Month: July 2008

Pavement: not just a great band

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I’ve been wanting to pave our driveway for oh… about four years now. But when we were trying to sell the house, we figured why bother? It wasn’t worth spending all that money if the house was going to be someone else’s. But when we decided to take the house off the market, we made our driveway a priority this year. And today they did it! We hired Briggs Paving out of Poughkeepsie and they were just awesome! They arrived sharply at 8 AM. The crew was incredibly courteous and happy to answer questions. They did an A1 professional job and we are absolutely thrilled with the results. (The other two paving companies we set up estimates with never even showed up for those estimates!) I just wanted to spread the word on the off chance someone from the Hudson Valley was researching pavers. Briggs is top-notch.

Anyway, clearly I am a big dork by how excited I am over our driveway, but it really is something I’ve been wanting for a while. At the end of the week the boys can have a blast playing out there. I know they will love the fact that Big Wheels rides will no longer be so bumpy 😉

I have a whole set of photos on Flickr if you’re interested.

The Simple Woman’s Daybook – July 21

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I’ve been enjoying reading this meme on various blogs over the past month or two, and I figured I’d give it a try myself today! It makes for an easy post 🙂 I also really enjoy reading what other people are doing, so it’s only fair to give you a glimpse into my day too. If you want to join in, visit Pegg over at The Simple Woman. The guidelines are here. Won’t you join in?

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FOR TODAY July 21, 2008

Outside My Window… Sunny skies, paving trucks, and a bunch of men who are working incredibly hard on our driveway

I am thinking… about how much fun the boys will have at the end of the week once they can ride their bikes, play basketball, and draw with chalk outside.

I am thankful for… great neighbors who don’t mind us parking on their property until Thursday.

From the kitchen… tonight will be tacos — something quick, easy, and kid-friendly that will also use up CSA lettuce LOL!

I am wearing… jean shorts and my new UMass t-shirt.

I am creating… nothing today. I’m way too caught up in watching the action in our yard, plus I have loads of laundry to fold and put away.

I am going… to pick up Jake at summer camp shortly. It’s his first day and I hope he had fun! After that I think we’re going to grab lunch at Subway. Hooray for $5 subs!

I am reading… How “Sassy” Changed My Life: A Love Letter to the Greatest Teen Magazine of All Time by Kara Jesella and Marisa Meltzer. “Sassy” really did change my life and it certainly helped me define some of my goals and made me want to work for a magazine. I’ll have a whole post on this topic when I finish the book, but suffice it to say — if you loved the magazine, you will LOVE this book! I really regret recycling years’ worth of back issues when I was in college. I’d love to have them now.

I am hoping… that it cools off soon. I’m not a fan of this humid weather.

I am hearing… “Go, Diego, Go!” from the den and paving equipment outside.

Around the house… I have to clean the kitchen and put away laundry. I just can’t focus today.

One of my favorite things… is seeing how excited the boys get just watching the guys outside work. They’re glued to the window 🙂

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week: Jake has camp at the library every morning… Saturday is a potluck picnic at the farm the does our CSA, and Sunday is Bounty of Hudson! My mother-in-law is watching the boys overnight and we’re staying at a bed & breakfast. It was Drew’s anniversary gift! I can’t wait!

Here is picture thought I am sharing… Jake & Noah watching the pavers:

Riveted!

Enjoy the day!

Lake George!

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OK, we’re just going to have to do this without photos because I have not had time to sift through the 200+ images I have. Sorry! At any rate, our short trip to Lake George was great! This time we decided to stay someplace other than the family-run motel we’ve stayed at the past four years. We stayed at a great Comfort Suites hotel (there are no Laughlin Hotels out this way). The hotel is just a year old and was totally worth the extra little bit of money. There was a great continental breakfast each morning that had warm foods in addition to the expected cereals, yogurt, muffins, etc. There was a really nice indoor pool that the boys enjoyed, and a very nice playset for the kids as well. The rooms were clean and comfortable enough. I rarely sleep well in hotels because the beds are often quite soft, which I don’t really like.

This year we took the boys to Magic Forest. They had SO much fun! We were there from about 9:30-3:30 and the boys probably would have stayed longer! I guess some of it is a bit dated, but everything was in good condition and well-maintained. We saw the diving horse show which was… interesting. I can honestly say that the horse did indeed jump of its own accord. There was no risky business that either Drew or I could discern. But still it was a little… odd, I guess.

That night we ate at the Adirondack Pub & Brewery which was *awesome*! I had a blue cheese burger and it was one of the best burgers I’ve ever had. Drew and I each got a sampler and tried six of their microbrews. We brought home two growlers — one of their seasonal beer (California Steam) and one of their Snow Trout Stout which was soooo delicious. In fact, we’re thinking of going back up for a day closer to Septemeber and just doing these two things again. It’s only a two hour drive, so it’s totally do-able.

