ch ch ch changes

It seems like everything is changing (I have a hard time with change) and I'm just trying to stay positive that these changes will bring about better things. I have a week left at my job and 2 weeks until I start school. T left his job earlier this week and I'm really proud of him for knowing that he doesn't have to take shit from anybody. I must say, it is nice having him at home knocking out projects left and right. He starts some new money makin' ideas later this week.

I haven't done a lot of cooking in the last little bit but the garden is growing every day and tons of food should be coming out soon. Other than that, I'll just work on keeping my shit together and try to enjoy on the current leg of the journey.

help wanted

I have worked at this job for just shy of five years. I'm leaving in 3 weeks and 2 days. So. Weird.

A week and a half ago I wrote the ad for craigslist for my replacement. Today, I watched applicants come in for interviews. As many of you know, I have the best boss anyone could ever ask for. My father died when I was very young and this man has been one of the few father figures in my life and I have nothing but warmth and respect for him. The family environment he has created here, the respect I receive (despite my age), the casual atmosphere...all of these things and more have contributed to a really positive experience working here. Part of me is really going to miss this place.

I am still kind of in denial that my world is gonna change a lot by this time next month. I want to go blow a bunch of money on cool pens and pretty notebooks. Oh, back to school clothes shopping would be nice too.

Food weekend

Wow, I really need to get some photos of our kitchen on here. We aren't quite finished yet and I bought the new floor tiles last weekend so perhaps when we get the floor done I will get some photos up. I swear I cleaned the kitchen 7 times this weekend, as we used the shit outta it. Thursday night I made citrus zucchini spaghetti and it was fresh, summery, and really good. Spaghetti was merely the noodle, no red sauce included.

http://www.rookie-cookie.com/2009/09/birds-citrus-zucchini-spaghetti.html

I'm kind of obsessed with rookie cookie if you can't tell. And I feel like all I write about these days is what I had for dinner...hmm. I'm infatuated with using the kitchen (but not the doing the dishes).
We also had a noodle-less zucchini lasagna on Saturday night. My bff found the recipe from an Italian g-ma somehow. It was hearty and good. I also made a noodle-less zucc lasagna a week or so ago BUT it was in a tart pan with a tart crust. Sooo good. Recipe was from 101cookbooks.com A new favorite vegetarian cooking blog, ya know, now that I can cook and bake :) Ok, last food thing I'll talk about: I picked up some basil at the farmer's market on Saturday morning. 1/2 pound, $5. Score. Made pesto, 'tis good. The End.

T had a friend over for some trench diggin' on Saturday, because uhh...we're going to have sprinklers!! Finally. We will also hopefully have some grass in the next few weeks. I will be over the moon when my weekends are spent in the kitchen (duh) or reading (novels, not textbooks) or napping in the hammock. I think I can almost see the finish line.

I start school full time (no job included) August 25th and I still don't really think it's happening. T was insistent that I take 2 weeks off work before I start school to do some transitioning for this big life change. Time off...two weeks...to do what?!? Long story but in the end we agreed on 5 days. My last day at work is August 19th. I am really excited but a little nervous at the same time.

Cookin' with gas

T finished hooking up the gas line yesterday and I'm proud to say we had NO LEAKS! I have been lusting over Rookie Cookie's recipes and made two of them last night. For dinner we had baked pasta with eggplant, sausage and tomatoes. http://www.rookie-cookie.com/2010/01/baked-pasta-with-eggplant-tomatoes-and.html

The veggie gardener heads out the door at about 7:20 so breakfast is a challenge for him. I made these whole wheat, flax and berry muffins to ease his early morning hunger pains. http://www.rookie-cookie.com/2009/07/whole-wheat-berry-muffins.html

It was so familiar and relaxing to spend the evening cooking and cleaning in the kitchen together. I love the team effort with the reward of delish food at the end. I'm SO happy that we have a kitchen to cook in complete with OVEN and our new KITCHENAID MIXER!! Smith's marketplace had them on sale. The artisan mixer was $330 and on sale for $300. The ultra power mixer was $300 on sale for $200. So we sacrificed 25 watts and 1/2 a quart in our mixing bowl.

We are so happy. We have had a running joke that the only reason we want to get married is to get a Kitchenaid. Now the joke is that we are never getting married since we already have it. I guess there will always be the attachements and a food processor :p

Hot hot heat

Our swamp cooler has been on the fritz. T was pretty sure the motor was going out because it would hum when you would turn it on but it wasn't blowing anything. For a few days we would take the side off and turn the giant wheel to get it started. Yeah, that only worked a few times before it died for real. It's been in the 90s in Salt Lake City and without the cooler going it is 80 degrees in my house when I wake up in the morning.

Friday night Trev came home BEAT and slept on the couch for a few hours (didn't even eat the dinner I made him! must have been tired...), showered and slept some more. I could handle the heat no longer and asked him to work his magic with the wheel to get it to turn on. Didn't work - SO we went to our home away from home (home depot) and picked up a new motor for $80. I helped him install it by handing him tools and holding the motor while he connected parts, disconnected parts and swore a lot. Those motors are HEAVY! My shoulders are still sore from it. As I was getting mildewy swamp cooler water dripped all over me, and my arms were burning from holding up the motor (our ladder has disappeared, if you borrowed it without asking, please just return it) and rust flakes were flying into my eyes and down my shirt I thought to myself "I HATE HOMEOWNERSHIP!!!" Friday at midnight is for drinking beer or playing wii or sleeping.

It took until the next day to fix it but it's working great now. I LOVE LOVE LOVE having a man who can fix things. Without him I'd be roasting hot, wouldn't have brakes on my car, no garden tomatoes, no NEW KITCHEN (I'll put photos up when it's totally complete) and so many other fantastic things.

Can YOU tell which is the old motor???

Moab

I went to Moab last month with two girlfriends. We had so much fun and giggled in our tent like we were 10 and having a sleepover. We snagged an awesome camp spot, got yelled at for the above mentioned giggling, hiked, swam, DUTCH OVEN'd and drankalottabeer. I also nearly shit the sleeping bag when a raccoon was walking by our tent and then started digging through our trash bag. I kind of have irrational fears of bears, mountain lions and the like.

We are hoping to make a girly camping trip an annual event.

Too busy

Life in the last 6 weeks:

Camping in Moab with girlfrends
TONS of yardwork
Good times with friends and family
Garden salads
Got my acceptance letter for this Fall
New flowers in the yard :)
2 years of home ownership this Friday

We also have a busy weekend ahead, we are going to T's sisters wedding in Midway. Better updates and photos soon.

xoxo