Seven Things

Things that have happened since the last time I wrote.

1) I baked a pumpkin pie from a pumpkin. I even made the crust from scratch. The pie was amazing, my husband was very impressed, and I feel so accomplished for having faced my squashy pie fears.




(Source)



2) I made a loaf of honey wheat bread and it tastes pretty good. This is the first time I have ever made a loaf of "sandwich"-style bread. I'm excited that now I know I can make my own bread at home with a handful of ingredients for a fraction of the cost of purchasing bread from the store. GO me.




(Source)



3) My 2 year wedding anniversary was on Tuesday. I tackled more firsts in order to make a special dinner for my husband. First, I cooked a steak... not on the BBQ. I pan fried a new york in butter until it was crusty on the outside and juicy on the inside. A very nice and yummy treat. I ALSO pan seared scallops. I love scallops but mine (cooked in garlic, butter, oil, salt, pepper) were too bland for my tastes. I'm in the market for some sauces.




(Source)



4) Summer has been angry and persistent this year. It has been 90s, 90s, 90s well past the usual point of cooling down. However that all changed yesterday. I woke up to the sound of very heavy rain and knew that fall had finally arrived. I celebrated by thrifting some much-needed cold weather clothes. 2 pairs of black boots (one flat, one heeled), a long navy skirt, a pair of jeans, 3 sweaters, and a gray thermal top. I am still hunting for a black coat, another pair of pants, a long gray skirt, a few long sleeve cardigans, and hopefully a sweatshirt or two. I also would not complain if I managed to find some super-thick black tights and cozy socks at Target soon.

(Similar to my purchases. Courtesy of polyvore.)


5) WiFi was still coughing a lot so we called the vet. They tested him for parasites, which they thought might be interfering with his ability to digest the antibiotics. He tested positive so now we are treating him for Giardia. He is still on a general antibiotic and another more specialized medicine geared towards clearing up any last bits of the pneumonia. He has shown a tiny progression as far as the distemper. As soon as I saw it I started giving him vitamin A and vitamin C to hopefully slow down the virus/boost his immune system. Otherwise he is a happy puppy, a terror to our toes, and recently at war with his own shadow and a random pile of firewood in our living room. Tomorrow is the last day of his Giardia medicine so I have to give him a bath and scrub/wash every surface in our house. Fun.








6) On Sunday we were surprised by the fact that our car wouldn't start. Super lame. It's not the battery itself but rather some other component involved. We can get it to start with a jump but it dies again within a few hours. My uncle cleaned the posts and tightened the connecting wires but still there is a problem. So he is supposed to come look at it soon. In the meantime my mom has been letting us use her car. Thank goodness for mothers.

7) I am getting fatter. I have not been eating well amongst all of this stress, but I want to change that. I downloaded an app today that has strength training routines and videos of how to perform each exercise. I'm going to try it out soon, as my mind has been craving exercise. I took a small step towards better eating last night as well. I cooked up chicken breast four ways. One I baked then shredded and mixed with a bit of bbq sauce and hot sauce. Another I sauteed in a tiny bit of oil and then poured a bit of spicy/sweet peanut sauce over. A third I sauteed plain in garlic and onion. Lastly I baked up some healthy-fied breaded chicken tenders. I am happy because all of these preparations can be used in a variety of ways. In wraps, on sandwiches, to top a salad, with pasta or rice, etc, etc. YAY being prepared AND having a variety.

Seven is such a weird number to end on, but that about sums it up folks.