Finding Life's Harmony

Checking In...

2011-12-08T11:26:00.000-05:00

Well. Three and a half months can sure get away from you! I kept intending to blog as I continued to can and prepare for winter and our little arrival, but finding 20 minutes to sneak upstairs to write about it proved more difficult than one might think. Anyway, our little bundle of joy arrived right on her due date:

Adelyn Rose

12/2/11

4:13pm

4 lbs 14 oz

18 1/2 inches long

The entire month leading up to her birth was not what I had envisioned for us at all, but one thing this little girls has taught me is surrender and acceptance! More on the birth story later.

In other news, I did manage, in those past few months to put up more beautiful things in jars: chicken stock, cranberry sauce, cranberry jelly, apple sauce, apple jelly, vegetable stock.

My husband's aunt generously cleaned out her basement and donated all her old canning supplies to me. The neat thing being that she lives in Canada, and many of her jars are vintage Canadian Mason jars!!

I apologize for the scattered nature of this post, but I wanted to get in a quick update on things before the baby wakes up!

Canning Galore

2011-08-21T13:58:00.000-04:00

I've had the last few days off from work, and that's given me the time and energy to do some more canning!
After a trip to see my grandparents Friday (and a deal scored on a half-bushel of tomatoes) and a trip to the market I was ready to go:

It took 9 1/2 hours but I ended up with:

9 pints of salsa
8 half-pints of sweet relish
6 pints of pasta sauce
6 half-pints of tomato jam
1 pint of pizza sauce

1 jar of salsa for the fridge
1 jar of tomato jam for the fridge
1 container of diced bell pepper for the freezer

Dinner: BBQ chicken with corn zucchini and tomato salad.

Also, my mom scored a box of heirloom tomato seconds at the market for free, so I plan on making ketchup with those today and tomorrow!

My kitchen, mid-project. Not too bad, but kind of chaotic!

My friend Lindsey came over for some help with Klezmer music,

and then I put her to work!

(No worries, I fed her dinner also!)

Phew! Next weekend I hope to put up some peaches and crushed tomatoes. And maybe one more batch of salsa...We'll see!

24 weeks and growing!

Catching Up!

2011-08-08T16:35:00.000-04:00

It's been forever, I know. But every time I think "I should blog," I sit down to realize that I don't have anything to say. So.

It's been a wild ride these past months, with the big news being that we are expecting our first child! I am 23 weeks along with our little one, and we are eagerly anticipating her arrival! (Yes, it's a girl!)

On that note, it took a little extra time to get the garden in this year, as I wanted to expand it and needed more help than in past years:

My husband, brother, and grandfather using the

oldest rototiller in existence to till the new garden space!

With the garden getting in so late, I felt behind in all my preserving for this year. Today, I sat down and took stock of what had been done so far, and to my surprise, it's not too shabby! (Partially thanks to a marathon canning session yesterday with a friend: http://moonlithill.blogspot.com/

Here's what we got so far:

8 pints salsa

30 oz raspberry vinegar

500 mL garlic scape vinegar

3 jars (half-quart?) pickled asparagus

3 8oz jars cherry balsamic preserves

6 half-pints rhubarb chutney

8 half-pints strawberry jam

3 pints raspberry jam

1 pint red&black raspberry jam

2 half-pints blueberry-maple conserve

2 pints apricot jam

2 pints black&blue berry jam

4 half-pints apricot-plum (and a peach!) jam

7 half pints jalapeno jelly

In the freezer: (including some preparations for when baby arrives!)

2 tubs pesto

1 quart garlic scape puree (in cubes)

1 quart chili

1 stuffed zucchini

1 pint caramelized onions

1 dozen pancakes

1 pan stuffed shells

4 quarts blueberries

2 quart bags of multigrain bread slices

1/2 quart green beans (for baby food!)

1/2 quart peas (also for baby food!)

1 cooked sweet potato (again, baby food!)

So I guess being unproductive wasn't really what I was up to, although it certainly feels like it sometimes as I am learning each day to live with this new experience of pregnancy!

As I put up more foods, I will *try* to update counts here!

To answer any lingering/burning questions: We are due December 2nd. I am feeling very well, although I tire more easily than in the past. The baby's room is NOT ready...hopefully more progress on that as the weather cools. We are not naming her before she is born, we will have a list of names to choose from, but would like to meet her first! I have not had any strange cravings, just a taste for fresh fruits and veggies, which could be also due to weekly farmers' market trips :)

Magic!

2011-04-06T08:09:00.000-04:00

I decided to try and see if I could remember my password, and whaddya know? It worked!

We've been lying low, waiting for the end of winter to finally get here. We did some yard work, took down the Christmas lights from the front of the house, and got our spring/summer wish list together.

I have big plans to expand the garden this year, and have been pondering just what sorts of things I want to can and dry for next winter! I do know one thing: a few less flavored vinegars, and a few more flavored liquors are on the docket!

We want to spend some more time outdoors this summer, gardening, walking, biking, and hiking. We've already been on one hike, a couple of weeks ago, it was chilly, but nice for a hike!

Almost 6 months to the day after our wedding, we returned to the "scene of the crime!"

We've got some trips planned also, my sister graduates from college, and Mike has 2 sisters who are getting married, and one who will be having a baby!

It's shaping up to be just as busy a spring and summer as it was a winter and fall...but now that I know my password, I just may be updating here more often!

Brain fuzz...

2011-02-17T07:23:00.001-05:00

I've had several posts that I've wanted to write over the last few weeks, but I can't remember my blogger password...I'm posting this from my phone, but the photos I wanted to share are on our computer. Bummer. The photo above is downtown after we went to the symphony last weekend: it rained, then sleeted, then snowed...it snowed like 5 inches over 3 hours! Crazy, but it sure was pretty on those trees.
Also, I found an amazing rug for our living room. It was only $150, and the perfect colors and size!
And lastly, I've begun using some of the fruit-infused vodkas that I made over the summer: this week was strawberry vodka mixed with vanilla seltzer. It tasted like strawberry shortcake! Yum!
Hopefully I'll remember my password soon to share some more great food ideas with you :)

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Comforts

2011-01-18T22:09:00.001-05:00

I always have to have a quiet smile of satisfaction whenever my house smells like one of my grandmas' house. While you may not think that's such a good thing, let me explain:

First, both are still living (well and lively, and with both grandpas, I might add) in their own homes.

My house often smells of one house early in the morning: cold, old hardwood floors and brewed coffee (freshly ground of course!)

The other takes a bit more effort, and I wouldn't have been able to name it until tonight, but my other grandma's house smells like cookies!

My rational side says that Grandma and Poppy's doesn't always smell like cookies, but to my memory, it does...isn't memory a funny thing?

Do you ever unintentionally recreate or encounter something from childhood that triggers a memory? Mine ares often smells, usually food related...

I have learned and continue to learn so much from my grandparents (and parents too), but I am especially grateful for this:
Learning how to make a house into a home.

I hope your homes are all cozy and comfortable this night and always :)

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Food

2011-01-13T21:48:00.000-05:00

I've been making some awesome food lately. I thought I'd share my "recipes" with you so maybe you'll be inspired too!

Saturday, I made a big pot of Chicken noodle soup. This may not sound inspired, but..

Sautee a diced onion , a diced carrot, and 2 diced potatoes until they're translucent. Add 1 clove of minced garlic just at the end. Add some chicken stock (I used 1 quart chicken stock, 1 quart turkey stock) Oh, while this is all happening, be roasting some chicken in the oven. Simmer the veggies in stock until tender. Then, puree using your new immersion blender (Or you could use a regular blender. Or skip this step altogether.) Once it's pureed, it'll be nice and thick-ish. Add more veggies (I used frozen corn and peas). When they're cooked, puree them too, cause your husband doesn't like cooked veggies. If you like, drizzle in a little heat, I used Garlic Chipotle Sauce from Dinosaur BBQ. In a separate pot, cook your pasta. I used Primavera Orzo blend from http://www.flourcitypasta.com/. It's Lemon Garlic, Parsley, Chive & Plain Flavored Orzos. I get it from Jon himself at our regional market, but he does sell it online. Soo good! Anyway, back to the soup. Cook your pasta separately so it doesn't gum up your soup after multiple reheatings. Also, then you can pressure can any leftover soup without pasta bricks in the bottom! When your chicken is done, let it cool enough so you can shred it and add to your soup. For best results, I use a mix of light and dark meat. Put some pasta in the bottom of a bowl, ladle soup over it and voila!

Monday night, Winter squash risotto with blue cheese.

I used a carnival squash, but butternut, acorn, or delicata would all be good here.

Peel the squash, carefully! Cut in to 1/2 inch to 1 inch dice. Toss with some olive oil, salt and pepper and roast at 350 degrees. While that's going on, make your risotto. For directions, click here. I use white wine first and broth after, I used a combination of vegetable and beef because it's what I had on hand. When the recipe calls to add parmesan cheese (and for the love of everything, do not EVER purchase it from a green can!!!!!!!!!), also dice up a small wedge of blue cheese, I use saga blue which is a soft-ripened blue/brie cross. Meanwhile, your squash should be done, pull it out and mix it in. For an added treat, toast up some walnut pieces and sprinkle them in too. A-Maz-Ing.

Wednesday night:
Bacon melts:

Before work, pull out your "emergency" baguette from the freezer (I sometimes buy an extra and cut it into thirds, wrap in saran, throw in a ziplock and freeze.) to thaw.

After work, lay out bacon strips on a baking sheet and cook at 350 until crispy. (I don't cook bacon on the stove...too messy! But you can if you want!)

When the bacon is done, slice your baguette pieces in half horizontally, smear some tomato chutney on the cut insides (or other tomato product), layer on some cheese (I used pepper jack) and some bacon. Put on the lid, roll sandwich tightly in aluminum foil and toss in the oven for 10-15 minutes to melt the cheese (It's still warm from the bacon, right?) That's all she wrote.

Thursday night:
Homemade Mac and Cheese with Bacon

Start a big pot of water to boil. Start a smaller (medium) saucepan with 2-3 TBS butter melting slowly. Round up all your leftover cheese from the fridge (Tonight, I used a combo of cave-aged gruyere, extra sharp cheddar, pepper jack, and 2 individual servings of cheese product given to me as a gift) Add 2-3 TBS flour to butter, whisk for a minute. Add 2ish cups of milk, whisking. Cook gently until milk thickens. Cook the pasta in salted water. Drain but DON'T RINSE!!! while the pasta is draining, cut up the leftover bacon from last night and toss in the warm pasta pot. Add your cheese to the milk, turn off the heat and stir until cheese is melted. Pour into bacon. Add pasta. Toss. Enjoy.

Sorry for all the words and lack of photos, but I didn't take any of the delicious food this week. Whoops!!

2011-01-05T10:54:00.000-05:00

Well! I didn't intend on taking a month-long hiatus from blogging, but with all the craziness this holiday season, something had to give, and blogging and cleaning my house were it. I guess this holiday season wasn't any crazier than years past, but I often to much of my shopping/crafting beginning in the late summer/early autumn, and this year, just didn't get to it (that minor task of planning our wedding got in the way!)
So, here I am, back on the proverbial horse, with a list of resolutions (which I won't bore you with sharing). Instead, I would like to share with you some of the highlights of our holiday season:

We got our wedding photos (digitally, at least!)

