hurrayic

Enjoying

Oh, Monday, how I can't believe you're here already...

I'm enjoying...

Admiring the colors of our very small 'garden' of tomatoes this year...

Being surprised that those tomato plants have been producing anything this year due to heat (and neglect)...

Substituting roasted cherries for strawberries in Heidi's recipe** and loving them over ice cream (especially when served in Mom's blue pig cup)...

Hearing plans of some high school graduates at a Senior Sundae celebration and praying for all of them...

Deconstructing more thrift-store shirts like the previous one.  Nothing yet to show yet except a pile of scraps...

Thankful for a little bit of part-time work with a wee bit of paycheck (haven't been paid for anything in...ahem... almost 20 years...feels good!)...

Smiling at these yellow wildflowers and smling still at the slightly cooler weather we've been experiencing...

Using up all the veggies from our csa this week...

Munching on homemade pizzas made with naan and tortillas and topped with fresh arugula... yum...

Happy to spend some time with my husband walking in the mornings...

What are you enjoying? 

 

** I used cherries instead of strawberries (doubled the amounts), subbed in red wine for the port, and ended up mixing everything together first then roasted vs what the recipe says. 

{this moment}**

she placed a wildflower in her hair and smiled...

 

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. ~ Soule Mama

{this moment}** a single photo with a few accompanying words ~ hurrayic

Enjoy your weekend!

Enjoying

A little bit late today...

I'm enjoying...

making one of my family's favorite dishes: picadillo...

catching my husband contemplating life (or else figuring out how much farther we need to walk on the trail!)...

taking a walk on a bright sunny day...

getting in the mood to bake all last Saturday (most of what you see was eaten in less than 1 week!)...

loving my fig variation of Heather's vegan apricot raisin bars**...

catching a glimpse of a young bunny venturing too close to the house...

soaking beans overnight (and realizing that I stuffed too many in the jar!)...

being blinded by the colors of a carrot, beet & red cabbage salad...

repeating the above with the colors of new sneakers...

thinking that the zucchini on a bed of swiss chard looked great, but tasted sort of bitter (not sure why but will try again...I'm sure it's not the recipe, but the cook)...

finishing a knitting project...

 

** I can't give you Heather's recipe but this recipe is sort of like them with quanitites changed, minus the whole apricots, and substitutions made for making it vegan, but you can get the idea.

{this moment}** ~ from the archives

                                        Reminiscing again...

my bottomless pit

magically growing taller in his sleep

nearing 6'

rivaling his older brother & dad in the near future

my curly-haired boy

how time passes...

 

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. ~ Soule Mama

{this moment}** a single photo with a few accompanying words ~ hurrayic

Enjoy your weekend!

Enjoying

Monday, Monday, Monday... from where did you come? 

It seems like only yesterday that it was last Monday...

Do you feel that way?

Anyway, right now I'm trying to enjoy...

Thrifting and upcycling a shirt (before shot) and other stuffs... (why yes, that heap of brown in the top photo is actually grass with some weeds thrown in just because - good guess!)...

Stuffing our mouths with Swiss Chard & Cheese Frittata (which we've eaten before and loved ~ uses stems & all)...

Waiting for tomatoes to ripen...

Watching & lamenting (not enjoying!) my lovely white stock droop and wither (and perhaps suffer from some 'infection') in the heat and wondering if I should pull them out or leave them and see what happens...

Happy to see little mountains of laundry on my livingroom floor = my kids are home from camp!

 

What about you? 

Has Monday snuck up on you too? 

What are you trying to enjoy?

Enjoying

Good Morning, Monday!
Still not quite ready for you.

I'm enjoying...

Gazing at the blue delphiniums that need to be planted (but not in this heat)...

Smelling the fragrance of new lavender (still in its container for the same reason)...

Making Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins (daughter is making!)...

Watching the family set up the gazebo-like tent for the graduation party (in 90+ degree weather)...

Thankful for air conditioning to cool things down...

Using decorations that we had on hand instead of buying new...

Thankful for friends and family who joined us for the celebration...

Watching our guests enjoy the spread (glad that two days of cooking and prepping paid off)...

Glad, too, that husband's co-workers enjoyed many many many many leftovers...

Happy for not having to cook for half a week after the party...

Watching my son grow up before my eyes...

Watching my daughter too**...

Thankful to the Lord that 2 of our 4 homeschoolers have journeyed all the way through and are now highschool graduates.

 

What are you enjoying today?  

 

** my daughter's "hair and makeup wasn't ready" to take her picture with her board of photos...

{this moment}** ~ from the archives

two graduates enjoying an impromptu picnic lunch

sippy cups & sunglasses required

 

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. ~ Soule Mama

{this moment}** a single photo with a few accompanying words ~ hurrayic

Enjoy your weekend!

{this moment}**

wishing for more restful days like these

(even if certain individuals dislike their pictures caught on film!)

 

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. ~ Soule Mama

{this moment}** a single photo with a few accompanying words ~ hurrayic

Hope you have a restful weekend!

Our First Green Smoothie

I'm a little late participating in the make-your-own-green-smoothies fad, but I guess better late than never, yes?  Don't get me wrong, we love green smoothies, but up to this point, they've all been store-bought.  A few years ago, my father bought us a juicer, and it's - ahem - still sitting on the shelf, unused.  My youngest asks me pretty regularly when we will use it (he loves smoothies), and in fact, he dusted it off about a week ago in hopes that we would try it out.  I keep skirting the issue... I think it's the thought of cleaning it out? 

Anyway, last week my youngest and I were up early,the morning sun was so pretty and a green smoothie recipe was on my mind.  So we made our first green smoothie...in the blender!  Not quite the bright green color that you see in the store or on other blogs, but pleasant enough.  This one had kale, apple, banana and strawberries and a sweetener or course...maple syrup.  It was part of Heather's course so I felt obliged wanted to try it and see.  I liked it.  My youngest liked it.  The others?  Well, it was a little too chunky for their tastes.  (perhaps I'll try it again using the juicer?) 

Do you have a favorite green smoothie recipe (or other smoothie/juice recipe?)  Please share it!

Enjoying

Good Monday morning to you!

I've been enjoying...

squeezing in (amidst the chaos) a little bit of rest...

drinking more glasses of water (lemon always helps)...

watching the livingroom wall and mantle begin their transformation (finally!)...

saying 'see you later' rather than 'goodbye' to a friend who is moving far far away in 2 days...

being amazed at the color of this flower and its details...

hoping that my oldest passes his driving test...

watching my 2 sons seal the outdoor table (albeit a little overdue) to use during this new season...

resisting crowding out the fried chicken served at a luncheon yesterday (although its aroma was especially tempting)...

trying 3 new vegan smoothies: chocolate almond banana (not shown), vegan mango lassi (on left), and orange creamsicle (on right)

realizing quite quickly that I need to increase the quantity of smoothies around here so that I get more than a mere taste...

gearing up for another busy busy week...

 

How about you?  What are you enjoying?