I love...

How my recent loaf of bread came out with these really cool curled ends.

And, I learned something. I ran out of wheat bread flour and decided to visit our local, cute, and funky organic market.  I usually use another brand of flour, but decided to switch things up this time and give their flour a try.  I noticed the flour was in the refrigerator, which seemed interesting to me. What is awesome about this grocery store is that the employees love for you to ask them questions. So I asked...."why is the flour in the fridge?"  I was told that it preserves the nutrients in the flour longer and should be stored in the refrigerator. So now I have my wheat bread flour in our fridge.

 You learn something new everyday.

Love,

MON

Guess what Joanne.....

This little insignificant blog began as a way to show things I like to my dearest friend Joanne. Since we live so very far away (many, many states away) it's hard to show your friend cute things you've seen or cool things we did, so I began this blog. You see, I've known Joanne more than 1/2 of my life and have more in common with her than nearly any other human being...wheatgrass, tea, boots, knitting, and the list can go on and on. She is fabulous and I love her!

So Joanne, you know my obsession has been these...

mostly because you first told me about Frye boots and I finally own my first pair NOW (thanks to momma for bday $, and a little of my own).  Well, today I was drowning my sorrows at the Rack (because it has been that kind of week so far and it's only Tues), when I saw this little denim jacket I got all "country" and needed it.  It was 60% off and came out to $9. Sure I'm nearing my 3rd trimester of pregnancy but it fits above my belly quite nicely.

OH, and I'm addicted to buying jeggings so I of course picked up another pair :) And that is how dear friends communicate about important, very important things from thousands of miles away!

Love you,

MON

Cutie

We were blessed to have a surprise baby shower last week. We were overwhelmed with love and blessings. Our hostess, and fabulous friend, made us homemade apple sauce and just packaged them so adorably, I just had to share a picture. The girls and I are thoroughly enjoying the applesauce and dread the day when we run out! Liz-we need more <3

Love,

Mon :)

Hooray for cheap furniture!

Sometimes I wish I had designer furniture. You know the kind that you pick from a catalog or well lit and cozy showroom but alas we obtain most of our furniture from yard sales or even discards on the side of the road. I believe this table and four chairs cost us a total of $20. There is a beauty in it! In it can be refinishing to make something all yours. Such is the case with our dining room table. This is the second time I replaced the chair covers...the first time I replaced the padding as well. This time I opted for a creamy vinyl type fabric with tiny amber colored dots on it. It is quite fun to change the look of your dining room and it is so easy. All one needs is:

1) Fabric of your choice.
2) Padding for a comfy place to enjoy your dinner.
3) A cordless screwdriver. For removing the seat and putting it back on.
4) Staple gun & staples (my favorite!).

I'm sure this will not be the last time I will replace the fabric, but at least this time they should be easier to clean!
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Cute

Cute addition to our home. From Joe's grandmother who recently passed away. It will be a lovely reminder of her everyday.
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While visiting an art museum today, I was introduced to Trompe l'Oeil art. It was amazing. I snapped a photo of this little piece because I like it. I was then scolded and told that photos were not allowed.
<3

????

Considering that my drink of choice the last couple of days has been sprite (with the major ingredient being high fructose corn syrup) it should be no surprise that I had to physically restrain myself from giving in to a ramen craving! High Fructose Corn Syrup + MSG = yummy. No not really. God help me.

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"Our whole being...is one vast need...crying out for Him who can untie things that are now knotted together and tie up things that are still dangling loose." - C.S. Lewis

Farm Eggs

The eggs were still warm when farmer Tim handed them to me. I doubled my order because the girls and I are making a tres leches cake for Daddy! We also plan to bake cookies this weekend. These eggs are seriously THE best eggs I have ever had...no going back to grocery store eggs again! They literally went from the farmers hands to me....and I love it!
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Bread!

