off the list

when I was a senior in college, I wrote out a bucket list so that I would have something to look forward to after graduation. College was ending and I wanted to have a firm grasp on the things in the future that would make my time here extraordinary. In 2011, I brought life to some of those goals. I rode a horse on a beach. I kept a plant alive for over a year. I had a beer in Ireland. Shockingly, these are not the things that made 2011 extraordinary. I met some amazing people. I helped cook alligator. I ate the alligator. I met my cousin’s first baby. I started a blog. We dropped my sister off at college. I cried the whole way home after we dropped my sister off at college. I made homemade Halloween and Christmas cards. I became more than a co-worker. I struggled with my faith and it came back stronger than ever. I learned the true meaning of family and unconditional support. I learned the meaning of true friendship. I was touched by the kindness of a complete stranger. I fell in love with someone that would become my best friend. I learned that what makes all of our lives extraordinary does not come from a list.

peaches and southern summers



It is safe to say that summer is on full blast. The beaches are packed, it feels like 600 degrees, and summer showers grace us every afternoon. Most importantly (in my very humble opinion); however, peaches have arrived! They have bloomed, been picked, and are now waiting on shelves and in crates everywhere to be consumed. I would love to tell you that I bought a basket of peaches and turned them (by hand of course) into a delicious homemade pie. This; however, would be a lie. I have honestly never attempted to make a pie as I am certain that it would explode in my oven or simply refuse to bake. What I did do, was find a simple recipe for a peach crisp. It is much easier to make and takes less time! It is also delicious! Enjoy!

Ingredients:

- 3 to 5 large peaches

- 1 cup sugar

- 1 ½ cups all purpose flour

- ½ cup oats

- 2 tablespoons cinnamon

- ½ cup cherries without seeds (optional)

- 2 sticks butter (softened)

Recipe:

1)      Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2)      Cut peaches (with the skin still on) into slices and layer in the bottom of a 9x13 pan

3)      In a bowl, combine sugar, flour, oats, and cinnamon (stir until blended)

4)      Place butter in bowl with sugar mixture

5)      Using your hands or a wooden spoon, mash the butter and the sugar mixture together until it is well blended and crumbles (this will take 3-5 minutes)

6)      Crumble the mixture over peaches

7)      Bake at 350 for 40 minutes

8)      Serve with ice cream

surviving black pudding

Incredible is about the only word that can describe my trip to Ireland and London. We saw amazing castles, made countless friends, and were very often drawn out of our element with regard to food. The most specific of these cases would be the infamous black pudding of Ireland. Also known as blood sausage, this tiny little morsel that was often found on the breakfast buffet line can make or break a day. My own experience with black pudding came the morning after we visited Clontarf Castle in Dublin. I had decided to try this apparent delicacy and had put it off until our very last meal in Ireland. It took all the mental strength I could muster to actually pick it up off of my plate. As I was about to eat it I had a moment of panic in which I was unavoidably aware that the entire table was waiting for my reaction. Lucky for them, I did not disappoint. While I could stand the look and even possibly the taste, it was the consistency or texture that I could not bring myself to appreciate. By the laughs that reverberated around the table, my face reflected as much. I cannot wait to share more pictures and stories but for now I leave you with a quote from a small girl on our plane, “that was fun… but I would like to go now…”

going to europe and eating pigeons

In 4 days, 6 hours, and 11 minutes, my family will be leaving for Dublin, Ireland. Naturally, I am excited about the castles, the cliffs, and the pints of Guinness (# 34 on the Bucket List). What I am REALLY excited about; however, is the food. Nothing takes you out of your comfort zone more than eating something that seems unusual. Having been unable to curve my enthusiasm into something productive at work, I have looked up every possible dinner menu along our route. After we land in Dublin, my father will be braving turn-abouts to drive us to Ashford Castle . The next day, we will be in the car again on the way to Bunratty Castle and the Cliffs of Moher. After that, we are back in Dublin before we fly to London for 5 days. Everything along the Ireland route read the same way: meat and potatoes. The menus in London; however, had a different story to tell. From smoked pigeon to spotted dick, my family should have an interesting time exploring alternative cuisines. One particular restaurant in London that I am excited about is avenue. I cannot wait to share pictures and stories! See everyone after the trip!

summer tomatoes and being somewhat sophisticated

Major League Baseball is in full swing (haha… full swing), fireflies can be seen at night, and the community swimming pool is now running full hours. So, how do I know that summer is about to begin? Clearly because my tomato plants, that I have affectionately dubbed Thelma and Louise, are BLOOMING! I am anxiously awaiting the arrival of my first tomato but my plants are flowering none the less! This exciting time, in my backyard’s otherwise rather boring existence, got me thinking about all the ways that I could use my new produce. After my mother convinced me that chili is for cold weather and I did not need to make that, I came up with SALAD! What is better during the summer than a fresh salad? Nothing, right? Therefore, I offer up this feeble attempt at sophistication with a fresh and healthy summer starter! Enjoy!

