June 30, 2011

Summertime iPhone photos [image heavy]

We've had so many wonderful times and adventures over the past two months and there is still more fun to be had over the next month and a half before school begins. I'm so excited!

-K

June 27, 2011

Vegetables in bread?

A couple of weeks ago I figured I would attempt making zucchini bread for Garrett when he came to visit. I had never tasted this strange vegetable bread before, so I approached it with great hesitancy. On my first attempt, I split the recipe in half and baked two small loaves; one loaf for Garrett and one for my friends and I. As soon as I took the loaves out of the oven, I dropped the majority of one loaf on the floor, so I was left with a small taste of what hadn't fallen on the floor and I hoped that the other loaf tasted alright. 
Fast forward a week and I decided it was time to attempt this strange yet tasty bread again. Well, I believe that zucchini bread is my new favorite thing. On top of the deliciousness of this bread, it has 1-2 whole zucchini in it, so it must be healthy, right?!



 I used this recipe with a few modifications, which I've noted below.


Zucchini Bread

2 cup grated zucchini
1/3 cup water
4 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup vegetable oil  
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce 
2 cups sugar
2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoon baking soda 
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
3 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl, combine flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon and sugar. In a separate bowl, combine oil, eggs, water, zucchini, lemon juice, and vanilla extract. Mix wet ingredients into dry and fold in. Bake in 2 standard loaf pans, sprayed with nonstick spray, for 1 hour, or until a tester comes out clean. Alternately, bake in 5 mini loaf pans for about 45 minutes.


 Yum.


-K

June 18, 2011

A wonderful visit

Thursday morning Garrett drove up to Greenville from Savannah (and then back to the SC coast that night!), so that we could spend the day together before he leaves for tour in a couple of weeks. It was such a great day!
Twelve Bones bbq for lunch in Asheville, NC
left: Chipotle for dinner in Greenville, SC. right: my book purchase from the bookstore
*I may have stolen a couple of these photos from Garrett. Shh!
- K

June 11, 2011

Cinnamon Toast

I've spent my whole life eating cinnamon toast the WRONG way. I had no idea until this woman brought it to my attention and I'm thankful she did. So, the following morning I tried cinnamon toast the RIGHT way (according to her, soon to be me, and probably you too). Oh my goodness! Who knew such a nice and simple treat could have such potential?!

You need to try this, seriously.


Cinnamon Toast - The Right Way (adapted from The Pioneer Woman, you can find the original recipe here)
*I altered the recipe to a single serving, replaced and omitted a couple items.
 
2 slices of whole wheat bread
1 Tbsp. Earth Balance, Softened
1/2 Tbsp. Sugar
1/2 tsp. Ground Cinnamon
1/4 tsp. Vanilla Extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Stir to completely combine the Earth Balance with a sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla.

Spread onto slices of bread, covering the entire surface, all the way to the edges.
Place the bread on a cookie sheet and bake for 3 or so minutes (I honestly didn't pay much attention to the time, but it was much less than her suggestion of 10 minutes).

Turn the broiler on and broil until golden brown and bubbling (be careful not to let it burn!).

Remove from oven and enjoy!

How simple is that?

June 08, 2011

Ooops

How did I forget about the photos from the end of the year picnic?! It's so strange that the school year ended two months ago and now we (amongst the group of us in the photos) are spread all across the country for the summer. Matt and Beth are married now (!!!) and living in Virginia, Blair and I are in South Carolina, Raul is in New Mexico, and Betsy is splitting her summer between Honduras and Washington. Here are photos from our picnic, before I forget about them again.

Fall's Park
Raul and Betsy
Bethany and Matt. Matt had just returned from an internship where he spent the entire semester away in Virginia. We were all  pretty happy see him (especially Bethany)!
Don't be fooled. Blair was having the time of her life.

Betsy, myself, Bethany, and Blair.



Another picnic is coming up this weekend. I just love summer picnics. If it were up to me, we would have picnics each and every day.

-K

June 07, 2011

In preparations to swim

Today I begrudgingly accompanied Blair in search of a swimsuit. Swimsuit shopping is my least favorite summer activity. I've never been a big fan of getting into any body of water larger than my bathtub. This coming weekend we are going to Rainbow Falls in North Carolina, therefore a swimsuit is necessary. It ended up being not as terrible as I had thought it would be. Blair and I both found nice suits and I got a couple of dresses as well and enjoyed a nice Italian meal afterward in celebration. It only made sense.

Dress no. 1

Dress no. 2 over the new swimming attire
- K