Quick Quiche

Brunches are lovely, so when my mornings are a bit more laid back I love to try out new recipes. I chose to make pies for Thanksgiving dinner this year - opting to purchase pie crusts since I've yet to conquer pastry making. Since I only needed one - this was the perfect chance to try a quiche! It also helped that I came across an amazing sale and picked up a great quiche pan for less than $3.00.

I was familiar with the basic ingredients for quiche, but just to ensure I used correct proportions I did a few recipe checks. Eggs, half and half (you can swap for milk, but as this is a splurge sort of dish I stick with the richness of half and half), veg, cheese, perhaps a meat (ham or bacon usually) all whipped together and poured into an unbaked shell. Forty-five minutes later I was enjoying this loveliness!

I used spinach, onions and Swiss cheese - it turned out so great I'm sure this dish will enter regular rotation. Next time I'll caramelize the onions first though, to add a bit more flavor. I'm also thinking that a Greek version would be amazing - think Feta cheese, red onions, green and red peppers ... mmm. A bit of fruit on the side and this makes a refreshing breakfast and a great treat for a cool fall morning.

Review: Towers of Midnight

If you're a Wheel of Time fan and haven't read Towers of Midnight yet - well, go no further until you have. Definite spoiler alert as I discuss the highs and lows of the 13th book in arguably the BEST fantasy series of my generation.

For those that don't know, Robert Jordan began the series in the 1990s - and knew how it would end from the get go. Originally envisioned as a trilogy, the series presents an immense world filled with politics, religion, culture clashes, the One Power, and of course, male/female misunderstandings (which are simply hysterical). Jordan died before completing the series, and Brandon Sanderson was tapped to complete it. This is the second of three novels Sanderson writes, using the extensive notes Jordan left behind.

In all the ways that matter, this is a much better work by Sanderson than the previous (The Gathering Storm). While there were sections in which Sanderson's voice was obvious, for the most part it felt like text Jordan had written. It was great to see Mat acting more like the rouge I've come to love - he wants nothing more than to be considered normal, and he's anything but. Perrin has been my favorite character since The Shadow Rising, and I found myself staying up late many nights to find out what would happen. His storyline had felt quite scattered - and it was quite satisfying for the Berelain and Morgause stories to be resolved. Galad, a character that was introduced early but received very little face time, played a key role and is one of the few that has been consistently portrayed through the novels. And thank goodness we finally made it to the Towers of Ghenjei - a spectacular section (that came at the end of the 861 page book - I was seriously worried the cover art was a big tease).

Yet there were flaws - the most notable were proofreading errors in the copy (dear Tor, I'd be happy to take on that task with the final novel). Egwene seemed to have completely changed personalities between TGS and TOM. If Elayne complained one more time about drinking goat's milk...Aviendha showed up 2/3 of the way through - and she got little text in the previous book. I can only hope the next novel features her more (it must - she learned some key things in Rhuidean). The title itself - we saw the towers in the opening and that was it - what the heck? I assumed we'd learn more about Seanchen, but that was a total bust.

All in all, a great novel and a perfect buildup to the 13th and final book in this epic series (due out this time next year). I've read each so many times I've lost count, and the audio books are in regular rotation. This series is one that I've spent nearly 20 years reading - and it covers a 2 year time span for the characters. Highly recommended - start them now, you won't regret it!

An Art-full Weekend

It was a week filled with major (hard drive failure) and minor (what, no coffee beans in the house?!?) disasters - that ended on a high note. As I sat home Friday evening, trying to decide which of the downloadable classic Zelda games I'd purchase next, I received a timely IM from my dear friend Emily. Symphony tickets you say? Yes! I'd love to get dressed up and head out for a night on the town. And when I discovered that she'd never been before, well, that just made it all the more exciting.

I was lucky enough to receive quite a bit of arts exposure when I was young - school trips to the symphony, summer musicals at Starlight and Shawnee Mission Park, visits to the Nelson-Atkins Museum - and the realization that not everyone has that chance makes me a bit sad. It's difficult to express why the arts are so impactful - you just have to experience it. So go already!

