what i'm reading now

or rather, what i finished reading obsessively last night. after christmas shopping with the cutler fam on saturday, we headed over to mckay's to see what treasures we might find.

i found this little gem in the history section and decided at $3 it was just the right kind of useless miscellany i would enjoy devouring as i recovered thanksgiving week. i mean, really folks, a history of personal hygiene? perfect!

every time i read a classic i ask josh, wiki, and google things about everyday life in the time period. what did they eat? how come the girls didn't work? what did they wear? how did they do their hair? did they bathe? and finally, at least one of those questions is answered!

it was funny, interesting, and most importantly, completely prepared me to dominate on this particular topic in any trivia game!

up next on the reading docket (really, i'm already 35 of the 802 pages into it...which may not seem like a good start but so far i have read about luther, the reformation, erasmus, and am moving on to calvin) is this overview of western culture:



what a nerd i've become!

is it next week yet?

i think so! since i last signed on i have been to washington dc, omaha, louisville, and a few places in between. i have had many, many adventures and apparently found none of them blogworthy. you know how it goes, every little thing that i thought,
"oh! i should put that on the blog!" never seemed good enough for the long anticipated return to the blogosphere.

that is, until i was working one afternoon at leo, and by working i mean eating a jimmy john's and emailing molly while watching glee and the store, and molly's response to my email about the previous evening's exercise was that i should post it to my blog. now, i may need to rename the blog "emails to molly" cause that's how the rest are going to be written. in any case, here's what i have to say about my ongoing adventures in exercise:

two years ago i signed up for a swim clinic at the y and drug 2 of my girlfriends there for 6 consecutive 7am saturday morning sessions. only one of us thought the adventure was memorable in a good way.

now that i think about it, swimming is one of the reasons i started running again...i reasoned that there was nothing worse than the anaerobics of swimming and i was right. that's probably why i don't feel like i'm gonna die or suffocate when i run...my face isn't buried in water! i can totally breathe whenever i want!

pretty bad exercise theory to do something that doesn't let me breathe just to make running seem easier, but hey, it worked!

our workout was great. we left the house, walked for 10 minutes and jogged for another 10 minutes exactly and that got us to the y.

the swimming was depressing. i mean, really, a speedo? do i seem like that much of a masochist to you? i am. i swam a little under 15 minutes with plenty of breaks. after my nice hot shower, i put on the running clothes, and in an effort to stay warm and get home quickly, jogged the 14 minutes to the main and mitchell intersection.

i don't know why, but it was so, so easy to jog home! i think i was warmed up (muscularly) and after being in the pool you really appreciate even those gaspy jogging breaths.

oh, and in other irrational exercise plans, i realized i walk so fast it hurts more than running, so it's usually a relief to just start jogging! at least when i jog i use my quads and butt more. i think i walk with just my shins and hips...or at least that's how it BURNS.

your little psycho,

lisa c

a tale of two muffins

it was the best of muffins, it was the worst of muffins...

i don't know about you, but i'm pretty concerned with using up every last bit of produce that comes into this home. (just so you know the rules: putting it in the compost bin doesn't count. sharing does, but only if i've already cooked/baked it into some type of deliciousness.) so this week i continued my quest at conquering the ridiculous amount of csa food that enters my home with what i like to call "a tale of two muffins." mostly because one batch fulfilled my wildest muffin dreams and the other ended up in the trash.

my wildest muffin dreams?! yes, i have wild muffin dreams. in reality, my muffins are filled with flax and whole wheat and other moving ingredients. i dream about blueberry muffins that dance on the line between muffin and cupcake. this week, dream became reality! this lady is a genius.



and then reality crashed back on my head with my idea to make a batch of muffins from a mayo clinic cookbook recipe. bleh. i couldn't even get my dog to eat them. i even made them off limits, thinking that would increase interest. i was wrong.



but i don't stay down for long. since i borrowed another kitchenaid and yes, another week's worth of veggies got here today, and yes, i am leaving tomorrow afternoon, i have spent the last 3 hours in the kitchen. i've come up with a huge batch of salsa, fresh herb bread, biscotti, and two types of zucchini bread. so far, they're all winners!

