What I've Been Up To

What I've been reading.

Tea With Jane Austin by Kim WIlson

Picture From Here

Unplan.ned by Abby Johnson

Picture From Here

Still reading Style, S.ex and Substance edited by Hallie Lord

Picture From Here

What I've been baking/concocting.

No Bake Coconut Cookies

 Picture From The 36th Avenue

 Throw these in the freezer and enjoy on these hot summer days.

 Summertime Bliss

My own summertime mojitoish drink (adapted from this simple recipe):

• 1/2 orange, cut into 3 wedges
• 1/2 lime or lemon, cut into 3 wedges
• about 1/4 cup blueberries
• about 1/4 cup strawberries
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1 or 2 sprigs fresh mint
• 2 1/2 ounces Malib.u (or flavored ru.m of choice)
•  ice

Put the oranges, lime or lemon, blueberries and strawberries, sugar and mint in a shaker and "muddle" (or smash up) the leaves, citrus and berries by pressing them with a pestle or a wooden spoon until juicy and fragrant. Add the Malib.u and ice. Cover with a cocktail shaker and shake vigorously, or stir, until combined and chilled, about 30 seconds. (In general, by the time the shaker mists up the drink is ready.) Enjoy.

What I've been making.

This picnic blanket

Picture and Tutorial from Centsational Girl

I'm kind of excited for it to be finished, not excited to be cutting, ironing and pinning. The bottom is a table cloth so it's waterproof and has ties so it can be rolled up and secured :)

What I'm listening to (Music).

Punching Bag by Josh Turner (more specifically this song)

Take a Back Road by Rodney Atkins

There are so many great songs on this CD, here's one of my favs.

Barton Hollow by The Civil Wars (love them!)

What I'm listening to (books).

The Horse and His Boy by C.S. Lewis

My favorite of the Chronicles of Narnia series so far.

Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me [And Other Concerns] by Mindy Kaling

Hilarious, loved it!

Picture From Here

What I've been doing to enjoy the Season of Summer.

Biking

Finding new parks to frequent

Concerts on the Square

Farmer's Markets

Long Walks

Ice Cream

Sitting on my little patio block of cement with a glass of ice tea and a good book

Visiting friends and family/Road Trips

Alright, that's the "DL" on me (are people even saying DL anymore?). I hope you are all enjoying a fun kind of busy summer!

Thankful Thursday

So it's been crazy, to say the least, around here. I've had some fun in the sun, still can't believe June is halfway over. Seriously! Celebrated the life of an amazing priest who passed away last week. Been trying to schedule all the must do summer activities (baseball games, canoeing, hiking, biking, concerts on the square, road trips, etc.). I've been enjoying some fresh herbs, fruit and veggies from my little patio garden and the amazing local farmer's markets. So I suppose I'm trying to make the most of the summer, because that's what summers are for :) Alright, since it is Thursday and I do have so many things to be thankful for, here's my list.

At this moment I am thankful for...

 picture from here

(1) An amazing woman's book study group. We have a small group of 6 amazing women who are currently reading "The Authentic Catholic Woman" by Genevieve Kineke. We have had some great discussions on faith and life in general.

(2) Opportunities. Saturday I was able to go paddle boarding (which was fun to try, and I'm glad I went, but I don't think it's my thing). I am so blessed to live in a place and have the means to so many avenues, whether it be outdoor activities, concerts, speakers, art shows, the list goes on and on.

(3) Fr. Pat. This wonderful man was a priest at the parish I work at for 21 years and after he retired he continued to do at least one weekend Mass here each weekend for the past 10 years. He was an extremely intelligent and caring pastor who loved being a servant of Christ. He will be greatly missed but I am so blessed to have know him, even if it was only for a few short years.

(4) My happy little patio garden. I have a monstrous mint plant that has been put to good use lately, lovely cilantro, lettuce, basil, oregano, parsley and spinach. Fresh is always better :)

(5) Answered prayers. God is pretty great, He has a way of sending little reminders of how much we are loved and that He really is listening to us. Makes you feel loved :)

  Picture From Here

(6) Good Books. As always, I have a stack of books I've started and haven't finished. I am currently LOVING "Style, S.ex and Substance" edited by Hallie Lord. It's a pretty awesome book with chapters by various Catholic Bloggers, writers, etc. This review is awesome, read it then read the book.

(7) TV Series on DVD. So I love the fact that I don't have to wait from one week to the next, or the entire summer, for a new episode of a show I like. I don't watch a lot of TV, but I do have a few shows I love, so I am thankful that I can rent an entire season all at once. Shows I am currently loving include "Downton Abbey" (yes, it is as good as all the hype makes it out to be), "Mercy" (only lasted 22 episodes, but I still like it), "The Good Wife".

Alright, that's it for me. Enjoy the rest of your Thursday!

Outdoor fun

I love living in Wisconsin and getting to see lovely signs like the one above in the middle of the country. This sign tells you a lot about what is important up here and how far away it is. If you can't read the little brown sign it says "FAYETTE SALOON  FOOD & DRINK  OPEN TO EVERYONE" so there you go. Cheese, food & drink and pumpkins, all in one convenient little town just under 2 miles away :)

I spent a lovely holiday weekend at a friend's house on the lake. Did some kayaking, had a nice relaxing pontoon boat ride, and spent a lot of time enjoying the peacefulness of a weekend away.

