We've been talking about buying a DSLR in the future, maybe in a year or two, so its heaven to get one fo free.
Here are my favorite shots from this weekend. Taken by Dave and I.
hopeitsnicewhereyouare<3
1 day ago
Monday, October 24, 2011
Rebellion
Dave's friend Jeff came to visit this weekend on short notice. In exchange for our awesome free tours of the Alaska countryside and a free place to stay, he gave us a camera. A Canon Rebel. Its amazing.
We've been talking about buying a DSLR in the future, maybe in a year or two, so its heaven to get one fo free.
Here are my favorite shots from this weekend. Taken by Dave and I.
Best thank you gift ever.
hopeitsnicewhereyouare<3
We've been talking about buying a DSLR in the future, maybe in a year or two, so its heaven to get one fo free.
Here are my favorite shots from this weekend. Taken by Dave and I.
hopeitsnicewhereyouare<3
Monday, September 19, 2011
Something New
I don't know about you, but I have a number of meals that I make frequently. I swear we have chili at least once a week. And Dave and I are both ok with that. Chili is awesome.
Sometimes I change up my tried and true recipes, I'll add a little something or look up a new recipe. And sometimes, I go completely out of my comfort zone and make something totally new.
Enter Indian food. Never had it, ever. But a few of the nutrition/cooking blogs I read just RAVE about it, so I thought, why (the heck) not try something completely new and foreign.
Baingan bharta, or eggplant curry is a dish common in the Punjab region of India/Pakistan. Apparently the different regions of India have all have very different types of food, who knew.
This is the recipe I used
(from allrecipes.com)
Ingredients:
1 large eggplant
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 tomato, diced
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1 fresh jalapeno chile pepper, finely chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 bunch cilantro, finely chopped
Directions:
Sometimes I change up my tried and true recipes, I'll add a little something or look up a new recipe. And sometimes, I go completely out of my comfort zone and make something totally new.
Enter Indian food. Never had it, ever. But a few of the nutrition/cooking blogs I read just RAVE about it, so I thought, why (the heck) not try something completely new and foreign.
Baingan bharta, or eggplant curry is a dish common in the Punjab region of India/Pakistan. Apparently the different regions of India have all have very different types of food, who knew.
This is the recipe I used
(from allrecipes.com)
Ingredients:
1 large eggplant
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 tomato, diced
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1 fresh jalapeno chile pepper, finely chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 bunch cilantro, finely chopped
Directions:
1.
|
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230
degrees C).
|
|||||||||||
2.
|
Place eggplant on a medium baking
sheet. Bake 20 to 30 minutes in the preheated oven, until tender. Remove from
heat, cool, peel, and chop.
|
|||||||||||
3.
|
Heat oil in a medium saucepan over
medium heat. Mix in cumin seeds and onion. Cook and stir until onion is
tender.
|
|||||||||||
4.
|
Mix ginger garlic paste, curry
powder, and tomato into the saucepan, and cook about 1 minute. Stir in
yogurt. Mix in eggplant and jalapeno pepper, and season with salt. Cover, and
cook 10 minutes over high heat. Remove cover, reduce heat to low, and
continue cooking about 5 minutes. Garnish with cilantro to serve.
 Sorry for the less-than-stellar picture. What I changed:
First of all, I crock-potted this beast. I'm in love with my crockpot right now, probably because its so dang cold and humid here. One hour high, and then on low five ish hours. So I just peeled and chopped the eggplant and threw it in the pot. BTW, how weird are eggplants.
I used ground cumin,1 tsp chopped garlic and 1/2 tsp of ginger and Greek yogurt.
If this would have been any other type of cuisine(something I've made or actually eaten before) I probably would've made some more changes, but I decided to try this recipe as closely as possible for my first Indian experience.
I also made naan, a slightly puffy, grilled, pita type thing. Here is the recipe I used, also from allrecipes.com.
Final Product and Review:
Dave and I LOVED the naan, we were stuffing out faces with it right off the grill, so I made some brown rice to put the eggplant curry on, just in case we ate all the naan.
  I kinda think it looks like barf, smells a little like barf (with a whole bunch of curry). Not really a fan, we kept taking small bites and then looking at each other to see if we were going to keep eating. I didn't hate it. I just didn't like it. Oh well, I found out I really LOVE naan, so I'll be making that again. If you like Indian food and all the curry, I won't hold it against you :) Hope its nice where you are :) |
Monday, September 12, 2011
What I Miss
Alaska is breathtakingly beautiful. And I have been pleasantly surprised with the variety of stores here.I love the variety of colors here, and the calm, steady weather. Its SO green, not nasty brown and tan like everything in Arizona.
But....
There are definitely a few things that I miss about the "outside" aka the lower 48. There are things I've been missing since I left for Arizona last June, and the list has only gotten longer here
1. Chipotle - you might think its silly I have a restaurant as my number one, but right now, chipotle sounds SO GOOD. I miss those chips, and my burrito bowl. wah. All they have here is Qdoba, similar, but definitely not Chipotle.
