Category: home

I love…

Published on by Mae @ Rainydayinmay2 Comments

Like anyone else, I love a lot of things. Especially, today, I love the Earth. I love the air and the sounds and the miracles that happen in and around the earth. Specifically, I love how the earth gives us water and crops and grows luxuriously green grass for me to pad my summer feet through. Of course there is more, but that’s what I’ve got first thing in the morning.

However, since we are on the topic of things I love, I thought I would share a little bit more…

Like, how much I love how sweet smelling and worn out my dogs are after they come home from an afternoon at the groomers.

I love a productive afternoon of working hard on stuff in the garage so we can be DONE with this move already, and then taking my girl to donate a car load of stuff at the Salvation Army and grab a milk shake for the ride home.

I love free birthday gifts from Sephora, just for being a member.

I love that my fourteen year old thinks it’s amazing to watch The Hunger Games (for the 4,000th time) on her iPod nano. All 2.5 inches of it.

I love washing my face first thing in the morning. It sets the tone for a day.

I love new books, and new book release Tuesdays. I love how the ones I’m most excited about are delivered magically to my Kindle at some time in the night.

I love the Monday morning sounds of the washing machine running and bird songs as their artists bask in rays of crisp sunshine.

I love making brown butter French toast a’lorange with Gen. We chat about things, and realize our moods are both up several levels, likely due to the bright blue sky and ginormously glowing orb it holds.

I also really, really, really love Macaroni & Cheese. One of my girlfriends and I pride ourselves on being adventurers on a quest for the world’s best ever Macaroni and Cheese. In the beginning, my husband thought that was just not a cool enough adventure for him, but as the years have progressed he too has grown a bit Mac ‘n’ Cheese obsessed. Every new restaurant, or every stumble upon a new Macaroni & Cheese recipe is like a taunting challenge, SO it only made sense to share those voyages with you. Welcome to Mac & Cheese Mondays, ya’ll…

To start, I thought I’d share Chw’s current favorite Mac’n’cheese recipe. It’s pretty great, just not my favorite, but I am an equal opportunity Mac & Cheese maker so it works out fine and everybody wins. (though, for the record, Gen’s favorite is also my favorite, so we kind of win just a little more!)

What you need… 

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2 c. of your favorite small, dried pasta.

1 c. shredded sharp cheddar

1/2 c. shredded ANY OTHER CHEESE YOU LOVE

1, 8oz package cream cheese

1 c. undiluted evaporated milk

1/2 c. grated (NOT DRIED) parmesan cheese

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Cook your pasta in boiling, generously salted water, according to your package directions. Drain, but don’t rinse.

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Combine, back in pot (BUT NOT ON HEAT) the pasta with the cheddar and other cheese (Not Parm.) and cream cheese. Stir until the cream cheese is melted.

Poor into casserole dish.

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Slowly stir in the milk, making sure to scrape the sides of the dish.

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Evenly sprinkle Parmesan on top

Bake between 25 and 30 minutes- or until desired golden browning on top.

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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chw’s Favorite Mac & Cheese

(Adapted from Beatrice Ojakangas Mac And Cheese To Beat The Box recipe)

2 c. of your favorite small, dried pasta.

1 c. shredded sharp cheddar

1/2 c. shredded ANY OTHER CHEESE YOU LOVE

1, 8oz package cream cheese

1 c. undiluted evaporated milk

1/2 c. grated (NOT DRIED) parmesan cheese

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Cook your pasta in boiling, generously salted water, according to your package directions. Drain, but don’t rinse.

Combine, back in pot (BUT NOT ON HEAT) the pasta with the cheddar and other cheese (Not Parm.) and cream cheese. Stir until the cream cheese is melted.

Poor into casserole dish.

Slowly stir in the milk, making sure to scrape the sides of the dish.

Evenly sprinkle Parmesan on top

Bake between 25 and 30 minutes- or until desired golden browning on top.

EAT!

