Laugh a Little

In a wonderful book that I recently finished (The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin) I saw a statistic that made me a bit forlorn. Apparently, on any given day, a child laughs an average of 300-400 times while an adult only hits 17.  I understand that slammed with work and responsibilities (such as taking care of these non-listening laughing little children) our lives can't be quite as funny and carefree as they once were. Plus, our brains are a little more mature and able to understand everyday concepts a bit better. Take, for example, an adult compared to this baby:

(Can't help but laugh with her, can ya??)

But to laugh 96% less than we did as children? Ridiculous! So in an effort to raise my daily laughter percentage I settled in on my comfy couch with the puppy at my side to do some research. That's right, for the good of my health and all adult human beings, I found that you can laugh more if you sit around looking at funny prints on pinterest.com for over an hour. And since I understand that most people don't have the will or time to commit to such high pursuits, I've decided to share some of the ones that I found most amusing. So have some laughs and then GET BACK TO WORK! And even then, do keep your daily laugh count in mind. Maybe, if we all get really serious about this, together we can raise that average to 34/day. What do you say?

**After way too much time spent figuring ways to get them posted on here, I've realized that the easiest way is to get YOU there. So simply click here and you should be able to peruse my Pinterest board.**

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Butterscotch Brownies

There are days that I feel like a super-wife. I've got dinner on the table for Peyton when he gets home, a clean not-so-dirty kitchen, an apron protecting my splendid clothing, and music wafting its harmoniuos tunes throughout the house. I conveniently forget the fact that I'm actually in running shoes with an old t-shirt and odd tennis skirt, that the house hasn't been vacuumed for far too long, and that the dogs haven't been fed. Or maybe I'm simply asserting my women's studies side and quietly fighting the wifely image shoved on us. Whatever it is, today I am super-wife. And here is why...

I made butterscotch brownies.

Heavenly, gooey, vegan brownies with just the right balance between sweet and salty. And they will win his heart all over again. Plus hide the fact that I've completely monopolized the bathroom counter with hair products that I rarely use, clothes that are mostly clean, three pairs of tweezers, two contact cases, and a pair of scissors. (Let me lovingly point out that if Peyton has noticed this takeover, he has been completely mum on the subject.)

But I digress.

These babies are good stuff. I can attest to this firsthand (the cook naturally gets to try things first.) I found them the other day on Your Vegan Mom and knew I had to give them a whirl. Her description is great, as is her recipe, and I have to say the pecans are my favorite part. Do not leave them out! I also added a few chocolate chips. Delicious, but not as jam-packed with flavor goodness as the pecans. Her recipe can be found here, and while there check out some of those other yummy-looking meals! This is the first I've tried, but I'm sure there will be many more. And maybe, if I'm lucky, next time I'll be sporting an apron with this bad boy:

Enjoy!

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Life is a (Hopefully) Long Road

At least that's what I'm trying to remember today. For the past month or so Peyton has been interviewing for a promotion in Delaware that seemed like a sure thing. And it was. Until yesterday, that is. Politics in his company held him back (while potentially opening up another great opportunity), so our Delaware dreams are no more.

Now, without insulting anyone from Delaware too much, we weren't thrilled about living in or around Dover. Moving from one of the best cities like Austin to a small, seemingly simple town like Dover was a bit tough to stomach. But that's where the excitement came in for me. It's easy to come to Austin and to love it, to take it in, to be encompassed by its unique culture. It's a whole other deal to go to a city where there isn't live music nightly, abundant happy hours, outdoors sports and activities of every and all types (stand-up paddling anyone?), and always a new restaurant to try. These are the cities that you have to dig for the gems. You work to find what you can make yours, what will make that place unique. It might be as simple as walking around exploring until you stop in the sunshine on a beautiful street with lovely old houses, shady trees, and birds singing the most lovely songs. Or it may come from trying hole-in-the-wall restaurants until you find "your place." And it might take time. You might have to slowly meet people, find groups, go to the same spots and realize one day that this place holds a piece of your soul. The place that you thought seemed simple and empty, has awakened a part of you that you never knew existed.

