looks cheery and fun and not tacky and crazy :) Thanks for your input guys!

It is 100 degrees outside

2008-08-05T08:51:00.003-05:00

Easy Fruit Ice Cream (Adapted from Debra Murray)

2 cups soy milk
1 box instant pudding mix
20 ounces frozen mixed fruit

In a food processor, add soy milk, pudding mix, and frozen fruit.

Pulse 3-4 times and then let run until desired consistency. If you want to have a slightly firmer texture, scoop into another bowl and freeze for about 20 minutes.

The person that made up this recipe is quick to point out that it isn't really ice cream but I think that is what makes it so great. It isn't loaded with all the fat and calories of regular ice cream and it tastes soooo good. Oh, and it takes about 4 minutes to make. I have made this with vanilla pudding and white chocolate pudding and it was great both times. You can use any kind of fruit you like although I have only tried it with berries.

House numbers

2008-08-05T08:44:00.002-05:00

Well, I finished painting the house numbers last night. My little sister Kelly had picked this blue for some furniture in her house and when I spotted it I knew that I had to use the leftovers for my house numbers. I can't wait to put them up.
The color that Kelly picked it almost the exact color that I was thinking for the walls in my kitchen. Now that I have it in my kitchen, on my numbers, I am thinking that it is a little too bright for the walls. But it could be perfect for my dining room table. The fabric I am using for the chairs in underneath the numbers in this photo and I think I love it. If I do this then I can paint the walls a nice neutral color, which will make the mister happy and will not require a ton of primer when we decide to sell our house. What do you think? A blue dining room table is pretty bold and not all that serious...but then again, that sounds a lot like us.

Get Healthy

2008-08-02T16:40:00.003-05:00

2 weeks down. It's been a bit of an adventure dealing with constantly changing gym hours but we survived. I can't believe it but I feel my like endurance had improved in just 2 weeks. I am going to do 2 more weeks of just cardio and then start incorporating some weightlifting. I've lost 4.2 pounds but I am trying not to get on the scale very often because as motivating as a loss can be, a gain can be a routine buster and I don't want to do anything that would discourage me from this pursuit. I'm thinking of having Wade take a before picture of me because I have such a strange body imagine. When I look in the mirror I see a person that is a few pounds overweight not someone bordering on obesity. I think the photographs from our vacation helped me realize that maybe it wasn't that my jeans were shrinking...besides those before and after photos are always so fun. :)

Working out with my sister has done more than just improve my fitness. Being around Susie almost every day is so great. Even at 6:30 am she is just delightful. I love that kid.
Anyway, just wanted to do a quick update.

Wednesday

2008-07-31T23:02:00.004-05:00

This meal is really a celebration of July in Kansas. I improvised a little because the original recipe has shrimp on top. But I couldn't do that because shrimp is full of cholesterol...oh and it's not vegan. This one is better anyway and there is no risk of finding a poop vein.
Corn Cakes with Black Bean Salad and Mexican Rice
Shit. I will post this one later. I didn't realize that it is already after 11:00. I love you guys but I love sleep more....

Tuesday

2008-07-31T22:46:00.004-05:00

"You could wrap a toenail in puff pastry and it would taste good." That's what the 16 year old kid at HyVee told me when I asked him where I could find puff pastry. I am going to use that quote in the hopes that it will make you want to try this recipe despite my pathetic attempts to photograph it. Because that kid is right...although the thought of it turns my stomach a little. These are Veggie Wellingtons. I have never had Beef Wellingtons but I can promise you that you will not miss the beef when you eat these. Vegetable Wellingtons
Serves 4
1 Tbs. plus 1 tsp. olive oil,
divided1 lb. asparagus, trimmed, and cut into thirds
2 medium red bell peppers, cut into 1/4-inch wide strips
1 medium onion, thinly sliced (1 1/2 cups)
1 5-oz. package prewashed baby spinach leaves
Pesto
14-oz. pkg. frozen puff pastry dough, thawed
16-oz. jar tomato sauce (Ragu Pizza Sauce is really good too)
Preheat oven to 425ºF. Coat baking sheet with cooking spray. Heat 1 Tbs. oil over medium-high heat. Add bell peppers, asparagus, and onion, and sauté 5 to 10 minutes, or until vegetables begin soften. Add spinach, remove from heat, and stir until spinach wilts. In the pan split the veggie in half. Then split the halves into halves again. And again. This will leave you with 8, fairly equal piles of the goods.

Lay puff pastry on well-floured work surface. Cut into eight squares, and line them up in two rows of four. Scoop sautéed vegetables into center of four squares, keeping edges clear. Take a small (very small) amount of water and gently brush the edges of the squares. Spoon about a tablespoon of pesto on the other 4 squares, keeping it off of the edges. Set the pesto puff pastry squares on top of vegetables, stretching dough gently by hand to cover entire surface. Press edges firmly with fingers or fork to seal tightly. Place on prepared baking sheet. Bake 25 minutes, or until pastry is golden brown. You will need to cook it for less time if you have a dark coated pan. Just watch for the dough to turn a golden brown and then pull um out. Meanwhile, heat tomato sauce in saucepan until warm.
To serve: Use the sauce as a dip for the Wellington. Then call me and tell me how freakin fabulous they are and how much you love me.

