How do you measure true friendship?

For me, there is a categorical system... You have your acquaintance friends, your going-out-on-the-town-friends, your work friends and so forth.

But the top, top tier of friendship are those friends that you show up on their doorstep when all hell is breaking loose and they willingly let you in.  Not only that, but they also feed you, let you sleep in their bed, take care of your sniffling baby, know when to refill your wine glass, listen to you as you cry about your troubles, help recharge your batteries and make you laugh so much that your face hurts.  You walk away feeling whole again.  Yes, that is indeed the top tier of friendship.

And David and I are crazy lucky because we have hit the jackpot over and over again when it comes to top tier friendship. We have a long list of friends to turn to when those "oh crap" moments happen in life.  That top tier friendship theory was tested this past week when we went to see our friends, Amanda and BJ.

There is really no other way to say it except to say that the last few weeks have been exceptionally hard on a lot of different fronts.  And last week was especially crappy.  I lost a pregnancy.  This little being that we loved so much but would never have a chance to meet. Our one big fat silver lining that kept us smiling through our troubles slipped away from us and we were devastated.  Truth be told, we still are.

With heavy hearts and tired bodies, we boarded a plane for Mobile, Alabama to go see our friends.  The trip had been planned for a while.  And with this recent news, we had thoughts about cancelling it.  But after much discussion, we knew that we needed this trip more than ever.  If for no other reason than to just escape from reality for a while.

And escape we did!

 

On Saturday, Amanda and I had the most blissful couple of hours all by ourselves on the beach while the dads and kids were napping.  It was awesome.  While sitting there, I told her my theory that the ocean washes all your troubles away and that I was in desperate need of a good scrubbing.  Well, the ocean had a field day with me this trip.

 

 

But I also think that the good conversation, yummy food, and bit too much wine helped a lot too.

Thank you so much Amanda and BJ.  Yall are truly a blessing and I feel lucky to know you.

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We're back!

As I type this half-emptied suitcases, toys, coffee cups, books, and loads of laundry are piled up all around my house and are starting to gang up together to create a massive jungle gym reminiscent of the TV show Wipeout. 

Can't talk too long for fear that one of those laundry piles might take Little B hostage.  And as much as she would not mind, wearing dirty, sandy bathing suit bottoms on your head is frowned upon in this house.

But I will say that we had the most amazing time.  Our vacation brought us home happy, exhausted, and with a few more freckles.  More details later this week.

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Live life like you mean it

Taking a little break... but not for too long.  Just for a few days.  To catch my breath.  Put my feet in some sand.  Drink some wine. Catch up with old friends. Snuggle with babies. This break will be good for my soul.  I am going to go live life like I mean it.

via

We will catch up soon enough... in a few days.  Until then, have fun and live life like you mean it.

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From my bookshelf: Unbroken

Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand
My rating: 5 out of 5 stars

A few weeks back, I read the book, Unbroken, by Laura Hillenbrand (author of Seabiscuit).  This was a book club pick and everyone was super excited that it was chosen.  Who knew that our little group could be so excited about a biography!

Unbroken is the biography of Louis Zamperini.  Zamp is best known as a runner who competed in the 1936 Berlin Olympics as the youngest US athlete to make the team.  But what makes his life even more extraordinary is what he went on to do when WWII broke out... joining the military, a plane crash, 47 days lost at sea, battles with sharks, enduring the abuse as a Japanese prisoner of war, and listed as dead by the US military.  All of that, kind of makes the running look easy.

His insane, harrowing story of survival is incredible.   I will admit, that the details of torture when Zamp was in the prisoner of war camps were difficult to read.  Even though I knew that Zamp survives, I could not put this book down for I needed to know HOW he survived.

I am so impressed with this man and I wonder what made him so special that he was able to persevere  when so many others could not.  Was it his positivity, courage, intelligence, mischievous ways, pure spite?

This book is a keeper.  The story of human survival is amazing.  I learned so much more about the Japanese and their history and culture.  And like all good books these days, rumor has it that Universal Studios has bought the rights to make a movie.  So hurry up and read the book before the movie comes out.

