Saturday Morning Coffee

 

image via Pinterest

My Husband is at a bible study and I'm supposed to be babysitting. Because of the rain though it's been canceled (the dad was going to a tai chi class)

Instead I am savoring my coffee and the relative quiet of my apartment (the neighbors as always are stomping around)

We went on an amazing date last night. Tried one of the last of 2 restaurants in our neighborhood that we haven't been to. Gialina's, it has amazing pizza and their menu changes daily, we like that. We had a pizza with Gorgonzola,Bacon and Yukon gold potatoes, yum! Then on to our favorite cafe for some coffee so I could stay up late because we went and saw The Hunger Games. First time we'e gone and seen a movie on opening weekend in a really long time. We even got there super early to ensure good seats, so worth it. I greatly enjoyed it, I just keep having to remind myself the little details don't matter and it will never be as good as the book. (that sounds like a bad review, I promise it's not) 

I think I shall now go put on Pandora, open the curtains to the beautiful rainy day and do some cleaning.

I also need to find my birth certificate. It's not lost, I just can't remember what box it's in. I really really really need to get my passport.

Or maybe I'll read some more of the book I'm currently reading


Decisions, decisions.

Guayaquil, Ecuador

This summer I have an opportunity to go to Guayaquil,Ecuador with my church Glad Tidings San Francisco to help build classrooms.

We will be partnering with a church and school in Guayaquil called Centro Cristiano. It is currently serving 7,000 of the half a million children that can't go to school because of the extreme poverty. We will be building classrooms to provide education for an additional 4,000 children.

As a church we need to raise $25,000 for the building of the classrooms. I personally need to raise $2,500 to cover my travel expsenses and help contribue to the over all fund to help these children get an education.

Any amount is greatly appreciated as well as any and all prayers for the raising of funds, safety as we travel and work in Guayaquil and for the children who will be blessed with an education.


You can donate directly with the button on the right or go to my personal chip in page here
lilacbarries.chipin.com/classrooms-for-guayaquil-ecuador

Potato Soup

I lived with my grandmother for 6 years, all through high school and right up till I got married in 2003. She was many things, one of them being a great cook.

Her bread and butter was Potato soup made in her cast iron skillet. As kids we always got to be her sous chef and our main job was to take a potato masher to the soup at the end. 

Before she passed away in 2007 I kept trying to get her to write down her "recipe" for me. Unlike the rest of my family I've never been good at just throwing things together. Alas I never got her recipe and have yet to try and duplicate it . Oh well, I did get her big cast iron skillet. 

Mainly I remember: Bacon chopped up in little pieces, Potato's,a bay leaf and copious amounts of half and half and butter. It was always thick and creamy and more often then not served with sour dough toast toasted in the oven. 

Tonight though I made a soup that by no means Pipi's potato soup definitely had the essence of her soup.

I roughly used this zuchinini potato leek soup recipe I found on See Girl Cook. it Basically boiled down to it's what I had on hand and the fog made it a perfect soup night.  I went looking for a recipe to follow and found this one. 

Made me think of my Pipi and how much I love and miss her.

 Are there any family recipes that make you think of your childhood or no matter how many times you make it, it just never tastes the same?

A Destination and Inspiration

The Hubby and I have started a new Saturday tradition. Going for a walk in our neighborhood and then getting coffee and breakfast at this place. a little bakery in our neighborhood. So far it's only our second week doing this but I'm loving it. The weather today is just gorgeous. And for under $10 dollars for both of us it fits right into our budget.

We're making a very conscious effort to get back on financial track this month. we haven't gone on any crazy spending sprees or anything, we just haven't been sticking to our budget. The main problem area for us is always eating out.This has always been our problem area, long before we were even writing a budget. It's made even more difficult living in a city like San Francisco, when there is just so much good food.oh well.

We are also back on the let's have a container garden in our back yard band wagon. We thought about it last year, tried doing a little window sill herb garden and that failed. I however just finished reading Farm City by Novella Carpenter so I have fresh inspiration. Plus I really want to learn to can things. 

It all boils down to I've read all of Laura Ingalls Wilder's books one too many times (Yes I am 29 and still read them at least once year). I want to live on a homestead and have chickens, and make my own clothes, and cheese and butter,and can things. But I also love the city. So a container garden it is.

We're actually thinking about this at the right time this year and not in the middle of summer when it's basically too late to plant anything.

Hopefully we stick to it this time.