2. Bath and Body Works. Yes I can order online, but how in the world am I supposed to smell the new fall scents!? I miss my 2 for 20 candles.
3. 70+ degree heat. I guess I took living in the land of perpetual summer for granted. I am super jealous of everyone with their 80 degree heat. The hottest it was here was 70. blah.
4. Hanging out with friends.
5. Family get-togethers. Birthdays, July 4th, Mothers/Fathers Day.
6. Good malls. More choices. Tucson I miss you. Mall of America, not so much, but those Tucson malls were great. I actually really miss Tucson in general. Oh, and Woodbury Lakes in Minnesoty. H&M, the Buckle, DSW so many stores I never realized I would REALLY miss. Its so sad haha :(
7. Dunn Bros Coffee, oh how I am missing my daily visits. And working there.
8. The sun. Yesterday we had a mostly clear, beautiful sunny day. I realized it had been a while since I had ACTUALLY SEEN the sun. I just closed my eyes and soaked it in. Its always cloudy here. And its only gonna get worse.
Look, you can see the sun on the hills!
9. Thunderstorms. Kind of a weird thing to miss, but when you spend 22 years of your life experiencing them, its really strange to not ever have them.
10. Thunder Mountain Community Church
I'm not trying to complain, especially with 9/11 on my mind I am even more thankful for all I have, never-the-less, I do miss things.
Hope its nice where you are-
Courtney
But....
There are definitely a few things that I miss about the "outside" aka the lower 48. There are things I've been missing since I left for Arizona last June, and the list has only gotten longer here
1. Chipotle - you might think its silly I have a restaurant as my number one, but right now, chipotle sounds SO GOOD. I miss those chips, and my burrito bowl. wah. All they have here is Qdoba, similar, but definitely not Chipotle.
2. Bath and Body Works. Yes I can order online, but how in the world am I supposed to smell the new fall scents!? I miss my 2 for 20 candles.
3. 70+ degree heat. I guess I took living in the land of perpetual summer for granted. I am super jealous of everyone with their 80 degree heat. The hottest it was here was 70. blah.
4. Hanging out with friends.
5. Family get-togethers. Birthdays, July 4th, Mothers/Fathers Day.
6. Good malls. More choices. Tucson I miss you. Mall of America, not so much, but those Tucson malls were great. I actually really miss Tucson in general. Oh, and Woodbury Lakes in Minnesoty. H&M, the Buckle, DSW so many stores I never realized I would REALLY miss. Its so sad haha :(
7. Dunn Bros Coffee, oh how I am missing my daily visits. And working there.
8. The sun. Yesterday we had a mostly clear, beautiful sunny day. I realized it had been a while since I had ACTUALLY SEEN the sun. I just closed my eyes and soaked it in. Its always cloudy here. And its only gonna get worse.
Look, you can see the sun on the hills!
9. Thunderstorms. Kind of a weird thing to miss, but when you spend 22 years of your life experiencing them, its really strange to not ever have them.
10. Thunder Mountain Community Church
I'm not trying to complain, especially with 9/11 on my mind I am even more thankful for all I have, never-the-less, I do miss things.
Hope its nice where you are-
Courtney
Monday, August 22, 2011
South Beach
So lately, I've been working my butt off, trying to get back in shape. And to lose weight. Its not that I am overweight. I am just over the weight I feel comfortable as. Back in college, I never gained the freshman fifteen so I assumed I wouldn't gain the "newlywed nine", but oh boy, I did. I guess that's what sitting on the couch being a housewife for a year does to you. And all that deep frying we did last summer. NOT WORTH IT.
I have been working out 3-4 times a week at the base gym. Typically I do 20-45 minutes cardio, stretch, and then weights. I don't do weights every time I work out, but most of the time. I've gotten frustrated with the lack of change in my body. Well, not completely. I can tell I am already in much better cardio shape, I think that is what is motivating me.
blah blah blah.
Now to what I actually wanted to talk about! Diet.Yay! Honestly, right now, I feel great. I am eating really good. Before this week I was calorie counting, which was a little hard for me. I felt like I couldn't eat what I really wanted to without feeling guilty. And I really don't think guilt should be a motivator. I want to be healthy, not starving my body or filling it with empty calories. So yesterday I started the South Beach Diet. I've done this diet before, only because I agree with the science behind it. Our culture is VERY sugary. And its not always good sugar. Most of the time its not good sugar. It is no wonder our nation has more obesity than any other, but that's another day.
I like SB because I can eat things I like and stay full, and it has very clear rules that are easy to follow. BUT, Its always really hard for me. The first two weeks are supposed to be no sugar, fruit, or grains (because they break down to sugar) and light on the diary-and this Wisco girl loves her diary. I have never lasted two weeks. Not even close. I usually last a few days and then cry when I open the fridge to get some food because nothing looks good. This time is a little different, because I can completely control what is in my fridge. I have been doing really good. I actually discovered a recipe that I am going to make regularly its so yummy!
Baked Chicken Strips with Mustard, Almond, and Parmesan
Makes 3-4 servings, but can easily be doubled. Recipe adapted from Cooking New American.
