comfort food

Last night I made this recipe for baked chicken and mashed potatoes. I started making it when I was pregnant and it has never failed me. This is actually the only way I know how to make mashed potatoes (with buttermilk...mash with a fork). I made it easier on myself by skipping the cornflakes/wheat germ and just using regular breadcrumbs. I also use little red potatoes and don't peel them.

library reading room

I took Meg to the library yesterday, only to find that the song/story time for babies is on hiatus for a few weeks. This led me to wander around and find a great little room (with a door so Meg could walk around and be loud) filled with baby books and rocking chairs! I have walked past this room many times, not realizing what a perfect place it is for Meg.

consistency challenge 8.08

Every August, it seems, I lose the motivation to run. It is so hot, I need to wake up extra early in order not to melt. The waking up extra early part, historically, has never lasted long. So.....

You are welcome to join me in the Consistency Challenge 8.08! What it is: you name your fitness goal (mine is to run 30 minutes minimum, 6 days a week). The challenge is to follow through on your goal the entire month of August. In addition to my daily blog post, I will post the daily results of each participant in the Challenge (you leave me your results via "comments"). If you are up for it, leave a comment with your name and goal and I will add you to the list.

emily's wedding: part 2

Today I will share some more photos of the beautiful garden wedding I went to this past weekend. The above photo is not very good (it was so hot I had condensation on my lens!) but it gives an idea. Most people came prepared for the sun with their shades and parasols (below).

Emily's beautiful dress and flower in her hair (below), with her husband Matt and cousin Kirsten.

We did not all plan to match...Mark, me, Katheryne, Mark (below).

emily's wedding

We just got back from my cousin Emily's wedding in northern Virginia. I will post more pictures probably tomorrow, but I thought I'd share some photos of us (Emily's aunts and cousins) creating the centerpieces and other flower arrangements. The wedding took place in an absolutely gorgeous setting - the ceremony was outside in a formal garden and the reception was under a pavillion nearby. I didn't crop the photo above because the ceiling of the pavillion was so beautiful I couldn't leave it out!

(above): Aunt Carol and Aunt Beth and some just-begun centerpieces. (below): the finished centerpieces with the table numbers that Emily embroidered by hand.

Here (below) is a close-up photo of one of the table numbers that Emily (in photo above with pink dress) embroidered. The detail was amazing. She said she might use them again some day in a baby's room. I thought that was a wonderful idea.

virginia trip: day 3

Today we fly from D.C. to Atlanta, then drive home [and pick up Meg in Macon, GA - our first trip apart from her! (sniffle).]

virginia trip: day 2

This morning all of the women in our family will pick and cut the flowers for my cousin's wedding and put together the bouquets. I think this is a great idea and so special. I will post pictures when I get back.

virginia trip: day 1

Today we fly from Atlanta to Washington, D.C. for my cousin Emily's wedding on Saturday. I am so excited! Tonight's agenda: rehearsal dinner with my entire extended family here.

digestives

Last night Mark surprised me with a roll of McVitie's Digestives (the kind with dark chocolate on them). I had forgotten how much I love these - they are addictive once you start eating them. A delicious cookie with an awful name! These are everywhere in the U.K. but you can buy them at World Market here.

bathtime

Meg's baths are not a nightly occurrence, but almost. We used to bathe her only a few times a week because she was never dirty, but now...that's not the case. I love the smell of a clean baby.

the king of kong

I saw The King of Kong this weekend. It is a documentary on 2 guys who are competing for the world's top Donkey Kong score. I am not in the least interested in Donkey Kong but I think this is an awesome movie anyway.

coupon world

This week I learned all about grocery coupons - there is much more than meets the eye! There is an entire coupon subculture where people trade tips and coupons to get the best grocery deals possible. I have never been much of a coupon clipper because I thought it was a waste of time (only for processed foods, only for overpriced name brands, etc.), but boy, was I wrong. I am just a coupon rookie, but I reaped the benefits of my new knowledge at Publix yesterday with my $45 bill for an entire week's worth of groceries.

forest meadows trails

This morning I was here. A Saturday morning jog at the Forest Meadows trails is usually one of the highlights of my week. This photo doesn't really do it justice...it's gorgeous rain or shine, every season. This time of year I try to go pretty early before it gets too hot.

plumbago

The plumbago in our front yard is not quite as fantastic as this photo, but it is definitely alive and well. I have a thing for blue flowers.

