Saturday, July 31, 2010

Tonight...

Only one week left in Illinois! Today our gym membership and library cards expired. Those both made me sad!
On the menu tonight: Tagliatelle with peas, sausage and ricotta. This recipe is so simple, but so tasty! We buy hot Italian sausage. After dinner we took Trooper on a walk downtown and bought ice cream at Graham's.

Friday, July 30, 2010

Packing


Today Jim's mom picked up our dining room table (there won't be enough room for it in our new apartment.) I packed a little more. We look slightly like refugees.

An Exponential Reduction in my Carbon Footprint...

Next week, I will be selling my car. While Jim is in school, we will only need one car. Eugene has a bus system and is very bicycle friendly, so Jim can get to campus easily. It would be really ideal if I could get a job that I could take the bus to, but we'll see. For the last three years, I've driven quite a bit to get to work. I have taught at multiple colleges and tutored. I have usually driven around 350 miles a week on average. It's especially hard in the winter and hot summer (no AC!) Although my Chevy Aveo gets excellent gas mileage, I know I have been consuming more fossil fuels than one gal should. Not only will we be saving money for the next three years (just to renew a registration in IL it's almost $100!) but it also looks like we'll be using less fuel. I know not everyone do this, so I consider us lucky to be able to get by with one car for awhile. I've always got my beautiful Manhattan Smoothie to cruise around town on!

Thursday, July 29, 2010

The Daily Wag

Tonight I was sad to have my last night tutoring at Sylvan. I've worked there for almost three years and was sad to leave. Jim and I ordered Bien Trucha for a treat. We shared beer battered tilapia, steak and chorizo tacos, and chicken flautas. Yum! Jim also tried his beer, which isn't quite carbonated yet. While sipping my wine, I was flipping through Martha Stewart and saw that not only does Martha have a blog, but so do Sharkey and Francesca (Martha's dogs, of course)! Check out the Daily Wag! Ridiculously cute!

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Our Wedding


On May 29, 2010, Jim and I celebrated our wedding. It was somehow more perfect than I'd even imagined it would be! We held the ceremony and reception at Heritage Prairie Farm and Market in LaFox, Illinois. The weather was amazing and every vendor we worked with was fabulous. We had around 175 guests. I found our photographer, Bob Kessler, on Craigslist, and he was great. Not only was he helpful and accommodating on the day of the wedding but the album he created was so beautiful. We served BBQ from The Country Store in Sycamore and cupcakes from the Latest Crave in Geneva. For music, we hired a cellist for the ceremony from Innocenti Strings, and for the reception Selective Recall, an 80s cover band. I also had my hair and makeup done by my stylist, Laura, at Ginger Root salon in St. Charles. It was all awesome. The best part was having so many important friends and family members in the same place, celebrating our life together. We also enjoyed having Trooper as our ring bearer and that the farm had both goats and a miniature donkey. A great way to start our married lives!

Monday, July 26, 2010

Fresh Paninis


Jim and I have wanted a panini press for awhile. Our friend Ashwin bought us an awesome sear pan for our wedding, and I got a cast iron press. I made paninis with bread from the Breadsmith, fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, and basil from the market. I can't lie; I used frozen zucchini and eggplant from Trader Joe's. I had to use it up before we move! So they were mostly local fresh paninis. Yum!

Sunday, July 25, 2010

Embroidery


I finished a pillow for my niece, Zelia, who is turning 2 this August. I used a pattern from a book at the library. I look forward to embroidering and sewing more once we are in Eugene.

Brew Master



Today I helped Jim in his last step of beer making: bottling. You have to make sure that all of the bottles are sanitized before you pore the beer in. He's making an India Pale Ale and about four dozen 12 oz and 22 oz bottles. When he bottled it, he added sugar so the yeast would take it in and expire carbon dioxide, resulting in carbonated beer. Biology in action!

Geneva 5K This Wed, Jul 28

http://www.foxrivertrailrunners.org/Viking_Summer_Sunset.html

A pleasant Sunday

This morning Jim and I took a lovely bike ride. We stopped for a coffee at the Arcedium , then we rode to St. Charles and bought some bread at the Breadsmith. We headed back along the Fox River and dropped off my last Geneva Public Library book. Then we went to the Geneva French Market, where I bought some herbs, veggies, and fruit. I bought some great looking nectarines! The stand I like the most is out of Michigan, which may slightly defeat the purpose of buying "local." However, they said they only drive 3 hours to get to our market, and it is better than buying all California produce. I also found some fresh mozzarella that I am going to use for paninis. I've read making your own mozzarella isn't too hard. I might try this once we're settled in our new apartment. It was a nice bike ride, except for Jim getting a flat tire on the way home. Luckily we weren't too far away. I just took Trooper for a long walk, and when Jim gets home I'm going to help him bottle his home brewed beer. Tonight he's making me Ina's chicken piccata. It's always a hit! Here's a link to the recipe: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/chicken-piccata-recipe/index.html

Saturday, July 24, 2010

Banana Bread


On Thursday evening, I made a really great banana bread. I think it's an Ina Garten recipe, but I'm not positive, as it's not clearly stated. I sprinkled the top with extra sugar before I baked it to make a good crust.
Here's the link to the recipe. http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/banana-bread-recipe/index.html
I also added walnuts!

Thursday, July 22, 2010

Our doggie


I love our dog, Trooper. He is the best doggie in the whole world. Here we are enjoying the summer flowers at Peck Road Farm in Geneva, IL.

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Oregon Trail

On August 7, my husband, Jim, and I are starting a new adventure. We are leaving our apartment in Geneva, Illinois and moving across the country to Eugene, Oregon. Jim is starting law school there and I am looking for a job. Joining us is our trusty canine companion, Trooper.