We also took a boat ride around the lake on the Minne-ha-ha, which was a lot of fun. It’s something I’ve wanted to do for quite some time but obviously you don’t want to be chasing little ones around on a boat. Finally my guys are of the ages where you can do this kind of stuff. The cruise was relaxing (we went on the first one at 10 AM – I’d recommend that one because it wasn’t too crowded) and it was interesting learning more about Lake George’s history, as well as seeing some absolutely gorgeous homes!

It was just a quick trip, but sometimes short getaways are enough. Still, it was hard to get back into the swing of things when we got back. Oh, vacation… if only it didn’t have to end!

CSA Distribution #8

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CSA Distribution #8

This week we swapped our pick-up day from Tuesday to Saturday (thanks again, Farmer Dave!) because we were out of town on our normal distribution day. I think we’ll be eating well this week!

– 3 heads of lettuce
– 1 head of cabbage
– 2 large squash
– 2 large zucchini
– 2 eggplant
– 2 green peppers
– 1 garlic clove
– 1 onion
– 1 bunch of beets
– 1/2 lb. carrots
– 3/4 lb. green beans
– 1 bunch of scallions
a whole lot of basil
– 4 dill plants (with roots)
– 3 cilantro plants (with roots)
– 20 stems of flowers

We’re going to try planting a bit of the dill and cilantro and hopefully it will take! On the menu this week: bharta, tandoori tofu, lots of salads, chocolate-beet brownies, maybe eggplant parmesan (Drew is making a sauce as I type — how could he not with the garlic, basil, and onion?). I’m going to try my hand at some lacto-fermentation and make Cortido — a Latin American sauerkraut with cabbage, onions, and carrots. I still have cabbage from last week, so I’ll use that for the Cortido and have the one we got today for slaw.

CSA Distribution #8Here’s another shot so that you can see more of the beautiful flowers! I love having the fresh flowers in the house! So much food this week… And then we get our regular share on Tuesday again!!! I will be putting together a veggie surprise package for our neighbor, thanking for allowing us to park in her driveway while ours is being paved. We certainly have plenty to share! I’m going to have to start putting up some of the veggies in the freezer (well, ones that can be frozen like the squashes).

Hope you all are enjoying your weekend!

oh, hi!

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lake george

We are back from our lovely Adirondack vacation! It’s so beautiful up there. If I could figure out a way to live there permanantly I would do it in a heartbeat. There is something so peaceful about the lake and mountains… something that I just don’t get at the ocean for some reason. I’ll write more about it a little later. In the meantime I’ve been trying to catch up on everything around the house. I had so much e-mail to tackle, Facebook requests, catching up on blogs, etc. That’s not to mention the vacation laundry, LOL! And of course Drew is full-speed-ahead clearing out the basement. He reminded me that I still have my old PowerBook down there. I have no idea what to do with it. It’s 10 years old and I’m hanging onto it for sentimental reasons, I guess. It still powers up quite well, though and I’m sure I could find extra Mac memory for it if I wanted. But I think it makes more sense to clear it off and donate it or something.

We also called and scheduled to have our driveway paved! You have no idea how thrilled I am about this. Our driveway is quite long and the past couple winters it has been so difficult clearing the snow off it because the snowthrower (or snowblower, whatever you call it) naturally kicks up some of the rocks. And then in the spring it becomes a mudpit. It’s a pricey investment, to be sure, but it will be so worth it! The boys are excited to ride bikes, play basketball, draw with chalk… That should be done next week.

Today I need to go to the post office to mail off a book for Paperback Swap and I need to hit CVS, too, as I have some ECBs that need to be used up before tomorrow. This should be interesting because yesterday I tripped down four or five of the basement stairs and really hurt my right foot. I’m hobbling around, so driving should feel great, I am sure! It’s my own fault for not paying attention. Sigh… In knitting news, the Forest Canopy Shawl is coming along nicely. I’m knitting it slow and delibrately. I’d rather it take an extra week or two than have to rip it back. We have no plans for this weekend, which is nice. The next two weekends are booked solid! And I really have to get going on birthday party plans, too. Yikes!

Well, that’s all for now. I hope to get the Lake George photos uploaded later today and hopefully I’ll have some time to write about our trip!

