Farmhouse

being authentic | garlicky spaghetti with kale + mushrooms

2012-03-05T04:00:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago, I was fumbling around Tyler's kitchen on a Saturday afternoon and I asked him what I should cook for a blog post. He answered with a simple but true -- Why would you make something just for the blog? Why not just post about something that we're already going to eat?

A sentiment that, now, seems like common sense. But I'll be the first to admit that it's easy to get swept away in this culture of blogging, where suddenly your typical dinner or favorite recipe or weekend just doesn't seem good enough to post about.

This got me thinking a lot about authenticity. And what does it really mean to be authentic? Especially on the internet, where you can paint yourself in whichever light you so please. It's on the internet, especially, where I'm craving more authenticity. Not just in the blogs I read or the people I follow on Twitter, but for myself, too.

I've been looking at a lot of food photography, lately. No reason other than I have this nice, expensive camera with a nice, expensive lens that more often than not collects dust on my dresser. I've decided I want to use it more. I want to get better. I want to learn and develop my own style. So, I've been absorbing all of the information and pretty pictures as I can. And I couldn't help but notice how styled it all seems. Well, not all of it. But a lot of it. Sometimes this styling is not a bad thing - there's an art to it and goodness knows, not just anyone can do it.

But if you came to my apartment for dinner - I would want you to see the same dishes and silverware and napkins that you see in my photos. I would want you to eat the same type of meals that I post about. I would want you to recognize it, to feel like you've been here before, like you've had dinner here before. For me, this means that I don't want to develop a closet of props that are only meant for pictures or try recipes just to post about it. I want life - real life. Authentic.

Not to say that my typical posts are inauthentic, just that I want more of it. Everyday, in every post. Because of this I've decided to start posting more dinners that are in our regular rotation, starting with this one.

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Tyler and I have pasta at least once a week. It's one of those go-to meals that Tyler is responsible for when I have a late class or when we're just too tired to follow a recipe. But when we have pasta, I'm usually left wondering where I can fit in more veggies. So, I combined the idea behind spaghetti aglio e olio (spaghetti with garlic and oil) and a recipe for macaroni with kale and mushrooms from the Beekman 1802 Heirloom cookbook.

This spaghetti doesn't have a tomato based sauce, instead a garlicky, white wine sauce that just barely coats the noodles. Take this recipe as a suggestion and fit it to your tastes. Fresh parsley would be a nice addition or substitute spinach for kale, if that's your style. Make it your own.

garlicky spaghetti with kale + mushrooms

serves two, with leftovers - but easily doubles for more

1/2 lb. brown rice spaghetti noodles (I use brown rice noodles because they're healthier than refined flour noodles but less mushy than whole wheat -- you can use your favorite kind)

2 tablespoons coconut oil

5 cloves garlic, minced

1 heaping cup sliced mushrooms (I used leftover shiitake)

1/2 yellow onion, chopped

1/2 cup dry white wine

1 medium bunch kale, torn and stems removed

Cook pasta in boiling water and 1 tablespoon salt, according to the instructions.

Meanwhile, heat the coconut oil in a medium to large pan that is big enough to hold the pasta over medium heat.

Add the garlic and let brown - but stir it frequently to keep it from burning.

After about 2 minutes, add the onions and mushrooms in batches. You want both to carmelize and for that to happen, the pan can't be overcrowded. I added half the onions and half the mushrooms at the same time, which worked for me. If you want, you can add all of the mushrooms at once followed by all of the onions.

After the first batch cooks down, about 4 minutes, add the second batch.

After another 3 to 4 minutes, add the white wine. Using a wooden spoon, scrap up a lot of the brown bits from the bottom of the pan.

Let the mixture simmer about 3 minutes to cook off the alcohol, then add the kale, allowing it cook down for about 4 to 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, drain the pasta, reserving a cup of the pasta water. (The noodles should be cooked al dente, meaning they're just barely cooked. Since you're going to add them to the heat again, you don't want them to be ready-to-eat consistency, because they'll just get mushy.)

Add the pasta to the sauce and combine. Here is where you can add some of the reserved pasta water if you feel that you need to give the sauce a little something extra.

Season with salt and pepper, then serve warm with freshly grated parmesean.

season of lent.

2012-02-23T04:00:00.000-08:00

I've been thinking about Lent for a while now. Since right after New Year's, actually. I've been thinking about last year and what I decided to sacrifice. And how it slowly became more about me and all of the cupcakes I couldn't eat rather than about the real purpose and meaning of Lent.

So, this year I decided that I would choose to "take on" a few things instead of "giving up." I know that I'm in no way perfect - I have no expectations of finishing this season of Lent without a scratch on my shiny plans. I know that Easter will come and I will be even more aware of my smallness and the unfailing grace I'm given.

But I want to stay focused this year. I want to find more understanding of this season and open myself up in ways that I haven't been. This year, my Lenten resolutions are two-fold.

First, read the entire bible.

Tyler and I have never read the Bible in its entirety - we've read big chunks and a lot of the same chunks over and over, but never the entire thing. So, we're going to. We are going to read it together, using a schedule that's in chronological order. We're not going to race through it - so if at the end of Lent we haven't finished, that's okay. We'll keep going until we finish. But we have a lot of free weekends and an entire week of spring break between now and then, so we're going to try our hardest.

Second, eat mostly (80-90%) raw foods.

Ty isn't going through this one with me - it's all me. And it's something I've been thinking about for a while now and it seems like the right time for me. For a lot of reasons (that I'm hoping to post about soon), I need some physical refocusing. The tummy troubles that I was burdened with around this time last year are still kickin'. Even though they're not as frequent or as violent, they're still there. I need healing, on more than one front. And while it may or may not seem like a superficial thing to take on for Lent, I believe that the food you put in your body affects everything. It affects how you feel and the way you act, the way you treat people and the way you choose to spend your time. And for me, Lent seems like a perfect season to step back, cleanse myself and refocus.

I say 80-90% raw because I'm taking small steps. It's not an all-or-nothing kind of resolution. It's a determination and a goal - but if I cook a meal or two, it's okay. I actually have a detailed list of what I can have, what I can't have and some new methods I want to try that I'm going to post about soon.

Tell me, do you observe Lent? What are you giving up or taking on?

Ps. For more reading on Lent, head over to Turning Pages. Don't you feel like Annie is always writing the words of your heart? I love that about her.

life, lately.

2012-02-20T04:00:00.000-08:00

The winter blues arrived. And with them they brought sniffles and aches and an entire weekend spent indoors. It's been dark and rainy here - and consistently cold, which this winter hasn't been. And I had an ailing fiancé who needs me to rub his head and feed him soup and nurse him back to health, so we didn't much mind staying tucked away.

Also this weekend,

I rediscovered my affection for red cabbage. (Shredded, with a garlicky, lemony dressing.)

I nestled a pod, whose vanilla beans had already been used, into a jar of sugar. I think I'll use it to make vanilla infused lemonade later in the week. (That should help this February feeling, right?)

I baked two loaves of whole-wheat bread and watched this video more than once.

I spent heaps of time crouched over books and my laptop screen learning all I could about sourdough bread. And I made my first starter -- here's hoping we're breaking a freshly baked loaf by week's end.

I decided what I'll be taking on (instead of giving up) for Lent. Actually, what Ty and I are taking on as a couple.

I made a stack of pancakes for Sunday morning and muffins for the entire week.

I was baffled by answered prayers on more than one occasion.

And I decided that I'm ready for spring.

a valentine's dinner, the newlywed cookbook + a giveaway

2012-02-08T04:00:00.000-08:00

I remember the first time I ever cooked for Tyler. Luckily, he doesn't. It was some sort of cream-of-mushroom-covered-pork dish. Pork because, as I told my mother on the phone while in the grocery store, chicken was too boring. The finished product was creamy and golden and, as I recall, eaten on a tall two-seater table in one of my old apartments. It couldn't have been very good, but Ty said it was. We had been dating just over a month, I think that was all he could say. But I felt good - happy and proud that someone had come to me hungry and I fed them, with food made with my own hands.

The next time he visited (we were living an hour apart), we made an apple pie. It was his request - his favorite kind of dessert - and it was soupy, with too much cinnamon. We ate a piece each, then tossed it.

Since then, I've learned and changed and grown. I've fallen in love -with Tyler and with feeding people. I cook dinner for us (plus, my roommate/brother) almost every single day. I plan out meals in advance and consider grocery shopping a favorite past time. I bake for every holiday and birthday and try to continually persuade family members that it's more fun to stay in and cook than to go out. And don't worry, I have a much simpler (and much tastier) way to cook pork chops and a recipe for an apple pie that Tyler requests at least once a week.

So when it was time to plan our Valentine's Day, it was a natural conclusion that we would stay in. We would cook together and eat together, just like we do day in and day out.

Because whether you love Valentine's Day or hate Valentine's Day or say you hate Valentine's Day but secretly love it, I think we can all agree that the love we show others on February 14th shouldn't be reserved for one day a year. And feeding the one I love is just one of the ways I show him how much I love him.

But just because I cook all of the time doesn't mean I didn't want something special for our fourth Valentine's Day together -- our first one as an engaged couple, our last before we're a married couple. (Yes, this is what I do with my days. Announce anytime I do something "for the first time as an engaged lady!" or "for the last time until I'm married!") So, imagine my excitement when the lovely Sarah Copeland, author of The Newlywed Cookbook (Chronicle Books) and the blog, Edible Living, asked me to be a part of her Virtual Valentine's Day Book Tour.

Together, Tyler and I sorted through Sarah's wonderful recipes and decided to make Grilled Lamb Chops with Melted Polenta. And when a few obligations during the week of Valentine's threatened to interfere with our plans, we decided to celebrate early.

Tyler's apartment is too small for a dining room table, so we had a coffee table picnic instead. We cooked together - and by that I mean, I cooked while he followed me around cleaning the mess I was making. We used a thrifted glass jar as a makeshift wine decanter and decided it would be best to start sipping while the polenta cooked. We used chipped plates and shreds of old fabric and mismatched silverware. We used a casserole dish to roast maple brussel sprouts, after I realized I had lost the roasting pan. (Who does that?) And by the time the food was ready, the sun had gone down, leaving little light for pictures. It wasn't perfect, but it didn't have to be.

The food, on the other hand, was amazing. It was special and indulgent, eaten on the floor by candlelight. The lamb chops and the polenta were a comforting pairing on a cold night. Tyler did a lot of nodding during the meal and afterwards, we were full and happy.

So, now. There's two things you should do. Plan a Valentine's dinner with your beloved and make Grilled Lamb Chops with Melted Polenta. Then, enter to win your own copy of The Newlywed Cookbook from Chronicle Books. (!!!)

Yes! My very first giveaway! And I couldn't ask for a better one. The Newlywed Cookbook is gorgeous and filled with those kind of recipes that you just know will work. And it's not just for newlyweds. It's completely user-friendly and for anyone who loves healthy, filling meals. I squealed when I took this beautiful book out of its package and I'm so excited that one of you gets to have it!

HOW TO ENTER//

Leave a comment on this post and tell me your story of food & love before Wednesday, February 15th. Be sure your email address is included!

FOR EXTRA ENTRIES//

Follow me on Twitter (@lakenbrianna) and Sarah Copeland (@edibleliving), then come back and tell me about it in another comment.

Like the Farmhouse page on Facebook, then come back and tell me about it in another comment. (And while you're there, be sure to watch the trailer for The Newlywed Cookbook that I posted a few weeks ago.)

Now, the recipes. Both are from The Newlywed Cookbook - Reprinted with permission from Sarah Copeland and Chronicle Books

Grilled Lamb Chops

2 lamp chops

salt and pepper

2 fresh rosemary sprigs

Melted Polenta

3 cups water

1 cup polenta

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/4 cups whole milk

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/4 cup smoked (or aged) gouda cheese, grated

MAKE THE POLENTA -- Bring water to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Slowly add the polenta and stir with a wooden spoon. Season with salt. Decrease the heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until the polenta is tender and cooked through, about 20 minutes. Add the milk, butter and cheese to the polenta and stir together over medium-low heat until just warmed through and just soft enough to drop easily from a spoon. COOK THE LAMB CHOPS -- Preheat a grill or grill pan to medium-high while the polenta is cooking, letting the flames die down if you're grilling over charcoal. Lightly oil the grill grates. Season the lamb chops generously on both sides with salt and pepper. Lay the rosemary on the grill and top with the lamb chops. Grill until crispy brown, about 3 to 6 minutes, depending on thickness of the chops. Flip the chops, cover the grill and cook until the meat is just marked and gives lightly to pressure from your finger, about 3 to 5 minutes more for medium-rare. Pull from the grill and let rest a few minutes. TO SERVE -- Spoon the polenta among two plates (leaving a little for leftovers tomorrow) and top each with the chops. Serve immediately.

Sarah suggests pairing your meal with a pinot (which is what we did) or a dark, amber beer (which we also love).

A very special thank you to Chronicle Books for providing a copy of The Newlywed Cookbook to give away. And to Sarah, I know your book will live in my kitchen for years to come. I can't wait to feed my husband with your recipes.

dark days | sweet + simple granola bars

2012-02-06T05:00:00.000-08:00

It's kind of a dark season around here. I try not to mention it or think about it too often, mostly because I don't want it to turn to dwelling. But it's been getting the best of me lately.

To make a long story short, Tyler and I are looking for a home church in Tuscaloosa and having zero luck. We've been searching and visiting and google-ing for some time now but this Sunday, we went into yet another church and left, yet again, knowing that we wouldn't be going back. It's been weighing on my heart, knowing just how badly we want to be a part of a church community that we love. I see friends going on weekend retreats with their small groups and having dinner parties - having true fellowship. And I can't help but want that.

But trying out new churches isn't our only Sunday tradition. Lately, I've been making these sweet granola bars. Between weekday lunches and emotional eating, they don't last very long. Simple enough and not too guilt-inducing, either. Sometimes we roll them into balls, like the original recipe suggests. And sometimes we pat them into an half inch-thick square and cut them as small as possible to make them last longer.

Try these, become as obsessed as we are, add your own variations, eat them for dessert. Do whatever fits the season that you're in right now. And, if you're a member of a church you love - promise me you won't take it for granted. If you've been through something like this, tell me about it. Where are you now?

sweet + simple granola bars

recipe from smashed peas and carrots

serves as many as you want, depending on size

(disclaimer: This recipe makes a lot more than it looks like in my picture - we couldn't help ourselves and ate half of the mixture with a spoon.)

1 cup rolled oats

1/2 cup peanut butter or almond butter (homemade, if your food processor is good enough)

1/3 cup pure honey

1/2 cup ground flaxseeds (by the way, make sure you store flaxseeds in the fridge)

1/2 cup finely chopped semi-sweet chocolate (or semi-sweet mini chocolate chips)

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl. Turn out onto a sheet of parchment paper and pat into a half-inch thick rectangle. Cut into as many bars as your heart desires (or roll mixture into balls.) Keep refrigerated and hide your portion from fiancés or brothers.

on weddings and marriage.

2012-02-01T05:00:00.000-08:00

a rough sketch of our wedding monogram

I've been engaged for five months now. Long enough for heaps of advice and plans and questions and just enough time for the pressure to set in. In fact, up until a week ago, I was priding myself on the fact that I didn't feel overwhelmed with the planning yet. And then it set it. We sat down to cross a few things off of our list and the weight of it all came down. I set out emailing friends and seeking reassurance in any form.

Then, a Sunday of wedding planning got postponed when one of my family members died early that morning. We went home that day to visit and pray and again yesterday for his funeral. He was one of those family members who, although he wasn't close in relation (my mom's uncle), is in some of my most significant childhood memories. As I was talking to his sweet wife - now, widow - she said something to me that I needed to hear. She told me how happy she was that I had found someone that I loved and who loved me back. She told me how much her husband loved my fiancé and how impressed he was with him. She told me how she had nothing but 40 years of good memories and true love and she was so happy that I was going to get to experience that. She told me to appreciate every single second, to love him unconditionally and to value our relationship above all else - because he deserves it and because we each deserve nothing but the best from each other. She told me that me her marriage was the best and happiest thing in her life and that she hopes that mine and Tyler's is nothing short of amazing.

Because that's what we're doing here after all: Getting married. Sure, we're having a wedding, but really, we're getting married. To each other. And no matter what gets DIY'ed or what falls through - in nine months, I'll have a husband. And that's something worth keeping in mind.

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on weddings,

I've started Wedding Wednesdays on the Farmhouse facebook page. Each Wednesday, I'll be posting a question, picture, post or thought on our wedding planning. If you're interested, make sure you "like" Farmhouse on facebook.

on marriage,

Ashley's series on dating her husband are some of my favorite posts, but this one made my week. I've re-read it twice already.

rain, rain.

2012-01-23T05:00:00.000-08:00

It's been rainy here. The kind of rainy that makes your grandmother call to tell you all of the things that you've already heard the weatherman say. The kind that floods your parking lot and tacks an extra 20 minutes on to your morning commute.

So there's been a lot of mornings where the swishing of cars on wet roads has made getting out of bed require even more effort. And it's always times like these when a part of me wishes I lived in a place where this rain would turn to snow. Preferably the pretty kind and just enough to cancel school and work, calling (of course) for a day indoors with Tyler and books and blankets. In fact, I'd like to order one snowed-in weekend with some cheesy pasta, someone to help me make one-thousand wedding decisions and plenty of red wine. Please and thank you.

It's a funny concept, that no matter how lovely our current situation is and how thankful we are for it, we wouldn't mind something new, something seemingly better. The grass looks greener, I suppose, even if it's dead and covered in snow.

I'm learning that it's natural - and okay - to feel both simultaneously. Balance, I think it's called. I'm giving it a try. I'm trying to embrace my emotions and hopes and snow wishes, while keeping in mind that my current situation is not a mistake. And not only is it not a mistake, it has a purpose. One that I surely don't want to miss.

thankfulness | pecan + vanilla granola

2012-01-17T05:00:00.000-08:00

I'm thankful for January weather warm enough for morning hikes.

I'm thankful for free Friday afternoons and coffee shops and writing.

I'm thankful for a fiancé who is already planning the planting methods and field rotations we're going to use on our future farm.

I'm thankful for a more relaxed class schedule this semester.

I'm thankful for hours spent driving around town, hoping to come upon our first married home.

I'm thankful for clementines. And meyer lemons. And all the citrus that this season brings.

I'm thankful for morning light and pink sunsets.

I'm thankful for the promise of spring just around the corner.

I'm thankful for this simple granola recipe, which is just as good on my morning oatmeal as it is by the handful.

simple pecan + vanilla granola

adapted from My New Roots

4 cups rolled oats

1 cup pecans, chopped as fine or as chunky as you want

1/4 teaspoons sea salt

1/3 cup honey

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

2 tablespoons flaxseed meal

1 tablespoon chia seeds

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine oats, pecans and sea salt. In a small saucepan over medium heat, whisk together honey, butter and vanilla. Add wet mixture to dry mixture then spread evenly on a baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove, stir and place back in oven for 5 minutes. Repeat this for 25-30 minutes, until granola is toasted and golden brown. Pour back into large bowl; add flaxseed and chia seeds and combine. Cover and keep refrigerated.

new orleans.

