Sunday, March 18, 2012

"B" is the Best for Last Name Initials

This weekend, we welcomed some dear friends into the club of the marrieds! We battled a bit of a snow storm to witness their love ceremony and we are so glad we made the treck. In our preparations for the trip up to the winter wonderland, we debated between which car to take. The fuel efficient passat that has battled the icy elements from California to South Dakota, or the gas guzzling beast with the 4 wheel drive. Well, rest assured that we took the smarter, less cost effective choice and we drove the work truck.
We made it up the hill and through the pass safe & sound in record time for tripping through a snow storm. We are currently on the trip back home, driving ever so slowly behind the chain of vehicles also leaving the white weekend escape.
Overall, we had a fantastic weekend celebrating the new Mr. & Mrs. Basham with all of our (and their) closest friends.
Congrats to our newest married friends! We are happy to share our last name initial (yay for "B" last names) and hopefully many married adventures in the years to come!

Wednesday, March 14, 2012

a trip to warmer weather …

based on my experiences in the great state of South Dakota, and through some very intellectual deductive reasoning, I have concluded that it is a rather cold state. 

my deductive reasoning is based on both historical and scientific research that I conducted over the past few years.  you see, the historical research dates all the way back to march of 2008, when I experienced my first 45-below-zero-with-the-wind-chill weather.  and then I have science to back me up.  snow, means frozen moisture, means cold.  times that by all the frozen moisture up in the sky, and you have 10 feet of snow.  {I should definitely go into teaching, right?}

but sometimes, things change.  and the fact that it’s been beyond freezing every time I’ve been to South Dakota in March {ok, so I’ve only been there in the 3rd month of the year once … but all the other times it was February and November, which in terms of the frozen weather thermometer, isn’t much different}, doesn’t mean it will be that way every time I visit in march.

in fact, the sun is planning on making an appearance for our trip to the southern dakota next week.  see:

IMG_2135

it will be nice to see some sunlight after all this california rain.

IMG_2134

who would have thought we’d be going to south dakota to get a tan? 

just kidding.

we are going there for much more than that … and we can’t wait!

Friday, March 2, 2012

oatmeal

I know it’s healthy for you, but I just can’t do it.  It’s been served to me many different ways … and still.  it tastes the same.  like a course scoop of bland dirt.  ok, maybe it’s not that bad, but you get the point.

neither of my parents like oatmeal … but that didn’t stop them from trying to make us like it.  {I guess I respect them for that}.  and it worked with their other two kids.  the eldest loves the steal cut kind.  the youngest devours plain old unsweetened bowls of the quaker kind by the barrels. 

and me?  well, I’ve heard people say that the middle child tends to be the greatest blend of both parentals {did I make that up?  or have I really heard it somewhere?} … and given that both parentals in this given situation don’t like oatmeal, what was I, as the middle child, left to do?  not like oatmeal as well.

I was just abiding by the rules of middle-childhood.  give me some credit.

although … when in a pinch {or when the morning escapes me}, I can and will serve myself a bowl of horse food oatmeal.  and this is how I eat it:

IMG_2116

the pre-made, already sugared, kind.  apples and cinnamon.  that’s pretty much the only way I can gulp it down.

I don’t do the brown sugar.  or the fruit.  or the milk.  or the peanut butter {yes, that’s exactly how my husband does it … bleh}

and while I do appreciate the benefits to both your health and wallet that accompany oatmeal, I wish I liked it.  maybe, it’s an acquired taste.  maybe it will grow on me with age …

or maybe, I can just keep putting it in my smoothies so as to receive the health perks without having to taste it.  {this idea sounds like the winner}

however, I may have found a recipe that could turn me into an oatmeal lover.  it sounds incredible {except for the fact that oatmeal is the primary ingredient … but I might be able to get past it …}  and it’s uber healthy too.  I can’t recommend it yet, nor can I say it has turned me into an official oatmeal fanatic.  all because I haven’t tried it.  but here’s hoping this sweet {sounding} breakfast will provide me with a new outlet for morning nutrition:

Blueberry Oatmeal Cobbler

oatml

Blueberry Cobbler Oatmeal
(Serves 2)

Oatmeal

  • ¾ cup steel cut oatmeal (or 1 cup old fashioned rolled oats)
  • 2½ cups water
  • ½ cup soy milk

Blueberry Sauce

  • ¾ cup blueberries
  • 1 tbsp agave nectar
  • 1 tbsp chia seeds
  • ¼ cup water
  • 1 tsp lemon juice

Crumble

  • 15g almonds
  • 1 tbsp old fashion oats

“Custard

  • ¼ cup protein powder vanilla
  • 2 tbsp plain yogurt

INSTRUCTIONS

  • In a small saucepan, bring water to the boil, add salt and oatmeal, lower heat, cover and cook for about 12-15 minutes, stirring often, until all liquid is absorbed and oatmeal is nice and creamy.
  • Meanwhile, in a seperate saucepan, cook blueberries, water, lemon juice, chia seeds and agave nectar over low heat, stirring occasionally, until blueberries start to “explode” and sauce thickens. You might want to swoosh the blueberries a little bit with your spoon to help break them up. Set aside when ready.
  • In a small non-stick pan, over medium heat, toast the sliced almonds and old fashion oats until golden and fragrant. Set aside.
  • In small mixing bowl, mix protein powder with plain yogurt until smooth and creamy. Set aside.
  • When all your components are ready, transfer to serving bowls, starting with oatmeal, then blueberry sauce, followed by custard and finally the crumble.