What an eventful 3 weeks! Thomas and I were blessed to join my family on a Caribbean Cruise on the Celebrity Equinox. We got to travel to 5 different Islands in the Southern Caribbean. Our favorites were Dominica and St. Maarten. The other islands we visited were, St. Thomas, Barbados, and St Kitts. I will post about our trip on a few different posts since there is a lot to cover. I will start out with our favorite, Roseau Dominica (Dom-ih-nee-ka).
Dominica is a beautiful Rain Forrest island getting over 250 inches of rain a year!! Luckily it did not rain while we were there. We went on an excursion to visit the Trafalgar Falls and the Emerald Pool. Our tour guide Cynthia was wonderful and she gave us such interesting information regarding Dominica and its people. We learned the long process to roasting cashews takes up to 6 months! and we learned that as soon as your child can walk, talk and use the toilet they are old enough to go to school. Most of their children are potty-trained by 7 months to 1 year and begin school at age 2, which is hard to imagine since children in the US don't start potty training until they are close to 2 years old! Along our tour we got to go through the Botanical Gardens and saw many new and interesting plants and trees. There was even a tree that looked like it was growing giant peanuts the size of two Volleyballs stacked on top of each other!! We went to Mont Bruce which is a lookout point high above in the city of Roseau, giving us a wonderful view of the city and ocean. Cynthia also told us that most people on the island only eat red meat 3 times a year, at Christmas, Weddings and Birthdays, their diet mainly consists of fruits, vegetables and fish with some chicken. Most everything is grown on the island and their main export is Bananas. We learned about their unique health care on the island. Each resident gets one free visit to the health clinic each week and if they need to go to the hospital they must pay about $100 for their visit. Dominican's do not really believe in Western Medicine, if they have an ailment then they make a tea out of their natural resources. The other really cool thing about Dominica is that they filmed Pirates of the Caribbean there. We had such a fabulous time at this island, we now know where we are going to retire to...if only that were to happen in the next couple of years.
On another note, Cooper loves the sun. He follows the sun in our house when he takes naps. This afternoon it got a little chilly so I turned on the heat. I looked around for the puppies and Cooper was laying next to the slider door, odd because it is on the wrong side of the house for the sun...then I realized that he was laying next to our floor vent and enjoying the warm air blowing out. What a cutie!!
May your pockets be heavy -
Your hearts be light
And may good luck pursue you
Each morning and night.
Monday, April 18, 2011
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Trying to Keep Up
Ok so I am a week late posting. Last Thursday, I celebrated my 27th Birthday. I was ok with 26 but 27 just seems so old and that much closer to 30. I am no where near where I thought I would be at 27, but God has his own plan for me. I must keep reminding myself of this. For my birthday, as usual, we celebrated at FX McRory's in Seattle. I love their Roasting Box Beef Prime Rib....it is always so delicious and is part of the reason why I look forward to my birthday. Also as usual, they were out of the burnt cream dessert (they are always out of it on my birthday, doesn't matter what time we have dinner) so my plan for next year is to order it when we make the reservations OR as soon as we sit down!!! I am determined to try their Burnt Cream (but now that I think of it, maybe God is sparing me because its not as delicious as I am hoping for...I may never know). It was a wonderful night spent with Thomas and my parents, I am so thankful for my family.
Since my birthday was on a weekday we decided to do my family birthday on Saturday. We had a wonderful meal prepared by my mom and sister, a meal that has long been forgotten (we haven't had the food served in at least 6 years maybe more!) including the cake. I love gifts, I love giving them and receiving them. This year I got a sewing machine from my in-laws and I got some framed artwork that I did myself once upon a time in high school and Our Wedding picture framed. (I had my mom hold onto it until it was time to get framed, no way was I going to be responsible for such a precious picture...Thanks Mom!!!)
I have been trying to keep up with Soup Sunday's but I am beginning to think that maybe it should be called Supper Sunday's (soup can get redundant each week even if its different each time). We made Philly Cheesesteaks this past Sunday and they were so good!
The goats as always are entertaining, the chickens are continuing to produce eggs, the horses still make wonderful lawn ornaments, or should I say MUD ornaments due to all the rain lately, and the puppies are the best in home companions! I am so excited that it is finally spring and I can look towards working in the garden again. Its so much fun to learn each year for what works and what doesn't work. And improving our growing skills. Hopefully we can get some raspberry bushes this year so that they can begin producing!! I planted a rhubarb plant last year, I was so afraid that it died this winter (even though its winter hardy here) because it just all broke off and disappeared, but it survived!!! Its started to bear more stalks albeit only an inch long but its working!! I love rhubarb and I am hoping to harvest enough to make at least ONE pie!! I'll let you know how it goes.
With the first light of sun - Bless You. When the long day is done - Bless You. In your smiles and your tears - Bless You. Through each day of your years - Bless You.
Since my birthday was on a weekday we decided to do my family birthday on Saturday. We had a wonderful meal prepared by my mom and sister, a meal that has long been forgotten (we haven't had the food served in at least 6 years maybe more!) including the cake. I love gifts, I love giving them and receiving them. This year I got a sewing machine from my in-laws and I got some framed artwork that I did myself once upon a time in high school and Our Wedding picture framed. (I had my mom hold onto it until it was time to get framed, no way was I going to be responsible for such a precious picture...Thanks Mom!!!)
I have been trying to keep up with Soup Sunday's but I am beginning to think that maybe it should be called Supper Sunday's (soup can get redundant each week even if its different each time). We made Philly Cheesesteaks this past Sunday and they were so good!
The goats as always are entertaining, the chickens are continuing to produce eggs, the horses still make wonderful lawn ornaments, or should I say MUD ornaments due to all the rain lately, and the puppies are the best in home companions! I am so excited that it is finally spring and I can look towards working in the garden again. Its so much fun to learn each year for what works and what doesn't work. And improving our growing skills. Hopefully we can get some raspberry bushes this year so that they can begin producing!! I planted a rhubarb plant last year, I was so afraid that it died this winter (even though its winter hardy here) because it just all broke off and disappeared, but it survived!!! Its started to bear more stalks albeit only an inch long but its working!! I love rhubarb and I am hoping to harvest enough to make at least ONE pie!! I'll let you know how it goes.
With the first light of sun - Bless You. When the long day is done - Bless You. In your smiles and your tears - Bless You. Through each day of your years - Bless You.
Thursday, March 10, 2011
The Girls
People say that having goats is like having a permanent 2-3 year old. While I do not know what that is like, I do know what it is like to have goats. They are curious creatures and are either making trouble or getting into it.
We have been working on our chicken coop, trying to help it be more water resistant. This will be our big project as soon as the weather gets nice or we are done with school. Our current coop apparently is a temporary one as it is proving to not fit all of our needs. The extra chicken feed is in a metal bin inside the coop that the chickens roost on (and therefore poop all over the lid) so when we either need to feed the girls or add more food we get poop. The goats love it when the chicks need new food. We have to take the bin outside, take off the lid and then poor the chicken feed in and leave the bag on the ground while we mix it up and take it back inside the coop. The goats love to play with the feed bags. They crawl inside and get "stuck", they jump on it, they chew on it and drag it around the yard. It is definitely a sight to be seen.
The chickens love to get out in the yard and peck around. It has been so much fun watching them grow from little week old chicks to adults. It amazes me how much they already know at a week old with no mother to teach them. Of course if you get day old chicks in the mail you have to wet their beaks so they know how to find the water and food, but other than that they can fend for themselves. Their little personalities are already developing and the ruler of the roost becomes apparent quickly. My favorite thing was watching these little tiny chicks scratch around in the hay looking for bugs and they were only 1 week old. Since little ones need warmth to stay alive you usually have a heat lamp shining in one corner. This tends to be the favorite corner and the closer you are to the light the better, so the chicks pile on top of each other (I feel bad for the ones at the bottom). Now that the chickens are 1 year old they are able to self sustain. They know where they like to lay their eggs, their favorite spot in the yard to sunbathe, and where they like to dig holes for dust baths. They all have their sleeping spots and get angry if someone else is there at bedtime.
