We hope ya'll are doing well and had a great Christmas. We went to see the movie Tangled this morning, too. It was adorable. You'll love it; go see it.
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Return to the South
Hey, blog friends! Sorry it's been awhile. I know you've probably been aching for a new entry from us. Sorry. But I have one for you today! We have just returned from a very busy 12 days back in the good ole South. A few days in Memphis with Brian's family then to Arkansas to spend some time with mine. Then back to Memphis and back home to Seattle. Whew. The first few days home were truly exhausting, but great. I think we had our days packed from beginning to end trying to cram people in, and we still didn't see everyone we wanted to. We did manage to squeeze in some BBQ eating though. Christmas was great. We got a lot of wedding planning done (er... kind of). And now we're back in home sweet home, which is nice. Today I convinced Brian to walk to the beach with me. He only agreed to make this 6 mile trip to get advance forgiveness for watching a lot of football over the next few days or weeks or however long this whole bowl game thing lasts. Despite the chilly weather, it was a lovely walk. We really do live in a beautiful place.
We hope ya'll are doing well and had a great Christmas. We went to see the movie Tangled this morning, too. It was adorable. You'll love it; go see it.
We hope ya'll are doing well and had a great Christmas. We went to see the movie Tangled this morning, too. It was adorable. You'll love it; go see it.
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Makin' banana pancakes pretend that it's the weekend now...
This was my breakfast yesterday. Banana pancakes. They were deeeeelicious. Mmm mmm mmm. There is something about making pancakes that just brings back the best memories... cooking breakfast at the Oxley house as kids sleepily stumble out one by one... staying up late with my roommates snacking on them... going to my lovely friends' house last semester for brunch on Saturdays... Good times, good times. Anyway, this was a spur of the moment pancake making experience, so I did not have my handy dandy bisquick pancake mix. So I had my very first experience making them from scratch. I will never go back. This was the greatest recipe ever. And of course, my friends, I will share it with you.
I wish I could take credit for this recipe, but I can't. It's from the Food Network's How to Boil Water cookbook.
This recipe makes about 8 large or 12 small pancakes:
1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg (optional, and I just used ground nutmeg I had)
2 large eggs, room temp.
1 1/4 c. milk
Dash pure vanilla extract (abt. 1/4 teaspoon)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter (I used a bit less. That's a lotta butta)
1 banana, sliced
1. Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg, if using, in a large bowl.
2. Beat the eggs in another bowl. Whisk in half of the milk and the vanilla.
3. In a small saucepan over low heat, melt the butter with the remaining milk, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat. Stir or whisk into the egg mixture. (Note: I just did that in the microwave instead of on the stove)
4. Pour wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and whisk until a thick batter forms (a few lumps are ok).
5. Now make the pancakes! Pour a pancake sized bit of batter on the skillet and then place the banana slices in the batter immediately. Flip when ready. Then eat. Yum yum yummmmm.
-K.
Hi!!! It's, Brian. I'm posting in the midst of Katie's because I just felt like it. So, school is almost over; I'm going to our last family lunch of the quarter today. Hopefully we keep it going in the coming quarters, but I kinda' fear we won't as we all go join our separate groups. But oh, well. For breakfast the other day I had oatmeal. Like I always do. And it was meh, as it always is. But it makes a nice breakfast since I have to go ride the hot/humid/smelly bus for 40 minutes right afterwards. I've been sick recently but now i'm on 'roids so it should be clearing up (and it is). Well I dont think Katie likes me sitting on her lap like this, so I'm gonna' head out to school and work on my math final (we have 8 hours to complete a single problem) and then I'll be done! Hoorah. Maybe I will see some of you grand folks over Christmas break!? Look forward to it! :)
I wish I could take credit for this recipe, but I can't. It's from the Food Network's How to Boil Water cookbook.
This recipe makes about 8 large or 12 small pancakes:
1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg (optional, and I just used ground nutmeg I had)
2 large eggs, room temp.
1 1/4 c. milk
Dash pure vanilla extract (abt. 1/4 teaspoon)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter (I used a bit less. That's a lotta butta)
1 banana, sliced
1. Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg, if using, in a large bowl.
2. Beat the eggs in another bowl. Whisk in half of the milk and the vanilla.
3. In a small saucepan over low heat, melt the butter with the remaining milk, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat. Stir or whisk into the egg mixture. (Note: I just did that in the microwave instead of on the stove)
4. Pour wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and whisk until a thick batter forms (a few lumps are ok).
5. Now make the pancakes! Pour a pancake sized bit of batter on the skillet and then place the banana slices in the batter immediately. Flip when ready. Then eat. Yum yum yummmmm.
-K.
Hi!!! It's, Brian. I'm posting in the midst of Katie's because I just felt like it. So, school is almost over; I'm going to our last family lunch of the quarter today. Hopefully we keep it going in the coming quarters, but I kinda' fear we won't as we all go join our separate groups. But oh, well. For breakfast the other day I had oatmeal. Like I always do. And it was meh, as it always is. But it makes a nice breakfast since I have to go ride the hot/humid/smelly bus for 40 minutes right afterwards. I've been sick recently but now i'm on 'roids so it should be clearing up (and it is). Well I dont think Katie likes me sitting on her lap like this, so I'm gonna' head out to school and work on my math final (we have 8 hours to complete a single problem) and then I'll be done! Hoorah. Maybe I will see some of you grand folks over Christmas break!? Look forward to it! :)
Friday, December 10, 2010
Heaven in a Loaf Pan
Here in the Strickland-Swift household, we are... how do you say it?... addicted. To chocolate chip pumpkin bread. We want to make your lives better, so here's the recipe. I strongly suggest you go buy ingredients and make it pronto. You won't regret it. Until you gain 10 pounds. But trust me, it's worth it.
This recipe has kind of odd measurements, b/c I halved it to make just 1 loaf. Double it if you want 2. Haha, I guess you could have figured that out, right? Here's the ingredients:
1 1/2 c.sugar
1/4 c. vegetable oil
1/4 c. apple sauce (if you don't have this, just use vegetable oil instead)
2 eggs
1 c. canned pumpkin
1/3 c. water
1 2/3 c all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3/4 to 1 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips (yum yum)
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a loaf pan. Mix sugar and oil/apple sauce with mixer. Add eggs and blend. Add pumpkin and blend. Add water and blend. Combine remaining ingredients and add slowly. Fill pans equally and bake for 1 hour until golden brown.
Enjoy, all.
This recipe has kind of odd measurements, b/c I halved it to make just 1 loaf. Double it if you want 2. Haha, I guess you could have figured that out, right? Here's the ingredients:
1 1/2 c.sugar
1/4 c. vegetable oil
1/4 c. apple sauce (if you don't have this, just use vegetable oil instead)
2 eggs
1 c. canned pumpkin
1/3 c. water
1 2/3 c all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3/4 to 1 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips (yum yum)
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a loaf pan. Mix sugar and oil/apple sauce with mixer. Add eggs and blend. Add pumpkin and blend. Add water and blend. Combine remaining ingredients and add slowly. Fill pans equally and bake for 1 hour until golden brown.
Enjoy, all.
Monday, December 6, 2010
Notice something different?