2012-01-11T05:00:00.000-08:00

01. & 02. Jackson Square

03. Cafe Du Monde

04. playin' in the streets

I've never considered myself much of a traveller. Mostly because I had only been to 4 states prior to just a few years ago and not once have I been out of the country. I was a senior in high school the first time I was ever on an airplane. But since Tyler and I have been together we have made it a point to take as many trips as our cash flow allows (which, granted, isn't that many).

We've been to Gatlinburg and Charleston, to New York and Philadelphia and through every state between here and Pennsylvania. We've eaten at more hotel continental breakfasts and in more down-home, might-be-someone's-actual-home restaurants than I can count. The long talks on the long drives have become one of the favorite parts of our relationship. I wouldn't trade it.

This weekend, Ty and I went to New Orleans to watch our team win (!) the National Championship. We took a horse and buggy tour around town and watched street performers. We ate shrimp po-boys and drank mimosas on Bourbon Street. We ate cajun gumbo and desserts after every meal and walked until our feet hurt. It was a pretty perfect first visit.

this winter.

2012-01-06T05:00:00.000-08:00

as of late,

01. dinner with Tyler, Zack and Whitney

02. water, in exclesis

03. scrunchy face

04. picnic by a pond

Before spring arrives, I'd like to...

cook | stew. everything I've bookmarked from this book.

read | The Hunger Games (it's time to find out what all the hype is about). classics, even if they're a re-read - I'm thinking Anne of Green Gables and Pride and Prejudice to start. (What else should I add?)

go | to a Mardi Gras ball. wedding dress shopping.

make | morning smoothies. a writing routine. a dent in my wedding to-do list. time to go on walks.

What's on your agenda this winter?

that january feeling.

2012-01-02T10:21:00.000-08:00

January has a very distinct feeling. One that, as a admitted holiday-obsessor, I've been shy to admit I've been longing for. In Alabama, it's an in-between season of sorts - the temperatures are low but the sun is hot, leaving you with the ever-painful decision of how many layers you'll need. It feels crisp and new and full of potential - the year, the goals, the Christmas clothes. It feels slow and quiet, with wide-open weekends and a lot of reading. It's when cookies and cakes have been traded for all things citrus and you surely won't catch me complaining about it.

It also feels like there's a lot of time to sit, to think, to find yourself with nothing too important to do. There's a palpable calmness. A collective sigh, as Megan put it. I think it's part of the reason I've come to love this season.

Another reason would be the meyer lemons. Oh, how I've been (not so) patiently awaiting meyer lemon season. Last year we had such a good go-round: curd, cake, lemonade with vanilla bean. It was lovely. So imagine how excited I was to receive a box of meyer lemons (and satsumas) from a family member in Florida. But I didn't want to rush anything. I let them sit in their box until the holidays were over, determined to give them my undivivded attention.

I've been wanting to make a tart for a long time, but I didn't have a tart pan. And apparently, not a single store in Tuscaloosa does either. But I had my hopes up, so I tuned it into a pie instead. You could do it either way.

meyer lemon curd pie with whole wheat crust

for the dough | recipe from here

1 1/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon sugar

7 tablespoons unsalted butter, frozen

1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon cold water

In a medium bowl, combine flour, salt and sugar. Grate butter into flour mixture (or cut in with fork) and combine until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add 1/4 cup cold water and stir to combine mixture. Add 1 tablespoon of water if mixture is still dry and crumbly. Turn out mixture onto a floured surface and knead twice. Form dough into ball, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 30 minutes or until ready to use.

for the curd | from david lebovitz, which I also made last year and ate by the spoonful

1 cup freshly-squeezed meyer lemon juice

2/3 cup sugar

4 eggs

4 egg yolks

12 tablespoons unsalted butter

pinch of salt

In a medium saucepan, whisk together the lemon juice, sugar, eggs, yolks and salt. Cut butter into tablespoons and add to pan. Turn heat on low and whisk mixture constantly. As you're whisking, the butter will melt and the mixture will combine. You're going to keep on keepin' on. Don't stop whisking and don't turn the heat up any higher than medium (after the butter is completely melted, I turn the heat from low to medium gradually). Now would be a good time to think about life or pray for patience. You're going to start thinking that Jesus may come back before this curd thickens, but after about 10 minutes - it just happens. You'll know it - it's ready when the curd holds onto the whisk. Push mixture through mesh strainer over a bowl, cool uncovered on the counter for 5 minutes, then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.

assembly | Remove dough from the refrigerator - let it come to room temperature for about 5-10 minutes. Preheat the oven to 375. Between two sheets of plastic wrap (to keep from adding more flour), roll out the dough to 1/4 inch thickness. Place into pie or tart pan. Bake for 15 minutes. After removing pan from oven, fill it with the (completely cooled) curd. Bake for another 12-15 minutes, until curd has set. Let cool before serving with whipped cream, confectioner's sugar or a drizzle of chocolate ganache.

in 2012.

2011-12-31T07:00:00.000-08:00

his + hers 2012 planners

At the beginning of 2011, I wishfully told myself it was going to be my best year yet. And looking back, it didn't disappoint. I graduated college and I started graduate school. I got engaged to the love of my life. I didn't drink a sip of soda and I read a book a month. We went on picnics and hiking trips and beach trips and road trips. I made new friends and drank good wine and spent time with my family. I'd like to say that I met my goal for 2011 to live more deliberately -- I was more mindful about the things I let and didn't let into my life.

But I'll admit, for the past month or so I've been ready for 2011 to end. It was a great thing while it lasted -- but if I'm being honest, I feel like 2012 is going to show it up. Tyler is going to graduate and hopefully start graduate school. I'm going to graduate and be finished with school forever. We're going to get married and go on our honeymoon and move into our first house together.

2012 is going to be full of big things - great, big, life-changing things - and I'm ready for them. I mean, maybe not totally ready seeing as how I haven't gone wedding dress shopping even once and I still have three semesters of school left. But my heart is ready.

Which leads me to my resolution for 2012. Just like last year, I've decided to make one big, overarching goal to set a theme for the entire year. I want to live wholeheartedly.

You might be thinking that setting a theme for the year is kind of a cop-out. It's not measurable and it's definitely not a list of resolutions that I can check off as they get completed. That's what I thought last year when I decided to trade in my list of numerical resolutions for one big goal of living simply and deliberately. But as the year went on, I found that this little phrase kept coming up. I thought it about all of the time, wondering if I was living up to it, if I was truly implementing it in my life.

So this year, I don't want to do anything just half-way. 2012 is going to be too big and it's going to go by too fast and I don't want to miss a drop of it. I want to fully commit to goals, plans and people; I want to throw my entire heart into every day, every season. Even if it scares me or makes me vulnerable or makes me more open for hurt or disappointment or failure. I want to finish next year knowing that I gave it everything I had in me.

But I also don't want to deny myself the pleasure of scratching off completed goals from a nice and tidy list. So I've made a list of things I would like to do this year and I've separated them into seasons. They're simple things, things that mean something to me, but the completion of which won't overshadow my central goal. They'll make their appearance with my seasonal bucket lists as the year goes on (winter's list coming next week!)

I hope that y'all have a wonderful and safe New Year's Eve, that you drink champagne and reflect on the year that was and that you live this next year with your whole heart.

And tell me, what do you resolve to do in 2012?

reading, this year.

2011-12-28T09:04:00.000-08:00

phone photos, as of late

gift tags from the lovely rebekka seale

You may remember from this post that it was 2011's New Year's resolution to read at least one book a month. And how in June, I was right on track. But then, it might be possible that reading fell by the wayside when fall semester started. And then, for a while there, it looked like I might not meet my goal after all.

Alas, I did it. No huge feat, especially in comparison to one certain friend whose monthly reading lists make my 12 books looks rather measly. But I set a goal and I reached it, just in time.

You may also remember from this post, that for a while there I had fallen out of my reading habit, for a variety of reasons. It was with conscious effort that I made reading so important for this year, but due in no small part to this blog. Keeping up with this blog and with fellow bloggers has made hungry to read again. And that, in itself, is enough to keep at it.

For part one of this year's book, read this post.

the supper of the lamb | robert farrar capon

I could talk about this book all day long. Really, I could gush about it and tell you that you should just go read it yourself. Because even now, I think for as much as I got out of this book, there's even more to get. It's one of those books that I'm itching to re-read and then read again and live my entire life by. Read about my favorite chapter and a few favorite quotes here.

cold tangerines | shauna niequist

I found Shauna Niequist through Annie and she is one of those people that you wished lived next door. Or was your best friend. Or was, at least, a close enough friend so you could get invited to her dinner parties. Cold Tangerines was a slow read for me, not because it was dull, but because it's a collection of short essays, so it easily lent itself to reading here and there during a busy semester. This was my favorite read of the year.

bittersweet | shauna niequist

After dragging out Cold Tangerines, I quickly gobbled up Bittersweet. It was heartbreaking and encouraging and filled with serious moments of genius. I can't recommend this book enough - go read it! I'm already anxiously awaiting her next book, Bread and Wine, which she is starting work on next week.

how to bake a perfect life | barbara o'neal

This book came recommended by a friend and I really enjoyed it. The book, centered around a bread-baker, is filled with recipes - most of which I have bookmarked. But, as you know, I can't tell you what I thought of a book without commenting on the writer's style. And I felt that O'Neal's was very "writerly" - simple, flowery at times but overall easy to read.

falling home | karen white

Another book recommended and loaned to me by a friend. A friend who apparently knows my love for Southern fiction. I read this book immediately after How to Bake a Perfect Life - and White's writing has a much nicer flow. It's an easy read - easy to get into and easy to read 100 pages in one sitting. I read the entire book in two days, which says nothing but good things.

Also,

currently reading this

Tyler is finishing this - and it's next up for me

I'm more than half-way through this, but it's slow-going

this was also recommended and loaned to me

So, let's talk about reading. What was your favorite book that you read this year? Or your favorite book that you read ever? Anything in particular I should add to my list for 2012?

christmas time.

2011-12-26T07:00:00.000-08:00

01 | twinkly lights on the banister

02 | a new guitar + elbow patches

03 | a new book + a new reading throw

This Christmas was more or less the same as it has been. It was warmer this year, unseasonably so, much unlike last year when Alabama had it's first white Christmas since the 1800s. (Or so it was rumored.) But it seemed that things were the same -- we visited families in the same order, we kept with our respective family traditions, we followed the same routine. There were countless gifts and paper scraps thrown everywhere and desserts at 8 a.m. - just like every year. And we're still too blessed for words to describe.

But through all of this sameness, I can't help but think of what next year will be like. What will our first married Christmas look like? Will it be more of the same or the start of different? I like to picture it as a happy medium, whatever that may be.

So until then, dear Christmas, you were wonderful. Come back this way soon.

I'm out facing the shopping crowds today. Call me crazy, and I might be, but I'm armed with a Starbucks gift card and an itinerary - there's no stopping me now. I hope you all had the merriest of holidays.

the engaged season.

2011-12-19T07:00:00.000-08:00

A few years ago, I was convinced I would never take engagement pictures. I thought they had become something that couples did for the approval of everyone else and for Facebook albums. Too trendy, too overdone, not for me.

Then, I fell in love. Then, I got engaged to the boy that I love. Then, we started planning our wedding. And I found myself booking an engagement picture session.

There's already a few engagement pictures floating around here and here. But on Wednesday, we got all of the pictures back from our wonderful photographer. And we've looked at them no less than 15 times so far -- all 150 of them. These are just a few of my favorites.

There's just something so sweet about this stack of pictures. They're a snapshot of this exact moment, this moment where our lives are full of plans and anticipation and excitement for what our future together holds. We'll never again be the same people we were when these pictures were taken - we'll never be in this exact place in our lives or our relationship. I know that this engagement season is fleeting and I'm thankful that we made the effort to document it.

currently.

2011-12-12T08:47:00.000-08:00

eating | leftover ham from last week's Christmas party. (Seeing as how I baked a 10 lb. ham for 9 girls - there's a lot leftover)

listening | to Christmas music, of course (especially this song, covered by Kari Jobe and this song)

drinking | red wine (trying to develop my taste for it - I'm a sparkling wine [Prosecco!] girl at heart). my body weight in dark hot cocoa.

reading | bittersweet by shauna niequist. this lovely new magazine.

smelling | any pine-scented candle I can get my hands on (I've bought three of these so far this year).

thankful for | sweet friends. the end of my second semester of grad school (this Wednesday). going home to a house filled with twinkly lights. christmas traditions. 12 dates of Christmas with Tyler.

looking | at our engagement pictures, over and over. I'll be making a post sometime next week, when I get all of the prints in. But if you're curious, you can get a little sneak peek by going to my "about" page or my Twitter profile.

excited for | many plans with dear friends over break. the arrival of one of my best friend's sweet child.

making changes | spelt pumpkin biscuits

2011-12-09T04:00:00.000-08:00

Lately, I've come to realize just how violently people are opposed to change. Not all people, of course, but most. Last December, Tyler and I decided that giving up soda would be our New Year's Resolution. We gave it up and we've stuck to it. Neither one of us has had a drop of soda since December 31 - almost an entire year ago. (Sweet tea, on the other hand, is another story.) And considering both of us were serious Root Beer addicts, this was no small feat.

Deciding to stop drinking soda was solely a personal decision for us. It was a small step down the road of more wholesome eating and something we just knew we had to do. We didn't give it up so that we could walk around telling everyone that we quit soda or so we could turn down punch bowls at bridal showers or refuse to eat Tyler's mother's Coca-Cola cake. We definitely didn't give it up as a way to personally offend friends and family and acquaintances, but judging from people's reactions, you'd swear we did.

People are afraid of change. They think that because we gave up soda, we're going to judge them for drinking it or ask them to give it up, too. We're not. The thought doesn't even cross our minds. But as a defense, people react negatively. They shake their heads or make fun of us or tell us our motivation won't last. A part of me doesn't really understand it. But a part of me knows that it's human nature to criticize that which we don't understand or agree with. It makes me think of a quote I heard a few days ago:
"All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident." (Arthur Schopenhauer)

This is not to say that giving up soda is something noble or praise-worthy or a golden truth to live by. It's just something different, something new that can intimidate people.

I seem to learn this lesson over and over again, but as New Year's resolutions are already on my mind, this one seems to be the most obvious. And it seems that more ridiculing and violent opposition are in our future, because this year, we're giving up white sugar and white flour. Now, we're not giving it up entirely as we did soda. We won't refuse a piece of birthday cake or a glass of tea (in fact, I agree with Laura on the issue of accepting food.) But we're going to stop buying it and using it to bake and cook with. (I'll post more specifics when it gets closer to New Year's)

All of this to say, if there's something in you're life that you want to change, change it. Even if it's something as small as giving up soda or something more life-altering. People are going to say sarcastic things and they may even be mean to you. But really, they're just afraid. So, give them a break, don't let them get to you and just keep on.

A housekeeping note: It was brought to my attention that commenting on my blog was disabled to all users that didn't have Blogspot accounts. I'm so sorry for this! I've fixed it and now anyone can leave a comment :) If you don't have a Blogger or Wordpress account, simply select "Name/URL" from the drop-down menu, leave your information then your comment!

spelt pumpkin biscuits
recipe adapted from So Good and Tasty & Farm Journal's Country Cookbook

These biscuits were my first attempt at replacing white flour and sugar in a recipe. And if I do say so myself, they're pretty great -- perfect comfort food this time of year. Keep in mind that these are biscuits, not muffins. There is no sugar in this recipe and spelt flour is a little more dense than all-purpose. But paired with honey-butter and a cup of coffee, it holds its own at breakfast.

2 1/2 cups spelt flour

1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

6 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup buttermilk

2/3 cup pumpkin puree

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Preheat oven to 350. In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking powder and salt. Cut in butter and rub with fingers until mixture is grainy and there are no big pieces of butter. (An easy way to do this is keep the butter in the freezer, then use a grater to grate it into the flour mixture.) Add pumpkin, cinnamon and nutmeg - combine. On a clean surface, roll out dough to a 1-inch thickness. The dough is not going to be very sticky - I didn't have to flour the surface, but I floured the rolling pin with the tiniest bit of spelt flour. Use a small round cutter to make 12 biscuits. Bake for 18-20 minutes (checking after 15) or until biscuits have risen and are light brown around the edges.

this weekend.

2011-12-05T07:00:00.000-08:00

This weekend, Tyler and I got to be our true selves: homebodies.

A couch was lounged on and a lot of movies were watched. This candle was burned constantly. Winter Blue Moons were drank from frosty mugs and a huge pot of chili was made. Eight dozen chocolate chip cookies and these cinnamon-sugar popovers were baked. A leisurely Saturday morning breakfast was eaten at one of our favorite spots. A tree was decorated and christmas lists were added to.

It was the first weekend in a long, long time that we haven't made the hour-long drive to our hometown. There was no football game or excess of homework. Just the two of us - sitting side by side on the couch talking about Christmas and the wedding and finding jobs and New Year's resolutions. And it was pretty perfect.

I hope your weekend was equally as relaxing.

preparation + homemade stock

2011-11-30T11:04:00.000-08:00

I've been thinking a lot lately about seasons of life. How everyone's season is different, even if it feels sort of the same. And about how knowing the season of life that you're in, and giving it a name, can make all the difference.

Right now, I'm in a season of preparation.

I'm in graduate school, preparing myself for my future career. The career that will help me pay back my student loans, that will help Tyler and me create a life together -- regardless of whether or not I remain in that career for my entire life. And through school, I'm preparing for the one-day job - that elusive dream job that I might one day find myself in after loans are paid and lives are more settled.

I'm engaged, preparing myself and my fiance for a fall wedding - and more importantly, a forever marriage. I'm observing other people's marriages and listening to advice, learning how to be a good and proper wife.

I feel that I'm at a prime time in my life to listen and learn and prepare for the woman that I really want to be. It's my time to be a sponge and soak in as much as possible.

And sure, sometimes I get caught up in the why-not-now thought train. Why can't we just already be married, so we can live together and have one central location to do our laundry and a cozy house to decorate for Christmas? Or why can't I just be graduated already, so I can stop worrying about loans or my lack of paychecks?

But I know that those things aren't meant for me right now. I know that seasons are fleeting and that this one, this season of preparation, will be over before I know it. A new season of life will take it's place and I'll be thinking back to this time, when we had two separate apartments and therefore two Christmas trees and when I got to see my friends in class every day of the week.

Tell me, what season of life are you in right now?

homemade stock

It's really easy to buy boxed stock from the grocery store -- and I'm plenty guilty of it. But it's even easier to make it from scratch. Not to mention, a few jars of homemade stock in your fridge will leave you feeling prepared for any meal that the week brings your way.

