Saturday Staycationing Part 1

Even if a teacher has to work all summer, there's still plenty of time for the staycation. This Saturday's trip: My Mom, and a ride up route 63 with an end stop in Keene, NH.

We had a mid-morning chai and gf cupcake at the previously blogged about Cushman Market. Lunch was a warm rice salad (prepared especially gluten-free upon asking) at the The Lady Killigrew Cafe in Montague, MA, where we had headed to find a craft show that was not to be found...

So we continued on, through Northfield, where we took a little driving tour of the beautiful, to-be-someday CS Lewis College, then on to Keene, NH where I parked in front of a delightful looking country store:

That's when I noticed the little "Wine Tasting Today" Sign. What luck!

The store is filled with wonderful treasures: beautiful jewelry, adorable baby onesies, great educational toys like Melissa & Doug products, and a fine collection of New Hampshire wines:

The wine seller was a personable man, very knowledgeable about the various wines in stock. I found it interesting and fitting that all the wines are local from New Hampshire. It makes me want to look up the various places and go try them out. Hmmm...another staycation? I think so.

I was able to taste, and then purchase a mead called 'Kurt's Apple Pie'. Now, I'm a big fan of both people named Kurt and apple pie so perhaps I was destined to like it. The wine is from The Moonlight Meadery in Londonderry, NH. It is not tart at all, it actually finishes with a warm cinnamon flavor. Fabulous. I am sipping it now as I type this!

I also purchased (without tasting) another mead called 'Fling" which has strawberry and rhubarb, and a Moscato from Zorvino Vineyards in Sandown, NH. I haven't popped those open quite yet. Too much wine makes for a sloshy Abbie!

After we left the country store, we headed down the streets of Keene:

Keene is reminiscent of Cambridge and Northampton with it's funky stores and various resturants. There was a store called

that has local artisan wares, and those wooden home signs I love so much. Unlike the store at the beach, it wasn't so crowded that you couldn't read them. I may be back to purchase one soon!

After a while, nature called, and I found both a restroom, friendly staff, and a PERFECT caramel latte at :

The inside was small and pretty popular and crowded but it was the perfect to-go sipper.

All in all, a very nice Saturday Staycation. Sometimes unplanned is the way to go!

All Souped Up

Rain.

Yes, rain makes the flowers grow. Yes, rain is good for preventing droughts and preventing some crazy heat waves, and I certainly prefer rain over tornadoes...

But today rain made for a lazy day off and a longing for walking weather.

Jake, lazing around...longing for some outside play

After filling out some forms for work, setting up appointments and finishing chores, I settled down to do one of my favorite things--peruse recipes! As I was writing down ingredients I would need to purchase, I kept asking myself "Do I have thyme?" "Did I keep the rosemary?" and it occurred to me that I am not quite clear on my own herbs and oils. So, I used my free time to drag them all out of the cabinet, categorize them, alphabetize my list, and put them back. I should have taken a before shot, but here's my after:



The spices and my alphabetical list :)

 At least the cooler weather makes soup season last a bit longer. Yesterday's soup was Easy Black Bean which I like to refer to as "dump ingredients in a pot and boil". It was the perfect lunch to pack and take along with me to visit my brother as he recovers from shoulder surgery. The side is a crisped up rice tortilla, lightly salted.
                                                                                                       Easy Black Bean Soup
1 can black beans (rinsed)
1/2 box of reduced sodium chicken broth
1 can fat free re-fried beans
1 cup water
1 small jar fat free garlic salsa
cilantro (for garnish)
scoop of TJ's fat free sour cream for the top

 pour in a pot and boil :) makes 4 servings

 Today's soup: Broccoli Potato


 1 tsp olive oil
1 chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1 small potato, peeled & chopped
1/2 box reduced sodium chicken broth
1 cup water
1/2 package frozen broccoli (or 1 bunch fresh with stems removed)
1/4 cup fat free half & half
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1/2 cup shredded reduced fat sharp cheddar*

You heat the oil in a saucepan and cook onions until they're softened. Add the garlic and heat a minute more. Add potatoes, chicken broth, water, and broccoli and heat to a boil. Simmer for 5 minutes, then remove some broccoli, and simmer a few minutes more. I used my hand mixer to puree the ingredients left in the pan, and then added back the broccoli I had removed, the half & half, salt, pepper, and cheese.

Makes 4 servings

* I made the mistake of using a blend of mozzarella, cheddar, and colby jack...and I think sharp cheddar would have made a huge difference taste wise. Perhaps some curry powder or ground mustard would have jazzed things up too. It was an OK soup, but it needed more flavor. I'll play with some other spices in the future.

** New note on this-- today I added a wedge of laughing cow light blue cheese when heating it up, it made the difference. If you don't like blue, it comes in swiss, chipotle, and toasted onion.

Here's hoping for sunny skies tomorrow!

Summer Reading: Not Just for Kids

As a kid, I was the one who took 10 books out every week, and returned those 10 the following week for a new batch. I don't just read books, I devour them. So when I arrived at the library this morning and found this challenge, I was beyond excited!!