Thursday Bullets

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  • After having it sit on my shelf for about two years, yesterday I finally read The Yarn Harlot’s Guide to the Land of Knitting by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee, which was gifted to me by Catherine, my Secret Pal from a few rounds ago. Since I’m really trying to rest, I thought I’d start making a dent in my overflowing bookself. The book was cute and obviously a very quick read if I could plow through it in one day. Not a whole lot of actual knitting information, but a fun, fluffy read if you are a knitter. I also have Knitting Rules!, which Drew gave to me last Christmas. I expect to get to that in short order
  • I think today I’m going to cast on for some fingerless mittens in One Skein Wonders. I have several orphaned balls of yarn in my stash and I want to use them up. After the mitts are done, I think I’m ready for another shot at the Forest Canopy Shawl. I have two hanks of Lorna’s Laces Shepherd Sport (from my delightful teaswap partner, also about two years ago) just waiting for a special project, and I think this is the one!
  • I’ve decided that I love Aveeno products. My skin is quite sensitive and a lot of products irritate it. Some women are out there looking for the best wrinkle cream — I’m just looking for something that won’t make my skin burn, LOL. Anyway, the Aveeno stuff is slightly more expensive than the Dove stuff I had been using, but if I scour the CVS sales, I’m sure I can continue to buy it affordably.
  • Overall, I am feeling much better. Hard to believe that a week ago I was at the doctor’s office getting my diagnosis! Tuesday I was exhauseted and I actually took a nap in the afternoon. Yesterday I was careful to rest a lot and I felt pretty good. Same thing today. I still have a bit of headache-type pain, but it is nothing like a week ago. Two more weeks of antibiotics. But I can tell I am getting better 🙂
  • Speeders is on tonight! I’m a little embarrassed by how much I love this show. But then again, it is pure awesome. Ha!

CSA Distribution #7

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CSA Share - Week 7

An absolutely gorgeous share this week from Sisters Hill Farm! The colors just scream out “Summer!” don’t they? Of course this week’s share also includes my nemesis: beets. I really want to find a way to enjoy them because they are soooo good for you. I have a recipe from Great Food Fast for a carrot-beet slaw. I think I might try that. The kohlrabi slaw was amazing! Drew thought it was okay, but I thought it was delicious. I still have last week’s kohlrabi so I will be using that for some slaw again. This whole being sick thing has really messed with my cooking. I’ve been doing a bit here and there, but nothing that ambitious. At any rate, here is a rundown of our distribution:

1 head of cabbage
1 head of escarole
2 heads of lettuce
2 small zucchini
1 large bunch of scallions
1 bunch of carrots
1 bunch of beets
20 flower stems (not pictured)

I’m so thankful that Farmer Dave agreed to let us switch our pickup dates next week! We pick up on Tuesday evenings, but next week we’re going to be in Lake George on Tuesday, so I asked if we could pick up on Saturday and he was happy to help out. I am not one to go around switching things like that, and I would have totally understood if they couldn’t do it. So yes, we’ll be having a short vacation in Lake George again this year. Several months ago we thought we might drive up to Quebec this summer but with gas around $4.25 a gallon, it is cost-prohibitive to say the least! So we’ll just stick close to home as usual and that’s cool. This year we are hoping to do one of the steamboat cruises around the lake. I think the boys will enjoy that! Perhaps someday we’ll go someplace different (maybe check out some Hilton Head rentals or something), but this summer, the old LG will be great!

I’m Melting…

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Ew, the humidity today is nasty! Kinda makes me wish an Ice Road Truckers marathon was on. The freezing temps they were dealing with might help me keep things in perspective. I was really glad they brought it back for a second season. Though I don’t find it quite as interesting as last year’s, it’s still enjoyable. When I was watching the new episode on Sunday night (where Alex looked down and missed the sign for Aput and basically got lost), I wondered if it was possible for the drivers to use GPS systems. I wouldn’t think that the extreme cold would interefere, but maybe it does? Seems like it would be a good safety measure in such a desolate area. I have to say that those guys have one job I could never even consider. I squirm in my chair just watching the show — forget about actually being in the truck!

They Can’t All Be Winners

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Failed Culinary Experiment

So I had a bunch of vegetables to use up and yesterday I had the brilliant idea to make a grilled pizza for dinner. It’s a technique I’ve wanted to try for a while. I figured, while I was at it, I’d also grill some CSA zucchini to put on top, and maybe use up my basil and garlic scapes in a pesto to go on it as well. I’d throw some black olives on top for a little extra flavor and color.

In theory, it sounded great! But it seemed this pie was doomed to begin with. I had a major problem with the dough. I don’t know what the heck I did, but when I took it out of my bread machine it was so thin and sticky. The consistancy was all wrong. I just added some flour and was like – well, we’ll see what happens. I also was unsure about the pesto. Mind you, I’m not a huge fan of pesto to begin with. It’s one of those things that I always think I’m going to like, but rarely do. You can just see where this is going can’t you? Well, I just didn’t like any of it. I suffered through a piece, but didn’t enjoy it. The pesto was far too strong, the zucchini got too much char, and the dough — while not completely awful — was certainly not right. I was also disappointed that despite the fact that I cooked the pizza on the grill, it didn’t have any kind of real “grilled” flavor. Oh well, it’s not like I’m looking for pizza maker jobs in Chicago or New York or anywhere 😉

I guess it wasn’t a good night for pizza. Then again, Jake did eat four pieces of the pepperoni pie I made for him and Noah. Maybe I should stick to the traditional!