Mosie's Room

We have a closet in our house that we refer to as "Mosie's Room."  In reality, Mosie rarely goes in this closet and we use it for extra storage for exercise equipment, my wedding dress, and the like.  We call it "Mosie's Room" because the previous owners left a cat decal on the wall of the closet.

Today, Dave captured this awesome picture:

Fantastic, eh?  There was a bug on the floor... and I'm just guessing here, but she probably ate it.  She looooves bugs and spiders for eating.  Gross.

Dave is going to be one happy man: s'mores pie is the reader recipe poll winner!  Recipe and review to come Friday morning!

Last time I was prepping for a marathon I went off sugar the week before, hoping it would help me run better.  Not this time.  I trained on copious amounts of ice cream moderate amounts of sugar, I'll run a race on them, too!  Bring it on, s'mores pie!

doomsday

Today at 2:30 Mosie is headed to the vet office.  She's due for some shots.  Poor Mosie!  She doesn't know what's in store for her yet...

Exciting news!  The living room is complete!  One of the loveseat cushions came with a slight tear in it, so last night I stitched it up.

 And put on the cover!

I love that our furniture has washable covers!  The tags say "dry clean only", but a friendly lady in line at IKEA told me that I can wash them myself and hang them to dry, as long as I keep them far far away from the dryer.

A blog to read: Remember when Dave and I went to Iowa?  Our friend Melissa has since started her own blog.  Check it out!  She has 3 hilarious kids that she homeschools, is training for her first marathon, and also has 2 really silly cats!

garden lunch

I used the dying remnants of some kale to make a garden lunch for today!

Edamame, scrambled egg, tomato, and a little bit of kale.  With a spinach, banana, peanut butter smoothie.  Dave had some of the smoothie, too.  He topped his with chocolate syrup!

Mosie's been laying claim to the furniture.  She was sleeping on the couch all morning...

...but recently moved over to the chair, for a change of pace.

After taking a closer look at our pantry, I realized I have all the ingredients for the POM brownies, which tied in the poll.  So I'll be making those for tomorrow morning's recipe and review!  The fruit soup (and probably the muffins, too) will be coming later on!

similarities

I'm in the cube and Mosie's at home, but apparently we're both feeling the same way:

we are "those people"

(check out the reader recipe poll review: caramel ice cream!)

You may have noticed that Dave and I are really attached to our cat.  Without even trying we quickly became "those people" that think their cat is just amazing and hilarious.  We've had people tell us that Mosie really is awesome, but maybe they were just trying to make us feel better about how much we love her.  Oh well.

In any case, we realized that Mosie's "birthday" (the day we found her and brought her home!) had come and gone without note or celebrations.  Whoops.  So last night we gave her a treat to make up for it.  This was big time, since Mosie never gets anything other than cat food and cat treats - we don't want her begging or looking for our food.  At first I was going to try to make her a cat treat, but all the recipes online yieled two dozen, and um, that was unncessary.  So ham and cheese it was!

First we sang happy birthday... doesn't Mosie look thrilled?

She perked up when the food came out.  She and I are similar in this way.

This picture might indicate just how much we are "those people."

Check out this picture of Mosie from when we first got her.  So tiny!

Do you celebrate pet birthdays?

tomato pie!

Dave and I have only been married 1.5 years, so sometimes I still get surprised with things I didn't know about him.  Like how much he likes tomatoes - but only the slicing kind, not baby cherry tomatoes.  Apparently my man harbors a deep deep love for all things tomatoey!  I, too, love tomatoes (all kinds!) and had recently seen a tomato pie recipe.  It looked so good!  I decided to make it last night for dinner, but ended up redoing a lot of it to fit ingredients we had on hand, and to be gluten free (we shared dinner with Dave's family and his mom is gluten-intolerant).  

Tomato Pie (gluten free) (inspired by Emily)
1c. uncooked millet
2c. vegetable broth
1c. water
1 egg
1/4c. parmesan cheese
4T. basil pesto, divided
3/4c. spinach, chopped, loosely packed
1 onion, chopped
1T. olive oil
1/2t. garlic salt
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 large slicing tomatoes
1/2-1c. mozzarella cheese, shredded (optional)
4T. italian seasonings, divided
1/2c. fresh basil, chopped, loosely packed (optional)

Combine the water and vegetable broth in a small saucepan and bring to a boil.  Add the millet.  Return to a boil.  Cover and let simmer 20-25 minutes, or until all the water is absorbed.  Remove from heat.  Let sit 5 minutes, then fluff millet with fork.

