Magical Weekend

I am having a blast "dating" my husband.  Today we went out to breakfast at Black Bear Diner, my favorite!!

And yes, I had my favorite, bacon and more bacon omelette.

They had this machine, it squeezes fresh orange juice.  We were sitting right next to it and the smell was heavenly.  I wanted to put my mouth under the spout and drink up that liquid sunshine, but I controlled myself and Jay held me back.  

Then Jaybird took us shoe shopping.  Yes, you read that right... Jay went shopping willing!!  Gasp!! 

Here are the biggest shoes I have ever held.  15 wide.  My normally average-ish length foot looks small in comparison.  

I was deciding between these four shoes.  I even texted Connie for advice.  I would model them and ask Jay which was cuter.  He kept telling me that looks don't count, only comfort.  That's why I needed a lady's input.  

So which one did I pick?  Scroll down..........................

Jay bought me both of these pretty pairs.  

After making my feet oh so happy, we went to a movie.  See this dating stuff is awesome.  We saw The Heat with Sandra Bullock and Melissa McCarthy.  We laughed and laughed through huge bags of popcorn and vats of soda.  

When we got back home we found our kids back from their trip with Papa to the mountains.  I think they ate him out of house and home and he probably needs a nap from their endless energy.  The memories that they make with him are priceless!!!  Thanks Papa for being a magical weekend maker!!  We love you bunches.  

BINGO

The cats are gone until Monday afternoon.  So us mice joined other mice (Lisa and Pat, who put their kids on a plane to visit their grandparents) and played.  Played Bingo.  Yep, you read that right.  Not dancing, or drinking, or out being footloose, but bingo. 

This is my second time playing bingo.  We went to a bingo hall (who knew they even have these??).  Apparently it's legal because all money goes to the community charity.  So really we were donating to our community rather than gambling.  Ummm yeah...!!

So we joined a hundred or so hard core bingo players. These people are serious about their bingo.  They set up their "shrine" using statues or stuffed animals or troll figures.  Then they take out their bag of daubers.  Various colors and labels. Speciality bags made just for daubers. They buy multiple packs of cards and tape them together. The games are all in a particular order, so one must get them in order and highlighted just right.  Some people rent computers too that play the game for them.  It is big business and oh so serious!! So shhhhhhh!

Actually you have to be quiet and super concentrate because you are trying to fit a pattern and find all the numbers on multiple cards.  And keep up with the numbers being called. It's a bit stressful at first.  There is no time where you relax and just hang out.  Focus, focus, focus!!

We were oh so close several times.

And really not close at all on others.  

So at the end of the night, we won nothing!!  Zip, zero, nada. But we had a fun evening with great friends.  That is the biggest win of all!!

While the Kids are Away....

The boys are up at the cabin with Papa.  They are in heaven... cool temperatures, rain storms, cable TV, and an adoring Papa... that's paradise I tell you.

But while the cats are away... us mice will play.  And what a fun day I had.  

I enjoyed my last official weekday of the summer with several cups of coffee and the end of a good book on the porch.  

Then I joined Andrea and Felicia for lunch.  I haven't seen either of those lovely ladies in years.  We reconnected and caught up on our lives.  I think Felicia and I might have bored Andrea to death with all the farm talk.  Maybe.
  

Sorry ladies, the Iphone doesn't quite do our loveliness justice.  

Then I zipped over and had coffee with Yvonne @ Starbucks. That gal can make me laugh like no other and my summer would not be complete without a Yvonne visit.  She tried to teach me how to crochet.  I have watched Youtube videos and read tutorials, but I am still a bit hopeless.  The funniest part was that some guy was over in the corner.  We didn't see him and he certainly couldn't see our hands.  But he could hear our booming voices.  At one point when Yvonne, who was projecting in her best teacher voice, told me to "stick in the hole... come on, just poke it in the bottom hole, not the top hole" the random man raised up to see just what we were doing. Yvonne caught sight of him and after apologizing profusely, we fell in a heap of giggles and yarn.  Needless to say, I have a follow up crochet lesson needed in the near future.  She also let me talk her into streaking her hair with the blue hair chalk that I recently bought.  

My hair looks equally lovely, it's just harder to see with my brown hair.  

Then after cross fit 45, the love of my life took me to dinner. We go out so rarely.  With the four of us, our dinner bill is usually over $50 and that doesn't have the enjoyment to expense ratio that like a movie would have.  But using an old gift card, we chowed down on fajitas and tacos at Macayos for cheap. Yum, yum, and more yum.  

Cross Fit

I want to be healthy and strong.  And fit.  And look terrific in a swim suit (or at least not horrible).  I want to be a good example to my kids.  And I want my arms to not have wings. And wear all the clothes in my closet. And maybe even cute new ones. 

The problem... I hate to sweat and workout.  Plus I'm old, fat, and lazy.  

So late in June I read about a workout "craze" called Cross Fit.  I found a gym not far from the farm (read - less than 10 miles).  They have a "free trial workout" every Saturday @9. So I put on my big girl panties and crappy old sneakers and made myself go. OMGoodness.  I thought I was in purgatory (not quite Hell, but close).  The beginner class KICKED my butt. (remember old, fat, lazy).   The instructor Kelly suggested the Masters program (a step below beginners) and offered me a trial week.  That was a month ago. 

