Girls Night Food Prep

So, even though its 11pm I think this still counts as a lunch time blog because that's when my research on this little project began. Thanks to a link from the Breakfast Blogger, I made my first visit to the Rawmazing website! Where I found this delicious looking recipe for raw cinnamon buns:

http://www.rawmazing.com/recipes/raw-cinnamon-buns/

The perfect compliment to tomorrow's girls food and craft night!

I have a complete obsession with raw food, especially my two raw food best friends, Ani and Natasha.

Sadly, they're not really my friends, just raw foodies who I kind of stalk. Anyways, I read all Ani's books and watch all of Natasha's videos and I always love taking little raw tidbits and incorporating them into my plain salad, yogurt, and chicken nugget diet. Raw desserts are by far my favorite, and I especially love cooking them for my girls! I'll make sure to take my own picture tomorrow before we eat them :)

Obviously I'm way too desperate to distract myself. Why else would I decide to make a recipe that involves blending my own cashew butter?

Tis the Season for Handmade and Unique Gifts

So, now that Thanksgiving is over, everyone has to start buying holiday gifts for their various relatives, work associates, and people you didn't even know you had to buy gifts for until THEY buy you something. Tis the season indeed.

4 months in to my own foray as an Etsy seller, I've decided that with the exception of a couple VERY specific gift names given by my niece and nephews, my goal is to buy everyone's gift on Etsy to support other independent artisans with a dream. I pulled a few of my favorites below.

Montezuma Mud
http://www.etsy.com/shop/montezumamudd?ref=pr_shop_more

I already ordered my mom's gift from here! I did pottery for a few years and I'm itching to get back in to it. I love the glazes she uses on her pieces- so unique and earthy!

Dancing Grey Studio

http://www.etsy.com/shop/DancingGreyStudio

The perfect gift for your indie brother/ cousin/ boyfriend/ secret santa recipient. A pure smelling, all natural leather bound sketch/ writing book. Not for the vegans, obviously. 

The Ink Lab

http://www.etsy.com/shop/theinklab?ref=pr_shop_more

The great thing about black and white etchings? They go with all decor. I have a personal obsession with trees, and this artist's beautiful and affordable etchings are beautiful. 

Basho

http://www.etsy.com/shop/Basho?ga_search_query=basho&ga_search_type=seller_usernames

Basho was my first exposure to Etsy! I bought a sweater from a booth they had set up at ArtScape in Baltimore two years ago, and I wear it all the time. Amazing, unique t-shirts and sweaters for girls and guys, all in the softest fabrics. Love it!

Cleanwired

http://www.etsy.com/shop/cleanwired

Yes, this is my website. Yes, this is my blog and I will shamelessly promote my own jewelry. Obviously, Cleanwired is the best source for handmade wire wrapped jewelry, feather earrings, and other goodies. 

Happy shopping! I'd love to know other peoples favorites. 

Squaw no Get 'em Firewood

And so snow season begins in the mid-atlantic mountains.

Now going in to their 3rd winter in the woods, my parents have mastered the timing of ordering the winter's worth of firewood. Essentially, an 18 wheeler dumps tons of chopped firewood coincidentally a week or so before my brothers and I come up for some visit or holiday. My dad does do his fair share, I will say that. But I fail to see the purpose in moving the firewood from the huge pile to a careful stack (see lovely stack covered by the tarp). It's really purely for aesthetic purposes only. 

So, after pushing the inevitable wood stacking to the last minute, today was the day of wood stacking. In the snow. And frigid winds. I'm cursing myself for not trying to get this out of the way two days ago when it was about 20 degrees warmer. But now it is done, thanks in large part to Sean for working for about an hour by himself (sucks to be the youngest, doesn't it). Chas, naturally, avoided this year's wood stacking by being on an airplane. Oh well. It's done for now, and next November, hopefully I'll be a little more proactive. 

Misty Mountain Hop

Happy Thanksgiving- from what looks like the other end of the world, or something out of the Lord of the Rings. There's tiny icicles hanging from all branches of the trees, which didn't really come out in the picture sadly.

But it is beautiful! Happy Deep Creek Lake, Maryland with what ended up being a smaller family gathering than expected. My family has a tradition of celebrating Thanksgiving the weekend BEFORE Thanksgiving for a slew of reasons noted by my dad: less lines at the grocery, easier coordination among family and work...... That's really it besides that we've been doing it like that forever. This year, however, my wonderful cousin April BK got married the weekend before Thanksgiving, and my sister and her kids couldn't come because of a family emergency. Plans had to be rearranged.

So, instead of conforming to cooking Thanksgiving ON Thanksgiving, my dad has given up on Thanksgiving altogether. We are being "that" family and going to some sort of Thanksgiving buffet, and eating steak tomorrow because naturally my brothers and I don't eat enough red meat on our own. I have to say, I don't know how I feel about fake Thanksgiving. Less stressful for sure, but seriously lacking on tradition. Not sure if I'm on board. We'll just have to see. But now it's off to Thanksgiving lunch (hooray lunch hour), then an afternoon of hiding from the sounds of football games. Luckily, the woods gave me some serious crafting ideas, so there might be some fun projects that appear out of this trip.

Gobble Gobble! (Or whatever a tofurky might say too)

Creative Use for the Word "Historic"

Another picture post. As I'm finishing up some day time work errands of check depositing and ink purchasing, I pull out behind this lovely vehicle (two letters removed for anonymity purposes).

See that tiny little word below the license plate number? It says "Historic." We see plenty of "historic" vehicles in Montgomery County, MD- old Porsches, various convertibles, the occasional super classic car from the 1950s. But this is the first "historic" 80s rusty mini-van I've ever seen. This of course lead to some google research as to the qualifications for a car to be "Historic" in the state of Maryland. 

Apparently, cars only 20 years old can qualify as historic vehicles. Who new? My lovely Ford Contour is only 8 years away, and my high school Jeep would currently qualify. 2 key facts: the car is NOT allowed to be used for daily driving purposes (note to owner of the above vehicle), and mobile homes and trailers do NOT qualify. I feel like I've learned something today, and hopefully you reading this will too. 

Smile, It's the Holidays!

Just like a small child, I'm perpetually amused with make smiley faces out of random objects. It's a great activity to keep your hands busy during conference calls. This is not a new obsession, as evidenced by this picture from my 19th birthday dinner at a Texas Roadhouse in Morgantown, West Virginia.

Because when you're in college and poor, it's okay to tip your waitress in quarters if they're arranged in a smile. Sometimes it's nice to know that even with all the craziness life throws at us, some small things never change. 

Decided- It's Blog Time!

Hello, world.

Welcome to my blog. This is the beginning of the most productive lunch hour possible. I've had an itch to blog for awhile now, but not the ambition to do it (being that 3 hours of House Hunters International is more preferable to me than typing when I get home from work), or the proper photographer to help me take somewhat attractive and not blurry pictures. With my lovely Mark W returning from France in a week (!!), there's no time like the present.

What would I love? Other interesting stories from other lunch hours, thoughts and musings during the workday, and dreams for your free hours. So feel free to submit and I'll post. It's like the watercooler that so many of us, in this age of e-working and home based offices, don't have the chance to mingle at.