Greener Grass

Do you ever look at blogs or other websites late at night, when you can't sleep, and magically find exactly what you didn't know you needed?

I do. I'm going to share this thought – it's obviously a sentiment that has been expressed by many, but I am grateful to have stumbled upon it tonight.

"The grass isn't greener on the other side. The grass is greener where you water and fertilize it."

I hope your grass is green and healthy.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving! I have a good excuse for being a day late on this one. I hosted the family dinner.

That's right, you heard me.

It was the first time I had more than two people over for a meal. The first time my parents and my in-laws shared a holiday meal. The first time I made a turkey. The first time I bathed a baby in the kitchen sink (yes, really).

My lovely friend Andrea arrived on Sunday night from Victoria, on a whim, with her baby. I'm glad she did. There's something comforting about not knowing what you're doing when nobody else does either.

We set a table.

I think it turned out really well. The turkey was maybe just a little overdone, but at least it was cooked! My stuffing tasted like mom's which was the most important part. There were brussels sprouts, and we have tons of leftover everything (except stuffing). The baby was happy.

And there were turkey cookies. Yes.

Sunday's Simple Daybook

For today... Sunday, September 12, 2010

Outside my window... dark now, and has been pouring all day.

I am thinking... about many ides for the new church-school year.

I am thankful for... the impending fall. There is really nothing about fall that I don't love.

From the learning rooms... still need to get on my herbalism course. I will have a good report on this next week.

From the kitchen... embarrassingly, nothing today. It's time to use up leftovers and pantry items.

I am wearing... pajamas. It's only 8:30 but it feels like the right sort of thing tonight. I've also brought the slippers out to stay.

I am creating... a routine.

I am going... to order my wedding photos this week, for real.

I am reading... Women, Food, and God, as per last week. I do like it.

I am hoping... that the momentum I'm feeling around here really keeps up.

I am hearing... My favourite song this week, The Prayer (I like the version by Celtic Woman).

Around the house... I've put the heavy duvet on the bed. We have stacks of plastic bins that need to be dealt with this week – if they aren't filled for storage, they'll be going to my mom's for her use. 

One of my favorite things... my new Aroma Geni nebulizer from Saje Aromatherapy (a birthday gift). It's been going all evening with Love Potion #10 and it smells fantastic around here.

A few plans for the week...  Focus on unpacking boxes that are still hanging around, fix the china cabinet, send in a set of lessons (I know, I know), run.

Here is a picture for thought... this is the photo I've chosen as our wedding portrait.

Play along with the Simple Woman's Daybook!

Sunday's Simple Daybook

For today... Sunday, September 5, 2010

Outside my window... suddenly sunny after a very grey day!

I am thinking... about revamping our budget.

I am thankful for... having met my husband's gran in England. She is 98 years old and he hadn't seen her for 13 years. I am grateful that we had the opportunity to go, chat, and take photos.

From the learning rooms... need to get working (hard) on my herbalism course.

From the kitchen... Dinner Diva Detox from Leanne Ely at Saving Dinner. Time to get food in order.

I am wearing... Black yoga pants and a long-sleeved pink running room shirt. 


I am creating... a better me.

I am going... to my mom's this afternoon, to pick up some pantry items. She and I shop at Costco and split the bounty.

I am reading... Women, Food, and God by Geneen Roth. I'm not yet sure what I think of it.

I am hoping... that my husband gets lots of work in September.

I am hearing... the laundry going, going, going...

Around the house... busy unpacking from our recent trip to the UK!

One of my favorite things... sprouted grain bread with almond butter. Yummy.

A few plans for the week...  I need to see my grandparents, get ready for church to start up, order wedding photos, and mail in a set of correspondence lessons. 

Here is a picture for thought... Dan and I with his grandmother, Marion.

Play along with the Simple Woman's Daybook!

I'm a Terrible Blogger – Have a Cookie

I'm terrible at blogging when I say I will!

I'm back with a good cookie recipe though, so I'm sure you'll forgive me.

This is a single-serve oatmeal cookie. I recently bought some packs of plain instant oatmeal. I was really excited about them. I always find the packaged instant oatmeal to be too sweet, so I thought these would be great to have at work. They were salty. I couldn't eat them. But I COULD make one into a cookie! This made a moist, jumbo cookie – but only one, so I don't have to resist a whole bunch.

I ate this straight out of the oven for a sweet fix, but it was pretty filling. I could see making one up in the evening and taking it for an on-the-go breakfast.

Ingredients


One pack of instant oatmeal (any flavour - I used plain)
1 TBS. brown sugar - you wouldn't really need this if your oatmeal was sweetened.
1 TBS. whole-wheat flour.
2 TBS. unsweetened applesauce
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/8 tsp. vanilla
Additions (nuts, raisins, etc.) as desired.

Combine, mix well, form into a cookie, place on a greased baking sheet and bake at 350 for about 15 minutes (you'll know when it's done!)

