10 things--i love weekends!

1.  a weekend with no plans is the best kind
2. friday night burger, fries, and onion rings --because my roommate loves me -- for dinner.  tradition is good.
3. pooches in the back -- bridger is not a fan of riding outside -- poor boy was not as excited as lulu --

4. running to watch the sunset at my favorite spot in town --

5. went to vespers to hear the a cappella group Rescue
6.slept in -- or at least jon did -- had lunch with the parents -- walked lulu downtown and met some new friends -- she (lulu) did... she meets new friends all the time --this time she met ali walker -- a local photographer who was taking pictures of feast walla walla -- and also some of lulu... i don't know if she was able to get a good shot as all miss lulu was interested in doing was trying talking to her...to see if she could get a pet or two...  -- i didn't get any pictures on our walk -- but ali, who takes beautiful photos, put some up on her blog - check it out! (and if you do... we sat right in front of that sign for walla walla wine works and listened to the great live music that was playing while drinking our favorite san pellegrino limonata)

7. watched cute comedy with husband -- who is home for a bit! -- management

8. laundry, cleaning, menu planning, grocery shopping, exercising, eating 

9. lots of cooking today -- because on saturday -- while jon was sleeping in -- i was able to read and browse through my books...

loving the kind diet -- even more than i did a few months ago -- read through it again saturday...i just love the way alicia writes- she makes me laugh, plus, all the recipes i have tried have been delicious so far.  this afternoon i made "moms granola" -- i am on a granola kick right now -- oh yum!

you can also catch alicia at her blog: the kind life

my other favorite cookbook of the moment is flying apron's gluten-free and vegan baking book.

today i made the lentil dahl soup to have for lunches this week -- i really loved it -- but i also love curry...  i also tried her house bread -- i think i am going to have to try it again, as it was overbaked, though still edible, just a little crusty -- i think i formed it too long and narrow...  we'll see...  sometime, soon hopefully, when i am seattle -- i will stop by and visit the flying apron and try the goodies for "real"

10.  catching up on blogging and project 365 --

so good -- so hard not too eat too many...

the bag is home to stay for a bit...and the husband too!

hope your weekend was lovely too!

enjoying the morning...

weekend mornings bring something special with them...maybe it is a general feeling of peace and calm, laziness, the ability to choose what you want the day to hold -- at least that's how it is at our house.  we love saturday mornings...the day stretches wide in front of us, full of the promise of a good day -- you might say it is cheesy, tradition or that we just choose to make it so every weekend.  saturday breakfast is a big deal around here.  coffee at 7:30 -- just for the roommates though-- i drank yogi echinacea immune support tea this morning -- still working on kicking out my cold -- , listening to our favorite playlist and looking out the window... then finding a great recipe or making an old standby favorite.

this morning we did all of the above and it has been lovely -- it snowed in the mountains last night an i just can't stop looking at how beautiful it is to see the last hurrah of winter and the showy presentation of spring in the same picture...

two new recipes from this morning...

oatmeal raspberry scones -- we substituted blueberries and tried out bob's red mill gluten free all purpose baking flour  instead of regular wheat flour -- just working on adding a little more variety to our diet -- they turned out quite delicious -- the nutmeg was very flavorful -- wondering how much of a change the blueberries vs. raspberries makes...

in addition to the scones we had quick date-apple-cinnamon oatmeal from the kind diet cookbook -- your basic bowl of oatmeal with some add-ins -- dates, apples, walnuts, cinnamon, maple syrup, steel cut oats (not in the original recipe, just a favorite of ours right now) -- just a sprinkle of each --  very tasty, healthy, and filling -- oh, and quick -- super great idea for during the week -- just put it all in a boil, pour the hot/boiling water on top and add a lid -- on the go or eat it up at home ---

did i mention that lulu likes to cook/beg too?  -- we had an apple catching contest at the end of the meal -- she one, barely -- bridger was pretty close to beating her, might have too if we hadn't run out of apples...

happy weekending!

right now--

-watching ice dancing -- yes, i do love it most of the time - especially the davis/white team this year

-taxes - they are such fun that i want to have someone else do them--maybe they want to pay them for me too?

-smelling some sort of divine just desserts three wick by partylite --  you can still enter the giveaway. 

- excited for my sister -- she found her wedding dress today -- really... my little sister is getting married!!!

-sleepy - so tired tonight -- it was a great weekend, but can we have one more day again?

-missing my husband already -- love how he was home for a couple days and then left again -- bright side-- he'll be back again in a few days -- welcome to the life of a beekeeper's wife

i caught up on some pictures from this last week...

jet lagged -- but back in his own bed

thursday night two of my friends and i went to Misbehaven Spa & Salon's Bare Minerals Event. 

it was great fun, and educational, to watch and listen to the Bare Escentuals makeup artist and to have a color match and personal make up session.  personally, i would prefer to not have to wear make up, however, genetics have blessed me with a daily need for concealer and a little mascara doesn't hurt.  i have been using the bare minerals line for the past few months and, after getting used to a new technique, i am completely in love with the products.  my favorite part is that their foundation is all natural and includes sun protection, plus, it feels weightless and takes me less than 5 minutes to put on.

aren't they silly -- sleeping together in bridger's crate

ever since my california trip last weekend, all i want to eat is homemade pizza -- saturday night we made some -- organic olive oil & basil spaghetti sauce, pesto, mushrooms, onions, and mozzarella&ricotta cheeses.  it was amazing -- even burning hot (which it was as we were eating it in the car on our way to go see shutter island and valentine's day)

today kim and i headed out to her aunts house for a day of scrapbooking.  it was lovely and distraction free.  she even fed us her favorite soup recipe and toast with homemade grape jelly...oh and maybe a funfetti cake (her grandson is visiting).  i was able to complete my fall book (finally, minus adding ribbon...), and two of my friends wedding layouts, along with another layout -- happiness.

--now it is past my bedtime, but i was able to watch some great olympic moments, catch up on a few things, and .... lose all my coherent thoughts because i am too tired...whoops.

i might feel bad about posting food pictures two days in a row

however, roasted vegetables are in my top ten favorite meals and it was
what we had for dinner tonight.

RoOt VeGetaBles

dEliCious

here are some, in all their glory---right before they went into the oven

sweet potatoes, yams, and parsnips

pre heat the oven to 425

cut some veggies

drizzle with olive oil

sprinkle with garlic salt or another seasoning of your choice

roast for 10 minutes

flip & rotate if you desire

roast for another 8-10 minutes

i usually put the potatoes & carrots on the bottom oven rack

broccoli, cauliflower, beans, brussel sprouts, etc. on the top rack

if you use regular potatoes - red, yukon, baker 

you need to either par boil them or put them in the oven for 10 or so minutes ahead of time

they take longer to bake -- 

also, they will stick to the pan--make sure they are well coated if you aren't using a non-stick pan

what's in season right now?

Brussel Sprouts

Winter Cabbages

Kale

Leeks

Parsnips

Turnips

Cauliflower

Jerusalem Artichokes

also...

you can still find 

squash

beetroot

apples

pears

broccoli

pumpkins

spinach

2 perks of eating seasonally

adds variety to your diet -- you aren't eating the same foods over and over

taste - there is a reason 
why i don't eat many tomatoes and cucumbers right now..