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Letting go and jumping in

Today I took Little B to her first day at school.  Well, actually it is more of mother's day out.  But she calls it school.  And it feels like a milestone. 

My little baby is growing up.  Today she is learning her numbers and yet it seems like tomorrow she will be learning how to drive.

Her first day of school was harder for me than it was for her.  She skipped with happiness, with her new Elmo backpack on and her hand in mine, as we opened the door to greet her teacher, Mrs. Tanya.  And with one last look over her shoulder at me and a quick "bye mama", she was off to do all the wonderous things that one does in school.  Little Miss Independent... just like her mama.

This week has been tough for me with a lot of rawness to it.  And the theme of it is all about letting go.  Letting go of a dream that just isn't going to happen (at least not right now).  Letting go of your little one's hand as she goes to school.  Saying goodbye to someone that you are not quite ready to. Letting go of expectations of what you want your life to be in order to appreciate the life that you currently have. 

Slowly but surely, I will get there.  I will let go.

Eventually I will put away the worries and stress and feelings of vulnerability to focus on the reality of today.  Because today is beautiful.  My beautiful girl with her confident smile as she goes in to meet her new friends.  My amazing friends and family that just get me and know what I need before I even do.  My husband who holds my hand through all my crazy life adventures.

Any person that lives life like they mean it will stumble.  And when that happens it is hard not to look at this world and be overcome by the fragility of it all.  But part of living life like you mean it is that after you have a little breather on the side lines to lick your wounds, you get back up and jump back in.  That is just what you do.

Maybe that is why I am so proud of my girl today.  No standing on the side lines for her. No way.  She just jumped right in.

Here's to jumping right in.

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Weekending

Ice Cream!

Goodies for the Etsy shop

"Elmo Backpack" is the mandatory accessory that must accompany us everywhere

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From my kitchen: Homemade Taco Seasoning

Last night, I had such a craving for tacos in a bad, bad way.  So bad, that if I did not eat them for dinner that night, I would most likely be spending the rest of the night thinking about it instead of sleeping.

I had all the major ingredients on hand... ground turkey meat, taco shells, tomatoes, salsa, cheese.  But I was missing one crucial piece - taco seasoning.  Doh!

No worries, I would just mix up the spices on my own.  The result was good.  All the spices I used were stuff that I already had in the pantry and I feel good knowing that were no unwanted extras (MSG, sodium, etc) that you often find in the store bought stuff.  And really, it takes less that 3 minutes to blend everything together. 

No need to buy packets ever again!  Woohoo!

Homemade Taco Seasoning

2 tbsp chili powder

2 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp red pepper flakes

2 tbsp paprika

3 tbsp ground cumin

1 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tsp salt

Combine all the ingredients in a bowl, mix well and you are done!

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City Mouse... Country Mouse...

... which one am I?

I get so confused.  Like my mind is in this stagnant no-man's land of indecision.

Growing up I lived in a typical suburb right outside of Dallas. Houses side by side with green, manicured lawns that you ran across at Halloween going door to door. 5 different grocery stores all within 5 minutes from your doorstep.  So many restaurants so close... you just had to choose your craving.  My high school was huge.  I graduated with 1200 other teenage souls.

I could not wait to get out and leave that suburb in the dust.  I went to Texas A&M for college.  I think part of me imagined that it would be the country life that I had always wanted to experience.  And while College Station may be a small town, A&M is huge sprawling campus with over 43,000 students.  So while my wide open spaces were a bit closer and there were definitely a lot more horses hanging around, A&M might as well have been a city in itself.

Fast forward since then, I have lived in Dallas, Houston, and now Austin... all within the city limits.  Dallas I did not like so much... too much concrete jungle, not enough green.  In Houston we lived inside the loop just outside of downtown.  It was surprisingly very green, but also very humid.  And we had to drive at least an hour to find wide open space.  Now Austin I love.  Well, at least I used to.

When David and I moved to Austin in 2003, we were in heaven.  Austin's vibe is less big city and more small town with a lot of people.  The slogan is "Keep Austin Weird".  And that translates into supporting local shops, restaurants, farms, etc.  So you used to not see very many chains here.  It was nice.  And then you add the gorgeous lakes, hills, and green, it just makes it that much better.  Wide open spaces are easy to find.  Town Lake is right in the middle of the city.  Pace Bend Park, one of our favorite camping spots, is less than 30 minutes away.  It is awesome.