Bricks of Bread

I've become interested in making bread lately, and have been dabbling with yeast-free breads for the last couple of weeks. I made an Irish soda bread, which was frankly awful. Tonight I made a loaf of rye bread from a mix I bought in the IKEA marketplace.

This was an interesting thing to make. The mix comes in a large container which looks like a milk carton. Basically, you add water, shake like crazy, and pour it into a loaf pan. It didn't rise much, and then it's baked for an hour.

I don't think I'll make it again because it's awkward to get out of the carton. It is very heavy, dense & thick – no kidding, it feels like a brick. But it was delicious warm with a little butter! We'll be using it this week with soups and such.

But, the plan is to give a yeast bread a try. This week I'm going to try out the basic recipe from the Hillbilly Housewife. Wish me luck! I'll let you know how it goes.

2010 Reading Challenge - 2/30 Done

The Constant Princess by Philippa Gregory

A Christmas gift from my wonderful husband, The Constant Princess was my second finished book of the year. It was a beautiful, lovely read. Chronologically, it precedes The Other Boleyn Girl and The Boleyn Inheritance, though I read both of those last year.

I've loved all three, but I loved this the most. Katherine of Aragon was an amazing, interesting Princess and Queen, and this book has inspired me to look into her life even more.

Inspired by The Literate Housewife's recommendations (whom, by the way, I love), I'm now reading the Tudor-era historical fiction in chronological order. She's made a wonderful comprehensive list that even "fills in the gaps" of Philippa Gregory's series. So, next up will be a new (to me) author, Vanora Bennett. I look forward to reading and reviewing her work as well!

Happy Reading,

Things I Love

It is Things I Love Thursday over at The Diaper Diaries, and inspired by my friend at Bowmania, I'm joining in! Yes, it's a bit odd that I'm linking to a blog called The Diaper Diaries, but I couldn't pass this one up. So, I'm going with a couple wedding things, because you all should know.

I love comfortable shoes at weddings.

I chose Skechers, and they were awesome. I walked, I stood, I danced, I did just fine - and even managed to change into fancy heels at the end of the night! A bride needs to feel great on her wedding day.

I love traditions.

Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue. Hokey? Not at all. This is a beautiful lovely tradition and I'm so glad I took part. For something old, I used my mom's veil. Something new was my dress. Something borrowed was my great-grandmother's engagement ring, and I felt SO honoured to be allowed to wear it all day. Something blue was created for me by my grandma, who is the master embroiderer in the family. Behold, my wedding-day monogram. The photo below is my beautiful mom sewing it into the lining of my skirt on the morning of the wedding:

I love beautiful, delicious cake.

This was our cake. 'Nuff said... well, almost. Up until the day before the wedding, I was worried that the cake was the one thing we had over-spent on. I no longer have any doubts. It was a four-tier chocolate caramel cake. The bottom three tiers were cut for the wedding reception, and every single piece was eaten. The top tier was served at the gift-opening the following day. People are still talking about it, no kidding. I've determined that people truly, universally appreciate only a couple of wedding things, and good cake is one of them.

I think that's enough for today, but this was fun - stay tuned for more!

2010 Reading Challenge

I'm participating in a reading challenge for 2010. My goal is to read 30 books this year, no re-reads. I made 15 last year, so this will be a push for me, but I think it is doable. I am also including audiobooks, as I've decided to make the most of my long commute.

Tonight I finished listening to Chronicles of Avonlea by one of my all-time favourite authors, L.M. Montgomery. A collection of short stories, our dear Anne Shirley appears several times. She isn't featured in any of the stories, but it nonetheless gave me a little thrill each time I heard her name, like running into an old friend.

I thoroughly enjoyed listening to this book. The short stories were just perfect for my commute to work – at an average of half an hour apiece, I could listen to approximately 3 between my drives to and from work. The stories were engrossing, and I found myself laughing many times. I am addicted to audiobooks all of a sudden, and I look forward to the Further Chronicles of Avonlea in the near future.

I highly recommend this book to anybody who has known Anne, though of course it isn't necessary at all! This would be a delightful read at nearly any age, and I'm sure I will listen to it, and probably pick up a paper copy, again and again.

Oh and... 1 down, 29 to go!

I'm Back!

It took me nearly a month pre-wedding, and four months post-wedding to focus, pull off a huge event, go on a honeymoon, move, and recover.

I'm moved. I'm recovered. I'm even going through photos and such now. And thus, it is time for me to blog again.

I got stuck. I wanted to blog about the wedding events before I started blogging about other things, but I wasn't ready to tackle the rest of the wedding things. So I've made a decision – I'm going to blog both. Every few days you'll get a wedding post because I don't want to leave things hanging with the shower! And every now and then you'll get something else.

I have some goals for 2010. I want to read 30 books. I want to bake bread, which makes me very nervous. I plan to get in better shape and to do some embroidery. I'm going to have to move again.

Please join me as I figure out how to live a marriage now that I'm done with planning a wedding. Here, the real work starts.

Cheers!