Tuesday, May 26, 2009
The Backpacking Part of Seattle
I spent a couple days with my two friends backpacking in the Cascades. It was fantastic for the first backpacking trip of the spring season! One brought a fiddle and the other brought a guitar, and I brought my bad singing voice. We had live bluegrass music, a campfire and marshmallows. We hiked to a gorgeous frozen lake, saw an actual avalanche (way across the lake), and the weather was absolutely perfect. There was still so much snow in the upper elevations, and none lower. No mosquitoes or biting bugs. Everything about the trip was perfect!
Seattle visit
My visit to Seattle was fantastic! It was great to see my sister, brother in law, niece, nephew AND my folks flew out from Tennessee! AND I managed to squeeze in a backpacking trip with a good friend who just so happens to live in Seattle too! It was a great visit! I love Seattle! It's such a progressive, "green" city. We had beautiful weather, with a few rain showers that were to short to even notice.
Sunday, May 3, 2009
SWEETS!
Here's a picture of the Balsamic Strawberries! This recipe is SOOOO tasty!
The other picture is of my two girlfriends and I in Jackson.
Saturday, May 2, 2009
Boredom = Yummy
When I get bored, I cruise through recipe websites, in attempts to teach myself how to cook.
I have come to the conclusion, "If you can read, you can cook." I will only attempt easy and simple recipes.
No, 30 ingredient, 20 step recipes. I want SIMPLE and I want to eat it as soon as it is done! No marinating, no
freezing, cooling, over-night, recipes. I'm usually cooking because I am starving when I start putting it together.
This desert I happened to stumble across, won me over. Balsamic Strawberries with Marscapone Creme topping. (use cream cheese--it's cheaper and just as delicious.)
Hands down, this is the easiest best desert I have ever made.
Follow the link, or cut and paste it in your browser.
Be sure and read the review I wrote about it at the bottom of the recipe!
I'm making it again today!
Here ya go!
http://www.meals.com/Recipes/Balsamic-Strawberries-with-Almond-Mascarpone-Crme.aspx?recipeid=143820
I have come to the conclusion, "If you can read, you can cook." I will only attempt easy and simple recipes.
No, 30 ingredient, 20 step recipes. I want SIMPLE and I want to eat it as soon as it is done! No marinating, no
freezing, cooling, over-night, recipes. I'm usually cooking because I am starving when I start putting it together.
This desert I happened to stumble across, won me over. Balsamic Strawberries with Marscapone Creme topping. (use cream cheese--it's cheaper and just as delicious.)
Hands down, this is the easiest best desert I have ever made.
Follow the link, or cut and paste it in your browser.
Be sure and read the review I wrote about it at the bottom of the recipe!
I'm making it again today!
Here ya go!
http://www.meals.com/Recipes/Balsamic-Strawberries-with-Almond-Mascarpone-Crme.aspx?recipeid=143820
Friday, May 1, 2009
Lovely Mud Season
Next week will be my one year anniversary for moving out west. I began the planning for this journey far longer than one year ago. I had a calling to head west to bigger and more expansive mountains to explore. Reality hits me every morning when I wake up and look out of my window at the Tetons and Big Hole mountains. I'm still in awe. I can't believe I have made a life for myself being so far away from my family and long time friends--a new start all by myself. I can officially say now, "I did it," and really believe those words when I say them.
It hasn't been easy staying here. I have been laid off from the 2 jobs I held, I've moved 4 times, spent 6 weeks being homeless--yet had the greatest road trip/backpacking trip of my life, good friends are hard to come by, and colleges (which I'm planning on finishing) are an hour or more away. I'm not complaining. I am very grateful to have experienced life the way I've been led. Being away from my family, has allowed me to really appreciate them more. We seem to be more connected on the importance of each others well being and maintaining frequent contact. I'm just saying, when living close to family, little "non issue" problems take front and center stage. The petty stuff. Now, we all seem to be focusing on keeping the "family bond" close. Being away, has allowed me to reflect on my old life back in Tennessee. I miss so much back home, and wouldn't change a thing about how I lived there. If I did, I may not be where I am today.
I've been very pro-active in finding a job. I've applied for over 40 jobs within the last 2 months. Until I get one, there is always an underlying stress. I keep active in my spare time. There is a lot of it right now! I can't go back packing yet, because there is so much snow in the back country, AND it continues to snow/rain here in the valley. This is what I've heard the locals call, "mud season." People who live here go out of town from mid April till the end of May. I always wondered why anyone would want to leave ANY time of year, this place is BEAUTIFUL year round! Well, now I am beginning to understand their point. The forecast has called for rain nearly every day over the last 2 weeks, and week to come. Yeah, yeah, rain is dreary, cold and dark, but after living in Tennessee most of my life--I'm used to it. I still love it here! The massive mountains aren't going to wash away, and I certainly won't melt! Bring on the rain! It's just water! After all, it's not like I'm made of sugar.
It hasn't been easy staying here. I have been laid off from the 2 jobs I held, I've moved 4 times, spent 6 weeks being homeless--yet had the greatest road trip/backpacking trip of my life, good friends are hard to come by, and colleges (which I'm planning on finishing) are an hour or more away. I'm not complaining. I am very grateful to have experienced life the way I've been led. Being away from my family, has allowed me to really appreciate them more. We seem to be more connected on the importance of each others well being and maintaining frequent contact. I'm just saying, when living close to family, little "non issue" problems take front and center stage. The petty stuff. Now, we all seem to be focusing on keeping the "family bond" close. Being away, has allowed me to reflect on my old life back in Tennessee. I miss so much back home, and wouldn't change a thing about how I lived there. If I did, I may not be where I am today.
I've been very pro-active in finding a job. I've applied for over 40 jobs within the last 2 months. Until I get one, there is always an underlying stress. I keep active in my spare time. There is a lot of it right now! I can't go back packing yet, because there is so much snow in the back country, AND it continues to snow/rain here in the valley. This is what I've heard the locals call, "mud season." People who live here go out of town from mid April till the end of May. I always wondered why anyone would want to leave ANY time of year, this place is BEAUTIFUL year round! Well, now I am beginning to understand their point. The forecast has called for rain nearly every day over the last 2 weeks, and week to come. Yeah, yeah, rain is dreary, cold and dark, but after living in Tennessee most of my life--I'm used to it. I still love it here! The massive mountains aren't going to wash away, and I certainly won't melt! Bring on the rain! It's just water! After all, it's not like I'm made of sugar.
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