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I have been making bread for some time. I have been getting tired of my standard wheat loaf...and have really wanted to try a French bread recipe. I found one, but while on the same site I noticed a no knead recipe and I was a bit intrigued. The dough needs to rest for about 12-20 hours, and is serious so easy...so so so incredibly EASY! I baked it in our Le Creuset, and it came out really pretty!!!!!!!

Love,
MON

Promises

He heals the Brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. Psalm 147:3
<3

Heart, Heart, Heart!

Leg Warmers

I came across a Do-It-Yourself knitting kit at TJ Maxx, which was only $3 and included three balls of yarn. So I bought it. The kit comes with instructions + supplies on how to knit your very own leg warmers. So yes, I shall attempt this project. I have been sick on and off lately and really need to start (or finish a few lingering projects).  Not sure if I will even wear these leg warmers but I'm sure in the dead of winter my legs will need some warmth!

Cast Iron Cooking

On our first camping trip, Joe packed one of his cast iron pans. It was like a foreign object to me. I had never really used anything like it (not that I used anything at all....meaning I did not cook). After our trip the cast iron pan was just packed away with our camping stuff. Coming across it I noticed they were very rusty, and seemed like trash.

I had recently been reading about the benefits of cast iron cooking compared to other pots (namely of the non-stick variety) and pans. The only cast iron type pot we have is our trusty Le Creuset, that we adore and use all the time. Only after doing some more research I noticed the pans I wanted were strangely similar to the three pans we already had, only without the rust that accumulated on them. I asked Joe for a set for Christmas, and had my eye on the Lodge Cast Iron products. My dear husband who is always looking to save some cash, urged me that he could re-season our pans and they would be just like the ones I wanted, maybe even better! So Joe cleaned the three pans we had, and rubbed them with oil, placed them in the oven on a very low setting...this seasons them and seals in the oil so your food won't stick. Once he was done, they were gorgeous! I have been using them for all three meals since. They are different to clean than other pans, but once you get the hang of it, they are no problem. They add so much flavor to our food, and are really great! So I urge you to go replace your pans with cast iron! You will love them! We recently added a dutch oven to our collection, and I am now wanting the casserole dish!  I don't even think about my other pots and pans anymore :)

I'm always slightly in everyone else's conversations. I don't know why. I guess I'm nosey. I don't know exactly where it comes from. I just observe more of what's going on around me than most people. So I was walking. I saw two older individuals. Male & Female. Presumably married, don't know for sure. I heard the man say to the woman, "Let's go to our bench!” "Our bench!!!!" I thought, HUH! Then they were gone. I walked a bit, and a bit later, I stumbled upon those two, at their bench! Yes, because I am nosey and always slightly in everyone else's business, I snapped a photo. I thought it was beautiful. The two and their bench.

My thoughts.

1. Trust no one.

2. Our budget for a new home is at the "poverty line"...that's awesome.

3.  I miss people that knew and loved Monica Lee...she was pretty awesome.

4. I miss ocean breezes and salty skin.

5. I miss my mom.

6. Sometimes the aching in my heart is unbearable.

7. Nobody is perfect and my bubble has burst.

8. Who get's married on the 4th of July? Isn't that a tad bit pretentious and rude to the U.S.A.?

9. Why do people persist, when you have voiced that you are at your limit. Then you are the one who is wrong because you blew up.  Oh darn emotions.

10. I wonder if it is 96 degrees in California right now?

11. I need a nap.

12. Why are polly pocket clothes so hard to put on....I do not <3 Polly Pocket.

13. If I could be anywhere but here, I would.

14. Green tea is amazing. Thank God for Green tea + Bob Marley at Starbucks today. Otherwise I would not have survived.

15. alone.

16. There are cheeseballs....so I might just survive.

17. California <3

18. I wish I knew how to spell.

19. I have excelled at everything, job, school...but not this...why?

20. I like to swim, I wish I could go swimming.

The most beautiful days are spent gazing upon dragonflies!