Got new phones (that's the hubby, phone in one hand, remote in the other)

Thanksgiving leftover pizza: Cranberry Sauce, turkey,

Mozzarella, and balsamic onions. Definitely my favorite

leftover creation to date!

Picked out and decorated our tree

Spent time in Canada with the in-laws!

Hubby got me a label-maker. He'll be sorry!

The first thing I labeled was him: Husband

No trip to Canada is complete without a trip to Harvey's!

Some things I didn't take photos of: The amazing Feast of the Seven Fishes, hosted by my amazing Grandparents, our midnight drive to Canada, hanging lights on our new house, Snowmageddon (we do live in the Northeast!), and our decked-out house.

I hope your holiday season was as blessed as ours was. Each year, we are more and more thankful for the wonderful families we have both been gifted with.

Farewell to 2010, you were an awesome year! New house, marriage, continued health for us and our loved ones. Hello 2011, hope you live up to your potential to be the best yet!

Gratitude

2010-11-25T08:01:00.000-05:00

My husband and I have had so very many opportunities to be grateful this year:

We bought a house,

Moved in (with mountains of stuff!)

Had an engagement party

And got married!

We couldn't have accomplished any of those things without the love and support from our families and friends. Each milestone gave us cause to stop and count our blessings among those that we care about, and that care about us. To reflect on a year full of such an outpouring of support for so many happy occasions brings tears to my eyes. We are so blessed; this year, and every year. This post is dedicated to all those without whom our lives would be so, so empty.

Thank you for everything; you all know who you are. We are so blessed to have you in our lives. May the next year be filled with many blessings, happiness, and support from those you love.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Snapshots

2010-11-20T22:12:00.000-05:00

Homemade cranberry jelly, standing ready for Thanksgiving!

Finally, 7 months after we moved in; we're putting up curtains

(All our windows except one came with blinds, so it hasn't been a priority!)

First snow Friday morning...OK so it's only a dusting, but it counts!

Two months (and 2 days) since we tied the knot.

Watching the UCONN/SU game,

eating homemade cheesesteak,

wearing the new hat I got him at the market today.

Life is good!

Sunday

2010-11-09T18:08:00.000-05:00

A restful Sunday around here:

Home-canned Beef Stock (Pressure canned for safety!)

Use-up-stuff-from-the-fridge Italian Casserole

Clean linens and Flannel Sheets on the bed

doesn't look like nothing...

2010-11-02T08:10:00.000-04:00

Well. I keep intending to blog here, but it seems so easy to procrastinate about it...and everything else computer-based, for that matter. I attempted to write a few times, but it seemed like we hadn't been doing anything worth writing about, nor had I been taking photos. Or so I thought. When I *Finally* uploaded my photos, I found that I had been taking pictures. Not many, but enough. So, here's a flip-book of the last ~~few weeks~~ month.

We went to a wood-stacking/bonfire party

Shopped for a new hat (but didn't find one)

Went to the SAMMY's gala (But they didn't win)

Had a birthday party (and my husband baked me brownies! This has never happened before!)

(Tomato pear chutney on cream cheese)

Husband's band in my kitchen

Friends (Also, we got a new couch!)

Leftover mac-n-cheese with jalapenos, tomatoes,

and all the bits of cheese from the fridge!

I carved this little guy at work.

Name's Spike. He's a porcupine.

Gotta love jack-o-lantern designs that require the use of a drill ;)

Had a girl's outing to see Rocky Horror Picture Show

Saw a great band. That's the husband dressed as Larry the Cable Guy

:) (He's dodging my spikes)

I was the Statue of Liberty. Made the costume. I'm pretty proud of it!

So. I think that catches you up. Maybe now I can do more regular blogs instead of sporadic, mammoth ones. We'll see.

...Aaannd Breathe...

2010-09-27T08:58:00.000-04:00

We did it! I'm now a Mrs., subject to all rights and titles contained therein!

The whole day went spectacularly, from start to finish. The weather was beautiful, there were no disasters, and all the guests got along splendidly!

Many thanks to everyone who helped make the day possible, and a shout-out to my husband's cousin who helped out with some of the last minute details, very late at night.

Our outdoor ceremony went wonderfully, with our friends and family gathered around as we took our vows. I can't wait to see the photos from the photographer, she's posted only 4, and boy, are they a tease!

Our venue was wonderful, adjusting the schedule to allow for our late arrival, and putting up all my decorations, etc.

The cake was so gorgeous, I didn't want to cut it, but we did!

Our week in Vermont was fantastic, with beautiful weather, service, and foliage/scenery!

A few photos:

(I'm not grimacing, we were looking right into the sun!)

Final Update before the big day!!!

2010-09-16T06:31:00.000-04:00

I think I've got everything under control!!! Only a few things left (Mostly delivering decorations and cleaning my house so it'll be nice when we get home) Saturday's the big day, and since I was laying awake in bed running through my mental to-do list, I thought I'd get up and do some computer-ing in the wee hours of the morning!

~~Find wedding rings. We want vintage/antique rings. We know where we need to go, but it's open funny hours that interfere with work schedules.~~
~~Pick out specific/purchase his clothes~~ (Got his shirt, need pants still)~~(Getting pants today!)~~
~~Pick out specific outfits for the groomsmen (we have an idea, we just need to say "this shirt" or "those pants") (Got them picked out, just need to give out the info!)~~
~~Get our marriage license!! (This is planned for Monday morning!)~~ (DONE!!!)
~~Talk to our cake-maker about what we want and what size. She's already agreed to make it, we just haven't given her specifics. I hope to talk to her today.~~ (DONE!)
Plan out the order of the day, and deal ahead of time with any logistical issues that come up. (For example, if it's raining, who's in charge of holding the umbrella over me while I walk from the parking lot to the pavilion?) (In progress. Got the order coming along nicely, as well as logistics)
~~Figure out my hair/makeup situation.(working on it!)~~ (Had a run-through last night, it's beautiful!)
~~Meet with photographer. (Thursday?)~~ (Email conferenced!)
~~Do up our favors (Maybe tonight?)~~ Thanks Alison!
~~Start writing thank-you notes for gifts already received~~ (All caught up with what's already come!)
~~Pack for honeymoon~~ (got my list going, will do this next weekend after laundry day!) (Done, except for overnight essentials, that will be done in the morning)
~~Call those who haven't RSVPed (ahem!)~~ (Thank you everyone who is coming!)
~~Write out place cards~~ (Delegated to Mom, who has beautiful writing!)
~~Make out seating chart (started, it's going to be harder than I thought...)~~ (Just need MIL's approval!)
~~Finish up our dinner playlist for the iPod (the band starts after dinner)~~ (~~Playlist is done, just need to consolidate it into one music program~~, and ~~charge up/~~sync the iPod)
~~Confirm what balances are due where and get checks for them~~
~~Gather all the wedding stuff in one place (Work in progress!)~~
~~Call flower people~~
~~Touch base again with officiant~~ ~~(meeting with him today!)~~
~~Figure out table number holder for centerpiece.~~ (I'm a flippin' genius!)
~~Get to ceremony location with groom, best man, and bridesmaid to discuss decorations~~ (Going today, in the rain)
~~Figure out our transportation the day of (we're not doing limos...)~~ (Think we got this one figured out!)
~~Make mani/pedi appointment~~
~~Get a haircut and appropriate waxing (Monday)~~
~~Pick up Flowers for ceremony~~ (Done!)
Refill EZ Pass.
Write numbers on place cards
Drop off all decorations
Clean Kitchen and bathroom
I most importantly need to remember to HAVE FUN!!!!!!!!!!!

Also, I have:

picked up a sweater for over my gown if it's cold

a "something blue" from the unmentionables dept.
an outfit for the rehearsal dinner
been working on my tan (with the help of a small bottle, cause it just hasn't been sunny around here!)
Gotten and given bridesmaid's gifts (Thank you guys, you are all awesome!!!!!)
Canned 2 batches of tomatoes from my garden (one red and one green, so they won't go to waste!) Also made a batch of pickles with cukes from the garden...
Done every stitch of laundry in the house

6 days!!!

2010-09-12T08:50:00.000-04:00

We're getting down to the wire!!! I'm off from work now through the 28th, so this week should be very productive. We've made a lot of progress in the last week:

~~Find wedding rings. We want vintage/antique rings. We know where we need to go, but it's open funny hours that interfere with work schedules.~~
~~Pick out specific/purchase his clothes~~ (Got his shirt, need pants still)(Getting pants today!)
~~Pick out specific outfits for the groomsmen (we have an idea, we just need to say "this shirt" or "those pants") (Got them picked out, just need to give out the info!)~~
~~Get our marriage license!! (This is planned for Monday morning!)~~ (DONE!!!)
~~Talk to our cake-maker about what we want and what size. She's already agreed to make it, we just haven't given her specifics. I hope to talk to her today.~~ (DONE!)
Plan out the order of the day, and deal ahead of time with any logistical issues that come up. (For example, if it's raining, who's in charge of holding the umbrella over me while I walk from the parking lot to the pavilion?) (In progress. Got the order coming along nicely, as well as logistics)
~~Figure out my hair/makeup situation.(working on it!)~~ (Had a run-through last night, it's beautiful!)
~~Meet with photographer. (Thursday?)~~ (Email conferenced!)
~~Do up our favors (Maybe tonight?)~~ Thanks Alison!
~~Start writing thank-you notes for gifts already received~~ (All caught up with what's already come!)
Pack for honeymoon (got my list going, will do this next weekend after laundry day!)
~~Call those who haven't RSVPed (ahem!)~~ (Thank you everyone who is coming!)
~~Write out place cards~~ (Delegated to Mom, who has beautiful writing!)
~~Make out seating chart (started, it's going to be harder than I thought...)~~ (Just need MIL's approval!)
~~Finish up our dinner playlist for the iPod (the band starts after dinner)~~ (Playlist is done, just need to consolidate it into one music program, and charge up/sync the iPod)
~~Confirm what balances are due where and get checks for them~~
Gather all the wedding stuff in one place (Work in progress!)
Call flower people
~~Touch base again with officiant~~ (meeting with him today!)
~~Figure out table number holder for centerpiece.~~ (I'm a flippin' genius!)
~~Get to ceremony location with groom, best man, and bridesmaid to discuss decorations~~ (Going today, in the rain)
~~Figure out our transportation the day of (we're not doing limos...)~~ (Think we got this one figured out!)
Make mani/pedi appointment
Get a haircut and appropriate waxing (Monday)
~~Pick up Flowers for ceremony~~ (Done!)
Refill EZ Pass.

Also, I have:

picked up a sweater for over my gown if it's cold

a "something blue" from the unmentionables dept.
an outfit for the rehearsal dinner
been working on my tan (with the help of a small bottle, cause it just hasn't been sunny around here!)
Gotten and given bridesmaid's gifts (Thank you guys, you are all awesome!!!!!)

Probably won't be updating around here for a bit, likely after the honeymoon!!! (PS: Pray for good, warm-ish (73 degree) weather for upstate NY from about noon til about 5:30pm on Saturday, September 18. So far, the weather forecast looks good, but you never know!!)

