Deva by Definition

Weekend Recap: Easter 2013

It's April Fools' Day and I'm not feeling much the Fool. I am sick and home for the day as a result (nothing like a simultaneously stuffed up and runny nose with pounding headache to start the week off, eh?). However, this weekend was a good one: relaxing and busy, without being overwhelming.

Saturday, I ran 5 miles for the first time since last fall, and while it didn't fell great, it wasn't awful. We got it done, and The Boy has a new PDR (and new, BRIGHT NEON YELLOW shoes) to start off the sixth week of relay training. They go nicely with my black, pink, and green shoes, and are too bright to misplace (hopefully). 

I also had the pleasure of spending Saturday evening at Erica's with several friends for a fun girls' night. We had chips and salsa, mini snickers cheesecakes, gluten-free cookies, and margaritas. All were enjoyed while watching Magic Mike. Our fun movie night chased away Erica's husband, who spent the time we giggled over the movie giving their dogs baths and leaving us be.

Sunday was relatively relaxing. I was awakened by a cat who wanted to cuddle, and when I realized I had plenty of time to get dressed and head to church, I did just that, throwing on a blue and white tiered skirt, white tee and jacket. The service was PACKED, which is exactly what I would expect for Easter, and it was a lot of fun. I enjoyed getting an opportunity to catch up with my small group leader at the start of service and sang my heart out. The message in the sermon left me uplifted, and by the time I headed home, it was with a happy heart, ready to take on the rest of the day.

Sunday afternoon, rather than stay in, The Boy and I decided we would take a trip outdoors to enjoy the beautiful warm, spring-like (FINALLY) weather we had going on. We took a trek into downtown and Fountain Square to get some Graeter's ice cream and to see if the Budweiser Clydesdales were still in the area. Sadly, they were no longer at the square, but we did enjoy some amazing ice cream and visuals as we stretched our legs.

Our walk back included a visit to the ballpark, where they were testing out the sound system in preparation for today (Opening Day). We were excited to see all of the improvements made to the ballpark in the off season and are counting the days to our first trip over to the stadium to see the 2013 Reds play (including the new centerfielder, Choo!). 

All in all, it was a good and relaxing weekend, so it was a big bummer to wake up this morning feeling a bit like I'd been taken out by a steamroller. I hope tomorrow things get better. For now, it's time to sip more tea and curl up with another book. 

How was your weekend?

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Let's Cook: A Passover Primer

After a long list of some intense posts, I thought I would write something that's a bit lighter. Because it's Passover, I wanted to share with you a recipe for a tasty breakfast, lunch or snack that's both versatile and Passover-friendly: Matzo Brei. The above is my first attempt at Brei this year, and I got my liquid-to-matzo ratio a bit off.

Matzo Brei is almost like a French Toast, but made with matzo. I've also seen it compared with chilaquiles or huevos rancheros, made with tortilla strips. You can make it sweet or savory. My preference is for sweet, drizzling it with honey as breakfast. Made savory with some smoked salmon it makes for a perfect breakfast or lunch (or even dinner). It's simple, easy to prepare, and something you can enjoy throughout the year.

Matzo Brei

This is a simple recipe and one that can feed one or many. The ratio is simple: 1 egg per sheet of matzo. As written, this recipe serves two, but you can increase or decrease to make enough for your crowd.

You'll Need:

• 2 sheets matzo
• 2 large eggs
• butter for your skillet
• Salt
• toppings, including honey, sauteed mushrooms and onions (for savory), smoked salmon and cream cheese, or just salt and pepper

What You'll Do:

1. Preheat a non-stick skillet over medium heat. In a medium-bowl, whisk the eggs together with a pinch of salt
2. Run the matzo under some cold water until it is soft but not soggy - like a cracker that's just been dipped into soup. Break it up into small pieces and add it to the eggs, mix well to combine
3. Melt butter into your skillet. Once melted, add the egg and matzo mixture to the skillet and stir occasionally, until the eggs are scrambled and cooked through and the matzo is starting to get a little crispy around the edges.

Serve your brei with your favorite toppings and enjoy!

Makes two servings

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Happy Valentine's Day!

Happy Valentine's Day! Normally, The Boy and I don't celebrate because it falls so close to my birthday. In the past, I have surprised him with cards, a new wallet, or fun trinkets from the store, but nothing major. A few days after Valentine's Day has passed, we've gone out for my birthday, and he has surprised me with a few fun trinkets of my own.

This year, though, Valentine's Day is a bit different. It's special. We aren't going out for dinner tonight, but we are celebrating with a homemade steak dinner, with mashed potatoes and rolls. So many tasty rolls. There may also be brownie and ice cream later. This Valentine's Day is our first (and only) Valentine's Day as an engaged couple. But that's not the only reason it is special.

