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!

finding friday: the election

I don't know about you, but joselyn turner has my vote for sophmore president! with a campaign like this how could she lose?

seriously, I would "pick" her based off of this. I don't remember where I even happened upon this little jewel. but I've loved it ever since. I wonder what high school she went to, and if she actually won the election. (with ralph wiggum on your campaign team how could you not?!)

nasal irrigation in the nineties

okay, so this was going to be a post about how I am utterly and uncontrollably in love with the 90's. I miss them. terribly. I still feel like 1995 wasn't that long ago. everytime I'm listening to X96, more specifically todd nuke 'em's show, and even more specifically todd nuke 'em's 90's at noon I am thrown back to a time where the world made sense and I was happy. {okay, so that was junior high, high school, and my first years of college. did the world make sense? probably not. was I happy? yes, but was going through the angst of youth as well. those were good times. good times indeed.} I don't know, I guess the music just takes me back to the memories. ah, the nestalgia. I miss you nirvana, pearl jam, weezer, rem, [insert fave 90's rockstar here], et cetera, et cetera.

well, this post was going to be all about that. but now it's not. see, I went to x96's site to check out any info on todd's show, nuke 'em's 90's at noon, and what did I find? THIS -- for nasal irrigarion! {in case you didn't follow the links, it's a Netipot. I had never heard of one either. you use it to clear out your nose of gunk. you know, for overall sinus health.} I am slightly intrigued + slightly disgusted. which I think equals willing to try!

has anyone out there ever used something like this? or even heard of this? is anyone even half as concerned about their general nasal well being as I am? I'm ready to try it, people. I've got gunk in my sinuses and it has got to go!

maybe I could use the netipot while jammin' out to some radiohead? it's a win, win, win! (because we all win)

another list of seven.

01::I have lived in my apartment for over a year now and have not decorated one single bit. nope, no cute pictures of peter and myself up on our precious blank walls. not even the cool prints pete already owned. I like to say it's because this place felt so temporary (as if we were going somewhere else?) but really it's because I've just been lazy about the whole thing. I promise that someday--whether it be in this apartment or a cute home of my own--I will decorate. maybe even get matching furniture.

02::I have a slight obsession with surfing. (I've had it my whole life, even when I was in elemntary school, but it became an actual obsession in it's most recent incarnation with mtv's surf girls) but on the other hand I'm slightly scared of big waves. so for now I'll be riding the little guy waves, dreaming of something more. really, it's just fun to be out in the sand + surf. I really, really love the ocean. and by ocean I more appropriately mean shoreline.

03::I have an exceptional sense of balance. I think it's from all the year's of slacklining. I think it helps with the aforementioned surfing obsession. pete thinks that's why I'm so good (and by good we mean I can at least do it somewhat) at everything I try. in the end it's all about balance in life, isn't it?

04::I have book ADD. seriously, I think I am currently reading at least four books. I pick one up and read it until some other book happens upon me, then I juggle reading them both until something else comes into my life. at some point I do actually finish these books, don't worry. right now I'm trying to get everything I've started read before the next onslaught of books come over christmas. so get ready for a splattering of book club posts coming soon. (I have a few I read in costa rica and one shortly thereafter that I never wrote about.)

05::these days I can somehow wake up ridiculously early to go swimming. now if you've ever lived with me you'll know that I am not a morning person. at all. don't even try talking to me (or looking at me) until I'm ready to interact with the world. but lately it's been easier to wake up. I'm not so grumpy and in my own little world. I am, of my own free will, waking up in the five o'clock hour and braving the cold, dark morning to go swim. it's amazing. I hope I can keep it up. I just want to be that early morning exerciser so badly.

06::I think I might be becoming somewhat of a food snob. I don't like anything that comes from boxes or cans. I want to make everything from scratch. ever since I threw out everything in my cupboard that had high fructose corn syrup or anything with the word hydrogenated, I've been paying closer attention to what I put in my mouth. I'm all about eating healthy, whole foods. at least I'm at a point in my life where I have the time to prepare food, healthy food. (now that I'm not the unemployed housewife diva anymore it's a little harder to fit it all in sometimes) I can't imagine how mother's with small children do it. will I resort to foods that aren't good for me or my family out of convenience and lack of time? it's funny because I have no kids of my own, but I am concerned about methods + tricks to get kids to eat healthy foods. I fear I will have picky eaters. I'm actively looking for ways to avoid this--and I don't have kids!!

