end of the day prayer

I've seen and heard this prayer floating around lately. It's honest, comforting, and some good last thoughts at the end of the day.

Lord, I'm weary after a long day.
I lift my chin and look to you.
I offer you the cares from the day, the concerns of my heart and the things that keep me up at night.
Take my sincere yet imperfect offerings and miraculously multiply them to meet the needs around me.
When I crawl under the covers tonight, help me to remember that I'm not under my circumstances.
I'm safe under the shadow of Your wing.
Cover me with sweet, nourishing sleep tonight.
Oh, how I love You. Amen.

river days

I was introduced to canoe trips a few years ago and haven't looked back since. So when Zach asked if we wanted to take a fall canoe trip, we were all for it. We set out for the Rum River early Saturday morning, with two full travel mugs of coffee, several layers of long flannel+long underwear, and tubs full of firewood, fishing gear, camp food, and tents. What ensued was nothing less than fall/fishing/camping/canoeing in all its glory.

Mark and Zach rounding the bend

Enjoying the sunshine and fishing

One of many beaches along the way

We ate goooood! Roasted potatoes, veggies...

...and marinated steak. With s'mores for dessert. Hello.

the morning frost

Tim cooking a breakfast of bacon, sausage, corned beef hash, and eggs.

My bass!

to my dad

Today is my dad's birthday, and I know he has had a long day of flying all over the country today so he deserves a shout-out on the blog. And probably a piece of cake.

Happy birthday, Dad! There's a lot that I could tell you on this milestone of a day, but I'll keep it short and sweet. I'm so proud to have you as my dad - just like I was the day you walked me down the aisle. You make me feel safe, you challenge me, and you make good coffee. Thank you for being a stand-out example of a father, husband, and son. That's not an easy thing to come by these days. I love you a lot.

Erica Elen

currently reading

I go through reading phases where I'll read 3 books a month, and then I won't read anything for 3 months. With all the hustle and bustle that comes with moving and getting settled into a new house plus the busyness that is summer/family vacation season, I haven't had my nose in a book for quite some time. Until now.

via

Enter: "A Homemade Life" by Molly Wizenberg. I can't even remember now how I came across this book; I like to think it was destiny. It's a non-fiction, coming-of-age book about life, love, and food (seriously, there's recipes throughout the book). Can it get any better than that?! And her writing is incredible and delicious. What I love even more is that the recipes are not for big, daunting dishes that require fancy tools and spices. They are manageable, realistic, and even simple. For example, I just got done reading the chapter that includes the recipe for Red Cabbage Salad with Lemon and Black Pepper. Translation: red cabbage thinly sliced, doused with olive oil and lemon juice, seasoned with salt and garlic, and sprinkled with grated cheese and black pepper. Hello! Love it.

Please excuse me while I proceed to whiz through the rest of this book and hastily copy down each and every recipe.

new traditions

One of my favorite times of year is here.
Crunchy leaves begging to be walked on.
Crisp mornings with their sweatshirts and steaming mugs of coffee.
Sunny afternoons that make me want to curl up and take a nap.
Yellow school buses driving down our quiet street.
Quilts making their way back onto the beds.
Kitchens toasty and warm from baking spiced breads, cookies, and crisps.
I love it all.

You know what else I love? Family traditions. This past weekend we were with Tim's family for the annual Turkey Day weekend (which is a tradition in itself) and started talking about traditions, how cool they are, and what traditions we could each start. Part of the reason I love traditions so much is because I love predictability and I'm a sucker for nostalgia.

A new tradition I have subconsciously started - photography baby Ev, the cutest baby I've ever seen in real life. A lot happened this past weekend - watched the runners in the 10K, met up with old friends, took in the parade - yet 90% of pictures turned out to be Evie-centered. And I, for one, do not have a problem with that. Seriously can't get enough of her big eyes and that giggle when every time you squeeze her thighs.

hey beautiful baby girl

turkey day parade 2012: NOT the big one

Bob on stilts for the parade

 a tushy heart = adorable.

"uncle tim, you sort of have hockey hair."

pickled hot peppers

So Mom's garden is exploding with produce and reaped some of the benefits of that this past weekend. Besides swiping zucchinis, tomatoes, potatoes, basil, dill, green beans, and several jars of canned goods, I canned some of my own goodies Monday afternoon. Tim and I love sandwiches and always pile them high with all sorts of add ons, so I pickled/canned a hot pepper mix of 5 different kinds of peppers. Woah, baby, I can't wait to pop open a jar of one of these in a few weeks.

Pickled Hot Peppers
adapted from this recipe

1 1/2 pounds banana peppers, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 pound jalapeno peppers, cut into 1 inch pieces
1/4 pound serrano peppers, cut into 1 inch pieces
8 chili peppers, whole
8 habanero peppers, whole
6 cups vinegar
2 cups water
4 cloves garlic, halved
1 onion, roughly chopped
1/2 tsp salt per jar

• Wash and sanitize 8 mason jars and lids
• Once the jars are sanitized and dry, add half a clove of garlic, one chili pepper, and 1/2 tsp of salt to each jar
• Fill the jar with layers of the peppers and onion
• In a large pot, bring the vinegar and water to a boil. Once it's boiling, take off the stove and carefully pour it into each jar, filling it 1/4 inch from the top.
• Wipe off the rim of each jar to make sure it is dry, then put a lid and ring on jar
• Place the jars in a large canning pot and fill with enough water to almost completely cover the jars. Bring the water to a boil, and boil for 20 min.
• Take the jars out of the pot and (my favorite part) listen to them pop as the jars seal.

lately...

I spent the Labor Day weekend (which also happens to be our anniversary weekend) at home while Tim was fishing/camping up north. Romantic, I know. And you probably shouldn't even ask about our anniversary supper. Let's just say it involved a messy house, an empty fridge, a local burger joint, and the curb. Yep, keeping the love alive.

Being home, though, was really nice. I always love going home, where everything and everyone is familiar; driving past endless fields of corn and beans; the smell of the country. My long weekend consisted of:

• morning coffee dates with mom on the deck every morning
• a high school football game
• reuniting with my second family (Ericksons - that's you!)
• celebrating Mandy's birthday
• buying new shoes
• sleeping in
• watching a Twins game
• canning garden produce (more on that later)
• evening walks down the gravel road
• family hike around Camden State Park
• reading this excellent article about marriage and friendship