We're Back!

Welcome to my new and improved blog! I felt so bad for not posting in over a month (!), that I decided to completely re-vamp the look and feel of my blog. I'm loving the warm colors right now, especially since it is so cold outside. In my defense, part of the reason I haven't posted is that my computer's power cord died, and I've been sharing with my husband. I like mine better (his is a mac, which is fine, but i'm not used to it), and it has all my pictures and software on it. But fear not, a new cord is on it's way!

Here's the crash course on what I've been up to lately:

• Seattle was a blast - everything and more than I hoped for/expected. Canlis, the restaurant I mentioned, was fantastic. Possibly my favorite anywhere. Seattle as a whole is my current favorite big city, beating both DC and NYC. It was a big city, but it still had an approachable feel. Check out Jen's blog for pictures.
  
• Thanksgiving was wonderful - Bran and I made dinner for us and Jen and Rachel. We had so much fun cooking, talking, taste-testing, etc. It was a beautiful way to have our first Thanksgiving together.
• December has been a blur. I wrote our "Family Newsletter" which we're sending out in lieu of Thank You notes for our wedding. I decided that I deserved a break on thank-yous because of the move, etc. So we're going to give everyone a communal "thank you" and an update on what we've been up to. I love the letter, and hopefully will get to mail it soon.
• SNOW!! When Bran and I got married, he told me that if we moved to Idaho it would snow. So, I agreed that we could move on that condition - that there was snow. But, alas, there was NO SNOW for the LONGEST time! We got flurries for 10 minutes one day in November, and I was all excited, but no. Nothing. So I went to Bran about this little agreement we had about moving here because of the snow, and he said he'd see what he could do. Being the amazing man that he is, he was able to somehow convince the powers that be that we really needed some snow. So today around noon it started snowing! And it looks like its just starting to stick to the road and parts of the driveway. This makes me very very happy. We're supposed to get somewhere in the ballpark of 6-12" which should be easy at this rate, since it's not supposed to stop until Sunday. Yippee!!
  

So that's what my life has looked like for the past month or so.

I can't hide my excitement about the next few weeks. Jen, Rachel, and Tyler leave for home on or around the 20th. I'm so excited to have the house to myself, though I'll miss them! I realized that as much as I love having a house full of people, it makes it so hard to make time to do what I want, like sit on the couch and read, or even using the kitchen without being in someone's way. I'm looking forward to having a quiet house, but I know I'll be ready for them to come back when it's time.

Right now is one of those rare moments when I'm home alone. Bran is at work and everyone else has class. I have a load of laundry in the washer, one in the dryer, two waiting for their turn, and one folded next to me. I drank a cup of hot cocoa that my mom sent us with our christmas card (the really good williams-sonoma kind!), and got the new Real Simple in the mail. Right now I'm sitting on my couch, with my beautiful Christmas tree to my right, and the beautiful snow to my left. It's perfect!

Oh I also have to tell you about my cooking experiences (this is for you, mom!). I only had to work Tuesday this week, which meant that I got to make dinner on monday, wednesday, thursday, and tonight. On monday I made spaghetti carbonara, which was fantastic and a hit with Bran. Wednesday I made my aunt Cate's recipe for Italian chicken which was also wonderful, and I think our favorite so far. Last night I tried my first Roast, with potatos and shallots. The roast turned out to be pretty tough, which Tyler thinks may be because of how we sliced it, but the potatoes and shallots were yummy, as were the baby carrots I made to go with it. I might try the roast again sometime.... Tonight I'm making baked pasta which should be yummy. As you can tell, I love Italian food, and especially any kind of pasta. But don't worry, we get more than just carbs! I'm hoping I'll get to cook lots next week too - its so much fun trying out new recipes!

Here are some pictures to hold you over until next time...



I took this photo just before I started to write this post, and I took the second one just a minute ago - that much snow in less than 30 minutes!




And finally, my Christmas Tree, Real Simple, and Hot Cocoa!