Monday

2008-07-31T22:28:00.004-05:00

I have several friends that seem almost fascinated by the food we eat. I don't know if it is because it is not typical or if maybe they are not very adventurous with food but whatever the reason a couple of them have asked me to write about our dinners more often. So, I started the week with every intention of posting a photo and recipe every night. Ahem...sorry about that. I need to play a little catch up.
Monday we had General Tao's Tofu and a spring roll. The recipe is here. The photo above is a little deceiving because I forgot to put the sauce on the food before I took the photo. This is what it looks like with the sauce.
This is the perfect recipe for people who are afraid of tofu or haven't really ventured out into making Chinese food at home. I love to fix this because it tastes like take out without all the fat and sugar and MSG. I do make a couple of changes to the recipe though-for starters I double the sauce. I like my rice to be saucy too and so will you. So double it. BUT don't double the sugar. It doesn't need it and neither does your body (or your very energetic 2 year old boy's body). Also you can use any veggies you like and you can put it on rice or noodles. I recommend brown rice because it tastes great and is better for you.
If tofu scares you I have a little advice. If you live in Lawrence buy Central Foods Tofu. They have it at the Merc and HyVee. Squeeze around until you find one that is firm. Take it home and put it in the freezer. The morning of the day that you plan to fix this dish take your tofu out and let it defrost in the sink. That night open up the package and give it a good squeeze. The more water you can get out of your tofu the firmer it will be and firm tofu is a good thing. Don't buy the silken tofu. That is for desserts. Oh speaking of that I have a great silken tofu dessert that I will post about this weekend. Anyway, don't buy the silken or you will never want to cook with tofu again. And that would be a shame.

In the works

2008-07-31T22:06:00.004-05:00

I found new house numbers last week. I have been searching for new ones since we first moved in. The ones we have now are just boring old black ones like every other house on the street. I was hoping to find some at an antique shop but after a year of searching I have pretty much given up. These are from Paper Source and I really like the font and the size. I think they are going to be orange or maybe blue. Oh it' so hard to decide. Well, for now they are primed and ready for what's next. Check one more off the list.

Whew

2008-07-25T15:05:00.001-05:00

Happy Friday guys! Have a good weekend.

Day 1: Get Healthy

2008-07-21T15:30:00.003-05:00

I forgot how much I love sweating. This morning I got up at 6:00. I took Henry to my Mom's house and headed for the gym. I felt nervous. I don't really know why it is that I get nervous every time I do something new, even when it isn't actually new. I exercised every day before I had Henry. And yet I still felt my stomach flip as I handed the girl at the desk my I.D. Last night I packed my bag. I had a system 3 years ago; I was able to fit everything into a small bag. I couldn't figure it out last night. My shampoo bottles wouldn't fit in the side pockets, my flip-flops stuck to the towel. By 11:00 last night I quit trying to remember how I did it and just squeezed it all in. This morning I ran for 40 minutes. I did a 5 minute warm up and a 5 minute cool down. I ran a total of 4 miles. That is a 10 minute mile, which I don’t think is all that great, but I was practically giggling by the time I climbed off that machine because I didn’t think I would last 20 minutes, let alone 50.
The rest of today has not been as easy. The only bad thing about morning workouts is that I feel crazy hungry all day. I have been drinking green tea and water like a crazy person but I can’t stop thinking about dinner. Veggie lasagna. With garlic bread.

Doing my homework

2008-07-18T10:50:00.005-05:00

Earlier in the week a coworker of mine was complaining about gas prices and she mentioned her frustration with the fact that we are not doing offshore drilling. Of course I totally disagree with offshore drilling but didn’t feel I had enough information to explain or debate with her. I decided to educate myself on the subject and thought you guys might be interested.

-Currently there are 33 millions acres of land, offshore, that is open to drilling and has not been explored.
-In addition to those acres there is 68 million acres of land in the lower 48 that is open to drilling and has not been explored.
-The majority of that acreage has been environmentally approved for exploration.
-The acreage that George Bush and John McCain want to open up is areas that are environmentally protected areas.
-If we do start drilling in those areas it will take at least 10 years before that oil shows us as gas at our pumps
-It will reduce the cost of gas by 2 cents per gallon.
-Bush has filled the Strategic Oil Reserve to 97.5%, approximately 700 million barrels, and refuses to open even a small percentage of the reserve to the public even though it has been paid for by the taxpayers already. The SOR is the fullest it has ever been in US history.

Think about who stands to benefit from the price of oil being so high.

“We have two oil men in office so of course the price of oil is going to go up. If Coronal Sanders was the president and the price of chicken went up we would know why.” Bill Maher

Obviously we cannot count on the government helping us out of this crisis. Alternative energy sources is really the only long term solution. In the mean time here are some tips to save on gas-

-Fill up in the morning. Gas is denser when it is cool so you will get more for your money.
-Stay above a half tank. Gas evaporates so the more air in the tank the more evaporation.
-Keep your tires aired up to maximum PSI. You will get better gas mileage.
-Remove non-essential items form your trunk. Weight increases the amount of gas you use.
-Keep your engine tuned up and replace your air filters regularly.
-Drive slower and avoid quick starts and stops. Don’t floor it.
-If you are close to your destination ride a bike or walk. With the money you save in gas you can buy an ipod which makes walking much more fun.
-Carpool
-Combine errands into one trip.
-Take the bus. It’s cheap and you can read a book while someone else deals with the driving.

