Reason #2

Sometime between when I dropped Z-cakes off at the babysitter and when I took my lunch break the leaves started falling off of our tree.

If our kitchen was reason #1 for buying this house then this tree in the fall was reason #2.

Two Weeks of Summer

Good morning friends! How are you? I've missed you!

{presents from China}

On Tuesday N8tr0n returned home from a two week business trip to China. You didn't know he was gone? Well to be honest, I try to keep our comings and goings quiet on this space just in case of would-be serial killers. You understand I'm sure. Anyway, N8tr0n's absence is why things have been so quiet around here; that is, I've pretty much spent the last two weeks doing whatever Z-cakes wants to do as an attempt to survive being a single parent. Writing blog posts was not on her agenda if you can believe it. Also, N8tr0n took my ipod. Which means no easy pictures (since I am suddenly way to lazy to carry my giant camera around which must weigh what, at least a pound? Way too heavy for summer). Which means no easy posts. So while we were having our all-the-time-girls'-party at our house, I made sure to make note of the unphotographed moments. Here are a few of them:


:: Going to the farmer's market and every other used/thrift store within walking distance the first day N8tr0n was gone.
:: Popcorn + apples for dinner (I really think I'm on to something with that combination).
:: A trillion Otter Pops eaten on the front porch.
:: Driving to Salmon to hang out with our friends (more on this later).
:: Jen and me both sleeping through Cars 2 while our girls ate gallons of popcorn.
:: Z's frozen yogurt topped with: Andes mints, Butterfinger, Swedish Fish, Jelly Beans, Jimmies, and Marshmallows (I think she's getting the hang of the "self serve" setup).
:: Z playing on the swings with Grandpa Ken for hours.
:: Swimming at Indian Springs and having an ice cream sandwich for dinner.
:: Talking to N8tr0n via Skype (because the Internet is awesome).
:: Watching Tangled nearly everyday.

Whew. It was a long couple of weeks you guys. For some reason time seems to pass slower when N8tr0n is gone. But now he's back! And all is right with the world.

What have you been up to in the last two weeks? Do you love the dog days of summer or are you just getting by? Oh! And Happy Friday!

Happy July

Rabbit, Rabbit, Rabbit Friends! And Happy July to you too. And Happy Canada Day to my friends in Canada!

{peonies by my back step}

Are you all gearing up for a big holiday weekend? We are heading to my hometown for the 4th and I'm so happy that we are. I told N8tr0n the other day that I realized I don't really like to travel for the 4th. I like to be close to home and I like knowing what to expect. Mom's pasta salad, poppers on the sidewalk, perhaps some pretzel jello, and fireworks at the golf course. Happy Independence Day.

Speaking of expectations, if I were you I wouldn't expect daily posts from my blog this summer. That's not to say that I won't be posting, but just that it will be more...erratic. It has been a long hard winter/spring here in our new home and now that summer has arrived we're going to go all Sheryl Crow and "soak up the sun." I imagine you're doing the same. Which means you really don't have time to sit at your computer and read my ramblings. So really....I'm thinking of you. You're welcome.

Have a lovely and safe 4th of July weekend! XOXO

Summer is...

A new tradition

On Tuesday we hosted our first annual First Day of Summer Ice Cream Party. The weather was perfect, the homemade ice cream was copious, and the childrens' faces were covered with chocolate. It was everything a summer party should be, if I do say so myself.

The conversation lasted until well past dark and N8tron and I have already started brainstorming lighting options for our next party. I also learned that I seriously overestimated the amount of ice cream we would need. We have tons of it left in our deep freeze which I'm not about to pretend is necessarily a bad thing. I wasn't able to take a picture of any of the ice cream (I was too busy scooping cones for the kids), but it was all served out of bread pans. We filled the large white dishes with ice and put one bread pan in each dish. It worked well as long as we kept an eye on it and rotated the flavors whenever they got a bit too melty.

