Winter Sky

When I wasn't taking pictures of the kids on their sleds, during my hometown sledding trip, I couldn't stop snapping photos of the amazing sky. It was a rich, cool blue and covered with wispy clouds and trails left from airplanes (which since it was a few days before Christmas made me think of all the people making their way home for the holidays.)

I don't think I really ever appreciated what a beautiful place I was raised in until I started traveling. I think seeing more of the world expands your idea of beauty. And you start to see how emotions like happiness make every place even more lovely.

I've arrived in Australia, trying to get on the right time zone and sweating while I look at this chilly photos!

"Now I'll be bold as well as strong, and use my head alongside my heart."

Mumford and Sons - I Will Wait

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Below My Feet

Mumford & Sons - Below My Feet

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Lyrical Musing: Awake My Soul

 

Mumford and Sons: Awake My Soul

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Planes, Trains, Ferries and Buses

It seems as if I've managed to use every mode of transport this trip - with the possible exception of a hot air ballon.  And I've decided the stereotype about everything in Switzerland running precisely on time, may just be true.  The public transport system here has been so easy to use - even for someone who doesn't speak French or German.

I've also decided that seeing a place through the eyes of a daily commuter is a blast.  After a week, I'm starting to recognize faces, the walk/ride/run gives me a chance to check out the architecture, cars and other sights, then I get to work and get to ask questions.  I've noticed there are some very fancy cars here - which led to a discussion about the wealth in the country.  The next day I noticed the garbage men and wondered what kind of a living they made and how they could afford to live here (everything is so expensive.)  Luckily my coworkers are happy to answer my questions and I feel like I've already learned a few things.

Just a quick post - I'm off to dinner with a friend in Friborg.  Dinner with E is one of the reasons I love my job.  She's Australian, but had been living in the UK just before we met in Brazil, we then lived together for a while in India, then she moved onto Canada and I cam back to the US.  Now she's living here in Switzerland and we get to meet up for dinner.  The world really isn't as big as we sometimes think it is.

I've been craving a little Mumford & Sons all day - so here's a little something to take you into the weekend.  Do you have something fun planned?

Mumford & Sons White Blank Page
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One Last Storm (hopefully)

We had a good sized storm in my neck of the woods over the weekend (well over a foot of snow.)  And while I am very much hoping the switch from February to March means this will be the last of the winter storms, I did find some beauty while I was out shoveling the walks on Saturday.  The kind of beauty that made me pull my camera out - something I haven't done much of lately.

Even as tired as I am of snow and winter, I have to admit mother nature is the ultimate artist.

I've been thrilled to see Mumford & Sons on top of the charts in the weeks since the Grammy's.  I want to do my part to keep spreading the word, so here is a bit more from them:

Mumford & Sons Winter Winds from their Sigh No More album
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Bits and Pieces of a Musical Nature

I know the Grammy's were Sunday, but I just can't stop thinking about some of my favorite performances.  Any performance that has you still thinking about them days later is, in my opinion, a winner.  In no particular order here are my favorites from the Grammys.

Mumford and Sons, The Avett Brothers and Bob Dylan.  I know these guys all lean towards the folk side of the spectrum, but I thought they ROCKED.  I'll admit I'm not a huge Dylan fan, but they guys all looked like they were having a blast performing with him. UPDATE:  I've heard this video isn't working, here's an alternate if you are really interested.


Keith Urban, Norah Jones and John Mayer performing Dolly Parton's "Jolene."  Proof that great musicians just need their voices and a guitar or two to make beautiful music.


Miranda Lambert's "The House That Built Me."  I don't care how many times I hear this one it always makes me teary.


Muse's "Uprising."  Seeing this one after watching the events in Egypt over the past couple of weeks was awe inspiring.


