moving day!

I'm a little sad right now.

It's not that I don't like Blogger, I just am ready for a change. An upgrade, if you will.

So long, Blogger. You are like a comfy pair of boots that I've had for years. But the hole in the sole and the worn down tread leave me cold, wet, and wanting more. Thanks. It's been real.

Now you can find me at http://fowlerama.wordpress.com/

snow day

We had quite a bit of snow today, and it was unexpected which made it even better. When we walked out of church (which was the children's Christmas program...) the ground was covered and more was falling. So of course as soon as we got home we took Lola out to play in the snow. It was so fun! I've also downloaded a few new actions and textures and enjoyed playing around with them in Photoshop. Then we took a nice walk in the snow and ended the day having dinner with friends at Coza! So I'd say it was a good day all around. :o)

3...2...1...

DONE!

I've been "disciplined" and avoided the internet for the past few weeks because I've been working hard on wrapping up the wedding photos from my friends' wedding in October. I'll post some on my photogblog soon.

Also, just a heads up, I have decided to move my blog to Wordpress.com I love Google, probably always will, but Blogger just doesn't have the kahones that Wordpress has. Plus, I can consolidate my blogs, having a common dashboard and central location for checking/updating blogs.

Also, only four days until we head south for Christmas! :o) I've already watched Elf 3 times... and I may or may not be watching it right now as Buddy calls Miles Finch an angry, South Pole elf.

Cleanliness is next to Godliness

So I spent about 6 hours today scrubbing my bathroom and kitchen. I had my rubber gloves on so long my hands smelled... not so good. For almost the last four years I've been trying to find a cleaner that actually gets/keeps glass shower doors clean. I think I found that today. Mr. Clean Magic Eraser. It works quite well and thought I'd share that with you.

I also thought I'd share another way that Brian and I (but mostly I) have been keeping our lives a little more organized. I've never been one for planning. I.e. in school, if the teacher asked for an outline, I would write the paper and then give them an outline from that. For some reason it's hard for me to sit down and map out thoughts. But I forced myself over that hump (it took a good hour the first time) and started making weekly meal plans. From there I can make a very good grocery list, making sure I have every little thing I need.

Here is a link to the meal chart I made. I also included a place to keep track of my water, coffee, and soda intake and my exercise.

And here is a link to a blank grocery list I made. (There are two blank lists on one page.) It's organized according to the layout of the grocery store I always go to, but you could make your own according to how you like to shop.

Do you have any tips or tricks that make your life easier? I've been eyeing these recipe jotters thinking I could easily make may own version...

Thanksgiving

We had an awesome time celebrating Thanksgiving this year! I even got to watch part of the parade! Our wonderful friend's family hosted Brian, me, and two of our Canadian friends for the Big Meal. It was a mini project reunion, minus the other half of our team from this summer.

Here are some photos from Turkey Day:
Megan cooking pancakes for us.



Megan and her jersey from Hjorring Fortuna. (I know I didn't spell it right... I don't speak Danish.)



Brian getting familiar with the rules before they dove into Uno Madness.



Let the Madness begin!

Megan freaking out as the tiles popped. They don't call it Madness for nothin.

The delicious spinach salad with pears, parmesan, and homemade vinaigrette.
And some reading material about Fortuna.

Tim was ready for the man food.

Laura, our hostess, showing off the beautiful sweet potato pie. (She did the marshmallows, Fred did the rest.)

Fred carving the bird. It was so good. He's quite the chef. I won't tell you his secret for getting such a juicy bird. ;o)

Megan diving into the goodies. She cleaned her salad plate first, so I suppose it's okay.

Thanksgiving Eve

I know it's been a long time since I blogged, and I know you've been checking here everyday for the past month crying, waiting for us to check in, desperate for news from the Great White North. Well we're back! Alright, enough of that. ;o)

These past few weeks have been busy but good, sorting through things and figuring out life together. The rain has set in. It's dark by 3:45. I feel like a bear getting ready for hibernation in my cave. But I'm so excited about Turkey tomorrow! For the last 3 years I haven't celebrated Thanksgiving on Thanksgiving. And worst of all, I haven't watched the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade!!!! But I will tomorrow. :oD

I've updated my photogblog so you can check that out. Also, you can check out my Flickr site any time to see what we've been up to in pictures.

Also, life update, we got Blackberries. Was it a good idea? We'll see. But so far so good! I always have my calendar at my fingertips and don't feel the urge to respond to every single ding. Plus, it has BB Messenger which means I can text anyone with a BB for free any time.

That's all for now. It's date night and we rented Four Christmases. :o)

Quinoa Recipe

In an effort to be healthier, we are making some lifestyle changes including daily vitamins, exercising more (okay, that's just me), and changing our diet to include more natural, whole foods. Part of this diet change is to incorporate more protein in every meal and snack. I have been searching for good recipes for home made granola bars, oat meal, and general recipes with quinoa (pronounced KEEN-wah by the Canadians), millet, and kamut. Those last three I hadn't heard of before a few weeks ago. Well, I have a good recipe for quinoa and thought I'd share it with you. I adapted it from a pasta dish I used to make.

Ingredients:
1 C quinoa (rinsed and lightly toasted in the pot you will cook in)
2 C water (vegetable stock or chicken stock would be good too)
1 C shredded cheese (parmesan or cheddar would be good)
1 large zucchini, chopped into bite-size pieces
2-3 roma tomatoes, de-seeded and chopped into bite-size pieces
extra virgin olive oil
S & P to taste

Directions:

1. Rinse quinoa and toast on medium heat, stirring until it's dry and slightly brown. Add 2 C of liquid and bring to a boil. Cover with lid and simmer on med-low heat for about 15 minutes or until liquid is absorbed.
   
2. Chop zucchini and tomatoes and place in a mixing bowl. Drizzle with e.v.o.o. until coated. Sprinkle with salt and pepper (I like to use Montreal Steak seasoning sometimes).
3. Spread the zucchini and tomatoes on a baking sheet (preferably one with sides) and broil until they are brown and look nice. You may want to oil the baking sheet with Pam or e.v.o.o. on a paper towel.
   
4. When everything is done, add the vegetables and cheese to the quinoa and stir until the cheese is melty throughout. Enjoy!