Our blog got a makeover! In my attempts to make it a bit more visually appealing, I have made some changes. Hope you like it. I hope I like it, too... We'll see how long this version sticks around! And you may be wondering about the name... That's valid. Guppy love? Brian has recently started calling me "Guppy," and I desperately wanted something a tad more creative for the title than "Katie and Brian's Journey." The web address is still the same, so no fear! Hope ya'll are having a good day :)
Window Painting
In the spring, I had two separate conversations with two different friends who each randomly told me, when discussing what I should do with my life, that they saw me as a "window painter" in Seattle. What they both meant by that was not that I would be literally painting on windows (though I have), but that they could see me sitting in front of a huge window, perhaps with an ocean view, coffee in one hand, paintbrush in the other, creating away. That, my friends, is something I would love to do with my life. Art has always been a huge love of mine, but when I got to college, I felt I just wouldn't ever be able to cut it as a professional artist. So I went the "practical" route and majored in Sociology (ha, practical... clearly I'm crazy). I loved Sociology, but I have always missed art. I'm that kid who wrote every paper on art. Aboriginal art in Australia, Sociologists of art, you name it. I tried desperately to combine my interests. But now, since I am in a bit of a job slump, I have found myself window painting on a pretty regular basis just for my sanity. Here are two of my most recent pieces...
These are both 10x10 inches, acrylic on canvas. I love them; I think they're super fun. They could be displayed separately, perhaps in an entry way, on a small wall, in a nursery... The options are endless. And since a friend has been urging me to start selling my work... they could be yours! That's right, people, I am done hoarding my artwork for myself. $40 will get you one, or $60 for both. Christmas presents, anyone?? Email me at katiestrickland2@gmail.com if you want in on these lovelies. And of course, I can always do something different, or in different colors, whatever! Just ask.
These are both 10x10 inches, acrylic on canvas. I love them; I think they're super fun. They could be displayed separately, perhaps in an entry way, on a small wall, in a nursery... The options are endless. And since a friend has been urging me to start selling my work... they could be yours! That's right, people, I am done hoarding my artwork for myself. $40 will get you one, or $60 for both. Christmas presents, anyone?? Email me at katiestrickland2@gmail.com if you want in on these lovelies. And of course, I can always do something different, or in different colors, whatever! Just ask.
Saturday, December 4, 2010
Hello, Sun.
The sunshine has decided to grace us in the Pacific Northwest with its presence this weekend, and I could not be more excited about it! It's still a bit chilly, but it wasn't too cold for us to venture to the Pike Place Market today for some Christmas shopping and to take photos. I realize that the market is one of those famous things people always hear about and know about Seattle, and I haven't ever put any pictures up of it! I documented our trip today for your viewing pleasure...
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| What a beautiful (rare) clear day! |
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| LION DOG! The small white dog just makes this picture... he is terrified. |
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| Seriously?? Poor pup. This woman had 2 more dressed just like it. |
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| Christmastime at Pike Place, which was surprisingly not too miserably crowded with tourists. |
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| I know him! |
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| Love this picture. |
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| Ahhhhhh! Look at the monk fish! Doesn't it just make you sad for him? I don't even think he looks that appetizing. That salmon however... Mmmmmmm.... |
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| Crabs. Lots of crabs. |
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| The flower people have switched to dried flowers, and they are beautiful! |
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| Mountains, mountains everywhere |
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Turkey Coma
Before I crash for the night, with my belly full of goodness, I figured I had to blog, with it being my favorite holiday and all...
This is just my second Thanksgiving ever to spend away from my family, and oddly enough, I didn't really have any homesickness all day (sorry, Mom)! I really enjoyed figuring out the exact science to the family sweet potato souffle recipe (turns out to be not too difficult) and discovering if I actually could make a pecan pie (I can). Brian and I spent the evening with some of our friends here, and it was a fantastic time. I love holidays spent with random people from your life, and it always means so much to be included in other peoples' holidays and traditions as well.
This afternoon Brian and I helped serve Thanksgiving dinner at the church we've been attending here. The church also runs a men's shelter, and so we served those men as well as some others, and it was a great time. I have always wanted to do something like that and have never had the chance. Thanksgiving seems like such a random holiday, but I know if I was out on the streets in the cold snowy nastiness that we have had, it would mean a whole lot to be invited in for a meal and included in others' traditions.
And I have once again been humbled by all that I have been blessed with in life. I may not have a job right now, but I have a ton of stuff that I am thankful for and should be thankful for more often. I know when we have troubles we tend to get bogged down by them (or is that just me?). Sometimes it's hard to see out from behind our little wall of sorrow or stress to the true reality of how blessed we really are. I may not have a job, but I have an education that will probably help me get a great job one day. I have a wonderful family and mother who is there with cooking advice every single time I call her for help with a recipe. I have some fantastic friends, both here in Seattle and all over the country. I have a nice warm home and bed to come home to, food in my fridge, and lots of things to keep me entertained and keep my crafty hands busy. And I also have an amazing fiancee and his wonderful family that I will someday soon become a part of. I am blessed beyond belief.
And again, I'm reminded of the first Thanksgiving I spent away from home, one I hope I never forget, in a country thousands of miles away and clear on the other side of the world... Two years ago today, my Elon friends and I brought a Thanksgiving celebration to our roommates and friends at the University of Ghana. We cooked without electricity or running water and held a feast with some very American food-- turkey, dressing, jello... The works. It was an American tradition that I was truly proud to spread to my foreign friends, and as we went around the circle of us (American, Ghanaian, Swedish, and more), I got the chills big time. I hope I never forget it... So here's to a Thanksgiving as good as that and as great as many before this... May we all have a lot to be thankful for between now and next year, and may we allow ourselves to take in all of the blessings on other days besides this.
This is just my second Thanksgiving ever to spend away from my family, and oddly enough, I didn't really have any homesickness all day (sorry, Mom)! I really enjoyed figuring out the exact science to the family sweet potato souffle recipe (turns out to be not too difficult) and discovering if I actually could make a pecan pie (I can). Brian and I spent the evening with some of our friends here, and it was a fantastic time. I love holidays spent with random people from your life, and it always means so much to be included in other peoples' holidays and traditions as well.
This afternoon Brian and I helped serve Thanksgiving dinner at the church we've been attending here. The church also runs a men's shelter, and so we served those men as well as some others, and it was a great time. I have always wanted to do something like that and have never had the chance. Thanksgiving seems like such a random holiday, but I know if I was out on the streets in the cold snowy nastiness that we have had, it would mean a whole lot to be invited in for a meal and included in others' traditions.
And I have once again been humbled by all that I have been blessed with in life. I may not have a job right now, but I have a ton of stuff that I am thankful for and should be thankful for more often. I know when we have troubles we tend to get bogged down by them (or is that just me?). Sometimes it's hard to see out from behind our little wall of sorrow or stress to the true reality of how blessed we really are. I may not have a job, but I have an education that will probably help me get a great job one day. I have a wonderful family and mother who is there with cooking advice every single time I call her for help with a recipe. I have some fantastic friends, both here in Seattle and all over the country. I have a nice warm home and bed to come home to, food in my fridge, and lots of things to keep me entertained and keep my crafty hands busy. And I also have an amazing fiancee and his wonderful family that I will someday soon become a part of. I am blessed beyond belief.
