1. Pumpkins in compost. Check. We carved ours early because we knew we wouldn't be in town over the actual Halloween holiday. We wanted to enjoy them a little longer. The carved pumpkins actually lasted right up until we donated them to our home grown veggie cause. Hooray for a sustainable Halloween.
2. Baby packed. Mommy packed. Daddy packed. Check, check, check. Wow. I am in awe of how people with multiple children pack an entire family for vacation.
3. Road trip menu planned and prepped. Check. "Gourmet" sandwiches and chips, homemade pimento cheese dip (yum) and crackers, Paula Deen's gorilla bread - it's like monkey bread but just a little more sinful. It's a Paula Deen recipe, is anyone really surprised? No. I'm throwin' in a baggy of carrot sticks and sliced apples, that's gotta count for something, right?
4. Caught up at work. Check. At least until I come back to three days of missed emails and new appointments. Geez.
5. New roof bag ready for packing and travelling cross country. Well, midway cross country anyway. Check.
6. New pair of Seven jeans packed and ready to go. Hip, hip, hooray! I literally wore my old pair of Sevens to shreds. I finally broke down and replaced them after three years and 19 months of battling post-baby weight. New jeans are one size bigger than my pre-baby pair, as opposed to the four dress sizes I jumped up to during pregnancy, etc. I'm still a ways out from my goal weight (pre-baby, pre-marriage, pre-relocation), but headed in the right direction. In the paraphrased words of my beloved, I should really lay off the smores.
7. Running wardrobe packed. Check. I need to sneak in at least two runs while away on our mini vacation. Not including this upcoming weekend, there is only ONE weekend standing between me and 26.2 miles!
8. Plants and fall veggie garden (broccoli, kale and herbs) watered. Check. Thanks to the severe thunderstorm that's been hanging around all day and the watering we did earlier this week we should be all set. There's more rain in the forecast for tomorrow too. We've been under tornado warnings off and on all day! Casey was sure to clear a space in the basement, just in case.
9. Dishes washed, laundry finished. Check. One of my pet peeves is coming home to a messy house after being out of town. Drives me batty, puts me in a grouchy mood. Thank you to my awesome husband for all the help in operation keep-house-in-semi-tidy order.
10. Happy early birthday to my sweet cousin, Momma Bean! The Morrisons hope you have a lovely day with your special people. Big hugs!
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Happy Birthday!!
Today is my sister's birthday. Happy Birthday, sis! Here's a blast from the past.
The Morrisons hope you are having a FANTASTIC special day. Lots of love, Tiff
The Morrisons hope you are having a FANTASTIC special day. Lots of love, Tiff
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Trunk-or-Treat
This past weekend we were busy preparing for our big out-of-town Halloween trip. We did however make time on Saturday for hanging out with some friends and taking Gavin to a local Trunk-or-Treat and haunted hay ride. At first he did not like having to wear a costume, but eventually got used to it and was able to enjoy himself. The clown costume is the same costume that my MIL made for my husband nearly 30 years ago. She's been saving it all these years for her grandbaby. Gavin also got his first "big boy" hair cut this weekend. He did really well at the salon. It was a great day. Now on to the short 3-day work week for the Morrisons! Stay tuned for pics and stories from the Ozarks.
Friday, October 22, 2010
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Carne con papas y chile verde
So this is what my cilantro/green chile stew concoction turned into. Originally I had envisioned more of a carne guisada dish, but I ended up adding a can of crushed tomatoes (for a Cuban flare) and then of course the potatos (papas). I did not have time to tackle homemade flour tortillas so I went with the more authentic corn tortilla. No I didn't have time make those from scratch either. I keep a bag of corn tortillas in the freezer and then just heat 'em up with a little bit of buttah on my comal, maybe if I'm feeling naughty I'll sprinkle on some sugar and make it a dessert tortilla! Hey, I'm runnin' a marathon in four weeks, one sugar and butter corn tortilla isn't going to get me in trouble. Now if only I could stop at just one...
Ingredients (amounts are approximated)
1 lb of organic beef tips
1 can crushed tomatos
3 minced garlic cloves
1 bay leaf
1/4 cup chopped bacon (Another leftover item in the fridge that was gettin' close to its expiration date! I can't throw bacon into the compost either so into the stew it went.)