07::I don't usually do these meme things. mostly because I hate the name--meme. what does that even mean? if they were going to make up a name, wouldn't they go for something slightly cooler? or that made more sense? I'm doing this one, though, because my dear friend bethany tagged me. now bethany is pretty super rad and has been my friend for more years than just about anyone. so I had to oblige. (and the day I got tagged I had just had a horrible dream about her the night before. she died. I was so devasted inside and literally woke up crying. mary and/or camilla, you died earlier in the dream as well--I was totally devastated over that too. don't worry. maybe my next meme should be all about my crazy, psycho dreams. ) anyway, this one's for you, bethany!

* * *

okay, now is the time I am supposed to tag someone else. but see, that just perpetuates the meme. do I want that on my conscience? I don't know. so I'm going to leave this open ended. any of you bloggy's out there just dying to talk about yourself, go ahead. you can even say I tagged you if you want. you know, to make you feel cooler. or legit. or whatever.

alright then. . . one, two three, GO!

pretty as pie

I was quite happy with how well the apple pie turned out on thursday. it had to live up to some high expectations. (dee, I'm glad it did not disappoint.) and the pie crust dough proved to be quite the stressor at times. {what with all the "everything must be cold--almost frozen cold" and the "don't overwork the dough or you'll ruin it" business. yikes!} but in the end it all came together beautifully. the filling was super easy + yummy, and the crust came out flaky + golden. just perfect. it paired quite well with my new no fail fresh pumpkin pie recipe.

recipes:
apple pie (I cut the sugar to 3/4 cup total and added some cinnamon + vanilla to taste)
butter flaky pie crust (trust this recipe--even when you think you need to add more water to make everything stick together like you think it should, letting it chill overnight does wonders. plus if you brush an egg wash on top before baking, the crust will come out with a golden-glazed look of perfection. I sprinkled a cinnamon/sugar mixture on top right before baking as well)

rock 'n roll thanksgiving

first we rolled

then we rocked

hope everyone had a fantastic holiday weekend. I'll be dreaming of turkeys until next year. (congrats, michael, on the tenth frame turkey miracle)

finding friday: twins

I found this in the parking lot while walking to work one day. it was full of little indentations and holes from being run over by cars on the little rocks. I absolutely love it because this mom + daughter duo is not only dressed exactly the same, but they're pullin' such tough faces as well. I wouldn't want to meet these two alone in the woods! {and, btw, who doesn't love the white visor?}

the fight against paper products

I've had a constant battle over paper plates at my mom's house for years. thankfully peter is by my side in this crusade. I can understand if you want to use paperware for large gatherings (and granted that's what every sunday dinner is) but stocking the cupboards full of paper plates, et cetera and using them for every meal? seems a little wasteful to me.

luckily there might be a solution to the throw-away-wares. yes, you can have your cake and eat it too--on THESE little biodegradable beauties:

branch: sustainable design for living

though let's be honest, why create more waste for every day eating? even if it does biodegrade eventually, I would rather just avoid it all together. {sorry, mom, I'll probably stick to using the real plates. it's just a moral issue for me, ya know?} but for a big gathering where doing the dishes seems like a daunting task as big as mount everest, these just might be the answer.

the turkeys are coming!

I was talking to my friend britney at church today. she was going to be tackling her very first turkey this thursday. I got so excited and told her I made my first turkey last christmas eve (it's a new tradition at this household) and mine came out so moist and delicious. she asked me what I did. I told her the the secret was the brining. {which, btw, I'm excited for this thursday's bird because dee has a new brining recipe I hear. and he is the master briner} what else did I do, she asks. I have no idea. I do not remember what I did to that turkey. I don't even remember what recipes I used. I really wish I had written something down. (and actually, maybe I did. I haven't gone back to look through all my recipes yet) otherwise it will be like starting over from scratch this christmas. which is okay; half the fun is in the finding of the recipes. the other half is eating the delicious results.

seasonal confusion

june | november

this is the lovely plant we (and by we I mean I)got for mother's day this year. it has been sitting on our porch through good times and bad. through the summer heat. through rainny days. through no water at all by neglect from it's parents. it has died and come back to life.

you see last week she started to bloom. I don't know if the little plant knows this, but it's november. sometimes it might feel like it's spring outside, but yesterday when I took that photo it was 33 degrees. maybe I just have the heartiest plant alive. and it will survive the winter.

the leaves are sporting a nice fallesque foliage, though. I quite like my tough little guy.

portrait of a father

I thought this was too sweet not to share. here is an example of how fun, engaging, enriching, beautiful and sweet life can be without the interference and noise of television and video games. it is taken from colin bevan's no impact man site.