The chicks only get to go out in the yard when we are home, so we can keep an eye on them. Most of them roam all over the place, except one, Silver. She stays close to home and lays down most of the time (it might be because she is blind). Whenever we open the gate into the back yard the chickens come running to meet us, even Silver though she is pretty slow. They follow us all over the yard and all we have to do is tell the girls to go home and in they go to the coop. The twins, as I like to call them, like to stick together. The rulers, Bella, is dictating to the others where they should go, and the followers putz around if they find something good Bella is right there with them taking over. They are so much fun and bring a lot of smiles and laughter to our lives. I love it when they get spooked or really excited and try to fly across the pasture towards home.
We have been working on our chicken coop, trying to help it be more water resistant. This will be our big project as soon as the weather gets nice or we are done with school. Our current coop apparently is a temporary one as it is proving to not fit all of our needs. The extra chicken feed is in a metal bin inside the coop that the chickens roost on (and therefore poop all over the lid) so when we either need to feed the girls or add more food we get poop. The goats love it when the chicks need new food. We have to take the bin outside, take off the lid and then poor the chicken feed in and leave the bag on the ground while we mix it up and take it back inside the coop. The goats love to play with the feed bags. They crawl inside and get "stuck", they jump on it, they chew on it and drag it around the yard. It is definitely a sight to be seen.
The chickens love to get out in the yard and peck around. It has been so much fun watching them grow from little week old chicks to adults. It amazes me how much they already know at a week old with no mother to teach them. Of course if you get day old chicks in the mail you have to wet their beaks so they know how to find the water and food, but other than that they can fend for themselves. Their little personalities are already developing and the ruler of the roost becomes apparent quickly. My favorite thing was watching these little tiny chicks scratch around in the hay looking for bugs and they were only 1 week old. Since little ones need warmth to stay alive you usually have a heat lamp shining in one corner. This tends to be the favorite corner and the closer you are to the light the better, so the chicks pile on top of each other (I feel bad for the ones at the bottom). Now that the chickens are 1 year old they are able to self sustain. They know where they like to lay their eggs, their favorite spot in the yard to sunbathe, and where they like to dig holes for dust baths. They all have their sleeping spots and get angry if someone else is there at bedtime.
The chicks only get to go out in the yard when we are home, so we can keep an eye on them. Most of them roam all over the place, except one, Silver. She stays close to home and lays down most of the time (it might be because she is blind). Whenever we open the gate into the back yard the chickens come running to meet us, even Silver though she is pretty slow. They follow us all over the yard and all we have to do is tell the girls to go home and in they go to the coop. The twins, as I like to call them, like to stick together. The rulers, Bella, is dictating to the others where they should go, and the followers putz around if they find something good Bella is right there with them taking over. They are so much fun and bring a lot of smiles and laughter to our lives. I love it when they get spooked or really excited and try to fly across the pasture towards home.
Thursday, February 17, 2011
The Goats
When the goats first arrived at our little farm, they were to be secluded and left alone by the dogs. This decision was justified after a few tense occasions between the four of them. All have recovered and we are moving on to living in harmony.
This harmony all started in the early fall when I thought that I might be able to control Cooper vocally (he does go into time-outs as aforementioned). It started out with Cooper in the goat pen, being very excited to meet the goats face to face, and resulted in Annabelle head-butting him in the ribcage. Cooper is not one for confrontation, even though he loves to growl and bark at people, so he has continued to be "fearful" of the goats. Success! On another occasion as it proved that the three of them could get along (no Sakari at this point) they were all out in the pasture together. I told Cooper it was time to go "inside" so he ran to the gate. This action caught Annabelle's attention and she went in for the kill (what I would do to have this on camera) charging at full force towards Cooper and pinning him in the ribcage between her head and the fence. He yelped and cried. He is even more fearful than before.
Meanwhile during Cooper's adventures with the goats, Sakari was either abandoned inside the house or forced to watch on her hind legs from the little back yard. We had tried several times, separately, to let Sakari get to know the goats with a leash on, but she always got a little too excited and nipped at their ears. Resulting in a scolding and sent to be inside, away from the fun, to sulk in her misbehavior. Recently both of us decided it was high time they all get along as it was inconvenient to lock up the goats so the dogs could run around. So, the two of us let Sakari loose with the goats in their pen and kept a close eye on her. Annabelle had built up her confidence from her encounters with Cooper, she had no fear of Sakari, she reared up and worked hard at headbutting Sakari. Let me say, it was entertaining. Sakari was very well behaved and I think that she was able to connect her behavior with the goats and her getting scolded as well that Cooper got to hang out with the goats as he was not aggressive with them, so if she wanted to play with the goats she had to be nice. It is so neat being able to see animals rationalize like that.
Harmony is really coming to our little farm. The dogs and goats can be out in the pasture together, Sakari chasing, Annabelle headbutting, Penelope and Cooper both fearful. They do need to be supervised but all listen very well to vocal commands.
"May your troubles be less and your blessing be more and nothing but happiness come through your door"
This harmony all started in the early fall when I thought that I might be able to control Cooper vocally (he does go into time-outs as aforementioned). It started out with Cooper in the goat pen, being very excited to meet the goats face to face, and resulted in Annabelle head-butting him in the ribcage. Cooper is not one for confrontation, even though he loves to growl and bark at people, so he has continued to be "fearful" of the goats. Success! On another occasion as it proved that the three of them could get along (no Sakari at this point) they were all out in the pasture together. I told Cooper it was time to go "inside" so he ran to the gate. This action caught Annabelle's attention and she went in for the kill (what I would do to have this on camera) charging at full force towards Cooper and pinning him in the ribcage between her head and the fence. He yelped and cried. He is even more fearful than before.
Meanwhile during Cooper's adventures with the goats, Sakari was either abandoned inside the house or forced to watch on her hind legs from the little back yard. We had tried several times, separately, to let Sakari get to know the goats with a leash on, but she always got a little too excited and nipped at their ears. Resulting in a scolding and sent to be inside, away from the fun, to sulk in her misbehavior. Recently both of us decided it was high time they all get along as it was inconvenient to lock up the goats so the dogs could run around. So, the two of us let Sakari loose with the goats in their pen and kept a close eye on her. Annabelle had built up her confidence from her encounters with Cooper, she had no fear of Sakari, she reared up and worked hard at headbutting Sakari. Let me say, it was entertaining. Sakari was very well behaved and I think that she was able to connect her behavior with the goats and her getting scolded as well that Cooper got to hang out with the goats as he was not aggressive with them, so if she wanted to play with the goats she had to be nice. It is so neat being able to see animals rationalize like that.
Harmony is really coming to our little farm. The dogs and goats can be out in the pasture together, Sakari chasing, Annabelle headbutting, Penelope and Cooper both fearful. They do need to be supervised but all listen very well to vocal commands.
"May your troubles be less and your blessing be more and nothing but happiness come through your door"
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Valentines Day
We had a very nice and calm Valentines Weekend. In the years that we have been together we have only celebrated Valentines at a restaurant once (well now its been twice). The first occasion was when we were both living in the dorms at Central Washington University and did not have access to a kitchen to be able to cook. Our second time was this year, we have been craving Indian food for a while and Thomas thought that this would be a great occasion to go out for it. It was delicious. We usually prepare a meal at home; either Steaks or Chicken Parmesan have been our meals of choice.