Ingredients:

-tomatoes (sliced)

-fresh mozzarella (sliced)- I usually buy a large chunk and slice it myself

-romaine lettuce

-basil (I grow this in my kitchen but I used to just buy a few leaves and slice them up)

-balsamic vinaigrette

Recipe:

1)      Cut tomatoes and mozzarella to similarly sized slices

2)      Place romaine lettuce on serving dish

3)      Alternate the tomatoes and mozzarella in a diagonal across the dish (one on top of the other)

4)      Sprinkle basil and then balsamic vinaigrette on top of the dish

5)      Season with salt and pepper (optional)

a bucket list at 23

Last year, when I was about to graduate, I had an “AHHHHH” moment when I realized that I did not have any idea where my life was going. I did not have a job lined up and I was thoroughly convinced I would end up living in my parent’s basement forever. One of my professors seemed to at least understand my sentiment and suggested that I come up with a Bucket List. His argument was that this list would be everything I had to look forward to after college. One year later, I can say that I have successfully marked three items off my list (and I am not living in my parent’s basement…):

1.       Go skydiving

2.       Publish a book

3.       Keep a plant alive for over a year

4.       Go see the redwoods

5.       Shoot a pistol*

6.       Sell a photograph

7.       Ride a horse on the beach

8.       Find my soul mate

9.       Write a romance novel

10.   Read the Bible start to finish

11.   See the great lakes*

12.   Win a cooking contest

13.   Change someone’s life

14.   Climb the pyramids

15.   Get a tattoo

16.   Go to a strip club

17.   Go cage diving with great whites

18.   Take flowers to a stranger

19.   Adopt an animal at the zoo

20.   Go on a ghost tour in Edinburgh

21.   Spend a sleepless night in Seattle

22.   See the Amazon

23.   Buy myself a car

24.   Ride an elephant

25.   Flash a crowd for beads

26.   Take a huge risk

27.   Get a good night kiss on a good night

28.   Make my child laugh

29.   Go hunting

30.   Work for a non-profit*

31.   Find the faith I have been searching for

32.   Live in Maine

33.   Dance to Tale as Old as Time with someone I love

34.   Drink beer in Ireland

35.   Hold a koala bear

36.   Run a marathon

37.   Buy my mother lunch

38.   Shoot my age in golf

39.   Pick wild lavender

40.   Learn how to tango

41.   Watch the sun rise on a beach

42.   Go scuba diving in a shipwreck

43.   Visit the catacombs under Rome

44.   Go to the carnival festival in Venice, Italy

45.   Become a cheese connoisseur

46.   Stitch a replica of my Grandmother’s city scene stitch

47.   Stop worrying about things that are out of my control

48.   Donate Blood

49.   Act in a community play

50.   Run my own business

51.   Go to all four Major golf tournaments

52.   Play Augusta National

(*) Indicates that I crossed them off last year! I hope that this list grows as I grow and I look forward to completing them all!

fried chicken and Alabama tornadoes

At first glance, fried chicken and Alabama tornadoes have absolutely nothing in common. After a deeper look; however, you might understand that to me, one has everything to do with the other. Last week, a series of tornadoes devastated the southern states. Alabama was hit the hardest and the death toll is still rising. As we watched the footage, I couldn’t help but think that this begs a question. How do we recover? The answer that kept popping into my head was: we go home. Not home in the sense of a house or town. I mean home as a feeling.  For some, this means picking up the pieces in Pratt City. For some, it means taking a class to be a certified responder. For others, it means taking trucks of supplies to Tuscaloosa. To all of us, this means helping. It means believing that we are a part of something greater than ourselves. And it also means that when the dust settles, we are still proud. We are still believers. And we still like our chicken fried…