1 cup chopped cilantro
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp chili powder
1 tbsp cumin
6 peeled and diced smallish new potatos
1 4oz. can of diced green chiles (thinking next time I may use two cans)
app. 6-10 oz of beef broth
1/4c dry white wine (I would have used red if I had any, the white worked fine)
salt to taste
Everything goes in the crockpot. Slow cook on low heat for 7-12 hours. Serve with warm tortillas and garnish with cilantro and queso fresco, which I didn't have, but know would have been good. I didn't save enough cilantro for garnishing either. I thought of that when I was snapping the photo. Would have made a much nicer picture. I also think I will reduce the amount of extra liquid I put in too. It turned out a little more soupy than I wanted, but tasty nonetheless.
Is hump day really almost over. Wow. The end of the week is in sight. We're taking it easy this weekend, no camping at least. We were invited to a kids Halloween party on Saturday. Casey volunteered to be a ghoul for the haunted hay ride. He can haunt me anytime!
Ingredients (amounts are approximated)
1 lb of organic beef tips
1 can crushed tomatos
3 minced garlic cloves
1 bay leaf
1/4 cup chopped bacon (Another leftover item in the fridge that was gettin' close to its expiration date! I can't throw bacon into the compost either so into the stew it went.)
1 cup chopped cilantro
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp chili powder
1 tbsp cumin
6 peeled and diced smallish new potatos
1 4oz. can of diced green chiles (thinking next time I may use two cans)
app. 6-10 oz of beef broth
1/4c dry white wine (I would have used red if I had any, the white worked fine)
salt to taste
Everything goes in the crockpot. Slow cook on low heat for 7-12 hours. Serve with warm tortillas and garnish with cilantro and queso fresco, which I didn't have, but know would have been good. I didn't save enough cilantro for garnishing either. I thought of that when I was snapping the photo. Would have made a much nicer picture. I also think I will reduce the amount of extra liquid I put in too. It turned out a little more soupy than I wanted, but tasty nonetheless.
Is hump day really almost over. Wow. The end of the week is in sight. We're taking it easy this weekend, no camping at least. We were invited to a kids Halloween party on Saturday. Casey volunteered to be a ghoul for the haunted hay ride. He can haunt me anytime!
Last weekend
Camping trip numero dos was a success, though we were much less productive in the documenting department. We stayed in a National Forest, as opposed to a National Park, so that we could take our dogs too. Dogs are allowed in Parks too, but they have to stay on a leash and aren't allowed to leave the campsite or be unattended, which makes getting out on the trails unlikely and who wants to camp minus a little exploring? Boring. So we went to the Forest where we could take the pups out on the trail too. Needless to say it was more rodeo and less picture taking, but well worth it. We were only about 45 minutes from my inlaws' house so they drove out Saturday afternoon and joined us for a hike and dinner around the campfire. The pictures aren't the best quality, but you'll get the idea!
Rough life.
With mom and dad.
Playing
Gavin was so funny about wanting to venture off on his own little hikes. He would walk up to the front of our campsite and tell everyone "bye-bye" and then start to toddle off before turning around to see if anyone was following him. Of course there was always someone following him. He's definitely turning into more and more of a stinker as he gets older. I love his independent and curious nature. I hope he stays that way forever.
Family hike
Playing with sticks in the campfire.
He was wound up like an 8-day clock Saturday night. He really enjoyed running around the campsite. I am glad he is not afraid of the dark.
Eating his breakfast muffin. It was definitely chilly come Sunday mornin'. It was a wrestling match keeping those mittens on.
Rough life.
With mom and dad.
Playing
Gavin was so funny about wanting to venture off on his own little hikes. He would walk up to the front of our campsite and tell everyone "bye-bye" and then start to toddle off before turning around to see if anyone was following him. Of course there was always someone following him. He's definitely turning into more and more of a stinker as he gets older. I love his independent and curious nature. I hope he stays that way forever.
Family hike
Playing with sticks in the campfire.
He was wound up like an 8-day clock Saturday night. He really enjoyed running around the campsite. I am glad he is not afraid of the dark.
Eating his breakfast muffin. It was definitely chilly come Sunday mornin'. It was a wrestling match keeping those mittens on.
Monday, October 18, 2010
For the love of green vegetables
This looks yummy. I'm going to make it. Maybe next week. I especially like the "detox" concept, especially as I prepare for the marathon coming up in just four super fast weeks! While I'm not expecting to be the leanest meanest running machine out there, I would like to be as healthy as I can be. I know some of my blog friends are saying, "Ewwww, green soup!" That's OK. I do not expect my beloved to bother with it either. I'll be sure to have plenty of sandwich and homemade pizza fixins around, as well as cereal. I am hopeful I might get Gavin to venture into unknown food territory with his wacky mama. I'll just have to make funny noises and faces while eating it.
