Yes, that is right. We bought a house. And we are moving this Saturday.
It's kind of crazy, actually. We were semi-casually looking, and this place kept coming up. It was too good of a place, at too good of a price to pass up.
It's a town house in New Brighton...not my ideal location, but everything in the cities is either crap, or out of our price range. And since we will only be here for 3 or 4 years (enough time to finish school, do some theatre, and move to Manhattan) I can deal with the fact that I live in a suburb.
Things I love about my house.
1) It is 500 square feet bigger than our current place, NOT including the basement.
2) The basement. While it is technically "unfinished" it is clean, painted, and completely usable for a work room for Nathan.
3) The laundry room. It's in the basement, and the washer and dryer do not require me to feed it quarters before I can wash my clothes.
4) Three bedrooms. And because Nathan has the basement as a workspace, we will be able to have a guest room, and a library/study.
5) Walk in closet. Huge. Mine. Need I say more?
Things I Hate:
The kitchen. That's it. But since we got an INCREDIBLE price on the townhouse (so good...you have no idea) and because we paid way less than we expected to pay for a house, we are redoing the entire ground level floor. Reflooring, new appliances, new cabinets, etc. Nathan's dad is an architect, so he helped us with the design, and because Nathan is great with house work (he a lot of the same kind of work on his sister's house when they lived in St Paul) we won't have to pay for most of the labor.
We;ll be eating Chinese food and microwave dinners for about a month, but it will be so worth it!!
So all in all, we are both very excited to be moving. It's not our dream house, but it't will be a good place for the next few years.
And anyone who wants to is welcome to help us move this Saturday...just saying.
Love to you all,
Lissa
Monday, February 21, 2011
Monday, February 14, 2011
Favorite Recipes
I tried to insert the links into this post, but they wouldn't show up one I posted the blog...they just left big empty spaces. So you'll have to copy paste into your browser. Sorry.
As per Sheryl's request, I am posting the links to some of my new favorite recipes.
There are the old standbys, of course. Some of the regular dishes at our house (and by regular, I mean bi-weekly, or even weekly. We love a few of these) are Kimbap (a Korean Seaweed wrap), Thai Peanut Curry, Parmesan Chicken with marinara sauce on pasta, and breakfast (we both love breakfast for dinner...eggs, pancakes, bacon, etc)
Most of these recipes aren't really recipes...the Peanut Curry recipe is Nathan's, and Kimbap is a little different every time. Breakfast is self explanatory.
For the Parmesan Chicken, I don't use a recipe. I just throw some whole wheat bread, parmesan cheese, and a clove or 2 of fresh garlic in the food processor. If we have fresh basil, I use that as well. Otherwise, I will sometimes use an italian seasoning blend. I dip the thawed chicken breast in olive oil, then, then coat it thoroughly in the crumb mixture. I bake at 425 for about 20 minutes in a glass dish (or until it's done...be careful it doesn't dry out!!). Sometimes I flip it halfway through so both sides are nice and crispy. Then I throw it on a bed of pasta (usually angel hair or fettuccine), and cover with marinara sauce. I prefer Hunts, when I'm too lazy to buy the canned tomatoes and make my own. (Which is almost always.)
So...besides all of that, here are some links to a few recipes I've tried recently and LOVED. They are all pretty simple (proven by the fact that I can make them). Have fun!
Baked Spaghetti Squash: I love pasta, and so does Nathan. Lately we've been substituting Spaghetti squash for most of our pasta dishes (including parmesan chicken, and plain old spaghetti with a meat sauce). It's a little bit of a different texture than pasta, but I love it! It goes especially well with a spicier marinara sauce, like we prefer. (I usually doctor up Hunts sauce with red pepper powder and herbs). One thing I will warn you of though...most spaghetti squash recipes will not tell you to drain the squash, but DO IT!!! It has a lot of water in it, and while it doesn't change the flavor, it's a little annoying when it's runny. I usually squeeze it out between paper towels after cooking it.
