On homemade bread and happiness

I made homemade bread for the first time last week, and it made me feel like such a grown-up woman. Mondays are now my day for catching up on homemaking duties, and for things that make me feel relaxed and happy. And I've found that those two overlap quite a bit. I love being a woman, and I believe part of my divine nature as a woman is an innate desire to care for a home and family. I get a lot of joy out of things like neat stacks of folded laundry, a clean and comfortable home, or pulling off a great meal. Taking one day off each week was such a good decision for me. My life finally feels like it's in balance.

Yesterday I stayed busy all day. I did laundry, cleaned, grocery shopped, went to Costco, made bread (again. it's too fun.), wrote in my journal, visited a friend, and caught up with my mom on the phone. Oh and of course watched The Bachelor finale. (Oh, guilty pleasure.)

I'm looking forward to an early morning flight to Utah on Thursday. I scheduled this trip in early January in a fit of post-Christmas-vacation homesickness. That has since passed, but I'm still so excited for the visit home. I can't wait to squeeze my nieces and nephews, chat with my family (without burning through giant chunks of cell minutes), eat out at old favorites and new places, catch up with SmilePerfect ladies and other friends, and throw an awesome baby shower for sister-in-law Michelle.

I have been so happy with life lately. I feel content where I am and what I'm doing. I love living in New York. I love the energy and unique beauty and life of the city. It envelops you, it sucks you in and you become part of this larger entity, this almost living, breathing thing that is New York. There's no place like it. I love being part of it.

On Sunday I looked out the bus window at the brownstones and old churches in Harlem on the way to church and tried to imagine driving away from here in a U-Haul knowing we weren't coming back. It made me sad to imagine that day! It will be hard to leave this place and our experiences and memories and friends behind. We used to say "a couple years," when asked how long we'd be here, but we're already coming up on the year mark and I don't feel even close to halfway done. Don't worry, family, we're not going to be here forever, but we definitely love it here and are in no hurry to leave.

And I think that's good. It's good to be content with life. I'm so much happier when I'm not looking for some change that will supposedly bring happiness. This is the time in our life to live in New York, this is the only shot we get at the present, and I really want to live it. It feels good to be content with the present. I love my family and I still feel so connected to them. I don't feel like I need to move closer to family in order to be happy anymore. And it feels really good to be happy with my life, exactly as it is today.

Regular trips home can't hurt, though!

The Maiden Voyage

I used my new mixer for the first time! I was surprised at myself and just how excited I actually got. Don't get me wrong, I was excited to use it. But I just didn't expect that I would involuntarily start jumping up and down and squealing as I watched it knead my dough for the first time. It was glorious!

I only had one little mishap. (Note to self: Make sure the arm is locked in the "down" position before kneading dough.) The mixer made it as far as the sixth cup of flour, but the seventh cup was the threshold. It somehow caused the non-secured arm to jump up, puffing flour everywhere. It was a great moment.

The damage:



But look at this gorgeous dough. And I didn't have to stir or knead anything!


And the results worked out pretty well. I figure with years of practice I'll learn to form loaves of french bread as beautiful as my mom's. :)


And since most pictures I take lately are of our food, here's what we made tonight. Shrimp Po' Boys (Klane's idea). We'll say it was a meal in celebration of Mardi Gras, which is today.

Mrs. Harding Cooks (and finally blogs about it)

Mrs. Harding is back in the kitchen. Rather, Mrs. Harding has been in the kitchen all along, she has just been too busy to post what she's been up to. Either way, head on over to Mrs. Harding Cooks and see what's been cooking.

sunday with the whites

A lovely Sunday evening was spent with the White family. We met up at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine with Forrest, Abbie, their kids and Abbie's adopted mom Sallie + her son Logan. I'm so glad Abbie thought of going, I can't believe I hadn't been yet! The cathedral is only a couple blocks from our place, just a short walk through Morningside park. It is amazing! It was especially cool because there was a choir singing when we were there. Standing under the impossibly high ceilings, looking up at the stained glass while listening to this ethereal music was really amazing.

Afterward we walked across Columbia campus, then rode the train up to the Whites' and enjoyed an awesome home cooked Sunday dinner, complete with pot roast and mashed potatoes. Abbie is really a fabulous hostess. It was so fun meeting some of their good friends who also came, and chatting and laughing with everyone after dinner. Thanks Whites! We love you.