Thank you Big Girls, Small Kitchen for sharing inspirational recipes for Internet surfin' vegetable lovers.
As for this week, I mentioned my crockpot and I making a date out of a certain package of beef tips that quietly defrosted while The Morrisons were out and about on yet another fall camping extravaganza. On our way out of the mountains we stopped at my inlaws for showers and a small, but wonderful, birthday celebration for my MIL. Not unexpectedly we came home with more than a couple of leftover containers, including birthday cake (!!) and a partially used bunch of fresh cilantro. I got to thinking maybe the cilantro could have a bit part in my beef stew. Perhaps paired with some green chiles? Minus the carrots and celery, which we ended up chopping up for camping snacks anyway. I found this when I googled the ingredients. It was validating to know that I'm not off my rocker for thinking I could marry the leftover cilantro with a few items just hangin' around in my cupboard and fridge. Maybe this latest kitchen adventure will also give me an excuse to give my homemade tortillas another go round.
Thank you Big Girls, Small Kitchen for sharing inspirational recipes for Internet surfin' vegetable lovers.
As for this week, I mentioned my crockpot and I making a date out of a certain package of beef tips that quietly defrosted while The Morrisons were out and about on yet another fall camping extravaganza. On our way out of the mountains we stopped at my inlaws for showers and a small, but wonderful, birthday celebration for my MIL. Not unexpectedly we came home with more than a couple of leftover containers, including birthday cake (!!) and a partially used bunch of fresh cilantro. I got to thinking maybe the cilantro could have a bit part in my beef stew. Perhaps paired with some green chiles? Minus the carrots and celery, which we ended up chopping up for camping snacks anyway. I found this when I googled the ingredients. It was validating to know that I'm not off my rocker for thinking I could marry the leftover cilantro with a few items just hangin' around in my cupboard and fridge. Maybe this latest kitchen adventure will also give me an excuse to give my homemade tortillas another go round.
Friday, October 15, 2010
Flashback Friday: 2004
This is for you, Meli! Happy Flashback Friday. Welcome to March 2004. I was in Brazil, the Pantanal, a tropical wetland. I took this while riding in the back of a truck on a "safari" of sorts. We stopped and this native hyacinth macaw flew down and landed on the roof of the truck. I guess the parrot was accustomed to travelers in these parts. He walked right up to me, so I snapped a photo. The people in the background were my Israeli friends that I made while on this leg of my journey. I wish I could remember their names...I wonder what they're up to. They had all recently served their mandatory military duty and were on an around-the-world travel adventure, a very common custom in both their culture and a lot of European cultures.
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Roast chicken, the gift that keeps on giving.
Seriously, how can someone pass up three meals for the price of one? Especially when all one really has to buy is the chicken, because everything else are kitchen staples.
For example:
Frozen organic green and wax beans, your grocery store should have an organic "generic" brand for way less than the real organic brands, at least Kroger does. I try and keep a bag in my freezer for those days when the fresh beans in the produce section just look sad and grumpy.
A bag of new potatoes. Roasted, seasoned potatoes compliment so many classic entrees. If you have 'em so long they start sprouting, throw 'em in some dirt and you'll have like twenty more by mid summer - I write from my own "forgotten in the dark cupboard" experience. Truly, 'taters were my first successful botanical garden experiment, way back when I lived in SA. Who knew potatoes would inspire so much?
A bag of frozen or fresh organic carrots; fresh are perfect for snacking, or get frozen if peeling and slicing is waste of your precious time - I keep both handy, because spare time is a luxury.
Celery, perfect for peanut butter or ranch dipping snacks and goes so well with any soup, roast, or stew - can't go wrong with a bunch of celery in the fridge.
Onions, who doesn't keep an onion around?
Head(s) of garlic (see onion note).
Fresh lemons, don't leave the grocery store without one, or two, or a dozen. Lemons can be used for food making or chemical-free household cleaning solutions - or enjoying a refreshing adult beverage on the back deck.
