Strange Territory

My husband and I live in a little one bedroom apartment in the Denver area. We've been in this little space for about a year and a half now, and we're slowly figuring out how to glean every last bit of storage out of the place. Last week, the purchase of an inexpensive corner shelf enabled me to move the microwave out of the (itty-bitty) kitchen...

Voila! More room in the kitchen!

Little did I know I would be frequently assaulted by the urge to bake stuff. Amazing what a little re-arranging can do... I usually avoid the kitchen like the plague!

WELL. This morning, I figured out that I could study AND bake at the same time since I have an audio study-guide for the NCE. Oh, mercy...

A few hours of wakefulness have already produced pumpkin chocolate chip muffins and banana bread just because I wanted to. The revelation that I could study too might mean more deliciousness...

I am limited only by the contents of my pantry and the fact that I have to be at school by 1pm. :-)

An apology. And tea.

So... my last post wasn't intended to be a smash on anyone who likes traditional holiday tunes. I've just realized lately what a propensity I have for disconnection. Some days it's a battle to stay not just physically, but also spiritually and emotionally, awake. Who am I kidding? It's been most days lately, which is why I've taken to just turning everything off. Thus, when I actually turn something on it'd better be good. :-)

I apologize if I offended anyone.

On a kind of giddy note, I like tea.

This time last year, I did NOT like tea. This time last year, I didn't want to even consider tea as a viable beverage option. Oh, but I didn't know what I was missing until this week. :-)

Last spring, I decided I'd give tea a shot & started with the Celestial Seasonings fruity stuff. Why not? There's a tea factory just up the road in Boulder. That was all well and good. I tried some breakfast teas & greys. They were alright too (well, except for the one that tasted like old cigarette smoke smells).

Then my friend Elizabeth gave Jer & I tea for Christmas.

She gave us this stuff:

Tea Gschwendner's Winter Magic
(and their apple pie tea too)

Since I cracked the gift open on Sunday evening and put it to the test, I've had to resist chain-drinking the stuff. It's incredibly delicious. :-)

Thanks, Elizabeth!

Carrots.

I want to like them. Really, I do.

I have several friends who have an affinity for carrots. One friend would regularly buy a large bag of carrots to be his lunch for the week. I still don't understand how he did not turn permanently orange, but oh well. My husband loves carrots. He's happily munching on them right now.

But me? I. do. not. like. carrots. I tolerate them. I tend to eat them sparingly, and only because they're healthy & I'm supposed to.

Well... I'm on a mission to like carrots now.

Due to some recent health issues, I'm having to watch very carefully what I eat. (No, it's not diabeetus or anything super-huge.) Anyway... carrots are on the good list.

Coffee is on the bad list (pout.)
Soda is on the bad list (bottom lip trembling.)
Curry is on the bad list (wide eyes.)
Chickfila seems to be on my own personal bad list (tear!)
Tomatoes are on the bad list (whimper.)
As are a multitude of berries and citrus fruits!!! (sob!)

At least for now these are among the things on the bad list, so I'm hunting for other things I enjoy that are actually okay to eat...

And I really wish I liked carrots.

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P.S. If you offer me a Dr. Pepper, I probably won't talk to you for a week.