Healthy

2008-07-16T16:53:00.001-05:00

I’ve spent the last 6 months “planning” to lose weight. So far I have put on 6 lbs. Ehem…clearly “planning” isn’t helping much. I signed up for the gym on Monday and made a plan-

-M/W/F mornings at 6:30 my sister and I are going to the gym.
-Run: I used to be able to run for 45 minutes. My goal is to get back to that. I think I will start at 30 minutes now because I haven’t exercised for almost 3 years.
- Lift weights: just machines to get started. And some sit ups at home.
-Salads for lunch. It is all I really want anyway but I never take the time to plan it out and make them in the morning. I had one today for lunch and it was great.
-Eat 2 snacks during the day.
-No Friday doughnuts (at work…they do it to me every week)

I know reading about someone trying to lose weight isn’t very exciting so I will try to name all my posts about weight loss the same so that you can skip them completely if you want. Wish me luck.

WIsh List

2008-07-14T18:15:00.003-05:00

Wade asked for a birthday wish list and I realized that the older I get the more expensive my wish list becomes. Oh well, here it is
letters::flats::cute tops::purse::another cute top::birthday cake::cake stand::cruiser bike::mixer::SLR camera (and 60 mm lens)::chi::rotating cake stand

*sigh* Sometimes making a wish list isn't that fun. Like when you have no money :)

Fun clicks

2008-07-09T17:46:00.009-05:00

I just discovered Wordle. It is so fun. Just enter a blog address (This one is from Henry's blog) or type in your own words and then you can play with the font and the size and color and shapes. Great fun! But just let me warn you, it's addicting. :) This one is going on the fridge.

**Click on the photo so you can actually see what it looks like---because I cannot seem to make it any larger

My Guy

2008-07-08T10:53:00.004-05:00

I have been without music at work for the past month because I couldn't find the charger thingy for my ipod. Last night while I was putting Henry to bed the Mister drove across town and bought a new charger thingy and then filled my ipod with new music. This morning is the first morning in weeks that I don't mind sitting here at my desk. It's actually been quite nice-a cup of coffee and new music. Love you babe. But don't think I forgot about that foot rub :)

drawing of headphones found on flickr http://www.flickr.com/photos/kateconsumption/136222273/

Friends

2008-07-07T11:47:00.002-05:00

I just want to say thank you for all the comments, emails and phone calls regarding my Ouch post. I could not believe the response I got. You guys are awesome.I am right in the midst of our quarter end so I am swamped right now but I plan on writing all of you back (or calling). Thank you again. I love you guys. Muah.

Happy 4th!

2008-07-04T16:04:00.003-05:00

Eat some sweets and blow some stuff up.

2008-06-30T13:51:00.002-05:00

Dear Anthropolgie,
Why do you torture me with your super cute flats with pompoms that cost $98.00? I hate you. Where's my credit card?

Laura

I need to rock

2008-06-27T08:45:00.006-05:00

When we first bought our house I was so excited to have a front porch because that meant that I could have a porch swing. As long as I can remember I have wanted to have a house with a porch swing. I found one that I loved a while back but decided to look around a little more and of course it is no longer available. I found this one at Pottery Barn. The price is reasonable and it looks like good construction. I am not sure about the ropes vs. chains. I think the first one I found had chains. Also, I wanted to get an unfinished one so that I could paint it a bright color, if I buy this one I will not paint it because the finish is so nice. But I guess that is okay.

After spending a week on a porch in a rocking chair on vacation I decided that maybe I don't need a swing, maybe a couple of rocking chairs will work. They don't require that I drill into the ceiling of the porch and they take up a little less space than the swing. The problem is that the price range is so wide and apparently so is the quality. Every where I look I find people that are pleased with their rocking chairs and people that say they are crappy construction. I don't want to spend a fortune on rocking chairs, but I also don't want to have them fall apart.

I also found this little bench at Pottery Barn and kind of liked it too. The pros are that Wade can sit on it when he plays guitar unlike the rocking chairs with arms on either side. That was his main complaint about the rocking chairs. But it is the most expensive of the options (even on sale) and, well, it doesn't rock. Then while searching for swings I found this, it is a swing lounger. Basically a bed on a swing. This is probably my dream swing but it doesn't make much sense for the front porch of a little bungalow. Someday though....on the back porch of our house by the ocean...a girl can dream.
Advice? Opinions? I am leaning towards a swing because I know I can find one that is well made and not break the bank. But, those rocking chairs sure look cute and it was really nice to use them on vacation. I need help.

Ouch

2008-06-26T13:52:00.004-05:00

I had a “friend” chew me out the other day and it has taken me a few days to recover from the blow. I don’t feel that I did anything wrong, but I know that in every situation there is something to learn, something that I can take from it to help me be a better individual or a better friend. I think what I learned from this is to listen to my gut and act on how I am feeling sooner rather than later. This friendship should have ended long ago, the only thing we had in common was the age of our children and I knew that from the start but I felt guilty for not giving her a chance. And I felt guilty because she is a single Mom and was struggling. Now I feel guilty for not stopping it sooner to avoid hurt feelings. Another lesson, guilt is not a reason to stay in a relationship. So that is that…now I am leaning on my friends to remind me that I am not all those awful things she said to me because no matter how much confidence you have in yourself taking blow after blow from a person that speaks not in logic but in anger, can do a little damage.
On a more positive note my Week of No TV has been great. I worked on recovering our chairs last night and am almost finished with my book. I do miss The Daily Show and the Cobert Report a little, but it is worth it for the free time. Also, last night I knocked #23 off of the list. I told the story on the bean blog.