And again, I'm reminded of the first Thanksgiving I spent away from home, one I hope I never forget, in a country thousands of miles away and clear on the other side of the world... Two years ago today, my Elon friends and I brought a Thanksgiving celebration to our roommates and friends at the University of Ghana. We cooked without electricity or running water and held a feast with some very American food-- turkey, dressing, jello... The works. It was an American tradition that I was truly proud to spread to my foreign friends, and as we went around the circle of us (American, Ghanaian, Swedish, and more), I got the chills big time. I hope I never forget it... So here's to a Thanksgiving as good as that and as great as many before this... May we all have a lot to be thankful for between now and next year, and may we allow ourselves to take in all of the blessings on other days besides this.
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| Me and my Ghanaian friend Sophie at Thanksgiving in 2008 |
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Big week
Not only did we get engaged, but we experienced our first snow in the Pacific Northwest! Being in Seattle in the snow isn't all that different from being at Elon or in Memphis when it snows... the city is relatively unprepared because it really doesn't snow that much here. People don't know what to do. Crazy driving ensues. And school gets shut down with a few measly inches. Just the way I like it...
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| Farmer's market on Sunday, where we saw the first flurries... |
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| And this adorable dog... |
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| AND I bought sweet potatoes... successful day. |
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| Monday afternoon... Brian goes zen despite the cold and wind... |
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| And manages to look dashing at the same time. |
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| And I react to snow (which I don't like) in the same fashion I react to tickling (which I don't like): giggly hysteria. |
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| Did I mention we're engaged?? |
Saturday, November 20, 2010
Surprise!
I hadn't blogged in awhile because nothing exciting had really happened... Thank goodness last night Brian gave me something great to blog about! A diamond ring!!! :)
I know you're probably curious about the story... I went to the gym yesterday afternoon and came back to the apartment (just picture me, sweaty, gross, disgusting, smelly, you get it), and found it empty. Brian had left me a note that said he had to go out to pick something up, but while he was gone, he had a scavenger hunt for me to do! I knew he had a "secret" date planned for tonight, so part of me thought it might just be that, and part of me was freaking out thinking "Is this what I think it is?!" So, completely flustered (and still sweaty, mind you), I went on the scavenger hunt in our apartment. It was adorable, and included a nice little picture video to Aladdin's "A Whole New World." The last clue led me out onto our balcony (the blinds had been shut), and I peeked out to see Brian sitting there at our little table. At this point, I knew. Ahhhhhh... SO I went outside, in the cold, and he proposed. It was lovely and tearful and fantastic, as it should be. So all in all, a good night! I got the most beautiful and perfect diamond ring, and I get to spend forever with my very best friend. I'm so psyched and am feeling quite blessed.
And because I know you're curious, we have no clue about the wedding. As in, no idea of a time frame, location, or even region of the country it will be in. We're going to take some time to enjoy being engaged! And we'll keep you posted of course!
Yay :)
I know you're probably curious about the story... I went to the gym yesterday afternoon and came back to the apartment (just picture me, sweaty, gross, disgusting, smelly, you get it), and found it empty. Brian had left me a note that said he had to go out to pick something up, but while he was gone, he had a scavenger hunt for me to do! I knew he had a "secret" date planned for tonight, so part of me thought it might just be that, and part of me was freaking out thinking "Is this what I think it is?!" So, completely flustered (and still sweaty, mind you), I went on the scavenger hunt in our apartment. It was adorable, and included a nice little picture video to Aladdin's "A Whole New World." The last clue led me out onto our balcony (the blinds had been shut), and I peeked out to see Brian sitting there at our little table. At this point, I knew. Ahhhhhh... SO I went outside, in the cold, and he proposed. It was lovely and tearful and fantastic, as it should be. So all in all, a good night! I got the most beautiful and perfect diamond ring, and I get to spend forever with my very best friend. I'm so psyched and am feeling quite blessed.
And because I know you're curious, we have no clue about the wedding. As in, no idea of a time frame, location, or even region of the country it will be in. We're going to take some time to enjoy being engaged! And we'll keep you posted of course!
Yay :)
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Rain and Venice
The Emerald City is a looking a little gray today. Is anyone else a little depressed about the daylight savings time thing? I really love the whole sleep-an-extra-hour thing, but it starts getting dark here at like 4:30! Crazy. I am such a spring/summer/early fall person, it's ridiculous. Rain and cold just don't quite do it for me. We have had some nice days, though, and when it's nice here, it is just beautiful!
Enough weather talk-- I sound like my parents. This weekend was pretty great. We had some friends over on Friday, and it was nice to get to know them a bit better and eat some good food. We also went to this church that we've been going to fairly regularly. We had to get there early because Brian joined the choir, so he had to warm up with them. That left me, the one who has negative singing talent, sitting outside on a bench reading Time and waiting for something to do. This is when I met an adorable old woman named Venice (fantastic name, right?). She hobbled over to me on her walker, sat right down, and pretty much told me her life story. She came out to Seattle when she was about our age. She came on a train from Minnesota, and said her parents thought she was crazy, leaving for this city with no place to live and no job. I chuckled a bit, seeing as that's exactly what I did. I think she landed a job a tad faster than I have, though. She said she moved out here to "meet a man," and that she did. She's been here for 66 years. She was adorable, and it was a great spot in my day.
Brian and I have officially volunteered to serve a Thanksgiving meal for homeless people, which I'm pretty excited about. At churches I have previously attended, I've always heard about events like that, but I've never been able to work them. Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday ever, and I'm really excited to be doing some service on that day to spread a little of the Thanksgiving joy. Something good to look forward to.
And I'll leave you with this... Rain drops on our balcony.
Enough weather talk-- I sound like my parents. This weekend was pretty great. We had some friends over on Friday, and it was nice to get to know them a bit better and eat some good food. We also went to this church that we've been going to fairly regularly. We had to get there early because Brian joined the choir, so he had to warm up with them. That left me, the one who has negative singing talent, sitting outside on a bench reading Time and waiting for something to do. This is when I met an adorable old woman named Venice (fantastic name, right?). She hobbled over to me on her walker, sat right down, and pretty much told me her life story. She came out to Seattle when she was about our age. She came on a train from Minnesota, and said her parents thought she was crazy, leaving for this city with no place to live and no job. I chuckled a bit, seeing as that's exactly what I did. I think she landed a job a tad faster than I have, though. She said she moved out here to "meet a man," and that she did. She's been here for 66 years. She was adorable, and it was a great spot in my day.
Brian and I have officially volunteered to serve a Thanksgiving meal for homeless people, which I'm pretty excited about. At churches I have previously attended, I've always heard about events like that, but I've never been able to work them. Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday ever, and I'm really excited to be doing some service on that day to spread a little of the Thanksgiving joy. Something good to look forward to.
And I'll leave you with this... Rain drops on our balcony.
Friday, November 5, 2010
Flying with Nighthawk
I fly super under the radar. Just throwing that out there.
Also, I joined a church choir the other night.
It's fantastic. Or should I say 'Fabulous!'
cuz the guy next to me reapplied his foundation
at least twice during the rehearsal. I kid you not.
