pie. and other things.

I swore I took a picture of these lovely pies with my real camera.....but when I got home and went through my pictures.....I hadn't. I was stuffed full and delirous with mashed potatoes and cranberries....so I guess I forgot to do it. So here is a phone shot--apple, buttermilk, pumpkin, and chocolate pecan. 

None of them made by me, all of them tasted by me.

Did you have a fabulous Thanksgiving weekend?

Good. We did too.

 

We were in Montana enjoying the giant blue sky.

We played with cousins (and met a NEW cousin!) and stayed up waaaaaay too late.

We had a feast and played football in the 20° air.

 

We ate pie. And then more pie. And then even more pie.

We almost blew away. Several times. 

(thank goodness we'd weighed ourselves down with pie)

We visited with great grandmas and great grandpas.

We admired sunsets, and climbed atop a giant butte.

We kind of had a hard time coming home......

All photos from my iphone. I promise I took real pictures too.....I'll be back to share much, much more.

How was your Thanksgiving? 

Did you eat too much pie too?

ps. I have never loved pie. I eat it.....but my heart will always and forever belong to cake. 

But I just experienced buttermilk pie for the first time and loved every single bite (after bite after bite). 

I think it will be on the table for our Christmas feast....have you tried it?

thank thanky thankfulness

a quick phone snap from my drive through the desert last week

So happy and thankful for this pretty place we live, and for all the pretty people I share my life with. I am so lucky.

Happiest Thanksgiving to you and yours!!

trail love

To say that trail running has completely changed my life

would be a tad bit dramatic......and 100% true. 

Before I hit the trail a year and a half ago, I feel like my running routine was one long boring sleepwalk. 

The same thing over and over. 

Streets, sidewalks, crosswalks, neighborhoods. Maybe if I was lucky, a sprinkler to run through or a curb to jump up. 

yippee.

And then I woke up one day, and took my first steps on the trail. 

I will never

ever

ever ever 

go back. 

Sure I get mileage in on the road every now and then......and it bores me to death--I think about the trail the entire time.

So every chance I get, I am out running on the dirt--I can't imagine it any other way. 

My body and mind crave it. If it's been too long, I start to get antsy......when can I get out again!? Thoughts of the trail consume me. I NEED to be on the trail. I need to clear my head and feel the burn in my legs.

It's so much more than just a run.
It's jumping and climbing and leaping and ducking. 

It's dirty--filthy! The best runs end with shoes full of mud, and brown slop splashed up your back.

It's wet--sometimes just a bit--sometimes up to your knees in water. 

It's steep--long painful ups, and ridiculously fast downs. 

You cut your legs, your arms. Your ankles will twist and roll. 

You will fall on your face (not always.....but oh, it will happen. usually in front of a group of mountain bikers.)

You will see deer and giant birds and you will almost step on snakes (eeeeeeeeeeeeeek!!)

You will crave it so much that it doesn't matter the season--you will be out. 

Slipping and sliding down ice covered paths.

I am so thankful that I discovered trail running. 

It has changed how I think about running. It has brought me so many amazing experiences. It has strengthened my body and mind, and helped me do things I never thought possible.

a few photos from our wet and sloppy run over the weekend.

I am so happy to have Charly back on the trail with me! 

Robby took her on a long hike in September and she injured her shoulder......and had to get surgery....

 It has been the longest, most annoying (to both of us) recovery but she is finally out with me again--we loved it.

After my running post two weeks ago I had some trail questions (I also have got a few emails from you guys about trail running). I am working on a Trail Running post, so any other questions ask here and I will do my best to answer them. 

What are YOU thankful for today?

guilty pleasures.......

We all have them. 

Things we really, thoroughly, 100% enjoy......and maybe shouldn't.....or at least maybe we shouldn't tell people about them....

Today I am thankful for guilty pleasures. 

Simple little things that just make life better.

 

-spoonful (after spoonful) of peanut butter with chocolate chips. Usually sometime around 4:00 is when this needs to happen.

-Taylor Swift. I know I know. How does this stuff happen? But boy oh boy are those songs adorably upbeat and catchy.

-Schmidt. Do you watch New Girl? It is the highlight of my week. I am an old tired mom and really have no reason to be watching a show about hip single people. I started watching it because I like Zooey Deschanel (who doesn't), but I come back every week for more Schmidt. Funniest character....ever.

-Naps. I really love me a good afternoon nap. Passed out, drooling, afternoon nap.

