Easter Dinner

Happy Easter!

With Mark's recital just under two weeks away, he's been quite busy this weekend with practicing. Since we were working around his practice/rehearsal schedule, we had a low-key Easter today just the two of us (although we did have several kind invitations to join friends/family, we weren't able to work it out this year!).

Here's what we had for dinner: homemade french bread, twice baked potatoes, ham, and roasted brussels sprouts. Later on, we'll have carrot cake for dessert!

Of course, the day isn't about food, but it is nice when new recipes (like the bread and brussels sprouts) turn out so nicely.

Since I spent most of my day at home (in and out of the kitchen), I did have plenty of time to reflect on how truly thankful I am for Christ's redeeming work on the cross and His continued work in my life.

Ah, Spring...

Though the calendar says spring, our weather still says winter! I'm super ready for warm days, sunshine, and the pool, but I decided that since we got several inches of snow today instead, I should have some fun with it. After work, I went out back and made a snow family. They're a bit dirty and lumpy, but still more successful than my previous attempt two winters ago!

Mark took this for me from our balcony.

Can you see the little dog on the bottom left? :-)

Homemade Sandwich Bread

I've also been experimenting with making sandwich bread. I haven't bought any from the store for over a month (maybe two?), and so far, everything I've tried has been edible. But today's bread was nearly perfect! A nice, tall loaf, with great flavor and soft texture. Hooray! It's not 100% whole wheat, but it seems like it's really hard to get a 100% whole wheat loaf to turn out well at home. I will probably keep experimenting with other recipes, and perhaps try increasing the whole wheat in this one, but I figure homemade bread with no additives must be better for us than the stuff at the store, even if mine is only half whole wheat!

Today, we had ham and cheese sandwiches on this bread for dinner. I'm already looking forward to my usual pb & j for lunch tomorrow!

Incidentally, this recipe also came from Frugal Girl!

Best Homemade Granola

I've tried a few homemade granola recipes over the last year, but this is hands-down the best one. I think, with more experimentation, I'll be able to modify it and make other versions (like banana walnut or pumpkin spice). It seems that the ratio of sugar/syrup and oil to the rest of the ingredients is a key factor in getting the right texture.

The original recipe comes from Cook's Illustrated, but since only the most current recipes remain accessible online without a membership, I went looking for a blogger who had posted about this recipe. And I found this version from Frugal Girl. Two great things about it: you don't have to constantly stir it, and it actually clumps together. Also, because of the high amount of vanilla, your whole house will smell divine while it's baking!

The first time, I followed the recipe pretty closely, including the raisins, adding in some ground flax seed and omitting the coconut (from FG's version). The next batch, I tried walnuts instead of almonds and added in a mashed banana, but despite reducing the oil and syrup a bit, it was a chewy rather than crunchy. Next time, I'll try decreasing the liquids even more. In this current batch, you'll notice that I opted to include the coconut but leave out the other fruit, and customize it with each serving. This morning, I added fresh strawberries. I also have raisins, dates, and dried cranberries to choose from as I keep eating. Yum!

Spring Break in Hocking Hills, OH

Mark and I have been on spring break this week, and it has been so nice to have some time to rest and relax together! I spent the first weekend of the break doing housework and grading, but since then, I have been taking it easy. We decided that we should take a short trip somewhere, and a friend recommended the Hocking Hills area in southeast Ohio. We left Wednesday after lunch and were home by lunch today (Friday), so it was a short trip, but I think the change of pace and scenery was much-needed. We stayed at a cute little cabin in the woods. I loved the decor and even the color scheme, plus it was immaculately clean. Very comfortable and quiet. The location was also close to Logan, which gave us easy access to food, activities, and shopping. I think the highlight of the trip for both of us was hiking around Old Man's Cave in the Hocking Hills State Park. It was the first time I've seen that type of scenery--all the icicles and frozen waterfalls were really beautiful! So I think if we have a chance to go back (perhaps in the summer or fall), we'd enjoy exploring the area even more.

Here are a few pics:

At the Logan, OH Visitor's Center--our first stop.

The museum is at the Visitor's Center.

Pencil Sharpener Museum at the Visitor's Center

The sharpeners are organized by category. I'm pointing to the globes.

Can you tell Mark didn't really want to pose here by the musical instruments?

Our cabin, "Nestled Away"

The kitchen (which we didn't use)

Aren't the walls pretty?

The back porch with private hot tub!

  

This state park is about 11 miles down a very windy road.

How cool is all that ice?

The trail was snowy and icy at times, but we made it!

Old Man's Cave

This bridge reminded me of the stained glass window above Mom & Dad's front door.

Notice all the ice at the bottom?

An "icicle" about as big as me!

This was one of Mark's favorite spots.

At the washboard factory in Logan, OH (the only one left in the US).

This was near our cabin.

 And, mostly, I opted not to take pics of our food, but this may have been the best sandwich I've ever eaten!

Steak hoagie with blue cheese at the Brass Ring Golf Club.

It was a great trip! Now, Mark's getting back to practicing for his upcoming recital, and I'm all set to relax in my own house for a few more days before heading back to work on Monday.