Anyway. I was excited to find the Michael Stern would be conducting - I haven't had the chance to see him in action yet and his passion was awesome. He's a full body conductor, as much a part of the story telling process as the musicians. Each of the three pieces told an emotional story of romance - at times gentle and soothing but at others wild and dramatic. There's a need for both in life, right? Absolutely breathtaking and truly and evening to remember.

Saturday evening saw the debut of my darling niece, Miss Ella Grace, in a KCBT children's program. I was so thankful I could attend! She even had a solo near the beginning of the program, and gleefully sang to the joy of her happy parents and brother (and aunt of course). It's such an exciting thing that children in our church are exposed to arts opportunities, and I think she's one that will enjoy them for a lifetime. The fact that she gave me a bit of a shout out and wave from the stage, well, that's just a moment I wouldn't trade for anything.

A truly wonderful end to a rather stressful week - and the perfect way to kick-off some vacation time. Here's to a memorable Thanksgiving week!

House painting - week 4

Trim work! Amazing how such a small thing makes a big impact. I'm doing my best to put in some time after work this week, but daylights gone by 6:30. Planning to do the doors Saturday afternoon - the end is getting closer. Just fill work, trim, and step repair remain.

 

House Painting - week 3

Week 2 was caulking (ie. boring), but week 3 was full of excitement! The day started at 8am (made possible by coffee and my mom's coffee cake recipe) with Jesse working on board replacements and then the color began. Josh and Scott dropped by and between the four of us we got a coat of yellow on all 4 sides and 2 sides received a second coat. I worked to fill in the gaps around doors/windows/spouts/cable lines, etc. Everyone agreed the color looks great - can't wait to see it with the trim and doors done, too. Anyway - on to the photos!

Damaged boards removed

New boards with primer

Miss Sumatra kept a close eye on our work

Rach, El, and Roone stopped by with lunch and to check things out.

Making the rounds

A work in progress

Learn to Rest

Resting is not something that comes naturally to me - whether it be physical or mental rest. This year has been one of growth for me on many levels, and discovering my learning process is just one of them. This weekend I realized once again how bad I am about hearing my body ask to rest.

I like to live a fairly organized life - not so much on a set schedule but with set tasks to accomplish in one day. Last Saturday's task was to caulk the windows and doors of my home as preparation to paint this coming weekend. I couldn't figure out for the life of me why I wasn't feeling motivated and was moving terribly slow. About 3pm I finished working and realized I had the dreaded flu. Spent the rest of the evening on the couch with Eureka Season 1 via Netflix Instant Streaming and cups of chicken broth and hot tea.

As I contemplated that rest this morning, I realized its what my body wanted all along. I tend to push and push to get things done, forgetting to relax and enjoy the results of projects along the way.

House Painting - week 1

So yeah, its been 3 months but I'd rather be outside during the summer months than indoors blogging. I've been gardening, canning, building, exploring, having all sorts of in the city adventures. No worries - I'll fill you in as the months progress. My fall interior projects lend themselves to photos/descriptions of my summer.

My big fall outdoor project this year: paint the house. There were some places around my front window that were clearly damaged, and the idea of waiting until spring to fix it just didn't sit well with me. Last weekend my amazing bro-in-law Jesse Bowman (@redbowman) and I scrapped the exterior and removed the damaged portions. Seeing the exposed wood was a heartstopping/slightly overwhelming moment for me, but Jess was quick to assure me it could have been much worse.

My fear of heights is pretty real (I've lost count of the number of times I've fallen on my back), so Jess scrapped the top and I scrapped the bottom. Miss Sumatra kept her eyes on us and did not approve of the loud noise in the home while we worked! Next up, patching holes and caulking window, then painting can begin. I love the colors I've chosen and can't wait to see how they turn out.

As part of this project I've also installed a new exterior light fixture - wiring it up myself! - and a new mailbox. I have a few other ideas for 'accessories', but those will depend upon my project budget. I'm still on track to be debt free (except the house) come spring, and I can't wait for that day!