2 very large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
marinade:
2 T mayo (low fat is ok, but don't use fat free)
2 T Dijon mustard (or use any mustard that appeals to you)
1 T white balsamic vinegar (or use slightly less than 1 T white vinegar)
1 T water
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. poultry seasoning
coating:
2 T parmesan cheese (freshly grated or coarsely grated, not the kind that comes in a can)
3/4 cup almond meal (you can also grind 3/4 cup almonds in the food processor, but the pre-ground almond meal is a bit more finely ground)
1/4 tsp. poultry seasoning
salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste (I didn't use much salt)
Trim any visible fat or tendons from chicken, then cut each piece into crosswise strips about 1 inch wide. Whisk together mayo, Dijon, white balsamic vinegar, water, garlic powder, and poultry seasoning. Place chicken strips and marinade in plastic bag and marinate in refrigerator for 3-4 hours or as long as all day.
When ready to cook, let marinated chicken come to room temperature while oven pre-heats to 450 F. Use a food processor to finely grind the almond meal, Parmesan, poultry seasoning, salt, and pepper, and put coating in large flat bowl. Spray non-stick baking sheet well with non-stick spray. Dip each chicken piece into coating, turning to coat both sides, and arrange in single layer on baking sheet.
Bake without turning for 15-20 minutes, or until top side is quite browned and underneath is starting to brown. Then use metal turner and go under each piece of chicken to be sure it's not stuck to the pan, then carefully turn each piece. Some of the coating will fall off and possibly get too browned in the pan, so don't worry about it. Cook 10-15 minutes more until chicken is well browned and cooked through. Total cooking time will be 25-30 minutes, depending on your pan. Serve hot. (Edit: if you're reheating this in the microwave, be very careful not to overcook or it will get very dry. It is definitely best fresh from the oven.)
DELISH.
I'm not going to lie though. I made some serious revisions. You can't blame me, I was in a hurry, and my ideas worked wonderfully. I used almond butter- whattt?!(buy at Costco, you won't find it cheaper, like $6 for a HUGE thing- or $6 at the grocery store for 6 oz-lame), mustard, garlic and a little water and made a thin paste. I then dipped the chicken in the paste and rolled it in the parmesean, poultry seasoning and pepper. And then I baked it. IT WAS AMAZING. And I wasn't even super hungry, but it tasted like something tastes when you are super hungry. You know what I mean. So try it.
I also dipped it in ranch mixed with mustard. Yes, I agree a little weird. I have found a new appreciation for mustard. Who knew.
Sorry for so many words, and no pretty pictures. :)
Here's my dinner!
And here's the joy of breakfast :D
Hope its nice where you are ;)
I have been working out 3-4 times a week at the base gym. Typically I do 20-45 minutes cardio, stretch, and then weights. I don't do weights every time I work out, but most of the time. I've gotten frustrated with the lack of change in my body. Well, not completely. I can tell I am already in much better cardio shape, I think that is what is motivating me.
blah blah blah.
Now to what I actually wanted to talk about! Diet.
I like SB because I can eat things I like and stay full, and it has very clear rules that are easy to follow. BUT, Its always really hard for me. The first two weeks are supposed to be no sugar, fruit, or grains (because they break down to sugar) and light on the diary-and this Wisco girl loves her diary. I have never lasted two weeks. Not even close. I usually last a few days and then cry when I open the fridge to get some food because nothing looks good. This time is a little different, because I can completely control what is in my fridge. I have been doing really good. I actually discovered a recipe that I am going to make regularly its so yummy!
Baked Chicken Strips with Mustard, Almond, and Parmesan
Makes 3-4 servings, but can easily be doubled. Recipe adapted from Cooking New American.
2 very large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
marinade:
2 T mayo (low fat is ok, but don't use fat free)
2 T Dijon mustard (or use any mustard that appeals to you)
1 T white balsamic vinegar (or use slightly less than 1 T white vinegar)
1 T water
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. poultry seasoning
coating:
2 T parmesan cheese (freshly grated or coarsely grated, not the kind that comes in a can)
3/4 cup almond meal (you can also grind 3/4 cup almonds in the food processor, but the pre-ground almond meal is a bit more finely ground)
1/4 tsp. poultry seasoning
salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste (I didn't use much salt)
Trim any visible fat or tendons from chicken, then cut each piece into crosswise strips about 1 inch wide. Whisk together mayo, Dijon, white balsamic vinegar, water, garlic powder, and poultry seasoning. Place chicken strips and marinade in plastic bag and marinate in refrigerator for 3-4 hours or as long as all day.
When ready to cook, let marinated chicken come to room temperature while oven pre-heats to 450 F. Use a food processor to finely grind the almond meal, Parmesan, poultry seasoning, salt, and pepper, and put coating in large flat bowl. Spray non-stick baking sheet well with non-stick spray. Dip each chicken piece into coating, turning to coat both sides, and arrange in single layer on baking sheet.