I'm still going 3 days a week - MWF.  Am I loving it??  Well... I still hate to sweat and workout, so not exactly loving it.  But I am well on my way to a goal of healthy and strong.  

What do I like about cross fit?  The whole workout is designed to last 45 minutes.  That's warm up- to core workout- to stretching.  It's a very finite workout.  The whole entire gym does the same WOD (workout of day) with different additions or modifications.  The really awesome hard bodies also lift big weights and run.  Us Masters, we do fewer reps and stretch a bunch more.  But the core workout is like 10 minutes.  Sometimes it's in minutes (like 4 stations - 1 min @ each station then rest for a minute, then do it again). Sometimes it's in reps (like 9 -8 -7, etc)  But, THAT. IS. IT. It's finite.  So I can push myself and motivate myself enough to get through it because I know that once I have finished the WOD, I'm done.  Then I can stand next to the huge fans and gasp for air and try not to puke. And drive home with my shaky noodle arms and almost still my racing heart and catch my breath by the time I pull in the garage. 

Almond Milk

In my journey to eat clean, I have altered the foods that I consume.  One thing I wanted to try was almond milk.  I adore almonds and could really eat them raw by the handful. We even have almond trees on our little plot. Thanks to borer bugs, and the woodpeckers that like to eat them, the almond trees are on their way out.  I have searched (read lurked) many different blogs and websites and realized that almond milk is oh so easy to make.  I don't think it's much cheaper (especially if you are a couponer), but I know that I put exactly almonds, water, and sea salt (plus flavoring if desired) into mine.  

First, I soaked the almonds (I used blanched, but I don't think it matters) overnight.  This morning, I added the soaked almonds and a bunch of water into my beloved Blendtec blender.  

I then strained the mixture through my strainer bag (I also use this bag for fruit wine making).  Then I pour that frothy goodness into my very pretty bottles.  

Then I pour that foamy nourishment into my very pretty bottles.  

And there you have it... two glorious bottles of almond milk.  I may add a flavoring to one of the bottles (such as cinnamon.) I could certainly add a sweeter like honey or stevia, however I am trying to change my taste buds. 

Now what do I do with the left over almonds in the strainer bag??  Good of you to ask... I'm making almond flour.  Jed said, "Mom what are you going to do with that?  You don't like to bake."  He's right, I don't much like to bake when Costco has such tasty treats.  But remember the clean eating?  I'm going to really try.

 The only step to making almond flour is to take the "pulp" and put it on parchment paper.  Bake it @ 180 degrees until dried out.  Then store it the fridge.  I read a recipe for almond flour brownies that is really calling my name.  Maybe I'll bake Jed, maybe.

Homemade Yogurt

In keeping with getting more beneficial bacteria into our bodies to promote good gut flora (yeah that's a mouthful), I would like to make yogurts, kefirs, and other goodies.  Today I finally got around to the yogurt.  I read a great tutorial here. She does a fantastic job of explaining, so I will just show my pictures.  

Here I am stirring the milk and being ever vigilant about the temperature.

Three jars of foaming yogurt.

In the cooler bath... I hope they set up into creamy yummo!!

Fermenting Vegetables

For months and months I have been reading about the various health benefits of lacto-fermented vegetables.  A couple of months ago, I actually tried to make my own.  I bought the yogurt and strained out the whey.  I sliced up the cabbage.  I watched youtube video after video.  But YUCK. Something went wrong.  Way wrong.  So I gave up for a while.  Then I took Jake to his biofeedback appointment and his doctor said he really needs more probiotics.  So off to Whole Foods I went.  I found a purple bag of goodness in the refrigerated raw food section.  

Using this as my inspiration, I tried again.  I chopped my cabbage, beets, and ginger.  I added several heaping tablespoons of sea salt AND some of the juice and veggie from the purple bag of goodness.  I put it all in my glass jar, set the top with the cabbage leaves, added the bag of water as weight, and held my breathe.  Almost a week.  And today I was rewarded with 3 jars of my own purple goodness.

A closer look.

I will use some of the juice and veggies from one of these three jars to start my next batch.  It's so tangy and tart.  It reminds me of pickles, but without the dill.  I will add it to sandwiches and meals.  Maybe I'll even sneak it into a smoothie.  Shhhhh don't tell the boys.

Last Days of Summer

In just one week I will report back to school.  For another 180 school days plus weekends and breaks. Although I am excited about what is to come, I am certainly going to miss the lazy days of summer. Waking up when my body is ready, rather than the blaring alarm clocks (yes plural).  Slowly enjoying my cups (yes again plural) of coffee with just enough half and half to make it creamy and delicious. Cuddling the boys on the couch when they are still in dreamy land.  Taking the boys to their various events and appointments.  Meeting with friends and family, sharing meals and making memories.  Reading, reading, and more reading both on the computer (love blog lurking) and the library (ahhh best sellers for free).  

I am hoping to get through this stack before next Wednesday. And finish up on projects. Ever hopeful.