while i'm gone, go play on this blog...i've now tried three of her recipes (oh! another chance to use parenthesis! blueberry boy bait, lemony zucchini pizza, and almond biscotti.) they are all winners!!!

until next week, many happy adventures!

no sleep 'til dc

apparently that's the motto i am functioning under! seriously, what was i thinking trying to cram every ounce of summer enjoyment into one weekend?! i am paying the price, dear friends, but not looking for a refund at all.

our friday night plans included fine dining at the newest lindley restautant, public house. joining us for a fantastic date night were st. louis transplants, molly and brian. molly has tried to convince me of the following two things recently: sundresses are not mandatory for every function and the food at public house is decidedly delicious and definitely all-american. i mentioned she was from st. louis for a reason. that food she so loves...it is southern through and through! parts of the menu read like my collection of southern cookbooks. the dessert menu was the epitome of our regional fare, banana pudding, caramel cake, you get the idea. josh and i split (relished, devoured, indulged in...) three of the small plates; quail with balsamic vinegar blackberries on a bed of grits, house made cheese with an heirloom tomato salad and chattanooga sour dough bread, and scallops with an apple slaw. i believe i allowed josh 2 bites of the grits before claiming that as a southern born girl, it is so obviously my birth rite to eat the grits!

we headed out to the theater for josh's contribution to the evening, star trek in imax. let's leave this portion of the adventure at this: my stomach was not so bold as to go where no man has gone before and i was forced to concede to the ginormatron screen and exit the building after 30 minutes. as soon as the movie let out, me, my belly full of grits, my obligatory sundress, and my grit-less but star trek satiated man took the long walk home.

saturday brought a whole new adventure for us in the form of an early morning trip to nashville for the rei garage sale. if you don't know me well, let me preface this portion with this: it is my firm belief that i have a divine gift at shopping. besides sleeping, it is what i do best in life. i like, as with all things, for there to be a bit of competition in my shopping. show me a line full of crazy people trying to get bargains, i will join it, i will dominate it, i will emerge victoriously! and so it went with the rei sale. our loot included this sweet watch for josh and new trail runners for me at ridiculously low prices.



to celebrate our triumphs, we matched our wits with a new portion of the fiery gizzard trail and had a great time! i realized while looking through the pictures that hiking gear is not too flattering and i apparently am getting crows feet, so this one picture will have to suffice for one incredible afternoon trek.



as soon as we got home and got clean, we hopped on the shuttle and headed out to the free movie in the park. for three years now i have begged and pleaded with every friend i have to join me for a picnic in the park and these movies in july. i've had no takers. when molly called and asked me if i wanted to go, i nearly exploded with joy!




mason and cameron joined us, but didn't make it in to any pics! sorry! josh and i are contemplating this mis-step...

sunday morning i woke up with a full on sinus headache. sheer force of will got me out of bed and headed to church. after a weekend of so much fun, i felt i was certainly headed for a let down...and then we started the morning with this:

this is my Father's world, and to my list'ning ears,
all nature sings, and round me rings the music of the spheres.
this is my Father's world; i rest me in the thought
of rocks and trees, of skies and seas; his hands the wonders wrought.

this is my Father's world, the birds their carols raise,
the morning light, the lily white, declare their Maker's praise.
this is my Father's world: he shines in all that's fair;
in the rustling grass i hear Him pass, he speaks to me everywhere.

this is my Father's world, o let me ne'er forget
that thought the wrong seems oft so strong; God is the ruler yet.
this is my Father's world: the battle is not done:
Jesus who died shall be satisfied, and earth and heav'n be one.

what hope! what great hope!

hanna marie d

has gotten my hooked on the goods at supermarket.

check out this new addiction. seriously cute stuff, huh? i especially like this bag design and may have to use it as a starting point for a new bag to take to dc. that's right kids, we're going to dc at the end of the month for our 7 year anniversary and josh's 30th birthday. i absolutely can't wait! a great city and one of my great girlfriends, the aforementioned-habit inducing-hanna marie d!