Meme

2008-06-23T15:01:00.003-05:00

I was tagged for a meme and I almost didn't do it because my life is not that interesting and I think this particular meme calls attention to that. But, they are just so fun...I can't resist them. I still fill out the email one that has been circulating the Internet since 1998. So here goes. Pretend that it is exciting, okay?
*
What were you doing 10 years ago? Hum. 10 years ago I was living up on campus in this tiny apartment with my friend Sarah. I had just finished what I call "The drunk period" (1996-1997...man those were good times), had an annoying ex boyfriend making trouble for me, was getting ready to start back at KU for the second time and had just started dating this guy, named Wade. He was cute.
*
What are 5 things on your to-do list for today?
-Pick up Rolling Prairie
-Clean my bathroom
-Paint the dining room table
-Play with Henry
-Mail Annie's package
*
Snacks you enjoy: I am a terrible snacker, mostly because I don't have an off switch. A snack is a little something one may enjoy on occasion....not me...I will eat the whole bag, box, bowl, whatever. My favorite "snacks" are Red Hot Blue chips and a avocado chopped into little pieces. I also enjoy yogurt covered raisins from the Merc bulk section, but I have to buy a small bag or I will eat them all.
*
Things you would do if you were a billionaire: I would move...immediately. I would sell my house and move. I'd pay off people's debts, donate, yata yata yata... Then I would go to pastry chef school and I would open my own bakery. I asked the mister this last night and he said he would be on-board with a lifetime of surfing, playing music and eating baked goods. Oh, and I would have and adopt lots of babies and travel around the world.
*
Places you have lived:Lawrence, Kansas --this is the part that makes me look extra boring.
*
Jobs you have had: Pharmacist assistant, stockroom worker, nursery worker, accounting assistant, biller, maid.

You Rebel

2008-06-23T14:31:00.006-05:00

Did you know that on June 29, 1964 the first television remote was manufactured? And they have been destroying the lives of able-bodied people ever sense. I am baffled by the amount of time one can lose in front of the TV and the number of people that watch TV for hours on end and feel fine about it. I guess that is good, I mean at least they have a way to relax. I am barely able to sit through a movie without doing something else. It drives my hubby crazy. I have to knit or do sudoku or make a grocery list or have my lap-top out while the TV is on. Without something to do with my hands I either get antsy or fall asleep. And then there is the guilt. I spend an hour watching TV and feel guilty for days for wasting that hour. Personally, I could do without cable entirely if it wasn't cheaper to get the package bundled with our Internet service.
Neither the mister nor myself find much good in TV and we try to keep it off. We especially restrict it for Henry...did you know that the average kid watches 4.7 hours of TV a day and 20 hours a week playing video games. This is shocking to me. We will never buy a video game system for our child, poor deprived kid. We will take him to arcades though, if they still have those.
Anyway, in "honor" of the 44 anniversary of the device that allows us all to sit in the same place for hours at a time without thinking or speaking to our family members I am declaring this The Week of No TV. And to help me through those moments where the desire for laziness seems overwhelming I have pulled out all the books that I have purchased over the past few months and not yet read and set them on the table where the remotes usually sit. Maybe next week I will be able to post a book review. First up David Sedaris.

Sneak Peak

2008-06-18T20:32:00.005-05:00

I only got 5 of the 10 yards of Ivory Sketchbook that I ordered for the dining room chairs. Apparently it is a popular fabric. So much for originality....oh well. I am using those 5 yards to recover the seat cushions. I will cover the seat backs when I receive the other 5 yards. I had been throwing around the idea of painting the table another color but I decided to stick with the white and paint the walls a bright blue color. Kinda like this-
You can't tell from my picture but the fabric for my chairs has a blue in it. See-
We are going to paint the cabinets, moldings and bookshelves, white. Tile the kitchen back splash with white subway tiles and put in dark grey concrete counter tops. We bought this oven with part of our stimulus check.

I think by this winter we will have our kitchen finished and we can move on to the study. It's a good thing we only have 6 rooms in our tiny house :)

Renewal

2008-06-17T15:00:00.011-05:00

It has only been a week but I am missing my life at the beach house. The time I spent on Folly Beach was really a celebration of summertime: fresh food, feeling the sunshine on your bare shoulders, family, windblown hair, the smell of sunscreen, bare feet, ice cream, sunshine until 9 pm, afternoon thunderstorms, driving with the windows down, freckles on my sister’s nose, sleeping with the windows open, talking into fans, sand castles, sweat, staying up late, saltwater kisses from a little boy, bright pink toenail polish, birthday cake, big sun hats, wildflowers, sun tea, lazy days, road trips. I am trying to find a way to get back there....permanently.

On the drive back to Kansas the mister and I pulled out the atlas to search for a place on the East coast that would fit our needs. Our list:

1. Somewhere that has weather that allows us to spend some time outside every day.
2. Somewhere that has options for recreation that are things we want to do and are within 15 minutes from our house.
3. Somewhere close to the Atlantic Ocean. The ocean is like truth serum for me. If I feel sad, it makes me cry. If I feel happy, the joy bubbles up in my stomach and makes me want to sing. It is like being drunk or a really good song, it just exaggerates my feelings. I love it.
4. Somewhere that is relatively close to my family. I miss my sisters and can't imagine life too far away from my parents.
5. Somewhere with dynamic, diverse, open minded, progressive, creative people.
6. Somewhere with great restaurants.
7. Somewhere that needs a cupcake shop :)

8. Somewhere with a university

9. Somewhere with coffee shops that aren't Starbucks and a downtown area that is not a mall. No mall at all would be fine with us.