I remember our first Valentines, we were at school in Ellensburg. Thomas was living in Timothy Park and I was in Green Hall. We wanted to "surprise" each other for the holiday, so Thomas cooked and I brought the wine. Thomas made is specialty, chicken parmesan with pasta and Uncle Dan's Potatoes. I went to the store and bought wine glasses, ribbon (to decorate the stems since they didn't have red/pink ones) and a bottle of wine. I am not a wine drinker and I think I probably got the cheapest wine I could find and it proved to be disgusting, but we drank it anyway. The meal was great and the company was even better. Somehow we lucked out with Thomas's roommates being out of the house so our evening was uninterrupted.
This year on Friday, I needed to stop at the store on my way home to get a few things and was craving, what my family calls "Brown Rice" so I got the ingredients. While I was there I decided that we needed to have more than rice for dinner so I got some steak and a loaf of bread. I don't know what I did to the steak that night but it was the BEST steak I have ever made or ate in my life. I cooked it to perfection, it was deliciously seasoned and was just the right amount. So our whole meal was; Steak, Brown Rice, Celery Au Gratin and Rosemary Potato Bread. Delish!
For Valentines, we went to Sumay Indian Cuisine, its also known as KARMA in Puyallup off of Meridian. We are so happy and lucky to have such a wonderful Indian Restaurant near our house. We enjoyed our meal and then came home to have a Red Velvet Cupcake that my Mom made on Saturday. What a wonderful evening.
I love my Valentine and He loves me!
"May you never find trouble all crowdin' and shovin'. But always good fortune - all smilin' and lovin'"
I remember our first Valentines, we were at school in Ellensburg. Thomas was living in Timothy Park and I was in Green Hall. We wanted to "surprise" each other for the holiday, so Thomas cooked and I brought the wine. Thomas made is specialty, chicken parmesan with pasta and Uncle Dan's Potatoes. I went to the store and bought wine glasses, ribbon (to decorate the stems since they didn't have red/pink ones) and a bottle of wine. I am not a wine drinker and I think I probably got the cheapest wine I could find and it proved to be disgusting, but we drank it anyway. The meal was great and the company was even better. Somehow we lucked out with Thomas's roommates being out of the house so our evening was uninterrupted.
This year on Friday, I needed to stop at the store on my way home to get a few things and was craving, what my family calls "Brown Rice" so I got the ingredients. While I was there I decided that we needed to have more than rice for dinner so I got some steak and a loaf of bread. I don't know what I did to the steak that night but it was the BEST steak I have ever made or ate in my life. I cooked it to perfection, it was deliciously seasoned and was just the right amount. So our whole meal was; Steak, Brown Rice, Celery Au Gratin and Rosemary Potato Bread. Delish!
For Valentines, we went to Sumay Indian Cuisine, its also known as KARMA in Puyallup off of Meridian. We are so happy and lucky to have such a wonderful Indian Restaurant near our house. We enjoyed our meal and then came home to have a Red Velvet Cupcake that my Mom made on Saturday. What a wonderful evening.
I love my Valentine and He loves me!
"May you never find trouble all crowdin' and shovin'. But always good fortune - all smilin' and lovin'"
The Dog House
No worries, no one is in the dog house. Actually we don't even have one of those, our house is the dog house (they spend more time here than we do). But I wanted to post about the pups.
I have to say that Cooper is the most adorable little dog anyone could ever meet or imagine, I am pretty sure that I am not biased. He has a little bit of a challenging personality, he doesn't like strangers and it takes a long time for you to be considered NOT a stranger. He loves to bark and alert us of any noise (threatening or not). He loves his toys; Pig, Bear, Bunny, Ball, and Penguin. He knows them by name and will usually retrieve one if we ask him to. My favorite is watching him leap around the house with Pig or Bunny in his mouth as they flop around and trip him up. He chases after his ball as long as we have the energy to keep up. He also loves all things soft, he insists on being on top of a blanket or pillow when on the furniture and he LOVES his bed. It's actually his second bed (he got a little too excited with the first one and chewed it up) and he spends lots of time there. It also happens to be his "Time-out" spot. Yes my little adorable puppy as cute as he is, does have to go into Time Out from time to time. He responds very well and stays there until you tell him he can leave. He loves to snuggle and cuddle and HAS to sleep under the covers. Once he lets you into his "circle" you too will agree that he is the cutest dog with the best personality.
I cannot post about the pups and not mention the "little girl". Sakari is one of the best behaved Huskies I have heard of. While she has had some ups and downs (which dog hasn't?) she has definitely grown into a beautiful, well trained, loving and caring dog. For a Husky she is very calm and naps a lot. She does have a lot of energy and loves to be outside in the cold. She too loves her toys, but is not as apt to share them as her brother. She is the opposite of Cooper, she doesn't make a sound, unless she is growling to let Cooper know that it is HER toy. He obliges and is very polite and doesn't take her toys. However, if Cooper has a toy she wants she hunts him and as soon as he takes his eyes off it, she takes it. The other way we know that she has a voice is when we tell her to speak, even then it can be a challenge. I think a lot of her calmness comes from her ability to run around outside (Cooper chases her), but also because she chases Cooper inside the house and they rough house a lot. She is a little cuddle bug and her favorite place in the house is on the foot of our bed. If we leave the bedroom door open and Sakari is inside and we can't find her she is most likely to be on the bed curled up, doesn't matter the time of day.
Our pups are the cutest and without a doubt have enriched our lives in so many ways and our love for them runs so deep. We look at them and talk about them all the time and cannot come up with what is so special about them or why they are so adorable. They just are.
I have to say that Cooper is the most adorable little dog anyone could ever meet or imagine, I am pretty sure that I am not biased. He has a little bit of a challenging personality, he doesn't like strangers and it takes a long time for you to be considered NOT a stranger. He loves to bark and alert us of any noise (threatening or not). He loves his toys; Pig, Bear, Bunny, Ball, and Penguin. He knows them by name and will usually retrieve one if we ask him to. My favorite is watching him leap around the house with Pig or Bunny in his mouth as they flop around and trip him up. He chases after his ball as long as we have the energy to keep up. He also loves all things soft, he insists on being on top of a blanket or pillow when on the furniture and he LOVES his bed. It's actually his second bed (he got a little too excited with the first one and chewed it up) and he spends lots of time there. It also happens to be his "Time-out" spot. Yes my little adorable puppy as cute as he is, does have to go into Time Out from time to time. He responds very well and stays there until you tell him he can leave. He loves to snuggle and cuddle and HAS to sleep under the covers. Once he lets you into his "circle" you too will agree that he is the cutest dog with the best personality.
I cannot post about the pups and not mention the "little girl". Sakari is one of the best behaved Huskies I have heard of. While she has had some ups and downs (which dog hasn't?) she has definitely grown into a beautiful, well trained, loving and caring dog. For a Husky she is very calm and naps a lot. She does have a lot of energy and loves to be outside in the cold. She too loves her toys, but is not as apt to share them as her brother. She is the opposite of Cooper, she doesn't make a sound, unless she is growling to let Cooper know that it is HER toy. He obliges and is very polite and doesn't take her toys. However, if Cooper has a toy she wants she hunts him and as soon as he takes his eyes off it, she takes it. The other way we know that she has a voice is when we tell her to speak, even then it can be a challenge. I think a lot of her calmness comes from her ability to run around outside (Cooper chases her), but also because she chases Cooper inside the house and they rough house a lot. She is a little cuddle bug and her favorite place in the house is on the foot of our bed. If we leave the bedroom door open and Sakari is inside and we can't find her she is most likely to be on the bed curled up, doesn't matter the time of day.