-Wearing a hat so I don't have to wash my hair. several days in a row. thank you winter weather.

What are YOUR guilty pleasures.....play along!

happy weekend.

the story of us: part two

the uintas in August

I am just so thankful for this man. 

Boy. ManBoy. (When you meet someone at 21 they will always be your boy.) 

He really is everything to me, 

and wins the #1 You-Name-It award. Husband. Dad. Friend. BBQer. 

All of it. We have so much fun together--parenting, playing, laughing, and adventuring. We have been through so much in these past 10 years, and I am so happy to call him mine. 

Right before our 10 year anniversary (whoa!) I started to write our story.....

.....in case you missed it, HERE is part 1)

Part Two: The Golden State

"Do you have any produce in your car?"

"Nope"

And with that we crossed the border into summertime in California--he was driving the little moving truck with our few belongings, and I was in the car--back seat loaded to the roof.

He had taken a job--his first "big boy" job out of college, and he started in two days. We unpacked our stuff into his parent's garage, where we would stay for a few months until we found a place of our own.

 

I was officially a California Girl.

I found a job--I worked at a place called Dinner Time. We prepped ingredients for several different meals and had them set up in stations. Customers would come in and assemble freezer meals to take home. We chopped, shredded, diced, sliced and helped women with their meals. 

We did dishes for hours.

 We made a few trips to San Francisco over the summer, and came back one time with a secret........

I was pregnant!

 

Nauseous, exhausted, living with deadly heartburn, and gagging every time I brushed my teeth. 

But so ridiculously happy as I quickly expanded out of my clothes.

We found a house to rent in the fall. A little (tiny!) yellow house with two bedrooms and palm trees out front. It was home--our home-- and it was where we would bring our little boy back to live. I continued to work, and lucky for me, I even got out of dish duty when my tummy got too big to stand near the sink. I bought tiny little blue socks and and hats and shoes, and we counted down the days until we could meet him.

 

In April, he came.

Ten fingers, ten toes, and a mop of black hair. Pure joy.

 

We spent our days in our little yellow house playing, reading, and singing songs. We'd walk-- everywhere. We walked to the Post Office. We walked to Trader Joes. We walked around every block, just me and my little boy. Robby would come home to join us for lunch every day. 

We were at our absolute happiest. 

You really fall in love all over again when you see your favorite person become a dad.

We visited Lake Tahoe, road tripped allllllllllllll the way to Montana, and showed our baby boy our favorite places in San Francisco.

We were the perfect little family of three. We celebrated Holidays with family, and learned quickly how much more fun life is with a sweet little babe in tow.

When Robby and I got married, we made a promise to each other.......to never live in Utah. If you're not from Utah, you probably 100% understand this statement. We just knew it wasn't for us. 

Or......

was it. 

There was a job opportunity. We drove out to see about it.....but whatever...it was in Utah.

The job was great for Robby. AND it put us so much closer to my family in Montana. Maybe we could even afford a house? After just a week or two of thinking it over.......

We were filling up boxes and headed to the mountains of Salt Lake City......

.......to be continued.......

Who are YOU thankful for today?

soupy

It's really funny how much I am loving this weather. I am 100% a summertime girl, but these first few wintry storms of the year I just love. (don't worry, I'll be complaining come February). 

The snow, the icicles, the woodsmokey air. Snowballs, snuggling, and of course......soup.

Yes, I am thankful for soup.

We have soup a few nights a week this time of year. It's easy and there is always something that can be thrown in a pot and magically transformed into soup. 

It's warm and comforting and perfect for bread dipping.

Here are two different soups that we have enjoyed lately*......

Bacon Minestrone 

adapted from THIS food network recipe. I added more garlic, herbs, the pumpkin puree. 

3-4 slices of bacon

1 small onion

4 garlic cloves, minced

1-2 cups of chopped kale

3 carrots, sliced

1 small can of tomato paste

1 cup of butternut squash or pumpkin puree

1 TBS fresh thyme

2 TBS fresh oregano

1 cup of small pasta (I used orecchiette)

1 can of white beans (I used butter beans)

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese + a small piece--about an inch--of Parmesan cheese rind, plus more cheese for garnish

2-3 cups chicken broth

4-5 cups of water

salt and pepper to taste

Cook bacon until crispy, remove from pan.

Add onions, kale, and carrots to the bacon drippings and sauté until they begin to soften.

