Last Weekend

Last weekend we had a visitor.

And another visitor.

Both were surprises. A chicken and a cowboy.

The chicken left.

The cowboy stayed.

We kept good company.

Note: Chicken was not on the menu that evening. She retired to her coop forever.

After the cowboy left for the south, we walked around the Lawrence Fall Arts and Crafts Festival.

It was perfect outside.

I purchased a few cut paper art prints by local artist, Angie Pickman. Her work is enchanting.

You can see for yourself here.

That was last weekend. And the weekend before that....

We had a different visitor.

It was the first Kansas football game of the season.

We didn't go.

But we still enjoyed ourselves.

And wore our tshirts.

Because we've got spirit, yes we do.

Then the weekend before that weekend...

I was working, so LBD and her daddy went to the park.

Where they listened to some music.

And ate some BBQ.

Will is not a vegetarian....

LBD isn't either.

Looks like I'm on my own. Well, me and the chicken.

Summer Shuffle

It's been awhile. A lot longer than I thought it would take before I would blog again. It was a priority that got lost in the shuffle, but I am here. Here making a regular appearance once again.

We've finally settled into a somewhat normal, although temporary, routine for the summer. I started my new job working as a librarian two days after the move. It was easier than I thought to make the transition from being a stay-at-home mom to going back to work. Just because I thought it was easier, doesn't mean it wasn't hard. Because it was. Especially in the beginning.

But we've adjusted. And in the meanwhile I've grown to love my job.

This picture above was taken the morning of my first day of going off to work. I felt like a kid on my first day at school.

We are living at my friend's parent's house for the next couple of months. Their house is about about an hour commute from work. Audiobooks occupy the drive. It's been a great way to sneak in some summer reading among all the hustle and bustle. Actually, now that I think about it, everyone has been reading quite fervently this summer. I suppose it's hard not to be inspired when surrounded by books day in and day out.

After the day is done, there is no feeling in the world like the feeling of seeing LBD toddling over to me when I walk into the door. Arms stretched out. Falling into me with a laugh. There is nothing like being home again. Even if it's a temporary home. Eternally thankful for the kindness and hospitality of having a place to live in transit, in anticipation of the weeks to come where we are able to start planting roots, making a home of our own in August.



For the time being, everyone has settled in quite nicely...

Even the traveling garden has made a place of it's own on the back deck.

This picture was from a couple weeks ago. You should see them now.

Although, we did have a cucumber plant casualty. Only a few remain.

LBD's baby pool also lives on the back deck. She is in it almost everyday.

Baby girl loves the water. Just like momma.

She's also been growing up lately. The changes have been very distinct since we moved to Kansas. I blink and she is an inch taller.  She's walking and "talking" and climbing and playing and laughing. Always laughing. Just the other day my mother commented on the fact that she's a kid now, a baby no more.

She'll always be my baby.

What else, what else?

We started using cloth diapers. A change we wish we made earlier in the game.

And Will is no longer a vegetarian. Guess he couldn't resist the aroma of BBQ that seems to linger around town...

Oh, and I had a birthday. On June 10th.

28 years old. Hard to believe another year has gone by.

Other than that, each day flies by. Most mornings we rise at dawn. The days are warm, ephemeral, and then dark with night once again.

Crunchy Tofu Stir Fry

Yeah, that's right. Tofu. Comes with the vegetarian territory.

And you have to believe me when I say it does taste good! The taste factor all depends on how you cook it. (swearsies!) The best part about tofu is that it's a chameleon of sorts,  as it adapts and reflects whatever flavor environment you put it in. Will likes it because he can fry it  and put it in a stir fry. Because what doesn't Will like to fry? Man is like the male Paula Dean. Not the most healthy of alternatives, but that's what the vegetables in this dish are for, right?

Here's a ginger stir fry recipe and a sesame stir fry recipe. Both are great options for including crunchy tofu in the mix.

Will's recipe for Crunchy Tofu:

-Press the liquid out of the tofu (See directions on the container)

-Cut the tofu into 1 inch x 1.2 inch pieces

-Coat in corn starch

-Dropped into oil heated to approx. 350 degrees

-Fried until just starting to take a golden color (still looking predominantly white)

-Set aside on paper towels. Add to stir fry dish.

Sweet Potato Black Bean Burritos

I saw this vegetarian burrito recipe a couple weeks ago and thought the sweet potato and black bean duo would make a delicious dinner. I didn't make it sooner because the recipe noted that it takes a total of 80 minutes to make. This wouldn't have been a problem pre-baby,  but these days by the time it's 7pm our house is already slowing down for bedtime which is why I don't like dedicate to much time in the kitchen for dinner. When she is finally asleep for the night Will and I revel in the glorious peace of doing absolutely nothing. That said, I wasn't thrilled about the time commitment so I cooked the sweet potatoes the night before and was able to make them start to finish in 40 minutes. A much more appealing time commitment.

The only part of the recipe I changed was the addition of shredded cheese, which was added to the gooey sweet potato black bean goodness before baking.

Spring Soon

When you live in a small town that hails as a summertime vacation destination, winter can be a downer.  After months of gray skies and snow and snow and more snow, I now understand why my husband, who grew up in Ludington, laughed when I told him a few months back that snow doesn't bother me. Well, as a newbie small-towner, a new stay-at-home mom, and the whole weather factor, I had my first experience with the cabin fever. 3-4 day stretches of never leaving the house can drive anyone stir crazy.

But this week the sun has returned to us. Like taking off a pair of sunglasses, pupils naked to the brilliant light. The temperature has been above 20 degrees and the large accumulation of snow is finally melting. The homecoming of spring-like symptoms brings a welcomed change of pace.  Locals emerge from hibernation and the town slowly comes alive again. One of the best parts about springtime in Ludington is businesses that are only open seasonally dust off their counters and unlock their doors. "Nice to see you again!"

Chef John's is one of those places. I've been craving Chef John's Dill Havarti Soup since it's autumn close. I'm salivating just thinking about it. And since Will and I are vegetarians, this opening gives us one more option in the nominal restaurant department. Ode to spring!

On a side note, this picture of Chef John's reminds me of another newity.  I've never seen a snow plow attached to a standard vehicle. Being from large cities with efficient street maintenance departments, I thought it looked silly at first until I started seeing them on almost every truck in town after the first snow. Then I knew I was in for it.  I suppose small-town cars will have their seasonal transformations too.

Plant Eaters

"I think I want to be a vegetarian." This was the last phrase I ever thought I'd hear my meat-loving husband say. In the past, I had dabbled in vegetarianism before but never fully committed to the practice.  So, when Will mentioned that he wanted to become a plant eater I was all about it. I mean... becoming a vegetarian wouldn't be too hard on my end. As long as I can eat cookies and candy, I'm happy.

[caption id="attachment_65" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Will and I the vegetarians!"][/caption]

At first, we thought this was going to be quite a challenge. Au contraire, mon frere! It has been extremely easy. Both of us enjoy cooking and have welcomed the task of preparing new dishes. The only problem we have found ourselves having is going out to eat in our itty bitty town. Most restaurants have only one or two options to choose from on the menu, so we are less inclined to go out to eat. Not that we've been getting out much since the baby was born. And not there are tons of eatery options here either. (Oh, how I miss sushi! And crave thai!)

That said, we are left to our culinary imaginations.

What to make for dinner tonight?