The Scribble Pad

The Ward Family in Washington

2009-10-18T08:08:00.000-07:00

This summer the Ward's came to visit. The dad, Cory, was my college lacrosse coach and I immediately bonded with his entire family. I babysat for them throughout my college days, and visited them as soon as their youngest, Abigail was born. The mom, Mel, has become one of my closest friends. During college their house was a wonderful taste of home - they frequently had me over for dinner or just to hang out.

Here are some pictures from their visit:

Mel, Josh, Emily, and Abigail

Emily and Josh - not sure why they can't go on the other side of the fence.

Leave it to the kids to find the water fountains.

I had never noticed these before!

Family Photo!

Sisters Weekend in DC

2009-10-01T08:01:00.000-07:00

Julia and Brooke surprised me in DC this summer for a weekend full on laughter. Despite rain, we had a blast. We ordered takeout, snuggled on the couch and watched movies. Fortunately the the sun broke through long enough to let us explore Eastern Market on its opening weekend.

We found huge sunglasses, even larger hats and lots of items that made us laugh. The weekend was a great time for Julia, Brooke and me to bond. We don't often get the opportunity to spend a few days catching up and sharing our thoughts. I cannot wait until they visit again!

CSA Inspired Recipe: Apple Crisp

2009-09-29T07:54:00.000-07:00

My house is over flowing with apples! Each week we receive more than we can possibly eat in our CSA share. The are all delicious. I would never want to ask for less, but I need to find creative uses to use a whole lot of apples fast some times! My trusty dish is an apple crisp, modified from an old Real Simple recipe.

6 or so apples, peeled and cut into wedges

1/3 cup honey

1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

fresh lime juice (1 lime)

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small pieces

In a baking dish, combine and toss apples, honey, pecans, and lime juice.

In a bowl, combine the flour, sugar, and butter. Work the butter into the dry mixture with fingers to create a crumble topping.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes.

Enjoy!

Sushi in Easton

2009-09-28T07:46:00.000-07:00

Shannon, Fallon, and Me at General Tanukis

One of the best parts of Summer in Easton are the free outdoor concerts on Saturday evenings. Whenever we are on the Shore and looking for something to do, gathering friends for an early dinner and some toe-tapping tunes is always well worth it. Here is one of the evenings we spent this summer after we introduced Tommy and Fallon to sushi at General Tanukis. (We had a blast, but I am not sure if they will ever go out for sushi with us again...)

The boys, making a point that carrying Baby Dillon is easy...

The boys, refusing to "pose" for my pictures.

It has been too long!

2009-09-26T07:34:00.000-07:00

My sister Brooke came to visit. Here is a picture of us in Eastern Market with some hot shades and sad faces. This is how bad I feel about not blogging... :o)

Since I last blogged, we have been to three weddings, went on the annual Schreiber family vacation, moved across town, sent out change of address cards to most of our friends and family members, taken on new responsibilities in our housing situation, I began biking to work, Mark got stung by 12 bees and had an acute delayed reaction, which led to an emergency room visit and a follow up doctors visit to discuss this and other allergic reactions he may have, planned a bridal shower and a baby shower with one incredible baby shower game that I cannot wait to share, planned trips to Florida and Maine for 2 upcoming weddings in 2010 and firmed up our Columbus Day weekend plans where between Mark and I will we be in at least 5 states! We have also decided that we need a new computer, we are hopefully buying one today, been shopping around for a reclaimed wood kitchen table and patio/porch furniture for our new digs. During the move we sold a bunch of our old furniture on craigs list through my friend Christie's business s3v (more about that later) and oh yeah and our external hard drive, that I didn't back up, stopped working.

I have wanted to blog, I really have...I just haven't been able to well, find the time.

But today, TODAY, I am mapping out these wonderful things and planning a week or so of catch up posts to get me back on track. Including posting our LONG overdue London pictures!

I am also weighing the opportunity costs of advertising my calligraphy business more seriously and trying to decide if and when to start that. I welcome advice and encouragement on this front, as always.

Finally, our new home does not have built in bookcases...so I have three boxes of memorabilia and decorations that have significant meaning that I do not know what to do with. I am still living in boxes...what do I do?

So brace yourself, because I am back to blogging, and the past few months of our life are going to be flying at you!