My suggestion: Take a Sunday afternoon, clean out your fridge, make stock, refrigerate and use within a week. Plan a few great soups, stews, sauces or even rice cooked with stock instead of water. You'll be glad you did.

These are just template recipes -- add in any vegetable you have leftover or any herb that you love. Make it your own.

vegetable stock

from The Sacred Kitchen

1 large yellow onion, cut into large chunks

2 carrots, peeled and coarsely chopped

4 small red potatoes, quartered

2 celery stalks, coarsely chopped

3 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed

1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped

1 bay leaf

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Put all ingredients into a stock pot and cover with water (about double). Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium and simmer, uncovered, for about one hour. Let cool, strain and store for use within a week. (Freeze and keep up to 3 months.) Remember, don't be afraid to substitute anything you don't have for any vegetable you have leftover.

chicken stock

from The Supper of the Lamb

chicken bones and scraps

1 large yellow onion

2 carrots, peeled and coarsely chopped

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 bay leaf

1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed

Put all ingredients in pot and cover with water (about double). Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium and simmer for an hour, uncovered. Let cool, strain before storing in refrigerator or freezer.

pie for breakfast.

2011-11-25T08:52:00.000-08:00

leftover pie - I made the chocolate + bourbon pecan pie, from she wears many hats

I'm not out shopping this day-after-Thanksgiving. In fact, by the time I woke up this morning, most Black Friday doorbusters were probably already finished. And I'm not yet decorating for Christmas. There is no garland or twinkly lights in sight.

Instead, I'm lounging on the couch at my mother's house eating pie for breakfast. Ty is beside me, watching a western that has been on for the better part of 3 hours. Every once in a while, the wind will pick up and more leaves will fall from the trees.

I can't help but think of how incredibly thankful I am. Yesterday was filled with family, prayers and overflowing plates - a Thanksgiving nothing short of perfection.

My heart and my belly are full. I hope yours are, too.

catch-up.

2011-11-21T10:01:00.000-08:00

01 / my newest addiction: knitting. I've been trying to teach myself how to knit for almost a year now. And I finally mastered it over the weekend, with the help of a sweet friend. This is my second project - which I'll hopefully finish in time to wear for Thanksgiving. Let's just say that the first project isn't exactly photo-worthy.

02 / Ty and I at an Alabama football game. Since he works for the athletic department, I feel like our lives have been revolving around football this year. So let's just say that I'm glad this week is the last regular-season game of the season. I could use some obligation-free Saturdays, and quick.

03 / my sweet fiance, making me hot apple cider when I was sick. I can't wait to live with this boy.

04 / I've been tearing out magazine pages like crazy, in preparation for Thanksgiving. I feel like I've been mentally planning what I'm going to make for the entire year and now it's time. So, naturally, I have entirely too many lists and pages and recipes and I can't decide on the best choice. Tell me, what are you making?

Tomorrow, I'll be heading home for a few days for my most favorite holiday. We have two lunches and one dinner to go to on Thursday and Tyler is already planning out his nap schedule. Other than eating, my only plans include knitting, reading, making Christmas gift lists and catching up on blog reading. I can't wait to spend time with my wonderful family, sip on mulled wine and forget about school for a while.

life, lately.

2011-11-08T05:00:00.000-08:00

Life has been a bit overwhelming lately. More than a bit, actually. School has been the same kind of busy - but the sicknesses brought on by germy kids and the earlier sunsets haven't been helping. We've been eating out a shameful amount and practically living off of soup and apple juice.

And then, early on Saturday morning, one of my very dearest friends lost her little sister in a car accident. She was 17. The past few days have been a blur and I'm not even sure how to articulate how badly my heart hurts. Through this, I just keep reminding myself that God is good, all the time.

I'm hoping to find some time soon to tell you about a few books I've been reading and a few favorite fall recipes. I would hate for this wonderful season to pass with nearly no recipes, but at the moment, life is keeping me busy.

In the meantime, here are a few pictures from our fall break a few weeks ago. We stopped a roadside stand near Tyler's house and spent about 20 minutes rummaging through fall vegetables and talking about how we'd like to do the same thing one day, complete with a honesty box and free recipe cards.

one year.

2011-10-27T10:27:00.000-07:00

One year from today, I'll have a new last name.

A year from today, I'll be worrying about the weather and if guests are comfortable. I'll be worrying if everyone is sticking to the schedule which I typed and color-coded and distributed. I'll be worrying if I've forgotten anything and then, inevitably, realizing that I did. I'll probably have more worries than I even know right now.

I'll be wondering what Ty is doing and what's he's thinking about. I'll be laughing with my bridesmaids and fighting back butterflies. I'll be crying. Definitely, definitely crying. I'll probably be thinking about how fast the last year flew by. I'll be taking mental pictures, praying I never forget the feelings of our wedding day.

I'm sure the day will go by faster that I want, but I'll be there, in the moment. I can promise you that. I'll be aware of the amazing people in my life and the bigness of what we're doing. I'll be full of more love and more gratitude than even I know.

So, at the end of next October, with fall leaves on the ground, surrounded by the dearest people in our lives - Tyler and I will be married.

release | apple molasses spice cake

2011-10-18T08:25:00.000-07:00

This summer was a whirlwind of deadlines and manilla folders and very early mornings. It was busy in the most stressful of ways, more so than I expected graduate school to be.

And as we were all wondering how we would ever make it through the semester, much less the entire program, someone closer to graduation said to us, "This feeling never goes away. You'll make to the end, but you won't know how you did it."

In a way, she was right. We all made it to the end of the summer, with no idea how we got there. We did things we thought we couldn't and gave presentations that scared the daylights out of us and ran on little to no sleep. So when fall semester began, I told myself I didn't want to live that way all over again. I didn't want to look back on fall and see nothing but a blur of school work. After all, it's my favorite season and I refuse to let a little grad school get me down.

So, this semester I've made effort to take breaks. Mini breathe-ers - releases, as I like to call them. I leave school during the day (Have I ever mentioned that all of my classes and clients and meetings and everything are all in the same building? And have I mentioned that it used to be a hospital? Not exactly the coziest place to spend all day, everyday.)

Tyler and I are lucky enough to have a few hours of matching break time around lunch. Sometimes, we go out. Eat and vent about school and talk wedding plans. Sometimes, we just sit on his couch with heated leftovers or soup with grilled cheese. And sometimes, we just rest. We set an alarm to the last possible second and close our eyes, trying to forget about all of the busy-ness that our days still hold.

Then other times, I bake. It's never anything too spontaneous. Rather, it's often premeditated. While sitting in class, I'll remember a recipe I tore out of a magazine or a link I saved on my computer. I'll scurry home, hoping that it's something that can be finished before it's time to go back again. Most times, I'm missing one or two ingredients. Others, I get distracted by Pinterest until there's no longer enough time. But sometimes, everything works out. And I spend an hour of my school day measuring and mixing and thinking and praying. It's my favorite kind of release.

Yesterday, between a noon neurology class (yuck) and a nighttime technical writing class, I managed to make this Apple-Molasses-Spice cake that I found in the most recent Real Simple. It might just be my newest fall favorite. And the best part - it's a cake with no icing, which means it can be eaten any time of day. (Tell me that's not just me.) Perfect for a quick breakfast when you're already consumed by your to-do list. Perfect to come home to when classes were just too much to handle that day. And perfect for those times, during the middle of the day, when you just want a little release.

apple - molasses - spice cake

adapted the tiniest bit from Real Simple, November 2011

1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick), plus more for the pan

2 cups unbleached all purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup molasses

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 large egg

2 apples (For baking, I've had the best experience with Granny Smith), peeled and grated

Preheat oven to 350. Butter the bottom and sides of a 9 inch cake pan; sprinkle with flour and tap out the extra. In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients: flour, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, ginger and salt. In a smaller bowl, combine the butter, molasses, brown sugar, egg and 1/2 cup boiling water. Fold in the apples until just incorporated - don't overmix! Pour mixture into buttered cake pan and bake 40-45 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Let the cake cool for at least 30 minutes in the pan; remove and finish cooling on wire rack. Before serving, dust with confectioner's sugar. (If you dust too early before serving, the sugar will just soak into the cake.)

Ps. I've started a Facebook page for this blog! I love this little community so much and I wanted another way to talk to all of you. So, if you're a Facebooker, like the Farmhouse page.

this season.

2011-10-12T05:00:00.000-07:00

I remember back when I used to make monthly bucket lists. Back before graduate school, back when I could remember where my camera was or if there was milk in my fridge or what day it was. Most months, I crossed off everything on my lists. But there were a few months that left me disappointed, feeling as though I didn't give them their dues. Never mind the fact that those months may have been just lovely the way they were - there's something about leaving a list unfinished, un-crossed-off that I can't quite handle.

I've decided I want to start making those lists again. Except this time, I'm making seasonal lists. Instead of a list each month, there will be a list each season. (I'll admit, it's a little more lenient.) And even though the official start of fall was over two weeks ago, it's just now turning cooler around here, so I'm excused.

Before December, I'm determined to

watch / more TED talks (I still can't get over this one. I've actually watched it so many times I may or may not have it memorized. But I'm convinced that if just one talk can be that great, there has to be more. Please share any favorites!) The Charlie Brown holiday specials (The Great Pumpkin!)

make / A knitted blanket (or anything, really. My knitting needles have been gathering dust.) Heaps of hot apple cider.

go / To a pumpkin patch (as opposed to the dirt pile scattered with pumpkins that we visited last year. Also, I'd like it to not have 3 bouncy houses.) To the bookstore on Sunday evenings for reading and coffee and long talks.

cook + bake / A good, southern pecan pie (preferably with chocolate, and maybe a little bourbon.) An entire ham (I already have the recipe on deck.) A less marshmallow-y version of my mom's sweet potato casserole.

read / Anything of M.F.K. Fisher's that I can get my hands on. A really great novel (again, recommendations are welcomed.) Whatever bread-baking books my public library can offer.

be / Immersed in the season. Thankful for each day.

finding a voice | pear loaf with vanilla + cardamom

2011-10-09T16:18:00.001-07:00

We're 10 days into October and you might have noticed the lack of 31 days posting around here. I have to say, I was feeling particularly ambitious on the day I considered participating. Then the hardest, busiest week of the semester (thus far) happened and swiftly kicked my ambitions in the face.

The reasons I wanted to post for 31 days straight were mostly selfish in the first place - I wanted to feel obligated to post and to write and to be creative. (Isn't that kind of ironic? Forcing yourself to be creative?) I wanted to force myself to make time to write a lot of the posts that have been swimming through my head and my drafts for a while now. But after much talk with Tyler, I decided against it. I'll admit, I was afraid of overcommitment (after all, I am also in grad school and planning a wedding) and I was afraid that the quality of my posts would suffer.

But mostly, I was a little afraid of boxing myself in, of building 31 days of content around a topic that may or may not truly reflect what I'd like this space to be.

That seems to be a real problem with me: the inability to decide what I'd like this blog of mine to be. My Google reader is filled with blogs of all varieties and some of my favorite blogs to read are fundamentally different than mine. So, what does this mean for my own blog?

Maybe I don't have to decide. For as long I've as been blogging, I haven't wanted to box myself in for fear that at some point, I wouldn't fit (or want to fit) into that box anymore. But maybe it doesn't have to be that black and white.

So I made a decision. I'm going to make every effort to post three times a week, at least for the rest of the year. (A happy medium between what I'm doing now and posting everyday) And through frequent posting, I'm hoping that my voice and vision for this blog will fall into place.

(The silver lining of my lack of follow-through on the 31 days: I got to hear from all of you about what you like and what you would like to read. So I'm going to take your comments into consideration along with some of the 31 days ideas I had and turn them into regular posts.)

I'd love to hear your thoughts on this. What are your favorite blogs to read? And does that influence what you post?

Now, onto this bread, my first contribution to the blogosphere's obsession with all things fall (which I am on board with, by the way). I've been wanting to bake something with pears and cardamom ever since I found this recipe a few months back. So on Thursday, when I came home with well over 5 lbs. of pears from the farmer's market, I knew exactly what to do. The cardamom and the pears are sort of wonderful together and the cinnamon will make sure you remember it's October.

And bonus: This loaf, wrapped in kraft paper and tied with a ribbon, would make a wonderful "Just-thinking-of-you" gift to all of those people in your life that are happiest in the fall.

pear loaf with vanilla + cardamom

makes one loaf

adapted from this recipe

1 cup unbleached all purpose flour

2/3 cup whole wheat flour*

1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

pinch of salt

1 cup date sugar**

1 teaspoon ground cardamom

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted

1/4 cup milk

2 eggs

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 1/2 cup pear, peeled and grated

Preheat the oven to 350. In a medium bowl, combine dry ingredients: flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, cardamom and cinnamon. Set aside. In a small bowl, combine wet ingredients: butter, milk, eggs and vanilla. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until just incorporated. Add the grated pears and combine. Pour mixture into a greased loaf pan. Bake 55-65 minutes (start checking after the first 50).

*The recipe called for 1 2/3 cup all purpose flour -- but I wanted to add whole wheat. Whole wheat flour makes for a more dense loaf, so if light and fluffy is your thing, you might want to stick with entirely all purpose.

**For a while, I've been searching for a replacement for white sugar. Brown sugar is great, but has it's own distinct flavor. Honey is fabulous, but I haven't had the best experience with substituting it in baking. Organic turbinado sugar has worked well for me, but is so pricey. So I bought a bag of date sugar (made purely from dried and ground dates) and used it 1 for 1 in this recipe. It turned out perfect - so I'm excited to try it in other ways. If you don't have or don't care for date sugar, just substitute regular sugar. But personally, I think it's well worth a trip to your local natural foods store.

my fall weekend.

2011-09-28T05:00:00.000-07:00

The days are all running together over here. It seems that weekends are shorter and to-do lists longer than ever. So, a fall weekend filled with my favorite things couldn't have come at a better time.

friday / blue moon harvest pumpkin ale with Tyler and my mom as we finalized our guest list and made big wedding decisions.

saturday / tailgaiting food and the alabama game with a few great friends, followed by a night on the couch with Ty and eating this sandwich for the second time in two days.

sunday / visiting churches in Tuscaloosa, looking for our home. lunch at one of our favorite restaurants and two hours in chairs at Barnes & Noble.

also /

pumpkin spice lattes. and something a little simpler for when the syrup is just too much: plain coffee (I went with Caffe Americano) with cinnamon and nutmeg sprinkled in. add some sugar or creamer, if you're feeling crazy.

the fall issue of martha stewart living.

listening to songs for our ceremony.

long walks.

daydreaming of the holidays.

Fall weekends make me happy. And the people in my life make me happy. And even if the days are blurred and my feet hurt, I'm thankful for those things.

on fall.

2011-09-19T05:00:00.000-07:00

01 / a message that has been pinned to a board in my room for years. and one that is good to actually read sometimes

02 / granola with a few hints of fall mixed in

I have a shameful confession. I probably shouldn't even bring it up, but here it is.

I've been dreading fall.

And I don't know why. I love fall. I've confessed my love for fall several times on this blog. Fall is my most favorite season. I usually start a countdown to fall right around the Fourth of July. And I've been known to start baking with pumpkin in August.

But this year something has felt different. Maybe because my summer has been pretty perfect or because fall means a new semester, with new classes and clients.

It's been bothering me so much - why am I not as excited as usual? So, I've been thinking about it all weekend. And I think I've figured it out.

One reason - this year is the first one that I've felt has just moved entirely too quickly. There's so much I wanted to do this year, I had such lofty resolutions. And now it's almost over. Have I been soaking it all in? Have I been grateful for every moment, every day? Have I been living deliberately?

And another - my days are so busy, I'm scared I won't enjoy fall to the fullest. I won't have time to bake and decorate and go apple picking and to the pumpkin patch and to the fair.

But this weekend, I realized that fall is coming whether I'm ready or not. The leaves are going to fall and Starbucks is going to sell Pumpkin Spice, regardless of how much time I take to be thankful. Am I really going to miss out on my favorite season, just because I'm scared it will go by too fast? No, ma'am.

So, here's to the first day of fall this week. And to using cinnamon in granola. And to needing a sweater. And to making time to enjoy it to its fullest.

here I am.

2011-09-16T05:00:00.000-07:00

Sometimes, I forget about the internet. I still check my mail and read Twitter -- but I forget to use them. I go days without a single tweet or an entire week without logging into Facebook. I scroll through my Google Reader during class, when commenting is not an option. I read emails, think about my response in my head, then forget to actually respond. And blogging -- well, that's just another story altogether.

But then, I come back. And I start to feel a little bit like a girl whose friends all hung out together last weekend and I didn't go and now they're all laughing at jokes I don't understand.

But while I frequently neglect various social networks, I hardly ever neglect Pinterest. Probably because it takes little to no effort to scroll through pretty pictures of weddings and fall fashion and cakes -- and after a long day of school, I'll take anything that requires little to no effort. Here's a few things I've been loving lately, found via Pinterest.

So, here I am. Let's catch up next week. And let me in on all of the jokes, please.

Ps. If you want to hear about wedding planning, you can follow my wedding board. I'm still not sure just how much wedding details I'm going to be posting here, but if you follow my board, you can definitely tell the direction we're moving in :)

life, lately.

2011-09-06T05:00:00.000-07:00

01 / my future husband

02/ my cousin's sweet son. (those cheeks!)

03/ where we're getting married!

It sure has been an exciting few weeks around here. Thank you all for everything - your comments and tweets and emails. I felt as though I had just told a group of long-time friends that I was engaged and reading your responses made it even better. I just love what we have going over here. (And I should say, Tyler loves it just as much as I do. He was so into your comments about his side of the story.)

And while we're on the topic, let's talk wedding planning. (!) You should probably know that I'm one of those girls who has been planning her wedding since she was little. I jokingly tell Ty all of the time - We could get married next week, because I've got everything already planned out in my head. But seriously, we probably could.

We have a location, with a contract and a down payment in the mail. Which means, yes, we already have a date. (!, again) And we have a photographer, with a down payment being paid tomorrow. We have a wedding binder, with a to-do list for every single month in between and inspirational pictures and scrawled ideas. We have a very long list of crafts and projects. We have an "engaged reading list". But mostly, we have giddy talks of the wedding day and a just-long-enough honeymoon. We have high hopes for a cozy first home together, with kitchen windows and a small garden. We still have butterflies in our stomachs and sore cheeks from smiling and entire days of calling each "fiance". And it's pretty perfect.

Classes started two weeks ago - and with clinic starting today, there's no getting around the fact that this semester is going to be a busy one. Slower and maybe a bit easier than summer, but busy nonetheless.

And apparently, fall is on its way. I know most everyone feels this way, but I really can't believe that it's that time again. Football is back (and Tyler's countdown has ended), mornings around here are perfectly crisp and I can't seem to shop for anything other than sweaters.

This fall, I want to be grateful for everything - every morning of pulling boots on over jeans, everything pumpkin spice, every cool breeze, every bowl of soup - because the season truly is the finest of them all.