I also skip the bell peppers and olives in this recipe, and usually the onion. Because in my world, raw bell peppers are great. Cooked, they are disgusting. The parsley is unnecessary, but it's cheap, so we usually have it on hand.
http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/food/recipes/baked-spaghetti-squash-540269/;_ylt=And29FamDJ48blo6Ucj_ZL3kgKU5
And spaghetti squash recipe 2. Once again, I exclude the olives.
http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/spaghetti-squash-i/Detail.aspx
I hate making pancakes from scratch...so messy and time consuming! But the "just add water" pancakes are gross. I found this and I love it. It basically adds a couple of things to boxed pancake mix, and they are delicious. Light, fluffy, and perfectly golden brown.
http://www.ehow.com/how_4451505_better-pancakes-commercial-mix.html
Soup!! This soup tastes fresh, delicious, and creamy. Also, it's outrageously easy to make. I like to cut back on the alfredo sauce just a little, to make it less rich. Just add or subtract to taste.
http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/food/recipes/tortellini-florentine-soup-540215/;_ylt=AlPYg7R9cwCh3n8yQ00LqzfkgKU5
As you can see, we mostly like Asian and Italian food. Sorry about that. But this recipe is so easy, and looks pretty impressive.
http://www.bhg.com/recipe/pasta/ravioli-vegetable-stacks/
And this is the dessert I've been making for pretty much every meal lately. Don't bash it before you try it...I was skeptical too. But it is WAY better than traditional pudding recipes, and way easier. I will never stand over a stove and stir milk for 20 minutes ever again. Just watch the boiling, or you will have a microwave full of chocolate. And add a pat of butter with the vanilla.
http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/hasty-chocolate-pudding/Detail.aspx
Here are some things on my "to try" list.
http://www.countryliving.com/recipefinder/margherita-pizza-clv0108
http://www.bhg.com/recipe/beef/herb-garlic-beef-roast/
http://www.bhg.com/recipe/turkey/turkey-burgers-home-fries/
http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/mushroom-spring-rolls-with-creamy-ginger-sauce
And the scariest...
http://www.davidlebovitz.com/2005/10/french-chocolat/
Enjoy!!
Love to you all,
Lissa
As per Sheryl's request, I am posting the links to some of my new favorite recipes.
There are the old standbys, of course. Some of the regular dishes at our house (and by regular, I mean bi-weekly, or even weekly. We love a few of these) are Kimbap (a Korean Seaweed wrap), Thai Peanut Curry, Parmesan Chicken with marinara sauce on pasta, and breakfast (we both love breakfast for dinner...eggs, pancakes, bacon, etc)
Most of these recipes aren't really recipes...the Peanut Curry recipe is Nathan's, and Kimbap is a little different every time. Breakfast is self explanatory.
For the Parmesan Chicken, I don't use a recipe. I just throw some whole wheat bread, parmesan cheese, and a clove or 2 of fresh garlic in the food processor. If we have fresh basil, I use that as well. Otherwise, I will sometimes use an italian seasoning blend. I dip the thawed chicken breast in olive oil, then, then coat it thoroughly in the crumb mixture. I bake at 425 for about 20 minutes in a glass dish (or until it's done...be careful it doesn't dry out!!). Sometimes I flip it halfway through so both sides are nice and crispy. Then I throw it on a bed of pasta (usually angel hair or fettuccine), and cover with marinara sauce. I prefer Hunts, when I'm too lazy to buy the canned tomatoes and make my own. (Which is almost always.)
So...besides all of that, here are some links to a few recipes I've tried recently and LOVED. They are all pretty simple (proven by the fact that I can make them). Have fun!
Baked Spaghetti Squash: I love pasta, and so does Nathan. Lately we've been substituting Spaghetti squash for most of our pasta dishes (including parmesan chicken, and plain old spaghetti with a meat sauce). It's a little bit of a different texture than pasta, but I love it! It goes especially well with a spicier marinara sauce, like we prefer. (I usually doctor up Hunts sauce with red pepper powder and herbs). One thing I will warn you of though...most spaghetti squash recipes will not tell you to drain the squash, but DO IT!!! It has a lot of water in it, and while it doesn't change the flavor, it's a little annoying when it's runny. I usually squeeze it out between paper towels after cooking it.