12 Days!

2010-09-06T16:30:00.000-04:00

12 days to go! Here's our list from my last post, edited to reflect what we've accomplished. Also, at the end is the additions to the to-do list. Again, I'm still canning like a fool, I have nearly 90 jars in the basement and a few more to fill before the wedding!

~~Find wedding rings. We want vintage/antique rings. We know where we need to go, but it's open funny hours that interfere with work schedules.~~
Pick out specific/purchase his clothes (Got his shirt, need pants still)
~~Pick out specific outfits for the groomsmen (we have an idea, we just need to say "this shirt" or "those pants") (Got them picked out, just need to give out the info!)~~
~~Get our marriage license!! (This is planned for Monday morning!)~~ (DONE!!!)
~~Talk to our cake-maker about what we want and what size. She's already agreed to make it, we just haven't given her specifics. I hope to talk to her today.~~ (DONE!)
Plan out the order of the day, and deal ahead of time with any logistical issues that come up. (For example, if it's raining, who's in charge of holding the umbrella over me while I walk from the parking lot to the pavilion?) (In progress. Got the order coming along nicely, as well as logistics)
Figure out my hair/makeup situation.(working on it!)
Meet with photographer. (Thursday?)
~~Do up our favors (Maybe tonight?)~~ Thanks Alison!
Start writing thank-you notes for gifts already received
Pack for honeymoon (got my list going, will do this next weekend after laundry day!)
Call those who haven't RSVPed (ahem!)
Write out place cards
Make out seating chart (started, it's going to be harder than I thought...)
Finish up our dinner playlist for the iPod (the band starts after dinner)
Confirm what balances are due where and get checks for them
Gather all the wedding stuff in one place
Call flower people
Touch base again with officiant
Figure out table number holder for centerpiece.
Get to ceremony location with groom, best man, and bridesmaid to discuss decorations
Figure out our transportation the day of (we're not doing limos...)

I don't think that's too bad a list, do you?

3 weeks!

2010-08-26T17:57:00.000-04:00

Closing in on the 3 week mark!

Here's what we still need to do...

Find wedding rings. We want vintage/antique rings. We know where we need to go, but it's open funny hours that interfere with work schedules. (we're going tomorrow night!)
Pick out specific/purchase his clothes (Got his shirt, need pants still)
Pick out specific outfits for the groomsmen (we have an idea, we just need to say "this shirt" or "those pants") (Got them picked out, just need to give out the info!)
Get our marriage license!! (This is planned for Monday morning!) (DONE!!!)
Talk to our cake-maker about what we want and what size. She's already agreed to make it, we just haven't given her specifics. I hope to talk to her today. (Nope... :-/ )
Plan out the order of the day, and deal ahead of time with any logistical issues that come up. (For example, if it's raining, who's in charge of holding the umbrella over me while I walk from the parking lot to the pavilion?) (In progress. Got the order coming along nicely, as well as logistics)
Figure out my hair/makeup situation.
Meet with photographer.
Do up our favors (Maybe tonight?)
Start writing thank-you notes for gifts already received

We're getting closer every hour, but is seems as though my list is growing, not shrinking! We're chipping away at it though, and I'm confident that everything will fall into place.

In other news, I've done some more canning this week, and plan on doing another big batch of salsa this weekend (we eat a TON of salsa!)

One Month to go!

2010-08-19T08:09:00.000-04:00

In just one short month, my wonderful fiance and I will be tying the knot! I'm so excited to share this special day with him, and the rest of our lives together. Things are coming together: table centers, my dress is being altered, his vest/tie ordered. Still some things we need to do, though:

Find wedding rings. We want vintage/antique rings. We know where we need to go, but it's open funny hours that interfere with work schedules.
Pick out specific/purchase his clothes
Pick out specific outfits for the groomsmen (we have an idea, we just need to say "this shirt" or "those pants")
Get our marriage license!! (This is planned for Monday morning!)
Talk to our cake-maker about what we want and what size. She's already agreed to make it, we just haven't given her specifics. I hope to talk to her today.
Plan out the order of the day, and deal ahead of time with any logistical issues that come up. (For example, if it's raining, who's in charge of holding the umbrella over me while I walk from the parking lot to the pavilion?)
Figure out my hair/makeup situation.
Meet with photographer.

There's another list, but this seems to me to be the most pressing of items. Everything else is just icing on the cake :)

I've also been canning like a fool. From the last update, I canned:

8 pints salsa

4 pints tomato sauce

3 half-pints and 1 pint peach salsa

And I plan on canning something this evening to give as gifts (**Shhh....some of the recipients read this blog!!)

As life gets a bit more hectic, I hope to stop in here more frequently to share, and maybe sort out my thoughts and make lists, all in the guise of keeping in touch, but really, keep myself organized.

29 days!

A Quick Update

2010-08-10T08:07:00.000-04:00

Just wanted to toss out a quick update! 39 days until our wedding! My dress is being altered, invitations are out, hotel room and honeymoon booked. We're just settling all the little things before we tie the knot!

I've been canning like a fool, even though our weekends are super busy, I try to get one thing put up each weekend. I've also been experimenting with some vinegars and flavored liquors.

List of things I have canned, pickled, frozen, dried:

Strawberry Jam (5 jars)

Blueberry Jam (5 jars)

Zucchini & Corn Salsa (2 jars)

Chicken Stock (4 quart jars) (Used my new pressure canner!)

Crushed Tomatoes (5 jars

Whole peeled Tomatoes (1 jar)

Dill Pickles (6 jars)

Strawberry vinegar (2 bottles)

Blackberry Vinegar (3 quart jars)

Raspberry vinegar (1 bottle)

Refrigerator pickles (I think I've made about 6 quarts, but we keep eating them!)

Zucchini/Yellow squash refrigerator pickles (3 1/2 quarts)

Cranberry Honey Mustard (1 quart)

Frozen Blueberries (5 quarts)

Frozen Strawberries (3 quarts)

Frozen chicken Stock (3 quarts)

Dried tomatoes (1 batch cherry tomatoes, 1 batch roma tomatoes)

Dried strawberries (Handful, but they got moldy ): )

Strawberry Vodka (1 jar)
Cherry Amaretto (1 jar)

Blueberry Vodka (1 big jar)

Blackberry Rum (1 jar)

Raspberry Vodka (1 big jar)

In addition to all that, I morphed leftover black beans and rice into 15 vegetarian burgers for the freezer!

I'm coming along in my plans to be more self sufficient this winter, I keep buying jars and filling them! I plan on at least 2 batches of salsa (Hopefully with tomatoes from our garden, there's plenty there, I just hope they ripen all together!) and maybe another batch of crushed tomatoes or tomato puree.

As soon as this humidity dies down, I want to dry some herbs too.

Also, in the fall (after our wedding!) I want to use the pressure canner to put up some convenience foods: Soups, chili, beans, etc.

How are your winter canning/preserving coming along?

What June and July looked like...

2010-07-20T14:38:00.000-04:00

June and July were craaaaazy but fun! I think we had something planned every weekend, and we continue to have some sort of commitment each weekend up through our wedding and beyond! Looks like it's going to be a whirlwind! Good thing I found my camera charger, I will share some shots of the past two months (in no particular order!)

Pizza dip...yummy!

Crock pot baked beans!

A new shelf for my awkward kitchen corner

New kitchen cabinet handles

They used to look like this...not my taste, also they caught

on a sweater or pants pocket when I was cooking!

Yummy chicken broccoli tomato pasta toss...

Strawberries, fresh from the field

Strawberry jam

Strawberry vinegar

Lots of music...

...Festivals...

...dancing...

...and friends!

Why I don't blog...

2010-07-08T07:54:00.002-04:00

First, we were busy.

Then, I was on vacation, and getting mega things done around the house.

Now, it's too hot in the upstairs afternoon-sun-getting bedroom where our computer is.

Also, my camera battery's low, and I don't remember where I put the charger....

I will be back soon.

Why I watch television

2010-06-23T07:51:00.000-04:00

I admit it, I'm a television addict. And not a good television addict either: I watch junk on TLC, The Real Housewives of wherever, Top Chef, Project Runway, reruns, the food network, HGTV.

It was only the other evening that it hit me: the only time I relax without doing something is when I watch TV. I find it very hard to sit outside without something in my hands, or leaping up every few minutes to do...whatever.

When I was in high school, I rarely watched TV. I was (and still am) a self-proclaimed bookworm, I always have a book or two (or three) going. When I got to college, reading was no longer something to wind down with, after reading all evening for classes, the last thing I wanted to do was read some more, so I began to depend on television. Also, for the first time in my life, at school we had cable.

Since college, I have led a full life, and when it comes to relaxing, I turn to television. I still read, but usually with the TV on.

This leads me to the other night, when I had my revelation. We were in the backyard, enjoying the solstice. My fiance had out his guitar, but rather than sit and just listen, I had to water the plants, empty some waste into the compost, hula hoop, take photos of random stuff, and then sit down with my book. But as soon as it got to dark to read, I went inside.

Merely sitting does not hold my attention. My mind has always been busy busy. Not worry, exactly, but more always thinking of the next thing, or looking at stuff, or wondering what time it is, or whatever. I putter around the house, picking up small things, making a snack, dusting, etc. And that's why I watch TV. Because sitting in the backyard without a book or something is, well, a bit tedious. Because its the only thing that I do where I allow myself to relax fully and veg out.

This summer, I will learn to quiet my mind to sit in the backyard without a book and just be. I will learn to absorb nature without having to interact with it. I will learn to quiet my mind and relax, television-free.

Interesting Yahoo Article.

2010-06-22T07:47:00.000-04:00

I had a couple of posts planned for today, but then I saw this article on yahoo's homepage. I thought it worth revisiting the idea the eating whole, healthful foods isn't necessarily more expensive than eating processed, nutritionally-void foods.

The author doesn't eat organically, but none of those foods are overprocessed, and for a family on a tight budget, are way more healthy than other options.

Rhythm...

2010-06-15T08:04:00.000-04:00

"Change always comes bearing gifts."

~Price Pritchett

Since we've moved, I have developed a rhythm to my days off and evenings. However, it doesn't seem to include taking photos or blogging.

We moved in on April 19th. Most of the house is unpacked, with the exception of office supplies in the guest room, and most of the dining room as we search for the perfect china cabinet. We've been grilling most nights that its been warm.

I've made bread. My garden is in, I may expand it this weekend, but we'll see. I have herbs in pots on the deck. We've had a campfire. We've met several of our neighbors. We bought a bed for the guest room, and comfy chairs for the front porch. Our compost pile is started. We have plans to put in raspberry bushes and an asparagus bed. We explored along the creek at the end of our block (it leads all the way to the grocery store! And mint grows along most of it!) Some pictures are hung, others just sit in boxes. We've entertained many of our friends and family. We're extraordinarily happy in our house, and have received so many blessings recently.

With all this excitement, there just doesn't seem to be a spot for blogging and photos. I'm trying. Last week, I had Monday off, and took several photos around the house. I don't like how they came out, so I'm not sharing them.