Hope you all had a perfect unofficial end to summer.

the (long) engagement story: his + hers

2011-08-30T05:00:00.000-07:00

tyler's story:

Before I even bought a ring, I asked Laken's mom for her blessing. It was a July afternoon and when I asked Tina if I could come by and talk for a few minutes, she had no idea what was coming. She looked terrified and I could tell she was thinking the worst, but the awkwardness smoothed over when I told her that Laken was the one for me, I had never been so sure of anything in my life. She gave me her blessing.

After picking up the ring just a few days before Laken’s birthday, I met her Dad at the coffee shop in a local book store. Now THIS conversation was intense (I expected as much). He’s a former marine and a very strict-budget-keeping, learn from my mistakes, right wing Christian type. I was scared. But it went well and just like I expected -- I said what I had to say in 10 minutes and he said what he had to say in an hour and 10 minutes. (Not to mention, he was very adamant that this conversation would continue in the future.) At the end of it, he said I had his blessing and that he thought the world of me, which really meant a lot. (And I should say, I am more like Laken’s dad than I think she would like me to be: entirely too practical and totally unwilling to let a "teaching moment" slip by.)

I spent months trying to conceal the fact that I was ring shopping, which was even harder when I actually bought the ring. I wanted Laken to be the first one to see the ring and the first to know, so she could be the one to share the news with her friends and family. We always keep to ourselves and are perfectly content in our relationship to spend 90% of our time alone but together. I thought our engagement should be just that, just us. (Let's just say, no matter how much she loves me, she wouldn't have been happy if I was standing mid-field in Bryant Denny with our family and friends spelling out "marry me?")

Since it was Laken’s birthday, I let her plan a weekend trip. First, she chose Savannah, GA - so I planned out a morning proposal in a quaint little bed and breakfast with the sunrise and mimosas. Then, she changed her mind. So I booked a place in Charleston, SC. I thought and thought for days about how I could set up a proposal in a place I had never been. I racked my brain for weeks. Then, when I picked up the ring (3 days before our trip) I realized that it’s not about the presentation or the rose petals or candles or over-exaggerated pre-meditated cheese-fest. It was about how much we loved each other and deciding to be together. She didn't want an elaborate set up and I wanted her to be surprised, so I decided to just keep the ring in my pocket for the weekend (wrapped in a 1 dollar bill) and I was going to get down on one knee when the time felt right.

Our first morning in Charleston we saw the Angel Oak, which was really a site to see. The symbolism of the tree: its massive roots, old age, and forever-long limbs is a perfectly romantic place to ask my girlfriend to be my wife...but the other tourists and tacky gift shop didn't exactly lend itself to an intimate proposal. So the crumpled up dollar bill (with more than a dollar wrapped inside) stayed in my front right pocket for a little while longer.

After the Tree, we visited Cypress Gardens. The same Cypress Gardens where that scene from The Notebook was filmed - the one with the boat and the swans and the kissing and the girls ooing and ahing. But again, it just wasn't right - maybe it was the children's wildlife exhibit or the pair of hippies ruining classic songs over the loudspeaker or the fact that it was 100+ degrees.

So back in town, we decided to lay in the park to kill some time and cure Laken's cupcake-induced tummy troubles. Since we spend lots of time lying on blankets in parks - everything just felt right. She asked if we could take a picture and I said of course, with the usual groan. She set the self timer and pretended to sleep while I smiled at the camera. When we looked at the picture, I was holding something but he couldn't make it out. So I just showed her. Then, I got down on one knee and began to tell her what she meant to me. I'm sure she couldn't tell you what I said because she exploded into tears when she saw me on one knee. She smiled and cried and let me put the ring on her finger. She cried and cried. Then she cried just a bit more. We laid there in the park as I spilled my guts about all the things I had been keeping from her. And she cried some more.

In the end, it was simple and easy, just like us. We have so much fun; it's the easiest and most natural relationship I could have ever hope for. She’s the love of all my days and I could not be more proud to be her fiancé. We finished the weekend keeping the news to ourselves and basking in the beginning of the newest part of our lives. We spent the entire 8-hour drive wedding planning and the entire guest list was finished before we arrived home.

laken's story:

First and foremost, I have always said that I wanted to be surprised by Ty's proposal. Not fake surprised or kind of surprised - but really, genuinely, is-this-even-happening surprised. Tyler knew this and as he pointed out several times prior to our engagement, I have the intuition of all the mothers that he knows - so shock and awe was going to be a serious feat. But he delivered.

Around the beginning of summer, I had an idea that he had been ring shopping - mostly because he was all of sudden spitting out facts about clarity and prong number and band width. But with my grad school schedule and his work schedule and our lack of cash flow, I assumed it was nothing to expect any time soon.

So, we planned a trip to Charleston in lieu of a birthday present. (I could say that a birthday weekend engagement in a romantic coastal city was his plan the entire time, but it's not really true. I chose to go to Charleston, I chose when we went to Charleston and I chose all of the activities we did once we got there. If you want to read about what we did in Charleston, go here.) Otherwise, let's skip to Saturday.

This was our only full day in Charleston, so I had a long and detailed list of where we were going and (most importantly) where we were eating. Breakfast, then Angel Oak and Cypress Gardens, lunch at Rue, walking/sight seeing, then dinner at Husk.

The first half of the day went as planned, then I realized that I had forgotten to make reservations at Husk. We called and called - no more openings. We called a few other restaurants - nothing. All we could think of was to switch around our plans, have dinner at Rue and lunch elsewhere. When we called Rue, they couldn't take us until 9 p.m. - leaving about 6 hours unplanned. Partly because he wanted to console me for forgetting to make reservations and partly because he didn't want to drive back to the hotel, Tyler offered to buy me a lunch dessert (cupcakes) and take me to lay around in a park on King Street. Of course, I obliged. This might sound romantic already, but keep in mind that it was August and 100 degrees and move in day for College of Charleston - so I was hot and sweating and the streets were flooded with girls in dresses and parents on cell phones and boys on bicycles. By the time we got to the park, I was set on nothing but cooling down and taking a nap.

When we got settled in at the park, I thought it would be cute to take a picture of ourselves napping. So I put my camera on self-timer, stuck it out in front of us and laid my head down. But while I was fake sleeping, Tyler pulled the ring out of his pocket (which had been wrapped up in a $1 bill). The timer went off and when I turned the camera around, I saw the picture of Tyler holding the ring. Only I couldn't tell what it was! I guess I didn't know what I was looking for because Tyler said a few times, "What's that?". And in all of my gracefulness, I said "I don't know.. a leaf?" Giving up on the fact that I would see it, he turned to me - ring in hand - and said, "It's this."

And that's the moment when it all goes kind of blurry. But the dreamy, amazing kind of blurry. I remember pulling myself up as he got on his knees. And trying to see the ring again. Then starting to cry as I realized what was happening. I immediately buried my face in his chest because I didn't know what else to do, then he said sweet things and asked the most important question, to which I could only answer with a nod. I hugged him and then pushed out a yes. He looked so nervous as he put the ring on my finger. For a while, I had no idea what to do so I just kept crying and kept wrapping my arms around his neck. Then, he told me the entire story and all of the secrets he had kept. We stayed on the blanket for a long while, talking and hugging and kissing and crying (just me) and not even caring if anyone was watching. We walked back to our car, calling each other fiancé the entire way. We made our 9 p.m. reservation at Rue, drank celebratory glasses of champagne and kept everything a secret until the next night, when we arrived back home.

yes.

2011-08-25T05:00:00.000-07:00

He asked. And through my tears I managed a nod, then a yes - yes, a million times.

And just like that - I'm getting married.

charleston.

2011-08-23T05:00:00.000-07:00

This weekend, Tyler swept me away to Charleston for one more summer weekend before school starts back this week. The entire trip couldn't have been more perfect -- we dined at Monza, Taco Boy and Rue de Jean, we visited the Angel Oak and Cypress Gardens, we walked through the streets, gawking at pretty buildings and old signage. We drank a lot of Prosecco (after all, when in Charleston, do as Olivia would do) but mostly, we were thankful for the opportunity to get away before the start of another semester.

(Ps. Thank you all for the sweet birthday wishes. You are just wonderful.)

birthday.

2011-08-19T03:00:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was my birthday. It came and went and met all of my hopelessly high expectations. It was nothing short of perfect. And as if I wasn't already glowing, Tyler and I are off to Charleston for the weekend.

There are no words for the contentment I feel right now -- just overwhelming gratitude.

Thank you for being here. I wish each one of you could have shared in the cake and wine.

lately.

2011-08-14T20:35:00.000-07:00

a cozy morning + a new, structured bag + sunday night photo booth

I've been dusting off my sewing machine.

I've been planning for a low-key party and weekend getaway for my upcoming birthday.

I've been sleeping late and turning in early.

I've been working to make my new apartment cozy.

I've been obsessing over this blog.

I've been watching Elizabeth Gilbert's TED talk (over and over) and listening to this talk with Ira Glass (over and over).

I've been curling up with tea and cookbooks.

I've been more clumsy than usual.

I've been taking lots of photobooth pictures with Ty. And loving this neat website.

I've been feeling thankful for this time off from school.

And I've been feeling thankful for everyone who takes time to visit this blog of mine.

Tell me, what have you been doing lately?

summer + frozen yogurt.

2011-08-12T05:00:00.000-07:00

Is it just me or is everyone over summer? It seems that fall wish lists are taking over the internet and people are already talking about the holidays. Don't get me wrong -- everything about fall sings my heart song and I'm as ready as anyone for it to be here -- but I live in Alabama. And that means that I don't have a prayer for cooler weather until at least mid-October. So in the spirit of being content, I'm still friends with summer.

This summer was actually a pretty special one. In the three years that Tyler and I have been together, this is the first summer that we've spent together. For the past two summers, he worked at a summer camp in Pennsylvania from the beginning of June to mid-August. Two entire summers of no internet connection or cell phone service (we could only talk when he left camp and went into town) and communicating through letters. It doesn't sound so bad when I think back on it -- after all, there are hundreds of couples who are long distance all year-round and they make it just fine. But we're not one of those couples. I cry too much to be one of those couples. I'm an emotional rollercoaster and I'm very attached to Tyler and I cry. Needless to say, those summers weren't the best for me.

Tyler loves it at camp and I want with all my heart for him to do what he loves. And actually, I think that I could've handled him being away for another summer, now that I'm more confident and secure in our relationship. But between his current job and classes, it didn't work out for him to go back.

Our first summer together. We've been to the beach twice and on long walks around town. We went home several times and spent time with our families. We picked blueberries and ate a lot of cupcakes and dined al fresco. We built furniture and went on dates and spent lazy afternoons on the couch. And I have to say, it has been pretty perfect.

So don't blame me if I want summer to last just a little bit longer. And in the meantime, get a little more use out of my ice cream maker.

Now, let's talk about Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams. I've never actually had any of Jeni's ice cream but I've heard it's dreamy (and I trust Rebekka's opinion). When I heard Jeni on The Splendid Table earlier this week, I was just itching to try her recipe for Lemon Frozen Yogurt with Blueberry Sauce. I broke out the ice cream maker, readied all of my ingredients and prepared Zack and Tyler to have their faces rocked off.

Then I went and messed. it. up. I mean, seriously. I won't mention all of the details because they're truly shameful. But I pushed through, saying out loud to myself the entire time: "I will not cry over spilled ice cream. I will not cry over spilled ice cream" (I told you, emotional rollercoaster) And what do you know, it still turned out amazing. Really and truly amazing.

I won't bother re-typing the recipe because you shouldn't trust me with it anyway -- but I will say, make this ice cream while it's still summer enough.

weekday brunch.

2011-08-10T05:00:00.000-07:00

I've always wanted to be a morning person. In fact, I think it has been a New Year's resolution of mine for the past three years -- one that I just can't seem to make stick. I love the idea of rising with the sun, starting to tick items off of a to-do list while everyone else is sleeping. I've tried waking up to run and waking up to read. Tyler, always encouraging, tells me - It takes 30 days to form a habit. So if you make yourself wake up at the same time for 30 days in a row, your body will adjust and follow suit with minimal effort.

The most I've ever made it is four days.

Then this summer, I became an early bird by force. I found myself waking up while it was still dark outside to finish homework or study for a test - tasks that I just couldn't seem to manage the night before. And I would spend all day scheduling naps in my head or calculating what hour I needed to be in bed to get 8 eight hours of sleep that night.

Now that I'm on a break from school, my mornings have started to disappear altogether. I've been choosing to forgo an alarm and find myself stumbling out of bed at shameful hours. In fact, by the time I wake up, I've missed the morning, the sun is high in the sky and any hope for seeing temperatures under 98 degrees has long passed. Far away are my dreams of drinking coffee while the morning haze rises or feeling accomplished before 8:30 a.m.

But right now, I'm taking what I can get. School will be back in before I know it and I'll be dreaming of these restful, obligation-free days. I'm going to soak up every minute and if I feel inclined to wake up at 11, take a mid-day nap and go to sleep at 9:30 -- so be it because I know that down the road, life (and our farm) will mold me into a true morning person.

If you know me at all, you know that I'm not going to skip a meal, regardless of time or appropriateness. So what if I slept through breakfast and it's still too early for lunch? That is exactly what brunch is for. And yes, it's perfectly acceptable to have brunch during the week if you can swing it. And if you can't, the weekend is always right around the corner.

This particular brunch combination is my current favorite: fried egg on a bed of garlic spinach and mushrooms, crispy home fries and an iced chai latte.

A note about the chai latte: I like chai tea but can't stand chai lattes from Starbucks. And my brother was convinced that he didn't like chai tea. But we both loved this latte. It's not too sweet and the iced tea with warm spices are just right for late summer.

home fries

serves 2 | recipe from two fat als, june 2011

1 Russet potato per person or 3 small red potatoes per person

1/2 onion per person

3 tablespoons butter

salt and pepper

(These are the measurements I used for myself and my brother -- but if you're serving a crowd, you could easily increase the ingredients to your taste)

Slice the onion into thin pieces. In a small pan, heat one tablespoon butter over low heat. Add the onions and spread into one layer (or as close as you can get). Let the onions carmelize for 20 minutes. To do this, don't touch them! Leave it on low and add water only if they start to burn. Meanwhile, cut the potatoes into small cubes. Place in a microwave safe bowl with 1 tablespoon butter. Cook in the microwave for 4 minutes -- stir, then cook for 4 more minutes. In a medium pan, heat the last tablespoon of butter over medium heat. Add the potatoes and let cook for 3 minutes without touching them. Flip and let cook for 3 more minutes. The potatoes are finished when they are brown and crispy on all sides. When the onions are finished, combine them with the potatoes and season with salt and pepper.

iced chai latte

serves 2 | recipe from babble

2-4 tablespoons vanilla simple syrup

4 chai tea bags

milk

The night before, steep 2 tea bags in 2 cups hot water for 10 minutes. Pour the tea into an ice tray and freeze overnight. The next morning, steep the other two tea bags with 2 cups hot water for 5-10 minutes. Remove the tea bags and add the vanilla simple syrup - 1 tablespoon each (or 2 if you want it to be sweeter). Stir to combine and bring to room temperature (refrigerate or let the cups sit out on the counter). Top off each glass with milk (to your taste) and add 3 chai tea ice cubes to each cup.

vanilla simple syrup

1 cup hot water

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Add sugar to boiling water and stir until dissolved. Add vanilla and let cool. Store in an airtight container for use in coffee or other beverages.

at long last.

2011-08-08T08:31:00.000-07:00

One hundred days after the tornado that devastated my town and postponed May commencement, I walked across the stage at graduation.

I wore an ivory eyelet dress, covered with borrowed black regalia. My fingernails were painted red and my heels were too high for comfort. And even though I was already one semester into graduate school and even though my diploma has already come in the mail, I felt a touch of pride as I moved my tassel from right to left.

I'm the first one in my family to go to college and come out on the other side, degree in hand. And Saturday's ceremony was the official end of that. Sure, I have cousins and aunts and uncles with degrees. And I know, it was always expected that I would go to college and finish. And yes, I'm technically still in school. But now, one is part is over. It really happened and I did it and I have something to show for it.

This summer, when it came time to decide if I wanted to walk in the August ceremony, I'll admit I was feeling a little bitter. I was already up-to-here in graduate school and I felt that this ceremony was nothing but a bother. I thought that I wouldn't feel a sense of accomplishment because really, I'm not finished yet - I have four semesters still to go. I felt over it and came very close to saying nope, I'm not walking.

But I was wrong. While the announcer read through hundreds of names, the weight of the moment hit me. I felt nostalgic for the times that are now gone and how much I've changed since fall of 2006. I felt grateful for the learning and the friends and the life-changers. I felt happy when I saw my parents and grandmother, waving and grinning with pride. And all of that was worth waiting an extra three months.

highs + lows.

2011-08-02T10:20:00.001-07:00

Yet again, it's moving time. Another year, another new place to lay my head, another new place to make into a home.

I've lived in a lot of different places during my college years -- with 800 freshman girls, with new friends who turned out to be quite the opposite, with one of my dearest friends, with nothing more than an acquaintance and now with my own flesh and blood.

Yesterday, my brother and I got the keys to our new place. We've been moving furniture and boxes and sweating and making lots of lists of things we've forgotten. Actually, there's no "we" about it. More like, Zack, my dad and Ty have been doing those things.

I'm a bit out of commission at the moment.

Yesterday, I had my last exam for the semester and spent a lot of time studying instead of helping. And on Sunday, I was stung by the meanest wasp I've ever met. Since then, my left hand has become completely swollen and un-usable. It's actually kind of ridiculous -- my hand looks like one of those plastic surgical gloves that someone blew too much air into. Look at your own risk.

Now, I'm on 3 different medications and on strict doctor's orders to "don't use it and don't get hot." Not the easiest task as I currently have an apartment full of unpacked boxes and it's 101 degrees outside.

August has had its share of highs and lows already.

highs / a new candle that is my perfect signature scent: vanilla & lemon. a coffee table, kitchen table and entryway bench handmade by Tyler. a bigger closet and room for a craft table. a new wine rack to properly store bottles of wine that Ty and I made years ago.

low / having a hand that looks like a foam finger. and how bad it itches. feeling completely helpless. a brass chandelier that can't be taken down. buying groceries then realizing I forgot to buy silverware.

one thing at a time.

2011-07-25T20:02:00.000-07:00

Tyler has taught me so many things.

The endless uses of wooden pallets. Almost every rule to almost every sport -- some more than once (because heaven help me if I can ever remember if it's an off side kick or an on side kick.) How to truly trust someone. That it's not really acceptable to play Christmas music year-round. The proper ratio of jelly to peanut butter.

But maybe one of the most important: how to take things one at a time.

Cool as a cucumber, that one. Me, on the other hand... not so much.

Just this week, I have to be moved out of my current apartment without a new apartment to move into yet. I have to finish clinic, which involves two trucks of paperwork. I have to finish classes. I have a school reception on Thursday and an all-day conference on Friday. And then I have to find a couch and other less critical items for my new apartment.