(you see, for the past year colin has been trying a no impact experiment. which means he makes as little impact on the environment as he can and offsets the impact he just can't avoid with positive environmental action and advocacy. basically what I'm trying to say is that he doesn't use electricity, he doesn't drive or even use mass transit. he buys all his food local, fresh and in season. he has eliminated consumer waste and packaging from his life. it is truly an experiment in extreme minimalism and I think he is happier and healthier for it.)


Entertaining Isabella without tv
A reader named Chrissy wrote to me and asked how we entertain Isabella without TV or video games:

We build towers from a set of wooden blocks and laugh our heads off when the towers fall down.

Towards bedtime, we sit on the couch and listen to classical music on the crank-up radio and try to hum along. Isabella sucks her left thumb, and if she is feeling generous, she holds up her right thumb for me or Michelle to suck.

We sit on the steps to the neighboring building and talk to people walking by. Isabella chooses the particular step and says, “Sit here, Daddie.”

We walk around, going nowhere in particular, and Isabella shows me how she can run, moving a lot, in her toddler body, like the tin man before Dorothy gave him oil.

We dance and we dance and we dance.

We take turns giving Mommy kiss attacks.

I stick my finger under Isabella’s arm and leave it there till she says “wiggle it.” I do and we squeal with laughter.

We talk about all the things we can see and say hi to them all: “Hi cars, hi buildings, hi sky, hi trees, hi dog, hi lady…”

We ride over to the Hudson River Park where Isabella always walks to the rails and says, “Hello river, how are you?”

We play in the fountain in Washington Square Park, where Michelle worries that the water is too dirty but can’t help cracking up at Isabella’s joy.

We go to the new swimming pool for kids and their parents on Thompson Street in SoHo, where an 11-year-old boy keeps trying to get Isabella to give him a high-five but she just smiles because she is too shy.

We eat lots of grilled cheese sandwiches cut in long strips and I fruitlessly attempt to get Isabella not just to bite off the cheese and give the bread to Frankie the dog.

We make bread together, which means I make the bread, and Isabella stands on a chair and takes everything out of the kitchen drawers and drops it on the floor.

We cook together, which means I cook, and Isabella stands on a chair and takes everything out of the kitchen drawers and drops it on the floor.

We stomp the laundry in the bathtub together. “I’m splashing with my feet,” Isabella says.

We wash the dishes together. “You need my help, Daddy?”

We roughhouse on the bed together.

We ride aimlessly around on the No Impact Mobile (our tricycle with a back seat for Isabella), seeing what we can see and singing This Old Man if it’s sunny and The Old Man is Snoring if it’s raining.

We bang things really loud.

If Michelle isn’t there, we tell her things all the same and wonder if she can hear us in her mind.

We practice seeing who can scream the loudest.

We play hide and seek

We examine Isabella’s body for booboos and kiss them all.

We practice jumping really, really high.

“We go weee, weee, weee,” which is Isabella’s way of saying we go to the swings.

We go for a bike ride over the Brooklyn Bridge, and stop in the middle to look at the other bridges, which Isabella adores.

We go somewhere with Isabella’s best friend Hannah. When they greet each other, they hug each other really hard, lose their balance, fall over, and start crying. We then cheer them up by putting them side by side on the No Impact Mobile and ringing the bell a lot.

We put Isabella’s hair in pony tails and then she goes and shows them to “my sister Frankie”—the dog.

We play fetch with Frankie and Isabella laughs her head off.

We read books.

We call the grandparents—Nanna or Grannie or Poppie or Jojo or Poppa—on the phone and Isabella gets so excited that she talks too fast to get the words out.

