Favorites

Favorite person: Jesus

Favorite team: Hokies!(particularly the defense)

Favorite foods: Trader Joe's pita chips and garlic hummus

Favorite season: summer - so sad it's ending!

Favorite dog:

Breakfast for Dinner

I bought a 10 lb bag of russet potatoes so that I could feed my Life Group last week (I figured a potato bar would be easy enough for a group of 12).  Since I didn't have great plans for dinner that night (and I had a pint of blueberries in the fridge that I had been wanting to turn into muffins) I decided on making breakfast foods.

I found this great tutorial on making hash browns.

And a friend had sent me this recipe for blueberry muffins years ago that I finally decided to try.

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  Blueberry Muffins 3 cups minus 2 Tbsp flour 1 tsp baking soda 2 tsp baking powder heavy pinch of salt 1 cup sugar 1/2 cup vegetable oil 1 egg 1 generous cup plain yogurt (not low- or non-fat) 2 cups fresh blueberries 1 tsp vanilla extract

  Place blueberries in a colander and rinse them well. I then go through and pick off any of the little stems still intact. (side note: I bought the most beautiful blueberries at the grocery today, but there were just a few little stems. I know picking blueberries is tedious, so I'll give those blueberry pickers a break.) Set aside and let any excess water drip out.

  In large bowl, sift flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

  In another bowl, whisk together sugar, oil, vanilla, egg, and yogurt. Fold into the dry ingredients and stir just until comes together. Be careful not to overmix. Add the blueberries and carefully fold until evenly distributed. Be careful not to smash any of the blueberries. I hate when there are blue stained patches in my muffins.

  Spoon mixture into greased muffin pans. Sprinkle the tops with brown or turbinado sugar, if you want. Bake 20-25 minutes at 385 degrees. Makes 2 dozen.

  
  

  

Add some eggs scrambled with cheese and I had a delicious, filling meal!

Shopping

I'm a terrible shopper because I usually come away with the experience wanting things but feeling like they're too expensive, or buying things and feeling guilty for having spent money on something I don't really need.  But with labor day sales, I headed out.

I originally wanted these lanterns for my porch, but of course they were from early summer and no longer available.

What I found instead was some TOMS look-alikes from Sears (for $9.99).

And a maxi-dress from Charlotte Russe (which I didn't know we now had in Charlottesville).

I had been wanting both of these items since the start of the summer, so that is the only way I could justify their purchase.  Now, no more shopping for the remainder of September!

Fall reading

I am keeping the fall reading list short in case other things come up (and as there is always Hokie football to capture my attention).  I also need to read through some of the magazines I have lying around the house so that I can finally get rid of them without guilt.

1. Heaven Without Her by Kitty Foth-Regner
This book was given to me after leaving Life Group last week. I had mentioned something about not being a fan of feminism and it triggered the host to hand me this book. I feel obligated to read it so I can return it ASAP. I'm not sure it is one I would have picked up on my own.
2. Mountains Beyond Mountains by Tracy Kidder
I bought this one at the library booksale this spring.  It has been recommended to me by many friends so I am anxious to read it. I hope it continues to motivate me to do something to help others in poverty.
3. Fall of Giants by Ken Follett
This one came from Mom & Dad's. I think they got it for Christmas. I LOVED Pillars of the Earth (I couldn't put it down and the story stayed with me when I wasn't reading) so I am excited to see if I like more of Ken Follett's books.
4. The Bridges of Madison County by Robert James Waller
This one looks like a quick read (in case I'm getting behind by the end of the fall months). I picked it up at the spring book sale too. 

The last of the summer books

Bell Canto

by Ann Patchett

I have heard that people LOVED this book. Then a friend of mine said she never got into it and never finished it. I felt like I finally became interested in the characters about halfway through the book and then then ending was abrupt and anticlimactic (after being heavily foreshadowed). The last chapter was the most surprising, but the reader is left without much in-depth explanation of the feelings and thoughts of the characters after having spent most of the book in their heads.  The book does a great job of character development, but lacks much in the way of action.  I can't say I loved it or hated it, it's just another book to check off the list as read.

Beauty

I've been craving beauty in my home and in my life and I stumbled upon these flowers on a walk with Hokie. I just had to bring them home!

The latest in food

It's hard to be cooking for one again. While Michael was here in July, I was on target planning and making meals.  Now, that's fallen to the wayside a bit as I found some of the same foods would last me a week and by the end of that week I'd rather vomit than eat the same meal again...

I did buy a pound of hamburger meat to make stuffed peppers.  There is a great recipe "for two" that I can stretch out with sides to make 4 meals.

I then experimented with making burgers on my George Foreman grill. They turned out pretty well, except that I didn't have any onion or cheese.  Freezing the buns worked out really well too.  They thaw quickly and I've eaten them with tuna salad, too.

I also bought a watermelon as I had seen a recipe for watermelon water and I was anxious to try it.  It's pretty delicious and needs no sweeteners for a refreshing drink.

One watermelon makes lots of pretty watermelon compost.