While the millet is cooking, slice the tomatoes into thin, 1/4"-1/2" slices.  Place on sheets of paper towel to absorb some of the moisture.

In a small skillet, heat the olive oil.  Add the chopped onion, garlic salt, and garlic.  Saute until just brown and tender.  Set aside.

Add the egg, parmesan, and 2T. italian seasonings to the cooked millet.  Mix well.  Divide the mixture in two.  Press mixture into two greased pie plates.  Bake at 350 for 20 minutes.

Once your crust has baked, begin assembling the pie.  First, spread 2T. basil pesto on the bottom of each crust.  Add half of the onion and garlic to one pie crust, half to the other.  Spread evenly. 

Arrange tomato slices evenly over each pie crust.  Top with spinach and fresh basil.  Add another layer of tomatoes. 

Top with remaining italian seasonings, basil and mozzarella.  Drizzle basil pesto on top as well, if desired.  Bake in oven at 350 for 30-40 minutes, until cheese is melted and bubbly.  Serves 6.

Loved loved loved this!  I didn't have fresh basil but I can only imagine how much more that would have made this dish pop.  As it was, it turned out delicious.  The pesto and tomatoes and crispy (but still soft) crust... amazing!  Everyone really liked it, but especially Dave!  We can't wait to make it again!

The dish probably took about an hour to prepare and assemble, and while it was a few different steps, it didn't feel overwhelming or hard.  While it cooked I boiled some corn on the cob.  And snapped this adorable picture of Mosie, napping in the kitchen window.

We had a fun day yesterday - church, then hanging out at home, doing some yardwork, and enjoying dinner and a movie with Dave's family.  

Are you a tomato lover or a tomato hater?

Don't forget to vote in the reader recipe poll!

yasso FAIL

I'll admit, I punked out on my run this morning.  I did the 2 miles to the track and got out 3 yassos before I turned around and ran home.  I felt really tired and lethargic, even though my times weren't bad (3:47, 3:48, 3:49).  It was densely humid - so foggy at times I couldn't see the other side of the track - and not a whisper of wind to help.  The air was just nasty stagnant and hot and heavy.  Could I have pushed out 4 more yassos?  Probably.  But I don't really regret taking an easier day and coming home - humidity definitely makes a run a lot harder!

I refueled with something I've been missing: an icy cold green smoothie!  One frozen banana, two large handfuls of spinach, milk, and half a peach.

 It's a bread-baking day - something that hasn't happened for awhile.  I love how easy bread is, really - just mix and let rise, pound down, rise again, bake.  Doesn't take much time in the kitchen - you just have to keep checking back!

And a storm day (this explains the crazy early-morning humidity), which means Mosie is crouched as close as possible to my feet.  Sweet little scaredy cat.

oops, I did it again

Mosie chose some unusual sleeping positions yesterday.

She's so dang cute.

Last night's dinner turned out to be a lot like the night before.  My bad.  It was still delicious!

Roasted broccoli with cracked wheat in a tomato sauce, topped with "vegan parmesan cheese."  This "cheese" recipe is really easy to make and is really delicious.  It tastes similar to parmesan but has a nuttier taste.  Loved it.

And it made enough to keep on hand.  I'm excited to put it on my morning skillet scrambles.

As for the cracked wheat, they had a similar texture to steel cut oats.  I really liked them, but I think I expected something firmer or denser or grittier?  I'm not really sure, but oats wasn't what I was expecting!  Still, they were good!

As for the roasted broccoli, I roasted it on a silicone baking sheet I got from CSNstores.

Pros: The sheet goes right in the dishwasher after use, which makes cleanup really easy.  And I can avoid using foil, which I then throw away.  I like that.  Cons: The sheet is an odd size.  It didn't fit my small cookie sheet (hung over the edges) or my large one (didn't quite fit the width).  That was a little annoying because then broccoli got on the cookie sheet, meaning I have to wash it, which was kind of the point of the baking sheet - to avoid having to wash the cookie sheet.  In any case, I'll use the sheet again (and probably fairly often), but would maybe get a different one next time that fits my cookie sheets better - although aren't cookie sheets pretty standard in size??

I'm off to do some early morning yassos!

test run

I took my new shirt and headband out for a 10 mile test-run this morning (original plan was to go 7 but it was such a nice morning and I was enjoying it so much I just added in an extra loop).