10. Somewhere with good surfing (more for the mister than me on that one, but I do think he is dead sexy on a surf board so I am keeping it on the list)

11. Somewhere that isn't too touristy

12. Somewhere with good schools, preferably Montessori.

13. Somewhere that we could afford a little house. I don't need a crazy 3 million dollar beach house (although I wouldn't turn it down) but a little 3 bedroom bungalow is right up our alley.

So far Wilmington NC fits the bill. We are planning a vacation...eh, I mean a trip to do research on that area...in the fall.

Hey. Guess what. On our vacation I was able to cross #2, #5, a little bit of #27 and #28 with a slight adjustment off of the list. So far I am doing okay on #6 but failing miserably on #’s 4, 7, 8, 14 and 18. Oh and #30 is much harder than you think. Less than 2 months to finish the other 25 or so left on the list. I am thinking a few of them might make it on to my 31 In my 31st Year list. I guess it is good that I get an extra "thing" each year. And just so you know, #31 on the list is "Get back to the beach".

A break

2008-06-13T15:52:00.004-05:00

I am taking a little break. I've got some stuff to work out. It might be a couple of days or a couple of weeks, I don't know.

Walnut-Basil Pesto Day 2

2008-05-22T20:53:00.003-05:00

Pesto on sandwiches is really really great. For this I just cut up some of our favorite veggies-zucchini, yellow squash, artichokes, red bell peppers, baby portabella mushrooms, asparagus, spinach and onions-mixed them in a bowl with a little olive oil and sea salt and then cooked them in a hot cast iron skillet until they were nice and brown. Then I took a chiabatta loaf, cut it into sandwich size slices, spread some pesto on the top, filled the bottom with the veggies, put it on a cookie sheet and baked it at 300 for about 10 minutes. Just to warm it all up. After I got it out of the oven I spread some sundried tomato mayo on the bottom slice on the bread and served it up with roasted garlic couscous (from a box). To make the sundried tomato mayo just mix a cup of mayo (I like vegonase) with a few chopped up sundried tomatos and 2 small cloves of finely minced garlic and some salt and pepper. It is great on every kind of sandwich we have tried. Including Faken' Bacon BLT's...but that is a recipe for another day. I hope you try this and enjoy. It is a great way to get all your little green dots, Miss Candy :)

For Lisa

2008-05-22T11:30:00.000-05:00

Happy Spring!

Pesto

2008-05-19T23:06:00.003-05:00

I mentioned a few days ago that eating less meat is a great way to do something positive for the environment. Well, a friend of mine emailed me and mentioned that she doesn't know many vegetarian meals and asked for some of my favorites. Of course, I am happy to share them, hopefully you will try them and let me know what you think.

Walnut-Basil Pesto is a favorite in our house. This recipe is based off of one from "The Omega Diet". It is healthy due to all of the "good" fats from the olive oil and walnuts. But more than that it tastes great and is super easy. You don't need much pesto to flavor your pasta so this recipe will make enough for at least two meals. You can freeze whatever you have left and then just leave it on the counter for a few minutes to defrost the next time you want to use it.

Walnut-Basil Pesto

2 cups packed basil leaves

1/3 cup of olive oil

1/2 cup walnuts, roughly chopped

2 small cloves of garlic, minced or crushed

1/2 teaspoon salt

1. Place basil, walnuts, garlic and salt into a food processor and pulse a few times. Once all the ingredients are chopped turn the food processor on and stream in the olive oil. Blend until finely chopped and well combined.

2. Just before serving add about 2 tbsp of hot pasta water from the cooked pasta to the pesto. (Only add the pasta water to the pesto that you plan to eat right away. Separate any pesto that you want to save for later).

3. Mix it with pasta and enjoy. My favorite pasta to eat this with is tortellini but it is also great on whole wheat pastas, the strong flavor of the pesto covers up much of the wheat flavor in the whole wheat pasta (if that bothers you).

I usually serve my pasta with garlic bread and salad and then plan to have roasted veggie sandwiches later that same week because this pesto is great on a sandwich. I will post pictures of the sandwiches later. I hope you like this pesto recipe.

Coming up

2008-05-19T17:11:00.002-05:00

Our house is right by Folly Pier, a favorite surfing spot on Folly Beach. Surfing! YAY!

Heavy

2008-05-15T18:11:00.008-05:00

Life feels heavy today. Cyclones and earthquakes and wildfires and volcanoes and gay bashing and loss. What I might say on this blog seems irrelevant and minuscule. I suppose this is why people pray, to have a place to put all the heartache and sadness so that they can move on to worrying about things like gas prices and parking spots. In a way I am secretly glad that gas is so expensive. Yes, listening to people fret about it and complain is so tiresome and frustrating...but it is clear to me that it is the ONLY way that some people will even think about their energy consumption. People that have not put one thought or effort into thinking about their contribution to our global crisis that is causing, I believe, catastrophic events like what has happened in China and Burma these past weeks, are now thinking about taking the bus or carpooling or buying a hybrid car. It makes me sad to know that money is what it takes to make people care about our planet and the gas prices have hit my family just as hard as everyone elses, but I will deal with it if it means that people will act and live in a way that is better for the planet. I want there to be something here for my grandchildren.
*
On that note did you know that reducing your red meat/dairy consumption by 20% will reduce your carbon footprint as much as driving a hybrid car. 20% That is what, 2 less burgers a week and maybe a salad one night instead of a supreme pizza.

