lentil soup

did you eat too much casserole & pie, too? & did you mean to do better since last thursday, but oops that darn peppermint mocha & chocolate chip cookies were just calling your name all weekend??
oh good, i'm not alone :)

here's my yummilicious + healthy + easy lentil soup recipe. i foresee us having it a few times this month, hoping to combat the pounds that are sure to be packed on this season!!
oh, & i know - lentil soup doesn't sound so interesting, but trust me (and jen!) it's gooood!

lentil soup
(*adapted from giada di laurentiis' recipe found here.)

1 lb (+/-) 1/2 inch cut ham (you can get this cut @ the deli), cut into cubes
1 md onion, chpd
3 carrots, peeled/chpd
3 celery stalks, chpd
4 garlic cloves, minced
sea salt & pepper
1 (14.5oz) can diced tomatoes
1 lb lentils (dried - these are so cheap!)
4 Knorr chicken bullion cubes (keep another cube on reserve in case you need it)
8 cups boiling water (to mix with the bullion cubes)
6 sprigs fresh thyme
1 cup parmesan

1. heat lg dutch oven to md heat. toss ham chunks in & let them cook while you peel & chop the veggies (8-10 mins, maybe). stir a couple of times - you can turn the heat down if the ham starts getting too brown. the point is for the ham to warm/brown well & slowly - this is what makes the soup so flavorful.
2. toss onions, carrots, & celery in the pot & allow to cook for a few minutes. add garlic & s&p. saute until all the veggies are tender, about 5-8 mins.
3. add the tomatoes & their juice. simmer until juices evaporate a little & the tomatoes breakdown, stirring occasionally (about 8 mins).
4. add lentils & mix to coat. add broth & stir. add thyme.
5. bring to boil over high heat.
6. cover & simmer over low until lentils are almost tender (about 30 mins).
**check soup @ about 20 mins. if it seems to need more liquid, you can add another bullion cube mixed into 2 c of water.

sprinkle some parmesan over you soup & voila! you've got a healthy winter meal!

and in case you skipped that peppermint mocha today, i'll mention that if you grab some bakery bread, slice it, brush slices with olive oil, put back as a loaf, wrap in foil, heat for 10-15 mins @ 400, & serve it with your soup, you won't be disappointed...
and in case you didn't skip the mocha & you had some m&ms too (like some people i know), make the bread anyway because it's good :)

happy december 1st!

million & twelfth

yesterday was a rough day. rough.
there's not even some semi-funny series of events that happened, all i know is it was rough.
as i've said, i'm entering that 3rd trimester & having less & less energy & that seems to be coinciding perfectly with hudson needing some extra attention.
ooof.
at one point i found myself sitting on the couch asking him for the million & twelfth time not to jump on the couch, but to sit & finally just thought - "how much do i really care? enough to put him in time out again (for the million and twelfth time that day)? do i really want to have to get up & walk around the corner with him & then stand there to make sure he stays? NO! I DON'T!!! all i want is a pound bag of m&ms & some peace & quiet!!!! :) is that too much to ask???!!! ahhhhhh!!!!!!!!!"
there was a lot of deep breathing exercises going on all day. a lot of trying not to totally loose it!

and then there was the fact that we were having friends over for dinner. now i'm always wishing we could have more people over for dinner, but why is it that when you actually, finally do, the day is rotten & you have no time @ all to get things together??!!! i finally had to resign myself to the idea that i could not be "with it", or even fake being with it & that our friends would just have to enter a messy house with all my junk all over the kitchen counters, a make-up free & showerless hostess with the same clothes i'd had on for a few days (trying to conserve the # of loads i have to do before packing!), & GASP, no dessert. thankfully, clint took care of the last issue, taking hudson with him (giving me at least a quiet kitchen to cook in) to the grocery store for chocolate chip cookie makings. we may smell & be messy, but you will NOT leave our house with out something sugary!!

anyway, the end of the story is that we had a great time with adam & sarah & they at least didn't comment on my imperfections (!) & i was reminded that opening your life up means you let people see you as you really are (a complete & total mess) & how great that really is.

the other end of the story is that raising a child is really hard & especially when they are 2 & 1/2.

happy birthday to clint

i don't know what's come over me lately with the frequent blogging, but i'm going with it :)

saturday we got a babysitter (hallelujah! something i desperately needed after last week - see last post!) & headed downtown to celebrate clint's birthday. first stop was the bayou bend museum - which i definitely recommend (you know, for all of you who do your vacationing in houston, right??! haha!). each room is decorated from a different period of american history - it's quite interesting & especially to clint, who enjoys making furniture. i learned alot about cabriole legs & the meaning of "english rococo" style. and besides that, the gardens are really beautiful - we definitely plan to go back in the spring for good pictures. i'm envisioning great pics of baby girl harp + big brother amongst the azaleas...