At the end of the night each family went home with a tiny jar of fudge sauce. Do you see the carafe full of it in the first picture? Yeah, that's still sitting my fridge completely full because, you know, we decided to make a triple batch. Again...not saying that's a bad thing.

Many thanks to all of our friends who joined us, to Jen for making a long trek to come help me, and to the lovely ladies who helped me with the dishes when the night was through! Thank you, thank you, thank you.


Did you do anything to celebrate the first day of summer? Would you like to come over for some ice cream?

Three Days In

Homemade ice cream party
Free park lunch
Drive-in corndog
Long line at the swimming pool
Not actually going to the swimming pool
Running through sprinklers instead
So You Think You Can Dance
Otter pops
Summer reading program
Sonic happy hour
Stroller walks
Sprinklers on the lawn
Salad from the garden
Laundry on the line
Peonies


Only three days in to summer and I think we're off to a great start. If you had asked me last week I would have told you that I wasn't sure summer would actually come. Maybe it was just waiting for it to be official.

P.S. No more apologies. I love Instagram. If you care to follow me just search for walker_miranda.

Gardening 101

Are you planting a garden this year? Do you have any advice for us?

Spring day with Z-cakes

And on the 11th day of May the heavens parted, the sun came out, the temperature rose, and there was much rejoicing. And knocking on wood. And throwing salt over shoulders. And going for long walks in search of spring! Here's a glimpse of the perfect spring day that Z-cakes and I had yesterday.

(Starting from top, left to right, left to right. Get it?)
:: We got a stroller/bike trailer last week. I am completely in love. The last stroller I pushed Z in was an umbrella stroller.
:: Z patiently waited to get going on our "nature walk." It was so nice outside she didn't want the cover on the stroller.
:: We spotted lots of beautiful trees.
:: And one that had popcorn growing on it!
:: And the plant that my dad refers to as "the eyeball plant."
:: And monkeys! Z-cakes didn't want to get dressed when I was ready to go for a walk and I didn't feel like making her. So: monkeys.
:: After our walk we went to the library where Z painted a "river." Because that is what she paints/draws. I swear someday when she is an artist she will have a collection named "River." There will be no paintings of anything resembling a river.
:: FINALLY, Z-cakes got to play on the statue outside the library for as long as she wanted while I read a book. She calls this statue "the talking one." As far as I can tell the statue has nothing to to with talking but what do I know?

I hope you get a chance to get out and find spring today. And don't forget to bring your camera. It's the 12th! It sneaks up on you, I know.

Tis the Season

I bought an entire flat of strawberries on crazy sale last Saturday. They are beautiful. The majority of them will be turned into jam and the rest will be used for Z-cakes' snackies and possibly some fresh strawberry pie for Mother's Day?

By the way, I'll be making my jam sans commercial pectin which is a first for me. I'll be using this book for help. Do any of you have experience in this department?

Many thanks for the chicken coop love. Also, the names you suggested were hilarious. Keep them coming. Yesterday our coop was inspected and approved by the city. Huzzah! Now we can legally have the birds that we already own! In breaking chicken news: I just watched one of our chickens fly out of the Rubbermaid, onto a nearby hamper, and halfway up the stairs. No joke.

Earth You're a Wonderful Wonderful Planet

Happy Earth Day everyone!

:: As a semi/fake hippie, I try to do something small to celebrate Earth Day. I think it is a nice reminder that God has blessed us with a beautiful place to live and He expects us to take care of it. Here are a few things on our To-Do list today.

:: I've been excited to see this movie for a while. We'll probably wait to go until tomorrow so that N8tr0n can come along.

:: Have you seen Google's clever banner yet? Be sure to mouse over the animals!

:: Even though it is going to be cold outside today, Z-cakes and I will be taking a nature walk. (Which will basically be the same walk that we take every day except I'm calling it a nature walk. More exciting!) I also plan on choosing an activity from Jennifer Ward's fun book, I Love Dirt!

:: We still have some work to do on our new compost setup. (More about this later.)