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On food… {You can’t act like you didn’t know it was coming.}

Published on by Mae @ RainydayinmayLeave a comment

Logo_staticThose who read my blog (or follow my twitter/facebook) are well versed on the fact that I love Trader Joe’s  I love that store! I became familiar with it, when we lived near one- though I stuck to only shopping there occasionally and buying only things I already knew were great. Then, suddenly we lived back in Idaho where that was NO Trader Joe’s. I missed it instantly and began researching products they carried that people loved.

We would travel to a TJ’s within a 6-8 hours drive, and buy a few new things to try while stocking up on the beloved things that no other brand compared to. We would tow along a small cooler to fill with my FAVORITE salad dressing and handful of frozen things we loved, the majority of our loot was of the least bulky and non-cold-needing grocery and face care variety.

Then, in March, we moved.

On our fourth day in our new home, we ventured to one of two local TJ’s markets. It was insanely crazy, small, cramped, a little seedy and quite disheartening.

But we did not give up.

(To those of you who aren’t Joe fans, and are thinking Good grief, this is quite possible the WORST post in the history of blogs everywhere, it’s not- I promise.)

Two days later we braved the other location. We’ve been back every week since.

It’s about 40 minutes from our house, and sadly a flowers don’t travel home well… Which is pretty sad since they have AWESOME flowers. It’s a small thing though. We’ve been able to try a lot of the fresh and cold-needing things we hadn’t before. We’ve been pretty impressed all around. We’ve found some new favorites. Favorites that other supermarkets may carry- but I’ve never seen them…

The top of this list is this. It’s amazing! We’ve had it in sautes, poured it raw into our salads, added it to stir fry and most recently used it in a sweet potato hash that was to die for.

Their Greek yogurt is amazing and affordable.

Their Kefir is delicious, especially the pomegranate flavored.

The sell shave brussel sprouts. Have used them in all of the things I used the super 8 in, and they are AMAZING!

Their instant Steele Cut Oats are fantastic. My oatmeal adoring 14 year old has declared them her FAVORITE.

Their Dixie Peach juice. (YUM!)

Sweet Potato chips. Only potato chips I like.

Their blocked cheeses are a Great price and so delicious.

Joe Joe ice cream was a huge hit with my Joe Joe cookie loving hubby.

Salted Peanut Butter Caramel truffles are to die for. (and fair trade, so no one DID risk dying for them, even better!)

Blueberry scones (in a can like Pillsbury muffins) are AWESOME.

Their frozen Veggie fried rice is amazing, as is the Mandarin chicken. (also frozen.)

There is more- but these things stand out. It has honestly been every single meal, that we’ve raved about how fresh, delicious and amazing something was. It has inspired me to cook more, to cook more creatively…

So there you go… If you live near a TJ’s and don’t use these items- I encourage you to try them…

And if you live in Boise: Hold on!!!! It’s coming. :)

Heeeere’s Johnny!

Published on by Mae @ Rainydayinmay4 Comments

It’s raining today, in our little midwestern town. I am not complaining, I love a good rain. We are nearing having been in this house a month, (I can’t believe it) and though we aren’t quite as settled in as I’d hoped- this weeks call for rain and thunderstorms motivates me a bit. I am one who likes to jump in and get things done, so I am more than a little irritated that there are still an array of boxes in our garage. Of course, it hasn’t helped that I am on week three of a pretty severe cold/infection. All things considered, we’ve got quite a lot going accomplished. I’m waiting to post photos, until everything is done. The grand tour will come then.

Our 19th anniversary was last Tuesday and so on Saturday a friend hung out with Gen and we went on a little date. We went to dinner at a local Hibachi Japanese Steakhouse, only to realize very early on that this made us a bit homesick because we had one back home that we frequented often with dear friends. It’s bound to happen I guess. At any rate, we ended up at this enormous grill table with one other couple. They were older than us, and informed us early on that they loved to chat. It was actually really cool to spend the whole of dinner talking with complete strangers, over juggled knives and the most amazing salmon and steak ever. Our waitress (who was a brunette, but truly a blond at heart.) must have agreed that we had great social chemistry because she brought all four of our meals on one check. Could not have asked for a better evening, honestly.

My husband spent the weekend painting and I couldn’t be more thrilled. My kitchen is now the color of sunshine, and though its really brighter than our norm- considering the grey days this state has- it’s an effective choice for sure.

