This Morning

I felt like my mom this morning, in a very good way. :) After Jeremy headed off to work around 8:40, I spent the remainder of the morning in the kitchen cooking and cleaning, all with the radio tuned to NPR. That is so Mom! And I was happy to be imitating her.

I made sauteed shredded zucchini, a pot of Creamy Dilled Carrot Soup, and a pot of Green Soup with Mushrooms.

For supper tonight we enjoyed the carrot soup, along with mustard-glazed salmon.

I haven't been much in the mood to blog lately, so pardon my long absences. I will be back soon.

Hope you all passed a pleasant Monday.

Reader input

Because I'm always on the look-out for a new good read, I'd love to know your favorite book of 2010. I'm reading Anne Bronte's The Tenant of Wildfell Hall right now, with a couple more classics waiting in the wings. The new books I'm anticipating aren't released until October and November (The Great House by Nicole Krauss, Distant Hours by Kate Morton, At Home by Bill Bryson).

So, to help me span the gap between decades old books and those fresh from the publisher, tell me...

What's the best book you've read so far this year?

Foodie Friday

Today I am participating in Foodie Friday over at The Cook's Next Door.
Go over and check out their inspirational cooking blog, along with other reader food/cooking entries.

Earlier in the week I decided to surprise Jeremy with an Asian meal. When it comes to food, he's a huge fan of Asian food, but as he has Celiac disease, we cannot eat at most Asian restaurants. And, of course, homemade Asian food just isn't quite the same. However, I still make an effort to periodically try my hand at different recipes. This week: P.F. Chang's-style Lettuce Wraps and Thai Vegetable Soup.

I found the Lettuce Wraps recipe here, but had to make several modifications because I didn't have all the ingredients. Therefore, they weren't true P.F. Chang's-style. I used diced cauliflower in place of the water chestnuts and in place of the rice wine vinegar (which I really need to buy!) I used a combo of balsamic vinegar, white wine vinegar, sesame oil, and some spices. The verdict, pretty good, but still needs tweaking! Maybe part of that was because I didn't make any of the special sauce to go on top. I'd definitely make them again.

The Thai Vegetable Soup came from Elana's Pantry. I followed the recipe, with the exception of substituting chicken broth for the vegetable broth, baby bella mushrooms for the shitake, and adding dried cilantro, because I didn't have any fresh. I took a sip and tasted a heavy lime juice flavor. Jeremy said, "Interesting," (which isn't good coming from him) "it tastes kind of like soap." Well, I didn't think it tasted quite like that, but I felt the flavors didn't meld like they needed to. However, I did eat leftovers for lunch the next day and found it tastier.

Unfortunately Jeremy finished up this intended special meal with a plate of Fritos. :( He was still hungry after the lettuce wraps and the soup just wouldn't cut it.

But, I won't count this a failure, just another experiment in the kitchen that still needs a little work!

Do you have any spectacular Asian recipes? Because I'm always looking for new ones.

September 13

Monday marked our 2-year anniversary! I intended to schedule a post to go up, but that just didn't happen.

We had some time off, so headed down to visit family for a couple days. Then on Monday, Jeremy surprised me with a night stay at a hotel, as well as an amazing dinner at The Melting Pot (see photo).

It was wonderful to get away for a few days and relax together. I find it pleasant to pass the time with my life companion.

I'm so thankful for this man that God put into my life. And I continue to pray He will draw us closer together and to Him as we walk this journey of life side-by-side. I love you, Jeremy!

Here's to many more years!

Being Reminded to be Thankful

Yesterday Jeremy was tossing a football with a little cousin and he tripped on a brick fire ring that he didn't know was behind him, fell backwards and cracked the back of his head (no blood though!). He told me when it happened he thought he might die. I didn't actually witness the accident, but it sounded awful. Thankfully he's got one tough head and everything seems fine.

But the scare gave me pause:

Today I'm very thankful for a pancake and eggs breakfast with my husband. And I'm thankful for the time we spent doing dishes and listening to NPR together.

I'm a reading junkie.

One thing I enjoy about my job is perusing all the books that come in and out throughout the day. Often I'll snag a book I've never heard of, but piques my interest (usually after checking amazon for reviews). Last Thursday night I'd just finished up the book I'd been reading and was waiting on others to be returned. The Book of Fires by Jane Borodale stopped in my grasp, the intriguing black cover with splashes of golds and reds and greens catching my eye. Tucked inside my bag, the book traveled home with me and I started to read.

Set in England during the late 1700s, the book tells the story of Agnes Trussel (don't you love the last name?). Finding herself pregnant (not exactly raped, but not exactly consenting either...she seemed more naive than anything), she takes on unexpected escape after stealing some money. In London, she searches for a place to work and lands in a pyrotechnic workshop. She learns to grind and mix chemicals and assemble a variety of fireworks. Her master is a solemn, middle-aged man seeking to make the best fireworks, but also seeking the elusive combinations of chemicals to create color. They strike up a companionable working relationship and Agnes eagerly laps up all the knowledge her master will share with her. The 350-pages cover the 9 months of Agnes's pregnancy and her desperate plans to make herself an acceptable woman in a culture where unwed pregnancy is scorned. I thought I knew how the story would turn out; I didn't. It's an interesting, beautiful story. I admit to not following all the chemical combinations discussed, but I did ponder the amazing amount research that went into writing the book.

Now, here's why I'm such a reading junkie...Last night we turned the light out at 10 and sighed inwardly because I really wanted to keep reading, I saw the conclusion of the story within my grasp. I woke up at 4:30 and couldn't go back to sleep because our room was so stuffy. When I moved out to the couch, I actually thought about turning on the light and reading; instead I went back to sleep. At 8, I cracked open the book and started reading. 9:15 rolled around too quickly and it was on to showering and breakfasting and off to work. I snatched 15 minutes of reading on my break, but wanted more. When I got off work at 3 I called Jeremy (he had today off) and told him I thought I'd stop at Starbucks and get an iced tea and read. I literally couldn't wait until I got home. I knew I would get caught up in supper and such and I had to finish the book first, so I could concentrate on other matters. I bought iced tea and settled into a soft chair outside of Starbucks and read until I closed the cover. Now I could get on with my grocery shopping and the rest of the what the evening would require of me. I was peaceful once again.

I'm hopeless in the face of a good story.

Autumn

The days, while very sunny, have cooled down significantly. I imagine a burst of heat is still to come, but fall is definitely in the air. I've always loved fall (as a little girl, this love may have originated with both my birthday being in October, as well as fall being my dad's favorite season). The crisp mornings and evenings. The smell of nature bedding down for the winter. The sound of leaves crunching under foot. Soups and stews bountiful on the supper table. Apples and pumpkins and leaves coloring the world. And doesn't the word autumn not only look awesome and fallish written out, but also roll off the tongue in a way that sounds perfectly like what it's describing?

I think I'm subconciously switching to thinking about fall cooking. This week I filled my crock-pot with a spicy white chicken chili. When I came home from work I popped some cornbread in the oven. Then realizing it is indeed still August and summer, I threw together a salad topped with tomatoes from my garden and fresh mozzarella. It was pretty much a perfect supper.

As much as I love fall, I'm always a little sad that it leads into winter, because of that I'm not such a fan. Oh well, the winter makes me love spring all the more! I guess that's the beauty of the four seasons God created.