:: I'm thinking Z-cakes should have her first cup of worms in dirt dessert.

:: And to finish off the evening, we'll read one of Z-cakes' favorite books before bedtime. We got this cute book when Z was just a baby. You know as well as I do that it is never too early to start brainwashing your child.

Wishing you a wonderful Easter weekend filled with family, deviled eggs, and peeps.

Do you do anything to celebrate Earth Day? Any especially exciting Easter plans?

Spring is trying.

This is what's cruel about springtime: no matter how it treats you, you can't stop loving it. If the calendar says it's the first day of spring, it is.-Barbara Kingsolver

Spring has had a difficult time gaining momentum in this part of the world. The forecast is usually sunny for one day, rainy for four, and snow in the morning just for kicks. I seem to be rapidly filling up my quota of "throw on a flannel shirt and don't leave the house" days. I keep thinking about how if we were back in the Seattle area I would be trying to learn to love the rain. Embracing cold drizzly days. Going to play outside in the rain like all of those crazy little Seattleite kids. But I don't live in Seattle. I live in Idaho. So I keep waiting for this to pass.

Despite the occasional snowfall, spring flowers have been popping up in front of my house! It gives me hope that spring is still trying to grace us with its presence. I want to thank the previous owners for the work they did to keep their house/yard beautiful. It also makes me excited to see what else will pop up in our yard as the season continues. I know there is a giant rose bush out back that needs pruned (I consider myself a pro based on my extensive rose experience) and grapes. Grapes! I don't know what kind. Concord? Something other than Concord? Honestly, it will do you no good asking me. Alls I want to know is whether or not I can make jelly with them. Except that I don't like grape jelly. So there you go.

I'm crossing my fingers that there is a lilac bush back there and I'm pondering where it would be best to plant some rhubarb. That is, of course, if there isn't some out there already.

Dear Spring, Hurry.

Rabbit Rabbit Rabbit, Y'all!

Whew. March. You're here. I know that for some of you February passed quickly but for me the last couple of weeks dragged on. I felt remorse one day when I felt that it may be my responsibility to let you all know that time had indeed stopped. That the thing with which we all think speeds so quickly by had actually ceased to be. But then I woke up and it was March 1st so, as I said, Whew.

Today we're welcoming March by taking a field trip to visit my friend Karisa for a Crafternoon and tutorial on backyard chickens! That's right. The keeping of chickens will be happening for us. At least someday. So I'm going to learn all I can right now in order to get things cranking ASAP.

Wish me luck! And it is okay if you think I'm crazy. You know who else thinks I'm crazy? My mom. And probably your mom.

Love,

Menu of the Week (kind of)

{image}

A "menu" of valentine-y desserts for the upcoming day of love...

:: Z-cakes and I will be perusing this site today to decide what kind of cupcakes to make for her birthday tomorrow(!). Remember when this had to go and happen? That cake still makes me sad. (P.S. I'm kind of already thinking about making her these.)

:: Summer had me drooling over these orange scones. I haven't made them yet but I trust Summer enough to share the recipe with you before I do. If she says something is good, it just is.

:: Molly's chocolate mousse is pretty much the best. Remember when Z-cakes and I made it last year?

:: This amazing layered fudge cake is not for the faint of heart. This is what I made when I want to impress my friends.

:: Sometimes it is best to keep things simple. My favorite Valentine candies are perfect if you don't feel like baking. (psst! I think I might try my hand at the honeycomb since I can't find any here!)

Okay! Happy eating too many sweets! I'm about to begin rushing around like a mad woman trying to get Z's birthday put together. Apparently I will not be able to sleep until I have made her a birthday crown. And trust me, there's no talking me down from this particular ledge.

Oh! Don't forget to charge your camera batteries. Tomorrow is the 12th!

And be sure to enter to win the giveaway.

And I'm done now.

XO

The Welcome Mat

Welcome February!

Z-cakes and I are so happy to see you.