Add garlic and sauté for a few minutes more. Season with salt and pepper.

Stir in fresh herbs, tomato paste, and pumpkin/squash puree.

Add chicken broth, water, beans, parm rind and pasta. Bring to a boil and cook 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium and crumble the bacon back in.  Simmer, uncovered, until slightly thickened, about 7 minutes. Remove the Parmesan rind, stir in half of the grated cheese. Ladle into bowls and top with

the remaining cheese.  

Serve with toasted sourdough....mmm.....

soup #2...

Black and White Chile 

1 small onion, diced. 

3-4 cloves garlic, minced

1 can of black beans (rinsed/drained) 

1 can of white beans (rinsed/drained)

3-4 cups chicken broth

1-2 cooked chicken breast, shredded

juice of 2 limes

1/2tsp+ ground chipotle pepper (depending on how spicy you like it)

1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg

salt and pepper to taste

Saute' onion and garlic in olive oil until tender. Add remaining ingredients and simmer for at least one hour (I have even added the chicken frozen, and just simmered it until it was tender enough to shred. otherwise I sauté it with the onions.) 

top with your favorites. we like cilantro, sour cream, avocado, and tortilla chips.

*if you have been following my blog you know I'm not always super specific with my "recipes". 

It's more of a guide, add little here, a little there, tasting along the way.....the easiest way to make soup.

What are YOU thankful for today?

november thanks

How was your weekend? I spent mine running through the night in the Vegas Ragnar. It was freeeeeezing.... but so much fun, and some really awesome running.....I'll update you more on that when Ryan's video is done. So thankful for good friends, late night giggling, running under a starry sky, gummy bears at 2am, and now that I'm home, a warm bed and a real toilet:)

We got snow!!! We are so happy it came. Last year we hardly got any, so it was played in for hours upon it's arrival.

I'm thankful for fires, cocoa, soup, mittens and hats. Thankful for the soft crunch beneath my feet and the cool air in my lungs. My own breath fogging up the sky.

I just LOVE going through all of your November Thanks photos on Instagram! Thank you so much for sharing--here are a few of my favorites from the past week.

photos by:

@dearcaralou, @haygardi

@melissalipking, @ekanazhwa

@jaxdewolfe, @ericagrover14

@heatherlynnroberts, @torijoh

@whitneyingram, @haygardi

@lanapribic, @saracwalk

@rachellewilliams, @saracwalk 

play along and tag your thankful photos #novemberthanks, 

I'll choose a few to show off each week. I'm so excited to see what you share! 

What are you thankful for today?

run run run

I used to hate running. Loathe it. It was the absolute worst part of my day--just the few laps around the gym to warm up before basketball practice was torture. 

I went to college and ran a 5k with my roommates. I thought I was going to die. 

And then......something changed. 

I ran a bit after we got married--up and down the streets of Rexburg, Idaho. It was ok....but I still didn't love it. A baby was born, and I started to add more miles.....I was up to....like....5. 

But it felt good, legs stretching, lungs expanding, and I continued to get my (sloowwww) miles in. After about a year of running, I ran my first half marathon......and I was hooked. The adrenaline! Such a great feeling to finish, and I haven't stopped since. 

Many of you know I'm running mostly trails these days, and I crave it and need it and love it. If you want me to get all cheesy and declare my love for running, 

then here you go. 

It is my very favorite thing. My thing. I honestly can't imagine what I would do without it. It works my body, my mind, my soul. I can think, I can push, I can just admire the view. 

It is part of ME.

I am thankful for my love of running--so thankful I came around from all those years ago. 

I am thankful for my scrawny little legs. 

They have carried me hundreds and hundreds of miles (this year alone) and up to the tops of mountains......figuratively, and literally. 

I am so thankful for a strong and healthy body. 

This time last year I was in the middle of a huge Lyme relapse. I was sick and weak and running was nearly impossible. I ran the Vegas Ragnar last fall (as usual), and couldn't even finish my last few miles. It crushed me. It took me until late winter to finally get back into running, and I will never ever stop appreciating how good it feels to be winding through the trees. 

I'm thankful for best of friends who know that running is how I heal, and at the very last minute let me jump on to their teem for this year's relay........this weekend! We weren't planning on running it this year, so I am just so excited that I get to head down and redeem myself for last year. Thankful for the best husband ever who loves staying home to play with the Littles while I go run through the night.

Dear running, you are the best.