I am excited for some fabulous outdoor fun in the weeks ahead. I am heading out on a day bike trip on the lovely Elroy-Sparta Trail, which I haven't been on since I was in elementary school. Also, I am hoping to do a short paddleboard lesson, just for the fun of it. Have you heard of paddleboarding? I thought it was a joke the first time I saw it, the Midwest form of surfing, but I've since changed my tune, and I will let you know, hopefully with pictures, how it is.

I hope you all enjoyed your weekend and are trudging along through the end of May. June is almost here :) My favorite month, for so many reasons. Happy Wednesday everyone!

7 Quick Takes (Vol. 7) Recipes to Try

So lately I've run across a lot of fabulous and a bit strange recipes that I really want to try so I thought I'd share some. They are all still on my to make list, so I can't actually say if they are good or not, but they sure sound fun.

~~ 1 ~~

Highway to Heaven Cupcakes

Picture & Recipe from Sweetapolita

Yes, those are ruffle potato chips on top, along with salted caramel sauce and bittersweet ganache.

~~ 2 ~~

Rhubarb BBQ Sauce

Picture & Recipe from Simple Comfort Food

This is just the sauce recipe, so it can be used on pulled pork, chicken, burgers, 

whatever you desire :)

~~ 3 ~~

Bacon Beer Cornbread

Picture & Recipe from How Sweet It Is

This just seems, well, like a pretty great combination and I don't know why I didn't think of it.

~~ 4 ~~

Strawberry Balsamic Bacon Pizza

Picture & Recipe from Annie's Eats

This seems like the perfect light summer time pizza. Strawberries and bacon? Yes please :)

~~ 5 ~~

Cream Cheese Spread

Picture & Recipe from The Pioneer Woman

Alright, so this one isn't so strange and I have made it, but I thought it needed sharing. It's a great way to use those fresh herbs of the season and it helps spice up a quick lunch wrap.

~~ 6 ~~

 Festive Feta Dip

Picture & Recipe from Eat2Gather

This is so simple, but I'm on a feta kick right now and have a ton of cilantro, so it sounds perfect.

~~ 7 ~~

Fried Pickle Chips & Dipping Sauce

Picture & Recipe from A Cozy Kitchen
I'm not usually one to fry things, it's just too much of a mess for me and I don't like my home smelling like grease for weeks, but I do love fried pickles, so I may have to make an exception...
 

 Alright, that's all from me. Get outside and enjoy the extended weekend! 

For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!

Thankful Thursday, Wedding eddition

Today I am thankful for dear friends, new and old, beautiful weddings, calm brides (for the most part), adoring grooms, receptions full of people who dance, flights that were smooth and on time and a willing boyfriend who is always up for trying new things.

  I was Maid of Honor in a friend's wedding in Maryland over the weekend.

 Don't you love the server's face!

It was absolutely gorgeous, the bride, the weather, the wedding Mass, the Reception.

My cute boyfriend even enjoyed himself :)

It was so much fun and such a fabulous fun group of people. 

 

I am blessed to have added a few more friends to my life.

  

 A good time was had by all :)

Many of the pictures above are from one of the fabulous bridesmaids, thanks for sharing, Sam!

A Bit of Summer Goodness

Hello! Happy Summer weather! I have been enjoying the sun. Spent some time in Illinois with the family and same fabulous friends. I am slowly watching my herbs grow and getting ready for some fresh pesto and salsa.

I love love love strawberry rhubarb desserts. Last night I used this strawberry rhubarb pie recipe and made a smaller 2 serving crisp. It was pretty amazing. I used a small Corningware dish (I think mine is 16 oz) and combined enough strawberries, rhubarb, sugar and corn starch to fill the dish about 2/3. I cut the topping recipe in half and cooked if for about 30 minutes. It did a bit of escaping so you may want to put a pizza pan or cookie sheet underneath to catch any drips. Then let it cool a bit, add ice cream and welcome in the beautiful season of summer!

7 Quick Takes (Vol. 6)

No theme this week. Just the randomness of my life :) Enjoy!

~~ 1 ~~

This video is AWESOME! It's Strawberry Swing by Coldplay. Watch it and take in the awesomeness!

~~ 2 ~~

I get to spend some good quality time with my family this weekend and next weekend as well as see this totally fabulous friend of mine that is visiting the Midwest. I'm super-excited.

~~ 3 ~~

 How can you not love this guy?!

Last weekend I went up to Holy Hill for Cardinal Dolan's Thanksgiving Mass, which was wonderful, and enjoyed some great time with friends as well as a relaxing Sunday enjoying the gorgeous grounds around the Basilica. It was a great weekend.

On the Holy Hill Grounds.

~~ 4 ~~

I made these Strawberry White Chocolate Streusel Bars for our young adult group wrap-up and they were pretty great. Super sweet, but good and the best part was that I had all the ingredients on hand. Score!

Picture from tastykitchen.com.

~~ 5 ~~

The local Newman Center is hosting a Wine Fest tomorrow night, complete not only with wine tasting, but also beer tasting and food stations. It's one of their main fundraisers and I hear there will be close to 300 people there. I am excited to check it out, enjoy the company, food and drinks and hopefully a wonderful overall evening.

~~ 6 ~~

Image from here.

I am loving that it's garage sale season. I have already picked up some great stuff, such as the vinyl album above. Love it! It is such a peppy album.

~~ 7 ~~

I finished listening to The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis and now I am almost done with Prince Caspian (evidently I am going through them in publication order verses chronological order, oops!). I actually like Prince Caspian better. I started listening to Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison but it was too much, a bit too real and depressing for my car rides so I switched back to children's books. Much better.

 

 Alright, that's all from me. Enjoy the weekend! 

For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!