Our pups are the cutest and without a doubt have enriched our lives in so many ways and our love for them runs so deep. We look at them and talk about them all the time and cannot come up with what is so special about them or why they are so adorable. They just are.
Friday, February 11, 2011
Lately
Well it feels like January took forever to complete but it also went by so fast and then here we are 3 days to Valentines Day!
Soup Sunday's have been successful in the New Year, I may have missed one week but that isn't too bad. So far I have made:
-Spanish Chicken Stew, this was pretty good. I made it with Chicken Thighs but forgot to take
of the skin so it got a little greasy but the flavor was good.
-Spinach, Sausage and Tortellini Soup, this was really good and I would be interested in
making it again. It had some of my favorite things in it, Italian Sausage and Tortellini! There
is something about tortellini that makes me happy. I am looking forward to trying this one
out again.
-Lentil, Chicken and Spinach Soup, I enjoyed this one too. I added some hot red pepper flakes
as it needed just a little bit of spice. The lentils were great, they have a way of making the
dish seem hearty.
-Mexican Chicken Soup, this one was really good it had cayenne pepper and tomato with
carrot and onion. I used a roasted chicken from the store to "speed" it up and it also had
cumin and cilantro. I added fresh avocado when serving and that added just the right touch.
It has been a lot of fun making all of these different soups. I have become accustomed to cooking with onions and I think that I am able to eat them now, well at least in soups since I chop them up so small, but if I can pick them out I think I probably still would. The most fun part is that the past two Sunday's my parents have made the trip down to partake in it and we have had the opportunity to spend time together.
My mom got a new dog, he is a Peekapoo and is considered an apricot color his name is Miracle and he is adorable. She has brought him both times they have come down. Sakari loves to play with him and she has "thrown" him a few feet away with her paw as they are playing. Cooper is the referee and gets worked up and nervous, I think that he is probably the most tired after everyone leaves.
I went down to Hilsboro, OR a few days ago to "The Junk Salvation" it is a Flea Market of sorts at the Washington County Fairgrounds and there were a lot of vendors with all their antiques. It was so much fun and I saw some great things and got really good ideas. My few purchases were these great Bark Cloth Curtains with an adorable farm scene in bold colors (going up in my kitchen) this cute green cart (displayed with my tea things) and a great little bench (just need another one for the living room). They are having another one of these in Puyallup, WA in May. I learned that you HAVE to get there early to get the good stuff. I was only about 30 minutes after opening and there were already a lot of great buys with "SOLD" stickers on them.
"Wherever there is happiness hope you'll be there too. Wherever there are friendly smiles hope they'll smile on you. Wherever there is sunshine, hope it shines especially for you to make each day for you as bright as it can be."
Soup Sunday's have been successful in the New Year, I may have missed one week but that isn't too bad. So far I have made:
-Spanish Chicken Stew, this was pretty good. I made it with Chicken Thighs but forgot to take
of the skin so it got a little greasy but the flavor was good.
-Spinach, Sausage and Tortellini Soup, this was really good and I would be interested in
making it again. It had some of my favorite things in it, Italian Sausage and Tortellini! There
is something about tortellini that makes me happy. I am looking forward to trying this one
out again.
-Lentil, Chicken and Spinach Soup, I enjoyed this one too. I added some hot red pepper flakes
as it needed just a little bit of spice. The lentils were great, they have a way of making the
dish seem hearty.
-Mexican Chicken Soup, this one was really good it had cayenne pepper and tomato with
carrot and onion. I used a roasted chicken from the store to "speed" it up and it also had
cumin and cilantro. I added fresh avocado when serving and that added just the right touch.
It has been a lot of fun making all of these different soups. I have become accustomed to cooking with onions and I think that I am able to eat them now, well at least in soups since I chop them up so small, but if I can pick them out I think I probably still would. The most fun part is that the past two Sunday's my parents have made the trip down to partake in it and we have had the opportunity to spend time together.
My mom got a new dog, he is a Peekapoo and is considered an apricot color his name is Miracle and he is adorable. She has brought him both times they have come down. Sakari loves to play with him and she has "thrown" him a few feet away with her paw as they are playing. Cooper is the referee and gets worked up and nervous, I think that he is probably the most tired after everyone leaves.
I went down to Hilsboro, OR a few days ago to "The Junk Salvation" it is a Flea Market of sorts at the Washington County Fairgrounds and there were a lot of vendors with all their antiques. It was so much fun and I saw some great things and got really good ideas. My few purchases were these great Bark Cloth Curtains with an adorable farm scene in bold colors (going up in my kitchen) this cute green cart (displayed with my tea things) and a great little bench (just need another one for the living room). They are having another one of these in Puyallup, WA in May. I learned that you HAVE to get there early to get the good stuff. I was only about 30 minutes after opening and there were already a lot of great buys with "SOLD" stickers on them.
"Wherever there is happiness hope you'll be there too. Wherever there are friendly smiles hope they'll smile on you. Wherever there is sunshine, hope it shines especially for you to make each day for you as bright as it can be."
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Soup Sunday's
Well Soup Sunday's took a break in December as I was recovering from surgery and it was a busy month. I did make one soup while recovering and it was a beef stew. It was pretty good, but I don't think that I will make that kind again.
Tonight I started up Soup Sunday's again, with the help of my mother in law - she gave me a Soups magazine that has about a billion soups in it, ok maybe not a billion but its up there for sure. Anyways, tonight I made Tomato Tortellini Soup, it only took about 20 minutes to make and it was delicious! I also got sourdough bread at the store and toasted it in the oven then rubbed fresh garlic on it, wow delicious. I made a salad, it should have been easy just lettuce, and then a dressing of pepper, salt, olive oil, and lemon juice but I killed it with too much salt so that got thrown. It would have gone to the chickens but they are not supposed to have citrus.
The greatest thing about Soup Sunday's is that there is usually enough for at least the next day for a work lunch.
Yesterday for New Year's I made chicken enchiladas, we found these great handmade tortillas at the store and let me tell you, they were divine~ we have extras so those will be for work lunches too.
Obviously I am not very good at documenting my life with a camera but I do my best. I do like my camera, but I would like to pretend that if I had a really nice Nikon or Cannon with a power zoom lens I would take more and do better, of course that is just pretend. Pictures will be posted as I remember but here are some of the farm to keep you happy.
Tonight I started up Soup Sunday's again, with the help of my mother in law - she gave me a Soups magazine that has about a billion soups in it, ok maybe not a billion but its up there for sure. Anyways, tonight I made Tomato Tortellini Soup, it only took about 20 minutes to make and it was delicious! I also got sourdough bread at the store and toasted it in the oven then rubbed fresh garlic on it, wow delicious. I made a salad, it should have been easy just lettuce, and then a dressing of pepper, salt, olive oil, and lemon juice but I killed it with too much salt so that got thrown. It would have gone to the chickens but they are not supposed to have citrus.
The greatest thing about Soup Sunday's is that there is usually enough for at least the next day for a work lunch.
Yesterday for New Year's I made chicken enchiladas, we found these great handmade tortillas at the store and let me tell you, they were divine~ we have extras so those will be for work lunches too.
Obviously I am not very good at documenting my life with a camera but I do my best. I do like my camera, but I would like to pretend that if I had a really nice Nikon or Cannon with a power zoom lens I would take more and do better, of course that is just pretend. Pictures will be posted as I remember but here are some of the farm to keep you happy.
Me and the ponies, Rags and Jazz and two of the Chickens, Solo and Lacey.
The cutest puppies ever, Sakari and Cooper.