Basic seasonings like thyme and parsley. Not growing your own and/or can't get fresh? Get the dried. Yeah, there are some herb snobs out there that swear the dried flakey spices bought in the baking aisle were swept up from some factory floor, but sometimes a sista has to make do with what she has and that might only be the factory floor rejects in the baking aisle. No shame here. Although I do try and always get fresh parsley and cilantro if I don't have some already growin' in the garden. Chopped fresh parsley is one of my favorite aromas. Whatever I buy from the store that doesn't get used goes to compost heaven and then is reborn in my vegatable garden the following spring.
Noodles. We all got some kind of noodles in our cupboard and noggin! If you don't got noodles, use rice, wild or prude will work just fine. Noodles and rice are great for soups and/or sides.
So with all the fixins already in your kitch, it's totally easy to splurge on the $10 organic whole chicken, right? Right. Or maybe even inspire one to invest in their own organic, home-grown, backyard, free-range chicken operation? A girl can dream. And don't forget a loaf of good crusty bread from the bakery.
Morrison Manor menu for one whole roasted chicken:
Roast chicken, steamed green beans and hasselback new potatoes on Tuesday, leftovers and/or chicken salad sandwiches on Wednesday and/or Thursday and chicken noodle soup (goodbye awkward carcass I got NO room for you in my fridge) on Thursday and/or Friday. It's a win-win, win situation!
And just for kicks and because it's fall and I had some Italian bread leftover from the chicken salad sandwiches, have a traditional bread pudding with bourbon sauce and vanilla ice cream. It's a great way to start the weekend and/or reminisce about the New Braunfels, TX Wurstfest. I can't believe I'm missing the 50th anniversary of the 10-day salute to sausage. Someone send me some sausage, or at least put on your favorite lederhosen and dance the polka! Happy Friday eve. I think we're going camping again, this time in the Cherokee National Forest. What are all you blogger peeps up to?
Next up in the kitch? I have some organic beef tips that are wishin' to get out of the freezer and into my crockpot for a good beef stew. Gotta put the leftover carrots, papas, onions and celery to good use! I wish my mom were around, I bet I could persuade her to roll out a few tortillas. Mine always come out way to thick and smallish. I got more work to do in that department.
For example:
Frozen organic green and wax beans, your grocery store should have an organic "generic" brand for way less than the real organic brands, at least Kroger does. I try and keep a bag in my freezer for those days when the fresh beans in the produce section just look sad and grumpy.
A bag of new potatoes. Roasted, seasoned potatoes compliment so many classic entrees. If you have 'em so long they start sprouting, throw 'em in some dirt and you'll have like twenty more by mid summer - I write from my own "forgotten in the dark cupboard" experience. Truly, 'taters were my first successful botanical garden experiment, way back when I lived in SA. Who knew potatoes would inspire so much?
A bag of frozen or fresh organic carrots; fresh are perfect for snacking, or get frozen if peeling and slicing is waste of your precious time - I keep both handy, because spare time is a luxury.
Celery, perfect for peanut butter or ranch dipping snacks and goes so well with any soup, roast, or stew - can't go wrong with a bunch of celery in the fridge.
Onions, who doesn't keep an onion around?
Head(s) of garlic (see onion note).
Fresh lemons, don't leave the grocery store without one, or two, or a dozen. Lemons can be used for food making or chemical-free household cleaning solutions - or enjoying a refreshing adult beverage on the back deck.
Basic seasonings like thyme and parsley. Not growing your own and/or can't get fresh? Get the dried. Yeah, there are some herb snobs out there that swear the dried flakey spices bought in the baking aisle were swept up from some factory floor, but sometimes a sista has to make do with what she has and that might only be the factory floor rejects in the baking aisle. No shame here. Although I do try and always get fresh parsley and cilantro if I don't have some already growin' in the garden. Chopped fresh parsley is one of my favorite aromas. Whatever I buy from the store that doesn't get used goes to compost heaven and then is reborn in my vegatable garden the following spring.
Noodles. We all got some kind of noodles in our cupboard and noggin! If you don't got noodles, use rice, wild or prude will work just fine. Noodles and rice are great for soups and/or sides.
So with all the fixins already in your kitch, it's totally easy to splurge on the $10 organic whole chicken, right? Right. Or maybe even inspire one to invest in their own organic, home-grown, backyard, free-range chicken operation? A girl can dream. And don't forget a loaf of good crusty bread from the bakery.