CSA Recipes: Heirloom Tomatoes

2009-08-05T05:52:00.000-07:00

This week our farm share included a wide variety of heirloom tomatoes, and I had just the recipe to use! This month's Martha Stewart Living had my mouth savoring. This recipe is truely worth it! To see article from the August issue of Martha Stewart Living, click here.

Grilled Chicken with Cucumber, Radish, and Tomato

1/4 cup white-wine vinegar
1/4 cup water
1 teaspoon sugar
2 garlic cloves, smashed
1 small jalapeno chile, stem, ribs, and seeds removed, diced
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

1 English cucumber, peeled, seeded, and diced
5 radishes, very thinly sliced
6 tomatoes cut into 1 inch wedges (the recipe called for cherry, we chose heirloom)
1 small red onion, diced

3 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
V egetable oil, for grill

1 cup fresh mint

1. Bring vinegar, water, sugar, garlic, jalapeño, and ƒ teaspoon salt to a boil in a small saucepan. remove from heat, and let stand for 15 minutes. Strain though a fine sieve; discard solids. Let cool completely.

2. Combine cucumber, radishes, tomatoes, and onion in a medium bowl. Pour in vinegar mixture, and toss to coat.

3. Preheat grill to medium-high. Season chicken breasts on both sides with salt and pepper. Lightly oil the grill grate. Working in batches, grill chicken until cooked through, 6 to 7 minutes per side. Transfer to a platter, and let stand for 10 minutes. Stir mint into relish. Season with salt and pepper, and drizzle with vinegar if desired.

We added a slight varriation to this...we cut the chicken into 1 inch cubes and sauteed it and served the whole meal over a bed of lettuce to make it a heartier salad. It was absolutely delishious!

New Baby Boys in My Life

2009-06-05T07:21:00.000-07:00

This week has been full of excitement with the birth of two baby boys!

On June 2nd, our friends Jesse and Kristen had their first child, Owen Daniel:

Isn's Owen adorable!?

Here is the whole family, minutes after Owen was born!

Last night, June 4th, my Uncle Eddie and his wife Miranda had their first child, Eli Michael:

9lbs. 2oz.

And a full head of red hair!

I am going up to PA to see the my new cousin this weekend!

(More pictures of the family coming soon!)

Mark and I cannot wait to meet the new baby boys! We are so excited for their families, that I cannot contain my excitement. We are blessed to have the opportunity to be part of their lives and share in their joy. We look forward to watching these boys grow...and are already praying for the men they will become!

Holy Cow!

2009-06-04T19:18:00.001-07:00

Memorial Day weekend, we visited friends who live on a farm in Virginia. The farm raises cattle and I was able to take some incredible photos:

Oh yeah, and Mark tortured their dog Titus around the pool:

On Holiday...

2009-05-20T07:07:00.000-07:00

...to London town.

Be back soon!

John and Stacey come to DC!

2009-05-19T07:11:00.000-07:00

This past weekend we had some of our closest friends from Gordon in town, John and Stacey. We hung out on Capitol Hill, ate dinner at the new Matchbox on Barraks row, at breakfast with John's sister Julie, drove to the Eastern Shore where the guys went sporting clay shooting and the ladies outlet shopped, followed by crabs and a drive back to DC capped with a monument tour at night. Phfew...and then we went to Columbia to cheer Julie on in her 6th Tri! (I might join her for one in October...we will see) It was an incredibly pack, but relaxing, amazing weekend...that just kept going! Here is the four of us at the Crab Deck:

Yes, Stacey and I are wearing the same Nike jackets - we got them for $15! Ah-mazing!

Mother's Day

2009-05-18T18:23:00.000-07:00

My sisters and I were all together in PA for Mother's Day. We took my mom on a walk while the guys stayed home to cook breakfast. It was a cool but sunny morning, perfect for a walk and a LOT of talking.

At the house, and then on the rail trail...

We also had my grandmother over, and she is a wiz at Wiffle Ball!

My family rocks!

The Civil War at Ford’s Theatre

2009-05-14T18:21:00.000-07:00

My birthday present from Mark this year was a trip to the Theatre to see The Civil War, a musical.