i guess i spent too much time obsessing over this bag today; that homemade pizza i promised just did not happen. what did happen was a nice walk to lupi's for their handmade pizza. mapmyrun.com tells me that our 3 mile walk to dinner conveniently burned at least 184 calories, plus we got to spend that time hanging out with our friends. now, i think that's a much better adventure than eating at home!

an apron day

that's what i unofficially call days like today. days when i wake up, put on an apron over my clothes and leave it there all day. days that have included 6 loads of laundry, a double batch of bread, and blueberry boy bait...yes, blueberry boy bait. fun to say, funner to eat! get the recipe here.

thanks to jenny i've found a whole new blog to stalk! woo hoo! i think tomorrow night i'll attempt the lemony zucchini pizza, with the addition of my homemade sundried tomato pesto. yum!

i just took the boy bait out of the oven and let me offer some notes on it. the yield looked huge, so i used my 2 9x9s instead of the 9x13. now, when i return the almighty (and completely coveted, hint, hint;) kitchenaid 5 quart pro to my friend, i have a little treat to take her!



second, i decided to stuff a whole lot more blueberries in there. seemed like a great idea to me! but, my topping all sunk to the bottom, so i don't know 'bout that. i'm pretty sure it'll still taste delicious!

ok, apparently that laundry i washed ought to be folded and put away, the bread baked, and a nice long bike ride taken before i get dinner on the table. tonight: heirloom tomatoes with basil and feta, veggie kebabs with oregano, lemon, garlic, and olive oil, burgers, and homemade buns!

ps.

our windows are open. they will stay that way through the night. in july! i can't get over it!

this may have been the perfect weekend

it started thursday. i woke up early, made breakfast and turned on the news. do you know what the weather man told me? i had a weekend of clear skies, low humidity, and low summer temps to look forward to. what?! are you kidding?! in mid-july?! plans must be made! 80 degree summer time weather is not to be wasted indoors! kids, i had to get my gameface on!

friday night's wedding was beautiful. the bride, becca, and i have been good friends since we moved to chattanooga three years ago. she is an all around great girl and part of what i love about our new hometown! love her! it is an honor to call her a friend and a joy to see her love for her now husband, kendal. many happy returns to the new couple!


these two girls make life great! so many, many pics and memories of the three of us.

saturday we were up and at'em early! i grabbed the best adventure gal pal i have, laura, and headed up raccoon mountain at 7 am (what were we thinking, its the weekend!) to enjoy the cool weather, beautiful views, and great trails. it was fantastic! look at this girl go!



as i headed home i realized exactly how much i needed to squeeze in to these precious, delicious moments of mild summer weather. i grabbed the dog, a poop bag, and my key and headed out for a walk. when i got back 45 minutes later, josh was sitting on the front porch locked out and just waiting. now, for those of you who know us, you'll realize the irony of this. i am perpetually locked out of the house. i can't seem to remember my keys. ever. josh does not have this problem. except when i have his keys! yes, this caused me further delight in our fine weather!

next up was a girls clothing swap at my friend's house down the street. now, you'll notice i've packed a lot in so far and it is only 10:30 am. there has been no shower since yesterday afternoon...and i have danced the night away, ran 5 miles, and now walked my dog. there's no time! fun is left to be had and it will be mine! well, i didn't let a silly old thing like hygiene slow me down; no, i packed up my sewing machine and closet cast offs and set out! i returned victoriously (and still a little stinky to be honest) with a vintage dress, a darling j crew sundress, and two new winter skirts. woo hoo!

from there, off to the pool for a little napping and reading of this book. did you see and love stardust? i totally did and even though this was one of josh's 30 days of birthday gifts, i thought i might break it in for him.



finally we returned home and i forced myself to take 10 minutes and attend to my bathing needs while our veggie calzones baked away. an inspired idea occurred to me and i threw in a batch of sugar cookies overloaded with blackberries.

why the cookies? because of course up next was a trip to the drive in to see harry potter with some of my all time favorite families! $5 to get in? a huge grassy lawn to play on? ridiculously beautiful views? perfect sunset? yes, please. i allowed the 50 degree weather, my warm blanket and the big screen to lull me to sleep in a matter of moments after the movie began. i maintain that i got my money's worth!