I think that you have to read a book from the library's collection and fill out a little review of the book online. Then, when you return the book to the library, they give you a raffle ticket to enter into one of the prizes they are giving away. If you read all 10, you'll have 10 entries. So, I have spent a good chunk of my afternoon checking out the online catalog for choices that aren't checked out  (and hoping they'll be there when I make it back tomorrow) or aren't books that I've already read.

Here are some thoughts & choices:

Challenge #1 Book turned into a movie

Beloved by Toni Morrison

or

My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult

Challenge #3 Biography or Memoir

Death in Salem: The Private Lives behind the 1692 Witch Hunt by Diane Foulds

or

Message from and Unknown Chinese Mother: Stories of Loss & Love by Xinran

Challenge #5 A Love Story

maybe...

Theft: A Love Story by Peter Carey

Challenge #7 A Local Author

My Sister's Bones by Cathi Hanauer (Northampton)

or

Truth by Jacqueline Sheehan ( Florence)

Challenge #8 Fantasy/SciFi

maybe...

Magic Street by Orson Scott Card

These are the only ones I've thought of so far. We'll see if the library has 'em when I want to read them. What do you think of these? Has anyone read them and can tell me to read it, or not to waste my time?

This is going to be fun. I can tell.

Bacon Wrapped Mahi Mahi & Balsamic Glazed Brussel Sprouts

Today, I realized that I'm not going to have much of a summer in terms of time off. While this is ok in the grand scheme of things since it will help me save money for that missions trip I want to take next summer, it does bring an element of stress. As I drove home in the rain thinking about work and an MIA contract, all I wanted to do was spend my afternoon watching movies and cooking. Sometimes you just have to treat yourself.

I also realized today, that I don't love to cook so as much as I like to eat tasty food. And so while the "cooking" part of today was pretty darn easy since Trader Joes did a lot of the work--it was also pretty darn tasty.

I began with my ingredients:

Trader Joes Uncured Bacon Wrapped Mahi Mahi Filets
1/2 pound Brussel Sprouts
1 tsp olive oil
1 tsp Balsamic Glaze
1/8 tsp pepper
1/8 tsp salt
1/4 tsp water
cooking spray

• Brussel sprouts are so cute! I have never cooked brussel sprouts before so I'm not sure if I wasted extra parts or not, but I cleaned them up and halved them like so:

That's my awesome ulu knife. Best kitchen utensil ever.

• I set the oven to 475 to preheat and put the halved brussel sprouts into spray coated baking dish with the olive oil, salt, and pepper.

I put the Mahi Mahi in first for 12 minutes, flipped it and then put the brussel sprouts in with it for 17 minutes. The fish said it should be cooked on the bottom shelf, and so while nothing was burning, things did get a bit smoky. Luckily it was a cool and rainy day, so all the windows could be opened wide! I took the fish out a bit earlier than the brussel sprouts as they still looked super crunchy.

• When you take the brussel sprouts out (make sure they are browned a bit & softened), you mix the water and balsamic glaze together and drizzle evenly over the top of the sprouts.

The tasty results:



I feel much more relaxed after an afternoon in the kitchen and a fun movie. Sometimes it's the simple things in life...

Newest Loves

Lately, I have been loving some things that I thought I'd share with you:

1. The new television show Love Bites. It's quirky and funny, and delightfully warm. It has a cast of some favorite actors from other loved shows including Greg Grunberg, Constance Zimmer, Becki Newton and the Key, Michelle Trachtenburg ;).

At times the show may border on the inapproprate but I have to admit, I occasionally enjoy the slightly inappropriate. And I have watched all 3 episodes on another favorite-- hulu


Another favorite television series as of late: Eureka
The public library supplied me with seasons 1, 2, and 3 and I am eagerly awaiting season 4 on DVD. With the adorable Colin Ferguson and tons of geeky, near catastrophic science, what's not to love?

2. Western Massachusetts early summer, including Strawberry Picking!

Freshly picked strwberries from Sapowsky Farms, Granby MA

3. Groupon

Who doesn't love saving money? I have purchased a total of 7 groupon deals in the last few months. And they are worth their money! My only recommendation is that you check the fine print carefully in case you need to make a reservation before using it.

One, I used to treat my cousin & I to a delicious meal at Eclipse Restaurant in Northampton. We had maple butter smothered pork mignon with a delightlfully cheesy potato layered creation, and for dessert-- flourless chocolate torte with brandy caramel sauce. Mmmm.  I paid $25 and we had a $50 meal. Deal, no?

Last night, I had a groupon to the The Majestic Theater. My Mom and I enjoyed the play Two by Two by Steve Henderson. We paid $15 for two tickets. The theater is lots of fun with it's intimate setting, comfortable seating, and cafe and funky jewelry store.

I'll keep you posted on more used groupon deals!

