happy friday!

over the weekend, we we visited my parents and their new kittens.  ryan was holding one of the kittens, and as soon as i said "smile for the camera" the little guy stuck out his tongue!  what a cutie!

hope everyone has a great weekend!

love, laurie

around our yard . . .

the weather has been absolutely gross lately.  it hasn't really felt like june at all.  it has been raining so much that maybe i should consider building an ark!

luckily, the rain let up and gave us a break yesterday.  it was so nice outside!  i took the opportunity to walk around our yard and to admire the flowers that were blooming.  i'm sure glad that i took a few pictures, because today the pouring rain is back (with thunderstorms this time).

i guess i will just have to look at these pictures and dream of warm and dry weather until the rain lets up again!

if it's raining cats and dogs where you are today, i hope you stay dry!

love, laurie

snapshots of life lately, according to my iphone pictures

{iphone pictures via the instagram app}

a sweet surprise

on sunday morning ryan (and leko) surprised me with breakfast in bed.  i'm not sure what i did to deserve that, but i sure am grateful.  it was such a sweet surprise!

love, laurie

celebrating with krista

on friday, our neighbor krista (who is like family) graduated from 8th grade.  we were happy to be able to attend krista's graduation, and we were so proud of her for earning several awards for her academic and athletic achievements in school.

on sunday, we had the chance to celebrate with krista again at her 8th grade piano recital.  it was so nice to watch her perform, and we were really impressed by how many songs she memorized and played.  

it has been such a joy to watch krista grow up over the years, and we are so proud of her and her many accomplishments!  we can't wait to see what's next for this talented young lady. 

love, laurie

meeting lisa

while we were on vacation in hawaii, i was thrilled to get a chance to meet a fellow blogger!  (i've never met another blogger before.)  since i knew that lisa and her husband chase live in oahu, i had emailed her before our trip about some of the activities that we were interested in doing on the island.  she suggested that i stop by the swimwear shop where she works to say hi while we were there.  it just so happened that we passed the shop on the day that we rented a car and drove around the island, and she was working that day.

lisa was really nice and super sweet.  she gave us some suggestions and some helpful advice about what to do and where to eat while in oahu.  it was so great to meet lisa.  i'm super jealous that she gets to call oahu home!

ps: lisa and her sisters are identical triplets!  they just celebrated their birthdays recently too.

happy friday!
love, laurie

strawberry rhubarb crumble

sometimes life can be full of little surprises . . . some good, some not so good.  thankfully, the other day was full of good surprises.  we woke up and went to work like usual, expecting a long day at work.  part way through the morning, we found out that we were all being sent home at 12:00 because the power had to be shut off for the remainder of the day due to nearby construction work.  it was such a nice little surprise to have an unexpected half day!  (bonus: the weather was gorgeous outside too.)

we hurried home, ate lunch, and headed out to go hike around a local state park for a few hours.  it was lovely.

when we came home, we spent time relaxing on the back porch and leisurely eating dinner.  it was a nice surprise since we are usually eating super fast because we have to run somewhere.

after dinner, ryan had to go to a meeting.  in no time, he was home again because his meeting was canceled, but he brought me home an iced coffee since he was out.  (such a sweet husband, that one!)  it was another really nice surprise.

since ryan's meeting was cancelled, we had time to spend together in the kitchen making dessert.  we had fresh strawberries and fresh rhubarb in our refrigerator just begging to be used.  there's just something about the warm weather of the summer that calls for strawberry rhubarb desserts.

without a doubt, strawberry rhubarb pie is a classic, but it's nice to change things up a bit every once in a while.  so, we made strawberry rhubarb crumble instead.

this recipe is super simple and can be thrown together in no time.  you don't need any fancy kitchen equipment, just a few simple tools and a few spare minutes.

this crumble smells amazing as it bakes.  it's like an awesome little bonus that your house will smell wonderful when you bake this dessert.

who needs strawberry-rhubarb scented air fresheners or candles?  not us!

we ate our strawberry rhubarb crumble with a scoop of some really awesome vanilla bean ice cream, while sitting in bed with the windows open and catching up on shows on our dvr.  it was the perfect way to welcome summer.

this dessert was such a nice surprise.  it was really easy to make and super delicious.  thank goodness for little surprises in life!

. . .

strawberry rhubarb crumble
prep time: 10 minutes
baking time: 45 minutes
yields: 4 servings

ingredients:
8 oz. fresh rhubarb, chopped
2 cups fresh strawberries, chopped
3 tablespoons light agave nectar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons cold salted butter, cut into small cubes
1/4 cup old-fashioned oats

directions:
preheat your oven to 375 degrees F.  combine the rhubarb, strawberries, and agave nectar in a bowl and toss well to combine.  in a separate bowl, combine the flour, sugar, and butter.  use a pastry cutter (or a fork) to incorporate the butter into the dry ingredients.  mix in the oats.

pour the fruit into a 8x8 inch square glass baking dish, and distribute the topping evenly over the fruit.  bake for 45 minutes until the fruit is bubbling and the top is golden brown.  let cool for 10-15 minutes before serving.  serve with vanilla ice cream.

enjoy!

love, laurie

hiking around nay aug park (8mm style)

over the weekend, we decided to get out and enjoy the hot weather by hiking around nay aug park.  (luckily the trees provided some much appreciated shade from the scorching sun.)

while we hiked around the trails, i decided to try out the 8mm video camera app that i just recently downloaded on my iphone.  the app is really neat because you can mix and match different film and lens options to recreate a vintage look.  it's a fun app to play around with, and i just love the old-school feel of the video . . .

{music: with a little help from my friends by joe cocker}

love, laurie

southwestern corn and black bean salad

this past weekend welcomed the month of june, and along with the beginning of june came some very hot temperatures.  boy, it was hot!

when the weather is that hot outside, i tend to gravitate toward simple meals that are hassle free and can be thrown together in just a few minutes.  on sunday, ryan grilled burgers for dinner, and i was looking for an easy side dish to go along with our burgers.  i threw together several ingredients that we had on hand, and the result was an awesome salad with a southwestern flair.

served cold, this salad is super refreshing on a hot day.  it has just the right amount of kick to it from the spices while still being really light.  it's healthy because it is loaded with veggies too!  i have a feeling that this salad is going to become a staple in our house this summer as a side dish for dinners on hot summer nights.

southwestern corn and black bean salad
prep time: 5-10 minutes
yields: 6 servings

ingredients:
1 (15 oz.) can whole kernel corn
1 (15 oz.) can black beans
1/2 cup red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 cup orange bell pepper, chopped
1/4 cup red onion, chopped
2 scallions, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

directions:
drain the corn and the black beans in a colander, and rinse thoroughly with cold water.  in a large bowl, combine all ingredients and toss well to incorporate.  refrigerate until ready to serve.  serve cold.

enjoy!

love, laurie

my parents' new kittens . . .

recently, my parents adopted three new kittens!  their names are mocha, latte, and cappuccino.  the two black kittens are boys, and the grey kitten is a girl.  (they are all from the same litter.)  we got to meet the new kittens on the day my parents brought them home, and we couldn't believe how cute and tiny they were!  my parents certainly have their hands full now!

love, laurie