narcissus sunset

When the sun sets it slants across my front yard and lets a tiny bit of light into my cozy cave apartment.

I like coming home to all the flowers glowing.  My landlords are from Alaska; when they moved here they let their suppressed inner-gardener selves go wild and planted up the whole front yard and backyard with vegetables, herbs, and flowers. I think I convinced them to string lights in the walnut tree over the picnic table in the front yard for amazing al fresco dinners. [Yes, I have the best landlords ever. Yes, we are probably "those" neighbors.]

I am so happy that things are starting to grow again!

The front yard is looking like a Breck's advertisement. The only thing missing is a Dutch flag flying in the background...

I like Wednesday nights because I finally have a chance to relax and breathe after the mad-dash stressful rush of the first part of the week.  I'm starting to get that spring-induced calm that everything will work out.  Even when there seems to be way too much work to fit into the last four weeks of the school year,

It will always all get done.

Keep that in mind if you feel like you are losing it :)

So I'm just trying to appreciate the blast of warm hot weather we've been living through lately.

Even if it is maybe a bit TOO hot and dry.

I love opening windows and smelling fresh air indoors.

And taking outdoor lunch breaks.

Hello, freckles!

Hot Cross Bun oatmeal: part 1 in a Series

[that is supposed to be an icing cross, not a mountain waterfall]

I admit that I am completely addicted to oatmeal. I don't know why I haven't ever posted about this before. 

Whenever I actually have time to make breakfast at home, nothing else sounds good enough in the mornings (unless it is hot out, when I pursue my love affair with cereal, but that is a story for another day).

I've decided to start posting a series of my favorite oatmeal recipes whenever I do have a rare amazing moment to have stovetop oatmeal for breakfast, in the hopes of convincing the world that oatmeal is amazing and full of wonder. If you don't realize that you are also an oatmeal fan, I hope to bring you to the light. 

Starting with the Easter-appropriate Hot Cross Bun Oats! Lightly zesty, studded with dried berries, and drizzled with powdered sugar frosting. Oh, yes.

The best part about oatmeal is that you can take your favorite dessert recipe and easily convert it into a healthy form that is even more satisfying.

Please do not ever use "instant" oats. The "old-fashioned" kind only take 4 more minutes to cook, and are so much thicker and chewier! If you have a health food section of your grocery store with bulk bins, you can get organic thick rolled oats for very, very, cheap.  Okay enough blabbing, I didn't realize I cared this much about the topic. 

Hot Cross Bun Oatmeal

(serves 1...)

-1/2 cup old fashioned oats

-1/2 cup water

-1/2 cup milk

-dash of salt

-raisins or currants and other dried fruit you have around

-1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

-dash of coriander

-dash of nutmeg

-orange and lemon zest (just a little bit.)

-vanilla

-1 teaspoon powdered sugar

Heat water, milk, dried fruit, and dash of salt in a small pot on the stove.

When it is boiling (WATCH THE MILK), stir in the oats.

Add cinnamon, nutmeg, coriander, and citrus zest.

Cook until oats are done and liquids are absorbed (~5-8 mins)

Stir in the vanilla and remove from heat.

Mix the powdered sugar with a couple drops of milk or water to make icing

Top the oatmeal with an artful drizzle of sugar, as well as some butter and more milk if you like.

Delicious!

On another note, I can't believe it's Sunday night.  I don't know where my weekend went !! I think all this sunshine and warm weather is wiping me out, because I've been feeling very lethargic and lazy. Or maybe just thinking about diving in to the craziness of another busy week is making me tired.

I need to snap out of it!

the view of the garden fairy

Oh my gosh it feels like summer here and the flowers everywhere have exploded just in this past week!

I am sooooo happy.

How can you not be happy when it is sunny and dry 78 degrees out?

Plus, it's April, which is birthday season for me and several of my girlfriends!*!*!!

24 days until I am 23!

Life is proceeding at breakneck pace as usual, but I have still managed to find time for relaxing outdoor coffee breaks and happy hour pitchers of Bud Light on the patio.  Keeping it classy.

[Even though every single person with a motorcycle (aka a lot of people evidently) is out on the streets revving their engines so you can barely hold a conversation. (seriously?)]

This weekend I am going to get a grip on life (ha!), start working on my two seminar papers (eek!) and definitely hold a flower photoshoot on campus. Is there a market out there for flower portraiture? Because it is calling me.

I hope you have a beautiful Easter weekend!

p.s. photo editing how-to post coming soon