Clay and Water

Last night I realized that I have something going on every weekend until the wedding. On top of that, working 40 hours a week, other commitments through church, babysitting and trying to do some of my own work in the evenings, life seems to be going in fast forward. It's so important to me to not take days for granted. It's easy to wish away the week in anticipation of the weekend.

Life doesn't stop though. It doesn't even pause. It's up to me to catch my breath and allow myself to change and move with what goes on around me. I have a lot of changes happening in my life and while it seems overwhelming, natural progression can be a beautiful thing. I feel like the people who fight change and always want things to stay the same are the ones who end up disappointed.

There's a song that I always turn to when I start feeling like life is going through a bit of a loop-dee-loop. It's called "Clay and Water" by Margaret Becker...

I'm back!

I had a whole post written about recent wedding accomplishments, and couldn't bring myself to post, because frankly, it's not all that exciting unless you are me or my mother. So here's a fun video that Sean sent me yesterday morning to bring some cheer to my week:

Creative Endeavors

I recently began some freelance design work, a very enjoyable collaboration with a new friend, "Miss Rosy". She came to me with the idea for a couple wedding-related blogs, as she's a newlywed (she had a gorgeous Martha's Vineyard wedding last October) and has valuable tips for the bride-to-be and young newlywed. She has begun featuring Boston area weddings at Rosy Love, as well as the project she has enlisted my creative work for, The Rosy Report.

The Rosy Report takes more of a "dish" angle, with fun pop colors and a whole lotta attitude. I have been having a lot of fun contributing to various posts with my illustration, as it has given me a chance to work a creative outlet that I don't normally get to explore in my day to day work. And given the frequency of blog posts, it has given me a challenge to really make the time for myself to illustrate, as well as build my personal portfolio.

I encourage you to take a look. Even if "wedding dish" isn't your thing, it's fun to see what creative things Boston brides are doing (check out this Halloween wedding - I saw some pro-pictures from this past wedding, this girl worked her BUTT off and it was a beautiful wedding!).

Chicken Soup for the Kickass Soul

Tonight I was on my own for dinner, and wanted to try to use some leftovers to create something tasty. Fortunately, I had half a leftover baked chicken breast and some veggies. I didn't expect any other than a hearty chicken soup, but this stuff has a bit of a punch to it, and I am going to toot my own horn here...this might be the best chicken soup I've ever tasted. It didn't even occur to me to take a picture until I was halfway done eating - oops! Hopefully I can recreate it!

This recipe is for one serving, multiply as needed! Also, I apologize for my poor measurement specifications. I don't usually whip out the spoons and cups unless I'm baking. I also don't include nutrition facts because you can usually tell if something's going to be on the leaner or meaner side of things.

Kickass Chicken Soup

3 tbsp butter
1 small onion, chopped
3 ribs of celery, chopped
2 large carrot, chopped
1/2 cup of chopped mushrooms
1/2 chicken breast (pre-cooked), cut into small pieces
2 cups of gluten free, low fat chicken broth
sea salt and pepper to taste (I use about 5 twists to the grinder on each)
1/2 tsp dried rosemary
1/2 tsp dried thyme
2 dashes of sage
1 dash of cumin
2 dashes of ground paprika
1 dash of ground cayenne pepper

Directions: In a deep frying pan, melt butter over low heat. Add onion, celery, carrots and mushroom, season with salt and pepper, and saute until soft. Add chicken broth, chicken and other herbs and spices. Stir and then let simmer over medium heat for 35-40 minutes. Serve hot.

The little touch of cayenne gives this soup a kick like none other you've tasted, I promise. It's so good for a cold night, it's chock full of vegetables and protein, and it really tastes flavorful and satisfying. I am a soup person at heart (nothing makes me happier than a big bowl of clam chowder, any day of the year), so I was very surprised by the crazy delicious flavors making their way from my bowl to my mouth. I wish I had made more than one serving so I could bring more for lunch tomorrow!

This could easily be made as a crock pot stew, add a little rice to bulk it up, and you'll have a great, hearty fall meal to serve your family. Or to, you know, horde to yourself. I don't judge.