parsley

With my gardening background, I am seriously thrilled when something stays alive. A friend gave us a big parsley plant over a month ago and I have done nothing to it except place it in a spot where I thought it would get the right amount of sun. It is flourishing and I love that I can just go outside, snip a few sprigs, and throw it in whatever I'm cooking.

surprise package

I got a wonderful surprise on my doorstep yesterday...a box from my mother-in-law filled with adorable fabric! She said it made her think of Meg and I think she is right - I can visualize all sorts of little dresses coming from these. I am definitely inspired to get a move on with my sewing. Thank you, Nancy!

publix flowers

I am not a flower expert by any means, but I love them. I started buying fresh flowers for my desk at work when I was sad about not being able to be outside during the spring months. I don't get them all the time but I should since they make me feel good to have them around and they are so inexpensive...$3 for this big bunch at Publix.

the working poor

I have been wanting to read this book for a few months and finally have borrowed it from my brother. It is definitely worth reading for insight on what it's like to be poor in the U.S. today. I'm not even halfway through but one interesting common theme throughout all the stories is that none of the workers portrayed in the book have time/energy to cook their own food. I never really thought about how the ability to cook our meals at home is a luxury - we are used to thinking the opposite. It is far more economical and nutritious than eating out (at most restaurants).

baked ziti

[photo courtesy www.allrecipes.com.] I made this recipe for baked ziti last night. It is hard to mess up, which is why I like it so much. Other pros: you can make it meatless, it freezes and thaws well, you can put it in two 8x8 pans instead of a 9x13 and freeze one, and it's less time consuming than a lasagna.

bonnie

This is my dear and lovely friend Bonnie. We have been friends since freshman year at Miami University (so...13 years??), when we would share clothes, eat in the dining hall together at almost every meal, and listen to Rusted Root. :) She just moved to Savannah after living in NYC, Baltimore, and Colorado. She has her MFA in poetry and is going to be teaching at Armstrong Atlantic State University. I am so excited to have her in the southeast!!

laundry room reorg

I have never been a good housekeeper. But I always feel better when I muster up the motivation to organize a part of the house. This, I'm sorry to say, is what my laundry room looked like until about a month ago:
And after a few trips to Lowe's I have a still-unglamorous but much more efficient room. Ahh...feels much better.

first steps

Meg took her first steps last night (multiple times)! She was walking between us on the floor chasing after her very favorite toy, the spare house key. She is such a sweet baby. I kiss her about 100 times a day and will continue to do so until it's no longer appropriate.

lake ella

On Wednesday afternoons I like to go to Lake Ella with Meg. There is a farmers' market and I'm pretty sure all the produce is organically grown. After the farmers' market, I take Meg around the lake a few times in the stroller. I love that all types of people (and animals too, for that matter) congregate there. [photo courtesy http://farm1.static.flickr.com.]

asian chicken salad

This recipe for asian chicken salad is a dinner staple at my SIL Katheryne's house and is quickly spreading through the extended family and becoming a staple in our houses, too. It is SO good and you can put your own spin on it by adding or omitting toppings. I'm having people over for dinner this weekend and I will make this since the weather is so hot.

road trip recap

We are home safely and soundly after an amazing trip. Our timing was bittersweet...we got to Ft. Wayne, Indiana, just after my Grandma Becky passed away, but there was no place better to be than to be surrounded by family. [note to family members who want the photos larger: press the "HD" button at the bottom of the slide show box.]

road trip: day 10

Today we drive to Tallahassee from Anderson, SC. Home at last.

road trip: day 9

Last full day in Anderson, SC!

road trip: day 8

Happy 4th of July! We are in Anderson, SC. Here's a good article on how to take care of your flag:

http://www.bhg.com/holidays/july-4th/traditions/how-to-display-the-flag/.

road trip: day 7

Thursday we will still be in Anderson, SC. I will post pictures after I get home. Mark is driving up to join us today....YAY!

road trip: day 6

Wednesday we will drive from Bloomington, Indiana, to my parents' home in Anderson, South Carolina. Hopefully I will be able to post real blogs at this point! This is what I will probably be doing in SC: swimming, boating, rowing, running, playing games (pitch, gin, dominoes, h-o-r-s-e, sequence, and apples to apples), napping, and eating. I can't wait.

road trip: day 5

Tuesday we will drive from Fort Wayne, Indiana, to Bloomington, Indiana, to see my cousin Kirsten, her husband Tom, and their sons Zachary and Ethan (below).