Photography. Spring is Springing.

Have you ever loaned something to someone that you never use and the next day want nothing more than to use it? This is EXACTLY what happened when I loaned my camera to my mom while hers was being fixed. I seriously hadn't used my camera since I got my iPhone almost 2 years ago. I liked not carrying the weight around and not worrying about forgetting it. I have a serious attachment to my phone (this is a topic for another day). Maybe it is because the sun is out, but I wanted nothing more than to carrying around my heavy camera today. Even after only sleeping 3 hours (I went to the midnight showing of The Hunger Games. Did you?) I chose a stroll along Juanita Beach over a nap. I don't even recognize myself yet I haven't felt more like myself in a long time. The sun beating down on me while I searched for the perfect shot was magical. Spring is magical and spring is exactly what I found today. I even took pictures of breakfast...it must have been the sun rays shinning in through the window. They are like catnip for me. 

Easy Peasy Cheesy Quiche

I made up this quiche about 2 weeks ago for the girls I "nanny." I use the quotes because honestly I don't nanny the way you would think. The girls are 15 & 16. Not so much in need of being watched & more in need of someone to listen/guide. Anyway, this is the 3rd time my quiche has been requested in the last 2 weeks. They think it good, so I thought maybe you would too.

Easy Peasy Cheesy Quiche
Serves 6-8

Ingredients
1tsp butter or cooking spray
2 cups chopped broccoli
7 eggs
1/2 cup milk of your choice
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1tsp salt
Pepper to taste

Directions
1. Coat pan with butter or spray (I used a Pyrex glass pie dish)
***this is a crust-less quiche. If you're watching carbs, or staying away from gluten this is a great option***
2. Boil broccoli until bright green. Remove immediately & drain.
3. Mix all ingredients. (again...gotta love a Kitchen Aid mixer for this. It mixes while you clean)
4. Pour into dish.
5. Bake at 350 for about 25 minutes.

Enjoy!

Cheesy Quinoa with Kale & Bacon

Sundays always have this invisible film of pressure. This precious day holds my last few hours of freedom before Monday hits. Do I nap, fold laundry, read a book, clean, go out with friends, catch up on paperwork (somehow there is ALWAYS some sort of work that consists of paper), discover something new in Seattle I've never done, paint my nails, hit the thrift stores...you get the idea. Sometimes (more than I'd like to admit) I sit frozen not knowing what to do. I waste away my precious hours in indecisiveness. Not today my friends! I created a masterpiece in the kitchen. 

May I present you with Cheesy Quinoa with Kale & Bacon???

Thank you Aaron Woodall for the Mac&Cheese conversation that inspired this dish.

Cheesy Quinoa with Kale & Bacon
Serves 2-3

Ingredients
2 cups chopped kale (I used the bagged kale from Trader Joe's)
2 tsp olive oil
1 tsp rosemary
salt & pepper to taste
1/2 cup uncooked quinoa
1/4 cup nonfat greek yogurt
1/4 cup milk (whatever you have on hand)
3/4-1 cup cheeses of your choice (I used feta, mozzarella, & gruyere) 
Bacon bits to your liking (fresh are always better)

Directions
1. Coat kale in oil. Sprinkle with rosemary, salt & pepper. Broil on LOW until warmed.
2. Cook quinoa according to directions.
3. Mix all ingredients & place in 8X8 glass dish.
4. Broil on HI until preferred crispiness is acquired.

Eat it up, because it is delicious!

If you are lucky like me, then you can mix everything with your Kitchen Aid mixer. 

I loaned him to a friend not too long ago, and he came home with a name. 

Meet Tangy. This is his internet debut. 

He is very happy to meet you & hopes to cook for you one day. 

St. Patrick's Day

Guess what? I'm Irish. 

As I was getting ready to get picked up to head to a family Irish feast, I couldn't help but wonder if I was being a poser. So, I asked my uncle if we were Irish. 

Don't ask me details of my Irishness. I just am taking my uncle's word for it. 

And with a last name like GREENE how could I not be Irish?

I took my new found knowledge and feasted on Irish food with a clear conscience. 

My dear aunt Renee prepared a delicious Irish meal.

Corned beef with cabbage & onions & carrots

 

Calcannon

Irish Chicken Pot Pie

 

Soda Bread: wheat, original, & raisin

 Apple Cake

The shamrocks were not Irish, but they were all in good fun

Egg dip made with eggs from their chickens

I didn't get a picture of the dip, but don't these eggs look delightful?