We came upon the cathedral from the back, and the sunset light was just lovely.








Klane was standing on this in the previous photo



Check out the video, you can hear the choir and see how huge the cathedral is inside


These are the Whites, minus Eli, who was playing on the stairs. Isn't Abbie just gorgeous?


Audrie. Too cute.


Columbia


Audrie on the subway. Obviously I can't help myself.


Abbie and Sallie with our awesome spread


She thinks of everything


BFF's ;)

baking... the way to calm my nerves (theoretically)

For some reason I don't feel complete without some kind of baked treat readily available in the apartment. Scary. Today it was oatmeal cookies.

I wanted to give a quick update on the job search. Yesterday morning I went to a dentist's office who invited me back this week, after an interview in June. I shadowed the hygienist all morning and she showed me the ropes. They invited me for a working interview on Tuesday. I am soooooo nervous. I'll be seeing a full day of patients. The office is wonderful though, everyone is so incredibly nice and it's very high quality. I would love to work there, I hope it goes well.

I am unbelievably nervous. What if I get in there and my mind goes blank and I have no idea what to do? What if I can't work fast enough and I get behind? What if I can't figure out how to use Dentrix and have to ask a million questions? What if I'm too slow and I ruin the schedule? What if I make a mistake in the charts? What if I make people wait because I'm too slow?!

In my dream last night I completely forgot to come tell the doc I was finished cleaning so he could come check, and I got like 30 minutes behind and they told me to just leave. The sad thing was the doctor is so nice, I distinctly remember that in the dream it wasn't like he was mad, it was like he felt sorry for me. Ugh.

I think I'm going to be insanely nervous no matter what, but if I can just keep moving and at least act like I'm confident and in control, I'll consider the day a success. I am very freaked out so prayers would be appreciated!

weekend, i prefer the weekend

I really like Fridays around here lately. Yesterday I enjoyed the most gorgeous run in the park; the early morning temperature is cool and perfect. And on Fridays Klane and I both only work till about 2:00. Then we get to meet up, ride home and spend the afternoon together. I love it. Things are just better when Klane's around. Yesterday we were having so much fun playing games on the train home that we missed our stop and ended up at 145th street before we even noticed.

Klane usually has work, aside from DDB stuff, which he does at home on his own time. Website design, mostly. This is a familiar sight:

I often decide the best form of entertainment during moments like this is baking something equally naughty and delicious. Things are getting a little out of hand; in the last ten days I've made blueberry muffins, peanut butter cookies, peanut butter bars, blueberry coffee cake, and then today, fudge brownies. (They're for the Sunday school kids, okay?)

Given the above list, it may surprise you that I actually do not have a goal to gain 100 pounds or have five cavities by the end of the year. It should also be noted that on Friday it was 90 degrees with 95% humidity, so heating up the apartment with the oven is really not that smart. I need a new hobby. It's just that I find these tempting recipes and they nag at me and I can't get them out of my head and I have to make them.

Thank goodness Klane still has time to spend with me. Last night when he got back from scouts, we watched Moonwalker in honor of the recently deceased King of Pop, which was random and creepy and thoroughly entertaining. I feel more culturally well-rounded now that I can say I've seen it. This morning we shared an awesome run. We changed it up and ran along the Hudson and it was just gorgeous. We were unfamiliar with the trail and so ended up running a lot farther than planned, but we knew that eventually we would come upon these fountains at 125th street where we'd get to cool off:

The last time we visited this spot, the eight-year-old in me wanted to get completely drenched, but we were going to dinner and had to act like adults. Today at the end of our run I got my wish. We both got sufficiently soaked playing in the fountains, then walked home with squishy shoes.

sunday mornings

They're good for Blueberry Pancakes.

saturday baking

It's maybe a little bit unfortunate that I find baking so entertaining. Because I've been bored a lot the last couple months. I'm sure there are a lot of really productive things I could be doing. It's just that when I'm trying to think of something to do, none of those things occur to me. Baking treats does. Eating usually follows.

And I don't know, there's just something about mixing up the ingredients, the familiarity of the steps, putting something in the oven and waiting to see how your creation turned out.

...and the reward at the end isn't so bad either.

Today my excuse for baking these peanut butter chocolate chip cookies was that we're teaching our youth Sunday school class for the first time tomorrow, and I wanted to bring the youth some treats so they'll love us. Think it'll work?

prep.

Night before the farewell: in the kitchen with some of my favorite people.