But Austin is changing.  The downtown that used to be so quirky and fun is starting to look more like Dallas and Houston with its condos and high rise buildings.  Big companies are buying out the little ones.  And with this drought, nothing is green right now.  The Austin American Statesman (the local paper) had an article saying that with the changing weather pattern and the influx of people moving to Austin, the water supply can not handle the changes.  And therefore, Austin will become more of an arid climate and landscape.  Not good.

So while I love that I can get farm vegetables delivered to my house, that the library is right around the corner and that Target is less than 5 minutes away when we have an emergency diaper shortage, I am back to my life long dilemma.

I like the idea of living somewhere smaller.  Having lots of space with plenty of sun to grow my dream vegetable garden.  Letting Little B run wild in the yard without worrying about fast cars or weird people walking down the street.  I like the idea of being able to go to a festival/football game/fair/Saturday date night and not have to deal with 1 million out-of-towners that have descended upon the city. And most of all, I want Little B to know all the people in her school.  No introducing yourself to the person next to you at graduation.

But would I miss the convenience?  Would I get lonely?  What if the library sucks?  I am sure there are drawbacks that I don't know about.

So I am back at my question... City mouse?  ... Country mouse?

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Fort building at its finest

Little B had a friend over the other day.  And since playing outside is not option right now, we did the next best thing.

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From my kitchen: Cinnamon Salt Brownies

My dad's birthday is today.  And while I could get him a book, or a shirt, or crazy flux-capacitor type thing for his computers, I know the real way to his heart is with food.  Really, I should be more specific... let's be honest here.  The way to my dad's heart is with dessert.  Oooey-gooey, lick-your-fingers-good dessert.  So knowing that, Little B and I will be making Cinnamon Salt Brownies just for him.

These are so good.  The first time I made them, my husband and I ate all of them in one evening.  Don't get all judgey on me!  Because if you make them, that may soon be you sitting on the couch with a fork in hand while you scrape every last brownie bit out of the pan.

But I promise you, these brownies are worth every extra lap that you have to run in order to eat them.  So in honor of my dad's birthday today, I give you Cinnamon Salt Brownies.

Cinnamon Salt Brownies

adapted from smitten kitchen

10 tablespoons butter

1 1/4 cups sugar

3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons  unsweetened cocoa powder

1/4 teaspoon coarse salt

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 large eggs, cold

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

Preheat the oven to 325°F.

Combine the butter, sugar, cocoa, and salt in a medium heatproof bowl and place in the microwave, cooking in 30 second increments as not to over cook. Stir after each 30 seconds. Cook until butter is melted, and ingredients are well combined--it looks fairly gritty at this point, but it smooths out once the eggs and flour are added. If you don't have a microwave, a double boiler will work just the same.

Stir in the vanilla with a wooden spoon. Add the eggs one at a time, stirring vigorously after each one. When the batter looks thick, shiny, and well blended, add the flour and stir until you cannot see it any longer, then beat vigorously for 40 strokes with the wooden spoon or a rubber spatula. Spread evenly in the lined pan.

Bake until a toothpick plunged into the center emerges slightly moist with batter, 20 to 25 minutes.

Dig in with a fork.....or if you are patient,  let cool completely on a rack and then  lift up the ends of the parchment or foil liner, and transfer the brownies to a cutting board. Cut into squares.

Happy birthday dad!!!

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Meal Planning Monday

• Monday: Dinner with my girl, Pansy!


• Tuesday: Slow cooker round steak with wheat berry salad


• Wednesday: Cajun chicken salad


• Thursday: Leftovers


• Friday: Spaghetti

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82 degrees

This week was a brutal one.  It was one of those weeks when everything that could go wrong did go wrong - expensive car issues, scary doctor visit (everything turned out ok), crazy work stuff, ridiculous electric bills, temper tantrums, cooking failures, etc.  Stress levels were at an all time high.  Both David and I had hit our limit of BS on Wednesday... that makes for a very long week.

