Montana De Oro (Mountain of Gold)

One of our favorite places to hike or camp, Montana de Oro State Park is absolutely incredible. We love that place so much, we did our engagement photos there! On this occasion in March '09, Josh's mom was visiting from Texas and a bunch of us hiked some trails and took some photos. It's really spectacular when you are able to start out at the beach with awesome rocky outcroppings, then ascend 1400 feet to the top of Valencia Peak (bottom row, second from right), through flower-strewn paths rustling with lizards and birds, all the while taking breaks to contemplate the vastness (and the bright blue-ness) of the ocean. Absolutely beautiful day, and awesome memories with our dear friends.

Yesterday Sean and I were marveling at how quickly we made friends in Santa Maria. And what a quality group of people too! We did Bible study AND fun stuff like barbeques and hikes and camping. We really cherish that season and know it's a rare gift we were given. How often do you fall in with a group of people and feel at home right away? How often are you able to share so much of life with people you just met? They really became like a family, and we love 'em and miss 'em.

Chicken Thighs with Shallots and Spinach

Here is another new recipe I tried this week! Unfortunately, I didn't have the presence of mind to take photos of the "before" for this meal, just the "during" and "after." Sometimes it's okay to just do something and not document it! It was delicious! Another keeper.

Here is the spinach wilting with help from a white sauce made from sour cream, chicken broth (would love to try white wine next time), previously-sauted-chicken drippings, green onions (couldn't find shallots at the commissary), and oil. It was delicious, even though it didn't really look like the picture in the magazine.

Our finished product! Pretty balanced, as far as veggie, starch, and protein. The spinach wasn't even too soggy for lunch the next day. Enjoy!

La Purisima Mission

Over a year ago now, on March 1st, 2009, Sean and I went on a "double date" with my parents to La Purisima Mission, not too far from Santa Maria. It was a beautiful spring day, and we introduced Sean to California missions. I guess he never learned California history in the 4th grade (doesn't everyone learn California history?), where students either constructed a model of one of the 21 missions along the coast, or created a map of CA with all the missions marked. (Salt dough topographical map? Bo-ring!! I made a California cake, with Mom's help.) Somehow I thought that because I had learned California history when I was young, every schoolchild did. Now I wondered, what about all the other states' histories that I was never taught? Am I missing out on important historical details?? Based on how much (or how little) I remember about CA's illustrious history, I'm guessing I can still be a productive adult in society without that knowledge of the other 49 states.

La Purisima boasts stables and a blacksmithy; a replica barracks room showing typical bedding, clothing, and weapons; beautiful herb gardens; and probably a few things I have forgotten. It's been a year since I visited it, after all!

Oh, how I miss my flip flops (or slippers, as Sean calls them). Hopefully we will be able to wear them soon! Miscellaneous revelatory dialectical note: if flip flops are "slippers"... what do you call that wintertime, fuzzy footwear you wear around the house? "House slippers"! I love marriage!

Italian Meatball Soup!

Remember my overflowing pot from the chili post? It happens somewhat often as of late. :) I should try adapting recipes to incorporate my three-quart crock pot!


The beginnings of Italian meatball soup: carrots, celery, and onion (all of which Sean chopped for me, which included tears from the onion-- so cute!); Italian sausages cut into meatballs and fried; all swimming in a base of chicken broth and tomato sauce (with lots of Italian seasoning)

After adding angel hair pasta

Finished product: yumm! It was a little thicker than Mom's usually is.... probably because I used the Dutch oven, added the pasta way too soon (didn't really measure the pasta either), and boiled it a wee bit long (?). Not sure... but it was still delicious and edible, if not "normal-looking." Another day in the life!

One-Pot Chili

My ingredients...

I had to "borrow" Logan's big pot (a Dutch oven, maybe? It has a big metal lid, with a handle that gets really, really hot) because the saucepan I started with was filled to within about 1/8 inch of the top... before I added the pasta and broth. Oh no! Too full!! Minor emergency in the kitchen! I will be thankful when we move into our house and I can have all my pots and pans around me, even the big ones! For now, we are definitely surviving with what we have. No worries there... it just requires a little creativity (and the unknowing graciousness of our housemate, ahem. I sort of raided the cupboards looking for a big enough pot). I wish I would remember to halve the recipe at first, if it's a new one I haven't tried before, to see if it will fit in my pot!

Finished product: not much to say, other than YUMMM. Sour cream was the perfect crowning touch. Cornbread would have been awesome as a side, but we didn't have the fixin's. Oh well! I don't usually put penne in my chili, but it was a nice addition and provided some carbs. Beef, bell pepper, onion, pinto beans, cumin and chili powder, diced tomatoes. Definitely a "you can do this again" recipe.

On a slightly-related note, I am probably far too proud of the fact that people often comment on the awesome lunches Sean brings to work. :) I love taking care of him and sending him to work with something hot and delicious.... but I also love that people know I can (and do) cook. I want to be a good wife, but I don't want to be a self-absorbed, arrogant wife. :) Something I'm working on...

Lemon Garlic Tilapia & Quinoa

So.... I haven't posted in awhile, but now I have a couple food posts all in a row, so bear with me! The other day we enjoyed some gourmet-looking and -tasting lemon garlic tilapia with a really cool new-to-us food called quinoa, a grain the Incas first utilized (supposedly). They called it "the mother grain," according to the back of the box. (!) Quinoa purportedly has more protein than most grains, and provides a "delicate flavor" as a "truly versatile" side dish. The meal was absolutely amazing (if I say so myself), definitely a keeper, and fancy-looking yet easy, always a good combo for a dinner recipe!

Here are our fillets drenched in butter and lemon juice, and sprinkled with fresh garlic and parsley flakes.

Sean helped me cook the quinoa, adding his special touches. The recipe called for toasting it in a little oil first, which produced a nutty aroma and probably enhanced the eventual flavor. After toasting it for a few minutes, we boiled it in chicken broth (you could also use water or vegetable stock) until it absorbed all the liquid. The grains changed quite a bit in look and feel, ending up looking like little eye balls-- part of each grain got translucent but the "germ ring" was still visible. Quite an adventure to cook it for the first time!

Our fillets, flaky and white (and delicious!). Yummmmmm.

The quinoa recipe I selected had onions, lemon juice, and herbs mixed in it, which reminded me a LOT of tabouli I had in Israel. It was a very Mediterranean or Middle Eastern flavor, evocative and pungent (in a good way).

It was a pretty amazing meal! The only thing to make it better would have been steamed veggies or a green salad (to be super, super healthy). But I didn't think that far ahead, and we survived. :) More food posts to come soon!

Fox Run Regional Park

We have discovered a lovely park just three miles from our current home, called Fox Run Regional Park. Although we didn't see any foxes, we did enjoy some fantastic weather with just enough sun to keep us from feeling too chilly, and gorgeous surroundings to fill our eyes. Lots of pretty trees and cool trails. We even spied some tracks, both of animals and cross-country skis. We happened upon a picnic table in a clearing and decided to come back in a few months and have a meal there-- when the table's not covered in snow! It was a lovely day, and we were grateful for the opportunity to get out, move our legs a little, and spend time together.