Bake without turning for 15-20 minutes, or until top side is quite browned and underneath is starting to brown. Then use metal turner and go under each piece of chicken to be sure it's not stuck to the pan, then carefully turn each piece. Some of the coating will fall off and possibly get too browned in the pan, so don't worry about it. Cook 10-15 minutes more until chicken is well browned and cooked through. Total cooking time will be 25-30 minutes, depending on your pan. Serve hot. (Edit: if you're reheating this in the microwave, be very careful not to overcook or it will get very dry. It is definitely best fresh from the oven.)
DELISH.
I'm not going to lie though. I made some serious revisions. You can't blame me, I was in a hurry, and my ideas worked wonderfully. I used almond butter- whattt?!(buy at Costco, you won't find it cheaper, like $6 for a HUGE thing- or $6 at the grocery store for 6 oz-lame), mustard, garlic and a little water and made a thin paste. I then dipped the chicken in the paste and rolled it in the parmesean, poultry seasoning and pepper. And then I baked it. IT WAS AMAZING. And I wasn't even super hungry, but it tasted like something tastes when you are super hungry. You know what I mean. So try it.
I also dipped it in ranch mixed with mustard. Yes, I agree a little weird. I have found a new appreciation for mustard. Who knew.
Sorry for so many words, and no pretty pictures. :)
Here's my dinner!
And here's the joy of breakfast :D
Hope its nice where you are ;)
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Ho boy
Well its been a while.
My toe is still broken, though it only hurts if I walk around barefoot or if it get squished. Like when I try to sleep. I can't complain though, it hasn't interfered with my life really at all. I can still work out, which is good because I am really enjoying going to the gym. I will definitely post about my workout/gym love, as soon as I start seeing results ha!
Dave has been gone two and a half weeks now, and it hasn't really been as bad as I anticipated. I was only REALLY sad one day so far, I consider my stable mood to be a BIG blessing. I really do hate sleeping alone though.
My dear friend Chelsea visited for 5 days. I was fun to take her around to the Alaska sights. And it was nice to have someone in the house with me.
Yep. That's a big ol bullwinkle. He was just having lunch when we walked by in the park. Thankfully a man let us know where he was before we were surprised so we got some good pictures of the guy.
That is Flattop. The creativity of the name is not phenomenal, but at least its easy to remember.
Blueberries! How cute right? There was two moms and their kids picking bucketfulls when we were there, it would have totally been something my mom would have brought us to do. I plan on going back up there soon to pick a bunch!(Edit: Just looked these up and they are actually crowberries, not as sweet as blueberries but twice the vitamin C, and I hear they make a mean pie!)
Its beautiful, this new place I live.
Hope its nice where you are :)
My toe is still broken, though it only hurts if I walk around barefoot or if it get squished. Like when I try to sleep. I can't complain though, it hasn't interfered with my life really at all. I can still work out, which is good because I am really enjoying going to the gym. I will definitely post about my workout/gym love, as soon as I start seeing results ha!
Dave has been gone two and a half weeks now, and it hasn't really been as bad as I anticipated. I was only REALLY sad one day so far, I consider my stable mood to be a BIG blessing. I really do hate sleeping alone though.
My dear friend Chelsea visited for 5 days. I was fun to take her around to the Alaska sights. And it was nice to have someone in the house with me.
Hope its nice where you are :)
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Clumsy
Currently making a big deal of this
Sprained toe :( boohoo. I can't even tell you how many toes and fingers I have sprained. During softball one year, I actually counted that I had 7 sprained knuckles at one time, and that was just from practice. This injury was the result of me unintentionally kicking a ten pound dumbbell. Yay me! I usually get my toes caught on corners of walls and dressers and such, resulting in an avalanche of unintelligible screeches and moans. I've never been one to swear, I don't even have to think about it, the words of pain that exit me are "mwaaaaggg" geeeeee" ughamamama". Followed by silence, where I try to will the pain away. I don't know why I am so clumsy. Just yesterday, I was out for a jog ( ok, I mostly walked, but during this story I was actually jogging) and I rolled my ankle... ... on nothing. The tendons and ligaments in my ankle just decided to stop working so I could try to continue jogging on my lower shin. I have rolled my ankle three times now since we arrived in Alaska. Once was right out the front door, and another at a gas station, where I proceeded to smash my arm in to the hood of a poor unsuspecting chevy blazer. My shoulder still hasn't healed. But enough whining! I'm really not in much pain, but I do wonder how I haven't seriously hurt myself over the years.
Hope its nice (and pain-free) where you are!
Hope its nice (and pain-free) where you are!
Monday, July 11, 2011
Dos
Yup, second post of the day. I can't help it. I have to share this.
This woman constantly inspires me. If I could strive to have any life (though I am more than happy with my own) it would be hers. And if I could pick any superpower-it would be her voice. I cried twice while watching that video. She always has that affect on me. Watching her, experiencing a small part of her life moves me deep down in my soul. She expresses herself the way I yearn to. She is a shining example of what it means to be an artist and is obviously fulfilling the amazing plan God wrote out for her.
When I saw her live, I bawled my eyes out, unashamed, because she really is THAT talented. Its refreshing.
And she makes a darn good cleaning/unpacking playlist.