He told me he just has to keep up his shine, and i told
him I totally understood, cuz what can you do but stay fresh?
Also, I hadn't done any serious singing since high school
and i almost lost my voice but it was great. so refreshing.
Katie and I ate cupcakes the other day.
I just ate so many cookies and drank several glasses of coke.
So I am totally strung up for the evening. But had a delightful
evening with some friendsies.
Also, I joined a church choir the other night.
It's fantastic. Or should I say 'Fabulous!'
cuz the guy next to me reapplied his foundation
at least twice during the rehearsal. I kid you not.
He told me he just has to keep up his shine, and i told
him I totally understood, cuz what can you do but stay fresh?
Also, I hadn't done any serious singing since high school
and i almost lost my voice but it was great. so refreshing.
Katie and I ate cupcakes the other day.
I just ate so many cookies and drank several glasses of coke.
So I am totally strung up for the evening. But had a delightful
evening with some friendsies.
Ups and Downs
Life's a rollercoster, you know? One minute things are great, and the next they may not be so great... Well, I feel like I've been in one giant up my whole life and now I'm experiencing a bit of a down. Words cannot express how tired I am of being unemployed. My greatest sympathy goes out to all those people we have known recently who have had long bouts of unemployment, and who have also had to take care of a family at the same time. I know my problems are not nearly as huge, but it sucks anyway. I am so tired of being at a stand-still. I want something that not only will keep me occupied during the day, but is something that I can be excited and passionate about. Something where I feel like I am making a difference in this ridiculous world. It turns out that a BA in Sociology doesn't necessarily give you a huge skills set that entice employers... It's not just the being bored and having not much to do that's hard about this, though. It's trying to figure myself out, what I want to do, what I could do and still stay sane if I were to get an offer at some menial task. It's also getting rejected constantly and having the keep a positive morale and not letting that get me down, which is much more difficult than I expected it to be. I really want to have something that I love. I dread having to say, "My boyfriend is in school to get his PhD in Chemical Engineering and I work at a shoe store." What? I went to a great college, where I was involved in a lot. I had leadership experiences, I volunteered a ton, I studied abroad. I am a smart person. I am driven and passionate about doing some good. Something has to come along, right? I'm sure it will.
Luckily, I have discovered that one can have ups and downs at the same time. While the unemployment thing is one giant down, it has been really nice to have a lot of people supporting me and offering continuous encouragement. Brian has been very good to me, and I feel bad that he has to deal with me through all my emotional distress. It's nice to have someone here. Having some free time has meant having time to keep in touch with people, which has been great. I miss my best friends, but most of us have kept in touch really well, and I am so incredibly thankful for them. I've read some good books, learned about a lot of great organizations around Seattle, and have had time to exercise, which has been really nice. Hopefully that will counteract the cookies I plan to make today.
And finally, ladies and gentlemen, get ready for the biggest "up" of all... Brian has been eating vegetables. Now if you have known Brian Swift for any part of his life before now, he has always stayed far, far away from anything green, or anything that wasn't chicken or turkey or bar-b-que, for that matter. But the other day he actually walked in the door and one of the first things out of his mouth was "I want a salad." No joke. It happened. And the next day he texted me during the day about how much he was craving veggies and the day after that he had me make him a salad to take to school for lunch. There are definitely things he still won't eat, like sugar snap peas which I think he might veto forever, but he's enjoying broccoli, butternut squash, sweet potatoes, and lettuce. Crazy, right?
Luckily, I have discovered that one can have ups and downs at the same time. While the unemployment thing is one giant down, it has been really nice to have a lot of people supporting me and offering continuous encouragement. Brian has been very good to me, and I feel bad that he has to deal with me through all my emotional distress. It's nice to have someone here. Having some free time has meant having time to keep in touch with people, which has been great. I miss my best friends, but most of us have kept in touch really well, and I am so incredibly thankful for them. I've read some good books, learned about a lot of great organizations around Seattle, and have had time to exercise, which has been really nice. Hopefully that will counteract the cookies I plan to make today.
And finally, ladies and gentlemen, get ready for the biggest "up" of all... Brian has been eating vegetables. Now if you have known Brian Swift for any part of his life before now, he has always stayed far, far away from anything green, or anything that wasn't chicken or turkey or bar-b-que, for that matter. But the other day he actually walked in the door and one of the first things out of his mouth was "I want a salad." No joke. It happened. And the next day he texted me during the day about how much he was craving veggies and the day after that he had me make him a salad to take to school for lunch. There are definitely things he still won't eat, like sugar snap peas which I think he might veto forever, but he's enjoying broccoli, butternut squash, sweet potatoes, and lettuce. Crazy, right?
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| We went to the locks yesterday-- isn't fall just lovely here when it's sunny? |
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| He's a good one. |
Monday, November 1, 2010
Ghana Remix
As you all know, I have a great love for Ghana. I spent a semester there and am a member of a group at Elon that raised funds for a health clinic (among other projects) in the Volta region of Ghana. Some of my 2010 Periclean Scholars classmates who are still at Elon just sent out a video that they put together for a contest, and I love it. Thought I'd share. And thank you again to everyone who has given money to the project. We're still collecting funds for the sustainability of the health clinic, because band aids and advil don't last forever!
November? What?
Seriously, is anyone else as weirded-out as I am that it's already November? Suddenly it's cold and rainy and almost holiday time (and time to make decisions that I have put off about the holidays), and I am still in summer/fall mode. Sad day. I'm wondering how Brian would feel if I took a temp job in Southern Cali or Arizona or Florida or something... Hmmmmm... ;)
Anyway, I hope you all had a happy Halloween! Sadly, we did not get a single trick-or-treater, which was unfortunate. But, understandable, because at all the shops and boutiques and cafes and stuff in our neighborhood, they had a huge event where kids could trick-or-treat at all the businesses yesterday afternoon. Brian and I went and sat outside of a coffee shop to costume-watch, and it was so fantastic. There were just crowds of parents and kids and poor dressed-up dogs. We're talking hundreds of people. It was hilarious to just sit there and people-watch. And we decided our favorite family costume was when they all dressed up as bees with the dad dressed as a bee-keeper. Cute. So that was fun, and made it more okay that we didn't have any kids come to our door. And! I almost forgot to tell you, they had a pet costume contest in our building yesterday, and it was hilarious. We stopped by on our way in from church, and thank goodness, because otherwise we would have missed the 120 pound Newfoundland wearing a XXL plaid shirt dressed as a cowboy, complete with hat and gun holster. Amazing.
In other news, with all my unemployed free-time, I have a lot of time to cook. And read books. And watch documentaries. And apply to jobs. Please note that this is not as fun as it sounds. It's kind of boring and un-fun. Moral of the story is that I have yet another recipe to share! Chicken parmigiana is one of those things I never even think to make at home. It seems like it just belongs in an Italian restaurant, but it felt like the right thing to do last week, so I made it. And then I made it again the next night because it was just so darn tasty. So thanks, Martha Stewart, for being awesome. And all of you should make this. It's surprisingly easy. Go here: Martha's Chicken Parmigiana, and let your taste buds be happy.