But instead of getting overwhelmed -- I'm going to do as Tyler would.

My boxes may be packed with no where to go and I may or may not have carpel tunnel by Friday -- but you can bet I'll be calm about it.

simple pleasures.

2011-07-22T05:00:00.000-07:00

I can see the light. It's coming and I couldn't be happier.

That's right. Summer semester -- and my first semester in graduate school -- is slowly but surely come to a close. There are two weeks left. Two long, hot and busy weeks. But then it's over. And I'll have a three week break before fall semester starts again.

I'll take what I can get.

I have to say, I think I'm doing a better job of handling the stress of it all. I've stopped involuntarily waking up two hours before my alarm goes off. I've been cooking again and finding time to read for pleasure. And I can't remember the last time I cried. (Okay, that's a lie. It was Tuesday -- but it wasn't school related. It was flashing blue lights in my rearview mirror related).

I've learned it's all about the simple pleasures. Really, I've always known that. I just got a little distracted there for a while. So, in honor of coming one step closer to being finished with school, here's a few things that have been keeping me happy this week.

-a big bowl of Rainier cherries, shared with Tyler

-new candles

-taking a break from homework for a midday jog

-red wine with soup and grilled cheese

-pinning during class

-looking at these precious onesies I crafted for two of my dearest (and pregnant) friends (printables and tutorial here)*

-afternoon thunderstorms

-sunset walks around town

-the most comfortable sweatpants known to man

-long emails from sweet friends

-planning a trip for my upcoming 23rd birthday

Friends, I hope you take the time this weekend to enjoy the simple things.

*For the onesies, I used yellow and gray searsucker for a friend who doesn't yet know the gender of her bun. I also made another set using pink and gray for a friend who's expecting a precious girl in November.

a maker.

2011-07-20T05:00:00.000-07:00

photo credit: country living via: pinterest

I've been thinking a lot lately about what I want this blog to be. It's curated by me, it's about me and my life and all of the things in it. The sometimes dull things (like school, bleh) and the sometimes not so dull things. But it's all out there, for any one in the entire world to see, if they so choose. Pictures of those I love and words that live in my heart. And to be honest, sometimes I forget that. I focus in on my little community that I've built here (which I love by the way. You guys make my day in ways you don't even know) and I know that I can trust you, so I write what's on my mind.

But I guess that's how it should be. I've always thought that the most engaging writers were those who wrote as if they were writing in their diary -- and I guess this space is a diary of sorts for me. So, thank you. Thank you for being here and reading, for sticking it out when there are dry spells and for taking the time to comment. And if you're not a commenter, please do. Or send me an email. I love to know who you are.

But this all brings me to my next point. Yesterday, I received my first email from a marketer - and it was addressed "Dear Food Blogger". And it made me wonder - is this a food blog? And if it's not, just what kind of blog is it?

Sure, I post recipes - but not all of the time. I'm no trained chef or even someone who spent her childhood in the kitchen with family. I simply like to cook, so I post the recipes that I try, that worked and that I would like to keep a record of -- a personal cookbook, of sorts. I take pictures of what I cook because I'm just as drawn to images as the next person, but I'm no aspiring food photographer.

Trying new recipes, flipping through the pages of a cookbook, baking for others, planning a dinner, entertaining, shopping for ingredients -- these are all things that make my heart skip a beat. But, on the whole, I don't feel that I fit into the mold of a food blog*.

And maybe that's how it should be -- I've never been much of a mold-fitter anyway. But that still leaves the dilemma of classifying exactly what this space is. And I'm going to have to say -- I just don't know. I'm still figuring it out.

While I was thinking this through, I couldn't help but think: Well, what am I? Maybe that would help. And it may sound cheesy, but I've decided that I'm a maker.

For as long as I can remember, I've had interests and dreams and hobbies that change like the weather. (And if you're ever in Alabama during the summertime, you know how often that can be). But one thing has always remained constant: My interests have always involved making.

I make stories. I make sense of life by writing about it. I make others remember a day or an event with my words. Through writing, I make connections to so many things and so many people.

I make lists of what will be for dinner this week. I make dinner from scratch. I make elaborate breakfasts and quick lunches. I make holiday meals and desserts that I'm too proud of to eat.

I make, instead of buy. I make a lot of crafts. I make scarves and clothes for newborn babies**. And when it involves a saw, I get Tyler to make it.

And I know that, most times, I don't show all of those things here. So I'm going to start. And just maybe, I'll fall into my niche.

*And for the record, I don't have a single cross word for those who do fit into the food blog mold. Food blogs are one of my guiltiest pleasures and constant inspirations.

**Coming on Friday!

cobbler + what I'll do for love.

2011-07-18T05:00:00.000-07:00

I love birthdays. I really, truly love birthdays. Not even necessarily my birthday, but birthdays in general. I'm not sure why but I would take a guess that it might be because all of my birthday memories come paired with memories of an entire family huddled around a table, plates full and cake waiting to be cut. Whether our clothes were soaking from covering swimsuits and our hair was still dripping or we were bundled in knits and huddled around a fire, both sides of my family never once thought themselves too busy to stop and celebrate a birthday.

Which is why I couldn't fathom the thought when Tyler told me, in our first year of dating nonetheless, that he didn't much care for birthday celebrations. To him, it was just another day.

That just wasn't okay with me. I knew it was my job to change his mind. (A job I'm still working on, mind you.)

So when his 23rd birthday rolled around, about 8 months into our shiny and new relationship, I tried my hardest to bring out the big guns. I had an elaborate dinner planned, followed by his favorite dessert and tickets to an upcoming Avett Brothers concert.

But it didn't happen. His boss at the time asked him to work, not knowing it was his birthday -- and of course, he didn't bother to mention it. And it just so happened that his job at the time required extremely long work days, usually well over 12 hours. Even though he had to be at work on his birthday at 4 a.m. and wouldn't be home until close to midnight, I refused to give up. I decided that I would make the cobbler and bring it to his house that morning - around 3:00 a.m. - so he could blow out candles and make a birthday wish, then I would cook him dinner on the first night that he didn't have to work. Great plan, until you consider that I had never made any kind of cobbler before and I can hardly function without close to nine hours of sleep.

The night before, I headed to the grocery store, bought exactly what I needed for one peach cobbler plus twenty three candles and went home to bake. I quickly tossed the recipe together, knowing that I needed to get some sleep before my early wake up call -- then 35 minutes later, removed a dish full of peach soup from the oven.

It was awful. Nothing but liquid and mush. Not pretty or apetizing, and definitely not birthday worthy. So I fought off tears, found another recipe and went back to the store. Over the span of the next few hours, I tried three more cobbler recipes, called my grandmother to troubleshoot at midnight and woke my brother to start the taste testing.

Around 2:45 a.m. I packed up the finished product and headed to Tyler's. Needless to say, I kind of overlooked the fact that people tend to be startled when someone is standing at their back door at 3 a.m. -- and that people tend to not eat dessert at that hour. But I sure did set a standard for future birthdays.

To this day, I'm still trying to find a peach cobbler recipe that I really love. (Suggestions welcome!) But this blueberry cobbler is pretty perfect. And luckily, Tyler loves cobbler of any variety.

We picked blueberries on Saturday morning, then enjoyed this cobbler on Sunday afternoon with family and homemade vanilla ice cream.

blueberry cobbler

(this recipe came from one of tyler's co-workers, and I'm not sure where she got it)

2 cups fresh blueberries

3 tablespoons butter, softened

3/4 cup and 1 1/4 cup sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

pinch of salt

1/2 cup milk

1 cup unbleached all purpose flour

1 tablespoon cornstarch (it sounds like too much. but it helps thicken the fruit juice)

1 cup boiling water

Preheat the oven to 375. In the bottom of an 8 inch baking dish, spread out the washed blueberries. Don't overlook the size of the dish -- it's critical to having the right texture. Combine 3/4 cup sugar with butter, baking powder, salt, milk and flour. Mix until creamy. Spread over the blueberries. Combine the remaining sugar (1 1/4 cup) with the cornstarch - spread evenly over the flour mixture. This is where it's gets sketchy. It looks like way too much, but have trust. Pour the boiling water over the sugar mixture. (This prevents the sugar from burning in the oven, which would be bad news.) Bake for about 35-40 minutes - longer if needed. Remove when the top is cracked and golden brown.

on wine.

2011-07-14T05:00:00.000-07:00

photo credit

When I was at the beach, I had every intention of reading The Help. I had heard so many great things and I was ready to dive in. Until -- Tyler swiped it from me. He wanted to read it before the movie comes out, so I let him have it. Instead, I started on The Supper of the Lamb by Robert Farrar Capon.

And you guys... this book. I highlighted and dog-eared almost every page. The cover is worn and wrinkled from those times when I couldn't put it down, even when my hands were wet from the ocean. Right now, I don't even have the words for how deeply I loved this book, so I'll save all of the real gushing for the next time I do a reading recap.

In the meantime, I wanted to share two quotes from a chapter called "Water - In Exclesis", a chapter all about wine. Living in the Bible Belt, a lot of people look down on you or call you a sinner when you choose to have a glass of wine with dinner. They can't believe that anyone would drink wine out of enjoyment, rather than to get drunk. And they find all kinds of ways to dismiss the mentions of wine in the Bible, as if it were somehow a misprint.

Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not planning to dive into a theological debate over what is a sin and what's not. And I'm well aware that there are as many different opinions as there are people -- but I thought that this quote perfectly articulated my thoughts. As did so many other parts of the book.

"God makes wine. For all its difficulties, there is no way around the doctrine of creation. But notice the tense: He makes, not made. He did not create once upon a time, only to find himself saddled now with the unavoidable and embarrassing result of that first rash decision. ... Wine is -- the fruit of the vine stands in act, outside of nothing -- because it is His very present pleasure to have it so."

"Nothing appalls me more than to hear people refer to the drinking of wine as if it were a forbidden and fascinating way of sneaking alcohol into one's system. My flesh creeps when i hear the legitimate love of the fruit of the vine treated as if it were a longer-winded way of doing what the world does with grain neutral spirits and cheap vermouth.

With wine at hand, the good man concerns himself, not with getting drunk, but with drinking in all the natural delectabilities of wine: taste, color, bouquet; its manifold graces; the way it complements food and enhances conversation; and its sovereign power to turn evenings into occasions, to lift eating beyond nourishment to conviviality, and to bring the race, for a few hours at least, to that happy state where men are wise and women beautiful, and even one's children begin to look promising."

warm weather salad.

2011-07-08T10:26:00.000-07:00

July has brought another set of classes and school days that don't end until 7:45 p.m. Not to mention more projects and tests than should be tolerable. But I'm choosing to look at the bright side. Two bright sides actually -- one is that classes end in two weeks and two is that this new schedule allows for a 2 hour lunch break with Tyler.

Even though I have two hours between my clients and my classes, I don't want to spend all of it cooking or trying to decide what we're having for lunch (I mean, I still have to have time for a power nap, Barefoot Contessa and blog reading, right?). So I've been on the hunt for all of the simple, fast and filling lunches I can find.

If you can still find good strawberries, make this quick. It will make you crave salads.

This is actually not too much of a recipe - it's more like a suggestion of things to throw in a bowl, so don't stick too much to the measurements.

salad with strawberries and walnuts

serves 4

adapted from Ellie Krieger's book So Easy

about 12 cups of salad -- this is a rough estimate. You can use whichever type of salad mixture you prefer - I used baby spinach and romaine. Really, you can just wing it.

1 pint strawberries, hulled and sliced

a handful of chopped walnuts -- or whichever kind of nut you want. Use as much as you like.

shreds of parmesean -- again, use however much you want.

1/4 cup balsamic vinaigrette*

Toss strawberries with vinaigrette and a pinch of salt and pepper. In a big bowl, toss salad with strawberries and nuts. Top with parmesean shreds and serve.

*To make the vinaigrette, whisk together 1/4 extra virgin olive oil with 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar. We also like to use Brianna's Home Style Blush Wine Vinaigrette, if you don't have balsamic.

born on the fourth of july.

2011-07-06T05:00:00.000-07:00

On Friday, I headed to the beach (for the second time this summer) with my family and Tyler. I desperately needed to spend five days soaking up the slow life. And that's exactly what we did. We rode bicycles in the morning, then sat on the beach until evening. We ate snacks of frozen grapes, frozen bananas, chicken salad and homemade peach ice cream. We watched babies waddle around in the sand and we read for hours on end (Tyler read The Help while I read The Supper of the Lamb).

The fourth of July is my dear mother's birthday and boy, we celebrated! On Sunday night, some of my huge and hilarious family crowded into our condo with bottles of wine, amazing steaks and fresh seafood. I made strawberry cupcakes (this cake and this icing) and banana pudding. We laughed and talked for hours -- and once again, I went to sleep feeling incredibly grateful for each one of them.

On Monday, we ate at one of my mom's favorite beach restaurants then watched fireworks.

It was a wonderfully relaxing vacation, which was exactly what I needed. I hope you all had a memorable fourth.

Ps - Remember when Tyler's brother got married in April? His wedding pictures were on Ruffled this weekend. Have a look and swoon. Then come back so we can talk about how Ty sometimes puffs out his cheeks when he laughs (picture #6).

i've been reading.

2011-06-30T05:00:00.000-07:00

photo credit / from me to you, via pinterest

When I was in the fifth grade, my elementary school introduced a program called Accelerated Reader. For every book you read, you took a test -- and based on how well you did, you earned a certain amount of points. At the end of each semester, the student with the most AR points won a prize. The prize was something completely insignificant - but it was a prize, nonetheless.

I dominated. I mean, 300 points in front of second place dominated.

I spent most of the fifth grade in the library, taking those computerized AR tests. No one even came close to the amount of points I had piled up. The teacher's "oo"ed and "ah"ed at my name in the top spot on the hallway bulletin board. I wasn't glory-hungry, I just sincerely loved to read. And couldn't understand why most of my fellow fifth-graders didn't.

I read during school and after school. I read on the weekends. I was always looking for a reason to go to the bookstore. I can remember crying in my room because I was so connected to the characters and upset that I had finished a book. I remember exact dinners that my mom cooked for us, solely because the book that I was reading that day had made that moment seem so real, so permanent and I can't forget that feeling.

But over the years, I stopped reading as much. I never stopped completely - but I felt that reading wasn't as important as living my real life, in the real world. By college, I was playing by the rule: only school books during the semester, reading for fun during the breaks. I kept buying books and making "to-read" lists -- and every now and then, I would get swept up into a new novel. But on the whole, reading had taken a back seat.

So I made a new resolution this year -- to read as much as I used to, at least one book a month. And so far, I've had a book in my hand at all opportunities.

Two weeks ago, when books were coming in the mail every day and Tyler was starting to question my spending habits, I started thinking about reading and why I love it so much. To me, reading is what makes things stick. It's what makes those things that are going on in the real world actually feel real. Being able to connect my life to something I read in a book makes me more aware, it makes me truly live and give thanks in the moment. And that is something I don't ever want to give up.

Here is what I've read so far this year. I'm always wishing I could read more - but considering the amount of school that has been consuming me this year, I'm content with this.

one thousand gifts / ann voskamp

Ann has a very deep writing style. At times, the sheer amount of food-for-thought was so overwhelming that I had to stop and think about what I had just read. But I mean that in the best way. I've marked so many pages that I want to revisit and journal about. It wouldn't be a long shot to call this book a life-changer.

a million miles in a thousand years / donald miller

Don's writing is right up my alley. He's funny and empowering - while writing about the things that really matter (which just might be my favorite thing to read). This book made so much sense to me in a lot of different ways.

heaven is for real / todd burpo

I read this book mostly to see what all of the hoopla was about. Everyone around here was talking about it - they were either moved to tears or too frustrated to finish the book. I thought it was entertaining and quick to read (I read it in one sitting at Barnes and Noble) - but I'm still not too sure how much of it I believe.

the provence cure for the brokenhearted / bridget asher

If you have any desire to go to France, this book will only make that desire worse. It was funny and engaging, a good read for hot summer days.

3:16 / max lucado

I bought this book because it was on sale at an outlet and because I had never read anything by Max Lucado. I'm still not sure how I felt about his writing style - but the message of the book was well-worth the read.

house rules / jodi picoult

This book was a required read for one of my June classes. I read it in three days - mostly because I had to finish by Tuesday, but also because Jodi's writing style moves very fast. But I'm not sure how much I liked it. Her writing was a bit too blatant for me and I had the mystery solved less than half-way through the book. But it painted an extremely accurate picture of someone with Autism.

bird by bird / anne lamott

To me, this book was perfection. It was the perfect balance of cold, hard truth and sincerity. I could blubber on about it for days - but I'll just say, if there's any part of you that wants to be a writer of any kind and you haven't read this book, do it now.

Also,

Now I'm (finally!) reading this

I loved, loved this - and I made Ty read it

I'm dying to read this and this

I picked this up in the store, but didn't buy it. Anyone read it?

This girl is my reading soulmate - read all of these posts, if you want to bulk up your "to-read" list

season of summer.

2011-06-28T06:00:00.000-07:00

(camera phone pictures from the weekend)

It was a few months ago, when spring was knocking on our door and my winter boots had seen better days, that I told Tyler -- Spring just might be my favorite season.

Of course, he immediately called me out. He knows better. My love affair with Fall is too deep and too long-lasting to go about claiming other seasons as my favorite. But I was ready for spring. I needed longer days and freshly cut grass, more Vitamin D and less pairs of socks. So I gladly said goodbye to the cold, knowing that it would come around again and I would love it just the same.

It was then that I started thinking about how much I love each individual season when it arrives. I swoon over it and gush to everyone, as if they're not aware of what's going on outside. I thought maybe it wasn't the specific season that I loved, but maybe it was the seasons themselves. That feeling that starts floating through the air or that smell that hits you right at the moment when you needed to know that change is coming. It seems the seasons are always ushering in right at the last minute, right when you think this will be the year that they don't.

Thinking about something so simple, yet so perfect reminds me of what an amazing God we serve. Who else could order the seasons to give us rest, renewal and the foods we need right when we need all of them?

This summer has already been one full of little mercies -- those little reminders that life is good and it's really good. Things like afternoon rain storms and iced sweet tea, the smell of gardenias and the time of day when the crickets start their chatter. Even though this summer has been a busy one -- I've also taken the time to read a book outside and play in sprinklers.

I love these feelings that only belong to summer. I'm thankful for this season of long days and juicy fruit. And I'm thankful to live in place where I can fully experience each season that God so skillfully crafted.

balance.

2011-06-23T16:25:00.000-07:00

photo credit / via pinterest

I have a confession. I've been avoiding the internet this week. I was too afraid to write a blog post in fear that I'm becoming one of those people who have nothing to talk about other than how busy they are. And I don't want to become that for your sake and also for mine.