Morrison Manor menu for one whole roasted chicken:
Roast chicken, steamed green beans and hasselback new potatoes on Tuesday, leftovers and/or chicken salad sandwiches on Wednesday and/or Thursday and chicken noodle soup (goodbye awkward carcass I got NO room for you in my fridge) on Thursday and/or Friday. It's a win-win, win situation!
And just for kicks and because it's fall and I had some Italian bread leftover from the chicken salad sandwiches, have a traditional bread pudding with bourbon sauce and vanilla ice cream. It's a great way to start the weekend and/or reminisce about the New Braunfels, TX Wurstfest. I can't believe I'm missing the 50th anniversary of the 10-day salute to sausage. Someone send me some sausage, or at least put on your favorite lederhosen and dance the polka! Happy Friday eve. I think we're going camping again, this time in the Cherokee National Forest. What are all you blogger peeps up to?
Next up in the kitch? I have some organic beef tips that are wishin' to get out of the freezer and into my crockpot for a good beef stew. Gotta put the leftover carrots, papas, onions and celery to good use! I wish my mom were around, I bet I could persuade her to roll out a few tortillas. Mine always come out way to thick and smallish. I got more work to do in that department.
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Ten on Tuesday
The fall has definitely inspired A LOT of activity at Morrison Manor. Weekends are booked and jam packed with family-fun activities; and with the holidays on the horizon there are no signs we'll be slowing down until sometime next year. Yowza. Today's Ten on Tuesday is all about Fall, Family, Fun, and Food. My four favorite Fs.
1. If you like outdoor sports and art then put Chattanooga, TN on your list of must-sees. We haven't spent near enough time down there. This past Saturday we ventured down south, with grandparents in tow, to check out the tail end of the River Rocks Festival. We couldn't have asked for better weather. What a colorful day we had! I especially enjoyed how the changing leaves complimented the very blue sky. Thanks "Chat" for a great day. Hasta un la otra vez!
2. Sunday was not to be out done by Saturday. No sir. We took Gavin to his first pumpkin patch and corn maze -- another beautiful, bright day in the outdoors. Gavin ran his little legs off. He has inherited his hyper color cheeks from both his parents. It doesn't take much to get him all hot and red faced. We are also more and more amazed by his strength and athletic ability, at such a young age. The "ball" he is holding was surely half his weight.
3. There was no time to waste between our time at Maple Lane Farm and Casey's co-ed soccer game. Gavin and I have missed Casey's last few games due to impossible logistics, nap time or poor weather. We were excited to finally get Gavin out on the pitch. I had envisioned standing on the sidelines as we cheered Casey on. Gavin was much more excited than we anticipated. We can't get this kid in a uniform and out on the field fast enough. I only have a few pics from pre warm-up because I spent the rest of the time keeping Gavin constantly distracted from running onto the field where "da-da" was playing. Gavin was NOT happy when he realized he would not be playing with Casey. So we dribbled the ball ourselves around various fields, played with players from other teams on other sidelines, ate Popsicles from the snack stand, found some sand to get dirty in, etc. etc. Needless to say we tuckered our little guy out somethin' good. He slept well.
4. Fall activities did not end just because the weekend was over. Last night we carved our pumpkins. Gavin was interested in this activity for about 5 seconds before wandering off into the backyard to, you guessed it, play with his soccer ball. He also toddled off the deck with our lighter stick, which is now hidden in his top secret hiding place, waiting to be found, hopefully before it rains. Casey and I carved the pumpkins and took turns being on "Gavin duty." We let Gavin eat al fresco while we worked! We now have a lovely family of pumpkins on our front stoop. Happy Halloween.
Daddy pumpkin, mommy pumpkin and baby pumpkin. Cheesy, we know, but we couldn't resist.
5. After we put Gavin down for the night, Casey and I settled in to finish disc three of Dexter's latest season. Instead of buttered popcorn, we had roasted pumpkin seeds. Yum! I still haven't found a recipe that I like. I can't ever get them crispy or dry enough. I would like to figure out how to have a crispy, dry-roasted seed. Anyhow, the seeds not being quite the way I was hoping did not stop us from eating them while watching our favorite serial killer.
The ingredients: butter, sea salt and cajun seasoning. We made two separate batches.
Seasoned
Ready to eat!
6. So with all this outdoor fall fun, we're neglecting our living room panel project. There's rain in our future though, so I am predicting a return to the indoors and hopefully some much needed progress on our beloved knotty pine bat cave.