Anticipation

2008-05-08T18:45:00.006-05:00

Peonies are so fantastic. Every morning I look at them and feel certain that they are going to bloom today. I think to myself- that bloom could not possibly get any bigger-and then it does. They are so full and their color peeking through the top is so bright, it just looks delicious. Seriously...I have an overwhelming urge to eat them.
My Mom never planted peonies in her garden growing up, I'm not sure why. So this is my first spring with a peony and I have already decided that next spring the walkway to our back door will be lined on both sides with peonies. Right now we have 3 bushes, I think we need 2 more on the East side and 5 on the West side of the walk way. This time next year it is going to be awesome.

A Chocolate Send Off

2008-05-07T23:30:00.008-05:00

I made chocolate cupcakes tonight for my coworker Shawn. Her last day is tomorrow and she loves chocolate. There is a whole lotta chocolate going on here. At first I was thinking I should have made a double batch so that everyone could have 2, but after trying my "test" cupcake I can't imagine that someone could eat more than one. They are fantastically rich.

This is a new recipe. I planned on topping the cupcakes with a chocolate ganache icing. Ganache is the really smooth chocolate in the center of a truffle and it makes a fantastic icing. But I couldn't get it to set up. So I put it in the fridge and threw together a chocolate buttercream. After icing all the cupcakes and wrapping them to store for the night I opened the fridge and found a bowl of perfectly set ganache . So, it looks like I am going to be making some more chocolate cupcakes tomorrow night. Anyone have a birthday this weekend?

Weekend

2008-05-06T11:45:00.003-05:00

I did a lot of chores this weekend. Mowing and laundry and...blah blah blah. But I found some time to play with rick-rack. I made a little this and a little that and have been working on a top secret something....which I can show you pictures of after May 19th :) Until then here is a little sneak peak.

Geeking out

2008-05-03T10:02:00.001-05:00

Everybody has something that they geek out about. My husband geeks out about Star Track. I geek out about NPR. Today on What Do You Know? they mentioned Lawrence KS. I feel famous.

2008-04-30T16:11:00.002-05:00

Last night I had a dream that my older sister was renewing her vows with her husband and I was the matron of honor and she made us wear these awful navy blue silk suits. In my dream I was so tired that I fell asleep on the stage and slept through the entire ceremony and reception. Once I finally woke up (in my dream) I was sitting on the stage by myself and ran to the reception only to find out that they had eaten all of the coconut cake that was shaped like an electric guitar.

Wade dreamt that he had to put a fitted sheet on a huge mattress and he was complaining because he can’t ever get a fitted sheet to fit a normal sized mattress.

An invitation for dinner

2008-04-29T22:48:00.004-05:00

When you are on a whole foods diet springtime is the best time of the year. Everything that I want to eat is fresh, available at the farmers market or Rolling Prairie and I get to cook it with my kitchen window open (not really related to whole foods but yay for spring). This is without a doubt our families favorite dinner. I took pictures of it last night because I am trying to get better at macro photography (but there is only so much you can do with a crappy digital camera). And because I couldn't resist, everything looked so fresh and tasty. We like to eat it with a sparkling limeade or clementine sorbet for dessert. Will you come over some time?

Happy Earth Day

2008-04-22T12:31:00.003-05:00

"How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world. "
Anne Frank, Diary of a Young Girl, 1952
German Jewish diarist (1929 - 1945)

What are you doing for the planet today?

Tid bits

2008-04-18T14:31:00.004-05:00

My favorite sweet snacks
Our postcard wall is filling up thanks to Annie and Alex (oh and Suzy and Katie) thanks guys!
Kitchen window

Friday Five

2008-04-18T10:21:00.006-05:00

It's been a while for the Friday Five so I think I will double up this time. Feel free to play along either in a comment or on your blog

Five things I will definitely be doing this weekend
1. Finish clearing out the flower beds and go flower shopping with my Mom
2. Give myself a pedicure (I'm cheap and it is almost flip-flop time)
3. Call my sisters
4. Go to the farmers market
5. Finish making my Mom's Mothers Day gift

Five words to describe my life right now
1. in transition
2. joyous
3. exhausting
4. beautiful
5. tedious

Easy gardening

2008-04-16T20:08:00.004-05:00

Yesterday, while Wade and Henry set up the SWING, I spent a few hours clearing out the garden beds on the north side of our house. Since we were not in our house last spring the little flowers popping up here and there have been welcome surprises. Just last week we noticed these dafidills and some tulips in our front yard.
But yesterday I found these in the garden beds. Lots of these all along the north side of our house. I can't wait to see what comes up.

My bedroom

2008-04-15T12:47:00.004-05:00

What do you think?

No...it doesn't look like this now, this is just my inspiration.