I also skip the bell peppers and olives in this recipe, and usually the onion. Because in my world, raw bell peppers are great. Cooked, they are disgusting. The parsley is unnecessary, but it's cheap, so we usually have it on hand.
http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/food/recipes/baked-spaghetti-squash-540269/;_ylt=And29FamDJ48blo6Ucj_ZL3kgKU5
And spaghetti squash recipe 2. Once again, I exclude the olives.
http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/spaghetti-squash-i/Detail.aspx
I hate making pancakes from scratch...so messy and time consuming! But the "just add water" pancakes are gross. I found this and I love it. It basically adds a couple of things to boxed pancake mix, and they are delicious. Light, fluffy, and perfectly golden brown.
http://www.ehow.com/how_4451505_better-pancakes-commercial-mix.html
Soup!! This soup tastes fresh, delicious, and creamy. Also, it's outrageously easy to make. I like to cut back on the alfredo sauce just a little, to make it less rich. Just add or subtract to taste.
http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/food/recipes/tortellini-florentine-soup-540215/;_ylt=AlPYg7R9cwCh3n8yQ00LqzfkgKU5
As you can see, we mostly like Asian and Italian food. Sorry about that. But this recipe is so easy, and looks pretty impressive.
http://www.bhg.com/recipe/pasta/ravioli-vegetable-stacks/
And this is the dessert I've been making for pretty much every meal lately. Don't bash it before you try it...I was skeptical too. But it is WAY better than traditional pudding recipes, and way easier. I will never stand over a stove and stir milk for 20 minutes ever again. Just watch the boiling, or you will have a microwave full of chocolate. And add a pat of butter with the vanilla.
http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/hasty-chocolate-pudding/Detail.aspx
Here are some things on my "to try" list.
http://www.countryliving.com/recipefinder/margherita-pizza-clv0108
http://www.bhg.com/recipe/beef/herb-garlic-beef-roast/
http://www.bhg.com/recipe/turkey/turkey-burgers-home-fries/
http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/mushroom-spring-rolls-with-creamy-ginger-sauce
And the scariest...
http://www.davidlebovitz.com/2005/10/french-chocolat/
Enjoy!!
Love to you all,
Lissa
Right Now I am Loving...
- Coffee. With Coffee Mate French Vanilla creamer. I refill before every class, because most of my classes require a good amount of caffeine to survive.
- Books. I received so many awesome books for Christmas (thank you, Sheryl) and it's been amazing to have an array of new, unread literature on my shelves. I still have a few left before I have to start skulking around Barnes and Noble again.
- Gilmore Girls. I love this all the time. It is my background noise for all of my studying.
- Volleyball. Have I mentioned lately that my Junior Olympics team is awesome? I love these girls so much!!
- Cooking. That's right, I have discovered a new love for cooking. It's been several weeks of me making 2 or 3 meals a day, and LOVING it. Usually Nathan does the majority of the cooking, but I've become obsessed with searching through cookbooks and online recipes. I've bookmarked about a zillion online recipes that I have to try. I'm still not certain if this is a phase or a new hobby. We'll see.
- And most of all, I love my incredible husband. Every day I am reminded of how blessed I am. He is an awesome, loving, guy who makes me smile a hundred times a day.
- Books. I received so many awesome books for Christmas (thank you, Sheryl) and it's been amazing to have an array of new, unread literature on my shelves. I still have a few left before I have to start skulking around Barnes and Noble again.
- Gilmore Girls. I love this all the time. It is my background noise for all of my studying.
- Volleyball. Have I mentioned lately that my Junior Olympics team is awesome? I love these girls so much!!
- Cooking. That's right, I have discovered a new love for cooking. It's been several weeks of me making 2 or 3 meals a day, and LOVING it. Usually Nathan does the majority of the cooking, but I've become obsessed with searching through cookbooks and online recipes. I've bookmarked about a zillion online recipes that I have to try. I'm still not certain if this is a phase or a new hobby. We'll see.