Love,

MON

New additions to my garden...sweet gnomes. I think Jade named one Kurt. Hazel has yet to name the other little guy.  The one in yellow is cheekie and is showing his bum.  I'm feeling Brittish today, and I have no idea why.  Also, a cutie wild mushrom growing in our grass!

<3

Murals

I never really noticed that our town has a few very lovely murals! This past week while walking through our town, we spotted a couple. I snapped the first one of Jade!

Photo by http://graceliza.wordpress.com/

Love,
MON

I pulled it off!!!!!!

I made truly yummy, and utterly delicous pancakes!!!!!!!!  I like to mix breakfast up for the family, so this morning I thought I would make pancakes.  So I found a recipe:

INGREDIENTS:

1 egg

1 cup flour

3/4 cup milk ( I usually add a bit more to my desired consistency)

2 Tablespoons oil

1 Tablespoon sugar

3 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

Only I made a few tweaks to the recipe. I had some unbleached pastry flour so I decided to use that. I also used I Tablespoon of pure 100% maple syrup instead of the sugar. I then added 2 Tablespoons of butter instead of the oil!  Oh, and one more thing: I used raw milk since that is what we had this morning.  The result: FABULOUS!

A perfect light consistency, and yummy butteriness!!!!!!  I only had my phone so the picture is not all that fabulous...but the pancakes were great!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Love,

MON <3

Lunar Moth

 A Lunar Moth found a temporary home on our house. It was our little guest for a few days, then it moved on. We believe it was waiting out the rain.  I have never in my life seen such a moth. Crazy!!!!!!!

Love,

MON

Strawberry Cupcakes

I made strawberry cupcakes for Hazel's birthday playdate. They came out yummy, so I thought I would share.  In retrospect, I did not add the two egg whites in the recipe (guess I was a bit preoccupied and didn't notice that ingredient...oops), now that I read it through.  Guess what? They came out ok. I used raw sugar, and unbleached cake flour.  A simple vanilla frosting recipe later, and we had strawberry cupcakes for 6 kids!  Very simple!  Very yummy!  Try it!

Love,

MON

It is as if a British Cherub was singing to me...I love it!

Wardrobe Malfunction

Our 7th Anniversary date, as documented by my blackberry.

Rain :)

Is it bad that I am glad it is raining? I love sunshine so much!! What is wrong with me?  Well, I am happy to maybe get a chance to wear my new rainboots.  I like them <3

And because Jade was just dying to be in my shots....here is a scruffy little baby face, complete with oatmeal smeared all over it :)

love,

monica <3

Breakfast

Jade loves breakfast. From the moment she opens her eyes, the first word on her lips is "breffus!" I am learning to enjoy breakfast as well. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love to eat. It's just sometimes I get caught up with the morning and the next thing I know....it's lunch!!!  So here's to Jade and breakfast!

It was a day filled with Farmer's Markets, a nice walk, and a quaint little cookie shop. I was overjoyed to find that they sell boba. So I had a almond boba and we nibbled on gourmet cookies.

And, thanks to a cute little book at the cookie shop...I now need a rain barrel.

<3
Mon :)

Eat Nutritious Snacks

We were so surpised by beautiful flowers! We had no idea they were even there because we moved in last fall. It was as if one day, they just popped up out of nowhere. We were so happy! Each day I have to guard these beautiful ladies from prying little hands that want to pick and destroy.

Making Wishes

To you, O LORD, I lift up my soul;

Psalm 25:1

I like the Country! 

Whenever you get the chance, dip your feet in a cool stream.  It will make you feel totally alive!

Renee

I love this picture of Joe and his Mom, Renee.  I love Renee so much, she is not only my mother-in-law but a, sister in Christ, and a friend.  She has always accepted me, from day one and that means a lot to me. I never had to work for her favor, she just loved me.  I treasure our relationship and love her dearly.

Love,

MON