Today we've been living in our new house for one week. Although it's "new," we bought it 15 months ago and my husband has been working like crazy on an addition and complete remodel including some beautiful landscaping. We've been so excited about our home and it feels amazing to finally live here.
I'll spare you the details of my eye infection, 60 ungraded essays, and the unpacked boxes to announce that I have had 3 great nights of sleep this week (thank you baby sister!) and I'll give you some of the food-related highlights of our move so far.
On our first night in the new house, I took the girls out to buy some ingredients and I made our first meal here: Chicken breasts baked in a wine herb sauce with the Trader Joe's Harvest Grain Blend and some asparagus. We have a Sprouts really close and a Trader Joe's, but our nearest Whole Foods is back in Pasadena. A few months ago, someone in town asked me, "Why would you move here from Pasadena? They have a 2 story Whole Foods!" The answer: there are TWO 21 Choices in this city . . . what more could you want??
To help us feel at home, we baked cookies on our second night. Chocolate chip with oatmeal! Look who was licking the batter (before it was even done).
I've never had double ovens before and I could bake a lasagna and our cookies at the same time. The lights in the oven are especially fun for big sister - she can keep an eye on the baking progress.
Next up, on Monday morning, was some granola. I haven't made it in about a month and big sister and husband keep asking for it. I didn't have agave, apple juice concentrate, or some of my normal ingredients so I improvised with this stuff that I found. My pantry still needs some adjustments so I haven't unpacked all my pantry foods yet. Verdict: regular apple juice doesn't work as well as the concentrate, maple syrup made it sweeter than usual but I liked the sesame seeds. The unsweetened coconut I finally found doesn't stay very moist so it's probably best in granola.
One of the things big sister is most excited about is her own garden. She didn't want little seedlings ("It's not really planting because they are already planted") so we bought packages of seeds. So far, she's planted sweet peas, summer squash, carrots, and basil. I hope for her sake these seeds sprout!
Welcome Home! Although we will miss you out here in Pasadena. How does this move affect the commute to your jobs??
ReplyDeleteWow Bec, you've accomplished so much in the past few weeks! Good for you for making baking cookies and planting seeds a priority with your big girl! Can't wait to see more posts from your beautiful new kitchen!
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