In the midst of all the hustle and bustle of buying and moving into a new house, we're also planning our upcoming wedding for September. Our financially strapped state government proposed closing the state park where our ceremony was planned. Then they closed it, and opened it again within a span of a week. Our deposit was refunded, and I gave it back and reinstated our reservation.

I have a wedding dress, and an appointment to have it altered (3 weeks to loose weight!) My bridesmaids all have dresses they're comfortable with. We have our invitations, RSVP cards, and thank you cards, along with matching address labels. We've booked our honeymoon (Vermont!). We're working on ordering our favors, and we've shopped for wedding bands, although haven't purchased anything yet.

I guess its no wonder I haven't posted...Hopefully, our lives will continue to refine their daily rhythm, and I can get back to posting on a somewhat regular basis.

Have a great day!

Home...

2010-05-26T17:21:00.000-04:00

It's so wonderful to have a place that is actually our own. The other night, we sat in our backyard, and it was absolute bliss: warm weather, wine, and a good book, all lit by lantern light:

This was after a wonderful engagement party with both of our families (I balked at the idea of a bridal shower...sooo not my cup of tea)

My family

Mike's family

Every good party has a conga line!

I just like this picture: My siblings, and myself,

with Mike, and my sister's partner too!

Saying Goodbye

2010-05-19T21:01:00.001-04:00

Two weeks ago, I said goodbye to a dear friend of mine. She was a resident on the unit where I have worked for nearly 4 years now, and she had been there since I started. She and I just "clicked," not instantaneously, but over a period of months, as we got to know each other, and as I found my comfort zone and hit my stride in a new job.

I can't quite explain our relationship, except to say that for a woman who didn't know anyone's name at the nursing home, she called me (and only me) Geraldine for 3 years. Never any other name, only Geraldine. Now that's a bond.

As I have adjusted to our unit without her, I realize how much she taught me about love, patience, and being yourself; and how much I am going to miss her.

I love you Eloise, and I miss you, but I'm glad you've gone home to God and to be with your Mother whom you loved so dearly. Godspeed.

Our House...

2010-05-08T07:20:00.002-04:00

It's been quite a ride these past few weeks since we moved into our house. I've finally uploaded the photos I took of our moving day (actually, Mike did...) I don't have that many photos, just a few of the empty rooms. I will post "after" photos sometime. I would have liked to take photos of people moving things, and piles of boxes, but it didn't seem fair to be snapping away while our friends and family were doing all the heavy lifting...

Us in front of our U-Haul

The U-Haul backing into our new driveway

The previous owners left us a sweet note!

This is on the freezer door in the kitchen

My beautiful built-ins, going from kitchen to living room.

Side stairs on the right to the side door.

Stove, fridge. The door leads to a back shed (great for recycling!) which

leads to the back deck.

Dining room

Mike and my cousin in the living room

Mike, bringing the mandolin home

Poppy (my grandfather) on the back deck

Note the fenced yard!

Poppy peeking into the garage

The back shed looking in from the deck...kitchen door on the left

My awesome walk-in closet, it's in the hallway next

to the bathroom.

Bathroom

Guest/Computer room

I'm also planning a small craft space for this room

Our room.

This was actually supposed to be the guest room, but the other room

has the stairs going up to the attic and it didn't

fit our bed like we wanted...

I love this room, it has an east-facing

window for morning sun!

The third bedroom, it is our music studio.

Happy Homeowners!!

HOME!

2010-04-23T22:41:00.000-04:00

We've done it. We bought a house (See photo from last post). It's an adorable colonial, right in the city. It's convenient to work, and within biking distance to a lot of necessities: grocery store, pharmacy, ice cream shop, etc. Hardwoods throughout, tons of closet space, updated kitchen, basement, attic, and garage. We LOVE it!!!!!

We hung out with our next door neighbors tonight, they had a campfire in their yard...they're really cool.

Because of all this transition, I've been neglecting online, I've been on vacation all week, unpacking and settling into our new house. We couldn't be happier! I'll post photos of the new place soon ! ( as soon as I unpack the camera cord!)

2010-04-09T17:54:00.000-04:00

Could it be? Yes, it could.
Something's coming, something good,
If I can wait!
Something's coming, I don't know what it is,
But it is
Gonna be great!

PizzaPizza

2010-04-06T07:45:00.002-04:00

We had just a wee bit of ham and pineapple leftover from our Easter supper.

So tonight, I made Pizza. Hawaiian Pizza.

First, I made the best pizza dough I have ever made:

It came out awesome, I don't know why, or how. Perhaps the stars were in alignment? Or maybe all the kneading I didn't go by time, like I usually do, but by feel). Also, my mom's been telling me for years to use this particular recipe...for some reason I never listened until now....Should've listened sooner! Anyway, the dough was awesome, it stretched beautifully, and didn't bubble up while cooking!!

I call this picture "Pizza in afternoon sun." The sunlight was coming directly through our back windows (we had the curtains open) and onto the stove where I was assembling the pizza...

A closeup of deliciousness to come...

Since it's just the two of us, and I only have one pizza stone, the rest of the dough I made into personal pizza size, and baked it off to freeze for quick pizza suppers later!

Aha! The final product! Isn't it beautiful???

Springtime Porn...

2010-04-05T18:37:00.001-04:00

We went for a walk this evening, instead of just hitting up the gym. On our way back up our driveway, I spotted it:

The first dandelion...fighting it's way between the driveway and retaining wall...

Then, I went back to snap a photo of my daffodils and flamingos:

On our way in the back door, I snapped this photo, prompting the title of this post:

That's right, I think those bugs are doing the nasty. I thought it was neat. Mike said that if I was taking a photo of it, then it was porn.

I do love spring, and all the living things that come around!

Coming soon: Photos of my last spring with our Mary garden!

Happy Easter!

2010-04-04T20:37:00.001-04:00

I had to work today, but still made a delicious supper for Mike and I.

That's ham with pineapple, asparagus and smashed potatoes. With blueberry coffee cake for dessert. Yum.

When I got home, a surprise for me: these grow in front of our house, and weren't open yesterday at 5:00ish. Today at 5:00ish, they were open and beautiful.

And my grandma sent me some beautiful pussy-willows!

Happy Easter and Happy spring!!

Bread Basket...

2010-04-03T14:11:00.000-04:00

If you've never been to a Freihofer's Outlet (In Syracuse, there's one on Teall Ave. Find one near you here ) let me tell you something. If you buy any commercial bread at all, anywhere else, you're wasting your money.

All this, for $15.80.

My mom sent me to the "bread store" today with a list:

3 loaves "Grain Lovers"

1 Canadian Oat Bread

3 Bagel Thins (wheat if they have it!)

3 Berry or cranberry bagels ("Mixed Berry")

"As long as they have red specks" ~My brother.

Apparently, she's stocking up on bread for the Apocalypse.

Actually, my little brother is in town, and taking some back to school with him.

I had a small list of my own:

1 loaf Jewish Pumpernickel bread

1 package hamburger buns

All that came to $14.81, so in order to get 3 punches on the frequent buyer card, I threw in a package of Thomas' whole wheat english muffins.

$15.80. It would not fit into my oversized reusable shopping bag. Now, if that's not bargain shopping, I don't know what is.

The "Grain lovers" bread was 3 for $3.00
The bagel thins were $.99 each

The bagels were 3 for $2.97

Pumpernickel $1.39

Rolls were 1.69 (for 12)

English muffins were $.99

I bought the English muffins, because last weekend, I tried to make my own:

Not a nook or cranny anywhere in the whole batch. I think they didn't rise properly during the second rising. It's like eating a very dense biscuit (or whole wheat hockey puck) for breakfast. Perhaps another recipe that's not a modified bread recipe would work better....I used the recipe from How to Cook Everything - this amazing cook~~book~~encyclopedia that my future sister-in-law got me for Christmas. The "English muffin" recipe is just a variation on the basic bread recipe, which is why I think I didn't get nooks or crannies. I'll try something different next time, but for now, I have Delicious Thomas' whole wheat English Muffins.

apology

2010-04-02T07:13:00.000-04:00

I've been meaning to post for about 2 weeks....and every time I sit down to write, I have nothing to write about. Also, all the photos that might spur something brilliant are sitting on my camera...and I don't seem to have the time to upload them.

As an update, I'm loving this spring weather. I'd love to tell you about seeds that I've started, but we have a big move looming, and I've been spending time getting rid of ~~junk~~ stuff we no longer need or use. I'm finding happy homes for some things, and donating the rest.

It's supposed to feel more like June (or even July!) 2nd here, rather than April 2nd today..with our forecasted high at 80 degrees! Last night, I came home at around 10:00...and it was still 68 degrees outside-it felt positively balmy!

I resolve to get those pictures off of my camera tonight, and will blog something more substantial soon!!!

It's Bonfire season!!!

Success!

2010-03-13T09:29:00.000-05:00

My English Toffee experiment, while not perfect, was definitely more of a success than my failed hard candy attempt. I used a recipe from The Lady & Sons "Just Desserts" cookbook, by Paula Deen. The book was a gift from a friend many years ago, and while I don't cook out of it often, it's nice to have a book that's just desserts.

The recipe:

Ingredients:

14 tablespoon (1 stick plus 6 tablespoons) butter
1 cup sugar

2 tablespoon cold water

1/2 cup chopped pecans

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
dash of salt
1 (6-ounce bag) semisweet chocolate chips or thin chocolate bars

Directions

Generously butter a cookie sheet.

Put butter, sugar, and water in a heavy pan or skillet over medium-high heat. Bring to a bubbling boil, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, about 10 minutes. Remove spoon from pan, and cook to a very brittle stage (300 degrees to 310 degrees F on a candy thermometer). Or, make a cold water test: candy will separate into hard, brittle threads when dropped in cold water. Remove from heat and add nuts to mixture. Add vanilla and salt. Pour onto prepared cookie sheet and spread to 1/4-inch thickness. Cool slightly, top with chocolate chips or chocolate bars, and spread as it melts. Cool completely and break into pieces. Store in an airtight container.

Recipe courtesy Paula Deen

Servings: about 40 pieces
Prep Time: 30 min
Cook Time: 25 min
Difficulty: Easy

Show: Paula's Home Cooking/Just Desserts cookbook

Lined, greased cookie sheet. I wasn't taking any chances.

Butter and sugar. What's so bad about that?

And we're bubbling.....

And the chips are sinking as they melt. Should've waited longer.

*** I pulled this recipe from the website. However, on closer examination, I found a discrepancy. In the book, it says to add the nuts to the mixture just before you remove the spoon. On this one, it ways to add the nuts just before you pour it out. I would follow this one, as I think the nuts cooked a little too much. Also, I used walnuts, because it's what I had.

I forgot to take a photo of the finished concoction. You'll just have to make it yourself to find out! I think the next time I make toffee, I'll use a recipe that my Grandma shared with me. It's mostly the same, but with a few changes I think would make a world of difference.

Spring!

2010-03-11T17:51:00.001-05:00

Spring may not be officially here yet, and we may get another big snowstorm before March is over, but I think she's definitely creeping around the neighborhood.

My crocuses are up!