The "Goat Whisperer" and the goats, Annabelle and Penelope
"These things I warmly wish for you - someone to love, some work to do, a bit o' sun, a bit o' cheer and a guardian angel always near." - Old Irish Greeting
Saturday, January 1, 2011
December Happenings
Well December has been eventful if nothing else. In early December I fainted due to severe abdominal pain had to have abdominal surgery and was awarded an extra long Christmas break, as I was unable to exercise (thus unable to do my job) for 2 weeks. At the end of the two weeks Christmas break started. Thomas was a great care taker and would not let me do anything. He had to escort me everywhere, I was unable to drive and was scolded every time I tried to get off the couch to help out with the housework (it was great).
Regardless of the surgery, I still had my planned first annual Tea Party just 6 days after surgery. Thomas again was great as he assisted me in cleaning the house and baking cookies. Thomas' mom was also great as she offered to help out a lot with the food and tea's I was serving. It was a small get together but I really enjoyed it and I am looking forward to having it again next year.
Due to my surgery Thomas needed to take the first week off with me and I put him to good use. Since we moved into our house I have despised the look of our kitchen cabinets and have dreamed of replacing them. However, replacing them is out of the question at this time in our lives, so we decided to update them through paint. The cabinets themselves, I am told are very nice as the doors are oak, but they were that natural horrid wood color. I remember my mom always had to have a white kitchen, and I thought that that was ridiculous but now as a homeowner that is the only color of cabinets I can imagine having to make the kitchen look light and bright and clean. So, Thomas went to work removing the doors, sanding and painting all the cabinets a nice soft clean white. We then went to Target and got nice simple stainless toned hardware and I was able to help Thomas actually put those on the cabinet drawers and doors (success!) The kitchen looks so much better than I could have imagined when we first purchased our home, I can say that the more work we do on the house the more proud I am to own it. All we need to finish off the kitchen are new appliances to match the new dishwasher, a new sink, and new counter tops!
We have done quite a bit of updating our home since we first bought it. However, like most houses there is still a list of improvements that I would still like to do to the house. Our home is 20 years old and still had builders white paint in every single room when we bought it, this is crazy since it has had two previous owners, so we have painted every room except the laundry. All of the woodwork inside is that cheap wood color (I prefer white, Thanks Momma!) so in our main living area we have painted the windowsills and fireplace mantel white we also removed the disgusting brass fireplace screen and are on the lookout for a new one. We covered up the 20 year old linoleum in the kitchen with wood laminate, and thanks to Sakari, we were able to put in new tile in the guest bathroom and new doors in both bathrooms. We have replaced several of the light fixtures and even added a chandelier in the dinning area. The to-do improvement list continues and we have hopes of replacing the carpet and baseboard sometime in the next couple of years!
Ok lets get back on track. During my second week of recovery, my Momma went into the hospital with a tumor, 6 days later she had surgery and is in recovery now. We are praying for her to heal quickly and fully, for her to become free of pain (from sciatic surgery a few years ago and this new one) and that her vision return, we also are praying for acceptance, love and healing for our entire family. We all love our Momma and she is a strong warrior.
Unfortunately just before Christmas our dear little bird, Gus, passed away. We buried him in our front yard, so the dogs couldn't dig him up and will plant flowers around his grave in the spring. He was a good bird and brought a lot of wonderful sounds and music to our home, he will be greatly missed.
Christmas Eve was at our house with Thomas' family. I must say that the table looked beautiful and the poinsettias that I placed on Gus' shelf are a nice tribute to him inside. We had fondue for an appetizer and for the meal we had prime rib, roasted veggies, rolls and green bean casserole. We had a wonderful time and had many presents to open afterward. We then went to our church for Christmas Eve service for the first time (previously we have gone to our parent's churches) and it was a wonderful service with some of my favorite hymns.
We were able to have a small quiet Christmas morning at our house just the two of us and the puppies, drinking coffee and opening our stockings that Santa filled and we exchanged our presents to each other. Then off to my parents house for Christmas. It was the best Christmas we have all had in a long time and it was so fun to have a holiday where my whole family was together, my brother and his wife, my sister and her husband and my parents. It was great spending the day with them and I think that we took more pictures that day than any other year. We enjoyed a "polish" dinner with sausage, sauerkraut, borscht, rye bread, and gwumpkie (cabbage rolls).
Since Christmas, we have been enjoying our break with some light dusting's of snow and spending time together and with our animals.
We have been truly blessed this year by God and we are so thankful for everything he has provided for us. We are thankful for our families, our jobs, our animals, and our home, but most of all we are thankful for the LORD bringing us together and creating the wonderful bond we have with each other and our growing walk with God.
"May your blessings outnumber the shamrocks that grow and may trouble avoid you wherever you go."
Regardless of the surgery, I still had my planned first annual Tea Party just 6 days after surgery. Thomas again was great as he assisted me in cleaning the house and baking cookies. Thomas' mom was also great as she offered to help out a lot with the food and tea's I was serving. It was a small get together but I really enjoyed it and I am looking forward to having it again next year.
Due to my surgery Thomas needed to take the first week off with me and I put him to good use. Since we moved into our house I have despised the look of our kitchen cabinets and have dreamed of replacing them. However, replacing them is out of the question at this time in our lives, so we decided to update them through paint. The cabinets themselves, I am told are very nice as the doors are oak, but they were that natural horrid wood color. I remember my mom always had to have a white kitchen, and I thought that that was ridiculous but now as a homeowner that is the only color of cabinets I can imagine having to make the kitchen look light and bright and clean. So, Thomas went to work removing the doors, sanding and painting all the cabinets a nice soft clean white. We then went to Target and got nice simple stainless toned hardware and I was able to help Thomas actually put those on the cabinet drawers and doors (success!) The kitchen looks so much better than I could have imagined when we first purchased our home, I can say that the more work we do on the house the more proud I am to own it. All we need to finish off the kitchen are new appliances to match the new dishwasher, a new sink, and new counter tops!
We have done quite a bit of updating our home since we first bought it. However, like most houses there is still a list of improvements that I would still like to do to the house. Our home is 20 years old and still had builders white paint in every single room when we bought it, this is crazy since it has had two previous owners, so we have painted every room except the laundry. All of the woodwork inside is that cheap wood color (I prefer white, Thanks Momma!) so in our main living area we have painted the windowsills and fireplace mantel white we also removed the disgusting brass fireplace screen and are on the lookout for a new one. We covered up the 20 year old linoleum in the kitchen with wood laminate, and thanks to Sakari, we were able to put in new tile in the guest bathroom and new doors in both bathrooms. We have replaced several of the light fixtures and even added a chandelier in the dinning area. The to-do improvement list continues and we have hopes of replacing the carpet and baseboard sometime in the next couple of years!
Ok lets get back on track. During my second week of recovery, my Momma went into the hospital with a tumor, 6 days later she had surgery and is in recovery now. We are praying for her to heal quickly and fully, for her to become free of pain (from sciatic surgery a few years ago and this new one) and that her vision return, we also are praying for acceptance, love and healing for our entire family. We all love our Momma and she is a strong warrior.
Unfortunately just before Christmas our dear little bird, Gus, passed away. We buried him in our front yard, so the dogs couldn't dig him up and will plant flowers around his grave in the spring. He was a good bird and brought a lot of wonderful sounds and music to our home, he will be greatly missed.
Christmas Eve was at our house with Thomas' family. I must say that the table looked beautiful and the poinsettias that I placed on Gus' shelf are a nice tribute to him inside. We had fondue for an appetizer and for the meal we had prime rib, roasted veggies, rolls and green bean casserole. We had a wonderful time and had many presents to open afterward. We then went to our church for Christmas Eve service for the first time (previously we have gone to our parent's churches) and it was a wonderful service with some of my favorite hymns.