Today marks 100 days until our wedding. Tomorrow we will no longer be three-digit numbers out from being married and husband and wife. Tomorrow we will be 99 days out from our wedding, just over three months away from walking down the aisle and exchanging our "I do's" (or our I wills). It's exciting and special, and every day we move closer to the wedding it becomes just a bit more real and our anticipation has been growing.

Tonight, we are celebrating Valentine's Day and another milestone met on our path toward getting married. Happy Valentine's Day to you and your loved ones. May it be sweet and special.

Photograph in this post from our engagement session with Sarah Warda Photography. 

That Odd Moment

I had an odd moment recently. It was the kind of moment when you realize you have created somewhat of an odd dichotomy. I didn't realize it until I was going through the camera and found that I had taken these two pictures:

My menorah on the second night of Hanukkah (it is now the sixth night). AND

Christmas tree cut-out cookies I made for a potluck I went to. Fully decorated in green, white, and red. 

Because we celebrate both holidays, it wasn't something I caught until I was going through the camera and these were practically back-to-back. Sure, it was an odd moment, but I like the dichotomy - it fits our household and us very well. A menorah and some cookies! What else could this girl want? 

What holidays are you excited for this year?

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Family Traditions: Holiday Cut-Out Cookies

Family Traditions: Holiday Cut-Out Cookies

Some of my fondest memories growing up are of making cut-out cookies with my family. We made these at the holidays and other times throughout the year. I have an early memory of being allowed to stay up past my bedtime to help decorate the cookies I was taking to preschool the next day for my birthday. There were many pink stegosauruses in that batch.

The last time I remember making cut-out cookies with my parents was when I was nineteen and a vegan. I remember cutting out giant gingerbread men, Christmas trees, Stars of David, and dreidles and impatiently waiting (along with my siblings) for the cookies to bake and be cool enough to decorate wtih sprinkles, frosting, and colored sanding sugar.

Those memories are a big part of why we chose our house. It has a large kitchen and dining room, which are perfect for baking big batches of cookies and spreading out all over to decorate. Last night, just short of one year from when we bought our house, we decorated our first batch of sugar cookies together. I baked the cut-outs Sunday night, carefully rolling and cutting out gingerbread men, candy canes, snowflakes, stars, and trees. After doing a lot of searching for a good recipe for the dough, I settled on the delicious-sounding Vanilla Cookie Dough from Martha Stewart.

While baking, the house smelled of rich vanilla cookies, and I couldn't resist sampling one fresh out of the oven. They were delicious and very similar to shortbread, and I was excited to mix up frosting colors and start decorating the cookies on Monday evening, after we picked up some sanding sugar and icing colors. As soon as we mixed up some green, blue, and red, we got started decorating, and soon, we had a small collection of colorful cookies.

Our cookie creations ran the gamut from standard Christmas trees and candy canes to striped trees and red snowflakes. The Boy got creative, as did I,  and when we were finished we were both happy with our cookie creations. My favorite part of the night was making new cookie-decorating memories with The Boy, and I hope we can continue this tradition for many years to come.

What is your favorite holiday tradition?

Thanksgiving Wishes

Today, I am giving Thanks for family, friends, my fiance, good food, shelter, warmth, pie, and our lovely cats.

Where ever you might be today, I hope and wish for you a Happy Thanksgiving. See you soon!

Holly Jolly

The Boy and I just got in from our drive home. We spent our weekend visiting his family and having a nice, relaxing Christmas. We got to play with the dogs, watch the "Baseball" documentary, and eat A LOT of good food.

Our Internet is down and I am phone blogging so I can't insert photos, but Christmas dinner was delicious: tender prime rib, homemade macaroni and cheese, hot buttered rolls, potato wedges, and pecan pie. I ate sooo much delicious food and enjoyed every bite of it. I didn't worry about overrating and stuffing myself: it was one day. In the grand scheme of things, one day shouldn't matter. I savored every bite Nd every moment beside the Christmas tree, with The Boy, and with the family. It was, indeed, a holly, jolly Christmas.

What about you? What did you do for Christmas?

House/Home: Moving at the Holidays

The first winter that The Boy and I spent in our second apartment was an odd, long one. Within weeks of Christmas, our first floor flooded, necessitating three long weeks of repairs. During that time, our first floor was completely unusable, and we spent the majority of our time at home in our room, watching movies and trying to entertain the cats.

Our complex was able to get our first floor back together just a few days before Christmas, and as soon as the new carpet was laid, it seemed that our next-door neighbors were moving out. On Christmas Eve, The Boy and I were headed out to visit family as they were loading their belongings into a u-haul. I remember at the time understanding why they would be moving: their apartment, like ours, had flooded, but they had a very young child. I imagine had I been in their position, I might have done the same. I remember thinking about how odd it must have been, to be moving the day before Christmas – or in the month of December in general, and wondered how I would handle it if I were the one who was moving.