this morning we might have accidentally (ok, totally on purpose) slept through church so we could eat roast veggies and poached eggs on toast in the backyard. i practically woke up singing with excitement about peach day at the market. we returned victoriously with one huge basket of bruised peaches for $5, 2 pints of blueberries, 1 gallon of blackberries, 2 pounds of lamb chops and 2 kinds of goat cheese. i have never felt so rich in all my life!

so tonight, after a bike ride around chickamauga battlefield and one of those irritatingly obligatory showers, i created this feast.







roast chicken with lemons, garlic, and thyme. roast potatoes and onions with rosemary. fried okra. fresh wheat french bread. tomato salad with feta and basil. and a peach blackberry cobbler for dessert.

now that's what i call a pretty perfect weekend. i'm already planning what we'll do next weekend...

blog jam

its just like writers block...and its what happens when i rest from this for too long. here's all i have to say for now:

i made a new dress. it took me four tries, so please try and really, truly appreciate it.

the prototypes will become three skirts and at least two tops, each a totally different style and fabric. it was worth all that to have a cute summer dress to wear to the remainder of our summer wedding commitments!

ok, i have to get to bed! our 4.5 mile trail run at 7 is already daunting enough...i don't want to start exhausted!!! right now i am pretending like i intend to do the 11 mile portion of the stump jump. we'll see if that's the kind of adventure i really want.

afternoon update

josh just got home from the farm. he had a blast and he did not come empty handed! he adopted some rather sad looking veggies and instructions from padgett to "use them immediately!"

i'm not sure she meant within 5 minutes of them entering your home, but i needed to be fed! i washed, chopped and threw them in a pan. the tomatoes, zucchini, peppers, squash, and carrots are roasting away with a little garlic, olive oil, and thyme. hopefully, in about 20 minutes i'll get to throw them in the blender and finally sit down with a bowl of roasted veggie soup. just what the dr ordered!

i'll let you know how it turns out!

lisa at rest

today i'd like to:

go to sequatchie cove farm for my weekly work share shift

get the house clean and ready for my parents' visit

finish repairing clothes for my friends

make some belated birthday gifts

continue work on the jacket i am obsessing over

my body did not get that memo. oh no, my body decided, "hey, this is an awfully busy week for lisa! let's get sick so she gets nothing done! yay!" boys and girls, i am out for the count, laying on the couch, drinking plenty of fluids, taking antibiotics and praying that i really will mend by independence day.

when i get these occasional bouts of imposed "rest" i mostly lay around thinking about all the things i'd like to accomplish. it's a very irritating habit. at some point last summer i realized that i very often wished i was someone new. not to say i didn't like me at all, i just constantly evaluate my life as it stands and my life as i would like it to be. after seeing the disparity between the two lists i have worked very hard to be the person i want to be.

is that weird? i don't know that we all stop and think about who we really would like to be. my list was pretty short. some of it was very silly. for instance, a new one i have added is, "i would like to not wear toenail polish and still feel fashionable."

so today, as i lay on the couch getting frustrated about being sick, i am reminded that i decided i wanted to be the type of person who was at peace. not idle, lazy peace, but faith-filled, submissive peace that welled up from a simple acceptance of God's goodness, grace, and providence for me.

jack webster jr. is a weirdo

its true! our friends joined us for a trip up to louisville recently and on the way there my friend asked, "what are your parents like?" i started to tell her some of the things that a guest of the websters should know and was cracking myself up. do these things sound normal to you?

don't touch the walls. it leaves marks that "ruin" the paint.
take very, very brief showers. yes, he will notice if you don't. yes, he will say something about it.
do not jump. for any reason. he will hear it and wonder why you are destroying the house.

all of these are rules for making my odd, odd dad happy. i didn't really think it was that bizarre until i looked over at my friend. the look of horror on her face said it all!

if you're thinking this doesn't make a very good father's day post, let me redeem it right here. i love my weirdo dad! i don't even think he's that odd. he's pretty easy to goof on, but his generosity, wisdom, love, ability to make "memories," uncanny skill of standing on his head anywhere on anything, propensity to add 's' to the end of every proper pronoun, and enduring commitment to our family make him pretty much the best thing going.

thank you, dad, for every bizarre rule. i am humbled by your devotion to us and grateful for your love and leadership. i promise to learn how to back up my car and quit running over your grass, give you $20 to play golf whenever you want it, and never ever order a coke when we go out to eat.

love you!