This woman constantly inspires me. If I could strive to have any life (though I am more than happy with my own) it would be hers. And if I could pick any superpower-it would be her voice. I cried twice while watching that video. She always has that affect on me. Watching her, experiencing a small part of her life moves me deep down in my soul. She expresses herself the way I yearn to. She is a shining example of what it means to be an artist and is obviously fulfilling the amazing plan God wrote out for her.
When I saw her live, I bawled my eyes out, unashamed, because she really is THAT talented. Its refreshing.
And she makes a darn good cleaning/unpacking playlist.
Is it nice where you are?
Its pretty great here.
We got our household goods! Finally.
The movers came and went in less than 4 hours. Everything seemed to be in good standing, there was a small ding on our entertainment center, but its from IKEA, so really, not a big deal. We did have a little scare when we realized the packers had marked EVERYTHING with the letters s, r, go, d and etc. They had marked all of our nearly-new furniture as scratched, rubbed, gouged and dented. ALL of it. Our furniture is all in perfect condition. They did that so if they marked it up, it wasn't on them. So shady and unprofessional. I no longer think of them fondly. Thankfully, we have yet to find anything else scratched, gouged or rubbed. You live and learn I guess. Don't trust moving guys.
I cannot express how happy I am to have real furniture. I am beyond excited to have all my dishes and bake-ware. I will be making croissants. very soon.
Well, maybe not too soon. I have some unpacking to do. It is amazing how many belongings we shoved into our last apartment (all 750 sq ft of it). Even with everything as messy and cluttered as it is, its really not that bad, considering our living space has doubled in size.
Now this is pure heaven. I missed that little loveseat, though it looks quite sad without its matching couch (which may be at the bottom of the Pacific ocean, we will never know).
We have been paying for cable for almost a week now, so it was good to plug in the TV and actually use it. DVR and everything. I'm taping so many movies already.
Its time to tackle that pile of boxes in the kitchen, wish me luck!
Hope its nice where you are! Really, I do.
We got our household goods! Finally.
The movers came and went in less than 4 hours. Everything seemed to be in good standing, there was a small ding on our entertainment center, but its from IKEA, so really, not a big deal. We did have a little scare when we realized the packers had marked EVERYTHING with the letters s, r, go, d and etc. They had marked all of our nearly-new furniture as scratched, rubbed, gouged and dented. ALL of it. Our furniture is all in perfect condition. They did that so if they marked it up, it wasn't on them. So shady and unprofessional. I no longer think of them fondly. Thankfully, we have yet to find anything else scratched, gouged or rubbed. You live and learn I guess. Don't trust moving guys.
I cannot express how happy I am to have real furniture. I am beyond excited to have all my dishes and bake-ware. I will be making croissants. very soon.
Well, maybe not too soon. I have some unpacking to do. It is amazing how many belongings we shoved into our last apartment (all 750 sq ft of it). Even with everything as messy and cluttered as it is, its really not that bad, considering our living space has doubled in size.
Now this is pure heaven. I missed that little loveseat, though it looks quite sad without its matching couch (which may be at the bottom of the Pacific ocean, we will never know).
Its time to tackle that pile of boxes in the kitchen, wish me luck!
Hope its nice where you are! Really, I do.
Monday, June 20, 2011
Quickie ;)
Hi! (angewa)
Thought I would jot down a little blog quickly as I FINALLY have some internet. (thank you Jesus for Starbucks-never thought I would say that. At least its in Barnes & Noble. PLUS).
I have a HUGE Cahn-ah-duh blog in the process of being written, but without internet at the casa, I have no desire to finish it.
Since Dave doesn't have to go back to work until Friiieeeday, we have been soaking up some good "us" time. We managed to figure out a way to play Catan with two people. Its a little weird. But we were really craving us some Catan, seriously, we've played at least 8 times, in the past 3 days. It definitely passes the time. Andrew would be so proud.
So, I've been super inspired by this blog, and younghouselove is seriously my guilty pleasure. I am sad everytime they don't have a new blog. They make me want to build furniture and buy uphosltery fabric so I can make curtains. But the other blog, Fitnessista, has truely motivated me to being healthy and fit again! So hopefully this summer will begin a whole new journey to becoming healthy, cause right now, I am not so much. But I did eat some spinach today. yay me. And if you are, perchance, pregnant like someone I know, she is too, so she has some good exercise tidbits and a TON of extremely healthy snacks and meals for you to check into.
OH! Read this. oh em gee. I about peed my pants. If you at all enjoy conversations about poo, you will enjoy this post. Don't be scared.
hope its nice where you are!
Its kinda cold here. and cloudy.
Thought I would jot down a little blog quickly as I FINALLY have some internet. (thank you Jesus for Starbucks-never thought I would say that. At least its in Barnes & Noble. PLUS).
I have a HUGE Cahn-ah-duh blog in the process of being written, but without internet at the casa, I have no desire to finish it.
Since Dave doesn't have to go back to work until Friiieeeday, we have been soaking up some good "us" time. We managed to figure out a way to play Catan with two people. Its a little weird. But we were really craving us some Catan, seriously, we've played at least 8 times, in the past 3 days. It definitely passes the time. Andrew would be so proud.
