Inspiration

George the Pumpkin's Tragic End

A couple weeks ago, my mom bought me a pumpkin at the grocery store.  It was one of those moments where she really didn't see a need to buy a pumpkin... but I was bouncing up and down and saying excitedly that we could name it George and pleasepleaseplease could we buy George, take him home and give him a theme song??

My cuteness won her over eventually.

That or I was embarrassing her...

I did end up singing "George, George, George is a pumpkin!  WATCH OUT FOR THAT GOURD!" till the end of our shopping trip..

Yeah. I'm pretty sure it was the cuteness....

Anyway, yesterday I decided that it was time for George to make a nice exit.  He had graced the center of our table long enough...It was time to disembowel him and eat his innards. (ha.)

Sooo I googled.  And decided I would toast and sugar some pumpkin seeds.  The recipe turned out delicious, even though I kindof changed some things ;)

 

Ingredients

• One medium sized pumpkin
• Salt
• Olive oil
• Vanilla (optional)
• Cinnamon and sugar (optional)

Preparation

1 Cut open the pumpkin by cutting a circle around the stem end, and pulling off the top. Use a strong metal spoon to scrape the insides of the pumpkin and scoop out the seeds and strings. Place the mass of pumpkin seeds in a colander and run under water to rinse and separate the seeds from the everything else.

2 Measure the pumpkin seeds in a cup measure. Place the seeds in a medium saucepan. Add 2 cups of water and 1 tablespoon of salt to the pan for every half cup of pumpkin seeds. Add more salt if you would like your seeds to be saltier. Bring the salted water and pumpkin seeds to a boil. Let simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and drain.

3 Preheat the oven to 400°F. Coat the bottom of a roasting pan with olive oil, about a tablespoon. Spread the seeds out over the roasting pan in a single layer. Bake on the top rack until the seeds begin to brown, 5-20 minutes, depending on the size of the seeds. Small pumpkin seeds may toast in around 5 minutes or so, large pumpkin seeds may take up to 20 minutes. Keep an eye on the pumpkin seeds so they don't get over toasted. When nicely browned, remove the pan from the oven and let cool on a rack. *If you want your pumpkin seeds with vanilla and cinnamon and sugar, all you have to do is pour a little bit of vanilla and sugar mixture into the pan and mix it all up.  Then pop it back in the oven till their nice and crispy.*  Make sure you let the pumpkin seeds cool all the way down before eating!

 

-- RM

Currently...

Currently, I am re-reading Peter Pan.  One of my very favorites when I was younger.

I just rediscovered it thanks to a lovely friend of mine (Emilyann over at the nine tenths) who wrote a song based off of the book.

I can't stop replaying it and singing it and humming it and ohgoodness, she's amazing.

Rememberings

October has always had a unique smell.

The smell of holidays fast approaching, crisp autumn breezes rushing through me as I stomp on crunchy fallen leaves, recipes that have been put away till winter time making their annual appearance. 

These smells bring both anticipation..

And memories.

I remember raking leaves with my siblings in my grandma's front lawn all afternoon.  And then, because we had so much fun, the next day we'd rake her neighbor's lawn too.
I remember dressing up as some creature from a greek myth (Medusa or a centaur or a muse) and collecting enough candy to last me at least six months.

I remember gathering with family to watch the Chiefs play after church and eat chili.  October was always the month of chili.

Now I listen as my dad tosses the football around with my brothers.  One high-pitched laughing voice warning two deep throated giants about his "really long toss" that they'd better catch!

Now I watch and take pictures as the children I teach build leaf piles to jump in.  I may even join them.

“If growing up means it would be beneath my dignity to climb a tree, I'll never grow up, never grow up, never grow up! Not me!”
― J.M. Barrie

 

Now I sit.  Enjoying life for this brief moment.  Amazed at how quickly time has flown.  Frightened by the same thing.  But content to just be for as long as I can.

 

 

“Rivers know this: there is no hurry. We shall get there some day.”

― A.A. Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh

Katy's Senior Shoot

 I had my very first official, not of a family member and not as an experiment, but a real photography session this past weekend.

I might have maybe enjoyed myself just a little bit...

We skipped all over, exploring Lupburg and its many camera-ready spots.  Hallelujah for living in Europe.  It is so very easy to find photogenic areas here.  Castles, tumble-down buildings, fields, forests, character-filled junkyards.  Germany's got it all.  And within walking distance, too!

When Katy asked me to do her senior pictures, I stood there, thought about it, checked my calender and then coolly replied, "Yes. I suppose. I wouldn't mind taking your senior photos."

Oooor...you know.  Jumped up and down, giggled, hugged her and said, "YESYESYES!! PLEASE! I'D LOVE TO!" 

Because I'm just that professional.

I thought I'd share (some of) the fruits of our extremely business-like afternoon.

 

(We interrupt this broadcast for a special announcement:  I just love candid photos.)





 

--RM

This Is Fall

Turns out, that what I described as "fall" a month ago is not, in fact, fall.  Even if leaves were descending...

This.

This is fall.

A drive through countryside bursting with multitudes of wonderful, rich, golden color

is fall.

Beautiful purple flowers mixed with the reds and browns of leaves in all of their glory

is fall.

Watching farmers work in their harvested fields, preparing them for winter

is fall.

The orange burst that can't possibly be the sign of something dying

is fall.

And I can't get enough of it.

 

The Project Unveiled!

I am opening my very own clothing line!!

HURRAY!!

This summer has been devoted to getting all of the wrinkles worked out and the system up and running and now we'll see how it goes!

 

 

DWA Design

 

^^ Click the link ^^

:D