Anyway, I hope you all had a happy Halloween! Sadly, we did not get a single trick-or-treater, which was unfortunate. But, understandable, because at all the shops and boutiques and cafes and stuff in our neighborhood, they had a huge event where kids could trick-or-treat at all the businesses yesterday afternoon. Brian and I went and sat outside of a coffee shop to costume-watch, and it was so fantastic. There were just crowds of parents and kids and poor dressed-up dogs. We're talking hundreds of people. It was hilarious to just sit there and people-watch. And we decided our favorite family costume was when they all dressed up as bees with the dad dressed as a bee-keeper. Cute. So that was fun, and made it more okay that we didn't have any kids come to our door. And! I almost forgot to tell you, they had a pet costume contest in our building yesterday, and it was hilarious. We stopped by on our way in from church, and thank goodness, because otherwise we would have missed the 120 pound Newfoundland wearing a XXL plaid shirt dressed as a cowboy, complete with hat and gun holster. Amazing.
In other news, with all my unemployed free-time, I have a lot of time to cook. And read books. And watch documentaries. And apply to jobs. Please note that this is not as fun as it sounds. It's kind of boring and un-fun. Moral of the story is that I have yet another recipe to share! Chicken parmigiana is one of those things I never even think to make at home. It seems like it just belongs in an Italian restaurant, but it felt like the right thing to do last week, so I made it. And then I made it again the next night because it was just so darn tasty. So thanks, Martha Stewart, for being awesome. And all of you should make this. It's surprisingly easy. Go here: Martha's Chicken Parmigiana, and let your taste buds be happy.
Monday, October 25, 2010
It's cold.
Today I feel like a real Northwesterner. I have on my boots, my warm sweater, and my trench coat. I'm armed with an umbrella in my bag (but I probably won't really use it, it's looked down upon my the real Seattlites so I hear), and I am sitting at a small coffee shop sipping my caffe latte that, yes, was adorned with latte art before I swirled it all up.
It's suddenly become winter here. I'm not really sure how that happened. It was so incredibly nice from the time we got here until middle of October. Now, the majority of the past week has been cold and rainy and there is no reprieve in the forecast until Wednesday. The good thing is that people here seem to fight this. They live with it with grace, enjoying the excuse to stay inside for a bit, spend time in coffee shops, art galleries, and pubs. I don't mind it, I guess. As long as the snow stays away, I can handle the gloom. And I can definitely handle it is it means I get to drink the best coffee in the world. I read a really interesting article the other week about the history of coffee in Seattle. Maybe I'll tell you about it later on this week.
Today I want to talk about homeless people. This weather really has me thinking... where do they go? We have a park right next to our apartment where a lot of homeless people gather. In nice weather, they would be out there soaking up the sun, talking and playing music, and even playing hacky sack with some teenagers who came by. It seems to us that homeless people here are not treated so much as the "other" as they might be elsewhere. You see little things like police chatting with them, parents bringing there kids to the park to play in the water fountain even though there are tons of homeless, and people chatting with them if their dog wanders up and they start to pet it and make friends. It's a friendly environment that I must say I did not expect. Everywhere else I have been, I see homeless people begging and the people around them actually going out of their way to ignore them.
I've learned from a friend that Seattle has some of the best programs for the homeless in the whole country, so homeless people actually flock to Seattle to seek the benefits. We see them everywhere because it is relatively easy to be homeless in this city. You see low-income housing projects going on everywhere, food pantries galore, and churches that also act as shelters. This is not to say that the homeless problem is solved in this city. I'm sure I don't know the half of it.
But what I do know and love is that the homeless people in our neighborhood aren't "scary" like you may think of others you encounter in big cities. We see the same people everyday. It's almost like a community of homeless out here. One thing that I think is really great is this newspaper called "Real Change," which homeless people contribute to, but it is run as a way for them to make income. They purchase each paper for 25 cents and sell it for a dollar, keeping the difference. It comes out once a week, and we make sure we buy one every Sunday on the way back from the market from this one man who is always selling it near our apartment. They always have some really great articles about aid, which catches my interest. This week we opened the issue to find a friendly face inside-- the guy we buy our paper from each week was featured as the best seller. It talked about him and how seriously he takes this work, and it made me like him even more than I did before. This man stands outside of a drug store down the street every single day. I think I have only walked that stretch once without seeing him. The article said that he worked about 45 hours a week selling papers. He treats it like a real job and understands personally that it can make "real change." I'm not sure if this man has a home or if he sleeps in the elements every night, but I do know that every single time I pass him he smiles a huge smile, calls me "ma'am" and wishes me a great day. I just saw him on the way to the coffee shop, actually, and he asked me if I wanted a paper and I told him I got one yesterday and saw him in it! He smiled and blushed a little and said "Oh, that's true. Thank you, ma'am. Have a wonderful day."
I realize more and more how sheltered I was growing up in the suburbs. I didn't encounter homelessness and poverty every day. Not that it wasn't there-- it was just hidden on the other side of the tracks. Are we going out of our way to ignore the reality of what is happening to our neighbors? Are we pretending it isn't real just because we don't see it every day? I know I found it a lot easier to forget about when I didn't walk past it each day. Just this summer, when I was home in Collierville, I went to the grocery store and was approached by a man who I have seen my whole life, walking and riding his bike in the streets of our town, saying "Amen" in the middle of church services (think hard, C'ville people, and you'll know who I'm talking about). He came up to me, not recognizing me, and asked me for money. He was begging, in such a wealthy suburb. This man who I know came to both churches I attended, who knew many many wealthy people in the town. And he was asking me for any spare change. It was clear that he was not getting help that he clearly needed. But why? What's a good solution? What if, even in the suburbs where we keep poverty hidden, we gave them a way to help themselves? This newspaper, "Real Change," is doing a great thing in this city. It is giving people not only a job, but ownership of it. They are responsible for the work they do and the money they make. It gives them a way to rise up on their own and be proud of it. And rightfully so.
It's suddenly become winter here. I'm not really sure how that happened. It was so incredibly nice from the time we got here until middle of October. Now, the majority of the past week has been cold and rainy and there is no reprieve in the forecast until Wednesday. The good thing is that people here seem to fight this. They live with it with grace, enjoying the excuse to stay inside for a bit, spend time in coffee shops, art galleries, and pubs. I don't mind it, I guess. As long as the snow stays away, I can handle the gloom. And I can definitely handle it is it means I get to drink the best coffee in the world. I read a really interesting article the other week about the history of coffee in Seattle. Maybe I'll tell you about it later on this week.
Today I want to talk about homeless people. This weather really has me thinking... where do they go? We have a park right next to our apartment where a lot of homeless people gather. In nice weather, they would be out there soaking up the sun, talking and playing music, and even playing hacky sack with some teenagers who came by. It seems to us that homeless people here are not treated so much as the "other" as they might be elsewhere. You see little things like police chatting with them, parents bringing there kids to the park to play in the water fountain even though there are tons of homeless, and people chatting with them if their dog wanders up and they start to pet it and make friends. It's a friendly environment that I must say I did not expect. Everywhere else I have been, I see homeless people begging and the people around them actually going out of their way to ignore them.