I will be glad when we live in a house that's ours, but there are a few things I love about this house:

1. Crocuses in spring

2. Family room in the back of the house

3. Giant kitchen (both a blessing and a curse)

4. Raspberry patch in the summer.

Homemade Candy

2010-03-08T20:53:00.000-05:00

Lately, after eating supper, I've been craving something sweet. Not whole huge desserts, but just a few bites of something sweet, like candy. Rather than purchase candy made with all sorts of additives and junk, I thought I'd try and make candy at home.

First, I found a recipe that looked idiot-proof and tasty. It was also one I had all the ingredients on hand for. Bonus!

Vinegar Candy

(From Dining on a Dime Cookbook, by Tawra Kellam and Jill Cooper)

2 Cups sugar

1/2 Cup cider vinegar

2 Tsp. Butter

Combine ingredients in a saucepan and cook to 275 degrees. Pour into well buttered jelly roll pan, let cool, and break. Makes 24 pieces.

Sounds easy enough, right?

Wrong.

Everything started out fine:

I gathered my ingredients (that thing on the left is my butter keeper. If you don't have one, get one, it's amazing!)

And I followed the cooking instructions

And ended up with a pan full of candy-flavored cement.

I think my pan was too large, and my well-buttered job was not enough cause that stupid stuff wouldn't come out. I chiseled at it with a spatula, I put down waxed paper and hit it with a hammer. I ended up with shards of candy, not 24 pieces, but like candy dust with a few large bits thrown in. Also, when you suck on it, it gets gooey and sticks in your fillings/teeth.

Fail.

Next up, English Toffee from Paula Dean's Dessert Cookbook. With a smaller pan.

Olympics!

2010-02-28T19:56:00.000-05:00

Mike, right after the big win. Note the Vancouver 2010 mug. It was a Christmas gift from his mom. I kind of want one too now. (I got those red mittens everyone was wearing, you know with the maple leaf on the fingertips)

My fiance is Canadian. He (and I) are very happy that Canada's Men's Hockey team won the Gold Medal this evening (and very dramatically, I might add).

I am severely bummed that the Olympics are over. I love them: the competition, the unification of countries together, the sports that aren't publicized year-round (like curling. I love curling!), the montages, the sappy commercials about moms, and athletes, all of it! I also love that there's something real to watch on tv for two weeks. Not manufactured reality, like "reality TV," that's just people wanting their 15 minutes in fame for being the fattest, brattiest, or dumbest, but something that athletes train their whole lives and careers for.

So here's to you, USA, for winning the most medals ever in a winter Olympics!

And here's to you Canada, for winning the most GOLD medals ever in a winter Olympics, more than the U.S.!

And thank you, Vancouver, for hosting a great Olympics, one that was even sustainably minded! (Read about it here)

Farewell Olympics, until 2012 in London!!!

"Secret" family recipe...

2010-02-27T17:40:00.000-05:00

My mom used to cook at an assisted living facility. She brought home many recipes from there to share with our family, but one of our favorite growing up is called "Tangy Cheese Buns." (In our family, it's affectionately called "Baby Barf on a Bun" in reference to its uncooked appearance.) Don't let the name fool you, they're delicious!

When I was in college, and had my first apartment, my mom began for me a cookbook to collect favorite recipes, starting with some of hers that were my favorites, or that she thought would be useful for me as I began to fend for myself.

Here is what she wrote in the "Tangy Cheese Bun" Entry:

Tangy Cheese Buns~ serves 77

American cheese-shredded 8.5 pounds

Bacon-chopped-cooked-drained 4.25 pounds

Tomatoes-fresh, diced 4.25 pounds

Mayo 2.5 cups

Worcestershire Sauce 1/4 cup

Mix together with mixer

Use #24 scoop on hamburger buns

Bake at 350 for approx 20-30 minutes.

Have fun! :-)

Now, I don't know if my mom thought I would need to feed the entire music department or what, but I whittled it down from the original commercial measurements to usable ones:

Tangy Cheese Buns~ Serves 6

American Cheese (3 cups)

Bacon (1 1/2 cups)

Tomatoes (1 1/2 cups)

Mayo (1/2 cup)

Worcestershire Sauce (1 TBS)

I don't actually measure the ingredients, I just mix them all until it looks good and scoop it onto whatever buns I have around. If the buns are fresh from the store, I toast them a little first to make them crispier. Adjust the seasonings to what your family likes, I add a little hot sauce to mine, and use cheddar cheese instead...but the whole concept is delicious, and perfect for a quick supper!

Mike was dancing, he was so excited

that we were having these for supper!

Confessions...

2010-02-16T21:35:00.001-05:00

Now that I've posted a list of our changes for a better, greener world....I thought I should come clean (actually, dirty, I suppose) about some things we haven't changed....

So here goes (please be kind...)

I still buy paper towels (because the thought of a rag I used to clean the toilet with accidentally getting used for something else grosses me out. Also we don't have hot water to wash in or a dryer to clean the germs...) I also use these for patting meat dry.
We leave lights on....some accidentally, some on purpose (think motion sensored outdoor light)
Some foods I can't buy organic, we don't go without (Puff Pastry, for example...)
We leave most of our appliances plugged in (computer, coffee maker, television)
Organic wine, beer, and liquors are not a part of our regular consumption.
I still love the dollar store, even though I know it's all cheap crap.
Sometimes, I run to the store for one thing (not soo bad since I live 1 mile from a store, but still, it adds up. And I feel guilty.)
I still use commercial shampoo, deodorant, and perfumes.
Tissues. (I do buy sustainably harvested/replanted forested)
Windshield washer fluid-IS there an ecologically sound option?
Bacon-I love commercial bacon, and it's in our price range.
I buy non-organic pasta and beans mostly.
We belong to a gym (Not just any gym, a big, open 24 hours a day with lights on and stereo blaring gym. We should run and walk outdoors.....)
I want a clothes dryer. Not for everyday use, but so that I have the choice to buy something at the thrift store and wear it the next day. Also, we miss soft towels.
My favorite local deli doesn't carry organic lunch meat. I still buy lunch meat every week.
Imported cheese are our weakness.
We keep our house at 65 all the time. This is mostly for 3 reasons: 1) It's bad for our instruments to get warm and cold all the time 2) I think, with our old furnace, it's less efficient for us to turn it up and down all the time and 3) if it was at any lower, I would not leave the couch all winter and we'd eat TV dinners for 6 months.
Soda. We're both soda addicts. I try to limit my consumption to 1 a day, but....sometimes I fail.

While that's not all, it's what I think of regularly and would like to change eventually, but right now, it's not really in the cards. Maybe someday...

List of Changes

2010-02-09T18:25:00.000-05:00

I was reading The Green Phone Booth and thought the The Conscious Shopper made a good point. She observed that there's a lot of winter blahs and negativity floating around right now. To make yourself feel just a wee bit better, she advises making a list of the green things you've changed, even the small stuff. This is, I think, akin to "count your blessings."

It's hard for me to make a list of all green changes I've made on my journey, as I've been doing some of them my whole life, or unconsciously, so I'll list the conscious, recent changes-ones I've made since embarking out to live on my own.

Since I was sort of negative all day, here's my go at "counting my green blessings:" (in no particular order)

Started a compost pile to use in the garden and make food scraps/waste useful
Switched to cloth napkins.
Ditched disposable plates, cups, and flatware
Eliminated most processed food from our diet.
What pre-processed food we do eat, is mostly organic.
Bring my own silverware and cloth napkin to work daily
Switched to organic, fair trade coffee beans bought from a local food co-op
Purchase the majority of our meat from local, humane, grass-fed producers at the market.
Swapped my chemical-laden coffee creamer for organic chocolate soy milk
Canned summer produce (some, next year will be more...)
Frozen local produce to use year-round
Dried vegetables to use year-round.
Grow own vegetables (not so good at this one yet, but I'm trying...each year gets better!)
Make our own bread
Shop at thrift stores instead of big-box stores.
Gave up fast food
As bulbs burn out, replace them with CFLs
Fix, make do with, do without, or buying used items.
Keeping our thermostat at 65 (we'd go lower, but then our house gets too cold for instruments)
Eat in more
Eat less meat (we are meatless 2-3 nights a week)
Reduce/combine trips to places
I make our own laundry soap.
Use vinegar as fabric softener
Right now, we hang dry all clothes
My primary cleaning supplies are vinegar and baking soda. I also have a commercial all-natural cleaner.
Weather stripping our large windows to save energy, also weather stripped attic windows.
Reduced our paper towel use by quite a bit (I keep a few for wiping down the toilet, since I don't use bleach, hot water, or a dryer wash cleaning rags)
I use a diva cup
I no longer buy brown sugar in plastic bags. I buy white sugar, and whatever doesn't fit into my regular sugar bin gets mixed with molasses and stored as brown sugar.
I use reusable shopping bags at the grocery store, the market, and carry some in my car.
I use reusable produce bags at the market and grocery store
Buy in bulk where I can to reduce packaging.

Phew! That's quite a list! I guess I hadn't realized quite how much we've changed already. The Conscious Shopper was right...doing that made me smile. Now you try it!

Maybe it's not enough apples....

2010-02-03T22:39:00.001-05:00

...But I've been sick mostly for the last 3 weeks. First it was a sore throat with congestion. It was enough to make me stay home from work-the first time in almost 4 years. I was doing great last week, just a lingering cough and some sniffles until Friday night, when I went to bed with a sore throat again....

Now, I have this horrible barking cough, minimal chest congestion, and a runny nose.

I'm not writing this to complain (but I rarely get sick)...but to share with you a favorite family cold/cough remedy...

Grandma's Hot Sling:

Some fresh lemon juice (it's got Vitamin C), maybe a Tablespoon or 2

A tablespoon or so of honey

A good glug of whiskey (**note, growing up, we always used Jack Daniels...this evening I used my fiance's "Old Crow"...and it's a little rough around the edges...stick to Jack Daniels or Seagram's 7)

Hot water to fill a mug

I'm not sure if this is a primitive NyQuil or what, but it seems to work. My Grandma makes 'em best: My Poppy says "I have to drink your grandmother's Hot Sling sitting on the bed; she make them strong!"

So bottoms up, and here's to good health!

PS. I think my lack of posting is due to my battle with this darn cold. I just don't seem to have any attention span when I get home from work. Maybe next week.....

Green Dilemma

2010-01-28T18:59:00.000-05:00

In March of 2009, I purchased a new car:

A beautiful 2006 Subaru Outback. I'd been dreaming about a new car for years, but hadn't wanted to take on payments, and my old car just wasn't broken enough yet. It's not the most fuel efficient car, but I wanted a car that would Last. Subarus tend to stick around a while, so rather then need a new care in 5 or 6 years, I wanted a car that might last me 8 or 9 years and still be reliable.

I love my Subaru. I could found a fan club for Subarus.

I like to keep my Subaru clean, so that it looks nice, and also to preserve the paint and fend off any rust. I live in a climate where it snows a LOT, and the plows use salt on the roads, which eats paint.

How do you who drive new-ish cars (possibly hybrids) keep them clean in the winter? I took my baby through the car wash the other night and it occured to me how many chemicals they were spraying on my car, that would no doubt be sent right to the water table....

...but...

I can't justify just letting my car rust so that it will need wasteful replacing before the life of the car is up.

What's a green-minded girl to do?

Comforts of home...