Things that make me happy Thursday

2008-04-10T16:45:00.005-05:00

My friend Emily told me that I should bring back the Things that make me happy Thursdays. I didn't even realize it had been that long since I last did one and honestly with the nasty weather and the fact that I only got 4 hours of sleep last night I am feeling pretty uninspired right now. But I can find something that I love to blog about....I love baby shoes. This week out of the blue I am going crazy with Henry's shoes. His feet are growing at records speeds and even his frog boots are getting to small {ah, moment of silence for the frog boots}. So, we are moving on. Size 8 here we come! Today I ordered new boots:And new kicks:
Everything is cuter in miniature. :)

Cripes

2008-04-10T12:28:00.002-05:00

The AIDS walk is this Saturday and so is the Meatout Barbecue in South Park and it is supposed to snow! Snow in April! And why is it always the nasty weather on the weekends? UGH!

Cupcake training

2008-04-08T22:55:00.006-05:00

I took a cupcake class tonight at the Merc.
*First let me just say that if you like to cook and you live in Lawrence and you have never taken a class at the Merc you are really missing out. This was the 4th class I have taken and they have all been great. It's really inexpensive-$10-$15 for Merc members nearly that cheap for non-members too. While we were in this class we signed up for a class in May called "Cooking with herbs from your garden". Oh, I can't wait.
*Second, I don't mean to toot my own horn but I left the cupcake class thinking that my cupcakes are better then the ones from the class. Everything she made was buttercream which is normally fine with me and her icing was so light and delicate, but it was all butter, it tasted like flavored butter. And her cakes were too dense and also too buttery. And it isn't just that my tongue has not tasted butter for a while, my friend in the class and my Mom both thought that the butter flavor was too much.
*Third, I learned how to make a fabulous raspberry icing with a so so so good chocolate cake.
*Fourth, I feel pretty confident that if I took the time to make some cupcakes I could probably sell them pretty easily. The chef said cupcakes are all the rage now, which always seems to be my luck...I feel like I have found something original and unique just before everyone else finds it and it gets played out. But I still might give it a try, I mean I live in Kansas, we are always months behind the trend.
*Fifth, I ran into my old best friend Megan at the class. It was slightly awkward as it always is when I see people I used to run with. I am just not good at the overly friendly high-pitched "Ohmygoshhowareyou?Ialwaysthinkaboutyouandmissyousomuch" stuff. While all of that may be true, I tend to lose interest in those conversations quickly. And, inevitably they lead to the "What are you doing now?" question which I totally despise because I am really not doing anything interesting. But it was good to see her and she looks really happy which made me really happy. Plus, I am fat. I hate running into people that knew me pre-baby or as I like to call it during the BSM era (before stretch marks).

Anyway, I promised Henry that we could make cupcakes this weekend since I had to miss out on bedtime tonight. I think we do a vegan version of those chocolate cupcakes with raspberry gauche. I will post a picture.

2008-04-08T14:53:00.001-05:00

I have a new crush.

MLK

2008-04-04T11:07:00.002-05:00

I am thinking of him today, on the 40th anniversary of his death. Just taking a moment to assess what I am doing in my life to lift people up and contribute to a peaceful planet. He is a reminder of the power of one person.

"Faith is taking the first step, even when you don't see the whole staircase."
Martin Luther King Jr.

"We must learn to live together as brothers or parish together as fools."
Martin Luther King Jr.

Cold Feet

2008-04-03T20:40:00.003-05:00

I had to take the pictures of the dogs down because we decided not to adopt one. I am sure the people at the ASPCA think I am a total punk for backing out at the last minute but I had a panic attack this afternoon thinking about caring for a puppy and a two year old. I think I was just overcome by cuteness. Now I feel really bad for the guy because both of his brothers will be adopted this weekend by my friend Emily. But I think he is in there with his Mom so he won't be alone and hopefully they will find a good home. Okay, I feel like total crap about this. I cried all afternoon. Seriously, I started crying at the grocery store when I saw a car drive by with a dog hanging it's head out the window. I am still going back and forth about it even though I know our house is not a good place for a 10 week old puppy. Being responsible sucks.

Now I have to let it go.

My birthday is only 5 months away

2008-04-01T21:26:00.011-05:00

I have a perfectly good bike, a mountain bike with a seat the size of a Q-tip. When I got my bike 10 years ago for my high school graduation my rear end was, ehhh, about half the size it is now. I loved it, I rode the bike trails on it and all around town. In fact, the semester that I lived up on KU I rode that bike every day. But now, given my butt expansion, it is a little different situation. Basically, when I ride the bike people pass me and wonder "How does she ride that bike without a seat?" And I gotta say, besides the embarrassment of my ass envelope the entire seat, riding on that tiny hard little triangle is not very comfortable. We basically finish every ride with Wade saying "So, does your ass hurt already?" And it does, after only a few seconds on the bike it does... For those reasons, and the shear bad-assness of the bike below that I have decided I need a new bike. A bike like this. With a huge seat with springs underneath it, white washed tires, handlebars that are practically arm rests, oh, and orange. In fact, the only thing this bike is missing is a basket. So there it is. My birthday wish-an orange beach cruiser bike with a basket. I will even take a used bike that meets these very few requirements, I'm not picky. Oh, and I really need one of these too.................you know, for the cupcakes that I like to make after a long bike ride.