I've learned from a friend that Seattle has some of the best programs for the homeless in the whole country, so homeless people actually flock to Seattle to seek the benefits. We see them everywhere because it is relatively easy to be homeless in this city. You see low-income housing projects going on everywhere, food pantries galore, and churches that also act as shelters. This is not to say that the homeless problem is solved in this city. I'm sure I don't know the half of it.
But what I do know and love is that the homeless people in our neighborhood aren't "scary" like you may think of others you encounter in big cities. We see the same people everyday. It's almost like a community of homeless out here. One thing that I think is really great is this newspaper called "Real Change," which homeless people contribute to, but it is run as a way for them to make income. They purchase each paper for 25 cents and sell it for a dollar, keeping the difference. It comes out once a week, and we make sure we buy one every Sunday on the way back from the market from this one man who is always selling it near our apartment. They always have some really great articles about aid, which catches my interest. This week we opened the issue to find a friendly face inside-- the guy we buy our paper from each week was featured as the best seller. It talked about him and how seriously he takes this work, and it made me like him even more than I did before. This man stands outside of a drug store down the street every single day. I think I have only walked that stretch once without seeing him. The article said that he worked about 45 hours a week selling papers. He treats it like a real job and understands personally that it can make "real change." I'm not sure if this man has a home or if he sleeps in the elements every night, but I do know that every single time I pass him he smiles a huge smile, calls me "ma'am" and wishes me a great day. I just saw him on the way to the coffee shop, actually, and he asked me if I wanted a paper and I told him I got one yesterday and saw him in it! He smiled and blushed a little and said "Oh, that's true. Thank you, ma'am. Have a wonderful day."
I realize more and more how sheltered I was growing up in the suburbs. I didn't encounter homelessness and poverty every day. Not that it wasn't there-- it was just hidden on the other side of the tracks. Are we going out of our way to ignore the reality of what is happening to our neighbors? Are we pretending it isn't real just because we don't see it every day? I know I found it a lot easier to forget about when I didn't walk past it each day. Just this summer, when I was home in Collierville, I went to the grocery store and was approached by a man who I have seen my whole life, walking and riding his bike in the streets of our town, saying "Amen" in the middle of church services (think hard, C'ville people, and you'll know who I'm talking about). He came up to me, not recognizing me, and asked me for money. He was begging, in such a wealthy suburb. This man who I know came to both churches I attended, who knew many many wealthy people in the town. And he was asking me for any spare change. It was clear that he was not getting help that he clearly needed. But why? What's a good solution? What if, even in the suburbs where we keep poverty hidden, we gave them a way to help themselves? This newspaper, "Real Change," is doing a great thing in this city. It is giving people not only a job, but ownership of it. They are responsible for the work they do and the money they make. It gives them a way to rise up on their own and be proud of it. And rightfully so.
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Yum Yum
Tonight I was super eager to cook dinner, and now it's done and sitting on the stove, and I have to wait another 15 minutes for Brian to get home. So, I will take advantage of this time to give you all the wonderful butternut squash risotto recipe because Molly (my baller friend who is in Spain on a Fulbright) requested it. I hope she makes it in her cute little Spanish kitchen.
This is a pretty simple meal, once you get the hang of it. Risotto requires constant attention, so it's not one of those meals you start and walk away from. But it only takes about 25 minutes, so it's not bad. You have to stir it constantly so get that arm ready for a workout. Making risotto is kind of an art, but you'll learn how to watch it. You know when you make regular rice, you put the water in at the beginning and the rice soaks it up? Well, with risotto, you just put the liquid in slowly throughout the cooking process and keep putting more in until the rice is done. When you are stirring and you notice that the rice is not caving back in on itself, it leaves kind of a wake where you can see the bottom of the pot, you know it's time to put in more liquid. After about 15 minutes, try a fork-ful (but be careful, I just burned my tongue doing that), and it should be still a bit firm to the bite, but not too firm, when it's done. Sounds complicated, it's really not. You can do it! (and you should. it's delicious)
Here's what you need:
Butter
Half an Onion, diced
Broccoli, cut into little pieces
Butternut Squash (you can buy this already cut at most grocery stores, or just get a small-ish one and cut it yourself into cubes)
1 chicken breast
1 c. Aborio rice (can be found either near regular rice or in the pasta section, it's usually in a box)
Chicken stock (roll with some low-sodium if you can find it)
Dry white wine, just 1 glass (ish)
Parmesan cheese, 1/4-1/2 c.
Alright, cut up all your veggies and chicken.
Heat your pot (you want a pot that can hold all your veggies and chicken and allow some room for a lot of stirring) on medium with a slab of butter (about 1 T or a bit less, but whatever you want). Once that is all melty and hot, toss all of your veggies and chicken in. Stir it and let it saute until the veggies are getting soft, the onion should be turning transparent, but not brown.
Pour in the Aborio rice and stir it up with everything else. Keep stirring, letting it get really hot. The rice will start turning transparent-y. Now pour in your wine and stir it so everything gets nice and covered. Keep stirring until it looks as if all the wine is soaked in.
Now comes the chicken stock. You want about a cup of it to start off with. Heat it up in the microwave (or keep a small pot of it simmering throughout this process), and pour it in. Again, keep stirring until the chicken stock is pretty much soaked up. Now repeat that with another cup of chicken stock. Keep repeating until the rice will not soak any more liquid up. The rice should be firm, but tender to the bite (from the time you put the rice in, this should take about 15-20 minutes).
Now take it off the heat and stir in another 1/2 tablespoon or so of butter and about a 1/4- 1/2 c of Parmesan cheese. Put the lid on the pot and let it sit off the heat for 3-5 minutes. Then serve and enjoy!
Oh, by the way, this recipe makes about 4 servings. For me and Brian, it's enough to feed both of us for a meal and have some leftover for lunch the next day!
This is a pretty simple meal, once you get the hang of it. Risotto requires constant attention, so it's not one of those meals you start and walk away from. But it only takes about 25 minutes, so it's not bad. You have to stir it constantly so get that arm ready for a workout. Making risotto is kind of an art, but you'll learn how to watch it. You know when you make regular rice, you put the water in at the beginning and the rice soaks it up? Well, with risotto, you just put the liquid in slowly throughout the cooking process and keep putting more in until the rice is done. When you are stirring and you notice that the rice is not caving back in on itself, it leaves kind of a wake where you can see the bottom of the pot, you know it's time to put in more liquid. After about 15 minutes, try a fork-ful (but be careful, I just burned my tongue doing that), and it should be still a bit firm to the bite, but not too firm, when it's done. Sounds complicated, it's really not. You can do it! (and you should. it's delicious)
Here's what you need:
Butter
Half an Onion, diced
Broccoli, cut into little pieces
Butternut Squash (you can buy this already cut at most grocery stores, or just get a small-ish one and cut it yourself into cubes)
1 chicken breast
1 c. Aborio rice (can be found either near regular rice or in the pasta section, it's usually in a box)
Chicken stock (roll with some low-sodium if you can find it)
Dry white wine, just 1 glass (ish)
Parmesan cheese, 1/4-1/2 c.
Alright, cut up all your veggies and chicken.