72 hours in the life of lisa c

kids, i've been busy! here are the highlights!

tuesday night we had my all time fav: breakfast for dinner! there is no explanation for my love of bfd, i think its just the simple meal-order rebellion that delights me. that, and it takes almost no planning to throw together a frittata with farmer's cheese, onions, sundried tomatoes, summer savory, bacon, swiss chard stems and greens, banana chocolate chip muffins, and grilled pineapple and peaches for dessert.

it was a wonderful, late dinner. a nice chance to slow down and catch up with josh. i had spent the entire day sewing...it takes me a while to unwind from that and a meal on the back porch was just what i needed. afterwards, we walked over to the neighbor's to check out the garden. apparently, the mosquitoes were pretty interested in checking me out too, i had to retreat from our social call early and find some benadryl!


last night we went out to alleia (unending praise for the culinary delight of the southside!) for two friends' birthday dinner and i rushed home right afterwards so i could finish making my very first batch of bagels. they turned out amazing! a dense, sweet wheat chock full of sunflower seeds. man, oh man are they good!
if any of you have heard me talk about "those bagels i used to get on my way to school," i have now successfully duplicated them. victory!

here's the dress i started tuesday. i've already put it in leo! i think it turned out pretty cute! those darling buttons and rad, rad fabric came from the once almighty baer fabrics. as a side note, so did both my machines AND my sewing education. that's right boys and girls, i learned to sew at a one week sewing camp when i was in the fourth grade! crazy!

my other creation for the week was this sweet top. i made it just to go with this amazing skirt! wish i'd made the skirt too!


here's hoping your 72 hours were filled to the brim with fun! i'm off to the beach this weekend and i can't wait! see ya'll next week!

today's special

anyone else remember that show? i loved it!

well, today i've already admired these beauties from the garden...





eaten this for breakfast...




(my version of it, anyway. more on that later.)

and planned to do the following today:

go to the free family movie at the rave at 10 with some girlfriends and their kiddos...

pick up BOTH my sewing machines from the lovely ladies at chattanooga sewing center...

get a 14" zipper so i can finish this dress i started yesterday...



there are also bills to be paid, bathrooms to clean, and dog hair to vaccuum! all of this made so much more motivating by the monkey doo, who will certainly spend the day sleeping in various and bizarre positions around the house.



happy adventures today!

oh miss martha

you try don't you? i know you do. it works on most people. they tremble in fear of you. your perfection. your dominance. your apparent omniscience.

you don't intimidate me. sometimes you even, unwittingly, amuse me. tonight, however, i was impressed by you.

if you've ever been in the kitchen with me for more than 2 minutes, you'll be able to testify to the fact that i interpret most recipes as "advice" and "inspiration." rarely do i actually read every word of what these authors have to say. i am trying to reform myself!

sequatchie keeps giving me baskets full of beautiful veggies every week. it is seriously stretching the boundaries of my cooking repertoire. i have read more cookbooks these last 2 months than i have in my whole life. i would be happy to just eat all that veg raw or lightly sauteed with rice, but i notice josh has requested the following repeatedly: meat. pasta. boy food.

i think we can both win and here's a recipe that proves it, penne with goat cheese, kale, olives, and turkey. well, that's how martha made it, but here's what i did.

a couple notes before we start cooking together:

this recipe was from her thanksgiving issue and assumes you have leftover turkey, just a few sips of white wine, and a relish dish to contend with. so, make some extra chicken or turkey early in the week, drink some extra wine with dinner, and if you're like us, just skip the olives.

