I wish I looked this good....

Overview of patterns ~ DROPS Design S
So I lied about the recipes being put up this week, but it wasn't my fault- sick computer! but now it seems to be better, so I will post some new recipes later-

But first, check out the link above. This is where I get some awesome knitting patterns from Norway- But the page that I posted for you, is there very first patterns from the 80's they are awesome. It's photos like these that truly make you wonder how people thought they looked good! anywho enjoy them, and I will post some other recipes later!

Long time no blog....

Hey everyone! Sorry I keep spacing blogging- but Jim's computer is
sick so I'll have to just write this time- pictures soon, I
promise :-) I will also post some new muffin recipes tomorrow!!
Mmmm..... I have been busy baking since we got back from mexico- so
get ready for a bunch of new recipes ( Roasted Vegetable
Gallette anyone?)

In other news, I have officially changed my name, I am now an
Anderson :-) (still getting used to it!) very exciting! Something else
exciting that just happened, the first meeting of the Aspen Craft
Collective was tonight. (thanks JoAnn for setting it all up :-)
it was great just hearing and seeing the other crafts people are doing
in the valley. Can't wait for more meetings- I as usual forgot to
bring samples of my very eclectic and random craft projects! (next
time :-)

Other than that guys, I hope everyone is staying warm and laughing
everyday! Skal!

Sent from my iPod

Halloween thoughts

> Hola from mexico everyone! It's hotter than you can imagine, yet
> people still dressed up for halloween! Except myself - first time in
> years, forgot a costume- plus it's flipping hot! But we did have two
> adorable trick or treaters! Riley (2.4 as a princess) and her little
> brother kieran (1 on the fifth of this month, dressed as batman-
> both are our friends kids) and I can safetly say it was awesome
> hanging out with them and their kids for halloween :-)
>
> hope everyone else had a safe and great all hallows eve and I can't
> wait to get to cold weather! ( I say that now!) but 90 degrees and
> humid is not for me :-)
>
> Take care everyone , lots of love and i'll talk to ya soon
>
>

Happy Thursday!

So Happy Thursday everyone! I am so awful at keeping up with this little blog- oh well, I'm sure your all used to it by now :-) I thought I would show you some random pictures from the week, since that always seems to be fun, the top photo of course is this years pumpkin I carved. I think I am still in tropical mode, hence the palm trees and waves.... Plus we are heading south of the border on saturday to catch some more sun before the very long winter :-) I tried to cook a lot this week, but I was so sore from Ski Conditioning ( way too many squat jumps!), that what mostly ended up happening was just Jim and I watching the first season of LOST for like 10 hours! oh well, here are some pics for you, ENJOY!!

Garlic from our harvest this summer. These are the largest cloves of the bunch, so we planted these in the garden this week, so we can have yummy garlic next summer!

No this is not a trick shot, the photo is actually supposed to be rotated counter-clockwise- but I digress, this is the MEAD we have been paitiently brewing for the past 8 months! It's delicious.

Some Cranberry Walnut Muffins from earlier this week, We also just finshed eating the Maple Blueberry muffins too ( they wen't so fast, I forgot to take a picture!) I attempted to make granola this week :-) It's yummy, by a little too toasted, if you know what I mean! I also tried to come up with a recipe for a veggie burger to submit to Better Homes and Gardens (don't ask me why, I never win anything :-) anyway, here is the recipe I submitted- (minus the picture, I wrapped them all up before I remembered too- this is becoming a trend.)

Quick Quinoa Burgers

2 Cups Cooked Red Quinoa (¾ cup quinoa ,1 ½ cups water) 1 Tbs grape seed oil 1 Small carrot- diced 2 ribs of celery- diced ½ med white onion- diced 1 clove garlic- minced ½ yellow bell pepper- diced 1 can kidney beans- smashed 1 Tbs Veganaise ½ cut of rolled oats ¼ cup barley flour Salt Pepper 1 tsp Italian seasoning (you can add any fresh herbs you have on hand as well)

Cook quinoa, set aside to cool. Sauté carrots, celery, onion and bell pepper until softened. Add garlic and stir- turn off heat and let cool. In a medium bowl, smash the kidney beans and mix in the veganaise. Add the cooled quinoa and sautéed veggies. Add the oats and flour and season with salt, pepper and seasoning. Form into eight patties, and place them on a parchment covered cookie sheet. Chill patties in fridge for at least 30 min. Pan fry the patties in grape seed oil on medium heat, flipping sides after five minutes. Serve on buns with all the fixings.

And last but not least, a single photo from our honeymoon picks, just to entice you- I am setting up a photo gallery online so you can just check them all out, it's easier than loading six pictures at a time to blogger :-) the link to the photo gallery will be e-mailed to you. we stayed just to the right of the chairs, on a private island with no one around. It was awesome. Well thats it I think. I know I cooked a lot more this week than I can remember.... All those episodes of LOST are messing with my brain! Well have a wonderful weekend- and If I don't get around to writing before we head of to mexico.... Adios Amigos!