So this is how I saw Dover. It was an exciting chance to explore and discover. It was a shot for Peyton and me to create memories in a place not touched by any others and to grow closer in the process. And I couldn't forget the fantastic fact that it was 1.5 hours away from Baltimore. This, of course, led to dreams of me swooping in for a girl's night with my MAC ladies or a quick trip to the only dentist I've ever seen (yes, this was actually in my daily thoughts) followed by a Harbor East Whole Foods run (and maybe a swing by Lululemon??). I envisioned having babies that frollicked on the beach on weekends year-round and got to see their grandma more than four times a year. Babies that would grow up belonging to the east coast and knowing the seasons. Who would roll down hills of lush green grass and come back with stains on their clothes. Who would sail the Chesapeake, visit Deep Creek Lake, and get bundled up like little babushkas in the winter. (Thanks Camille for that image, seen here. Umm... Adorable, anyone?) So clearly the news dashed the dreams I held for my future loves.

But, and there's always a but, this is when I have to remember that life is a long road. Would I have ever guessed four years ago that I would be married to a wonderful man from Tennessee, living in Austin, Texas, and about to graduate with a science degree and a 4.0? Not in many, many guesses would I have gotten that. Who would have thought that dropping out of school and getting a job as a carsales[wo]man would have led me here. And I have to say, it's pretty great. I may miss things up north, but I also love things down south. I love the warmth and the great weather. I love the music scene, the Texas state parks full of cactus and dried wood and cedar, the way at any moment I could see a striped lizard scurrying away from me. These are things that I would have to trade if we moved away, and I'm not sure I'm ready to do that. Our babies may not have the beach every weekend, but they could grow up getting colored mohawked hair at the Austin City Limits music festival every year. Or eating vegan milkshakes from Toy Joy. Or counting armadillos on hikes. We'd figure out ways to see the grandparents more often, and those trips would be sacred and special in a way that weekly ones wouldn't. We could be the proud parents of Austinites who would be just as beautiful as Delawareans.

Or maybe we won't. Because (I tell myself YET again) life is a long road, and it's an amazing adventure. Two years from now we might be in New York or San Francisco or back home in Baltimore. We might be in the process of adopting a little bean because we can't have our own, or rubbing my swollen ankles since I'm about to pop. Even though I don't know where we will be or how we will get there, I'm sure we will do our best to soak up the good. We will create the best moments we can. We will explore what the world has to offer and create a life full of love and happiness, a life we can be proud of. Because life is a long road, and we're in for a superb ride.

LIVE THE MURRAYED LIFE

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Yummilicious Tofu Casserole

Coming home to a well-dressed husband making you dinner is pretty gosh-darn nice. Coming home to a well-dressed husband making you a certifiably delicious, can't-get-your-fork-out-of-the-pan dinner is even better. Earlier in the day I had spotted a yummy looking recipe on my friends' blog, Smalltimore Eats. I casually mentioned to P. that it looked like it would hit the spot that night, and lo and behold he not only listened but got on it! And let me tell you, we are sooo glad he did. It's a casserole with tofu, onions, red pepper, and corn covered by cornbread. I have never been a casserole fan, but this meal (that is a perfect size for a dinner party) was in our house for less than 24 hours. Seriously. Whether vegan or meat-eater, you will be missing out if you don't give it a shot.

 

So thank you Katie and Amy for the delicious recipe! In a food coma I completely forgot to take any pictures, so I just borrowed these from them and am sending you over there for the recipe. Enjoy!

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An Outdoor Escape

Posting pictures of the yard has been on my mind for the past two months (that's when I took these pictures), but apparently I haven't found the driving force necessary to do so. Here enters the need to escape from personal issues and to procrastinate from writing a fascinating paper on potatoes and globalization. Those quite motivating factors, coupled with the fact that we should document the "beginning" before showing the progress we've made, have led me to finally disclose our share of the great outdoors. Mind you, we like to say it "has potential," so don't get your hopes up too high. Definitely no fountains or great landscaping or well manicured green lawns. Just a lot of dirt, some plants, and dog poo (that I'll gladly tell you now is long gone!).

