change of plans

I had a whole list of things to do today. It's posted on the fridge where I can't miss it. However, it's raining outside this morning and has been since last night. It's that soft, heavy non-stop rain that just doesn't let up and soaks you through in a matter of seconds. Even the puppy doesn't want to go outside (which presents a set of challenges I am not exactly looking forward to).

So, change in plans. Looks like today I'll be firmly ensconced on the couch, knitting on my two must-do projects and watching whatever films I manage to rent or find at the library. I have a pot of soup in the slow cooker and my "Autumn Wreath" candle burning in the living room. I think it's gonna be one of those kind of days.

risotto

So, I've decided that my repertoire of recipes needs to be revamped. I've depended on pasta and sauce for way to long and it's just not cutting it anymore. So, time for new recipes where maybe I can learn to use a few veggies I'm not terribly familiar with.

And so, the other day I embarked upon the making of a basic risotto recipe. Described as "labor intensive," the dish made me a little apprehensive, but I was willing to give it a go. Besides, I had all this quinoa and couscous in my cubbard from one of my "get healty" endeavors.

Can I just say... this stuff is the bomb! I'll be making rissoto approximately every other day for a while to come. You gotta try this stuff. The best thing is that it is a great way to use of some of the extra grains and veggies you may have laying around (like I apparently do) in a way where you may actually eat them. Another part of my minimalist adventure here in Emilyland.

And so, without further ado, my (I call it mine because it is heavily adapted) risotto recipe:

Ingredients:

5 cups of broth (I used veggie and it was pretty dang good)

3 Tbs. olive oil

1 small onion chopped finelyish

1 clove garlic (I used 3), chopped or mooshed, or whatever

1 1/2 c. grain (I used quinoa, but arborio rice is traditional)

1/2 c. white wine (I used the cheapest available, cause let's be honest, i'm cooking already)

1/2 c. grated Parmesan (I used "quattro formaggio" and it rocked)

Heat the broth to boiling in one pot, then lower the heat and keep it simmering on one burner.

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a saucepan and add garlic and onion and cook, until softened but not browned. (At this stage I added a bunch of mushrooms I had in the fridge as well.)

Add the rice/grain of choice and cook, stirring, until it has begun to look glossy. Add the wine and cook, stirring, until absorbed.

Then start adding the broth 1/2 cup at a time, stirring until each 1/2 c. has been absorbed by grain of choice. Yeah, it's a lot of stirring, but it's worth it!!

After all broth has been absorbed (and at this point you can add whichever veggie/meat/whatever you like) add the cheese!!! Stir this until melted and EAT! Oh man, it's good!

she exhausts me

It's going to be a busy day/weekend here, so I thought I'd leave you with a little something to watch in case I don't have a chance to say anything else for a few days. The end of the clip reminds me of a certain sledding/video episode some years ago....

insomnia

Early this morning I found myself laying in bed unable to fall back asleep. I was thirsty and only one thing could take care of my thirst; milk. I tried water and tea, but I had to have milk! Mind you, there was no milk in the house. So, it was off to the grocery store at, oh, 4:30 a.m. Sigh.

After ensuring there was a gallon of milk in the fridge (as well as a can of tomato soup for later today), I decided to make the best of the situation. The puppy, the cat and myself spent the rest of the early morning hours cuddled in bed. You can see one of the fur balls asleep in the background of the photo. I have to admit, it was kind of nice to just sit in the quiet and watch the animals sleep while I did some work on my latest blanket project. The second time we got up I felt much better about the day!

the new girl

I was browsing around the internet just now, reading these blogs about minimalism (some call it "voluntary simplicity") that I've been really fascinated by lately, and I stumbled across a blog post that was spot on.

Everett Bogue writes a blog entitled Far Beyond the Stars. He owns almost nothing (materially) and spends his time making money on the internet and moving around wherever he wants to go. He says his lifestyle allows him to do this (which makes perfect sense.) Well, his post today is about how to make friends in new places.

What?? Perfect! My whole life I have been the new girl. You know us Greene's, we move around a lot. A lot. I'm not sure I would know what to do with myself if we didn't. As a result of this nomadic lifestyle I have developed a set of rules for meeting new people to include: the first six weeks suck, no matter what, you have to go to the places where you will meet the people you want to meet, and get involved in what you are interested in.

Well, Everett (I feel like we have a connection here) says just this. No, he spells it out. I'm so impressed! Here's my favorite quote; "Finding new friends means admitting that you need to meet people who are similar to you. If they aren’t similar, you start talking about the weather, everyone gets bored and you aren’t helping anyone."