I am ready to feel better and get out there and meet people. An almost-month is a long time to just see a few old friends and thats it. I am not stir crazy yet, but my thoughts are referencing The Shining a bit more often than I’d like. (I Kid…) I am rejoining my old book club and am very excited about that! It ranks up there just behind the excitement I’ll have to park in my garage and never see another cardboard box again. I’m going to grow old and die in this house- I swear it. Never. Moving. Again. As my beloved Mama would say, “I’m too old for this crap.” Only she wouldn’t say crap, but whatever. It’s all poop in the end.

Kind of like this random post about nothing. It’s simply my attempt to connect with civility by any means possible.

Signed: in need of a cosmo and some banter over brunch…

Published on by Mae @ Rainydayinmay4 Comments

I have all of these amazing things I want to put here…

Like smart moving/redecorating tips we live by.

Or how I used to get to see my kids all of the time, and now the fact that I had all three of them with me (but not at the same time) within the span of 3 weeks, is the best thing to happen to me in a LONG, LONG time.

Or to share photos of our new place, and how fun it’s been to decorate and find new purposes for stuff I’ve had forever.

Instead though, I thought I’d fill you in on the goings-on as we grapple and grapple for some semblance of a routine- while none comes. Just last night, Chw and I were talking about how an evening in Idaho and an evening here are the same in length- yet it goes ridiculously fast here. He gets home from work about 15 minutes later than he did in Idaho- but in what feels like the actual bling of an eye, it’s 9 and we begin shutting down. We went without tv for a month before we left and are LUCKY enough to have Xfinity here, so in theory we’re “catching up” on stuff, while DVRing the new episodes. But that’s just the theory because, aside from watching the entire 3rd season the Walking Dead with A was home last weekend, we haven’t really watched anything. There’s no time, because the evenings are about 12 minutes long…

When I say We haven’t really watched anything, I of course mean WE. I have.

I am sick, you see. And can’t really sleep. And again, I am lucky because I have Xfinity. So, I sit up in bed, with my ipad, and I watch Xfinity. Right now I am watching S & TC from start to finish. I’ve seen a lot of it, but all in syndication. I am finding that watching it, in order, is changing very strong opinions that I had developed about characters. Too bed I’m only like 12 years too late on the S & TC bandwagon. And… It doesn’t really help a girl, when she is really just starting to miss her friends. *sigh*

Since I last posted, G has turned 14, (God help us.) I have turned 37, Chw and I had our 19th anniversary (date to follow, this weekend) and we’ve managed to avoid any major crisis. Yay us! We’ve done unpacking and settling, survived a major shock to our system (who knew car insurance could be so expensive?!?!?), and are hopefully one step closer to some kind of a solid routine. The sun is shining, so that’s pretty helpful.

This place is starting to sound more like one of those weekly family update blogs than anything remotely authentic and personal! I hang my head in blogging shame and close this post now. In the style of Carrie Bradshaw:

I was beginning to wonder, would things ever get back to normal? 

Never buy a white couch…

Published on by Mae @ Rainydayinmay3 Comments

Well, well, well…

Would love to say that was a nice blogging break but it wasn’t. Not unless being stranded by vicious weather and swimming in cardboard and bubble wrap is considered a “nice break”. If it is then, this has been the most splendid string of weeks ever.

I kid. Actually it hasn’t been awful. Awfully cold maybe, but not awful…

Just thought I would come say hi, in case anyone is around reading this old thing. And also, I thought I would take a moment to impart some wisdom on you:

Never buy a white couch.

To take it a step further, never buy a white couch if you have black haired dogs, kids, house guests, are residing on planet earth, ever venture outside- etc. If none of those things apply to you- buy a white couch then, you bragger!

I bet your thinking “Oh no, this stupid broad bought a white couch and now it’s stained.” Nope. Wrong!

BUT, i feel like I scrutinize it constantly, and find myself screaming “Not near the couch!” quite a lot. {Which the dogs don’t really understand}

I am contemplating one of those Osha signs that says something close to “____ of days since something spotted the couch.” So far only one tiny spot has appeared. Then again, it’s only been 5 days.