So imagine you are just driving walking (don't need to promote unnecessary use of fossil fuels in imaginary situations) down the road to come to our humble abode... Walking, walking, walking and bam! There it is on the left. Once upon a time you would have been greeted by ultra lush asian jasmine ground covering. Sadly, though, that is now a bare cover with mostly dead roots. Hurts the eyes a bit, but we are giving it lots of TLC to get it back on the mend.

 

You then turn up that lovely little sidewalk and are looking at us straight on. To the left is the lonely, never-used front door and to the walkway on the right is the driveway, back door, and backyard. So let's just take a right for pictures' sake. In real life though, our front door and it's "M" wreath would absolutely love a visit.

Before moving you take take a quick peek over to the right while you are deciding which way to go... Some semi-green grass, pretty crepe myrtles, and lots of low, dying jasmine yet again. Poor guys.

So you've made your way to that little entrance that you see above, and are greeted with a wide open breezeway filled with stuff. Some "stuff" is useful, such as the tools and recycling bin and firewood. And then some is temporary and will hopefully have moved on by your next visit. The back door is to the left and will enter the kitchen/dining area, but you decide to be brave and face the wilderness that is beyond.

And this is what you are greeted with! Not too shabby, eh? We have hopes that the vast expanse of dirt (oh, life with dogs) will either A. be lush, green grass one day or B. become a lovely natural landscape that prevents erosion and works with the Texas droughts. It's just cash and indecisiveness that are holding that space back.

You then take a stroll down the pretty patio, forgiving the fact that it is due some attention, and turn around to gaze at the lovely orange Tennessee umbrella and grill cover. "Lovely", Peyton we said! You also spot one loner dead bush by the garage. Curious...

By taking a turn you now see the back corner and the pathetic, dying orange tree. Don't you worry though! We have finally taken pity on that dejected soul and hopefully done some good for it. More to come on that soon.

If you decided to venture off of the patio to the left you would end up right here, in the far left corner of the yard. This space is the sunniest spot and just begs to become a vegetable garden in the future. Those wishes are definitely swaying our vegan hearts pretty quickly.

And this... well, this is just an example of the ground we have to deal with. Hard pounded, dry dirt and rocks. That's part of the reason why any change to the landscape is going to take quite some hard work through gritted teeth.

So there you have it! The place that oozes potential but needs lots of TLC. We are hoping to continue on as far as money will allow so that we can enjoy it as much, if not more, than the dogs have been. And with this starting point, I now have no reason not to post some of our progress. Long live procrastination!

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Sweet Potato Black Bean... Stuff

Peyton and I have had a wonderful time recently riding bikes to the Whole Foods to pick up some yummy goods. I ride along, hair blowing, curvy calves glistening, laughing away with the fresh vegetables sticking out of my beautiful wicker basket. (Ok, reality. Have helmet hair when I arrive, sweat dripping out of every pore, can barely breathe let alone laugh, and lug a heavy backpack full of orange juice, almond milk, and soon to be smooshed bananas. But ya know, I like to imagine it the other way... It's that whole Pinterest fascination (more on that here) that has me living my life through gorgeous (and imagined) images.) Anyway, even though they aren't picturesque, these trips truly are great. As always in life, there is:

The Good: Bonding time without any gadgets, fresh air, helping save the world, helping save the dollas, and most importantly, a good booty workout.

annnd...  

The Bad: We don't plan well, leave when hungry, and come home famished with no energy to put together any of the ingredients for recipes we just decided on.


Luckily, there is a meal that saves the day time and again by keeping us from eating frozen food good badness. It's quick, easy, and great for the ticker too. I learned about it from my lovely friend Jenn and none of us have come up with a name besides that "sweet-potato-black-bean-salsa-and-cheese-stuff." But the yumminess makes up for the lackluster title. (I mean, how much would we really sell from a menu with that one? Possibly lots if we added "Locally grown, free-range, grain-fed, and hormone-free potatoes." Hmmm...)