Ford's Theatre is a charming place, with a remarkable history. The supporters of the theatre have restored and protected it beautifully. In honor of Lincoln's bicentenial, there is a full season of events being offered at Ford's Theatre this year. The Civil War is just one of the historic events the theatre is featuring honoring the legacy of our 16th president.

It was a moving show, we had perfect seats - the best birthday evening ever!

The musical was quite moving telling the stories of people groups who were impacted by the civil war. The performance was made up of many short segments that were woven together revealing every depth of emotion. I cried, laughed, must mostly felt filled with joy for our country.

The show runs through May 24th, so hurry up and see it! But beware, the theatre is bound to be full of tourists, it was when we went last Thursday! The good news is there is no harm joining them. Here we are posing infront of Lincoln's bust:

Celebrate the bicentenial by seeing, The Civil War!

Hull and Nora

2009-05-13T14:51:00.000-07:00

We love visiting Hull and Nora and their whole family. Usually our visits are jam packed with lots to do and not enough time to relax, so this time we scheduled very little and had the best weekend lounging with out two favorite residents of the North Shroe! Here is a picture of us trolling the beach for sea glass:

Sadly we only found three pieces. We found a lot of other treasures, and a gigantic snail, but we left them on the beach.

It was a wonderful afternoon full of funny moments, lots of laughter, and most importantly great conversations with two people we love! It is incredible how much Hull and Nora have grown up since our last visit. The time on the beach reminded us how important it is to keep in touch with this wonderful family!

Recently...around DC

2009-04-28T06:10:00.000-07:00

The past few weekends the weather has been beautiful. The Cherry Blossoms had a wonderful full bloom. The tulips all over the city were stunning. The work week has been sufficiently rainy, but not to bad when the weekends are sunny. And, the past few days, it has hoovered in the 90s! I love living in the mid-Atlantic!

Mark and I have spent tons of time outdoors.

Two weekends ago, we walked around Eastern Market with some friends who were visiting from Philadelphia, Michael and Lindsay.

I was able to go to a National's Game with my friend Meredith. It absolutely poured on our walk from our house to the metro, so we were soaked. But it was warm and we had a blast, in spite of the weather.Friends of ours had their third child, baby Beatrix! She is precious. I was able to bring the two older girls to the park last Friday, and we had a blast! They both needed some quality attention as the buzz around the house has been largely focused on baby Bea. Here are some pictures I was able to get of the girls:

Aileen playing under the Jungle Gym in the shade.

Eudora on the slide - the only time she went down feet first!

We visited Tommy and Fallon on the Eastern Shore. The guys went to the War on the Shore lacrosse game, while Fallon and I took baby Dillon shopping at the Queenstown Outlets! She is already a pro - slept almost the whole time (3 hours!)

We have been transplanting some of our calla lillies and hostas to our front flower box - the plants were getting rather crowded and the flower box needs some serious work. Fallon also suggested we include some impatients, so hopefully they will be springing up soon.

Last night we played softball next to the Lincoln Memorial. I was horrible! There was a reason I quit softball in elementary school, and I remembered it in about the third inning last night, when I was up to bat! I am going to need some serious practice.

The past month has been great to get outdoors. When I am not outside, I have been working on Calligraphy. Currently I have three weddings, a baby shower, and a birthday party that I am working on. It is great to have a lot to do. For some of these events I have really been able to experiment with new techniques and letter styles. I cannot wait to post new samples on my Calligraphy by Shannon blog.

Top 10: Go Green for Earth Day

2009-04-22T11:42:00.000-07:00

Top 10 things I have already done to “go green” and why it works:

1. Recycle – space is at a minimum in our tiny apartment, so I didn’t recycle when we first moved to DC. Then one day I hung a reusable shopping bag to stow some bread and realized it would be the perfect way to recycle.

2. Reusable Shopping Bags – greatest invention EVER! I love that rather than 15 small plastic bags (actually 30 because they are double bagged) that feel like they are about to break, I can bring my groceries home in 5 reusable bags that I have gotten for free! It is easier to transport my groceries, easier to sort my groceries, and therefore easier to put my groceries away!

3. CFLs – This was easy, and actually our first go green effort. Before moving to DC, Mark worked for Osram Sylvania, the light bulb company. When you work for a light bulb company it is hard to ignore the benefits of switching to CFLs.