And at bedtime, we sing “Somewhere over the Rainbow” and a James Taylor song that starts “Well the sun is surely sinking down…”

finding friday: dear colleen

first, a brief backstory. a few years ago I was watching late night television instead of studying for finals. I think it was david letterman. he had this guest on who collected found things, and other people's found things, and compiled them into a magazine, and later a coffee table book. I was so intrigued. to think of taking that sneak peak into someone else's life. something they did not intend, but there you are anyway. wondering the who + where + why + how + what of their every day life. I started looking at the ground more often.

it's amazing what you can find when you just start looking. it especially helps if you're in the habit of walking from place to place. I started finding these cool finds everywhere; notes while walking to work, photos in the parking lot, shopping lists, confessions of love and/or hatred, poems, school grades. I like to try and piece their stories back together. like I know what they're going through and how they're feeling just from this little snippet of paper.

needless to say I have found a lot over the years. with every intention of sending them in to found magazine, they have just sat in my life; collected but not shared. so here I am going to give you a weekly dose of someone else + a little bit of me, because every story has a story.




this was my first find and I was so excited about it. I was walking from the train station to work and found it on the sidewalk. how cute is this? a mother writing a note to her daughter as if she actually is the tooth fairy. some of my favorite lines include: I admire your dancing, colleen--you dance like a fairy. you dance like a fairy. love it. and the way she signs the note: love, tooth fairy. not even love, the tooth fairy. just love, tooth fairy. priceless. and I hope colleen did keep brushing and that 5th grade was good to her. colleen, where are you now and how are your teeth?! tooth fairy wants to know!

graham colton

have you heard of this guy? I hadn't until today. I was driving home from work, flipping through the radio stations, and stopped when I got to this interview with this guy and mr dj. I was hooked. he seemed so down to earth. so humble for the 'biz. just like a normal guy. like maybe in another life we could have been friends.

I knew I was in love when he so casually mentioned how he got his start. playing in the mexican restaraunt on the weekends. mostly covers but a few of his own. somehow some of his original work got on the internet. mr adam duritz heard his stuff and called him up. adam duritz. mr counting crows himself. wow. I cannot imagine. (I mean if mr duritz loves this guy, I love this guy.)

he's toured around the country playing gigs with a bunch of different bands. dave matthews. counting crows. awesome band. more awesome band. (okay, so I really don't remember. do you expect me to know his whole biography!)

he said his favorite singer is tom petty. (and the first cd he put in his car when he was sixteen years old was august and everything after.) see, we could've been friends.

and you should hear him sing. (he was even better live)

it's amazing.

amen.

post script: if someone wanted to buy me his cd for christmas, I wouldn't be opposed. just so you know.

butternut squash soup

I've been wanting to make butternut squash soup for the past couple of weeks. I tried last week, but pete went to the store and came home with the wrong kind of squash. this week we got it right. it is such a fantastic soup. it has such a deep, creamy color + taste. perfect for an autumn evening.


the soup:
1 butternut sqaush
2 tablespoons butter
1 onion, chopped
1 potato, cubed
2 carrots, chopped
vegetable stock
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste
cayenne pepper, to taste

cut the squash in half length wise, bake at 400 for about 30-40 minutes. once cooled to touch, remove the flesh from the skin and cube.

melt the butter in a pot, add the onion, potato, carrot. cook for about five minutes. add some stock until the veggies are covered. add the butternut squash. bring to a boil and then turn the heat down to low and cook for about 40 minutes.

put the veggie mixture in a blender (don't use a hand-mixer. it's a disaster. trust me.) and puree. pour it back in the pot and place on the stove over low heat. add more vegetable stock until the desired consistency.

season to taste with the salt, pepper and cayenne.

serve and enjoy!

image via this week for dinner

mark your calendar

this coming thursday let's take the pledge and try to do more for our environment, our community and our children.

learn what you can and cannot recycle in your area, (for utah residents, click HERE. click HERE to find resources in other states.) and make the resolve to do better. many cities have curb-side recycling programs that make recycling even easier. if not, find the nearest recycling drop off. if we all make an effort, no matter how large or small, there will be positive impacts. (and if you're name is oma, pete and I are still more than willing to come pick up your recyclables.)


keeping it in perspective. though I am a huge supporter of recycling programs, I do believe that recycling is a last ditch effort of sorts. as the old adage goes, reduce, reuse, then recycle. as a society, I feel that we need to first focus on limiting our consumption, and then find ways to reuse the products we already have. it is this out with old in with the new, one time use mentality that is finally catching up with us. simplify. learn to live with less. trust me, you'll be happier for it.

for more info: the national recycling coalition

america recyles day

save the seeds!

