NEW PANTRY CABINET!!!!!

I got my first decent paycheck in a while and got this pantry cabinet we have been eyeing for a while now :] I am so excited! It really looks nice and helps us get a lot more out of our cabinet space :] Hooray!

the awful chorale dresses

We wear the most awful dresses for chorale... but we tired to make the best of them after the Sunday matinee by posing with Humpty.

zucchini bread, take 2!

Today is day #2 of Zucchini bread making day at my parents. So I am re posting the recipe and some pictures of the bread in progress and finished.

Delicious!





Zucchini Bread
Ingredients:
3 beaten eggs
2 cups sugar
1 cup cooking oil (I use canola)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1.5 tsp baking powder
2-3 tsp ground cinnamon (depending on taste)
0.5 tsp ground nutmeg
0.5 tsp ground cloves
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cup grated zucchini (with rind)
1-1.5 cups chopped nuts (optional) (I use walnuts)
1 cup raisins (optional)- I added these in most recently on request from my father
3 cups flour

Instructions:
Mix all ingredients together. I find that doing it in the order listed is easiest, but it doesn't matter.
Lightly grease 2 loaf pans (medium or large size)
Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 1 hour in the middle of the oven
Cool in the pan first on cooling rack (approx 10 min), loosen sides of loaf from pan with butter knife, remove from pan and finish cooling on cooling rack.
Yields 2 loafs.

These freeze nicely!

crock pot!

I am using my crock pot for the first time. I feel so homey!!!!! It is gloomy and cold outside and I decided to make use of the chicken I had thawed to make something hot and delicious for a filling and healthy dinner.

So tonight I am making Chicken Catchatori.

I looked for some recipes online and then added my own touch too :]


1. Slice 1 large onion thinly and place in bottom of crockpot pan. Cut pieces to whatever size you would like them to be in the final product (slices, diced)

2. Dice raw chicken and place on top of onions.

3. Add the following ingredients on top. You may mix them together separately before adding to crockpot.
a. 1 can tomato sauce
b. 1 can diced tomatos (I used italian flavored ones for extra spice!)
c. oregano (1-2 tsp or just eyeball it)
d. basil (0.5 tsp or eyeball it)
e. celery seed (0.5 tsp or eyeball it)
f. salt and pepper (1 tsp/0.25 tsp respectively/to taste)
g. 1 small can mushrooms (fresh are good also)
h. 1 bay leaf
i. 3-5 crushed cloves of garlic
j. 1-2 stalks celery, diced
k. optional dry red or white wine, about 0.25 cup (I did not personally use this, I didn't want to open a full bottle just for this recipe)

4. cook on LOW for 6-8 hours

(Amendment: after I checked it at 8 hours, it was dryer than I desired. I then added 1 more can of tomato sauce and put on high for 30 min. It turned out more to the consistency I desired after that. You can determine this on your own if you want it more soupy or less watery)

6. serve over noodles or rice


That is the delicious dinner we have in store for tonight!

word of the day

courtesy of Ron Lee and Facebook.

Naterring:
v: (used without object)
to talk incessantly; chatter

n:
a conversation; chat

Example sentences:
Austina and Kasia were nattering last night after the soccer came, like many sisters do when they haven't seen each other in a while.

Kasia and Austina had a great natter last night.

I am so lucky

I lay in bed at night and feel him close to me and watch him sleep and I can't imagine being a luckier woman.

He makes me tea when I don't feel good, and cooks me dinner when I am too tired.
He loves me even though I have a temper and we fight.
His favorite place to be is in my arms, and my favorite place to be is in his.
It's hard to sleep without him next to me.
He asks me for kisses in the cutest way possible, and pouts when he doesn't get them.
He makes me smile with everything inside me, and tries his hardest to make me laugh when I've had a bad day.
He listens to my rants, even if he doesn't agree.
He does so many things that I can't help but smile at and think how lucky I am that God sent me such a wonderful man to love for the rest of my life.

he makes sand castles with me and doesn't laugh too much at how much I love to play in the sand and water

he comes out in the freezing water with me, and took a million pictures of me out there even though he didn't really want to

he is cute. :]

he is serious. sometimes.


and mostly is silly. but I love it.

I love to be next to him

even erin can't take a bad picture of him.

he likes to hold my hand when we walk together.

he lets me wear his jacket when I am col

Dear God...

Thank you

vacation

so how come when you go on vacation it's totally crazy on the days leading up to it, then you leave town as soon as humanly possible? Why not just use the vacation to you know, relax, and take it easy packing up, and not have to stress out about it while you are trying to work and keep up the house and all that.

i think that's crazy.

hm.

also: day's is really crazy right now- lots of drama!!!!!!!!!

...?

does your mood dictate your day, or does your day dictate your mood?

i have been struggling with this a lot.

the list....or not

so i didn't finish the list.

it was a money thing that fueled not going to a new restaurant.


and i just suck at clothes.

but my track record doesn't completely suck!