Then – we bought a house. Our timing for purchasing our home was a little different than we originally thought it would be, and we ended up buying right after Thanksgiving – with our move-in date slated for two weeks before Christmas. I wondered if this was how our neighbors felt, as the pressure to pack, clean, paint, move, decorate for the holidays, light the menorah, and shop for Christmas gifts was very overwhelming! I honestly didn’t know how we were going to do it all by Christmas, or even by the new year. I knew it wouldn’t be easy, but it didn’t have to be hard, either. I mean, we were (are still, really) moving from a nine-hundred square foot apartment into a house that is nearly twice the size. Easy peasy, right?

Well, moving has been almost as easy as I thought, but there have been some catches. Our first night in the apartment, my treadmill sat in our backyard. Our 100+ year-old house’s doors were not wide enough for us to get it inside without some serious disassembling. We had to get rid of one of my bookshelves when we moved, so until yesterday, half my books were sitting unpacked. Our love seat wouldn’t fit up the stairs, so the room we were hoping to use as a combination office and all-purpose/game room sits full of boxes – because it’s a convenient place to put them.

My priorities definitely shifted our first weekend here. My goals have changed from having the whole house unpacked by the first of January, to having it all unpacked and in place by mid-January. My first floor is entirely set up, and is absolutely amazing. The second floor can be assembled over the coming weeks. Ultimately, I wanted to be able to come home from work, fix dinner, and be able to sit down in the living room with The Boy and enjoy a movie – without wondering where the DVDs were, or where our USB cables got packed away.

It is and will be a process. But our living room is assembled, our bedroom has everything in place. The tree is up and decorated and my menorahs have their homes. Sure, we’re still in the process of making our house into a home, but we’re ready for the holidays – and that’s all I wanted when we got the keys.

Have you ever had to move during the holidays or another busy time of year? How did you handle it? What were your worries?

Playing Catch-Up

It’s been a while! I decided to take a break from blogging while I was at home for Thanksgiving. My grandparents were in town, and I wanted to soak up every moment I could with my family while I could, especially since I don’t see them as often as I’d like.

Thanksgiving dinner was AMAZING. My parents really outdid themselves this year and everything was delicious. My dad brined the turkey and roasted it along with sixty mushrooms (yes, they did count them), and several carrots, which came out delicious. The turkey was tender and filled with flavor and was complemented nicely by the accompaniments: roasted homegrown butternut squash, roasted brussels sprouts and grapes, mashed potatoes, stuffing, homemade rolls, and homemade cultured butter made from local cream and buttermilk. Each bite was full of flavor and texture. I loved the tang of the cultured butter and the sweetness of the caramelized butternut squash.

This was only part of what I enjoyed on Thanksgiving, I definitely went back for seconds – and pie!

I was glad to be able to spend Thanksgiving at home this year, and spent a good bit of time snuggling and petting my dog. I hadn’t seen her since last Thanksgiving and was happy to be able to pet and spoil her a bit while I was home.

I also got to take my younger brother ice skating on Thanksgiving, which was a blast! He plays hockey and is quite the awesome skater. I had to work to keep up with him!

While home, I actually stayed at my sister’s place in town. She’s a student at the university and has a very cute apartment. It was nice to get to sit and watch movies with her late at night, to catch up and talk about boys and other fun stuff we have going on in our lives, and of course, to be able to walk with her to donkey coffee in the morning for my much-loved lattes.

I, as always, bought a bag of beans to bring back with me. It made my car smell like a coffee house while I was driving home Sunday night, which made me smile.

There was a lot of conversation and joking this weekend, as well as a family trip to see The Muppets. We are a Muppet family, and I’ve loved the Muppets since probably before I could talk. I was thrilled to be able to see this latest installment into the Muppet genre with my family. At least half of our group of six was singing “Rainbow Connection” at the end of the movie – my favorite Muppet song.

All in all, it was a great, relaxing, fun weekend. I was sad to leave on Sunday and am already thinking of when I want to go visit again. I felt very thankful for my family this holiday, and I am already eagerly awaiting the next time I get to see them.

What did you do for Thanksgiving?

September? Already?

I know, I am a little late! I thank you ALL for your well-wishes. I am feeling about 80% better – still stuffy and headachey, but much better than before!

Where did this summer go? I cannot believe that we are already in Labor Day weekend! WOW. I guess that is how I can tell that this was an awesome summer – it just flew by! It seems like just yesterday The Boy and I were at Opening Day, and now baseball season is nearly over!

This summer has been so full of so many fun things – we’ve been to more ballgames than I can count (and more than I have blogged about), we’ve gone mini-golfing, made new friends, and even had my brother come for a visit.

Part of me isn’t ready for it to be fall, even though the angle of the light in the morning and at sunset has me longing to be back in college, walking on the green beneath the trees. Our last winter was brutally cold and I just want to enjoy the warmth a little longer – pumpkin recipes notwithstanding! I know that once it gets here, though, I will enjoy roasting marshmallows in the backyard and crunching leaves underfoot. For now, though, I think I am going to enjoy my warm weather – humidity and all!

What was your favorite part of the summer?