2010-01-24T19:45:00.000-05:00

It's so good to spend a day around the house.

A freshly mopped kitchen floor

An empty kitchen sink

Pan of Low-Fat Oatmeal-Fruit bars cooling

Spinach-Artichoke Quiche for weekday lunches

The blessing of a stocked fridge

Hot cup of tea to unwind before preparing supper

Every weekend is a balancing act between busy and calm. This weekend has been especially energizing and rejuvenating. May this week bring you many blessings and much peace!

Brain Lint...

2010-01-21T17:52:00.000-05:00

Some miscellaneous stuff I've been holding on to, but not enough on their own for individual posts.

This was supper one night last week.

Grits/Polenta with a sort of chile/sloppy joe sauce

And crispy onions on top. Yummy

Homemade chicken stock this weekend.

I was sick, and using up a lot of what I had made, so it was time...

Thrift store find. It was $3.99

Look what was inside!:

That's the sort of things that bounce around between posts. I think I'm going to try to share them in a clump like this every so often, when a few build up, but not so many that it's overwhelming....

The last Holiday Post, I promise...

2010-01-16T12:34:00.002-05:00

As the Grand Finale (belatedly, I admit) of all my holiday posting, here are some photos of my grandparents' recycled gift to me:

A note:

Dearest Meg-

This gift is given with much love and a piece of history. The peach chemise was your Great Grandma Alice's for her wedding. She also had the silk stockings in her cedar chest when she died. The hankies are ones she gave me as gifts on Christmas's in our early years of marriage. The top one I carried on my wedding day 47 years ago. The beaded purse was a gift from my sister-in-law Anne-Marie when I was in high school. Never having had anything so fancy I thought I was pretty special. Hope you will enjoy owning these gifts or you may sell as you wish.

Love,

Grandma and Poppy

First of all, I would hardly think of selling family heirlooms such as these! I have a hard time getting rid of clothes that don't fit for sentimental reasons, much less family history!

Second, I am truly touched by the items in the box, and intend on using some of them in our September wedding.

Photos of the items within the box:

Great Grandma's chemise

Great Grandma's silk stockings

Grandma's wedding handkerchief

I will carry this on my wedding day,

along with some of the others, perhaps,

I'm a sentimental fool, and probably will cry a TON!

Heirloom Handkerchiefs:

Grandma's purse.

I've been looking for a purse to carry on my wedding day.

It found me, instead!

Detail of the beautiful beading

A different kind of New Year's Resolution

2010-01-06T20:07:00.000-05:00

Every year, I make a bunch of futile, abstract goals that I can never accomplish. This year, I have, again, made similar kinds of goals.

But, I've also set a goal for myself that has no "outcome."

This year, I would like to make better use of my time:

Instead of making supper, eating it, then curling up on the sofa and falling asleep, dishes undone, I resolve to make supper, eat it, and then wash the dishes before curling up on the sofa. Better yet, do them as I go!

Instead of wasting time on the internet, do double duty, and work on things for our upcoming wedding while I'm farting around on Facebook or in Blogland.

While cooking supper, clean off a counter, tidy a drawer, put away dishes, sweep, etc. while waiting for something to cook, defrost, boil, etc.

When I do settle down to watch television, do something productive while I'm watching, at least to start off with-fold laundry, bead, do wedding stuff, dust, etc.

Get at least a couple household chores done each evening before I collapse on the sofa.

These resolutions are not outcome driven, they are changing the way I approach each day, tackling things as they come instead of letting them pile up. I hope that by changing my approach in increments, with do-able tasks, I won't procrastinate as much as I have in the past.

I'm making progress already: While I write this blog, I'm minding a pan of Risotto (which needs a bit of minding), and I've already tidied 2 kitchen drawers. Since I got home, I've done a load of laundry and washed a sinkful of dishes.

A Recycled Christmas

2010-01-03T20:13:00.000-05:00

For Christmas this year, my Grandparents suggested that our family have a "Recycled Christmas:" everything given was to be handmade, homemade, re-gifted, recycled, or bought used. I, of course, jumped right on the bandwagon as we have been trying to cut down on "things." The idea was met with some resistance by a few members of our family, but in the end, it turned out great!

I don't have many photos to share with this post, but I wanted to share with you some of the creative and thoughtful gifts that were exchanged in our family this holiday season.

My grandparents gave each of us family heirlooms, along with a personal note that explains the story. For example, my fiance received a photo album full of childhood pictures of yours truly. I received old family handkerchiefs, and a beautiful beaded white purse given as a gift many years ago to my grandma. My mother received a hatbox full of family photos. My brother, a great great uncle's ring.

My aunt (a skeptic) gave me a conga drum that she traded a train table that her children didn't play with anymore for, and she gave my fiance an antique radio she bought when Aeropostale was selling all of the decorations from its store closing. She also made us tie-dye shirts. My cousins also helped making gifts, decoupaging a chair for my sister's roommate, and coloring Christmas pictures for each of us. My uncle gave my mother bacon that he smoked himself, and my brother gave my uncle gourmet, homemade flavored vinegars.

I gave my cousin a blanket I made, another one used books, and I made my grandma a jewelry set. My Poppy (Grandpa) got my homemade french onion dip, a jar of salsa I canned, and a re-gifted (yet unopened) bag of Terrell's SU cheese poofs.

If you haven't tried a homemade/recycled holiday with your extended family, try bringing it up sometime, our entire family had a blast making and searching for gifts in unusual places, and each gift has a lot more meaning than something just purchased in a store. Even those of us who were unsure of the idea ended up enjoying the family bonding experience it created.

My mom, opening her box of old family photos and documents

(even one of my grandmother's old report cards!)

A holiday in photos...

2010-01-02T09:06:00.000-05:00

Christmas Eve

Bongo Bob-my brother with my new conga drum and

his new tie-dye shirt (he's more of a camouflage guy)

Siblings-the four of us don't get all together very often anymore...

Christmas Day

My sister and I got aprons from Italy!

My Dad got a hat from Italy...

December 26-Toronto, ON

Mike got a Team Canada sweater from his sister

Merry Christmas, eh?

New Years Eve-Niagara Falls, ON

Mike, in front of the American falls

Me, in the same place

It was a misty, drizzly day, so the Skylon tower seemed to disappear

Mike, in front of the Horseshoe falls

Me, in the same place

It was rainy and miserable, so we went to Ripley's Believe it Or Not!

This Buddha is made from money-like 3 million dollars!

Then I put Mike in the Stocks

This neat-o fence was outside the Hard Rock Cafe

Mike got a Canada jersey

And I got boppers (I call them Knockers) for New Years

We got wine, but forgot to bring wine or champagne glasses,

so I used my plastic snowflake cup we had brought along with us

Happy New Years!

We hope that 2010 is a blessed year for everyone. We have so much to look forward to this year: buying a house, getting married and embarking on the next adventure of this great journey called life!

Holiday Preparations

2009-12-12T09:18:00.000-05:00

Our tree

In the spirit of all the blogs I've been reading about decorating for the holidays, I thought I'd take a few photos of our holiday preparations to share with whoever's reading this blog.....just me? maybe....

here's me, decorating our tree

I snipped a few small branches, these are on the windowsill above my sink

I made this creation for my dining room table centerpiece. (sorry for the poor photo) It's branches some leftover, some got when we got our tree :) in a huge vase with some plastic ornaments in the bottom (with rocks for weight), lights, bows, and some wooden bead garland

More leftover branches in a simple vase in our room

I love garland. There's some on most windows, and archways

Even a small piece leftover from a gift I got gets used on my kitchen window.

An ornament hanging from the center is nice too.

I never throw out garland, it can always be used for something.

Two matching pieces on our dining room windows,

they're so beautifully tall.

A painted wooden bead garland from my childhood

adorns the painting by my great grandmother

Garland on the studio windows-with mandolin ornaments on the corners!

I did this one a little differently and looped it around and around the curtain rod

Poinsettia garland on a framed poster

Garland on the family room window with some lights on it,

and music note ornaments hanging from the swags.

Ornaments aren't just for trees anymore!

I use them everywhere, so nice to hang from garland,

fill a vase with, or scatter around:

The Santa and the Tricycle are both ornaments...

This long ribbon (with Santa print) was also used to wrap a gift I was given.

It's beautiful over this double doorway, with a bow in the center

The door on the left has small plaques that read:

"Joy" and "Believe"

Don't neglect the bathroom-

Bows on the sconces.

I also have a fun toilet seat cover and holiday towels.

I tried out the cookie press I was given for my birthday.

These are molasses spritz cookies,

in the shape of camels.

In the spirit of Hanukkah, I made Latkes for supper last night.

With either applesauce or sour cream, DELICIOUS!

We intend on honoring Hanukkah each year this way.

I used the recipe in the Joy of Cooking.

How are you preparing for the holidays? We're hosting my department party this week, so I have a few more decorations than in past years, but it wasn't that much extra effort, so I intend on continuing this tradition each year. Next, I'll try to take and post photos of the Christmas lights I'm using....

Pantry Cooking...

2009-12-02T20:20:00.000-05:00

I was starving tonight...and didn't have a thing planned for supper. I haven't grocery shopped since before Thanksgiving, and we are out of supper-able leftovers. So, I turned to my well stocked pantry, intending on making tomato soup with pastina and white beans (a variation on a soup they make at work)...only to find that we are out of white beans (cannellini beans).

Change of plans:

How about Mexican-style tomato soup with corn and black beans?

Cook up some pastina (I used star-shaped...maybe 1/2 cup? It was the end of the box...) in a pot of water. Pastina is tiny balls of pasta that are great in soups...or for when I'm sick. Cook until tender and drain, reserving 2 cups of the cooking water. Sweat half an onion and a clove of garlic, both minced, until tender and translucent. Add 1 can of drained (not rinsed) black beans, add a pinch of salt, and cook for a minute. Add one can of creamed corn, and one 28 oz can of tomato puree. To the 2 cups reserved cooking water, add whatever bouillon you have on hand, I used a scant teaspoon of vegetable bouillon paste. Add to soup. Simmer until all components are warmed through. Stir in cooked pastina, hot sauce to taste, a dash of apple cider vinegar, and a pinch (maybe a tablespoon?) of dried parsley flakes. Bring to boil, thicken to desired consistency. It's delicious with or without crushed tortilla chips on top!

What do you make when you rely on your pantry for a quick supper??

Leftover Potato Gnocchi

2009-12-01T17:38:00.000-05:00

What to do with all the leftover mashed potatoes that *magically* ended up in my fridge?

After I saw this over at Angry Chicken, I knew. I love gnocchi. Rather, I adore gnocchi. I've made it before once or twice with my Grandma. I can do this? Then, I got home from work, and saw this on Angry Chicken, and I was convinced...and starving.

Recipe? Who needs a stinkin' recipe? I am domestic goddess, and part Italian to boot, I can do this by feel. Right. It feels very sticky.

Well, I took the mashed 'taters and mashed them a bit more with a fork, because there were a few lumps (I wasn't in charge of the original mashing, or there wouldn't have been any...)