My typical MO during times like this is to lace up the running shoes and run until I had either mentally worked myself back to happiness and/or a solution to our woes or I was too worn out running to care about whatever problems were previously bothering me.  If you follow this blog at all, you know how frustrated I am with this intense, record-breaking heat wave and drought that we are having in Texas.  It is seriously affecting my coping mechanism of running.  It is just too dang hot.  The ERs are full of people dealing with heat stroke and I don't want to be one of them.  So for now, running is out of the question.

As this week dealt us blow after blow, I whispered a prayer with each one.  I wasn't specific about my request, I just asked for something positive, big or small to come our way.  Something that I could shift my focus to when all hell was breaking loose on other fronts.

Well, I got a little bit of that request delivered today.

When I woke up, the sky was overcast... teasing of rain, but I know better than to get my hopes up.  But it did block out the relentless sun pounding down.  And with that it was a cool 82 degrees at 8:00 this morning. Ha!  Actually it was more like a sticky, humid 82 degrees... but still 82 degrees is nothing to balk at these days. 

So while David and Little B headed off to swim lessons, I pulled my running shoes out from the depths of my  closet and put them on.  Armed with nothing but my ipod, I hit the pavement.  At first my muscles were in a state of shock wondering what the heck I was doing to them.  But after a block, the rhythm of my feet hitting the pavement was good. That old familiar sound I had not heard in a while was music to my ears. 

Now I only ran 30 minutes and I was drenched in sweat when I got back to the house.  But I didn't care.  It was a good run if for no other reason than to show me that I still got it. 

I didn't solve all of our problems on this morning's run, but I did get a preview of better times to come.  And that gives me hope. Fall is right around the corner.  The season of silver linings.  To me fall is all about crisp morning runs, pumpkins on the porch, cute boots, vanilla candles, sipping coffee on the patio, roasted root vegetables, and playing outside all day long.

Now I would not be against God sending a few more positive things my way, but I am sure am thankful for my run this morning.

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This is how you get your kids to eat their vegetables

You try to take a picture of the vegetables. 

She helped me pick them this morning from the garden and therefore fully believes that they solely belong to her.  I understand.  I get territorial around tomatoes too.

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diy: Best Ever Bubble Potion

It all started with a jar.

I was recently at a thrift store and came across the most amazing glass jar that had a spicket/dispenser at the bottom.  It was one of those old school containers that have thick glass and look like something that you would fill with iced tea and put on table next to a porch swing (sigh, someday I will have a fabulous porch swing).  Anyways, this beauty of jar was pleading with me to take it home.  And for $1, I did just that.

But what to put in it?  Iced tea... maybe, but then it would just sit in the fridge.  Little B's art supplies... no.  And then the idea came to me.  Something that would make my little one dance her happy dance every time she saw it... Bubble Potion!

So I whipped up a batch of Bubble Potion and put it in the jar.  I think it looks nice (though that is just a temporary label until I think of something better) and no more messy bubble residue all over everything.

This Bubble Potion beats anything you will find in the stores.  And you most likely already have all of the ingredients.  I swear it makes the BEST BUBBLES EVER!  And yes, that statement has been confirmed by my almost-2-year-old Bubble Expert.

Bubble Potion

1-1/2 quarts of water

1/2 cup light corn syrup

1 cup liquid dish soap

Mix the water and corn syrup first until well blended.  Then slowly stir in the soap.  This concoction will last several weeks in an airtight container.

And as a side note, this is my favorite gift to take to little kids' birthday parties.  Just put some bubble potion in a cute jar and put it with one of those bubble wands that you find in Target dollar bin.  It is inexpensive and a sure-fire winner.  I have yet to meet a kid that does not like bubbles.

Happy bubble-making!

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From my kitchen: Cajun Chicken Salad

In an attempt to not turn on the oven during this heat wave, we have been purchasing a lot of rotisserie chickens.  But there are only so many chicken sandwiches a girl can eat. This is where Cajun Chicken Salad comes in.

It is so easy to make.  You can eat it on bread, on lettuce, on a cracker or directly off the spoon.  I don't judge.  It is that good!

