Chive Talkin'...

In an attempt to deepen my domestic diva-ness (HA!) I am growing a few goodies in an ugly, plastic, backyard container.  Can I even begin to tell you how happy it makes me to look out my kitchen window and see the green lovelies happily hanging out in their new home?  Okay, maybe it isn't that earth-shattering, but I'm sure I can be a LOT more verbal if I kill them all.  So far so good, though, so you all are spared!

I have a small love affair with smallish tomatoes--I really don't care for the beefsteak varieties, and while I enjoy the grape tomatoes, they are a bit diminutive.  No, I adore the Compari and Amorosa types.  They are just big enough to slice for a sandwich without having to save a left-over tomato, and they are quick to slice and dice for salads and toppings.  The plant I selected to grow is called a "patio" tomato...whatever that is!  I just read the plant info and looked for size and these seemed closest to what I'm hoping to produce.  Now I just have to wait until August to see these babies for myself!  At least I HOPE to be harvesting tomatoes in August...

The tomatoes are growing upside down in that ugly container, so I chose to grow herbs in the top portion.  If I have a small love affair with tomatoes then what I feel for fresh herbs is nothing short of lust.  I love the fragrance, the color, the texture of fresh herbs!  Once you use them in your cooking it's hard to shake something dry out of a bottle again.  Sure, they take more time to prepare but it's worth it if you make time to do so.  For my personal garden selection I have basil, flat-leaf parsley, and chives.  Parsley has long been a go-to herb for me--I love it everything, nearly!  Fresh parsley just rocks--what can I say?  Basil is like a chorus of angels--amazing to behold and lovely to smell (I'm assuming heavenly angels would not be offensive to the nose!).  If basil made noise it would probably be harp music.  The fact that it's probably on the list of inflammatory foods my body does not like, well, I choose to ignore that.

So let me tell you about chives (see first photo above).  What an underrated herb!  I'm sure most people only have first-hand knowledge of the dried variety accompanying a baked potato in a restaurant.  Let's face it--you read a recipe calling for chives and what do you do?  You substitute green onions!  My friend, it is so not the same.  To steal an analogy from My Best Friend's Wedding, green onions are like Jello (no offense to either) and chives are like creme brulee.  They are subtle, delicate, surprisingly flavorful, and add a beautiful green punch to a dish.  You can snip them into small confetti-like pieces or go fancy and drape slender threads across a plate.  I never felt much for chives--I have a bottle of said dried variety in my pantry and only chose to add the herb to my ugly garden container in hopes that it might offer natural pest control (knowing that onions and garlic can do that).  But this past week my thinking has shifted.  Maybe it's going out in the cool of the morning to snip a few leaves for my breakfast.  Maybe it's the vibrant color (my favorite, by the way).  Maybe it's simply my need to root for the underdog!  Whatever the reason, I'm content with the joy of savoring this new addition to my cooking go-tos.

Here's what I've been enjoying at breakfast each day (courtesy of Clean Eating magazine):

1 slice whole wheat bread (or 1 English muffin or sandwich thin)

2 TBSP plain yogurt (I use Vegenaise since I cannot have yogurt and the goat/sheep/soy/coconut varieties are pricey)

1 TBSP dijon mustard

1/2 tsp basil (I've been using dried to stretch my current crop a bit for pasta sauce)

1 tsp olive oil (EVOO for those in the know!)

1 small tomato, sliced (or a scant handful of grape tomatoes, halved)

1 TBSP shredded cheese (I've used TJ's goat cheddar but lately I've been going fake with Daiya cheddar shreds--and I use both very sparingly)

chives (don't hold back here!)

sea salt & freshly ground black pepper

Toast your bread choice to your liking, favoring a lighter toast since it will be going back under the broiler.  Blend together the yogurt, mustard, evoo, and basil to make a spread (feel free to adjust the measurements to your liking--I rarely measure anything except in baking).  Add 1 TBSP of spread to toast, reserving the rest for tomorrow (and the next day, and the next day if you are like me and make too much).  Top with tomatoes (I season here with the salt & pepper), cheese, and FRESH chives.  Place under the broiler until cheese is melted.  Enjoy!

Lately I've also added about 1 tsp of bacon bits (the real kind, haha!)...oh yes, I went there!  (Sorry, Clean Eating mag!  I love you but couldn't resist!)

While outside snipping fresh chives the other morning I saw this...

...and this...

...and I just had to share!  And here is what we had for dinner tonight--using all 3 herbs, I might add. (Excuse the horrible lighting.  I was too hungry to care!)

On a side note, I also added eggplant to my little garden.  I will extol it's virtues if and when (a) it grows, and (b) I figure out what to do with it!

Miss K

These were too cute not to share, so here are a few more of Miss K!

Bellies, Babies, and Belts--oh my!