Then I added salt, an egg, and some flour to the mound I had on the cutting board. Then I began to smush them together, and bits went everywhere. Then I got out a large shallow bowl. This was better. Added flour until I thought I had a good consistency and divided the dough. Too sticky. Add more flour. Make ropes, cut into bits, form gnocchi on fork. Gnocchi too large. Re-knead potato dough. Re-form gnocchi. Repeat 10,000 times.

While I'm doing this, I made a sauce: leftover plain creamer thickened with a roux and mixed with leftover tomato pasta sauce.

Cook the gnocchi in boiling salted water, a few at a time, until they float.

Skim out, and add to bowl with sauce. Parmesan cheese on top, and:

They were good! Some were better textured in others because I added flour to each eighth of the dough separately because it was easier to work with that way. All in all, a delicious, successful leftover meal!

Local Thanksgiving Menu

2009-11-23T09:01:00.000-05:00

We're hosting Thanksgiving this year. 20 people...EEK!!! Thankfully, I'm not doing all the cooking, as I have to work until 2pm Thanksgiving Day. We're having supper at 5 or 6, and my Mom and Sister will be at my house while I'm at work to get things going. I wanted to share our *mostly* local menu with you:

Turkey-ordered from nearby Plainville Farms

Local Mashed Potatoes- with local butter and sour cream

Sausage stuffing- using locally-made Gianelli sausage

Stuffed squash- using locally grown turban squashes, local apples, home-made bread, and local walnuts (just found these at the co-op, super excited about them!)

Sauteed Spinach-will try to find local, but if I can't then organic at least

Salad, with local greens

Applesauce-with local apples

Homemade Rolls

Pies-Grandma's in charge, but probably made with local fruit she picked this summer and froze

Appetizers:

Deviled eggs-local free-range eggs

Onion dip- local onions, with locally-made potato chips

Salsa-homemade with local produce, and organic corn chips.

It's not perfect, but I think it's a pretty good stab at our first conscious effort to have a local Thanksgiving feast, especially with family members who are not always on our local bandwagon. Look for photos of our feast sometime this weekend!!

Breadwinner!

2009-11-16T09:03:00.000-05:00

Off and on now, I've been making bread at home using this recipe for "Artisan Bread in 5 minu tes a Day" I originally read about it in Mother Earth News online. So, when we want bread at home, this is the recipe I use, because it's fast, and also because kneading bothers my wrists (this is a no-knead recipe).

Now, normally, I don't experiment when I bake, thinking that any deviation from the recipe will ruin the result, and I don't like wasting food. But when I cook, I don't measure hardly at all....

Yesterday, I got brave and experimented with the bread recipe. Before mixing the bread together, I threw some oatmeal, wheat bran, dry kamut cereal, walnuts, flax seed, and sunflower seeds into the food processor. I pulverized it, and replaced it for the same volume of flour. The rest of the flour I used half white flour and half wheat flour. I set the bread to rise, and held my breath.

Put it in to bake, and VOILA!!!

There it is!

It was hard to wait for it to cool to slice it, but I did....lookin' good...

I was worried the texture would be too dense, but it's not really, sort of the texture of a muffin inside.....and DELICIOUS!!!

Needless to say, I'm very proud of myself. Now I only have to duplicate it.....great.

I will be a domestic goddess...

2009-11-07T17:21:00.000-05:00

I had big plans for today. I was going to get a ton of things done-cleaning the bathroom, canning salsa, making bread, making some Christmas gifts, laundry, pick up bunny supplies for the bunny at work, make ginger ale syrup, pick up some stuff from work so I could finish some of that on time for once.....

I made (a ton of!) salsa and barbecue sauce and mixed the bread dough, which is rising in the fridge. I may get to it today. I may not.
canned salsa

salsa to use soon and freeze

the beginning of my delicious barbecue sauce-
some for this weekend, some to freeze

Why are weekends so difficult to cram everything into? Tomorrow's a wash because I have a gig out of town, and I'll be gone from 10am until at least 7pm...

Also, although I love my stove with the gas cooktop, built in grill, and electric oven, it's too small. I rarely grill indoors because it's uneven heat, and it's a real pain when I can because I can't do anything else. My new (to me) canner is also too large for the burner, and my other pot feels crowded. This one is the smaller one that I had on while the salsa was processing, the big one with the salsa in it was a real squeeze!

Sorry to do so much unloading, it's what happens when my brain gets to much alone time....

Someone stop the world...

2009-11-03T07:46:00.001-05:00

...I want to get off!

What a busy Halloween season we had around here! Also, I've been slacking on posting because there were photos of my wedding dress on my camera and I didn't want to accidentally upload them to our computer. But, photos are now safely on a work computer, and this week is less busy.

So, without further delay, here are some photos of my busy Halloween season:

Tastes like chicken!

2009-10-20T07:51:00.000-04:00

I made a delicious chicken salad last night, and wanted to share the recipe with you. You can find it here: I originally found the recipe in an old "Cooking Light" magazine my Grandma gave me. It was delicious on toasted 7 grain bread for a light supper after working late. Try it!

Soup, etc...

2009-10-18T11:22:00.000-04:00

I just cobbled together the most delicious soup! I was going for an Italian-flavored vegetable soup, but ended up with one that tastes sort of Mexican flavored-it's just crying out for some crispy tortilla strips on top. I want to chronicle what I did so that perhaps I can duplicate it.

Delicious pantry/freezer vegetable soup:

1 Onion, minced
2 small cloves of garlic, minced
2 carrots, scrubbed, with skins on, chopped
1 orange pepper, diced
2 dry bay leaves
pinch dried rosemary
pinch salt

Sweat the above ingredients for 10-15 minutes, until tender. Add:

1- 28oz can diced tomatoes, undrained
1- 14oz can kidney beans, undrained

approx. 4-6 cups homemade chicken (or vegetable) stock.

2 cups shredded frozen zucchini
1 zip-top bag full frozen corn kernels.

Simmer and enjoy!

(My plan was to cook pasta separately and mix it in all week for lunch, but this would go well with rice, mashed potatoes or tortilla strips!)

I did it!

2009-10-11T09:34:00.000-04:00

I bought my wedding dress!

No, I won't put photos of it here because I don't want Mike to have any clue what it looks like until I walk down that aisle. I will tell you that it's beautiful, perfect for the kind of wedding we're having, and comfortable (at least, it will be once it's altered) It also has some unique little details that I just love!

It was half off of the price, and I bought it at a locally owned wedding boutique called "Something Old, Something New." So while it's not the eco-friendly dress I had hoped for, it's just what I wanted (without even knowing what I wanted until I put it on), and since I purchased it from a local store, that alleviates some of the guilt.

I'm so excited, I want to just put it on and wear it around! I even asked the salesgirl if i could wear it home, like in grade school when you wear your new shoes home.....

Only 342 Days to go!

Everyday Beauty-part 1

2009-10-10T12:29:00.000-04:00

There's so much beauty in the things I see everyday, I have been collecting photos to share with you! Some of these photos are recent, others are from my collection of photos I have taken. You may have seen some of these elsewhere in cyberspace, like on my facebook or myspace page, or on my fiance's band's pages. Enjoy, and remember to see the beauty in what's around you each day!

This last one is the design in the caramel latte I had last night: it looks kind of like a mushroom. Aside from being made by the coolest barista in Syracuse at Freedom of Espresso, it was easily one of the best lattes I have ever had. Yummy!

Autumn

2009-10-08T07:43:00.000-04:00

I love autumn:
The smell of woodstoves, and leaves, and coolness in the air.
The putting on of corduroy clothes.
Flannel Sheets.
Halloween.
Harvest-time (Yummy veggies at the market!)
Cool evenings to snuggle on the couch.
The beautiful colors.

This autumn, I'm taking my camera with me wherever I go to document the beauty I see, especially in the urban setting I live. Also, I have vacation next week: my plans include making and canning applesauce, sewing 2 skirts, baking bread, and who knows what else!

Finally on the wedding front:
Our reception venue is booked as the Zoo here in town (!)
I have a hold on the venue for our ceremony (A local state park)
Our save-the-date cards are here and awaiting addresses!

Next up: Officiant and photographer!

What a busy time of year, but so fufilling!

Wedding Plans

2009-09-25T07:34:00.001-04:00

Well, this week I'm making some actual progress on the wedding planning:

I went dress shopping, and found a possibility
I have an appointment at our reception venue to sign a contract!!
I designed and ordered our save-the-date cards
Started an address label document on our computer so that we can just keep printing it each time we do a mailing (save-the dates, invitations, thank yous...)

I know it doesn't look like much, but it's important headway :) More to come later as my plan this weekend is to chip away at that list a little more! On another topic, I want to make my own dishsoap. I found one recipe, but found it to be not as explanatory as I'd like. Any suggestions for recipes?

hours.

2009-09-22T07:59:00.001-04:00

There simply are not enough hours in the day, both at work, and at home. I'm still working on preserving produce for the winter, mostly drying, but I might try canning some things this weekend. Can you can Chicken broth? Wedding planning is coming along, I'm ordering the save the dates this week!!!!! It's less than a year away, and I feel slightly overwhelmed with everything I have to do still....Also this week: Finalize and sign contract with reception venue. Next up: Wedding dress shopping! I noticed that the vintage/used wedding boutique is having a 50% off sale...so maybe this weekend....anybody up for shopping with me?

Busy-ness

2009-09-07T20:22:00.001-04:00

We've been so busy the last couple of weeks, here's a taste of what we've been up too!

delicious supper:
black bean and corn burritos and Honey Dijon Dill Cucumber Salad
(both my own creations!)

Another tasty supper: Roasted Tomato Mac & Cheese

Drying zucchini chips for soup this winter

Making homemade laundry soap

A trip to the fair with my work, Mike volunteered with us

Zucchini Parmesan:
My version of eggplant Parmesan,
but I've never actually seen a recipe
for it so I made it up (it's more fun that way!)

Housewarming party for and with friends

Also, I've made tomato sauce from scratch, and done some fall cleaning. Autumn, here I come!

Bought some seconds tomatoes at the market this weekend, need to freeze/can them, but they're not Romas. Any ideas of how I can best preserve them for versatility?

Summer's last hurrah!

2009-08-25T17:50:00.000-04:00

Tales from a great weekend!

A Boots n' Shorts gig: A lot of my family came-Mom, Dad, Brothers Bob and Matt, and long-lost Uncle who was in town for a bit before settling in Ohio!

Always wanted our name in lights!

"My two sons:" Dad, Bob, Matt

Matt and Mom

Dad and Bob (yes, that is the shocker *rolls eyes*)

Dancing fools! (Matt and Uncle Andy)

"Is there a snake in your boots?"

Fun with hula hoops!

"The Monkey and the Engineer!"

Brother Bob and I

Andy and I
(apparently there's the shocker again....*Sigh*)

Andy and Bob
(never mind my brother flipping the bird)

Matt

Family Photo!!
Mom, Me, Andy, Bob, Matt, Dad (and the drunk cigarette bummer in the background!)
(For all you college friends who thought my Dad didn't exist, here's a photo!)

Got a good-ish harvest from the garden this weekend:That's two tomatoes, two cucumbers, and a small handful of wild strawberries!

