May 29 - The Day We Studied as Friends

One of the things I like about growing up is watching how other people grow right along beside me. Particularly when family starts to become friends, and you learn to like each other not because you're related, but just simply for each other.
My sweet cousin recently graduated college and will soon be accepting a position as a missionary in Prague. In the meantime, she's back home, lingering in that bittersweet in-between of adolescent and grown-up. I invited her to join our small group while she is here, not just as family but as friend. She did, and it was lovely. We talked about what it means to live a radical life, and I know those words weigh more to her now than ever as she faces the future of years in a foreign country, essentially alone. Brave form, and I was proud to study the word beside her, not as obligatory family but appreciative friend.

Highlights:
1) Leftover sangria on the porch during bible study. Hey, somebody had to drink it!

2) The Fall cravings have begun. I now begin longing for all things crisp breeze, pumpkin, comfy sweaters and crunchy leaves. It is going to be a looong summer.

3) More rejection emails for the hubs, hey people, my smart, talented husband wants to instruct your children in all things world history! Please let the man teach!!!

Love & Grown-Up Pleasures,
K

May 28 - The Day We Remembered

Every year my family and I perform the music for a local Memorial Day service. And every year, some part of me knows I'm simply going through the motions with little reverence. Every year except this year.

In August of 2011, my extended family suffered a blow that will forever change how we see Memorial Day, American flags, or the 6:00 news report on the country's war casualties, when my cousin Jesse lost his life fighting in Afghanistan. Now, I don't want to stake a claim to emotions that aren't mine for the sake of a "good story" - to do so would be a mockery of those whose hearts are hurting the most. Jesse wasn't involved in my daily life, we spoke infrequently and were not what you would consider to be "close". But small pebbles make big ripples in the pond, which you notice even from the distant shore. My family hurt, so I hurt. There was still a sting from having to personally know a reality which you had always sanctioned to some other unknown family in the newspaper. And there was the incredible feeling of unfairness about it all. So young, so much still to offer, never coming home to raise the beautiful boy he left behind. So we wept, for our loss of Jesse, for the weight of unfairness that only God could make sense of, for the futures that would remain unwritten or forever changed, our tears a passage into a club no one ever hopes to join - family of the fallen. Those kinds of tears can change you, and so they did with me.

I'm not a perfect citizen, or even the most patriotic American - but watching that blue-eyed little boy hold a picture of his daddy, showing a symbolism he isn't even old enough to understand - I get it. And I know it doesn't make for an honorable story to say that I didn't really understand Memorial Day until it affected me, but it's the unpretty truth. And it's not far off from most of our lives, is it? Oh that we may learn to appreciate the beauty of the pond long before those ripples touch our toes on the shore.

We went on to spend the day with friends, grilling out, and cooking a delicious dinner. The joys of the day don't necessarily represent irreverence - it was with a thankful heart I enjoyed the freedoms I didn't pay for, both physical and spiritual. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Highlights:
1) We enjoyed a pool, or rather, the boys enjoyed trying to torture the girls in the pool. Is it written in our DNA that this starts at age 12 and continues...forever?

2) This may sound cocky, but sometimes I think it is good to be our friends. We whipped up a yummy from-scratch dinner of sauteed green beans, roasted cauliflower,  spinach, linguine & homemade marinara - yum! Oh, and there was pizza. That is due to it being good to be someone else's friend. ;)

3) Made a white sangria (thanks Pinterest) that turned out pretty good! White wine, Fresca, cherries, strawberries and farmer's market peaches. Mostly fruity, not so wine-y, just the way I like it.