Pre-run, pre-coffee, before humidity and spits of rain.

Post run: perhaps a little sweaty.

The verdict: looooooooved the shirt.  It's cotton, not wicking, so I wasn't sure what to expect.  But the cotton is thin enough that it seems like wicking and it dries super fast.  Plus it's way softer than a wicking shirt.  The shirt was really comfortable (no tugging, no riding up or moving around) and I didn't have any chafing - not at side seams, neckline, or underarms (all typical spots for me).  And the headband stayed exactly put the entire run - even when I was messing with my hair (I had about 20 minutes where a deer fly would not leave me alone and I kept flipping my hair in paranoia that the fly was in my hair, ready to bite me.  It's happened before.  I'm not completely crazy.).  It fit well (I got a medium) - close enough to not be frumpy but not so tight that I felt self-conscious or uncomfortable.  Another bonus: I plan on wearing this shirt both for running and just out and about (c'mon - it's stinkin' adorable) and with cotton I don't have to worry that it will get sweat-smelly.  Wicking shirts tend to hold that smell more, even after you wash them, you know?

I sound like a cotton convert, don't I?  I'll still wear my wicking shirts, too, but I do just really love this shirt!

I'm wearing the other shirt today.  I brought Mosie into the picture because three pictures of just me is too many.  She didn't want to look at the camera though.  Mostly she just looked at me with her "I'm tolerating this but seriously, put me down soon please" face.

Looks like the basil tomato and crouton casserole is this week's winner for the reader recipe poll.  Look for the recipe/review on Friday morning!  Thanks for voting!  Who knows, I might make those other recipes in the future, too - they sounded pretty awesome!

What have you been cooking lately?

4H fair date

We had a busy Sunday - church, a quick lunch, pre-paint taping, a quick bike ride to catch some of the 4H fair parade, then back here to paint!  After we painted the room and cleaned up we rode our bikes to the fairgrounds - Sundays are the only day with free admission - and wandered amongst the hordes of people.  We ate some delicious fair food, listened to a bit of a concert, then rode our bikes home.  It's MUCH faster to ride bike there - the traffic and parking is crazy!  The 4H fair is a pretty big deal around here - "biggest county fair east of the Mississippi".  Tonight we saw a car all the way from OREGON.  It's nuts.

A couple fair highlights:

Mini donuts.  Fresh from the machine.  This is, admittedly, the main reason we went tonight.  Dave adores these donuts like you wouldn't believe.  He calls them his yearly regret... mainly because after eating about 20 little balls of fried dough he feels sick... but still can't stop.

These old people at the concert were awesome.  The old man was rocking back and forth, grooving to the beat, and the lady pulled out a cell phone with a full qwerty keyboard and started taking pictures.  We were impressed by how hip they were.

This is Dave and I, so you know there's got to be ice cream involved.  The best deal at the fair - a giant bowl for $2.50.

We got home and I grabbed some laundry from the dryer to fold.  Mosie helped.

She's too cute.

The bedroom still needs one more coat of paint before it's finished - I'll wait to post pictures until it's fully done.  But we've decided painting is kind of fun!  And it wasn't as nearly as messy or time consuming as I expected... except for the taping part.

Are you working on any house projects right now?

I'll post the CSNStores giveaway winner at lunch!

marathon gear

Today I bought two of these shirts in grey:

(source)

These are going to be Kelly and I's marathon shirts for our race in September!  We thought the little chickies were appropriately silly.  

Normally I don't wear anything special for a race, but since Kelly and I are doing this one together we thought it would be fun to have shirts.  I've actually had some trouble with my wicking shirts chafing, so an all cotton tshirt might work better for the marathon.  Sometimes the side seams of my wicking shirts will rub me raw.  And the vneck of the tech shirt I wore for the June marathon actually chafed a hole in my skin- it stayed a small, painful scab for a week or two.  I'll be sure to wear this on one of the 20 or 22 mile training runs to make sure it's comfortable.

Mosie was especially lovey today, staying by my feet while I worked.  Normally she curls up in the same room or the next room over.

 Anyone else think my ankle looks like it's at a really uncomfortable angle?  Ow.

I loved having her fur tickling my toes!

bird watching

Dave caught Mosie bird watching this morning.  We love when she chatters!

