Saturday, August 20, 2011

Randomness



So I have a bunch of random pictures that I thought I would finally post about.

So this will be a collage I guess of the past couple months.

On 4th of July weekend we went to a polo game.



Haven't ever been to a polo game?

You are so missing out!

It is pretty awesome.

I am always amazed at how they can gallop down the field and hit a tiny (its only baseball sized!) ball with a big mallet and not hurt themselves or the horses.

The polo field is really pretty too.



On the other side of those palm trees is the beach.

Most people just come to the game to tailgate and drink.



Notice all the people with their backs turned to the field.

I enjoy watching it though.

Here is another random picture.



Yep, Lilo (the Genius) got herself stuck in a vine supporter.

Then she got that stuck to the wire fence around our plants.

It was pretty pathetic.

This picture probably seems even more random.



(Note: I didn't intend to look so menacing with the rolling pin)

But there is a reason why I am dressed as a 50s housewife months away from Halloween.

Our church had its biannual talent show/dress up night.

Stephen HATES dressing up so he just wore all black with a name tag that said "Miles Davis" and carried around a trumpet.

It was a good time.

The baby shower I was in charge of was last week.

It went really well but in the busyness of running the shower I completely forgot to take pictures.

So I took some picture of the decorations at home.

The baby shower was for my friend April who is having a baby girl named Helena.

This was the main decoration piece.



I took the "shower" part of baby shower as my inspiration.

Also the idea of "showering with love".



Though during the shower one of the ladies said "What a cute idea! April showers!'



I hadn't even thought of that!



So it worked on multiple levels.

After the shower I took the decoration home and changed it so it just said "Helena" and April is going to put it up in her nursery.

Here is the center piece that I put on each table.







Stephen recently made a new batch of beer for the upcoming big Wolfe wedding.

I was especially excited about this because I make cookies with the "spent" grains (the grains that get seeped and then tossed when making beer).

(Recipe found here: http://www.omnomicon.com/spent-grain-cookies)



This batch was especially good because the grains were really dark with a chocolate flavor to them.

I also recently bought this:



(You can get one too at: urbancheesecraft.etsy.com)

And made this with it:





(That is ricotta cheese by the way)

It was pretty easy and tasted really good.

It was funny because I gave Stephen a taste of it and before he said anything I thought "He probably has never tasted ricotta cheese that hasn't been baked in some casserole or lasagna".

Sure enough he said "Um..it tastes kinda plain"

I had to explain to him that ricotta is a very mild cheese and that is how its supposed to taste.

I made some tasty ricotta gnocchi with it.

It was also cool to have all the whey that was left over from making the cheese.

"No whey!" - that's what my dork of a husband said when I told him that.

Whey is very high in protein and very healthy.

I used it and the some of the spent grains to make this bread:



I also use some whey when I make rice or oatmeal.

I froze the left over whey in ice trays and add a cube or two to my smoothies.

So that is all the randomness for now.

I may not be posting for a little while, next week the whole Wolfe family is here and then 2 weeks after that my parents are here and then 2 weeks after that I go to Napa for my friend's wedding.

It's a busy time of year for me.

If only I weren't so popular...

Saturday, August 6, 2011

What we've been up to

Well I know it's been awhile.

I have been trying all week to post a video and I cant seem to get it too work, which is really sad.

I will keep trying.

But until then I will let you know what we've been up to.

I turned this:



Into this:



And this:



Into this:



Both turned out pretty good.

I have recently been sucked into Pinterest.

If you don't know what Pinterest is,

I'm warning you,

once you start,

there is no going back.

It's wonderful and helpful but oh so addicting.

Also I have been busy getting ready for a baby shower I am putting together for a friend at church.

At first I was nervous because I have never done a baby shower before.

Then...my inner Martha Stewart monster came out.

I had a spark of an idea and then went a little overboard from there.

I'll be sure to take some pictures.

Also I have been busy getting things ready for the BIG day!

What BIG day you ask?

Why the wedding of course!

Whose wedding?

Stephen's Dad is finally marrying his long time girlfriend Patti here in Hawaii.

They started dating at the same time Stephen and I did.

Though Stephen beat him to the aisle by a few years.

So the whole Wolfe pack will be flying out here for the wedding and we are going to have the big rehearsal dinner at our house.

It should be fun...as long as my Martha Stewart Perfectionist monster doesn't come out.

Stephen's been really busy at work and trying to keep up with his homework.

He is working on his Masters degree in International Relations online.

I am a terrible distraction to him.

I just hate spending all day Saturday around the house while he does homework.

Especially now that our time in Hawaii is starting to come to an end.

We'll be leaving in about 4 months.

Suddenly I feel like I need to do more "Hawaii" things.

So today I was pretty thrilled when Stephen came up with the idea to go to Ko Olina.

Ko Olina is a resort near where we live.

It has really nice man-made lagoons and landscaping.

It is also the location of the new Disney resort Aulani that is opening at the end of the month.

I have been wanting to see it since the commercials started coming out.

So we drove down there and had a terribly over priced lunch.

But then we walk the lagoons.



And I got to wear my new dress.



And we saw the Disney resort.



Then we laid in the grass in the shade and talked for a while.

It was a really nice time.

Then I made this for dinner:



It's S'mores in a Jar!

(recipe found here: http://www.howsweeteats.com/2011/04/smores-cake-in-a-jar/

Yes, I know that gram crackers, chocolate cake and marshmallows don't make up the healthiest of meals.

Ok so maybe it really isn't a meal at all...just a really tasty dessert.

But hey, life's too short to not have dessert for dinner sometimes right?

Right?!

Well anyways, it was a good day.

Hope yours was too.