9.03.2015

What Im Into: September 2015 Edition

In the Kitchen
I may be slightly obssessed with graham crackers lately, and I mean buying boxes and boxes, even mid-week.  My favourite thing to do with them (aside from s'mores, of course!) is to spread peanut butter and sliced bananas on top.  It's the perfect way to add a bit of sweetness to an already sweet snack.  

I've also been making a lot of hummus chicken.  Simply cut into cubes some potatoes, onions, carrots, and peppers, toss with olive oil and salt and pepper, then place in a 9x13 baking dish.  Place raw chicken breast on top and then spread the hummus of your choice on top of the chicken.  Bake at 400F until chicken is cooked through (approx 40-50 min).  I've experimented with different vegetables. Our favourite combination was eggplant, mushroom, and red pepper.  

On my Night table 
Currently Reading: (see sidebar)
A Crown of Swords, Robert Jordan: The seventh installment of the Wheel of Time series, we continue on our quest with the three ta'veren and their friends as they battle with the forces of evil to make their world a better place.  I'm about halfway through the series and I feel like it's taken over my life.  The books just keep getting better and better.

Twelve Years a Slave, Solomon Northup: I'm listening to this one on audiobook and have actually become quite attached to the protagonist.  Written in first person, the author tells us his story of being captured into slavery even though he was born a free man, and his struggles and trials therein.  I would highly recommend it.  If anyone has seen the movie, let me know what it was like. 

Read:
Longbourn, Jo Baker: Written alongside the story of Pride and Prejudice, this book turns our attention too the downstairs life, the lives of the servants.  I enjoyed the imagination that went in to a book like this, and it was neat hearing the perceptions of the Bennet's life from the perspective of the servants.

The Fault in Our Stars, John Green:  This book was written from the first person perspective of a terminally ill teenager, whose story begins in her mid-teens and spans about a year.  We see her fall in love and acheive a life-long goal.  While witty and interesting, the book lacks much hope.

Through my headphones
An audiobook, the radio, and Songza.  Nothing much to write about here.

Fitness
Blogilates- Still doing this, although some days are easier than others.  Keep up with her monthly calendar, and you'll notice some amazing results!

In the Word
I'm still following the She Reads Truth program, and working my way through the Fruit of the Spirit series.  Last week we studied about love, peace, patience, and kindess.  I love how much scripture we are set to read each day, and the encouragement from reading with other women.

Love,
Ashleigh

Peaches and Summer's Not Over Yet...

I made use of the delicious Ontario peaches that are being sold in grocery stores this summer.  Every year I make the resolution to start buying more locally grown foods in order to save some money.  They always say to buy in season, right?  The peaches I bought this week are absolutely heavenly.  I think I've had three already today. What's better than biting in to a succulent, sweet, juicy peach?


Speaking about summer, this weather has been killer.  We don't have AC, so I've just given in to the inevitable-I'm gonna be sweaty, I'm gonna feel sweaty, and it's a reality.  I feel bad for the boys, but in some sense babies don't really notice too much anyway (although their little rosy cheeks don't lie!)

I find myself longing to blog every once in a while, and not knowing what to blog about.  Being a Mom is a big part of my daily life and routine right now, but I don't want a 'Mommy' blog (not that there is anything really wrong with that!) The other inhibitor from blogging has been the lack of a laptop during my downtime during the day (i.e. Jake has the laptop at work when I'm home with the boys, and 'downtime' is whenever they're napping)

However, I recently acquired an iPad mini from a friend (my first Apple product!), complete with a detachable keyboard.  After a little bit of trial and error and a lot of googling "how to connect a keyboard to an ipad mini" I've finally got it working.  I will also add that there is a sense of liberation as I type away on my own device, knowing that nobody else needs it for whatever reason.  I'm extremely grateful to my friend for her kindness, since I've been needing a tablet of some sort for a long while now.

This guy and his hair...it's become such a statement piece.  People are split right down the middle as to whether we should cut it or leave it.  Both Jake and I have agreed to leave it for now.  We all love it and nobody has really mistaken him for a girl because of it.  It's gotten so curly over the summer, with the humidity and all.  

Keep cool in this heat.  We're going to go on a field trip for AC later on. 
Love,
Ashleigh