Love & Remembrances,

K

May 27 - The Day We Broke Our Record

Sundays are my favorite days, I think. The quiet mornings, the worship gatherings, the taco lunches... :) It was business meeting time again, and what's a meeting without munchies? I've written before about our lack of attentiveness at these meetings. I'm happy to announce that this time, however, we broke records, people. 7+ hours of on-track, white board and long term planning took place and we came away, for once, feeling like we actually accomplished a lot. Success!  We made 3, 6, 9 and 12 month plans, and assigned objectives and tasks for each item. There was a lot of talking, a lot of honesty. When you own a small business, at least a restaurant, you are faced with the opportunity for a roller coaster of emotions. As usual, though, friendship and solidarity prevailed. We wrapped up with a kindling of hope about the future of our business, and a plan for evenings of completely unrelated to business fun. The original plan involved a sleepover at best friend's house, with all four of us. Its one of the fun things we get to do as married adults (though not in the weird, creepy kind of sleepover way, mind you. We keep our swinging on the playground. Ha!). However, at the mention of "Grey's", we girls were on our own and the boys happily went about their way with visions of manly movies and video games dancing in their heads.

A serious junk food session, PJ's, magazines and a few hours later, we are now almost caught up on Grey's. Thank heaven for best friends with DVR and comfy guest beds.

Highlights:
1) We ate our first garden harvest (the previously mentioned squash), and it was delicious. Just one, but I'm excited for more to come.

2) Stayed up later than I have in a veeeery long time - my last count was about 3:00 am!

3) Had birthday cake oreos, snow cones, chips and salsa, popcorn...oh heavens, my body did not know what hit it. I feel a change in the air....

Love & Girls Nights,
K

May 26 - The Day the Force Wasn't With Me

The kitchen and I have a pretty good thing going on, if you haven't guessed. Some days, though...it's like unrequited love. Nothing goes my way! This is bad when you own a restaurant and are working the prep shift. Results: burned pie crust, burned chocolate cream filling, over-whipped whipped cream, etc. I recovered, but it took me twice as long to do my normal amount of cooking/baking. After that, I just needed a nap. Except, as usual, that never came. Instead, I traded it for play time with my cutie niece Ella! This was a good trade. I made lunch for my hubs (and regained the affection of my kitchen), and we chowed down on veggie enchilada bake. After a little office work (accompanied by a lot of The Office), it was time to head to a college grad celebration for my smarty-pants cousin. So proud of her and all she's accomplished! Also, there were tacos!! :) It was a beautiful night with friends, family and a late night viewing of the Addam's family. It was fitting since my friends and family are also a bit kooky. ;)

Highlights:
1) Hubs got a hands-on training session on Infants in Cars 101. I got a call with a screaming Ella in the background and her panicked uncle in my ear. She was NOT having that car seat. No sir. After a successful roadside attempt at soothing her, and a not so successful attempt to get her back in the car peacefully, she cried until she conked out. And guess what? She's just fine. :)

2) Got a beautiful birthday gift from my cousin - an antique window! I love it, and it arrived just in time for redecorating my mantle.

3) Snagged peaches at the Farmer's market! I had delicious plans for these little treats, but more on that later!

Love & Celebrations,
K

May 25 - The Day We Won. Twice!

Remember that time you stayed up late having awesome conversations? And then you slept right through your alarm and woke up 17 minutes before your work meeting? No? Oh dang, that's right, that was me. But, the title of this post is about winning. And, despite the disadvantages my Friday began with, it did, in fact, turn out FTW. Since I ran out the door, I completely forgot my lunch. Enter the work Chinese delivery order: winning! Three day weekend kick-off? W-I-N. Snowcones with my favorite science teacher best friend? Duh. Tonight was also the final set of games in the playoffs for Hub's softball. Double-header and a double-win (which is the real inspiration for the title)! They finished 2nd in the league with a 13 point shut-out (which got called thanks to a run-rule). Not a bad way to end a season, or a week, for that matter.

Highlights:
1) Came home to my house smelling like tacos, thanks to Roommate. As I'm trying to avoid fast food, this is the equivalent of wafting a cigarette under the nose or someone trying to quit. In a moment of unusual willpower, I couldn't bring myself to make that Bell run so I settled for some late night veggie quesadillas. All good, no guilt!