The past couple of months have been a blur of excitement and events!  I lead a pretty sedate pace of life, but sometimes things kick into overdrive--I'm sure you know exactly what I mean!  Back in April we were pleased to welcome our sweet nephew to the family.  As newbie Auntie and Uncle we were so excited to meet him...and we all got really sick...for 2 weeks...and missed the birth and the eagerly-awaited hospital visit.  Boo germs!  But on Easter Sunday we were well enough to gather with the family and meet this precious boy.  I only got a few pics--I didn't want to be overbearing and, frankly, I wanted to snuggle him more than take his picture!  I'm sure you can see why!

It seems like only yesterday that I was snuggling my own firstborn, and now he's a full 5 years old and such a joy to watch!  We signed him up for tae kwon do shortly after his birthday and he is THRIVING in the art.  I can't even begin to describe how cute it is to watch this little group of 4-6 year olds learning their commands and moves.  I knew it would be good for Dman, but I don't think I expected him to enjoy it so much.  I'm thrilled that he does!  In May he experienced his first round of belt testing and earned his Minnow (what the little guys are called in his studio) yellow belt.  We were so excited for him, and I think he was pretty proud of himself, too!  Now we have to wait and see if Moo wants to join him once she turns 4, or if she will continue with dance.  It's a tough decision!

May also brought another chance to play with a baby--this time with Miss K.  She is the niece of one of my oldest and best friends, Megan.  I had the pleasure of snapping some shots of Miss K when she was only 3 weeks old, and her family requested that I return to "play" again now that she's reached her 6 month mark.  We had a blast!  She is such a sweet girl and so easy-going.  It was rather cool and windy, but Miss K didn't seem to mind at all.  I think we captured her sweetness and her spunk--and her displeasure with doggie slobber.  Can't say I blame her much, considering little Dyno is almost as big as she is (though neither are very imposing, haha).  I'm very happy to say that I've already been chosen to photograph her at her one-year mark as well--and hopefully watch her grow and grow indefinitely!

 This past month has been rounded out--pun intended--by a special visit up north to see another special friend.  Megan and I ventured up I-5 to help host a baby shower for our best friend, Andrea.  Andrea is not a fussy person--she is simple and organic, environmentally-conscious, down-to-earth with just enough humor and quirkiness that makes her touchable rather than haughty.  We wanted to spoil her rotten and fuss over her--mission accomplished!!  We gave her a girly-but-not-too-feminine shower to make sure she and her hubby are prepared to welcome their twin girls. 

While there I was able to pin her down for some belly shots--she's on bedrest so she had no choice, muahahaha!  Talk about lovely--she looks amazing at 31 weeks with twins.  She looks amazing for 31 weeks of anything!  I've known her since 4th grade, and when I was editing her captures I was in awe of the "glow" and the quiet joy that radiates from her.  Never quite seen anything like it.  No photographer (and I'm definitely no professional by any means) can add that to an image.  I sure hope she enjoys the moments I captured for her!

Life appears to be slowing down for a bit in our household, at least for a little while!  I'm excited for summer and the moments that are sure to come with it.  How about you?

Here we go again...again!

The truth is ugly--isn't that what they always say?  My last post blog post was over a year ago, and a year ago I made a vow to do better, to be more regular, to post my pictures.  I've learned a lot about myself in the past year and here I am AGAIN vowing to maintain my blog.  Hmmm...

This past year has been a roller coaster--not the crazy loop-de-loop-toss-your-stomach-to-your-toes kind, but more of a fast-moving-slight-turn-spiral-here-and-there coaster.  There have been plenty of goings-on with the family which I'm sure to blog about in the future, but all we've endured has just shown me more of who I am which hasn't always been pleasant.  So what have I discovered?  What has kept me far from the blogging realm?  How about a list of "I" statements...

I am a perfectionist.  There, I said it.  I never saw myself as a perfectionist.  I hold myself to a high standard, yes.  I can be really hard on myself, yes.  "But I'm so laid back!" I argued with myself.  My house is far from perfect, I'm lazy, I struggle with organization...me, a perfectionist?  HA!  Yet I've learned this past year that perfectionism doesn't always have to translate to the outside things to mean something; it's lurking there in the not-so-hidden recesses of my mind telling me how to do something just-so and wreaking guilty havoc when I can't uphold the standard I've set for myself.  So I back off what I'm doing, change course, give up...and beat myself up a thousand times over for doing so.

I am a control freak.  I'm still in a bit of denial about this one even though the evidence stares me in the face everyday.  I have trouble delegating tasks.  I cringe and hover when my kids want to do something simple to help because I know it might make a little mess or they might not do it "right" and I'll have go behind them making things just-so.  I have to have the dishwasher loaded in just the "right" way so that I can easily unload it "my" way.  I think I can go on about this one, so I'll move on to the next statement.

I am (too) nice.  Is that really a bad thing?  I'm a nice person.  I'm a people-pleaser.  I can't say "no" easily, if at all.  I suppose being nice isn't a problem, but when you add in my perfectionism and need to control little things it makes me a bit of a mess, haha!