But at the same time -- I created this space to talk about what's going on in my life. And right now, this is it. I'm in grad school. I'm overwhelmed. I'm busy all the time. I cried in the shower yesterday. I've hardly cooked anything. I now know what it feels like for your shoulders to be in knots from stress. I don't do anything on the weekends except calculate how many hours I can sleep and catch up on homework. And I haven't washed my hair since Tuesday.

Maybe it's because this is summer school -- class and clinic every day of the week since the semester is so short. Or maybe it's just the workload in general. Maybe it's the feeling that this is a job, rather than school and they keep forgetting to pay me. Whatever it is -- I just know that I can't keep this going until 2012.

I want to find time to cook. I want to find time for the projects I was planning this summer. I want to take trips and go to bookstores and make time for friends. I want to find time to blog.

I know I have a few summer bucket lists -- and I have every hope and intention of fulfilling those goals. But what I need is balance. I need to balance school with the things I enjoy most -- the things that make me less inclined to cry in the shower.

So, this is me. It may be the same ol' same thing that I've been posting about for 3 months. But it's real. And if I know anything about myself, it's that writing things down for others to read is one of the only ways I feel better. Now -- it is written and I begin finding that balance I need.

elsewhere.

2011-06-16T16:51:00.000-07:00

This is Annie. She sings my heart song. And this week, she's away on vacation. So head over to her blog to read my guest post all about things to do this summer!

spring pasta.

2011-06-14T04:30:00.000-07:00

Since I was 16, I've had a job -- but these past two weeks have given me a new-found respect for the working world. Even though I'm not getting paid to be in grad school, I'm working harder than I've worked in my life. And I'm spending 8 to 5 in the same building. And finding that there's no time to run errands after 5 p.m. And realizing how important it is to vent about your day. It's really all I can do to keep my eyes open to watch Wheel of Fortune with Tyler, then crawl to bed.

Okay, so it's not that dramatic. But you get the idea.

I'm actually starting to find my groove with my classes and clients -- and trying my best to stick to my routine. But I'm sad to say that I've let the kitchen gather dust. The fridge is full of take-out leftovers, I can't even remember the last time I bought groceries and for the fourth school day in a row, I ran out the door without packing a lunch.

So for all those working folks out there who resist the temptation to eat drive-thru food everyday and still have energy to function in the evenings, I applaud you. And would like to know your secrets -- please and thank you.

I made this pasta the night before grad school started. Then, I packed it for lunch for the next two days. It was just as good the third day as it was the first night -- cheesy, but still fresh and light. And if you're like me, having leftovers that can be neatly packed into a container and a brown bag is a plus.

whole wheat pasta with asparagus, lemon + goat cheese

from bon appetit

serves six

1 pound spiral whole wheat pasta (I used rotini)

1 pound asparagus, trimmed then cut into 1 inch pieces

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon finely grated lemon peel

2 teaspoons chopped fresh tarragon

1 5 1/2 ounces soft goat cheese

Cook pasta. Add asparagus and cook until pasta is tender but still firm (about 3 minutes).

Meanwhile, combine oil, lemon peel, and chopped tarragon in large bowl. Coarsely crumble in goat cheese.

Drain pasta and asparagus, reserving 1 cup cooking liquid. Add hot pasta, asparagus, and 1/4 cup reserved cooking liquid to bowl with cheese mixture. Toss to coat, adding more reserved liquid if dry. Season pasta to taste with salt and pepper.

a routine.

2011-06-08T04:00:00.000-07:00

Just two more pictures from our beach trip - which now seems like years ago.

I've officially been in graduate school for an entire week. And so far- I've cried twice, neglected to buy groceries, made countless lists and read for pleasure only once. But I've also faced fears and took that big step towards being finished with school forever. So, I really can't complain. Actually - I'm determined not to complain. Grad school is going to last five semesters, regardless of my outlook. I don't want to lose my practice of gratitude because I feel overwhelmed and I don't want to lose the things I enjoy because I feel like I'm too busy. I want to make time for the people who deserve it. I want to make time for myself. And I want to keep my eyes focused on the big picture - that December 2012 is really not that far away!

My plan is to get myself into a routine. A stable, healthy routine that helps me manage my time and interests.

Some people may not need to explicitly write all of these things out, but I do. Seeing things in writing helps me to feel calm and focused.

Here's what I have so far:

morning

wake up; shower; hot lemon water with breakfast; devotion/bible study; check email

noon

lunch that I've packed; errands and phone calls

mid-afternoon

small snack*; gratitude journal

evening

work out with Ty; dinner; plan for the next day (outfit, studying, to-do list, etc.); pack next day's lunch

bedtime

bath things (brushing teeth, washing face, etc.); tea; reading (non-school book!) for 30 minutes

weekends

reserved for craft projects, road trips, playing in the kitchen, reading or whatever strikes my fancy.

I'm interested, do you follow a routine? If so, I'd love to know what it's like. And, am I the only one who feels the need to write these things down?

*This is what I need help with! What do you like to snack on in the afternoons?

this month.

2011-06-06T04:00:00.000-07:00

This month I will:
01. Spruce up things around the blog.
02. Stay ahead in school, so I don't get overwhelmed.
03. Finish reading this book and this book.
04. Purge my closet.

05. Pick blackberries, then make a cobbler.

06. Start planning/designing my new apartment.

07. Keep knitting, so that eventually I can do something other than knit straight lines.

08. Go on nightly walks.

09. Start - AND FINISH - a craft project.

10. Try my hand at menu planning, in an effort to never dine out on weeknights.

the one with a video.

2011-06-03T05:00:00.000-07:00

Grad school has swallowed me whole - so instead of writing a post, I made a video. Don't judge.

Watch it and then immediately forget about:

how funny my voice sounds

how I can never look directly at the camera

how my book review is completely scattered and contradictory

Have a fun summer weekend!

a beach vacation.

2011-05-30T05:00:00.000-07:00

01. a lunch of seafood perfection.

02. beach reading

03. ty (and his farmer's tan) fishing on the pier

04. rocky road and chipped nail polish

Last week was the long-awaited, much-needed beach trip that I’ve been looking forward to since December. And even though I usually try to avoid expectations (especially for vacations where sunburn is a possibility) – I had pretty high ones this time. I needed midday naps and fresh peaches, too much seafood and hours of reading. I wasn’t going to settle for anything less than complete relaxation - especially since my days as a graduate student start in less than a week.

And lucky for me, this trip didn’t disappoint. We were on no one’s time schedule except our own. We had dessert after every meal (even lunch). And I didn’t blow dry my hair a single time. I finished one book and made a heavy dent in another. No one got sunburned and every last one of my freckles has made its appearance on my cheeks. A complete success in my book.

It was one of those trips that leave you feeling like you just need to gush, that you can’t even express how thankful you are for the moment that you’re in.

I think I might just be ready for graduate school now. Might.

right now.

2011-05-24T07:12:00.000-07:00

This is my life right now.

Be back on Friday. Have a happy week.

my hair transition, in photos.

2011-05-19T12:43:00.000-07:00

Let's talk about hair. Please, oh please - let's talk about it. Particularly, let's talk about my hair and all of the colors that it has been. Poor hair - we've been down a long road.

First, let me take you through the years. And the colors.

My hair is naturally dirty blonde/light brown/with redish tones. I first started coloring my hair in 9th grade. And back then, the only way was the blonde way. I wouldn't even dare think of anything else. I got highlights and highlights, blonder and blonder. This is what my hair looks like when it's blonde. It's been lighter than this - but you get the idea.

Then, one lone day in 2006 - I was a high school senior and invincible. I decided that I wanted brown hair. So, I went to the store, bought a box of color, went to my friend's house and colored it. No second thoughts. And surprisingly, it looked great. I loved it. Now, here's what my hair looks like when it's brown.

Since then, I've bounced back and forth between blonde and brown. It's actually a pretty rough cycle that goes something like this: I color my hair brown. I love it for a week. Then it starts to fade. The red tones start to come through and my roots start to come out. Yes - I have brown hair with blonde roots. Real cute. Then, I start to hate it. I use clarifying shampoos and try any and every way of getting color out of my hair - with the intentions of going lighter next time I come into some cash (I would never have the guts to go blonde at home.) I talk about it to Tyler and my mom and my work friends and the guy who works at Starbucks and the cash register lady at Target. I beat the subject into the ground so hard, that I no longer want to think about my hair anymore. So, I let it go. I leave it - let it grow and let the color fade. Then, I see a picture of myself and I'm all "What the what. Why is my hair like that. It's not even a real color. Why do y'all let me do this?" I make an emergency hair appt. Sometimes I go blonde, love it for a while - then, back brown in a few months. Sometimes I go brown and the cycle starts again.

And just for kicks, these are two of my "in-betweens".

Whew. Now I'm exhausted. If you're still reading this, I want to hug you. Here's what I've got going right now - this is me with my handsome brother and dad two weeks ago at my graduation party.

Here's what I want: to break out of my cycle and be really content with my hair color.

And now that you've seen all the colors of Laken, I want your opinions. I want to know - what do you like? what do you think looks like throw up? what is your natural color? what color is your hair now? do you feel content with it? Talk to me.

And for the very small chance that you still want to talk about hair and look at more pictures, here is my Pinterest board devoted to hair.

life, lately.

2011-05-17T18:02:00.000-07:00

This week has been no good for me. And it's only Tuesday.

I'm in a slump. Tyler is in a slump. Things have been going wrong left and right. And a handful of other things that I'm doing my best not to dwell on. I'm trying this new thing - it's called Not Dwelling On The Negative. I'll let you know how it goes.

So, as a means of not-dwelling, here are some things that are making me happy:

Last week's trip to the farmer's market - the first of the season! We came home with grass-fed beef, local raw honey and early peaches.

Daisies from Tyler.

Work days that end at noon.

My grown-up, grad school backpack : a canvas, monogrammed tote bag.

An apartment that smells like Anthropologie (candles - not new clothes, sadly).

Stacks of cookbooks, free from the library.

Planning for next week's beach trip.

Finding old stationary* while giving a much-needed cleaning to my apartment.

Exciting news from one friend and an overdue phone call with another.

*Want to help me use up some of the stationary I re-discovered? Email me with your address and I'll send you a handwritten letter. Could be fun, right?

ty is twenty five.

2011-05-13T11:24:00.000-07:00

Almost two weeks ago, Tyler turned 25. I spent the week making elaborate birthday plans and reminding him that he was now half way to 50! But then every one of our plans went wrong.

I had a surprise birthday picnic planned -- complete with arnold palmers in mason jars, fruit and cheese and crusty bread and a blanket by the lake. But then the tornadoes came - we were without power and decided to go home.

I brushed off the failed picnic and decided that I would go ahead and make him what I had planned all along -- homemade whoopie pies (one of his favorites). But then both of our mother's gifted him with more whoopie pies than one boy can eat in a weekend. So, by his birthday, we were whoopie-ed out. And I didn't make him anything.

These may seem like small things, that don't really matter. But not for me, not for the one who loves celebrating birthdays with surprises and homemade cake. I was so upset that I didn't get to do anything special for him for his birthday, that he ended up consoling me on his birthday. Which, of course, made me feel bad -- a vicious circle.

Not a day goes by when I'm not thankful for Tyler -- but his birthday weekend reminded me of all of the things he's taught me in these (almost) three years that we've been us.

He's taught me how to stay calm when I feel like getting upset and how to just. let. go. of things. He's taught me all of the penalties in football and what goes in to building a good fence. He's taught me that failures are nothing but learning experiences and that life doesn't need a timeline. He's taught me that sometimes things don't go as planned - and that's okay.

So even though it's 11 days late - Happy birthday (again) to the peanut butter to my jelly. I love you more everyday.

photo taken at Ty's brother's wedding - via heather hester

pound cake + the end of an era.

2011-05-09T10:54:00.000-07:00

On Saturday night, I spent the evening eating strawberry cake and sitting on the porch with my darling family, who had joined in the celebration of my completion of college. At long last.

I may not have walked across a stage in a cap and gown, but it's now official: I graduated. By no means is it the end that I had in mind, but it's still the end. Five whole years - finished. An email from the University to graduating seniors called the end of this semester "anti-climatic". I don't really know if that is how I would choose to describe it -- but it was definitely unexpected.

I've changed so much since I was a freshman, it's almost hard to remember who I was then. When I think back to the days when I lived in a dorm with 900 other girls and skipped classes just because I could, I feel like I'm watching a movie. I feel like I didn't really live it, like I'm watching someone else. But then I remember days like that one weekday when the sharp pains of homesickness were so strong, I drove home, crying all the way, swearing I'd never go back. And nights when I slept 3-deep in a bed with my best friends and Jimmy John's, laughing until we couldn't breathe. And I remember the feelings I felt then, so I know it must have been real.

In these past five years, there has been a lot of learning. Not just classroom learning, but life learning. There was also a lot of frozen yogurt. And a lot of trips to the thrift store and to the beach and to the hometowns of new friends. There was a lot of driving home in the middle of the week and in the middle of the night. There was a lot of naps and fights and nights in the library. There was a lot of wine from the bottle and a lot of wine from the box. There was a lot of walking to class -- in 100 degrees, and in the rain, and in Alabama humidity, and in the snow and one time, barefoot. There was a lot of wondering who I would be and where I would go. There was a lot of list-making and planners and books and felt pens. There were so many great and wonderful things. And there are so many things I still choose to look past. But mostly, there were a lot of people - all of whom helped me find a little piece of my post-graduate self.

So even though I won't get to wear that cap and gown until August, I'm finished with my undergraduate career. And it was a good one.

Now, I'm all about starting new things around here. And in honor of that, I thought I would make something I've haven't made before. I decided on this cream cheese pound cake -- then added the strawberries in the batter instead of making a glaze. It is so dense and so good -- I have a brother and a boyfriend who were sneaking slices all weekend. I made seven of these for Mother's Day gifts and can I just say -- if you're going to have to make seven of anything, don't choose something that takes an hour and 45 minutes to bake.

strawberry + cream cheese poundcake

original recipe here

2 cups strawberries, hulled and halved

2 tablespoons sugar

8 oz. (1 package) cream cheese - room temperature

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter - room temperature

2 1/2 cups sugar

6 eggs

1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1/8 teaspoon salt

3 cups cake flour*, sifted

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.

Grease and flour a bundt pan (or a loaf pan) and set aside.

Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of sugar over the strawberries and let them sit.

With a mixer, combine cream cheese and butter until creamy.

Slowly add in sugar, then the eggs, one by one.

Add vanilla and salt. Mix about 1 minute - until everything is fully incorporated.

Without using a mixer (it can make the cakes too tough), add the flour. Mix only until you can no longer see any flour -- you don't want to over-mix pound cakes.

Pour into greased pan and bake for 1 hour, 45 minutes**. About halfway through the baking time, rotate the pan to make sure it is baked evenly.

*If you don't have cake flour, you can make your own. Using unbleached all purpose flour, remove 1 tablespoon per cup and replace it with 1 tablespoon corn starch. Here you would measure out 3 cups all purpose flour, remove 3 tablespoons, then add 3 tablespoons corn starch.

**This is the time that worked for me for all seven of the cakes I made. But your oven is different than mine -- so, I would start checking after about 1 hour, 15 minutes.

full of grace.

2011-05-05T13:18:00.000-07:00

There are two books I'm reading that are really helping me sort through some heavy things right now. One of them, I think I've already mentioned, is One Thousand Gifts. And the other is (rather, was. I finished it last night) A Million Miles in a Thousand Years.

I've been reading One Thousand Gifts for a while now. It's taken me longer than I originally intended, partially because I want to soak everything in and partially because her writing is a little hard for me to get into. It's not particulary my style -- but that doesn't take away any from the message of the book. I won't spoil anything, because it's a book I would suggest you read on your own and let it affect you personally. But I will say one of the biggest lessons I've learned so far: ugly eventually gives way to beauty.

There seems to be a lot of "ugly" situations around me lately. First, a painful anniversary and then devastating tornadoes. If anything, they both reminded me that life can be taken away - seemingly undeservingly - in an instant. Life, shelter and every material thing you've worked for can be gone in a blink. And I'm not going to lie, it's not really a fun thing to think about. It's makes my stomach turn to watch people I love feel pain. Pain that I can't take away or make better. And it breaks my heart to watch a town that I love crumble down on itself. But, just as our preacher reminded us at church on Sunday, God never promised a life without hurt. He never said, Believe in me and I'll let you skate through life, unharmed. In fact, He warned of the opposite. Life's going to be hard. We're going to cry uncontrollable tears and feel our stomachs turn upside down in fear. At times, we might even choose to be numb rather than feel the pain. But that doesn't mean that we've been forsaken. It's these times when we can choose to full of grace. It's these times, when we're at our most vulnerable, when we should allow ourselves to see the beauty that can come forth, then embrace it. Ugly can become beauty. Suffering can become healing. And bad can become good. We just have to look for it. And know that God is good and nothing happens that He doesn't intend. Ann says it better than I can -- she says, "It is suffering that has the realest possibility to bear down and deliver grace." Definitely a lesson I need to keep in my pocket.

And if you haven't yet read Don Miller's A Million Miles in a Thousand Years - do it. Seriously. I picked up the book a few days ago in the bookstore while I was buying a birthday gift - and I read it in 2 days. Although a little sporadic at times, it was worth it.

The book had me thinking all about "What's my story?" What kind of story am I telling in my day to day life - and is it one worth re-telling? Even though my story is something I'm still working on, it had me thinking about themes. Stories have themes. And if life is a story, then mine will inevitably have a theme. These thoughts, along with Sara's post about loveliness, made me wonder how I would describe myself and my life. Not neccessarily how others would describe me, but how I would want them to - basically, what I'm striving for.

All of this thinking led me to the same phrase over and over -- full of grace. That's how I want to be described. That's what I want the theme of my life and my story to be. That's what I'm striving for. And not just in these ugly times, but in all times. In the everyday-ness. I want to be full of grace. Sure, there are others - other words that I would want to describe me and my life: lovely, simple, gracious. But I think "full of grace" encompasses all of those and more.

I will never fully reach the point where I can declare that I am, in fact, full of grace. But I believe it's something worth striving for - so, strive I will.

"It is I who put to death and give life. I have wounded and it is I who heal." Deuteronomy 32:29

shelter for the south.

2011-05-03T09:42:00.000-07:00

Thank you to everyone for your comments about my last post. Tyler and I are in Tuscaloosa, working, with power and internet and many things that others just down the road don't have. Please continue to pray for the hurting that is happening here.

While I was thinking of how to help, I kept coming back to the recent disasters in other countries and how the blogging community went above and beyond the call to help.

So, Caitlin and I started a relief effort called "Shelter For The South". It is our hope that people from all over the country will feel the desire to donate these relief efforts just as strongly as they have in the past.

Any donation you can make is appreciated. I ask that you help spread the word. Like us on Facebook. Make a post about our effort. I desperately do not want this tragedy to be pushed to the back burner.