- And most of all, I love my incredible husband. Every day I am reminded of how blessed I am. He is an awesome, loving, guy who makes me smile a hundred times a day.
Thursday, February 10, 2011
The Subjunctive Mood Exemplified
If I were a month, I'd be September, with it's colorful leaves and brisk air.
If I were a day of the week, I'd be Friday.
If I were a time of day, I'd be late at night.
If I were a sea animal, I'd be a Shark. Rawr.
If I were a direction, I’d be East.
If I were a piece of furniture, I’d be a window seat.
If I were a liquid, I’d be espresso.
If I were a gemstone, I’d an emerald.
If I were a tree, I’d be a weeping willow.
If I were a flower, I'd be the very reddest rose.
If I were a kind of weather, I’d be rain.
If I were a musical instrument, I’d be a cello.
If I were a color, I’d be a shimmering gold.
If I were an emotion, I’d be joy.
If I were a fruit, I’d be a raspberry.
If I were one of the four elements, I'd be water.
If I were a food, I'd be a souffle.
If I were a place, I’d be Manhattan.
If I were a material, I’d be cashmere.
If I were a scent, I’d be vanilla.
If I were an animal, I'd be an affectionate cat.
If I were a facial expression, I'd be a smile.
If I were a pair of shoes, I’d be intricate. Like these.
If I were a day of the week, I'd be Friday.
If I were a time of day, I'd be late at night.
If I were a sea animal, I'd be a Shark. Rawr.
If I were a direction, I’d be East.
If I were a piece of furniture, I’d be a window seat.
If I were a liquid, I’d be espresso.
If I were a gemstone, I’d an emerald.
If I were a tree, I’d be a weeping willow.
If I were a flower, I'd be the very reddest rose.
If I were a kind of weather, I’d be rain.
If I were a musical instrument, I’d be a cello.
If I were a color, I’d be a shimmering gold.
If I were an emotion, I’d be joy.
If I were a fruit, I’d be a raspberry.
If I were one of the four elements, I'd be water.
If I were a food, I'd be a souffle.
If I were a place, I’d be Manhattan.
If I were a material, I’d be cashmere.
If I were a scent, I’d be vanilla.
If I were an animal, I'd be an affectionate cat.
If I were a facial expression, I'd be a smile.
If I were a pair of shoes, I’d be intricate. Like these.
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
The Search Is On...
A week or so ago, Nathan and I woke up to a lovely little letter under our door that informed us of some housing changes at NWC. Because of the economy and the resulting drop in enrollment number, our school is dropping on of their main off campus housing facilities. And where will they put all of those homeless students? In married housing, of course.
That's right. We are being kicked off campus; the move out deadline is July 1st.
Granted, I'm not too disappointed. I've been wanting to move for quite some time, and I've spent a good amount of time searching for houses and condos online.
But now, it's for real. And I've discovered that searching is a little less fun when you have five months to find a place to live. Nathan seems to be really enjoying himself, though. We are looking to buy, because what we are paying in rent now is several hundred dollars more than the house payments will be on any of the condos or houses we are looking at. There are so many good deals right now, we feel that it would be silly to continue to throw money down the drain every month, which is basically what renting feels like after a while.
We are going to actually look at our first home this morning, after the class I am currently sitting in finishes up. Please pray for wisdom, guidance, and sanity during the next few months as we look for a new place to call home
Love to you all,
Lissa
That's right. We are being kicked off campus; the move out deadline is July 1st.
Granted, I'm not too disappointed. I've been wanting to move for quite some time, and I've spent a good amount of time searching for houses and condos online.
But now, it's for real. And I've discovered that searching is a little less fun when you have five months to find a place to live. Nathan seems to be really enjoying himself, though. We are looking to buy, because what we are paying in rent now is several hundred dollars more than the house payments will be on any of the condos or houses we are looking at. There are so many good deals right now, we feel that it would be silly to continue to throw money down the drain every month, which is basically what renting feels like after a while.
We are going to actually look at our first home this morning, after the class I am currently sitting in finishes up. Please pray for wisdom, guidance, and sanity during the next few months as we look for a new place to call home
Love to you all,
Lissa
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