veggies anyone?

I feel like a little kid again with my garden- each day I go out back to check on my little ones and to measure any new growth. Just this week my seeds turned into veggies- WOW. I officially have green and yellow beans growing:) My lettuce has started to sprout too- oh how I love my greens! Sadly, the more shaded areas of my garden aren't doing as well but I think a little time might be just what they need(my fingers are crossed:)


The beans were the first to sprout!


I used the cilantro for dinner last night- I loved picking it right before I put it on the table.


At dinner time I can't wait to be able to say, "what kind of greens would you like in your salad tonight?"

Homemade Goodies

My friend Annie is quite the cook/baker and she has inspired me to make more things from scratch. So last night an hour before the guests showed up I thought, "what can I make for dessert?" In an effort to use what I already have, I remembered Annie and her good old fashioned homemade ways. I called her for the brownie recipe she made for us in Sun River and gave it a try. Yum, Yum- I love homemade treats. Plus it feels good to make something with the stuff I already have. I have been thinking about the time before boxed mixes and how everyone cooked/baked from scratch and how dependant I have become on mixes and pre-made stuff. I am eager to pick-up some of the old fashion skills our society has tossed aside in pursuit of instant gratification. Take sewing for instance- I think I would enjoy the process of picking out fabric and patterns and putting the peices all together. In my book that would be time and creative energey well spent.

Annie's Brownies:
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
1/2 cup flour (I used whole wheat and no-one noticed:)
1/3 cup cocoa
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
(Per Jason's request, I added 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips and they were great- I think next time I would decrease the butter a bit because of the added oil in the chocolate chips...)
Pre-heat oven to 350
Mix all ingredients and put in a 9 inch pan
Bake for 20-25 (or until you start smelling them)

the weather out there

Yesterday as the rain came down I did find myself wondering what it was like in Knoxville... If you ever wonder what temps we might experience in Tennessee check out the site below

http://www.wunderground.com/cgi-bin/findweather/getForecast?query=37920

Our first "going away party"

Yesterday afternoon the youth group had a going away party for us. This is an event that has been in the making for awhile now and so the reality of us leaving in one month hit me hard yesterday. I so don't feel ready to go... I am having a lot of mixed emotions- mostly sad. I think this is consistent with the way I process, 1st stage: overly optimistic, 2nd stage: overly sad, and 3rd stage: realistic. I think I have moved into the overly sad stage and will be here for awhile. Jason and I have a great life here and leaving will be hard- yes I realize we will grow and learn much but change is very hard. I wish I could have all the people I love together and hold them really close and tight.

This week

Monday- returned home from a long weekend in Sun River. Paul, Annie, Eli, and Mindy joined us and we had so much fun playing games, eating yummy food, and enjoying the outdoors. We've been friends with the Robinsons for 7 years now and spending the weekend with them reminds us what great friends they have been throughout the years. Going on vacation with Mindy is like living with her- SIMPLY WONDERFUL!

Tuesday- celebrated our 8th anniversary with Beth & Jeremiah who were married on the exact same day as us! Upon rising, Jason cut roses from our garden and filled our living room with arrangements. I spent the day planting my first garden. First I weeded, which I discovered I actually enjoy digging each weed up individually- it feels like victory over and over again. I planted leeks (maybe too many:), red, green and white onions, carrots, beets, green and yellow beans, squash, kale, and brussel sprouts. I also planted a few herbs. I will plant purple and green cabbage, mint, rosemary, corn, snow peas, and a variety of lettuces this weekend. We have a large garden area and I am so thankful for the room to grow many herbs and veggies. In the evening Johnsons came over and we grilled salmon and asparagus (both in season) and a side of jasmine rice with lime and cilantro (Beth great idea -it was so tasty!) After dinner we played games and laughed with one another. Then we headed to OBA in the Pearl for happy hour. It was a treat to celebrate our friendships and our marriages together.

Wednesday- dissertation work:) and dinner at the Robinson's. It seems like they are always coming here so we decided to head over to their apartment for dinner. We had yummy homemade chicken noodle soup and bread- Annie is a great cook! We had strawberry shortcake and whipped cream for dessert. We played card games and 10,000 to end the evening!

Thursday- more dissertation work and dinner with 2 of our favorite high school girls.
We made what we had and enjoyed each other's company.

Today- I hope to clean the house, finish up some odds and ends and make Zuppa Tuscana for dinner- Annie gave me the recipe and Jason loves it. Tonight we will enjoy dinner with one of my friends from GFU.

Tomorrow- Rain or shine we are leveling and seeding the back yard:) We got it ready 2 weeks ago and it has been muddy since so tomorrow we are going for it regardless of the weather.