On a Saturday

2008-03-29T16:26:00.008-05:00

I am a total grump today. Henry woke up very early and I did what I always do when he is up before the sun rises, I brought him into bed with me in the hopes that he was still sleepy enough to drift back to sleep. It never works and in the end little bits of waking and sleeping are almost more annoying then just being up while rest of the neighborhood sleeps. I should have known it was doomed when the he started giving me directions right when we walked in the room. “No Mama, I go on Papa’s pillow and you go over there” (over there being the bottom right corner of the bed). “Henry, I don’t want to go over there, I want to lie on my own pillow in my own spot.” We lay down. “Mama? Let’s play the snoring game. Mama will snore and Henme say WAKE UP” “Baby please,” I say “take it down a notch. It is still night time. Please be quiet and go back to sleep.” A minute passes. “Mama?” Henry whispers “You say wake up?” “No Henry, I don’t want to say wake up. I want to go to sleep, please lay down.” I am begging at this point. He rests just long enough for me to drift off… “Mama?” He yell-whispers about 2 inches from my face. Ugh, it is like falling asleep in calculus class again…up, down, up down. “Mama?” he repeats, “I go look out the window and the sun IS still asleep. It IS still nigh-nigh.” Oh dear he climbed out of bed, walked over to the window and then climbed back into bed and I didn’t even wake up. He could have fallen, tripped, it's dark, there are clothes on the floor. He could have been playing with electrical sockets or eating antibacterial ointment and I would have just been snoring through it...I am a terrible mother! “You cold Mama? You need blankie? You have my blue blankie Mama. Here go.” And a damp blanket goes over my head. It’s damp because Henry likes to chew on his blankets. He takes the blanket off of my face and moves to about one inch from my mouth “You warm now Mama?”……and so it went. For over almost an hour it went. I woke up grumpy and even the shenanigans of the cutest little bean on the planet couldn’t snap me out of it.

After breakfast and some coffee, lots of coffee, I decided to tackle some unfinished business. Yesterday afternoon, before Henry took his nap we were supposed to bake some cookies together. But lunch took what felt like hours to finish and then there was still reading stories and getting into jammies to do. And speaking of lunch he ate 3 servings of applesauce and 2 servings of vegetables plus 2 pita’s with his hummus and probably 25 grapes for lunch. He ate more than I did. And he calls his applesauce “Dappletoss” and his vegetables “Bedgabuls” and I secretly hope that he never learns how to say it correctly. Anyway, we didn’t get around to making cookies. Henry was sad. He doesn’t quite understand how we could buy everything for cookies and yet when we got home there are no cookies. In the car he kept saying “Henme have tookie now Mama?” I just couldn’t get him to make the connection between the ingredients that make up the cookie and the cookies themselves. So we made cookies this morning. It is a challenge to make cookies with a two year old. For starters he is both slightly afraid of the mixer and wanting to stick it into anything that it might fit into at the same time. So he will gladly shove it into the sugar canister but then screams and cries when it makes a loud banging sound as it hits the metal sides of the canister and sugar flies all over the counter. Also, he has yet to get the concept of holding something still and not eating what you are fixing before you have finished fixing it. Being a vegan is good on that end because you don’t have to worry about e-coli in your batter. Anyway we got the job done and 20 minutes later sat down for some cookies and soy milk. Yum….but still grumpy.

I am at work now. Working hard (obviously). Being here on a Saturday doesn’t do much to help the mood. Maybe I will listen to a vegan pod cast or Savage love pod cast or an old Obama speech. Yeah, that’s right I listen to Obama’s speeches for fun. I also have a picture of him above my computer with hearts around it and I have already told my husband that if the time ever came I would totally pull a Monica Lewinsky on him. He seems okay with it.

In other non-Kelly family related news, the fabric for my chairs is still not out which is so bad because it gives me time to change my mind over and over again. Not only am I terrible at making decisions but I always end up wishing I had made a different one after I finally do make the decision. I am the person at the restaurant that takes forever to decide what to order and then wishes I had ordered what you ordered for the rest of the meal. Anyway, now I am thinking of painting my dining room table and chairs a brighter color. Like an distressed teal or a bright red. These bookshelves are such a great color and I love this red bed. Both of these pictures are from Anna Maria Horner’s blog. I love her style. I mean just look at this sofa. It is covered in her fabric. I LOVE IT! This is definitely the fabric I am going to use for the chairs. Any advice? I guess it is hard to say when you haven’t seen the table. Here is the post I did when I painted them months ago. I do really like white furniture. And I want to put in a bright colored chandelier like the one from Heather Bailey's blog I posted about months ago. I am thinking in orange (oh my mother would pass out if I did that...hee hee) which would probably be a little over the top with brightly colored furniture.

Okay, back to work. At least there will be basketball on tonight. I hope Louisville beats NC. I know I know….I am still bitter. And happy trails Miss Lisa. Hope you’re having fun in Chicago. My blog is a lonely place without you ;)

Weekend Maddness

2008-03-28T11:11:00.003-05:00

I am not doing so hot with my bracket. In fact, if the goal of the bracket was to pick who does not win the game, I would be nearly perfect. So....it is another year and another crappy bracket. Oh well...this weekend is going to be full of basketball and while it is very unlikely that we will get to watch any of it except maybe the KU game tonight because it starts so late, I am still feeling the thrill of the NCAA tourney. I love this time of year. Go HAWKS!

See...I told you

2008-03-27T21:44:00.001-05:00

My photos don't even come close.
Tonight for dinner we had potato soup, salad, asparagus and whole wheat drop biscuits.