Ahhhh

I LOVE spring. This weekend I hung clothes on the line (it's like meditation to me), read while sitting outside in the sun, and drank cucumber water. Okay, I can drink cucumber water year round, but not outside. :-) I also did some yard work - not as much as I wanted, but as much as my growing belly would allow.

Saturday I went to my Tai Chi class. It's actually a combination of Tai Chi, Qi Gong and Ed Ju. Anyway, it's a very relaxing hour, and you wouldn't believe how much of a workout breathing can be.

Jaimie's "Congratulations, Your Divorce is Final!" cake was well received. :-) So was the pizza she ordered. Mmmm. Now I want pizza. Maybe I just shouldn't talk about food.

So, because I'm all over the place, this cucumber water I mentioned - just slice a cucumber and put it in a pitcher of water. If you have any lemon, one slice of lemon is a really nice touch, too. I like to keep the pitcher in the fridge - after a few hours you can taste the cucumber, and it's delicious! Still water, but more refreshing. (I put about 1 whole cucumber per gallon of water... adjust to your liking).

Tonight we've got girl scouts, which is always interesting.... I'm really hoping that the troop where we move is a bit more outdoorsy and service oriented. We're pretty tired of junky craft projects week after week. Glitter is cool and all, but girl scouting is so much more then just glitter and cookies! Fingers crossed that tonight I'll be pleasantly surprised. :-)

Oh, and one of the best parts of spring - the chickens are laying again! Not our chickens, I don't have any, but the chickens we buy eggs from - they took the winter off, and are laying again in full force. Mmmm. Farm fresh eggs are the best. Again I'm talking about food. Stop it, Rachel, stop it!

Surprise!

Last Friday I thought I was going to dinner and a movie with some friends as a "good-bye" (even though we don't know when, we are going!). Nope, it was a surprise good-bye party with lots more friends then I expected. And it was lots of fun.

Oh, and the biggest part of the "surprise" was that I was the honorary hostess of the Passion Party that was to take place that evening. So, I got to taste some edible massage oil, check out half a dozen personal massagers and browse the catalog. It was a fun party, to say the least. Actually, it was freakin' hysterical. Not something I need to do often, but with the right guest list, I'd definitely go again.

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I get to make two cakes this week, I am excited. The first one is going to a dessert auction at church - the high school mission team is raising money to build a home in Mexico. The second one is going to Jaimie, it's a "Congratulations, Your Divorce is Final!" cake. Sounds kinda sick, I know, but this divorce is definitely the right move for her, so I am very happy for her. Plus, based on seeing others go through divorce, no matter how right it may be, doesn't make it easy, so we'll eat cake and talk. Oh, and for the record, I will not write "Congratulations, Your Divorce is Final!" on her cake. I'm not that trashy. ;-)

I feel like there's so much more to share, but I also kinda feel like if I say too much, things won't happen. Just a wee bit supersticious. And I am 100% positive I just mis-spelled that, but I'm too tired to care enough to fix it. :-)

For Fun...

Thanks to Double Nickel Farm, I found this list of the top foods people love or hate, and here's my take on the list:

1. White Chocolate: Gag. It isn't even chocolate, and it's way too freakin' sweet. Lauren would probably try to live off the stuff if I let her, though.

2. Cilantro: It took me awhile to find that I like cilantro, but it is a nice, yummy addition, and a must for pico de gallo!

3. Eggplant: Eh, I could go either way with this one. If it's prepared well, it's really yummy. I just don't know how to prepare it well.

4. Coconut: Mmmm, I love the stuff! Especially fresh. Though getting inside still kinda eludes me.

5. Tomato: fresh, home grown (or farmer's market purchased) are the best. I don't eat too many fresh tomatoes outside of tomato season for that reason. We always have canned tomato products in the pantry.

6. Anchovies: Never tried them, not sure I could stomach them.

7. Black licorice: I hate this even more than I hate white chocolate. It really is gag-inducing for me.

8. Stinky cheeses: If I'm in the mood. And not sitting next to Aubrey. She pukes when she smells feta.

9. Mayo: A thin layer on my sandwich is nice for some moisture, and I'll happily add it to recipes. Oh, an as far as I'm concerned, Mayo and Miracle Whip are the same. I never eat enough of the stuff to tell the difference.

10. Bell Pepper: Super yummy!

11. Beets: Boiled and buttered or pickled, I can't go wrong with beets. Aubrey can pack away more pickled beets in one sitting then anyone else I've met. She makes me proud. :-)

So, do you love 'em or hate 'em?