apparently, in martha world, people are hungry, very hungry. one hungry mid-western boy and i barely put a dent in this. this recipe is enough for a small army. or 6-8 if you're martha. fortunately, this reheats really well!

i tend to like lots and lots of greens. if you're like me, you'll want to add about 4 more cups of greens.

ok, let's get cooking!

get these things together:
1 pound dried penne
salt and pepper
1/4 cup olive oil
1 large onion, thinly sliced
3 small garlic cloves, sliced OR 1 1/2 tsp from the jar of minced garlic
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1 lemon
1/4 cup dry white wine
8 cups kale, or hearty green, cores removed, sliced thinly
2 cups cooked, shredded turkey or chicken
6 to 7 ounces goat cheese (chevre)


get that water boiling! while it boils, chop up your onion, wash your kale thoroughly, get it cut up, and shred your chicken.



cook pasta according to directions. remove 1 1/4 cups of the cooking water and set aside. drain and rinse pasta.

get your oil heated in a large, deep skillet over medium high and add the onion, garlic, 1 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper, and red pepper and cook about 3 minutes. your onions should smell yummy and be transparent by now.




zest the lemon into the skillet and add the wine. let that cook down about a minute. add your kale and 1/4 cup of the reserved water. cook until the kale wilts. throw in the chicken and heat through.



now for the yummyness factor! add the goat cheese and the rest of the water and stir until you have a creamy sauce.

put the pasta in the skillet, juice the lemon and add that, then keep it all moving until the pasta has absorbed most of the sauce. it's ready to eat now! serve with a little parmesan or feta cheese on top and enjoy!

i don't know how she did it, but this dish manages to be light, creamy, tangy, and totally interesting. now, that's my kind of adventure!

one week...

last week i got to be with my mommy in louisville, sew to my heart's content, shop til i dropped, and care for her as she recovered from foot surgery. i love being home with mom and dad and have plenty of laughs while i am there. sometimes its hard to come home! but come home i did, all geared up for a week of adventure.

we spent sunday riding our bikes all over town, taking in the hunter for free, and even eating some ice cream...little did i know what the week had in store for me.

monday's sewing brought the downfall of my beloved bernina.



tuesday, the other girl died on me.



and, when we got home from dinner, the faucet decided it didn't want to be left out of the fun, so he snapped off his arm to fit in with all the girls in the house.

josh came to the rescue yesterday, dropping off both the sewing machines at chattanooga sewing center AND replacing the faucet with this beauty!



what a week! and i hear its only thursday!

from one monday to the next

last monday when i woke up, made my tea, and settled into my chair to catch up on email, i did it in a study that looked like this...





this is one of the rooms in our house we use the most and i had just had it with it looking this bad! and the carpet?! ew! i couldn't handle it anymore! so, i waited for josh to leave for work on tuesday and i began my campaign against the uglies. after spending the better part of the week working on it, josh and i finally hung art and got the computer back together yesterday.






here are a few of the gory details:

i now have one sewing machine upstairs, for my little projects and repairs! i hope it doesn't get lonely without the other three.

the grey/brown wall will be the new backdrop for my etsy images. finally, right?!

the cream shelves came from that massive bookshelf in the original office, which came from estate of confusion, which really came from a department store. i got lucky with spray paint and found a color that nearly matches the walls and painted the brackets to match. i really love the effect of shelves like this. it emphasizes the height of the room and eliminates previously ill fitting furniture.

the desk used to be our dining room table, which used to be nanny's dining room table. it has has a hard life! we will be putting its legs back on soon to ground it in the room. eventually, i'd like a giant slab of raw wood here.

the chair is by knoll and i found it in a thrift store in houston for super cheap.

the tree died in our front yard and i insisted on keeping it.

pillows and window treatments by me. fabric from tassels in louisville. i have had it forever. i can not get over how much i love that stripe.

print by bryce from isle of printing. he rocks the house. we traded for this piece.

floor was $1 a square foot. CRAZY! josh and i had a good time installing it. it was so easy! i highly recommend this type of floating floor for ya'll that are hating your carpet.

and finally, here's to the man who makes all my crazy dreams reality. how many, many adventures we have together! i love you shua!