These tornadoes were the deadliest since the 1930's and officials are saying the impact on lives will be greater than Hurricane Katrina. Alabama's rebuilding process is going to be long and hard. And we have a chance as a country to stand up for the brokenhearted and to help them through their struggles.

Visit Shelter For The South's site and click on the donate tab.

devastation.

2011-04-28T15:38:00.000-07:00

As I write this, I'm sitting in the Tuscaloosa Public Library because it's one of the only places in town that has power. We're here to charge our phones and computers -- but I wanted to share pictures of the damage that my home has endured.

Yesterday, an F4 tornado rolled through the heart of Tuscaloosa -- and most of Alabama, actually -- destroying everything in its path. Lives were lost and homes were destroyed. Buildings were leveled and people lost everything they owned.

We are so blessed to be safe and accounted for. Our apartments are safe, our cars are safe and we are safe. Upset, but safe. Unfortunately, I can't say that much for many more people in town.

Our classes and finals have been canceled for the rest of the semester. And graduation has been postponed until August. But school is the last of my worries. I've never seen devastation like this in my entire life. Just thinking about it brings tears to my eyes. I know that we will be forever changed.

I just wanted to take this moment to touch base with all of you and ask for your prayers. Please pray for my city and my state. And thank you from the bottom of my heart to all of you who have already reached out to me, it has meant so much.

These are just a few photos I took this morning as Tyler and I walked through some of the hardest hit areas. They are tragic, but they are only a tiny, tiny percent of the real damage.

Please consider donating money to the relief efforts in Alabama. To donate $10, text REDCROSS to 90999. It will be appreciated more than you could ever imagine.

I will praise You in this storm.

dead week + a simple breakfast.

2011-04-25T07:21:00.000-07:00

Yep. It's that time again, the ill-named "Dead Week". It's supposed to be the week before finals when there are no assignments, no tests, no projects... just studying for next week's exams.

No such luck.

I have a paper and presentation due today. A test on Thursday morning and I have to read an entire book before Thursday night.

Clearly, my instructors don't know how to follow rules.

I won't bore you with more ramblings about school and my overwhelming busy-ness -- just know, it's almost over. Then, I promise to make it up to all of you (and my kitchen) will lots of recipes that have been patiently waiting in my bookmarked folder.

And a very big thank you to everyone of you who have stuck with me this semester. I know I've been incredibly busy and wishy-washy with my posts. And less than desirable with my commenting. But your encouraging comments have meant so much to me! We're almost to the end -- 12 more days!

In the meantime, here's one of my favorite things lately. Greek yogurt. With all kinds of fun things in it. Apples with toasted oats and honey. Pear slices and honey. Pretty much, any fruit I can find plus a little honey.

I didn't manage to get a picture, but here's the simple recipe for one of my favorite combinations.

roasted plums and greek yogurt

via claire robinson, 5 ingredient fix

serves 2

3 chopped plums*

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

3 tablespoons raw honey

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

salt

2 cups greek yogurt**

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a pan over medium heat, melt butter with honey, cinnamon and a pinch of salt. When fully combined, remove from heat. Consistency will be like syrup.

Toss plums into syrup, until all are coated.

On a foil lined baking sheet (or parchment lined), spread out plums evenly. Roast in the oven for about 12 minutes.

In two bowls, divide the greek yogurt. Divide the plums over the yogurt and serve warm.

*This number is completely up to you. It was just the number that worked for Tyler and I. You could use more or less, especially if you're halving or doubling this recipe.

**I actually use a little less than a cup for myself and a little more for Ty. Your discretion.

baked eggs + kale.

2011-04-16T10:44:00.000-07:00

There have been a few instances lately when I've been heckled for eating kale. Yes, heckled. First, the lady at Target snarled up her face while weighing my kale bunch and unpolitely asked, "Why would you even want to eat that?" I smiled, told her that I really liked it and even offered different ways to cook kale.

Then, her fellow co-worker and co-snarler said, "You know that's what they use for garnish, right?"

Yes. I am aware of that. But it's still edible. And good for you. And you're not going to talk me out of buying it. Now please give me my kale and my receipt. K bye.

As if that wasn't enough, Tyler proceeds to tell me that he thinks kale tastes like grass. Complete with a snarly face and a stuck out tongue. You would have thought he was five again and I just told him that he couldn't get up until he ate his greens.

But luckily, snarls can't get me down. I love kale. I even have cravings for it. I buy at least one bunch on every trip to the grocery store. And maybe eventually, I'll stop being heckled for it. Or more importantly, get Tyler to (happily) eat it.

Sometimes, I run kale through the juicer with other greens, a piece of fruit and a little lemon juice for a morning green juice. Sometimes, I stick to the classic : kale chips, tossed with a little salt, pepper and olive oil and roasted on 400 degrees. But this is (by far) my favorite way to eat kale. So simple and not overpowering.

And don't think that just because it has eggs in it, it's only for breakfast. This is one of my favorite lunches, too.

baked eggs + kale

serves 1 -- but very easily doubled (or quadrupled!)

adapted from here

1/2 cup chopped kale

2 large eggs

1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme

1 tablespoon grated parmesean cheese

salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Butter a ramekin, whichever size you have or prefer. Just remember that the bigger the dish, the thinner your layer of kale will be.

Spread the kale over the bottom of the ramekin.

Using your fingers, form indention into the kale. This will hold your egg -- so if you want more cooked eggs, you can make the indention smaller (it will be more likely to run through the kale). If you want less done eggs, make the indention bigger (so it will be more likely to stay put and not break).

Crack the egg into a small bowl or measuring cup, then gently pour it into the indention you made in the kale.

Top thyme, salt and pepper and cheese.

Bake for 10-15 minutes, depending on how done you like your eggs.

*Also, I added about a teaspoon of olive oil to the kale before I put it in the oven because mine was looking a little dry. But this option is completely up to you.

this week.

2011-04-13T15:24:00.000-07:00

(Dreaming of having the time to have another picnic day with Ty.)

This week, there's been a constant cloud of busy. And I say a cloud because it hasn't exactly been the fun kind of busy. There's been late night studying and early morning studying. There's been two tests. There's been internship and classes and working. There's been a trip to Birmingham on Thursday for class.

There's been cheese quesadillas for dinner. And there's been nothing but leftovers for lunch. There's been a guilty feeling for not having time to cook real meals.

There's been tank-tops and 70 spf sunscreen. But there's been sunburn, anyway. There's been exhausted heads laying down on pillows and on couches and at 1 p.m. There's been heavy eyes and cramped hands.

There's been list-making for the rest of this semester's work. There's been addresses and stamps on graduation announcements. There's been chipped red nail polish. There's been the same cotton dress and cardigan for more than one day. There's been unwashed hair and big buns.

But there's also been chai tea from a new, whistling teapot. There's been talks of a beach trip in a month. There's been big t-shirts. And there's been love notes on the refrigerator. There's been honeysuckle. There's been long talks on the phone with grandparents and friends. There's been thankfulness and contentment. There's been sweet comments about my dreams.

So, there's been good this week too.

on writing.

2011-04-12T08:59:00.000-07:00

(credit : austin kleon, how to steal like an artist)

I love those times when I find pieces of the interweb that feel like they were written just for my eyes.

Lately, I've been reading a lot about art, creativity and particularly, writing. I've always considered myself to be a writer, even though I've never felt comfortable enough to call myself one out loud. But I'll be the first to admit that college has done a whole lot of nothing in terms of helping me to hone my writing skills. Sure, I can write a reaction paper about what I just read. And yeah, I can churn out a news story in 20 minutes. But I've become distracted from actually being a writer.

In a way, that's why I started this blog. I wanted to take the time to write about my life, to document the everyday. But a lot of times, I find myself leaning on images instead.

So, what better time than now (when I'm 25 days away from graduation) to talk about all of that life-shaping stuff, right? And if I'm being completely honest about my life goals, writing (in some form) is what I really want to do.

Yes, I still plan to go to graduate school and to work as a Speech Therapist (but mainly because I want to be able to pay off all of the loans I've acquired.)

And yes, Tyler and I are still going to have our dream farm with goats and a porch swing.

And no, I have no idea what I actually want to write about or how to really make it happen.

But I just know that I want to be a (real) writer -- and to me, that means eventually being published in some medium. (Yipes - that, my friends, is one scary thought).

There's a post I read this weekend by Austin Kleon (of Newspaper Blackout fame), which I have re-read four times since. His advice on being creative is pretty genius. But not just in the "big idea" kind of way -- more like the Here's-exactly-what-to-do-now-go-do-it-for-yourself kind of way. Which is what I love so much about it.

So, tell me. Do you have any goals that scare you a little? Or a lot? Let's talk about what you really want to be.

Also, if you caught the interweb reference, we should be best friends.

this month.

2011-04-07T06:55:00.000-07:00

(photo credit)

my bucket list for april.

01. run a 5k (on April 30th!)
02. mail graduation announcements
03. lay in the sun
04. schedule a long-awaited hair appointment
05. buy a few summer dresses
06. eat more salads
07. bake bread
08. remember that I have a camera (and actually take photos!)
09. break out of our dinner rut*
10. remind everyone I see that I graduate in less than a month!

*Yep. We're in a dinner rut. We've been rotating the same meals for the past month. And you would think that a person who reads cookbooks for leisure would have an abundance of dinner inspiration -- but no such luck. So, what are your favorite meals? Or something that you've been dying to try? Post 'em here or email me.

my weekend.

2011-04-04T13:57:00.001-07:00

This weekend was spent :

at a rehearsal and an indulgent dinner

at a lovely outdoor wedding in the garden

with friends and family

laughing hard at those friends and family

drinking coffee for dessert

taking pictures of Ty in bowties

answering hundreds of questions about "when are you going to get married?"

and being thankful for love and good weather.

Ps. I'm guest posting at Simple Organic today. Head over here to read about 5 naturally detoxifying foods that will help you spring clean from the inside out!

happy april!

2011-04-01T06:33:00.000-07:00

(photo via arielle of a beautiful journey. go check out her lovely blog.)

So, lets talk for a minute.

About how happy I am that it's April. But also how it really snuck up on me.

About how I wish I could start a garden like Arielle and Ashley.

And maybe about how I only have 36 DAYS left until graduation.

About how incredibly thankful I am for cancelled classes and mental health days.

About how I'm glad this long, rainy week is finally over.

And about how I'm feeling totally refreshed after a few days off from blogging. (Thank you to everyone who was so supportive and understanding!)**

About how for the past couple of nights, Tyler and I have been ranking our favorite kinds of candy in preparation for our Easter baskets.

About how we're going home today for a rehearsal dinner and to see Tyler's brother get hitched tomorrow.

And mainly about how thankful I am for this little outlet of mine and how I'm so glad that you all come back time after time.

**Now that I'm feeling refreshed and filled with happy, spring-time thoughts -- I have a lot of exciting things planned for this little blog in the next few weeks. So get your excited face on.

And one last thank you for all of your sweet comments on my post about my farm. Tyler and I loved reading each one of them! And yes, you can come visit/live with us.

Ps. Sorry for all the crazy spacing. Blogger knows it's April Fools Day.

our plan.

2011-03-28T04:00:00.000-07:00

(wedding at blackberry farm by a bryan photo via snippet and ink)

So, Tyler and I have this dream of having a farm. It's actually a pretty big dream. We want acres of green grass, a big red (or gray) barn, dairy cows, goats, chickens, fruit trees and a vegetable garden. We want to wake up early every morning, make coffee and eat breakfast looking over our land. We want to eat food that our hands helped to grow and we want to sell produce at the farmer's market when the weather turns warm. Tyler wants to build fences and a chicken coop and a garden shed. And I want to make cans and cans of jam from our fruit. We want to have a family in the same environment that I was raised in -- one that focuses on simplicity, nature and living with all of the wonders that God gave us.

(Yesterday, we spent about 3 hours at Barnes and Noble. And almost every book that Tyler pulled had the word "farmer" in it somewhere. He's the cutest.)

We also think that one day we might want to have weddings and events on our already beloved farm. And Blackberry Farm has been our prime inspiration, as of late. They are a hotel, an event venue and an artisanal food company, to name a few. Not to mention, their land is gor.geous.

We're still a few years away from making this dream a reality. But that's not keeping us from planning.

inspiration.

2011-03-23T08:14:00.000-07:00

(some of my recent pins)

One of my favorite Journalism professors once told me, "You can either live life or write about it." And sometimes, that's how blogging makes me feel -- that I'm writing about life, instead of living it.

Don't get me wrong, though. I love blogging and the community that we've built here, but I'm just lacking inspiration lately. And I'll admit I've felt guilty as my posting has declined.

So I wanted to say, don't worry about me. I'm still here -- I'm just living life. I don't plan on neglecting this blog, but posts may be a little more sparse until I get past this busy hump. I'm so excited that spring has arrived and I have lots of exciting ideas & recipes coming in the next few months.

And as I was looking for more inspiration, I have re-discovered my love for Pinterest. And when I find time to sit on the computer, it's completely consuming. Follow my pins here. Or if you don't have a Pinterest, email me and I will invite you (I only have a few left!)

taking it easy.

2011-03-17T05:00:00.000-07:00

[the view on an interstate in Birmingham]

So far during this spring break, I've done a whole lot of nothing. And I do mean nothing.

I had intentions of getting ahead on homework. And a St. Patrick's Day themed meal for today's post. And lots of other productive things.

But here I am. Doing nothing.

On Monday night, I had dinner with some of my best friends from high school. So much has changed in the past five years -- three are married, one of those with two kids. And one is leaving this weekend to join the Peace Corp -- and she'll be gone for 2 years! They all hold such a dear place in my heart. And I'm thankful for catching up over wine and sushi.

On Tuesday, I had an outpatient procedure done to try and find out what's going on with my stomach. I don't remember a single thing but I've been told by Tyler that I had a mad case of the hiccups. I still feel in the dark because they didn't find much -- but I'm thankful for no bad news.

And in order to take full advantage of my remaining break, I'm going to keep doing nothing. The extent of my plans is trying to set a record for most naps in a single day. See you next week.

Ps. Happy St. Patrick's Day!

hiking.

2011-03-14T08:12:00.001-07:00

On Saturday, Tyler and I set off for our first hiking and camping trip. I was nervous at first -- let's just say I'm not too fun to be around when I'm cold, wet and hungry. But it turned out to be one of the best trips we've been on.

Tyler handled all of the planning -- from where we were going to what I should pack. He did such an amazing job and picked a beautiful spot about an hour away from our hometown. He led the way the entire time and if it wasn't for his encouragement and sense of direction, I would be playing dead somewhere in the wilderness right now.

The weather turned out to be perfect, despite all of the rain and floods of last week.
There was 3 different trails -- complete with an eerie cemetery, gorgeous waterfalls and huge, moss-covered rocks. We hiked straight up a mountain (NOT a hill, this was a mountain) and took the time to marvel at nature. We listened to the animals and rose with the sun. We cooked breakfast over the fire and waded through a colder-than-ice river TWICE.

We left feeling thankful and accomplished -- a perfect trip.

spring break.

2011-03-11T06:21:00.000-08:00

signs from around Tuscaloosa.

A few months ago, when the days were nothing but gray and my last semester seemed like Mount Everest, I told Tyler... If I can just make it to spring break, I'll be okay.

Because after spring break -- the sun will be out, the days will be longer and I'll only have 5 weeks until graduation. It seemed like such a feat.

Well. I made it. When I get off of work today at 1, my spring break officially begins. And it's already a busy one. But no matter, I'm going to relax. Forget about school and work and Tuscaloosa -- and just soak it all in.

We're heading home to Corner today. Then bright and early tomorrow morning, Tyler and I are off on a camping expedition.

He is so excited about it. Poor thing almost cried when we thought the rain might change our plans.

Some other things I'm excited for this spring break --

+daylight savings time. it's been a long time comin'.

+entire days spent on the couch with a book

+looking for a new apartment

+actually having time to cook

+dinner with old friends

Hope your weekend feels like spring!

ash wednesday.

2011-03-08T12:30:00.000-08:00

[last summer's dessert of choice : honey roasted peaches. look for adaptions of this recipe coming soon!]

When I think about Lent, I think about pepperoni pizza. The greasy kind of pepperoni pizza that came in a square shape and was served every single day for school lunch.

It has no special Lenten significance except that I grew up with a Catholic best friend who loved square, lunch-lady-made pepperoni pizza.

Each year when March came around, she would start picking the pepperonis off of her pizza on Fridays. And each year, she would have to explain to us why.

Jesus was in the desert. So she couldn't eat meat on Fridays and she had to give something up until Easter.

(I'm sure she said it a bit more elegantly, but that was about all I got out of it).

And since that wasn't really anything we wanted to be a part of, we forgot all about Lent until the next year.

But over the past few years, I've come to actually understand Lent and its significance. I know now that it's not only for Catholics. And it's not only about giving something up, then groaning about it for 40 days.

It's about sacrifice and discipline.

So this year when I was trying to decide what I should to give up for Lent, I went for the easy things. Time on the computer? Wine? Cupcakes?

But I knew it had to be something bigger than that. It had to be something I didn't really want to give up. It had to be real sacrifice.

Sure, I drink wine and eat way too many cupcakes. But those are things I know I can be without.

But what about sugar? Sugar is everywhere, in everything. Sugar is the key to almost everything in my recipe index. It's what I crave. Which is exactly how I knew it was what I should give up.

So, today is Ash Wednesday. And among the many other, much more important things that today is, it's also the day that I'm giving up sugar for 40 days. Only raw honey and fruits from now until Easter. That means no s'mores on my camping trip this weekend. No cake at the two weddings I'll be attending between now and then. None.

But I'm not going to groan. I'm going to stay focused. I'm going to soak up every piece of scripture and knowledge about self-discipline. And I'm going to pray that God keeps that cake table far, far away from me.

Are you giving up anything for Lent?

this month.

2011-03-07T11:09:00.001-08:00

(photo via)
Yet again, I'm a little late. But here's my bucket list for this month.

01. Celebrate spring's official arrival (FINALLY.)
02. Spend 3 days roughin' it in the woods with Tyler (this weekend!).
03. Make a homemade gift for my lovely grandmother's birthday.
04. Give up sugar for Lent. (More on this coming Wednesday! And Annie is too!)
05. Bask in my last spring break as a measly little undergraduate :)
06. Go on another picnic.
07. Quit being lazy with my painting my nails. (Read : Actually paint them now that they're seeing the sunlight)
08. Make after dinner walks a routine again.
09. Order everything I need for graduation.
10. Finish all of the books I'm currently in the middle of.

And a not so fun thing,
11. Get an Upper GI endoscopy for my tummy troubles. (Has anyone had one of these? How should I feel about it?)

I know this list isn't as ambitious as some of my other monthly to-do's, but now that the stress of graduate school is over I just want to relax and enjoy what's left of the semester.
Annd, I know I got a few questions about what getting into graduate school actually means for me. SO -- It means that this June (about 3 weeks after I graduate), I'll start working towards my Masters in Speech-Language Pathology at UA. And in December 2012, I'll graduate. Huzzah.

a good day.