I'm always on the lookout for new and interesting pumpkin seed recipes. I mean, who doesn't love to eat toasted pumpkin seeds? what a fun + tasty snack. I've tried this cinnamon/salt variety a couple times now (the first attempt was a complete and total failure. burnt seeds are not so tasty as it turns out. the second attempt went much better, though pete still didn't love them. I thought they were tolerable and they actually kind of grew on me a little.), but today I found this lovely little recipe from my whole foods mentor, heidi swanson. they turned out especially tasty, and pete loves them. and so will you.


Sweet & Spicy Pumpkin Seeds

1 egg white
1/4 cup natural cane sugar
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
scant 1/2 teaspoon fine grained sea salt
1 cup fresh pumpkin seeds

Preheat oven to 375. In a medium-sized bowl whisk together the egg white, sugar, cayenne and salt. Add the pumpkin seeds and toss well. Drain off any excess egg white (using a strainer) and place seeds in a single layer across a baking sheet. Bake for about 12 minutes or until seeds are golden. Sprinkle with a bit more sugar and cayenne pepper when they come out of the oven. Taste and season with more salt if needed.

Makes one cup.

the beauty of discovery

club u campers exploring their world at the great salt lake
Fall Break Science Camp 2007

teaching children about the natural world should be treated as one of the most important events in their lives. --thomas berry

think of the children

I don't care who's side you're on, it made me sick to hear that upwards of seven million dollars has been put into the campaigning for ($3.8 million) and against ($3.2 million) the voucher referendum.

think if all that money could have just gone to the children instead of supporting the interests of these two groups. . .

first of all, happy halloween.

secondly, have you ever wondered what happened to all these guys? well, they just might be sitting in a trailer out in the desert watching the karate kid over and over again, every day of their lives.

check out THIS music video from the band no more kings. simply fabulous. love the all-star cast. (it is the karate kid, fast forwarded twenty years. even ralph machio makes an appearance.)

sweep the leg, johnny.

simple solutions

what's a girl to do when all she needs is a little bromothymal blue indicator for THIS chemistry experiment, but the university's stock room doesn't sell it anymore? {and let's be honeset, this girl would have no idea where to buy it otherwise} she boils cabbage!

yes, I made me some red cabbage pH indicator tonight for Club U's Fall Break Camp tomorrow. {for the kids' sake, I hope this substitution works. if not, however, it's all in the name of science} the bonus is now I have a ton of red cabbage, which I'm not quite sure what to do with. I need to look me up some german recipes or something. and stat! does red cabbage freeze well? {at least I've got my new veggie for the week out of the way}


**for any interested in doing this for a science fair project--or just a fun project to do with your kids--you can also mash up blueberries (add a little water) and you've got the same deal. cut up strips of paper, dip them into the solution, let them dry, and then you can test the pH of different solutions. {you'd have to look up what the different changes in colors would mean, 'cause I don't know that off the top of my head.} simple + fun!**

SAC strikes again!

there must be something in the air. nate, my coworker, got suckered into a SAC purchase today. and so did I. I swear, do not check the daily deals on Steap and Cheap unless you're ready for a sick addiction. but these skis (the K2 T Nine Phat Luv Alpine Ski to be exact.) were just my size and calling my sweet powder name. may the snow gods be good to us this season. (also, sac gods, if you want to put up some super sweet, super cheap tele boots in my size I would be forever grateful. and broke.)

openness and freedom

photo via flickr

love flowers best in openness and freedom. --edward abbey

treat or trick

photo via flickr

we took the girls reverse trick or treating tonight. it was great seeing all of our spazzy little twelve year olds in costume telling the confused people at the door that it was okay, we were giving them the candy. I think some people might have been a little suspicious of us, and the rest heard us coming and turned off all the lights and hid in their basements.

green girls go in the dark

photo via my cellular telephone

here in continuing ed we're striving to do the little things. because as we all know, it's the little things that can add up to make a huge impact in this world.