Sweet Potato, Black Bean, Salsa and Cheese Stuff

Ingredients: 

One sweet potato

Black Beans

Vegan cheese **We've decided that Daiya is the best after sampling almost every other out there**

Salsa

1. Bake sweet potato. Due to our lack of planning, we always use the microwave. Scrub that bad boy down, keep it wet, fork it a few times all over, then wrap it in a paper towel and microwave for around four minutes each side (or until soft.) **It can't just be me that was thinking this was getting "dirty" after the first few steps... can it? :) **

2. Chop and mash potato (we keep skin). Add beans, cheese, and sprinkle of salt and microwave until cheese is melted. 

3. Top with salsa and whatever else your heart desires! I sometimes add avocado or spinach and then have salad as a side.

It seriously is that simple. So simple, in fact, that I wonder if you are questioning my sanity over writing it down. But sometimes the simplest combos can be the best. And this sweet potato as taco (getting towards a name... hey hey!) thing hits the spot. So snatch up these versatile, long-lasting ingredients next time you're shopping and I bet that "stuff" will be beckoning you to try. 

P.S. Despite a post having nothing to do with our recent accomplishments, we have indeed had a very successful weekend in home business. I am totally giddy to share the details with you but have to finish the final touches... More soon!

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Spring Has Sprung!

And I'm really loving a few things in particular.

1. Pinterest.com. Ok... So it has nothing to do with spring. But I am love, love, loving it. Pinterest is an amazing online community that you can create inspiration boards by "pinning" pictures that you find. You can peruse other people's boards, comment on pics they've pinned, and repin them onto your own! It's fantastic and beautiful and totally a visually-drawn procrastinator's dream. And I've just found (true obsession never rests) that I CAN tie it to this lovely season with my number 2, found there but originally from here. If you are interested in joining you need to get on the invitation list and wait a week or two. Or you could just take a peek, realize how amazing that place is, and ask me to send one of my invites to you. I'd be thrilled to share the joy.

2.

My nightly occasional walks with Tegan are now sans iPod because of the natural musicians all around. Birds' songs are simply intoxicating. They call stress out of me after a long day and then refresh my soul as they announce a new morning. They are so gentle that when they first begin I barely notice, but every year they never fail to usher in the time of new growth and beauty.

3. My new herb garden. Being vegan, we cook lots and lots at home (not that you would know since recipes have certainly been lacking... will work on that!) and use herbs all the time to add flavor to our meals. I'm embarrassed to say that for the past two and a half years I have been purchasing all my basil, cilantro, parsley, and dill from the grocery store and swearing every, single time that I would plant some that weekend to stop the endless waste of money that is the herb market. But lo and behold, I never did. So after forking over much more than necessary to please our taste buds, I finally did it. I planted some herbs.

I was inspired by the dollar section in Target one day when I saw these.

So I grabbed four, a dollar pack of five metal plant markers, and then swung by Home Depot for some seeds. In no time flat I had some metal pails full of dirt and lots of tiny balls of magic.

All I had to do was wait. And let me tell you, when those first little sprouts started to show I called the hubster out excitedly like they were shooting out benjamins. Parsley was the slowest little guy, and Basil most definitely the cutest, but they are all out now experiencing the world with gusto.

Maybe I still have some waiting to do since they haven't even hit puberty, but baby, we are on the road to herb-free shopping trips. Hallelujah!

4. Peyton working outside. Poor Peyton doesn't get much time to enjoy life, as work has him going into the wee night hours most days, but the silver lining is he is able to do it outside. Most nights he can be found on our patio with a string of Christmas lights bunched above him in the umbrella, two lanterns swaying in the tree, Pandora streaming in his ears, glass of wine at hand, tapping away on his laptop. Maybe not the ideal situation, but it definitely is a darn good workosphere. I'll try to snap a shot sometime soon, but let's keep our fingers crossed that I won't get a chance!

So how about you? Is there any thing about spring that has you entranced?

We have plenty of gardening ideas on our plate this weekend to keep us out and about appreciating the chirpy weather. With spring giving us so much beauty, we are trying our best to pitch in. Spring is the time to be fresh, to try something new. Whether that be gardening, running, tennis, cooking, or sitting outside on your porch, go give it a shot. Just spread your wings, open your mind, and free your song. Spring is here!

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