2011-03-02T06:39:00.000-08:00

white daisies, excited phone calls, my mom driving to town, mexican dinner, cocktails and cupcakes

all in celebration of my acceptance to graduate school :)

black, white + being grateful.

2011-02-26T11:07:00.000-08:00

You might have realized by now that I'm a fidget. Sometimes I like to make it sound better -- like "I'm just a planner" or "I just have really big dreams". And those are all true. But it doesn't change the fact that I'm just a fidget. I'm the first to admit that I get restless. I look so hard at what everyone else has; and it blinds me. Everyone else is graduated*. Everyone else has jobs they love. Everyone else is married and lives in a cute little house with a garden and a white kitchen.

Nevermind the fact that all of that isn't exactly true. This is nothing but a slippery slope into ungratefulness. And I don't know about you, but ungrateful is not something I want to be. Yes, I want all of those things one day. But for right now, I'm more than grateful for everything that I already have**.
I talk about this a lot because it's something that I struggle with -- the whole being content with where you are thing. And from your comments and e-mails, I know a lot of you do too. So I wanted to share something that have been doing lately.

I take time everyday to make a short list of things I'm thankful for. I don't do it at any particular time of day, just whenever I think about it. But so far it has helped me keep my eyes open to everything around me. I know it sounds a little obvious and maybe even a little cheesy or unnecessary, but I've always believed that writing things down makes them more real. (I got this idea from the book I'm reading, One Thousand Gifts)

I have learned, in whatever state I am in, therewith to be content. Philippians 4:11

What I love most about this verse is when he says "I have learned".. as in, he didn't always know. He had to learn it...and that's exactly what we're all doing.

*I cross my heart that someday (very soon) I'll have something to say other than how ready I am graduate. But I'm. So. Ready. I could fall over just thinking about it.

**When I think of things I'm grateful for, Tyler is always the first thing in my mind. So I thought now would be a good time for a few pictures of us that were just hanging out on my desktop.

life, lately.

2011-02-25T07:18:00.000-08:00

big breakfasts with my boyfriend

rainy nights

lots of invitations

dreaming of spring

learning to be patient

big chairs at the bookstore

taking days off

new nail polish

making bread

warm week

frozen yogurt

blooms on the quad

remembering to give thanks

happy weekend to everyone!

spinach, mushroom + goat cheese tart.

2011-02-22T16:44:00.000-08:00

Last weekend, Tyler and I went home to Corner for his brother and future-sister-in-law's wedding shower. It was so nice to get out of Tuscaloosa for a few days, but now I just feel so behind in my classes. Not to mention, it's so easy for me to get overwhelmed with school these days.

And it's not helping things that I found out today from one of my professors that grad school* decisions were made last Friday. But we still have an entire month before we get our letters. Eeep. I would just like to know now, please and thank you.

*I know I've never really said it before and I've had a few questions, so I thought I would share what I'm going to grad school for. Right now, my major is Communicative Disorders and my minor is Journalism. My career (Speech-Language Pathology) requires a Masters degree to practice. As in, I have no choice but to go to grad school if I want to work as a speech therapist. I love my major -- but my future/career is still a little up in the air at the point. I would love to work as a journalist... so if I happen to not get in to grad school, it's not the end of the world. Or at least I'll keep telling myself that.

I needed to take a break from running errands and homework today, so I decided to try something new in the kitchen. I've never used phyllo dough before -- heck, I've never made a savory tart before.

So I decided to make one that used all of my favorite things -- spinach, mushrooms and goat cheese. It's a keeper.

spinach, mushroom + goat cheese tart

adapted from whole living

serves 8

1 pound sliced mushrooms (combination of button and shiitake)

extra virgin olive oil

1 large yellow onion, chopped

about 4 cups washed and stemmed spinach leaves

10 sheets phyllo dough

6 ounces goat cheese

3 eggs

1/3 cup milk

3 tablespoons fresh herbs (like cilantro)

Heat the oven to 425.

Toss mushrooms with 2 tablespoons olive oil plus salt and pepper. Roast in the oven about 10 minutes.

Add chopped onions and put back in oven for 10 more minutes.

Push mushroom and onions to one side, add spinach and put back in oven until leaves wilt (for about 3 minutes). Don't leave it in too long! The spinach wilts fast.

Meanwhile -- spread ten sheets phyllo dough into a tart pan. Here's what I did since I don't have a tart pan : I spread phyllo dough over a cookie sheet with raised edges. I let the sheets hang off of the side. Once I had all of the sheets down, I fold up the edges. Also, brush a tiny amount of olive oil between each sheet. And be sure not to brush to hard...the phyllo dough rips easily.

After you remove the pan with mushrooms, onions and spinach -- lower the temperature to 375.

Using a mixer or blender, combine the eggs, milk and goat cheese. Mix until it has the consistency of custard. Add herbs plus a little of salt and pepper (nothing measured.. just to taste).

Pour the vegetable mixture into the tart dough and cover with the custard.

Bake about 20-25 minutes, until custard has set. If the dough starts to get too brown, cover with foil.

spring in february.

2011-02-18T15:23:00.000-08:00

Tyler and I took full advantage of the springtime-esque weather today. We felt so collegiate as we picnic-ed on the quad among all of the frisbee throwers and hacky-sackers. Now I'm even more excited for warmer days and more spring picnics.

This weekend we're heading home for a wedding shower and time with family. Have a lovely weekend!

Ps. Isn't the blog community funny? We all live so far away from each other -- but somehow, we're always on the same page. I've been thinking so much lately about my personal style, purging my closet and buying better pieces. Then, Annie and Natalie post about the same thing. I love it.

I'm ready to do a little spring cleaning in my wardrobe, then slowly add pieces back in. I'm already using the Matchbook Mag list.. but I'm wondering where do you look for inspiration? What are your favorite style blogs?

thankful + an old recipe.

2011-02-16T02:00:00.000-08:00

Graduate school applications are officially complete. School is on a bit of a downslope after a week of tests and papers. Valentines Day was wonderful and full of mushy love stuff. And we've been having spring temperatures here all week, complete with short sleeves and walks after dinner.

It's weeks like this that make me feel so content. I start to forget about all of my gray days.

This year, I've had an exceptionally bad case of cabin fever. Actually, I've been nothing short of a fidget. I haven't been able to shake this feeling of needing to keep my hands and my mind busy. Tyler has listened to me go on and on about my need to "do something" for months now as I've been feeling like I just needed something new, something different.

But I'm starting to think -- does that constantly looking for something else, mean that I'm taking what I have for granted? I surely hope not, because what I have is pretty amazing. Even though this winter was a long one, it was filled with family and food and warm socks. And even though my stint in college has been a long one, I wouldn't trade it.

So, I've decided I'm on a mission not to take anything for granted.

Now, I know we're not out of the clear yet. Temperatures will go back down. It's inevitable that I'll have more tests. I'll have more papers due. And I'm sure as graduate-school-decision-time gets closer, I'll have more stress. But I'm thankful for the reminder that brighter days are on their way. And I'm perfectly content with where I'm at.

This recipe has a warm place in my heart. I put so much interest into what we eat for each and every meal -- always trying to find something new and different. But sometimes I forget about the ol' faithful recipes that work every time.

And just because it's an oldie, doesn't mean it's not a goodie. Tyler has claimed this chicken as one of his all-time favorites.

chicken with beer reduction

serves 4, but could be easily halved

via big girls, small kitchen

4 chicken breasts*

1 large yellow onion, diced

1 cup chopped mushrooms

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce

2 tablespoons raw honey

1 bottle dark beer (we used Guiness)

In a large skillet on medium heat, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Brown the chicken on both sides; remove and set aside.

Add onion into skillet and cook about 5 minutes.

Add mushrooms; cook 4-5 more minutes.

Add garlic and soy sauce; let simmer for about 2-3 minutes.

Add honey and beer. Be sure to combine all ingredients and let simmer, uncovered, about a minute.

Put the chicken back in the skillet. After the liquids have reduced a little and chicken is cooked, serve over cooked brown rice and plenty of sauce.

*Before cooking placing the chicken in the skillet the first time, be sure to season well with salt and pepper.

valentines number three.

2011-02-14T02:00:00.000-08:00

This is my valentine.

After we decided to spend our 3rd Valentine's together at home instead of out of town, we kept our plans low-key. We had dinner at our favorite sushi restaurant. Then we watched a movie and drank champagne. That was all. No expensive gifts or plans. Just us enjoying the simple things that make us happy.

I don't have any decadent recipes and I can't say that I planned an elaborate day for the two of us. I'm just spending the day gushing and feeling truly lucky.

Happy Valentines Day, everyone!

happy birthday, brother.

2011-02-11T09:30:00.001-08:00

[me, my dad and my brother circa mid-90s] [birthday cake]

Today is my little brother's birthday. He's not exactly little anymore. He's 19. The big one-nine. The last year of teenage-dom. Watch out world.

My brother is hilarious. He's smarter than most boys I know. He can sing the theme song from every single TV show that was on Disney or Nickelodeon in the 90s. He's ambitious. And he's my lifelong partner in crime.

Not to mention, he's got a pretty deep love for coffee. Deep, I tell you. That boy thinks about coffee morning, noon and night. His tiny dorm room is like a Starbucks and caffeine no longer has any affect on him. He even just started a blog dedicated entirely to coffee.

So I doctored one of my favorite chocolate cakes for his birthday dinner tonight.

I first made Molly's Winning Hearts and Minds Cake for my dad's birthday last year. It was a hit and I've been looking for a reason to make it again. The only change I made was adding a tablespoon of finely ground espresso.

The cake is simple and all about the chocolate. And there's only 1 tablespoon of flour. There's no icing or glaze -- although Molly suggests adding homemade whipped cream before serving.

Molly's Winning Hearts and Minds Cake

via A Homemade Life

serves 6-8

7 ounces good semi-sweet or dark chocolate

7 tablespoons butter

1 1/3 cup sugar

5 large eggs

1 tablespoon flour (I use whole-wheat)

optional : 1 tablespoon finely ground espresso

Preheat oven to 375.

In a medium bowl, melt chocolate and butter together. Heat in the microwave in 30 second intervals -- stirring between every interval -- until chocolate is completely melted.

Add sugar, stir well and let chocolate mixture sit for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, butter an 8 inch cake pan. Line the bottom of pan with parchment paper. Butter the paper and sprinkle with flour.

Add eggs to chocolate mixture one by one, stirring until fully incorporated.

Add flour and combine.

Pour mixture into pan and bake 20-25 minutes.

The cake is going to rise. It's done when the top is cracked and the center of the cake is slightly jiggly.

Let the cake cool for 10 mins in the pan -- this is when the middle should stiffen up.

Transfer the cake to a serving dish by putting a plate on top of the pan and flipping it over. Now the cake is upside down on a plate. Remove the parchment paper from the bottom and put the serving dish on top to flip again. Flip the cake back out and onto the serving dish.

Ps. If you're thinking you've seen this cake picture before, you have. Don't judge me for using an old picture. And by old, I mean this summer old. It's been a rough week and while I did actually make a cake for my brother today -- it's the most un-photogenic cake I've ever seen. But hey, at least it's the weekend.

I hope you all have a lovely Valentines weekend filled with heart-shaped decorations and champagne! Come back on Monday for a Valentines post all about Tyler :)

his + her smoothies.

2011-02-07T02:00:00.000-08:00

Tyler and I spent a cozy weekend in Tuscaloosa with lots of reading, talking about big plans and standing in line for cupcakes.

But now it's another very busy Monday and the beginning to another very busy week.

Before I run away, I thought I would share our most recent obsession.

Smoothies. Of every kind. From insanely healthy green smoothies with kale (which I need a better recipe for, by the way) to bright, fruity smoothies...we've been trying every one we can get our hands on.

Tyler's current favorite is thick, creamy and chock full of calories and mine is all about the antioxidants.

Tyler's Banana + Peanut Butter Smoothie

via whole living

1 ripe banana

1 cup whole milk

1/4 cup organic peanut butter

2 tablespoons pure honey

1/2 cup ice

(And if you want the full on "Tyler Smoothie", add a scoop of protein and let your girlfriend sneak in a tablespoon of flaxseeds)

Combine all ingredients and blend until ice is crushed.

My Antioxidant Smoothie

via whole living

2 cups mixed berries

1 cup pomegranate juice

1/2 cup water

Combine all ingredients and blend.

this month.

2011-02-03T08:22:00.000-08:00

[credit / 01 / 02 / 03 / 04 / 05 / 06]

Some things I plan to do this short month :

01. Spend a cozy Valentines weekend with Tyler. We decided to forego our usual Valentines Weekend Getaway this year for the sake of saving money for a bigger trip this summer. I'm more than okay with this because he promised me that there will still be champagne and there will still be chocolate covered strawberries. And being together is all that matters, anyway.

02. Learn/practice calligraphy. My brother and my dad can both write in calligraphy and it's gorgeous. (My brother even got a handmade wooden box to hold his calligraphy tools when he was younger. Jealousy.)

03. Sew. I have a lot of projects up my sleeve but I keep procrastinating. I have a nook in my room that is perfect for sewing and keeping fabrics. Now, the first step should probably be to get my sewing machine out of the trunk of my car.

04. Add timeless pieces to my closet. I'm loving this checklist from Matchbook*.

05. Buy and wear more feminine pieces. When I'm shopping, I lean more towards menswear. You would be shocked at the prominence of navy blue in my closet. This spring, I'm thinking more pinks, creams, florals and lace.

06. Find/make a tote bag. Preferably like this one or this one. Perfect size, perfect colors.

And finally 07. Be more proactive for things I want.

Happy February to all!
*Who else is dying for Matchbook? I've read it all the way through 3 times already.

And Ps. Thank you for all of your encouraging comments yesterday! They really helped my grayness.

gray days.

2011-02-01T17:34:00.000-08:00

[one of my most favorite weddings ever -- via once wed]

While most of the country is awaiting more snow, we're just awaiting more rain here in Alabama. Lots of rain and gray skies. But right now, it seems kind of fitting. This winter has been exceptionally gray for me. My winter break was warm and wonderful; January was lovely in its own way. But there's just been a grayness lately.

Maybe it's because I'm not exactly sure where my life is going to go when May comes around and all of a sudden I've graduated.

Maybe it's because I'm always hoping and dreaming and planning -- so much so that the everyday-ness of school and work and sleep starts to seem mundane.

Or maybe it's simply because of the weather. And that lethargic feeling that takes over when you wake up to cars splashing through puddles and rain on the window.

I feel like I'm in my own personal winter. I'm just waiting for the rain to stop, ideas to come forth and plans to start falling into place.

I'll keep telling myself that winter doesn't last forever. That eventually the sun will come out and a new season will start.

What do you do when you feel gray?

Ps. Just before I posted this, a little sun came out in Tuscaloosa. Good sign?

a blue weekend.

2011-01-30T16:39:00.000-08:00

This was one of the only pictures I managed to take this weekend. Tyler was sick all weekend and I could feel it starting to rub off on me. So despite the almost spring time temperatures, we hardly left his apartment and took more than our fair share of naps. I lounged, drank hot chocolate, made mediocre blueberry pancakes and did a little life-planning. All the while, Tyler was overdosing on Emergen-C. Now it's time for another week and it's going to be a busy one. Tests start this week, my internship is in full swing and my doctor's appointment is Friday. Here's to Monday.

A few things that brightened my weekend:

matchbook magazine

J.Crew, everywhere

fern and feather

reading recaps of the Alt Summit

pinterest + tumblr (addicting even when you're not sick)

meyer lemon cake.

2011-01-28T11:31:00.000-08:00

This week has been draining, to say the least. Tyler is in bed all sick and flu-y. My homework just keeps piling on and May is still four months away. But it's Friday, the sun in shining in through my open windows and the Food Network is on -- so I'm not complaining.

I'm going to soak up every minute of the weekend with cakes and crafts. And hope that my motivation renews before Monday.

If you're looking for something to bake this weekend, stop right now. And bake this meyer lemon cake. It has been my life saver all week. Bright and not to sweet. (Read: you can have it for breakfast with zero guilt)

meyer lemon cake

via barefoot contessa

1 1/2 cup unbleached all purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup plain non-fat yogurt

1 cup sugar

2 teaspoons grated lemon zest (usually 2 lemons -- but mine were so big, I only used 1)

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup oil (I used 1/4 cup lemon extra virgin olive oil + 1/4 cup vegetable oil -- but you can do the entire 1/2 cup vegetable if that's all you have)

1/3 cup fresh lemon juice

for the glaze :

2 tablespoons lemon juice

3/4 cup pure honey

Preheat oven to 350. Grease cake pan (or loaf pan) with butter and flour.

Combine flour, baking powder and salt in one bowl. In another bowl, whisk together yogurt, sugar, lemon zest and vanilla.

Combine wet and dry ingredients slowly. Fold in oil until incorporated.

Pour into pan and bake about 45-50 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine honey and lemon juice in a saucepan over low heat until combined and honey has thinned a bit.

Remove cake from the oven and allow to cool about ten minutes. Transfer to serving plate and spoon glaze over top. Be sure to fill in any gap or cracks in the top of the cake.

thoughts + a pretty kitchen.

2011-01-26T11:31:00.000-08:00

This is my perfect kitchen. I've already decided. Via Live Creating Yourself

I've had a lot of people ask me how my Food Lover's Cleanse went.. so I thought I would let the rest of you in on the news too. The good news is that I followed the list of established rules for the entire 2 weeks. No alcohol, no coffee, all that. The first week I followed the meal plans almost perfectly and lost a few pounds of that Holiday Extra-ness on my thighs. The bad news is that during the second week my work offered free lunch everyday. Plus desserts. Every. Day. Cue the decline in self-discipline. So while I ventured a little from the approved foods, I still kept my portions small and lost a few more pounds. The cleanse is over now -- but I still have the link bookmarked on my computer because we still use the "approved foods" as a grocery list. My favorite thing about the cleanse was drinking tea every night, instead of mornings. It became such a calming routine and one that I'm going to keep up. (If you have tea in the mornings, try hot lemon water for a few days. It's surprisingly lovely.)

And while we're on the subject of food (as if we're not always on the subject of food).. let's talk about tummies. And how mine is pretty hard to deal with sometimes. For the past year or so I've had pains and general uncomfortable-ness that I thought was normal. But apparently, it's not. Lately the pain and nausea after eating has become almost debilitating. I have a doctor's appointment in about two weeks when I can hopefully begin to get to the bottom of what is causing my pain. And in the meantime, I'm going to experiment with elimination (going gluten-free or dairy-free for about a week each) to see if anything helps. Have any of you had issues like this? Or are you allergic/sensitive to any foods? I would love to hear from you!

One last thing for today -- a survey! It's just something simple and short. I want to hear from all of you darling readers. Your thoughts, opinions and comments mean so much to me! So if you have just a few seconds, click on the link and submit your answers. Thank you & I hope you're having the best Wednesday yet!