So, I've been super inspired by this blog, and younghouselove is seriously my guilty pleasure. I am sad everytime they don't have a new blog. They make me want to build furniture and buy uphosltery fabric so I can make curtains. But the other blog, Fitnessista, has truely motivated me to being healthy and fit again! So hopefully this summer will begin a whole new journey to becoming healthy, cause right now, I am not so much. But I did eat some spinach today. yay me. And if you are, perchance, pregnant like someone I know, she is too, so she has some good exercise tidbits and a TON of extremely healthy snacks and meals for you to check into.
OH! Read this. oh em gee. I about peed my pants. If you at all enjoy conversations about poo, you will enjoy this post. Don't be scared.
hope its nice where you are!
Its kinda cold here. and cloudy.
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Onward!
Where do I begin. The last few weeks have been a whirlwind; so much has happened in such a short time I don’t know if I will be able to recall it all. And it doesn’t help that I’m not very lively right now. It’s a little after 7am here and I’ve yet to find some caffeinated beverage, so I may not be very entertaining, more informative probably.
Leaving Sierra Vista was bittersweet, Dave and I have been so blessed with wonderful friends, I wish we could have stayed. I hate goodbyes. I hope I will have the privilege to find more friends as good as the ones I have now. I think of you often. Memories will keep me going until I get to see you all again.
Our drive to Wisconsin was grueling. The first day we drove for 16 hours, all the way to North Platte Nebraska. We got the LAST room at a decent hotel (apparently, the Nebraska boys state golf tournament was monopolizing all the hotels) and tried to smash a good night’s sleep into 6 hours. The next day we struggled, driving through a horrible storm, torrential downpour accompanied with 50 mile an hour winds. But finally, we made it to my parent’s house. It was good to be home. Most of our time there was spent hanging out, and preparing for my sister’s graduation party. My mom’s sister and her family came from North Dakota to help as well; they always are such a great party staff. I don’t know how we would’ve gotten our wedding together without them. Side note: Dave and my ONE year anniversary is on Sunday, awwwww. The party was a lot of fun, it did end up raining and even hailing at one point, Kayla even ran out in it to save some tents she had borrowed from a friend. Everyone thought that was pretty funny.
Wednesday, the day after we arrived in WI, we went to a Twins game with my brother, and Dave’s brother who lives in the cities, since none of us had see the new Target Park. The park was cool!
I do love an outdoor ball game. But man, do the twins suck right now. It was embarrassing. At least it was a quick game, and I got some delicious concessions food. So it was a worthwhile trip.
All in all, the Swanson visit was wonderful, I got to see many friends and family that I hadn’t since the wedding, and it was nice to catch up with everyone. I also got my hair cut, long overdue. Chopped a good 8 inches off. I feel like a new woman, I don’t know why I always try to grow my hair out, short hair just looks so much better. Gave the dog a bath, since I found out he hadn’t had one since I gave him one for the wedding, yeeeeesh. Oh! And DUNN BROS, how I miss my free coffee and other assorted drinks, I was definitely spoiled when I worked there. So far, haven’t found a decent replacement in AK either.
Sunday morning we got up early so we could make it up to Superior in time for Dave’s church. Pastor Tom saw us and actually called us up on stage so he could pray for us, it was nice. We spent the next few days living at Dave’s parent’s house. They had a party for Levi (brother-in-law) and also a party for us so that Dave’s family could all see us before we left. I’m still getting to know everyone, but they are a great group of people, and I am excited to know them better. We got to go golfing with Dave’s brother at this little rinky-dink golf course. A par 64. (Normal is 72) I was feeling pretty good about my score at the turn, until I realized it was only a par 31 nine. It was a fun course though, the greens were CRAP. They looked like the surface of the moon. But it made for a lot of laughs, and not as much pressure to make the putt, since you really had no idea where the ball was going to end up after going over all those potholes.
Looking back, it seems like months ago that I saw Arizona, even Wisconsin; it’s hard to believe it’s only been a few weeks. I miss it all already, but I’m thankful I have wonderful people and places to call home.
Soak that view in...
Hope its nice where you are!
Monday, May 16, 2011
Bye Mazda!
So bad. I am sorry for the delay. Life is getting crazy(er) as we get closer and closer to moving. We are throwing lots of things away, and trying to be as organized packers as possible. :S
Last week, we sold Dave's Mazda :(
I remember the first day I saw that little red car. It was last October and Dave and I were hanging out for the first time. Aw. I remember thinking "what kind of grocery getter is that?" but it actually is a pretty awesome car. Much sportier than you would think. Kind of like a go cart. Which we all know are a heck of a lot of fun.
Since we are moving to Alaska, and driving our other car up to WI. We decided to sell the Mazda instead of having it shipped. Hello craigslist. I don't know how anyone sold anything quickly before that badboy.
