A Memorable Memorial Weekend.

Since S isn't working so many evening shifts now, we have the awesome opportunity to sit together for dinner and enjoy each other's company at the end of the day.  It's really, really nice since I enjoy cooking and when it's just me on my own, I tend to lack the desire to cook properly and end up eating noodles for the eighth day running.

It's been a beautiful weekend, a real hint at the warmth of the summer that's due to come this year.  We spent a considerable portion of it outside on the deck or taking Pearl for walks, staying out of the sun at the hottest time of day since I burn easily.

The rest of the time, we were inside making delicious food because that's how we do.  S was off on Sunday so we decided on a traditional roast dinner with all the trimmings, just like my parents make every Sunday.  It doesn't matter how hot it is outside, it's never too hot for roast chicken, potatoes, veggies and stuffing.  Not to mention the Yorkshire puddings, which tasted just like they do at home.  SO GOOD.

Since Monday was Memorial Day and I knew the neighbours would all be having BBQs, we figured we'd have our own little oven-Q and cooked up some chicken sausages, pasta and salad.  I couldn't quite manage the second chicken-dog but I sure tucked into the rest and after taking Pearl out for a post-dinner walk, I just about squeezed in some jelly (or jell-o, as it is in America) that I made with sparkling water and loaded with strawberries.  Om nom nom.

The best thing about this weekend, though, was that S and I decided it was time to let you guys in on a little bit of news we've been holding on to.

We're having a baby!

Currently I'm a week over 4 months pregnant and getting rounder every day!  We found out a couple of months ago but wanted to keep it under wraps for a while, since we were getting used to the idea and letting our family and friends know first.  We're both really excited (and a little bit terrified) to be on the road to becoming parents and I'm really happy that I can document my journey here as a reminder of such a huge adventure!

How was your Memorial weekend?  I hope that whatever you did, you had a fantastic time and that you've got a wonderful week ahead of you!

Love, K.

Recipe #3 - Chocolate Chip Cookies.

S has been asking me for ages to make chocolate chip cookies.  He loves the soft, gooey kind and those are my favourites too, although to be fair I will eat any kind of chocolate chip cookie.  They are all delicious!

I decided I'd bake some this morning; S is on the early at work and I thought it'd be a nice surprise for when he got home.  I'd bought some chocolate chips earlier in the week and thought I had all the other necessary ingredients already.  Only, when I searched the internet for a recipe, I realised I had no vanilla essence and no brown sugar.  Yikes.

Luckily, I found this recipe and thought that I'd give it a whirl without the vanilla, just to see how it would turn out.  Here's a quick recap of the ingredients and the directions:

You will need 1 cup of softened butter, 3/4 cup of granulated sugar, 2 eggs, 2 1/4 cups of all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon of baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 2 cups of chocolate chips.  If you have vanilla extract, you'll need 2 teaspoons of that too.

Before I started measuring and stirring, I preheated my oven to 375 °F.  I don't have a mixer so I muscled through and creamed together my butter and sugar by hand.  Then I mixed in the eggs (here is where you would add your vanilla!) and, because I am lazy, rather than mix all the dry ingredients separately, I just added them to the wet stuff.  Shh, don't tell anyone.

I added the flour a bit at a time to make sure it all got incorporated, then folded in my chocolate chips.  It was at this point that I realised I didn't have a flat baking tray.  Who doesn't have a flat baking tray?  Me, unbelievably.  So I figured I could use my cupcake/muffin tin instead.

Because my oven is a bit rubbish, it took about 18 minutes for my cookie-muffins to cook properly, though the recommended baking time is between 8-11 minutes, just until they're lightly browned on top.  I left them to sit for 5 minutes while I did the washing up and then popped them out onto the cooling rack.

I'm rather pleased with how they turned out!  They taste like cookies but they look like little chocolate chip cupcakes!  I think putting them in the muffin tin altered the texture a little, since they're not chewy but more like a cake.  Nonetheless, they are pretty good, although I'll be investing in a baking tray before my next attempt.

Have you baked anything new lately?  What are your plans for the weekend and Memorial Day?  I hope you're having a wonderful Saturday!

Love, K.

Pearl Had A Haircut.

At almost six months old and looking like a scraggly old mop, S and I decided it was time for Pearl to have her very first grooming experience.  We've given her several baths, each more successful than the previous, so we thought that she wouldn't have a problem with getting a haircut and a nail trim and all that stuff.