A new recipe for dinner tonight!  We're going Greek(ish)... but that's the only hint I'm giving!

humdrum

It's been a quiet morning over here.  I got some laundry done and the bathrooms cleaned - I even braved the shower.  I hate cleaning the shower.  I also was reminded how much I hate 409 cleaner.  After you spray you can barely breathe.  I think I might pitch it.  Vinegar and water and baking soda work just fine for me!

It was rainy earlier and the weather is so cool - 70!  All the windows are open and the house feels amazing.  It better soak up the coolness now - I think tomorrow is back to 90.

It's lunchtime.  Or maybe time to join this one for a nap.

scaredy-cat

We had a storm roll through yesterday afternoon and the accompanying thunder and lightning was too much for Mosie.  Rather than hide underneath furniture (per the usual), she chose a new cowering spot.

Yes, those would be the kitchen cupboards.  Poor thing.

I had one more set of roman shades to wash (mom and I washed one set while she was here).  I decided to tackle that yesterday, knowing the washing, ironing, restringing, and resewing of the rods would take a couple hours.  I'm so glad I did.  I thought the curtains were an off-white/cream but after washing I discovered they were actually white.  Um, that's a lot of dirt/dust.  Yikes.

I'm off for my long run - hoping to hit the 17 miles I didn't get last weekend.  Then it's into the car and off to PA!  Girls' weekend!!

a table!

Dave and I had a quick and easy dinner last night - leftover split pea soup for me and peanut butter french toast and scrambled eggs for him.  We also split brownie sundaes - banana soft serve ice cream with double chocolate single chin brownies.  Those brownies were quick to make and really good.  Not overly sweet, kind of cakey, a little fudgy.  After our dessert it was time for Date Night At Lowe's!  Now we know we're homeowners!

I love the smell of hardware stores.  Anyone else?

We picked up three ceiling fans for the house - one to replace the ugly white and gold one in our bedroom and two to install in the attic rooms.  We also got some fire extinguishers - if we have one on the first and second floors our home insurance is reduced!  Other random items: work gloves (for cleaning out the gutters) and a carbon monoxide/fire alarm.  Excitement.

After Lowe's we decided, on a whim, to hit up Pier 1 to see what their outdoor furniture looked like.  Answer: it looked nice but it cost waaaay too much.  However, we found a dining room table!  We loved it, it was on sale... and we got the ladies working to go down an extra 25% on it since it was the floor model!  We found it at 8pm, quickly called up our brother in law and picked up his truck, grabbed Dave's dad to be our helper, and got the table bought and out of the store at 9pm when they closed!

We love it!  Now we'll just have to find some more chairs or benches.

 Not two minutes after we had it in Mosie came a-stinkering.

We quickly ousted her from the tabletop.

I'm headed out for a long run.  And then my parents come to visit!  They'll arrive about 3pm and my aunt and uncle will be here about 1:30.  We're planning a day of catching up, house projects, and a trip to a local 1950's diner.  I better get moving!

raindrops on roses...

A few of my favorite things:

We have internet!

We have been attempting this for about a week, but were having issues with the phone line.  We got the line tagged yesterday and Dave did all the configuring and set up!  Wheeeee!

The dishwasher:

I have never minded washing dishes - it's kind of relaxing to me.  Your hands are warm, you have time to think, and it's satisfying to see the end result of sparkly clean dishes.  When we were looking at houses I told Dave that a dishwasher was not a "must" on my list.  But having a dishwasher is awesome.  I don't care if a recipe dirties a lot stuff during preparation and we can have lots of people over without dishes being a big deal.  And I still get to do some dishes - our pots aren't dishwasher safe and goodness knows the one pot we use for popcorn gets a lot of use...

Our new (to us) bedroom set:

We bought some beautiful antiques from our former landlady, and I love this piece - the swiveling mirrors, the sweet little doors, the beautiful wood.  Eventually I'm going to recover the stool with fabric, but I have to wait until we figure out exactly what color our bedroom will be.  (We have a bed and bedside table to match this set.  Yay!)

The weather report for today:

9 am 57°F Feels Like 57°F

12 pm 68°F Feels Like 68°F

3 pm 72°F Feels Like 72°F

6 pm 72°F Feels Like 72°F

9 pm 65°F Feels Like 65°F

12 am 56°F Feels Like 56°F

Are you kidding me?  GLORIOUS.  I'm saving up my run for the afternoon, when I can enjoy a sun-run without the accompanying heat stroke.

You knew these two would be on the list, right?

They really should be on the very top of the list.  Every single time.