While Katy Perry didn't make my list of favorite Grammy performances, I feel like I need to give her a shout out here.  A couple of weeks ago I (kind of) dissed her in a post at i-Studio, when I used her song  "California Girls" as an example of the type of song I didn't want my niece to claim as her favorite.  But then last week I heard Katy's song "Firework" performed on Glee and now I find I need to eat a little crow.  The message of this particular song is lovely and just the type of thing I'd like to hear Miss M singing.


Did you have a favorite performance at the Grammy's?  Does anyone else think Lady Gaga is looking/sounding more and more liked Madonna 2.0? Pin It

Cooking 101 - Warm Chickpea Vinaigrette

Thanks for all of your support and ideas on my new cooking project.  So far this week I've managed to make the world's easiest cookies (1 spice cake mix, 1 15-oz can pumpkin and 1 cup chocolate chips, mix together and bake) and completely mess up a package of jello pudding (who knew pudding wouldn't set up if you used Soy Milk?)

I also tried a new recipe out of a cookbook I won in a giveaway - Simply De-Lite-Ful by Alice Bolen and Janelle Woolley, find it here.  I've had a stash of chickpeas around the house because I want to try making hummus, but I can't seem to find tahini in Utah.  So when I saw a recipe for a chickpea salad in the cookbook I decided to give it a try.  It was super easy and would make a great side dish, although I used it for a main dish.

Warm Chickpeas Vinaigrette

 from Simply De-Lite-Ful

by Alice Bolen and Janelle Woolley

2 (15-oz) cans chickpeas, drained (I halved the recipe)
1 large shallot, diced (I'd cut back on the shallot, I'm not a huge onion/shallot fan)
3 Tablespoons Red Wine Vinegar
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup large carrot, grated (I had baby carrots, so I chopped them)
1/4 cup fresh flat-leave parsley, chopped
2 teaspoons olive oil
Freshly ground pepper


In serving blow combine shallot, vinegar, garlic and salt.  Allow to sit for 10 minutes.  Meanwhile, blanch chickpeas in boiling water for 2 minutes and rain.  Add warm chickpeas, carrot, parsley and olive oil to shallot mixture and toss together.  Taste and sprinkle with freshly ground pepper and additional salt if needed.

For those of you who asked, here's last week's recipe, along with our best google attempt and converting from the UK recipe, if you are in the UK and want the original drop me a line:

Tomato Soup 

Pret A Manager

1 tablespoon Olive Oil
2 cloves Garlic, chopped
1/2 Onion, chopped
4 cups Tomato, chopped (we've tried fresh, canned, and bottled - I prefer canned, I use 1 15 oz can and one 32 oz can, slightly more than the recipe calls for)
2 teaspoons Tomato Puree (I've only found it in a giant can, so I froze the leftovers)
1/2 cup Water
2 tablespoons Dry White Wine (I use cooking wine)
4 tablespoons Cream 
2 teaspoons Vegetable Bouillon (recipe calls for Marigold brand)
1 teaspoon sugar
2 teaspoons White Wine Vinegar
1 teaspoon Oregano, fresh chopped
1 teaspoon Parsley, fresh chopped
Salt
1 teaspoon Thyme, fresh chopped (fresh herbs make a huge difference)
Black Pepper


Gently fry the onion and garlic in the olive oil until soft, around 5 minutes.  Add the tomato, water, tomato puree, wine, bouillon, sugar and white wine vinegar.  Simmer for 20 minutes.  Finally add the cream, herbs and seasoning and simmer for a couple of minutes before serving (I prefer the soup after it has simmered for hours.)

While I cooked this week I listened to Mumford and Sons - kept me hopping in the kitchen.
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A little mumbling going on

I spent an hour in the dentist chair last night, never a fun thing.  I came away with a mouth so numb that I'm pretty sure I was drooling when I stopped at the grocery store on the way home.  It's times like these I'm glad I live in an unfamiliar city where the chances of running into someone I know are practically nil.

My mumbling attempts to talk on the phone reminded me of a band I've been meaning to write a post about: Mumford & Son (get it mumbling to Mumford?  maybe the gave me something a little stronger than I realized.)

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