One year ago tomorrow was my last day of freedom.
Well, kind of. More specifically, July 10, 2011, was the last time I hung out with a friend and drank indulgent quantities of wine by large bodies of water without being concerned about caring for my child.
I probably would have behaved differently had I known I was four weeks pregnant. But I didn’t, so I didn’t.
Filed under Of Family and Children
Those of you that know me know that the 4th of July isn’t just another holiday in my house.
It’s a day that conjures up a younger Katie – a Katie from the early 90’s, to be exact.
When I was in 7th grade, my history teacher showed our class a 1984 miniseries on the life of George Washington. Long story short, I became intensely interested in our first president, his home at Mount Vernon and the era of the American Revolution. I was a huge nerd.
Filed under Seasonal
This is something I eat for breakfast almost every day. It’s filling and healthy, and, depending on how you make it, can be very tasty.
The basic idea is to get whole grain, fruit and protein into the meal. So far, this is the fastest way I’ve found to do it.
Here’s what you need:
Filed under Recipes
It’s officially summer in Michigan. So far we’ve:
We’ve also survived the first serious heat wave of the season (with a little help from the parents’ air conditioning). Now, the days are for gentle yoga and dead-heading the tiger lilies.
The above video is how I’ve opened the season for the past couple of years. Rocky Leon is so happy, and the sky is so blue. You can’t watch this and not be happy. And if you can, check your pulse, yo.
Filed under Seasonal
Ok, third post of the week. I know. I can hardly believe it either.
No guarantees for next week. Just sayin’.
So what’s new on the world of freelance for Katie you ask? Guest posting, that’s what. I got an email about two weeks ago from a client I worked with several months back, asking if I would be able to help out with some guest postings.
I’ve always enjoyed working with this client – he’s straightforward and dependable, which are not to be taken for granted in the freelance world. And bonus, his timing was impeccable, as some recent client turnover has put me on the hunt for work.
Hint, hint.
Anyway, long story short, I’m now an “outreach assistant” for certain web sites. This means that I try to land guest postings on blogs that write on topics fitting with said web sites, and simply put site URLs in my author bio.
Fabulous things about this:
Filed under I'm a Professional
I’m still trying to get in the habit of posting at least once a week, and this week I’m pushing it with two.
But this one’s a cheat. I’m sending you to a recipe that I used for our Father’s Day salad buffet.
I made way more of this quinoa salad than the recipe calls for. I’m glad I did, as it’s been supplying lunches for the past few days. It’s filling, tasty and pretty healthy. The quinoa and goat cheese make it creamy, and the pine nuts give it a nice toasty flavor.
Quinoa Salad with Avocado and Goat Cheese
Enjoy!
Filed under Recipes
I know it sounds ridiculous, but department stores and shopping malls make me feel like a neanderthal.
As a work-at-home new mom in a one-car family, I don’t get out much. If I am out to shop, it’s most likely for food and other necessities. So, I can navigate the grocery store and local quick stops.
But if there aren’t grid like aisles and an airy produce section, I’m easily confused.
Fortunately, I’ve never been a fan of the mall or big box stores, so avoiding them is generally not too tough.
Over the weekend, however, I ventured to Kohl’s to buy a bridal gift from a friend’s registry.
Filed under About a Freak
I had a bag of pearled barley sitting in my pantry for literally years. Unlike my interlude with quinoa, my decision to open that bag was influenced by a serious case of Mother Hubbard’s Cupboard.
The word “barley” always sounded like an herb to me, not a grain. When I bought the stuff, I was surprised to see that it looked like fat rice. I figured at some point I’d add it to soup, and that is exactly what I did.
My final soup product was incredibly hearty with black eyed peas, numerous veggies and the cooked barley.
Problem was, I’d made way more barley than I needed. It just sat in the fridge while the rest of my food supply continued to dwindle as we approached pay day.
Filed under Recipes
I love pasta.
No. I looooove pasta. I LURV it.
Who doesn’t?
One of the biggest changes I made when I adopted a healthier diet was to start eating whole wheat spaghetti and adding chopped fresh veggies. For someone accustomed to eating three servings of regular spaghetti with nothing but red sauce, this was an adjustment.
Yet I simply could not imagine a world in which I did not treat myself to a heaping helping of the clingy noodles at least once a week, so I persevered.
Filed under Recipes
This Wednesday post is not technically based in health, science or practicality.
And in the name of all the princess and mermaid and snarfblat lovers out there, I care not. This is about magic and true love.
Ok, well, maybe it’s just me letting a little of the eight-year-old out, but still. There IS a point to this.
Did you see the Huffington Post “Weird News” article about the documentary that explores the concept of merpeople being real? Basically, it plays with a theory that modern humans share a common ancestor with merpeople – a species that took to the water in deep evolutionary history.
Filed under Searching