Cajun Chicken Salad

1 rotisserie chicken, shredded

1 red onion, diced

1 cup chopped cilantro

1-2 cups mayo

1-2 tbsp dijon mustard

1-2 splashes of apple cider vinegar

1 cup chopped cilantro

3 tbsp smoked paprika

1/2 tbsp red pepper flakes

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp salt

Pile all the ingredients into a big bowl and mix.  Rotisserie chickens can vary so much with their own seasoning. So make sure you taste it as you go along and increase/decrease the spices according to what you like.  You like it a little spicier, then add more red pepper flakes.  Hate cilantro, then replace with basil. 

I love the flexibility of this dish.  I love the amazing color - The paprika gives it that amazing, delicious orange while the onion and cilantro provide a pop of purple and green.

I often eat it for lunch because it is quick to just grab out of the fridge.  But you could also serve this as an appetizer or main course.

I promise you.  If you make this dish, it will not last long.

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CSA

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Scenes from the weekend

 

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Happy Anniversary to my parents

36 years together.  That is awesome!

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Meal Planning Monday

My goal is to not turn on the oven at all this week.  With temps forecasted to hit 108, 110, and 112, "Oven" has become a dirty four letter word.  So that translates to lots of grillin' this week. 

Monday: Rosemary pork chops and grilled peaches
Tuesday: Beet, basil, and goat cheese pizza - a twist on this pizza
Wednesday: Turkey sliders and sweet potato fries
Thursday: Grilled trout with goat cheese stuffed poblanos
Friday: Wheat berry salad mixed with feta, swiss chard, tomatoes, and summer squash

Do you have your own version of Meal Planning Mondays? If so, I would love to read about it. Please share a link to your menu in a comment. I love a little recipe inspiration!

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Happy Friday

This is going to be a quick post as Little B has just learned how to open doors... all of them... including the front door.  So there will be an emergency trip to Target to purchase child-proof door knob covers.  And then I am off to hang with my girls later this evening.

So in order to kick this weekend off right, I leave you with this cute YouTube video.

David's brother has a bulldog named Amos that looks a lot like this one.  Little B calls him "Pig" - which I find hilarious.  Anyways, Oscar, if you are reading, what do you think about getting a trampoline for the backyard?  I think Amos (aka Pig) would love it!

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Hummus is the new peanut butter

According to Women's Health magazine, "hummus is the new peanut butter."

Ummm... Yeah!  I have only been saying that my whole life.  I am such a trend setter on this one.

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What I am loving...

I must admit that I am struggling with this post today.

I am having a hard time focusing on things that bring me joy.  Instead my mind is constantly frustrated with this no-end-in-sight heat wave and drought, the talk of rolling "brown-outs" (aka planned blackouts) to deal with the overload on the electricity grid, Little B's  ongoing sleep strike and early appearance of the terrible twos, my crickety, sore shoulders from sleeping in a bed that is not mine and a few other private family things.

All in all, I am cranky.

But I think that when life gets like this, it is even more important to focus on the positive, even though it may be harder to find.  So here goes nothing!

I am loving...

:: Rotisserie chicken from the store - the perfect convenience food to feed the entire family without turning on the oven.  Amen!

:: The latest Sookie Stackhouse/True Blood book, Dead Reckoning. Nothing like trashy vampire fiction set in hot Louisiana to make this girl smile.

:: It is good to be home.  We were in New Braunfels at my parents house for a full week.  And while it was wonderful spending most of our time in a pool that has the most breathtaking view of the Texas Hill Country,  I am very happy to be home, sleeping in my own bed and getting back to a routine of sorts.

 :: Book club is tonight.  We are talking about the book, Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption.  Wine, good company, intelligent adult conversation - yes, please!

:: My gang of girls is coming in town tomorrow to celebrate 2 birthdays.  We are all so tired we will probably just end up on someone's couch drinking wine... and that sounds like heaven.  This group of girls can cheer me up like nothing else.  This photo is missing a few faces from the gang.  I will have to work on remedying that this weekend.

:: My sweet husband who gets me.  He knows, often before I do, when I have reached my limit and is always there to step in and take over so that I can catch my breath.

I am all about sharing in each others happiness.  I think happiness can be contagious. So spread the happiness virus and tell me what is making you happy this week.

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