home sweet home

who does not love this place? especially in winter. especially when it snows.

happy holidays

finding friday: maria

oh my, this is one of my favorite kind of finds: it's like a treasure hunt + puzzle all wrapped up into one. see, I was walking home from the train one day (when I lived on 9th east in the preserve) and there scattered all about the sidewalk and hiding in the bushes were these little pieces of paper. a note! my heart was full of excitement. I hurried and tried to pick up as many pieces as I could grab, hoping I found them all. it looks like I did, because it is a complete note above. the best part about it is I had a roommate named maria at the time. after I went home and taped all the pieces together I accused her of being the author of the note. I think she's secretly still in junior high. (okay, so not really.)

but doesn't this take you all back to middle school? man, I wrote thousands of these notes. I'm sure it was folded up all nice and cutesy at one time too, with the two: and from: displayed on the outside fold.

I especially like her friendship poem. maria and justine must be bff. and the christmas artwork is pretty cute too. and gosh, the news about nico's leg? I hope he's alright!

is it a bird? is it a plane? is it a. . . human flying squirrel?!

check THIS lil' video out. possibly the closest thing to actually flying a human will ever come.

note to self

when you're in a hurry,
running late for work,
and you still need to pack a lunch,
don't even bother.
as you're cutting up your carrot sticks
you'll inevitably cut off your finger.*
and then just forget the whole lunch
on the counter anyway.
(oh, and btw, you'll also forget your cell phone)

I've had a rough day.


*don't get all alarmed and start freaking out that I have no finger. I'm fine. I barely cut myself, much like THIS incident. do not worry your pretty little hearts.

my own treadmill troupe

today on my run I actually had the thought that I would make a great treadmill dancer. I think I would have the knack for something like that. just line 'em up, crank 'em up, and turn it up! I'd be jammin' with the best of them in no time.

an answer to a common question: what to eat with what?

“Food combines with each other when they have major flavour components in common.”

"A list was made of 250 food products each with their major flavour components. By comparing the flavour of each food product eg strawberry with the rest of the food and their flavours, new combinations like strawberry with peas can be made. The way to use is, is just to select a food product like strawberries. You will get a plot where you have strawberry in the middle surrounded by other food products. Take one of those other food products and try to make a new recipe by combining those two. The more flavours food products have in common the shorter the distance between the food products."

"A food product has a specific flavour because of a combination of different flavours. Like basil taste like basil because of the combination of linalool, estragol, …. So if I want to reconstruct the basil flavour without using any basil, you have to search for a combination of other food products where one contains linalool (like coriander), one contains estragol (like tarragon),... So I can reconstruct basil by combining coriander, tarragon, cloves, laurel. The way to use it is to take from each branch of the plot one product and make a combination of those food products."

food is linked by flavor components. food is interchangeable. I am very intrigued by all this information. food pairing in diagram form. it makes me want to go create in the kitchen. get messy. test the theory.

who is in for the challenge?

thanks for the hot tip from lee lou ann
foodpairing: the site | the blog

remembering

our first year of holiday fun:
twinkly lights + burning flames
hand made stockings + home cooked turkey
snowy days + cozy nights
laughter + love + memories

finding friday: love poem + proposal?

Hey my love. I'm under
a spell. oh too sweet
hearing your voice is a treat I'm always
excited for the times when we will meet.
What we have is a special gift
together we were ment to drift
when your near my heart beats swift
I need you so much I crave your
golden touch come on baby lets
go to lunch.
your my one bestest friend good
things to you I'll always send
between us there can be no end.
Tears of joy have droped out from
my eyes no reason for any ties
Take a thought upon my endless tries
I'm so glad your in my life
even though there is so much
strife come with me to be my wife

ahh, yes. the love poem. and what a good love poem it is. I need you so much I crave your/ golden touch come on baby let's/ go to lunch very romantic. even amongst the strife and turmoil of life and their relationship, he still wants her to be his wife. just beautiful.

I urge every man to write his wife/girlfriend/lover a poem such as this. it will surely win her heart and maybe even tears of joy will drope out of from her eyes.

it's finally here

remember my flower in june/november? well, this is my flower in december. yes, december is finally here and guess what we woke up to on its very first morn': snow! a storm blew in over night, much to everyone's surprise. {I hear the weather professionals said there was a slight chance of snow in the morning. . . yeah, it's dumped all day, people!} it has been a white wonderland ever since.

it's starting to really feel like winter around here. yesterday alta opened. today it's been dumping buckets. we have our tree up. and 'tis the season!