Rainy Day Goods

HFCs <-- my iphone autocorrect made that title (???) and I'm keeping it

2012-03-27T02:22:18Z

Record heat yesterday (it was nice for now but please let's not have this whole summer be record-breaking!) let me out onto the back patio to crochet a bit as the sun set. I'm sorry, but how cute is Charlie? So cute! Such a snugglebun.

Pretend I cleaned those cuticles up. ;) I'm pretty sure this is going to be my favorite nail color this summer! It's Zoya Maya. I watched the Mad Men premiere last night (YAY IT'S BACK) and there was so much coral throughout - Megan's dresses and nails, Joan's lips and the walls in her apartment. Halfway through the episode I got inpsired and pulled this color out to try. Love it! If anyone has a perfectly Joanie coral lip color to recommend, please let me know!

Sunday was pretty chill 'round these parts, which was nice after a busy Saturday. Oh - and I loved The Hunger Games! No spoilers in this post (I don't care if you spoil things in the comments though, so bring it if you've seen it!) but man, the movie sucked me in right from the beginning in District 12 and, though it wasn't exactly as I pictured the book - it probably would have been 4 hours long and rated R for violence if it was - I thought they did a great job throughout.

I'm off to bake some brownies and crochet for a bit! I won't have details or clear pictures of the crochet project I'm making until after Easter, but it's pretty cute. :)

the odds are ever in my favor today*

2012-03-25T01:17:13Z

A beautiful day...

...to head to the park!

Charlie is such a happy pupper, especially at the park! Boy do we love this dog. We played a good long game of fetch - Charlie's favorite.

Nothing like a Saturday with my fella, out and about in perfect weather. We capped off our errands with some tasty margaritas and dinner at Los Cuates (yummy local New Mexican restaurant - and they just opened one nearer to us, yay!), and now we're getting ready to see The Hunger Games in just a bit! It's been a while since we went to see a movie right on opening weekend, but I loved the books and have been counting down the days till it opened for months! I can't wait.

Hope you are having a wonderful weekend, too!

*sorry, so dorky, but I had to.

hey, so

2012-03-23T03:16:31Z

I seem to have found another hobby. I mean, I think it's safe to say, at this point, that this has reached hobby status. I'm ok with that.

Also HI GUYS. If you are still reading this? Thanks. :)

adobe + lights

2011-11-30T05:09:15Z

Taken on my street while walking Charlie. The neighborhood is looking so pretty with more lights popping up on houses each day!

blogging from my phone feels like living in the future!

2011-11-26T05:32:55Z

Today was super-relaxed and mellow: the perfect day after Thanksgiving day! Leftovers, a nap, a long walk with the pupper, some cleaning. Watched a movie tonight - The Bourne Identity. Turns out I'd never seen it, even though I thought I had... which explains why The Bourne Supremacy was so damn confusing to me. I see that now.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-25T04:50:13Z

Delicious food. Good company. Chatting on the phone with family all day. A lovely day. I'm thankful for so much!

this... is... THANKSGIVING!

2011-11-24T03:48:02Z

the cornbread and sourdough for the dressing are baked, cubed, and drying.
the cranberry chutney is done
the turkey is brining
the bourbon/cider/ginger ale cocktail is, unsurprisingly, delicious

It is ON.

and so it begins!

2011-11-23T02:07:52Z

Tonight the cooking prep for Thanksgiving begun: chopping up the sourdough roll and baking the cornbread. Both of these breads, once cubed and aired out, will be nice and dry by Thanksgiving, and just perfect for the dressing. I used a cornbread recipe that calls for an 8" square pan, but am baking it in a regulation-sized (9" X 13") dish, for better cube-ing and drying. This is going to make a lot of dressing - but I'll freeze half before baking, and cook it up for Christmas dinner, so I'm feeling extra prep-o-rific right about now!

It'll probably be pretty darn food and recipe-heavy on the blog this week, since Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday and food is the best. ;) Hope your week is going well, whether it's a holiday week for you or not!

bye week(end)

2011-11-22T03:45:07Z

I took the weekend off! Yes, it's NaBloPoMo, but both days I sat down and really had nothing to say, so... I skipped it.