We were able to have a small quiet Christmas morning at our house just the two of us and the puppies, drinking coffee and opening our stockings that Santa filled and we exchanged our presents to each other. Then off to my parents house for Christmas. It was the best Christmas we have all had in a long time and it was so fun to have a holiday where my whole family was together, my brother and his wife, my sister and her husband and my parents. It was great spending the day with them and I think that we took more pictures that day than any other year. We enjoyed a "polish" dinner with sausage, sauerkraut, borscht, rye bread, and gwumpkie (cabbage rolls).
Since Christmas, we have been enjoying our break with some light dusting's of snow and spending time together and with our animals.
We have been truly blessed this year by God and we are so thankful for everything he has provided for us. We are thankful for our families, our jobs, our animals, and our home, but most of all we are thankful for the LORD bringing us together and creating the wonderful bond we have with each other and our growing walk with God.
"May your blessings outnumber the shamrocks that grow and may trouble avoid you wherever you go."
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Recent Happenings
Well our weeks have definitely been busy lately. I have kept up with Soup Sunday's with making a Chicken and Parsnip soup that was delicious and then last week I made Split Pea soup. It has been a while since I have had split pea and my memories of it tasted a lot better than the one I made. Oh well, you win some and you lose some.
We had a snow storm a couple weeks ago, Thomas and I had to go to Seattle on the first snow day and got stuck on 512 for about 3 hours due to a truck jack-knife. Thomas was a great husband and pushed me out of the snow so that I could get home and he waited for his dad to come rescue him in the truck and pull him out. It was such an emotional day and neither of us have been so happy or relieved to be home. Then we were blessed with having Tuesday and Wednesday off of work so we got an extra long Thanksgiving Break.
On the day of Thanksgiving, we put up our tree. We had to get an artificial tree two years ago because it turns out that my adorable dog, Cooper, is allergic. I have finally come to grips with having a fake one and I can say that I have embraced the idea and understand how great it is to have one. The pro's definitely out weigh the con's. It doesn't need water, doesn't shed needles, doesn't leak sap everywhere, we don't have to string lights every year, it doesn't dry out, and it doesn't smell. We were also able to decorate it and get our house ready for our favorite season. I have been watching a lot of Martha, of course, and I have learned that you can really make your tree look fuller and have more depth if you put ornaments inside the tree not just on the tips of the branches.
I also made a pumpkin cheesecake pie for Thanksgiving and we had a delicious meal at my parents house. Thomas and I contributed home grown parsnips and a cranberry chutney. The meal was great with 3 kinds of dressing/stuffing (the only way the Brewer's do it), mashed potatoes, mashed rutabaga's, cranberry sauce, Boris jello salad, pea salad and other food as well. Not to mention at least a gallon of gravy. As always it was a meal to remember. We also got to play "Take Off" the best and very competitive game we try to play at least once a year, and of course my dad one in like 10 min while it took us another 30 to get second place.
After Thanksgiving, Thomas and I drove up to Vancouver, BC for the weekend. We had a great time visiting some of our favorite spots and finding new places to love. We found a great Indian Food restaurant called India Bistro off of Davie street and an Irish pub across the street from our hotel. Then we went back to our favorite Italian place called Trattoria Italian Kitchen off of 4th and Broadway and Dim Sum at Floata in China Town. I got to go to three of my favorite shops Liberty, Peridot and Farmhouse and we did a lot of walking. We saw Harry Potter and they have a Burger King, TCBY and other fast food places in the movie theatre, that is crazy. We went on an exploration and found the University in Vancouver as well as driving out to Burnaby, BC and went to this cute little Village Museum that is all decorated in 1920's decor for Christmas. They have live people dressed up from the 1920's that give you a little speech about each of the shops they are in and how they worked back then. It was really cool and I would be interested in going back during the summer to see what it is like. They also have a petting zoo nearby that we are going to check out next year. We had a fantastic time and always enjoy our time in Vancouver.
May joy and peace surround you, contentment latch your door, and happiness be with you now and bless you evermore - Irish Blessing
We had a snow storm a couple weeks ago, Thomas and I had to go to Seattle on the first snow day and got stuck on 512 for about 3 hours due to a truck jack-knife. Thomas was a great husband and pushed me out of the snow so that I could get home and he waited for his dad to come rescue him in the truck and pull him out. It was such an emotional day and neither of us have been so happy or relieved to be home. Then we were blessed with having Tuesday and Wednesday off of work so we got an extra long Thanksgiving Break.
On the day of Thanksgiving, we put up our tree. We had to get an artificial tree two years ago because it turns out that my adorable dog, Cooper, is allergic. I have finally come to grips with having a fake one and I can say that I have embraced the idea and understand how great it is to have one. The pro's definitely out weigh the con's. It doesn't need water, doesn't shed needles, doesn't leak sap everywhere, we don't have to string lights every year, it doesn't dry out, and it doesn't smell. We were also able to decorate it and get our house ready for our favorite season. I have been watching a lot of Martha, of course, and I have learned that you can really make your tree look fuller and have more depth if you put ornaments inside the tree not just on the tips of the branches.
I also made a pumpkin cheesecake pie for Thanksgiving and we had a delicious meal at my parents house. Thomas and I contributed home grown parsnips and a cranberry chutney. The meal was great with 3 kinds of dressing/stuffing (the only way the Brewer's do it), mashed potatoes, mashed rutabaga's, cranberry sauce, Boris jello salad, pea salad and other food as well. Not to mention at least a gallon of gravy. As always it was a meal to remember. We also got to play "Take Off" the best and very competitive game we try to play at least once a year, and of course my dad one in like 10 min while it took us another 30 to get second place.
After Thanksgiving, Thomas and I drove up to Vancouver, BC for the weekend. We had a great time visiting some of our favorite spots and finding new places to love. We found a great Indian Food restaurant called India Bistro off of Davie street and an Irish pub across the street from our hotel. Then we went back to our favorite Italian place called Trattoria Italian Kitchen off of 4th and Broadway and Dim Sum at Floata in China Town. I got to go to three of my favorite shops Liberty, Peridot and Farmhouse and we did a lot of walking. We saw Harry Potter and they have a Burger King, TCBY and other fast food places in the movie theatre, that is crazy. We went on an exploration and found the University in Vancouver as well as driving out to Burnaby, BC and went to this cute little Village Museum that is all decorated in 1920's decor for Christmas. They have live people dressed up from the 1920's that give you a little speech about each of the shops they are in and how they worked back then. It was really cool and I would be interested in going back during the summer to see what it is like. They also have a petting zoo nearby that we are going to check out next year. We had a fantastic time and always enjoy our time in Vancouver.
May joy and peace surround you, contentment latch your door, and happiness be with you now and bless you evermore - Irish Blessing
Monday, November 15, 2010
Soup Sunday's
Last night we had our second weekly Soup Sunday!! It was a success. I made Sausage Lentil soup. It wasn't completely from scratch, Thomas and I went to this great nursery by our house called Watson's and they had a package of this soup. I love that place. We had to get sausage and beef broth then I doctored it up too adding celery and cayenne pepper and red pepper flakes. We got a fresh loaf of sourdough and heated it up in the oven. I must say that Soup Sunday's are great. I just learned that my grandpa held "Soup Sunday's" when my mom was growing up, so that is kind of a fun little unknown tradition that I am keeping up!
Enjoy your week!
May the good saints protect you and bless you today and may trouble ignore you each step of the way - Irish blessing
Enjoy your week!
May the good saints protect you and bless you today and may trouble ignore you each step of the way - Irish blessing
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Week in Review
So, our week has been somewhat eventful. I was able to bring pumpkin soup to work several days for lunch. It was still good the next few days!! I must say that I am a pretty good cook, Thomas agrees.