7. I have no more excuses for not using my sewing machine now, but I just can't seem to find the time or motivation with everything else going on. If someone has a few hours of the day they aren't using, I'd be happy to buy them off of you. Maybe I can find some on Craigslist or Ebay?
8. This summer's and fall's academic endeavors have been one big fat bust. Prior to jumping head first into fall family fun, I made the very difficult decision to drop my Chemistry course. The same course I dropped this summer. I got through the first exam when I finally forced a moment of honesty with myself. My experience the second time around was so disproportionately negative than my first Chemistry class that my heart and my head just weren't into it. The instructor and TA this year were not near engaging and effective as the ones I had previously. I eventually owned up to the fact that I simply wasn't going to do as well as I wanted. I may have passed, but it certainly would not have been with flying colors. Anything less than an A or B is just unacceptable, especially after making a 4.0 in both my courses last spring. I'm on a roll people! I allowed myself a brief moment of feeling disappointed in myself and then moved on. Next semester I am taking a break from the basic sciences and adding some "green" experience to my resume. I'll be enrolled in a an upper level Plant Science course - Sustainable Agriculture and Organic Crop Production, coupled with a once-a-week Organic Farm-to-Market internship out on of the university farms. I am looking forward to networking with some sustainable ag folks and hopefully making some connections that will help in the future as I start planning the final stages of this massive career change. Some fresh air and scrumptious veggies will do me some good and hopefully rejuvenate my brain and spirit, before I put an end to Chemistry II once and for all and move the heck on! Bleh.
9. This week marks the one-month countdown to the marathon. Yikes! I've had to slow my roll if you know what I mean, while I nurse my gimp hip back to health. I've been doing A LOT more stretching and unfortunately have had to lay off the long runs. The good news I have not stopped running all together and I am still feeling strong, in shape and really excited about running my first marathon. And now that I don't have to literally race back to TN the same day as the marathon to make it to my Chemistry lab the very next day, I can actually relax a little and focus on the business of restoring my mind, body and spirit. Dropping that Chemistry course has released just enough pressure to bring a smile and renewed sense of excitement back into my daily doings. I am grateful for this, because there's stuff coming up on the horizon that I haven't even begun to blog about, even though Casey and I are toiling fast and furiously at them. We got some lofty goals that take precedent over my academic dreams of advanced degrees, for now at least.
10. Somehow I managed to get through almost an entire year without roasting a chicken! I used to roast a whole chicken maybe quarterly. I enjoyed trying different recipes and the leftovers really stretch. This week I'll be trying Ina Garten's lemon garlic roasted chicken. This will be good practice before roasting another certain, much larger bird, next month.
BONUS:
11. On Friday, while at dinner on our date night, Casey told me that I'm looking older and that he can see more wrinkles around my eyes. Special, huh? Makes me really look forward to the big 3-1 coming up next month. Me and my big, wrinkly eyes will be drowning our sorrow in chocolate sauce somewhere.
1. If you like outdoor sports and art then put Chattanooga, TN on your list of must-sees. We haven't spent near enough time down there. This past Saturday we ventured down south, with grandparents in tow, to check out the tail end of the River Rocks Festival. We couldn't have asked for better weather. What a colorful day we had! I especially enjoyed how the changing leaves complimented the very blue sky. Thanks "Chat" for a great day. Hasta un la otra vez!
2. Sunday was not to be out done by Saturday. No sir. We took Gavin to his first pumpkin patch and corn maze -- another beautiful, bright day in the outdoors. Gavin ran his little legs off. He has inherited his hyper color cheeks from both his parents. It doesn't take much to get him all hot and red faced. We are also more and more amazed by his strength and athletic ability, at such a young age. The "ball" he is holding was surely half his weight.
3. There was no time to waste between our time at Maple Lane Farm and Casey's co-ed soccer game. Gavin and I have missed Casey's last few games due to impossible logistics, nap time or poor weather. We were excited to finally get Gavin out on the pitch. I had envisioned standing on the sidelines as we cheered Casey on. Gavin was much more excited than we anticipated. We can't get this kid in a uniform and out on the field fast enough. I only have a few pics from pre warm-up because I spent the rest of the time keeping Gavin constantly distracted from running onto the field where "da-da" was playing. Gavin was NOT happy when he realized he would not be playing with Casey. So we dribbled the ball ourselves around various fields, played with players from other teams on other sidelines, ate Popsicles from the snack stand, found some sand to get dirty in, etc. etc. Needless to say we tuckered our little guy out somethin' good. He slept well.