Today I got most of my Thanksgiving shopping done! I just need to buy the turkey, some booze, and a can of evaporated milk. (Random, I know, but the co-op was sold out.) I LOVE THANKSGIVING. It's just going to be me and Jacob (and Charlie!) here this holiday, but we're definitely planning to enjoy the holiday and make a full spread. Grocery shopping, oddly enough, is one of my favorite things to do. I love getting all organized and making a nice menu plan and well-laid out shopping list, and once done, I generally pick the longest checkout line on purpose so I can read magazines while I wait. I love it all! Choosing all the goodies for a special holiday meal is especially pleasing. Everything looked so pretty and tasty at the market - such a treat.

I didn't buy all the cheese... but I came close. ;)

eye candy Friday: summer adobe

2011-11-19T03:34:28Z

A corner of our home, under the hot July sun.

Happy weekend!

he's thoughtful that way

2011-11-18T01:22:55Z

My office buddy.

Always willing to share his empty peanut butter jar.

get me bodied: 10days

2011-11-16T15:23:10Z

Almost done with the body on 10days, which means it was time for another try-on!

I'm so, so happy with the fit! The bottom border (which looks like lots of fun to knit - I'm definitely on a short-row kick right now) will add another 2 1/4", so I am going to keep knitting for another 2" - 3" before beginning that part. My torso: it's long.

All three of my current active WIPs are making me happy - now I just have to power through and finish them. Blogging more has, in my case, definitely led to knitting more. I'll call that a win on both counts.

oops, my needles slipped...

2011-11-15T18:25:01Z

...and I cast on a cowl.

This is the Turbulence Cowl, the newest pattern from Cosmicpluto Laura. One short-row wedge in, and I'm entirely charmed. The yarn is Bijou Bliss, the Bijou Basin yak/cormo blend, which I bought at the Taos Wool Festival last year. This yarn is a TREAT to knit - that's right, a squishy, soft treat that only ALLCAPS can properly express. A happy little project.

turkey, pork, and three-bean crock pot chili recipe

2011-11-14T15:02:51Z

There are a million ways to make tasty chili, and this is the season to try as many of them as possible. It's such an easy, hearty dish, and a great excuse to bust out my crock pot. I made this last week, and it was the perfect dinner on a cold November evening. Here's what I did!

Turkey, Pork, and Three-bean Crock Pot Chili

Ingredients:

1 TBSP olive oil

1 lb ground turkey

1/2 lb ground pork

1 large onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 (14 1/2 oz) can black beans

1 (14 1/2 oz) can kidney beans

1 (14 1/2 oz) can garbanzo beans

1 (28 oz) can or 2 (14 1/2 oz) cans crushed tomatoes

1 (14 1/2 oz) can corn, drained

2 - 3 TBSP chili powder (to taste)

2 tsp cumin

2 tsp paprika

salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

Heat olive oil in a skillet on medium heat. Add onion, ground turkey, ground pork, garlic, and salt & pepper, and brown until meat is cooked through. Drain excess fat.
Transfer to large crock pot (I have two smaller crock pots and had to use both) and add remaining ingredients, mixing well.
Cook on high for 6 - 8 hours. If you can, taste it 1/2 hour before serving, and adjust seasoning as needed. (I added more chili powder but we like lots of spice!)

Yields:

10 servings. You can easily freeze leftovers and enjoy later, too.

I topped with a sharp cheddar cheese and some Greek yogurt, and served it with some homemade (Charlie-approved) cornbread and a nice bold red wine. Perfect.

It's pretty easy to modify and adjust for different taste preferences (more garlic?), spice preferences (less chili powder?) and such. You can certainly substitute other ground meats if you like; just be sure that you're using about 1 1/2 pounds total.

Please let me know if you make this - and I sure hope you enjoy it!

short-row toe

2011-11-14T00:33:58Z

I love these!

This weekend was so relaxing, with lots of knitting time for me, and singing time, for Charlie.

Ready for Monday and the week ahead! Hope you had a good weekend, too!