4. CSA – we joined a farm share with Orchard Country Produce. From May-October we enjoy locally grown fruit and vegtables, reduced the carbon foot print of our diet, eat better for you foods (I even started to find edible ways to prepare brussel sprouts – see my recipe from last fall here) . Plus, our grocery bill has gone down. We get an entire cooler of vegtables each week for less than $20! To find a CSA near you, visit Local Harvest.

5. Walk – Mark and I both walk to work. It is a no brainer!

6. CamelBak – I consume at least 48oz of water each day from a reusable, BPA free water bottle. I love my CamelBak. It keeps plastic bottles out of my trash and helps me stay hydrated.

7. Cold Wash – I wash all of our laundry with cold water.

8. Cloth, Not Paper – Rather than reach for a paper towel, I grab a dish rag. And even for casual meals, we try to use cloth napkins instead of paper.

9. Organic Cleaners – We use Seventh Generation for our dish soap and laundry detergent.

10. Red Meat - we have reduced our red meat consumption to only once a week. In addition we make a concerted effort to buy organic meat and farm raised fish.

Top 10 next steps we hope to take:

1. Stop catalogs and unnecessary mail solicitations. I have called many of the companies that send me catalogs and asked to be removed from their list. Click here to learn more about opting out.

2. Smart Power Strips - I have been meaning to buy these power strips which automatically turn off when your appliances are not in use. In doing this, they prevent "ghost power" from being used, and in turn help you save on your electric bill!

3. I have been thinking about composting, but this might have to wait until we have a house.

4. Speaking of houses, when we buy one, if we need new appliances, we will choose Energy Star appliances.

5. And if we can, we will sign up for green electric from our power company. To research if you can sign up for green power, visit the Department of Energy.

6. I hope to rig up a water collection barrel like the one featured in This Young House

7. Buy Glass - Glass is easier to recylce and requires less chemicals. Whenever possible I am going to try to buy items I need in glass containers. (i.e. mustard)

8. Shorter Showers - I LOVE my long showers, but I recognize that this is an area where I need to be more responsible. But I am warning you, it is not going to be easy!

9. Walk MORE - I know I already walk a lot, but I want to continue to make a consious effort to walk or even ride my bike when I need to run an errand in the city.

10. Talk - One of the best ways to help the planted is to talk about ways to save it. So get out there and share with others what you are doing to make a difference! (And while you at it, leave a comment and let me know what else you do to go green.)

For more ideas, read David Bach's "Go Green, Live Rich" or check out Simple Mom’s recent post about Going Green at Home and visit Best Green Blogs.

Must Reads for Married Folks

2009-04-20T06:53:00.000-07:00

(It is wedding season, but also the season for rain,

which is explains the picture above. It is raining today in DC!)

It is the season. You post box fills with save the dates and wedding invitations, everyone seems to be getting married. The whirlwind of excitement that surrounds each wedding day is nothing compared to the joys of the life time of marriage to follow. There are millions of resources for the bride planning her wedding day, but not nearly as many

Over the past three years (of marriage) I have come across a plethera of resources, some better than others. Here is what I consistently recommend:

The Mystery of Marriage: A wonderful book that someone recommended to me during my engagement. I have since read it again, and it just keeps getting better!

The Intimate Mystery: Recently recommended, my husband and I are reading this together. It is wonderful!

Dave Ramsey: A terrific approach to manageing your money. It will change your view of finances all together!

There are also a whole range of blogs out there. Here are my favs:

The Pioneer Woman: Food, Family and Photography. This blog has it all.

Simple Marriage: Great blog on all things marraige. I found this blog through Simple Mom (below) and love it! They recently posted a list of the 20 blogs they think all married people should read. Many of my favorites made their list!

Simple Mom: Focuses on marriage, motherhood, and a whole lot more. This blog digs deep into life issues. The blog has frequent guest bloggers (+ lots of giveaways!).

Mom Grind: Great posts, even better pictures. I always leave this blog inspired!

On Simplicity: This blog always seems to address soemthing I have been thinking about - an easier way to live! A great blog to inspire self imporvement.

(Side Note: I am not a mom, and not expecting to be a mom yet, even though these blogs seems to indicate otherwise. The fact of the matter is many marriage/life blogs evolve into mom/family blogs as the authors have children. But this doesn't make the blogs any less fun to read!)