2) I have all of 2 pairs jeans that Really fit. So, with a little birthday money in hand, I set out for a place I rarely dare to brave in my old age: the Mall. Bad news: no jeans for me. Good news: I love clearance racks. Snagged a new pair of work pants (those also do not fit, in a good way), a shirt and a sweater for $23 at the Gap. I'll show you, Mall!

3) Got our first harvest from the garden! A big, beautiful summer squash. I think I actually squealed when I picked it. I think there will be many more to follow very soon and I am beyond excited!

Love & Double-Wins,
K

May 24 - The Day My Husband Yelled

May, the month in which I am missing 20 days of blogging, is both my favorite and least favorite month. Pros: birthdays, swimming weather, grilling out, not deathly hot. Cons: everyone and their mom is throwing a party (myself included, so I can't be too mad), having a program, graduation,recital, playoff, end-of-term whatever. So. Flippin. Busy. Now, I should make a disclaimer that I actually like supporting my family and friends in all these events. I just wish they weren't all smashed into one thirty day period. Husband and I rushed around all day with the hope of meeting up for a semi-calm dinner before jaunting off to the little bro's end-of-year concert. Thanks to my prep work on Wednesday, the meal came together quickly ("meatball melties", made with ground elk, garlic toasted english muffins, pesto jack cheese and the homemade marinara). Husband walked in the door, and we sat down to quickly eat, and about 60 seconds into our meal, the phone rings - he has a softball game. In 20 minutes. In Arlington. Oops! No choir concert for him; he stopped mid-bite to throw on his gear, but not before calmly telling me that he was going to yell and that I shouldn't worry. Then he made his way into our room and yelled at the top of his lungs. He didn't need to explain, I totally got it. I think it helped a little. Sometimes I wish I could do that a few times during the day. Vocal therapy. I do think that this is the first time, though, in our almost 4 years of marriage that I've heard him do so. May, you will not beat us. We may need to take a yell-break at your incessant rush-inducing busyness, but we'll win. In the meantime, plug your ears cause the month's not over and the calendar is only getting fuller.

Highlights:
1) Ground elk - first time cooking that! For the price and the calories, not something I'll likely do again (though it was 100% grass fed and organic).

2) Little brother's choir concert - group of 8-13 year-olds dressed in what I can only describe as Americana clothing (read: overalls and prairie dresses) singing folk songs. Best free entertainment I've had in awhile ;)

3) I must've said something right, because I got the boys in my house to help me clean. I think it was the hint of crazy, and possible cracking, at the clutter in my living room that did it. Note to self: crazy totally works. I'll say it again, roommates are like training ground for parenting. Lord, give me daughters. But I do totally love those boys. Also stayed up way too late talking. But, when you're tracing God's scarlet scribbles in the pages of your story, the time just doesn't seem to matter, in the best kind of way.

Love and May Crazy,
K

May 23 - The Day I Channeled My Inner Julia

Back to daily blogging! Yesterday was a perfect day for this return. And yes, I’m aware that there are 20 DAYS missing here, but they actually are in progress and I WILL get to them!

The work day started with good intentions. Even though I overslept, I packed my workout gear. Or so I thought. I packed all but a sports bra and shoes. Two pretty important things, I’d say. Regardless, I sailed through my day looking forward to my post-work major to-do list. As far as achieving that is concerned, I missed a few things but I had one heck of a time overachieving on others, like cooking. As soon as I walked in, I kicked off my shoes, turned on Julie & Julia and threw myself into a cooking frenzy. There’s something about that movie that just pulls me to my kitchen like moth to a flame. Maybe more like a flambé. Here’s the goods: buttermilk ranch (with garden-fresh dill!), roasted garlic marinara (half for this week, half for the freezer), roasted (then pureed) butternut squash (for ravioli later this week), a mix of poblano peppers, green peppers, cauliflower, onions and sweet potato roasted with garlic and cumin for a Mexican veggie enchilada bake, salsa (semi-homemade, but I’ll take it) for the same dish, roasted cauliflower with lemon juice, parmesan and garlic, roasted zucchini and squash for quick-grab veggies, and my crown jewel (in my opinion), mini frittatas with shredded zucchini, tomatoes, spinach, turkey bacon, caramelized onion baked in small mason jars. I feel uber-prepared for a week (or more) of great, real food! Ironically, after all this, we went out for dinner, but it was for a good cause – celebrating my little brothers laundry list of academic achievements this year! Spanish student  of the year (out of 3 grades!), Bible student, honor roll and he set a school record in track! Brains and braun. ;)

