Berrylicious!

I've been picking black raspberries from the yard already. I think it must be the earliest I've ever picked berries in my life. And they say climate change is a myth...

In any case, they are delicious. I haven't had a chance to cook with them yet but I've been enjoying them with vanilla yogurt and in cereal. Anybody have some good recipe suggestions? Baking some type of pie is probably in order.

Our neighbor/friend graduated with her PhD last weekend and I made her a red velvet cake decorated with berries from the yard. It was a big hit!

Egg muffins!

Source: Uploaded by user via Lissa on Pinterest

I'm a big fan of breakfast. I think the first dish I ever cooked by myself was scrambled eggs. I'm always looking for delicious new ways to prepare eggs and so I was excited about a new recipe I found recently for egg muffins. This weekend I tried it out. I made two different kinds: one with green & red peppers, onions and pepper jack cheese and the other with arugula, grape tomatoes, onions and Parmesan. Mmm... This recipe is definitely a keeper!

What? It's almost May?!

Sorry for another long lapse between posts. Facebook and Twitter are easier and faster for sharing bits of information about life. I've been thinking about giving up the blog entirely but I come back to it every now and then because I miss the journaling or chronicling aspect.

Here are a couple of pics from Troy's birthday (now more than a month ago). We were lucky to have friends from Minnesota visiting us. They loved the Virginia scenery and beer as much as we do! We had a really good time with them. It was really nice to get some one on one time with Vanessa and Rick. They have asked Troy to perform their wedding ceremony in Cape Cod this August. It will be an incredibly beautiful wedding, I am sure.

I'm sad to report that our favorite hiking spot nearby has now closed to the public. The city is building a new dam as a part of a long-term water plan for the community and so the Ragged Mountain natural area will be largely flooded as a result.

It's such a pretty and peaceful natural area, and it's within 10 minutes of our house. It's been a great place to visit to recharge my spirits in times of stress. I guess I'll need to find an alternative spot. Anybody have suggestions?

Beer is for birthdays

For Troy's birthday this year I treated him to a five-course meal complete with beer pairings at our favorite brewery. It was a decadent and delicious treat and an interesting experience since we sat with a table full of strangers.

Unfortunately, I was too busy eating and drinking (and making small talk with our neighbors) to take many photos. But I did manage to capture the start and finish of the meal.

Signs of spring

I'm working with the windows open and I'm surrounded by a soundscape of twittering birds and buzzing bees.

Spring came early this year. The rate at which the season changed was alarming.

I've never made a snowman with daffodil eyes before

Still, it's hard not to be cheerful in the spring. Even the most negative person has to be able to find hope in this season of rebirth and renewal.

We had a mass of bulbs in our back garden that I replanted and carefully spaced out in the fall. I have been happy to see several different varieties of pretty flowers emerge from the ground so far.

 I am finding myself endlessly distracted by the chirping, buzzing and flowery mood. It's hard to handle being inside when the weather is so nice. My mind is obsessed with thoughts of al fresco drinking and dining! I was thrilled to get out for a hike last weekend. The trees are already starting to bloom!

Redbud at the Ragged Mtn Reservoir

Maybe you can teach an old dog new tricks

I don't have the best memory but I distinctly remember dreading having to run the mile during the Presidential Fitness Tests back in grade school. I was definitely one of the slowest kids. That was embarrassing in and of itself. But I also remember simply having a hard time completing the task. It truly felt torturous.

To me, running doesn't carry a fun benefit like lots of other types of recreation/exercise like biking, swimming, tennis or hiking. I guess that's another reason I haven't done it.

But lately, I have found myself running. Or, you might more accurately call it wogging (walk/jogging). As I get older, staying in shape gets harder and harder. Running is appealing because 1) it's free 2) it can be done practically anywhere 3) it doesn't necessitate a big time commitment for a good workout.

Just by virtue of this sheer practicality I've found myself pounding the pavement over the last few weeks. It helps a lot that Troy is a willing partner in this endeavor. He pushes me and puts up with my absolute disdain for this activity. It hasn't really gotten easier (I typically feel like I'm going to die during it) and I still complain about it a lot, but I will admit that one sure benefit is that I'm feeling better about myself. And that's the key point, right?

Borscht!

I love learning to cook different types of cuisine. I have had friends from Mexico and Japan give me lessons on how to cook traditional, comforting foods from their homelands. While living in Belgium I learned to make some Flemish specialties. I also hold some Finnish and Slovenian recipes dear (since that's my heritage).

Gathering around food is such a universal tradition. It's interesting to me to see and participate in making food from different countries. I feel like it gives me a window into different cultures.

For years Troy and I have been talking about having a borscht-making party with our Russian friend Yuri. Finally we made it happen!

Yuri shared a very traditional, Ukrainian borscht recipe with us.

Lots of slicing and dicing was involved.

 The soup included beets, but they were one of many ingredients.

It was a tasty but VERY filling soup. It was definitely unlike any "borscht" I have ever tasted in the U.S. Luckily we invited some folks over to share the meal. We still had leftovers for a couple of days afterwards, which was nice because the flavor of the soup got even better the day after.

Holiday Trip Home

Troy and I just returned from a road trip to Minnesota for the holidays. I'm really glad we have the job flexibility to travel for a longer time period when we want to. Our trip was action-packed, as usual. We mostly visited with our families. Somehow, even after living away for all of these years, it's getting harder and not easier to be far away from them.

Some trip highlights:
 
-Bentleyville with my sis and her family immediately upon our arrival in Duluth (after a 11 hour day of driving). It was so sweet to see my nieces and how excited they were about the Christmas lights.

Ethan and Ria roasting marshmallows

-Getting time with family--especially with our nieces and nephews. They are growing so fast!

Auntie Lissa with Ria, Taylor and Amelia

Maks

Troy's brother Casey and his boy Jack

My sisters and nieces

Grandpa and Grandma with the girls

Grandpa Rick with Taylor

-The Rogers family get-together. We saw lots of folks we might not have gotten to see otherwise. Also, when I mentioned that I don't really drink hard liquor anymore, Troy's mom insisted that I do a shot with her. Ha!

Me and Angie

Troy with his uncles and dad

The Rogers clan

-Staying with Matt and Eryn in Chicago on the way back. They are such incredible hosts. They always have a variety of great activities and restaurant options planned for us. We laughed a lot and enjoyed some great food and pie together.

-There wasn't much snow in MN but we managed to get two cross-country ski outings: one with our good friend Sarah and one with my dad.

-Annual wine and cheese party at my mom's with close friends. Always lots of fun!

More pics are on my Flickr page