Happy reading! Hopefully if you are in the patch of rain that seems to be covering the East Coast this week, you are able to stay cozy and dry!

Ryan Odens, Cory Procter and Easter Seals

2009-04-13T09:05:00.000-07:00

My friend Ryan was severly injured in an auto accident and through an unlikely series of events has come to know Cory Procter of the Dallas Cowboys well. Here is their inspirational story:

Dallas Cowboys' Procter inspired by good friend and disabled Iowa farmer

02:29 AM CDT on Sunday, April 12, 2009
By BARRY HORN / The Dallas Morning News

They appeared the oddest of couples walking through the giant suburban outlet mall last week – the beefy Dallas Cowboys offensive lineman and the frail farmer using a cane and struggling mightily to keep up with his friend. They noticed the finger-pointing and the stares and the stage whispers. But they minded not a single one. They simply continued doing what folks who enjoy one another's company do – talk, laugh and have a good time. Cory Procter, the mountain of a man, and Ryan Odens, whom the gawkers may view as a remnant of one, have established a solid friendship since their chance 2005 meeting at Texas Stadium.

The Cowboy gains strength from the farmer.

"He inspires me more than anything. ... How doesn't he inspire everyone?" said the 6-foot-4, 310-pound Procter, who earns his Cowboys keep in the trenches as a reserve center and guard. "Here is a guy who was paralyzed ... who they told would never walk, and he's getting around just fine."

Odens, an Iowa farmer, calls his friend "a big-hearted, down-to-earth kind of guy who happens to play football and doesn't perceive himself to be better than anyone." They shared their story last week, seated in the living room of Procter's Irving home just down the street from the Cowboys' Valley Ranch training facility. Odens had arrived the previous day from his northwest Iowa farm to watch Procter's heavy-metal band debut at Dallas' Granada Theater.

As for the 22 hours on the road to be there for half a dozen songs, the 5-foot-10, 150-pound Odens shrugged. "That's what friends do," he said. On this day, Procter, 26, spoke slowly and deliberately, allowing the more effusive Odens, 32, to fill in details, finish sentences and supply the punctuation.

"We're just a couple of good dudes doing what we do most," Procter said, "sit around and talk."
They agree they owe their friendship to the most unlikely of matchmakers – former Cowboys coach Bill Parcells.

Procter, just acquired from the Detroit Lions in December 2005, had been designated inactive for a game against the Kansas City Chiefs. Parcells preferred that those not in uniform not clutter up his sideline. Banished to the stands, Procter eventually settled in a seat next to Odens, who had been invited to Dallas for his first Cowboys game by Easter Seals. By the end of the game, Procter and Odens were exchanging phone numbers and promising to keep in touch. It proved more than a polite, perfunctory farewell.

When the season ended, Procter returned to Detroit to collect his things and move them back to his family home near Seattle. Turned out, the Odens' farm outside of Little Rock, Iowa, was on the way.

Procter, the son of a veterinarian, planned to stay for one night. Instead, he helped with the chores on the 1,100-acre farm, where Odens and his brother grow corn and soybeans, for almost a week. "That's what friends do," Procter said.

Amazing Comeback

Ryan Odens was driving his pickup on an Iowa country road, headed to a dirt track race just across the Minnesota border in the summer of 2000 when ... he really doesn't know what happened next. Rescue workers said he probably rolled the pickup heading around a curve. It was a miracle that another driver came along and found Odens still breathing. Doctors later told Odens that the ambulance got him to the hospital just in time. The doctors in rural Minnesota couldn't begin to put Odens back together. Instead, they put him and his five fractured neck vertebrae and his broken spine on a helicopter and shipped him off to Sioux Falls, S.D. That's where the doctors told him he would spend the rest of his life paralyzed from the chest down without a prayer of walking again. Four and a half months later, when Odens was released from a rehab hospital in Denver, doctors looked down at him in his wheelchair and asked what he was going to do when he got home to Iowa.

"I'll farm," he said then.
"They laughed," he recalled now.

Odens took his first step in a physical therapy session back in Sioux Falls. "I was back in the field by April of 2001," he said. Back but with lots of help. Easter Seals, the nonprofit agency that helps folks with "disabilities attain greater independence," supplied mechanical lifts that allowed Odens to mount his tractor and another for his combine. They gave him a John Deere utility vehicle to get around. Overnight, electronic gates were installed so Odens didn't have to get on and off his farm vehicles.