Of course we had green beer. Don't worry, it was non-alcoholic.

The food was delightful, but the babies were the highlight. At least for me. 

This is baby Brayden

   with uncle Tim & aunt Barbara

This is Brayden's twin brother Brycen

   

This is baby Cadence

 with her grandpa & her mom

     This is Cambrielle. She didn't like the camera. 

Our other guests included a hen, a dog, and a peek from the sun

Tour Guide. Part 1.

Jesse, my friend from High School, wanted to come & see what Seattle is all about. He called me up to see if it would work for me to show him around. I of course said yes & immediately found myself in a conundrum. I feel that I don't have much to show for my six years of living here. A fact I feel sad about quite a bit. I didn't want to fail him as a tour guide. And I especially didn't want to fail Seattle. It gets a ton of crap for being so rainy, but seriously it has a ton to offer. I wanted Jesse to see that more than anything. This is the main reason I gave up all hope of getting adequate sleep & kicked my coffee habit up a notch...or two. Jesse even partook of the coffee scene: every sip he took was followed by his face scrunching up. He doesn't like coffee, but he was a good sport. 

This is what happened. We went camera happy. 

 Jesse took pictures through the sunroof. I took this one of him because we were stopped, but he was not beyond taking pictures through the sunroof while the car was moving.

 We both took pictures of ourselves talking pictures.

 Can you see me in the mirror? Strolling Fremont.

This one is my favorite. A picture of me taking a picture of Jesse while he holds his camera @ 

The Seattle Art Museum Sculpture Park.

Posts will follow with all of our adventures. 

I am still getting the pictures organized & waiting for Jesse to send me all of his via snail mail.

Seattle Weather

"It's raining!" (and not men) is a common phrase around the Northwest. Especially from those of us who didn't grow up here. In my 6 years here I have come to appreciate the rain (sometimes) but more importantly I have come to appreciate clear skies. Something my SoCal upbringing did not encourage. Here are some moments I've appreciated weather wise:

Taming the Madness of March

So, maybe it has almost been a month since my last post. I promise I will do better. Cross my fingers, hope to die, stick a needle in my eye. We will ignore the fact that I have a serious phobia of needles. I pass out. No joke. One time my dad even told me he'd buy me a puppy if I didn't faint. No puppy.

March has been very productive so far (especially in the area of flying by way too fast).

I had a minor case of OCD this month. So much so that my roommate coined the term "I OCDid this."

These cases usually come about when I have a million other things happening & I need some order. So, between making baby shower invites, planning the baby shower, helping with the Knox wedding, preparing for my friend Jesse to visit, and trying to complete my grad school application I OCDid some things. OCDoing some things tamed some of the madness that just so happened to fall in March.

Here are some things I OCDid:

Ironed & folded (to the same size) all tablecloths for the much anticipated Knox wedding

Made tags to make packing easier

I'm not currently going anywhere, but one day I will be

Pretty much you just hang your entire outfit for each day including undergarments & accessories behind the day you plan on wearing it. On a hanger of its own of course

This makes over packing almost impossible & mixing & matching second nature

Labeled sections in my closet

Not knowing what order to put things in has been driving me crazy. I finally fixed the problem by making cute labels from scrapbook paper & attaching them to wire hangers. Now when I put my clothes away I know where they go AND when I go to search for something to wear I know where to find it. Also, take note that all of my hangers match. White & plastic. One day I will have beautiful wooden hangers, but for now I have boring white ones. Life on a budget. What can I say? Each section is then organized by color. The order of the rainbow.

Ironed my pillowcases

Confession: I iron my pillowcases. I even starch them. There is just some magic that happens when I do this. In the words of my roommate Meg, "It makes my heart happy."

I am very excited to inform you that this post is the end of only iPhone photos. I love the convenience of the iPhone camera (I will still use it), but I do not love the quality always. That is why I was an Indian giver & took my camera back from my mom. I had let her borrow it while hers was being fixed. I just couldn't do it any longer. Jesse (one of my best friends from high school) came up this past weekend & he very nicely brought it up to me. Hello camera!!! How I missed you.

Expect crazy posts in the next week. Jesse was here for 5 days & we explored Seattle until it closed except for the day we went to Portland & Longview. I drank so much coffee that my skin hates me. I am most definitely dehydrated. It was nine thousand percent worth it. Here is a preview. And. Yes. Our futures are very bright. Thus the sunglasses in gloomy Seattle.