So we listed it, aaaand waited. We got a couple nibbles, but nothing panned out. So this last Saturday, Dave reposted it (and dropped the price 200 :( )and within a couple days we started talking with a man named Augusto. Augusto is an interesting fellow. And just the kind of guy we wanted to sell the car to. He is a captain, here in Ft. Huachuca AZ for a class. Funny thing, he's in the Chilean army. We were very surprised with how awesome his English was over email. (turns out he was using translator, smart guy.) But he wants the car only for the 6 months he will be here, and then he is gonna sell it, probably to another foreign officer. This works nicely for us.
The other people who were interested in the car were turned off by the rust, the mileage, and the price. Augusto didn't ask any questions, didn't care about the rust, the mileage, the AWESOME belt squeal on some quiet mornings (very embarrassing), or the fact that the air conditioning only blows steamy hot air right now. AND, hes paying cash. WIN. Also, he doesn't want the sub woofer, I can't imagine why not :). So Dave knocked the price down and decided to take out the speaker. Which we can sell for a few bucks. Its all working out.
So last Wednesday night, mechanic Dave started to remove the sub woofer. Oh boy. I am so glad he is mechanically incline. Because I wouldn't have had ANY idea how to do that. But I sat in the car, and gave moral support.
Good thing we bought that camping lantern. Seriously.
Apparently, there were about 6 cords wrapped to and fro around the car. So Dave ripped off interior panels and whatnot (which I had no idea you could do, I guess I thought cars were permanently sealed water tight everywhere- silly girl brain). He even managed to pull the driver's seat out.
After a good 30 minutes, Dave had only broken one cord. We (meaning him) then put everything back together and turned the car on to check to see how the normal speakers sounded.
Do you see that? It says mute. Greaaaaat. After all that work. No sound. I have to admit, I thought it was pretty funny. Dave did not.
But then, he took the cd player out and put it back in and voila! Sound. Definite sigh of relief from both of us.
The next day Dave finished everything up with Augusto. They actually ended up coming back to our house so Dave could help him get some insurance. Which was not the easiest experience either. But it did all work out. And now we have a nice chunk of cash sitting in some unnamed area of our apartment.
Oh, and when Augusto left, he planted a big one on my cheek. I do like foreign customs.
And with that, I wish you happy Monday,
Courtney
Last week, we sold Dave's Mazda :(
Since we are moving to Alaska, and driving our other car up to WI. We decided to sell the Mazda instead of having it shipped. Hello craigslist. I don't know how anyone sold anything quickly before that badboy.
So we listed it, aaaand waited. We got a couple nibbles, but nothing panned out. So this last Saturday, Dave reposted it (and dropped the price 200 :( )and within a couple days we started talking with a man named Augusto. Augusto is an interesting fellow. And just the kind of guy we wanted to sell the car to. He is a captain, here in Ft. Huachuca AZ for a class. Funny thing, he's in the Chilean army. We were very surprised with how awesome his English was over email. (turns out he was using translator, smart guy.) But he wants the car only for the 6 months he will be here, and then he is gonna sell it, probably to another foreign officer. This works nicely for us.
The other people who were interested in the car were turned off by the rust, the mileage, and the price. Augusto didn't ask any questions, didn't care about the rust, the mileage, the AWESOME belt squeal on some quiet mornings (very embarrassing), or the fact that the air conditioning only blows steamy hot air right now. AND, hes paying cash. WIN. Also, he doesn't want the sub woofer, I can't imagine why not :). So Dave knocked the price down and decided to take out the speaker. Which we can sell for a few bucks. Its all working out.
So last Wednesday night, mechanic Dave started to remove the sub woofer. Oh boy. I am so glad he is mechanically incline. Because I wouldn't have had ANY idea how to do that. But I sat in the car, and gave moral support.
Good thing we bought that camping lantern. Seriously.
Apparently, there were about 6 cords wrapped to and fro around the car. So Dave ripped off interior panels and whatnot (which I had no idea you could do, I guess I thought cars were permanently sealed water tight everywhere- silly girl brain). He even managed to pull the driver's seat out.
But then, he took the cd player out and put it back in and voila! Sound. Definite sigh of relief from both of us.
The next day Dave finished everything up with Augusto. They actually ended up coming back to our house so Dave could help him get some insurance. Which was not the easiest experience either. But it did all work out. And now we have a nice chunk of cash sitting in some unnamed area of our apartment.
Oh, and when Augusto left, he planted a big one on my cheek. I do like foreign customs.
And with that, I wish you happy Monday,
Courtney
Friday, May 6, 2011
Cake Pops!
I am so excited to have discovered cake pops. Although I wish I had been smart enough to come up with them I am content to make and eat them. A lot of them.
Seriously, how amazing do these look.
There are SO many cute ways to decorate them too! I read recently in a blog that someone used them instead of a wedding cake, how smart! I am jealous I did not have this idea as well.
Wednesday afternoon I had the privilege of watching a lady from my church decorate a cake! Her name is Anna, and she makes THE cutest cakes for friends, family, and people from church. Her cake-making started out just for family, but lately, she has been selling a ton of them! What a fun way to make a little extra money. I don't know how she does it with 3 kids under the age of 5 o_o.
Very impressive. After learning so much from her, I REALLY had the itch to make a cake.
Seriously, how amazing do these look.