Odens returned Easter Seals' generosity by becoming active in the organization. By 2005, he was the group's national ambassador, ever ready to speak to sponsors and potential donors.
It was that year at a meeting in Chicago that Odens met Ed Wenzel, now the vice chairman of the board for North Texas Easter Seals, and mentioned his affection for the Cowboys. Wenzel eventually arranged for a trip to Dallas, a tour of Valley Ranch and a ticket to a Cowboys-Chiefs game at Texas Stadium.

Role model

Procter has grown from an undrafted free agent from the University of Montana to a reliable lineman in four NFL seasons. This month, he signed on for another year with the Cowboys.
"When you play football, a lot of people want to tear you down," Procter said. "I have had a lot of people along the way tell me I can't play, but my work ethic is what got me here and will keep me here."

But just as certain as Procter is about the sweat that established him as an NFL player, he believes he has not worked nearly as hard as Odens, who spent hundreds of painstaking hours learning to simply walk again. "Ryan has a great attitude about life," Procter said. "He's just the kind of guy you want to be around."

In the course of an hour this day, the friends debated the merits of Ford vs. Chevy trucks, sang Alabama songs along with videos on Country Music Television and shouted barbs at Procter's girlfriend cooking in the nearby kitchen. When Odens isn't around, Procter volunteers for Easter Seals. "Cory is a big guy with a big heart," said Wenzel, the regional Easter Seals vice chairman. "I know he came to us because of Ryan and his disability, but Cory understands that there are thousands of Ryans who need help."

Back in the Procter living room, Odens struggled as he raised himself off the couch to make a final point. "I know I walk different and I look differently now than most, but some people see way beyond that. Take that man sitting over there," Odens said pointing at his friend, "he sees way beyond what's in front of him. That's a gift, his and mine."

To learn more about Easter Seals

and how to contribute, please click here.

Cooking: Tips and Tricks to Make Life Easy

2009-04-09T06:44:00.000-07:00

As you may have noticed, I love to cook. I like trying new recipies, eating new foods, and getting to play with kitchen gadgets. Most importantly I like that cooking from scratch alows me the flexibility of eating healthy on a modest budget.

Coming from a large family, I grew up helping in the kitchen, but it wasn't until I was on my own that I had to committ cooking shortcuts to memory. Along the way, I have had many friends get married only to face their kitchen with a bit of uncertainty. I realized that not everyone loves the challenge of making dinner when there appears to be nothing in the fridge! Along the way I have developed a mental list of things that make my life easier and here they are:

I am convinced this milk frother would make my coffee taste better in the morning!

The basics...

Homemade Buttermilk: Add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice to regular milk.

Peeling Garlic: press down on garlic with the flat side of a knife or spoon and it will crack the peel right off.

Peeling Bananas: If you peel it from the bottom (like Apes) then you don't have to pick out the stringy bits.

More Bananas: Separate them from eachother as soon as you get home from the market, they will stay fresh longer!

Going Bananas: If your bananas do happen to go brown on you, peel them into a zip lock bag to freeze until you are ready to make banana bread!
Chopping Onions: If you pop the onion in the freezer for a few minutes before you chop it, you won't have to cry so much.

Strawberries: use drinking straws to core or hull a strawberry. Just push the straw through the bottom of the berry!

Storing Cheese: If you wrap an opened package of cheese in aluminum foil instead of plastic wrap, it stays fresh longer...but then you have to remember what that ball of aluminum foil is!

Peppers with 3 bumps on the bottom are sweet and better for eating.
Peppers with 4 bumps on the bottom are firm and better for cooking.

If I am going to take the time to make a cake, I am going to make it pretty, therefore it should be able to be on display until it has been eaten!

On to cooking...

Roast a Chicken - (this recipe came from Simple Mom - and I love it!)
A roasted chicken is one of the most versitile items to make meals for a week easier! A roasted chicken could feed 2 people 4 meals for a week! (Speaking of...I should write more about this later...)

Saute Ground Beef - if you do this on the weekend, and then season and store portions separately, you have cut your after work meal making in half! While you are cooking the ground beef, add a teaspoon of water to help pull the grease away from the meat.

