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

A Newlywed....

So, it's official! I am a married woman :-) Can't believe it, but can't say that I feel entirely different, and I mean that in the best possible way! I have always felt like Jim's wife :-) now it's just actually true! I just want to thank everyone for all their help- without which this wedding would not have been nearly as beautiful as it was! I promise to upload some pictures once I have some :-) We have a couple of weeks before we take off for the honeymoon- So I may actually have some time to cook and knit and read..... you know all that stuff I used to do when I wasn't planning a wedding! well, that's it for now- I'm still tired, which i'm sure everyone is who attended and helped out!

So cheers everyone! thanks for the best wishes and the amazing time on saturday!!!!!!

Eight Days and Counting.......

Hellooooooooo! - long time no talkie! well if you haven't guessed it- I've been busy :-) since, I don't know, there may be a wedding coming up here shortly! crazy huh? well lots to do- just wanted to give a short shout out- just to let you all know I haven't forgotten about you ! I will post pictures soon- or maybe later- I don't know :-) I surprised I remember to brush my teeth this morning! that's how crazy I am right now- cheers!

18 Days and Counting....

I thought we would start with Tor. The amazing gnome who guards our garden (except he lets the deer eat the raspberries- but I'll let that slide) and makes sure that the flowers bloom and the veggies grow!.. well I'm not sure if he does all that, but I want to give him props anyway- since he has survived four winters- and just got a face lift (paint touch up) this summer. I think he's looking quite spry for a 500 year old gnome (they live to be over 700 you know) , don't you? and aren't the Liatris lovely behind him- I love liatris because it gives you a burst of color- when everything else is dying off.

So a very productive few days since we last spoke.. got the rehearsal dinner invites out, checked out the rehearsal dinner sight (I love ACES!), printed the programs ( actually Jim did that!), had a ladies night! worked out- (wherein I pressed the most weight I ever have, I can't move my arms today, but hey - that's sacrifice!) and on top of it all we got another wedding present!!! yea presents yea!!! Ice cream maker attachment and Le Cruset cooking pot! not bad--- needless to say I will show you what creations come out of them :-) Lets move on to some more pictures shall we?.......

Hollyhocks, Hollyhocks, oh holly holly holly....... Hollyhocks! bu dum dum dum.....

Another delightful hollyhock, Again a late bloomer- but we love that !

Raspberries anyone? a bit blurry I know- but trust me, this one is almost ripe- and I may just have to eat it- when I'm done typing.

The Loverly Lavender- my all time favorite plant. I think I will make some sachets this afternoon.

One more lonely raspberry- which will be consumed very shortly!

Kinda blurry sorry- This is the spicy spicy pasta I made, which was great cold too!- I used the corn and black bean pasta from the farmers market, along with tomatoes, zucchini and peppers (also from the farmers market)- and at the end added a can of spicy pinto beans with sauce- and topped with fresh herbs. yummy yummy- and spicy spicy ( I forgot that some of the peppers were spicy- I thought they where Anaheim peppers! whoops. plus I added two Serrano's....

The last Thursday Night concert.. :-( Boo. But at least this time it was a great band! last year it was such a let down, I'm sorry I like mariachi as much as the next person- but just not as the last concert of the summer!- had a wonderful time with of course.. Nicole my ever faithful and dear friend- Jim was Babysitting and being awesome.

Here Is the bag I knitted for Nicole- gave it to her at the concert and inside was some earrings, to wear with the bridesmaid dress! Very simple pattern, worked over 33 stitches and 6 rows. If you want the pattern- just let me know!!

Can you see the rainbow? I believe it was a double..

Well that's all I have for now.. since I've been SOO productive lately, maybe it won't take me as long to update- but then again, maybe it will.... gotta keep you on your toes you know. I'm excited for hockey tonight! yes, hockey. it's awesome! plus I get to watch my love on skates. sweet.

Well lots of love, and talk to you all soon! Cheers!