It's a science, and the more you do it the easier it is. I think people don't realize this and maybe I didn't either until recently. However, I was reminded how you make your own experiences. If you want friends, fun, love, whatever, you go out and find it!

new project

Ok, new project. The Shivaree Throw and Feather and Fan Shawl are still in progress, but I needed something with a bit more color to it to work on. And so, I'm starting work on a blanket for my bed. Pretty excited about the whole thing, really. It has been getting cool enough at night to need a blanket halfway through over the top, but not quite cool enough for a permanent, full-time blanket under the quilt. And so, I think I'll make this colorful blankie to pull over me at night (or for a quick nap in the afternoon) and it will give me a much-needed break from that white blanket I've been working on. Whatever made me think I would want to knit a blanket in white??

critter lovin

Ok, I promise to stop being annoying about the critters who live in this household really really soon. However, is this not the cutest thing you've ever seen? I mean, really? I like how the video even has it's own little soundtrack, due to the fact that I was watching a nature show at the time...

I can't tell you how relieved I am to have Petunia home safe and sound. I know cats do their own thing and it is to be expected that she will wander off now and then, but she is really the best cat I've had and I don't want to think about her disappearing on me. She's a real personality, that one!

Enjoy this little video and prepare yourself for some future postings about my other favorite subject: yarn. :)

petunia

Petunia is missing in action. She left Sunday afternoon sometime and hasn't been back since. I'm worried sick and just thinking something might have happened to her makes me want to curl up in a ball and cry. I've called the local animal shelter, but they are closed today and I am about to go out looking for her. She's my baby! I hope she's ok.

i miss my job

Today it really hit me how much I miss my job. I don't miss the Army BS or the daily grind. I don't miss having to salute and defer to people with less education, experience, and intelligence than I. I don't miss having to get all down in the weeds about my Soldiers' business.

But, I miss my job. I loved public affairs. Really loved it. I loved dealing with difficult people (was well prepared by my years dealing with actors in the theatre!). I loved writing and photographing Soldiers (loved Soldiers). I loved talking to everyone and being allowed to ask the dumb questions (for the article I was writing, of course). I loved being the in-between; the junior enlisted/NCO who talked directly to four star generals and baby enlisted with the fuzzy patch all in the same day. I loved making people happy just by taking their photo and sending it to them. I loved seeing my work on CNN and FOX (despite how I feel about that particular news source). I loved every minute of it.

Today the defense contractor I've been talking to called and said everything is on track. Maybe soon I'll be doing what I love again. I know every job is different and it won't be the same, but I am excited and nervous. I can't wait to get back to what I love to do. Fingers and toes crossed.

lentil dip

Remember the lentils I was complaining about last week? Well, I have found a use for them. Lentil Dip. Oh yeah! Here's the recipe:

Lentil Dip

Ingredients:

2 Tbs. walnuts (or whatever nut you want)

1 c. cooked lentils

2 green onions chopped

2 cloves garlic

1 Tbs. grainy mustard

1-2 Tbs. olive oil

1 Tbs. soy sauce

Black pepper and salt to taste

Dump it all in a blender (or food processor, if I had one) and blend till smooth. Can be spread on crackers, bread, chips or used as a base for sammiches.

I whipped this up yesterday and was pleasantly surprised. Yes, it looks like poop. But, it tastes pretty good. A little bland, but next time I think I'll solve that with maybe some cumin and a touch of wasabi...

just the essentials

So, it's been about a week since I decided to start really trimming things down in my life for real this time. And well, I'm making some progress.

First off is the food situation in this house. As I eat through what I have already stashed in the kitchen I have been thinking about the foods that I really will eat and what I always buy and just end up throwing away. My latest discovery is that I will not likely eat lentils by choice at any given point in the future. Yep, I'm making myself do it right now, but this is the last time. And do you have any idea how much an entire bag of lentils is?? A LOT.

I'm so glad I don't have TV in the apartment. What a time suck. Instead, I've been using Netflix and have seen some pretty good movies. I'm now considering cancelling Netflix and just using the library. As a matter of fact, that is probably exactly what I'll do here in the next week or two.

I started running again every morning. Thanks to the Army I really actually enjoy running. Weird, I know. It makes me feel good and I love the accomplishment of running however far and the way it makes me look (of course). I also like that is it time to myself outdoors. Not something that happens much unless I run. I will never invest in a gym membership. I'll never use it. Instead I'll just run and do push-ups and crunches and stuff.

Having Beulah has made it easy to pare down things like aimless shopping. She pretty much takes up all my free time and so I just don't have time to think about acquiring more stuff. This is a good thing. Also, she is a built in activity. I can take her on walks and to the park and on errands. Good exercise program too!

This afternoon I'll be trying a new lentil recipe. Sigh. Will tell you all about it if it is any good!

a walk in the park

Good morning Greene family! Happy Labor Day!

Despite the fact that I have had to work all weekend, it has been a lovely one! The weather has cooled off here quite a bit and I am loving it. These photos are from me and Beulah's morning excursion to the park yesterday. Maybe this is the start of the Autumn season? I sure hope so!

she endureth

Ok Daddy, I did what I could. Petunia is so patient with Beulah... I am impressed with her! She mostly just gets up and moves away when the puppy is getting on her nerves. This video was taken after she had endured several attempts at puppy play and was finally just done!

morning routine

Here's a taste of the morning routine here. Babies are so much fun to play around with!