Coooooking - Homemade Butternut Squash Ravioli!

I think it's pretty clear I'm obsessed with cooking and food... and today I took my obsession to the next level. This morning, motivated & awake at 7:15 am, I decided I would try making homemade pasta, specifically ravioli, with a butternut squash filling (yes, I'm also obsessed with this fall vegetable and its greatness in pasta.) I referenced my old school Better Homes cookbook for the basic pasta recipe and this blog for the butternut idea, combining the two to just wing it and see what happened. It wasn't as hard as I thought it would be, and sadly the only main complaint is that my ravioli do not look perfect like the store bought ones. Yet, there were no complaints in regards to the taste. I made a few shortly after assembling, pairing the pasta with melted butter, sage, walnuts and fresh thyme. I was able to freeze the rest (19 more) and used the helpful tip from a coworker - freeze on wax paper on a cookie sheet so they freeze individually and then package as needed - Great idea! The whole process took about 2 hours, but with some Pandora (Eklipse is a great station for mellow music to cook to), time flew by and it was worth all of the effort.

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Lions & Tigers & Bears...

T & D's Cats of the World! Over the last few years (since finishing grad school and actually acquiring free time), I've been expanding my knowledge of the area and venturing to new places. Today I got the opportunity to visit T&D's Cats of the World, an animal refuge for exotic felines and wildlife - only $10 a person. I've always wanted to see a black bear in the wilderness, so for now, this will have to do. It was a warm day, so one of the many bears decided to chill in the pool. Baby Patagonian! Selfie with the deer! Bengal Tiger! 2 Bears chilling... I feel like they were like us, just waiting to see another species walk by the fence for a look. "Hey Bob, look, here come some more humans!" Bear Selfie! Lion! It's sad to see the animals engaged, but at least they are in a better habitat than their previous homes. Totally worth the drive and a nice way to spend the afternoon!

52 Weeks of Floor Plans - Week 4!

Welcome! Every week for the next year, I will be posting an original floor plan and designs that reflect my belief in simple living. I've been toying with the idea of buying land and building a small cottage, or starter home, that I can use one day as a studio or guest house. I've found a few inspirational images from Houzz and Pinterest that really fuel the designs, and I hope you enjoy! Week 4! As my obsession with cottage designs continues, this week I'm inspired more by the beach and water, and thought of a plan that reflected this new inspiration. Saturday I spent the morning kayaking on a lake with a college friend, and I would love to have a small dwelling along the water. Lake Jean I would love to stick with natural earth tones, and add pops of blue, like the image below. Source Awesome side table I saw at TJ Maxx this past weekend! Would work well with rounded glass top! The breakfast nook could ho...

In 6 weeks you can...Run a 5k!

2013 was supposed to be a year of greatness, and it started off right... until February. My love life flipped upside down, and after a week of feeling like hell, I found a challenge to bring me back. My thoughts were... 6 weeks to take out my frustration and anger by pounding pavement (or in my case the treadmill.) The timing couldn't have been better, for it was the start of Lent, and I've never been one to stick to something. I was determined, I was motivated, and I found a schedule that was completely manageable. So February 18th was the start of 6 weeks of discovery. Could I do this? I was never a runner - the opposite actually. I was the girl in high school who would get a doctor's note using her asthma as an excuse to get out of running the mile, and then the next year, would run 3 laps claiming to have done 4 for a passing grade. I figured this would last a week or two, never 6! Every Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday for 6 wee...

...Designing My Own Path...

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