A few weeks back I posted a picture of a snowy trail on my instagram and mentioned how much I love running in chilly temperatures. I had so many questions about it, I thought I'd answer a few here. 

Running in cold weather is all about finding the right clothing, and lots of layers so you can take stuff off if you need to. It takes a few times--trying out this and that, until you learn what YOU like to wear. I have clothes I like for 30°-40° runs, and different clothing for the teens and twenties. 

Yes I realize that sounds crazy. 

pants: I love full length tights. They are so comfortable if you get the right fit. Make sure you find tights that are breathable and keep the moisture OFF your skin. I love my patagonia speedwork tights. I got them at a super sale at the outlet last spring and they are my favorite. 

shirt: I usually wear a short sleeve running tee, to keep moisture off my skin. I really also like Patagoina's base layers.

outer layer: Depending on the temp, and how much sunshine there will be, I wear a light long sleeve or medium weight long sleeve shirt or jacket, that I can push the sleeves up or take off and tie around my waist if I need to. 

ears: my ears get cold so easily. I always wear an earband or a thin beanie. Earbands are nice because you can slide them down around your neck if you get too warm.

shoes/socks: I wear the same socks in the winter as I do in the summer--I like smartwool socks for trails. If you are running alot on the snow and ice, you might want a shoe with better traction--I love my Brooks Cascadias year round. 

*if you have any other running questions, ask them here, and I will try to answer them in another post. I will also post about running in the winter when we move into colder temperatures. be sure to check out running 101 and running 201. I have changed a lot of how I run since I have posted those, but the basics are all there.

What are you thankful for today?

anyone else heading down to Vegas this weekend? follow my ragnar updates on instagram!

happy happiness

a few from la jolla over the weekend.....totally unrelated to this post.

Election Day.

So much to take in!

I am so thankful to live in this country, and so happy that I get to vote......

...but I am so tired of all the name calling and finger pointing and just plain nastiness to each other 

(coming from all sides, mind you)

How is this benefit to anyone? What are we teaching our children?

Let's all just get along.... it sounds cliche', but seriously you guys, 

let's start being friends again. 

I'm going to list 1000 (maybe not quite) happy things right now, 

and I dare you to try not to smile afterwards. 

I also dare you to list your own happiness, and then go and hug your neighbor and smile or wink at someone who may have voted differently than you.

a-a-a-hem. here we go.

puppies! 

ice cream. 

with hot fudge. 

a new episode of New Girl. 

speaking of TV, the new Arrested Development season is currently being filmed!

new shoes

on sale.
my sleeping babies.
a cozy fire.
the desert.
the forrest.
being on the tippy top of a mountain.

finding a book so good you can't put it down.

knowing that Thanksgiving is just weeks away!

a run that is slightly downhill......and you fly down it.

the smell of brownies baking.

the smell of woodsmoke.

a starry sky.

finding a dollar. finding more would be nice too, but I'll take a dollar these days.

when the sweat rolls down your nose and onto your yoga mat.

a puppy snuggled with a kitten snuggled with a baby panda bear.

the smell of fresh cut alfalfa (uh, you might not get that one. if you do, bonus points)

laughing until your face hurts.

add all these things up + 100 more puppies wearing hats and you should be smiling by now.

Or instead of a list of silly little things, think of all the bigger things in life. My children are healthy, they can go to school, we can worship how we choose, we have food to eat, clean water to drink, a little house of our own full of comforts and blessings. and puppies.

Let's all be friends. 
Quit our complaining.

Let's join together and figure out how we can get all those millions of annoying campaign posters recycled properly. 

smiley face.

wink.

What makes you happy? 

I dare you to list 10 things.

ps. thank you thank you so much to those who commented and messaged me after yesterday's post, it made me so happy inside. I had no idea that so many of you have been through the same hard times, and appreciate you sharing your thoughts. You are the best.

my two

best of friends (....most of the time....)

I have deleted this post about 37 times 

(give or take a few).

I have tried to post about other things today......and each time I've failed.

These words just keep coming back to me, and I can't seem to shake them.

It's annoying.

You see, I hadn't planned talking much about this--not because I "can't bare too", or because it's "too personal"....just because.....I never thought about sharing it. That's all.

It's not the usual mountain adventure or winter soup recipe.

But I feel like I should.....for some strange reason that won't get off my back. Maybe there is one person out there that needs to hear it? I don't know, but here we go.

Five weeks ago I found out I had miscarried.

