Do you make New Years resolutions? Are you able to keep them?

Every year, I sit down and make a list of all the things I would like to do differently in the new year. I am diligent about them for a week or two. And then, old habits tend to kick in and the resolutions and goals are forgotten about. Apathy kicks in and I just don't seem to care anymore.

Despite this trend, I still can't help the urge to set goals for myself for the new year. It's a clean slate, full of optimism and energy. So, here is my list of goals for 2012.

          -Live in the moment-forget about what you "should" be doing. There will always be dishes to wash, chores to do, and meals to cook. But when that becomes all you think about, you forget to stop and have fun.

          -Eat more wisely-This is something that I have definitely been thinking of more and more often in the last year. And it touches on several issues at once.

For years, I have struggled with my weight and self image of myself. It is far to easy to let depression set in. For me, eating more wisely involves smaller portions. But that is just a start. I also want to eat healthier and more satisfying meals. 

I also want to be more aware of what I am eating. I am planning on growing as much as I can here on my little postage sized lot. I intend to try my own version of urban homesteading, squeezing in as much as I can and trying to become as self sustaining as we can be. I am also planning on buying my CSA share again this next year and supporting local shops as much as I can.

          -Respect myself. Learn to like who I am and stop trying to be what others think that I should be. In order to do this, I need to get moving. So today, for the first time is almost 10 months, I went for a jog. Man, it felt good to get off the couch. I am hoping to run my first 5K for the 4th of July. I was close to doing it before. I can (and will) do it!!

So that's my list. Here's to a healthy, happy new year!

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Merry Christmas everyone!

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Surprisingly enough, orange is actually pretty adaptable. Even with her pastel pinks and greens in her room, this bright happy color seems to blend right in. So....on a boring Sunday afternoon, I decided to give orange a go. Here is Anne's accent wall. I can't wait for it to finish drying and get all of her stuff back in their proper homes.

I also can't wait until Anne calms down a bit and can actually fall asleep. Nap time fail. Early bedtime, perhaps? :)

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Today, I got to harvest my sunflower and nastursium seeds. With just a few minutes of breaking apart the seed heads, I have more than enough seeds for a garden full of flowers next year.

Now, to kick back and do some knitting.

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Thank you again to my mother-in-law for my birthday money. After much inner debate on how best to use it, I decided to treat myself to a vegi box. Now, we will have fresh vegetables for years to come. And, because we installed PVC piping to the sides, we can install hoops on the box in the winter. These hoops will then be covered with plastic so that we can have a greenhouse. 

Fall crop planting starts this weekend. :) Yay!!!!

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Today was such a pretty day. I am so glad that summer has finally decided to stick around up here in the Pacific Northwest. Too bad it is mid-August and fall is just around the corner.

In talking with my neighbors next door, they had mentioned an idea of giving Anne a squirt bottle to play with in the yard. Genius!! Anne had such a great time squirting things. Everything from the dog, the fence, me......it was a blast. :)

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Our organic CSA has helped with this immensely. I want to know what goes into the food I make. I want to know for certain what I am feeding my daughter. If you can't pronounce it, it most likely isn't good for you. If you have to look up "mono.....blah blah blah" to figure out what it is, that's scary. SO (getting off my soap box now), I am trying to teach Anne where real food comes from and to appreciate it.

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The first zucchini of the season was so good! I am hoping we see a lot more of it in the following weeks. The greens are a combination of swiss chard and the beet greens.

And the golden beets! Why did I never like beets when I was growing up? These are the best thing since sliced bread. This recipe is definitely a hit: http://www.fortheloveoffoodblog.com/2011/06/fresh-marinated-beets.html

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Well, I think it is official. I am becoming a "foody". I just love to eat! And... courtesy of my local CSA, it has been easier than ever to get creative, break out of the routine, and try something fun.

So, that being said, I have decided to try to get into the habit of sharing my successes with you. Here is something that I tried and loved.

Lentil and Swiss Chard Pasta Salad

1 cup lentils-cooked

1 cup pasta-cooked (I used macaroni noodles, but you can use whatever you have on hand)

1 bunch Swiss chard-stems removed

1 small red onion

3 cloves garlic-minced

1 8oz package feta cheese

1 small canned sliced olives

Italian salad dressing

Olive oil

In small saucepan, cook lentils and pasta until both are tender (about 15 minutes). Drain, rinse with cold water, and place in a large bowl. Set aside.

Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large skillet. Saute red onion and garlic until onion is beginning to become transparent and garlic is fragrant. Add the swiss chard. Cook until the chard is tender, but not mushy.

Once the onion/chard mixture is cooked, add this to your lentils and pasta. Add the feta cheese and olives. Then add enough Italian salad dressing to the mixture to coat and moisten the salad. Stir.

This salad can be eaten immediately. Or, you may refrigerate overnight and enjoy it the next day.

Be forewarned, this does make a lot. My husband and I ate this for dinner for a few days. But, as the flavors just become better with age, that didn't seem to be a problem. If you are making it for just yourself though, you may want to cut the ingredients in half.

Hope you enjoy! Coming next: Raspberry Jam!

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This last week and a half has been jam packed with fun. I am not even really sure where to start.So, I apologize for the chaotic post. But....my brain is just not wanting to put together anything more intelligent today. :)

Last Saturday, my awesome friends threw me a birthday party for my 31st. I had so much fun! Thank you so much.

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Hello! Remember me?? And my sadly neglected blog. Worst blogger ever!

Anyways, summer has officially arrived. At least according to the calendar. But the weather....that leaves something to be desired. Stupid cool weather and rain.

We have had some gorgeous days though. And the CSA (communited supported agriculture) boxes have started arriving. Therefore, it is time to get cooking! I had a burst of energy today. So, I made chipolte kale chips to munch. These are so good!

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When life gives you lemons (or in our case, raw sewage), make a new flower bed!

Has it really only been a week since Easter? It has been one crazy, jammed packed week. Where do I start??

Well.... it all started Easter weekend. Our house has a sep-pump, to pump the water from the house towards the sewer line. Every time that pump would turn on, it would blow air bubbles up through our toilet. This is NOT normal. So, we called the plumbers out to snake the lines, thinking that it was only clogged. Boy, where we in for a surprise! Our pipe leading from the house to the main sewer line was in pieces. Literally. The original concrete pipes had rotted out and the sewage was not going anywhere but into the ground. Mmmm!

The big complication came when we realized that this broken pipe went through our neighbor's yard towards the alley behind our house. This house has been vacant for a long time. We had no idea who the owner was or any way of contacting him. Thank God my hubby knows a thing or two about the internet. Through some sort of magic that I will never probably understand, he tracked down the owner and was able to obtain permission to dig on his land (which we had to obtain in order to move forward with replacement).

I feel so overwhelmed by the generosity of my friends during all of this. Thank you so much for all of the dinner invitations. It was so odd having to go to my friends and family's home to bum showers off of people. My parents graciously offered to put us up for a few nights (since we had no working plumbing). And if you ever need any plumbing work, call Day and Nite Plumbing and Heating. They are amazing!

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Long story short, despite the nightmares of the plumbing fiasco, we were definitely able to have a great Easter. And, since my back yard was torn up from the replacement of the line anyway, I was able to put in a flower bed that I have been tempted to make for a long time. No vegetables going in this bed for a long time. Not after what I have seen. But some pretty flowers this summer will be great.

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So....my week has been...... interesting. Needless to say, there are huge breaks in my sewer line between the house and the main line. So, these pictures are just the "so far" breaks. They are guessing that there are further breaks further down the line.

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I have been way too busy lately playing to post pictures. It is finally showing signs of spring around here. Intermixed with rain and wind storms. And the occasional sprinkling of snow. Grr! Bring on the sunshine and warmth.

Because Mother Nature is having such big mood swings, we have found ways to entertain ourselves. Horray for play dates! Oh! And apple pie.

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Our trip started on Friday, with a long but uneventful trip to Spokane. It was so nice to get to see family and friends. Anne was a little overwhelmed at times. There were a few break-downs. But all in all, she did a wonderful job. The funny thing is that when it came time to walk down the aisle to sprinkle the flowers, she walked just behind the other flower girl. Anne is such a meticulous thing that she wanted to try to pick up the petals that the other girl was throwing. "There are flowers on the floor! Those don't go there!" But with a little encouragement, and a cup full of M&M's, she made it.

Best wishes to Jerry and Ally! We love you both!

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We are celebrating St. Patrick's Day a day early. Mostly because.... we are cooking an almost 5 lb corned beef roast. And since we will be out of town for my cousin's wedding this weekend, we need more time to eat the left overs. Besides, who needs an excuse to eat corned beef and cabbage, Irish Soda Bread, and drink Guinness!

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Although the bottom was a little over-done, it turned out so good. I will just have to try again and see if I can perfect it!

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