The days just fly…

I keep meaning to be a better blogger, and I honestly don’t know what happens, but it seems I just never quite get around to it. Summer is just flying by, as it often does. July has been beautiful here weather-wise. Cool nights (sometimes dipping into the 40s!) and days that reach the high 70’s or low 80’s. I think I could live with a year of this! Of course, I’m sure we’ll be in for the dreaded heat and humidity eventually. Let’s see, what’s been going on? The house is nearly all stained! I am just in love with the color. Here’s a shot I took this morning:

And here’s one just of two of the dormers. You can see how faded the siding was! Granted, the new stain is a redder shade than the old one, but still… the house was never that light!

My dining room is nearly back in order. There still are some things to put away, but at least it’s not jam-packed anymore. I think I might even be able to see a little bit of the surface of the dining room table! 🙂 The boys’ rooms are all decorated and basically finished. Laura’s room is getting there, and our room will just have to wait. Although I am very excited about my new sewing desk in our room! It’s actually the desk that used to be in the kitchen, but we’ve been rearranging furniture and found it a new home. I hated having the sewing machine on the dining room table, yet I hated putting it in the box every night, too. This should be great!

I’m still working on this crochet bag from Attic24. I haven’t had tons of craft time lately (understandably, I would think!), but it’s working up nicely. I’m excited to do a little more on it. Other than that, it’s just business as usual here! Diapers and dishes, LOL. I’ll leave you with a recipe I tried last week for Indian Spiced Kale & Chick Peas. While I like kale well enough, I don’t love it. If we didn’t get it from our CSA I probably would not go out of my way to buy it, but this recipe was a good use for it. I used less kale than the recipe called for and should have cut down on the broth accordingly. It made for a more soupy dish. I’m not sure if I’d make it again, but if you enjoy kale and Indian flavors, chances are you will love this!

Indian Spiced Kale & Chick Peas

1 Tbsp. olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound kale, ribs removed, coarsely chopped
1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth
1 tsp. ground coriander
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 tsp. garam masala
1/4 tsp. salt
1 15-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed

Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add kale and cook, tossing with two large spoons, until bright green, about 1 minute. Add broth, coriander, cumin, garam masala and salt. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the kale is tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in chickpeas; cover and cook until the chickpeas are heated through, 1 to 2 minutes.