For your eating pleasure, here’s a not-so-perfect recipe for the frittatas (here’s the deal – I don’t measure, and I really just went with what was on hand, ie 5 mason jars since that’s all I had clean! Also, I’m not getting too technical here, so if you  need more info, ask!) You could change up the filling to include whatever you like, this was just my combo of choice:

Grab-N-Go Mason Jar Frittatas

- 3 slices turkey bacon (I recommend Applegate Farms uncured turkey bacon)

- 1/2 med sweet onion, thinly sliced into strips

-1 med zucchini, grated

-1/2 cup of grape tomatoes, quartered

- A very large handful of fresh spinach (washed, patted dry), chopped or sliced into small pieces

- 5 eggs, 5 egg whites

- Milk or heavy cream

- Parmesan or cheese of your choice

-Salt & fresh-cracked pepper

- EVOO

- 5 8oz mason jars with lids (the low, squatty kind, not the tall slender kind)

1. Heat a large non-stick skillet over med-high heat. Cook turkey bacon until crispy (or desired texture), remove from pan and set aside.

2. Return the skillet to the med-high heat and add enough olive oil just to coat the bottom of the pan (1-2 tsp). Add the onions, stirring to coat with oil and spread evenly in pan. Stir occasionally until they’re that beautiful rich brown color (caramelized), but not too often or they won’t brown. You may need to turn the heat down to medium to finish the process. Use your personal preference here – I prefer mine nearly charred. J When finished, remove onions from skillet, place on a plate and set aside

*while onions are doing their thing, shred your zucchini (I used a box grater), chop your tomatoes and chop your now-cooled bacon)*

3. Wipe out the same skillet and return to medium heat. If you’re using a non-stick skillet, you won’t need to add any oil. Toss in your shredded zucchini and tomatoes. Cook just until veggies are tender, 5-10 minutes. (again, your preference), season with salt and pepper.

4. Coat your mason jars with oil (I use olive oil in my Misto). Begin layering your ingredients, distributed evenly amongst all five jars – onions, zucchini and tomatoes, spinach, bacon, salt and pepper, and a sprinkle of cheese.

5. Whisk together eggs and egg whites and add splash or two of milk or cream. Pour evenly amongst all mason jars, making sure other ingredients are submerged.

6. Place all jars in roasting pan deep enough for a water bath – fill pan with warm water to about the half-way mark on the jars.

7. Bake @ 375 until set, 15-20 minutes. A knife will come out clean from the center. Just be careful not to overbake!

When finished, remove jars from water bath and let cool. If you’re in a hurry, place them in a cool (NOT cold) water bath. Pop your lids on and in the fridge they go!

If you give this a shot, let me know how it goes. I’m (obviously) new to this recipe thing.

Highlights:

1) Watching a movie about food AND blogging goals? Fuel to the fire. It really was just what I needed. And I also remembered how much I love cooking - 2+ hours on your feet can fly when you're having fun. 

2) Hubs went to bed fairly early, so I was left (still working in the kitchen) with our housemate and his bud. We had a pretty nice chat about dreams, small business, entrepreneurship and cooking. I've semi-known them for years, but I do enjoy actually getting to know them now. Hope the feeling is mutual.

3) The squash in the garden are getting so big! And lots of little green bean shoots! I'm so happy. Also, we have some actual blue blueberries. I ate one. So tart! Not ready yet, I suppose!

Love & Long nights in the kitchen,

K