See Double - whenever I make soups, stews and cassaroles, I try to double the recipe. These dishes are typically easy to double, and they store well for reheating later. This makes lunches for the week a no brainer, or sometimes I freeze half for nights when there is too much going on to plan a meal!

Avoid the Garbage - keep a scraps bowl on the counter while you are cooking to keep your working area clean and prevent you from walking around the kitchen with peels and scraps that need to be tossed. BONUS: Use these scraps to start a compost! Here are two articles that provide background info to get you started: The Greenest Dollar and Simple Mom.

Part of my love to cook is cooking for a large group...and this would be perfect! We actually got one for our wedding, but needed to exchange it to get plates. Plates were higher on the priority list.

Going through this list was a lot of fun...I will have to run another edition soon! In the mean time, be sure to comment if you have a tip or trick you use that is not on this list!

PS The pictures throughout this post are all items that are on my kitchen gadget wish list, but they all require me to have a larger kitchen...someday...

A Letter from Uganda

2009-04-08T05:41:00.000-07:00

My friend Amanda is currently living in Uganda. She is a supporting rock, and encourager, and so much more. I cried the last time I spoke with her - she told me to have a great YEAR! In college I could barely go an hour without talking to Amanda...and now we are going to spend at least a year without our conversations. But, we do have the art of letter writting. I plan to write Amanda many many letters. However, I never expected to be on the recipient end.

Here is my first letter, or should I say "Aerogramme," from Amanda:

(I blurred the address details)

I waited three days to read it, to ensure I could do so uninterupted. It still resides in my purse. I really, really miss Amanda.

As you can she...she had a lot to fill me in on, from food to living conditions, cultural traditions she has been part of and new friendships she is building. I am glad that she is having such a wonderful time. I cannot wait for the next update!

I Did It!

2009-04-05T18:39:00.000-07:00

I completed the Cherry Blossom 10 Miler! Thanks for the encouragement along the way. I never got into the full swing of training (about 3 miles was my max) but I stuck it out and ran the race. There were certainly times I had to walk, but I kept it moving as much as I could. Running with Shannon was a huge help. She kept up our pace and kept me away from my tendancy to sprint and burn out. She is a terrific running partner! Here is a picture of us crossing the finish line:

It was certainly an incredible experience. And now that I finished, I feel no desire to EVER run that far again!

First Signs of Spring: Calla Lilies and Chives

2009-03-31T11:21:00.000-07:00

This time last year, I was itching for Spring. It had rained a lot, I was working long hours, and the winter had seemed to drag on. There should be no complaining since I had just moved from New England, but the promise of a Mid-Atlantic summer seemed as thought it would never come to fruition. And then it happened.

I found a mystery plant growing in a patch of dirt along the path to my door. Little shoots sprouting up holding promise of spring. But I could not for the life of me figure out what these plants were. They were too pretty to be weeds, but I certainly did not plant them. Nor did I expect that my landloard had planted them since the area around the house remained largely unkept. (it actually remains unkept for fear of disturbing my beautiful surprise!)

And then they bloomed, beautiful calla lilies. Some green and some white, they came out of no where. Well...now they are back, greeting me each afternoon as I walk home. Welcoming me to my apartment.

I love them. They are my first sign of Spring.

This past weekend was a bit rainy (to say the least) and it was the first time I really noticed that my Chives were growing back too! I planted them last summer and was so happy to have fresh herbs through the fall. But for some odd reason, it did not occur to me that they could come back. Well, they are sitting out back, looking beautiful, catching the rain drops. And in my own excitement, I am cooking every recipe I can think of that includes fresh chives! Sunday night was potato soup. Probably the last potato soup I will make until it gets cold again during football season. But boy did those chives taste good!

Curried Chicken Salad

2009-03-30T06:14:00.000-07:00

This weekend, I made the best chicken salad ever! Growing up, there was a bakery near by with delicious curried chicken salad. Mmm...it was so good, but I could never figure out how to make it. The past year, I have learned a lot about cooking. When I found this recipe, I made a few modifications and gave it a try.

Ingredients:
1 cup lowfat yogurt, drained (to get all the juice out)
1 rotisserie chicken breast, diced
1 cup diced English cucumber
1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped - you really can't have too much!
1 cup dried cranberries
Zest and juice of 1/2 lime
1 teaspoon curry powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon mayonnaise - the recipe called for this, but I am not sure I needed it...