4. Fall activities did not end just because the weekend was over. Last night we carved our pumpkins. Gavin was interested in this activity for about 5 seconds before wandering off into the backyard to, you guessed it, play with his soccer ball. He also toddled off the deck with our lighter stick, which is now hidden in his top secret hiding place, waiting to be found, hopefully before it rains. Casey and I carved the pumpkins and took turns being on "Gavin duty." We let Gavin eat al fresco while we worked! We now have a lovely family of pumpkins on our front stoop. Happy Halloween.
Daddy pumpkin, mommy pumpkin and baby pumpkin. Cheesy, we know, but we couldn't resist.
5. After we put Gavin down for the night, Casey and I settled in to finish disc three of Dexter's latest season. Instead of buttered popcorn, we had roasted pumpkin seeds. Yum! I still haven't found a recipe that I like. I can't ever get them crispy or dry enough. I would like to figure out how to have a crispy, dry-roasted seed. Anyhow, the seeds not being quite the way I was hoping did not stop us from eating them while watching our favorite serial killer.
The ingredients: butter, sea salt and cajun seasoning. We made two separate batches.
Seasoned
Ready to eat!
6. So with all this outdoor fall fun, we're neglecting our living room panel project. There's rain in our future though, so I am predicting a return to the indoors and hopefully some much needed progress on our beloved knotty pine bat cave.
7. I have no more excuses for not using my sewing machine now, but I just can't seem to find the time or motivation with everything else going on. If someone has a few hours of the day they aren't using, I'd be happy to buy them off of you. Maybe I can find some on Craigslist or Ebay?
8. This summer's and fall's academic endeavors have been one big fat bust. Prior to jumping head first into fall family fun, I made the very difficult decision to drop my Chemistry course. The same course I dropped this summer. I got through the first exam when I finally forced a moment of honesty with myself. My experience the second time around was so disproportionately negative than my first Chemistry class that my heart and my head just weren't into it. The instructor and TA this year were not near engaging and effective as the ones I had previously. I eventually owned up to the fact that I simply wasn't going to do as well as I wanted. I may have passed, but it certainly would not have been with flying colors. Anything less than an A or B is just unacceptable, especially after making a 4.0 in both my courses last spring. I'm on a roll people! I allowed myself a brief moment of feeling disappointed in myself and then moved on. Next semester I am taking a break from the basic sciences and adding some "green" experience to my resume. I'll be enrolled in a an upper level Plant Science course - Sustainable Agriculture and Organic Crop Production, coupled with a once-a-week Organic Farm-to-Market internship out on of the university farms. I am looking forward to networking with some sustainable ag folks and hopefully making some connections that will help in the future as I start planning the final stages of this massive career change. Some fresh air and scrumptious veggies will do me some good and hopefully rejuvenate my brain and spirit, before I put an end to Chemistry II once and for all and move the heck on! Bleh.
9. This week marks the one-month countdown to the marathon. Yikes! I've had to slow my roll if you know what I mean, while I nurse my gimp hip back to health. I've been doing A LOT more stretching and unfortunately have had to lay off the long runs. The good news I have not stopped running all together and I am still feeling strong, in shape and really excited about running my first marathon. And now that I don't have to literally race back to TN the same day as the marathon to make it to my Chemistry lab the very next day, I can actually relax a little and focus on the business of restoring my mind, body and spirit. Dropping that Chemistry course has released just enough pressure to bring a smile and renewed sense of excitement back into my daily doings. I am grateful for this, because there's stuff coming up on the horizon that I haven't even begun to blog about, even though Casey and I are toiling fast and furiously at them. We got some lofty goals that take precedent over my academic dreams of advanced degrees, for now at least.
10. Somehow I managed to get through almost an entire year without roasting a chicken! I used to roast a whole chicken maybe quarterly. I enjoyed trying different recipes and the leftovers really stretch. This week I'll be trying Ina Garten's lemon garlic roasted chicken. This will be good practice before roasting another certain, much larger bird, next month.
BONUS:
11. On Friday, while at dinner on our date night, Casey told me that I'm looking older and that he can see more wrinkles around my eyes. Special, huh? Makes me really look forward to the big 3-1 coming up next month. Me and my big, wrinkly eyes will be drowning our sorrow in chocolate sauce somewhere.
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