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Friday, July 30, 2010

5 years.

Today is our 5 year anniversary...hard to believe that it's been 5 years since our wedding day.

I feel so blessed to have a wonderful husband who loves me so much, teaches me so much, & is absolutely my best friend...

I love you babe!

Thursday, July 29, 2010

kinda funny, well not really...

So, Monday evening it was thundering & lightening before it ever started to rain.

After dinner, we went out on the front porch to chill in our new rocking chairs & watch the storm (I love a good storm!).

We had outside for about 5 minutes when we heard a siren sound that went on for several minutes.

Shortly after our next-door neighbor came outside to tell us that it was the city's tornado warning siren. Bet he thought we were a couple of geniuses!

Sort of funny that we sat there not alarmed at all...guess we'll know for next time!

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

things i'm loving...

checking out cookbooks from our library.
my $3.26 thrift store basket to stash my
sewing stuff.
Etsy...i'm simply addicted.
red & turquoise together with a splash of white.
small vintage mirrors...i'm working on a collection.
having 3 weeks to get settled in before
starting work.
the material i got at Hobby Lobby to make throw
pillows for our bed.
our front porch rocking chairs.
the outdoor toss pillows i got for our rockers on
clearance from Restoration Hardware.
my new 'work bag'...Vera Bradley's
'Meet me in Paris' in turquoise.
the built-in bookcase in our living room.
beadboard wallpaper.
having a Hobby Lobby just 20 minutes away...
dangerous, but i love it.

life is good!

d-e-l-i-c-i-o-u-s

You've got to try what we had for dinner last night...

Greek-style Baked Spinach & Shrimp
12 oz. of spinach w/ stems removed
2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil
2 green onions, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 can of diced tomatoes, drained
4 oz. of crumbled feta cheese
3/4 lb. of medium-large shelled & deveined shrimp
salt & pepper to taste
hot steamed rice

Wash the spinach, but do not drain. Place in a large pot & cover & steam for about 5 minutes until completely wilted, stirring occassionally. Drain well by pressing out excess water with a spatula.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Lightly grease a 1.5-quart casserole dish.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions & garlic & saute for about 3 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, salt & pepper and then spinach and half of the feta cheese.

Remove from heat & stir in the shrimp. Transfer to the casserole dish. Crumble the remaining feta on top. (I also added some bread crumbs to the top)

Bake for about 30 minutes, until the shrimp are white & firm.
Serve over hot rice.

Hope you love it as much as we did!

Sunday, July 25, 2010

words to live by.

"Be not the slave of your own past.
Plunge into the sublime seas,
dive deep,
and swim far,
so you shall come back with self-respect,
with new power,
with an advanced experience,
that shall explain and overlook the old."

-Ralph Waldo Emerson-

Saturday, July 24, 2010

what could be better?

It was 99 degrees today...gross.
We ventured out a bit late this afternoon & evening after it cooled off a bit, but stayed around home for most of the day.

To me, there's nothing better in this summertime heat than fresh fruit.
I'm so enjoying the delicious in-season blueberries & fresh GA peaches!

So, when I stumbled upon this recipe I knew I had to try it...
Blueberry-Peach Freezer Jam
4 cups of blueberries (washed w/ stems removed)
1 cup of peaches, finely chopped
1/4 cup of fresh lemon juice
4 1/2 cups of sugar
3/4 cup of water
1 1.75 oz. package of Sure-Jell Fruit Pectin

Rinse plastic containers with boiling water & then dry completely. (I used 3-16 oz. Ziplock twist & seal containers)

Mash blueberries thoroughly (I pulsed them in my blender). Measure exactly 2 cups of blueberries into a mixing bowl. Peel, & finely chop peaches. Measure 1 cup of peaches & add to bowl with blueberries. Add lemon juice & then sugar. Mix well.

Mix water & Sure-Jell in small saucepan. Heat over high heat until boiling, stirring constantly. Boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Immediately add mixture into mixing bowl with fruit. Stir for three minutes until sugar is completely dissolved.

Quickly pour mixture into containers & cover with lids. Leave at room temperature for 24 hours & then place in freezer. Thaw in refrigerator before using.

Can't wait to try it out tomorrow!

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

settling in...

That about sums up the last 2 weeks for us.

We left our house in Durham with our moving crew Tuesday, July 6th.
Since then we've been unpacking boxes, organizing our new place, & finding our way around town.

I'll be back again soon with more detailed updates, pictures & news from Nashville...

Sunday, July 4, 2010

the adventure begins...

Alas, the new adventure begins...

We're picking our giant moving truck up tomorrow morning.
Our lovely helpers will arrive tomorrow at lunch-time.
We'll load all afternoon & evening and most likely pull out early Tuesday morning.

It's hard to believe that we've been here nearly 5 years and that it's time for the start of yet another adventure.

More to come once we get settled in our new place...