{Photo of Z-cakes and me walking to church, because we live only half a block from church! Yay! Except on this particular Sunday it was stake conference. Which means we were an hour early. And at the wrong building.}

On the agenda for February:
Plan Z-cakes birthday and talk about how her birthday is coming soon every single day.
Decorate for Valentines Day.
Celebrate some exciting news for N8tr0n.
Calm the hell down about getting the house put together.
Narrate it all right here.

XOXO Y'all.

Halloween 2010

It's the first Halloween in which Z-cakes actually gets to take part in all of the festivities. She has fully embraced the exchange of a "Trick or Treat!" for candy and she insists on "checking the scary one" which means she wants to look at whatever Halloween decor a store has hanging up. I am astonished at the things that don't scare her. She is Little Red Riding Hood this year, and quite a stunning one in my humble opinion. She absolutely adores her costume though most of the time she ends up telling me that the Big Bad Wolf "is not scary," "is just pretend," or "he won't get me!" I love hanging out with her.

My mom bought Z-cakes' costume this year (thanks Grandma N!) and although at first I was a little disappointed that I wouldn't be making something for her, now I am completely relieved that it is all taken care of. October is such a crazy and wonderful month that sometimes I have to pick my battles in order to enjoy it to the fullest. Not that I consider this costume much of a loss.

I hope you have a wonderful weekend! We are heading to my parents' house to take part in the rockin' Halloween party that my mom puts on. A few of the posts that I intended to share in October will spill over into November (again with the battle picking), including a tutorial for my mom's mouth-watering caramel apples. I have a few surprises for November that I am very excited about. Here's a hint: it's all about spreading the handmade love.


See you all November 1!

XOXO

I like it now

I've never cared that much about coffee cake. Do you hate me now? I guess I always figured I'd rather have a muffin or you know, cake. Like with frosting. But N8tr0n has always liked coffee cake so I would occasionally try to be a nice wife and make it for him. I had a recipe from Sunset that called for approximately 1,000 ingredients and required every single bowl that existed in the kitchen. There were multiple steps, multiple layers, and a springform pan involved. The results were good but obviously not worth all the fuss since I can count on one hand the times I've made it. With that recipe my opinion of "coffee cake: meh" was further reinforced.

I can't exactly say that I was searching for a new coffee cake recipe when I happened upon this one. It was more that I was searching for something to do with the apples that were staring me down from the fruit bowl. Or maybe it was the fact that I noticed the recipe called for sour cream and everything is better with sour cream you guys. Whatever made me dog-ear this recipe, I'm so happy that I did because now I get it. I get coffee cake. And it's about time.

Before I share the recipe with you, I feel like this pie needs another shout out. Have you made it yet? My goodness what are you waiting for? Make this pie while you're waiting for the coffee cake to bake. Or vice versa of course.



Apple Coffee Cake
Adapted From: Everyday Food

Topping:
1/4 C. unsalted butter, cold and cut into pieces
1/2 C. packed light brown sugar
1/2 C. toasted pecans, chopped
1/4 C. old-fashioned rolled oats
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. course salt

Preheat oven to 35o degrees. Combine dry topping ingredients and cut butter into it with pastry cutter or your hands. Refrigerate while you make the cake batter.

Batter:
1/2 C. unsalted butter, room temperature
2 C. all-purpose flour
1/2 t. baking soda (adapted for altitude)
1 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. course salt
1 C. granulated sugar
1/2 C. packed light brown sugar
4 large eggs
1 C. sour cream
2 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and diced
1 C. toasted pecans, chopped

Prepare Bundt pan. Whisk together dry ingredients. In separate bowl combine butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time. Add sour cream and beat to combine. Gradually add flour with mixer on low and beat until just combined. Stir in apples and pecans with spatula. Transfer to Bundt pan and sprinkle with topping. Using a butter knife, gently push some of the topping into the batter. Bake at 35o degrees for 60-70 minutes. Let cool in pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Turn out and let cool.