then we headed to see "precious". oh my. oh my. what a movie.
we don't often get to see movies in the theater, but when we get to see one, this is exactly the kind of thing we love. wow. it was so intense & complex, something you mull over for days. raw & real, rough to watch. so MANY things struck me through out watching it, but one in particular was how very easy it is to judge people based off of quick interactions, sound bites, or even when we're around them somewhat, but haven't really gotten to know them, when in reality, we have NO IDEA what their life is like.
so anyway, email if you want to know more. otherwise if you go, bring a TOWEL to wipe your eyes, i tell ya! and then let me know what you thought.

after that we got lost, but eventually found our way to antica osteria, which i can definitely recommend. great, authentic italian food & super great service (sometimes i think my blog is turning into a travel blog - always recommending restaurants in various cities - hahaha!!) and here's our one picture...

let's just face it, my face is getting rounder. ouch. i knew this was coming, but you know it's still surprising when you see it! ah well, i'm trying to remember it's that "pregnancy glow" (that & the eggplant parmigiana!!!).

as an aside, i have to call attention to that great shirt clint has one - are you digging it??! i was SO proud of him for even trying it on @ the gap & was FLOORED when he let me buy it! if you didn't know, the man generally only wears blue & rarely will buy anything knew!! you look good, c!

speaking of fuller faces, i did make a super healthy, yummilicious soup tonight (to counterbalance all of that italian AND the dessert we're having tomorrow on c's real birthday) & i'll have to share it with you soon.

oh, & on a crafty note, i'm LOVING making those blankets - SO FUN! i'm thinking of getting them in the shop. i mean, who doesn't love a super soft baby blanket that's such a great size? what a practical + fun gift for a friend. & stay tuned for the cute fabric i found for baby boys, or possibly gender neutral. so fun!

grumpy bee - a halloween post

he looks so cute right here, right? and he is cute, but MAN has he been one whiny, cranky bee the past few days! eeekkkk! really, it comes & goes - he's his happy, energetic self, then BOOM, the bottom falls out & it's crank-i-licous time. this morning i was desperately trying to keep myself from going nuts as he vacillated between the two. it was tough, but i think i got all the groceries we needed, however i did realize that i asked for the wrong amount of fabric to be cut - too little of course :( bummer. it's just so darn hard to think when you're juggling a 2.5 yr old, you know?! and to think we're having another one. really, what are we thinking???! haha! i know it will be fun & crazy & terrible & wonderful - all together. life is beautiful you know!

so before i get another email from mimi asking when i'm ever going to post about halloween, i'll go ahead & post the pics. as you saw, hudson was a bee & the most adorable part was that when you asked him what a bee said, he said "buzzzzz!" with his little lisp :) priceless! i do adore that little stinker (who i think JUST fell asleep - hallelujah!)...

mom didn't quite get this one in focus!

the elkins boys stopped over for a quick photo shoot. the 3 of them got quite a kick out of each other in costume!

we were just getting the hang of trick-or-treating here & he wasn't too sure about it.

we hit a few houses in our neighborhood & then went on our annual trick-or-treat with the sebas.

the little strawberry, buzz light year, & the bumblebee

one sweet ride!

we had a blast trick-or-treating. the weather was awesome - the coolest halloween we've had so far & that made it great to walk around. hudson still didn't really get the whole candy thing - it was pretty much enough for him to just walk up to doors & get something to put in his bee bag & then get to ride in the wagon to the next house! he did get a little freaked out @ one lady who had one of those bowls with the little hand that will grab @ your hand when you reach for the candy. she didn't do it to him, of course, but she did it to clint & he was totally unhappy about that. he was silent for a long time & then said "that scare me."!!! we felt so bad about it & so tried to comfort him & tell him it was funny (even thought it did actually startle clint!!) & that we were having fun so the rest of the way home he kept saying "trick-or-treat. that's funny? that's funny."!!! i think he eventually convinced himself that it was funny & he wasn't scared after that.

and so there you go! halloween only 2 weeks late :)

mmmm...

awww. taylor swift just won entertainer of the year. cute :)

ps: i have no idea why we're watching the cma's as neither of us really listen to much country music, but really who doesn't love a darling gal who sings about wearing sneakers & tshirts?!

anyway, this is a multipurpose post here. i still don't have good pics of my latest projects, but i did snap one (terrible) picture of a new project from today. this week i'm trying to focus on finishing hudson's quilt, but i needed a little diversion/break today & i found a new project, so i went for it & came up with this...


