I have learned to crochet a couple times in my life. But I never really got into it. Then we learned to make granny squares. Granny squares are my jam. Heads up everyone. Guess what you are all getting for Christmas this year.
It is tradition that my ma and I bake cookies before I have to get on a plane to come back to Austin. Our way of making sure to take a little bit of home back with me. These cookies are hearty, and good at surviving in one piece, despite being shoved in a backpack, through an xray machine, and under a seat. Good little travel companions that smell like Christmas.
Our bathroom in the new house was not my favorite. It literally has almost no place to put anything. The mirror is way too high on the wall, and I can only see half my face in it. It kind of needs more work, but we decided to do what we can to make it better for the time being.
And now it is like our favorite room in the house! We hung a little wall shelf with some plants. We hung a mirror ON TOP of the mirror, so I can see my own face. We added another shelf for storage with some baskets. And then we hung hooks for our towels behind the door, and added a collection of hand towels to the rack instead. Its so much brighter and happier in there now!
Cutting up clothes you just bought always feels like you are doing something wrong, so its oddly satisfying. Like making cut-off shorts. Even the little act of hemming a dress feels like a crime at first, but I bought it, so it should fit ME. Now that this little summer dress doesn’t come down past my knees, it can be welcomed into my closet with open arms (or hangers). 
This guy makes me truly happy inside. You know what else makes me happy? This headband I made. Because my hair is always so big and puffy in this weather, and the headband really reins it in. And another thing that makes me happy? The boy that likes my big, fluffy hair.
I made the headband using this tutorial, and an old t-shirt. I am going to try another version this weekend.
Last week we went with one of the spring menus from Fresh 20. A lot of the summer menus want use of a grill, so we went with a do-able spring menu instead. Although, we could probably just cook our food out on the front sidewalk in the burning evening sun, am I right? We were able to make all 5 dinners, since there were no business trips for the guy, yay!
Dinner one- pretty simple. Porkchops, farro, and kale. I have never had farro before, but I really liked it. Also, just learned that farro is a confusing grain.
Dinner two- predictable meat, grain, and veggie combo. Salmon, couscous, and asparagus. We got crazy and made watermelon balls! Cookbook can’t hold us back.
Dinner three- steak and kale salad with couscous. I was a little worried about the raw kale, but after the lemon juice and salt, I kind of roughed it up with a spoon, and it softened up pretty good. I had leftovers for lunch the next day that were also very satisfactory.
Dinner four- its 100+ degrees outside, but we still made some soup and quesadillas with leftover porkchops. We may have been sweating in the kitchen a bit, but it was worth it.
Dinner five- spinach strata with crumbled bread and goat cheese on top. We paired it with some sliced veggies, and even more melon balls! Also, my newest creation, apple sticks (apple slices cut into long skinny pieces). I think they will be all the rage soon. We had the leftover strata for breakfast the next morning, and it was still pretty tasty for being reheated eggs.
So week two went well! It is fun to try all the new types of foods, and it is definitely good to know what is yummy or quick to make for the future. We are also learning more about what flavors go better with different things, which is something I have never really put a lot of thought into. On to the next week!
One of our wedding cakes was a banana cake. Now, it may have tasted like the best cake ever simply because we shared a piece on our wedding day. But I tried to recreate it anyway!
There was shortening galore in the cake and frosting, because the outcome of this cake was serious business. I preformed a feat of magic in cutting a 13×9 cake in half, adding a layer of frosting and sliced bananas, and then successfully putting it back together.
SOOO GOOD! Not quite wedding cake, but I guess we can make do with this for now (in very small helpings).
We ventured out into the heat over the weekend, and had ourselves a lobster dinner at Quality Seafood. We drive by it occasionally, so this time, we actually went inside. Seafood is delicious.
We have a crape myrtle tree in our backyard. It fills the sky and the ground with little pink flowers. Even though it is blazing hot out, I still like to be showered with the little petals falling from above.
I am trying to remember the last time I grew something from a seed. I think it has to be before I left for college. We would have a garden every summer, and we would grow peas and carrots, and all kinds of things from seeds. But I forgot how thrilling it is when the tiny green leaves emerge their sleepy heads from the depths of a pot of dirt. I can’t wait to watch you grow, little sprouts.
guy and his girl 