I went to my very first Zumba class on Monday. It was pretty fun, I would go again but I don't think that I am completely hooked. But it was still fun.
Thomas and I had Thursday off due to Veterans Day. While we did recognize them we also went up to Seattle to go to the Seattle Science Center to the Harry Potter exhibit. It was not what I had expected but it was still really fun. I know that the costumes were on fake manikins but I could not get over how small everything was. Hermione made me feel like a giant when I saw how small her clothes were. It was really cool to see so many of the things they used in the movies. I thought that the shop at the end was pretty cool how you could get a real wand, well not a real wand but the ones that they used in the movies. It was however, a little unnerving that you could by Voldemort's wand.
Saturday, Thomas and I did some much needed things around the house and finally got the awful, ugly brass screen off our fireplace. We had our first fire of the season last night, we used a duraflame log. Now we are trying to build a fire with wood we got from my parents and some stubborn newspaper, its taken about 25 minutes but I think that it has finally caught on, its crackling and really fun! I love this time of year. Just a week and a half until Thanksgiving!! I am so excited!
I went to my very first Zumba class on Monday. It was pretty fun, I would go again but I don't think that I am completely hooked. But it was still fun.
Thomas and I had Thursday off due to Veterans Day. While we did recognize them we also went up to Seattle to go to the Seattle Science Center to the Harry Potter exhibit. It was not what I had expected but it was still really fun. I know that the costumes were on fake manikins but I could not get over how small everything was. Hermione made me feel like a giant when I saw how small her clothes were. It was really cool to see so many of the things they used in the movies. I thought that the shop at the end was pretty cool how you could get a real wand, well not a real wand but the ones that they used in the movies. It was however, a little unnerving that you could by Voldemort's wand.
Saturday, Thomas and I did some much needed things around the house and finally got the awful, ugly brass screen off our fireplace. We had our first fire of the season last night, we used a duraflame log. Now we are trying to build a fire with wood we got from my parents and some stubborn newspaper, its taken about 25 minutes but I think that it has finally caught on, its crackling and really fun! I love this time of year. Just a week and a half until Thanksgiving!! I am so excited!
Sunday, November 7, 2010
[recipe] Soup Sunday's
During the summer, I thought it would be fun to start a new tradition in our household (of TWO) and that was to make a soup on Sunday. I haven't really gotten the tradition off the floor so to speak as I have only done it about 4 times.
Never the less, since this is the First Sunday of the Month, I have no excuses so today I made soup for dinner. And that soup is Pumpkin Soup, I have to say it was pretty good and I gather I would be interested in making it again. I did make some changes to the recipe. I did not add any maple syrup and I added cayenne pepper to make it a little spicy. It did take A LOT of salt to bring it to the right seasoning.
If you are interested here is the recipe courtesy of Better Homes and Gardens.
2. Stir in pumpkin, broth, half-and-half, water, maple syrup, and pumpkin pie spice. Heat through. Season with salt and pepper.
3. To serve, top soup with Spiced Croutons and celery leaves. Makes 8 side-dish servings.
Spiced Croutons:In bowl toss 3 cups 1-inch bread cubes with 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice. In large skillet cook bread cubes in 2 tablespoons hot butter 8 minutes or until toasted, turning occasionally.
Not only did I make soup today but Thomas and I went shopping at Ikea (love that place) and got a new coffee table. It is a large rectangle that is a dark wood color and it is perfect.
I also had a problem sleeping last night, I woke up at 2:00am or was it 3:00am - who knows with the time change - and could not fall back asleep. I tried laying with my eyes closed counting backwards from 100 which usually works, nope, then I tried reading, got through two chapters and only 2 left, nope so UP I was for the day and still going strong. I did have a 10 minute period during church this morning where it felt good to close my eyes but I am pretty sure I was awake the whole time. Hopefully I will get to sleep tonight, since I have to go back to work.
Never the less, since this is the First Sunday of the Month, I have no excuses so today I made soup for dinner. And that soup is Pumpkin Soup, I have to say it was pretty good and I gather I would be interested in making it again. I did make some changes to the recipe. I did not add any maple syrup and I added cayenne pepper to make it a little spicy. It did take A LOT of salt to bring it to the right seasoning.
If you are interested here is the recipe courtesy of Better Homes and Gardens.
Ingredients
- 2 medium carrots, sliced
- 2 Tbsp. butter
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 1 stalk celery, finely chopped
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 2 15-oz. cans pumpkin
- 1 32-oz. box reduced-sodium chicken broth
- 1/2 cup half-and-half or light cream
- 1/2 cup water
- 3 Tbsp. maple syrup
- 1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
- 1 Recipe Spiced Croutons, recipe below
- Celery leaves (optional)
Directions
1. In large saucepan cook carrots in hot butter over medium heat for 2 minutes; add onion, celery, and garlic. Cook 8 to 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender.2. Stir in pumpkin, broth, half-and-half, water, maple syrup, and pumpkin pie spice. Heat through. Season with salt and pepper.
3. To serve, top soup with Spiced Croutons and celery leaves. Makes 8 side-dish servings.
Spiced Croutons:In bowl toss 3 cups 1-inch bread cubes with 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice. In large skillet cook bread cubes in 2 tablespoons hot butter 8 minutes or until toasted, turning occasionally.
Nutrition Facts
- Servings Per Recipe 8 side-dish servings
- Calories200,
- Total Fat (g)9,
- Saturated Fat (g)5,
- Monounsaturated Fat (g)2,
- Polyunsaturated Fat (g)1,
- Cholesterol (mg)21,
- Sodium (mg)590,
- Carbohydrate (g)28,
- Total Sugar (g)11,
- Fiber (g)4,
- Protein (g)5,
- Vitamin C (DV%)12,
- Calcium (DV%)9,
- Iron (DV%)14,
- Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet
Not only did I make soup today but Thomas and I went shopping at Ikea (love that place) and got a new coffee table. It is a large rectangle that is a dark wood color and it is perfect.
I also had a problem sleeping last night, I woke up at 2:00am or was it 3:00am - who knows with the time change - and could not fall back asleep. I tried laying with my eyes closed counting backwards from 100 which usually works, nope, then I tried reading, got through two chapters and only 2 left, nope so UP I was for the day and still going strong. I did have a 10 minute period during church this morning where it felt good to close my eyes but I am pretty sure I was awake the whole time. Hopefully I will get to sleep tonight, since I have to go back to work.
Saturday, November 6, 2010
Holiday's
Ok so I am now officially on the countdown to the holidays with Halloween just over. While I am super excited for Thanksgiving, the whole Christmas season is way more exciting.
Halloween was a laid back holiday this year. Thomas and I got more headstones to go in our front yard to make a graveyard. We carved pumpkins and got lots of candy for all the little trick or treaters we were hoping to get. I turned on lights in the house lit the pumpkins and waited in costume to greet them and hand out candy. But No such luck, we were stiffed. We did not get one trick or treater what a bust, on the positive side we have lots of candy that we can get on a sugar high from.
I need to begin decorating for Thanksgiving in my house and outside as well. We still have a lot of Halloween stuff up. I just haven't made time to do it yet. Our pumpkins are rotting on the doorstep and I don't think that I can in my right mind give them to the chickens - so into the yard waste they will go. Hopefully today. As far as decorating for Thanksgiving, I am not too sure what to do. All I can think of are turkeys, gourds, and leaves. Maybe I will make a garland of leaves to hang on the mantel.