1. Put the yogurt in a cheesecloth-lined colander set in a bowl and set it aside to drain for at least 30 minutes.

2. Dice chicken, cucumber and chop cilantro and combine them with the dried cranberries in a medium bowl.

3. In another medium bowl, whisk together the drained yogurt and remaining ingredients until combined. Add the dressing to the chicken, mixture and stir well to coat.

It is super easy, and a light twist on the chicken salad classic! I am so excited to have it for lunch all week!

During February...oh, and March too!

2009-03-08T18:43:00.000-07:00

February flew by, and I can hardly believe that March is almost over! Here is what has been going on the past few weeks.

1. I got a new job. I am working in communications and LOVE what I do. It has kept me pretty busy, which is why my blogging suffered. Now that I am more settled with my new responsibilities, I am back!

In celebration of my new job, Mark got me this great blouse from Lilly Pulitzer:

(I love it!)

2. We spent Valentine's Day in Annapolis with our best friends - the guys all grew up together and the girls have become best friends. We are glad that we all live close enough to meet up. Here is a picture of the crew after we had dinner at El Toro Bravo - best Mexican food ever!

Then some of went out for drinks at Ram's Head, which might be my new favorite bar!

3. Then we went skiing with our friends Phil and Kami, the couple on the right in the picture above. We went out to McHenry, Maryland to go skiing at Wisp Mountain. Kami's college friends get together each year, and this is our second year tagging along. We had good snow conditions and more importantly a lot of fun. Here is a picture of the whole crew:

4. We took a road trip through Lancaster, PA to see my sister Brooke play basketball in the state tournament. Unfortunately her team lost, but it was great to see the family. Here is a picture of My mom, me, sister Julia, and Grandmom before the basketball game started:

5. We were also able to stay with our friends Faith and Kyle and their son Noah. While we were there we taught Noah how to wave! It was pretty cool.

6. We went to baby Dillon's baptism. She is getting so big so fast, I cannot believe it. It was great to see her and Tommy and Fallon. Here is a picture of them right after the baptism:

7. We joined our church, Grace Presbyterian, DC. We have been going for about a year and love it. We have found great fellowship and look forward to growing deeper in this church.

8. My birthday! My best guy friends from high school and their girlfriends came down to help celebrate. We hung out at our house and then toured Georgetown and the recent Bob Marley exhibit at the Govinda Gallery. It was an awesome weekend!

9. Mark had friends from church surprise me on Sunday night for Mark's special homemade pizza and cake, Coconut Cake! It was such a surprise and wonderful to have everyone over!

10. Mark and I went out to dinner for my birthday to this great little Belgian/French cafe, Belga. We heard about Belga when we first moved to the city, but had never gotten there. It was such a treat to go for my birthday. We ate a delicious dinner. Now I can't wait to go back. Mark did a wonderful job planning; it was the perfect birthday!

So that is most of what has been going on...

Oh yeah, we are also house hunting. Just another thing to add into the mix. I look forward to keeping you posted on that!

Life is Crazy!

2009-02-18T21:02:00.000-08:00

...so I will be back to blogging in a bit.

In the mean time, can you name these two buildings? I get to walk past them every day!

Valentine's Day

2009-02-13T06:42:00.000-08:00

"Valentine's Day is a made up holiday to sell more flowers and candy..."

...but I absolutely love it! Growing up my parents would always have a fun dinner planned and surprise us with gifts - usually small things we would use every day. Here is a quick flashback to some of the gifts I received from my mom and dad over the years.

It is funny to think back about the gifts that were "AWESOME" when I was a kid. Now, I don't work up as much excitement in anticipation for Valentine's Day, but always welcome flowers, a fancy dinner, special time with my husband, and of course gifts!

One of the best posts I have read about Valentine's Day is by Design*Sponge: Valentine's Day Flowers Decoded. You should check it out, it literally had me laughing out loud. The only comment I would add to this article is the subtle symbol of tulips, which in my mind are always lovely and always appropriate!

What are your Valentine's Day traditions? Do you have a favorite flower? What is the best Valentine's Day gift you have ever received? How are you planning on spending this weekend?