Home Sweet Home with a Side of Ale

There has not been too much excitement happening for Kyle and I since we arrived home from Illinois.  The few weeks ago Kyle and I went to see the movie Crafting. A Nation at Jester King Brewery.  The land the brewery is located on is absolutely beautiful with its rustic look.  Hmmm maybe a nice spot for a wedding??? J  The movie we watched was right up Kyle’s alley.  I enjoyed it as well but I believe Kyle found more inspiration from it than I did.  It was awesome seeing how much people put their heart and life into running a brewery.  I never associated pure happiness with running a company until I watched this documentary.  There were two true downsides to the night for me though…boooo. 

1.       Most of the beer is made in aged oak barrels.  YUCK!  Kyle doesn’t mind this but it makes it a little too sour for me.  So unfortunately I could not enjoy the beer as much as I would have liked to. 

2.       GIANT.  SPIDER.  Did I make myself clear???   Giant meaning bigger than a silver dollar and its body was thicker than your two thumbs put on top of each other. This spider was so quick on the dark ground that it looked like it was just floating.  This movie was outside in the grass so let’s just say I was paranoid during the whole movie wondering when this huge spider was going to attack.  I probably distracted every single audience member with my constant kicking and shuffling of my feet.  Ugh. 

Last weekend Kyle and his housemates hosted a housewarming party.  It was a ton of fun and surprisingly not awkward.  The reason there was thought that it might become awkward was because it was 4 housemates invited their own separate group of friends, coworkers and family.  This was bound to be a crazy group of randoms, but it turned out being this beautiful mix.  Everyone got to know each and stayed for such a long time.  Beautiful celebration. 

 

A few other highlights of the last few weeks:

1.       I learned how to Stand Up Paddleboard (SUP) at my good friend Crystal’s bachelorette party.  Such a fun party! 

2.       Linds and I spent three weeks carrying for an abandoned baby mocking bird.  It seemed to be doing great, then it broke either a foot or a wing and wouldn’t stand up and then the grand finale consisted of a road runner eating our baby bird.  LINDSAY AND I HATE ROAD RUNNERS.  They are vicious….they eat other small birds for pete’s sake!!!!  Jerks. 

3.       Kyle learned how to make some pretty darn delicious lemon bars. 

Other than all that fun stuff, things have been fairly quiet in these parts of the Hill Country.  The summer has not been as hot as most in the past so thank God for that!!!!  We’re just livin and lovin life over here!!! 

 

Xx

 

P.S. Recipe of the week! 

Lemon Squares

Recipe adapted from Home Cooking with Trisha Yearwood (c) Clarkson Potter 2010

Total Time:  1 hr 0 min

Prep 15 min

Cook  45 min

Yield:   15 squares

Level:  Easy

 

Ingredients

Crust:

• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, at room temperature
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar, plus more for sprinkling
•  

Filling:

• 4 large eggs
• 5 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from about 2 large lemons)
• 2 tablespoons grated lemon zest
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions

For the crust: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter. Mix the flour and confectioners' sugar in a bowl and add the melted butter, mixing until a dough forms. Press the mixture firmly into a 9- by 13- by 2-inch pan. Bake the crust for 25 minutes.

For the filling: While the crust is baking, with an electric mixer, combine the eggs, lemon juice and zest until smooth. Add the granulated sugar, flour, baking powder and salt, and beat until smooth. Pour the mixture over the baked crust. Bake for 20 minutes more.

Remove the pan from the oven and let it cool completely. Sprinkle the top with confectioners' sugar. Cut into squares and serve.

Sum, Sum, SUMMERTIME!

This summer has been filled with a lot of great times already.   Mentioned in the previous post were the grand visits of my sister and Kyle’s sister.  What wasn’t mentioned was the grand birthday that took place during one of these visits!!  A certain fiancé of mine celebrated his 30^th birthday this past June!  I know, I know baby face Burnside is not as young as you once thought.  Those mutton chops LIE!  His birthday was splendid…or at least I think so J  Not only did he get to celebrate it with Beth and Mark, but later in the evening a bunch of our other friends met us at The Salt Lick Barbeque for some delicious eats.  Even one of our really good friends who is a VEGETARIAN attended this celebration (Thanks Kristi J)!!  What a wonderful start to a great summer!

Soon after Kyle’s birthday he moved into his new home this summer with some of our good friends.  The house they are living in right now is super cute and normal J  Ahhh nothing screams “splendid summer” like moving people into their new home in 100 degree weather!!  Regardless of the work and eat it was a great day none the less.

 

Grandpa, Anna & Molly

 Recently Kyle and I came down to Illinois to spend some time with friends and family.  We also were able to attend our lovely engagement party thrown for us by our families and my niece’s baptism.  Both events were spectacular!!! I was blessed with the opportunity to actually be home for an extra week than Kyle because my job makes it possible for me to work sometimes away from the office.  Having the opportunity to just spend time with my oldest sister, Becky, and her kids was worth it.  My favorite part of the whole trip was having coffee in the mornings with Becky and going for runs with Beth, Theresa and Kyle.   It’s really awesome to see how these little acts of everyday life are what mean the most.  The most moving thing I experienced while at home was seeing my sister Claire and her boyfriend, Bryce.  These two traveled all the way from northern Minnesota just to spend a few days with me and the rest of the family.  It is so overwhelming to see how generous and selfless people are in your life.   These two weeks I spent back home made me feel so loved and lucky to have such wonderful people in my life.  Here are some other highlights of my/our time back home:

Kyle and Anna

·         Kyle became Anna’s (my niece) Godfather

·         Socrates survived 2 plane rides!!!!

·         Surprise visits from Dad

·         Fantastic bike ride with Kyle’s mom, Pat

·         Hot Tubbing J 

·         4^th of July at the Nachman’s (quality time with the Vogts, Ryans and sisters)

·         Lots of sister shots J

·         Wine bar and pizza

·         A few hours spent with Miss Jamie Sanders….love this gal J

 

·         Baby shower for a dear friend, Lambie J 

       
          ·               Owen, Molly and Anna….Duh. 

 

Owen and Socrates...love/hate relationship :)

·         …this list is basically endless!

Thank you to all those I got to catch up with so far this summer.  I’m excited to continue many more wonderful memories this summer!! 

XX

P.S. Recipe!  Watch out all you slow cooker users!!!

Slow Cooker Creamy Macaroni and Cheese (makes a generous 4 servings)

Ingredients:

2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni

4 tablespoons butter
2 1/2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
1 (10.75 oz) can condensed cheddar cheese soup
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk (I used 1%)
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Directions:
Boil the macaroni in water for six minutes and drain. In a medium saucepan, mix butter and cheese. Heat over medium high heat and stir until the cheese melts. Spray your slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray. Combine cheese mixture, sour cream, soup, salt, milk, mustard and pepper in your slow cooker. Add the drained macaroni and stir again. Cook on low for 2 to 2 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally (I cooked mine for about 2 hours and stirred it twice and it was perfect).

Recipe source: six sisters stuff blog