I do have a little bit of a creative side in me. I have fallen in love with block letters, though they are hard to find. So, I found these great wooden blocks at Michaels (except they only carry like 3 at a time and don't replace them for 5 months) that I always buy every time I see them there. I am determined to get enough to have a word or saying for each holiday. So far all I have is for Valentine's Day "LOVE". Each block is painted a different color that goes with the holiday and then I stencil on the letters. I have acquired enough blocks for Thanksgiving to say "GIVE THANKS" and I believe that I have enough colors to make it. I was however lucky to find blocks for Easter "EASTER" and for Halloween "WICKED". The blocks are displayed on the mantel of my fireplace.
I have been receiving daily emails from Better Homes and Gardens for ideas in decorating your house for Christmas. I am so inspired and I cannot wait to begin. I am going to make wreaths to hang in the windows, a garland to go around the garage door, and "candles" to go on the windowsills. More ideas to come and pictures might be posted if I can remember how to post them.
Halloween was a laid back holiday this year. Thomas and I got more headstones to go in our front yard to make a graveyard. We carved pumpkins and got lots of candy for all the little trick or treaters we were hoping to get. I turned on lights in the house lit the pumpkins and waited in costume to greet them and hand out candy. But No such luck, we were stiffed. We did not get one trick or treater what a bust, on the positive side we have lots of candy that we can get on a sugar high from.
I need to begin decorating for Thanksgiving in my house and outside as well. We still have a lot of Halloween stuff up. I just haven't made time to do it yet. Our pumpkins are rotting on the doorstep and I don't think that I can in my right mind give them to the chickens - so into the yard waste they will go. Hopefully today. As far as decorating for Thanksgiving, I am not too sure what to do. All I can think of are turkeys, gourds, and leaves. Maybe I will make a garland of leaves to hang on the mantel.
I do have a little bit of a creative side in me. I have fallen in love with block letters, though they are hard to find. So, I found these great wooden blocks at Michaels (except they only carry like 3 at a time and don't replace them for 5 months) that I always buy every time I see them there. I am determined to get enough to have a word or saying for each holiday. So far all I have is for Valentine's Day "LOVE". Each block is painted a different color that goes with the holiday and then I stencil on the letters. I have acquired enough blocks for Thanksgiving to say "GIVE THANKS" and I believe that I have enough colors to make it. I was however lucky to find blocks for Easter "EASTER" and for Halloween "WICKED". The blocks are displayed on the mantel of my fireplace.
I have been receiving daily emails from Better Homes and Gardens for ideas in decorating your house for Christmas. I am so inspired and I cannot wait to begin. I am going to make wreaths to hang in the windows, a garland to go around the garage door, and "candles" to go on the windowsills. More ideas to come and pictures might be posted if I can remember how to post them.
Thursday, October 21, 2010
The Latest
I am not sure how much has really changed since my last post. Lets see, since I was hired on after the start of the school year I was on a "Leave Replacement" Contract that meant that my job was up at the end of the school year. That was a bummer but I had already known that going into the job. Still it was a rough time applying for new jobs and being on the hunt again. Luckily just before July, I got an interview and a 0.7FTE Elementary PE position, on a continuing contract in the Bethel School District! What a relief especially with hopes of getting even more time! And more time I did get. We had a lot more students register than planned so that allowed more time for me so I am now a 0.9FTE and I get to work every day. This has helped out so much more and I am so excited to have a job for next year (hopefully - as long as there are no more RIFs) Thomas is still teaching at the same school and has really found his niche with the kids. He gets along well with his staff members and new principal. We are both still coaching. I have a team of 15 girls and 2 boys and they are fantastic this year, it is so nice having the boys on the team they tend to level it out a bit. Thomas is still coaching boys and girls tennis.
Our summer was full of outdoor improving. We spent long hours weeding and planting flowers in the flower bed by the road as well as tending to our vegetable garden. I knew that the flower bed I had created was a big project but I didn't realize how much until I started planting in it. It takes up a lot more flowers than I thought so even though it is one long strip, it is split in half and looks different. I was also able to get my birthday present this summer which was two Birch Trees that we planted in the front. They really have completed the look of the garden which is really nice. Our vegetable garden was somewhat successful, given the strange summer we had. Our cucumbers did very well - I have even taken a liking to them. Our snap peas and green beans did awesome as did our lettuce. We had more luck with the onions this year, but still not successful. And as far as our corn is concerned...we only got two good ears off of 8 plants, so that was definitely a bust. Carrots and Parsnips are doing well as are the strawberries and herbs. The tomatoes didn't do too well, but I am sure that is true for just about everyone. All in all it is very rewarding growing your own produce.
Unfortunately one of our chickens "Buffy" turned out to be a rooster "Rude-y" so we were able to take him back and get a hen in his place, but we ended up getting two instead! They have acclimated well into the coop with the other hens and all seem to get along. I was nervous that there would be some pecking issues but as it turns out the new comers are the rulers of the roost. It is so much fun having the chickens, we let them out to roam the yard, feed them table scraps and give them organic feed. We get on average 6 eggs a day, so we have a bounty of eggs and have began selling Parsons Farm Fresh Organic Eggs to co-workers for $3 a dozen. So at least the eggs are not going to waste.
While we didn't go anywhere for our 2 year anniversary this year, Thomas planned the most amazing day for me as a "tourist" in Seattle. We went to the water front for lunch at Ivars, then to Pike Place Market and he bought me flowers. It such a romantic and thoughtful day. I enjoyed it so much. For dinner he took me to Lombardi's in Ballard (this was the restaurant we had our rehearsal dinner at) and we had the most amazing meal. It was a day I will never forget and I still get overwhelmed with love for my husband when I remember how thoughtful and kind he is.
We have felt extremely blessed these past few months and are looking forward to what the future brings.
Our summer was full of outdoor improving. We spent long hours weeding and planting flowers in the flower bed by the road as well as tending to our vegetable garden. I knew that the flower bed I had created was a big project but I didn't realize how much until I started planting in it. It takes up a lot more flowers than I thought so even though it is one long strip, it is split in half and looks different. I was also able to get my birthday present this summer which was two Birch Trees that we planted in the front. They really have completed the look of the garden which is really nice. Our vegetable garden was somewhat successful, given the strange summer we had. Our cucumbers did very well - I have even taken a liking to them. Our snap peas and green beans did awesome as did our lettuce. We had more luck with the onions this year, but still not successful. And as far as our corn is concerned...we only got two good ears off of 8 plants, so that was definitely a bust. Carrots and Parsnips are doing well as are the strawberries and herbs. The tomatoes didn't do too well, but I am sure that is true for just about everyone. All in all it is very rewarding growing your own produce.
Unfortunately one of our chickens "Buffy" turned out to be a rooster "Rude-y" so we were able to take him back and get a hen in his place, but we ended up getting two instead! They have acclimated well into the coop with the other hens and all seem to get along. I was nervous that there would be some pecking issues but as it turns out the new comers are the rulers of the roost. It is so much fun having the chickens, we let them out to roam the yard, feed them table scraps and give them organic feed. We get on average 6 eggs a day, so we have a bounty of eggs and have began selling Parsons Farm Fresh Organic Eggs to co-workers for $3 a dozen. So at least the eggs are not going to waste.
While we didn't go anywhere for our 2 year anniversary this year, Thomas planned the most amazing day for me as a "tourist" in Seattle. We went to the water front for lunch at Ivars, then to Pike Place Market and he bought me flowers. It such a romantic and thoughtful day. I enjoyed it so much. For dinner he took me to Lombardi's in Ballard (this was the restaurant we had our rehearsal dinner at) and we had the most amazing meal. It was a day I will never forget and I still get overwhelmed with love for my husband when I remember how thoughtful and kind he is.
We have felt extremely blessed these past few months and are looking forward to what the future brings.
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