Heat your pot (you want a pot that can hold all your veggies and chicken and allow some room for a lot of stirring) on medium with a slab of butter (about 1 T or a bit less, but whatever you want). Once that is all melty and hot, toss all of your veggies and chicken in. Stir it and let it saute until the veggies are getting soft, the onion should be turning transparent, but not brown.
Pour in the Aborio rice and stir it up with everything else. Keep stirring, letting it get really hot. The rice will start turning transparent-y. Now pour in your wine and stir it so everything gets nice and covered. Keep stirring until it looks as if all the wine is soaked in.
Now comes the chicken stock. You want about a cup of it to start off with. Heat it up in the microwave (or keep a small pot of it simmering throughout this process), and pour it in. Again, keep stirring until the chicken stock is pretty much soaked up. Now repeat that with another cup of chicken stock. Keep repeating until the rice will not soak any more liquid up. The rice should be firm, but tender to the bite (from the time you put the rice in, this should take about 15-20 minutes).
Now take it off the heat and stir in another 1/2 tablespoon or so of butter and about a 1/4- 1/2 c of Parmesan cheese. Put the lid on the pot and let it sit off the heat for 3-5 minutes. Then serve and enjoy!
Oh, by the way, this recipe makes about 4 servings. For me and Brian, it's enough to feed both of us for a meal and have some leftover for lunch the next day!
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Edge of Seventeeeeeeeeen!
If the title didn't give it away, then maybe the font shift did. But if you didn't notice that either, then I'll make it easy on you and say that this is Brian, not Katie. And I definitely love that song.
Ok, so cool things over the last few months?
I stumbled across the site hyperboleandahalf.com, which has some really hilarious posts on it. And the real reason I mention it is because I have a bad habit of reading it while my classmates are doing homework around me. Which of course means I am crying/laughing hysterically and shaking from trying to suppress the noise while they pour over the intricacies of advanced thermodynamics and theoretical math. It's been a scene several times already. Also, my fellow students have begun to realize that I burst in to song/dance at almost any opportunity. (it was really awkward at first, but I think it's growing on them)
Funny thing #2. It's always sunny in philadelphia.
Now, if you watch just a few episodes you might not find it very funny, cuz they are definitely horrible, horrible people. But if you watch such great episodes as The Gang buys a Boat to learn some sweet dance moves, and the episode Dee is Dating a Retarded Guy, for it's amazing music when some of the guys form a band. Man, I can't tell you how many times Katie and I have started singing those songs and doing those dances around the apartment. Get ready to be rocked if you come to visit, friends.
Yesterday, Katie and I were sitting on the couch, being all cutesy or whatever. I think she was trying to snuggle or something, but I was busy trying to recite in my head the One Ring poem from LotR. As I was dredging my memory for the exact words, an amazing idea hit me. So I immediately got up and wrote down a poem (in a facebook note) that made our job as grad students like having the different rings, and we were all 'bound in the darkness' of our labs basically. I thought it was funny (and it let me daydream about being involved in the fellowship of the ring, which was the real prize of the day) and apparently so do most of my fellow students.
Well i'm heading out, cuz Katie keeps trying to tell me things while I'm rocking 80's ballads (currently Black Velvet) and writing this. So, until i get bored enough to post again folks. peace.
Ok, so cool things over the last few months?
I stumbled across the site hyperboleandahalf.com, which has some really hilarious posts on it. And the real reason I mention it is because I have a bad habit of reading it while my classmates are doing homework around me. Which of course means I am crying/laughing hysterically and shaking from trying to suppress the noise while they pour over the intricacies of advanced thermodynamics and theoretical math. It's been a scene several times already. Also, my fellow students have begun to realize that I burst in to song/dance at almost any opportunity. (it was really awkward at first, but I think it's growing on them)
Funny thing #2. It's always sunny in philadelphia.
Now, if you watch just a few episodes you might not find it very funny, cuz they are definitely horrible, horrible people. But if you watch such great episodes as The Gang buys a Boat to learn some sweet dance moves, and the episode Dee is Dating a Retarded Guy, for it's amazing music when some of the guys form a band. Man, I can't tell you how many times Katie and I have started singing those songs and doing those dances around the apartment. Get ready to be rocked if you come to visit, friends.
Yesterday, Katie and I were sitting on the couch, being all cutesy or whatever. I think she was trying to snuggle or something, but I was busy trying to recite in my head the One Ring poem from LotR. As I was dredging my memory for the exact words, an amazing idea hit me. So I immediately got up and wrote down a poem (in a facebook note) that made our job as grad students like having the different rings, and we were all 'bound in the darkness' of our labs basically. I thought it was funny (and it let me daydream about being involved in the fellowship of the ring, which was the real prize of the day) and apparently so do most of my fellow students.
Well i'm heading out, cuz Katie keeps trying to tell me things while I'm rocking 80's ballads (currently Black Velvet) and writing this. So, until i get bored enough to post again folks. peace.
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Oh, fall...
Ok, so I have slacked with blogging for the past week... oops. I know I've been a disappointment to all of you who for some reason find our lives interesting :)
This weekend was super fun. We went up to Woodinville, which is a mere 30 minute drive from the city (and a beautiful drive at that). This town is a winery mecca. Me, Brian, and some of his friends from school and their wives went to Chateau Ste. Michelle, a lovely little place full of grape juice, green grass, and these guys:
We went on a tour of the winery, learned about the whole process, and then tried 3 different wines! All for $0. Good investment. After we explored, we went down the road to the Red Hook brewery, just to spice things up a bit. Brian and I are trying to be able to appreciate beer a bit more, so this was a good start. If you haven't tried Red Hook's Copper Hook beer, you are truly missing out. Go buy some. They are based here, but distribute all over the country. We also went on a tour there, tried 5 beers, and went home with a baby Red Hook glass! All for $1. Not too shabby.
Needless to say, if you come to visit us, we will have to drive up to Woodinville to explore these impressive alcohol-making arts. (Yes, I will continue to try to lure you all to the Emerald City, as if our mere presence isn't enough)
This weekend was super fun. We went up to Woodinville, which is a mere 30 minute drive from the city (and a beautiful drive at that). This town is a winery mecca. Me, Brian, and some of his friends from school and their wives went to Chateau Ste. Michelle, a lovely little place full of grape juice, green grass, and these guys:
We went on a tour of the winery, learned about the whole process, and then tried 3 different wines! All for $0. Good investment. After we explored, we went down the road to the Red Hook brewery, just to spice things up a bit. Brian and I are trying to be able to appreciate beer a bit more, so this was a good start. If you haven't tried Red Hook's Copper Hook beer, you are truly missing out. Go buy some. They are based here, but distribute all over the country. We also went on a tour there, tried 5 beers, and went home with a baby Red Hook glass! All for $1. Not too shabby.
Needless to say, if you come to visit us, we will have to drive up to Woodinville to explore these impressive alcohol-making arts. (Yes, I will continue to try to lure you all to the Emerald City, as if our mere presence isn't enough)
Thursday, October 14, 2010
The girl gets a cupcake
I had my first big girl job interview today! Ahhhhh... that's so wonderful. Let's just all keep our fingers crossed now.... So, when I knew this interview was coming up, I had a fleeting thought that it was unfortunate I am not with my old roommate, who bought me cold stone cupcakes when I had a really tough job interview my junior year. It was really just a passing random thought. And what did Brian walk in the door with tonight? This baby:
Yum. I have a very, very good boyfriend. I think he reads my mind.