a cozy flannel receiving blanket - in pink, of course! it's folded here, but it's really about 35x35 & i'm hoping will be perfect for swaddling.
here's a close up so you can see the cute elephants...



i got this fabric @ joann's (or "joy-ann's" according to hudson) because it was on sale & i just wanted to try this pattern out. and yes! that's a "mitered corner". are you impressed??! haha! i was nervous, but it wasn't so bad.

so that's a little peek into my day today! sewing & ironing & trying to keep hudson entertained while i finished up. he did well coloring, playing guitar, & cutting up random papers - i recently got him his own pair of kiddo scissors & he loves them.

and for the "mmm" part of this post, i was making dinner & thought i should share this recipe with you! it's pretty easy & yum & healthy (according to my standards, anyway!). i wish i had remembered to take my own pictures (wow, am i bad @ that lately), but i did adapt the recipe from THIS one from martha, so it does look kinda like this -

it's a broccoli spinach pasta

1 T evoo
3 bnlss/sknlss chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
6 garlic cloves, minced
3 T allpurpose flour
2 1/2 c 1% milk
salt & pepper (sea salt really does make a different & so does freshly ground pepper)
3 oz cream cheese (reduced fat works, too)
8 oz spinach spaghetti (really whatever pasta type works)
1 head of broccoli, cut into bite sized pieces
1 pkg frozen green peas (because who the heck knows how to shell fresh peas?)
1/3-1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated

In a saucepan, heat oil over medium high heat. Add chicken, and cook, stirring occasionally, until almost cooked through (and i like it browned). Add garlic; cook, stirring often, until fragrant & chicken is cooked through. Stir in flour; cook 1 minute.

Stir in milk, and season with salt and pepper (feel fancy because this is kinda like making a "roux"!). you'll need to add a good amount of s&p. cream/milk sauces are really bland & usually need lots of seasoning. Cook, stirring often, until mixture is slightly thickened, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in cream cheese; cook until melted, about 1 minute.

Meanwhile, in a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta until al dente according to package instructions, adding broccoli & peas during final 4 minutes (you may have to let it go a little longer - check often). Drain & return pasta/broccoli/peas to pot. Add cream-cheese sauce and parmesan, and toss to combine. Serve immediately.

throw a quick salad together (my fav lately is spring herb salad mix + blueberries + raspberries + toasted pecans + some fresh feta + brianna's lemon dressing) & call yourself martha!

i'm always looking for quick, yum, somewhat healthy recipes, so i thought you'd appreciate one, too. and if you have links to your fav recipes, please pass them along - i'm making my grocery run on friday... :)

more of asheville

goodness gracious, i need to blog, but all i seem to want to do is sit here & collect about half a million new crafty ideas from a million crafty blogs!! haha! like i need another project, but oh it's so fun to look.


anyway, here i am full of chuy's (yes we have them here in houston, thank goodness!) & feeling exceptionally, largely pregnant. this week has been my first week to really feel big (week 25). i think i got lost in feeling SO GOOD during the second trimester (and all that crafty nesting!) & i forgot about how you start feelings kinda of "walrus-esque" @ the end! i'm just trying to remind myself that there's a season for everything & i'll just need to slow down a bit, but oh dear do i have so much i want to do! :)


anyway, so i wanted to share some fun asheville pictures with you & so i can remember our wonderful week.
***these pictures are all taken by clint (or he got the camera all focused & ready for me so i could take a pic of him!) with his old 1960s pentax spotmatic. i love how into photography he's gotten. i really appreciate good pictures, but have NO patience for it myself!! :)







we went to asheville for a little r&r, to relax our minds & listen to the heart, to reconnect with what's really real, to be inspired, to cool off (haha!). clint lived in asheville from 3 yrs old to 11 but had never been back. we had always wanted to go as we'd heard how amazing it was & we finally got the chance.

those are views from clint's hike around where we stayed @ sourwood inn (i was busy knitting, reading, & resting in our room by the fire!). it was beyond perfect to stay there. everything you'd imagine - quaint, quiet, incredible views, amazing food, fascinating innkeepers, crackling fireplaces. i'd really like to just move in!



this is me @ breakfast. i believe this was oatmeal pancake morning. yeah, it was amazing. of course it could have been blueberry french toast morning... you'll have to excuse me if i gained 10 lbs. last week.



asheville reminded me so much of austin, only mountain-y & a lot cooler temps, which we all know was exactly what i was dying for! you definitely get the same artsy vibe. lots of handmade everything & much appreciation for food - especially locally grown.