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| Source |
Wednesday afternoon I had the privilege of watching a lady from my church decorate a cake! Her name is Anna, and she makes THE cutest cakes for friends, family, and people from church. Her cake-making started out just for family, but lately, she has been selling a ton of them! What a fun way to make a little extra money. I don't know how she does it with 3 kids under the age of 5 o_o.
Very impressive. After learning so much from her, I REALLY had the itch to make a cake.
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Rolls for Randy
I think my mom will be quite surprised to see me writing a blog. Lets just say I haven't had a great track record with putting my thoughts down on paper. (Thankfully, she helped me through high school and college :) thanks momma). I've been dragging my feet with this blog, no clue where to start, or what to write about. It took me 3 days just to write my biography, which I'm sure I will change very soon. Hopefully, this blogging will broaden my writing ability! (ha! fingers crossed)
Because I am terrified of starting this blog, I thought my first post would be comprised of an area of comfort for me, food. Better yet, baking. I do love to bake.
I never like to turn down an opportunity to bake, and then not have the guilt from eating 1 (or 57) too many. I have promised my wonderful pastor that I would make him cinnamon rolls (weeks ago actually, whoops). I am not sure if this is in the best interests of his current diet, but nevertheless I did promise. Hopefully these rolls will not add rolls, heh heh.
At this point, I don't have a standard cinnamon roll recipe that I use. I usually go to allrecipes.com (awesome!) and search around until I find one that has a bunch of reviews, and I am sure will be yummy.
This particular recipe is called Ooey-Gooey Cinnamon Buns.
Yes please.
Side note: I would bake SO much more, if my brother was here to consume everything before I could, and if butter wasn't so dang expensive.
Recipe
I did change some things about it, so if you want the original recipe, here it is.
Ooey-Gooey Cinnamon Buns - Modified
I love the thread cutting method. No more squished rolls or sticky knife to clean!
In this recipe I spread the butter and then sprinkled the sugar and brown sugar, and then I went over it with the rolling pin. I haven't tried that before, usually I will just mix the butter, sugar and cinnamon together before I spread. That way, the sugar isn't falling all over the table and floor. yuck. This new method works pretty good though.
yum.
Hope you enjoyed all this!
Courtney
Because I am terrified of starting this blog, I thought my first post would be comprised of an area of comfort for me, food. Better yet, baking. I do love to bake.
I never like to turn down an opportunity to bake, and then not have the guilt from eating 1 (or 57) too many. I have promised my wonderful pastor that I would make him cinnamon rolls (weeks ago actually, whoops). I am not sure if this is in the best interests of his current diet, but nevertheless I did promise. Hopefully these rolls will not add rolls, heh heh.
At this point, I don't have a standard cinnamon roll recipe that I use. I usually go to allrecipes.com (awesome!) and search around until I find one that has a bunch of reviews, and I am sure will be yummy.
This particular recipe is called Ooey-Gooey Cinnamon Buns.
Yes please.
Side note: I would bake SO much more, if my brother was here to consume everything before I could, and if butter wasn't so dang expensive.
Recipe
I did change some things about it, so if you want the original recipe, here it is.
Ooey-Gooey Cinnamon Buns - Modified
- 1 teaspoon white sugar
- 1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
- 1/2 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/4 cup white sugar
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
- 2-2 1/2 cups flour
- 3/4 cup butter
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 cup butter
- In a small bowl, dissolve 1 teaspoon sugar and yeast in warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes. Warm the milk in a small saucepan until it bubbles, then remove from heat. Mix in 1/4 cup sugar, 1/4 cup butter and salt; stir until melted. Let cool until lukewarm.
- In a large bowl, combine the yeast mixture, milk mixture, eggs and 1 1/2 cup flour; stir well to combine. Stir in the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, beating well after each addition. When the dough has pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes. (or until it is smooth and elastic, or when you get tired and/or bored)
- Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.
- While dough is rising, melt 3/4 cup butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir in 3/4 cup brown sugar, whisking until smooth. Pour into greased 9x13 inch baking pan; set aside. (I actually did around a cup for each, more caramel is always a good thing).
- Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface, roll into an 18x14 inch rectangle. Spread with butter, leaving 1/2 inch border uncovered; sprinkle with brown sugar cinnamon mixture. Starting at long side, tightly roll up, pinching seam to seal. With a piece of thread cut into ~15 pieces; place cut side down, in prepared pan. Cover and let rise for 1 hour or until doubled in volume. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
- Bake in preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes, until golden brown. Let cool in pan for 3 minutes, then invert onto serving platter. Scrape remaining filling from the pan onto the rolls.
I love the thread cutting method. No more squished rolls or sticky knife to clean!
In this recipe I spread the butter and then sprinkled the sugar and brown sugar, and then I went over it with the rolling pin. I haven't tried that before, usually I will just mix the butter, sugar and cinnamon together before I spread. That way, the sugar isn't falling all over the table and floor. yuck. This new method works pretty good though.
Here is the finished product, yum! Chewy and dense from the whole-wheat flour, but so good and buttery sweet.
Hope you enjoyed all this!
Courtney
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