we are encouraged to turn off lights when we leave any room (breakroom, bathroom, et cetera). the offices of my coworkers are often dimly lighted. we try to use the least amount of unnatural lighting as possible, as to save energy. and this carries over to the bathroom as well.

it's not unnusual to pee in the dark around here. now sometimes using the bathroom without the lights on is not a problem. different amounts of light stream through the window at various times of the day. for me it's usually an internal debate as to whether it's dark enough to justify turning on the lights. are other people already in here peeing in the dark? will I be able to see well enough? sometimes you will be in there doing your business and someone else will come in and turn on the lights. there's always that moment of relief that you can actually see.

though let's be honest, the darkness is not really that bad. your eyes adjust. you can see. maybe we should all pee in the dark. (in the name of the environment.) {though I'm not sure I advise this for boys who have a hard time aiming}

the real deal

since we all know you can't make a pumpkin pie (or anything pumpkiny delicioius) out of a regular pumpkin of the jack-o-lantern variety, I went out and bought a couple sugar pumpkins. {okay, the sign at the grocery store said they were pie pumpkins. since I was making pie, I figured this would be good enough, and that they were probably the same thing as a sugar pumpkin anyway, just under another guise.} yesterday I ventured into making the pie. the real, whole-foods pumpkin pie. for a girl who doesn't love pie {though let's be honest, I don't quite hate pie either} I do find myself making quite a lot of them. now I can add pumpkin to the repertoire.

it turned out quite delisious, in case you were wondering. it even held up to a side by side comparison of a marie callender's pumpkin pie.

fresh pumpkin pie recipe via allrecipes.com

Fresh Pumpkin Pie

1 medium sugar pumpkin
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 recipe pastry for a 9 inch single crust pie
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup honey, warmed slightly
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

1. cut pumpkin in half and remove seeds. lightly oil the cut side and place cut side down on a baking sheet. bake at 325 for about an hour, or until flesh is tender. cool until warkably warm. scrape the pumpkin flesh from the peel and either mash or puree in a blender.

2. in a large bowl blend together two cups pumpkin puree, spices and salt. beat in vanilla, eggs, honey, milk and cream. pour filling into pie shell.

3. bake at 400 for 50 - 55 minutes, or until a knife inserted one inch from the crust comes out clean.

No Roll Pie Crust via allrecipes.com

1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon white sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup canola oil
2 tablespoons milk

1. in a 9 inch pie plate sift flour, sugar and salt. make a well in the center and add the oil and milk. mix with a fork, then press into the bottom and sides of the pie plate.

2. bake at 425 for about 8 to 10 minutes. **for this pumpkin pie recipe, though, I didn't pre-bake the crust and it turned out fantastic**


whipped cream

1/2 pint whipping cream (the little box)
1/4 cup white sugar

1. mix the whipping cream and sugar.

2. blend the heck out of it until desired consistency.

fyi.

does your little one need some
new kicks to wear to that rock concert?

baby tidbitz has the answer.

bon bon | rockerz
lilly's pad | pollywog

my friend lisa buchanan just opened shop. check her out for all your baby shoe needs. each pair is handcrafted and stitched with love. she'll even gift wrap and send them to that baby shower you just can't make. brilliant.

they're all so cute, I don't know how anybody could choose just one. I'm in love with the letti bo bettys. and who can't resist a little baby bling?

my newest veggie

it's true, I have never cooked a spaghetti squash. so let me present to you, in honor of my resolution, tonight's dinner: the spaghetti squash.

baked squash with parmesan recipe via vegetarian

costa rica love

pura vida

add one hour, subtract three, add two more and magically end up right where you started and you'll find yourself in costa rica without even having to change your watch. after many hours of travel and one fabulous five hour layover in fort lauderdale {thank you, ty, for the tour of your favorite local beach. thank you, sara, for the fabulous waffles + fresh fruit toppings. the rest was sorely needed.} we finally found ourselves in san jose. it was then, the next day, that our journey to the jungle began.

la fortuna, costa rica

this fabulous little place is home to a volcano. an active volcano. volcan arenal. we had the pleasure of touring this little beauty under the cover of darkness, where the real excitement can be seen. with a drive around to the other side of the mountain at dusk, and a hike through the jungle in the dark {and yes, the jungle comes alive at night} we came upon a clearing perfect for the event.