Rainy Day Blues

Creamy Blue Cheese Polenta & Asparagus, Mushroom and Chicken Stir fry*

What's a girl to do when it's pouring buckets of rain outside and she's feeling hungry? Cook, of course! I decided to try out one of the recipes I recently copied from my Mom's new cookbook, and boy did I get more than I bargained for! What you see here is the beautiful (and tasty) result of my efforts, but I was left with a few more blues before I was done thanks to the modern 'convenience' of the electric stove.

What you may not know about an electric stove is this: no matter how closely you think you are following the directions of a recipe, electric stoves don't heat up evenly. When things really get cooking you need to lower the heat because all the heat sort of accumulates into crazy super heat. Say, for example, you are cooking up polenta on medium heat according to the recipe, and stirring continuously just like it says, all of a sudden the heat might get explosive and end up on your dress, stove, and fingers leaving little burn marks all along it's trail....you know, hypothetically.

My poor burnt finger and polenta covered stove

My polenta spattered dress. I thought I'd spare you the burnt tummy that lies underneath. ;-)

But, in the end the meal turned out pretty tasty. So, after I cleaned up the kitchen, and changed my clothes, I had a delicious meal on my hands. My adapted recipe is below:

Creamy Blue Cheese Polenta*

3 cups water
2 cups non-fat milk
1 cup instant polenta (aka corn grits)-- I used Bob's Red Mill brand
2 ounces blue cheese
1 wedge laughing cow light blue

Heat up the water and milk until boiling and whisk in the corn grits stirring continuously. Lower heat and keep stirring for 5 minutes until polenta is creamy. Then stir in cheeses until dissolved. Serving size 2/3 cup.

On the side I cooked up some asparagus pieces, red onion, portabellas and a 2 oz. chicken tender in a frying pan with some spray. Perfect accompaniment!

In the morning I used 1/3 cup of the polenta as an side to some fried eggs and green onions. *


*For anyone who may care-- Pointsplus value for 2/3 cup of polenta is 4 points.
Polenta & Stir Fry meal, 6 points
Egg & Polenta meal, 6 points

More

When times are hard, often the verse that revolves around in my mind is my grace is sufficient for you. And it's true. It is always sufficient.

But lately, the verse that has been going round in my mind is this one: Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Chist Jesus tthroughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen ~ Ephesians 3:20

More abudantly than all that we ask or think

Today, was the last day of school for my second grade class. It wrapped up my first year at a new school, and my 5th year of second grade. And usually when the school year ends, I want to celebrate, for I have survived. This year, I sat at an assembly while the kids took turns sitting near to me, and I drove away after school and cried bittersweet tears because the best year of my teaching life was over but oh, was it ever so amazing!

A year where the children grew in empathy, in confidence, in courage, and I will miss their presence in my life Monday-Friday... and a year ago I thought maybe teaching wasn't for me anymore. And that couldn't be further from the truth today.

More

Two days ago, I sat in my best friend's house and dreamed of the future. I know that this Jesus following life should be radical and crazy, and this year my heart slowly came alive again. I believe we should serve where we are planted, even if it's for a season...and so I will continue to serve in Valley Church as long as God sees fit to have me here, and I pray for grace and passion to lead. But I am dreaming of and planning for a teaching missions trip overseas next summer, and praying about a potential move to a new place in the next few years. I have a few ideas in mind, but it's my goal to be a prayerful woman. One who asks, and more importantly, spends the time to hear the answer. So I expect that soon enough, more abundantly than all that we ask or think will be even more real.

More

Gluten free baked onion rings :)

Sin binds, it's strong. It wages war against our soul. And finding comfort in food has waged war on mine. After my surgery in February, I knew that even though I may be in pain, some of my pain is self inflicted by sin. It's ok to be a foodie (and I am one). I love fun recipes and dining out on interesting cuisine. I spent 3 months reading and praying and quite honestly wrestling with putting God first in my life. I realized that I have more fear than I had ever realized. I am afraid of so many things. Rejection. Loving. Being Vulnerable. But this life in Christ is meant to be more. Abundant. And so the last few months have been moving in faith. The first was getting my heart right with God. The second, an eating plan. So I joined Weight Watchers. Which is a good eating plan, but I needed to have the God piece first because without it, I'll fail. So it's been a month. And I have lost 13 pounds so far...praise God. But I add to my tracker every day "Time with God" because I know where the real power comes from. 

More

I have always been pretty self aware. But God recently showed me some pieces of myself that aren't that nice. I am a hold-on-er. I hold on to hurts and pains, and it makes you bitter. I missed my closest friends so much that my hurt turned to anger, and the anger turned into a threatening bitter root. But it was some well placed words on grace through both the amazing studies Becoming A Woman of Grace and The Book of James  that was the catalyst for some very strong weeding. And I feel free. Free to love my sweet friends. And free to be loved by my Savior. And I know where to go if it creeps back in.

More

I can't even imagine what this life will hold next...but I sure am excited to see :)

Peace & Grace,

Abbie Lynn