I am an introvert.  Okay, so that's not exactly a news flash to me!  I've always preferred being alone or with groups of people I know.  For some reason this past year I've turned inward more, and I can't explain it!  I guess it's gotten worse when you recognize that you would prefer to hide from people that you normally would jump at the chance to visit.  I'm working on this one!

I am a wife and mother.  Nothing bad about those titles at all!  Except that the labels presented above cause me to wallow in self-doubt or worry or heaps of guilt when I'm not sure I've done what I should.  Yeah, that whole Proverbs 31 woman?  I admire her, I want to be her!  But I have trouble looking at my own life and seeing the fruit of my efforts and how it fits into that Biblical chapter.  Even so, I wouldn't trade my roles as wife and mother (and, yes, in that order!) for anything.

I am a child of God.  Hallelujah!  Something I can't put a negative spin on!  It's also nothing new, but my perspective and my priorities have been skewed by the undue pressure I always seem to find myself cowering under.  It's amazing how simple and clear God's grace is for us when we take off the blinders and see it all around.  I've done nothing at all to deserve or earn His grace, His love, His forgiveness.  He gives it to me freely because He wants to.  There is no trade off, no stipulation, no fine print.  Just pure, holy grace; merciful cleansing to start new every single day.

This past year has forced me to look at myself and see the chinks in my armor, but I've learned that I can slather the weaknesses with generous globs of grace.  I can extend grace to myself and start new every day--every hour, even!  I extend grace to my kids--whew!...what a load off when I do that!  And the amazing joy that I always have known takes a new glow when I see myself through eyes of grace:

I am not a perfectionist...I'm a dreamer, a big thinker.  My goal is in the clouds but it might take a little rain to make it reachable.  That's okay.  I'm learning to deal with it!

I am not a control freak...I am a teacher, a leader.  I can let go a little at a time and enjoy the freedom that comes with it!  My little ones are learning to fly--how amazing is it that I get to teach them and swoop in from time to time when things aren't going so well?

I am not too nice...I'm generous, I'm compassionate.  I'm learning to say "no" prayerfully and "yes" even more so.  I'm learning to prioritize so that I can feel confident in my decisions.

I an not an introvert...I'm pensive, a family-gal.  I need time to think, pray, and feel because I've been equipped with deep-rooted emotions that allow me to absorb life like a sponge.  I want to be with my family members more than anything, and I know I'll never have regrets about the time I spend with them.

I am a wife and mother--and that will NEVER change!  I take each day as it comes and savor each moment of joy and look forward to tomorrow just before it arrives.  I won't drag myself through the mire when I lose my temper or handle a situation badly, but instead I'll lift my eyes to heaven and learn from my mistakes.

And I'll write about it all here.  I NEED this!  I am NOT perfect, I am NOT better than anyone else.  I am simply taking a day at a time and trying to remember to bathe myself in grace continually.  And maybe someone out there will take a dip with me!

I know, I know...

I haven't been keeping up my blog and my 365 has been sorely neglected! I've spent 3 weeks traveling, time in between packing and doing laundry, and then running errands and getting things back to normal. AND trying to squeeze some rest in there--we've been exhausted! Oh, and did I mention that my camera broke?...

Yep...2 days before I left for Arkansas my beloved D80 met an untimely death. I was so mad--not at the little boy who caused me to drop it because that was an accident. But I had been looking forward to taking some nice family photos on our trip. I traveled with my point-&-shoot, instead, and was able to document our trip, but I haven't had time to attack those pics and get them posted.

My wonderful hubby surprised me with a NEW Nikon DSLR--one I had been drooling over--when I returned home from my mom's. I've been loving it, but my editing software doesn't. So until I'm able to upgrade to the newest CS5 software, I don't have a way to read the RAW files I take...including our entire week in CO. ARGH! So don't expect anything super duper until probably June. In the meantime I will try to back track a bit and work on the shots from my Coolpix as well as any other pics I was able to capture before my D80 hit the pavement.

Bear with me! I'm trying to get my groove back. ;o)

Lovely Day

Today was just gorgeous--one of those days that makes you stop and want to soak it all in. I'm absolutely loving our area in the spring...well, as long as the heat doesn't come early and there's enough rainfall to make the hills green! The sky was unbelievably blue today, and the clouds were mesmerizing. Add in our lush grass (it won't last too much longer, unfortunately) and it's a veritable "Sound of Music" moment. *sigh* I couldn't keep from grabbing my iPhone and taking a few pics before I got to the freeway...and a few more once I was on it--yikes! I just had to share.

Happy Birthday!!

This will be short and sweet. Our little man turned 4 years old today!! It's amazing how time flies. I'll fill you in on the details of our day together in another post, but for now I'll leave you with this image. Dman is such a pensive creature, and today I caught him watching a mini steam train in Camp Snoopy. (He's in love with steam trains!) I just thought this was the perfect shot for today. Happy Birthday, bud!! We love you so incredibly much!