Guest Post :: Dazzling Pumpkins

Please welcome my lovely friend Charlotte to Narrating Life today. She's sharing an October tradition that I can't wait to adopt. Enjoy!

By way of introduction, I'm a recent college graduate who is also a newlywed. Since moving to Oregon, where my husband and I live, I've made many efforts at honing my own domesticity. In my domestic quest, I've looked to my mother to help me know how to do what. Throughout the years I've called on my mom to help me with various domestic pursuits, ranging from recipes to home decor to entertaining. As I go through the rite of passage wherein I become wife instead of fiancee, where all of a sudden I have an apartment that is solely mine, ready for whatever domestic magic I choose to cast, I feel the weight of domestic responsibility.

I thought an easy way to start inaugurating my new apartment was to come up with some kind of autumn decor. I have some home decor items, but not much in the way of items for specific holidays. But, I needed to do something. And then I remembered: spray-painted pumpkins.

Growing up, I saw my mother do this almost every autumn. Her results were always perfectly fall-ish and sophisticated. That's what I wanted for my first holiday decoration. So I called my mom and received basic instructions. For those of you interested in trying this crafty decoration, remember that my instructions are those of a domestic novice, so at the very least, we're on the same page. (Actually, chances are you're a few pages ahead of me.)

Step 01: Pick the pumpkins. Ideally I'd have three, but pumpkins can be expensive, so for this first attempt I chose two very well-shaped pumpkins.

Try to find ones with good stems and in a variety of shapes. I chose one full, round one, and one smaller, skinny-ish one.

Step 02: Pick the paint. Go with gold. If you don't want gold, do bronze. But really, you should go gold. I bought the Design Master brand; color, antique gold. (You should be able to find this brand at any legitimate craft store.)

Step 03: Prep the area. Do your spray painting outside and make sure to cover the ground or table with newspaper. Also, make sure to wipe down your pumpkins--you don't want any gross dirt.

Step 04: Spray-paint the pumpkins. This was a little daunting to me. I didn't really want solid gold pumpkins, but I wasn't quite sure how to do that without getting a polka-dot result. I semi-succeeded. Sometimes I walk up my stairs, see my pumpkins, and think that they look half finished. But most of the time I really like them. This step is really the most creative one. Go solid gold if you want, or go for a more gold-accent look while maintaining the orange of the pumpkin. Remember, though, to spray from far enough away the paint doesn't drip.

Wait until they're completely dry and then transfer them to where you want to display them. (I like them on the front porch.) I fiddled around with my final presentation for probably close to half an hour. (This was another moment when I wished I had three pumpkins.) But I'm happy with my first attempt. I'm sure that in subsequent years, I'll refine my technique and my pumpkins won't look as camo.

I sent a picture of my final result to my mother, and she signed off on it. Phew. So while in many ways I'm still new to domesticity and still anticipate many phone calls to my dear mother regarding all things domestic, I love it. These pumpkins will stay up until Thanksgiving (and the boo letters will go away come November). I wish you luck in all your domestic endeavors!

It all starts tomorrow

I can't believe it. I just realized—just now—that tomorrow is the first day of October! I can't believe it. October is my very favorite month, in case you hadn't already guessed. I have a few fun things planned for the blog which include but are not limited to:

the little things that bring a smile to my face

my favorite fall cookie recipe

a cake making video tutorial (yep, I'm doing it for reals)

my amateur photography tips (have you been waiting for this one?)

My family will be enduring enjoying my list of "things we must do in October," starting with watching General Conference + making doughnuts this weekend! Homemade from scratch doughnuts my friends. If all goes well, I'll tell you all about it. Actually, I'll probably tell you all about it however it turns out. That seems to be what I do.

We'll be taking a trip to Denver and celebrating my birthday while we're there. We'll be raking leaves, harvesting fruit, and finding our winter hats, scarves, and gloves which are absolutely and completely lost. Somewhere in the basement, I fear.

What will you be doing this month?

Holy crap you guys, I'm so excited! It all starts tomorrow with my first "makes me smile" post. See you then.