Without further ado...the current lives and times of the Barefoot Hippies.
Training. Completely and totally. On Tuesday I opened my handy iCalendar and put in my projected running miles for the next 2 months. We have two months until our 25k, and I feel behind the ball. But, since our trip my weekly mileage has grown from 8-10 to 25 miles. Per week. Runs and swims are both slow. But, speed will come with more miles and consistent runs.
Racing. Our first race of the season is tomorrow. I bet it won't be pretty. But, we all have to restart somewhere.
Bikes. We are also holding fairly consistent with our triathlon training. We aren't going to ramp it up until after the 25k though. Regardless, I am biking over 8 miles, swimming a half mile and running 3-4 miles-every Monday. We are going to start shopping around for affordable bikes pretty soon. I am looking forward to long family bike rides this summer.
Hello muscles! They daily remind me of that song...
"I'll be watching you...every move you make. Every step you take."
They are still there, and aren't appreciating the reminder of what they have formerly known, but they are getting back in the saddle.
Goodbye sweets. Well, not really. That would be drastic. Life without dessert is a life not worth living. But, before our trip, my dessert consumption had gotten a bit out of hand. I resolved to only eat a rich dessert twice a week-dinner with the BFF on Tuesdays, and something on the weekend. Oh, but, I am still allowing myself milk and cookies daily. I need the protein from the milk. Its healthy, I tell you!
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| isn't she just the cutest thing since....well, I don't know since when |
Journeys. Meres is in potty training awareness this week. We sit her on her toilet every day or so. Get her used to the idea. Next week we are on the train. No falling off. Doing the panties and the potty. Hopefully it will go smashlingly. If she isn't seeming to grasp the concept though, I will retire the chair for a month or two, and try again later. Success-she peed in the potty once already.
Dick and Jane. LC is reading. She is almost through with Dick and Jane, and will be moving on the our official reading books soon. I am so excited! I love it when my kids start to read. It opens the world up to them.
Beginning of the End. 10 weeks of school left-no spring break. School is going well, including fun school. I feel like we have gotten back into the groove, and we are really enjoying digging into the Civil War, Periodic Table and Peru.
Legos. I re-arranged the boys' room to fit the legos up there. Because they eat and sleep legos. With a good dose of Star Wars. And if the two happen to meet, that is the best possible scenario EVER!
Planning spring projecting. I have a nice length of material that matches my new dining room seat pads. I am going to make curtains for the window and the porch door. I am also visualizing my living room walls a sager shade of green. And dreaming of a front and back garden full of flowers.
Tweaking my bread recipe. My hostess in Indonesia uses leftover cooked oatmeal in her bread. We all enjoyed it there, and so I have integrated it into my recipe. It made a great thing even better. Mr. Hippie raves about the sandwich bread. Its crazy! We are going through a ton of bread these days. I am making 9 loaves within every two weeks, plus some rolls on top of that. We go through well over half a loaf a day. More, if we have toast for breakfast. For a good post bread baking technique with a recipe, check out here and here.
Reading pulp fiction. Last year I read a lot of non-fiction. Which was good and growing for me. This month I am catching up with the newest Isabel Dalhousie, John Grisham, and whatever else is catching my eye.
Short skirts and patterned tights. Not that short. I am loving my skirts. Maybe because they remind me of spring and summer. And who can resist a nice layer of polka dots over the nether limbs?
Writing and more writing. Writing is cathartic for my soul. Mr. Hippie says I have actually been much more chill since I've started writing. Maybe because writing allows me to get my emotions and thoughts out there, and then put them in a way that is not hurtful for others. I have been enjoying several new blogging opportunities. Based on an invitation and reader poll, I am going to start writing a homeschool type post every week. It will not be blatantly home school generally. You may enjoy it, even if you aren't a home schooler. It will be a lot like my Hippie Method series, basically why I do what I do in homeschooling and life. I also am teaming up with Kelley and her new breakfast blog, as a once a month contributor. And I have been enjoying the opportunity to write about ministry and marriage at Simply Helping Him. Many genres, because my heart and life have many layers.
Irony. It is that time again. Time to haul out the old P&P and laugh at the irony of their situations. So ridiculous! So ironic! So fun!
Flan. I am limiting sweets, but this one is speaking my love language. Smooth and creamy richness, accompanied by fresh fruit. Oh yeah! And super easy to make too. But the cherry on top is that it takes only 4 ingredients, 3 of which you almost definitely have on hand.
Flan
1 cup white sugar
4 eggs, separated
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
3/4 cup plus 2 T of milk
-Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
-Boil a kettle of water or 6-8 cups.
-Melt the sugar in a heavy saucepan over low heat stirring constantly, until it becomes a golden brown syrup. (about 10 minutes). Immediately pour it into a round 2 quart baking dish, swirling so that the syrup coats the bottom and about 1" up the sides. Set aside to cool.
-Place the egg yolks in a blender, and blend on high for 5 minutes. Then add the sweetened condensed milk, milk and egg whites, and blend until combined. Pour egg mixture into the baking dish, and cover with foil.
-Line a roasting pan with a damp towel, and place the flan into the roasting pan. Place the roasting pan in the oven and pour the boiling water to reach halfway up the sides of the baking dish.
-Bake in the preheated oven for 50-60 minutes, until a knife inserted one inch from the edge comes out clean.
-Cool on a wire rack for 1 hour, then refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Run a sharp knife around the edge, and invert on a plate.
-Optional but beautiful...Serve with fresh fruit (kiwi, mango, strawberries, raspberries) and whipping cream.
What's up with you currently? Tell me in the comments!