this is me @ the grove park gallery @ the grove park inn. first, i love the tree. i think i decided the yellows are my favorite. second, it's so cool to see how the community really supports artists. the grove park galleries are part museam, part workshop, & part gallery. artists rent out the spaces & create their works (from painting to metal work, sculpture, instrument making, furniture...) right there for you to watch. then their creations are sold in the gallery. fyi - the grove park inn is where dirty dancing was filmed, so i definitely felt the spirit of swayze there:)

so on to the eating part. we ate ALOT.


here i am stuffing my face with a YUMMILICIOUS salad. well, & trying to be the "model" for clint's photography. nobody ever tells you how hard it is to be a model, by the way. it's so hard for me to smile naturally when someone's taking a picture!! i either look goofy, or too posed. you should see the out-takes! haha! either way, though, this salad was just right & worth posing for :) FRESH greens, a plethora of crunchy nuts (pumpkin, sesame, almonds & such) & dried fruit, & local feta, fabulous gingery dressing. mmmm. i'd almost give up meat for salads like this! (i know, johnna - write that down!) clint went meatless too with some kind of fried green tomato something. mmm again. and all of this yumminess was brought to us by early girl eatery on wall street. another plus? the darling rickrack on the bottom of the curtains. it's the little things!



and these trees were on wall street too...


gorg is what i'd like to say about that.



and here's that cute guy i married 8 yrs ago.
what fun to spend 4 whole days together.
i don't think we had any idea how much we needed that until we were there!

and well, wall street made quite the impression on us because after enjoying all the fun shops of downtown, we were back to eat @ cuchina 24, where i had the funkiest pasta dish - some kind of butternut squash ravioli with a brown butter sauce & amaretti cookies crumbled over the top. delish!!

and after that we made a beeline for french broad chocolate lounge. oh my word. please go there & please have the liquid truffle. you might die.

and as for our favorite downtown places (it's totally the kind of place you just want to wander around)

woolworth walk art gallery - an old woolworths converted into all kinds of fun art booths + a fun, old fashioned soda fountain. not that we were exactly able to enjoy that soda fountain, as we had discovered chocolate fetish & tried several truffles. yes, that means we had two major doses of chocolate in one day. please don't judge. & if you really must know, i recommend the raspberry.
i also must recommend darling children's store heaven rains. we did a little early christmas shopping & got the cutest christmas pj's for hud there & also a little harmonica (supposed to be a christmas gift too, but some dads around here are softies! haha!). and i'm so proud to say i'm working with the super fun & laid-back-cool owner, rosiland to get some alacritydesigns in her store in the spring! yip yip!

we also visited biltmore village (yuuummmmy corner kitchen! get the portabello sandwich with the goat cheese, recommended by clint) which was also fun shopping, inspiring art, & lots of history.

on our last day we hemmed & hawed as to whether we should sell our right arms for tickets to the biltmore house. i must say, i thought the ticket should come with your own sit-down interview with anderson cooper @ those prices, but i must say it really ended up being worth the money.


the house is unreal. lots of history & spectacular views. it's unreal that people actually lived here.
and actually the food there is good, too! (i told you we like to eat!)
i did look around for gloria to ask her about her jeans, but alas she was no where to be found. (in case you're not getting any of these jokes, the biltmore house was one of the vanderbilt family's homes.). it's pretty crazy to see something so extravagant & gi-normous (name that movie) that looks like it came straight from europe.

and in case you were wondering what my baby bump is looking like these days...

and just a cool shot...


well, i guess that about concludes our asheville tour. i did NOT get any pics of our mega travel day that lasted almost all of friday. that's the one bummer of asheville - it's not that easy to get to, on a budget anyway, so it involved a lot of driving & a couple of flights & we finally ended up back @ the old casa.

no matter the heat & humidity, i must say it's always good to come home to this...

asheville

instead of blogging yesterday, i was sitting in front of this

reading & knitting & resting under a handmade quilt! we're in asheville, nc this week, enjoying some cool mountain air. & wow is it ever cool & refreshing. ahhhhh. even just breathing is nice here :)

& talk about inspiring! between the air, the blue skies, fall leaves, mountain scapes (the autocorrect on my iphone wants me to type "mountain scalpes" right here - that's a whole other thing!), and the abundance of incredible handmade everthings, clint & i are wide eyed & feeling refreshed @ every turn.

More pics & thoughts to come later. right now we're out to walk off our yummilicious lunch and probably find something sweet to walk off as well :)

**this week brought to us in part by one Mimi who has graciously given up her week to run after the little guy @ home. Not sure who's having more fun - us or them!

-- Posted from my iPhone