(whoa, didn't even give you time to warm up. bam.)

I was 10 weeks pregnant and went in for my first checkup. I was so ridiculously nervous, and I had no idea why. I had been this way the entire pregnancy--worrying, doubting, lips sealed with a secret, and afraid to make any future plans.

Nothing was wrong, nothing had happened--no signs. Just a feeling.

I wanted so badly for Robby to be at that first appointment, but he was home with the kids.

 It was just me and the Dr. in the ultrasound room, 

and as soon as I saw his face, I knew. 

I didn't even have to look at the screen.

It was weird.

Try as I might, there is no other word to describe that very moment, or the next few days of sadness, a quick surgery, more tears, and laying low to let my body and mind accept what had happened.

Just......weird. 

A blur of numbness and tears and wondering.

and craaaazzzzzy hormonal emotions.

and lots and lots of brownies.

Why?

Why? We had be waiting for so long.

SO. Long.

This mother is not getting any younger, 

and my "baby" is only getting older and older and bigger and older.  (stop!)

Why?

I tried to tell myself that it happens all the time. Maybe YOU'VE been through it? I know people who've had this happen, and they have survived. But then it happened to ME, and it's all the sudden so different. Had you turned me upside down and shook me, you'd have seen every emotion fall out on to the ground. I was a mess of ups and downs.

Flash forward to today.

My kids have never been so loved. Ever.

They have never been squeezed and kissed and snuggled so much in their lives. I have never appreciated them and what they add to our lives, the way I do today. I am realizing more each day what blessings they truly are to my life. 

How lucky am I?!

These past few years of wanting a baby and not having one has been draining. It is exhausting on a mind to want something so badly (something that EVERYONE else seems to have), and not being able to have it. It's even harder when people can't resist stupid comments--

"your kids really need more siblings."

"are you done? you're having more right?"

"oh only two? that's easy."

Those comments started to weigh me down. I felt sorry and judged. I would catch myself almost apologetic for "only" having two. Like my two weren't enough.

Until now. Today. My two are more than enough. More than I could have asked for. There is no right number of children for my family to have. I am no better or worse than the mother with 0 or 4 or 9 or 28 children. My two deserve all of my love at every moment of every day--whether it's just the two of them, or whether we decide to add 12 more. And THAT part is none of your business, and if you dare to ask me, I will kindly put you in your place, thank you.

I don't know if this was the lesson I was supposed to learn through all of this, but I am thankful that I have learned so much. 

Thankful for my two.

What are you thankful for today?

the november thanks project

There are so many things I just love about technology. I love how easy it is to stay connected to friends and family all over the world by just pushing a few buttons. I have family hundreds and hundreds of miles away and I can talk to them any time I like. We can send pictures back and forth in just a second. I am typing this very post while sitting on my couch--you could read it from your home, school, car, favorite park, favorite restaurant, the toilet (c'mon I know you're out there), or the comfort of your bed. We have televisions and computers that keep us up to date with what is happening in the world.

How lucky are we?!

There is so much information literally at our fingertips. This weekend I skipped town to spend some time with my sisters-in-law, and while I was away used my phone to talk to Robby back at home, send pictures to my kids, find the best restaurants to eat at, figure out where we were going, check-in for my flight, listen to music, and about one hundred other things. All from my phone......crazy.

I returned home to such a surprise--last week I invited to join me in my november thanks project and tag your instagram photos #novemberthanks to show off all you have to be thankful for. In just a few days I had hundreds of photos to look through--so much thankfulness! I am so excited that I was able to connect with people around the globe and see what they had to be thankful for in their lives.....which makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. We all have so much. 

Here are just a few of my favorites from the last couple of days

photos by:

@natmoser, @summerharms

@hancooper, @dearcaralou

@summerharms, @rachellewilliam

@_andrea_peterson_, @home_sweets

@twoforluck, @heatherlynnroberts

play along and tag your thankful photos #novemberthanks, I'll choose a few to show off each week. I'm so excited to see what you share!

What are you thankful for today?

day one

November!!! Welcome! 
I just love November. It's cozy and crisp and full of family and food.....the best two things.
Each November I blog about all of the many things I have to be thankful for.....there is just so much. From big things, to small, to maybe even some of the things we don't always think about (THIS is one of my favorite posts last year thanks to your awesome comments!) I try to cover it all. 

I hope you will play along too.