Yum. I have a very, very good boyfriend. I think he reads my mind.
Sunday, October 10, 2010
AH! I'm old!
Ahhhh... this week was my birthday. And ok, I'm not really that old, but I feel more and more like a "real" adult every year. Weird. Anyway, it was a good birthday week! Brian and I discovered a really great Thai restaurant in our own neighborhood, which is just a fantastical discovery. I also made a chocolate cake that is so rich we haven't really eaten much of it. That might have to go in the freezer. Yesterday as part of extended birthday celebration we went to the Seattle aquarium, which is awesome. They have a few different tidal pool exhibits where you can touch star fish and sea anemones and stuff. It was super cool. I like hands-on things like that. They also had an octopus, which was so cool! Did you know that those things can get up to 400 pounds?! That's insane! This one wasn't nearly that big, but he was still really cool. Our favorite thing, though, was probably the sea otters. We watched them for like 20 minutes. They were so adorable and playful and fun. They have it set up really well, too, where you can see them very well and they are pretty close to you. It was super fun.
Today we went to the farmer's market again. Wonderful, again. Of course we had our traditional chocolate bars... Brian had chocolate chardonnay and I had mocha mousse. They were both fantastic. Mmmmm... I know you care a lot about that little tidbit. Oh! And I almost forgot to tell you... There were these Moorish dancers at the farmer's market today. They had bells attached to their legs and waved around sticks and cloth and were hilariously awesome. Anywho, here's some pictures from our week...
Today we went to the farmer's market again. Wonderful, again. Of course we had our traditional chocolate bars... Brian had chocolate chardonnay and I had mocha mousse. They were both fantastic. Mmmmm... I know you care a lot about that little tidbit. Oh! And I almost forgot to tell you... There were these Moorish dancers at the farmer's market today. They had bells attached to their legs and waved around sticks and cloth and were hilariously awesome. Anywho, here's some pictures from our week...
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| Finished and hung painting! I like it a lot. |
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| Before the birthday dinner. |
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| This week's flower choice. Love the dahlias. |
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Our song is the slam of screen doors...
Yep, I'm jammin to Taylor Swift as I write this. Don't judge.
Exciting tid bit-- I was sitting here yesterday in the apartment and got a call from an "unknown" number. I answer it to hear a very foreign but oh so familiar sounding "Hello? Hello?" It was my friend Christian from Ghana! After I left Ghana he called me every couple of months or so to see how things were, but I hadn't heard from him since February, so this was quite the pleasant surprise. I was glad to hear that he and his family are doing well. He told me that he was at a "station" in Ho, which means he was essentially at a bus-stop in this town that we went to quite a bit when I was there. It's so odd how the most random event can completely transport you back to another place and time. All of a sudden in my mind, I was walking down the dusty streets of Ho, admiring the batik fabric at the shops and sweating out all the liquid contents of my body while my shoulders crisped in the sun making awesome back pack tan lines (my friends and I were convinced Ho was the center of the earth). I cannot believe that it was two years ago that I called Ghana home. Every time a memory hits me like that I have to fight the sadness pretty hard. It was such an adventurous, fun time in my life. And those Ghanaians are the sweetest people on the face of the planet in my book. I would love to hear the melodious sound of a Ghanaian laugh again. Anywho, that's my little jaunt down memory lane. It was great to hear from an old friend and so wonderful to think of all the adventures I had there and continue to have here. Moving on...
Brian is at school, and I'm starting to get a wee bit bored with all my free time... But, don't fret. I have had another project to keep me occupied. I am currently working on the final steps of this one, which is just applying varnish. Varnish! This is a new discovery for me, and honestly, it makes me want to go back and re-do every painting I've ever done. How did I not know about varnish before? I guess there's always more to learn. Anyway, it's nothing super exciting, but it does prevent the painting from yellowing and adds a nice glossy finish. It does, however, make it difficult to take pictures without a glare, so I took these before I added the varnish. After I put on another layer and let them dry, these lovelies will go above the bed. Hopefully then it will actually looks like people live in that room. It's a tad bare.
Do you like it? We think of it as wind and fire... It was fun to do. I'm really enjoying keeping some of my artwork--usually I just give it all away, so this is a nice change! If you feel the hankering for a Katie Strickland original in your very own living room, give me a hollar. I've got lots of time. And yours will include varnish :)
Exciting tid bit-- I was sitting here yesterday in the apartment and got a call from an "unknown" number. I answer it to hear a very foreign but oh so familiar sounding "Hello? Hello?" It was my friend Christian from Ghana! After I left Ghana he called me every couple of months or so to see how things were, but I hadn't heard from him since February, so this was quite the pleasant surprise. I was glad to hear that he and his family are doing well. He told me that he was at a "station" in Ho, which means he was essentially at a bus-stop in this town that we went to quite a bit when I was there. It's so odd how the most random event can completely transport you back to another place and time. All of a sudden in my mind, I was walking down the dusty streets of Ho, admiring the batik fabric at the shops and sweating out all the liquid contents of my body while my shoulders crisped in the sun making awesome back pack tan lines (my friends and I were convinced Ho was the center of the earth). I cannot believe that it was two years ago that I called Ghana home. Every time a memory hits me like that I have to fight the sadness pretty hard. It was such an adventurous, fun time in my life. And those Ghanaians are the sweetest people on the face of the planet in my book. I would love to hear the melodious sound of a Ghanaian laugh again. Anywho, that's my little jaunt down memory lane. It was great to hear from an old friend and so wonderful to think of all the adventures I had there and continue to have here. Moving on...
Brian is at school, and I'm starting to get a wee bit bored with all my free time... But, don't fret. I have had another project to keep me occupied. I am currently working on the final steps of this one, which is just applying varnish. Varnish! This is a new discovery for me, and honestly, it makes me want to go back and re-do every painting I've ever done. How did I not know about varnish before? I guess there's always more to learn. Anyway, it's nothing super exciting, but it does prevent the painting from yellowing and adds a nice glossy finish. It does, however, make it difficult to take pictures without a glare, so I took these before I added the varnish. After I put on another layer and let them dry, these lovelies will go above the bed. Hopefully then it will actually looks like people live in that room. It's a tad bare.
Do you like it? We think of it as wind and fire... It was fun to do. I'm really enjoying keeping some of my artwork--usually I just give it all away, so this is a nice change! If you feel the hankering for a Katie Strickland original in your very own living room, give me a hollar. I've got lots of time. And yours will include varnish :)
Sunday, October 3, 2010
It's the simple things
I really don't have a whole lot to blog about, but I thought I'd share some simple joys with ya'll... One is that I am currently sitting at my desk with these by my side:
Brian started school last week, so he's getting busier, but we squeezed in some time for a picnic at the Locks and some good 'ole pumkin decorating...
Hope you have had a good Sunday! And I'm sorry if it hasn't included espresso ice cream bars and fresh salmon straight off the boat like ours has. :)
Brian started school last week, so he's getting busier, but we squeezed in some time for a picnic at the Locks and some good 'ole pumkin decorating...
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