We booked her an appointment for Saturday afternoon and I was a little stunned when they told us it'd take at least three hours to get her all prettified.  We moseyed off, getting some lunch and paying S' parents a visit before heading back to collect her and I swear, for a moment I thought they'd brought out the wrong dog.

Here she is before - notice the awesome filter-y thing to hide my horrible dusty floor (oh the shame!)

How she managed to see through all that hair is beyond me.  She was such a little bundle of fluff and I admit, when she trotted along I loved watching her little belly bounce from side to side.  But with the warmer weather here and the heat of the summer approaching, we knew that she'd be much happier with less layers.

Look at that face!  I'd almost forgotten what she looked like under all that hair!  She's got such bright, shiny eyes and I can't get over how long and skinny her legs are.  Her hair is maybe half an inch long now and I'm so glad knowing she'll be comfortable through the summer, with maybe just a trim to keep her coat short.

It's like having a whole new puppy to play with and let me tell you, she smells amazing.  I'm really pleased with how her first haircut went and the groomer told us she was really well behaved and they loved her!  What a cutie!

What did you get up to over the weekend?  Did you celebrate Mother's Day?  In England we celebrate in March so yesterday I just enjoyed the sunshine and ate carrot cake!  Yum!

Love, K.

Being Outside.

It's no secret that I adore the warmer months of the year.  Being a bit of a cold soul, winter is the bane of my existence and it's felt like I haven't been warm for the last four months.  Finally, spring is in the air and here to stay and I'm loving every second of it; just the other day, it was warm enough for me to go out in shorts and a t-shirt and I did a little happy dance.  It's such a joy to not worry about wrapping up in layers and to soak up the sunshine.

Now that Pearl is all vaccinated and ready to go, we've been taking her out for lovely long walks.  Taking her leash down from the coat hook is enough to send her into a tizzy of excitement and her joy is infectious.  I admit, I'm a bit of a homebody; I can stay inside for days at a time and not even start to go stir-crazy.  Since we've been taking our walks, I feel like that's changed somewhat.  I look forward to our little adventures around the neighbourhood, exploring new streets, meeting new people and their pups and taking the time to breathe in all that fresh air.  Plus it absolutely tuckers little Pearl out and there's nothing cuter (and quieter) than a snoozing puppy!

The tree in our back garden finally has leaves on it!  It seems like it happened overnight, I glanced out of the kitchen window and boom, leafy green and full of life.  So much nicer to look at than a bare, barren bundle of sticks.

Are you enjoying the weather?  Is it getting warmer where you are or is it starting to cool down?  I hope no matter what it's a beautiful day for you and you've got lots of awesome things going on.

Love, K.

An Update.

The first four months of this year have positively flown by.  It feels the same every year, with every new month - I always find myself asking where the time has gone.  Since we're a third of the way through 2014 and easing steadily into warm weather and sunshine, I thought I'd do a little update regarding the goals I set myself all the way back in January.

It feels a little overwhelming when I look at them and see how small the dent is that I've made.  So far, I've read three books, made two new recipes and only completed one home craft.  Yikes.
My goal to exercise for three hours a week vanished from my radar completely until recently; now that Pearl has had all of her vaccinations, she goes out for walks twice a day and I'm easily getting three hours of brisk walking in per week.
Getting myself into a good skincare routine has been difficult, since I'm still trying to figure out which products work best with my skin.  But I'm getting there.
With what has been mostly horrible weather so far, we haven't been able to take any trips, whether to go on a little holiday or a visit to the beach or organising a concert to go to.  I know that as the weather improves we'll be able to accomplish these things, so they give me something to look forward to.
I thought I'd have finished 'Breaking Bad' by now, since I was so set on completing it at the start of the year.  I got caught up watching 'Bob's Burgers' and 'Boys Over Flowers' though, and since I have access to it all I really need to get cracking.
The thing I'm most disappointed with is not writing a single letter yet.  I'm not quite sure what's holding me back on getting out my pens and papers but I need to motivate myself to sit and write to someone.  I know how much a letter would brighten my day and I want to do that for someone else.

Knowing that a third of the year is over already needs to be my push to get my goals accomplished.  S and I had some news recently which put a lot of things on hold, since we needed some time to adjust and figure things out (I'll be telling you guys all about it soon) so now that we're focussed on our future I'll be able to really get stuck in and plough through these goals once and for all!

Did you set goals for yourself this year?  How are they going?  I know that posts have been few and far between lately but I definitely plan on posting more frequently now that things are a bit more settled here.

Love, K.