Day One

I am so thankful for this month. 
So much anticipation! These next few weeks as we come closer and closer to big Holidays, I just get ridiculously giddy. I am like a little kid....a smile on my face and butterflies in my tummy.

All month. And then the next.

Just knowing it's November, and we are only a few weeks from Thanksgiving--with it's mashed potatoes and homemade rolls--I am just so excited.

Late nights with family laughing and playing games.

I can't wait for the leaves on our big tree to finally drop so we can run and jump into it's big golden mounds.

I love the thought of snuggling up near the fire, cocoa in hand watching movies and reading stories.

I keep thinking about all of the pumpkiny food I will be eating over the next few months. I have so many pumpkins to roast and puree and freeze for future use.
Pumpkin breads, pumpkin soups, for sure more pumpkin waffles.

Today we started our day with pumpkin pie steel cut oats. Last winter I posted about how to make overnight steel cut oats (HERE), so you have enough to last your family a week or so. 

(this really is our go-to breakfast almost every school morning.)

Make sure to check out that post for more oatmeal ideas, but here is the basic recipe. 

Basic Overnight Steel Cut Oats

3 1/3 cups steel cut oats (a lot of regular grocery stores carry them, but the packages are small. It's much cheaper to go to a store that sells bulk items) 

8 cups of water 

pinch of salt. 

 Add water, oats, and salt into large saucepan and bring to a boil. Turn heat down and simmer for 5 minutes, and remove from heat. Ladle oats and water (there is still quite a bit of water left over) into containers (I recommend glass jars over plastic containers since this is so hot). Cover with lids and let sit on your counter overnight (or about 8 hours) Refrigerate. 

 In the morning I add enough for four servings to a saucepan with a little bit of regular milk or almond milk, and heat it through for a super fast breakfast.

Pumpkin Pie Steel Cut Oats

this is such a fast breakfast in the morning once you have the basic recipe ready and waiting in your fridge. you can add as much or as little as everything you like. quick. easy. customized breakfast.

-add as many servings of cooked oats as you'll need to a saucepan over low heat. 

add:

-a little milk

-a little pure maple syrup

-a few spoonfuls of pumpkin puree (fresh or canned)

-a large sprinkle of cinnamon (or nutmeg! or cloves! anything)

-a small handful of ground flax

-toasted pecans

-if you really want to blow your mind, throw in a few dark chocolate chips

this is my favorite thing to eat right now after a long run in the cold.
enjoy!

happy november.....remember to be thankful!

for all you instagrammers out there--tag your thankful photos #novemberthanks so we can all see what YOU have to be thankful for. I will post some of my favorites here each week!

boo!

Happy Halloween!!!

Bring on November!

the night before halloween.....

I absolutely love the smell of fresh pumpkin. 

Right when the top is cut off and you get the first whiff.....mmm....

And then scraping and pulling the gushy guts out barehanded. 

Slippery seed sorting.

Drawing faces.....which one should we choose?

I feel seven years old again. 

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

rinse pumpkin seeds to remove all the "guts"

toss in olive oil and spread on to pans

sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar

or

coarse salt and cracked pepper. 

bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes until crispy (shaking the pan a few times while baking)

yum.

happy halloween!

little things lately

a late breakfast today

I just can't believe all the craziness on the East Coast right now.....you guys stay safe! 

So scary.

We spent the day in the yard. Bikes and skateboards. We had open windows. 

I wore sandals. A skirt. 

The weather was perfect.....I'm so sad about all the rain and wind and flooding over there. 

It has really made me extra happy for all my simple little things in my life today.

Little Things

-a warm cozy house. blankets, heat, soft beds. 

-Littles squealing out in the sunshine today. bike jump built. hours of fun until the sun goes down.

-clean sheets

-second grade jokes.....why are they so funny to me? 

Q: What is a cat's favorite color?

A: Purrrrrrrrrple

-sneaking a quick run in when I didn't think I had time

-the smell of cinnamon
-the four of us piling in a bed and reading bedtime stories (complete with voices and accents)

-our garden is lonnnnng gone and so ugly and dead, but I love that we still have tomatoes ripening in the basement for the next little while. so tasty.

 -So happy to have new friends to play with. Friends that are not 

only a good time, but send you home with fresh eggs for you to enjoy.....yum.

Baked Eggs with Tomatoes, Parmesan, and Fresh Herbs

thanks ashley for the inspiration!