we sat and watched in the darkness for hours while victor, our tour guide, told us about local history and ecology. when the mountain threw out her unwanted rocks, we watched as they tumbled down, all aglow. you could actually hear them as they tumbled. it was a once in a lifetime experience.

supposedly the locals didn't even know this was a volcano until 1968 when it exploded after hundreds of years of dormancy. a whole village of eighty people were killed. I guess some of the hunters had had their suspiscions of this perfectly cylinder mountain because the river coming down from it was flowing with warm water and there was either smoke coming out of it sometimes or ground tremers, I can't remember. either way, it is truly an amazing sight to see today. it is in the top ten of the world's most active volcanoes.


our tour also included a dip in some local hot pools. not developed hot pools like at some of the resorts, but the real deal--the river dammed up in spots to create little pools of water. though it looked a little sketchy at first, this local hot spot was more fun than I could have ever imagined. there was even a slide! (okay, so you're lying on your back or stomach, sliding along the concrete this part was man-made, obviously, because it is the base to some sort of overpass thing while being pushed by the current of the river.) and in the lower pool there was a cave under the waterfall! fun + adventurous, just the way I like things.


another highlight: the zip-line tour of the jungle's canopy, with the bonus of a horse ride in and out. I never knew that peter was so into horses. he's a regular cowboy. maybe someone really will be getting a pony for his birthday one of these years!




we were climbing high up into the trees, sometimes hundreds of feet off the ground, and zipping through the jungle. there were nine lines of varying lengths that you would clip in and out of. you had to use your hand as a break. as you climbed up the steps and the ladders to the next zip-line platform, it was as if they were alive too. anything left still in the jungle for too long is overtaken with growth. it is one massive green, growing entity.


another local favorite: el salto, meaning the jump. and what a jump it was! have your choice of the rope swing or leaping from large overhanging rocks into the brilliantly blue water below. (this fun little spot is very reminiscent of havasupai. if you've ever been to that tropical paradise in the desert, you'll know exactly what I'm talking about) this was scotty's favorite part about costa rica on his last trip, and it certainly lived up to the hype. who doesn't love playing in a river in the middle of the jungle?

tamarindo, costa rica

we followed my dream to the pacific ocean. surfing in the warm, tropical waters with the beautiful jungle backdrop was more than I could have ever hoped for.

we spent two days playing in these waters. surfing, swimming, boogie boarding. fun + sun in the sand and sea.

a hard day at the beach, peter and his surfing injury.

costa rica really is the rich coast. it is an amazing place full of life. the pure life, pura vida.

the people are surprisingly friendly. the food delicious as long as you avoid fresh fruits and veggies that are uncooked or unpeeled. oh, and only bottled water. the country is teeming with animal life, especially in the jungle. we saw an iguana, a poisonous snake in the attack position, frogs, big spiders, termites, beetles, various plants {some that even glowed!}, leaf cutter ants, a gecko, this animal that we don't know the english equivelent for, and we heard howler monkeys. even though it was the rainy season it never stopped us from doing what we wanted.

after a long journey--nearly eight hours by bus from tamarindo to the san jose area, a 2.5 hour flight from san jose to fort lauderdale, a two hour layover, a nearly five hour flight from fort lauderdale to las vegas, a two hour drive from las vegas to st george {thank you maria and dirk for letting us crash at your house at 1:30 in the AM}, and finally a five hour drive home to salt lake city, utah--we are back into the regular routine. pura vida.

* * *
hearts tournament results
peter 118 | anna 86 | athena 92 |scotty 116

sneak preview

after twenty-four hours of travel {by bus, plane, and automobile} we are home. the laundry is done and things are put away {well, somewhat}. it is good to be back. there is so much to say about the trip. three things to look forward to:

01. exciting adventures in the jungle
02. riding the wild surf
03. the people + culture (we seemingly got caught in the middle of a family dispute, which subsequently caused a physical fight. the police even came.)

tomorrow I'm sure I will post beautiful words + pictures about the whole adventure (and what an adventure it was!) but right now I'm too tired. you bloggy's said way too much over the past week. it's hard to catch up. so I'm going to stop trying and just put the lil' mac down. it was nice being untethered for a while.

post script:
right now pete and I are watching a completely rad band on austin city limits: explosions in the sky. check 'em out.

on holiday

life is either a daring adventure, or nothing.
--helen keller