This and That

Work has been insanely busy for me lately, and my 10 minute walk home in 90 degree (give or take on most days) weather really leaves me pretty exhausted by the end of the day, so this blog (as well as other sites I maintain) has suffered a bit.

Couldn't leave you guys without an update for too long, though!



John's brother recently moved up to Akron, which gives us an extra body for our poker games. And another person to play Settler's of Catan with, as John and I have recently become quite addicted to that game.



We've also had people over to the house a number of times to cook things out the grill. John has perfected the art of grilling corn - which is great because there's a farmer's market right down the road from us that has the most amazing corn. I've also managed to get a number of different vegetables to grill from my CSA (including 5 pounds of red potatoes a couple weeks ago!). It's been a blast to light up light up the grill, and sit out on our huge deck with friends.



John had a birthday earlier this week (he's 27 - so he's entered the few months of the year when he's only 5 years younger than me!). Sadly, though, shortly before his birthday he had to sell his car. All the brake lines blew on it, and the cost to fix them was more than the car was probably worth, so he decided to throw in the towel. It's not a big deal because I walk to work 4 days a week (I drive on the days I have to pick up my CSA share, or else it would probably be all 5 days), so there's always a car if he needs it for an emergency... but really, most of the things we need (grocery store, drug store and even fast food) are all within walking distance of the house.



Our vegetable garden hasn't been doing nearly as well this year as it did last year. We have managed to get some beans and herbs, but that's really about it. We also have tomatoes, broccoli, peppers, zucchini and onions planted, but they really haven't been fruitful yet. I guess it's good I'm getting a large basket of locally grown organic veggies every week. The most fantastic thing about the CSA is that, since I already paid for the veggies at the beginning of the year, it's like it's all free. Plus, since I don't eat meat anyway, I stocked up on staples like rice, pasta, and olive oil from Sams, and I really don't need to go grocery shopping much anymore either. I'll be sad when the share ends and I have to start actually planning my meals and shopping again.



Actually, another great thing about the CSA is trying some recipes that I never would have tried otherwise - like the Rhubarb Muffins you see above. Not only that, but I really get to experiment and start throwing random things together just because I have them. In fact, I've even discovered that I can stomach beets as long as I cook them in wine. Mmmm, wine.



Speaking of wine, John and I have been going over for Game Nights at the house of a coworker (and friend) of mine. He recently bought a farm and he has blueberry bushes on this farm and he let us pick a bunch. We're currently in the process of turning them into wine, and our dining room (where we make all our wine) smells amazing right now. It'll be about a year before it's aged enough to really taste good, and I just can't wait.



Well, that's about all I can think of for the moment. I hope everyone's staying cool in this hot summer weather! I, for one, am looking forward to fall. September, actually, has a lot to offer for me: nicer weather, a week-long vacation (mostly free, too, because of the photo contest I won last year), and - most importantly - the Project From Hell going live at work!