-preheat oven to 400°

-add 1-2 TBS half and half or cream to a well buttered ramekin 

-crack two eggs into ramekin

-top with a few slices of tomato

-sprinkle with coarse salt, cracked pepper, fresh grated parm and your choice of fresh chopped herbs 

(I used thyme and oregano)

-cook for 15 minutes for yolks that are a little bit runny, add a few more minutes for more firm yolks

SO. GOOD. 

enjoy!

I've had a few people ask if I'll be doing my "Thankful November" posts.....yes! So excited! Please join me for the month. 

I'll also be doing a new hashtag project on instagram. #novemberthanks. watch for it

weekend senses

And just like that, our weekend is gone. But we filled it with as many wonderful things as we could.....

Halloweening: Friday was the kids' Halloween party at school (WHY was it on Friday, and not Halloween? I have no idea) When your second grader asks if YOU are going to dress up when you come in to help at the party, you'd better find something awesome to dress up like. Princess Leia took about 5 minutes. It's just a giant piece of fleece with a slit cut in the middle for my giant buns to fit through, and tied with a rope. Huge hit with all the kiddos, and the warmest coziest thing you will ever wear. I might have to sneak it into my everyday wardrobe.

leia in the school bathroom....

Seeing: The biggest brightest fullest moon. Blinding us through closed eyes at night.
My little werewolf is pretty excited.

Drinking: Hot chocolate with cinnamon, out of a reindeer mug of course.

Listening: counting down the days (until November 1) so I can turn on the Christmas music.

Running: In two different seasons. Saturday's run was amazing--I was giddy as I drove to the trail early that morning. It was chilly, brisk......it was COLD. 38°! I used to hate running in the cold and would go weeks....months(!) without running. And then I learned how to dress right and running in cold temps feels great. I ran through fall, and then winter, and then fall again.....and then slipped and slid my way down through more winter. I loved it. The smell of the dead leaves in the frozen air was my favorite.

Yoga-ing: I am loving anything twisty lately. I think twisting is my favorite. Rotated Triagle. Yes please.

Anticipating: I'm heading to San Diego soon to meet my sissies-in-law for a little girls trip. What should we do? Where should we eat? Teach me San Diego friends.

Watching: Nightmare Before Christmas with the Littles. Edward Scissorhands when they go to bed.

Eating: Creamy Veggie Lasagna

Creamy Veggie Lasagna 

inspired by THIS recipe from Midwest Living. I added more veggies and fresh herbs.

12 lasagna noodles* (I use whole wheat no-cook noodles. If you use the kind of noodles you need to pre-cook, cook them and then follow the rest of these instructions:)

1-15 ounce carton ricotta cheese 

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 TBS chopped fresh thyme

2 TBS chopped fresh oregano

3 TBS chopped fresh basil

1 15oz can of artichoke hearts

2 cups roughly chopped fresh spinach

1 cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese (4 oz.) 

1 egg

1 cup vegetable or chicken broth

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 cups half-and-half or light cream

pinch of red pepper flakes

salt and pepper to taste

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (4 oz.)

large handful of sundried tomatoes (learn how to make your own HERE)

large handful pine nuts 

Preheat oven according to instructions on lasagna noodle package (375° for me)

In large bowl, stir in ricotta cheese, 1/2 cup of the Parmesan cheese, 2 garlic cloves, basil, chopped spinach, artichoke hearts, the egg, and salt and pepper to taste. 

For sauce, in a small bowl combine broth and flour. In the large saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Add the remaining garlic and a pinch of red pepper flakes; cook and stir until garlic is tender but not brown. Stir in flour mixture and half-and-half. Cook and stir until mixture is thickened and bubbly. Add salt to taste. Remove from heat. Stir in the remaining parmesan cheese and oregano and thyme. 

To assemble, spread a small amount of sauce over the bottom of an ungreased 3-quart shallow baking dish. Layer four of the noodles in the dish. Spread with more sauce, half of the ricotta mixture. Top with four more noodles, more sauce, and then the remainder of the ricotta mixture. Top with four more noodles, remaining sauce and top with mozzarella, tomatoes, and pine nuts.  

Bake, covered for 35 to 40 minutes, and then uncovered for 10 minutes until lasagna is bubbling and edges are brown. (*check the kind of no-cook noodles you are using, cooking time may be a bit different)

Enjoy!

How was your weekend? 

Feel free to play along with "senses" in the comments

ps. stay SAFE east coast friends!!! so scary......I feel almost guilty that it's 70° here. ...