We're Back!

Thought I forgot about you eh? well no, I didn't, It was just REALLY remote where we were, REALLY remote. Which was wonderful, Nothing to do but relax :-) I thought I would just teaste you with a few photos of the trip, (I believe these were all taken within the first few days) we were gone for so long, i'm not sure which day was which! We did manage to write a journal while we were there though, just to try and remember all that we did. I'm a bit tired from the traveling, so bear with me ok? -----So here we go, you ready? let's see some photos!

The First Sunset, Taken right from the little place we were staying.

This was just outside the first place we stayed, probably twenty steps at the most. I know it doesn't look like much, but I was trying to show you how clear the water was by showing you my feet through it- I'm standing in the water, not on the beach- the water was so clear it was like glass.

Etu Moana- or blue starfish - taken in the clearest water imaginable

Muri Beach, The second week we stayed close by here-

They held the Pacific Mini Games outrigger canoe races here. Tahitii won everything, but The cook island Women came in second in both the 1500 meter and the 800! More Muri beach- The Lagoon water was amazing- The bluest blues I have ever seen! So there you go- like a said, just a tease of photos- sorry, but if I were to upload them all it would take me days :-) we probabley have over 600! so i'll just keep posting a few at a time! (Ha!I think I'm still on island time) - So hope everyone had a wonderful fall, we missed you!

We are so glad to be home :-) I LOVE the Smell of fall!

Lots of Love to you all! and remember, Always take time to Relax and Enjoy Life :-)

~Kia Orana~

Leavin on a jet plane.....

So we'll see if this works, trying to send this from an e-mail-so i
can give y'all updates from the cook islands ( that is if i can find
the internet :-)

Hope everyone has a wonderful rest of september- enjoy fall for me, we
will be on an island in the middle of the south pacific. I know, you
all feel so bad for me :-) but there is a bonus- just recently i've
been feeling sick ( oh no!!!) but jim says to fight it, so i am!!!

Well that's it for now :-( talk soon! And if any of you get a wierd
phone number calling you...... Pick it up!!!!!! it's probably the
newlyweds telling you we just won a huge trophey @ the pacific island
games!!!

Cherrs everyone!! Lot of love! And remember to laugh!

We've got the Beet we've got the Beet.........

OK- so first I want to say that these photos are in no particular order, but hey- at least there are photos!!!! (lots of them) The first one is obviously the leaning wedding cake - vegan of course, and the one that Jim and I actually cut into to! it tasted really yummy- so yummy in fact that the dogs at the ranch ate it the next day- and on top of that it ate it in the car on the way back to the house! that's what I call everyone getting a piece!!!

Great first week as a married woman actually- cooked, knitted, popped some corn- the usual, plus I had time to dance my butt off at the labor day concerts! which were awesome :-) cheers Nicole and Jim for dancing too!

Ready for the ultimate pictorial? then lets go..............

Raspberries from our back yard ( no these were not on the wedding cake, they should have been but earlier that week we found out that our niece's [who's awesome] new favorite food is raspberries!). And if you didn't notice already, I have two rings on that hand :-) As always, our tomato plants seem to go off right as we are about to leave town. So if your nearby- pick some veggies from our garden will you? Sunflower picture #1 Sunflower picture #2 a few days later Yummy Yummy Curry Rice bowl! it was spicy too! you know what the best thing about making rice dishes is?

You get to make yummy rice cakes the next day!!!!!!! these had a spicy siracha sauce on them- because they just weren't spicy enough.

And as the name of today's blog promised........ We got the Beets yo... and this is only half the harvest. I still haven't roasted them yet- maybe tonight when we bottle the mead :-)

The sweet side garden my love planted this year.

More pix of that same sweet garden- I love the cosmos! I had one of those in my bridal bouquet!

Bachelors button and sweet William.

White Liatris- which is in the veggie garden

Our bright Geranium- a cutting from Jim's geraniums back east.

Liatris and Goblin flowers- I love that there is still color in late august and September!

Our little Eggplant that could... we actually have two :-)

The pink phlox! it finally bloomed! well done Jim!

And, yes, these are the first muffins I made as a newlywed! Banana Strussel Muffins- and they we're delicious :-) once again shoot me an email or just leave a comment- if you want recipes. I know I should just post them, but hey- you see how long it takes me to just put up pictures!

The morning after the big day!

So this is the pristine wedding dress- on the hanger- untouched...

Dancing the night away with grandma!!!

And I want to show you an after picture of the dress and shoes- (which are trashed by the way!) a sign of an awesome time- but I forgot to take one :-( - and the dress is already packed up- and I'm too lazy to take it out.

So there you have it folks. The first week in photos of Mrs. Anderson :-) hope you enjoyed them! I will try and post once more before we leave on our honeymoon! and yes, I will take pictures :-)

lots of love XoXxO