Then, I was a domestic goddess:
Oven drying roma tomatoes for the winter and freezing blueberries for the same:

Hickory Fest 2009

2009-08-19T17:42:00.000-04:00

This past weekend we went to an amazing bluegrass festival in Wellsboro, PA called Hickory Fest. It's our third year attending, and we intend on making an annual pilgrimage to the Stony Fork Creek Campground. The setting is beautiful, the music inspiring, and the people that attend create such a feeling of warmth that each time we go, we vow to attend always!

I wanted to share some photos of our weekend with you:Neat-O cloud

fog

Banjo Mike

Nighttime jams

Spider web in the grass with dew

Lawn cutouts of famous musicians-see the Jerrys on the end?

Happy people

I can Hula!

Look at me go!

Happy Chicas! Janet, Dawn, Me

Hula Mama!

Special thanks to my Hula Mama!!! I never would have tried it if it weren't for her hula hoops!!!

bountiful harvest

2009-08-18T21:49:00.001-04:00

This is the first tomato from my garden this year!

It was made all the more exciting for two reasons: 1. Last year, I did not get a single tomato from my garden. 2. Something took a bite while it was still green but I left it on the vine to see what happened. The unbitten half was as tasty as tasty could be!

Then, Sunday evening, we got home from an amazing 4-day bluegrass festival trip to find two more ripe tomatoes in my garden!We had stopped for lunch on the way home from the festival, and we got some pesto to bring home for supper. I made up a quick pesto/tri-color rotini/tomato/chick pea salad for supper:

Would you believe that those tomatoes were the best tomatoes I have ever tasted? Can't wait for the others that are ripening on the vine as we speak!

Unfortunately, I think my mom's garden got the tomato blight :( But her zucchini plants are ENORMOUS!!! After being away for 2 days, she got 5 of these guys (and 2 normal sized ones!):

We grilled one up for supper last night at mom's house, and with the leftovers, I made this tasty Zucchini/Balsamic dip-I don't remember what went in it, but I know there was some garlic, balsamic vinegar, Parmesan cheese, cream cheese, mayo, sour cream, and to thicken it up some, some pita bread soaked in balsamic vinegar. Whizzed up in the food processor, it was delicious!!
We were also blessed with 2 of our very own zucchini/canoes to take home with us. I shredded one, it yielded about 8ish cups of shredded zucchini-and I still have another one to contend with! I'm considering hollowing it out to make a canoe-could I shellac it and take it to the Adirondacks do you think?

Camping

2009-08-11T17:36:00.001-04:00

We love camping. This weekend we got the opportunity to camp with my sister and her roommate. We went for a hike around the gorge where we camped, and I took some beautiful photos! Just wanted to share them with you:

Hopefully I'll have a more substantial post later tonight or tomorrow....soo busy!

Line Drying

2009-08-02T07:44:00.000-04:00

I love laundry dried on the line
Clean, fresh smelling sheets...less wrinkles, clothes dry in a snap. Sure, we dry our clothes on drying racks, but there's something about clothes dried outdoors that I just love:

Only problem is, I don't have a clothesline. I tried the drying racks in the driveway, but they just blow over. Then, in March, I bought a new car. Now I have a clothes line. All I need are a nail into the garage:

And my roof racks. Trusty Subaru! And, I can move my line around the driveway to follow the sun!

Unreasonable

2009-07-28T17:38:00.000-04:00

I have an unreasonable fear of spiders.

Not generally speaking, but specifically, spiders that reside in my raspberry patch. I have this unreasonable fear that I'll be out there picking away (with nobody else home, of course), and I'll get bitten by some poisonous spider (probably a black widow) and I'll die, out there, on the north side of the house. Or else, I'll get myself to the hospital only to discover that since I didn't see the spider that got me, they can't give me the proper antidote.

I tried reading up on backyard spiders to steel myself, and reassure myself, but the writer only started talking about poisonous spiders, and it didn't help.

Right now, my plan of attack is:
1. Always have my cell phone on me, in case of spider attack.
2. Always look before I pick up anything I can't see
3. Never, ever let your guard down.

After raspberry season, my fear of spiders will return to it's average "cautious distance."

Time to go pick some raspberries.

Dilemma

2009-07-24T20:03:00.000-04:00

So a co-worker/office-mate/friend's last day at work was today, she's taken a better job closer to home, and I'm ecstatic for her, I think she'll be a wonderful director. Since her desk is bigger than mine, after offering it to other office-mates, I'm moving into it, since my desk's busting at the seams.
She leaves at 4:30 every day, and I leave at 5...and today I had 10 minutes before I could leave, and not the focus to do anything. So I moved some files from my small desk to hers (my new one). Is this too soon? I kind of felt like it was, but also, it was a spare 10 minutes, which don't come often at my job. What do you think? Thoughts, advice?

Success!

2009-07-22T20:13:00.000-04:00

I did it!

I made jam for the first time this year. I've made jam before, but this time it's different.

It's not freezer jam.

I canned it...

All by myself- without one of those expensive canning pots and racks.

I did buy a jar lifter and a jar funnel-because (especially the funnel) will help with other tasks..but I used a big pot to sterilize the jars and equipment, and the big pot also to process the jam-I used a vegetable steamer in the bottom instead of a rack.

Here are my babies:
There's only one problem:
I'm so proud of them, I don't want to eat them! Especially as I look toward a whole year before the berries are ready again! I want to save them for the depths of winter when we need a taste of summer!

BLT-asty!

2009-07-19T09:21:00.000-04:00

We went to a friend's barbecue last evening...every year, the rules are "bring a chair and a dish to share." Since there's always the salads, and fruit, and cookies, etc. I like to bring something different. I devised a tasty (I hoped) alternative to the traditional "dish to share:"

BLT Layer Dip:
(This recipe makes enough for a 9 x 9 pan, if your family/friends love BLTs, I recommend doubling the recipe)

1 pound bacon
1 package cream cheese, softened (I use Lite)
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 TBS chopped herbs (use what you have, I used parsley and chives)
2 cups shredded lettuce
2 tomatoes, diced.
Salt and pepper to taste

I bake the bacon on a sheet pan at 375 for about 15 minutes, or until it's crispy. drain the bacon on some paper towels. Meanwhile, combine cream cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise and herbs in a medium bowl (I use a hand mixer to make it smooth and creamy). Chop or crumble half of the bacon into the cream cheese mixture, reserving the other half. Add salt and pepper to taste (I also used a few teaspoons of the bacon grease/drippings to make the bacon flavor throughout the cream cheese, but if you use warm bacon, you shouldn't have to do that).

At this point, you can either refrigerate the cream cheese mixture for later, or assemble the dip now.

Spread cream cheese mixture on the bottom of a 9 x 9 pan. Cover with shredded lettuce. Add diced tomatoes on top of that. Finally, crumble remaining bacon on top of that. Serve with potato chips, or toasted white bread slices (I used toasted baguette slices, you could use any white bread, but I recommend cutting them into bite size pieces)

Enjoy (The dip was gone in less than an hour!)

Tasty

2009-07-17T20:54:00.000-04:00

Looking for something different for dunking those carrot sticks, potato chips and celery sticks? How about Honey Dijon Dill dip? I created this last weekend and it's awesome. It would even be good on salad or a sandwich. I don't measure anything, but here is an approximation of how I make it. Adjust seasonings to your own taste!

1 cup sour cream ( I use lite)
1/4 cup mayo (also lite)
1 TBS dried dill (or 2 TBS fresh, chopped)
1 tsp. honey
2 TBS dijon or whole grain mustard
1/2 tsp. mustard powder
salt and pepper to taste

Combine, let sit a few minutes to blend flavors, and enjoy!
Also, it appears that I'm going to have a plethora of cucumbers and zucchini (also yellow squash)...taking orders now!! (Also accepting recipes/freezer advice!)

ahh...

2009-07-13T20:02:00.000-04:00

I should blog. I have things to talk about: The delicious pasta salad I made last night. The yummy Hamburger cheesey-mac I made last week. How I took my jewelry to a festival and sold exactly 1 pair of earrings (and only 'cause I think she felt sorry for me not selling anything). My garden is growing...and I have japanese beetles in my raspberry patch. But I lack the motivation. I/We've been out until at least 9:00 5 out of the last 7 nights. I went 2 weeks without grocery shopping. So, until tomorrow night (a cancelled rehearsal means a free evening!) here is something I stole from Crunchy Chicken:

Monday Meme - things about me

A - Age: 25

B - Bed size: Full

C - Chore you hate: Taking out the compost

D - Dog's name: No dog. My brother's dog's name is Duke. My friend's dog's name is Skyler.

E - Essential start your day item: Finding my glasses

F - Favorite color: Red. Or purple. Or Green.....

G - Gold or Silver or Platinum: Silver/Platinum

H - Height: 5'3ish

I - Instruments you play: Clarinet, piano, guitar, saxophone, percussion, autoharp, vox, recorder, a teeny bit of fiddle/violin and another teeny bit of trumpet. I'd love to learn the oboe and more of the trumpet.

J - Job title: Recreation Specialist, although my digital signature at work says Associate. Jerks, someone made that wrong. Gr.

K - Kid(s): None. I talk to the plants and fishie like they're kids though....

L - Living arrangements: 2 bedroom rented house

M - Mom's name: Cindy

N - Nicknames: Meg, Mega, a resident at work calls me "Geraldine..."

O - Overnight hospital stay other than birth: Something when I was very small (like 3 weeks old) but I don't remember what it was for...

P - Pet Peeve: people who don't accelerate to highway speed before merging in front of me.

Q - Quote from a movie: "this doesn't mean that I like you." (Cool Runnings)

R - Right handed or left handed: Right

S - Siblings: Two younger brothers and a younger sister.

T - Time you wake up: As late as possible. Ideally 6:30, realistically 7:00

U- Underwear: always

V - Vegetable you dislike: peppers

W - Ways you run late: Blogs, facebook, myspace...

X - X-rays you've had: teeth, arm, foot

Y - Yummy food you make: Are you kidding? Everything I make is yummy!

Z - Zoo favorite: Flamingos...only cause it's the only place I can see them here :)

Odds n' Ends

2009-07-03T10:25:00.001-04:00

We've put a deposit on our wedding reception location, it's a place I'm really excited about...

Our Date: September 18, 2010 Our Location: The Rosamund Gifford Zoo! A beautiful reception room with great food options for a reasonable price. A focus on locally available foods, with an eye towards environmental responsibility. All the proceeds go back directly to the animals of the zoo! So excited!!! Our ceremony location has yet to reveal itself to us, the zoo is available, but not until evening, and we want an afternoon ceremony, preferably outdoors with a contingency available in case of rain.

Any thoughts? Also, preferably close to the zoo.... Our wed ding website (still not a lot of information, but check back regularly!) I've been working on some jewelry to give and sell..here are some photos, what do you think?

Farmer's market

2009-07-02T08:00:00.001-04:00

I didn't get to our regional market this Saturday, for obvious reasons. Since I desperately needed produce, Mom and I decided to check out our local "downtown farmer's market" on Tuesday (as I had the day off). What a pleasant surprise!! A couple dozen local farmers, including some who make their own butter, a local flour mill, and a free-range meat producer! I got everything on my "Market" list, and more!

I've decided that I'll hit up this market on Tuesdays on my lunch break when I can't make the regional market on Saturdays...

Hurrah!